​Waves of heat roll off expansive concrete, bending the heavy summer air back onto itself and pooling in low-lying places like water. Summer has arrived in a hurry, slamming the athletic season shut and firing up the grill for this holiday weekend, inviting us to seek refreshment by the pool, at the beach, or in an air-conditioned living room, settled in front of a professional baseball game or a World Cup match. Two months loom toward the heat-warped horizon, ahead of which lies the promise (or threat) of another school year and all the sports seasons that come with it. Coach Belichick’s football squad will hit the field in Ireland in almost eight weeks—whether for better or worse. The fall season feels like a long, hot wait, and it’s often even longer; thanks to the Diamond Heels’ short-lived Omaha detour, we’re treated to one of the shortest offseasons in the country. Yet that brief downtime comes with the bitter taste of coming so close to bringing home a championship for Chapel Hill, and the dog days of summer spare no one from thinking about what might have been. It’s a protracted stretch, made even more uncomfortable by the memory of the Tar Heels’ near-miss at glory, but dwelling on the past isn’t productive, and the heat makes it hard to get worked up anyway. Looking ahead serves us better, with cooler dreams of a revamped Tar Heel squad in an air-conditioned Smith Center, or a frosty outlook for this year’s football team. Even days that push triple digits gradually fade from the calendar, nudging us closer to the return of college sports. Practice won’t stay on pause for long; even though June has just melted away, July leaves August simmering just beneath the boil, and by the time August burns off, we’ll be deep into the season swing and headed toward winter sports. The rhythm of life in a college town continues, heat dome or not. If you’ve read this far, grab a drink of water—hot weather makes you lose fluids faster than you’d expect. And if you need an extra lift, there’s always Seth Trimble’s ice-cold game-winning shot from last season to replay. Forget dwelling on the past; it still gives me chills, no matter the weather. Whatever it takes to beat the team from Durham; whatever it takes to beat the heat. Even at a hundred degrees, it’s still a great day to be a Tar Heel. Stay cool out there.