rolina, had won the College World Series for its first national title.T

This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Carolina HurricanesOverall: 61 Title track: 37 Ownership: 99 Coaching: T47 Players: 85 Fan relations: 64 Affordability: 28 Stadium experience: 70 Bang for the buck: 42 Change from last year: +17After seven straight years of slipping in the rankings, Carolina managed an upward swing. The Hurricanes are still in the bottom third of the NHL, but they have a young core of players and a patient coach in Bill Peters, who helped the team to a 15-point improvement over his first season at the helm.Whats goodFew teams can offer the chance to watch as many young talents for as low a price as the Hurricanes. Nearly half of the roster is under 24, and the franchise moved up 27 spots in affordability, all the way to 28th overall. Throw in some well-priced concessions and pretty cheap parking, and thats an equation for success in these rankings. Fans are pretty optimistic about this group, too; Carolina is No. 37 in title track, and the numbers indicate most fans see a title (eventually) coming out of this rebuild.Whats badThe good: owner Peter Karmanos Jr. offering Peters a three-year extension after his year-over-year improvement of the club. The bad: A lot else, including a 99th-place ranking in our standings. Karmanos is being sued by his sons after allegedly borrowing $343 million in trust fund money and using it to help pay for the Hurricanes from 2000 to 2013. The lawsuit doesnt bode well for a franchise that relies on that family fortune, and it also gave rise to fear of the franchise leaving Raleigh, which is a very real concern if Karmanos loses controlling interest of the team.Whats newThe team itself is getting along, at least. Peters (up 23 spots this year, to 47th) is emerging as a savvy leader for a group that continues to improve. Adding veteran talents like Bryan Bickell, Lee Stempniak and Viktor Stalberg will help, and 22-year-old Teuvo Teravainen is a solid addition as well (players, still at 85th, are at least up 18 spots, too). Keep in mind that this group nearly mounted a tremendous comeback last season, too. Carolina earned points in 13 of its 18 games following the March 1 trade deadline despite dealing team captain Eric Staal, who had been with the team for 12 seasons up to that point.Next: Minnesota Wild?| Full rankings Baltimore Orioles Shirts . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Baltimore Orioles Pro Shop . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. https://www.cheaporioles.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Orioles Jerseys China . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Wholesale Orioles Jerseys . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. AKRON, Ohio -- William McGirt won his first PGA Tour event at the Memorial. Two hours up the road in Ohio and one month later, he had a three-shot lead after one round of the Bridgestone Invitational. Its a familiar theme, just a different character.Winning the Memorial and this World Golf Championship in the same year has happened only four times, and McGirt took a strong guess at who did it.Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods and Tiger Woods? he said.Yes, yes, yes and yes.The only other player to sweep the Ohio events was Greg Norman in 1995, when the WGC at Firestone was the World Series of Golf. Either way, McGirt was correct in saying, That would be pretty good company.Heres a sign of how much the PGA Tour has grown. The year Norman swept Ohio, his victory at Firestone allowed him to pass Tom Kite and become the tours career money leader at just under $9.5 million. Thats the size of this years purse. Woods now leads that list at over $110 million. So times have changed.McGirt says his life hasnt altered that much since his first PGA Tour title except for congratulatory messages in text and email that he is still trying to return, and a little more money ($1.53 million for his win at Muirfield Village) in the bank.Imagine how many more messages he would get if he can keep this up over the next three days.MCGIRT DEBUT: McGirt fell in love with Firestone when he arrived on Sunday, playing nine holes and riding in a cart to see the back nine. It showed.He was among eight players to make their World Golf Championship debut on Thursday, and he opened with a 6-under 64 for a three-shot lead over Jason Day, Jimmy Walker and Emiliano Grillo.He made four of his six birdies from outside 18 feet, and he finished his round with a 45-foot putt for par.I fell in love with the place because length is not everything out here, McGirt said. I love it because you cant stand up there and just hit it as hard as you want, go find it and hack it on the green. Its an old, traditional style golf course, which I absolutely love. ... I dont know, maybe its something with Ohio I like.SPIETHS SURPRISE: Jordan Spieth walked off the 18th green with a 68 and the kind of smile that suggests he got away with one.This was not one of those rounds that had 68 written all over it.Spieth only had one birdie attempt on his first 10 holes (he missed it).dddddddddddd He already was 2 over for the round when he holed a 20-foot par putt on the eighth, and then a 25-foot par putt on the ninth. The big celebration was hitting back-to-back greens in regulation for the first time on the 15th.So what happened? He started hitting greens. And he always seems to be making putts. Spieth finished with four straight birdies.Im really just searching for something that isnt far off, thats real simple, Spieth said. It really is only taking place on my scoring clubs, but thats where you need them. Its close. Its almost there. And when it clicks, were definitely in business the way the short game is.DUSTINS RETURN: In his first tournament since he became a major champion, Dustin Johnson was introduced on the tee as ... being from the United States.They keep it simple at the Bridgestone Invitational, and that was fine with Johnson.His thrill came on the 11th hole after he made a simple up-and-down for par. Thats when a radio reporter informed him that his alma mater, Coastal Carolina, had won the College World Series for its first national title.The golf? Not bad. He hadnt practiced all week and played a U.S. kind of a round -- 15 pars, two birdies, one bogey for a 69.I didnt expect a whole lot today, Johnson said. I always expect to play well, but this golf course is playing tough.THE FIELD: Already the smallest field at Firestone in 15 years, the field became even smaller after one round when three players pulled out.Daniel Berger hit one tee shot and withdrew with a sore shoulder. He made $50,500 in unofficial money, meaning it wont count on the tours money list but counts quite nicely in the bank. Brooks Koepka withdrew after 13 holes with an ankle injury.Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III withdrew with a torn labrum in his left hip, and he told Golfweek magazine he would have surgery on Wednesday to fix it. His year is over. Love told the magazine he would be on crutches for a month, but would have plenty of time to think about the Ryder Cup.As for Firestone, the field is down to 58 players on Friday, all of them chasing a first prize of $1.62 million. Thats just $35,000 less than what Norman made in all of 1995 when he won four times. ' ' '