By Dante Spado
I’m serious. I really did not like UNC basketball, pretty much up until the point I was accepted into Carolina towards the end of high school in 2017. But before you call me a “bandwagon” (although can you really be a bandwagon for the school you attend?), let me explain why.
All of my life, I have been a Syracuse basketball fan. My entire family, both my mom’s and dad’s side, is from Syracuse or Upstate, New York. My parents moved to North Carolina in 1996, and they packed their loyalty to Syracuse basketball with them. Growing up, I watched all the ‘Cuse games with my dad. I’m sure some of you can relate to having a father who is a sports fanatic, but this man BLEEDS Orange. I think 90% of what he wears is Syracuse-themed apparel.
My family never had any allegiance to any North Carolina college teams, so why should I? Oddly enough, I was never a Knicks or Giants fan, I’ve always pulled for the Hornets and Panthers (and I have been known to root for the Bills from time to time, it’s just hard to be invested in two sucky NFL teams). So, professional sports wise I’ve always pulled for NC teams, but when it came to college, forget it. You wouldn’t catch me rooting for UNC (or Duke) EVER.
My dad has always hated Duke and UNC, and that definitely rubbed off on me as a kid. I’m pretty sure he hated UNC for their academic scandals and the few championships they had under their belt. And let’s face it, everyone hates Duke. But you have to realize, when I was younger, Syracuse was a GOOD team. In 2003, although I was too young to remember, ‘Cuse, led by Carmelo Anthony, beat Kansas to win the NCAA tournament (this also resulted in Roy leaving Kansas to return to UNC, so you have Syracuse to thank for that). When I was in seventh grade, Syracuse was the #1 ranked team in the country for a few weeks. They also got to the Final Four in 2013 and 2016, and those are some of my fondest memories of watching them play.
The 2016 Final Four appearance is really what made me have my own personal reason for hating UNC. The 2016 Syracuse team made a MIRACLE run to the Final Four. Syracuse had a mediocre season that year and earned themselves a 10 seed in the tournament. They made the Sweet 16 with ease, where they had to face Gonzaga, whom they beat 63-60. In the Elite 8, they played the 1 seed Virginia and won 68-60. I remember watching these games on the edge of my seat. When ‘Cuse beat Virginia, my whole family went crazy. We were Final Four bound, and we were set to face UNC.
‘Cuse lost that game 83-66. I don’t think it was ever even close. Many of you don’t need me to tell you that UNC went on to lose to Villanova 77-74 in the Championship game. But that didn’t matter to me. Not in the slightest. My Orange lost out on their chance to make it to the Finals, and I took it personally.
Obviously, since then, things have changed. When I was accepted into UNC, I was excited because they had a good basketball program, but I was adamant that I wouldn’t abandon my loyalty to Syracuse. Over the years I’ve developed a happy medium, wearing both Syracuse and UNC apparel when the two teams play. Last year’s second-round ACC Tournament game was one of these times I was supporting both ‘Cuse and the Tar Heels, as the two teams were set to face each other. I got a LOT of strange looks. ‘Cuse and UNC fans alike asked me if I was okay. My favorite was a man who said, “I saw ya in the pisser earlier and I wanted to go up to you and ask what was wrong with you. So seriously man, what is wrong with you?”
At the end of the day, I just hope for a good game between the two teams. So far during my time as a UNC student, Syracuse and UNC have faced each other seven times, and UNC leads the series 5-2. There have been some fun moments, and that’s all I care about. During this game, I like to see both teams do well, and whoever wins, wins.
So, while I bleed Orange, when I die I’ll be a Tar Heel dead. Here’s to hoping my two teams face off in the ACC Championship game. Go Orange and go Heels!