Separated at Birth?

"I must break you."

"You cut him! He's not a machine! He's a man!" -- Duke

Seriously, I'm glad Tyler Hansbrough's not hurt. It was an ugly way to end a game. I don't think Gerald Henderson's ejection was unreasonable, but I disagree with the referee's decision -- in the heat of the moment, in front of a rabid crowd -- to call the contact a "combative, fighting" gesture, which resulted in a one-game suspension. I guess those refs didn't get the memo that Duke gets all the calls, right? Still, I think reasonable people could differ, and the Hendo Suspendo doesn't strike me as the most grievous injustice known to man. Of course, try talking that sense to the Carolina fans, who are quite a lather. A large plurality of voters in a Charlotte Observer poll (a very pro-UNC paper) think the blow was "as flagrant a foul as you can get," which is just dumb. I saw a thread on a Tar Heel message board urging Hansbrough to press assault charges, which is even dumber. I'll be interested to see what Gerald Henderson's best friend, UNC freshman Wayne Ellington, has to say about the matter.

The bottom line: It was a hard, even flagrant, foul, and a one-game suspension is enough of a penalty, and even that may be too severe. So everyone should just move on. Alas, that'll never happen. I'm sure I'll have more to say about it in my ACC tournament preview, coming later this week.