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| Sports To Watch! |
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hat's your game? No matter what time of year it is, odds are a sports fan will
find plenty to enjoy in the Carolinas.
Are you a baseball fan? There are more than two dozen pro and semi-pro teams scattered
across the states. And teams from a half-dozen colleges made the NCAA playoffs.
Is football your game? The NFL's Carolina Panthers have rabid fans across both
states who travel to home games in Charlotte. Clemson and the University of South
Carolina were both in New Year's Day bowls, and even if you don't care for the
game, the tailgating before and after makes the trip worthwhile.
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nd when it gets too cold to play outdoors, check out the action inside. Arena
football has landed in Raleigh, drawing capacity crowds.
If hockey's your passion, you might be surprised to find teams scattered throughout
the Carolinas. Soccer has progressed from recreation leagues to a professional
women's team in Chapel Hill, and outdoor sports enthusiasts can take in professional
golf, tennis, even bass fishing.
But perhaps no other sport has roots that dig as deeply as into the soil of the
Carolinas than stock car racing. Every weekend, from the February race in Rockingham
to late fall races at dirt and clay tracks across the region, the roar of engines
mingles with the roar of crowds in a kinship that stretches back more than 50
years. NASCAR is more than fast cars and Rebel yells and guys trying to show off
their cars. Thanks to shrewd marketing and that all-American obsession with speed,
fans from all walks of life jam the superspeedways of Darlington, Charlotte and
Rockingham. For those who like to get a little closer to the action, the annual
Carolina Clash series pits late-model cars throughout the spring and summer at
smaller tracks like Fayetteville, Batesburg, and near Shelby.
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No matter what time of year it is, odds are a sports fan will
find plenty to enjoy in the Carolinas.
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"It's a real good deal for guys who want a fairly big race, but don't want to
have to travel far to do it," said veteran racer Ed Gibbons. The paydays are less
than the big NASCAR races, but the desire - and the action - is every bit as intense.
Perhaps the most surprising sport in the area is hockey. In a land where ice is
used to cool drinks and preserve potato salad, minor league hockey has become
a fan favorite. The East Coast Hockey League features teams in such non-chilly
towns as Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Fayetteville.
While minor league baseball has been a mainstay of the Carolinas for years, thanks
to the South Atlantic League, a new wrinkle is the Coastal Plain League. On teams
like the Wilmington Sharks, the Florence Red Wolves and the Fayetteville SwampDogs,
college players sharpen their skills and hope to catch the eye of pro scouts.
Basketball has, of course, been a fan favorite in the Carolinas for years. Perhaps
the most exciting change in the Carolinas is the arrival of the National Basketball
Development League. North Charleston, Asheville and Fayetteville will be home
teams featuring players signed by the NBA. During the 56-game season, players
may be called up by any NBA team.
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College teams from the Carolinas are consistent members of the Top 20.
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College teams from the Carolinas are consistent members of the Top 20. But college
sports in the region stretch far beyond the hardwood. Clemson University has a
storied football history and one of the top golf programs in the country. The
University of South Carolina, Clemson and Wake Forest are consistent baseball
powers, and many legendary basketball games have been played along North Carolina's
tobacco road between Duke, the University of North Carolina and N.C. State.
Golf and tennis are naturals for a region like the Carolinas. The world's best
golfers come to The Masters in Augusta annually, then test Harbour Town on Hilton
Head Island. The incredibly challenging Pinehurst No. 2 course has become a regular
stop for the U.S. Open, and the LPGA makes the Pinehurst-Southern Pines area a
regular stop for its Women's U.S. Open.
Daniel Island, in Charleston, is a new stop for the Family Circle Tennis Cup.
Each year, top players such as Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport,
Anna Kournikova and Venus Williams take part.
For those who'd rather see man and animal in competition, two great steeplechase
events take place each spring. The Carolina Cup in Camden is a day-long party
that draws more than 40,000 horse and party lovers. The Stoneybrook Steeplechase,
near Southern Pines, draws more than 25,000 each April.
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Written by Gene Able & Chick Jacobs
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