We didn't see this one coming: to judge by he calls to 850TheBuzz Tuesday morning, UNC fans are outraged - outraged! that Roy Williams wore a Kansas sticker on his faux turtleneck as KU won the title Monday night.In case you missed it, there was a nice Jayhawk peeking out from under Ol' Roy's lapel. As he has made clear over the years, he loves both UNC and Kansas, listing them as his first and second favorite teams, depending on who is paying him.
It's kind of silly if you ask us, but it's fun, too. UNC fans have been dismissive of KU folk who felt jilted, saying that they had Roy now, and Kansas people should get over it. To hear Adam Gold's callers, though, apparently the Jayhawk is a bigger sin than the humiiiating loss (particularly in light of the humiliating loss to the same Kansas team).
This is not going to go over well with the Chapel Hill Jefe. Williams has repeatedly made it clear that he feels wounded by the reaction Kansas fans had to his departure (read: traitor!), and has tried to worm his way back into their good graces ever sense. On the one hand, caring about what people think - that's nice. But on the other, UNC fans have a point, albeit it perhaps a small one they would beo beter to keep under their baby blue hats: you're not in Kansas anymore, Roy, and as several callers argued, it is perhaps incumbent upon him to promote UNC.
There would have been an easier solution for Williams, and, as is so often the case, Duke got there first.
When UNC was playing for the title in 1993, following Duke's back-to-back performance, Coach K was seen in the crowd with a UNC-tinted mini pom-pom. It was a small gesture, but a generous show of support for a rival (incidentally, we don't recall seeing one a red one in 2002, perhaps underscoring the fact that the team we love to hate doesn't wear red).
It would have been enough.
Does Williams need the approval of the Kansas camp that much? Is he emotionally needy? Hard to answer, but he should get some points, we think, for reaching out. We've never bought the cornpone shuffle and smile routine. For one, he's not some simpleton who's just happy to be here. He's a smart, driven man with a larger than normal ego. He's not some dadgum bumpkin no mater what he wants you to think.
For UNC fans who are getting up in arms about this, here's a thought: suppose Bill Self gets lured away by the millions Oklahoma State will wave under his nose. Who's the natural candidate? Who showed up with the Jayhawk? Maybe it's not the best time to attack your coach.