Chansky’s Notebook: Reclamation Problems

The Victory Bell transfer needs some rules, don’t you think?

The last two times Carolina took back the Victory Bell from Duke, it didn’t happen without incident. Much to the chagrin of UNC coaches and athletic brass who have to pay for it, sometimes literally.

Duke has won back the bell so infrequently that the worst I remember is when the Blue Devils didn’t actually claim it. In 2007, they had a short field goal to break a tie at the end of regulation.

The kick looked so good as it flew toward the goalposts that some Dukie players began running across the field toward the Bell on the UNC sideline. Something caused the ball to suddenly hook left, and it sailed just outside the upright. Duke could have been cited for too many men on the field, which wouldn’t have helped, as those bell boys turned around. The Tar Heels won in overtime.

How are we feeling this morning, Tar Heel fans? pic.twitter.com/F9EQKHLETs

— WCHL & Chapelboro (@WCHLChapelboro) October 27, 2019

In 2014, after narrow losses to Duke the prior two years, Carolina blew out the Blue Devils at Wade Stadium. The game was all but over at the half, so the players had plenty of time to plan how they would fetch the Bell. Basically, that meant getting those cans of light blue spray paint out of the duffel bag.

You remember what happened. Larry Fedora’s guys painted more than the Bell, like half of the visiting locker room, Carolina blue. Fedora and Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham apologized and each wrote a personal check for five figures to clean up the mess. The culprits paid for it another way at practice.

So wonder what Mack Brown will do to offensive lineman Jordan Tucker, who was caught on camera phones taunting Duke fans as he joined the stampede to the opposite sideline Saturday to reclaim the Bell. Tucker also caught the wrath of Duke coach David Cutcliffe who had in the last three minutes of the game had gone through the three stages of a close defeat. “Darn, we’re gonna lose. Hey, we’re gonna win. Damn, we just lost — what happened?”

Cutcliffe actually shoved Tucker toward the field and said later he was just trying to get everyone back where they belonged. It will be interesting to see this week who apologizes to whom.

Maybe we should have a formal ceremony at midfield, just after the blue blood rivals have spent the last three and a half hours trying to kill each other. Have both teams come out, shake hands and the loser hands over the Bell. Or maybe a  game of paintball?