What can be said about the last month for local sports fans?
The NCAA men's basketball championship was claimed by a Hall of Fame coach who will sit out three games next season and whose program will be on probation; the Carolina Hurricanes' trip to the NHL playoffs was derailed on the final night and game of the regular season; and the Masters was claimed by a dark horse while perennial favorites battled it out to make it on of the most exciting events played to date.
Bright spot: Hurricanes' Jeff Skinner looks good to win the Calder Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year, but we have to wait until June to find out.
Dark spot: Reading about more NCAA investigations that will provide ample opportunity to scrutinize the validity and value of collegiate sports - things are going to get really rocky and really quick.
In the meantime, catch up and get ready for a hot summer of action - more pictures and video to follow.
Latest Raleigh Sports Examiner news:
Hockey fans in North Carolina still have the chance to cheer on a potential cup-winning team as the Charlotte Checkers beat the two-time defending champion Hershey Bears to advance to the East Division finals of the American Hockey...
As the 2011 NHL playoffs are fully underway, and on the heels of rookie Jeff Skinner being named a finalist for the Calder Trophy on Tuesday, Carolina Hurricanes fans must continue to endure hearing about the Buffalo Sabres and New...
Carolina Hurricanes rookie forward, Jeff Skinner, was named as one of three finalists for the Calder Trophy, the National Hockey League's award “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition,"...
In finishing the 2010-2011 season with a better record (40-41-11) than the previous one (35-37-10), the Carolina Hurricanes hit some ruts in the ice that made their final game, a 6-2 loss to the...
Rory McIlroy was the second-youngest 54-hole leader heading into Sunday's final round at the 2011 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA and was the target for a bevy of contenders who were...
The Carolina Hurricanes faithful in attendance could not believe how the Tampa Bay Lightning dashed their hopes of watching their team in the NHL playoffs with a 6-2 win at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC on Saturday night...
Rory McIlroy, along with Alvaro Quiros took the first day of play at the 2011 Masters Tournament by storm scoring identical rounds of 65 (-7) during a calm, clear day at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA. McIlroy'...
The 2011 Masters Tournament begins play on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA and features a list of favorites and dark horses to capture the title and earn the right to wear the famed Green Jacket. Defending...
Without barely having the time to introduce new men's basketball coach Mark Gottfried, NC State Wolfpack athletics director Debbie Yow had to defend the search process and her strained relationship with Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams. Yow opened...
As defending 2010 Masters Tournament champion Phil Mickelson captured his first win of the season at the Shell Houston Open at Redstone GC Tournament Course in Humble, TX on Sunday, the win was Mickelson's first since he captured...
The 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four takes place on Saturday night at Reliant Stadium in Houston and showcases teams that possess the highest combined seeding placement in championship tournament history. This year’s remaining four teams...
Rookie Jeff Skinner continued from where he left off the night before as the Carolina Hurricanes convincingly beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-2 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC on Wednesday night. The NHL's current rookie points...
Jeff Skinner's shootout winner lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night. The much-needed win places the Hurricanes only three points...
The #2 Duke Blue Devils (32-3) held off the #3 DePaul Blue Demons (29-7) by a score of 70-63 in the Philadelphia Regional semi-final of the 2011 Women's Baskeball Championship Tournament at the Liacouras...
The Sweet 16 round of play finished with some surprises at the East and Southwest Regional sites of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament that took place on Friday night in Newark, NJ and San Antonio, TX...
After an exciting night of play in the Sweet 16 round of play with West and Southeast Regional games taking place on Thursday night at the 2011 Men's NCAA Basketball Championship Tournament in Anaheim and New Orleans respectively...
