The Death of the College Sports Villain
LEXINGTON- There once was a time where finding a player of a rival team to hate was easy. Simple even. You’d have guys (or gals) terrorize your beloved team for multiple years wearing the same putrid jersey that they always have.
Think of Christian Leattner. He wasn’t “misunderstood” at all. There was no need to dive into the stats to find an irredeemable reason as to why you were screaming at a 20-something year old through your TV. He was dirty, he was brash, he was cocky, but most of all — he was good.
Now?
Well, now as fans we’d convince ourselves that with just enough money and the right sales pitch from a collective, a player like him could somehow come to their senses and put on the jersey that makes your heart warm.
I can remember it like it was yesterday. Tim Tebow entering the game as a Freshman against a Kentucky team that looked like they forgot how to tackle. By his senior year, fans were all screaming “How is he STILL in college?”.
I know fans that still get squeamish at the sight of his face.
Again, one hell of a player though.
However, in the year of 2026 you have to weigh the possibility of a few players from your squad following them on instagram and if you calling him a “bum” will somehow circle back to bite you in the portal season.
To me, it’s less fun.
Now I’m not saying that the portal has killed traditional rivalries. It hasn’t. If anything, it’s made them more heated. A star player transferring to your arch nemesis just doesn’t sit right for many people.“They must’ve backed up the Brinks truck” become common discourse between the fan bases. Trying to rationalize any excuse as to why someone would make such a “terrible” choice.
The reality of it is, College Sports have become a major business and the players are becoming its biggest beneficiaries. Is that the way it should be? That can be up for debate. But, reality says we are there right now.
Now, do players regret leaving for what they think are greener pastures? Absolutely they do. It’s not always the case but I think even around the University of Kentucky you can see guys that left for other programs coming back to Lexington trying to recapture the magic that is the Big Blue Nation.
That cockiness can turn to swagger when it comes to players coming to your team though. The “dirty” plays become plays of passion and players leaving it all on the line.
Let’s face it, we are all hypocrites. That’s just part of being a fan.
Long gone are the days of where it took years of history and good deeds to change the way us fans view players. Now those perceptions can change with a tweet.
Maybe the College Sports villain isn’t completely dead, maybe they just have a much shorter shelf life than they used to. Loyalty in college sports isn’t what it used to be, but hypocrisy is alive and well. It just takes looking at a player who dropped 30 points on a team last season joining forces with your team to become all forgiven (*cough* Seth Trimble).
So the next time some random undergrad rips your heart out and celebrates in front of your student section…choose your words wisely. You might just have to buy their official t-shirt the next year.
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