"Old Macky Is Back In Town"

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear

And it shows them pearly white

Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe

And he keeps it, ah, out of sight

You know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows start to spread

Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe

So there's never, never a trace of red

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh

Lies a body just oozin' life, eek

And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner

Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river don'tcha know

Where a cement bag's just a-drooppin' on down

Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear

Five'll get ya ten, old Macky's back in town

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry

Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

Yes, that line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky's back in town

Look out, old Macky's back

Now that, perhaps, memories of Bobby Darin, or a lanky villain with a shiny blade in a theatre classic have meandered toward the present, and while the band packs up to head to another gig: the college football question of the week, if not all of autumn, for UNC fans:  how will Mack Brown, his staff, and his team fare this season?

For me, it's difficult to have a "reasonable" prediction without the decades of turmoil-disappointment-frustration factor.

I expect one abysmal skull drugging: Clemson.

Mercer looms as the sure thing. She's going to spend the night.

The rest?  A variety of teases and squeezes, some that might even as Tom Petty would say, "Breakdown. Go ahead and give it to me."

Reality screams have you not paid attention?

Well, I have. 

Last season had as much to do with fitness and confidence in the fourth quarter as it did with our players being overmatched. An agonizing, predictable fade in the fourth quarter that led all observers to see the writing before the wall was up, With Ellliott we knew there would be no miracle drive, and that the defense would fall apart, try as it might — to its credit, effort was never the issue. Fatigue, fear and fate formed a season-long caucus that ran the show for UNC when it counted.

Even the one instance Elliott delivered with the perfect pass in the final period against Virginia Tech, a fumble in the end zone turned an upset into another devastating, mind-numbing defeat.

Failure and success: "It's a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning," as Jimmy Buffett once remarked.

Based on nothing but what Mack and his staff accomplished elsewhere before coming to UNC, the recruiting the past few months, the changes with fitness, how camp was run and there were no injuries, even how the QB sweepstakes was handled — realists might say quickly that Mack was likely to go with the horse that he brought. Perhaps  — But using only what the staff has done, it is difficult to not succumb to hope for a surprise or two as in games won. 

It's a funny thing about confidence. You can't buy it. You can lose it much easier than find it. But should that surprise victory come early ...who knows. As Chi Chi Rodriquez once admitted, "The more I practice, the luckier I get." Confidence can be a tool, particularly confidence that evolved and eventually became deserved. Doubt is the biggest enemy at this point. 

That, and reality.

Howell certainly has potential. Perhaps the team does, too. 

A good news snippet materialized yesterday with the NCAA's decision (finally) to declare the Auburn transfer eligible to play this season.

Optics has become one of those buzz words that is already flirting with cliche (as is unpack), but what does UNC need to keep going forward and not meander or step back?

1. Have to compete every game for 60 minutes. That's a given.

2.Other than Clemson, keep the hope of victory alive as long as time permits. Perhaps even grabbing one or two of those nail trimmers that Fed could never win.

3. That even the most cynical observers admit the team made substantial progress during the season. For me that's Optics 101. The team has to be perceived as evolving upward.

My cousin played for Jim Hickey. My habit has been to anticipate each game with a win as the goal, and during that game, to maintain that hope until reality demands a shift in view. That won't change.

I am excited for Saturday. So much unknown. And, for me, perhaps too much hope/expectation.

But as of today, Mack and Company are undefeated. 

Oh, to have that be true when dawn smiles Sunday.

One can almost hear ....

Look out, old Macky's back.