So, this is it. Tonight’s the night that the Wisconsin Badgers face off against the Duke Blue Devils, deciding which college team wins the title of NCAA 2015 Champions. For me, the biggest tragedy of this season’s March Madness was the game on March 26th where my beloved Tar Heels were knocked out of the running by the Badgers. I had pool league that night, and the TV was turned to the game just for me – I yelled so much at that screen, I think I scared some of the patrons away!
Win or lose, I’ll always be true blue – Carolina Blue, that is. As I’ve shared before, there is a part of me that is literally blue, thanks to the Tar Heel tattoo on my foot. No regrets there – I’m no fair weather fan. When the Tar Heels win, I can flaunt my ink proudly, and when they lose? My tattoo reminds me that even good can come out of a bad situation. I’m part of a team and a long-standing tradition–we stick together come what may. After all, the Carolina pledge of allegiance is: “I was Tar Heel born; I was Tar Heel bred; and when I die, I’ll be Tar Heel dead.”.
In other words, although I prefer it when my team wins, even on the days we lose, that little Tar Heel tattoo reminds me to smile along with these inspiring folks who have redefined ‘making the best of a bad situation:
Tonight, I’ll grab a bag of chips and a glass of wine, sit on the sofa with my hubby, and pull for the Badgers. That’s right. I’ll be rooting for the very team that knocked my team out of the playoffs! It’s my way of making the best of a bad situation, and I cannot think of a situation worse than seeing Duke in the finals. As one Carolina bumper sticker says: “I’ll cheer for Duke when they play Al-Qaeda.”
The Carolina-Duke rivalry is intense, and there is no question as to where I side, but I have plenty to support my stance. For example, when I googled Tar Heel tattoos, I found entire web pages devoted to people permanently “inked in Carolina“, but my search for Blue Devil tattoos yielded this:
‘Nuff said.
Happy Monday and Go Badgers,
Mary
