University of North Carolina’s men’s basketball coach Roy Williams thought it was important to teach his charges the true meaning of class during Saturday’s rout of Presbyterian College. Sure the final score was 103-64 but that doesn’t mean life-and-death don’t hang on every play. So, late in the second half, with the game already well in hand, two police officers conferred with Williams before climbing through the stands about 20 rows up from the UNC bench and removed a fan (video of it HERE).
The man, who was wearing a shirt with the Presbyterian College logo had drawn the ire of Williams after heckling UNC’s Deon Thompson while he was shooting foul shots with 6:45 remaining in the game.
“Hey Deon, miss it,” the man screamed.
The words had great affect; Thompson sank both shots. Williams though was too offended by this action and off went the gendarmes (ultimately three police were required to take the incredulous offending fan out of Smith Arena.)
“When an idiot runs out on the field, they don’t show the idiot running out on the field because it just gives them more publicity,” Williams said following the game. “I don’t think anybody should yell anything negative at our players. Period.
“Let’s don’t make it a bigger thing than it is. But I just don’t think anybody should yell negative things toward our players (when) you come in on our tickets to watch our game.”
Yeah, because running on the field and possibly endangering the players is EXACTLY the same as heckling from 20 rows up during a foul shot. Also, I’m sure the UNC crowd was silent and respectful during any of the Presbyterian players’ foul shots.
A North Carolina spokesman Steve Kirschner later said police “believed” the fan in question to be drunk and he had been asked to move because he was not in his ticketed seat. Riiiiiiiiiiigggggghhhhhhhhttttttttt. If you believe that than probably think college basketball is interesting and good basketball.
It’s a good thing they removed that fan though because clearly he was demoralizing the UNC players, I mean, had he not been in the stands, UNC might have won by more than a measly 39 points. The players ought to be ashamed of themselves for getting so down from a little heckling from the stands. Especially from a fan of a college that has NO business ever playing sports against a powerhouse like UNC, that’s like the Celtics scheduling a game against a Charlestown high school
Or it could just be that Roy Williams, for this one moment at least, was a giant douche-fascist of the highest level. Either way.
The Slanch Report 
College basketball is marginally more interesting than the NBA, but it is certainly better basketball and lightyears more competitive.
Since 1980, 30 different teams have competed in the NCAA championship game, with 20 different schools taking home the title, with UNC’s 4 titles taking the lead.
In that same time period, 18 NBA teams have competed for the title….with only 8 different champions. All but 7 NBA titles in the last 30 years have been won by the same 4 teams.
So yes: if you’re a fan of the Lakers, Celtics, Pistons, or Spurs, and actual competition with a chance of a non-overwhelming favorite winning a championship, EVER, doesn’t matter to you, then yes, the NBA is awesome.