Tuesday, September 6, 2011

I'M READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL! (A WCHL Commentary)

Of all of the thoughts that I might have today, doing away with Division I athletics at UNC is not one of them. I will let others build their arguments to support their desire to throw in the towel to excise what they consider an evil so awful that the only solution is expunging it all together. Sure, there are problems from time to time in an intercollegiate sport, but the solution is not to quit. When faced with a challenge, the solution is to use our collective brainpower to solve the problem.

Quitting is contagious and habit forming. Once you learn to quit it is so much easier to do it when you face the next challenge. Therefore, I’ll be in Kenan Stadium on Saturday cheering on the Tar Heels. I will applaud those men who are out on the field representing our university, as they learn about life and living, lessons that reinforce what they learn in the classroom and lessons that enhance their character development, personal growth, and mental toughness. Quit the ranks of Division I Football? Not a chance.

I hope our community rallies around our team, this program, and our University leadership as we begin this new season, and let’s not forget about being great hosts to the fans that will pour in to our community and be a major component of our economic well-being. Being active fans and supporters does not mean that we ignore what needs to be fixed to make us better or that we condone bad behaviors; it means that we won’t quit in the face of challenge.