Notes ‘n’ quotes ...
Bobby Jackson is flourishing in Sacramento.
The Salisbury native signed a free agent contract with the Kings before the season and is being lauded as the leader of Sacramento’s resurgent defense. The Kings are giving up just 89 points per contest and were 14-4 going into today.
Jackson is also getting plenty of playing time. In a 111-98 win over Houston this past week, he played 22 minutes, scoring 12 points.
Jackson also played 36 minutes with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists in a win over Detroit.
But Jackson’s highlight came in a win over Portland, when he stole the ball from Scottie Pippen, was fouled and hit the winning free throws.
Mark Kriedler of the Sacramento Bee wrote, “Jackson was the epitome of what people have been begging Rick Adelman’s team to become on defense. He gave virtually no ground, even when chasing Damon Stoudamire around the court for 34 minutes. He got hands on loose balls, he poked, he prodded — he was a pain in Portland’s keister.”
n
The Kannapolis Intimidators (also known as the former Piedmont Boll Weevils)are making national news. A recent issue of Sports Illustrated mentioned the name change in its blotter.
n
Betcha didn’t know: If you want to get an autograph from a former Boll Weevil, go visit the GNCstore on Faith Road.
Working the night shift is Johnny Estrada, one of the best catchers we’ve seen in these parts.
Estrada met a Catawba student while playing here in 1998, married her and lives in Salisbury during the offseason. He has a brand-spanking-new baby girl to take care of.
And anyone who remembers Estrada knows about his mohawk. Well, he was told to grow his hair out when he left here for Clearwater.
After an impressive all-star season in Double-A Reading Estrada will also be on Philadelphia’s 40-man roster in spring training. He is the third catcher, behind Mike Lieberthal and Gary Bennett.
n
And what does Estrada think about the name change?
“The Boll Weevils — that is the best name in minor league baseball,” Estrada said. “I loved that uniform.”
n
Have you noticed that former UNC guard Jeff McInnis is playing pretty darn well for the Clippers?
n
Cherokee Parks of Duke fame has also surfaced with the Clippers. What is it like?
“Watch before a game. It’s like an AAUteam,” said Parks, a native Californian. “We got guys throwing it off the backboard and dunking and guys playing one-on-one, throwing alley oops. It’s mad energy.”
n
New Jersey Nets coach Byron Scott on what it was like being a Vancouver Grizzlies assistant during losing streaks of 19 and 23 games last year: “That’s when I started drinking beer.”
n
If history means anything, then mark Delta State down as a repeat Division IInational football champion next season.
North Alabama won the title from 1993-95, North Colorado won in 1996-97 and Northwest Missouri State won in 1998-99.
n
Twelve records were either tied or broken in Delta State’s 63-34 win overBloomsburg as 7,123 watched from the bleachers in Florence, Ala. and over a million more watched on TV.
n
Dusty Bonner, the Valdosta State quarterback who transferred from Division IKentucky, won the Harlon Hill Award, the “Heisman of Division II.” Bonner, who threw for 3,907 yards and a whopping 54 touchdowns, has new respect for that level of play.
“D-IIgets a bad rap,” Bonner told reporters, “but it doesn’t matter where you come from, it’s where you’re going. Pierce Holt, Harry Carson and John Stallworth proved that.”
Those three former NFLstars were inducted into the Division IIHall of Fame during championship weekend. And Carson remembers being a fourth-round draft pick out of South Carolina State.
“When you go into the National Football League, you go in with a chip on your shoulder because people doubt you can play on that level,” Carson said.
n
I have three sisters and all three were chief cheerleaders in high school. So they won’t like this.
Cheerleading is not a sport.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association reports it did a survey with its member schools and cheerleading was voted down 196-19 to even discuss it being a sport. The NCHSAAconsiders cheerleading an activity, the same as the band or the Spanish Club.
n
Whatever happened to: Marvin Moore.
The former Division IIAll-American from Catawba College is in Sweden, scoring 20.9 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
n
Gaetan Cotigny, a 7-footer from France, who also played at Catawba, never did much here but is making a living playing pro ball in France.
n
More Catawba: The success of the football team has obviously rubbed off on the basketball teams. The men are undefeated and the women have just one loss so far.
n
And finally. ...
Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl when told there might be an opening in Boston after the season: “I already coach a team that doesn’t play defense.”
n
Ronnie Gallagher is the sports editor of the Post.
Today's News