Roy Revisited

So, it's here. The moment we've all anticipated- the moment I have dreaded- when KU will finally face North Carolina and our former coach, Roy Williams. I'm not sure I'm ready for it, but honestly, I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for it. I guess I sort of hoped Roy would retire before ever having to play us. No such luck.

Am I still bitter he left KU? Yeah, I am. Roy's departure hurt. It made us look bad. The greatest coach in America, who had said that there was no better place than Kansas to coach, changed his mind. KU's reputation as the nation's premier basketball institution- including a claim on the game's founder and the country's best coach- was not merely undermined, it was disproven, and by the most credible of sources. Just the symbolism of Roy's departure hurt KU's stature in the basketball world. And it stung the fans, who believed him when he said "I'm stayin'."

Do I blame him for leaving? No, not really. No coach can be blamed for wanting to coach at his alma mater. And Roy, for his part, was always honest about his dual loyalties, even though many of us couldn't understand it. I respect the man, and as a KU fan I'm grateful for everything he did for us during his 15 years as KU's coach. But I won't cheer for him.

Some may think it's petty, but I can't cheer for Roy. It's not personal. I don't cheer for Duke or Syracuse, Arizona, UCLA, Kentucky or any other school besides KU. Particularly rival schools. And North Carolina clearly is a basketball rival of KU's. I guess that's the price he paid for joining a competing program. I certainly hope Roy has a good life, and I wish him all the success in the world- when he's out on the golf course- but as the head coach at North Carolina, I hope he doesn't win another game...

Especially the one against KU.