An Open Letter

Inauguration post coming soon, promise. In the meantime, a brief open letter.

Dear practically every sports announcer in the country:

Hi, how are you? Sleep well? Enjoy your free dinner*?

I just wanted to write this quick note to let you all know that it is pronounced Hans-BRO, not Hans-BORO. No, really, it is that simple.

And while Tyler is such a good guy that he is probably just happy ya'll are saying his name at all, I'm not such a nice girl. As someone with an alarmingly easy last name that is routinely murdered, I get very defensive at what some may perceive as a cavalier attitude toward vowels and basic reading comprehension.

So please, just take that extra half second as you discuss last year's across-the-board National Player of the Year. Think twice about adding that extra syllable as you announce the name of the all-time leading scorer for one of the country's greatest college basketball powerhouses. You know, that same powerhouse where his jersey will soon hang in the rafters, reading HANSBROUGH, NOT HANSBOROUGH.

I write this to you not only as a fan of proper speech, but also, not surprisingly, as a devoted Tar Heel who has been listening to ya'll get it wrong for four years. "Tar Heel Dead" isn't just how we refer to ourselves in the afterlife; it's also what we can do to you if you repeatedly piss us off. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Vitale.)

Have a nice day!

Sincerely,
Carolina Girl '06

P.S. - Just in case you were worried, there's a lot of other stuff ya'll do that angers me, but we won tonite, so I'm in a good mood.

*According to my reporting professor in journalism school: "There's no such thing as a free dinner in journalism. Unless you are a sports reporter."