Why the Sky's Carolina Blue

Sports may be a dodgy subject, but since I write about taboo subjects like philosophy, religion and politics all the time anyway, please forgive my particular indulgence of the University of North Carolina Tar Heel men's basketball team. Why now? Well, they grabbed the headlines twice in the same day:

"Obama going with Tar Heels to win it all" (Associated Press, 3/18/2009 at 5:24 p.m. E.T.).

John D. Sutter, "Computer model says UNC will win tournament" (CNN online, 3/18/2009).

The first story in turn drew the ire of Duke coach (and Republican fund-raiser) Mike Krzyzewski (known as the Rat), according to Peter Hamby's "Coach K disses Obama's basketball picks" (CNN political ticker, 3/18/2009 at 07:21 p.m. E.T.).

The fact is, I'll love it if UNC wins the whole thing, but the odds are long against any one specific team going all the way. It only takes one loss, such as the recent Tar Heel loss to the FSU Seminoles, to be knocked out of contention until next year, when the whole tedious process gears up again. Only one team can win six games in a row. UNC has a chance at being that one, but so does Duke, and so does each and every other team in the tournament.


Michael Jordan, number 23. He delivered the winning basket against Georgetown for the 1982 championship. Good thing I was wearing glasses, not contacts, that night because somebody sprayed me with Carolina blue paint at point blank range. It was a crazed celebration in Chapel Hill -- though not as crazy as the one in 1983, in Raleigh, when the North Carolina State University Wolfpack won by a long shot . . .


Last April, Obama took on some of the Tar Heels himself. Whereas Duke (expensive private university) trends toward Republicans, UNC (affordable public university) has a strong Democratic tradition. No joke. However, Duke has its good points, even lots of lefties. Still, in basketball at least, go Carolina!

So why's the sky Carolina blue? Because of "Rayleigh scattering," it's said, which is awfully close to the phrase, "goin' down to Raleigh." Me, I prefer Chapel Hill. And Detroit, where the championship game will be played on April 6, 2009.

Today's Rune: The Mystery Rune.