Football is here again.
If it seems like it's been a long time since we last watched the Tar Heels block and tackle, think about the kids who play the game.
It probably seems like an eternity to them. They've been running, lifting weights and watching films since the start of this year. They endured the pains of spring practice and the heat of June, July and early August's summer sun as they approached the start of camp.
Now they can finally begin to work toward those precious 11 regular-season games they will play.
Fans and media get upset with players and coaches when they lose, but stop and think about how the people directly involved must feel. They train 12 months a year for the privilege of playing just 11 games.
So when fans complain and talk about boycotting games because their favorite team isn't playing well, try to understand how difficult it must be for those directly involved. No matter how the season turns out, they still get dressed and practice all week long for those three or four hours they get to play on a Saturday afternoon.
When put into this context, maybe the so-called fans of every team could manage to drag themselves to the stadiums around the country and cheer the undergraduates representing their favorite university, regardless of outcome.
It really does seem like the least anyone who considers himself a supporter could do. And, hey, it'll be fun. Sitting in a football stadium watching teams play on late-summer and fall afternoons is a wonderfully pleasant way to spend a day.
Now this is not to say the folks who buy tickets don't have the right to a good show. Many of them donate money to the programs in addition to buying tickets. This doesn't give anyone the right to be vulgar or even rude, but everyone should be able to expect a team's best effort.
In the case of the 2005 Tar Heels, there is every reason to believe this team will play hard and tough, if not always with perfect execution. It is honestly difficult to say how well Carolina will perform or how many games it will win.
The schedule is difficult, and the Tar Heels' depth of talent is uncertain, given the losses to graduation and attrition. But the level of confidence and enthusiasm has risen considerably during the past year.
Look at how those guys overcame difficult situations on and off the field a year ago. They really are to be commended for hanging in and not quitting. The players conceded they may not have been able to hang tough the previous year or two, but the program and the people in it have grown during the last three years.
UNC limped home injured and humiliated after a 46-16 loss at Utah last October, and managed to bounce back the next time out to upset Miami in one of the greatest performances in school history.
The Tar Heels even came within a quarterback sack against Virginia Tech of tying for the conference championship, as crazy as that sounded then and now.
At least this year, the season doesn't begin buried in speculation about Coach John Bunting's job status. Last year's 6-5 regular-season record was good enough to get him a contract extension and quiet the negative recruiting.
Realistically, almost anything could happen this season. Carolina could win and go to another bowl or the weight of the schedule and some other unknown fate could lead to a losing record.
If the team loses, speculation about Bunting's future will begin again, but at least for now, football is back, and it's a reasonably positive start for UNC.
By Eddie Landreth
