>>>>>What about "The U"? Michael Irvin needs a good smacking around, and then he needs to be thrown back in prison. At least OSU can say that they've had significant accomplishments in the last 5-10 years.
>>>>>
>>>>>>If there is some legal reason the official name needs the word "The" at the beginning, that's one thing. What I was talking about was ex-Buckeyes introducing themselves on football telecasts as alums of "THE Ohio State University", with the emphasis on the first word. It just sounds pompous. Especially considering OSU (sorry, TOSU) has probably the lightest academic reputation in the Big Ten.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Okay - How did the tar heals get their name?
>>>
>>>I'm guessing something tobacco-ey.
>>
>>Nope:
>>
>>http://www.collegefootballhistory.com/tar_heels/history.htm
>>
>>The team took it from the state, but the origin of the term tar heels for the state of North Carolina is not really known.
>>
>>and more here:
>>
>>http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/nc/SYMBOLS/SYMBOLS.HTM
>
>Not looking at the links, but going on memory, I believe from my school years, from History, it came like this....
>
>The British, in fighting in North Carolina, during the Revolutionary War, were so impressed with the North Carolina colonists resistance to run in the face of overwhelming odds (when fighting the British), that they said the NC colonists stuck to the ground like they had pine tar on their feet.... hence the "tar heels" for putting up a good fight!

Hey, I was close! The links show it was the Civil War... only 100 years off!!