Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 4, 1994 TAG: 9404040135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the knowledge and the humor that you bring to my breakfast table each morning. It is an especially refreshing relief to finally be rid of the UNC drivel that used to be force-fed to us each day when Bill Brill was on the job.
The particular point of this letter is to address your column on the whining by Dean Smith and his bunch of "merry" men. After watching Smith and his players' conduct after yet another loss to an inferior foe, I was glad to see that someone else noticed the "sportsmanlike" behavior that is continually exhibited by Coach Smith and his troops. You correctly pointed out what many unbiased observers have seen for years. Despite having the most talent in the land, the "Master" still manages to lose when it counts most while whining throughout the game and continuing the antics during the postgame news conference.
As you pointed out, this behavior carries down through the ranks to the players themselves. Perhaps Coach Smith and the UNC faithful could rethink this year's battle cry and realize "there is no place for this kind of conduct in college basketball."
While you did stop short of saying that the UNC fans display this mentality, as well, I think that the published letters that were written to you by them speak for themselves and only serve to reinforce the notion that perhaps they should be included, as well.
Maybe you should write a column to say that we are all sorry that the UNC big men are being bullied by the midgets they play against. Or, better yet, maybe you could write a column that addresses everybody involved. It might be titled "The Fish Stinks from the Head Down."\ SCOTT PRILLAMAN\ ROANOKE
by CNB