There Was Purple Rain: And Doves Cried!

Posted on April 27, 2016 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

Because it is not what I am discussing in today’s main topic, I am compelled to make a few passing observations regarding a discussion I’ve been knee-deep in for months. Herewith: Yesterday there were five Republican Primaries (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island). This latest version of Super Tuesday included the first Primaries since the vaunted Cruz-Kasich Collaboration, the virtual personification of the “Never Trump” Movement. To keep this brief, I’ll get directly to the point. There were 5 Primaries up for grabs. The Score: Trump 5 – 0 over the Cruz Kasich Collaborative.

Now the Keep Hope Alive contingent, which is about all the Never Trump Movement amounts to at this point, will argue that the outcome, based upon the geography and demographics of those Northeast corridor states, was baked in the cake, as it were. Perhaps, but Trump did not just win those five contests. To use parlance I’ve heard after more than a few sports contest routs, he beat the brakes off those bums. Based on at least one network’s analysis, Mr. Trump has positioned himself to secure what Ted Cruz and John Kasich maintain he could never achieve; a path to 1237 delegates (better known as victory in the quest for the Republican Nomination).

The pundits continue to haggle over the details associated with the GOP process. Weeks ago I observed that the factor not enough credence is given to is the deepest desires of GOP voters. That Trump can’t bridge the 40% barrier thesis should effectively be put to rest after last night. He claimed clear majorities in each of the 5 contests, more than 60% in most. Oh well. Get that next argument ready folks…and a new scheme would also help.

Now on to today’s regular programming. April 21, 2016, a day that will live in infamy, at least in the hearts and minds of fans of Prince Rogers Nelson. Almost certainly, Purple Rain fell as Doves Cried. On that day, 57-year old Prince Rogers Nelson (Jun 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) departed this earthly realm.

In retrospect, it’s fair to say Prince was an acquired taste. However, regardless of whether you knew him as Prince Rogers Nelson, or as Prince, or as The Artist, or as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, or as that really short dude who sang, danced, played multiple instruments, and replaced James Brown as The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, you knew him…and you knew when you saw him perform, you had seen an immeasurably talented artist with more juice than the Energizer Bunny. His on stage persona was, without question, unique and unparalleled. He was a synchronized syncopated, “Delirious” musician. As the greats typically do, he demanded performance excellence of himself, and his ensemble, and it showed, each and every time he hit a stage. He exuded a level of command presence that few others in any entertainment genre manage to capture and display.

Last Thursday, as I contemplated the depth and breadth of the moment, it occurred to me that on July 1, 2009, I had memorialized Michael Jackson: “The King of Pop: Gone Too Soon.” In fact, even more recently, on February 15, 2012, I similarly venerated Whitney Houston: “Last Saturday The Music Died: Déjà vu All Over Again!” (http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2012/02/last-saturday-music-died-deja-vu-all.html) For me, without delving into the maudlin, Prince’s untimely demise ensured that I must at least add a discussion of his life and his sublime body of work to the honorifics of Michael and Whitney to form a tri-part montage in memory of the dearly departed.

In noting the obvious, Prince was a highly decorated, frequently honored artist. He sold over 100 million records. He was clearly among the best-selling artists of all time. He won seven Grammy Awards (30 nominations), and a Golden Globe Award. He won an Academy Award for the film Purple Rain. He had 5 Chart topping singles and 14 other songs in the Top 10. In 2004, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. He was ranked number 27 on the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Prince was a gifted marketer. He understood that to be the Master of his Fate, he needed to guard his image, protect his brand, and control his music. He worked diligently at all three, endeavors, but his efforts at the latter were groundbreaking. He engaged Warner Brothers in a multi-year wrestling match to regain ownership of his Music Library. In matching wits with the company, he terminated his contract and changed his name. At times he was called the Unpronounceable Symbol…though he actually gave it a name, the love Symbol #2. He also dubbed himself The Artist, and The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. All the while, he continued creating music at a frenetic pace, in part to hasten the day when he could secure the rights to his entire musical inventory, which he ultimately did.

He granted very few interviews. He admitted to being shy, but as shy as he may have been he was also shrewd. The lack of access created a level of mystery, which in turn fostered a heightened degree of continued interest. Ultimately, in the steroidal social media age, almost anything is knowable…if your interest and commitment levels are keen enough. Yet, Prince still flew below the radar on many levels because it was so much easier to find intel about other people.

Even in death, the mystery lingers. For example, many folks did not know Prince had been married. He had, twice. His first wife, Mayte Garcia Nelson, bore him a son, Boy Gregory. However, the child was born with Pfeiffer Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder), and lived only a few days. Between Mayte, and his second wife, Manuela Testolini Nelson, he spent ten years, four and six to each, respectively, as a married man.

Even his name is a source of confusion. Many folks believe Prince was a stage name; it was not. His father audaciously named him that in 1958. That also speaks to why he wanted not only his music, but also his name back. Speaking of his parentage, it is commonly assumed that Prince was bi-racial. He was not. Both his parents, John Lewis Nelson, and Mattie Della Baker Nelson were African American, hailing from Louisiana, and transplanted to Minneapolis, Minnesota. One more thing; Prince often alluded to the spiritual. But that did not mean he was not religious; he was. Prince was a Jehovah’s Witness.

In the arena of the known, based on his discography, we can safely say Prince released:

39 Studio Albums
4 Live Albums
6 Compilation Albums
17 Video Albums
136 Music Videos
13 Extended Plays
104 Singles
1 Remix Album

That’s 320 unique projects spanning from his first project, For You in 1978 to his last, HITnRUN Phase Two in 2015. It does not include the many hits he wrote for others, such as Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You.” Love him or hate him, he was one creatively prolific bad dude. Prince Rogers Nelson died as mysteriously as he lived. He was alone at his Paisley Park studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, when he was found dead in the elevator last Thursday. At that moment I know for sure…“There Was Purple Rain: And Doves Cried!“

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002239/bio

https://www.geni.com/people/John-Nelson/6000000007748549638

https://www.geni.com/people/Mattie-Baker/6000000007748560635

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyka_Nelson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayte_Garcia

http://wikibin.org/articles/manuela-testolini.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeiffer_syndrome

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3555598/Prince-s-body-secretly-cremated-released-family-prior-private-emotional-memorial-fans-leave-balloons-notes-Paisley-Park-Purple-One-died-Minnesota-estate-elevator.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5516202214514810687#editor/target=post;postID=8436418957177793223;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=192;src=postname

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5516202214514810687#editor/target=post;postID=2307689826287035379;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=329;src=postname

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Vandross

Home Again: 40 Years Later

Posted on April 20, 2016 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

Thomas Wolfe, a fellow North Carolinian, and University of North Carolina (UNC) alumnus, is considered North Carolina’s most famous writer. In 1940, two years after his death, Edward Aswell, his last editor, published Wolfe’s novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” posthumously. Wolfe, who entered UNC as a freshman at 15 graduated with a B.A. in 1920, and that same year entered the Graduate School for Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1922 with a master’s degree.

Wolfe signature writing style is best characterized as autobiographical fiction. In many instances stories such as the ones Wolfe wrote are preceded by disclaimers such as, “the names of the characters have been changed to protect the innocent.” Indeed, folks in Asheville, North Carolina, Wolfe’s hometown, were often upset with the writer. The offended and those who subsequently disparaged him were known to include members of his own family.

It is with this reckoning as a backdrop that I draw inspiration for today’s title. Respectfully, I must disagree with Mr. Wolfe. The phrase you can’t go home again has become enmeshed into the American lexicon and typically is understood to convey how nostalgia denotes at once both an inaccurate positive bias as well as an inability to appreciate the changes wrought by time on places and people we tend to recall in static and permanent ways. In the World according to Wolfe, attempts to relive fleeting youthful memories are simply incapable of matching the originals.

Based on Wolfe’s personal experience, he really did find returning to Asheville a dicey proposition. While it is fair to note that his actions (specifically his writing) created the dynamic that made the prospect of returning to his hometown an uncomfortable one. I’m pleased to note the record shows he did eventually return. The irony of the prickly feelings is that when Wolfe, in a later novel, did not employ depictions of his homies, they were equally upset. But I’m digressing now.

This past weekend I returned home, in a manner of speaking. Forty years ago I was in the midst of spending two academic school years and the summer in between in Chapel Hill, matriculating at the University of North Carolina where I earned an advanced degree in planning. Right here, right now, I can stipulate fully and unconditionally that the two years I spent in Chapel Hill, and the three years before that I spent in Fayetteville matriculating at Fayetteville State University (FSU) were without question five of the best years of my life.

Earning two college degrees was the business at hand, and as my father surely appreciated, I completed that business ahead of schedule and under budget. The degrees served me well during my nearly 35-year long career in public service. I acquired the necessarily arrayed skillset for my toolkit that enabled me to formulate a vitae that served as the lever to open up a career path that sustained me for three and a half decades of succeeding at seeking, acquiring, maintaining and successfully executing increasing responsible jobs and responsibilities.

But college is more than books, studying, testing, and moving on to next level courses. Don’t get me wrong; they are of first order priority. They are just not all there is. I formed friendships in college with people from all over America, and a number of individuals from other countries. I still maintain many of those friendships today. I participated in extra-curricular activities, social clubs, and an honor society as a part of fully engaging in campus community life.

Of all the associations and organizations in which I partook while in college, the most notable was the fraternity I joined, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I know a lot of folks don’t get the whole Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO) shtick. I understand, starting with the clarification that they are not Greek Organizations, or Black Greek Organizations for that matter. The appropriation of Ethiopian (African) culture is a subject that could consume an entire blog. Perhaps that will serve as fodder for another day.

In 1973 I pledged Alpha. Today the very term pledge is an anachronism. It was a process that was phased out, beginning in the 80’s due to being conflated with hazing. While examples of underground or offline pledging can still be cited, none of the organizations in the Divine Nine approve of or authorize such activity. Again, I digress. I was initiated into the Epsilon Zeta (EZ) Chapter of the Fraternity on December 1, 1973. Thus began a life journey that continues to this day. EZ was the 316^th Chapter in the Fraternity. It was established at FSU November 3, 1958 at FSU.

When I arrived in Chapel Hill in August of 1975, aside from adapting to a new college town, a significantly larger university, populated primarily by the dominant culture, unlike FSU, figuring out how to most efficiently traverse the distance between my Graduate Dorm (Craige Hall) and New East, which houses the Department of City and Regional Planning, and figuring out where I would eat on a regular basis, seeking out the community of Alpha men was among my high priorities. I quickly discerned that my current situation (at that time) was a good news/bad news scenario. The good news was there were quite a few Alphas on campus. The bad news was there was no Chapter of the Fraternity at the University; we were all enrolled in Graduate and Professional Schools. This was problematic. Fortunately, three of us had come from FSU, two to pursue degrees in planning, and one in business. We quickly pulled together the threshold number of Brothers necessary to initiate a serious discussion about establishing a Chapter on UNC’s campus.

Working with the State’s District Director, we completed the prerequisites and by the Spring Semester we introduced the first Line of Alpha Phi Alpha at UNC. On April 15, 1976, The Sensational Sixteen Stepmasters entered the House of Alpha becoming the organization’s 447^th Chapter, Mu Zeta. Early on the Founders and members of the Charter Line recognized the importance of not just ensuring that members applied themselves to their academic pursuits in a most serious way, but that they permeated and insinuated themselves throughout the University community. All parties involved understood not only the importance of those pursuits, but also the primacy of establishing a robust historical presence for posterity sake. To that end, Mu Zeta has conducted 5-year Reunion, one of which took place this past weekend.

I recall returning to FSU for the 40th Anniversary of my Pledge Line, the Truckin’ 11, in 1973. This past Fall (October 2015, I returned for the 40th Anniversary of my Graduation. My College Chapter, EZ, hosted its Annual Retreat this past weekend also. I was torn, but I knew I had to be in Chapel Hill to commemorate MZ’s 40th.

That brings me full circle. I looked forward with great anticipation to returning to Chapel Hill for MZ Week 2016 as the Chapter’s Founders and its members from over the years and across the country returned to where for the members, it had all begun. In the 40 years that have ensued since the Chapter’s inception, Mu Zeta has initiated men from 40 different Lines. I have served in many capacities in the Fraternity, including President of my Alumni Chapter and in several District positions. In reflecting on my fraternal life, my serving as a Founder, Assistant Dean of Pledgees, and subsequently associating with the members of Mu Zeta over the years, few if any activities rise to the level of having established Mu Zeta and watching with great pride their evolution, development, and many significant accomplishments.

I extend kudos to Brother Garrett Holloway, current Mu Zeta President, and Brother Kenneth Hill, Charter Member (and my home boy/Kinston, NC), who spearheaded the preparation and execution of the Reunion. I especially thank the team that worked on the various assignments necessary to elevate the Reunion from an exciting vision to an exceptional reality. I also want to take a personal point of privilege to thank Calvin Burney, the Charter Dean of Pledgees, for attending. This past weekend was his first trip back to Chapel Hill in decades. His participation was certainly a highlight for me. Not the biggest highlight, mind you, but definitely a really big deal. The itinerary included a Step Show, a Cookout, a Brotherhood Reception, a Business Meeting, a Service Project, a Golf Outing, a Ball, and Closing Brunch. Each of those activities was on point. But for me, THE high water mark was the opportunity to once again play basketball with my “young” Brothers. Oh yeah, and my “3” to win the game. What, you didn’t know I’m a vet? You’d betta ask somebody! LOL!

Last summer my current Chapter, Beta Nu Lambda (CLT), the 156^th Chapter of the Fraternity, established August 1, 1939, hosted the National Convention. As a result, I gained hands-on, first person experience with planning and executing one of the Fraternity’s most important events. For a local College Chapter such as Mu Zeta it doesn’t get much bigger or more important than organizing a hosting a Reunion that touches members from the entire history of the Chapter. The organizers of MZ40 did a phenomenal job.

Most importantly, the men of Mu Zeta helped me affirm that none of my anticipation and pre-event excitement was misplaced. I have no buyer’s remorse. In effect, returning ”home” was as good as I thought it would be; maybe better. Ultimately, my Brothers demonstrated, in no uncertain terms, it is possible to go…”Home Again: 40 Years Later!”

GO HEELS, ’06, I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wolfe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can%27t_Go_Home_Again

http://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Go-Home-Again/dp/1451650493

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Aswell

https://uncfsu.collegiatelink.net/organization/alpha-phi-alpha-fraternity-inc

https://sites.google.com/site/muzetaalphas/Home/mz-chapter-history

http://betanulambda.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Phi_Alpha

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BGLO

http://www.amazon.com/The-Divine-Nine-Fraternities-Sororities/dp/0758202709?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20

Party On GOP: The Fun Is Just Beginning

Posted on April 13, 2016 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

After a three week hiatus during which I wrote about guns, Cuba, and basketball, I am pivoting and redirecting today’s post back to the Party of Lincoln and its rather interesting, if not unique effort to determine the GOP nominee for President. In previous posts the topic of the rift between Donald Trump and the Republican establishment was explored. A number of developments sprang forward, including a series of initiatives broadly referred to as the Stop Trump movement; also known as the Anti-Trump movement, and the Never Trump movement. These names are all various strands of a central theme, one centered upon the efforts of a number of Republicans and other so-called conservatives to stymie the current front-runner, Donald Trump, and his efforts to secure the Party’s nomination at the Convention in Cleveland for the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015. On the outside looking in it appeared that for the rest of last year and the first couple of months of 2016, Republicans largely viewed the New York Real Estate Magnet and former Reality TV Host as a fleeting nuisance, whose prospects were sharply delimited by a predefined ceiling of 25-30% of voters, and who would garner even fewer votes as the number of candidates winnowed from 17 down to a handful or less. All that sounded good. Then the field narrowed; currently it’s down to three. The movement, if you want to call it that, received a turbo jolt of energy following Mr. Trump’s wins in the March 15, 2016 Super Tuesday primaries, the most substantial of which was thrashing U.S. Senator Marco Rubio in Florida. That defeat instantly ended the Rubio Campaign.

At that point, the Establishment, unquestionably, had seen enough. Four weeks ago I framed it as not so much a failing of the Party to nurture, develop, and support better, smarter, more well-prepared candidates, but instead, a function of millions of voters expressing their preference for The Donald. It will be interesting to see, if the Never Trump movement is successful, and if it is, whether that outcome will create a schism between the will of the establishment and the desires of the Party faithful.

In that previous post I mentioned the Mitt Romney personal broadside initiative to derail Trump’s momentum. Since that time a number of Trump’s former rivals, including Carly Fiorina and Senator Lindsey Graham, have coalesced and joined forces with Ted Cruz, all in an effort to stop that inimitable force that Donald Trump has surprisingly proved to be. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who upon exiting the race himself, initially endorsed Jeb Bush, was so off put by both Mr. Trump and Senator Cruz that he likened choosing between the two as akin to a death sentence. In precise terms, he framed it thusly:

“It’s like being shot or poisoned. What does it really matter?”

This was in response to being asked which of the two he preferred. Arguably, this may have been just a dose of the seemingly casual folksy Palmetto State jargon that Graham is known for delivering. Perhaps it was, but he didn’t stop there. He went on to characterize Mr. Trump as “The most unprepared person I’ve ever met to be commander-in-chief,” and said of Senator Cruz, “He’s exhibited behavior in his time in the Senate that makes it impossible for me to believe that he could bring this country together.”

Of course in just a few weeks, Jeb Bush had himself suspended his campaign. That naturally meant Graham had to choose another would be standard-bearer. Ultimately, it appears he decided he’d rather be poisoned than shot.

As time marches on and the Primary Season advances, the saga continues. This week a number of Republicans, some of them key Party figures, are either contemplating skipping, or have already decided they are not attending the GOP Convention in Cleveland. In fact yesterday when former Florida Governor and 2016 GOP Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush was asked whether he’d attend, he told a CNN reporter “No.”

New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte is in the midst of a tough bid to secure a second term. She was asked if she would be in Cleveland. Her response, while not absolute, betrayed a clear lean. She said:

“Unlikely, I’ve got a lot of work to do in New Hampshire, I have my own re-election and I’m going to be focusing on my voters in New Hampshire.”

Here in The Old North State, another such dynamic has emerged. North Carolina Senator Richard Burr has made his priorities clear. Speaking about convention attendance, he had this to say:

“I’m up for re-election. I’m more valuable outside of Cleveland than inside of Cleveland.”

While Senators Ayotte and Burr are weighing the implications of challenging campaigns as they contemplate the Calculus of whether to attend the Convention, Jeb Bush is free of such concerns, and yet he seems to have already kicked the Cleveland Confab to the proverbial curb. In other words the Never Trump movement and the Cruz brand of inviolable conservatism are seen as equally uncool. Both those in tough swing state elections, as well as those who might actually believe there is still currency in the ideal of negotiation, collaboration, and bi-partisan governance are viewing the Party’s National Convention with a jaundiced eye.

By all accounts, there are GOPers among the highest rungs of the Party’s leadership encouraging rank-and-file members to stay the “aitch” away from Cleveland. You’d have thought the Secret Service hadn’t intervened and the Right Wing gun-lovers were actually going to be strapped up in that joint. One top level Party Official, speaking to CNN after having been granted anonymity, admitted that he has advised his colleagues to hold campaign rallies and town halls in their home states and districts during the convention in July. A senior Senate aide echoed that idea.

Skipping conventions is not unheard of, especially by moderates who wish to show some daylight between themselves and a nominee who might alienate their supporters at home. That’s fair, but it’s worth noting even some of the members of the edge leaning Tea Party plan to stay home in July. Representative Rick Mulvaney, a co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus has said he will skip, and after discussing the matter with about 20 conservatives recently, about half agreed with him and plan to delete Cleveland from their respective itineraries. As he put it:

“Let the activists, let the people decide (who the nominee will be, rather than the politicians). I’ve decided not to go to Cleveland. I’m going to stay at home and work.”

One senior House Republican leadership aide also told CNN they are hearing that several members have drawn their own conclusions that it behooves them to stay home and tend to their own elections. That aide said explicitly:

“I think if you are in a competitive district that’s smart.”

Let’s face it, the GOP has a lot going on right now. On top of all the above, there has been an undercurrent of ambient noise surrounding a Draft Paul Ryan initiative. The rumblings became so significant that Representative Ryan, the Speaker of the House, attempted to quell them yesterday by giving his own version of the Lyndon Johnson recusal, “I will not seek, nor will I accept my Party’s nomination.” The Speaker said:

“Let me be clear, I do not want, nor will I accept, the nomination of our Party.”

It sounded good, even convincing unless you fell into one of two categories. One, those who desperately want the Speaker to play the role of White Knight and come to the rescue; the other, folks who remember when he said virtually the same thing about the Speakership. In other words, time will tell. There are advantages to not entering the fray before one has to do so.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got my popcorn at hand. “Party On GOP: The Fun Is Just Beginning!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeb_Bush

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Ayotte

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Burr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Mulvaney

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Trump_movement

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/politics/lindsey-graham-donald-trump-ted-cruz-poison-or-shot/index.html

http://www.mediaite.com/online/graham-choosing-between-trump-and-cruz-like-being-shot-or-poisoned/

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/22/graham-choosing-between-cruz-and-trump-like-choosing-whether-to-be-shot-or-poisoned/

http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/top-republicans-may-skip-convention

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/us/politics/paul-ryan-to-ruleout-run-for-president-aide-says.html?_r=0

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/paul-ryan-i-do-not-want-nor-will-i-accept-nomination/vp-BBrGoLl

One For The Ages: Hail To The Cats!

Posted on April 6, 2016 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

As readers who know me are aware, I seldom determine what I will write about until it times to generate a post. Today is no exception. Occasionally, I can commit from the outset the post will not be a long one. Consider that a made promise.

Sports are a significant element of our national culture. In general terms, I am a casual sports fan. There are sports whose nuances I do not fully grasp (football and soccer come to mind), sports that I watch every now and then (if a favorite player is competing; e.g., Serena or Tiger), sports that I once played, but seldom watch now (Thanks for the memories Little League Baseball), and then there is basketball…the sport that I still play twice a week, even at my advanced age. No surprise that is my fave.

Monday night, the Wildcats of Villanova University captured the 2016 NCAA Division I College Basketball National Championship in a game played at NRG Stadium in Houston. Championships are hard to come by, so it goes without saying, the fact ‘Nova won was huge in and of itself. The Cats played five games in the Tournament prior to the Championship tilt. They won those contests by more than 24 points per game on average. Not only that, but they beat the overall Number 1 Seed, Kansas University, holding them to a season low 59 points in the process. They demolished a Number 2 Seed, Oklahoma University, holding them to 51 points, and winning by 44, the largest margin of victory in Final Four history. They did this despite facing the Tourney’s leading scorer, Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, who scored 37 points (including 8 straight 3’s) against Number 1 Seed Oregon in the Elite 8 game before playing Nova in the Final Four. The Cats held him to 9 points in their 44-point victory.

In Monday’s Title Game, Villanova, a 2 Seed, was matched up against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, another Number 1 Seed. The teams were similar in that they both entered the contest with a measure of feeling underappreciated and over critiqued. It’s fair to say, both teams (and their respective fan bases) had a proverbial chip on their shoulders.

The Heels managed to gain a narrow advantage in the first half, going up by as many as 7 points, and leading by 5, 39-34, at the half. The Cats responded by rallying and ultimately leading by 10 with 5:29 to play. It was the Tar Heels’ turn to rally, and they did, tying the score at 74 all with 4.7seconds left on an improbable double clutch 3-point shot by the Tar Heels’ Academic All-American Marcus Paige.

The two heavyweights had each had their moments, and while Nova had managed to gain the bigger advantage at a more critical point in the game, with less than 5 seconds left, it was essentially 0-0. The Carolina faithful, undoubtedly breathed a sigh of relief, while the Tar Heel team exhorted by their venerable coach, Roy Williams, and their inimitable senior leader, Marcus Paige, exited their huddle understanding their mission; play 4.7 seconds of defense and get to overtime.

Alas, Villanova left the timeout on a different mission. Win the game in regulation! With .4 seconds remaining, Villanova’s Kris Jenkins made the play of the game, the play of the Tournament, and quite possibly the single most notable play in the history of the game, and certainly of NCAA Title Games. Quite simply he hoisted a shot that while traveling through the air toward the basket would not end its flight until there was nothing but zeroes on the clock. Oh by the way, it went cleanly through the net. With that, the Tar Heels’ mission was exploded, while Nova’s was both realized, and immediately celebrated. For the first time in the history of the Tournament, which launched in 1939, the game ended with a made 3-pointer at the buzzer deciding the outcome, with no time on the clock.

There are those who might argue some other (Title) game was higher scoring, or more aesthetically pleasing, or perhaps more physical. But for sheer optics, pure excitement, between two teams playing the best basketball of the season, and a spine-tingling knockout punch at the-last-possible-moment finish, I submit to you Monday Night’s contest was the unparalleled defining shining moment of NCAA Title Games. P.S. I fully understand that means that ending not only makes the game an “Instant Classic,” but assures we will see “the shot” an infinite number of times between now and forever. Oh joy!

As a passing FYI, I must add a moment of self-disclosure. The Heels are my team. I count myself among alumni and fans. I confess, had Carolina won, I would not have written about the Tourney/this game. My opting to do so is in an odd way cathartic (for me).

I’ve observed, heard, and read about others who focused on the officiating. Most, but not all the observations came from Tar Heel fans. I understand fully that the conventional view of such commentary, especially those emanating from fans of the team that lost, are prone to be viewed as sour grapes. But just to be clear, while I do not subscribe to the notion that Nova won because of officiating (they played hard, they played smart, they played with pride, and perhaps most important, they played hard, smart, and with pride, until the final buzzer sounded. That is, in my opinion, why they won the game. One more thing; having said all that, I am a Tar Heel, all day, everyday. GO HEELS!

Yet, there are insightful fans that are not UNC alum or fans that also questioned “the Stripes.” Just for chuckles, see below a couple of examples tweeted Monday night by two distinguished gentlemen who attended a prestigious University not named UNC:

Retweeted 2,355 times

Jay Bilas

Verified account

‏‪ @JayBilas Apr 4

Officials have had a tough night. Unfortunate.

2,355 retweets/2,167 likes

Jay Williams ‏‪@RealJayWilliams Apr 4

I feel bad for both teams. This is one of the worst officiating championship games I have ever seen. ‪@ESPN ‪@Sportscenter

2,115 retweets/1,766 likes

For the millions of Tar Heels who have lamented the outcome, and/or commiserated with others about Monday’s big game, I offer you a small, but powerful dose of perspective. Consider Tar Heel player Nate Britt. Britt and Nova’s Kris Jenkins are adoptive siblings. So basically, for the rest of their natural lives, Kris and his brother Nate, both juniors in their respective programs, will have the 2016 Title Game as a shared experience…and Kris’ shot as a reminder of one’s transcendent sports moment and the other’s hoops nadir. With that I close by reiterating the Title thought…”One For The Ages: Hail To The Cats!” I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.