Don't Mourn A Thumbnail, Celebrate The Masterpiece!

What is the Big Picture in all of this? The t-shirt says, "Carolina Victory," and the wine compliments it. I like the Scuppernong whether anyone else does or not. Many of y'all are probably guessing that I drank the entire bottle, all by myself, after the Carolina game against Kentucky, on Sunday. Well for the record I did not! I did have one celebratory glass, however. Celebrate a Carolina exit from the NCAA Tournament, you ask? Yes, celebrating indeed, and here's why...

1. Doubt is a sin. Never allow a the haters and naysayers influence your faith!
2. It's a really great feeling to see your squad advance beyond the enemies camp. (We usually do, but in the rare occasions that we don't you can hear from the obnoxious camp that needs a moment to cheer.)
3. Reaching new heights, and doing the unexpected, so later you can say, "That's my family!" and "I told ya so!!" is just priceless!

UNC had a great season, period! They manifested the essence of what it is to be a Tar Heel! The displayed heart! Heart that makes a unit beat as one! Heart that thrives on being resilient, strong, and not willing to accept wearing the badge of failure. 2011 is not 2010, it is a new year with a new team, and a new outlook on whom it is they need to be, and whom it is that they represent. And represent they did! The 2011 team knew that they were better than an NIT team, even when the media and naysayers tried to ingurgitate the fear of last seasons mediocrity into them at the beginning of this season.

North Carolinian's are a proud people. We excel in the heat of the battle. We dig in, and we give our all. So let me go back in time a bit, and divulge where THE University gets its name from, and how the most fierce rivalry in all of sports got started...

In Colonial days, North Carolina was a heavy producer of tar, pitch, and turpentine. It was nearly a century later during the Civil War that a fellow from a Duke regiment asked of a fine but battle weary UNC regiment, "Any more tar down in the Old North State, boys?" Even in colonial times they talked trash, and tried to taunt us, and are not considered North Carolinian's just property holders.

A UNC man said unphased by his arrogance said, "Not a bit. Jeff Davis bought it all up."

The Dookie then asked, "How's that, what's he going to do with it?"

The UNC man replied with the final answer to the over confident and arrogant Dookie, "He's gonna put it on your heels to make you stick better in the next fight!"

Gerneral Lee, was so inspired by this story, that his said remark was: "God Bless the Tar Heel Boys."

When the non-believers taunted the Tar Heels this year, the Heels responded in a positive way unlike last seasons squad. Credit Coach Williams who made the appropriate changes, and saw his team turn a lackluster start into a marvelous season! The other kid (name unmentioned for obvious reasons) was given a chance to improve, and just was not the man to lead the point, so Coach Williams brought in Marshall law! So cut to the chase man! Why did you celebrate after the loss to Kentucky?

In a nutshell, a very good Kentucky team humbled, what will be not only, a good Carolina team, but if healthy and focused next season, will be a "great" Carolina team. The momentum swing and game changer for me was when the refs missed a travel call, and allowed John Henson to pick up his third foul at the end of that same play. Not to take anything away from Kentucky. But at that moment, I knew it was going to be a long day for my Heels. Kentucky won, no excuses, and our guys made a valiant effort to advance, we just came up a little short to a very good Kentucky team. Without questioning, Kentucky played well, they shot from the perimeter well. They hit key three point shots, and got the job done. Kentucky played the D they needed to, in order to win, and they did so in the round of the Elite Eight! And again cut to the chase and make your point please...

My point is: Carolina was there! Not only was Carolina there, in the NCAA Tournament, and not the NIT, they were there with a team that had two freshmen, and a Sophomore in the starting line up when only they felt like they belonged there! So, Mr. & Mrs. Naysayer from early November, how's your crow taste now! Well I have four words for you: "Get used to it," because Coach Williams and crew will have another batch ready for you this fall as well! GO HEELS!!!

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Blowout's & Comebacks

OK first things first, college hoops (Carolina basketball). I have to start by saying the Heels advanced. However, and I hate to point it out, it was a sloppy victory. They have proven that they can persevere and chip away at a huge lead. They have made some great comebacks this year. However, when you give a great team a huge lead, they can usually close even against another great team. Both Carolina and Washington played sloppy and turned the ball over way too much today. The long lead passes are wonderful, when you have an open man, but the great ones no when "not" to force a pass. Magic Johnson threaded the needle in college and as a pro, but understood what ball management was about. That's why he was a National Champion, an Olympic Champion, NBA World Champion and most of all a smart and legendary winner. The Heels must play with more discipline, fewer mistakes, and still have fun! Henson has to ditch the Garnett block the dead ball mentality! He must play bigger and stronger in the paint and he must play smart! Thomas' foot was on the line, so even with a goal tend it would have only been a two point field goal instead of a three pointer. One more time with my redundant word of the day; "However," Henson should have been nowhere near that last shot. He also took a major risk going after the previous shot. He didn't even have a player close enough to him to have to box out. The worse thing that could happen did. His hand-eye/foot coordination let him down in such a way that gave the opposition one last breath, and in doing so, almost took the last from his team. They are young and they are tough and get high on emotion, but that needs to harnessed. Self discipline will make or break you.

Duke gave up a huge lead. Very uncharacteristic of a Coach K team. Congrats on win 900 Coach Ksnarls! Again that's all the good I have in me, and I don't know how long, if ever again I can say anything good about the bad guys.

Wisconsin and the Bucky-Bo express! Coach Ryan is going to find an athletic big man one day and when he does, Coach Matta, Coach Izzo lookout! He's already boasting one of the highest home game winning percentages in the land, so lookout if Bucky gets not only smart coachable kids, but athletic ones as well! Can you imagine a UW team with a dominant big man, a shooter, defensive stoppers, and a couple of leapers!? Yeah 100-0 at home again over the next 5 years, and probably close to the same record on the road! Seriously, trade one of his bigs for UNC's Zeller/Henson (a mature Henson), or OSU's Sully. Bo's guys would be where Thad's guys are... in the #1 overall!

Speaking of #1 overall, I was so disinterested in the thrashing that OSU put on George Mason that I did some research for NASCAR. Yes OSU is very deserving of the #1 overall and I have them taking it all. But I pray that my Heels prevail and shake up the college hoops world! Oh back to NASCAR, word on the street is that according to the experts the new Buick Regal is to heavy and a tad off pace with its competition, however, I say put her on the track, she's one fine ride! I think the Regal belongs! Hope Buick's back!

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