GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s time for ‘My 2 Cents.’
March Madness is back and I am excited. I grew up as a Carolina fan – my dad went to school there and I didn’t have a choice. I’m certainly not mad about it. I was wearing UNC gear before I could even say, 'Go Heels.'
Because basketball is synonymous with Carolina, I’ve always favored the sport more than others. Meaning March is always one of my favorite times of the year.
I remember my dad waking my sister and me up at the end of the 2005 National Championship game so we could watch the Heels win it all. How happy I was going to school the day after the 2009 win rocking my Carolina blue.
So when I got to cheer for the Tar Heels in person, on the court, in the NCAA tournament… wow.
My senior year was 2016 – when the team made it the National Championship in Houston. The entire game felt like I was having an out of body experience. I was just trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was cheering for the Tar Heels, in a National Championship game and it was the last time I’d cheer in my life.
Of course, we don’t talk about the last four seconds of that game.
The next year – WFMY News 2 sent me to Phoenix to cover the Heels redemption.
So today I was reflecting since the tournament is starting and realized some of my life’s greatest memories are linked to college hoops. It’s a sport I never played, but one I love to watch especially when the stakes are high.
I can’t wait for brackets to be busted, to see underdogs upset top seeds, to watch confetti fall from the rafters after the championship, and, of course, to watch the Heels no matter how far they go. I’m also thrilled to say – this tournament is making life feel like it’s getting back to normal again.