Woo Hoo!!!!!! Go Heels!!!!!!!!!!

I love the Tar Heels, y'all know that already. My chances of buying any tickets for games this season probably just went out the window with the unranked Heels having just knocked off Number 10 Kentucky at Rupp Arena. I was holding my breath at 2:10 pm and 45 seconds left in the game when I noticed that Rupp Arena had gone very, very quiet. I liked that. UK has moved way out ahead of us in overall wins as a basketball program, but we are still in second place for now. With this win, we made a statement and one small step toward catching up. Good job, Team!!

Ever since 1976 when I became an addict of Carolina Men's Basketball, the Tar Heels have gotten me through the dreary winter months. We may not always win a title, but I can count on the boys to provide me with a metaphor for life. When you think you are down and out, watch a few of the historic wins of this team. When we have been down, we haven't quit. We fight until the last seconds are left on the clock and we often have come back with enough to squeak through to the next game, living for one more day of fight. I have, without exaggerating, kept them in mind when living in my fight against HIV.

I know that those of you who do not follow basketball fanatically as I do might find that a bit silly, but it wouldn't surprise me to find that my body responds to a Tar Heel win with increased production of antibodies and more fight for another day. I also know that my friends and relatives who are fans of other programs will grumble over this or laugh at it...but I lean on you on the days and nights that we are not playing your teams when I have nothing else to do. I cheer for NCSU and Wake Forest and Maryland. I still have difficulty hoping that Duke will win, but that is because of the intensity of the rivalry between the our programs and the fact that I live in Durham as a Tar Heel.

There are few rivalries as intense at the one between Duke and UNC, partly because the home courts of these teams lie within 10 miles of each other. Though I think that is the biggest rivalry in College Basketball today, every one seems to take UNC as a particular favorite to beat up on. I think that makes the fight even more sweet when we manage to win.

Keep fighting, Heels and so will I!

Categories: sports basketball UNC+Chapel+Hill Tar+Heels HIV/AIDS survival NCSU Wake+Forest Maryland Kentucky Duke ACC