Here's a time where we could be jealous of Maryland

As noted before, we are big fans of the folks over at Atlas Obscura. They just do amazing work highlighting the odd places and things all over this great world of ours. I recently stumbled over an article that explains how jousting -- yes, JOUSTING -- is the official state sport of Maryland. I mean, HOW COOL IS THAT!?

Jousting is apparently very rooted in history in Maryland.

Jousting tournaments have been taking place in the Mid-Atlantic state since colonial times, a medieval tradition brought over from the old country. But it wasn’t until 1962 that Maryland named jousting its official state sport, simultaneously making it the first U.S. state to make such a designation. To this day, only a handful of U.S. states have chosen to name official state sports, and fewer still have chosen something as esoteric as jousting.

The sport first made its way from England to Maryland thanks to the influence of colonial Maryland’s first governor, Cecil Calvert, and later, his son Charles. It’s a tradition that’s managed to survive through the centuries, embedding itself in the state’s cultural DNA.

(Side note: Another cool, old sport that I stumbled across at Atlas Obscura was Pushball. I'm sad this drifted away into the ether of time!)

North Carolina is one of those few states mentioned with an official state sport. There are some really cool ones out there. California gets surfing. Alaska boasts mushing. There are a few that list rodeo. And so on.

Ours is .... {checks notes} ... stock car racing. Make sense, I reckon. It is a sport steeped in this state and very much ingrained. It is probably the most appropriate choice for an official state sport in North Carolina. But part of me wishes the state sport of N.C. was something a bit more egalitarian. But heck, not everyone can afford horses, either. 

What other sports could be considered the state sport? Gotta think college basketball was in the discussion. Anything else? (I'm not the only one who thinks about silly stuff like this, by the way.)

And the official state sport is ...?

... if you guess basketball, then you'd be wrong. But if you guessed NASCAR, well, ding ding.

Gov. Bev Perdue is waving the green flag to make stock car racing North Carolina's official sport, says the AP.

Perdue planned to visit Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday and sign a bill that makes official the state's close and longstanding connection with the popular pastime.

Elementary school students urged legislators to place stock car racing on the list of state superlatives — the state bird is already the cardinal, the turtle is the state reptile and the sweet potato the official vegetable. ...

The bill notes that North Carolina's motorsports industry creates more than 20,000 jobs in the state and is home to racing greats such as Richard Petty and Junior Johnson.

Thoughts? Is this appropriate and spot-on? Does it enhance a stereotype? Does it really matter at all?

Duke triumphs; no C-Indy-rella this time

A month ago, you might have thought that the Duke Blue Devils would reach the Final Four of men's basketball. But very few saw Mike Krzyzewski's team having the weapons and depth to get past a Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky or even West Virginia.

Well, not only did the Blue Devils survive and advance (and destroy the Mountaineers in the process), but they also edged out a scrappy yet talented Butler team in the Bulldogs' hometown of Indianapolis. With the 61-59 win, Duke earned its fourth national title.

"Duke didn't play perfectly on the final night of the season," writes Dan Wiederer. "But as they had all season long, the Blue Devils played hard and together and operated with a champion's composure. The only problem was that Butler played the exact same way."

Heck, even after the game Coach K was in shock.

"It's hard to imagine that we're the national champions," he said.

The win puts K -- already in elite territory -- in uber-elite territory.

"Near speechless in the wake of his fourth NCAA basketball championship, the Duke coach on Monday night joined the late legendary Kentucky patriarch [Adolph Rupp] as No. 2 on the title list," writes Caulton Tudor.

"Only former UCLA coach John Wooden has more - a lot more. Odds are no one will match Wooden's 10 titles, but Krzyzewski and Duke have pulled even with Adolph Rupp, whose Wildcats teams ruled in 1948, '49, '51 and '58"

Not bad company.

To paraphrase Wiederer, Duke is back on the mountain top of college basketball.

"Somehow, the fairy tale ending had become all theirs."

(Photo by Chuck Liddy, N&O)

Quick hits: Duke back in Final Four, and the oldest shipwreck in N.C. found

Duke punches another Final Four ticket
"Duke senior guard Jon Scheyer fiddled absently Sunday evening with the loop he'd cut from the net at Reliant Stadium that represented a lifetime goal fulfilled," said Ken Tysiac.

"A baseball cap that proclaimed Duke regional champions sat on Scheyer's left knee as the last few reporters hung around the locker room. Scheyer and junior backcourt partner Nolan Smith had just shredded Baylor's zone defense, combining for 49 points to lift Duke to a 78-71 win in the NCAA tournament's South Regional final. ..."

Oh, and Duke's presence may have salvaged CBS' ratings.

Shipwreck may be oldest off N.C. coast

"Small waves lapped over Nathan Henry's rubber boots as the underwater archaeologist stood among the stubby hull timbers of what could be the oldest shipwreck on the North Carolina coast.

"It was low tide and the surf was receding in Corolla. A cold north wind penetrated even a hoodie pulled over a knit cap.

"Henry, a curator with the North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch, had come here Tuesday with Richard Lawrence, the agency director, to further document the 400-year-old wreck before it disappears," said the Virginian-Pilot.

ACC Hall of Champions to open next year

I'm piecing this together, but from what I can tell (from here and here) construction is set to begin soon on the ACC's Hall of Champions in Greensboro.

The building will be more than 8,000 square feet in size and will be a "tribute to the Atlantic Coast Conference, its coaches and athletes."

The facility will be adjacent to the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

Quick hits: UNCC fires Lutz and Warren Wilson grad rows across Atlantic

Longtime Charlotte coach Lutz fired

"Charlotte 49ers men's basketball coach Bobby Lutz, the winningest coach in school history, was fired today after his team failed to make postseason play in the NCAA or National Invitation tournaments for the second consecutive season," said the Observer.

"Lutz met with athletics director Judy Rose and informed his assistants of her decision this morning.

"Lutz still had four years remaining on his current contract, which went through the 2013-14 season with a base salary of at least $237,000 per year. He received an extension prior to last season. ..."

Warren Wilson grad rows solo across the Atlantic

"A 22-year-old American rower who graduated from Warren Wilson College completed a solo journey across the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, touching a pier in the coffee-brown waters off Guyana to claim a record as the youngest person to accomplish such a crossing," says the AP.

"Katie Spotz, who spent more than two months alone at sea, hugged her father and brother as a crowd of 200 people cheered her arrival in this South American capital.

“ 'The hardest part was just the solo part,' said Spotz, who said she struggled with boredom and had trouble sleeping inside the cramped, 19-foot row boat. ..."

DT, Laettner to college hoops Hall

The two greatest men's basketball players in ACC history are headed to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

"Former NCAA champions Christian Laettner of Duke and David Thompson of N.C. State will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, which announced its eight-person 2010 class on Wednesday," says the News & Observer.

"Laettner led Duke to four Final Fours and NCAA championships in 1991 and 1992. He received national player of the year honors in 1992 and ranks third in Duke history in career points (2,460) and rebounds (1,149).

"He is the NCAA Tournament's career scoring leader with 407 points and made one of the most famous shots in NCAA history in overtime in a 1992 regional final to lift Duke to a 104-103 win over Kentucky.

"Thompson was one of the most athletic players in the history of the game and was named The Associated Press' national player of the year twice. He led N.C. State to the 1974 NCAA title and was selected as ACC player of the year in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He averaged 26.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over his career.

"He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996."

Congrats to both.

Six more inducted into N.C. Sports Hall of Fame

The N.C. Sports Hall of Fame (based at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh) recently added a half-dozen new deserving members.

"John Swofford, ACC commissioner since 1997 and a former quarterback at North Carolina, is in the class. Also in the class are Appalachian State head football coach Jerry Moore, North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell and former East Carolina and Wake Forest men's basketball coach Dave Odom," said WRAL.

"Former North Carolina State running back and Canadian Football League star Willie Burden, and veteran golfer Roger Watson are also inductees."

The News & Observer's Caulton Tudor writes today that it's only a matter of time before Carolina Hurricanes legends Ron Francis and Glenn Wesley are added.

"Nowhere to be found is anyone with a hockey background. That should change soon," writes Tudor. "Under the 10-year state residency rule for non-North Carolina natives, former Carolina Hurricanes stars and current employees Ron Francis and Glen Wesley will be eligible for consideration in the 2010 voting."

Tar Heels claim fifth* national title

Congratulations to the University of North Carolina Tar Heels for winning its fifth national title in men's basketball last night, with a complete and utter thumping of Michigan State -- in Detroit, no less -- 89-72.

And special congrats to Tar Heel big man Tyler Hansbrough, who, love him or hate him, made a courageous decision to come back to school for his senior year just to win a title.

"Sounds like I made a pretty good decision," Hansbrough said after the game. "Nothing beats this feeling right here."

As you might imagine, there was a celebration on Franklin Street. The town of Chapel Hill seems to have a good grasp on how to handle these things.

And, as is the nature of sports, the discussion this morning isn't so much "man, that was great!" but "can they do it again?" and: "who will stay in Chapel Hill?"

In somewhat (not really) related news, this is just further proof of N.C.'s dominance over Michigan.

Michigan native Brian Groesser and his wife live 750 miles away in a new North Carolina home that looks straight off the set of "Gone with the Wind." His brother moved south two years ago; a cousin left Michigan to join them last year [according to the Detroit Free Press].

Between them, they have six college degrees, four high-paying white-collar jobs, and fewer and fewer connections to Michigan.

"Right now," said Groesser, whose North Carolina license plate reads WOLVRINE, "there's nothing that would draw me back to Michigan." ...

The state had a net loss of 18,000 college-educated residents in 2007, according to a Detroit News analysis of Census Bureau data. The loss, the equivalent of half the faculty and staff of the University of Michigan leaving for warmer climates in one year, was second-worst in the nation, behind only New York.

The two fastest-growing landing spots for Michigan expats today are both in North Carolina, with the number moving to Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte almost doubling between 2000 and 2007. Those cities, with comparatively booming economies and reasonable housing prices, are illustrative of the cities now claiming some of Michigan's most upwardly mobile residents. ...

*Six if you count the Helms Foundation one in the 1920s. I don't.

Hoops notes: UNC most valuable team, NCAAs begin today

The North Carolina Tar Heels are the most valuable college basketball team in America, according to Forbes.

"The Heels generate nearly $26 million for the university, including $16.4 million in operating revenue, making the university one of the few in the nation that make more money from basketball than football, according to the story," writes the News & Observer.

The Duke Blue Devils rank eighth, while N.C. State and Wake Forest tied for 18th among the top 20 teams.

Go Tobacco Road!

The NCAA men's basketball tournament gets under way today. (Click here for the schedule.) The Tar Heels take on Radford at around 2:50 in Greensboro. The Blue Devils will take on Binghamton in Greensboro tonight around 9:40. Wake will take on Cleveland State tomorrow at around the same time.

(Speaking of Greensboro, former Clemson and current Texas coach Rick Barnes, a Hickory native, says he regrets his row with former UNC coach Dean Smith a dozen years ago or so.)

Other ACC teams in the tournament include Maryland, Boston College, Florida State and Clemson.

Oh, in case you haven't heard, the President has picked "N.C." to win it all.

Psycho T sets UNC scoring record

Those who know me know I'm a Wolfpacker through and through, so it pains me to have to write/say/think just about anything positive about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (See -- I couldn't even reference the school as just "UNC" or "Carolina!")

Having said that, this site would be remiss if it didn't say congratulations to the ever-hustling Tyler Hansbrough for becoming UNC's all-time leading basketball scorer.

"Since the day he stepped foot on North Carolina's campus, forward Tyler Hansbrough has been working to diversify his offensive resume by trying to extend his shooting range," writes the N&O.

"But it seemed appropriate that when it came time to break UNC's three-decades-old career scoring record during the top-ranked Tar Heels' 91-73 basketball victory over Evansville on Thursday night, the senior went back to an old staple: a workmanlike power move.

"With 7:42 left in the first half at the Smith Center, Hansbrough muscled around Purple Aces forwards James Haarsma and Pieter van Tongeren to bank in a shot off the glass and score his 10th point of the game and 2,292nd point of his career. That basket broke the mark of 2,290 that point guard Phil Ford set from 1974 to 1978.

"Hansbrough finished with 20 points and now has 2,302 for his career."

Congratulations, Psycho T. But forgive me if I say that I hope you never score another college point again -- or at least against the Pack!

(Getty Images photo via ESPN.com)

No surprise: UNC preseason national No. 1

Roy Williams' Tar Heels are the unanimous preseason favorite to win the NCAA men's basketball national title.

"North Carolina received all 31 first-place votes as the unanimous No. 1 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, which was released Thursday," says ESPN.com.

"Since ESPN began participating in the coaches' poll in 1997-98 -- USA Today began the poll in 1991 -- the Tar Heels are the first unanimous preseason No. 1. They're also the top-ranked team for the second straight preseason.

"The other Final Four teams from 2008 earned strong rankings. UCLA came in at No. 4 and national runner-up Memphis landed at No. 12. The Tigers and Bruins have been ranked in the coaches' Top 25 for 61 consecutive weeks, the longest active streak."

The Duke Blue Devils are in at fifth place in the preseason poll.

"North Carolina's candidacy as the nation's top-ranked team and national championship favorite got a significant boost last spring when player of the year Tyler Hansbrough announced he would return for his senior season. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels (36-3) to the winningest season in school history while sweeping the major national player of the year awards.

"Hansbrough already has qualified to become the eighth player in school history to have his jersey retired and can add several more records to his resume in his final season. He will be the first returning Associated Press national player of the year since LSU's Shaquille O'Neal in 1991."

Miami of the ACC is 16th, while Davidson is 20th and Wake Forest 24th.