If you ask a basketball fan whether they prefer college basketball or the NBA you'll probably get a very vocal response. Those who love college ball will enjoy the passion, the atmosphere, the rivalries, their school of choice and of course March Madness. Fans of the NBA will boast about the skill level, the athleticism, the pace of play and the superstars. I for one enjoy the college game mainly because my favorite school, North Carolina has sustained success while my local team, the Washington Wizards have struggled my entire life and my adopted favorite team from decades ago, the Detroit Pistons have had an uneven 25 years since the original Bad Boys era.
NCAA basketball hasn't changed much since I really started watching it in the early to mid 1990's. Sure there are more players who can shoot from further away, but the style of play is pretty much the same. What has changed is how long the student athletes are staying at their school. I'm speaking of the top talent. The NBA and the NCAA cannot figure out what is best for the best athletes and for both the schools and their future NBA teams. In the 90's you had the option to skip the NCAA all together and go straight to the NBA from high school and it had mixed results. For every Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and Dwight Howard you had a Korleone Young, Leon Smith, Kwame Brown and James Lang. Seventeen year old kids had to forego up to 4 years of NCAA eligibility and roll the dice that they were one of the best 400 or so basketball players on the planet. That's a huge gamble. NBA teams, who will forever by mystified by 'potential' had to use one of their precious two draft picks on a completely unknown kid. All they had was game film against other players who would never see the NBA and very rarely even play D-I college ball and hype. When you missed (like the Wizards did with Kwame Brown) you missed big. Not only were fans robbed of seeing these players play on the college level and get better over time, but the players careers were over because you get one shot to succeed in the NBA. By the age of 20 these kids were done playing pro ball in the United States. Other kids their age were just finishing their Junior year of college potentially.
Starting in 2006 the NBA enacted the rule that to be eligible for the draft you had to be a full year removed from your High School class or 19 years of age. Initially this sounded okay. Fans would get to see the most hyped high school players play at least 25 college games to see if they were really good (i.e.Kevin Durant at the University of Texas). Then the issues arose. Would high school kids go to Europe for a year like Brandon Jennings did? That would still keep the NCAA locked out of top talent. No good for fans. What about the one and done's (as they would be come to known) and their education? All you had to do was be eligible for a semester and then knowing you weren't coming back could just relax in the spring (see Ben Simmons at LSU). Not good for the NCAA again. Recruiting would become horrible as you wouldn't know how long your players would stick around for. Then schools like the University of Kentucky and Duke realized they could just gather 3-5 of the best high school players every year and play a single season together. With everyone on the roster knowing they had one goal of playing in the NBA the next year they could showcase their talent on what is basically a six-month super senior high school All-Star team.
I despise this.
I am so glad North Carolina hasn't fallen prey to this cycle. I like to watch players get better over a 3-4 year period. See your defending champions with Seniors Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks and Juniors Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II. Both UK and Duke have won a National Championship since adopting their one and done rosters while UNC has been to 3 championship games, winning twice since 2006, with their style of recruiting. For fans like me I would hate to see a player for one season just to watch him leave for the NBA whether he was ready or not. No consistency, no flow and in five years the players are mostly forgotten. I'm looking at you Brandan Wright.
As for NBA teams they now get 25 more games of film to watch for the player but drafting college freshmen is still basically a crap shoot. Current mock drafts have 20+ freshman/international players being selected in just the first round of the NBA draft. Again that is a huge gamble on such a small sample size. How can a NBA team rationalize drafting oft-injured Duke freshman Harry Giles who averaged just 3.9 points and missed his senior year in High School due to a torn ACL? Compare that to how it used to be where it was rare for for college players to leave even after playing three years. Shaq played three years at LSU, Michael Jordan played three years at UNC, Tim Duncan played four years at Wake Forest and Steph Curry played three years at Davidson. Of course I have cherry picked names. There are plenty of juniors and seniors who have flopped in the NBA just as there have been plenty of freshman and sophomores to have great success at the next level.
Still I want to make it better for everyone. I want the NBA to receive players ready to play against the best talent in the world. This will allow coaches and GMs to have better success and teams to be able to build through the draft the way it was supposed to be. For the NCAA I want players to stay in school as long as possible. It will make the game better, help strengthen rivalries and force the kids to at least attend classes at a higher rate to stay eligible. Remember when Patrick Ewing went to three national championship games? Or when Christian Laettner went to four Final Fours or when Final Four MOP, Joel Berry came back for his senior season?
Here is my plan and how I came about it.
I was looking over drafts of years past and I noticed that Larry Bird was drafted sixth overall in 1978 by the Boston Celtics. Then it struck me...how was that possible?? Larry Bird played in the most famous college basketball game of all time in 1979 against Magic Johnson who was drafted first overall a few months later. Turns out Larry Bird was able to return to school and Boston had until draft night in 1979 to sign him or else he would go back into the draft. Apparently Bird had wanted to be the highest paid player on the Celtics or else he was going to go back into the draft where either the Lakers or Bulls would have been able to get Magic and Bird. Imagine that for a minute with Bird in LA and Magic in Chicago! The Celtics wound up making Bird the highest paid player in the NBA and I'd say that worked out for everyone including Chicago who continued to struggle until they backed into Michael Jordan five years later.
I don't like the fact that NBA teams could just draft a player whether they declared or not like how the Celtics did for Bird. What a huge risk for the NBA as the player has all the power once selected.
What I want to see is a hybrid of what Larry Bird got to do.
As the college basketball season ends, players can declare for the NBA up until mid-April. At the time they can not hire an agent, attend a NBA camp and then make a decision to stay in the draft or return to school. This decision needs to be made by the end of May so that the draft field is set for late June when the NBA draft is held.
Now for the twist.
Let the draft happen as normal, but as soon as it ends teams and players have 30 days to decide whether that player will stay in the NBA or go back to school for a final season. Either way the player signs their rookie contract with the same guaranteed money as it is now. This money would be held in a trust until the day that player finished in school to avoid any NCAA issues. If they returned to school as stated they can only play one season and will still be under contract to join their NBA team immediately following the conclusion of their college season. Imagine an NBA team getting a 'call-up' down the stretch in late March?
Not every player who gets drafted will be on team with an immediate need. Send them back to school. Maybe they are a long term project. Send them back to school. Maybe they are just full of 'potential' and could use another year of seasoning (or needed that money for the family). Send them back to school.
My case in point this year could be somebody like freshman center Tony Bradley from UNC. He has potential but he came off the bench for the Tar Heels. Let him get drafted but it would be wise of that team to send him back to school where he will be a focal point of the offense. Let him get stronger and develop a better offensive post game playing 30 minutes a game rather than coming off the bench for 4-6 minutes a game. This will also allow fans of that NBA team to track their future player the way MLB fans do with the minor leagues. Bridging the gap between those who watch the NBA and those who watch NCAA. The advantage to UNC would be getting back a pro-caliber player for another year. Roy Williams would now know exactly when Bradley was going to leave and would be able to recruit with that in mind. Tony Bradley would have a guaranteed payday and the ability to improve himself while missing most of his rookie year while playing far more than he would have anyways.
For the NCAA this would hopefully be the end to the 'one and done' super teams. With more players coming back for a sophomore season the talent pool would get spread around to smaller schools. In recent years the 'mid-major' schools have disappeared from the rankings and NCAA Tournament. It will be a trickle down effect. Top stars won't recycle annually forcing second tier players to get their playing time elsewhere in the hopes of catching the eye of pro scouts. More schools playing better basketball and better basketball players playing longer for their schools. Name recognition increases as do story lines, rivalries and quality of play.
Win-win-win. The NBA mitigates its risk of forcing players into their lineup before they're ready. NCAA schools get a better, more consistent product and elite athletes get that guaranteed money for when they leave school.
In 1979 it was known as the 'Bird Collegiate Rule' that ended the option of going back to school after being drafted. Now I will be more than happy to start the push for the 'Bradley Collegiate Rule' to try something new.
Showing posts with label unc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unc. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Friday, March 31, 2017
Redemption
'Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!' - Godfather III
I have not sat down and written a blog post in well over a year. It's been a combination of lack of ideas, time and mostly motivation. Now I sit here just over 24 hours away from another Final Four for my beloved North Carolina Tar Heel basketball team and after reading personal entries by Marcus Paige and Kennedy Meeks, I am now inspired.
I have poured my heart out onto paper about the best and worst times of being a Tar Heel fan. This was back in 2013 where I described the 10 best moments I personally have had and the 10 worst moments I have suffered through. Obviously the last shot of the 2016 season would now make the list and the last shot of the game on Sunday versus Kentucky would make that list.
I am now approaching 40 years of age, have a wife and a four year old son. I always assumed my passion for the men's basketball team in Chapel Hill would dwindle as I got older. After all, I didn't attend UNC and I have only seen a handful of games live in my lifetime.
It has not.
Every year I fall head over (pun intended) heels for the new team of 18-22 year kids who adorn those classic baby blue and white Nike jerseys. It is a slow build as I don't allow myself to live and die with every regular season game like in years past. When I was in high school I knew I had to face the mockery of my fellow students AND teachers after a Carolina loss. My sister had to field phone calls all night long on our house phone after a loss. A regular season loss! A loss to supposedly lowly Georgia Tech would have had me faking a cough and cold to get out of school. I had put way too much pressure on something I couldn't control.
This all changes when the calendar turns to March. The beast in me comes out. I resort back to my old ways of locking myself away from the public, turning the lights off and watching the tournament all alone. It is for the safety of everyone else. I'm just not safe to be around during those two hours. I'm an emotional wreck. During the second half of the Kentucky game I went through the seven stages of grief on multiple occasions. Picture below courtesy of Pinterest.
When Roy called timeout I was flying right through Depression and had hit Acceptance by the time the commercial break was over. After Kennedy Meeks failed to inbound the ball I landed on denial and then the corresponding three pointer sent me to Anger, Bargaining and Depression all at once. The last 14 seconds had me see all seven stages up until Luuuuuuuuuke saved their bacon.
I thought the National Championship of 2005 would have cured me of this. As the time ticked off on the longest 12 year drought in my life I let out a primal scream that I thought I could never replicate. Wrong again.
2006 was a rebuilding year, no expectations. It was the most fun I have had during a regular season. Tyler Hansbrough and the freshman class that would eventually cut the nets down three years later could not disappoint. Until March. Just when I was happy enough for UNC not to be terrible, they got really, really good. They faced George Mason in the 2nd round of the tournament. My wife of 7 months went to George Mason. She couldn't care less about the game, but when the Patriots shocked the Heels, she knew to avoid me for a day or two.
The next year UNC blew a late lead in the Elite 8 to my favorite team of my early youth, Georgetown, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It was personal now, but it would get worse before it got better.
The 2008 Final Four was awful, just bloody awful. It was over before it started, but of course UNC made a run just to give me a second of hope before it was dashed away. That was to be the year. Everyone was going to leave and UNC was going to have to start all over. A funny thing happened though as everyone came back.
2009 from beginning to end was a coronation. Never once did I feel that UNC wasn't going to win the title. They made it look so easy. I didn't scream like I did in 2005, hell I barely broke a sweat. Then again maybe it was me drifting away from being a fanatic?? Nope.
I was able to make it through 2010 because I knew it was going to be a rebuilding year. Duke winning it all didn't help though.
2011 looked to be another rebuilding year until Kendall Marshall emerged. Then I was hooked. He has been far and away my favorite Tar Heel since the 2009 season. He had the ball on a string and made difficult play look effortless. He was also the first athlete that I followed to ever show a personality on Twitter. I grew closer to the team through social media with @Kbutter5 leading the way. The late surge by the Heels had me dreaming of another title, but once again another blue blood got in the way. This time it was Kentucky. How I hate Kentucky. I thought the band was going to break up after that defeat, but when they all came back I knew 2012 was going to be the year.
This was my favorite team. Ever. I was glued to every moment of the 2012 team. The game versus Kentucky was a National Championship preview. They were the two best teams of year no questions asked. Then along came Creighton. {insert string of curse words and hand gestures}. I'm still angry. I feel like us fans were robbed of our chance. I know the players were. One dirty play and all that hard work those kids had worked for was gone. In an instant. I was depressed for a long time. UNC valiantly won a game without Kendall and almost stole one against Kansas. 'Wrist watch 2012' sucked.
2013-2015 were blurs. Maybe it was becoming a father. Maybe it was the hangover to the 2012 team. I thought my passion had run out. My son was my life now. Things had changed. Sure I was there watching UNC fall just short to Iowa State and Wisconsin in the tournament. I still watched all the games. Heck I even watched an ACC Tournament game in a public setting...voluntarily.
Then along came the 2016 team. Whether it was Marcus Paige being as good off the court as he was on the court or Brice Johnson finally developing into the player we had hoped for this team clicked with me. They loved each other and you could tell. The fun they had playing as ateam family poured though my television on a nightly basis. I was in the Dean Dome for Paige's return to the lineup vs. Maryland. It was electric. I went to the quarterfinal and semifinal games of the ACC Tournament as it was played in D.C.. This was going to be the team to get another banner raised.
Through five games of the NCAA Tournament, UNC was hardly challenged. I was supremely confident that Carolina would defeat Villanova. I know the players felt this too. Read what Marcus Paige wrote, they loved to play with and for each other. Roy knew he had a special group of kids. Carolina didn't play great, but just when all hope was lost, they rallied. Of course they did. Marcus Paige hit the shot heard round Tobacco Road and at that moment everything was okay. UNC was going to win. They had escaped. 4.7 seconds later the season ended in the worst possible way. To be so close yet be so far away is maddening. I wasn't even 3 years old the last time UNC lost a championship game. This was new to me. I didn't know how to react. I'll never re-watch the game much less Paige's amazing shot. I know what happens next.
I knew the 2017 team was going to still be good. I didn't know how I'd feel as a fan. It is an odd feeling. I coasted through the regular season knowing that nothing meant anything to me save for six games in March and early April. Beating Duke, losing the Duke and Kentucky meant nothing. I was numb. Give me the tournament. Carolina breezed through their first game. Arkansas should have knocked them out, but this team wouldn't quit. It was that comeback that woke me up from my year long coma. I now knew they could do it. They spit in the face of adversity and proved they weren't caught up in memories of a year ago. They dismantled Butler. The brought up Kentucky. Again. That primal scream from 2005 returned for me. That shot was for Kendall Marshall, Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson. It was for everyone that didn't get to cut down a net and hoist a trophy that wore Carolina Blue or cheered for them like they were a part of the team.
If UNC happens to win their next two games I feel like Marcus and Brice should be there. I feel like this is still their team. The players are obviously playing for them and for themselves. The Redemption Season is how it is being dubbed and I'm okay with that. This is just an extension of what almost was last year. Whatever happens I know I am invested. Of course I am. Just when I thought I was out, they have brought me back.
I have not sat down and written a blog post in well over a year. It's been a combination of lack of ideas, time and mostly motivation. Now I sit here just over 24 hours away from another Final Four for my beloved North Carolina Tar Heel basketball team and after reading personal entries by Marcus Paige and Kennedy Meeks, I am now inspired.
I have poured my heart out onto paper about the best and worst times of being a Tar Heel fan. This was back in 2013 where I described the 10 best moments I personally have had and the 10 worst moments I have suffered through. Obviously the last shot of the 2016 season would now make the list and the last shot of the game on Sunday versus Kentucky would make that list.
I am now approaching 40 years of age, have a wife and a four year old son. I always assumed my passion for the men's basketball team in Chapel Hill would dwindle as I got older. After all, I didn't attend UNC and I have only seen a handful of games live in my lifetime.
It has not.
Every year I fall head over (pun intended) heels for the new team of 18-22 year kids who adorn those classic baby blue and white Nike jerseys. It is a slow build as I don't allow myself to live and die with every regular season game like in years past. When I was in high school I knew I had to face the mockery of my fellow students AND teachers after a Carolina loss. My sister had to field phone calls all night long on our house phone after a loss. A regular season loss! A loss to supposedly lowly Georgia Tech would have had me faking a cough and cold to get out of school. I had put way too much pressure on something I couldn't control.
This all changes when the calendar turns to March. The beast in me comes out. I resort back to my old ways of locking myself away from the public, turning the lights off and watching the tournament all alone. It is for the safety of everyone else. I'm just not safe to be around during those two hours. I'm an emotional wreck. During the second half of the Kentucky game I went through the seven stages of grief on multiple occasions. Picture below courtesy of Pinterest.
When Roy called timeout I was flying right through Depression and had hit Acceptance by the time the commercial break was over. After Kennedy Meeks failed to inbound the ball I landed on denial and then the corresponding three pointer sent me to Anger, Bargaining and Depression all at once. The last 14 seconds had me see all seven stages up until Luuuuuuuuuke saved their bacon.
I thought the National Championship of 2005 would have cured me of this. As the time ticked off on the longest 12 year drought in my life I let out a primal scream that I thought I could never replicate. Wrong again.
2006 was a rebuilding year, no expectations. It was the most fun I have had during a regular season. Tyler Hansbrough and the freshman class that would eventually cut the nets down three years later could not disappoint. Until March. Just when I was happy enough for UNC not to be terrible, they got really, really good. They faced George Mason in the 2nd round of the tournament. My wife of 7 months went to George Mason. She couldn't care less about the game, but when the Patriots shocked the Heels, she knew to avoid me for a day or two.
The next year UNC blew a late lead in the Elite 8 to my favorite team of my early youth, Georgetown, with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It was personal now, but it would get worse before it got better.
The 2008 Final Four was awful, just bloody awful. It was over before it started, but of course UNC made a run just to give me a second of hope before it was dashed away. That was to be the year. Everyone was going to leave and UNC was going to have to start all over. A funny thing happened though as everyone came back.
2009 from beginning to end was a coronation. Never once did I feel that UNC wasn't going to win the title. They made it look so easy. I didn't scream like I did in 2005, hell I barely broke a sweat. Then again maybe it was me drifting away from being a fanatic?? Nope.
I was able to make it through 2010 because I knew it was going to be a rebuilding year. Duke winning it all didn't help though.
2011 looked to be another rebuilding year until Kendall Marshall emerged. Then I was hooked. He has been far and away my favorite Tar Heel since the 2009 season. He had the ball on a string and made difficult play look effortless. He was also the first athlete that I followed to ever show a personality on Twitter. I grew closer to the team through social media with @Kbutter5 leading the way. The late surge by the Heels had me dreaming of another title, but once again another blue blood got in the way. This time it was Kentucky. How I hate Kentucky. I thought the band was going to break up after that defeat, but when they all came back I knew 2012 was going to be the year.
This was my favorite team. Ever. I was glued to every moment of the 2012 team. The game versus Kentucky was a National Championship preview. They were the two best teams of year no questions asked. Then along came Creighton. {insert string of curse words and hand gestures}. I'm still angry. I feel like us fans were robbed of our chance. I know the players were. One dirty play and all that hard work those kids had worked for was gone. In an instant. I was depressed for a long time. UNC valiantly won a game without Kendall and almost stole one against Kansas. 'Wrist watch 2012' sucked.
2013-2015 were blurs. Maybe it was becoming a father. Maybe it was the hangover to the 2012 team. I thought my passion had run out. My son was my life now. Things had changed. Sure I was there watching UNC fall just short to Iowa State and Wisconsin in the tournament. I still watched all the games. Heck I even watched an ACC Tournament game in a public setting...voluntarily.
Then along came the 2016 team. Whether it was Marcus Paige being as good off the court as he was on the court or Brice Johnson finally developing into the player we had hoped for this team clicked with me. They loved each other and you could tell. The fun they had playing as a
Through five games of the NCAA Tournament, UNC was hardly challenged. I was supremely confident that Carolina would defeat Villanova. I know the players felt this too. Read what Marcus Paige wrote, they loved to play with and for each other. Roy knew he had a special group of kids. Carolina didn't play great, but just when all hope was lost, they rallied. Of course they did. Marcus Paige hit the shot heard round Tobacco Road and at that moment everything was okay. UNC was going to win. They had escaped. 4.7 seconds later the season ended in the worst possible way. To be so close yet be so far away is maddening. I wasn't even 3 years old the last time UNC lost a championship game. This was new to me. I didn't know how to react. I'll never re-watch the game much less Paige's amazing shot. I know what happens next.
I knew the 2017 team was going to still be good. I didn't know how I'd feel as a fan. It is an odd feeling. I coasted through the regular season knowing that nothing meant anything to me save for six games in March and early April. Beating Duke, losing the Duke and Kentucky meant nothing. I was numb. Give me the tournament. Carolina breezed through their first game. Arkansas should have knocked them out, but this team wouldn't quit. It was that comeback that woke me up from my year long coma. I now knew they could do it. They spit in the face of adversity and proved they weren't caught up in memories of a year ago. They dismantled Butler. The brought up Kentucky. Again. That primal scream from 2005 returned for me. That shot was for Kendall Marshall, Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson. It was for everyone that didn't get to cut down a net and hoist a trophy that wore Carolina Blue or cheered for them like they were a part of the team.
If UNC happens to win their next two games I feel like Marcus and Brice should be there. I feel like this is still their team. The players are obviously playing for them and for themselves. The Redemption Season is how it is being dubbed and I'm okay with that. This is just an extension of what almost was last year. Whatever happens I know I am invested. Of course I am. Just when I thought I was out, they have brought me back.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Sports Bucket List
Now that I'm inching towards the halfway point of the average life expectancy (77.4 years as of 2008 per Wikipedia) for men I figured I'd better start piecing together my Sports Bucket List. Everyone will probably create some type of bucket list during their lifetime and I'm sure I'll do one as well that is not centered around sports, but for now this is what I want to do/see/visit/enjoy before I'm laid to rest.
What a morbid topic Jason...let me tell you what got me thinking about this. I was watching the first UNC v Duke men's basketball game this year and tweeted to @midatlanticbias (another Jason) who happens to be a Duke fan that we should watch a season series of UNC/Duke with each other. Him walking into the palace that is the Dean Dome and me slithering into the cramped, overheated high school gym that is Cameron Indoor Stadium. Now I have already watched a game in each of the two locations. About a decade ago I went with a high school friend to watch a U. of Maryland vs Duke game near the height of their rivalry. I wore a red t-shirt with the words 'Kick Their Ass' written on it in the heart of the 'Cameron Crazies.' Outside of the ticket taker, not one student said a mean word to me. I didn't even get that many dirty looks. Duke won which probably kept me from getting into a shoving match post game, but the experience was fun. Just last month I finally got to see UNC play at home when they defeated Pitt. The place was loud and it was nice to be surrounded by a bunch of fans rooting for the same team unlike my previous three UNC games that I had seen in person: 1) at Princeton 2) in DC during the ACC tournament with a mixed bag of fans 3) at the ACC Championship game last season with a bunch of Miami fans in my section as the Hurricanes won the title.
Okay I'm getting off track...back to the bucket list.
The easiest way for me will be going from sport to sport (whether you like it or not, I will be including poker as a sport).
Baseball
1) Attend a Game 7 - any Game 7 (bonus points to it including the Oakland Athletics or Washington Nationals). I was fortunate enough to see a playoff game finally two seasons ago when Jayson Werth hit a walk-off HR in Game 4 against St. Louis for the Nationals. I don't remember what ever came of that Game 5 though.
2) See the All-Star festivities - Mainly I want to watch a HR derby. Yes I'm an old soul when it comes to baseball and I thoroughly enjoy a good old fashioned HR derby. I'd go to the All Star game too, but the derby does it for me more so.
3) 30 games in 30 (or 31) days - Maybe not like this one, but something similar without the plane flights. Me and three other people in a camper going coast to coast. It can be done with the right scheduling by MLB as long as the teams who share cities play on the same day and night so you can hit both in one day. I'll blog it if somebody's wants to pay for it :)
4) Throw live to a major league hitter - This one is about 4 years expired as my shoulder has gone to hell, but what I wouldn't have given to throw live to any MLBer during my prime. Sure they would've crushed me, but what fun I would've had.
5) Spend a week with my High School pals in Arizona for Spring Training - My core high school group of friends included two A's fans, a Cubs fan, a Brewers fan, a Yankees fan and a Tigers fan. 4-2 Arizona to Florida (plus I've been to spring training in Florida).
6) Go to Opening Day - This seems like an easy one to accomplish, but I have never gotten around to doing it. Shame on me.
Football
1) Watch the Redskins play (and win) an NFC Championship Game at home - This has many factors that 20 years ago looked to be a distinct possibility, but now looks near impossible. The Redskins have hosted just two playoff games since moving out of DC. I could be sitting on this one for a while.
2) Go to a Super Bowl when the Redskins aren't playing - Jokes aside about how easy this one could be, I don't think I'd like to be in house while the Redskins are playing in a Super Bowl. I'd much rather be around my friends and family. Football is the one sport that I like watching in a social atmosphere. I cuss far too much when watching baseball, hockey and college basketball to be around people I care about.
3) See JMU make the jump to Division 1 and watch UNC play for a National Championship - JMU seems on the cusp of making the leap away from 1-AA (I'm not using the proper terminology for a reason). Then when they beat Virginia Tech it won't be as much as a shock. UNC had a great season in 1997 and have been up and down since (with some help from some boosters and tutors). My hope is they at least play in a BCS level game in the next few years and possibly have that one magical season within the next 10-15 years.
Basketball
1) Go to a Final Four - I possibly could stomach watching UNC live there, but I'd probably be escorted out of the building before the first television timeout. There was a distinct possibility that I was going to get to go to the Final Four in New Orleans in 2012 through a work connection via my sister if UNC had gone, but stupid ass Creighton had to go and injure Kendall Marshall and derail a probable UNC/UK rematch. Still, and forever, bitter.
2) Watch UNC/Duke in both arenas - Already discussed above.
3) Be on UNC's campus during a Final Four/Championship victory - I have been on campus for four UNC games in my life. I was there when UNC lost to Duke, I was there when UNC lost the 1998 Final Four to Utah and I was there when UNC lost to Florida in the 2000 Final Four. Thankfully UNC beat Pitt last month or I may have never gone back.
4) Watch JMU become the next GMU/VCU/Wichita St. - I went to James Madison University (shocking as that is with my affinity to UNC throughout this blog) from 1996-2000. After making the NCAA Tournament in 1994 which was the culmination of 5 straight CAA regular season titles, I had hopes that JMU might be really good while I was there. After all they had legendary head coach Lefty Driesell at the helm. He had spoken to the freshman during orientation in 1996 and then promptly stepped down after our freshman year to go to Georgia St.. JMU won 16 games my freshman year, 11 my sophomore year, 16 my junior year and then had a great senior year with 20 wins. They didn't make the NCAA throughout until breaking a lengthy drought with an appearance last season where they picked up a play-in (1st round) win before losing to Indiana. What I want to see is JMU become the darling of the nation for three weekends in March/April. They don't have to win it all, but to emulate what fellow CAA members GMU and VCU have done would be nice (as long as they don't step on UNC like GMU did).
5) Witness the Washington Bullets Wizards return to glory - The reason I'm a Detroit Pistons fan is because the Washington franchise was just too embarrassing when I was a youth. I like the direction they are finally heading in with youthful talent and hopefully they're getting good enough to woo a veteran superstar to get them over the hump. No I don't think LeBron is headed to D.C., but I just can't understand why people won't consider playing here now that Washington has a couple of pieces in place to win.
Hockey
1) Go to the Winter Classic in 2015 - There is only one item on my Christmas list this year and it's to go to the spectacle that is the Winter Classic. With the Washington Capitals trending downward, next year could be a major crossroads for the franchise. Which leads me into the only bucket list item that matters for this category...
2) Witness a Stanley Cup for the Capitals franchise - I've been to regular season games, 1st round playoff games, 2nd round playoff games and even an Eastern Conference Final game back in 1998. I've sat through four overtime horror shows and screamed in excitement after a Game 7 OT game winner (thank you Joel Ward). The highs have been high and the lows have been soul crushing. I know I will literally weep like a baby if the Capitals ever hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.
3) Watch a Game 7 playoff game live when the Capitals win - I've never been to Game 7 in the playoffs and for good reason as a Capitals fan. It hasn't been pretty. One year I'll suck it up and go to try and break the trend, but the fan in me knows what will happen.
Poker
1) Play in the WSOP Main Event - $10,000 buy in with the longest odds of winning millions of dollars. I just want the chance.
2) Play in a $5,000 WPT Event - 1/2 the cost, much better odds of winning.
Obviously I better start making some more $$ if I want either of those to come true.
Golf
1) Hit a hole-in-one - It's every golfers dream and I got within 10 feet once when I used to play a bit more. Simple dream, difficult to achieve.
2) Watch the Masters in person - It's not spring until I start seeing commercials for the Masters on CBS. The best looking course in the world with the best players competing, what more could one ask for?
Soccer
1) Watch the USA win the World Cup - I was fortunate to go to a World Cup match back in 1994 when Mexico and Norway played at RFK in D.C.. I love international soccer (really any international competition when the best are playing the best in any event) and just once the USA will make that magical run to shock the world.
Olypmics
1) Go to an Olympics: Summer or Winter or both - I love the Olympics for the same reason I love the World Cup. I'm a competition junkie. I took off of work during the 2nd week of the Winter Olympics once again to watch the Men's Hockey tournament in peace and quiet. It's what I do. The USA is due to host the Summer Olympics within the next 20 years and I'm in wherever they may be. Same goes for the Winter Olympics and especially the Men's Hockey....
2) Watch the USA men win Gold Medal in the Olympics - The one sporting event I wish I had been at live would easily have been the 'Miracle on Ice' in 1980. While the USA winning a gold medal won't reach the fervor that occurred in 1980, it'll still be fantastic.
Horse Racing
1) Go to the Kentucky Derby - I have already asked my wife to book a trip to Kentucky for my 40th birthday which just happens to be the next time that the Derby falls on my birthday. Perfect. I'll see you there in 2018. I'll be betting on the 5 horse and the 10 horse.
I'm sure I'm missing stuff like going to the Big House to watch a Michigan game or tailgating before an Auburn v Alabama game in college football. I want to go to Dodger Stadium and sit in the 5th upper level or just sit with Vin Scully for nine innings. I'd love to meet a ton of people including Dean Smith even with his heartbreaking mental state right now. I'm sure my list could go on and on because outside of my personal favorite teams, I just love sports.
I know I'd love to sit in with Bill Belichick or any other NFL head coach for a week and see what exactly goes into game planning for a week. Obviously coaching a single MLB game would be ridiculous.
So many things to do so little time and money to do them.
I have knocked some items off the list:
1) Visit Fenway/Wrigley Field
2) Go to the College World Series (although going and seeing UNC win would be perfection)
3) Play basketball on a NBA court (sure I was 12, but I got to shake Charles Barkley's hand)
4) Visit Notre Dame
5) See the Oakland A's play in Oakland (I've also seen them play at Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago (both White Sox and Cubs) and Pittsburgh).
I would enjoy any feedback and any of my reader's bucket list items. Maybe it'll jog my ever crumbling mind on things I have forgotten.
Friday, August 9, 2013
John Cusack and 2013 Fantasy Football
For my third annual article of my introduction into the fantasy football season, I have chosen one of my favorite actors. Over the last
30 years, John Cusack has entertained viewing audiences with his quirky sense of humor
and his reluctance (for the most part) to avoid doing a movie just to
cash a Hollywood paycheck. The first movie I truly remember watching
repeatedly was One Crazy Summer when it aired pretty much every other
weekend on my local television stations. Whether it was the animated
sequences or the 'climatic' boat race at the end, it was always a movie
that kept me laughing.
Two movies that I won't touch on in this article, but that are two of my favorite of all time are Being John Malkovich and Grosse Pointe Blank. These are two completely different movies, but both fit the odd ball personality of Cusack characters to a tee. Now, Con Air is not what most would call an Academy Award worthy film, but I can't help watching it every time it is on television. Its the perfect time waster on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Put the bunny back in the box.
Last season I covered Denzel Washington where I definitely had some opportunities for improvement. I undersold the rookie class and overbought the Philadelphia Eagles. Frank Gore still had some gas left in the tank, but Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees once again put up monster numbers. I thought the Tennessee Titans would make some bigger strides and I completely bombed on my Donald Brown breakout prediction.
This season I will be looking back at the career of John Cusack and hopefully give my faithful readers an edge on either what to do or what not to do, depending on how good you think I am at this.
The Raven
I've wanted to watch this movie, but for some reason I haven't gotten around to it, but what better way to start this season than with a look at the defending Super Bowl Champions. Trying to repeat as a champion is difficult in any sport and this year already looks daunting for Baltimore. Gone are two legendary defensive stalwarts in retired linebacker Ray Lewis and free agent (Houston) safety Ed Reed. You have to expect a step back for the defense that has been such a fantasy monster over the last decade. On the other side of the ball, Joe Flacco has a new contract, but he lost veteran (and aging) wide receiver Anquan Boldin to free agency and recently, and far more importantly, emerging tight end Dennis Pitta to injury. In the four years since his rookie year, Flacco has been the model of consistency: mid to upper 3000's in yards passing, low to mid 20's in TD passes and double digit interceptions. Not the sexiest stat line and the main reason he'll never be a consistent fantasy starter. He'll keep Torrey Smith's numbers down, unfortunately, but he is the only receiver with massive upside, if Flacco can put a full season together. Ray Rice is the do it all back for the Ravens and for your fantasy team. There was something to worry about when the Ravens let Vonta Leach go, but he recently re-signed with the club and that cements Rice as a top 5 fantasy pick in my book. With Leach in the backfield with Rice, the numbers have been strikingly alarming. In the two seasons as a starter without Leach, Rice averaged 1908 yards from scrimmage per season while the two seasons with Leach he averaged 1844 yards from scrimmage per season. Wait? What? Doesn't that contradict the value of Leach?? No and here's why, Rice scored just 14 touchdowns without Leach and 25!! with Leach. That is the key number. Leach paves the way for the diminutive Rice inside the five without stealing the touchdowns.
Hot Tub Time Machine
In this comedy, a bunch of old dudes find a way to travel back in time to relive the years when they were young and hip in their own minds. Which aging veteran has one more viable fantasy season left in him like what Tony Gonzalez was able to to do last season for the Falcons (by the way he's definitely got something left)? Outside of Peyton Manning, the QB position is a young mans spot. If I had to take a veteran signal caller with the shot of doing something special, I'd go with Carson Palmer. Why? Two words: Bruce Arians. Oh you thought I was going to say Larry Fitzgerald? He's good, but maybe, just maybe Arians can find the proper scheme for those two to thrive. As for RB's, Frank Gore showed he wasn't ready to pass the torch to LaMichael James or Kendall Hunter just yet. The door is still open for one more season with Hunter injured, but its Reggie Bush (who I personally disowned three years ago) that should be primed to succeed. He loves open space and joins a Lions team that spreads the field like no other. Similar to the role that Darren Sproles has in New Orleans (that Bush was supposed to be), this could be a season of 75 receptions and double digit total touchdowns. Out wide, Dwayne Bowe has suddenly turned 28 before our eyes and his hopes for resurrecting his career rely solely on Andy Reid. The question is whether both of them are washed up or whether Bowe just needed a (once?) great offensive mind. Alex Smith isn't the greatest quarterback, but he should be sufficient enough to lead an above average offense in a weakened division. At tight end, old dudes still shine led by Gonzalez, Jason Witten and Antonio Gates, but its Greg Olsen who once again is primed to shine if only the Panthers use him more wisely. He's a match up nightmare, but he loses too many touchdowns to the run heavy goal line offense of Carolina. If Cam Newton just passes a handful more times inside the 10, Olsen could see his touchdown total climb to 9+ and make him a top five option.
2012
Oh John. I like you and I love end of the world movies, but 2012 just didn't do it for me. Just like the Mayans, the movie missed its mark with audiences. The rookie class of 2012 proved to be unlike the movie and was a complete box office smash hit. Andrew Luck, RGIII, Russell Wilson, Doug Martin, Trent Richardson and even late round sensation Alfred Morris all starred. This years crop of rookies can not and will not match them. As Ralph Wiggum once uttered: 'That's unpossible!' The fact that WR Tavon Austin was the first fantasy worthy choice at pick 12 says it all. There weren't high end, impact ready rookies this season. Now, of course, somebody will step in and shine, but I can't think of too many rookies that I'll spend a valuable pick on this go around. EJ Manuel and Geno Smith will aim to be the next in the line of hybrid quarterbacks a la RGIII and Colin Kaepernick, but unless you're in a deep keeper league, look elsewhere come draft day. The first running back off the board was my favorite college back as a UNC fan, Gio Bernard. He won't be the starter in Cincinnati, but he'll have his chances and could be a Darren Sproles clone in a year or two. Montee Ball is the one to watch as he is on a pass heavy team and will have room to run from day one. If any of the group has the potential to be a fantasy hero, it's him because Denver is going to score and score a lot. Peyton will have to let his rookie back score every once in a while, won't he? I also think Le'veon Bell is in a good spot with Pittsburgh while both Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin will be looking to earn the majority of reps in Green Bay. Rookie wide receivers are usually a must avoid, but everyone is speaking wonders about Texans rookie DeAndre Hopkins. He is on a really good team with a stud receiver in Andre Johnson opposite him and he can catch the ball, no really catch the ball. I am calling him the next Reggie Wayne whom I coveted for years as Marvin Harrison was aging in Indianapolis. That being said, it took Wayne four seasons to have his first 1,000 yard campaign. Back to Austin who is in a good place in St. Louis where his speed will be on full display, but there's no chance he produces to his current ADP which is ahead of the likes of Cecil Shorts and T.Y. Hilton who will be far more productive.
Bullets Over Broadway
I've never been a fan of Woody Allen films (save for Antz) and I've never, ever, ever, been a fan of sports teams in the great state of New York. The fact is I downright loathe every team based out of the Empire State and luckily for me there are three New York based teams in the NFL for me to dislike. Yes, the Buffalo Bills are still both in New York (not Toronto) and still in the NFL. The Giants and the Jets get most of the publicity and seeing as they are co-hosting the Super Bowl this season, all eyes will once again be focused on them. In western New York, the Bills have overhauled the offense dispatching incumbent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to Tennessee and bringing in Kevin Kolb and rookie E.J. Manuel. Fred Jackson gave way to C.J. Spiller in the backfield last season and boy did Spiller shine averaging 6.8 yards per TOUCH while accumulating 1,700 yards from scrimmage and he only started 7 games (playing in all 16). The step back at quarterback will hinder his progression this season, but he's the one Bills player to grab. Steve Johnson is already injured and not worth much more than a third receiver on your roster at this point. The Jets have said adieu to the failed Tim Tebow experiment and hopefully they can refocus on football. Of course, I think a distraction to the pig slop that the Jets will roll out might be exactly what the fans will need. When Chris Ivory is your best bet at fantasy gold, you know you'll be struggling. That's not saying Ivory won't be a beast now that he has a chance to shine, but he's an awfully risky choice as a #2 starter in most 12+ team leagues. For the Giants, the picture is much more appetizing. Eli Manning has his stable of weapons back with Victor Cruz re-signing, Hakeem Nicks still fighting bumps and bruises, new tight end Brandon Myers and sleeper pick Rueben Randle to step in when Nicks misses his handful of games. David Wilson and Andre Brown could prove to be a fantasy owners nightmare with a split backfield. Wilson might handle the between the 20's running while Brown will steal away the scores. A disaster in the making barring someone breaking through. Pay close attention to that race during the preseason.
Money For Nothing
A mostly forgettable movie about John Cusack lucking into $1.2 million and his decision on whether to take the money and run or be a good citizen and return it. In the era of big money free agency, there are plenty of players who have parlayed one (or more) good seasons into a big paycheck from another team. Fantasy owners are also fooled easily by the big dollar sign and ignore whether the signing was actually a good fit for both the player and the team. I had high hopes for Percy Harvin (officially a trade, but Minnesota wasn't paying the big bucks) up in Seattle, but his hip injury has derailed his season until at least Thanksgiving. For quarterbacks, there really was nothing to write about. Ryan Fitzpatrick will probably play in a couple of games, but he's Ryan Fitzpatrick, so I'll pass. The running back position has at least one gold member in Steven Jackson. After nearly a decade toiling away in St. Louis, Jackson has been gifted the most idyllic situation he could ask for. He replaces Michael Turner, who, with limited burst left in his legs still mustered 10 rushing touchdowns. Jackson might be just a year younger than Turner, but he will feel seven years younger this season. No longer will he be facing an eight man front. Hell, he'll have his pick of holes with the vertical passing game that Atlanta can throw at defenses. This will be Jackson's last great fantasy year. Reggie Bush has moved on from Miami to Detroit and he is in a very similar situation to Jackson, with a slightly more inconsistent offense. Bush will excel in PPR leagues, but be more than serviceable in all league formats. Ahmad Bradshaw has moved on from the New York Giants to an up and coming offense in Indianapolis. His situation is a bit murkier as even though he can be seen as opening day starter, he'll have to deal with Vick Ballard and the ever disappointing Donald Brown for touches. Running the ball was the biggest opportunity for the Colts as they only scored 11 times on the ground and five of those were by quarterback Andrew Luck. Their top two backs did combine for 1,200 yards which would be a great season for Bradshaw if everything breaks right. Wes Welker is the obvious best wide receiver on a new team this season. He has partnered with long time rival Peyton Manning in Denver as the Broncos gear up to make a Super Bowl run. The only question is how Denver will spread the ball around to their big three receivers. The catches and yardage will be there for Welker, but he could be anywhere from 3-10 touchdowns. Mike Wallace could be a huge smash in Miami, but my 'Spidey-senses' feel it will be more of the same for Wallace as a one trick pony. He runs fast, he runs deep and when he's on, he's great. Too bad Ryan Tannehill hasn't proven himself enough to warrant my seal of approval. Greg Jennings pulled a Brett Favre and jumped from Green Bay to division rival Minnesota. The downward spiral for Jennings has been quick and decisive. Not only is he on the way out, but he has gone from fantasy stud Aaron Rodgers to fantasy enigma Christian Ponder. He's, at best, a third wide receiver in a deep league for me. At tight end Jared Cook is my guy to watch in St. Louis. I have high hopes for a breakout season from him. Martellus Bennett has gone to Chicago and is an interesting sleeper if Jay Cutler can stay upright and learn to once again use his tight end wisely. Bears tight ends caught just 25 passes in 2012 with 3 receiving touchdowns. Bennett will double that.
Shadows and Fog
Another Woody Allen film that I somehow missed. John Cusack wasn't among the top billed cast in this film, but was relegated to a smaller role. Just because a player isn't a starter on opening day, it doesn't mean he won't become a fantasy all-star for the season. Most players that fit this bill might not even be drafted. They will be picked up off the waiver wire in the first few weeks. The draft is just the stepping stone for fantasy owners. Not all the players you draft will be with you come week 12. Through trades, injuries, poor play and the waiver wire, your roster is mostly expendable. Weeks 1-4 are the key time frame to shape your roster into a playoff contender. Think back to Mike Vick a few years ago or Alfred Morris last season. Players come out of nowhere to All-Pro type seasons. Of course for every success off the waiver wire there will be a Kevin Ogletree who exploded last year in Week 1 and only had one more serviceable game over the next 15. This is also the most difficult list to prepare because nobody knows the practice squad guys yet, but I'll pick out a couple of guys and see if I get lucky. Rookies Latavius Murray in Oakland and Joseph Randle in Dallas are in prime positions as backups/third stringers. The veteran starters for their respective teams, Darren McFadden and DeMarco Murray are fragile (they must have Italian heritage). Both will get their chances to step in sometime this season. Roy Helu Jr. in Washington and Shaun Draughn in Kansas City could also find some playing time with the right breaks. Until last season, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was known to change running backs as often as his underwear. Who is to say he doesn't revert back to that in 2013? Jamaal Charles has the majority of the touches locked up in Kanasas City, but Shaun Draughn was decent with his chances last season and could be a surprise if Charles comes up lame one week. Out wide, Riley Cooper may be a racist, but he is one of the few Eagles currently healthy. DeSean Jackson is a problem child and Jason Avant had zero touchdowns while catching 53 passes a year ago. In Minnesota, Percy Harvin is gone, Greg Jennings is in, but it is rookie Cardarrelle Patterson, that may wind up being the most productive by years end. Who knows if Jennings can stay on the field and Jerome Simpson was awful after his suspension in 2012. The one tight end that might surprise is Jordan Cameron. He has done next to nothing in his career to date, but now with tight end career maker Norv Turner in the house, he'll be given every chance to succeed.
The Grifters
I love movies about con artists and robberies. They could make 100 more Ocean Eleven movies and I'd watch them all. The Sting, Matchstick Men, The Thomas Crown Affair and on and on. Nothing beats a good theft. The same holds true in fantasy football. As an owner you are trying to maximize value out of each pick. Your first round pick should be the league MVP, your third round pick should post first round numbers and most importantly you need to find a breakout star in the sixth or seventh round (eighth or ninth in 10 team leagues). After you've acquired a solid starting lineup through the first handful of rounds, its time to grab players with pure upside. These picks won't cost you any games, but they do have a chance to make your season. Some of the the players that I'm keeping an eye on during the middle rounds are: Ben Tate in Houston, Ryan Williams in Arizona, Golden Tate in Seattle, Greg Little in Cleveland and Rob Housler in Arizona. I think that through injury and poor play in front of them, all five of these players could excel if given the right opportunity. Arian Foster is in trouble this season (so he'll be MVP right?). He has been overused with over 400 touches last season and has been battling injuries all off season. Ben Tate is more than capable as a backup and if I were coaching Houston, I'd be splitting the touches at a 60/40% clip, meaning horrible value for Foster, great value for Tate. Ryan Williams can't stay healthy while Arizona can't find a running back they like. Beanie Wells was shuttled away and Rashard Mendenhall replaced him. Stop laughing. This is Williams job for the taking and the only Cardinals running back I'm even thinking about drafting. Golden Tate has seen his numbers progressively increase over his three year career. Just when it appeared that Seattle was bringing in competition in Percy Harvin, Tate caught a break with the hip injury to Harvin. Still, Tate is being drafted, on average, 30 picks behind teammate Sidney Rice. That is great value for a player that is no worse than a co-number one wide receiver for the Seahawks. Greg Little took a step back in his progression last season thanks in large part to the play of rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. My reason for hope, outside of the 3rd year receiver golden fantasy rule, is that Little ended 2012 strong with two of his three touchdown receptions. Weeden will have a year of experience and with Josh Gordon missing the first two games, Little will have a chance to get some looks as the go to guy right off the bat. Rob Housler is the starting tight end in Arizona, but he'll be no fantasy owners starter at the start of the season. With Carson Palmer under center for the Cardinals, Housler has to think he is in store for a lot of targets. Brandon Myers caught 79 passes from Palmer last season in Oakland. Housler can do that too.
Eight Men Out
This is one of my favorite sports movies of all time. The mostly true story of the 1919 ChicagoBlack
White Sox who threw the World Series to make some extra money because
of their hatred for owner Charles Comiskey. After taking the money and
intentionally losing the Series, eight players were banned from baseball
forever. Over the years I have banned players from my teams after
being burned one too many times. Yeah I'm looking at you Reggie Bush!
You can now welcome Darren McFadden to the club. This year (outside of
those two) there are eight players I have already crossed off my list
based purely on value versus their current ADP.
1. Rob Gronkowski - Barring a minor medical miracle, this will not be the year of the Gronk. I'm not wasting a third round pick on somebody who very well may miss the first six games of the season. I cannot deny his talent when healthy but he has had far too many surgeries in the last year for my liking.
2. Vernon Davis - I could easily put Jermichael Finley here as well. I just don't know what to do with these two. Davis disappeared when Colin Kaepernick took over and Finley saw 88 balls thrown his way and scored just twice. Two scores while playing on the Packers juggernaut of an offense?? Really?? Donald Driver and Tom Crabtree caught a total of 16 balls for Green Bay last season and had 5 total touchdowns. Meanwhile, Davis had one touchdown in his final 13 regular season games. That's unacceptable and I'm not going to watch and wait to see if the 49ers figure out how to use their best receiver better.
3. Chris Ivory - Well actually the entire Jets squad is nominated here. They look awful. Chris Ivory wasn't good with New Orleans and I am scared to death on how bad he'll be in New York. Simple as that.
4. Steve Johnson - I don't get the fascination with Johnson. It took him 12 weeks last season to hit 100 yards in a game. He's got a rookie quarterback that was overvalued throwing to him. He's already battling injuries. Red flags on the field everywhere. Avoid at all costs.
5. DeSean Jackson - The diva receiver. How I loathe thee. You can add Miles Austin to this spot too. Both of these guys have gutted my teams over the years and I'm done with them. Man up and play the game right. Shut your trap, run your routes, catch the ball and go back to the huddle.
6. Hakeem Nicks - Yes a Tar Heel. Even as a die hard fan of UNC, I'm giving up on Nicks. He can't stay on the field enough for my liking. Such a shame. Prove me wrong.
7. Tom Brady - Too many questions and I never take quarterbacks early, much less ones that have lost every single receiver he trusted in a year before. The quarterback position is so deep this year that there is no reason to reach for someone in such a precarious situation.
8. Maurice Jones-Drew - After being injured and while still playing for the lowly Jaguars, MJD is still being picked in the 3rd round in most leagues. Nope, not going to happen. I'd rather a younger David Wilson or Montee Ball on a much better offense instead.
The Sure Thing
Some say that John Cusack peaked in the '80s thanks to films like this one. Your classic boy wants perfect girl, but is paired up with another, completely opposite girl and you guessed it, they fall for each other. Throw in a road trip and you have the secret recipe for Hollywood success. Last season it seemed like every fantasy draft I did, quarterbacks went flying early and often. In my oldest league, a 14 team draft where the majority of us have been together for 15 years, there were five...count them...five quarterbacks drafted in the first round. That was unprecedented. I can't remember a season where more than two quarterbacks were chosen in round 1. I snagged an unknown rookie named RGIII in the sixth round which worked out nicely. Too bad I screwed up my first five picks so royally he couldn't salvage my season. This season the quarterback position is as deep as ever. In addition to Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady who were by far and away the sure thing in 2012, Peyton Manning and Cam Newton returned to form. Matt Stafford might not have matched his 2011 campaign, but Detroit has Megatron and he throws 40 times a game. Rookies RGIII, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson blew away any predictions and Colin Kaepernick came from off the bench to guide his team to a Super Bowl. Then there's Eli Manning and Tony Romo, two NFC East quarterbacks that put up good numbers and continue to be undervalued year in and year out. Last, and certainly not least, is Matt Ryan who was my preseason MVP choice last season, and he'll be in the running this season for the high flying Falcons. That's 13 top notch starting quarterbacks for any fantasy team. A glutton of a sure thing. Here's my advice for you when drafting...wait for a quarterback. I say it every year and it used to be a very risky proposition, but this season there is no need to take a quarterback until past pick 60 at the earliest. In a 10 team league you could even wait until the 8th or 9th round and still grab Luck or Eli and be quite happy.
Say Anything
The last great 80s comedy that John Cusack did is fitting for my closing rant. I'm going to stand outside your window with boombox in hand and rant all season. It's what I do. I've been doing fantasy football since the mid 1990's when the Bills were the preeminent offensive team. Here's my list of advice for people just getting into fantasy football or those looking to get better:
1. Immerse yourself into the world of football in preparing for your draft. Leave no stone unturned. Learn the rosters, the depth charts, the rookies, the veterans. A fantasy roster is not just about the starters in Week 1, its about having the players on your bench that will emerge in weeks 4 through 8.
2. Be active, if not overly active. You are the GM of a team and just like real GM's, be ready to move players to make your team better. Unless you're in a keeper league, you have just one shot with your roster. Don't get attached to anyone. If you see an opportunity to make your roster better, do it.
3. Have fun. I'm in a friends league where there is one bad apple who constantly brings down the morale of the league with his disgraceful banter on the league message boards. He fights with every owner, offers horrible trades and thinks he is God's gift to fantasy football. There's a reason you're playing in a $50 league sir, nobody has it all figured out. We all make mistakes, but some of us are humble enough to ride out the bad seasons in the same manner that we enjoy the good ones.
4. Draft with your brain and not with your heart. I'm a Redskins fan and in my keeper league I'm keeping two Seahawks (who ended Washington's season) and a Cowboy (hated rival). I play to win the game! Last season was awesome having RGIII and Alfred Morris on the same fantasy team while watching Washington streak towards the playoffs. That doesn't happen often and I'm not going to force it this season. Draft the best available player whether you hate his team or not.
5. Remember every league is different. The owners act differently. The scoring is different. League size varies. Each draft is different. My three primary leagues consist of a 14 team, in person, snake draft with the caveat of our 3rd round is reversed. This means we go 1-14, 14-1 and then 14-1 again in round 3. The next league is an online, 10 team, snake draft with the caveat of being a PPR (points per reception) league. My last league is an in person, 10 team, keeper league, with the caveat of it being an auction league. That's where each owner has a salary cap and every non-keeper is available for purchase at the right price. There are a million ways to run a league. Try them all.
Good luck this season.
Two movies that I won't touch on in this article, but that are two of my favorite of all time are Being John Malkovich and Grosse Pointe Blank. These are two completely different movies, but both fit the odd ball personality of Cusack characters to a tee. Now, Con Air is not what most would call an Academy Award worthy film, but I can't help watching it every time it is on television. Its the perfect time waster on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Put the bunny back in the box.
Last season I covered Denzel Washington where I definitely had some opportunities for improvement. I undersold the rookie class and overbought the Philadelphia Eagles. Frank Gore still had some gas left in the tank, but Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees once again put up monster numbers. I thought the Tennessee Titans would make some bigger strides and I completely bombed on my Donald Brown breakout prediction.
This season I will be looking back at the career of John Cusack and hopefully give my faithful readers an edge on either what to do or what not to do, depending on how good you think I am at this.
The Raven
I've wanted to watch this movie, but for some reason I haven't gotten around to it, but what better way to start this season than with a look at the defending Super Bowl Champions. Trying to repeat as a champion is difficult in any sport and this year already looks daunting for Baltimore. Gone are two legendary defensive stalwarts in retired linebacker Ray Lewis and free agent (Houston) safety Ed Reed. You have to expect a step back for the defense that has been such a fantasy monster over the last decade. On the other side of the ball, Joe Flacco has a new contract, but he lost veteran (and aging) wide receiver Anquan Boldin to free agency and recently, and far more importantly, emerging tight end Dennis Pitta to injury. In the four years since his rookie year, Flacco has been the model of consistency: mid to upper 3000's in yards passing, low to mid 20's in TD passes and double digit interceptions. Not the sexiest stat line and the main reason he'll never be a consistent fantasy starter. He'll keep Torrey Smith's numbers down, unfortunately, but he is the only receiver with massive upside, if Flacco can put a full season together. Ray Rice is the do it all back for the Ravens and for your fantasy team. There was something to worry about when the Ravens let Vonta Leach go, but he recently re-signed with the club and that cements Rice as a top 5 fantasy pick in my book. With Leach in the backfield with Rice, the numbers have been strikingly alarming. In the two seasons as a starter without Leach, Rice averaged 1908 yards from scrimmage per season while the two seasons with Leach he averaged 1844 yards from scrimmage per season. Wait? What? Doesn't that contradict the value of Leach?? No and here's why, Rice scored just 14 touchdowns without Leach and 25!! with Leach. That is the key number. Leach paves the way for the diminutive Rice inside the five without stealing the touchdowns.
Hot Tub Time Machine
In this comedy, a bunch of old dudes find a way to travel back in time to relive the years when they were young and hip in their own minds. Which aging veteran has one more viable fantasy season left in him like what Tony Gonzalez was able to to do last season for the Falcons (by the way he's definitely got something left)? Outside of Peyton Manning, the QB position is a young mans spot. If I had to take a veteran signal caller with the shot of doing something special, I'd go with Carson Palmer. Why? Two words: Bruce Arians. Oh you thought I was going to say Larry Fitzgerald? He's good, but maybe, just maybe Arians can find the proper scheme for those two to thrive. As for RB's, Frank Gore showed he wasn't ready to pass the torch to LaMichael James or Kendall Hunter just yet. The door is still open for one more season with Hunter injured, but its Reggie Bush (who I personally disowned three years ago) that should be primed to succeed. He loves open space and joins a Lions team that spreads the field like no other. Similar to the role that Darren Sproles has in New Orleans (that Bush was supposed to be), this could be a season of 75 receptions and double digit total touchdowns. Out wide, Dwayne Bowe has suddenly turned 28 before our eyes and his hopes for resurrecting his career rely solely on Andy Reid. The question is whether both of them are washed up or whether Bowe just needed a (once?) great offensive mind. Alex Smith isn't the greatest quarterback, but he should be sufficient enough to lead an above average offense in a weakened division. At tight end, old dudes still shine led by Gonzalez, Jason Witten and Antonio Gates, but its Greg Olsen who once again is primed to shine if only the Panthers use him more wisely. He's a match up nightmare, but he loses too many touchdowns to the run heavy goal line offense of Carolina. If Cam Newton just passes a handful more times inside the 10, Olsen could see his touchdown total climb to 9+ and make him a top five option.
2012
Oh John. I like you and I love end of the world movies, but 2012 just didn't do it for me. Just like the Mayans, the movie missed its mark with audiences. The rookie class of 2012 proved to be unlike the movie and was a complete box office smash hit. Andrew Luck, RGIII, Russell Wilson, Doug Martin, Trent Richardson and even late round sensation Alfred Morris all starred. This years crop of rookies can not and will not match them. As Ralph Wiggum once uttered: 'That's unpossible!' The fact that WR Tavon Austin was the first fantasy worthy choice at pick 12 says it all. There weren't high end, impact ready rookies this season. Now, of course, somebody will step in and shine, but I can't think of too many rookies that I'll spend a valuable pick on this go around. EJ Manuel and Geno Smith will aim to be the next in the line of hybrid quarterbacks a la RGIII and Colin Kaepernick, but unless you're in a deep keeper league, look elsewhere come draft day. The first running back off the board was my favorite college back as a UNC fan, Gio Bernard. He won't be the starter in Cincinnati, but he'll have his chances and could be a Darren Sproles clone in a year or two. Montee Ball is the one to watch as he is on a pass heavy team and will have room to run from day one. If any of the group has the potential to be a fantasy hero, it's him because Denver is going to score and score a lot. Peyton will have to let his rookie back score every once in a while, won't he? I also think Le'veon Bell is in a good spot with Pittsburgh while both Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin will be looking to earn the majority of reps in Green Bay. Rookie wide receivers are usually a must avoid, but everyone is speaking wonders about Texans rookie DeAndre Hopkins. He is on a really good team with a stud receiver in Andre Johnson opposite him and he can catch the ball, no really catch the ball. I am calling him the next Reggie Wayne whom I coveted for years as Marvin Harrison was aging in Indianapolis. That being said, it took Wayne four seasons to have his first 1,000 yard campaign. Back to Austin who is in a good place in St. Louis where his speed will be on full display, but there's no chance he produces to his current ADP which is ahead of the likes of Cecil Shorts and T.Y. Hilton who will be far more productive.
Bullets Over Broadway
I've never been a fan of Woody Allen films (save for Antz) and I've never, ever, ever, been a fan of sports teams in the great state of New York. The fact is I downright loathe every team based out of the Empire State and luckily for me there are three New York based teams in the NFL for me to dislike. Yes, the Buffalo Bills are still both in New York (not Toronto) and still in the NFL. The Giants and the Jets get most of the publicity and seeing as they are co-hosting the Super Bowl this season, all eyes will once again be focused on them. In western New York, the Bills have overhauled the offense dispatching incumbent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to Tennessee and bringing in Kevin Kolb and rookie E.J. Manuel. Fred Jackson gave way to C.J. Spiller in the backfield last season and boy did Spiller shine averaging 6.8 yards per TOUCH while accumulating 1,700 yards from scrimmage and he only started 7 games (playing in all 16). The step back at quarterback will hinder his progression this season, but he's the one Bills player to grab. Steve Johnson is already injured and not worth much more than a third receiver on your roster at this point. The Jets have said adieu to the failed Tim Tebow experiment and hopefully they can refocus on football. Of course, I think a distraction to the pig slop that the Jets will roll out might be exactly what the fans will need. When Chris Ivory is your best bet at fantasy gold, you know you'll be struggling. That's not saying Ivory won't be a beast now that he has a chance to shine, but he's an awfully risky choice as a #2 starter in most 12+ team leagues. For the Giants, the picture is much more appetizing. Eli Manning has his stable of weapons back with Victor Cruz re-signing, Hakeem Nicks still fighting bumps and bruises, new tight end Brandon Myers and sleeper pick Rueben Randle to step in when Nicks misses his handful of games. David Wilson and Andre Brown could prove to be a fantasy owners nightmare with a split backfield. Wilson might handle the between the 20's running while Brown will steal away the scores. A disaster in the making barring someone breaking through. Pay close attention to that race during the preseason.
Money For Nothing
A mostly forgettable movie about John Cusack lucking into $1.2 million and his decision on whether to take the money and run or be a good citizen and return it. In the era of big money free agency, there are plenty of players who have parlayed one (or more) good seasons into a big paycheck from another team. Fantasy owners are also fooled easily by the big dollar sign and ignore whether the signing was actually a good fit for both the player and the team. I had high hopes for Percy Harvin (officially a trade, but Minnesota wasn't paying the big bucks) up in Seattle, but his hip injury has derailed his season until at least Thanksgiving. For quarterbacks, there really was nothing to write about. Ryan Fitzpatrick will probably play in a couple of games, but he's Ryan Fitzpatrick, so I'll pass. The running back position has at least one gold member in Steven Jackson. After nearly a decade toiling away in St. Louis, Jackson has been gifted the most idyllic situation he could ask for. He replaces Michael Turner, who, with limited burst left in his legs still mustered 10 rushing touchdowns. Jackson might be just a year younger than Turner, but he will feel seven years younger this season. No longer will he be facing an eight man front. Hell, he'll have his pick of holes with the vertical passing game that Atlanta can throw at defenses. This will be Jackson's last great fantasy year. Reggie Bush has moved on from Miami to Detroit and he is in a very similar situation to Jackson, with a slightly more inconsistent offense. Bush will excel in PPR leagues, but be more than serviceable in all league formats. Ahmad Bradshaw has moved on from the New York Giants to an up and coming offense in Indianapolis. His situation is a bit murkier as even though he can be seen as opening day starter, he'll have to deal with Vick Ballard and the ever disappointing Donald Brown for touches. Running the ball was the biggest opportunity for the Colts as they only scored 11 times on the ground and five of those were by quarterback Andrew Luck. Their top two backs did combine for 1,200 yards which would be a great season for Bradshaw if everything breaks right. Wes Welker is the obvious best wide receiver on a new team this season. He has partnered with long time rival Peyton Manning in Denver as the Broncos gear up to make a Super Bowl run. The only question is how Denver will spread the ball around to their big three receivers. The catches and yardage will be there for Welker, but he could be anywhere from 3-10 touchdowns. Mike Wallace could be a huge smash in Miami, but my 'Spidey-senses' feel it will be more of the same for Wallace as a one trick pony. He runs fast, he runs deep and when he's on, he's great. Too bad Ryan Tannehill hasn't proven himself enough to warrant my seal of approval. Greg Jennings pulled a Brett Favre and jumped from Green Bay to division rival Minnesota. The downward spiral for Jennings has been quick and decisive. Not only is he on the way out, but he has gone from fantasy stud Aaron Rodgers to fantasy enigma Christian Ponder. He's, at best, a third wide receiver in a deep league for me. At tight end Jared Cook is my guy to watch in St. Louis. I have high hopes for a breakout season from him. Martellus Bennett has gone to Chicago and is an interesting sleeper if Jay Cutler can stay upright and learn to once again use his tight end wisely. Bears tight ends caught just 25 passes in 2012 with 3 receiving touchdowns. Bennett will double that.
Shadows and Fog
Another Woody Allen film that I somehow missed. John Cusack wasn't among the top billed cast in this film, but was relegated to a smaller role. Just because a player isn't a starter on opening day, it doesn't mean he won't become a fantasy all-star for the season. Most players that fit this bill might not even be drafted. They will be picked up off the waiver wire in the first few weeks. The draft is just the stepping stone for fantasy owners. Not all the players you draft will be with you come week 12. Through trades, injuries, poor play and the waiver wire, your roster is mostly expendable. Weeks 1-4 are the key time frame to shape your roster into a playoff contender. Think back to Mike Vick a few years ago or Alfred Morris last season. Players come out of nowhere to All-Pro type seasons. Of course for every success off the waiver wire there will be a Kevin Ogletree who exploded last year in Week 1 and only had one more serviceable game over the next 15. This is also the most difficult list to prepare because nobody knows the practice squad guys yet, but I'll pick out a couple of guys and see if I get lucky. Rookies Latavius Murray in Oakland and Joseph Randle in Dallas are in prime positions as backups/third stringers. The veteran starters for their respective teams, Darren McFadden and DeMarco Murray are fragile (they must have Italian heritage). Both will get their chances to step in sometime this season. Roy Helu Jr. in Washington and Shaun Draughn in Kansas City could also find some playing time with the right breaks. Until last season, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was known to change running backs as often as his underwear. Who is to say he doesn't revert back to that in 2013? Jamaal Charles has the majority of the touches locked up in Kanasas City, but Shaun Draughn was decent with his chances last season and could be a surprise if Charles comes up lame one week. Out wide, Riley Cooper may be a racist, but he is one of the few Eagles currently healthy. DeSean Jackson is a problem child and Jason Avant had zero touchdowns while catching 53 passes a year ago. In Minnesota, Percy Harvin is gone, Greg Jennings is in, but it is rookie Cardarrelle Patterson, that may wind up being the most productive by years end. Who knows if Jennings can stay on the field and Jerome Simpson was awful after his suspension in 2012. The one tight end that might surprise is Jordan Cameron. He has done next to nothing in his career to date, but now with tight end career maker Norv Turner in the house, he'll be given every chance to succeed.
The Grifters
I love movies about con artists and robberies. They could make 100 more Ocean Eleven movies and I'd watch them all. The Sting, Matchstick Men, The Thomas Crown Affair and on and on. Nothing beats a good theft. The same holds true in fantasy football. As an owner you are trying to maximize value out of each pick. Your first round pick should be the league MVP, your third round pick should post first round numbers and most importantly you need to find a breakout star in the sixth or seventh round (eighth or ninth in 10 team leagues). After you've acquired a solid starting lineup through the first handful of rounds, its time to grab players with pure upside. These picks won't cost you any games, but they do have a chance to make your season. Some of the the players that I'm keeping an eye on during the middle rounds are: Ben Tate in Houston, Ryan Williams in Arizona, Golden Tate in Seattle, Greg Little in Cleveland and Rob Housler in Arizona. I think that through injury and poor play in front of them, all five of these players could excel if given the right opportunity. Arian Foster is in trouble this season (so he'll be MVP right?). He has been overused with over 400 touches last season and has been battling injuries all off season. Ben Tate is more than capable as a backup and if I were coaching Houston, I'd be splitting the touches at a 60/40% clip, meaning horrible value for Foster, great value for Tate. Ryan Williams can't stay healthy while Arizona can't find a running back they like. Beanie Wells was shuttled away and Rashard Mendenhall replaced him. Stop laughing. This is Williams job for the taking and the only Cardinals running back I'm even thinking about drafting. Golden Tate has seen his numbers progressively increase over his three year career. Just when it appeared that Seattle was bringing in competition in Percy Harvin, Tate caught a break with the hip injury to Harvin. Still, Tate is being drafted, on average, 30 picks behind teammate Sidney Rice. That is great value for a player that is no worse than a co-number one wide receiver for the Seahawks. Greg Little took a step back in his progression last season thanks in large part to the play of rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. My reason for hope, outside of the 3rd year receiver golden fantasy rule, is that Little ended 2012 strong with two of his three touchdown receptions. Weeden will have a year of experience and with Josh Gordon missing the first two games, Little will have a chance to get some looks as the go to guy right off the bat. Rob Housler is the starting tight end in Arizona, but he'll be no fantasy owners starter at the start of the season. With Carson Palmer under center for the Cardinals, Housler has to think he is in store for a lot of targets. Brandon Myers caught 79 passes from Palmer last season in Oakland. Housler can do that too.
Eight Men Out
This is one of my favorite sports movies of all time. The mostly true story of the 1919 Chicago
1. Rob Gronkowski - Barring a minor medical miracle, this will not be the year of the Gronk. I'm not wasting a third round pick on somebody who very well may miss the first six games of the season. I cannot deny his talent when healthy but he has had far too many surgeries in the last year for my liking.
2. Vernon Davis - I could easily put Jermichael Finley here as well. I just don't know what to do with these two. Davis disappeared when Colin Kaepernick took over and Finley saw 88 balls thrown his way and scored just twice. Two scores while playing on the Packers juggernaut of an offense?? Really?? Donald Driver and Tom Crabtree caught a total of 16 balls for Green Bay last season and had 5 total touchdowns. Meanwhile, Davis had one touchdown in his final 13 regular season games. That's unacceptable and I'm not going to watch and wait to see if the 49ers figure out how to use their best receiver better.
3. Chris Ivory - Well actually the entire Jets squad is nominated here. They look awful. Chris Ivory wasn't good with New Orleans and I am scared to death on how bad he'll be in New York. Simple as that.
4. Steve Johnson - I don't get the fascination with Johnson. It took him 12 weeks last season to hit 100 yards in a game. He's got a rookie quarterback that was overvalued throwing to him. He's already battling injuries. Red flags on the field everywhere. Avoid at all costs.
5. DeSean Jackson - The diva receiver. How I loathe thee. You can add Miles Austin to this spot too. Both of these guys have gutted my teams over the years and I'm done with them. Man up and play the game right. Shut your trap, run your routes, catch the ball and go back to the huddle.
6. Hakeem Nicks - Yes a Tar Heel. Even as a die hard fan of UNC, I'm giving up on Nicks. He can't stay on the field enough for my liking. Such a shame. Prove me wrong.
7. Tom Brady - Too many questions and I never take quarterbacks early, much less ones that have lost every single receiver he trusted in a year before. The quarterback position is so deep this year that there is no reason to reach for someone in such a precarious situation.
8. Maurice Jones-Drew - After being injured and while still playing for the lowly Jaguars, MJD is still being picked in the 3rd round in most leagues. Nope, not going to happen. I'd rather a younger David Wilson or Montee Ball on a much better offense instead.
The Sure Thing
Some say that John Cusack peaked in the '80s thanks to films like this one. Your classic boy wants perfect girl, but is paired up with another, completely opposite girl and you guessed it, they fall for each other. Throw in a road trip and you have the secret recipe for Hollywood success. Last season it seemed like every fantasy draft I did, quarterbacks went flying early and often. In my oldest league, a 14 team draft where the majority of us have been together for 15 years, there were five...count them...five quarterbacks drafted in the first round. That was unprecedented. I can't remember a season where more than two quarterbacks were chosen in round 1. I snagged an unknown rookie named RGIII in the sixth round which worked out nicely. Too bad I screwed up my first five picks so royally he couldn't salvage my season. This season the quarterback position is as deep as ever. In addition to Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady who were by far and away the sure thing in 2012, Peyton Manning and Cam Newton returned to form. Matt Stafford might not have matched his 2011 campaign, but Detroit has Megatron and he throws 40 times a game. Rookies RGIII, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson blew away any predictions and Colin Kaepernick came from off the bench to guide his team to a Super Bowl. Then there's Eli Manning and Tony Romo, two NFC East quarterbacks that put up good numbers and continue to be undervalued year in and year out. Last, and certainly not least, is Matt Ryan who was my preseason MVP choice last season, and he'll be in the running this season for the high flying Falcons. That's 13 top notch starting quarterbacks for any fantasy team. A glutton of a sure thing. Here's my advice for you when drafting...wait for a quarterback. I say it every year and it used to be a very risky proposition, but this season there is no need to take a quarterback until past pick 60 at the earliest. In a 10 team league you could even wait until the 8th or 9th round and still grab Luck or Eli and be quite happy.
Say Anything
The last great 80s comedy that John Cusack did is fitting for my closing rant. I'm going to stand outside your window with boombox in hand and rant all season. It's what I do. I've been doing fantasy football since the mid 1990's when the Bills were the preeminent offensive team. Here's my list of advice for people just getting into fantasy football or those looking to get better:
1. Immerse yourself into the world of football in preparing for your draft. Leave no stone unturned. Learn the rosters, the depth charts, the rookies, the veterans. A fantasy roster is not just about the starters in Week 1, its about having the players on your bench that will emerge in weeks 4 through 8.
2. Be active, if not overly active. You are the GM of a team and just like real GM's, be ready to move players to make your team better. Unless you're in a keeper league, you have just one shot with your roster. Don't get attached to anyone. If you see an opportunity to make your roster better, do it.
3. Have fun. I'm in a friends league where there is one bad apple who constantly brings down the morale of the league with his disgraceful banter on the league message boards. He fights with every owner, offers horrible trades and thinks he is God's gift to fantasy football. There's a reason you're playing in a $50 league sir, nobody has it all figured out. We all make mistakes, but some of us are humble enough to ride out the bad seasons in the same manner that we enjoy the good ones.
4. Draft with your brain and not with your heart. I'm a Redskins fan and in my keeper league I'm keeping two Seahawks (who ended Washington's season) and a Cowboy (hated rival). I play to win the game! Last season was awesome having RGIII and Alfred Morris on the same fantasy team while watching Washington streak towards the playoffs. That doesn't happen often and I'm not going to force it this season. Draft the best available player whether you hate his team or not.
5. Remember every league is different. The owners act differently. The scoring is different. League size varies. Each draft is different. My three primary leagues consist of a 14 team, in person, snake draft with the caveat of our 3rd round is reversed. This means we go 1-14, 14-1 and then 14-1 again in round 3. The next league is an online, 10 team, snake draft with the caveat of being a PPR (points per reception) league. My last league is an in person, 10 team, keeper league, with the caveat of it being an auction league. That's where each owner has a salary cap and every non-keeper is available for purchase at the right price. There are a million ways to run a league. Try them all.
Good luck this season.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Heartbreak and Elation: North Carolina Tar Heels
For the third post of my series about heartbreak and elation surrounding my favorite sports teams, I drop from the professional level where I wrote about both the Washington Redskins and Washington Capitals and cover the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina.
I will be honest, I didn't attend UNC nor do I have any family members that ever went there, but as most stories go, it was all about a girl. Heading into sixth grade the only college team that I was really aware of was Georgetown University. My uncle had gone there and they were the most prominent local team at the time. The Big East Conference was at its peak in the mid to late 1980's so therefore Hoya Paranoia was all I knew. That was until I met Mary as a budding romantic at the age of 11. She and her southern twang infatuated me at the time and she became my first 'girlfriend' if you can call it that. She had moved up from North Carolina and was from a UNC family. Her parents went there and eventually both her and her older sister wound up going to Chapel Hill for college. Although our middle school fling didn't last, she instilled in me a love for UNC and that is what has stuck almost 25 years later.
I really started following North Carolina basketball around 1992. My first taste of sadness was watching that team lose to Jimmy Jackson and Ohio St. in the NCAA tournament. My emotions swung to the other end of the spectrum just a year later, but we'll get to that in a bit.
When you're North Carolina, you have the highest of high expectations. Championship or bust is how each season is graded. To say that is unfair is incorrect. As a fan you always want your team to be championship worthy season in and season out. Fans of North Carolina should feel blessed that over the last 40+ years they have been a true contender to win a championship at least 30 times. Of course it makes for far more heartbreak than it does elation because they are always expected to win by the fan base. Always. There is no room for rebuilding, there is no excuse for not cutting down the nets, there is the ultimate pressure to win every time the team steps on the court. I must admit, I'd much rather have it that way then the alternative (yeah I'm looking at you Clemson!).
Picking out my favorite moments as a fan was not overly difficult, but as it was said in one of my favorite movies of all time, Rounders: "Few players recall big pots they have won, strange as it seems, but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career." That is how I feel with North Carolina, when you go into every game expecting a win, it is very difficult to look back and pick out the games that made you scream in joy. The ones that left you staring at a wall for hours in disbelief were easy to remember and that sucks. North Carolina has brought me far too much joy than I deserve as a fan and that is what I want to remember.
TOP 10 MOMENTS OF ELATION AS A NORTH CAROLINA FAN
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
2009 - January 28th at Florida St. (Ty Lawson Buzzer Beater)
2008 - ACC Tournament vs. Virginia Tech (Tyler Hansbrough Buzzer Beater)
2000 - NCAA Tournament vs. Stanford (#8 Seed UNC upends #1 Seed Stanford)
10. 1998 - February 5th vs. Duke
We'll start with my favorite team to never win a championship (more on that later). At the time of this game UNC was #2 in the country and hosted #1 Duke. I was at JMU and the game was not being aired on the channel lineup provided by the campus. I borrowed a car and drove to a sports bar (one that I could get into under 21 years of age) to watch it on a blurry satellite feed. There was no chance I was missing this game. UNC roared out of the gate behind Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Ed Cota. They hung half a hundred on Duke in the first half. It was easily one of the best halves of basketball I had ever witnessed. Duke attempted a run in the second half, even getting to within four points, but UNC had just too much fire power on that night. Everything went their way. Even on an attempted off the backboard alley-oop that was flubbed it turned out to be a wide open three point basket. UNC went on to win by 24 and take the top spot in the nation at 23-1.
9. 2011 - ACC Tournament vs. Miami
The 2010-11 version of North Carolina was one of those pleasant surprise teams that are few and far between. Midway through an uneven, frustrating season, Roy Williams made a decision that would change the course of the team for the next year and a half. He inserted freshman point guard Kendall Marshall into the starting lineup with a record of 12-5 and the team responded going 12-1 the rest of the regular season. In the ACC Tournament UNC drew Miami and all of the positive strides that had been made were seemed to have been lost over the first 30 minutes of play. With 9:55 remaining UNC trailed by 19 points and I was off the charts angry. I was stuck at work, but took my lunch during the 2nd half and went to the gym for a quick workout. Thank heavens the gym was empty because as North Carolina started their improbable comeback, I was allowed to vocally urge them on at the top of my lungs. Carolina rained in three point shot after three point shot and outscored Miami 27-6 the rest of the way. I'll never forget the defensive pose that Roy Williams struck on Miami's final possession that turned into a turnover. He exudes calmness for most games, but when he gets fired up, there is no other coach in the nation that shows the same level of passion. UNC had the ball, tied at 59 with just under 6 seconds remaining as Marshall drove to the basket, dished it off to Tyler Zeller who quickly laid it in to win at the buzzer.
8. 1995 - February 2 at Duke
One of the, if not the most memorable games between UNC and Duke in my lifetime and it happened to be played smack dab in the middle of my high school years where the pressure for UNC to win was ten fold. I caught more flack from fellow students and teachers (yes teachers!) when UNC lost than anything else. My Math and English teachers were UVA fans and would always let me know about losses. I had friends who were fans of UCLA, Florida St., Kentucky, Maryland and Michigan. It was a veritable mine field making it through a day at school without getting into an argument about college basketball. Going into the game at Duke in 1995, North Carolina was a heavy favorite as Duke was without Coach K (back surgery) and going through a terrible season currently 0-7 in the ACC. UNC was 16-1, 6-1 in the ACC and #2 in the country. This was to be a rout. Up 17 in the first half, the game played out as expected, until the aura of Cameron Indoor Stadium spearheaded a vicious comeback as not only did Duke catch UNC, but led by 12 points in the second half. I was beside myself and thinking up ways to convince my mother to let me stay home from school on Friday. Then UNC rallied to force overtime. In the extra frame they dominated scoring the first nine points over 3:30 minutes. Then Duke rallied with and 14-5 run including a near half court shot by Jeff Capel. In fact they were down eight with :21 left. I couldn't stomach it. The second overtime was similar to the first in the fact that UNC scored the only three points for both teams in the first 3:30 minutes, then Duke tied it at 98. Donald Williams hit a tough fade away and while viewers focused on him, Jerry Stackhouse stole the inbound pass for a layup and UNC finally had enough to put Duke away finishing with a 102-100 victory. My elation was masked in the form of utter relief, but any list covering UNC has to include this gut check of a game.
7. 2008 - Season Series vs. Clemson January 6/February 10
As the ACC schedule started for UNC in 2008 they stood undefeated at 14-0 and ranked #1 in the country. They really hadn't been tested to date, but down at Clemson, they got all they could handle and then some. The two teams played a snug first half going back and forth, but it was Clemson that had the better of the play in the second half, stretching out to a 7 point lead with less than 3 minutes to play. Back to back threes got UNC close and eventually they pushed it to overtime. In the extra session, Clemson clung to a one point lead as UNC set up their final play with 5.4 seconds left. Wayne Ellington got the pass from Ty Lawson and drained a 3 point shot to win the game and finished with a game high 36 points. Fast forward 35 days later and had dropped all the way to #3 in the country and stood 21-2 on the season. Clemson headed to Chapel Hill where they have never won...ever. It's the 'You can't win here!' game that the fans try and chant before being quieted by an embarrassed Roy Williams. In 2008 UNC stood 52-0 at home against Clemson. This year that almost ended. The Tigers scored the first 8 points of the game and never slowed down. At halftime it was an 11 point Tar Heel deficit. With 11 minutes to go it had ballooned to 15. Clemson was going to get its revenge. UNC scrapped and clawed, but still trailed by 9 with under three minutes to play. Then it happened, the magic that always appears with Clemson in town overtook the Tigers and UNC poured it on outscoring Clemson 12-3 the rest of the way to force overtime. It wasn't settled there as Quentin Thomas hit two clutch free throws to force a second overtime. What more did Clemson need to do? Apparently much more as Tyler Hansbrough scored seven of the thirteen Tar Heel points in double overtime and UNC won again for 53 in a row 103-93. Both games were magnificent and it is what I miss most about getting to play both home and away every year against every ACC team, but that's for another post.
6. 2006 - March 4 at Duke
Senior night for Duke. Senior night for Sheldon Williams and J.J. Redick. Duke was #1 in the country and this was the biggest night for them in a generation. I had traveled down to Charlotte, NC on vacation and when game time closed in I settled in to a local sports bar to watch the game surrounded by a bunch of Tar Heel fans so we could commiserate on what I expected to be a bad night. Coming off of a championship season this new batch of Tar Heels that were led by freshman Tyler Hansbrough and the team had completely exceeded all expectations. After narrowly losing to Duke in Chapel Hill, UNC had reeled off six straight victories and were ranked 15th in the country, but this was the moment Duke fans had waited four years for. No chance Duke would fall on senior night for two of their most beloved players ever. Along with Hansbrough, fellow freshman Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard spoiled the party. The four freshman scored 55 of UNC's 83 points while J.J. Redick cooled off completely after a torrid start (4-5) to shoot just 5-21 from the field...that's 1 for his last 16 if you're keeping track at home. The game was nip and tuck until UNC pulled ahead in the second half and Duke could never get back even. Being a true underdog made this game ultra special for me. Not only did I get to celebrate among fellow UNC fans, but to ruin the party that had built up all season long for Duke was amazing.
5. 2009 - NCAA Tournament vs. Michigan St.
Three years later it was North Carolina with the senior laden lineup looking to do what the '06 Duke team failed to accomplish. Tyler Hansbrough had become the leading scorer in the ACC (passing J.J. Redick) and his mission was to win a National Championship. The entire season was billed as Hansbrough's coronation and nothing less than winning a championship would be acceptable. Starting the season ranked #1, UNC never fell below #5 and entered the NCAA Tournament as the favorite to win the whole thing. They made quick work of their first five opponents winning each game by double digits and not really being tested once. I remember that I didn't get to watch an entire tournament game until the Elite 8 because UNC was always winning by too many points and CBS switched to another game. They faced Michigan St. in the National Championship game, a team they had beaten by 35 points earlier in the season. Whatever doubt I had by tip off was quickly extinguished as UNC dominated the Spartans from the opening tip. The Tar Heels scored 55 first half points and led by 21 at the break. As the championship became a reality, North Carolina allowed Michigan St. to creep with 13 points with five minutes remaining but finished the game out in style winning 89-72. This season was all about winning one for the senior class that came out of nowhere their freshman year to surprise the fan base and stuck together in true college fashion to complete the ultimate goal.
4. 2005 - March 6 vs Duke
I rank this game as my favorite, most joy inducing regular season game in my history as a fan of the Tar Heels for various reasons. At this point in time North Carolina had not won a National Championship in a dozen years. In fact they had not even made the Sweet 16 since 2000. The Matt Doherty years were painful and fan confidence was at an all time low. 2005 looked like a real chance to contend, and UNC had played great all season, but had still lost to Duke a month earlier. Now at the end of the season when emotions should be building towards the tournament, UNC was dealing with the absence of their enigmatic star Rashad McCants for the regular season finale against Duke in Chapel Hill. Having missed the previous three games with an intestinal illness, nobody knew whether he was going to come back that season. The mystique that came with wearing the powder blue and playing in the Dean Dome seemed to have disappeared. Senior day versus Duke looked to be more of the same with UNC not being able to overcome adversity. The game was close throughout until Duke took control with 5 minutes remaining. They went on a 9-0 run as UNC was forced to call a timeout with exactly 3 minutes remaining. Three minutes to decide whether this group of players could shake the recent demons and hopefully make a run into April. This is what happened:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE5IZWMttdA
Not only did North Carolina finally beat Duke (lost 4 in a row; 10 of 11), but they saw the emergence of the beast in the middle in Sean May, freshman Marvin Williams showed a glimpse of what he could do and they solidified their case as a #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. This game turned the tide for the entire program and it took three minutes to do so.
3. 1995 - NCAA Tournament vs. Kentucky
Let me introduce you to my friend Erin. I met her in 8th grade (1992) and she was a die hard fan of the University of Kentucky. My admiration for UNC grew because of the trash talking we did throughout the next five years until graduation. By 1995 I held the strong upper hand with the championship in 1993. The two teams had not played since 1990, but as fate had it, they were lined up to play each other in the Elite 8 of the 1995 tournament. When the brackets were announced, all Erin and I did was salivate over the possibilities of playing each other with the season on the line. When each team won in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday of that week, we had one day in school to prepare our vocal ammunition. The entire school day on Friday was spent bad mouthing each other's favorite team. This game meant more to me than any other game I had watched in my four years in following the team. There was no way I was going to be able to walk back into school on Monday morning if UNC had lost that game. Everybody said UNC was not going to be able to handle the full court pressure that Kentucky could apply. They had no such issue. UNC led at the half, expanded the lead in the 2nd half and was never really threatened. I remember distinctly screaming 'We're going to Seattle, we're going to Seattle.' She didn't say a word to me for a month.
2. 1993 - NCAA Tournament vs. Michigan
This was the first full season that I had paid attention to North Carolina as a fan. By the time the tournament rolled around I had my game day outfit solidified and for the tournament itself I created a pregame dance that I did in the confines of my room. We will never speak of that dance. Carolina cruised through the first weekend, survived the second weekend and were head to New Orleans for the Final Four. I was headed to my grandparents house in Florida (ensemble in hand) for spring break. The first night there was the Final Four. My grandparents made me turn the game off to eat dinner...are you @&%&*^* kidding me?? I was so restless while UNC knocked off Kansas that I'm sure I angered everyone there. Come Monday night all of that noise was gone. The grandparents and mom went to bed which left my dad, sister and I alone. My sister didn't make it to half time, but I was completely wired throughout. The 'Fab Five' were tough and I thought that they would knock of the Tar Heels as the game went down to the wire. Up by two points Chris Webber corralled a rebound on a missed free throw and appeared to travel as he couldn't decide whether to dribble or pass. I screamed as loud as I could without waking the house. He went down the court into the corner and called a timeout. A timeout his team didn't have. Billy Packer yelled 'that's a technical foul, a technical foul.' I ran around the house yelling the same. North Carolina hit their free throws and won the National Championship. One year as a fan, one championship...this was going to be fun.
1. 2005 - NCAA Tournament vs. Illinois
Then came the drought. Eleven full seasons passed without another championship. By 2005 I had gone through the tortures of four losses in the Final Four, five first weekend losses in the NCAA Tournament and two seasons that have been surgically erased from my memory. As the self described biggest Tar Heel fan that never went to the school, I was at wits end. The run in 2005 gave me hope. After cruising through the first weekend, UNC had a very stiff test against Villanova. After never leading in the first half, North Carolina went on a second half run that looked to end things, but Villanova wouldn't relent. Down by as many as 11, Villanova was within eight when UNC point guard Raymond Felton fouled out. Rarely used Melvin Scott came in and the lead quickly shrank to just two points as Scott found himself at the free throw line. He hit both shots and UNC never looked back. The Heels then beat two Big 10 teams in the Elite 8 and Final 4 to set up a match up with their third straight Big 10 foe in #1 ranked Illinois. This was the game everyone hoped for, #1 Illinois vs #2 UNC. This was the moment I had waited 11 years for. All day at work my only thoughts were about 9 p.m.. When the time came, thankfully my two roommates did not come home. They knew to leave me in peace. Since college I had started watching every tournament game by myself, in the dark. Sad as it sounds, I can't be around fellow humans during tournament games. It would not end well. I didn't sit down the entire game. UNC led throughout until Illinois came roaring back down the stretch. The game was tied with just under three minutes to go. I had lost my voice screaming at the television. Marvin Williams tipped in a miss by Rashad McCants, UNC hit some free throws and held Illinois scoreless during the last few minutes and UNC finally...FINALLY...won another National Championship. I screamed so loud that I actually went to my neighbors house (Duke fans) and apologized for my outburst. Really it was to see their faces. This was as good as it ever got for me.
And then there were days like these.
TOP 10 MOMENTS OF HEARTBREAK AS A NORTH CAROLINA FAN
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1995 - NCAA Tournament vs. Arkansas
1992 - NCAA Tournament vs. Ohio St.
2011 - December 3 at Kentucky
10. 1998 - February 28 at Duke
Just 23 days after North Carolina routed Duke in a battle of #1 vs. #2 the two teams met again eight miles down the road in Cameron Indoor Stadium. This time Duke was #1 and UNC was #3, but the story remained the same. UNC dominated. They were up 17 points nearly halfway through the second half when it all came crumbling down. The lead slipped away as Duke exerted itself and was fueled by they evil Cameron Crazies and Duke took the lead late. UNC had two different chances to tie the game from the free throw line, but both Ed Cota and Brendan Haywood missed. The kicker for this game is the nauseating image of super villain Steve Wojciechowski sprinting through the oncoming mob of Duke fans (I swear he pushed a little old lady out of the way) in order to hughis dad Coach K in congratulating him on his 500th coaching victory and the ACC regular season title. What a horrid ending.
9. 1999 - NCAA Tournament vs. Weber St.
'The Show' - The 1999 season following the departures of Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter and Shammond Williams was not a good season. It wasn't a bad season and, in fact, I believe UNC outplayed their expectations. If you take away the three losses to Duke, who was the best team in the country that year save for choking in the National Championship game, North Carolina went a very respectable 24-6 heading into the NCAA Tournament. This was saying something when I look back at the roster and see that Ademola Okulaja was the teams leading scorer and Max Owens (who??) was the fifth leading scorer. In between Brendan Haywood and Ed Cota tried their best to keep the Heels competitive. In the tournament they were handed a very generous #3 seed and a first round pairing with unknown Weber St.. I read through their team bio and I was told to worry about some guy named Harold Arceneaux. I wasn't worried. It was the first round and even though North Carolina had been scared some in the past (Fairfield in 1997) they had always pulled it out. Harold 'The Show' Arceneaux didn't care. He poured in 36 points as Weber St. knocked out UNC on the first night of the tournament. I didn't think that could happen. Thank you UCONN for keeping me somewhat sane that season.
8. 2005 - February 9 at Duke
Heading into this game, North Carolina stood 19-2 and was ranked #2 in the country. Duke was #8 in the country and once again the two teams played a classic battle that wasn't decided until the final possession. This was not the prettiest game that North Carolina ever played to say the least. Duke forced turnover after turnover and led throughout the game. Just as I was about to give up, UNC did what UNC does when trailing which is put on a patented second half run to make it close. Throughout the fan boards there is always talk about 'time and score' when it comes to UNC. It seems like they try to keep the deficit equal to the minutes left on the game clock. Down 10 with 10 minutes to go? No problem. Make it down 4 with 4 minutes to go. That's the mantra. This time UNC trailed by nine with just five minutes remaining, but after a Rashad McCants basket, the lead had been trimmed to a single point with just a minute to play. Fast forward to the final possession. The score is the same and UNC put the ball into the hands of Raymond Felton with a chance to steal a game from Duke on their home court. Now my juices are flowing. The Tar Heels ran the same play that was used to down #1 ranked Connecticut a year earlier in Chapel Hill, but this time JJ Redick overplayed the pass to McCants and Felton was left confused on what to do. Instead of taking his own shot he made an errant pass and the game was over. Comeback denied.
7. 2000 - NCAA Tournament vs. Florida
This game is a difficult one to rank. The 2000 team caused me to feel every bit of emotion that I could muster. A preseason ranking of #6 that eventually climbed to #2 gave me hope. Then the bottom fell out and by January the team fell out of the rankings for the rest of the season. I was now (insert catchy synonym to downtrodden). UNC lost in the first round of the ACC tournament and I was completely exasperated. Given an #8 seed based off of name alone I assume, I did not go into the NCAA tournament with any expectations. Then something happened. Playing only six players, UNC banded together to go on a very improbable run. They beat #9 Missouri. Upset #1 Stanford. Took down #4 Tennessee. Eked past #7 Tulsa. This team was now headed for a Final Four!! I was in college at James Madison University and my club baseball team was headed down to UNC for our final road trip of the season that weekend. It was my senior year and my final trip. Emotional times. I had been on campus two years earlier, but this time it had an aura of finality to it. I pitched my best game for JMU that morning beating N.C. State in the first round of a tournament we ended up winning (against UNC on Sunday as they were in a state of mourning I assume). Maybe a magical Saturday night was in store. UNC was outplayed, out talented and out manned. Down 18-3 early, the game looked to be over before it started. A big first half by Brendan Haywood and a great first five minutes of the second half by Joseph Forte propelled UNC to a six point lead with 14 minutes to play. Then Ed Cota picked up two quick fouls and without any depth, UNC was forced to back off its defensive pressure allowing Florida to pick them apart. On offense, UNC looked exhausted and fell, scoring just 10 more points the rest of the way. The campus was silent that night...I wandered aimlessly in despair.
6. 1997 - NCAA Tournament vs. Arizona
The 1997 season ended up being Dean Smith's final year as North Carolina head coach. This is why this game hurts a little bit more than others. Just like in 2000, the 1997 team went only six players deep and it was another team that got hot late. After losing to Duke and dropping to 12-6 overall, North Carolina reeled off nine straight to end the regular season, then won the ACC Tournament for 12 games in a row and were rewarded with a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. There they survived the first round against Fairfield then dispatched of Colorado, California and Louisville to head to the Final Four where they would meet Arizona who conveniently beat overall #1 seed Kansas clearing the path to a hopeful National Championship game for the Tar Heels against Kentucky. A funny thing happened though. Sixteen wins in a row gave me supreme confidence that UNC could get past upset minded Arizona. Even though Arizona beat UNC in the first game of the season, I knew that each team was completely different by April. Through the first 10 minutes everything was going fine. UNC looked to have more talent, but sloppy play kept Arizona close. By halftime, Arizona had surged ahead as UNC went into an 8+ minute dry spell that leaked into the first four minutes of the second half. After making his first shot, Shammond Williams missed his final 12 shots and Ademola Okulaja went 1-8 in the game. That 2-21 shooting was all you really needed to know about how the second half progressed. UNC could never string together enough good play as Arizona knocked them out and ended the storied career of Dean Smith.
5. 2008 - NCAA Tournament vs. Kansas
The game that Billy Packer dubbed to be over with just under 7 minutes left in the first half. North Carolina entered the 2008 Final Four on a 15 game winning streak and were met by Kansas who was the second of a record four #1 seeds to make the Final Four. All North Carolina fans expected this to be the final season for standout All-American Tyler Hansbrough. This is why this game meant so much to me. At 36-2 North Carolina had been the overall #1 seed, but with all four #1 seeds alive and kicking, it appeared to be anyone's title for the taking now. The game against Kansas started out normal enough with Kansas taking an early 15-10 lead. I cannot explain what happened next without the use of excessive profanity. From 15-10 the score ballooned to 33-10 and eventually 40-12 when Packer uttered his famous line about the game being over. I agreed. Sitting alone in the dark of my man cave, I was numb. I looked up every once in a while to see the carnage progress. It was disgusting. Thankfully the players didn't give up. They fought and they scrapped and hopefully over the last 25 minutes of that game they learned the lessons that eventually won them the championship the following season. UNC crawled back to within five points in just 15 minutes of game action. It was improbable and almost impossible to think that they could come all the way back. Danny Green launched a 3 point shot that would have cut the deficit to two points, but it missed and that marked the beginning of the end...again. After the initial 40-12 lead, UNC went on a 41-18 run and that was followed by a Kansas 26-13 run to end things. Damn you Billy Packer, damn you to hell.
4. 1994 - NCAA Tournament vs. Boston College
Coming off of a National Championship during my freshman year in high school, North Carolina reloaded with freshmen Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace in the efforts to win back to back championships. The team started #1 and never dropped below #5 in the polls and after winning the ACC Tournament, they went into the NCAA Tournament as the #1 seed in the East Region. That put their first two games in Landover, MD and I was fortunate enough to get to see them practice leading up to the games. Apparently I also cursed them. North Carolina cruised by Liberty and were lucky enough (so I thought) not to have to face Bob Knight and Indiana in the second round, but instead Boston College a team I knew nothing about. UNC struggled from the outset in their attempts to impose their will over the Eagles. Boston College relied on their starting five and their starting five only as those players scored ALL 75 of the teams points that afternoon. I was locked in my room, resigned to my 19" antenna based television to watch a blurry UNC team struggle. Down all game long, UNC continued to keep it close, but each time they scored, Boston College would answer right back. Down three points and with one final possession, Rasheed Wallace put up an errant three point attempt and UNC lost. I didn't leave my room until it was time to go to school the next morning. No dinner. Nothing. Half of my pain was UNC losing. Half was the knowledge that all I was going to hear the next day was trash talking from my friends and teachers. It wasn't until Charlotte Smith hit that last second buzzer beater in the Women's National Championship Game did I arise from my month long depression.
3. 2012 - NCAA Tournament vs. Creighton
This game marks two oddities in the heartbreak list. This is the only game on the list that I didn't watch and the only game that UNC won. Last March I did what I normally do come tournament time. I took the first four days of the tournament off from work. My wife knew this, but what she didn't realize was that I was surprising her with a romantic weekend trip to New York City. I figured that the 2012 Tar Heels didn't need me watching to get past the first weekend. If they lost, it was probably best I didn't witness it. As it happened to work out, UNC played Friday evening as I was stuck on a bus headed north. Using limited wi-fi I was able to follow on Twitter as they handily beat Vermont. Better news was that Duke was beat by Lehigh, but I'll move on. We had a wonderful weekend and as fate would have it once again, UNC was set to play Creighton on the ride home Sunday night. With the NCAA on Demand app not working I was forced again to track the game via Twitter. Thankfully the game was going swimmingly as UNC appeared headed to the Sweet 16 just in time for me to be able to return to the man cave for my normal routine. Then the ominous tweets started appearing. Apparently Kendall Marshall had a wrist injury. He played almost the entire game, had his best game in a UNC uniform scoring 18 points (which led the team) while dishing out 11 assists. His improved play was the key to UNC vying for a National Championship. In about five minutes time I went from elation to pure and utter heartbreak and anger. Kendall Marshall had his wrist broken while being fouled late in the game with the victory all but secured. There I was, stuck on a bus for the next two hours not being able to lash out. HULK SMASH was going on inside my head. The dream was over. The bulk of the team left for the NBA. Even though UNC won one more game and even though Stillman White tried his hardest to push UNC to the Final Four, the team just wasn't the same. We never got the rematch versus Kentucky that would have had 8-9 NBA caliber players on the court at the same time. What. A. Damn. Shame.
2. 2012 - February 8 vs. Duke
In all my years of being a fan of North Carolina, I have thankfully not had to witness many buzzer beating defeats. The ones that have happened have, for the most part, faded into the deep, dark recesses of my subconscious. Then along came Austin Rivers. He only played one season for arch rival Duke and only two games against UNC, but his footprint will be forever lasting. In a game that Duke led for the entire first half and that UNC controlled for 18 minutes in the second half, all that will be remembered is the final ten seconds. Up by as much as 12 in the second half and still up by 10 points with just over two minutes to play, the Tar Heels looked to be wrapping up a somewhat easy win against Duke. But, oh those last two minutes. Like a band-aid being ripped off a sensitive area of your body, those last two minutes were two of the most painful minutes any North Carolina fan has ever witnessed. Duke hit a three point shot, Kendall Marshall turned the ball over and Duke hit another three point basket. Six points in :21, the lead cut to four. Uh-oh. Harrison Barnes committed an offensive foul on the next possession and Duke scored again to cut the lead to two points. Still 70 seconds left. Tyler Zeller got fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws and Duke went right down the court and scored. One point game. Eighteen long seconds left. Again Zeller goes 1 for 2 at the line, lead back up to two points. One last chance for Duke. Don't allow them to shoot a 3 please UNC. Please. Pretty please. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY DON'T LET THEM SHOOT A THREE!!!!!! Cue Austin Rivers...
Yeah I didn't watch that either.
1. 1998 - NCAA Tournament vs. Utah
I started this post writing about my favorite team to not win a championship. The 1998 team with Ed Cota, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter and Shammond Williams were so much fun to watch. Outside of the 2012 team, I can't think of another team more deserving to have won a championship that didn't. Unlike the 2012 team, the 1998 team didn't have the injury bug to complain about. They just choked. No doubt about it. No denying the fact. This team was 17-0 and later 26-1. They were dominant. They won an ACC game against Florida St. by 48 points!! You don't see that very often. While going 34-4, UNC won their games that season by an average score of nearly 17 points all while playing the 5th hardest schedule in the NCAA. By the time UNC reached the Final Four, it felt all but inevitable to me that they would at the very least be playing Monday night for the Championship. I was a sophomore at JMU and for the first time in my life I traveled to Chapel Hill (with my baseball team) the weekend of the Final Four. I was going to be on campus for the celebration. In fact I watched the game with a couple thousand of the students in the Dean Dome. The holy mecca of sights for any fan of the Tar Heels. It was all coming together. I was in (*blue*) heaven. Then the game started and it appeared UNC was caught in quicksand. A team that looked so fast and so athletic all season long looked lost. Utah was supposed to be the methodical, hard nosed defensive team, but UNC made them look like track stars. It was embarrassing. At halftime UNC trailed by 13. They had scored 22 points. They averaged 82 a game that season. 22 points. The second half was not much better. Utah maintained their lead until late when UNC finally woke up and made a run. With two minutes left the lead had been sliced to two points. Now the Dean Dome was awake. The place was loud. It was everything I had envisioned. It was going to be an ugly win, but come March/April, a win is a win is a win. But that didn't happen. UNC couldn't get over the hump. They had waited too long. There was no miracle finish. There was no happy ending. Antawn Jamison kissed the court and never put a Carolina jersey on again. Vince Carter left as well. I was left speechless.
I will be honest, I didn't attend UNC nor do I have any family members that ever went there, but as most stories go, it was all about a girl. Heading into sixth grade the only college team that I was really aware of was Georgetown University. My uncle had gone there and they were the most prominent local team at the time. The Big East Conference was at its peak in the mid to late 1980's so therefore Hoya Paranoia was all I knew. That was until I met Mary as a budding romantic at the age of 11. She and her southern twang infatuated me at the time and she became my first 'girlfriend' if you can call it that. She had moved up from North Carolina and was from a UNC family. Her parents went there and eventually both her and her older sister wound up going to Chapel Hill for college. Although our middle school fling didn't last, she instilled in me a love for UNC and that is what has stuck almost 25 years later.
I really started following North Carolina basketball around 1992. My first taste of sadness was watching that team lose to Jimmy Jackson and Ohio St. in the NCAA tournament. My emotions swung to the other end of the spectrum just a year later, but we'll get to that in a bit.
When you're North Carolina, you have the highest of high expectations. Championship or bust is how each season is graded. To say that is unfair is incorrect. As a fan you always want your team to be championship worthy season in and season out. Fans of North Carolina should feel blessed that over the last 40+ years they have been a true contender to win a championship at least 30 times. Of course it makes for far more heartbreak than it does elation because they are always expected to win by the fan base. Always. There is no room for rebuilding, there is no excuse for not cutting down the nets, there is the ultimate pressure to win every time the team steps on the court. I must admit, I'd much rather have it that way then the alternative (yeah I'm looking at you Clemson!).
Picking out my favorite moments as a fan was not overly difficult, but as it was said in one of my favorite movies of all time, Rounders: "Few players recall big pots they have won, strange as it seems, but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career." That is how I feel with North Carolina, when you go into every game expecting a win, it is very difficult to look back and pick out the games that made you scream in joy. The ones that left you staring at a wall for hours in disbelief were easy to remember and that sucks. North Carolina has brought me far too much joy than I deserve as a fan and that is what I want to remember.
TOP 10 MOMENTS OF ELATION AS A NORTH CAROLINA FAN
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
2009 - January 28th at Florida St. (Ty Lawson Buzzer Beater)
2008 - ACC Tournament vs. Virginia Tech (Tyler Hansbrough Buzzer Beater)
2000 - NCAA Tournament vs. Stanford (#8 Seed UNC upends #1 Seed Stanford)
10. 1998 - February 5th vs. Duke
We'll start with my favorite team to never win a championship (more on that later). At the time of this game UNC was #2 in the country and hosted #1 Duke. I was at JMU and the game was not being aired on the channel lineup provided by the campus. I borrowed a car and drove to a sports bar (one that I could get into under 21 years of age) to watch it on a blurry satellite feed. There was no chance I was missing this game. UNC roared out of the gate behind Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Ed Cota. They hung half a hundred on Duke in the first half. It was easily one of the best halves of basketball I had ever witnessed. Duke attempted a run in the second half, even getting to within four points, but UNC had just too much fire power on that night. Everything went their way. Even on an attempted off the backboard alley-oop that was flubbed it turned out to be a wide open three point basket. UNC went on to win by 24 and take the top spot in the nation at 23-1.
9. 2011 - ACC Tournament vs. Miami
The 2010-11 version of North Carolina was one of those pleasant surprise teams that are few and far between. Midway through an uneven, frustrating season, Roy Williams made a decision that would change the course of the team for the next year and a half. He inserted freshman point guard Kendall Marshall into the starting lineup with a record of 12-5 and the team responded going 12-1 the rest of the regular season. In the ACC Tournament UNC drew Miami and all of the positive strides that had been made were seemed to have been lost over the first 30 minutes of play. With 9:55 remaining UNC trailed by 19 points and I was off the charts angry. I was stuck at work, but took my lunch during the 2nd half and went to the gym for a quick workout. Thank heavens the gym was empty because as North Carolina started their improbable comeback, I was allowed to vocally urge them on at the top of my lungs. Carolina rained in three point shot after three point shot and outscored Miami 27-6 the rest of the way. I'll never forget the defensive pose that Roy Williams struck on Miami's final possession that turned into a turnover. He exudes calmness for most games, but when he gets fired up, there is no other coach in the nation that shows the same level of passion. UNC had the ball, tied at 59 with just under 6 seconds remaining as Marshall drove to the basket, dished it off to Tyler Zeller who quickly laid it in to win at the buzzer.
8. 1995 - February 2 at Duke
One of the, if not the most memorable games between UNC and Duke in my lifetime and it happened to be played smack dab in the middle of my high school years where the pressure for UNC to win was ten fold. I caught more flack from fellow students and teachers (yes teachers!) when UNC lost than anything else. My Math and English teachers were UVA fans and would always let me know about losses. I had friends who were fans of UCLA, Florida St., Kentucky, Maryland and Michigan. It was a veritable mine field making it through a day at school without getting into an argument about college basketball. Going into the game at Duke in 1995, North Carolina was a heavy favorite as Duke was without Coach K (back surgery) and going through a terrible season currently 0-7 in the ACC. UNC was 16-1, 6-1 in the ACC and #2 in the country. This was to be a rout. Up 17 in the first half, the game played out as expected, until the aura of Cameron Indoor Stadium spearheaded a vicious comeback as not only did Duke catch UNC, but led by 12 points in the second half. I was beside myself and thinking up ways to convince my mother to let me stay home from school on Friday. Then UNC rallied to force overtime. In the extra frame they dominated scoring the first nine points over 3:30 minutes. Then Duke rallied with and 14-5 run including a near half court shot by Jeff Capel. In fact they were down eight with :21 left. I couldn't stomach it. The second overtime was similar to the first in the fact that UNC scored the only three points for both teams in the first 3:30 minutes, then Duke tied it at 98. Donald Williams hit a tough fade away and while viewers focused on him, Jerry Stackhouse stole the inbound pass for a layup and UNC finally had enough to put Duke away finishing with a 102-100 victory. My elation was masked in the form of utter relief, but any list covering UNC has to include this gut check of a game.
7. 2008 - Season Series vs. Clemson January 6/February 10
As the ACC schedule started for UNC in 2008 they stood undefeated at 14-0 and ranked #1 in the country. They really hadn't been tested to date, but down at Clemson, they got all they could handle and then some. The two teams played a snug first half going back and forth, but it was Clemson that had the better of the play in the second half, stretching out to a 7 point lead with less than 3 minutes to play. Back to back threes got UNC close and eventually they pushed it to overtime. In the extra session, Clemson clung to a one point lead as UNC set up their final play with 5.4 seconds left. Wayne Ellington got the pass from Ty Lawson and drained a 3 point shot to win the game and finished with a game high 36 points. Fast forward 35 days later and had dropped all the way to #3 in the country and stood 21-2 on the season. Clemson headed to Chapel Hill where they have never won...ever. It's the 'You can't win here!' game that the fans try and chant before being quieted by an embarrassed Roy Williams. In 2008 UNC stood 52-0 at home against Clemson. This year that almost ended. The Tigers scored the first 8 points of the game and never slowed down. At halftime it was an 11 point Tar Heel deficit. With 11 minutes to go it had ballooned to 15. Clemson was going to get its revenge. UNC scrapped and clawed, but still trailed by 9 with under three minutes to play. Then it happened, the magic that always appears with Clemson in town overtook the Tigers and UNC poured it on outscoring Clemson 12-3 the rest of the way to force overtime. It wasn't settled there as Quentin Thomas hit two clutch free throws to force a second overtime. What more did Clemson need to do? Apparently much more as Tyler Hansbrough scored seven of the thirteen Tar Heel points in double overtime and UNC won again for 53 in a row 103-93. Both games were magnificent and it is what I miss most about getting to play both home and away every year against every ACC team, but that's for another post.
6. 2006 - March 4 at Duke
Senior night for Duke. Senior night for Sheldon Williams and J.J. Redick. Duke was #1 in the country and this was the biggest night for them in a generation. I had traveled down to Charlotte, NC on vacation and when game time closed in I settled in to a local sports bar to watch the game surrounded by a bunch of Tar Heel fans so we could commiserate on what I expected to be a bad night. Coming off of a championship season this new batch of Tar Heels that were led by freshman Tyler Hansbrough and the team had completely exceeded all expectations. After narrowly losing to Duke in Chapel Hill, UNC had reeled off six straight victories and were ranked 15th in the country, but this was the moment Duke fans had waited four years for. No chance Duke would fall on senior night for two of their most beloved players ever. Along with Hansbrough, fellow freshman Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard spoiled the party. The four freshman scored 55 of UNC's 83 points while J.J. Redick cooled off completely after a torrid start (4-5) to shoot just 5-21 from the field...that's 1 for his last 16 if you're keeping track at home. The game was nip and tuck until UNC pulled ahead in the second half and Duke could never get back even. Being a true underdog made this game ultra special for me. Not only did I get to celebrate among fellow UNC fans, but to ruin the party that had built up all season long for Duke was amazing.
5. 2009 - NCAA Tournament vs. Michigan St.
Three years later it was North Carolina with the senior laden lineup looking to do what the '06 Duke team failed to accomplish. Tyler Hansbrough had become the leading scorer in the ACC (passing J.J. Redick) and his mission was to win a National Championship. The entire season was billed as Hansbrough's coronation and nothing less than winning a championship would be acceptable. Starting the season ranked #1, UNC never fell below #5 and entered the NCAA Tournament as the favorite to win the whole thing. They made quick work of their first five opponents winning each game by double digits and not really being tested once. I remember that I didn't get to watch an entire tournament game until the Elite 8 because UNC was always winning by too many points and CBS switched to another game. They faced Michigan St. in the National Championship game, a team they had beaten by 35 points earlier in the season. Whatever doubt I had by tip off was quickly extinguished as UNC dominated the Spartans from the opening tip. The Tar Heels scored 55 first half points and led by 21 at the break. As the championship became a reality, North Carolina allowed Michigan St. to creep with 13 points with five minutes remaining but finished the game out in style winning 89-72. This season was all about winning one for the senior class that came out of nowhere their freshman year to surprise the fan base and stuck together in true college fashion to complete the ultimate goal.
4. 2005 - March 6 vs Duke
I rank this game as my favorite, most joy inducing regular season game in my history as a fan of the Tar Heels for various reasons. At this point in time North Carolina had not won a National Championship in a dozen years. In fact they had not even made the Sweet 16 since 2000. The Matt Doherty years were painful and fan confidence was at an all time low. 2005 looked like a real chance to contend, and UNC had played great all season, but had still lost to Duke a month earlier. Now at the end of the season when emotions should be building towards the tournament, UNC was dealing with the absence of their enigmatic star Rashad McCants for the regular season finale against Duke in Chapel Hill. Having missed the previous three games with an intestinal illness, nobody knew whether he was going to come back that season. The mystique that came with wearing the powder blue and playing in the Dean Dome seemed to have disappeared. Senior day versus Duke looked to be more of the same with UNC not being able to overcome adversity. The game was close throughout until Duke took control with 5 minutes remaining. They went on a 9-0 run as UNC was forced to call a timeout with exactly 3 minutes remaining. Three minutes to decide whether this group of players could shake the recent demons and hopefully make a run into April. This is what happened:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE5IZWMttdA
Not only did North Carolina finally beat Duke (lost 4 in a row; 10 of 11), but they saw the emergence of the beast in the middle in Sean May, freshman Marvin Williams showed a glimpse of what he could do and they solidified their case as a #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. This game turned the tide for the entire program and it took three minutes to do so.
3. 1995 - NCAA Tournament vs. Kentucky
Let me introduce you to my friend Erin. I met her in 8th grade (1992) and she was a die hard fan of the University of Kentucky. My admiration for UNC grew because of the trash talking we did throughout the next five years until graduation. By 1995 I held the strong upper hand with the championship in 1993. The two teams had not played since 1990, but as fate had it, they were lined up to play each other in the Elite 8 of the 1995 tournament. When the brackets were announced, all Erin and I did was salivate over the possibilities of playing each other with the season on the line. When each team won in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday of that week, we had one day in school to prepare our vocal ammunition. The entire school day on Friday was spent bad mouthing each other's favorite team. This game meant more to me than any other game I had watched in my four years in following the team. There was no way I was going to be able to walk back into school on Monday morning if UNC had lost that game. Everybody said UNC was not going to be able to handle the full court pressure that Kentucky could apply. They had no such issue. UNC led at the half, expanded the lead in the 2nd half and was never really threatened. I remember distinctly screaming 'We're going to Seattle, we're going to Seattle.' She didn't say a word to me for a month.
2. 1993 - NCAA Tournament vs. Michigan
This was the first full season that I had paid attention to North Carolina as a fan. By the time the tournament rolled around I had my game day outfit solidified and for the tournament itself I created a pregame dance that I did in the confines of my room. We will never speak of that dance. Carolina cruised through the first weekend, survived the second weekend and were head to New Orleans for the Final Four. I was headed to my grandparents house in Florida (ensemble in hand) for spring break. The first night there was the Final Four. My grandparents made me turn the game off to eat dinner...are you @&%&*^* kidding me?? I was so restless while UNC knocked off Kansas that I'm sure I angered everyone there. Come Monday night all of that noise was gone. The grandparents and mom went to bed which left my dad, sister and I alone. My sister didn't make it to half time, but I was completely wired throughout. The 'Fab Five' were tough and I thought that they would knock of the Tar Heels as the game went down to the wire. Up by two points Chris Webber corralled a rebound on a missed free throw and appeared to travel as he couldn't decide whether to dribble or pass. I screamed as loud as I could without waking the house. He went down the court into the corner and called a timeout. A timeout his team didn't have. Billy Packer yelled 'that's a technical foul, a technical foul.' I ran around the house yelling the same. North Carolina hit their free throws and won the National Championship. One year as a fan, one championship...this was going to be fun.
1. 2005 - NCAA Tournament vs. Illinois
Then came the drought. Eleven full seasons passed without another championship. By 2005 I had gone through the tortures of four losses in the Final Four, five first weekend losses in the NCAA Tournament and two seasons that have been surgically erased from my memory. As the self described biggest Tar Heel fan that never went to the school, I was at wits end. The run in 2005 gave me hope. After cruising through the first weekend, UNC had a very stiff test against Villanova. After never leading in the first half, North Carolina went on a second half run that looked to end things, but Villanova wouldn't relent. Down by as many as 11, Villanova was within eight when UNC point guard Raymond Felton fouled out. Rarely used Melvin Scott came in and the lead quickly shrank to just two points as Scott found himself at the free throw line. He hit both shots and UNC never looked back. The Heels then beat two Big 10 teams in the Elite 8 and Final 4 to set up a match up with their third straight Big 10 foe in #1 ranked Illinois. This was the game everyone hoped for, #1 Illinois vs #2 UNC. This was the moment I had waited 11 years for. All day at work my only thoughts were about 9 p.m.. When the time came, thankfully my two roommates did not come home. They knew to leave me in peace. Since college I had started watching every tournament game by myself, in the dark. Sad as it sounds, I can't be around fellow humans during tournament games. It would not end well. I didn't sit down the entire game. UNC led throughout until Illinois came roaring back down the stretch. The game was tied with just under three minutes to go. I had lost my voice screaming at the television. Marvin Williams tipped in a miss by Rashad McCants, UNC hit some free throws and held Illinois scoreless during the last few minutes and UNC finally...FINALLY...won another National Championship. I screamed so loud that I actually went to my neighbors house (Duke fans) and apologized for my outburst. Really it was to see their faces. This was as good as it ever got for me.
And then there were days like these.
TOP 10 MOMENTS OF HEARTBREAK AS A NORTH CAROLINA FAN
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1995 - NCAA Tournament vs. Arkansas
1992 - NCAA Tournament vs. Ohio St.
2011 - December 3 at Kentucky
10. 1998 - February 28 at Duke
Just 23 days after North Carolina routed Duke in a battle of #1 vs. #2 the two teams met again eight miles down the road in Cameron Indoor Stadium. This time Duke was #1 and UNC was #3, but the story remained the same. UNC dominated. They were up 17 points nearly halfway through the second half when it all came crumbling down. The lead slipped away as Duke exerted itself and was fueled by they evil Cameron Crazies and Duke took the lead late. UNC had two different chances to tie the game from the free throw line, but both Ed Cota and Brendan Haywood missed. The kicker for this game is the nauseating image of super villain Steve Wojciechowski sprinting through the oncoming mob of Duke fans (I swear he pushed a little old lady out of the way) in order to hug
9. 1999 - NCAA Tournament vs. Weber St.
'The Show' - The 1999 season following the departures of Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter and Shammond Williams was not a good season. It wasn't a bad season and, in fact, I believe UNC outplayed their expectations. If you take away the three losses to Duke, who was the best team in the country that year save for choking in the National Championship game, North Carolina went a very respectable 24-6 heading into the NCAA Tournament. This was saying something when I look back at the roster and see that Ademola Okulaja was the teams leading scorer and Max Owens (who??) was the fifth leading scorer. In between Brendan Haywood and Ed Cota tried their best to keep the Heels competitive. In the tournament they were handed a very generous #3 seed and a first round pairing with unknown Weber St.. I read through their team bio and I was told to worry about some guy named Harold Arceneaux. I wasn't worried. It was the first round and even though North Carolina had been scared some in the past (Fairfield in 1997) they had always pulled it out. Harold 'The Show' Arceneaux didn't care. He poured in 36 points as Weber St. knocked out UNC on the first night of the tournament. I didn't think that could happen. Thank you UCONN for keeping me somewhat sane that season.
8. 2005 - February 9 at Duke
Heading into this game, North Carolina stood 19-2 and was ranked #2 in the country. Duke was #8 in the country and once again the two teams played a classic battle that wasn't decided until the final possession. This was not the prettiest game that North Carolina ever played to say the least. Duke forced turnover after turnover and led throughout the game. Just as I was about to give up, UNC did what UNC does when trailing which is put on a patented second half run to make it close. Throughout the fan boards there is always talk about 'time and score' when it comes to UNC. It seems like they try to keep the deficit equal to the minutes left on the game clock. Down 10 with 10 minutes to go? No problem. Make it down 4 with 4 minutes to go. That's the mantra. This time UNC trailed by nine with just five minutes remaining, but after a Rashad McCants basket, the lead had been trimmed to a single point with just a minute to play. Fast forward to the final possession. The score is the same and UNC put the ball into the hands of Raymond Felton with a chance to steal a game from Duke on their home court. Now my juices are flowing. The Tar Heels ran the same play that was used to down #1 ranked Connecticut a year earlier in Chapel Hill, but this time JJ Redick overplayed the pass to McCants and Felton was left confused on what to do. Instead of taking his own shot he made an errant pass and the game was over. Comeback denied.
7. 2000 - NCAA Tournament vs. Florida
This game is a difficult one to rank. The 2000 team caused me to feel every bit of emotion that I could muster. A preseason ranking of #6 that eventually climbed to #2 gave me hope. Then the bottom fell out and by January the team fell out of the rankings for the rest of the season. I was now (insert catchy synonym to downtrodden). UNC lost in the first round of the ACC tournament and I was completely exasperated. Given an #8 seed based off of name alone I assume, I did not go into the NCAA tournament with any expectations. Then something happened. Playing only six players, UNC banded together to go on a very improbable run. They beat #9 Missouri. Upset #1 Stanford. Took down #4 Tennessee. Eked past #7 Tulsa. This team was now headed for a Final Four!! I was in college at James Madison University and my club baseball team was headed down to UNC for our final road trip of the season that weekend. It was my senior year and my final trip. Emotional times. I had been on campus two years earlier, but this time it had an aura of finality to it. I pitched my best game for JMU that morning beating N.C. State in the first round of a tournament we ended up winning (against UNC on Sunday as they were in a state of mourning I assume). Maybe a magical Saturday night was in store. UNC was outplayed, out talented and out manned. Down 18-3 early, the game looked to be over before it started. A big first half by Brendan Haywood and a great first five minutes of the second half by Joseph Forte propelled UNC to a six point lead with 14 minutes to play. Then Ed Cota picked up two quick fouls and without any depth, UNC was forced to back off its defensive pressure allowing Florida to pick them apart. On offense, UNC looked exhausted and fell, scoring just 10 more points the rest of the way. The campus was silent that night...I wandered aimlessly in despair.
6. 1997 - NCAA Tournament vs. Arizona
The 1997 season ended up being Dean Smith's final year as North Carolina head coach. This is why this game hurts a little bit more than others. Just like in 2000, the 1997 team went only six players deep and it was another team that got hot late. After losing to Duke and dropping to 12-6 overall, North Carolina reeled off nine straight to end the regular season, then won the ACC Tournament for 12 games in a row and were rewarded with a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. There they survived the first round against Fairfield then dispatched of Colorado, California and Louisville to head to the Final Four where they would meet Arizona who conveniently beat overall #1 seed Kansas clearing the path to a hopeful National Championship game for the Tar Heels against Kentucky. A funny thing happened though. Sixteen wins in a row gave me supreme confidence that UNC could get past upset minded Arizona. Even though Arizona beat UNC in the first game of the season, I knew that each team was completely different by April. Through the first 10 minutes everything was going fine. UNC looked to have more talent, but sloppy play kept Arizona close. By halftime, Arizona had surged ahead as UNC went into an 8+ minute dry spell that leaked into the first four minutes of the second half. After making his first shot, Shammond Williams missed his final 12 shots and Ademola Okulaja went 1-8 in the game. That 2-21 shooting was all you really needed to know about how the second half progressed. UNC could never string together enough good play as Arizona knocked them out and ended the storied career of Dean Smith.
5. 2008 - NCAA Tournament vs. Kansas
The game that Billy Packer dubbed to be over with just under 7 minutes left in the first half. North Carolina entered the 2008 Final Four on a 15 game winning streak and were met by Kansas who was the second of a record four #1 seeds to make the Final Four. All North Carolina fans expected this to be the final season for standout All-American Tyler Hansbrough. This is why this game meant so much to me. At 36-2 North Carolina had been the overall #1 seed, but with all four #1 seeds alive and kicking, it appeared to be anyone's title for the taking now. The game against Kansas started out normal enough with Kansas taking an early 15-10 lead. I cannot explain what happened next without the use of excessive profanity. From 15-10 the score ballooned to 33-10 and eventually 40-12 when Packer uttered his famous line about the game being over. I agreed. Sitting alone in the dark of my man cave, I was numb. I looked up every once in a while to see the carnage progress. It was disgusting. Thankfully the players didn't give up. They fought and they scrapped and hopefully over the last 25 minutes of that game they learned the lessons that eventually won them the championship the following season. UNC crawled back to within five points in just 15 minutes of game action. It was improbable and almost impossible to think that they could come all the way back. Danny Green launched a 3 point shot that would have cut the deficit to two points, but it missed and that marked the beginning of the end...again. After the initial 40-12 lead, UNC went on a 41-18 run and that was followed by a Kansas 26-13 run to end things. Damn you Billy Packer, damn you to hell.
4. 1994 - NCAA Tournament vs. Boston College
Coming off of a National Championship during my freshman year in high school, North Carolina reloaded with freshmen Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace in the efforts to win back to back championships. The team started #1 and never dropped below #5 in the polls and after winning the ACC Tournament, they went into the NCAA Tournament as the #1 seed in the East Region. That put their first two games in Landover, MD and I was fortunate enough to get to see them practice leading up to the games. Apparently I also cursed them. North Carolina cruised by Liberty and were lucky enough (so I thought) not to have to face Bob Knight and Indiana in the second round, but instead Boston College a team I knew nothing about. UNC struggled from the outset in their attempts to impose their will over the Eagles. Boston College relied on their starting five and their starting five only as those players scored ALL 75 of the teams points that afternoon. I was locked in my room, resigned to my 19" antenna based television to watch a blurry UNC team struggle. Down all game long, UNC continued to keep it close, but each time they scored, Boston College would answer right back. Down three points and with one final possession, Rasheed Wallace put up an errant three point attempt and UNC lost. I didn't leave my room until it was time to go to school the next morning. No dinner. Nothing. Half of my pain was UNC losing. Half was the knowledge that all I was going to hear the next day was trash talking from my friends and teachers. It wasn't until Charlotte Smith hit that last second buzzer beater in the Women's National Championship Game did I arise from my month long depression.
3. 2012 - NCAA Tournament vs. Creighton
This game marks two oddities in the heartbreak list. This is the only game on the list that I didn't watch and the only game that UNC won. Last March I did what I normally do come tournament time. I took the first four days of the tournament off from work. My wife knew this, but what she didn't realize was that I was surprising her with a romantic weekend trip to New York City. I figured that the 2012 Tar Heels didn't need me watching to get past the first weekend. If they lost, it was probably best I didn't witness it. As it happened to work out, UNC played Friday evening as I was stuck on a bus headed north. Using limited wi-fi I was able to follow on Twitter as they handily beat Vermont. Better news was that Duke was beat by Lehigh, but I'll move on. We had a wonderful weekend and as fate would have it once again, UNC was set to play Creighton on the ride home Sunday night. With the NCAA on Demand app not working I was forced again to track the game via Twitter. Thankfully the game was going swimmingly as UNC appeared headed to the Sweet 16 just in time for me to be able to return to the man cave for my normal routine. Then the ominous tweets started appearing. Apparently Kendall Marshall had a wrist injury. He played almost the entire game, had his best game in a UNC uniform scoring 18 points (which led the team) while dishing out 11 assists. His improved play was the key to UNC vying for a National Championship. In about five minutes time I went from elation to pure and utter heartbreak and anger. Kendall Marshall had his wrist broken while being fouled late in the game with the victory all but secured. There I was, stuck on a bus for the next two hours not being able to lash out. HULK SMASH was going on inside my head. The dream was over. The bulk of the team left for the NBA. Even though UNC won one more game and even though Stillman White tried his hardest to push UNC to the Final Four, the team just wasn't the same. We never got the rematch versus Kentucky that would have had 8-9 NBA caliber players on the court at the same time. What. A. Damn. Shame.
2. 2012 - February 8 vs. Duke
In all my years of being a fan of North Carolina, I have thankfully not had to witness many buzzer beating defeats. The ones that have happened have, for the most part, faded into the deep, dark recesses of my subconscious. Then along came Austin Rivers. He only played one season for arch rival Duke and only two games against UNC, but his footprint will be forever lasting. In a game that Duke led for the entire first half and that UNC controlled for 18 minutes in the second half, all that will be remembered is the final ten seconds. Up by as much as 12 in the second half and still up by 10 points with just over two minutes to play, the Tar Heels looked to be wrapping up a somewhat easy win against Duke. But, oh those last two minutes. Like a band-aid being ripped off a sensitive area of your body, those last two minutes were two of the most painful minutes any North Carolina fan has ever witnessed. Duke hit a three point shot, Kendall Marshall turned the ball over and Duke hit another three point basket. Six points in :21, the lead cut to four. Uh-oh. Harrison Barnes committed an offensive foul on the next possession and Duke scored again to cut the lead to two points. Still 70 seconds left. Tyler Zeller got fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws and Duke went right down the court and scored. One point game. Eighteen long seconds left. Again Zeller goes 1 for 2 at the line, lead back up to two points. One last chance for Duke. Don't allow them to shoot a 3 please UNC. Please. Pretty please. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY DON'T LET THEM SHOOT A THREE!!!!!! Cue Austin Rivers...
1. 1998 - NCAA Tournament vs. Utah
I started this post writing about my favorite team to not win a championship. The 1998 team with Ed Cota, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter and Shammond Williams were so much fun to watch. Outside of the 2012 team, I can't think of another team more deserving to have won a championship that didn't. Unlike the 2012 team, the 1998 team didn't have the injury bug to complain about. They just choked. No doubt about it. No denying the fact. This team was 17-0 and later 26-1. They were dominant. They won an ACC game against Florida St. by 48 points!! You don't see that very often. While going 34-4, UNC won their games that season by an average score of nearly 17 points all while playing the 5th hardest schedule in the NCAA. By the time UNC reached the Final Four, it felt all but inevitable to me that they would at the very least be playing Monday night for the Championship. I was a sophomore at JMU and for the first time in my life I traveled to Chapel Hill (with my baseball team) the weekend of the Final Four. I was going to be on campus for the celebration. In fact I watched the game with a couple thousand of the students in the Dean Dome. The holy mecca of sights for any fan of the Tar Heels. It was all coming together. I was in (*blue*) heaven. Then the game started and it appeared UNC was caught in quicksand. A team that looked so fast and so athletic all season long looked lost. Utah was supposed to be the methodical, hard nosed defensive team, but UNC made them look like track stars. It was embarrassing. At halftime UNC trailed by 13. They had scored 22 points. They averaged 82 a game that season. 22 points. The second half was not much better. Utah maintained their lead until late when UNC finally woke up and made a run. With two minutes left the lead had been sliced to two points. Now the Dean Dome was awake. The place was loud. It was everything I had envisioned. It was going to be an ugly win, but come March/April, a win is a win is a win. But that didn't happen. UNC couldn't get over the hump. They had waited too long. There was no miracle finish. There was no happy ending. Antawn Jamison kissed the court and never put a Carolina jersey on again. Vince Carter left as well. I was left speechless.
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