DTH Columns

Oct. 9, 2004 — Tar Heels still can salvage the season

At the risk of mentioning the fact that I'm from New York for the sixth time in 16 columns, you need to know that I'm a Mets fan.

Because of that, I can't give up on John Bunting and North Carolina football.

No matter ... how ... hard ... I try.

Losing doesn't turn me away, like it does for my brash Yankee-loving counterpart - it lashes me to the team and sends optimism searing through my veins in the face of rational rhetoric.

Earlier this season, the Mets traded the No. 1 prospect in baseball, at the peak of his value, for an injured Victor Zambrano.

This trade was lambasted throughout the baseball world. It got one ball out of five from ESPN.com's Buster Olney.

But I'll justify it to your face - and believe myself while I'm doing it.

Why?

Because I have to. It hurts less to be delusional.

When I came to UNC freshman year, the team started 0-3 and I figured, "Great, I've brought mediocrity with me to Chapel Hill. College football - it's faaaan-tastic!"

Then they beat Florida State.

By 32 points.

It was an inexplicable result that spurred a five-game winning streak and resulted in a successful trip to the Peach Bowl.

And that was the moment of truth.

I allowed myself to revel in the team's successes instead of bitterly decrying the fact that they didn't win the BCS.

The Mets fan in me saw potential for growth, while the Yankee fan I could never be would have seen only failure.

North Carolina followed that up by fizzling to a 3-9 record in 2002.

But Darian Durant was out of the lineup for most of five games with an injured thumb.

"Maybe," I told myself, "if Durant had played, he would have been the difference in three of those. They could've been a bowl team."

My common sense tempered that thought by pointing out that the four games Durant didn't enter were against Wake Forest, Maryland, Clemson and Florida State, and UNC lost by a combined score of 172-33.

Durant's good, but I don't think he's 139-points good.

When the 2003 season rolled around, I took the bait offered by the team - Durant back and healthy, great recruiting class, couldn't possibly be worse than last year.

And then they started the season 0-5, won only two games and tanked the finale against Duke.

That was the closest I came to the end of my rope.

But with my senior year approaching, that confounded optimism crept into my system once again.

Bunting recruited well again, Durant was entering his senior season, the current sophomores now had a year of experience, the offensive line was going to be strong and the defense couldn't possibly be worse.

They won the opener, and I thought they showed something that was lacking last year - a resiliency to adversity.

And then they got shelled by Virginia.

I was willing to let that slide. A game at UVa. is one that can be conceded. Losing 56-24 isn't ideal, but it's understandable - especially when the Cavaliers have averaged 45.5 points in their first four games.

But then the team came out and beat a Georgia Tech team that was looking pretty good coming into the game.

The atmosphere started to improve, but the shutout against Louisville let me down.

The loss to Florida State in Tallahassee came as no surprise, and now it looks like it's going to be another lost season for the Tar Heels.

But every time I look at the remaining schedule, I can't help but see games the Tar Heels can win.

They only need three to save Bunting's job.