As you may know, I am now writing for Tar Heel Monthly and TarHeelBlue.Com. So, if you've stopped by here every once in a while looking for new content, you may have been disappointed. Not to worry - I am covering the football team very closely this year and will be pumping out new stuff left and right, just not usually for HeelsBlog.

Today I went to the 7th annual Triangle Pigskin Preview. My observations are here. Also, please follow the Tar Heel Monthly staff on our twitter page at http://twitter.com/TarHeelMonthly. You'll not only hear from me, but also other people you're familiar with, like Adam Lucas and Lauren Brownlow. This weekend I'll be in Greensboro for the ACC Media Kickoff, so I'll definitely have updates Sunday and Monday.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Swagger is back at the U! Miami is back! Just look! They are recruiting some of the best kids in the nation from winning programs! That's how Randy Shannon does it. Just look at the roster. There are 237 kids from Miami Northwestern High School, and their combined high school records were 7865434-1. Winners! That's how Randy Shannon does it and the swagger is back at the U! Miami is back! Just look at the tailgating! The swagger is back! For these chicken wings and pork tenderloins and fish, just add lemon pepper, Lawry's seasoned salt, and marinate with our secret ingredient. Are you ready for the secret ingredient? It's swagger! That's a recipe for victory!

The swagger is back at the U! It's back! Miami's back! Randy Shannon recruits players exclusively from winning programs! And that's what they do! They win! Just look at the scoreboard! They're up 10 points with less than ten minutes to go! Against a third-string quarterback! No chance for the opponents! The swagger is back! Right? Right?








The swagger is in the back seat.

Do me a favor. Go ahead and write off Saturday's win over McNeese State. Stop worrying about it. Stop fretting over it. Stop blasting the running game, the offensive line, the defensive line, Greg Little and Hakeem Nicks.

Last night was just plain weird. It was bizarre. There was a near two-hour delay of the game, just three minutes in to the second quarter. There was lightning striking the PA booth. There was an evacuation of the stadium. There was falling concrete. There was a game ball parachuted in to the wrong stadium.

Yes, both teams had to deal with the delay, and McNeese State handled it well. They went into the visitors' locker room, said, "Hell, we're down two touchdowns. What do we have to lose?" and played with some fire to storm to the lead. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels went back to the locker room, listened to their iPods and treated the delay like it was pre-game. And came out flat.

So just write this one off. Before a Thursday night game at Rutgers, the Heels have 12 days to fix some issues. And they'd better.

Football:

Kenan Stadium plan moves ahead

The University of North Carolina's Board of Trustees approved the
design for a first phase of plans to substantially expand the Tar
Heels' football stadium.

This is good news. A commitment to expand and improve Kenan Stadium is a commitment to make the football program a serious contender.

Countdown to Kickoff #36: North Carolina

If the Tar Heels can improve upon
their 96th-ranked turnover margin and win half of the close games they
lost last season, seven wins and North Carolina's first bowl since 2004
is likely.

Basketball

Tar Heels know pressure will be on to win title

After an uncertain offseason that ended with an unlikely outcome by
today's standards, the Tar Heels are left with an inescapable fact:
They are the clear preseason favorite to win the national title that
has eluded Hansbrough in his first three years.

Baseball

Forbes promoted to Associate Head Coach



Following a stint in Chapel Hill as an assistant from 1999-2002, Forbes
has served as the Tar Heels' pitching coach for the last three seasons
and has helped guide Carolina to three straight College World Series
appearances.

Hey Gang -
I set the next HeelsBlog podcast for today, but I'm pushing it back to Tuesday, so we can have a more complete show for you. We'll have recaps from the men's game against BC and at Florida State, and talk about the women's games at home against Maryland, at Wake Forest, and Monday night's game at Duke. Plus, we'll preview football signing day, which is Wednesday. And, we'll have a special guest. So thanks for your patience.

Nice win over Boston College last night. Ty Lawson's line for the last two games is amazing - 20 assists and one turnover. Deon Thompson played perhaps his best game as a Tar Heel, and Tyler Hansbrough was Tyler Hansbrough.

Will the team look past Florida State on Sunday? I don't think so. They might have if they had not lost to Maryland, but I think that game woke the team up. Toney Douglas will be tough to guard, but the guys can get it done.

North Carolina's football team is 1-4 right now. One win at the beginning of the season, and four straight losses since, with five and six staring them in the face as Miami and South Carolina come to Kenan. But three of those losses have been by a combined 12 points (with 7 of those being at Virginia Tech). North Carolina was 1-4 at this point last season, but the feeling is incredibly different.

In talking to players, coaches and football staff, it becomes apparent that the tide of this program is turning. We aren't yet seeing the results on the scoreboard, but look closely at this football team. They're hitting harder. They're making plays. They're building a program.

Certainly it's not all there yet. Certainly there are pieces that aren't yet in place. But North Carolina football under Butch Davis is turning around, and it is an exciting time to watch this football program.

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Carolina lost to East Carolina on Saturday. That much is certainly true. It was a heartbreaking, last-second defeat to the Pirates with plenty of missed opportunities that could have changed the outcome. I'm sure it was disappointing to the players, coaches and fans.

I fall into that third category: fans. And as a fan, there's something I've realized over the past few years: I can't do anything about what happens on the field. I don't have anything to do with it. I can get excited and cheer, get sad and discouraged, but ultimately, nothing I do will make a difference. Sure, there are times when the crowd can motivate (or de-motivate) a team, but really it's up to them to perform.

With this in mind, I've sort of taken a new approach to athletics, particularly wins and losses. I have made it my mission to enjoy the journey and not place so much value on the result. If my team loses a game, I used to forget about the beautiful plays that made me so excited in the course of a contest. Now, I try to appreciate the way I felt watching those plays, even after the score is decided.

So, while I still feel disappointment in losing, I recognize that nothing I could have done would have changed the outcome. I appreciate the opportunity to witness terrific athletic performances that, while they may not have resulted in a win, brought me such great joy in the moment.

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Thursday, TarHeelBlue ran a story of mine on the defensive line. Check it out. Also, don't forget to keep checking this page for my podcasts. Recent interviews include Johnny White, Durell Mapp, Hakeem Nicks and Greg Little. It seems like there is a lot of buzz around this program. The players appear to be excited, the coaches are passionate, and the fans suspect something's up in Chapel Hill. It's a great time to be a Tar Heel.

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Hey folks. Long time.

This fall, I am working an internship with TarHeelBlue.Com and Tar Heel Monthly magazine, so I've been quite busy. What I'll continue to do here is provide some analysis and also links to my work over there.

Since Friday, I've interviewed Zack Pianalto, Mike Paulus, Trimane Goddard, Hilee Taylor and Marvin Austin. Check out these audio interviews at the Training Camp Central section of TarHeelBlue.

I should have some feature stories coming as well as football season progresses. If I do, I'll let you know. In the meantime, Adam Lucas and Lauren Brownlow are doing some great stuff.

There is a lot of excitement around the UNC football program right now, and I'm lucky to be close to the action. Thanks for reading.

Turner