This was written in a recent column by my good friend BobLee.
.... Enjoying Tyler - 1/15/2008 12:31:22 PM

Tar Heel fans need more to brag about like Newcastle needs coal. The average UNCer is hardwired to bombast that all good about the world emanates from Chapel Hill. This patrician view of life quickly dissipates beyond a one mile radius of The Old Water Fountain except maybe in the case of Tyler Hansbrough. BobLee on the raw-boned Missourian who has put the Popular in Poplar Bluff …..

Depending upon how you define “the modern era” of UNC Basketball, Tyler Hansbrough must rank among the most popular young men ever to play basketball for Carolina. While I was not privy to the mass hysteria generated by Hook Dillon and George Glamack, I can gauge how Tyler rates with 99% of the other young men especially if we restrict ourselves to “the rafters”.

My generation started paying attention when Tommy Kearns jumped center against Wilt ….. thru the two sets of L&M guys (Larese/Moe …. Lewis/Miller) …. Rusty and Grubar’s class …. Charlie broke the barrier …. Phil and Four Corners …. “that night in New Orleans” when Michael’s jumper “made Dean a great coach” …. the post-MJ era when 30 W seasons were automatic among interchangeable players …. As Rosemary gave birth to a second baby just eight miles away. Then “the question” was finally answered – What will happen when Dean retires?

The “what” was an era best compared to the post-Civil War South in Reconstruction. The gut shot to the Tar Heel ego known as 8-20 caused a handful of Tar Heel fans to admit we had no “divine birthright” to basketball excellence. “Divine birthright” was reduced to “beating Clemson in Chapel Hill”.

As a modicum of humility threatened to take root, a Prodigal Huckleberry came home from 15 years wandering in the wilderness. The Blue Messiah quickly quelched any developing “humility” other than his own. He dispatched his demon monkey beginning his own era of hoop excellence …… on the broad shoulders of a rather special young man.

I am willing to crawl way out on a limb putting Tyler Hansbrough in the rarified air of the most popular and “darn perfect packages” ever to play for Carolina.

He does not have a National Championship ring and the odds on him getting a ring are long because March is full of land mines as Dean’s just 2 rings in 35 years attest. Ring or no ring, Tyler Hansbrough will rank as a Tar Heel immortal.

If any non-UNCers are still reading this …. why? Let’s address the Push Me – Pull You of Tyler Hansbrough. Depending upon the degree of blind love or loath that one holds for Tar Heel sports ….. Tyler either:

Lives in the lane and is guilty of traveling, elbowing, mugging, assault & battery, jay walking, fishing without a license, driving barefooted, and tearing that tag off of every mattress ever made …. because “the darn refs” have been told to look the other way and protect Tyler because it’s Carolina ….. Or
On every single possession Tyler is a victim of gang violence via mugging, assaulted with a battery, kneecapped, waterboarded, hazed, whipsawed, lambasted, and nearbout beaten to within an inch of his life ….. because “the darn refs” hate Carolina and “are out to help defeat us”.
The wonderful answer to both aboves is “probably”. Tyler “in the paint” gives as good as he gets and he knows it. He plays a very physical brand of basketball ….. and never complains. Tyler ….. just plays basketball full-out for 40 minutes. No whining, no showboating.

My favorite Tyler-ism so far is his reaction in “the Gerald Henderson Incident”. (Tyler received a broken nose from a Dook basketball player's elbow) His immediate reaction to intense pain lasted about two seconds. Then he gathered himself knowing “it’s basketball” and “wow, my nose sure bleeds a lot.” He was fine. The rest of Tar Heel Nation of course launched its own version of 9/11 payback with Tar Heel loonies beating their plowshares into swords to attack the demon Devils …. Tyler was just pissed he had to wear the goofy mask. He knew Henderson did not intend to injure him. Tyler knew it, Gerald knew it, Roy knew it, Mike knew it and I knew it. I’d be hard-pressed to name any one else who even to this day “knew it”.

I’ve polled a number of Tar Heels over the past few weeks “about Tyler”. Realize, of course, that I don’t bother with the Napoleon Dynamite, Al Bundy, Cliff Claven wing of Tar Heels. My question to mainstream Tar Heels has been “is there anything about Tyler that you might change to make him even more the quintessential Tar Heel basketball hero?”

He has not hit the impossible buzzer beater in a one for the ages game ….. yet. But otherwise he has done everything asked or imagined and done it with a stoic competitive passion that is beyond rare in a sport ruled by Sportcenter highlight hotdogs.

His pre-UNC life is a Norman Rockwell tableau. From a one Dairy Queen town in the foothills of The Ozarks, Tyler could be Li’l Abner if Mammy & Pappy Yokum had been a beauty queen and an orthopedic surgeon respectively. Raised in an American Graffitti theme park, there’s the “fate factor” with his brother’s illness. He is “big” but not so big as to be “too big” …. Just a bit bigger than a regular kid. He is a hero back home but still “just Tyler” to the locals. There is no brand of American hero more revered than “a small town sports hero”.

As with Daisy Mae’s swain, he had his druthers …. And he druthered leave Missouri for The Legend’s Lair and the unrelenting tutelage of The Blue Messiah.

Assuming Tyler and his dad did due diligence on Ol’ Roy they knew better than to bring his high school letter jacket and press clipping to Chapel Hill. Ol’ Roy’s gonna be in your face if you dog it a single time …. And may just get in your face anyway. For sure Ol’ Roy has favorites but he never shows it. Mark it down …. Ol’ Roy will weep when Tyler walks off the hallowed hardwood that final time.

Will Tyler be back for a fourth year? May be. No one would be surprised depending upon how the next 90 days play out. Some figured him gone two years ago. What’s his NBA future? A 10-12 year career as a productive journeyman not unlike Montross. A coach’s dream of solid fundamentals and a passion for the game.

After 2.5 years Tyler is approaching assorted UNC hoop records. If he does stay for Year Four he will own most all records for his position as well as possibly a ring, or two. Will he nudge His Airness for all-around Greatness? Doubtful. He would need “a magic moment” and a National Player of The Year. Tyler’s game does not have the “WOW” of Michael’s and in that may be his real appeal.

Michael was Superman leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Tyler is Clark Kent if Clark had been a blacksmith. Maybe Jack Armstrong …. or Doc Savage. The most heard NBA comparison is Dave Cowens who also was slightly under-sized for the post but made up for that with a competitive fire that roared from tip-off to the final whistle.

We know little of Tyler’s off-court life. He is said to be “a good student” but not a scholar. While he most assuredly has coed hearts aflutterin’ (and a few “Mrs Robinson” mammas’ too it might be assumed) he is certainly not a threat to Larry Miller’s records in that category or assorted other Tar Heel roundball romeos of note. In the fishbowl that is Triangle sports, the “cyber tabloids” do not carry sordid tales of Tyler’s social misbehavior. That is incredible in the Internet era where anonymous weasels delight in discrediting rival stars. If Tyler played 8 miles away, one can imagine the character assassinations aimed his way by Franklin Street rumor rats.

Only the basketball gods know what lies ahead for the raw-boned kid from Poplar Bluff. When they do raise his jersey into the mythical pantheon of “the rafters” we can only hope they SPELL HIS NAME CORRECTLY! It’s Hansbrough …. Not HansbOrough. Carolina will owe Tyler that much ….. and more.

We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation has many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military. For those of you who can't join, you can still lend a hand. Here are a few of the areas where we would like your assistance:

12 - RULES FOR THE NON MILITARY

1. The next time you see an adult talking (or wearing a hat) during the playing of the National Anthem---kick their ass.

2. When you witness, firsthand, someone burning the American Flag in protest---kick their ass.

3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly pull them aside and explain how these veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these veterans made to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a disabled veteran kicks their ass.

4. (GUYS) If you were never in the military, DO NOT pretend that you were. Wearing battle dress uniforms (BDUs) or Jungle Fatigues, telling others that you used to be "Special Forces," and collecting GI Joe memorabilia, might have been okay when you were seven years old. Now, it will only make you look stupid and get your ass kicked.

5. Next time you come across an Air Force member, do not ask them, "Do you fly a jet?" Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot. Such ignorance deserves an ass-kicking (children are exempt).

6. If you witness someone calling the US Coast Guard 'non-military', inform them of their mistake---and kick their ass.

7. Next time Old Glory (the US flag) prances by during a parade, get on your damn feet and pay homage to her by placing your hand over your heart. Quietly thank the military member or veteran lucky enough to be carrying her---of course, failure to do either of those could earn you a severe ass-kicking.

8. Don't try to discuss politics with a military member or a veteran. We are Americans, and we all bleed the same, regardless of our party affiliation. Our Chain of Command is to include our Commander-In-Chief (CinC). The President (for those who didn't know) is our CinC regardless of political party. We have no inside track on what happens inside those big important buildings where all those representatives meet. All we know is when those civilian representatives screw up the situation, they call upon the military to go straighten it out. If you keep asking us the same stupid questions repeatedly, you will get your ass kicked!

9. Your mama wears combat boots' never made sense to me---stop saying it! If she did, she would most likely be a vet and therefore, could kick our ass!

10. Bin Laden and the Taliban are not Communists, so stop saying "Let's go kill those Commies!" And stop asking us where he is! Crystal balls are not standard issue in the military. That reminds me---if you see anyone calling those damn psychic phone numbers, let me know, so I can go kick their ass!

11. 'Flyboy' (Air Force), 'Jarhead' (Marines), 'Grunt' (Army), 'Squid' (Navy), 'Puddle Jumpers' (Coast Guard), etc., are terms of endearment we use describing each other. Unless you are a service member or a vet, you have not earned the right to use them. That could get your ass kicked.

12. Last, but not least, whether or not you become a member of the military, support our troops and their families Every Thanksgiving and religious holiday that you enjoy with family and friends, please remember there are literally thousands of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen far from home wishing they could be with their families.

Thank God for our military and the sacrifices they make every day. Without them, our country would get it's ass kicked.
"It is the Veteran, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press.
It is the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag."
Please pass this on so I won't have to kick your ass) :-)
"If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank a Veteran."

I want to introduce every sports fan to a friend of mine and a crazy sumbitch...BobLee Swagger. Swagger writes a free internet column about 2 or 3 times a week that is just great.

Even though he went to the University of North Carolina, this is not a partisan sports fan website. He makes fun of everyone, athletes, coaches (especially those who wear sunglasses and red shoes and those who cuss a lot and look like a large rodent), college administrators, and especially the neurotic fans who divide the world between "our school who can do no wrong" and all the others who cheat and only recruit thugs.

You can sign up to receive his column by going to www.swaggersays.com. You will get a big kick out of Swagger no matter who you root for.

I didn't write this. It came to me from a message board from a die-hard Kentucky Fan. High Praise indeed.

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Roy Williams was an even better choice than UNC might have imagined when they named him as their head coach. Sure, he's a fantastic recruiter, a solid bench coach, he gets along extremely well with his players and instills in them a "team first" attitude that produces both impressive win totals and players that you can be proud of. Being the defending National Champions doesn't hurt either.

But I think UNC lucked into one thing they probably didn't realize at the time they hired Roy Williams. The unrealized bonus can be found if you pull back and look at the big picture. The big ACC picture, that is. UNC lucked out because Roy Williams is the perfect foil to Duke's Mike Krzyzweski. Hollywood could not have cast a finer archetype to contrast against Duke's perpetually scowling coach.

Where Krzyzweski is patronizing and aloof, Williams is as plain as spilt cornflakes and as approachable as warm apple pie. Where Krzyzweski requires a thumb print to take the elevator up to his office, you get the idea you could find Roy hanging out by the janitor's closet swapping jokes with the cleaning crew. Where Krzyzweski bristles with military discipline and seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, Williams' self-depreciating sense of humor and plain old plainness make it seem as though he might not get offended if you dared ask him a question out of turn.

Most importantly, and what makes Roy so damned likable compared to Krzyzweski is that he isn't a phony. He's not trying to tell us he is a leader of men, not a coach, because he is a coach and he's clearly proud to be one. It is what it is and needs no embellishing. He didn't hold a press conference when the Lakers asked him if he was interested in their head coaching position, but he could have. He doesn't do any of the maddening things that are a trademark of the Krzyzweski regime.

I'd like to dislike Roy Williams. I'm a Kentucky fan and UNC is our closest pretender to the throne in college basketball. I have a vested interest in UNC not doing well. But for the life of me I can't bring myself to not like this UNC coach try as I might.

If the slightest bit of humor is to be found Ol' Roy will cut loose with that country morning breakfast grin of his and I'll be damned if I can't help but to smile with him. This doesn't mean of course that Roy Williams isn't a fiery coach or that he can't lay into somebody when they need it or when he thinks they deserve it, but I get the idea he doesn't think his next coaching move might be studied by the Smithsonian Institution for the next 1000 years the way I do when I see his Duke counterpart agonizing over the plainest of calls a referee might have made that for some incomprehensible reason Krszyweski finds incredulous or more likely contemptuous (think Indiana: "You killed my team").

But when Roy does lose his cool, it won't be an act. Roy won't "plan" on staging some little tiff or if a call doesn't go UNC's way and Roy loses it, he'll be just as likely to nod his head in agreement when the truth is pointed out to him. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I admire this UNC coach and I appreciate the way he conducts himself because he doesn't have to be that way. I still remember in January of 2004 Roy benching his entire starting lineup while reminding them of where they were recruited in comparison to the Kentucky team that was kicking their behinds at the time, that game was the official end of the Doherty era in my opinion and the beginning of Roy's.

When Roy Williams coached UNC at Kentucky earlier this year he wore a brown suit. A small tip of the hat to Adolph Rupp. A slight gesture that perhaps wasn't meant for the press or even for the fans.

I'd like to think that Bill Keightley... a man whom has sat on Kentucky's bench forever as our ancient equipment manager.... Well I'd like to think that he looked over and he smiled at Roy Williams in acknowledgment. Maybe nodded his head in understanding at this small gesture that means everything to the right people.

For at the beginning, at the deepest roots in the oldest most fertile fields, common ancestors stood and maybe a ball or two bounced on the dirt as they surveyed the windswept plains of Kansas. Forrest "Phog" Allen stood there and he told his assistant he might amount to something after all if he kept at it long enough.

That day, in that place, the seeds were strewn that has made Roy Williams the man and the coach that he is, and to his credit he has not forgotten who he is or why he believes that an orange ball can reveal a little more about a man than wins and losses.

Roy Williams is a direct descendant of the greatest basketball family the world will ever know. Both UNC and Kentucky's combined destinies were born in the same place on those distant plains. Basketball's two winningest coaches, the games greatest programs, and all the legends of all the games they have ever played still echo on those fields. They are forgotten sometimes as fake games and faker coaches build their plastic records on sand and credit.

But Roy Williams hasn't forgotten.

That's why Roy Williams is the perfect answer for North Carolina.

This has been a most enjoyable basketball season. Not much was expected for my beloved Tarheels. Won the National Championship last year. We are supposed to do that every 10 years or so, being one of the nation's top programs. But, with winning, you pay the price... your players are very valuable to the pros. So, in addition to the 3 seniors, we lost the 3 juniors who were the heart and soul of the team, and also lost the hope of the future, the ACC's rookie of the year. 7 of the top scorers from the Championship team gone.

The cupboard was bare. Nothing left but a couple of rising seniors, one of which was a former walk-on and the other a wash out; A very short guard who transferred in from a smaller college; a sophomore jitter-bug point guard who couldn't shoot and loves to dribble and throw the ball away; and 5 incoming freshman. At least we had Ol' Roy, our coach who returned just in time to lead us back to the glory land.

So this year was a pleasure to watch. Didn't expect a lot, maybe go 50-50 in the ACC and play in the NIT. Dare we hope for the NCAA big dance?

I used to have to tape the games and then watch them if we won. Too much stress watching live. We were supposed to win somehow and we usually did. But hard on an old guy. This year was different. I saw the first game in Smith Center...We won on a last second 3-pointer by the former walk-on senior against a very small North Carolina college. This was supposed to be a warm up in earlier years. Well, not much to expect from this group of very young kids. You can't let your self-worth be determined by a bunch of 18-19 year old kids who just happen to be wearing baby blue. Let's just lean back and enjoy this year just for the sake of enjoying basketball.

But this bunch of freshmen, lead by David Noel, the former walk-on, doing a great impersonation of George Lynch, over-achieved time after time all season. The little short transfer guard was deadly from 3 point range and a great defender, the jitter-buy point guard settled down and was very productive, and the freshmen... WOW! Tyler was ACC freshman of the year, Marcus was a shutdown defender, Bobby was a very steady pointguard, starting every game. This group was great, ending with the thumping of the Big Blue Ugly Giant from West Durham, on their senior night on their home court. Doesn't get much better than that. I enjoyed these gifted young people like I have never enjoyed Carolina basketball before. We won some and we lost some. What a joy this season was.

Next year, the calvary is arriving. The best recruiting class in the nation will arrive to join this year's over-achieving freshman class. The top point guard, the top power forward, the top shooting guard, some big boys from California...How is Ol' Roy going to keep everyone happy with playing time?

I am going to have to tape some games next year and watch them after I find out the score. You see, I am fully expecting this team to go undefeated and win the National Championship one more time. Great expectations equals great stress. Maybe I can just relax and enjoy next year's team as much as I enjoyed this year's.