Johnson, Wilson are NFL All-Pro selections

"Chris Johnson didn't get any votes for MVP. He didn't miss any for The Associated Press 2009 NFL All-Pro team," says the AP.

The 2,000-yard rusher from the Tennessee Titans (who played at East Carolina) was the only unanimous choice for the squad, which was announced Thursday. He's joined in the backfield by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who won an unprecedented fourth Most Valuable Player Award last week, when only quarterbacks received votes.

"That'd be a good thing," said Johnson, who won the Offensive Player of the Year award Wednesday. "Because I feel like if you put a season out there, out of those dudes who got votes or the dudes who won, I wouldn't feel they had a better season than I had, and broke as many records in one season that I had."

Also named to the All-Pro team was former N.C. State player (and High Point native) and current Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.

This is the first time that Wilson has been named to the NFL All-Pro team, and the first NC State player to be selected since Torry Holt in 2003. Wilson is the only member of the Cardinals represented on the first team [said GoPack.com].

During the 2009 season Wilson started all 16 games, while recording 74 tackles and a career-high five interceptions and 13 pass deflections. Wilson has been with the Cardinals for nine years since being drafted in the third round in 2001.

While having solid contributions as a rookie, Wilson took over the starting strong safety spot in his second year and has never relinquished it. Since coming into the league Wilson has recorded 686 tackles, 20.5 sacks and 23 interceptions.

Former Pirate Johnson named NFL Offensive Player of the Year

"That blur speeding away from opposing defenses and running off with The Associated Press 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award is Chris Johnson," writes the AP's Barry Wilner.

Considered the fastest man in pro football, Johnson was uncatchable in setting a league mark for yards from scrimmage (2,509) and becoming the sixth player with a 2,000-yard rushing season. Johnson played in college at East Carolina.

He is the first NFL player to finish with at least 2,000 yards rushing and 500 receiving (503).

That earned the second-year pro 38 1/2 votes Wednesday from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Johnson easily beat New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who received nine votes.

"I kind of realize what I did and I feel like I had a dream season," said Johnson, who scored 16 touchdowns (14 rushing), second to Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, and tied the NFL mark with six consecutive games rushing for at least 125 yards.

Also in the running was League MVP Peyton Manning, who received 1.5 votes, and former N.C. State and current San Diego Charger QB Philip Rivers, who got a vote.

New members of the N.C. Sports Hall announced

The N.C. Sports Hall of Fame -- based at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh -- has announced its newest members.

Among them is Don McCauley, an All-American running back at UNC in the '60s; former multi-sport star at State and future college football coach Jim Donnan; former State and NFL wide receiver Mike Quick; and current Duke assistant women's soccer coach and UNC legend Carla Overbeck, among others.

"You're always happy for the other guy, hoping one day you'll get the call," McCauley told the News & Observer in Raleigh.

The newest members are:

-Herb Appenzeller, who played football for Wake Forest in the 1940s and was Guilford College athletic director.

-Donnan, a former quarterback for N.C. State who went on to a successful coaching career at Georgia.

-Overbeck, an assistant women's soccer coach at Duke who was a three-time All-American for UNC.

-Quick, a former N.C. State wide receiver who had a Pro Bowl career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

-Karen Shelton, coach of UNC's field hockey squad, which has won seven national titles under her watch.

-Paul Simson, a Raleigh resident who has won two British Amateur Senior Open championships in golf.

"It's nice when people remember you," Quick told the paper.

Canes No. 2 among America's pro teams; Panthers 28th, Bobcats 59th

The Carolina Hurricanes were ranked second in ESPN's voting of the Ultimate Team rankings -- based on the "Big Four" of MLB, NBA, NFL and the NHL, while the Carolina Panthers came in 28th and the Charlotte Bobcats 59th.

Personally, I'm excited that the Canes are that high, perplexed that the Panthers aren't higher, and equally perplexed that the 'Cats aren't lower. Oh well.

How the rankings came to be, From the site:

The eight major categories that make up the Ultimate Standings were created based on feedback from fans about what they want most from their favorite teams (click here for a more detailed account of the method to our madness.) The categories:

Bang For The Buck (BNG): Wins during the past three years (regular season plus postseason) per revenues directly from fans, adjusted for league schedules.

Fan Relations (FRL): Openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management.

Ownership (OWN): Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community.

Affordability (AFF): Price of tickets, parking and concessions.

Stadium Experience (STX): Quality of arena and game-day promotions as well as friendliness of environment.

Players (PLA): Effort on the field and likability off it.

Coaching (CCH): Strength of on-field leadership.

Title Track (TTR): Championships already won or expected in the lifetime of current fans.

Based on that critiera, the Canes came in just behind the Angels but ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Red Wings. The Canes came in at No. 17 last year.

Here's ESPN's take on the Canes:

Surprised that the Canes are an ice chip (.01 point) away from topping our list? Fans from this unconventional hockey market aren't. In fact, they ­embrace their underdog role, although references to Hartford South still rankle ("When was the last time you heard the Avalanche being referred to as the 'Nordique-Avs'?" complained a poster on canescountry.com). What doesn't rankle is the wallet- and fan-friendly Hurricane Experience. After all, what's better than an elite team that loves you back at a bargain-basement price? Not much. Even before this spring's playoff run, which included two Game 7 road wins, the Hurricanes offered an "Ice Your Price" plan that guaranteed a two-year freeze on season-ticket costs. As it was, the Canes' average ticket price of $38.38 was already fifth lowest in the NHL, and only one (the Blues) of the three teams with cheaper ducats made the playoffs. As for the requited love, PR chief Mike Sundheim says the team prides itself on making players accessible to the community. Practices at the RBC Center are open to the public, and weekend workouts draw hundreds of fans. Best of all, players stick around afterward to sign autographs. Even visitors are impressed by the Canes-Caniacs love affair. "They know that they are no longer a bandwagon mob," blogged one Bruins supporter who road-tripped to Canes country during Boston's unhappy conference semis, "and they want everyone to know it." Thanks to the team's showing in our Ultimate Standings, everybody does.

... and the Panthers:

After a rough 2007, fans in Bank of America were itching for a bailout. Sure enough -- a year earlier than the rest of the banking industry's -- their pleas became too big to fail. An intact Jake Delhomme behind center plus a healthy dose of Double Trouble (RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) helped the 2008 squad improve in wins (+5), rushing yards (+613) and points (+147). Cats management responded by pumping in a two-and-a-half-times-as-large hi-def video display, adding flat-screens in the 100 and 500 levels and installing more JJR's BBQ Shacks to sate fans' jones for succulent pulled pork and Midwest-infused beef brisket. Sure, 63,000 of the 73,504 seats are locked down in PSLs -- so much for spontaneity. But it's hard to complain while downing $3 soda and sub-$6 brew, getting free programs and capturing the NFC's jointly held (with the Giants) top record with the eighth-cheapest stubs. Management has frozen ticket prices for 2009, so Panthers backers can feel safe depositing their hard-earned cash in B of A … for now.

.... and the Bobcats:

When one measly Texans playoff berth is all that separates the Bobcats from becoming the lone remaining franchise across major pro sports without postseason experience, well, it's easy to understand their fans' frustration -- and why only one category improved from last year's Standings. That would be Coaching, which leaped a whopping 67 spots after the team finally got serious by hiring Larry Brown. The HOFer brought some much-needed experience and long-sought-after credibility to the sideline for a team whose two previous regimes compiled a sorry .332 WP. Sure, Brown may not be the most stable choice (someone check -- has he unpacked yet?), but he still gets results: His first season was almost good enough for that elusive playoff berth, as Charlotte finished a mere four games out. But fans haven't forgotten (or forgiven) front office follies like trading for Jason Richardson and -- remember this one? -- drafting Adam ­Morrison No. 3 overall. At least now the albatross (Richardson) and the mustache (Morrison) are gone. Sprite Family Night packages (four tix + four dogs + four sodas = $65), the league's fourth-cheapest tix ($33.25), cheapest parking ($6), free programs, a 17% average ticket price drop for next season and one of the NBA's least-attended venues (14,526 per game) make things more wallet-friendly. Still, there's no price this team, or its fans, wouldn't pay for a postseason.

And in case you were wondering (I'm sure you were), the last-placed team is ... (drum roll) ... the Los Angeles Clippers. No surprise there.

Panthers games to be broadcast in Spanish

This is another sign of the influence (and influx) of Spanish-speaking folks in North Carolina. The NFL's Carolina Panthers will become the 12th team in the league to have games broadcast over the radio in Spanish.

"The team announced Thursday that Charlotte radio station WNOW-AM will air all its games in Spanish in 2008. The area has seen a dramatic growth in its Hispanic population, and team officials said they wanted to better serve that growing fan base," said media reports.

"Los Panteras" open the preseason on August 9 at home against Indianapolis. The first game that counts will be on September 7 in San Diego against the Philip Rivers-led Chargers. The Panthers' first home game is a week later against Chicago.

Quick hits: App State looks to Hickory, 'Tank' looks to give back

Appalachian State ponders Hickory campus
"Catawba County and Appalachian State University leaders discussed additional educational opportunities in the Hickory region, including the concept of a satellite campus, during a meeting last week," wrote the Hickory Daily Record.

"The hour-long discussion involved Appalachian’s Chancellor Ken Peacock and Chief of Staff Lorin Baumhover. The meeting centered on bringing more programs to area institutions now partnered with Appalachian, according to Catawba County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Kitty Barnes.

" 'I think what (Appalachian and Catawba County leaders) are looking at is incremental building on what we are already offering,' Barnes said.

"Appalachian now offers a range of classes through the Hickory Metro Higher Education Center, oversees operation of the new North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies and plans a teacher’s school at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, along with a nursing school at Western Piedmont Community College and Technical Institute. ..."

NFL star helps 'feed the children'
"Hundreds of Fayetteville children and their families now have food and supplies thanks to some hardworking football players including one local player who has made it to the NFL," says News 14 Carolina.

"E.E. Smith High School's football team tackles community service projects like any other task, by working together as a team. On Wednesday, they were joined by a special alumnus, Demarcus 'Tank' Tyler.

" 'I'm blessed to have the opportunity to come back and give back to my community,' said Tyler. 'You know, I've got to stay grounded and remember where I come from to move forward in my future.'

"Tyler has partnered with an international nonprofit group to help needy families in his hometown. There's 25 pounds worth of food in some of the boxes that were given out Wednesday and toiletries in others. Altogether, 'Feed the Children' plans to help out more than 400 families in just Wednesday’s one distribution. ..."