UNC Basketball: The 15 Tar Heels opposing fans hated most
Opposing fans hated these 15 members of the UNC basketball program
When you’re among the most prestigious programs in any sport, you’ve got to expect a substantial amount of hate from opposing teams’ fans. Teams that consistently perform at a high level, and stay among the best in their sport, are usually going to draw the ire and disdain that under-performing, bottom-of-the-pack teams never see.
The New York Yankees, for example, are hated as much as they are loved, if not more. The Kansas City Royals, on the other hand, bother practically nobody. And why? Well, the lesser-known, small market Royals have won just one World Series in the past three decades, and two in their entire history dating back to 1969. The Yankees, however, have won seven championships since the Royals joined the league, and 27 in team history. Simply put, fans hate a winner.
The same can be seen across all leagues in all sports, such as the New England Patriots in the NFL, or the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. The same rule applies to college basketball, where programs like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina — the sport’s premier teams that even carry the moniker, “blue blood” — are always going to be hated at least as much as they’re loved.
That hate is often directed in different ways, be it toward a coach or specific players, or even fans hating opposing fan bases. Duke is, hands down, the most popular program in college basketball, but it’s also the most hated. Closely behind the Blue Devils is North Carolina, a program whose name is synonymous with winning. And like all of the aforementioned examples, the Tar Heels have as many haters as they do adoring fans.
Some people hate Roy Williams, a coach that was brought up under the great Dean Smith, and got his first head coaching gig at Kansas, only to move on to an even more prestigious program in North Carolina. And speaking of Smith, the legendary and innovative UNC basketball coach received his fair share of hate during the three-plus decades he spent in Chapel Hill. And most of it was simply because he was so good at what he did, and it drove fans crazy.
Other fans will hate the players of said teams, whether it be for their demonstrative behavior on the court, or simply because they’re a tough competitor. Such is the case with the Tar Heels, as fans have often disliked players donning the Carolina blue and white. And there have been a lot in the 109-year history of the six-time NCAA Tournament-winning program.
Check out the 15 Tar Heels that opposing teams’ fans hated most.