ACC Tournament Practice Schedules

All 10 practices are open to the media and to the general public.

ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Open Practice Schedule Greensboro Coliseum - Wednesday, March 8
#9	Clemson	10:00 a.m.
#5	Florida State	11:00 a.m.
#12	Wake Forest	12:00 noon
#7	Virginia	1:00 p.m.
#10	Virginia Tech	2:00 p.m.
#6	Maryland	3:00 p.m.
#11	Georgia Tech	4:00 p.m.
#8	Miami	5:00 p.m.
#4	NC State	6:00 p.m.
#3	Boston College	7:00 p.m.

Note: #1 Duke and #2 North Carolina chose not to accept their optional practice time on March 8.

Kirby Puckett passes

Baseball lost a living legend this evening as former Minnesota Twin and Baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett passed from complications after suffering a stroke. We only had Kirby 45-years, but he left his mark on baseball and all of those who met him. Despite numerous personal issues which he faced after baseball, Kirby is still the loveable guy and leader on the field who brought the Twinkies back from facing elimination through motivational leading and hitting a clutch-walk-off homer in game 6 against the Braves’ pitcher Charlie Leibrandht in the 1991 World Series. (The next night Jack Morris pitched a 10-inning shut-out and the Twins took home a World Series victory.) As you may know many of us Braves' fans have not forgotten that one, or the long-ball Puckett went yard with-check out the Bradford Report for more commentary from a Braves’ fan point of view.

Kirby Puckett ended his career with 6-Gold Gloves, two Championships, a .318 lifetime batting average, and more hits in his first two-seasons than anyone in history (2,040 hits). Puckett and Lou Gehrig are the only two members of the Hall of Fame to pass while still alive. Enjoy the great Cooperstown in the sky Kirby-we will miss you!

(Photo compliments of Twins-sports.com)

Dana Reeves Passes

Dana Reeves the widow of actor Christopher Reeves died today of lung cancer at the age of 44. Sadly enough, she never smoked a cigarette in her life, but was still struck down by the disease. Her husband Christopher died back in October 2004 at the age of 52. The Christopher Reeve Foundation will continue to the Reeves' vision to help people with spinal-cord injuries and to make life more liveable for those suffering from paralysis. (AP/Photo)

Ali Farka Toure passed today as well. Known as the "bluesman of Africa" the performer is probably best known in the States for his Grammy winning collaboration with guitarist Ry Cooder on "Talking Timbuktu". (I am not trying to make this an Obit-blog, but I guess these things come in threes sometimes.)

2-Hours of Jack Bauer's '24' tonight starting at 8 pm!

All right, I'll admit it. I am a serious fan of the television show "24", by far the best show on television. It is a show that I don't miss, I am glued to the tube, hooked-give it a name! I know what you are thinking, what could be better than my weekly-hour long fix? That's right two-hours of "24". I don't know if for my birthday a few of my friends pulled some strings with Fox, but they made it happen. Thanks Gang!









I am headed home to prepare barbeque-pork, washed down with cold beer and venison sausage to put me in a borderline-digestive-coma before the 2-hours of pulse-rate redlining brings me back to complete regularity. Also, in case you are new to the show, Jack's daughter, Kimberly Bauer (who thinks he is dead still) will return this evening. Kimberly Bauer is played by actress Elisha Cuthbert (see photo)

Also, tonight the new X-Men movie trailer will be aired during the commercials. Visit here for the X-Men 3-the Last Stand movie web-site.

Economic Calendar for March 6th

Monday, March 6
Jan. Factory Orders: -4.5 percent. Consensus: -5.5 percent.
Previous: 1.6 percent, revised.
Jan. Pending Home Sales: -1.1 percent. Previous: -3 percent.

Tuesday, March 7
7:45 a.m. ICSC Store Sales Index For March 5 Wk. Previous:
1.5 percent.
8:30 a.m. Fourth-Quarter Revised Productivity. Consensus:
-0.2 percent. Previous: -0.6 percent.
8:55a.m. Redbook Retail Sales Index For March 5 Wk. Previous:
Unch.
3 p.m. Jan. Consumer Credit. Consensus: $5.5 Bln. Previous:
$3.3 Bln.

Wednesday, March 8
No major economic indicators are scheduled for today.

Thursday, March 9
8:30 a.m. Initial Jobless Claims For March 5 Wk. Consensus: - 4K. Previous: 15K. 8:30 a.m. Jan. Trade Deficit. Consensus: $67 Bln. Previous:
$65.7 Bln.

Friday, March 10
8:30 a.m. Feb. Non-Farm Payrolls. Consensus: 218K. Previous:
193K.
8:30 a.m. Feb. Unemployment Rate. Consensus: 4.8 percent.
Previous: 4.7 percent.
8:30 a.m. Jan. Wholesale Inventories. Consensus: 0.5 percent.
Previous: 1.0 percent.

Source: Dow Jones

Lady Mocs Win SoCon Title

Davidson Wins SoCon Title

The Davidson Wildcats are the 2006 SoCon Champs beating UT-Chattanooga 80-55. As mentioned in a previous post, Brendan Winters was on fire, scoring a career-high 33-points. Other leaders for Davidson was Boris Meno with 12-points and Ian Johnson with 10-points. Coach Bob McKillop won his third SoCon Title tying a Davidson coaching record set by Coach Lefty Driesell. Congratulations to the Davidson Wildcats for making their first trip to the Big Dance since 2002.

Leaders for UT-Chattanooga were Keddric Mays with 13-points and Ricky Hood with 10-points. Chattanooga did improve their shooting percentage from 25% in the first half to 35% in the second half. The coach for the Mocs, John Shulman, is now 5-1 in the SoCon tournament.

Davidson's Brendan Winters is named SoCon's Most Outstanding Player of the year!

Davidson guard/forward Brendan Winters is named the SoCon's Most Outstanding Player! Winters hails from Denver, Colorado playing for Mullen/Worcester Academy. The senior scored a career-high 33-points besting the 31-point high he set as a freshman. In the SoCon title game against UT-Chattanooga he went 13 of 21, 6 of 10 behind the arc (tying the caree-high treys he had in last year's NIT game against Soutwest Missouri State.) Brendan will lead the Wildcats in the SoCon's slot to the Big Dance. Good luck to Brendan Winters and the Davidson Wildcats!

Davidson plays Chattanooga in the So-Con Tournament Final Today

Davidson plays UT-Chattanooga for the SoCon Tournament Championship today at 2 pm. The game will be televised on ESPN2. The winner of today's game will get the SoCon spot for the NCAA Tournament! (Photo compliments of Davidson Athletics)
Update #1
Davidson is leading Chattanooga 35-20 at the half! The Senior G/F, Brendan Winters-#32 (6'5", 205 lbs, from Denver, CO-Mullen/Worcester Academy) is leading the Wildcats with 12-points in the first half.

UT-Chattanooga defeated App State 78-75. (more later) They will play the winner of Elon v Davidson tomorrow for the SoCon Tournament Championship. The Elon v Davidson game just started and Davidson has a 6-point lead after 4 minutes into the game. You can watch all of the action on CSS Sportsnetwork.

The College of Charleston lost to UT-Chattanooga by two! We were robbed by quite possible the worst officiating that I have ever seen at the SoCon Conference Tournament-strike that, the worst officiating that I have seen in my life! Draper hit that three from the arc at the buzzer and the basket for Chattanooga at the end to break the tie was a charge!

I am headed with Mellen and Teske to catch the Cougars v Clemson baseball game in Mt. Pleasant! I'll give a better recap later.-Jet

The Southern Conference Tournament began yesterday at the North Charleston Coliseum. The SoCon only has one slot for the big dance (there can only be one!) The #4 seed-College of Charleston Cougars (17-10) have their work cut out for them as they face UT-Chattanooga today after the noon game (#8 App State v #1 Ga.-Southern). Chattanooga are the defending SoCon champs, but the Cougars did beat the Mountaineers 67-53 at the Kresse Arena back in January.
Game 8 should face the Cougars against the #1 seeded Georgia Southern which the Cougars do have the ability to beat. However, the Coll. of Charleston was swept by Ga-Southern during the regular season. Yet, the Cougars did have a chance to beat the Eagles in each of these games. Hopefully, the Cougars will not feel the pressure and the self-inflicted curse against the team from the South parts of the Peach state.

Winning this game would post the Cougars against Davidson-if the Wildcats can get past the Citadel-in the Championship game on Sunday. Davidson has beat the Cougars in their last five meetings, but this is the So-Con tourney and as we saw yesterday, anything can happen. The Cougars have not reached the final since 2000, and haven't been to the quarter-finals in 2-years. That being said, the Cougars are playing great basketball and have won 8 of their last 11 games. So, by all means, get your Maroon shirts out of the closet and get to the North-Chuck Coliseum tonight to support the Cougars and cause some Maroon Madness to help the Cougs win the So-Con and make their first trip to the Big Dance since 1999.

The Citadel Bulldogs defeated Furman tonight in the Southern Conference Tournament 65-53!
Who let the Dogs out?
After suffering a blistering performance from their basketball team throughout the season, the Corps was revived when, after losing 14-straight, the Bulldogs won their first SoCon game of the season beating Wofford in overtime (84-80) last Saturday. The Long Gray Line donned their regimental colors and other exciting hues of Carolina-blue-gray for the game against Furman. The Palladins entered the North-Chuck Coliseum believing they would mop up the floor with the 11th seed Bulldogs. The Dogs had nothing more to say than "F-You, until you are purple". The Dogs came out with their bayonnets fixed and never looked back.
Shako Nods
The Citadel had 7-players giving "shako-nods" from behind the arc and J'mel Everhart led the Bulldogs with 18-points. The Citadel will play tonight against the #3 seed Davidson. Look out Wildcats, with Pat Dennis' job on the line you know the Dogs will come out swinging. Good luck Dawgs!

App State defeats Wofford 66-65!
Jeremy Clayton gave an extraordinary last second effort to advance the 8th-seeded App State Mountaineers into the second round of the SoCon beating 9th seeded Wofford 66-65.

UNC Greensboro beat West Carolina 69-65!
Kyle Haines scored 26-points and had 10-boards to lead the #10 seed Spartans to the second round of the SoCon against the Catamounts! Greensboro will play #2 seed Elon tonight at 6 pm.

First Round of the Southern Conference Tournament Women's Basketball at the Citadel's McAlister Field House!
CofC v Furman
9th Seed Furman defeated the College of Charleston this evening 66-63. Furman's guard Tommi Paris scored 19-points to lead the Palladins. However, it was Furman's sophomore center Jessica Lange-no, not the actress-but the 6'2" defensive powerhouse of the SoCon. (Action and roster photo courtesy of Furman Sports.) The game's leading scorer was College of Charleston's sophomore forward Erika Smith with a career-high 22-points. Furman will play UT-Chattanooga this afternoon.


Georgia Southern v Wofford
#7 Ga-Southern defeated #10 Wofford 77-66! Leading the Eagles was Lee Dubose with 19-points and Shawanda Atwood with 18-points. Ga-Southern will play UNC-Greensboro @ 5 pm tonight.

Edmund Rhett Law office lifted to new location

The Edmund Rhett law office built in Beaufort, South Carolina in 1840 was raised in 1908 and a new building was built underneath it. However, the 'basement' building is ridden with termite damage and to save the Rhett office, the top section had to be moved. 303 Associates saved the building by placing steel beams underneath the 37,000 lb. structure and then lifted it by crane to its new location behind the Female Benevolent Society. A new 3-story hotel and office building will be built on the Rhett site.

Edmund Rhett was mayor (intendant) of Beaufort three times and was a key voice in the secession movement. When 303 Associates moved the building they attached a secession flag to the wires at the bottom to show respect to the previous owner of the building. Fortunately, the building was moved and installed without incident (i.e. no-one dropped a house on Fran's sister this time around.)

The Southern Conference Tournament began today at the North Charleston Coliseum. Attached is the seating chart for the North-Chuck Coliseum. Tickets are $12 for a single event.

South Carolina Republican Party Events this evening!

Reconvened York County Republican Party Convention

The reconvened York County Republican Party Convention will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2006 beginning at 5:30pm at the Magnolia Room At Laurel Creek4017 Laurel Creek DriveRock Hill, SC . For more information, please contact Joe St. John at 803.371.0083.

Reconvened Charleston County Republican Party Convention

The reconvened Charleston County Republican Party Convention will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2006 @ the Holiday Inn Patriot's Point (250 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC .) For more information please contact Charleston GOP Chairman Cyndi Mosteller at 843.884.9140 or cyndimosteller@comcast.net

Charleston Teenage Republicans Membership Drive

The Charleston Teenage Republicans will have a membership drive on Thursday, March 2, 2006 prior to the reconvened Charleston County Republican Party Convention @ the Holiday Inn Patriot's Point (250 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC)

Contact Info: Garrett Gay
843.991.9817
garrett@charlestontars.com

South Carolina Democratic Party Calendar for Thursday, March 2, 2006.

Charleston Democratic Women will meet at the Holiday Inn Riverview this evening from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Drinking Liberally Charleston will meet at the Voodoo Lounge from 6-8 pm in Charleston. The Voodoo Lounge is located at across the street from the Station.

York County Democratic Forum will meet this evening from 7-9 pm @ the Garden Cafe in York, SC. E-mail democrat@comporium.net for more information.

Tarheels Rock the Cavs 99-54! Perhaps, the "baby-Heels" have simply matured ten-fold since the beginning of the season or it could have been the "cavalier" shots taken by Virginia just would not fall, regardless UNC embarrassed the Cavaliers on Senior Night. #13 UNC (20-6, 11-4 ACC) tied for 2nd place in the Conference. UVA are now 14-12, 7-8 ACC.

Speaking of Senior Night, UNC's leading scorer this evening was senior David Noel who scored 19 of his 26-points in the first half and was the first Tarheel since Phil Ford's 34-points against Duke in 1978 to score a career high on Senior Night. Other Seniors honored in the post-game celebration were Byron Sanders and two walk-on players Will Robinson and Thomas Wilkins.

UNC leaders: Reyshawn Terry scored 17-points, (Plebe) Tyler Hansbrough scored 13-points and Marcus Ginyard had 10-points. Six players on the Tarheel squad hit three-pointers this evening and if you saw the game you noticed the Cav's couldn't buy a basket or play defense all night.

I almost forgot the best news that I heard all evening; Florida State upset Duke giving them their first ACC blemish of the year.

Salty Law Dogs in Beaufort
The old saying about American-Jurisprudence is "getting a case through court is like pushing an elephant through a drive-thru." However, there is one man who doesn't subscribe to that saying; 14th Judicial Circuit Solicitor Isaac M. "Duffie" Stone selected two new deputies to join his posse and round up the renegade career criminals down in Beaufort. (Duffie Stone is seated on the far left of the group-notice Sec of State Mark Hammond and CofC Glenn McConnell in the middle of the picture?)

Greer, excuse me Grrrr!!! native Angela McCall-Tanner (wife of the new sheriff in town, er, Beaufort County-Sheriff Roscoe-P.J. Tanner) who broke the gender barrier in 1999 when she became the first woman solicitor in Beaufort County. The College of Charleston graduate and USC law school grad wants an around the clock assistant solicitor to get the ball moving on cases as soon as they happen. Why? Because Crime never sleeps, and only pays when it comes to politics, mis-management of large corporations and drug-cartels. Sheriff Tanner proposed to Angie by handcuffing her and dragging her in front of the JOP to get hitched. I have to admit that is the first I have ever heard of that manuever.
(The photo is compliments of Lowcountry Now.com)

To handle the case load from the less populated counties in the 14th Circuit (Allendale, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties) Stone-Cold Solicitor chose Sean Thornton. Thornton--no, John Wayne's character the American boxer who returns home to Ireland to find love in the movie "Quiet Man", the attorney--is a master of the minutae in admin and trial procedures; you know-crossing the t's and dotting the i's to keep in jail all the bad guys. Thornton began his legal career in the Public Defender's office and knows the in's and out's of legal manuevering to get the dangling crook-fish off of the hooks. Thornton is a Baptist School (aka-Charleston Southern University) and Mercer Law School grad. In 2003, Thornton moved over to the Solicitor's office in Walterboro. (Sorry if the photo looks like a scene from the movie "Miller's Crossing" Sean, but it was the only one that Google would give me. Thanks to Bible Center Church for the picture.)

With all of the crime and punishment in the 14th Circuit, all I have to say to Stone-Cold is, "Spread it on!" In closing, I have but one question for the bad boys, bad boys in Beaufort-what are you going to do?

Walk the Line

One of the greatest stories of one of the greatest Americans, Johnny Cash "Walk the Line" is available for rent or purchase today on DVD today. Click here for the trailer. As you all know I am a big fan of the book, "Cash, by Johnny Cash" which is the basis for the movie. The movie was fantastic with great performances and great music; it truly puts John's printed word in to a magical format that is simply pure excellence for the eyes. I was hesitant when Puerto Rican actor Joaquin Phoenix was tapped to play Cash, but his performance is worthy of both JR's blessing and the nods he has received from the critics. Phoenix learned the guitar, the facial expressions and developed the dark, yet warming glare of Johnny Cash's eyes. He also sang all of the tracks during the movie which is one phenomenal rendition of a classic.
Probably the best insight given to June Carter's life (ever portrayed) comes from my favorite girl from Nashville Reese Witherspoon. Her girl next door country (twang) brogue melts my heart like a tall glass of sweet-tea on a hot South Carolina afternoon. With Witherspoon's performance you can't help to see albeit a small glimpse of what made Johnny fall into a burning ring of fire for Mrs. June Carter Cash. Look for this film to clean up on Sunday at the Oscars.
















Mark Campbell wanted me to remind everyone that "Pride and Prejudice" also is available on DVD today. I think this would be a bold choice if you decide to rent or purchase this movie, but Mark said, "Pride & Prejudice" is a great love story, full of romance, humor and circumstances of the heart." I guess that it also has a lot of Pride & Prejudice, but that is not going to make me run out and buy this flick-I am just not a fan of Keira Knightly.