By MATTHEW WOODS
Staff Writer
1. Legendary Coach Dean Smith Passes Away
One of the greatest coaches in the history of college basketball passed away at the age of 83 Saturday night. Former University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith died peacefully at his home Saturday evening, surrounded by his wife and five children.
Smith won two national championships with the Tar Heels and retired in 1997 as the winningest coach in men’s college basketball. Smith took over the reins of the Tar Heels in 1961 and took the program to the peak of the sport, as he won the national championship in 1982 and 1993 and reached 11 Final Fours over his tenure. He finished with a record of 879-254, which would later be eclipsed by Texas Tech coach, Bobby Knight.
During his tenure in North Carolina, he coached many of the game’s great players, including Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, and Vince Carter. He also coached the 1976 Olympic team to the gold medal.
In 2010, Smith was diagnosed with Progressive Neurocognitive Disorder, a condition that caused him to lose his memory. In 2013, President Barack Obama presented Smith with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The basketball world has lost a true ambassador and role model. Smith’s legacy as one of the greatest and most respected coaches of all time will live on in basketball history.
2. Syracuse Imposes Ban on Basketball Program
The Syracuse University men’s basketball program self-imposed a postseason ban following an investigation into academic infractions involving players from 2007-2012. However, there are currently no players on the team that are accused of any violation. The ban includes the NCAA Tournament, the ACC Tournament, and the NIT Tournament.
The ban comes at a suspicious time for many, as the 15-8 Orange are having an abysmal, injury-plagued season with hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament slim already. Many are calling this an “out” for Syracuse as they self-impose a ban while their team is out of sorts.
The ban swirls around a few recent players, reportedly former center Fab Melo. In 2012, Melo was suspended by the NCAA for academic issues and was forbidden from playing in the NCAA Tournament on a team that, with him, was projected to reach the Final Four.
Syracuse does have the best recruiting class in coach Jim Boeheim’s career expected to come in next year. You almost have to think that repercussions from this will effect whether some recruits go elsewhere.
3. Super Bowl Lives Up
to Hype
Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks lived up to all the hype that had been expected as the Patriots won in a thriller, 28-24. The game featured both teams scrambling to come back from deficits and an undrafted rookie sealing the win for the New England Patriots.
The Patriots were led by Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady, who became the first quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl throwing at least 50 passes. Brady also set the record for most touchdowns in Super Bowls in his career with 14 and is now tied with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and Pittsburgh Steelers great Terry Bradshaw with the most championship rings among quarterbacks in NFL history.
After a fine performance by singer Katy Perry, which featured dancing sharks and the return of Missy Elliott, the game came down to the fourth quarter, like all Super Bowls should. Statistically, the fourth quarter may have determined the outcome of the entire game if you consider the play of both quarterbacks. Brady was nothing short of clutch as he went 13-15 passing, with two touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 97.4. Meanwhile, Brady’s counterpart, Russell Wilson, was 3-8 passing, with an interception, and a quarterback rating of 5.1.
But the game ultimately came down to one call, and a terrible one at that. Just inside the two yard line, the Seahawks decided to pass instead of handing the ball off to running back Marshawn Lynch, who happened to lead the NFL in touchdowns this season. The pass was intercepted by Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler, eventually sealing the outcome and the victory for the Patriots in stunning fashion.
The Patriots now have four Super Bowl wins since 2001 and it seems that even in a whirlwind of adversity, the better team prevailed.
4. Warren Sapp Arrested
Hall of Fame defensive lineman and Super Bowl XXXVII champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Warren Sapp was arrested last Monday for reportedly soliciting prostitution and assaulting two women in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 42-year-old Sapp was taken into custody in Phoenix and booked into jail before being let out on bail. He has a scheduled court date on February 23 in Phoenix Municipal Court.
Hours after the arrest, the NFL Network, where Sapp had been an analyst, terminated his contract.
This is not Sapp’s first run-in with the law. He was involved in a domestic battery charge the day before Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 that was later dropped. In 2012, Sapp filed for bankruptcy and owed over $6.7 million in child support and alimony.
Sapp faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $2,500 fine, and three months probation if convicted.
5. Golf’s Charlie Sifford Passes Away
A pioneer of the sport of golf in his own right, Charlie Sifford, the first African-American to compete on the PGA Tour, passed away at the age of 92 this past week.
Essentially the “Jackie Robinson of golf,” Sifford tested the white-only PGA Tour and was granted his membership in 1961. He went on to win two PGA Tour events, in both 1967 and 1969.
During his time on tour, he endured endless racial taunts and threats from gallery members, only to prove that his game belonged on the tour. He played alongside many of golf’s other greats as well, such as Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus.
In 2004, Sifford was the first African-American to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sifford opened the door for players like Tiger Woods in the game of golf, and his legacy will live in golf lore.
