Roy Williams loses his cool, has heckling fan ejected
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It appears North Carolina Coach Roy Williams isn’t a big fan of college basketball anymore.
Well, let’s just look at the evidence: During the Tar Heels’ blowout victory Saturday, Williams instructed security personnel at the Dean Dome to kick out a rowdy Presbyterian fan who was heckling one of his players.
Check out the video:
The fan was sitting near the Tar Heels’ bench and reportedly yelled to North Carolina’s Deon Thompson, ‘Hey Deon, don’t miss it,’ as Thompson made a free throw. Williams then exchanged some words with the fan and had him ejected.
‘I don’t think anybody should yell anything negative at our players. Period. ... Don’t make it a bigger thing than it is.’
That’s good advice, coach. Maybe you should listen to it.
By making a scene over a fan who was doing what fans do at college basketball games, Williams went a little overboard. This can’t be the first time a fan has heckled one of his players, so I’m guessing something else was bugging Williams for him to have the guy tossed out.
But heckling fans are a part of the college basketball environment. Without them, college basketball wouldn’t be the same. And the players have to become numb to the taunting and bad sportsmanship from the bleachers if they’re going to be successful.
Perhaps I’m just as guilty of making a bigger deal out of this than it is. I’m sure Williams won’t be pointing out fans for removal when Duke visits Chapel Hill in February.
-- Austin Knoblauch
