2 weeks Ago
College football, which kicked off last week but begins for me in earnest in about 12 hours, always evokes memories of my uncle, Don Douglas, whose name I was honored with at birth. Uncle Don, in a decision that is easily second-guessed, loved all the athletic programs at the University of North Carolina, but football more than the rest. That includes basketball, which has provided an abundance of celebrations sprinkled over my entire lifetime.
Often, Don and I argued about UNC football, with him telling me during the John Bunting years it was time for a new coach while I urged patience. Don would note that he was “running out of time,” and I had plenty. Time did run out for Uncle Don on June 28, 2022, when an unexpected illness ended his life quickly, just short of 84 years.
As much as I aspired to be like my dad, I am much more in Don’s mold. Don loved golf, and although I am a decent player, Don was one of the state’s top amateurs for decades. He loved a cold beverage, gambling, playing cards, was an exceptional jokester and storyteller, had an army of friends at his beloved Sedgefield Country Club, and was never without a strong opinion.
I check most of those boxes, but in pencil, not magic marker as did Don. Don did not miss a UNC home football game for almost a half century, his wife Marie with him for most, until Hurricane Matthew arrived on Oct. 8, 2016, and good sense prevailed.
Don saw a lot of mediocre and bad football, but I guarantee the joy that began at the tailgate was not vanquished by the scoreboard. Enjoying life was Don’s No. 1 skill, and he was generous in spreading the joy.
With UNC football kicking off against Minnesota tonight, I awakened thinking about Uncle Don and how much I miss him, at halftime huddles at Kenan Stadium but also the phone calls before the kickoff of away games. Expectations for this year’s Tar Heel team are modest, which I do not mind because it shortens the fall and softens the landing. There have been two UNC football seasons since Don left us, and each began with a string of wins, prompting Marie and I to share the sentiment that we wish Don had been with us to enjoy.
But true to UNC football form, both seasons fizzled. Don’s death did spare him what is a new era, not only in college football but all of college sports, which includes paying players and allowing them to jump from school to school without significant penalty. On this, I can speak confidently for Don.
He would have continued to cheer for Carolina blue, but loath the new landscape, yearning for the good ole days when the important name on the jersey was on the front. Sixty-seven years have provided this rolling stone with ample perspective, and I am better than ever at sorting through what really does and does not matter in life. The score of a football game is far down the list.
But I know this as well. The result tonight will shape my mood for better or worse for a bothersome period of time, and I know I am not alone in that club. Fans of other college football teams are club members as well, similarly infected by the results.
I just wish Uncle Don remained an active member of the club. (Friday morning update: Oh, what a beautiful morning ..
. .) Reach Donnie Douglas by email at [email protected] .
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