Fires on Tobacco Road...

[Sooner Among The Pack]

Things are pretty heated in the Triangle this morning after Carolina's thrashing of Duke yesterday at the Dean Dome. In case you missed it, Duke's Gerald Henderson delivered a sound forearm shiver to UNC's Tyler Hansbrough at the end of the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAR2tWAj49o

Thoughts that come to mind:

(1) No doubt it was intentional. Looks like Henderson saw the ball was already out and decided to foul Hansbrough as hard as he could.

(2) Billy Packer is the dumbest man in sports, period.

(3) Hansbrough would have killed someone had UNC's staff not got him off the floor.

(4) It's fun to see a man with blood gushing out of his nose pop up and go after someone.

(5) If this happenned at Cameron Indoor Stadium, they would have called Hansbrough for a charge.

Pat Forde of ESPN.com has a good read on this morning:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/colum...0&sportCat=ncb

Didn't see this posted and I thought I would share.

[sooner518]

i dont think it was undoubtedly intentional. im sure there was some frustration on Henderson's part to put a little extra on the foul so that the shot doesnt go in, but in that situation, it happens so fast that I dont think he was thinking about jacking him in the face.

it looks like he went up for the ball, saw the ball get stripped, and changed his arm motion to go for the ball but Hansborough's face kinda got in the way.

that said, Billy Packer does sound like a gigantic tool. and I have no problem with a 1 game suspension for just a reckless play.

[tommieharris91]

I don't think it was clearly intentional either. I do think the refs did the right thing in that game by giving Henderson the flagrant foul and forcing the NCAA to suspend him for a game. The play itself has a lot of parallels with what Longar did to earn his suspension. In this case, though, there could have been some intent to his foul. Both Henderson's and Longar's plays were plays that seem fairly common to the game of basketball, though.

[John Kochtoston]

Henderson may not have been intending to hit Hansbourough with a Tito Santana special, but he clearly was looking for a hard foul. His body is 90 degrees to Hansbourough's, and he lead that play with his shoulder. Dude's suspended for at least one game, and is well deserving of it.

[John Kochtoston]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAR2tWAj49o

Thoughts that come to mind:

(2) Billy Packer is the dumbest man in sports, period.

(5) If this happenned at Cameron Indoor Stadium, they would have called Hansbrough for a charge.

[SoonerStormchaser]

That hit would've gotten him suspended for the season if it had been against St. Booby Knight!

[NormanPride]

Did Kevin Durant get to shoot the free throws?

[badger]

UNC fans were just upset that their star player does not, in fact, bleed North Carolina blue. It looks more like Sooner red to me

As for the Heels, this just gives them another reason to hate Dook. The rivalry continues. The refs had to eject the elbow-thrower, because if they didn't, the fans would have started to riot (and that blood didn't appear out of nowhere--- only could be caused by a flagrant, which merits ejection in some cases). The ACC had to suspend him, because that's what happens when you eject a player. Coach K had to stand up for his player, because that's what coaches do. Coach Fake Roy Williams had to stand up for his player, because that's what coaches do.

And now, watch as Dook loses to its aggie-like rival NC State in round one, and UNC takes another ACC title. Woot. Who cares....

[JohnnyMack]

Any chance Billy Packer can be suspended instead?

[badger]

Any chance Billy Packer can be farked instead?

[badger]

oh, and this is funny. watch it!
http://www.newsobserver.com/content/...achkommercial/
part 2 here:
http://www.newsobserver.com/1235/story/548156.html