Triangle title contenders, Byrd's big moment and gamers rejoice in the sports moments of the week
Posted February 20, 2024 5:07 p.m. EST
Updated February 20, 2024 5:55 p.m. EST
The internet is a big place. Unless you're 100% plugged in all the time (and let's be clear, that is NOT recommended), you're going to miss some stuff.
Let us do that work. You can be a well-adjusted human being and still catch all the best sports moments of the week, with a quick review ...
#KCStrong
Last Wednesday was rough.
The Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade was marred by an act of senseless gun violence that killed one woman and injured 22 other people -- many of them children.
Rather than get angry in this space (and there is plenty to be angry about), I want to briefly shed some light on how the Chiefs are handling the tragedy... and how we all can help.
The team has launched “Kansas City Strong,” an emergency fund that supports victims of violence and their families as well as first responders. It will also work toward violence prevention and mental health services.
If you wish to donate to the Kansas City Strong fund -- and every little bit counts -- you can do so here.
The Madness is coming
With football season now over and less than three weeks to go in the college basketball regular season, it's officially time to start looking ahead to the NCAA tournament.
But don't just take my word for it.
The Tournament Selection committee unveiled its annual "Bracket Preview" over the weekend, with a trio of local teams positioned to make a deep run.
On the men's side, North Carolina got back on track after a stunning loss to Syracuse, blasting Virginia Tech for a pretty easy 15-point win on Saturday. The committee is clearly impressed with the Tar Heels' body of work this season, penciling them in as a No. 2 seed in their bracket preview.
Duke, as you can see, is currently projected to be on the 3 line. They got a key road win at Florida State on Saturday, thanks to an otherwordly performance from freshman guard Jared McCain.
McCain tied the Duke freshman scoring record with 35 points against the Seminoles -- 25 of them in the first half -- in one of the best shooting performances in recent memory.
His eight made three-pointers (on 11 attempts) also set a freshman record, and came up one shy of JJ Redick's program record.
The NC State women's team is a projected 2-seed as well after surviving a major scare from Georgia Tech on Sunday.
Yellow Jackets guard Kara Dunn had 31 points, including not one, but two ridiculous 3-pointers in crunch time. However, Aziaha James had her own 30-piece, helping the Wolfpack eek out a 1-point home overtime victory.
The Wolfpack have a pair of rivalry road games on deck this week. They visit North Carolina on Thursday night, followed by Duke on Sunday.
If they can manage to sweep those two, NC State should lock up at least a No. 2 seed for the Big Dance.
Parker Byrd's historic ECU debut
College baseball season is off to a flying start in North Carolina. (No, seriously. It's already started. Sneaks up on me every year.)
Five in-state teams are ranked in the Top 15.
Head coach Eliott Avent just picked up his 1,000th win at NC State.
And East Carolina sophomore Parker Byrd set a significant NCAA milestone in his Pirates debut.
Byrd came on as a pinch hitter in Friday's season-opening win over Rider, becoming the first person in history to play Division I baseball with a prosthetic leg.
Byrd, who is listed as an infielder/pitcher, nearly lost his life in a boating accident in July of 2022. He needed more than 20 surgeries in a 45-day span, including the amputation of his right leg.
The Laurinburg native never gave up on his dream of playing college baseball and worked his way back into playing shape.
Byrd drew a walk in his lone plate appearance, then was pinch run for by designated hitter Jason Janesko, who eventually scored in a 16-2 win for the Pirates.
The chill-inducing moment got even cooler when former major leaguer Jim Abbott tweeted his congratulations. Abbott, who was born without a right hand, pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in 1993 and went on to have a 10-year pro career.
William Byron wins Daytona 500
Charlotte native William Byron won his first career Daytona 500 this weekend, but it wasn't exactly the type of thrilling finish that most NASCAR fans wanted.
For starters, the race was delayed until Monday night due to inclement weather on Sunday. Then, a crash on the final lap forced the race to finish under caution.
Byron was declared the winner because he was in the lead at the time of the wreck, barely edging out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman for the checkered flag.
Some fans likened the anti-climactic finish to a certain famous TV show, but most of the post-race drama has been around who caused that final collision.
At first glance, it would seem that Ross Chastian (in the No. 1 car) got caught trying to make an aggressive move for the lead, and contacted Austin Cindric (in the No. 2 car), causing both to spin out.
But Cindric says that he actually blames Corey LaJoie (in the No. 7 car) for making him wreck. Cindric and LaJoie have a bit of a history and it's pretty clear from their post-race interviews that they still don't like each other.
As for Byron, this was his 7th career start at the Daytona 500, but it's actually the first time that he made it to the finish line.
Caution or no caution, grabbing the checkered flag at Daytona is a huge accomplishment and a great way to start the season. Congratulations to him and his team!
Steph vs. Sabrina highlights NBA All-Star Weekend
It's become an annual tradition to complain about the NBA All-Star Weekend.
The game itself is a glorified layup line, the dunk contest consistently disappoints, and I really couldn't tell you much about any of the other events.
The one saving grace, I thought, was the head-to-head 3-point contest between Stephen Curry and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu.
It was fun, entertaining, legitimately dramatic and even sparked some controversy thanks to TNT commentator Kenny Smith.
The former UNC star, in a well-meaning but ultimately misguided attempt to support Ionescu, suggested that she should have shot from the WNBA 3-point line to make it a "fair contest."
Certainly not The Jet's finest hour. Ionescu was phenomenal with the rules as they were. Her 26 points would have got her to the finals of the official 3-Point Contest. She just happened to be going up against the greatest shooter of all-time and more than held her own.
No need to change the rules for her. I just need the rematch next year.
Oh, and a new event where Trae Young bets fans $100 that he can make a shot from their seat. I think we'd all watch that too.
Caitlin Clark breaks women's scoring record in style
Speaking of the deep ball, Iowa star Caitlin Clark didn't wait long to set the record Thursday for the most career points in women's college basketball history.
And she did it the best way she knows how -- with a ridiculous 3-ball from the logo.
The Hawkeyes took a timeout quickly thereafter, allowing Clark to celebrate with her family and friends who were in the house to witness history.
That's an awesome moment, but Clark wasn't done. In fact, she stayed hot the rest of the night on her way to a new career-high 49 points in a win over Michigan.
You could make a very good argument that women's college basketball has more star power right now than the men's game and Caitlin Clark is Exhibit A.
I can't wait to see how far she can take this team in March.
EA Sports' College Football video game is officially coming back!
After 11 years in the wilderness, college football is officially making its way back to video game consoles everywhere.
EA Sports officially confirmed the news Thursday with a teaser trailer that featured zero actual gameplay, but was more than enough to send fans into a state of pure bliss.
With name, image and likeness rules now allowing players to monetize their college careers, it's safe to assume that real player names will come pre-loaded as well. No more multi-hour roster editing sessions!
The next check point for the game will be in May, which is when EA Sports has promised a "full reveal," which I assume includes a specific release date and a gameplay preview.
What a glorious day. We'll see you next week.
