Jason's Midwestern Plight

Recently, my life has encountered quite a few changes. I left the comforts of sunny Florida for the white blanket of Madison, Wisconsin. I had to give up my dog, look for a job, and moved to a place that I didn't know existed. The reasons aren't important, and my life is the epitome of a country song at the moment, but I'm not complaining. And though my life has been through the wringer over the past few months, one issue seems to outweigh the rest.


I have had to watch about 50% of Carolina's ACC games on my computer. You might not think this is an issue, but let me tell you, watching a game on a 50" HDTV is quite the treat compared to spotty internet coverage on a 13" screen. I don't have the scratch to get ESPN Full Court at the moment, and Madison is football country, so not many bars pony up to get the package. So, I'm left with grainy footage that can't keep up with Kendall Marshall's full-court passes or Dexter Strickland in transition. I have tried the obligatory "hook the computer up to the TV" trick, but my wireless provider apparently has the broadband capacity of the UNC campus, circa 2001 (if you were in school there at the time, you'll get the joke), and I couldn't make out any of the players.


But, even though I have to watch games in this manner, I wouldn't miss a game for anything. You could broadcast a game up the dress of Susan Boyle, and I couldn't turn away. And, moving away from ACC country has helped further stoke my obsession for Carolina sports.


Picture this: A young man is standing at the Stadium Bar in Madison, killing a few hours with friends before the UW v. Northwestern game that would guarantee the Badgers a Rose Bowl birth. Everyone is making plans to get out to Pasadena, but this young man is asking the bartender to change one of the 6,000 televisions to the Carolina-Duke football game. Imagine the looks of bewilderment that I got, partly because these people have no idea that the ACC even plays football. But, I finally got the game on, though it was about 50 feet from my group. "Sorry friends, must watch game." Talk about being an outsider.


So, even though my comfort levels in watching Carolina sports have been challenged, I can never lose my fanhood for the university that I love. I have even turned down tickets to tOSU v. UW on Saturday, probably the biggest game of the season in the Big 10. What for? It tips one hour after Carolina-Clemson, which isn't on local TV. Crazy? Maybe. Loyal? You bet your ass.  


I love you Carolina, regardless of my viewing conditions.