the most wonderful time of the year

So, let me tell you a little something about Durham, NC: it's nearly impossible to grow up there and not be obsessed with college basketball. Not that this is a problem, because if you did grow up there, you probably know that college basketball is pretty much the greatest sport on the face of the planet.

Really, the only problem with college hoops is that you have to spend an entire half of the year going without it. Oh, believe you me, early April to late October are grim months. Especially April, when I go through withdrawal from not just college hoops, but first conference and then tournament play. It's rough. T.S. Eliot wasn't kidding about April being the cruelest month, although he may have had a slightly different reason for thinking so.

On occasion, I wonder if the reason they take such a loooooong break (I mean, seriously, doesn't school start in, like, August?! Time's a-wastin', kids!!) is so that the die-hard fans will pay attention at the beginning of the season, when teams of unsurpassed greatness like the Carolina Tar Heels play opponents like... Belmont Abbey? Heh? Who? Woh-kay, then. But really, by the time early November rolls around, I'm just so ready to hear the squeak of sneakers on the court and watch the point guard take it coast-to-coast, they could be playing the intramural team from a local nursing home and I'd probably watch.

For many years, I've chosen my cable provider based on who offered ESPN Full Court. That's because I moved halfway across the country, and sadly, people out here seem to think their own teams matter more than my Heels. Tchah! Ha! Forsooth! And so on. But since we got rid of our cable a few months ago, I've now discovered that we might have to switch internet providers, so we can subscribe to watch the games online. I personally think it's absolute bullshit that only certain purveyors of the interwebs are licensed to offer the subscription service, but whatever. The hassle of switching seems like a small price to pay to get to watch my boys in blue.

At this point, we're a mere two weeks and two days from the first watchable game. I feel like I'm waiting for Christmas. Let's go, Tar Heels!!!