By this Author

Hoops still comes down to North Carolina and Duke

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

Roy Williams has a new book out, and the Dean Dome has a glitzy new light show. The spoils of victory are sometimes hard to figure. Duke has a renewed interest in recruiting, thus college basketball has a renewed interest in Duke. State's heralded freshman class has arrived without some potential baggage, and that's probably a good thing.

It takes a village of Panthers to replace a Hoover

"Ed Hardin ()" — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

CHARLOTTE — They were about to cart Brad Hoover off the field Sunday as the crowd politely applauded and the Panthers quietly worried. He rolled on the ground in obvious pain while his Carolina Panthers teammates looked on in amazement. The toughest guy on the team was about to be loaded onto the back of the meat wagon and carried off.

Fox decides Jake or bust for Panthers

"Ed Hardin ()" — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE — Say what you will about the Carolina Panthers, but they are loyal to their own.

To a fault.

Hardin: Harper's job toughest in all of ACC

"Ed Hardin ()" — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

GREENSBORO — Kellie Harper was late. Every coach in the ACC was gathered at midcourt of the Greensboro Coliseum floor Monday, every coach except the newest member of the conference. She was busy talking.

Hardin: Hope for Panthers abandoned here

"Ed Hardin ()" — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE — On what was likely the last Sunday of the season for the Panthers to catch their breath, Carolina choked on the rare air of an easy win. Buffalo, with an offense that couldn't get out of its own way, stunned the Panthers 20-9 to end any pretense of hope.

Hardin: In racing world, straight talk isn't what it used to be

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

MARTINSVILLE -- The rain poured here Saturday, and the creeks rose and the red-clay valley filled with noise.

Racing returned to its roots this weekend in the midst of a chase no one seems all that interested in watching, a sport waning in the shadow of its own success and showing signs for the first time ever that all might not be well.

Hardin: Bowden casts glow over detractors

"Ed Hardin ()" — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHAPEL HILL — The old man won't go down without a fight.

With vultures flying overhead and Tar Heel voices screaming all around him, Bobby Bowden pulled off still another win over North Carolina on a strange Thursday night in strangely lighted Kenan Stadium.

Hardin: Long return by Kenny Moore rescues Panthers

"Ed Hardin ()" — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE — On the biggest play of the season, Kenny Moore didn't score two touchdowns. John Fox didn't throw his hat into the air, and a capacity crowd didn't celebrate the first Panthers win in 287 days.

All that would come later.

Duke backs up tough talk

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

RALEIGH — Duke went down an old familiar road Saturday after a long time wandering. For the first time in 25 years, the Blue Devils went to N.C. State and won a football game.

As the clouds gathered in the closing minutes over a Wolfpack program suddenly reeling into the bottom of the ACC, an even more stunning realization became clear. Duke is better than N.C. State.

Hardin: Chris Paul right at home in NBA

"Ed Hardin ()" — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

GREENSBORO — Chris Paul's weekend has passed, and Chris Paul's homecoming, too. Thursday night, Chris Paul's basketball team came to the coliseum to play your Charlotte Bobcats.

Hardin: Befuddled Panthers needed bye week

"Ed Hardin ()" — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:51:49 -0400

CHARLOTTE — The 0-3 Carolina Panthers went back to work Wednesday, going through the motions all 0-3 teams take to make sure they don’t become 0-4. A large contingent of media creeps were on hand to take the team’s pulse and to report the findings to a city wondering how close the Panthers are to assuming room temperature.

Hardin: Wolfpack picks on Okoro once too often

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

WINSTON-SALEM — Kenny Okoro was minding his own business Saturday afternoon when he saw an entire football game coming his way. He'd been waiting all week.

Okoro, a redshirt freshman from Greensboro in his first collegiate start, intercepted a pass in the end zone to end N.C. State's final drive and preserved Wake Forest's biggest win of the season. Just as he assumed he would.

Kay Yow's legacy enriches charity using pink laces

"Ed Hardin ()" — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

It started with a shoestring, just one, and all these years later Stephanie Glance continues to be amazed at how many lives have been tied together.

Such a simple idea started such an enormous movement. The life and death of her friend, Kay Yow, seems now to be a perfect metaphor.

Season and future is now for Panthers

"Ed Hardin ()" — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE — There are two ways to look at what's about to happen to the Carolina Panthers.

All in all, they're about where they thought they'd be right now, coming off a loss to the Falcons and heading into a tough road game in Palace Dallas.

But that would be ignoring the way this feels.

Hardin: Season and future is now for Panthers

"Ed Hardin ()" — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE -- There are two ways to look at what's about to happen to the Carolina Panthers.

All in all, they're about where they thought they'd be right now, coming off a loss to the Falcons and heading into a tough road game in Palace Dallas.

But that would be ignoring the way this feels.

Hardin: Hoping ceremony heralds Hayes' permanent return home

"Ed Hardin ()" — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

GREENSBORO — Bill Hayes is one of us. And he always has been.

Even when he was over there at Winstson-Salem State, the hated Rams who made life miserable for our Aggies all those years ago. And even before that when he was at Wake Forest during the dark years when Chuck Mills tried to drag Wake from the shadows of football and into something resembling, well, football.

Hardin: UNC, ECU taking difference courses

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHAPEL HILL — The long, slow rebuilding project at North Carolina continued Saturday, and another muttering retreat continued for East Carolina.

The intermittent rivalry that is UNC-ECU turned another page with Carolina winning 31-17 and moving onto bigger games, while the BCS hopes and aspirations of the Pirates took a broadside hit. The 3-0 Heels will try to go national now, and 1-2 ECU will try not to disappear into conference play.

Hardin: New QB isn't answer to Panthers' questions

"Ed Hardin ()" — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE — A.J. Feeley wanted to become a member of the Carolina Panthers for the long-term. But he doesn't want the starting job.

Such is the mindset of the quarterback who would replace Jake Delhomme.

Irate fans found out Wednesday there are no more Brett Favres out there. There aren't any more Jake Delhommes, either. When your starter goes bad, and your backup goes down in the opening game, you get A.J. Feeley.

Hardin: Jake and the Panthers can't play much worse

"Ed Hardin ()" — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE — Booooooo!

The moribund Panthers, still sleepwalking after an immediate exit from the playoffs a year ago, fell hard to the Philadelphia Eagles 38-10 Sunday on one of the longest days in franchise history.

Jake Delhomme, whose six turnovers led to a loss in last year's playoffs, was worse against the Eagles, throwing four interceptions and fumbling away his job. He left the game in the third quarter, booed off the field by a capacity crowd. They'll be booing more when they hear that he'll get his job back next week.

Hardin: Fans will learn plenty from Panthers' home opener

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

When last we saw the Panthers play, all was not well. The quarterback was in a fog, the defense was in a trance and the coach was in over his head.

In the months since, all has been worse. The franchise defensive end wants out, the defensive midsection has been gutted, the team went 0-4 in preseason and the owner has fired his two sons.

And now the Eagles come to town. Things are just getting started.

Ed Hardin: Enshrining Michael Jordan

"Ed Hardin ()" — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

They’ll induct our state’s most celebrated athlete into his sport’s most hallowed shrine today. No one ever deserved it more.

Maybe now Michael Jordan will accept his state’s sincere gesture, too.

The greatest basketball player to ever play the game will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in a ceremony this evening, the crowning moment of a career in which Jordan went from Wilmington Laney High School to become the best-known athlete in the world.

ECU-ASU worth the 30 years of waiting

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

GREENVILLE — Matt Dodge breathed a sigh of relief when East Carolina's uneasy 29-24 win over Appalachian State was finally over Saturday afternoon.

And he wasn't alone.

Dodge, a former ASU punter who transferred to ECU during Appalachian's national-title run, had tried to convince his teammates that this wouldn't be an effortless win.

N.C. State let this one slip through its hands

"Ed Hardin ()" — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:52:05 -0400

RALEIGH — With about three minutes to play Thursday night, the game between N.C. State and South Carolina was up for grabs. A few seconds later, it was over.

State, reduced to a desperate attempt to crack the Gamecocks’ stout defense, drew up a fourth-down prayer that landed in the hands of both the intended receiver and the unintended receiver, and as a huge crowd gasped, the ball fell to the ground.

Hardin: College football rises up again

"Ed Hardin ()" — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

There's a chill in the air and funny noises coming from Down East.

It must be college football season.

The leaves on the trees are getting brittle, and the first few are letting go of the branches. The hurricanes are back, though Miami might not be, the kids are off to school and summer suddenly feels so last week.

Tonight in Capital City, we'll do the nation a favor and turn on the big lights. N.C. State will play host to some tourists from South Carolina and kick off the season that follows summer and precedes basketball.

Hardin: Summer of discontent continues for Panthers

"Ed Hardin ()" — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE — The last dress rehearsal of the season was hardly the seamless performance the Carolina Panthers were looking for. And if candid comments by John Fox are an indication, the coming days of practice might be like boot camp.

With key players on the bench and despite a surprise start by Steve Smith, the Panthers continued to struggle to establish anything offensively or defensively and fell to the Baltimore Ravens 17-13.