North Carolina 89, Michigan State 72.....

From a fan...

It’s a long season, November through March. Over five months of preparation, hype, expectation and often disappointment culminate game after game, complete with skyrocketing highs and debilitating lows. It’s easy for us. You lose and we go home and yeah, we’re disappointed…but after a few hours or a good night’s sleep it doesn’t seem so important. We lick our wounds and shrug our shoulders, but ultimately we’re no worse for the wear. You have to relive it, over and over again. You head into the locker room and listen to the coaches, see your record change, watch it on SportsCenter, in the paper, in practice, on film—hours upon hours of watching and wondering what you could have done better, how YOU could have made things turn out differently. And sometimes, you deserve it. But sometimes you just don’t. Sometimes, you play with all you have and your shot just won’t fall. Sometimes, even when you’ve made 99 free throws before, the 100^th won’t go through. It can’t be easy. There must have been times when you didn’t feel like playing—times when the last thing you wanted to do was step onto that court and face your opponent. But you did it anyway.

Above all else, realize that we, your fans, are still with you. Win or lose, we respect your effort. After getting knocked down time and time again, you came out and gave it your all. We’ve seen you crumble with injury and fight to get back up. We’ve watched you fly. And there have been times when we have cried with you—our hearts have broken when things just don’t go your way and you take the blame. Times when we feel pain and sadness not for our own dignity or pride, but for yours. Times when we wish we could be your wings, be more than just a face in the crowd and somehow will you with all our strength to keep going. We stay because we know deep in our hearts that you are a champion. Regardless of your record, we believe in your magic. We believe that you will get there. Keep fighting. Keep trying. Keep putting your heart on the line each time you play. Let that fire and that hunger consume your thoughts. Let it make you better. We will still be here. We always will be. Thank you for making us proud to wear the green and white.