.. At last count 387,000 guys and gals lay claim to being “the world’s greatest Carolina fan”. That number fluctuates a bit depending on results of the most recent UNC-State Football game … and was in flux immediately prior to a certain Blue Messiah returning to Chapel Hill. … These days the number is growing REALLY fast. We’ve heard from at least half of’em over the years. Among’em are a number of “just nice guys“. This is a story of one such nice guy … his name was “Jim”.
… In one of my earlier lives I, BobLee Swagger, actually stuck my toe in the waters of Loondom and found it decidedly NOT what I wanted to be when I grew up. Yes, BobLee was once a member of a “super secret” cyber Loon World. Unlike most sinister cabals, this bunch of catbirds actually got together in person on occasion.
Not unlike Rotarians, Kiwanians, Faculty Squirrels, Radical Islamic Fundamentalists, and Star Trekkies … there were “all types” when the critical mass reached 30 or more. All the usual Herb Tarleks, George Costanzas, Cliff Clavens, Al Bundys, Les Nessmans … each blessed with incredible insight into the administering and coaching of intercollegiate athletics …
… and there were the beady-eyed psychos hunkered in the corner pulling on their ear lobes, ever on the look out for Nurse Ratchet … and there were “nice guys like Jim”. That group, hell, EVERY group, needs more “nice guys like Jim”.
Jim was 59. He lived in Cary. He was “a real” Tar Heel fan. Jim “enjoyed enjoying” Tar Heel sports. Jim Lampley died this week … complications of diabetes.
No, he was not THAT Jim Lampley … Not the UNC grad who is a sportscaster married to Bree the newscaster with the birth defect. This was “Jim Lampley from Cary” … a Carolina fan I knew.
Jim had opinions like we all do. If he had a vote on the usual cast of controversial characters … Baddour, Moeser, Bunting, Huxtable, Marv, Amato, Matt, et al … Jim would have exercised that right in his fashion. Jim simply celebrated Carolina victories and enjoyed being a fan. Jim was “my kinda guy”. There are “nice guys like Jim” within every fan base. I know that for a fact.
Jim was not “a fat cat”. Jim was not “a sidewalk “Wal-Mart” fan”. I’m pretty sure Jim did not paint his face blue and scream F-bombs at other people wearing red or a darker shade of blue. Fan forums tend to breed bloviating angry sorts. Jim never bloviated nor did I ever know him to be “angry”. Maybe disappointed in a final score or in disagreement with a referee’s interpretation, but not “angry”.
You might be expecting a jaw dropping “rest of the story” at this point. The point of this story is that this is about all I know about Jim. I met him on a handful of occasions and remember him as very affable. I think I met his wife. I have no idea what his occupation was or his politics. He was a subscriber to this website. Jim’s user name was “MysticBlue”.
Stadiums and arenas and malls and airports and hospitals and cemetaries are filled with “nice guys like Jim”. I am convinced “nice guys like Jim“ still outnumber the angry bloviating jackasses. May it always be so.
With due respect to the Sun and all those cosmic forces … it’s “nice guys like Jim” that really makes this world go ’round.
We can’t all be Quarterbacks or Chancellors or Internet Legends or Doc H’s Hottie or Dickie Hemric or Blue Chippers … most of us simply never have that opportunity. If we reach the end of this life’s road and some yahoo with a website writes a few words about having known us if ever so randomly … can we at least hope those words are sincere and meant to be a compliment.
Jim Lampley
… A Carolina Fan …
1946 – 2006
Aye Zigga Zoomba
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Swagger’s Stumper
ACC Tournament Trivia
The “hit the overhead scoreboard” incident involved which schools?
Which school benefitted from the official’s ruling?
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Mad Mo, UNC’s Jeep-drivin’ Jihadist, was indeed driving a Jeep he rented from Enterprise. We checked with Abu Nedal (and Reader Ric) and confirmed that “real terrorists” hotwire their stolen vehicles just before they “strike”. UNC’s “little terrorist wannabee with the really bad aim” officially flunked his terrorist entrance exam and is forever destined to be simply “another ideologically confused nut who once lived in Chapel Hill” … neither the first, nor the last … just “another one”. … BOING! … that sound, Mo, means your 15 minutes of fame, and your life, are both “over”. … … time to move on.
We have received 167 copies of “FUTILITY” but only one copy so far of “DESPERATION“. Both are very well done.
want to e-mail BobLee?
