Now that college basketball has ended for all North Carolina schools, the heat may die down as my critics change channels on their big screen TVs.
A Tarheel lynching party just missed hanging me.
In a moment of quiet reflection, I said aloud that I admire Duke coach Mike Krzysewski.
Oh, the trouble I’ve had from certain rabid Carolina fans.
They schooled me on the hated Duke coach and lectured me on how terrible he is, giving no acknowledgement to the four national titles, 12 national coach of the year honors and an incredible 854-232 record at Duke. UNC fans don’t like the way Coach K looks, talks, walks or breathes.
I know that now.
I sort of thought you should give the old Blue Devil his due, so to speak.
Carolina fans are neither charitable nor reasonable when it comes to the Durham rival. They file their teeth at the site of the deeper hue of blue.
I like Coach Roy and Coach Mike. I don’t love either. When Duke and Carolina play each other, I don’t care who wins. I am a disinterested party with no skin in the game.
I’m a Western Carolina University graduate. I get excited about the Catamounts and found myself pulling for the University of Vermont to beat Carolina in the NCAA playoffs because they also have Catamounts as their mascot. My team almost made it to March Madness. In double overtime, they fell 93-91 to Davidson in the Southern Conference championship game, missing the automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.
For Duke and Carolina fans, getting a bid to the playoffs is a birthright. To the boys from Cullowhee, it has to be earned the hard way.
Despite what the Carolina fans say about Coach …