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I don't give a damn about Duke University
'Cause I'm from Car-o-lina!
Ah, if only the song were true. What a salutary effect it would have on my blood pressure if it were! But, like nearly every other North Carolina fan in the world, I do give a damn about Duke University. I give a damn frequently, vociferously, and ferociously. I often give quite a bit worse than a damn. When the rodenty visage of Coach K appears on my television, I've even been known to give a "Shut the fuck up, K, you rat-faced motherfucker!" Such language! Such vituperation! Where does it come from? Why should a smallish Southern university inspire such hatred in me and my fellow members of Tar Heel nation?
These are the questions that Will Blythe explores in To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever, his thoroughly biased account of the UNC/Duke basketball rivalry from a fan's perspective. Blythe is clever and self-deprecating, and the book is fun to read, but I suspect that my enjoyment stemmed mainly from the fact that Blythe falls on the same side of this rivalry that I do. Blythe was born and raised in Chapel Hill, NC, and is a passionate and knowledgeable lover of Tar Heel basketball. He makes no secret of the fact that he lives and dies by Heels, and I couldn't help liking someone who shares my feelings in that regard. Blythe is also a good play-by-play writer; his accounts of specific games were gripping and suspenseful even though the games happened two years ago and I remembered the results of most of them. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that the games he describes took place during Carolina's run to the national championship in March of 2005, which was the most exciting thing that had ever happened in my life as a sports fan until the White Sox won the World Series that October. Blythe's accounts of the games gave me a great opportunity to relive my favorite moments of the season--Remember how the Heels beat Duke at Cameron on the last possession? Remember that nerve-wracking game against Villanova in the Sweet Sixteen?--and to remember how much I miss Ray Felton, Sean May, and the other stars of the championship team.
But the book is not only about basketball. Blythe spends some time talking about his father's recent death and analyzing his relationship with his dad. He also occasionally gets sidetracked into philosophical discussions about the nature of hatred and its role in the life of the modern sports fan. Perhaps it's just the rabid fan in me, but I found these sections of the book to be less successful. I might even go so far as to say they were a bit boring. Forget your family, man, forget your philosophy, and give me the basketball! Blythe is much more entertaining when he's indulging his hatred of Duke than when he's probing its depths.
This was a fun read, peppered with smart-ass digs at the players and coaches of Duke, but I can't imagine that it would be very interesting for anyone who's not a partisan in the war between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils. It would probably even be somewhat insufferable to that portion of the population who feel that this rivalry is already over-hyped by the media.
My next read is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. I started it last night and it seems all right, but I have to admit that I'm not all that excited to be reading it. It's my book club selection for January, so I've got to get through it, but all I want to do is dive headfirst into some of the really exciting Christmas/birthday books that are sitting on my to-read shelf.
'Cause I'm from Car-o-lina!
Ah, if only the song were true. What a salutary effect it would have on my blood pressure if it were! But, like nearly every other North Carolina fan in the world, I do give a damn about Duke University. I give a damn frequently, vociferously, and ferociously. I often give quite a bit worse than a damn. When the rodenty visage of Coach K appears on my television, I've even been known to give a "Shut the fuck up, K, you rat-faced motherfucker!" Such language! Such vituperation! Where does it come from? Why should a smallish Southern university inspire such hatred in me and my fellow members of Tar Heel nation?
These are the questions that Will Blythe explores in To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever, his thoroughly biased account of the UNC/Duke basketball rivalry from a fan's perspective. Blythe is clever and self-deprecating, and the book is fun to read, but I suspect that my enjoyment stemmed mainly from the fact that Blythe falls on the same side of this rivalry that I do. Blythe was born and raised in Chapel Hill, NC, and is a passionate and knowledgeable lover of Tar Heel basketball. He makes no secret of the fact that he lives and dies by Heels, and I couldn't help liking someone who shares my feelings in that regard. Blythe is also a good play-by-play writer; his accounts of specific games were gripping and suspenseful even though the games happened two years ago and I remembered the results of most of them. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that the games he describes took place during Carolina's run to the national championship in March of 2005, which was the most exciting thing that had ever happened in my life as a sports fan until the White Sox won the World Series that October. Blythe's accounts of the games gave me a great opportunity to relive my favorite moments of the season--Remember how the Heels beat Duke at Cameron on the last possession? Remember that nerve-wracking game against Villanova in the Sweet Sixteen?--and to remember how much I miss Ray Felton, Sean May, and the other stars of the championship team.
But the book is not only about basketball. Blythe spends some time talking about his father's recent death and analyzing his relationship with his dad. He also occasionally gets sidetracked into philosophical discussions about the nature of hatred and its role in the life of the modern sports fan. Perhaps it's just the rabid fan in me, but I found these sections of the book to be less successful. I might even go so far as to say they were a bit boring. Forget your family, man, forget your philosophy, and give me the basketball! Blythe is much more entertaining when he's indulging his hatred of Duke than when he's probing its depths.
This was a fun read, peppered with smart-ass digs at the players and coaches of Duke, but I can't imagine that it would be very interesting for anyone who's not a partisan in the war between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils. It would probably even be somewhat insufferable to that portion of the population who feel that this rivalry is already over-hyped by the media.
My next read is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. I started it last night and it seems all right, but I have to admit that I'm not all that excited to be reading it. It's my book club selection for January, so I've got to get through it, but all I want to do is dive headfirst into some of the really exciting Christmas/birthday books that are sitting on my to-read shelf.
