….Then it got really silly!

Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.  I returned safely from PlanetCarolina with no new scars or wounds.  Just the ones I earned in previous skirmishes.  SEPT 20.

I arrived on-campus at 9:15. By 10 AM I had been approached by FOUR different perplexed fellas to verify wild-ass rumors (WARs).  Four separate rumors that all began “I hear “they” are gonna blah blah blah”.  All four rumors were different, quite preposterous.  The ubiquitous “they” were never identified but the implication was that “they” were individuals with some level of authority.  ….. then the day got really silly.

If I heard four WARs within 45 minutes there were 1,001 I didn’t hear.  None apparently involve Dickie getting a performance bonus and/or Chris Hawkins being selected to The Order of The Gimghoul.

I ran into a guy I’ve known for ten years and consider a friend despite he and I never once agreeing on anything since we’ve known each other.  He informed me that our record is still intact.  I did not bother asking him what he thought my opinion on the current unpleasantness might be.  He is comfortable with his version of what my opinion is.  Whatever.

I had a chance to chat with the (Now not quite so) Popular Young Chancellor. I can’t discuss the specifics of our conversation.  I am very impressed that Holden Thorp is addressing this complicated and serious situation in a deliberate and highly professional fashion …. exactly as he should.  He is receiving advice and counsel from very qualified individuals.  Not necessarily ones the average yahoo might imagine.

There could be significant ramifications from all this.  However severe they may be, Chancellor Thorp’s assertive leadership will lessen those ramifications.  A % of UNC fans will never understand or appreciate that.  That will not make it any less true.

The 55,000 in Kenan Stadium Saturday were “football fans”.   They want this mess resolved IMMEDIATELY, or better yet to wake-up and learn it was all a bad dream.   Their interest in the current unpleasantness centers on (1) “when will so&so be back?” and (2) really really not enjoying all the obnoxious things rival fans are saying these days.  I mentioned to several that were the situation reversed our folks would be every bit as obnoxious as our rivals are being.  I could not find anyone interested in that objective viewpoint.  I finally just walked away when conversations reached that point.  They all do eventually. …… sigh.

This NCAA investigation is quite serious.  The average yahoo can’t comprehend that.  Mouth breathing yahoos are not good comprehenders.  The tutor prong will be resolved thru the Honor Court process.  The Blake/Hawkins/Marvin prong is much more complicated and serious. NCAA investigations of this magnitude take, on average, 6-18 months.  That time frame doesn’t matter UNLESS you are the one under investigation.  Prolonging an investigation invariably allows more bodies to float to the surface.

Fans don’t want a tour of the Sausage Factory of Big Time Football.  They just want Bragging Rights over their neighbor.  What UNC fans are being forced to confront now is yucky.  Fans don’t much care for yucky reality.  I can appreciate that.

NOTE:  While Butch can rightly claim he did not know Chris Hawkins, Jeff Connors DID.  Why did Connors not sound an alarm when Hawkins began hanging out around the Football Office, or did he?  A key question.

Deciding who to blame in a yucky situation the average goober always opts for the guy wearing a suit with a fancy title aka “the boss” ….. “the administrator” ….. “the bureaucrat” ….. “the man”.

the average goober has never been “the man” …

The average mouth breathing goober has never been “the man” but he assumes it is a very easy job that pays a lot of $$$$ for making very obvious decisions.  The toughest decision most goobers ever make is what to use for a message board user-name when his first seventeen choices are already taken.

“The (vaunted) Carolina Way” is under siege.   The Carolina Way ranks with the Loch Ness Monster, Sasquatch, and giant alligators in the NYC sewers among civilization’s most entrenched myths.  Myth Immersion offers comfort.  I’m all for it, but I don’t buy it.  It’s my alma mater.  I think it’s a very nice college in a neat college town atmosphere.  I think there are a number of nice colleges in America with neat college town settings.

I sincerely believe that UNC officials over the years have consistently tried to “do things the right way“.  The Carolina Way blatantly implies that other institutions purposely have NOT.  That is arrogant crap.

Some of those other colleges have traditionally fine football programs.  Nice colleges can have winning football IF they are willing to make significant exceptions to the traditional academic model.  If Carolina opts to go that route I’m just  fine with that decision.

Use Florida as the standard …. Five years – Two National Championships – Thirty (30) arrests and/or charges of player misconduct including last week’s “it’s time to die” stalk of a coed by a starting receiver.  I am asking longtime UNC fans if that is a trade-off they would accept.  Most everyone says Absolutely.  I respect their objective honesty.  Most Gator fans agree “it’s worth it” – The Florida Way. 

There is NOTHING WRONG WITH MARRYING A STRIPPER so long as you realize “the neighbors will talk“.  Marrying A Stripper, being in full de-nial AND continually losing to your rivals = not so good.

I’ve received hate-mail off/on for the past ten years.  It ebbs/flows based on the issues of the day.  This issue has the angry cricket faction in full chirp.  I expect it.  Expressing provocative and controversial opinions is what I do.   A great many people appreciate what I do.  But not everyone!  

I don’t compete for readers with the Adam Lucas and John Kilgo-types. My longtime readers tolerate my quirky objectivity and, in return, I appreciate them more than they realize. I try to challenge my readers to think.  That’s hard work for most folks.  Impossible for some.

This website is only sent to people who request it.  A surprisingly large number of people do request it.  8,000,000,000 Chinese don’t but we are in six foreign countries.

Enraged Puffoon Award:  A person we shall call “Bill”, because that’s his name, read one of my recent columns.  Bill (aka A REAL Carolina fan) didn’t like what I had to say one little bit.  Bill became enraged.  Bill knows that “Sam” (not his name) is a friend of mine.  Bill is so enraged at me that he has told “Sam” he will no longer support “Sam’s” business if “Sam” maintains his friendship with me.  “Sam” is weighing his options. I don’t intend to change one iota if that helps “Sam” choose.

I don’t tolerate hypocrites or puffoons who take themselves quite seriously.  Hypocrities and puffoons who take themselves quite seriously don’t tolerate me.  It’s Nature’s Way.

Bill is one rabid puppy.  Bill is one of those Carolina fans that rival fans love to make fun of.  Easy to understand why, huh.   With any luck this column will further enrage Bill.  Enraging the Bills of the world is a side benefit to BobLeeSaying what BobLeeSays.

BobLee

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