As I was watching the Tarheel vs. Hokie game on Saturday, Dionne Warwick came to mind. You know, you remember, Whitney Houston's cousin & fellow hit-maker back in 1985...singing the song, That's What Friends are For. I interposed Fans for Friends and you have Tarheel88 with a non-smiling game face at the end of the contest. As you can see, blue hair & sunglasses become me! I was all smiles at the beginning, watching the poised Heels execute and even Roy showed some teeth now & then. Then, my boys, fell into either a fox hole,a hornets nest, or a snake pit. As you can see, we were losing by 14 with 2:31 left....we ended up losing 94 to 88....so we brilliantly made 19 points in 2:31 minutes....just a little late for the run to put us on top. Here are some thoughts about the game: 1) Ty Lawson, freshman point guard extraordinaire is still learning to be a leader. His most brilliant move was forcing the ball inside while being triple teamed by giants...he is listed at 5' 11" and got his own rebound 2 times before being stripped of the ball. Now all you short basketball wanta-bes out there....don't let anyone tell you that you are too short. You will have to have to be faster and have a bigger heart....but don't let height limit you! 2) Poor foul shouting contributed in a major way in our loss. I don't have the stats but I'll bet if we had made 80% of our free throws, we would have won. Tarheel88 would have everyone stay after practice this week until they could hit 8 out of 10 free throws! 3) Anyone can beat anyone in the ACC on their home court...I saw some Carolina fans sitting behind the bench, sitting, arms folded in lap, no smiles. Now, that's not the way to be when cheering on your team. Take lessons from Tarheel88...run around the room, scream, scare Tucker & the cows, have Mr. Tarheel tell you to calm down, & on & on & on....So we'll probably slide down from #1, but it was great while it lasted. We'll be back...this was the "learning experience" that Roy needed to motivate & teach his team. At the end of March, I'm sure the Hokies will be home in Blacksburg, boasting about how they beat the Tarheels back in January, while they're watching us in the Final Four! Here are the lyrics to That's What Friends are For: go ahead, make sure no one is listening and sing your heart out! "And I never thought I'd feel this way, And as far as I'm concerned, I'm glad I got the chance to say, That I do believe I love you, And if I should ever go away, Well then close your eyes and try, To feel the way we do today, And then if you can remember** Keep smiling, keep shining, Knowing you can always count on me, for sure, That's what friends are for, For/In good times and/in bad times, I'll be on your side forever more, That's what friends are for, Well you came and opened me, And now there's so much more I see, And so by the way I thank you, And then for the times when we're apart, Well then close your eyes and know, These words are coming from my hearts, And then if you can remember."
