Featured stories, The skinny

Jags’ GM takes responsibility for controversial cut of ECU’s Garrard

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Some Jacksonville Jaguars fans are fit to be tied about former East Carolina quarterback David Garrard being cut. It seems most were upset because they like him as a person and thought the timing was bad. It was just a week before the season began

Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith has heard an earful and he’s saying that the buck stops with him.

And he likes Garrard. Smith, who lived in Southern Pines during his scouting days, is friends with my in-laws. Smith and my in-laws lived in Ohio prior to being neighbors in Southern Pines. I had dinner with Smith and his wonderful family about a year ago in Southern Pines and Smith brought Garrard up in the conversation – making the North Carolina connection and saying how much he thought of Garrard.

But Smith made the difficult and controversial decision to cut Garrard last Tuesday when Garrard was taking part in various team-related community events.

“Ultimately, it was my decision,” Smith wrote in an email to the media.

“Clearly, I am not proud of how things played out on Tuesday and our players deserve better, but I think to understand the situation, you need to know the facts,” he added.

“Wayne (Weaver), Jack (Del Rio) and I did sit down Tuesday morning and the decision was finalized at approximately 10:40 a.m. Wayne and I had an 11 a.m. speaking engagement prior to the 12 noon kickoff event. I endorsed having David participate in the event due to the time constraints and circumstance. It was not my intent to be insensitive to a man and a family I have great admiration for. Immediately after the event, Jack and I (and then Wayne) sat down with David to discuss the decision that was made in the best interests of the team.”

He wrote, ‘”As it relates to the kickoff event or really any of the events that took place Tuesday, I take full responsibility. Obviously, it would have been easier and would have made the release seamless had we done it over the weekend. I kept an open mind to making the final decision on the QB decision until Tuesday, so if keeping an open mind and being dilatory in the process is a mistake, then I made a mistake.”

Some media outlets are reporting that Coach Del Rio’s and Smith’s futures are tied to the success of the Jaguars this season, now led by QB Luke McCown.

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, The skinny, UNC

Each ACC school will honor nation’s military at a 2011 home football game

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GREENSBORO – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today a conference-wide initiative to honor our nation’s military throughout the 2011 ACC Football season at both the conference and institutional level. Each ACC institution has selected one home contest that will serve as its part of the effort.

The initiative will vary from campus to campus, but all ACC Military Appreciation Days will have several common elements. Each school will host and honor a member of the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP serves to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service men and women, to help injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. Each school will also pay tribute to veterans during the course of the game and will promote the initiative through ACC Military Appreciation Day videoboard and ribbon board graphics provided by the conference office.

“The Atlantic Coast Conference and its member institutions believe it is important to honor the sacrifices that the members of the United States Armed Forces make on our behalf every day,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We are all dedicated to saluting the men and women who protect and serve our country and this collective effort is just one way for us to show our appreciation.”

The ACC will also continue its tradition of patriotism for a seventh year at the 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game on Dec. 3 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Last year, the league invited two members of the Wounded Warrior Project to participate in the pregame coin toss and local Boy Scouts presented The Flag of the United States, which spanned the full field, during The National Anthem.

The ACC’s salute to the Armed Forces extends into the football postseason with its relationship with the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman. The Military Bowl, held on Dec. 28 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., seeks to generate broad support for the USO and honor the U.S. military as its core mission.

For more information about each ACC Military Appreciation Day, visit the respective school’s athletic website through the fall.

September 10
Clemson vs. Wofford
North Carolina vs. Rutgers

September 17
Boston College vs. Duke
NC State vs. South Alabama
Virginia Tech vs. Arkansas State

October 15
Duke vs. Florida State

October 22
Florida State vs. Maryland
Miami vs. Georgia Tech

November 5
Maryland vs. Virginia

November 10
Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech

November 12
Virginia vs. Duke

November 19
Wake Forest vs. Maryland

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, The skinny, UNC

ECU’s Garrard out in Jacksonville; Area players added to practice squads

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In a move that will save the Jacksonville Jaguars $9 million this season, former starting quarterback David Garrard has been cut. Garrard, 33, who played at East Carolina, played poorly toward the end of last season and had a bad preseason this season.

Luke McCown won the quarterback battle while Blaine Gabbert, whom the Jaguars drafted in the first round of this year’s draft, will be the backup quarterback.

Garrard tweeted: “Thank you Jaguar fans for an awesome ride! You are the best fans ever. You’ll always have a special place in my heart and my family’s heart!”

In other moves

Kendric Burney, a rookie cornerback from UNC, cleared waivers and was added to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad. Former UNC linebacker Quan Sturdivant, also a rookie, wasn’t as fortunate as he was cut by Arizona and not added to their practice squad.

Former NC State runner Andre Brown was cut by the Giants but he cleared waivers and was added to the Giants’ practice squad. Former Duke receiver Eron Riley was cut by the Broncos but was later added to their practice squad.

Former Carolina tight end Zack Pianalto was released by Buffalo and quickly acquired off waivers by the Tampa Bay Bucs. Similarly, former Tar Heel receiver Brandon Tate was acquired off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals after being cut by the Patriots.

Veteran Jeff Reed, who kicked for years in Pittsburgh after his UNC career, was released by Seattle. On a more positive note, former ECU offensive tackle Willie Smith made the Washington roster as a backup.

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Former UNC player Federowicz called up by Dodgers

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Former Tar Heel backstop Tim Federowicz became the fifth Tar Heel in 2011 to earn a call up to the big leagues on Tuesday when the Los Angeles Dodgers selected his contract from AAA Albuquerque. With the call up of Federowicz there are now nine former Tar Heels on 40-man rosters, which is tied for the sixth-most of any school in the country.

Federowicz was part of a three-team trade at the July 31 trading deadline that resulted in the Tar Heel catcher making the move to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.

Upon his arrival Federowicz was assigned to triple A Albuquerque where he played in 25 games over the final month of the season and hit .325 with 17 runs, six home runs and 17 RBI for the Isotopes.

With the conclusion of Albuquerque’s season on Monday the Dodgers selected Federowicz’ contract on Tuesday to provide catching help for the final month of the regular season.

Federowicz becomes the ninth Tar Heel on a team’s 40-man roster as Carolina is now tied with Texas with the sixth-most Major League players in the country.

Featured stories, N.C. State, The skinny

Wolfpack players take week one ACC football honors

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Maryland sophomore quarterback Danny O’Brien headlines a list of nine players recognized as the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week, announced Tuesday by the ACC. O’Brien threw for 348 yards on 31-of-44 passes to lead the Terrapins to a 32-24 win in front of a national television audience. The native of Kernersville, NC ran for 37, giving him 385 total yards of offense to lead the ACC and rank third nationally.

Brian Slay of NC State was honored as defensive lineman of the week. A junior defensive tackle from Ashburn, Va., Slay played 45 snaps in only his second career start, and recorded six total tackles (four primary) and two sacks for losses of seven yards. Slay also caused a fumble and recovered two, taking one 52 yards for a touchdown, the fourth-longest fumble return in school history and the longest in 16 years.

Slay’s touchdown return, the second of four NC State touchdowns set up directly by turnovers, came midway through the third quarter and gave NC State a 23-7 lead.

T.J. Graham of NC State was honored as specialist of the week. Graham, a senior wide receiver and kick returner from Raleigh, returned three punts for 88 yards against the Flames, including a game-changing 82-yard return for a touchdown. That return was the 11th longest in school history and his second career punt return for a TD.

Graham also returned four kickoffs for 99 yards, including one for 44 yards that put the Pack in business at the Liberty 33-yard line. Two plays later, Curtis Underwood scored on a 33-yard run. For the game, Graham had 88 yards on punt returns, 99 yards on kick returns, and a reception for seven yards, giving him 194 all-purpose yards.

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Carolina’s Ramsey can’t get a break, out for season

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University of North Carolina senior fullback Devon Ramsay tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in Saturday’s 42-10 victory over James Madison. Ramsay, a native of Red Bank, N.J., will undergo season-ending surgery next week at UNC Hospitals.

Ramsay started the game and had an 18-yard reception. North Carolina will pursue a sixth-year of eligibility with the NCAA for Ramsay, who redshirted in 2007 with a shoulder injury.

Last season, Ramsay missed nine games before the NCAA determined that Ramsay did not commit a violation and was eligible to return to play.

Ramsay can’t catch a break. Hopefully he’ll be back next season.

UNC coach Everett Withers feels bad about Ramsay’s injury but he thinks the Tar Heels, despite being thin at fullback, will be ok this season.

“Offensively I feel like we use a number of different personnel groups and formations that allows us to look like we have two backs in the backfield. So I think we’ll be fine,” Withers said. “We feel like Curtis Byrd will be good for us in that role. But we feel like we can get done what we need to get done offensively and still be able to do the things we do with the personnel groups we use.”

Byrd is a senior from Durham who walked on and made six starts last season.

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, The skinny, UNC

Heels, Pack win big while Duke loses to Richmond

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North Carolina looked good in whipping James Madison 42-10 as new QB Bryn Renner set a Tar Heels pass completion record. It was a little bit tougher for NC State which led 30-21 before pouring it on late to win 43-21. Duke lost to Richmond for the third time in five years, this time by a 23-21 score in Durham. For a complete ACC scoreboard with boxscores and recaps please click here.

Featured stories, The skinny

Mudcats score nine runs in an inning during final homestand

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Down 7-1 in the seventh inning, the Carolina Mudcats gave their fans something to cheer for during the final homestand of the season.

After losing the first two games of the five-game homestand to Mississippi, it especially looked bleak for the Mudcats. But back-to-back homers by Bill Rhinehart and Cody Puckett to start the seventh inning gave the Mudcats some hope, trailing 7-3.

Carolina scored four more times before recording an out. A Brodie Greene RBI single tied the score at 7-7 and Rhinehart, batting for the second time, gave the Mudcats the lead for good on a fielder’s choice RBI ground out.

The Mudcats took a 10-7 lead into the ninth and held on for a 10-9 victory.

The Cincinnati affiliate wraps up their time in Zebulon with a 6 p.m. game Sunday and a 12 noon game on Labor Day.

The Double-A Carolina Mudcats will move to Pensacola, Fla. next season where they’ll play as the Blue Wahoos. Next season, the Single-A Kinston Indians of the Carolina League will move to Zebulon and continue playing as the Carolina Mudcats.

Featured stories, Panthers, Redskins, The skinny, UNC

Tar Heels cut by Panthers, Redskins but Garner’s Banks makes it

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Former UNC cornerback Kendric Burney was cut by the Carolina Panthers while former UNC runningback Shaun Draughn was cut by the Washington Redskins as teams get their rosters down to 53.

Brandon Banks of Garner did, however, make the Redskins’ roster after a 95-yard punt return in the final preseason game Thursday. Speculation was that Banks might get cut because of a rule change that helps kickers boot it through the end zone and minimizes the importance of special teams players. Banks is listed as a receiver but will probably do little of that with his value being as a kick and punt returner.

Other cuts include former UNC offensive lineman Mike Ingersoll (Kansas City), third-year pro out of UNC Brandon Tate (New England) and rookie lineman Kyle Jolly (Steelers).

Each of the players who were cut still have an opportunity to either be picked up by another team or making the eight-player practice squad. Those players don’t dress for games and don’t travel for road games.
There were no real surprises among the Panthers’ cuts but there were a few among the Redskins players including offensive tackle Artis Hicks, defensive lineman Anthony Bryant and safety Chris Horton.

Featured stories

Bulls clinch fifth straight division title

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Matt Moore fanned 10 in six innings and Dan Johnson hit a two-run homer in the first inning, as Durham won its fifth straight division title with a 4-1 victory over Norfolk.

Johnson gave the Bulls all it needed in the first inning with a two-out two-run homer off Chris Tillman (3-6) into the right field bullpen. It followed a walk to Matt Carson.

Durham (79-60) tacked on two more runs in the fourth against Tillman on a Leslie Anderson double and Tim Beckham single.

That was more than enough for Moore, Dane De La Rosa and Rob Delaney. Moore allowed three straight hits and a run in the fourth, but buckled down and allowed no more hits thereafter. He fanned 10 in six innings, walking three in improving to 4-0 since his promotion to Durham.

De La Rosa and Delaney (13 saves) did not allow a base runner. Durham retired the final 14 Norfolk hitters in order.

The Bulls will face Columbus in the first round of the playoffs beginning Wednesday in Durham.

Durham has three games left in the regular season, beginning Saturday at Norfolk. Alex Torres will be on the mound in the 7:15 first pitch. Coverage begins at 7 pm on 620 the Buzz.