The great thing about having the ACC tournament is getting to play in front of an audience that usually appreciates it. Really, for the last 50 years, what better events were regularly contested in North Carolina?
(The other candidates are the NHL's Hurricanes, the NBA's Hornets and Bobcats, NASCAR's trips to Charlotte -- and back in the day, North Wilkesboro and Rockingham -- and a PGA Tour stop in Greensboro that Sam Snead won about 53 times.)
The bad thing is the the fans down here possess certain "mother bear tendencies" when it comes to the event. They're protective, and do not much like it when an outsider would dare to crash their party.
So with that in mind, it was entertaining when a Florida fan -- decked out in all sorts of Gators gear -- was named the winner of a promotion that brought the opportunity to attend a conference tournament of his choice this weekend during the Miami-N.C. State game.
The provincial crowd booed and hissed its protests, particularly after the fans declared he would be back in Charlotte for Sunday's final after ducking down to Atlanta for the SEC tournament.
Perhaps the crowd would have been better served saving its derision for the Wolfpack; in more than 28 minutes of action to that point, N.C. State had scored only 23 points.
