The Confidential

The ACC Sports Blog

Archive for the category “UNC Correspondent”

2014 ACC Football Schedule Released…Tar Heel, Hokie, Eagle fans rejoice!

Even though it’s still basketball season, it’s NEVER too early to start thinking about football- especially if you’re the ACC. Or a fan of a disappointing basketball team. Coming off a historic season, with 2 BCS wins and a National Championship, the conference looks to keep its momentum going with an impressive  collection of conference and non-conference games this fall. Today’s release of the 2014 ACC football schedule shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Yes, the release is earlier than usual. But with more buzz surrounding the league than ever before, it’s no wonder that John Swofford wanted to pull the trigger and make some noise. And looking at the schedule, that’s exactly what the ACC has an opportunity to do.

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Fixing the NCAA and College Sports- The Professional Athlete Major and How to Make it Happen

The Motivation

Here at the Confidential, we like to talk about sports. Any sports really, but specifically ACC sports and our love for our favorite teams. Sometimes though, there are things that transcend what happens on the field. Sometimes, there are things that are more important. In the case of college athletics, it’s the athletes themselves that ultimately matter, not winning or losing, whether the system in place will say this or not. Ultimately, the most value comes from the people involved and the dreams that they have for the future.

Sporting News published an article that proposes a very interesting way to fix the NCAA. Now, there’s no need to debate it- everyone knows that the current system is broken. You’ve probably seen enough articles to that effect to know what’s going on. But the solution has always been, and will always be debated. How can you fix something that values money more than its money makers? What is the balance for providing a higher quality student athlete experience without compromising the financial benefits? Author Mike DeCourcy proposes a bold way to not only save the academic integrity of our universities, but to improve the lives of the players at the same time

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2013 Tar Heel Review…2014, Looking Forward

It was an exciting year for North Carolina and not for all the right reasons. While the highs were high, the lows kept on coming. From PJ Hairston, to the return of Will Graves, the Tar Heels just couldn’t shake negative press in 2013. Yet, there were a lot of things to celebrate as well. Here’s a look at some of the best, and worst, moments of last year, and what to expect in the year to come.

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Tar Heel Panic-o-Meter Level- MODERATE

It’s been almost a month since the Confidential looked at the current Tar Heel basketball team and not a lot has changed-

We still have no idea who this team is, or what they’re capable of.

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The Tar Heel Jigsaw Puzzle- Replacing PJ Hairston and Leslie McDonald

When North Carolina kicks off the 2013-2014 basketball season tomorrow, they probably won’t know anything new about the status of star shooting guard PJ Hairston and sixth-man Leslie McDonald. Why not? Because the NCAA is involved and they can’t seem to do anything in a timely manner. Both players have been in the news this summer for bad reasons- Hairston for speeding, drugs and rental cars; McDonald for mouth guard endorsement. A decision doesn’t seem to be on the way, even though it should because it’s the start of the season. Since Roy Williams and North Carolina are going to do the smart thing and hold the two players out, there are a lot of holes to fill for the team in both production AND leadership. Earlier today, it was announced that the following players will be starting the opening game against Oakland tomorrow at 9pm-

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Can North Carolina Football EVER be Great?

Let’s be honest. As a Tar Heel fan, I’m already thinking about basketball season. And why not? The tradition is there. The excellence is there. The really awesome non-conference schedule is there (Kentucky, Michigan State, Louisville, etc.). PJ Hairston has to come back at some point too. So it makes sense, right? Basketball, North Carolina…they just go together. Well yeah, and basketball season actually IS here. Late Night with Roy is this Friday. So it’s okay if my attention has shifted, isn’t it?

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NCAA Reform- Conference Expansion, Division 4 and Free Agency?

It feels good to win. And why wouldn’t it? It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating. It’s motivating. But sometimes winning just doesn’t seem possible. Kansas football. Clemson basketball in the Dean Dome. The Big Ten in population growth. Hopeless causes. Or are they? Maybe they’re just a few moves away. I think the NCAA is too.

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Jadeveon Clowney and the ESPN Hype Machine

By now, we all know about ESPN’s hype machine. For the last few years, “no one” has been as good as the Big Ten in basketball (despite zero national championships in over 10 years). “No one” has been worse than Tim Tebow (despite him having a better playoff record than many current starters). It is what it is. As fans, we’re used to it. But last night, ESPN’s “excuse machine” was in full motion. I’ve never heard them try so hard.

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Conference Realignment- A New Division 4 Reality?

Let’s talk Division 4 football.

By now you’ve heard of it. It’s everywhere. We’ve even talked about it here. The “Power 5” conferences break away to form their own division within the NCAA structure, or even break away from the NCAA entirely (for football). But this isn’t about whether it’s a good idea, or a bad idea. It’s not about whether the players deserved to be paid, or deserve to earn more. It’s about the next step if it does happen.

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Where Have All the Good Guys Gone?

I’m going to be honest. I held off writing about the whole PJ Hairston thing because I didn’t want any of it to be true. As a (still) proud alumnus of The University of North Carolina, I’ve been absolutely disgusted at my school the past few years. I became a Tar Heel because I wanted to be associated with excellence AND honesty, not just one of the two. The PJ Hairston situation is the last thing I wanted to see. There’s not a good precedent. Other incidents that seemed isolated at first,  ballooned into full-fledged scandals. This one seems to be heading in that direction.

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