TURTLE RISING

MARYLAND 74, WAKE FOREST 70

And just like that the Terps are back in the hunt. James Gist told his mates to stop worrying about the Tournament and focus on Wake. Then went out and put his game where his mouth is scoring a career-high 31 points to lead Maryland over Wake 74-70.

Greivis Vasquez added 24 points and Gist had 10 rebounds for the Terrapins (18-11, 8-6 ACC), who nearly blew two 11-point leads but sealed it with three key defensive stops in the final 90 seconds.

Freshman James Johnson had 25 points and 14 rebounds for Wake Forest (16-10, 6-7), and his three-point play with 1:54 left pulled the Demon Deacons to 71-70. The Deacs other top frosh, Jeff Teague, was a virtual no-show posting a whopping six points.

Gist hit a free throw to push the lead to two, and Wake Forest didn't score again, coming up empty on its next three trips down the court. Johnson's pass was tipped and stolen by Gist, Ishmael Smith's go-ahead 3-pointer rattled in and out, and Harvey Hale's tying 3 bounced off the left iron.

James Gist #15 of Maryland Terrapins celebrates after a making a basket against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during their game at Lawrence Joel Coliseum on February 28, 2008 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

ELVIS WAS A TAR HEEL

You might have thought the University of Carolina achieved basketball glory by equal doses of hard work, passion and dedication with a pinch of good luck thrown in on top?

You probably thought it was a coincidence that both Dean and Ole Roy found their way to UNC via Kansas heading east on the highway that goes right smack through the middle of Memphis?

Or maybe that Wilt had the stomach flu when the Tar Heels won their first championships in 1957 against the Jayhawks?

You probably thought it was divine intervention that the greatest player in the history of the game wore Carolina blue, and that the NBA is full of his fellow Heels?

Truth is you probably don’t really know how Chapel Hill came to be the basketball capital of the world?

You don’t know, now do you?

Well, now you do...

Elvis Presley was a Tar Heel.

Yes, it’s a little known fact.

Here’s the proof.

The folks at Guernsey’s are auctioning a bunch of Elvis memorabilia…including this elaborate Ram’s Head Necklace of which the King was very fond. So, step right up, the starting bid is $45,000 and the auction is March 16th.

Here’s the description: Elvis Presley loved jewelry and this piece is possibly the largest and one of the best known gold necklaces that Elvis Presley owned and wore, as seen in various photos from the seventies. This 14k gold necklace features a ram's head motif on a large link 26-inch neck chain. The large center ram's head pendant has two 3mm cabochon cut emerald eyes and nine brilliant cut diamonds down the center of the head. Two smaller ram's heads each have 1 1/2 mm cabochon cut emerald eyes and six brilliant cut diamonds down the center of the heads.

The 21 brilliant cut diamonds weigh approx 1.0 ct. The necklace weighs approx 291 grams. Elvis Presley kept this piece at his home, Graceland, and gave it to his fiancee Ginger in 1977 as they stood inside the dressing area to his bathroom. As he placed it around Ginger's neck, Elvis Presley told her to "Always wear it with something black." This necklace comes with a letter of authenticity from Ginger Alden.

They could have said “Elvis Presley” a few more times if they really tried.

Clearly, Ginger misunderstood. We are pretty sure he said, “Always wear it with something Carolina Blue.”

Alden, who was born in Memphis had a natural affinity for Memphis blue and UT orange, hence the confusion.

You gotta admit, it would look pretty sweet on M.J. when he’s out clubbin’ or shootin’ around with the Bobcats!

Nice, Elvis, NICE!

RELEASE, ROTATION, SPLASH

DC SPORTS BLOG pointed out that the Hokies games against Boston College was Windshield Washer Fluid Night at Cassell Coliseum.

No kidding...

1) If the Hokies had reached 75 points last night, all the fans at Cassell would have gotten free window washer fluid? Washer fluid, really? That's their giveaway? Did the local Kmart run out of Little Tree air fresheners? Is there a "bag o' mulch" night coming up?

Now, we agree it's worthy of a little mocking, but Advance Auto parts did the same promotion for football giving a gallon to every fan in the stadium if the Hokies scored 25 points or more. That's over 60,000 gallons!

At every home football game during the 2007 season, Advance Auto Parts will sponsor the "Advance Auto Parts Score for More" promotion. If the Hokies score a total of 25 points or more every fan in the stadium will be eligible to receive one (1) free gallon of windshield washer fluid at any Virginia Advance Auto Parts store.

The phrase that will activate the promotion is "Score for More" and it can be said immediately following the game. For example, if the successful Score for More occurs on a Saturday, the promotional offer will be from Saturday to the next home game.

Limit one gallon per person.

Go Hokies. Drive home safely.

BAD UNI FRIDAY

And the winner is Croatia…

No, they won yesterday.

On Bad Uni (Actually) Friday, the clear winner by a KNOCK OUT is the University of Oregon.

Now the Ducks are famous for the coolest locker room in NCAA D1, or maybe anywhere for that matter. They are also the test kids for all the granola headed doobie rolling designers over at Nike.

Nike designed their football unis which are best described as “colorful, but weird.” We don’t really get the x things that look like the pattern that you find in metal tool boxes and running boards on an F-350…

Of course, Nike has basketball unis all over the place including the new jumper style shirt worn by Carolina, Florida, and Ohio State among others.
So after a big party down over in Beaverton, the Nike dudes decided to come up with a new design for the Ducks’ hoops uni.

How about a black uniform with yellow numbers and black letters…Yeah, black letters, both back and front.

Amazingly, when they stumbled back into work on Monday nobody else in the design department told them what a stupid idea that was.

So, there were the Ducks, under contractual obligation no doubt, wearing the worst unis in the history of College basketball…

Nice, Ducks, NICE!

Football unis - Jim Dickhans / SPPS

Hoop photos : AP Photo/Branimir Kvartuc

THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE CRAZIES' MINDS

Stuff you need to know. And thanks to Sportz Assassin over at AOL Fan House we give you this peach:

Here is a YouTube video of the fine fans and students of Duke University. The people in the crowd talk about their outfits, hair stylists, egg beaters, lederhosen, interacting with the refs, their "passion like no other" and what it feels like to be so darn cool.

And, we actually see one of them with a chick.

Check it out, it's short.

MASCOT DOWN, MASCOT DOWN!

Duke's mascot was clearly injured during the Georgia Tech game in a surfing dismount accident, but Duke head coach Mike Krzvhgds9ski wouldn't discuss it in his post game interview. The hobbling Blue Devil was not listed on Duke's Unofficial Official Injury Report that doesn't exist and wasn't released to the media (TAH or otherwise).

PICTURE(S) OF THE DAY

WE SEARCHED AND SEARCHED...for the very best advertising vehicle for Toady's ACC Headlines, and we finally found it.

(Photos courtesy of NASA...but you probably already knew that.)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

DON'T LOOK NOW...but during Wednesday's game against Duke, a fired-up Matt Causey of Georgia Tech morphed into Oscar winning actor and expert at portraying crazy people Daniel Day-Lewis.

What next, John Malkovich?




Yike.

PICTURE OF THE DAY 3

NO EMBASSY*...China's Zhang Yining. China moved in for the kill at the world team table tennis championships here Friday, slaying Hong Kong 3-0 to reach the women's final.

(AFP/Teh Eng Koon)

*Yes, it's an inside joke. We're done with it now.

PICTURE OF THE DAY 4

JON STEWART PLAYED SOCCER...before he hosted the Oscars...at William and Mary, no less.

http://huggingharoldreynolds.blogspot.com/2008/02/jon-stewart-snarky-soccer-player.html

PICTURE OF THE DAY 5

IS THAT HURLEY FROM LOST’S SISTER? Doesn’t matter, we want to party with her as we’re seriously digging the look. Very cool for a pro golfer. Not to mention that it looks like she's gettin' ready to hit the ball really hard. Which, of course, is also cool.

Christina Kim of the USA during the second round of the HSBC Women's Champions at the Tanah Merah Country Club on February 29, 2008 in Singapore.

(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

K AND ROY CAUGHT ON TAPE

The Bookie Mom (clearly a Duke fan) miraculously has caught the Coach K v. Ole Roy running feud on videotape. Her bias makes it no less funny!

Don't miss it.

BLOGHIDE: 25,000 HITS

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Keep movin', movin', movin',

The humor can be soothin’,

Keep them mouses clickin’ Bloghide!

Don't try to understand 'em,

Just read, and laugh and share 'em,

Soon we'll be read so far and wide.

Boy our counters calculatin',

Thirty-thousand up ahead a waitin',
be waitin’ here next month for bloghide.

Heels 'em on, Duke 'em up,

Cav 'em up, Deac 'em out,

Pack 'em on, Hokie 'em out, bloghide!

Cane 'em out, Nole 'em in,

Eagle 'em in, Tiger 'em out,

TAH 'em out, TAH 'em in BLOGHIDE!

(We don't know what 25,000 Dinars has to do with Rawhide, but if you can give us a funny correlation, you can win a FREE subscription to TAH...oh, wait...this crap's already free...)

WEDNESDAY HOOP

DUKE 71, GEORGIA TECH 58

Gerald Henderson and DeMarcus Nelson both scored 15 points and #6 Duke beat Georgia Tech 71-58 on Wednesday night to give coach Mike Krzlfd3wski his 799th career victory and move back into a first-place tie in the ACC with rival North Carolina. (Yeah, it's a run-on sentence, but it's the Associated Press' run-on sentence.)

Kyle Singler added 13 points and Greg Paulus had 11 to help the Blue Devils (24-3, 11-2) improve to 15-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season and win their second straight since a turnover-filled two-game losing streak on the road erased their two-game lead in the ACC.

Now, more cautious with the basketball and more voracious for it on defense, Duke took another step toward regaining its once-shaken confidence. The Devils will look to give Krzyzhl7wski victory No. 800 on Saturday at fast-fading N.C. State. Coach K is 799-264 in his 33rd season*.

*plus however many he lost when his back went "out."

The Yellow Jackets (11-15, 4-8) lost their fifth straight, and were denied their first victory at Cameron since 2004. Duke has won 10 of the past 11 meetings here.

Oh yeah, and the Duke mascot blew out his knee.

Gerald Henderson #15 of the Duke Blue Devils dunks the ball. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Matt Causey #2 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets gets into an argument with Nolan Smith #2 of the Duke as head coach Mike Krzjnb2wki and a referee try to break it up. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

CLEMSON 79, MIAMI 69

Stop the presses: Clemson made 23 of 34 free throws (67.7%).

They were also 10 of 16 (62.5%) from behind the arc.

K.C. Rivers scored 19 points and Clemson rallied back to beat Miami 79-69 after squandering all of a 21-point lead.

The Tigers (20-7, 8-5 ACC) won 20 games for the second straight year and guaranteed themselves a non-losing ACC record for the first time in 11 years.

This milestone win didn't come easily.

Clemson was ahead 33-12 in the first half and still led 43-28 with about 18 minutes left. But, behind leading scorer Jack McClinton, the Hurricanes (19-8, 6-7) used a 32-16 surge to get back in it.

When McClinton swished a 3-pointer with 6:47 remaining, Miami had its first and only lead of the game, 60-59. That's when Clemson shook off its funk to regain control.

Clemson's Demontez Stitt, right, battles for a rebound against Miami's Anthony King during the first half of the basketball game in Clemson, S.C., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)

FLORIDA STATE 72, N.C. STATE 62

Whatever happened to Gavin Grant?

You remember him, he said the Wolfpack would only lose 4 games this year. They’ve already lost five this month.

Jason Rich scored 21 points Wednesday night to help Florida State beat North Carolina State 72-62.

Toney Douglas added 20 points despite playing through a tough shooting start for the Seminoles, who won their third straight league game despite nearly blowing a 19-point first-half lead. Ralph Mims added 12 points, including a 3-pointer that capped a 10-0 run that gave Florida State (17-12, 6-8 ACC) some needed breathing room in the final 5 minutes.

Trevor Ferguson had a career-high 17 points to lead the Wolfpack, who continued their late-season freefall. N.C. State (15-13, 4-10) has lost six straight games to slip to the bottom of the league standings after being picked in the preseason to finish third.

Florida State's Ralph Mims, right, navigates around North Carolina State's Ben McCauley during the first half of N.C. State's game against Florida State ,Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/The News & Observer,Ethan Hyman)

FROM THE YARD: PSYCHOTIC WHITE BOY FROM CHAPEL HILL

Ryan over at Sportable.com asked who’s the Player of the Year – Kansas State’s super frosh Kevin Beasely who is following in the one (spectacular year) and done footsteps of Kevin Durant and Greg Oden or UNC’s supper hustling erector set Tyler Hansbrough?

Good question.

"Beasley’s biggest competitor in the National Player of the Year debate is Hansbrough, the psychotic white boy from Chapel Hill. Hansbrough’s physical abilities can’t compare with Beasley’s, but his determination sure can. If it’s possible for the ACC’s leading scorer and rebounder to be “scrappy” and “feisty,” Hansbrough would fit that description.

Although Hansbrough will definitely be a better NBA player than Mark Madsen, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to say their college games are quite similar. He won’t be a superstar in the NBA, but that doesn’t stop him from being a dominant college player. He initiates contact and gets to the free throw line constantly, where he’s hitting over 80%."

READ MORE:
http://www.sportable.com/2008/02/25/beasley-or-hansbrough-hansbrough-or-beasley/

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

FOR THE LOVE OF CUPCAKES

You remember that former Tar Heel Rashad McCants was a little odd? Very moody, always endeavoring to appear tortured. But, he stepped up big during UNC's 2005 championship run, so it's all good.

J.E. Skeets of BasketballJones.com points out that McCants, now of the Minnesota Timberwolves, has a new web page.

Timberwolves guard -- and cupcake aficionado -- Rashad McCants launched a new website over the weekend and, well, as far as NBA player sites go, it's quite professional…

Anyway, as the lovely Sonia at TWolves Blog points out, McCants venture into the seedy underbelly of The Internets is definitely worth checking out if only for the amusement and entertainment factors. A few highlights from the different sections of the site:

McCants on his tattoos: "There is nothing like a fresh tattoo. The look of it. The feel of it. Knowing that it hurt so bad, and you wanted to quit. Just like life. When all goes bad, you just wanna quit. But the moment you decide it's not so bad, that if you just take the pain everything will be fine, is the moment you realize life isn't so bad."

McCants on his YBG clothing line: "YBG is my self expression to show my struggle from where I come from to where I am now! Young black and gifted is what I am through my own eyes. Just remember the motto: Swagger is everything!!!!"

McCants on comparing himself to reading The Bible: "Once you open it up and start to read it, you find out things that you've never really seen or heard before. And I think that really describes me."

And finally, a few lines from my favorite Rashad McCants poem entitled 'Hustle and Cream':

No love, your hearts sink in mud, valentine let Cupid make stupid a drug.
Should have held those words when your vision was blurred,
Complain at dinner about the chicken that's burned.
Attorney wanna talk about money that's earned.
Even Jordan gave brothers a real lesson to learn.

Deep. All of it.

http://www.rashadmccants1.com/

(Photos by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images and Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY

ALL DOLLED UP...You might not peg these glamorous gals as L.P.G.A. pros until you check out the tan lines.

From left to right: Suzann Pettersen, Nicole Castrale, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato, Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Shi Hyun Ahn , Stacy Prammanasudh, Paula Creamer and Natlaie Gulbis during the Welcome Party prior to the start of the HSBC Women's Champions at Tanah Merah Country Club on February 27, 2008 in Singapore.

(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

EMBASSY...Asia, it's different.

Two boys dressed as giant golf balls watch the tournament during the first round of the HSBC Women's Champions golf tournament held on Thursday Feb. 28, 2008 in Singapore.

(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

PICTURE(S) OF THE DAY 3

THE CRAZY EX-WIVES CLUB PRESIDENTS, AUSTRALIAN AND U.S. DIVISIONS...? No, the next captains for the President's Cup.

Greg Norman, left, and PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem pose with the President's Cup trophy as Fred Couples looks on via satellite after Norman and Couples were named captains for the 2009 President's Cup at PGA National on February 26, 2008 in North Palm Beach, Florida.

The biennial team competition is to be held at San Francisco's Harding Park Golf Course.

(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 4

YO, CROATIAN DUDES…It’s not even Bad Uni Friday, but we gotta call you out on those jerseys…

Wow, those are really bad.

Croatia's squad from top left: Josip Simunic, Mladen Petric, Robert Kovac, Niko Kranjcar, Stipe Pletikosa, Vedran Corluka, botttom row: Darijo Srna, Niko Kovac, Luka Modric, Eduardo Da Silva and Dario Simic, pose before a friendly soccer match between Croatia and the Netherlands, in Split, Croatia, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008.

(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 5

OUTED…and not of the closet. Italy's Danilo Di Luca should receive a maximum two-year ban for an irregular test during his victory at last year's Giro d'Italia, the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor recommended Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008.

The decision will now fall to an Olympic committee (CONI) judge.

CONI found hormone levels in Di Luca's system that normally correspond to a child, in a surprise test taken during the Giro.

The Italian Congress has launched an investigation.

(AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

SUPERSIZE US: OUT OF PROPORTION, JUST THE WAY WE LIKE IT!

Man, that ESPN, they know how to hype a game. And just to prove how over-hyped it really was, the winner of the biggest game of the year immediately gagged losing to Vanderbilt. (Not that SEC road games are easy to win, mind you.)

OK, so Saturday’s Memphis v. Tennessee was a big deal. Number 1 versus Number 2. Both schools from the same state. Priscilla Presley was there. Dick Vitale yelled and screamed about color, excitement and passion. Memphis was the last unbeaten team in the country…blah, blah, blah.

So, for a regular season, non-conference game in February it was pretty big deal, but…

It sure seemed blown out of proportion…
And then the game started.

Argh…then it really seemed over-hyped. If you watched it, you know what we mean.

Is it possible that ESPN’s promotional juggernaut actually believes that bragging rights for the state of Tennessee is approximately one billion times more important than when #2 UNC played #3 Duke back on February 6th? And is ESPN oblivious to the fact that almost every year there is a #1, #2, and/or #3 match up for bragging rights in the ACC?

(Not to mention that the winner of said “game of the year” usually doesn’t lose it’s next conference game…)

There was much crowing about the 3.6 million that watched the broadcast, but let’s not forget that 3.9 million tuned in for UNC v. Duke in 2005 on CBS. Of course, ESPN was excited about the “most viewed game” in its history, but it should have been considering that fact that they hyped it like the Super Bowl.

When the asking price for a ticket hit the $5,000 mark (note we said “asking”), Memphis coach John Calipari said, "I would tell anybody if they could pay for their child's tuition for a year with their tickets, sell it, get a big screen [TV] from Best Buy…You can buy that and send your kids to college for a year on a ticket."

Kudos to Calipari for keeping this regular season, non-conference, intra-state rivalry in some form of proper perspective.

Not so much everybody else and almost every other media outlet.

Yesterday in the Washington Post, John Feinstein put it perfectly:

"Never has ESPN been more shameless than in the lead-up to Memphis-Tennessee. It was a big game, as February games go, but it was best summed up by Dick Vitale just before tipoff when he said, "Tuesday's night game against Vanderbilt is more important for Tennessee than this game is." This after ESPN spent the week acting as if the game was the Super Bowl, the Final Four and the World Series wrapped into one. Wonder if it would have been quite so colossal if it happened to be on CBS? Problem is no one can stop them. They own and operate most of sports, including high school sports, which they air constantly without any thought to what the over-exposure does to the kids involved."

Needless to say, the Big Game was blown a little bit out of proportion. But, hey, this is America, a nation built on blowing things out of proportion.

All ahead, full.

(AP Photos/Mark Humphrey, AP Photo/Alan Spearman)

TUESDAY NIGHT HOOP

VIRGINIA TECH 67, BOSTON COLLEGE 48

We don’t know what Seth Greenberg said at halftime, but it worked.

The Hokies scored 25 ugly points in the first half and 42 rock’n rollin’ points in the second. BC could only muster a 31% shooting tally while going 4-18 (22%) from behind the arc. The Hokies weren’t much better shooting 42%, but only 15% (2 of 13) from three land.

A.D. Vassallo scored all 12 of his points in the second half, seven during an 18-4 run, and Virginia Tech enhanced its postseason resume with its third consecutive victory, beating Boston College 67-48.

The Hokies (17-11, 8-6 ACC) led 30-25 when Jeff Allen scored underneath with 18:11 to play, sparking the big burst. Virginia Tech continually limited the Eagles to one shot in the run and ultimately outrebounded them 50 to 33.

Boston College missed seven straight shots during the Hokies' run, while Vassallo, the Hokies' leading scorer, hit two jump shots and a 3-pointer, and Deron Washington added 5 points, including one of several fast-break dunks that marked the blowout.

Richmond native Tyrese Rice led the listless Eagles (13-13, 4-9) with 15 points, but missed 10 of 16 shots, had four turnovers and no assists.

ACC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough was named ACC Player of the Week while Georgia Tech's Maurice "Mo" Miller garnered ACC Rookie of the Week honors.

In Hansbrough averaged 30.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 steals in wins over NC State and Wake Forest. The Poplar Bluff, Mo., product made 20-of-32 (.625) from the floor and 21-of-27 (.778) from the free throw line in the two wins.

Hansbrough led all players with 32 points, 12 rebounds and a season-high five steals in Wednesday's 84-70 win at NC State. Four nights later, the 6-9, 250-pound junior tallied a game-high 29 points and added five rebounds and four steals in an 89-73 win over the visiting Demon Deacons.

Hansbrough's seven selections tie him with former Tar Heel standout Antawn Jamison for the most player of the week selections in a single season. Jamison was selected seven times during his junior year in 1997-98.

In earning the league's rookie award for the first time this season, Miller scored a career-best 29 points in the Yellow Jackets' 92-84 loss at Virginia Tech Saturday. In addition to hitting on 7-of-13 from the floor and 13-of-14 from the foul line, the Memphis, Tenn., freshman recorded five assists, four rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal with just two turnovers in a career-high 31 minutes.

(AP Photo/Gerry Broome and Sam Morgan/GT)

HANSBROUGH BETTER THAN MICHAEL JORDAN

Hey, the numbers don’t lie…

With his 29 points against Wake Forest on Sunday, Tyler Hansbrough passed Brad Daugherty for 8th place on North Carolina's all-time scoring list. He has recently passed up guys named Walter Davis, Michael Jordan, Mike O'Koren, George Lynch, Rick Fox, Kenny Smith, Eric Montross and Rashad McCants on that list.

So who’s left to knock off:

1-Phil Ford (2,290)
2-Sam Perkins (2,145)
3-Lennie Rosenbluth (2,045)
4-Al Wood (2,015)
5-Charlie Scott (2,007)
6-Larry Miller (1,982)
7-Antawn Jamison (1,974)
8-Tyler Hansbrough (1,940)

Obviously, he’ll catch Antawn this year, but if he doesn’t come back next year he won’t reach the top rung of the latter. Unless, he averages 30+ from here through the NCAA Championship game…

But, don’t be surprised if he ends up the year in #3 or #2 spot…

NEWS FLASH: SHARKS EAT PEOPLE

This little known fact (to some) is especially true if one finds him/herself in the unfortunate condition of swimming around in the water with a bunch of chum (no, not your buddy from England, but bloody fish heads, guts and various parts and pieces used to attract said man eaters).

Now several generations of Americans have been ocean traumatized by the movie Jaws. We aren't messin' with sharks...PERIOD. Evidently, the Europeans aren't such big fans of "We need a bigger boat," and they come to the good ole U.S. of A. to get up close and personal with Jaws and his razor teethed homies.

So an outfit in Florida sets up dives in the open ocean to get up close and personal with Mr. Shark Tale himself...and BELIEVE IT OR NOT, somebody got eaten.

SHOCKING! We know…

According to eCanadaNow.com, which labeled the story “In Curiosity:”

“A tourist from Austria has died after being attacked and bitten by a shark off of Florida. He was diving near the Bahamas at the time of the attack.49-year-old Markus Groh was on a commercial diving trip last Sunday. He was bitten 50 miles off of the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.What this particular company does is offers a "face to face" meeting with sharks. They bait the waters with bloody fish parts to attract them. They run trips for shark enthusiasts and photographers. They stated there will be blood in the same water as the divers when this happens.Groh was airlifted to a hospital after being attacked, where he later died. The shark was seen but managed to get away.”

Ah, the food chain…easy come, easy go.

If your spouse gives you a gift certificate from Scuba Adventures in Riviera Beach, FL, you might start to rethink things.

http://www.scuba-adventures.com/sharks.shtml

Here’s more details: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbshark0226sbfeb26,0,5232861.story

*We know we don't need to tell you this, but the great white trying to eat the helicopter next to the Golden Gate Bridge is fake...right?

PICTURE(S) OF THE DAY

BACK IN PLAY...Northern Illinois' Egan Grafel (21) goes up for a shot as Western Michigan's Donald Lawson (33) defends during the second half of a college basketball game in DeKalb, Ill., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008.

Western Michigan won 56-49.

(AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

Northern Illinois students, from left, Bryan Crouch, Bryce Gardner, Steve Bonham, Justin Kuryliw, and Helene Duda hold up a sign during the basketball game against Western Michigan in DeKalb, Ill., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008.

Five students at Northern Illinois were killed on Feb. 14 when a gunman opened fire in a classroom.

(AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

PICTURE(S) OF THE DAY 2

NUMBER ONE AND DONE...Vanderbilt's Shan Foster (32) celebrates with fans after the Commodores defeated No. 1 Tennessee 72-69 in a college basketball game in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008.

Foster led Vanderbilt with 32 points.

(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Tennessee guard Ramar Smith (12) grabs the jersey of Vanderbilt forward Darshawn McClellan (21) in the second half.

(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 3

EMBASSY...South Korea's Ryu Seung Min serves against Czech's Jancarik Lubomir during the World Team Table Tennis Championship in Guangzhou, China's Guangdong Province, on February 25.

Olympic champion Ryu Seung Min spearheaded a 3-0 victory over the determined Swedes on Tuesday, as South Korea guns for their first team title.




(AFP/Teh Eng Koon)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 4

LOOK MOM, AN UGLY TROPHY AND A HARLEY...Maria Sharapova of Russia sits on a Harley Davidson motor bike she won after her final match against Vera Zvonareva of Russia on day seven of the WTA Qatar Total Open at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex on February 24, 2008 in Doha, Qatar.

Sharapova won her match in three sets, 6-1, 2-6 and 6-0.

(Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

Sharapova poses with her trophy after winning the final tennis match of the $2.5 million* Qatar Open WTA tournament.

*Harley.

(Photo by Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 5

MONKEY BUSINESS...A demonstrator in underpants with the text 'Stop Monkey Trade ABN' on his body stands on a fence during the final of the ABN AMRO Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam between Swedish Robin Soderling and French Michael Llodra February 24, 2008.

The streaker ran across the court protesting against the bank sponsors of the tournament.

Llodra won the match in three sets 6-7, 6-3, 7-6.

(Photo by Ed Oudenaarden/AFP/Getty Images)

THE ACC BY THE NUMBERS

SCORING OFFENSE: North Carolina 90.1 points per game.

SCORING DEFENSE: Virginia Tech 65.9 points per game.

SCORING MARGIN: North Carolina +17.6 points per game.

FREE THROW PERCENTATE: Florida State 77.6%.

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE: North Carolina 48.4%.

FIELD GOAL PERCENT DEFENSE: Maryland 39%.

3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE: Miami 39.3%.

3-POINT FIELD GOAL DEFENSE PERCENTAGE: Clemson 30.0%.

REBOUNDING MARGIN: North Carolina +12 per game.

BLOCKED SHOTS: Maryland 6.75 per game.

ASSISTS: North Carolina 17.1 per game.

STEALS: Clemson 10.04 per game.

TURNOVER MARGIN: Duke +5.27 per game.

ASSIST/TURNOVER RATIO: North Carolina 1.15 per game.

OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS: Clemson 16.69 per game.

DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS: North Carolina 28.82 per game.

3-POINT FIELD GOALS MADE: Duke 9.42 per game.

Complete stats: http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/confldrs.html

G-HEN CALLS TY-LAW A GIRLIE-GIRL

Gerald Henderson will require surgery after the season to fix an injury to his right wrist, Duke coach Mike Krzyzgls3wski said during a recent radio broadcast.

Henderson injured his wrist during Duke's 89-78 win over North Carolina on Feb. 6, and has been playing with a brace since that night.

Since the injury, Henderson has not been shooting well, but he seemed to be improved during an easy win over St. John’s when he scored 13 points and punched no noses.

Immediately after the press conference, the US Highway 54 rumor mill was a buzz.

Word was that Henderson called out UNC injured point guard Ty Lawson. “That point guard from that ‘other school’ is a p***y, a wimp, a chicken, a wuss, a pansie, a GIRLIE-GIRL– you name it,” Henderson said.

According to various sources (the guy behind the counter at the Exxon station at the corner of 54 and Hope Valley Road), Henderson went on to say something like “All he’s done is sit on the bench and watch his team win five straight games, while I’ve played and we’ve won one out of three, so you tell me?”

A couple of kids working at the Burger King after school emailed TAH to tell us that Henderson also claimed he would never have surgery and miss the upcoming rematch with the dreaded “other school.”

“No way, I’d miss another shot at going for a ball that’s in close proximity to that Hansbrough dude’s nose…No way.”

Coach Krzydghbnm7ski would only say, “We don’t comment about injuries or injury reports from ‘other schools’ who make comments about injuries and injury reports while making comments about ‘other schools’ and their injuries or injury reports. We just don’t do that. That’s not what leadership is about.”

(TAH DISCLAIMER: Noth