GREENSBORO COLISEUM—This may or may not be one of the greatest understatements in ACC Tournament history. Fresh after dropping 40 points on Clemson, Harrison Barnes said “I tried to fill in for what the team needs. Today we had a lack of production on the offensive end and I tried to make up for that.” […]
Thad Williamson
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Duke takes Maryland’s best punch, moves on—but without Smith?
GREENSBORO COLISEUM—Maryland came ready to play and with what Gary Williams termed a belief they could defeat Duke in the third ACC Tournament quarterfinal Friday night. With 10:15 to play they trailed just 63-60, but the Blue Devils pulled away in the final 10 minutes to win 87-71. Kyle Singler led the way with 29 […]
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ACC Tournament, afternoon edition: classic Carolina comeback; comfortable Clemson
GREENSBORO COLISEUM—North Carolina’s players and coaches were not at a loss for quips moments after the Tar Heels saved the fortunes of themselves as well as all the ticket scalpers and concession stands in Greensboro by rallying from a 19-point deficit in the final 9:55 to defeat Miami-Florida 61-59. The comeback is believed to be […]
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ACC Tournament: Friday Quarterfinal Preview
The first round of the ACC Tournament Thursday held no major surprises, as the 10, 11, and 12 seeds, by some margin the worst teams in the conference, did little to dispel the view that the ACC needs to shrink the tournament to those with a realistic chance of winning it. Two coaches, Sidney Lowe […]
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Why the ACC Tournament has lost its luster, and how it can be recovered
Can you name the leading scorer for all 12 ACC teams (without googling)? Can you name the starting five for each team? And more important, do you even care? If you answered no to any of those questions, you are not alone. The fact is, ACC basketball is not what it used to be. Twenty […]
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The art of the 1-0
Lars BaronSpain’s Andres Iniesta races off to celebrate his 116th-minute winner while Holland’s Maarten Stekelenburg contemplates defeat. RICHMOND, VA—At least it all ended with a perfectly good goal. No question about offside (Dutch whining aside in the immediate aftermath), no controversy—and also, importantly, no flukes, and no ridiculous Forlan/Jabulani special strikes from distance. Just a […]
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A short history of the Dutch in South Africa, 1652-2010
Laurence GriffithsHolland’s Dirk Kuyt, seen against Uruguay in the semifinal RICHMOND, VA—The Dutch East India Company established a small settlement at what is now Cape Town in 1652. The initial purpose of the settlement was to provide a rest stop and supply station for trading vessels making the long journey from Europe, around the cape […]
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World Cup 2010, by the numbers
Joern PollexDavid Villa leaves the field against Germany, looking like he’s just been informed that he’s the highest-rated attacker in the World Cup, according to the FIFA Castrol Index. RICHMOND, VA—So it is Spain and Holland in the final of the World Cup—a worthy matchup. Spain would have been in almost anyone’s list of the […]
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Impossible Germany, not-so-unlikely Spain
Laurence GriffithsSpain’s players (from right, Alonso, Fabregas, Ramos, Villa) celebrate a quarterfinal victory over Paraguay RICHMOND, VA—Is it possible for a English-language sportwriter to write an article about the German national soccer team without any reference to World War I, World War II, any past national leaders, any references to “efficiency,” or any references to […]
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When cynicism succeeds: Deliberate handball lifts Uruguay over Ghana
RICHMOND, VA—Let me first state that there has been much to admire about how Uruguay has played this World Cup. They are worthy semifinalists, and might yet win the tournament. That said, events in the 120th minute of Uruguay’s shootout victory over Ghana mar—in my book anyway—the South American side’s passage to the final four. […]