The New and improved

Its time to update you bookmarks and RSS feeds ladies and gentlemen. On Monday, we began our migration to a newly designed site with a new address:

http://www.thedesk.org

And to that end, please update your RSS feeds:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/the_desk

3 p.m. on a Monday?

N.C. State, hot off of four consecutive ACC wins, accepted a bid to play Rutgers in the Papajohns.com Bowl (they sell virtual pizza to Nintendo Wii Avatars) at 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29. Yes – it’s a bowl. But 3 p.m. on a Monday?

Losing-induced exhaustion

Tonight was exhausting.

I’ve never been as tired driving home from a Hockey game as I was leaving RBC Center after the Carolina Hurricanes’ 5-2 lose tonight (Bear in mind, I play in a local adult league where we have games beginning at 11:40 pm).

I’m sure everyone within the Canes locker room feels the same way, including new old Head Coach Paul Maurice. Yesterday, I had a conversation with NBC17 (Raleigh, NC) Sports Director Penn Holderness. And I was hesitant to give an opinion on Maurice, if he was a good choice. But I’ve decided, he’s the right man for the job right now.

Just Say No! … To the Big Three Bailout

 

 

In fifth grade, I starred as the “pressured person” in our D.A.R.E. program’s finale play, clinching the famous line, “Just say no!” as my own. 

 

Today, I find myself needing to repeat the phrase with just as much exclamation and a little more desperation. This time the “no” is not to drugs — goodness knows we could probably all use a little Valium at the moment — but the auto industry bailout. 

 

The D.AR.E in this case would stand for Detroit Auto Rescue Evacuation. As we are told not to panic during these rough times, neither should our government. 

 

Rescuing Ford, GM, and Chrysler may seem necessary at the moment but in the long term, it would be a gross mistake, not to mention a waste of taxpayer money. 

Out with the old, in with the ‘older’

UPDATE:

My interview with NBC17 in Raleigh concerning the coaching change: http://tinyurl.com/6eqqhu

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Today, the Carolina Hurricanes have a new head coach.

Peter Laviolette

Not too much of a surprise. The new sheriff in town? That’s a Zamboni of a different color.

Peter Laviolette has been fired as head coach of the Hurricanes. His replacement, on an interim basis, is Paul Maurice, former Toronto Maple Leaf’s coach the man Laviolette replaced as coach in 2004. Current Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Development Ron Francis will become Maurice’s associate head coach.