Farewell 2006

2006 offered this area an incredible list of sports stories. The highlight for me was the Carolina Hurricanes run to the Stanley Cup championship. I personally attended 17 of the playoff games including trips to Buffalo and Edmonton. Seeing hockey played in Canada was a special treat. Seeing two Game 7 wins at the RBC center was incredible. I've covered Final Fours, a college football national championship, the Super Bowl and major golf tournaments but neither of them offered the opportunity to watch your local team clinch a championship in their own building...in front of their own fans. Chills man, chills.

2006 had its share of coaching changes in the area with three searches for new coaches. I would like to thank the many people who helped me with information during the hirings and firings. You know who you are but I'll keep your names out of the public.

I think NC State and North Carolina got what they were looking for in head football coaches. The Tar Heels needed someone to come in and shake the trees for a few dollars and give Tar Heel fans hope for a consistently winning team. Butch Davis is the perfect guy to generate the instant interest. The Wolfpack needed some stability and discipline. They got it in Tom O'Brien and he's already turned in a quote of the year. I asked him about the rivalry with UNC. He quickly replied, "remember I spent 15 years at Virginia. I know all about the ABC rule. " (that's Anybody But Carolina for those who don't know.) In basketball, Sidney Lowe is proving himself on the collegiate level as a head coach. You can see his personality in his current team and he's proof, it's not the order of who you hire but getting the right hire. The early returns on Sidney are extremely positive.

We had the Duke and North Carolina women make the Final Four, the Shaw women continued their CIAA dominance. But we did not have a local men's team reach the Sweet 16. College football in the state was led by Appalachian State's back-to-back national titles and Wake's climb from the preseason cellar to the ACC championship and the Orange Bowl. East Carolina earned a bowl bid in the 2nd season of the Skip Holtz era -- a far cry from the miserable days of 3-20. N.C. Central earned its 2nd consecutive CIAA championship in football but that's where the good news in football comes to a screeching halt. NC State, UNC and Duke were a combined 6-30!! Of those six wins, only 1 came against a Div. 1 team with a winning record -- the Wolfpack's thriller over Boston College. How ironic that N.C. State would end up hiring the losing coach of that game.

Congrats to the North Carolina baseball team for making it to college baseball's hallowed grounds, Omaha and the College World Series championship game. The Tar Heel women's soccer team posted their 18th NCAA championship at an electric SAS soccer park in Cary. The Carolina Panthers made a grand march through the playoffs...New York, Chicago and finally Seattle for the NFC championship game.

One of the great things about being a sports fan is you can always look back and always look ahead. May you enjoy the bright moments of 2006, learn from the disappointments and keep the faith that next year IS the year for your team. This is one of the most unique sports markets in the country with a thrill-a-minute just around the corner.