I'm not sure when it started. There was no clear cut date or event or moment that provides that answer. It's an obsession that has never wavered or faded. It is something has caused me to take ESPN's mantra of "it's not crazy, it's sports" as my own.
Basketball, more specifically college basketball and even more specifically, the basketball that take place at the University of North Carolina, is a way of life for me. Seasons come and go; the names on the back of the jerseys change, but the obsession remains the same. I have often been told that I borderline on the unhealthy side of my love for the Tar Heels, but I figure if you're going to love, there is no need to do it halfway. I'll be honest and tell you that I have shed tears over losses, victories and I do not see those irrational displays of emotion fading anytime soon.
The reason I started this blog was to provide a medium or outlet for, at times, my insane passion for this college team. My personal blog, A Carolina Love, has served that purpose more than once, but it seems that the time has come for it to have its own place in the blogging world. We’re approximately 86 days from tipping off for the 2011-2012 basketball season and as fast as life goes by, I have a feeling the next 2,064 hours are going to crawl.
When the five starters announced their return, the North Carolina Tar Heels became an instant favorite for the 2012 National Championship. Now, I for one do not like to count my chickens before they’re hatched, so I’m not weighing in on that unearned prediction. The talent is there and there is no doubt about that, but things happen. Back up guard, Leslie McDonald, can confirm that after tearing his ACL during a summer Pro-Am game. Life happens; injuries sideline you; family matters bring you home. And it’s for those handful of reasons alone I’m not banking on these pre-season predictions alone to determine the outcome of this upcoming season. Now, while trying to be realistic, I am fully aware of the immense amount of potential that resides within this current roster. And it is up to the guys that put on those jerseys night in and night out to make those predictions a reality.
Winning and losing both result from team effort and whether or not it's there. I believe that the loss to Kentucky in the Elite 8 was not the way this team wanted to end it's season. It was a season of ups and downs, twists and turns that not even the most experienced sports analysts could have predicted. Yet, somehow, through all of that, this youthful, inexperienced squad was one of the last eight in the 2011 NCAA tournament. When conference play first began, this team had lost half as many games as they played. But by March 5th, 14 games were in the victory column for the 2010-2011 Tar Heels.
I realize that football season has officially started and I'm happy for that. But in my heart of hearts, I'm still ticking off the days until I can say that college basketball has officially started.
And though the next 2,000 hours may go by slowly, they are going by surely and tip-off will be here before you know it.
Come back, visit and stay tuned, because it's only going to get better from this point forward.
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