UNC/NC State Gameblog

All right, so, time for a gameblog. For some reason, I like to call these blogs (as often as they are) "live blogs," even though they're not any more "live" than any of my other blogs. Anyhow, this is how it works: I'm going to watch the UNC/NC State game that starts here in a few minutes and blog my thoughts throughout. I asked my students to blog while watching TV (by Friday), so we'll see how they do it, but I like to put up time tabs along with my periodic comments. Time to get started.

8:00 p.m.

This is a local game, probably Ray-Comm, so we'll have to sit through some weird local color that focuses much more on ACC history than it does on current NCAA basketball.

8:01

First commercial break. Another great asset of local coverage: the tip time seems to be delayed from what a nationally-covered game would be. Maybe I just made that up though.

8:02

I hate the Sonic "confessional drive-thru" commercials. I don't know why they make me think of confessionals. They don't make me want to go to Sonic.

8:03

We have two TVs in my living room, so I've got the Providence/Louisville game on our second TV. It's already 36-35, and coverage started at 7:30. There's no way that would happen in a local game since tip won't be for another 10 or 15 minutes.

8:05

Just kidding. They just tipped the ball. State won it sloppily.

8:06

Hansbrough just air-balled a 15-footer, and Costner and McCauley both have a bucket already. I don't know that UNC wants to beat State inside, especially considering State's PG situation.

8:07

Mike Giminski just said almost exactly what I did. (And then Hansbrough got a dunk and a foul in transition, where most of his paint points may come tonight.)

8:09

Sidney Lowe's red jacket. Don't know what else to say.

8:10

UNC's biggest question is defense. They just had four guys in the paint; State had zero. Good spacing.

8:13

First commercial break (during the game). It started with Bryan's favorite Super Bowl commercial, where a guy gets kicked out of the window of a meeting for suggesting they stop buying Bud Light for each meeting. I still prefer the E*Trade baby.

8:15

Gov. Bev Purdue just got some TV time. Remember when John Edwards' presence was noteworthy? I'm sure he's still there, but I doubt he'll get on TV, unless it's on TMZ.

8:17

Bobby Frasor came in pretty early in this game.

Looks like we might have chippy fouls called in this game, hopefully not like LeBron/Granger.

8:18

(So far) unnamed announcer just announced that Tyler Zeller is expected to "make an appearance" in this game. That'd be good news for UNC's depth, especially with guys named "Ty."

8:21

Next commercial break. Can you believe the Pepsi Max commercial? The diet soda for men? Really?

8:22

And it's followed by a Hardee's commercial. Do men watch sports? Is that how that works?

8:24

Evidently, this game was tied in every (statistical) way, until Hansbrough hit two free throws.

8:26

I know I've only suggested this in my own home, but how has the nickname "Drew Two" not caught on for Larry Drew II? He should just spell out "two" on the back of his jersey.

8:27

Tim Brando. It's Tim Brando.

8:28

And here he comes… Tyler Zeller is now awkwardly running up and down the court. And he immediately gets beat on the defensive end.

8:29

The refs just called the third travel in about twelve minutes on an obvious hook by Danny Green. I prefer the travel over the personal foul.

8:31

Wow. UNC-W's score just flashed on the bottom screen. They're down 71-49. Ouch.

8:33

Zeller just scored his first points since November.

8:34

Giminski seems to like Green as much as I do, well not as much. But, to be fair, I actually went to school with him. (Though, I guess Giminski has probably actually met him.)

8:37

Fouls are still flowing fairly easily.

8:38

"Due to ACC basketball, Knight Rider moves to 2:05A-3:03A tonight only." Set your DVRs and/or KITTs.

8:40

Austin just showed up. Now I can stop bouncing my blog ideas off of Ozzie and get some actual human feedback.

8:45

The last few minutes have been pretty sloppy and hectic, which I think favors UNC in almost any game they play.

Hansbrough just shot a 3-pointer. And missed.

8:46

Halftime. I'll probably slow my comments for now, since I've been typing pretty non-stop since tipoff.

8:49

Austin: "I'm growing a ponytail."

8:55

Austin just switched the TV to American Idol. So, this blog will probably make sense to two people. I wrote last time about my audience and I having similar experiences when I wrote on MySpace. For this game, I don't even think my MySpace audience would have this experience.

8:57

Okay, so we're watching American Idol for real now. I didn't realize Robert Downey, Jr. was in the age range, or did they get rid of that? Plus, I though AI was on Tuesdays?

8:59

Evidently Anoop is done. Oh well.

9:00

Dwight from The Office, however, is still in the running.

9:02

I still look through crowd shots for people I know even though I only saw about four people I knew on camera when I went to UNC, and now I only know about 5 people who go there.

Second half started.

9:03

Giminski and Brando are comparing the effectiveness of home and road zone defenses.

9:04

UNC already looks more energetic than NC State. This is usually how the second half goes for UNC.

9:05

Vroom, vroom, varty starter.

9:07

Austin hates Alltel commercials as much as I hate Geico commercials.

9:08

Raycom always asks text-in fan poll questions that would theoretically split the viewing fan-base of the teams involved. But they never seem to consider the fact that somewhere between 12,00 (in Cameron) or up to maybe 20,000 fans for one of the two involved teams are actually at the game and can't answer the question. It's a flawed system.

9:10

UNC now has a 13-point lead, so I feel like I have the freedom to rant about silly poll questions.

9:11

15-point lead.

9:12

Hansbrough just did "the Hansbrough," the move where he does a half-hook over his guy from right outside the block.

Brando just made the first reference to Sid Lowe's "NBA influence." State doesn't play defense and plays one-on-one offense (for the most part), and the NBA influence is just now presenting itself.

9:17

Austin and I just had a five-minute conversation about Explorers and the new registration/inspection laws in NC. Yeah, it's that exciting of a game.

9:18

Ellington just threw the ball 20 feet in the air on a wide-open layup opportunity.

9:19

Giminski called that play a "huge break" for NC State. Ellington needs some of that LeBron chalk that we see so much of nowadays.

Zeller's back in.

9:21

I'm not sure what the value of a blog like this would be to anybody (especially anybody who hasn't watched the game). For my class, I'm hoping to explain it as an experiment in understanding how TV works as a communicative medium. I think the randomness/ADD factor of TV translates well to the internet and blogging, in particular.

9:25

It's now a single-digit game, but I don't think anybody believes that State has a chance.

9:26

Austin just announced Bryan's arrival. Usually, Ozzie has that honor.

Bryan entered with his typical "'Sup boys?"

9:27

UNC is definitely packing it in on the defensive end.

9:28

Austin is recapping his blog clowning to Bryan. Bryan says I can't clown a contributor.

Talk of Flight of the Conchords happened in the interim.

Bowie's in space.

9:30

The Louisville/Providence game just wrapped up. Providence had nothing for them.

OSU/Texas Tech is next.

9:32

What is G? The biggest sports marketing giant other than Nike and the Yankees (or maybe AC Milan).

9:35

I just saved this document for the first time tonight. Smart.

9:36

Bryan is making a pizza that probably cost 25¢. And the "cent" symbol is incredibly hard to find in Word.

9:37

77-59 and I'm ready to call this game.

9:38

And OSU takes an early 2-0 lead. (I have to create some excitement somewhere.)

Oh wait: Pat Knight's on TV. What else can we ask for?

9:40

Brando and Giminski are a 5-0 Carolina run away from talking about Lost and the 1972 Dolphins. I guess I'm no better.

9:41

Austin rescinds his "ponytail" comment.

9:42

Bryan hands out free bagels for everybody.

Except Ozzie.

9:43

Austin is going to heat up his bagel and put an egg on it.

This blog has really gone south. When does Justin Watts come in?

9:45

Evidently, I'm "taking up all the internet."

Bryan's "pizza" is done. I just want it on record that it only took nine minutes to cook.

9:46

Oh wait. He added three minutes to the timer.

9:49

Looks like Ken Griffey, Jr. is going back to the Mariners. Bryan was hoping he'd go to Atlanta. The Mariners could sneak back to .500 this year. That could be fun.

9:50

One minute. One minute remaining.

9:51

Another UNC win. Now it's time to watch Flight of the Conchords and Family Guy from Sunday.

I think I'll just post this now and hope it doesn't need edits. Here's hoping.