My Take on Wake - Roy Williams Was Born Fighting

Roy Williams Was Born Fighting

Roy Williams was wrong to engage the Presbyterian fan in North Carolina’s rout on Saturday, and to point him out to security personnel who unceremoniously escorted the fan out of the Smith Center. Williams as much as admitted he was wrong while addressing on his radio show the flap that has ensued from sea to shining sea. Her said he was disappointed that it happened, he hated that it happened and he wished that it had never happened.

But it did happen, and I know why. I don’t know Williams that well, but I know where he’s from. We’re from the same neck of the woods, which he mentioned when asked about the incident after the game.

“I’m from the mountains,’’ Williams said.

That’s what people who know Williams better than I do have told me about him. He’s for the most part a fine person, and about as easy a coach to cover as you’ll find among the nation’s elite programs. And he’s obviously very good at what he does. But watch out when he gets his mountain dander up. He gets feisty in a hurry. He’s got an edge as hard as mountain granite. And take it from a guy who hails from even farther back in the Smokies than Black Mountain, from Franklin, there are a whole lot of folks from the mountains who are that way.

Some people have even said I’m that way. That doesn’t make it right, but it’s a fact.

“If I’m wrong, that’s good,’’ Williams mentioned. “But I’m not apologizing.’‘

I’m Scots-Irish, and I imagine Williams comes from Scots-Irish stock as well. If he doesn’t, he’s lived among our tribe long enough to have that general combativeness rub off on him. You’ll find Scots-Irish throughout our country, but there’s an especially high concentration in the Appalachian Mountains, where we ended up after we couldn’t get along with the Puritans of the Northeast, the Quakers of Delaware and Pennsylvania and the Royalists and Cavaliers of the lowland South. The established power base figured the Scots-Irish would provide a convenient buffer to the native tribes, only to find out that the rabble rousers whose lineage has been traced all the way back to William Wallace of Braveheart fame often proved to be a bigger pain in the neck than the Cherokee—especially when you tried to take their guns or their corn whiskey away.

If you want the real story of the Scots-Irish, read “Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America,’’ by James Webb, the senator from Virginia who is a proud Scots-Irish himself. It’s a great book, one I really needed to read to help understand who I am and where and who I came from. Webb explains that we’re folk from the highlands of Scotland who over the centuries were enlisted to fight the wars that the powerful needed fighting, first along the English-Scottish border and later in the Ulster Plantation where we were shipped to help keep Ireland from turning 100 percent Catholic.

Along the way we developed a great trust and loyalty for our local leaders and a complete and utter disdain and contempt for top-down rule imposed by far-away powers we didn’t elect. And along the way we were looked down upon by elites who called us rednecks and hillbillies and white trash.

I’ll not perpetuate the stereotype by calling Roy Williams a redneck, no more than I’ll call myself and my two brothers rednecks. But we are from the mountains where the woodsmoke and tempers are quick to rise.

If I’m wrong, that’s good. But I’m not apologizing.

Back to the main page.

By Dan Collins on 12/15/2009 (2:11 pm)

Comments

Fantastic. I am Scots-Irish also and I had never realized before that that entitled me to be a jerk.

Kim on 01/06/2010 (9:31 am)

THAT’S ME, BRO.

If I’m wrong, that’s good. But I’m not apologizing.

David Lawson on 12/31/2009 (3:42 pm)

Here’s a funny story that this incident reminded me of. I lived in Ashboro, NC for a while, just down the road from Level Cross, and was player/coach of a men’s league team for our company. One of the guys on the team played for Randleman High School with Kyle Petty. (A lot of people probably don’t know that Kyle was a good athlete, and turned down a football scholarship to race cars as soon as he graduated from high school, against the wishes of his father.) Anyway, the story goes that Randleman was playing Asheboro and beating them pretty handily when Kyle got fouled and went to the line for two free throws. When the ref handed the ball to Kyle, an Asheboro fan yelled “You stink, Kyle, and so’s your old man!”

Kyle pointed to the fan and said, “This one’s for you.” and shot and made the free throw. Then the ref gave him the ball again, and he pointed to the fan and said, “and this one’s for your old man.” and shot and made the second free throw. Then he gave the guy the finger and ran back down the court.

Now that’s handling the situation with class. No need for coaches to even get involve.

Trouble on 12/17/2009 (1:31 pm)

Dan,
also Scottish and German ancestry and yes I have been referred to as stubborn— more than once. (the Scottish from western NC)—I just like reminding Tar Heel fans of their hyprocricy when they talk of “Class” as if thye owned it.

Paul on 12/17/2009 (11:38 am)

Viking Paul,
Roy Williams was wrong to do what he did. I said it in the first sentence of my blog, and I’ll repeat it as many times as I have to. He was wrong. We agree.
Explaining is not excusing.
I also believe he would make the whole episode much easier on himself if he would go ahead and apologize, but stubborness is another trait of the Scots-Irish as well as, I imagine, Vikings.

Dan on 12/16/2009 (6:32 pm)

Dan:
A predictable (and correct) amount of compassion for Ol’ Roy on this one. He was wrong. Completely. And I am looking forward to going to our game at the Dean Dome this year. . . .should be fun. . . .

Chris on 12/16/2009 (4:42 pm)

Dan, I am of Scandanavian origins, and we Vikings used to pillage and plunder you Scots to a fare the well. Shall one of us with power, continue to pillage and plunder and brush it of refuse to aknowledge it as boorish and unacceptable behavior by stating “that the way I am -I am a Viking” ——Come on people, lets label classless behavior “classless’ - oh thats right Tar Heels NEVER talk about class.

Paul on 12/16/2009 (4:24 pm)

Dan,

Jim said everything I meant to say! I don’t think any other coach in the country would have done what Williams did! The one security guy said it was Roy’s house….but…. it’s Dean’s house, isn’t it? And Carolina’s athletic spokesman was so wrong in saying it is a small thing blown out of proportion. Is it any wonder that everyone besides UNC’s fans are so ABC? The cocky, “Holier Than Thou” attitude that exists at Chapel Hill and with its fans finally made the headlines, the reactions came and still, they can’t see that Williams was wrong and should apologize!

Ken Green on 12/16/2009 (2:38 pm)

Jim,
We agree. I’m not defending Williams, only attempting to explain why he did what he did.
And DC, I don’t know the terrain around Lovingston, Ill., but as I mentioned in my blog there are Scots-Irish in every corner of the country. My bet is that Chas McFarland is Scots-Irish.
And Big Red, Merry Christmas right back at you friend. I’m going to read that book when I get through with the two I’m on now. I’ve heard it’s good.

Dan on 12/16/2009 (11:30 am)

A person’s background or heritage is not an excuse for doing wrong and then refusing to apologize. Many of us come from tough backgrounds. Using that as an excuse to wrong someone is still unacceptable. Roy is either arrogant or immature or perhaps both to not recognize he did a wrong and to apologize.

Jim on 12/16/2009 (9:47 am)

Is Chas McFarland also from the mountains?

DC on 12/16/2009 (9:43 am)

Hey Country -
You really ought to check out Coach Williams’ new book, especially the chapters about his upbringing in the mountains. As you know, I’ve followed Coach Williams for what seems to be my entire college basketball life, and it was fun to read about all his early Kansas teams - teams from my childhood. Anyway, it was a much better and honest read than I ever expected. The part about his upbringing was really interesting.

Happy holidays to you and the whole Collins gang!

Big Red

Big Red on 12/15/2009 (11:11 pm)

Williams’ actions with the Presbyterian fan just reconfirmed what I’ve known since Dad told me at a very young age. An obnoxious, cocky Carolina ass is just that! If Williams wants to act that way, maybe Dino should have every Carolina jerk who opens his mouth thrown out of the Joel! Better yet, throw ‘em out because of their allegiance to that obnoxious, cocky place they call a school!! But Dino can’t do all that because Wake staff and fans are FAR above that type of behavior! But leave it to good ‘ole Roy, that jerkwad! God, I hate ‘em!

BTW, his stupidity has nothing to do with being from the mountains! It’s that “Holier Than Thou”, look down their nose at you Carolina attitude!!

Ken Green on 12/15/2009 (6:27 pm)

John,
We agree.
I’m not defending Williams, only attempting to explain why he did what he did.
By the way, my father Hobe Collins grew up in Waynesville. My brother Joe and I went over to C.E. Weatherby Stadium last month to see Tuscola beat the Franklin Panthers for the conference title. I told Jim Grobe I would give him a scouting report on the Tyler Brosius kid from Tuscola who has signed with N.C. State. I told Grobe I couldn’t see him playing for Wake Forest because I’d never seen a 6-4 quarterback playing for the Deacons.

Dan on 12/15/2009 (3:15 pm)

Dan, I, too, am from your neck of the woods (Waynesville) and have deep roots in the area (my grandparents both grew up in your home county). I also have quite a quick temper - and like to blame it on my Scotch-Irish ancestry. However, after I have had time to consider my knee-jerk reactions, I can usually admit I reacted inappropriately and offer a sincere apology for my actions. Roy should do the same. Whether he wants to be or not, he is a role model and he set a poor example for his players and fans.

John on 12/15/2009 (2:45 pm)