The Library Corner: Maybe I should relive some past basketball glories
A good friend living in New York City routinely forgets whether I live in North or South Carolina. It wasn't until recently that I came up with a concept that he, as a sports fan, could use to stop confusing the two states.
Next time, I'll just say that I'm from the one that's known for college basketball.
Duke vs. UNC. The "Cardiac Pack" and the 1983 national championship. That's all North Carolina. College basketball is a passion here and the season reaches a crescendo in March with the ACC and NCAA basketball tournaments.
Although I'm an avid reader, March is the one month where I feel like I'm hiding a deep, dark secret as a librarian - instead of reading, I'm watching television. More specifically, I'm watching basketball on television, game after game, hour after hour.
This year, however, I might not want to get rid of those books quite yet. This season has been more than a little painful because my team is struggling mightily. I don't hide my allegiances; I'm a Tar Heel fan, and this has been a season to forget. Instead of watching the tournaments and being reminded of what should have been for my team, I may simply take refuge in some of the many basketball-related books we have in the library.
A good place to start for Tar Heel or Blue Devil fans is "Blue Blood: Duke-Carolina: Inside the Most Storied Rivalry in College Hoops.'' This engaging and readable chronicle will appeal to fans of either school.
A little (well, a lot) more partisan coverage can be found in "To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever: A Thoroughly Obsessive, Intermittently Uplifting, and Occasionally Unbiased Account of the Duke-North Carolina Basketball Rivalry.'' The distorted, rat-like depiction of Mike Krzyzewski on the book's cover lets you know author Will Blythe's allegiance in this rivalry. For the nonsports fan, this may be the most appealing book of the bunch. Blythe's story is full of both humor and grace, and it is as much about his own family (specifically the relationship between Blythe and his father) as it is about basketball.
Finally, no mention of books related to college basketball is complete without John Feinstein. Several of his books, including "Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four'' and "The Last Amateurs,'' combine to capture the spirit of college basketball. While "Last Dance'' captures the drama of perennial powerhouse teams playing for national championships, "The Last Amateurs'' focuses on smaller schools, including Army and Navy.
This book covers the Patriot League, a conference with high academic standards that is largely bereft of players focused on professional basketball careers alone. Both of these books depict the passion of players and fans alike. They both justify why I like college basketball as much as I do.
You can find these materials and more at the Hope Mills Branch Library, 3411 Golfview Road. For more information about the library, visit www.cumberland.lib.nc.us or call 425-8455.
Nathan Whitt is a librarian at Hope Mills Branch Library.