SPORTS ADDICT: ‘LIKE COACH, LIKE PLAYER’ – Williams, Hansbrough perfect fits for BABY blue Tar Heels…

SPORTS ADDICT: ‘LIKE COACH, LIKE PLAYER’ – Williams, Hansbrough perfect fits for BABY blue Tar Heels…

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter

 

Talk about a bunch of complainers.

When discussing the University of North Carolina basketball, it’s now a given we are going to be talking about a group of whiners – win or lose.

Unfortunately (at least for this die-hard Duke fan), Carolina has spent quite a bit more time winning than losing lately, having now advanced to the Final Four next weekend in San Antonio, Texas.

What’s sad is the fact that the UNC players’ reactions on the court, i.e. “how to cry to the officials,” were learned from the man at the helm – none other than Roy Williams.

Granted, we are talking about the BABY blue Tar Heels here, and that’s exactly what they are – a bunch of babies.

I wanted to personally slap the crap out of Tyler Hansbrough during his infant tirade when he was whistled for a blatant foul – reaching around the Louisville player in what I can only call “a bear hug.”

What a whiner! Just admit you fouled the guy and shut your mouth!

Look beyond Hansbrough’s monster game – he notched 28 points while grabbing 13 rebounds – this guy spends more time complaining to officials than coach Williams does complaining about nonsense issues he has with Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils.

No matter how you slice it, Hansbrough and top-seeded UNC get almost all the calls – and Tyler is also allowed to foul numerous times defensively before he is ever whistled for his first… and by that time, most of the time, the other team has already been whistled for a handful of fouls.

I understand that star players, and star teams, get the calls when it comes to officials.

For years, people complained that Duke got all the calls. I can guarantee you that is no longer the case – GUARANTEE.

But there also comes a point and time when a player just has to smile and say, “ok, you caught me, I fouled the #%$# out of that guy.”

However, that’s not the case with Tyler, nor is it the case with Roy.

Two awards are already etched in stone for the 2008 NCAA Big Dance – biggest baby coach, and biggest baby player complainer – going to the two in baby blue representing those three resented words in Durham… UNC.

In all honesty, Carolina really ought to consider changing their “mascot” from the Tar Heels to the Female Dogs…

*****

Here’s another thing that peeved me on Saturday while watching Louisville and Carolina battle it out on the hardwood… towards the game’s conclusion, Duke grad Jay Bilas (and before the flood of emails come in, yes – I understand being unbiased and not favoring one team or the other, which Jay does a phenomenal job of doing) made the comment that he has never seen a player with as much will, in addition to skill, as that of Tyler Hansbrough.

Are you freaking kidding me, Jay?

You wore D-U-K-E across your chest, you played under the greatest coach of all-time and the college player with the biggest heart, and will, to EVER play the game went to YOUR college – a guy by the name of J.J. Redick.

As a Duke fan for life, as well as an advocate for “Coach K for President,” this time of year – in this type of setting – a UNC loss tastes nearly as sweet as the Blue Devils cutting down the nets.

I’m hoping, and praying, the Heels taste the bittersweet reality of defeat next weekend when they visit the Lone Star State on their road for San Antone.

Louisville and Rick Pitino nearly tripped up UNC and Roy Williams on Saturday night, and it’s only a matter of time before we see the baby blue Heels crying it out on the hardwood come next weekend at the Alamo Dome.

At least, I hope…

 

 

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com