By Clark Gerber, WRAL Sports contributor

The online world is vast. Unless you are constantly connected (which is not advisable), you will inevitably overlook some information.

We can complete that task. It is possible to be a well-adjusted person and still stay updated on the top sports events of the week by quickly reviewing them.

Justin Williams honored

Few individuals have had as much significance in the history of the Carolina Hurricanes as Justin Williams.

In 2006, Williams scored the final goal in the empty net to secure the Stanley Cup victory for Carolina. He was the initial captain chosen by head coach Rod Brind’Amour and played a key role in launching the “Storm Surge” celebration, which helped the Canes become consistent contenders in the playoffs once again.

It was an obvious choice to induct “Mr. Game 7” as the fifth member of the Hurricanes Hall of Fame.

Before the Canes faced off against the LA Kings on Monday afternoon, an emotional pre-game ceremony took place. It was significant because Williams had previously won Stanley Cups with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.

The Kings emerged victorious with a score of 5-2, putting an end to Carolina’s 8-game streak of earning points. However, this did not diminish the celebratory atmosphere on this momentous occasion.

GWTBATH (Good Week to be a Tar Heel)

North Carolina has an exceptional athletic program, possibly the best in the nation from top to bottom. They are accustomed to achieving success.

However, even for their usual level of success, the Tar Heels had a very impressive week.

The female tennis team has begun their season with a top ranking in the nation. The female basketball team maintained their spot in the AP Top 25 after defeating Virginia on Sunday. The male basketball team is also improving, securing two major wins and moving up to No. 4 in the most recent AP Poll.

On Wednesday evening, UNC dominated their rival NC State by limiting them to a 26.9% shooting rate, resulting in a convincing 67-54 win on the road.

According to my calculations, the Wolfpack’s 54 points against the Tar Heels in 2001 is the lowest scoring performance in their recent history. This is significant since the Tar Heels have consistently been the dominant team in this rivalry, a fact that UNC supporters often highlight on social media.

Following a highly intense victory over their rival, one might assume that the Heels would have a lackluster performance in their next game, correct?

Nope.

They beat Syracuse by roughly a billion at home on Saturday, leaving them as the only remaining unbeaten in ACC conference play.

However, that’s not the only thing!

During the evening of Friday, the women’s soccer team had six players chosen in the NWSL Draft, which equals the highest number in the history of the event.

Ally Sentnor, a midfielder, and Savy King, a defender, were chosen as the top two picks by the Utah Royals and Bay FC.

Sentnor and King make up the second duo from the same college to be selected first and second in a draft. The first instance of this was also from UNC, with Crystal Dunn and Kealia Ohai (now Kealia Watt) in the 2014 NWSL Draft. This proved to be a successful outcome for all parties involved.

Note: The North Carolina Courage exchanged their first-round pick for star midfielder Ashley Sanchez. The team retained three draft picks, selecting UNC defender Julia Dorsey with one of them.

Is the epicenter of college baseball?

Did you know that the college baseball season begins in precisely 30 days? It always surprises me how quickly it arrives each year.

Furthermore, North Carolina could potentially be the hub of college baseball this spring, giving you yet another reason to look forward to the season.

Five teams from our state were included in the D1 Baseball preseason poll, which was published on Tuesday. This is the highest number from any state, even surpassing Texas and Florida.

After reaching the College World Series for the first time since 1955, Wake Forest has been ranked as the top team in the preseason.

The universities of East Carolina, Duke, NC State, and North Carolina are all grouped closely in the middle of the standings, with rankings of 11, 12, 13, and 15.

Prepare your gloves, we will see you in the coming month!

A guide for Panthers fans during the NFL Playoffs.

Despite the team being eliminated for a significant amount of time, there are still numerous storylines for Panthers fans to keep track of during the NFL playoffs.

Regrettably, a few of them have been unexpected disappointments.

In Monday’s Wild Card game, ex-Panthers QB Baker Mayfield guided the rival Buccaneers to a dominant victory against the Eagles, completing 337 passing yards and scoring 3 touchdowns.

Ouch.

C.J. Stroud, who was not chosen by the Panthers as the No. 1 pick last year, scored three touchdowns in the first half of a dominant victory for the Houston Texans against Cleveland.

The Panthers generated a lot of buzz on social media throughout the game.

Double ouch.

The hunt for a new head coach for the Panthers was a bit of a mixed bag.

Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions, made strategic play calls that helped lead Detroit to their first playoff victory in 32 years. He continues to be a top contender for the Panthers coaching position.

The Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, suffered a humiliating defeat on Sunday, allowing the 7th seed Green Bay Packers to score 48 points. Although he was initially considered for an interview with the Carolina team, I believe the fans would protest if he were to be hired at this stage.

A notable individual who may become free later is Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Steelers. He abruptly left the stage on Monday (following a defeat against the Bills) when questioned about his tenure in Pittsburgh.

David Tepper previously held a minority ownership position with the Steelers before joining the Panthers. Therefore, there may be some connections if he becomes open for availability.

Tomlin has never had a losing record as a head coach.

Just something to think about.

A magical, unpredictable winter paradise.

Regarding the Steelers-Bills matchup, you may have heard that it was delayed by one day due to inclement weather. Have you viewed any videos of the storm itself? It was quite intense.

The combination of strong winds, snow from the lake, and extremely cold weather led to a travel ban in the region. It would have been nearly impossible and risky to expect 70,000 people to attend a football game.

The Bills successfully prepared the field for the game, but required assistance with the rest of the stadium. The team paid fans $20 per hour to remove snow from the walkways, but did not have enough time to clear the seats. This resulted in amusing crowd shots before the start of the game.

The weather in Kansas City on Saturday night was not just cold, but downright miserable for the Chiefs and Dolphins.

The temperatures were below freezing, with a wind chill of -23°, making it one of the five coldest NFL games ever (and the only one on that list played at night)!

Unfortunately, if you were hoping to have a drink during the game, you may have some difficulty. Water immediately turned into ice once taken out of the refrigerator… and beer didn’t stay cold for very long either.

One of the most memorable sights of the evening was the mustache of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, which was frozen solid by halftime.

Can we all agree that January brings about some great football?

Airport Hoopin’

The state of North Carolina takes pride in being a hub for basketball enthusiasts, but it seems like there is still room for improvement before we can match Indiana’s level of passion for the sport.

The Hoosier State, whose unofficial motto is “In 49 other states it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana,” backed up those words by installing a full-size basketball court right in the middle of Indianapolis International Airport!

The basketball court was built in anticipation of the 2024 NBA All-Star game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it remained permanent.

Having a four-hour layover would be much more bearable if you were able to participate in some impromptu games during that time. As long as there are showers available and perhaps some supervision, it’s definitely a fantastic suggestion!

Your move, RDU.

TAYLOR SWIFT WATCH

Taylor endured the low temperatures (although she was actually in a luxurious suite) wearing her personalized Travis Kelce coat while cheering on the Chiefs as they triumphed over the Dolphins. She attempted to do some “Swag Surfin'” during the second half, but it didn’t quite go as planned.

Currently, there are two main narratives dominating the discussion surrounding T-Swift and Kelce.

How will she respond to the upcoming road playoff game in Buffalo next week? (The Chiefs will be visiting the Bills on Sunday night.)

Is there a possibility that Taylor and Travis will become engaged during the offseason? According to one source, it appears to be the case!

Oh no! I am unable to do that!

We look forward to seeing you next week.

Source: wralsportsfan.com