Among “people who write about ACC-area sports” I’m sure I stand alone in not having watched more than “a half” of any ACC Basketball game this season. I doubt the Elias Sports Bureau keeps such stats, or should, but I am laying claim to my solitary status of Most Apathetic. ….. That said, I DO keep up with the goings-on enough to have general observations.
UNC-CH’s combined Football & Men’s Basketball teams have both had stellar seasons whilst under The Shadow of The Hammer of impending Whatever from the ever-lasting Great Unpleasantness. That is worthy of comment and plaudit.
If, as so often lamented by coaches Fedora and Williams, their respective recruiting is hampered by the ever-lasting negativity of the afore-mentioned TGU. Roy, by his own admission – the most unfairly maligned coach in the history of Sports…. ??? They have somehow assembled enough quality athletes to be far more than simply “competitive”. Am I the only one to find that noteworthy?
All of the current FB / MBB “youngsters” were recruited in the post-Marvin Tweet Era. They cast their collegiate lot with UNC-CH despite the seemingly quite real possibility of severe sanctions looming for both programs. Even the most Pollyanna-ish Tru-Blues recognize that circumstance.
There are tykes in Chapel Hill Montessori School Kindergarten who have never known a world without an NCAA Hammer looming o’er fabled Franklin Street.
With the 10th Anniversary of Duke Lacrosse coming up this week, can you believe THAT was only four years old when America first met “Jennifer The Tutor”…. et al. Crystal Mangum (a/k/a “honor student and single mother of two….”) had not ofted her boyfriend “in the bathtub with a butcher knife” when Marv hit Send.
If Young Marv had never Hit Send from his South Beach bacchanal…. thereby letting loose the Hell Hounds of Scandal how much different might the fortunes of UNC FB and MBB be today?
For sure:
…. The legacy of Governor Jim Martin would be less besmirched.
…..The coffers of Ken Wainstein’s law firm would still overflow but not with UNC $$$$.
…. Dan Kane would be able to shop at Southern Season without needing Groucho glasses and Kevlar.
…. Holden Thorp would still be UNC’s Chancy and Chihuahua still be at Dartmouth.
…. Dickie would likely have retired to his life of fat pensioned leisure, but Bubba would not have been brought in…. UNC opting instead for “one of its own” as it prefers to do.
…. Would Mary have ever blown her whistle had Marv never hit Send? Without Mary and her whistle there would be no Bradley and his documentary….
For sure the unmistakable aroma of decades of unmitigated arrogance would hang heavy over Chapel Hill…. not to say that has been affected all that much by events of the past 5+ years. If indeed that heavy hammer of restitution does ever fall in any of our lifetimes, it is doubtful that unmistakable aroma of unmitigated arrogance will ever dissipate.
The rancid air of unmitigated arrogance o’er Chapel Hill has a longer shelf-life than whatever toxicity hangs heavy o’er Chernobyl.
But coulda / woulda / shoulda the fortunes of UNCCH FB and MBB be much better than they have been in this academic year… even with all its accumulated Scandal baggage?
That UNC FB was actually “in the discussion” for a CFP Final Four berth in early December defies logic. Could Butch / Blake have ever achieved such? That Butch / Blake never even managed to “beat State” says:
UNC may be in far better hands with Larry / Gene than with the previous regime. No?
As for Royz Boyz…. therein lies a more fascinating “What If”.
With last night’s victory on the confetti-strewn floor of whatever the Washington arena is called, The Boyz of Roy Circa 2016 achieved the rare Double of both regular season and tournament championships in Swofford’s ACC. ….. and without a single Top Ten One&Done Blue-Chipper on the roster.
As the “weight of all the junk” frightened off Top Ten Blue-Chippers, Roy has been forced by circumstances to plow less-heralded fields. Leaving the Heralded One & Dones to rival Kentucky and Duke, Roy has opted for the “coach’em up” kids who tend to stick around three and four years.
Given his druthers would Roy prefer a succession of quickly forgotten One&Dones … or to continue building with the “stick-around-awhile” types? Has it even occurred to Roy that that is what has happened?
Would The Lower Level Gang prefer One&Dones over Stick-Arounds? Do they (LLG) care so long as they can snort, gloat and claim bragging rights around their water coolers?
Heading into The Dance with yet another #1 seed, Royz Boyz will be favorites along with Roy’s #1 Nemesis – Kansas – to dance on a confetti-strewn floor in Houston in three weeks. …. If he (Roy) does not make it to Houston, will Roy’s tenuous relationship with Tru-Blue loyalists return to its usual tenuous status.
What will Doug Gottlieb say?
Considering the depth of this Roy Team and the way they are playing in recent weeks…. could UNC loyalists ask for anything more with or without a TGU Hammer hanging over fabled Franklin Street?
Did Roy actually say “Horses***” when asked about criticism of UNC’s schedule? If he did actually say that, where does “saying that” rank in the Top Ten Roy Actually Said/Did List? “Presbyterian Fan” remains my personal favorite.
None of the above discussion is intended to in-any-way refute the ardent claims of hard-wired ABCers that the basement of Dean’s Dome remains a festering cesspool of kiddie porn…. serial killers…. Islamo-fascists…. Rose Law Firm files…. El Chapo’s secret condo…. ripped-off mattress labels…. irrefutable proof that Neil Armstrong’s “one small step” actually took place in an abandoned duplex in Carrboro…. and a puppy mill.
###
There is a New Quirky re: A GREAT Author – LINK
