Sports Fanatic or Just NC State?

General NCS Basketball NCS Football On the Record46

With football season still about 6 weeks away, I thought it might be interesting to take the pulse of SFN’s readership. Do you consider yourself a “sports guy/gal” in general, or are you only really interested in NC State?

Personally, I just love sports (although I certainly follow NC State sports with several extra degrees of intensity). I love all college football (despite its stupid post-season), and faithfully order ESPN Gameplan every year, so I’m not stuck watching Georgia Tech play UNC instead of a matchup between 2 Top Ten teams. And for my money, there is no sports organization (college or pro) that comes close to matching the NFL. Whether or not NC State is seriously in the mix, I am an absolute junkie for NCAA tournament action. I listen to sports radio in the car, and especially like the national feed on XM (great football coverage, especially from ESPN Radio’s Erik Kuselias – despite his horribly off-target rosy predictions for NC State football in 2005).

I feel fortunate that my frustration with years of disappointment and the mediocre-to-terrible legacies of some of our coaches (Les and MOC, especially) didn’t kill my enthusiasm for sports in general. It will only make it sweeter if and when NC State ascends to national relevance again. After all, I’m only 33 years old. It will happen again in my lifetime. Right?

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

General NCS Basketball NCS Football On the Record

46 Responses to Sports Fanatic or Just NC State?

  1. choppack1 07/20/2006 at 11:18 AM #

    Yes. πŸ™‚

    I follow the triple crown religously(except for the last leg this year, which I couldn’t bring myself to watch), watch the PGA, love the NFL, enjoy playoff Hockey, the World Cup, love college football, college basketball, watch some NBA – but I don’t follow the above like NC State – specifically football and b’ball – which really an unhealthy obsession.

  2. packbackr04 07/20/2006 at 12:06 PM #

    I am with Choppack~ dido on everything except the NBA, i dont watch NBA until the playoffs because they arent even trying in the regular season. And i would add womes tennis, but only when Sharapove is grunting loudly

  3. packbackr04 07/20/2006 at 12:07 PM #

    sorry, that was supposed to be “womens” and “Sharapova”… spelling mistake

  4. VaWolf82 07/20/2006 at 12:17 PM #

    I like most sports, but especially college sports, NFL, and baseball (occasionally). I’ll watch the NBA playoffs occasionally…but not religiously.

    I have seen exactly 0 hockey matches that didn’t include the Hurricanes…and only about four that did include them.

  5. JeremyH 07/20/2006 at 12:44 PM #

    I cheered for NC basketball when I was young, while I went to school there, and after. It’s something I was brought up on and have in common with immediate family members. I was told when I was young, I played with the wolf mascot and met Jim Valvano. So I enjoy basketball, and I am all about my alma mater– so add me to the lunatic fringe.

  6. redfred2 07/20/2006 at 12:53 PM #

    Absolutely obsessed with NCSU basketball, pretty obvious, but also football to a lesser degree. Too much work and family nowdays, can’t keep up any sports like I use to. Short term memory is not all that reliable anymore either.

    Still try to keep up some but there’s too much pulling just for a logo and big $$$ involved in all professional team sports these days with all the player changes from season to season. ACC, and particularly NCSU athletics, are the only that I rarely miss or have any red hot passion for nowdays though.

  7. Trout 07/20/2006 at 1:00 PM #

    “After all, IÒ€ℒm only 33 years old. It will happen again in my lifetime. Right?”

    Don’t hold your breath! I was 8 when NC State won the title in ’74 and 17 when we won it ’83. I feel fortunate to remember both. I’m closing in on 40 now, so my breaths are getting shorter than yours. πŸ™‚

  8. RickJ 07/20/2006 at 1:00 PM #

    Ò€œAnd for my money, there is no sports organization (college or pro) that comes close to matching the NFL.Ò€?

    I agree but would include the PGA Tour as well because both have made it as fair a competition as they possibly can. From revenue sharing, the draft, and the way they schedule, the NFL has 32 teams with a chance to be successful. Every player on the PGA Tour starts the year with $0.00 earned. Staying on the tour is solely based on performance. With all college sports, the inherent advantages of some schools are overwhelming.

    As far as winning and losing go, NC State is the only sports that really matter to me. I enjoy the Panthers, Hurricanes, the PGA Tour and the LPGA (We have the best group of young American women players in history) but only NC State competitions can make the expletives fly.

  9. johnny 07/20/2006 at 1:07 PM #

    I like to watch sports except for golf and baseball. I like the nba(cavs onlly),nfl(panthers), and college football and Basketball. I have been following NCSU since Jimmy V days. But to be truthful I am depressed
    aobout the next few years of NCSU BB and Football. In football coming off a 7-5 season we were out-recruited by Duke. In Basetball although I was not a great Herb fan, I will say he could recruit. We lost most of this years class and a potentially top 10 class next year. IMHO we have a ways to go in boths sports and I and the fans will have to be patient for years.

  10. packpigskinfan23 07/20/2006 at 1:08 PM #

    I am an all around sports guy. my favs are NCSU football, basketball and soccer. I enjoy college sports much more than pro sports with the exception of Football and Hockey. I am a HUGE NFL and NHL fan. I love boxing, soccer, lacrosse, racing(limited… I cant watch often but I read all the news and watch a little), golf(playing, not watching), I watch SOME NBA… mainly playoffs. I just love sports.

  11. packpigskinfan23 07/20/2006 at 1:11 PM #

    well duke is even short a QB now…. hahaha. I think we have nothing to worry about there. And I really HATE baseball…. but I pull for the pack, who I think have a great chance next year

  12. blpack 07/20/2006 at 1:15 PM #

    NC State fanatic. I enjoy college sports more than the pros. I like MLB during the summer and play offs and the NFL (Skins) once the season gets going. March Madness is a great time of year, but the start of State’s football season isn’t far behind.

  13. BladenWolf 07/20/2006 at 1:16 PM #

    Count me in with choppack1, VaWolf82, and JeremyH-

    I absolutely cannot get enough of NC State anything. B-ball, football, baseball… hell, I even follow the State gymnastics team. Those red and white leotards kill me.

    As far as national sports goes, I follow all college b-ball and especially the tourney and college football is a very close second.

    The NFL is by far the best professional sport there is. I only watch the NBA playoffs- since no one cares, including the players, about the regular season. However, I no longer watch MLB becuse of the strike a few years back (but did watch way too much of the Braves at Mitch’s Tavern during my days at NCSU-early eighties).

    I’ve come to watch the Hurricanes games over the past two-three years, but still have no clue what the hell “icing” is – even when it is explained to me.

    Overall. I’m defineitly a “sports guy”…uh… er… “sports old man”.

  14. packpigskinfan23 07/20/2006 at 1:32 PM #

    basically with icing, you cant just push the puck down to the other end of the ice, just to let the other team chase it and bring it back on your goal…. you have to touch it first if the puck is hit passed 2 of the lines on the ice.

  15. BJD95 07/20/2006 at 1:35 PM #

    Trout – I was 9 when the Pack won in all in 1983 – but am fortunate enough to remember. Stayed home from the circus (rest of family went) to see State beat Ralph Sampson and UVA for the 1983 ACC title. Saw every bit of every game in the NCAA except the midnight Pepperdine affair (but woke up to parents’ screaming when game went to OT, and they let me stay up for the conclusion).

    NFL training camp is getting ready to open, and I will need to start watching SportsCenter again.

    I will watch playoff hockey, especially if the Hurricanes or a Canadian team (culturally interesting – wow, do they care). I follow baseball scores and stats, but don’t make a point to watch many regular season games.

  16. joe 07/20/2006 at 1:42 PM #

    I pretty much like most sports but prefer the college versions over the pro for FB and BB.

    Icing is not allowed because it’s basically delaying the game by causing the other team to go back and get a puck you passed to nobody.

  17. BladenWolf 07/20/2006 at 1:42 PM #

    trout-

    At 11 years old, I too remember the ’74 championship game (David T vs. Goliath) growing up.

    …then as a 19 year old freshman in Owen Dorm watching the ’83 championship game (Cardiac Pack vs. Phi Slama Jamma)… I will never forget how the campus literally erupted that night when Lo slammed it home… God that was great!!!

    So I think we will once again rise to the top and grab the ring pretty soon. Lowe is back and that means we’re on the way… I still believe.

  18. yannes 07/20/2006 at 1:53 PM #

    Pretty much just NC State athletics and general college hoops (all levels). Occasionally I’ll catch some cycling or soccer. I like reading about and listening to discussions on most other sports (MLB, NBA, NFL, etc).

    The popularity of watching, playing, and discussing – especially discussing – golf is about the most boring thing to happen to the world of sports in my lifetime.

  19. Rick 07/20/2006 at 2:00 PM #

    I lov NCSU basket ball and footballl.
    I like all basketball, especially high school.
    I like the NFL, NHL, tennis, volleyball, and even some curling πŸ˜‰

  20. Wulfpack 07/20/2006 at 2:09 PM #

    I am an all-around sports guy. I’ve been known even to tune out of an NCSU game (football or basketball) in favor of one with more at stake nationally.

    My preferences:

    1. NFL (by far the best all the way around)
    2. College Football
    3. College Basketball
    4. MLB (yes, even the regular season)
    5. NBA
    6. NHL
    7. PGA

  21. packof81 07/20/2006 at 2:41 PM #

    I went to NCSU between the 2 BBall championships. Those were heady days. I believe I’ll live to see it again. Have faith.

    I pull for the Panthers and the Hurricanes. I go to a few Panther games and lots of Hurricanes games.

    I like Ultimate Fighting, Karate and Judo.

    MLB, NBA and PGA don’t interest me.

  22. Trout 07/20/2006 at 2:54 PM #

    BladenWolf:

    I came to NC State a few years after the ’83 NCAA title, but my years there were not bad. During my time at NC State, we shared a regular season ACC title (’85), won a regular season title (’89), made the Elite 8 twice (’85 and ’86), the Sweet 16 once (’89) and won the ACC Tournament once (’87).

    Plus, we had Dick Sheridan football rather than Kiffen and Reid football. πŸ™‚

  23. Trout 07/20/2006 at 3:09 PM #

    ^ looking back, ’88 was the only year I was there that we didnt do something “special.”

  24. coppertop 07/20/2006 at 3:10 PM #

    I sure as heck hope that State will ascend to national relavence in my lifetime too (I’m 30). I think I am a sports nut, and would have to say that my ranking is about the same as most on here:
    NFL
    College Football (specifically ACC)
    College Basketball (same)
    NHL (thanks to the hurricanes)
    Soccer (Premiership, World Cup, MLS, etc.)
    Nascar (if that counts!)
    MLB Playoffs (regular season is too long to get too invovled IMO)
    NBA Playoffs
    PGA

  25. BJD95 07/20/2006 at 3:29 PM #

    NFL
    College football
    College basketball
    MLB
    NHL playoffs

    BTW, I had 4 years of Les PLUS 4 years of MOC. Those were pretty rough times, as a fan in the student section. But at least I was there for MOC’s one good season (Peach Bowl win vs. Mississippi State).

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