Well, here we are again.

The Tar Heels started another game as flat as last night’s soda, and were once more unable to rebound (figuratively speaking; in the literal sense, Carolina actually out-rebounded the team from Durham, 31-26). Slow starts have been emblematic of this Tar Heel team; even in several of their early-season wins, the squad had to gut out a comeback to secure that positive outcome. In this game, against stiffer competition, they were never able to get back close after briefly knotting the score up at two points apiece. The Internet says that the children yearn for the mines, and it’s an unfortunately familiar sight to see the Heels dig themselves a hole to begin a game. By the time they started digging back up last night, it was far too little and far too late.

This one stings even more, of course, as it means that a bunch of Duke fans are happy, which is almost never a good thing. To lose a game like this—this deep in the season, against a hated rival, in the same fashion as so many previous losses—it’s a bitter pill to swallow. I do a decent amount of writing, both here and in my day job, and I’m struggling to put it into words. At this point, I’m afraid to say I agree with the growing fervor among the enlightened fans online; it may be time for a change.

Coach Davis seems to be a wonderful man, who obviously has a tremendously strong connection to this place and the school he played and coaches for. His depth of feeling is readily evident, and it’s obvious that he truly loves (and is loved by) his players. I have no qualms about the character of our head coach, which is a luxury that I don’t take for granted. All of that being said, however, it doesn’t change my true and deeply held belief that something has to change to fix the situation in Chapel Hill.

To that end, and as much as I hate to say it—I think it’s time for Coach Davis to begin to cuss.

There are certain things that are impossible to convey without the delightful coarseness of your favorite curse word. I was told, growing up, that a foul mouth is an obvious cover for a lacking vocabulary; my mom used to tell me that if I couldn’t find a way to describe something in words besides swear words, I probably didn’t know enough about it to be talking in the first place. For what it’s worth, this has borne out for me; I swear like a sailor in my day-to-day life, and am well-documented here as a cheerful sports ignoramus.

I truly think one well-placed F-bomb from Coach Davis could turn this season around. Imagine if, after months of “friggin’” and “heck,” the head coach of the Tar Heels walked into the locker room at halftime, slowly took off his glasses, and told his team:

“We need to rebound the f****** ball.”

It would go crazy. It would hit like the speech from Independence Day. It would have me, a 5’8” sports blogger a decade removed from any organized sporting activites, ready to get out there and clean up the boards.

It doesn’t even have to mark a permanent change in Coach Davis’ vocabulary. I honestly admire the heck out of him for his unwillingness to employ the type of language that I often use as a conversational crutch. It’s a shining example of a coach who holds himself to a certain standard, and I genuinely do think that’s a lovely thing and sets a great example for the kids he coaches as well as the kids of all ages that watch.

Still, I think one or two perfectly executed swear words would really grab this team’s attention, and it would certainly make for a good story when the bounceback begins.

Consider it, Coach. In the meantime, now as ever, go Heels and go to H*ll, Duke.