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Off the cuff: This was a solid but uninspired performance by the Heels. It was good enough but the intensity will have to pick up in order for the Tar Heels to win the tournament. I mentioned in the game story that Hansbrough put in a workmanlike performance but then again, when doesn't he? It's just amazing that he was the leading scorer. Had I not been keeping stats, I would have thought Ellington was the top scorer. A recent column by an African-American sports writer named Mike Freeman lamented all the attention Hansbrough is getting and attributed it to his being white. He asked when was the last time a black player was the face of basketball. Huh? How about every year? In fact, of the 140 first-team All-America players since 1980, 114 of them are black. If a white columnist had minimized the achievements of coaches Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy when they got their teams to the Super Bowl (whether they even mentioned race or not), all hell would have broken loose. Cable talk shows would have been screaming about it. Leftist groups would have been calling for the columnist's job. There would be marches on Washington. Not only is there a double standard but it's sad that for some people with a chip on their shoulder everything comes down to race. Anyone who watches Hansbrough game in and game out, can see that he hustles and aggressively goes to the basket nonstop from start to finish and that is rather amazing and, dare I say, rather unique. Columnists should give the guy his due - even if he isn't their preferred color.
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