Our intent is to provide our readers with more behind-the-scenes news and notes that otherwise may not make the front page of TarHeelBlue.com. Reader feedback is encouraged.

8/20/08 - General Release

Band's GAME DAY! CD Now Available
Posted at 11:43 a.m.
 
<blank> UNC ATHLETICS The UNC Bands announce the release of a new CD featuring the Marching Tar Heels. GAME DAY! includes all the UNC fight songs and a variety of musical cheers, percussion cadences, and halftime highlights as well as a slide show with 300 professional photos narrated by Woody Durham and accompanied by the Marching Tar Heels. more

8/20/08 - Track

Beijing Blog: Mixed Zone Madness, Liu Goes Down
Posted at 8:15 a.m.
 
Sure, T.J. Yates looks calm in this interview, but what if he was facing the media horrors of the mixed zone? UNC ATHLETICS Further details are needed on just how out of control the mixed zone can be. The most extreme example came on day two of the competition at the Bird's Nest when Ecudorian runner Jefferson Perez entered the zone. After capturing a silver medal in the race walk, Perez began what one distance runner from Australia called a "sadistic" four-level climb through the outdoor mixed zone. Perez then descended a flight of 22 steps and entered the second, and perhaps most taxing area of the interview area. more
 

8/19/08 - Baseball

Miller Starts For Mudcats Thursday
Posted at 9:33 p.m.
 
Andrew Miller was the 2006 national player of the year. UNC ATHLETICS Former North Carolina All-America left-hander Andrew Miller will be making his first appearance on the mound in the Triangle since beating Winthrop in the 2006 NCAA Chapel Hill Regional Thursday in Zebulon for the Carolina Mudcats. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/18/08 - Track

Beijing Blog: Flanagan Medals, Bolt Bolts
Posted at 6:25 p.m.
 
Shalane Flanagan now has an Olympic medal to go with her haul of UNC awards. UNC ATHLETICS We've had a couple of thrilling nights in the first two days of competition at the Bird's Nest. Carolina's Shalane Flanagan brought home the bronze medal in the women's 10,000 meter race on Friday the 15th. Many were surprised by her top three finish, but perhaps no one was more surprised than Flanagan herself. After crossing the finish line, she put her hands on her head and looked to the scoreboard wondering if she finished third or fourth. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/14/08 - General Release

Beijing Blog: Lost In Translation
Posted at 9:40 p.m.
 
Were finally approaching the beginning of track, which means Kevin will be keeping his eye on Shalane Flanagan. UNC ATHLETICS I'll admit I'm impressed by the number of Chinese who have learned a little bit of English in preparation for the Games. I'm told that once the Games were awarded to China in 2001, this became a focal point for the Organizing Committee since most competing countries speak English as a first or second language. There were also classes and publications on manners and cheering that fans were given in the run-up to the Games. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/14/08 - Football

Youth Day Tickets On Sale Now
Posted at 12:03 a.m.
 
T.J. Yates UNC ATHLETICS Carolina Football Youth Day for the 2008 season is the season opener on Saturday August 30 versus McNeese State. The game will begin at 6 p.m. at Kenan Stadium and all tickets are just $10. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/13/08 - M Basketball

Beijing Blog: Tar Heels Play Role In Hoops
Posted at 12 noon
 
Just imagine him in red, white and blue. UNC ATHLETICS Despite a lackluster first quarter, the U.S. men's basketball team dominated Angola this evening 97-76 at the Wukesong Basketball Gymnasium. Although there are no Tar Heels on the Olympic team, several Carolina students are working at the basketball arena for the Olympic News Services (ONS) team. The ONS squad's main job is to listen to interviews in the broadcast mixed zone (interview area) and relay those quotes to all the other media at the venue and throughout the Olympics. It's impossible for all 27,000 credentialed media to attend an event - even though many of them showed up for the U.S. vs. China game last Sunday and had to be evicted. The ONS team provides a valuable service to those media stuck at the Media Press Center (MPC) or International Broadcast Center (IBC). more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/9/08 - General Release

Beijing Blog: The Opening Ceremonies
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
 
Kevin was hanging with Dirk Nowitzki at the opening ceremonies. No word on whether Kevin will also shave the Olympic rings into his hair, as Dirk has done. UNC ATHLETICS Things are moving at a rapid pace here in Beijing now that the games are upon us. It was a long day for all those involved in preparations for the Opening Ceremonies. I'm not looking for any sympathy, but it was a 20-hour day for my staff of 10 and I as we welcomed more than 320 camera crews and approximately 400 rights-holding broadcasters to the Bird's Nest. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/5/08 - General Release

Beijing Blog: Olympic TV Broadcast Tidbits
Posted at 11:05 a.m.
 
If Tar Heel Heather OReilly (here celebrating with fellow Olympian and Tar Heel Lori Chalupny) scores for the United States, your only video source will be NBC. UNC ATHLETICS There are 196 commentary positions at the stadium. NBC owns approximately 12 of those spots. The rest are divided among the world's other rights-holding broadcasters. NBC holds the broadcasting rights for the Olympics for the United States and pays a handsome sum to do so. That means typical sports channels like ESPN and Eurosport are not allowed to show any live coverage or highlight packages during the Games. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/4/08 - General Release

Beijing Blog: If Handcuffed, Be Calm
Posted at 5:30 p.m.
 
Minus the blue hair and face, Kevin wouldve looked a lot like this if he was handcuffed. UNC ATHLETICS Part of my job here at the Olympic Stadium is to escort TV crews to areas where they not normally allowed. On Thursday, for example, a crew from CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) requested field of play access. During the competition no one other than NBC and the host broadcaster (BOB), will be allowed field of play access. The rules are not as strict during the days prior to the opening ceremonies, however, so crews could go to certain areas if accompanied by a member of my staff, which on this day consisted of just me. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/4/08 - General Release

Beijing Blog: The Bird's Nest
Posted at 8:15 a.m.
 
Alice Schmidt is another Tar Heel who will be competing in Beijing. UNC ATHLETICS Simply put, the National Stadium (aka The Bird's Nest) is an architectural masterpiece. From the outside, it's the most original stadium you'll ever see. Pillars of concrete are interwoven with a mish-mash of supporting beams coming together at seemingly random intervals. It does appear from the outside like a bird's nest. The stadium is lit up with a red glow each evening. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

8/2/08 - Track

Beijing Blog: Arrival In China
Posted at 11:05 a.m.
 
Shalane Flanagan will be one of several Tar Heels Kevin will watch in Beijing. UNC ATHLETICS Greetings from Beijing! For the next three-plus weeks, I'll be your TarHeelBlue.com correspondent on the ground in China. Provided I have internet access, which right now is a little dicey (rumored to cost $1,000 for the month), I'll be here to give you updates on some of the Tar Heels participating in the 2008 Olympics Games. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

7/28/08 - Football

Red Snapper Albright Earns Fans
Posted at 8:45 a.m.
 
Lowell Dyer will be in the mix for the UNC long snapping job this year, hoping to parlay the talent into a Pro Bowl appearance, just like Albright. UNC ATHLETICS You know NFL training camp has officially begun when writers start breaking out their stories on long snappers. You can expect the same storyline when Carolina football training camp opens this Friday; Trevor Stuart is listed at first on the pre-camp depth chart as long snapper, but if Lowell Dyer can push him, get ready to read a shocking TarHeelBlue.com treatise on the heart-pounding snapping battle. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

7/24/08 - M Basketball

Titletown: Vote For Chapel Hill
Click on the link below to vote for Chapel Hill.
 
Sharp shooting Donald Williams led the Tar Heels to the 1993 national title. UNC ATHLETICS Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina are one of 20 cities across the country being considered by ESPN as Titletown USA. The cable network aired a 10-minute segment featuring Chapel Hill on its 6 p.m. SportsCenter on Tuesday, July 8. All 20 cities have been profiled and now it's time to vote. more UNC ATHLETICS
 

  • Blog Entries - June, 2007
  • Blog Entries - May, 2007
  • Blog Entries - April, 2007
  • Blog Entries - March, 2007