I got this in my inbox today from the venerable Dean Smith. Of Dean Dome fame. As a Wahoo, my relationship with the Tar Heels has always been a contentious one. All that Carolina Blue on Franklin Street is blinding, and I don't find that particular shade of blue to be all that appealing or flattering.
Today I have changed my mind. Today I am officially adopting the University of North Carolina Tar Heels as my local team. I should have listened to my friend Will all along.
Here is what came to my inbox this morning:
There is a point in every contest when sitting on the sidelines is not an option. That is why Linnea and I are writing to urge you to join Barack Obama's campaign for President.
There are pivotal moments in history when the right decision by a nation can change its course for the better -- opening up new paths before us and providing future generations with opportunities that we had not thought possible. This coming election provides one of those moments. Linnea and I believe Barack Obama is the right leader at this critical juncture. I have written that when coaching a team, you must be prepared to make changes to meet new challenges and obstacles. We must be prepared to do the same as a nation. Now, it is the United States that needs a change in direction... and a change in leadership.
Join Barack Obama today by volunteering in your corner of North Carolina.
Linnea and I respect all that Senator McCain has done for our country. However, we feel strongly that it is Barack Obama who offers the real leadership our nation needs to tap its potential as a land of opportunity -- even as we face difficult times at home and abroad. Senator Obama is a patriotic American, a committed Christian, a good family man, and a man who shares the bedrock values that most North Carolinians have in common: fairness, hard work, respect for others, and personal responsibility. And he has the vision and judgment to help us push through this period of uncertainty to a time of greater economic stability and greater security from threats abroad.
If you believe America needs to set a new course, then the time to join us is now. If you are already an Obama supporter, please step up to help our campaign. There are only about three weeks left before Election Day, and if we are going to move away from the failed policies of the past, then we need your help now.
So we encourage you to get out there and get involved -- talk to your neighbors and sign up to volunteer today.
Get involved now:
http://nc.barackobama.com/jointhesmiths
And pass this email along to those you think might be interested. This election is too important to stand on the sidelines and watch history pass us by.
Thank you,
Coach Dean Smith and Linnea Smith
Chapel Hill, NC
This letter was wonderful in its simplicity and earnest tone. I give the Smiths credit for putting their name, their brand, on the line to support Obama publicly. It speaks volumes about their character.
To all those couch potatoes and arm chair athletes out there who don't think their vote counts, heed Dean Smith's call to action. It is indeed too important to stand on the sidelines. It is a rare chance that we get to get in the game and make history. It is a duty. A right. A gift.
5 comments:
I am proud to be a Tarheel. Go Heels and go Barack!
Wow that got me misty. I love my homestate.
I'm grumbling about how that letter is well written, well thought out, and the perfect combination of earnestness and hope. It's a great letter.
Why am I grumbling? Because I'm a Jayhawk fan, and Roy Williams left us for the Tar Heels after promising to be "retired or fired" from KU. Not that it's North Carolina's fault he turned tail and abandoned us, but I can't help it. I felt betrayed.
However, all joking aside, I think this is an awesome letter, and you're right that it's a big step for the coach and his wife to put their names to it in such a way as to risk some peoples' ire. It helps that I agree with everything they said about Obama.
Glad to see we could recruit another Tar Heel fan!
Dean Smith has always stood up for what he believed. He recruited Charlie Scott, who would become the University's first African American scholarship athlete. He was such an avid Dem for NC that I believe they tried to get him to run against Jesse Helms at one point.
Great coach and an interesting man.
This was the most straightforward and well written letter about getting involved with something that I have seen in a long time. I've been encouraging everyone I know to get out and vote. Everyone counts even if you live in a conservative state such as mine. I get chills when Barack speaks. I remember seeing him speak at the DNC four years ago during Kerry's turn. I stopped folding clothes and just stared at him with my jaw open. My husband said, "Kerry's just not going to do it. That guy, that guy right there (pointing at Barack) will be a great leader someday." I'm both stunned and overwhelmed with excitement that he might be leader. Someday. And soon. :) Obama 08!
wow. this letter is amazing. thank you so much for sharing it with all the yankees out there. it's so exciting and dare i say hopeful to know that people are willing to go out on a limb like this, particularly in an area where it may not be popular to do so.
go dean smith. the east coast latte drinking hybrid driving blue staters got your back.
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