Tag: WRAL Sports Fan

Field of Play

What You Wear is What You Get

I’m not a huge fan of the over-monetization (and subsequently blurring lines between professionalism and amateurism) in college sports, but I guess if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. WRAL Sports reporting on the lucrative new deal NC State signed with Adidas:

NC State’s deal with Adidas will pay $6.45 million annually in apparel and cash. It also includes alternate uniforms in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball. That places them in the top five nationally in terms of straight-forward apparel deals — that have been reported.

Great recruiting tool, great investment back into the university (even if it really only goes to athletics). Bad bad future of amateur sports.

Locally Notable

Bullish on the Bulls

Five or six years ago I bought a Durham Bulls cap in the team store and it’s still my favorite hat. My wife, daughter, mother and I went to a game a couple of weeks ago and I had to go see what I could see in the team store again. I wanted to walk out of there with everything, and I don’t even really like baseball that much. I managed to hold myself to just a hat for my daughter, but there’s no denying the Bulls are doing something right with their product:

MiLB started keeping sales stats of its 160 teams back in 1993. Since then, the Bulls have ranked in the top 25 in merchandise sales each of those 22 seasons, while the Mudcats ranked 17 times.

Same thing goes for the Carolina Mudcats down the road in Zebulon (albeit on a smaller scale).

There may not be a big market here for an MLB franchise, but I love what we have with the Bulls and the product seems to get better every year. If you haven’t been to a Bulls game yet this year, make sure you check ’em out. They play 21 home games in August, so you’ll have plenty of chances to catch them.

P.S. And if you like a frosty beverage every now and then, make sure you check out the beer that’s brewed in house and served using the bottoms up filling system. You’ll even get a souvenir magnet as a reward for drinking it up.

Field of Play

WRAL: UNC, Williams reach deal on contract extension through 2019-20 ↬

“The University of North Carolina is fortunate to have Roy Williams directing its basketball program, and we are proud to extend his contract through the 2020 season,” Cunningham said in a statement. “His results on the court over 27 years as a head coach are among the most accomplished in the history of the sport, but his love for the University of North Carolina and the way he cares for his students are truly unmatched. Roy is a man of character and integrity, and I have great respect for the way he leads our basketball program.”

Right on, Bubba.

Fans will be fans and every fanbase is essentially the same, but all of this nonsense about the game passing Roy by or he can’t get the guy anymore is pure rubbish. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but daggumit, go get yourself another ring, Roy.

O&F