I have to say, of all the various motivations possibly in play for tonight's UNC-Illinois game, this one Eamonn Brennan found was not among them:
"We have to stick up for the guys that came before us and try to steal one back for us," senior Bill Cole said. "Because we feel like they stole one from the program in 2005, so we're going to go try and hit them right back."
That game stolen from Illinois in 2005 was, of course, the national championship game. The one where UNC was favored, led by as many as 15 and never trailed after the 14:06 mark in the first half. That's a strange definition of theft, there. But since you were at most seventeen when it happened, we'll let it slide.
I hate to break it to these guys though, but I don't think an Illini victory is going to soothe their aching hearts. Primarily because Illinois already got their revenge in 2006 in Chapel Hill, and, well, here they are again for even revenge-ier revenge I guess. Best of luck to you; you're favored, more experienced, and playing at home. I'll be over here watching, in my 2005 national championship sweatshirt. It keeps me very warm.