<p>Can a student be happy at UNC if they don't care one bit about basketball or other spectator sports?</p>
<p>Yes - I am.</p>
<p>Perfectly. Even though sports are a part of Carolina, plenty of people don’t go to the games or watch them, my girlfriend being one of them.</p>
<p>I was wondering the same thing, since I’m going but I’m not into sports. Glad to see I’m not the only one. :)</p>
<p>Though people don’t take kindly if you don’t buy into it sometimes.</p>
<p>When Duke won the national championship a few weeks ago, I was disgusted by the way people were desperately hoping for Duke to lose, especially during the final match. The way people cheered when Duke players slipped was … unsporting.</p>
<p>Voicing this opinion did not make me any friends.</p>
<p>Before my son first went to UNC he didn’t even know who Dean Smith was and really didn’t care much about the whole sports scene. Carolina can have a way of changing you and you can easily get caught up in the school spirit that is in evidence around the town and campus.</p>
<p>He’s now a dyed in the wool Tar Heel fan and loves to wear his Carolina blue t shirts under his scrubs at the hospital and anywhere else.</p>
<p>Be open minded; you won’t feel forced to become involved but it does get pretty contagious for football, basketball and women’s soccer to name a few.</p>
<p>keepit</p>
<p>Give it a break…I mean after all the last line of the UNC fight song is “Go to Hell dook”…why would you be surprised? ;)</p>
<p>I mean… I just thought it was more sporting than that. The way people were hoping for Duke to fail seemed really mean-spirited. And jealous, to be honest.</p>
<p>I think you might be painting Carolina fans in an unfair light. Any die-hard sports fan behaves the same way. I’m from Alabama, and Alabama-Auburn fans are the same way. And I’m sure the same goes for sports everywhere, professionally, between colleges, and definitely internationally as well.</p>
<p>I do not go to UNC yet, but my mom graduated in 1983 so she went through the James Worthy, Sam Perkins, and Michael Jordan years. Ever since the day I was born, I have been raised to pull for UNC in all situations and against Duke not matter whom they face. She says it’s just part of North Carolina culture. There is nothing mean-spirited about it, it is sports after all.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is what people who were raised UNC fans tell me too. I grew up a Wake Forest fan in Winston-Salem, but I’ve been wholly converted to a UNC fan (although I still pull for Wake when they aren’t playing us)!</p>
<p>I mean, I can sort of understand that. On the other hand … I was in a room full of people who were cheering when Duke players tripped and fell.</p>
<p>I just didn’t like the whole “sure we weren’t good enough to get anywhere but we can at least hope you fail!” aspect to it.</p>
<p>I understand that it’s common in sports, and yet … it was sort of the equivalent of cheering an opposing tennis player’s unforced errors. Just not in the spirit of things.</p>
<p>Well, to be fair, Duke fans do the same to us. :D</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>While I noticed this attitude much more this year…it was definitely still prevalent last year. For instance, I was in a room full of people cheering when dook went out in the sweet sixteen in '09…I don’t think the “sure we weren’t good enough to get anywhere” part of that statement applies to the 2009 season. :D</p>
<p>Try to watch the HBO special Tobacco Road Rivalry that is currently running again and it will all make more sense.</p>
<p>Based on the responses here, it seems a student who is not a fan would feel rather left out.</p>
<p>there will be almost 4000 other students your age next year, i am sure you will find plenty of people who dont get into the sports scene. try not to blow it out of proportion. its not like the school is a bunch of sports fanatics</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Absolutely not…UNC isn’t only about sports and being a fan of sports…there are plenty of people who have little to no interest in sports or being a fan of BB or FB.</p>
<p>Like other things that are not true that some try to spread about UNC don’t let this get overblown, it’s just not an issue.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Dude…they do the same to us. That’s what makes it one of the best rivalries in all of sports.</p>
<p>And UNC has nothing to be jealous of with regard to Duke, considering UNC’s basketball program is better by pretty much every yardstick (head-to-head, national titles, all time wins, etc).</p>
<p>There’s a saying in soccer… you’re only as good as your last game.</p>
<p>Compared to Duke, UNC sucks right now.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Compared to UNC, Duke sucks all time. I prefer to look at the big picture. :)</p>