From a random ESPN piece.
“Tar Heels fans don’t seem to think Williams lives up to Smith’s standard, but the only thing Smith had that Williams doesn’t have is blind luck. Smith’s two titles were clinched when someone on the opposition inexplicably passed to the wrong team (Fred Brown for Georgetown, 1982) and inexplicably called a timeout when he had none left (Chris Webber for Michigan, 1993). If those things don’t happen, Smith isn’t half the legend he is today, and yet he had no control over those events whatsoever.” – MATT MEYERS, CONTRIBUTOR TO ESPN THE MAGAZINE
This guy has obvsiouly spent way too much time with deranged ABCers. Blind luck? Michael Jordan hitting a shot with 17 seconds left was blind luck? UNC being ahead against Georgetown at the time of Brown’s mistake was blind luck? Really? Was it blind luck that the referees refused to call a travel on Chris Webber a few seconds before the ill-fated timeout? Was it blind luck that Chris Webber dribbled into a corner with two of the Heels’ best defenders trapping him and three fouls to give? Holy mackerel is this guy dumb or a master of writing crap for shock value. ESPN should really consider not publishing poppycock that sounds like it came from some late night, drunken screed written by the worst elements at Pack Pride.
Or to put it another way:
Mr. Meyers, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
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That’s sports journalism for you. This guy obviously must be too young to have remembered those games, and only saw a brief clip which shows those incidences, and that is it. You could not have drawn that conclusion any other way except either that, or you hate UNC enough to risk your journalism career. There is absolutely no way he has seen those games. We would have won in spite of that timeout in 93
This guy is a nut and an idiot. I wish I didn’t have to see this on a respectable blog, although I know you disagree with it.
“Okay, a simple ‘wrong’ would’ve done just fine.”
Seriously, I think journalistic integrity in sports is heading in the same direction as journalistic integrity in politics (i.e., there is none).
I guess this guy doesn’t watch ESPN programming. The Five Reasons You Can’t Blame series dealt thoroughly with the Chris Webber time-out issue.
This kind of stuff happens all the time in sports. Because of a cheap touchdown at the end, a one-sided game ends up being remembered as closer than it was, etc.
Points were coming so easily in that 63-62 game, so of course, Georgetown would have scored, not! Anyone who watched that game remembers just how hard both teams had to struggle for every single solitary point. A three point lead in that game seemed like a healthy margin when UNC was ahead 61-58. I think people forget that Worthy missed the free throws and think that he intercepted the ball and made the winning points, after being down 62-61, instead of Jordan.
You will hear people to this day, say that but for a bad travel call, Villanova would have beaten UNC in 2005 but when you watch the game again, you realize that wasn’t the case at all. Villanova hit a somewhat meaningless three pointer with a few seconds left before Carolina ran out the clock and otherwise, Carolina wins that game by four points. The disputed call, at best would cut the score to a one point deficit with UNC holding the ball with a few seconds to play.
I take exception to the first comment: “Tar Heel fans don’t seem to think that Williams lives up to Smith’s standards…” Who? What true Tar Heel fans are you talking about? What standards? Victories? Character? Sportsmanship? Roy won a national championship in his second year, while Dean struggled early, was hung in effigy, then eventually hit an extremely long championship stride. What a load of crap. Reminds me of radio talk show hosts who say ridiculous things just to get a rise out of people.
At first I was thinking maybe he was clumsily trying to say that Tar Heel fans don’t think Roy is on the same level with Dean. Then I read the rest of it and realized the guy was a moron.
Being a relatively recent UNC grad (2007), first of all I would like to thank you THF for putting together such a fine site, which I have followed for the past yr or so…in regard to this thread, I just don’t understand what incentive Meyers would have to write such blasphemy…sure the circumstances surrounding these two victories may be abnormal but that should in no way take away from the legacy of Dean Smith…We most likely would have won the 93 game whether or not Webber called the t.o or not…I wasn’t born yet in 82, but based on my understanding, The University of the People would have most likey taken that game regardless of the brainless pass
I grew up in Indiana, a Notre Dame (obviously) and Indiana fan, so I’m used to this kind of schlock that people puke out onto paper or a screen or whatever they’re writing on and with. It just means that the author is jealous of what you have, and taking potshots at the program is easy because it riles up that team’s fanbase and makes the rest of the world (ignorantly) say “Yeah, he’s right!”
Take it from an outside source: you guys are the tops of the college basketball world. You always get the best players and your teams are always scary in March. I mean, I’m an Indiana fan, and I’d love to say that Indiana is the tops of the college basketball world, but I’m also realistic here: no NC in 21 years, this year’s teams facing sanctions and cobbled together with a bunch of vagabonds and freshmen. I mean, I wish Indiana could be half as good as UNC, not just this year, but any year (with the exception of the Doherty hiccup).
So, what I’m saying is, you know this crap is going to be out there, no matter what. Take it stride, make fun of it on the blog, and keep going. You may not have the crown right now, but you guys are still the kings.
The problem with sports “journalism” today is that too many things are written to get a rise out of people instead of tell an interesting story.
I think that goes for all journalism these days, youjustgotheeled
Don’t think that journalism ignorance, whether sports, social, or political, is confined to the radio. I turn to the radio to get some checks & balances to what I hear on TV. Jim Rome burns me up (no pun intended) with some of his TV commentaire. MSNBC anchors upset me with their spin as well. You have to take both into account when analyzing write ups such as this. You may watch TV and have seen Billy Packer call a UNC game & think that UNC is some over the top arrogant program. You may listen to some other station & gather that UNC is one of the best programs out there in terms of humility, decent fan base, & so forth. You have to take both radio & TV into account while analyzing your OWN instincts in determining the logic behind a sports story or write up. Good job THF for being the checks & balances to everything non UNC.
I’m sorry that you guys had to be dragged into what is normally reserved for my beloved Pack. Really, I mean that. It’s a retarded point of view that holds no bearing. You don’t luck your way into championships, you earn them on the court/field. Sure, a whistle here, or lack there of, or a bad/good bounce there will change the outcome from time to time. The games last at least 40 minutes though, and you have to win six(I guess it was five in 82?) of them to get a banner. I guess UNC-CH lucked their way through the ACC those years, and through the rest of the tourney.
MJenks, I feel your pain in regards to IU. Wanna see what your program will look like for the next ten years? Look at the 90′s for my Pack…