The Candidates
NASCAR
Why? More than any state in the country, North Carolina is the home for stock car racing. Many attribute the birth of the sport to moonshine runners in the mountains of North Carolina. The state, up until a few years ago was home to two tracks on circuit in Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte and Rockingham Speedway. Also, two NASCAR royal families, the Earnhardts and Pettys, call the Old North State "home."
Why Not? The case against NASCAR being the state sport will be the trouble labeling it a 'sport'. I'm not saying that it isn't a sport, but with almost no physical exertion involved on the part of the competitors, it struggles to justify itself as one. It would be a stretch to say that NASCAR requires any form of physical giftedness, and thus may not deserve the title it gets in this legislation.
College Basketball
Why? Simply put, Tobacco Road. The basketball program at UNC is among the four most-storied in the nation. It is in company only with UCLA, Kansas, and Kentucky. The school has 6 national titles to its name. Arguably the second-greatest head coach in the game, behind John Wooden, is Dean Smith. Then there's Michael Jordan, Wilmington Laney graduate and the greatest to ever play the game. Consider also Duke's program which has won a respectable four titles. Although not as storied and prolific as its light blue rival, Duke, led by coaching great Mike Krzyzewski, has earned itself a top spot among the new elite in college basketball. Throw in NC State's two titles, and you've got a convincing argument to have college basketball as the state's official sport.
Why Not? For what it counts, North Carolina does not mean nearly as much to college basketball as it does to NASCAR. While the state is special having programs like Carolina and Duke, it is not as significant to the sport as the state's contribution to NASCAR. Plus, outside of the Tobacco Road fanbases, college basketball is not nearly as important as it seems to the blue-bloods.
Golf
Why? Again, rather simply, the argument can be summed up with Pinehurst. The Pinehurst No. 2 course is a regular stop for the U.S. Open Championship. And for a tournament regarded as the toughest test in the golfing world, Pinehurst is one of its toughest courses. Home to the tournament in 1999, 2005, and 2014, the course may be best known for Payne Stewart's immortal photograph after winning in '99.
Why Not? Those North Carolinians who play golf love the sport, but those who don't, couldn't really care less. And while the state likes to claim itself as the "Home of American Golf," a single course may be the only significant contribution.
Honorable Mention
Baseball Behind Georgia, maybe the best youth baseball state in the country. However, without a professional team of its own, and with the last college world series title coming from Wake Forest in 1950, it merits little more than honorable mention.
Soccer Props to the Carolina women and vibrant youth leagues in the states's larger cities. Liked by those who play it. Forgotten by those who don't. How are the Railhawks and Dynamo doing as of late? That's what I thought. Still a European sport.
Not Even in Contention
High School Football No great tradition (as compared to a Texas), and outside of Charlotte Independence, no national programs of relevance.
Pro-Football Panthers are terrible, and if it weren't for the Super Bowl trip in 2004, the franchise would be irrelevant like it was before.
Pro-Basketball The Hornets left the state, and the Bobcats are just kinda...there.
Hockey Yankee sport.
Lacrosse See hockey.
Let me know what y'all think.
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ReplyDeleteI like stock car racing's roots in N.C., but something just seems amiss to be giving this sport such a nice credential when in fact NASCAR actually has been taking away from our state of late - witness, no races in North Wilkesboro or Rockingham. The HOF is here, so that's a plus for them, but otherwise, not sure. Granted, lot of Friday and Saturday tracks still operating around the state, but again, those are on the decline as well. Just seems like this ought to have happened a while back and it is kind of out of place now.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully, I must ask, Duke not among the most storied? New elite? C'mon, how shall we measure? In addition to the four titles, there are also six runner-up finishes (1964, '78, '86, '90, '94, '99) amid the 15 trips to the Final Four that include not only at least once each decade the last half century but also three in the 1960s, three in the 1980s, five in the 1990s. Most wins? Kentucky (2052), Kansas (2038), UNC (2033), Duke (1944) are top four. Think we're going to need a definition of "new elite."
Yeah I didn't consider that aspect to the NASCAR argument. Of course, a couple of North Carolina's other official "objects" are related to a past time. The official boat (Shad boat) and the mineral (gold) are all from a past time. By that precedent, it seems that NASCAR can look to its past as much as anything.
ReplyDeleteRe: Duke, I stand by my assessment of their place amongst the top college basketball programs. But that defense is a topic for another day.