A Feast for Fans

It really may be the most wonderful time of the year.

If your eyes rolled out of your head and onto your desk at the mention of a Christmas song before the turkey’s been carved, I understand. It feels early to be referencing bells of any kind, whether they be silver or simply jingle. The nights have not quite fallen silent, nor is one any more holy than the next. The only angels we’ll have heard on high will be the echoes of the past that we’ll see in the rafters of the Dean Dome on Wednesday night.

But consider this: for the next few weeks, we’ll have a seasonal overlap. Similar to my experience today, in which I went from sweating in shorts in the afternoon to fogging the night air around my head with my breath, there are soon to be two seasons occurring simultaneously.

The 2020-2021 basketball seasons for both men’s and women’s teams tip off on Wednesday. The Tar Heel football team will take the field just two days later against the second-ranked Fighting Irish. In between these two is Thanksgiving, and what more could we ask for? It happens each year, and each year I’m reminded again how much fun it is to be a Carolina fan in late November.

There’s a lot to be thankful for, even in this singular year. A record-shattering season from a sophomore quarterback. A rising senior forward looking to leave the disappointments of last season in the past with a host of talented new faces. Another step in the right direction for an old ball coach back for a second run. A standing reservation for a few hours spent blissfully in some semblance of normalcy, doing what the majority of us have been doing all our lives; cheering that Tar Heel team like hell.

Andy Williams was about a month off, but his sentiment still rings true.