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UNC is a weird example of what’s happening to college football.
Yes, the new Tar Heels of Bill Belichick are the laughingstock of sports and social media after their embarrassing debut that ruined an unprecedented opening night at Carolina.
The good news was that thousands of fans, who normally fill up Kenan Stadium midway through the first quarter, arrived hours ahead of the 8 p.m. kickoff to take in the newly created Chapel Thrill.
Polk Place was shoulder-to-shoulder halfway back to South Building. Boxes of free lighted wristbands emptied as students and fans made Kenan glitter before UNC-TCU took over.
And the crowd that believed in “Belichick ball” went nuts when the Heels drove 83 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. But after the better, deeper and more prepared Horned Frogs were on their way to 41 unanswered points, the buzzkill began and the stadium started to empty out.
After all, ESPN scheduled the late kickoff on a holiday, which meant people who spent most the afternoon in Chapel Hill headed home with a headache for reentry into the real world of work and school.
TCU had a superior team against a rag-tag bunch in light blue made up of Mack Brown remains, 42 transfers and 30 true freshmen. The national attention was great, but an opener against Elon would have kept the Belichick promise alive a little longer.
The NFL where Belichick became a coaching legend operates with similar numbers but far different ingredients. Pro rosters and their “taxi squads” of reserves are all hardened pros from college careers or time with other franchises. So when respected A-team analyst Kirk Herbstreit featured his golden retriever in the ESPN booth during the second half, those still watching knew the game had gone to the dogs. “They’re bad,” he said into a hot mic.
In giving up more points than any of his teams ever had, Belichick’s record without co-six-time Super Bowl champ TB12 fell to 83-107. They went more than two hours without completing a pass, and without two turnovers that turned into touchdowns, the final score could have been far more respectable 34-14.
And Jordon Hudson got much of the attention the game did not. Long-lens cameras caught her on the sideline talking to her much older boyfriend during warm-ups.
So the “distraction” that Hudson was supposedly causing, prompting UNC to hire a veteran publicist to dumb it down, was part of the coverage when it was supposed to be all Chapel Bill. It will be harder for her to hide at Charlotte’s 15,000-seat mini-stadium.
The Tar Heels need more than a social media “influencer” whose posts promote her man and some of his players. The stars who watched from upstairs Monday night won’t be back unless the Hoodie can pull something out of a hat.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
