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Sports Columnists

Stevens: Football coach Jack Holley had an impact on lives

Wallace-Rose Hill football coach Jack Holley during practice Wednesday Dec. 7, 2005.

Wallace-Rose Hill football coach Jack Holley touched lives while compiling 412 wins. 3 hours ago

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Archive by category ''Sports Columnists

TOM SORENSEN

Sorensen: Ping Pong balls unlucky for Bobcats

I don’t believe in conspiracies. NASCAR is not fixed. NFL officials do not favor New England or other elite teams. The NBA does not skew the lottery to accommodate organizations it favors. I have a logical explanation for Charlotte’s lottery failures.
LUKE DECOCK

DeCock: ACC's return to DBAP could be another wet weekend

Two years after rain played havoc with the ACC baseball tournament in Durham, the tournament is back – and so are storms in the forecast. Another series of delays would put serious pressure on pitching staffs, especially with the NCAA tournament only a week away.
LUKE DECOCK

DeCock: 90-year-old former Ranger takes aim at track record

Charles Ross, 90, tried to set a world record for the 2,000-meter steeplechase Saturday as the first competitor in his age group ever to compete in the event. His time? It didn’t matter. All he had to do was finish.
SCOTT FOWLER

Fowler: Driver Dick Trickle's life was rowdy fun on track, pain off it

Many people only knew racecar driver Dick Trickle because he had one of the most unusual names in NASCAR history - a name that constantly was used as a punch line during the 1990s on ESPN's "SportsCenter." But there was a man behind that name. And to those who knew that man well, Trickle was a delight...
TOM SORENSEN

Sorensen: All-Star Race gets right to the point

The beauty of Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race is that it is not long-winded. The race is built for speed. Drivers don't dawdle. They get to it.
LUKE DECOCK

DeCock: Don’t fault Staal or Canes for injury risk

Eric Staal injured his knee Thursday in a relatively meaningless tournament. But don’t fault Staal for playing or the Hurricanes for allowing their captain to play in the World Championships. It’s what hockey players do.
TOM SORENSEN

Sorensen: Recruiting coverage is wrong; yes, I watched Wiggins' announcement, too

If adults didn’t show so much interest in recruiting as if it were a sport, it wouldn’t have its current popularity.
NORTH CAROLINA

DeCock: UNC on list as basketball recruit Andrew Wiggins prepares for decision

Andrew Wiggins, the top-rated prospect in the country, will announce Tuesday where he intends to play what is almost certainly his one year of college basketball, choosing among North Carolina, Florida State, Kansas and Kentucky. He’ll do it with little fanfare at his prep school in Huntington...
TOM SORENSEN

Sorensen: Panthers' fullback Breitenstein gets back to work

Ever watch a player excel in small college football and wonder why he can't make it in the NFL? One such player, Eric Breitenstein, whom the Carolina Panthers invited to the three-day rookie minicamp that concludes Sunday, might fit that description.
TOM SORENSEN

Sorensen: Oregon star running back Barner gets Panthers’ attention

Some numbers: As an Oregon freshman Kenjon Barner rushed for 366 yards and three touchdowns; as a sophomore he rushed for 551 yards and six touchdowns; as a junior 939 yards and 11 touchdowns; as a senior 1,767 yards and 21 touchdowns.