Question for anyone that knows ...

[PushupMan]

... I was in Chapel Hill in 2011 when Louisville played the Heels, but I honestly do not remember anything about UNC's problems with the Independence Bowl. Can anyone here provide any background to this intriguing statement from the Charlotte Observer? (see below).


UNC has made it clear to everyone at the ACC, and Independence Bowl, it's not interested in a return to the Dec. 27 game, after its unpleasant trip in 2011.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/12/03/5358918/big-ten-helps-nc-state-unc-acc.html#.VIDWI8lOl7g#storylink=cpy

 

[Raising Heel]

It was "the lost season."

- Butch Davis had been fired weeks before the season began
- UNC had an interim coach (Everett Withers) coach the season/game but announced the hiring of Larry Fedora before the bowl game
- UNC was still waiting on a decision from the NCAA regarding penalties
- The Tar Heels started a promising 5-1 but limped to a 7-5 finish
- It's an awful bowl location, and at least one player tweeted some rather ungrateful sentiments
- UNC came out completely flat and got rolled by Missouri

Just an all-around bad experience for the entire program -- coaches, players, and fans. Interesting that they're leaning hard on the bowl hosts to avoid a repeat. Thank goodness, because I don't think anyone would show up. Maybe not even the team lol.

 

[franklin street]

i think the weather was miserable as well.

 

[Raising Heel]

Originally posted by franklin street:
i think the weather was miserable as well.

Good point. Box score/weather history says 46 degrees with light rain. Oh, and it was also the day after Christmas. Just an awful game, ugh.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Plus, here's the thing you need to understand OP.....

I wish it weren't so, but by and large, the UNC fanbase is spoiled. And, as I'm sure you're aware, football is (again, unfortunately, because I love football more than bball) the secondary sport to most of our fanbse -- basketball is king. So you've got that aspect, which automatically makes bowl games somewhat of a hard sell for our fanbase.

THEN, couple that with the fact that a chunk of our fanbase is elitist (which, again, is unfortunate). So there's no way in hell you could get this chunk of our fanbase to voluntarily go to Shreveport -- which they would view as a second-rate podunk town -- to watch the FOOTBALL team play.

Plus, the opponent was Mizzou, and not the current Mizzou, mind you. Heck, not even the Blaine Gabbert Mizzou. Just regular ol' Mizzou. And yes, RH is correct. That was an extremely turbulent season that everyone wanted to end ASAP.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

My above post may seem a bit harsh on UNC fans, but hey it's tough love

I'd like to add that, just in terms of practicality, Shreveport doesn't make a lot of sense as a (non-top tier) bowl with ACC ties. It's so darn far from every single ACC school. Shreveport is probably 11 hours from Louisville and about 15 hours from Chapel Hill by car. The closes ACC schools are probably FSU and Ga Tech, and it will still be like a 9-10 hour drive from those two schools to Shreveport.

Just doesn't make a lot of sense, geographically

 

[PushupMan]

Thanks for the responses. I wondered whether it was something specific about the way the bowl was run or just the fact that it was is blah Shreveport.

I have a very clear memory of listening to the UNC pregame show for the UofL game while driving to the stadium that year. One of the people on the show stated that NC should win the game 34-0, and everyone on the show was pretty much in general agreement with that statement. My thought was that if that is the general opinion of most UNC fans that there were going to be a lot of disappointed fans for that game.

You guys did shut us out for about 59 minutes, but the final was 14-7.

I can definitely see why you call that the lost season. Butch had recruited a lot of talent to Chapel Hill.

 

[Raising Heel]

A John Shoop offense scoring 34 points? Must have been a pre-game parody you were listening to.