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 hug his 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.

NFL Recap

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on winning the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers.  Whether you doubt the legality of having injured superstars Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs back so soon or not, the Ravens will go down in history as champions.  The 49ers franchise suffered their first ever loss in the Super Bowl after five victories, but Colin Kaepernick looks to give them a shot at getting back there again.

I did my 2nd annual NFL Crystal Ball right before the season and now it is time to see how I did.

1st prediction was that RGIII would play in 16 games.  Correct!!  Yeah, yeah he missed a game, but played in a playoff game so 16 games it was.

2nd prediction that Norv Turner wouldn't make it as head coach of the Chargers past their Bye Week in Week 7.  1/2 points! He was dead coach walking by that time and was finally fired after the season.

Standings Predictions: (actual records in parenthesis)

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles 12-4 (4-12)
Dallas Cowboys 10-6 (8-8)
New York Giants 9-7 (9-7)
Washington Redskins 6-10 (10-6)

NFC North

Green Bay Packers 14-2 (11-5)
Chicago Bears 11-5 (10-6)
Detroit Lions 8-8 (4-12)
Minnesota Vikings 4-12 (10-6)

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons 13-3 (13-3)
New Orleans Saints 10-6 (7-9)
Carolina Panthers 7-9 (7-9)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-13 (7-9)

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers 11-5 (11-4-1)
Seattle Seahawks 5-11 (11-5)
St. Louis Rams 5-11 (7-8-1)
Arizona Cardinals 4-12 (5-11)

AFC East

New England Patriots 13-3  (12-4)
New York Jets 10-6 (6-10)
Buffalo Bills 6-10 (6-10)
Miami Dolphins 6-10 (7-9)

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens 12-4 (10-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7 (8-8)
Cincinnati Bengals 9-7 (10-6)
Cleveland Browns 2-14 (5-11)

AFC South

Houston Texans 12-4 (12-4)
Tennessee Titans 7-9 (6-10)
Indianapolis Colts 6-10 (11-5)
Jacksonville Jaguars 2-14 (2-14)

AFC West

Denver Broncos 11-5 (13-3)
Oakland Raiders 8-8 (4-12)
Kansas City Chiefs 7-9 (2-14)
San Diego Chargers 4-12 (7-9)

Hit and miss obviously.  I did get 7 of the 8 division winners correct missing only my Washington Redskins.  Biggest misses were the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC and Kansas City Chiefs and both the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC.

I predicted Tom Brady to win the MVP over Matt Ryan and while they both had good seasons it was Adrian Peterson who won the award over Peyton Manning.  Two huge injury risks heading into the season somehow not only managed to stay healthy, but perform well beyond expectations.  Deer antler spray for everyone!!!

In my Suprises/Breakouts section I chose:

Jake Locker- 2/10 Locker played in just 11 games and totaled 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.  A mid-season injury derailed any possibility at building upon a promising finish to the 2011 season.
Jeremy Maclin- 6/10 A good bounce back season for Maclin who still produced as the city of Philadelphia was burning down around him.  He still didn't match the 2010 season though.
Donald Brown- 0/10 Ugh.  I hitched my ride to him this season and was burnt badly.  After 3 years of steady progression, Brown took a major step backwards in his now fledgling career.
Torrey Smith- 4/10 Even with 15 more targets than last season, Smith's numbers were practically identical to 2011.  He continues to be high risk/high reward for fantasy owners.
Vernon Davis- 1/10 It took until the playoffs to see the 49ers finally use Davis properly, but he was a major fantasy disappointment all regular season.

In my Disappointments section I chose:

Maurice Jones-Drew- 10/10 When will RB's learn not to hold out.  MJD suffered through a terrible season all stemming back to not being at practice.
Ryan Mathews- 9/10 He started injured, ended injured and didn't do much in between scoring just once in a forgettable season.
Vincent Jackson- 0/10 A new team rejuvenated Jackson who had a career high in receiving yardage and caught 8 touchdowns...oops!
Victor Cruz- 4/10 His receiving yardage dropped by nearly 500 yards, but he still hauled in 10 touchdowns which was one more than last year.
Matthew Stafford-  8/10 His TD's were cut in half while throwing one more INT than last year.  He still threw for nearly 5,000 useless yards.

The Playoffs:

I went 7/12 (all division winners) and missed both Super Bowl participants (Houston over Atlanta in mine).

Not horrible, but not great.

The emergence of Colin Kaepernick, RGIII and Russell Wilson to how the quarterback position is played is what I will take away from this season.  All three did things that I didn't think were possible while pocket passers like Brady, Brees and Manning still produced big numbers.  It's a special era we're witnessing for quarterback play.  The quarterback position will be DEEP in fantasy football next season...wait, wait and wait for one to fall.

Early prediction for Super Bowl 48 that will probably change by September: Denver over Seattle as Manning pulls off a Ray Lewis and rides off into the sunset on top.

Heartbreak and Elation: Washington Capitals

I recently posted my memories of the good and bad feelings that came from being a fan of the Washington Redskins.  Although recent years have not been kind to the franchise, they have, at least, been to the mountain top in my lifetime.  I have memories, faint as they may be getting, of them being the best team in the NFL and on the cusp of a championship year in and year out.

Being a Washington Capitals fan has been difficult.  Outside of the city of Cleveland, I don't know a worse franchise to be so enamored with.  No, the Capitals aren't a bad or poorly ran franchise.  They aren't the Washington Bullets Wizards.  The Capitals have been, for the most part, a really good team.  From the early to mid 1980's through this past season, Washington has made the playoffs in 23 of 29 seasons.  That's quite consistent.  The other consistent is the heartbreak that they have caused fans once the schedule changes from the regular season to the post season.

It's one thing to be hapless and it's an entirely different feeling to be so close to glory that you can taste it only to have the rug pulled out from under your feet in a different way every time.  At least Charlie Brown knew Lucy was going to pull back the football, didn't he?  The Capitals find a new way every year it seems to reinvent heartbreak.  They give fans just enough elation to think maybe this is the year...they can't be the Chicago Cubs of the NHL forever can they??

As for me, I was born in 1978 and began listening to the Capitals on the radio as I went to sleep in the late 80's.  My father was never, and still isn't, a big hockey fan so I didn't get to watch them much on HTS (before becoming CSN).  I remember the playoff run in 1990 faintly, but between the Redskins dominating the headlines and my own busy athletic schedule of rec basketball, I couldn't follow them day to day.  It wasn't until 1992 when I coaxed my father to take me to my first Capitals game up in Landover, MD that I became a budding fanatic.

We'll start there as I go through my own personal journey of my top 10 moments of elation and heartbreak provided by the Washington Capitals.

TOP 10 MOMENTS OF ELATION AS A WASHINGTON CAPITALS FAN

Honorable Mentions:
1988 Game 7 vs. Philadelphia (Dale Hunter OT Game Winner)
1990 Playoffs (John Druce Gets Loose)
2009 Game 6 vs Pittsburgh (David Steckel OT Game Winner)
2011 January 1st Winter Classic vs. Pittsburgh

10. 1992 - February 9th vs. San Jose

This game won't stand out to anyone reading this, but it was the first game I saw in person.  This is where it all began for me.  John Druce apparently was still 'loose' as he scored a hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks.  It was about that time where 'Starter' jackets were en vogue and everyone owned a San Jose Sharks jacket.  I remember that is why I chose that game to be my first to attend.  As I have told everyone since that date, hockey is best in person.  This was doubly true pre-HD and wide screen televisions.  Screw that glowing Fox puck and red tail.  Go to a game, go to a playoff game.  If you don't get goose bumps and chills down the spine, hockey isn't for you.

9. 1994 - February 5th Peter Bondra 5 Goal Game

My favorite player of my youth had his best game as a professional that night.  To be honest, I wasn't watching the game.  I was, though, listening to the game on the radio as my mom and I drove to Washington D.C. to watch a comedy show.  I still remember yelling Bonzai!!! when he scored.  When I got back in the car and listened to the recap on the radio and heard he ended up with 5 goals, I was amazed.  I didn't think that was possible.  When you as a fan can remember exactly what you were doing, who you were with nearly 20 years after it happened for a regular season game, you know it meant something special.

8. 2009 Playoffs - Game 2 vs. Pittsburgh 

Now we leave my own personal memories and begin to relive all the seminal moments of the franchises' history.  What better place to start than Washington vs. Pittsburgh.  No, don't click away, every once in a while the Capitals were on the happy side of things against their bitter rivals.  Game 2 in 2009 was one such night.  At the peak of the Ovechkin vs. Crosby rivalry came a 2nd round playoff match up.  After taking Game 1, the Capitals made it two straight wins behind the a hat trick by Ovechkin.  He was matched goal for goal by Crosby as both superstars finished with 3 goals.  The dueling hat tricks between the two elite superstars was exactly what NHL fans wanted to see.  It highlighted what turned out to be a full seven game series (shocker!) that will be covered later in this post.

7. 1998 Playoffs - Game 6 vs. Boston

1998...all happy moment stories for Capitals fans begin and unfortunately, usually end with this single year.  The run to their only Stanley Cup Finals appearance all started here.  Before we get to Game 6, let me tell you a quick story:  Going into Game 3 of this first round series, the Capitals were coming off a 2OT loss.  I knew that the Capitals always seemed to lose OT playoff games.  Game 3 looked to be no different.  I was at college (JMU) and Boston scored the OT winning in Game 3 and before the red light even came on, I turned my television off, threw the remote and stormed off to dinner.  Hours went by and I avoided the internet, television and suite mates.  I isolated myself until 11:00 pm when I flipped on SportsCenter while doing some homework and the Capitals highlights came up and I sat there cussing at them until I heard the OT goal was waived off...WHAT?!??!  In fact, Joe Juneau scored in 2OT to give the Capitals the victory and a 2-1 series lead.  Fast forward to Game 6 and the Capitals now held a 3-2 series lead in games and once again the game headed to overtime.  Back at my parents house, I screamed with excitement as Brian Bellows unleashed a slap shot past Byron Dafoe to stun the Boston faithful and the Capitals moved on to round 2.

6. 2008 - The Streak to End the Season

For many fans of Capitals rivals, this is where many jokes occur that the city of Washington actually discovered they had a hockey team.  At the start of the season, Verizon Center often frequented more fans of the road team than the home team and fan interaction during games was scarce.  Glen Hanlon was fired as Capitals coach after a 6-14-1 start and mostly unknown Bruce Boudreau was elevated from the AHL farm team Hershey to take over.  He brought a fast paced, run and gun, offense oriented style of play that fit to a tee the skill players that were on the roster.  From last place in the Eastern Conference, the Capitals climbed the ladder and were within earshot of a playoff spot with a month to go.  Hopes were dimmed somewhat after Nicklaus Backstrom scored an own goal against Pittsburgh as the Capitals dropped their second game in a row.  With 12 games remaining the margin for error was slim.  Washington, behind a new 'Rock the Red' fan campaign and stellar play from goaltender Cristobal Huet reeled off 11 wins including a division clinching 3-1 home victory over Florida on the final day of the season.  After 3 straight seasons finishing in last place, the Capitals were once again Southeast Division champions.

5. 2008 Playoffs - Game 1 vs. Philadelphia

That streak of wins leads us into the first game of the playoffs that season.  It was the first playoff game for Alex Ovechkin and I happened to be sitting 4 rows from the glass right on the blue line where the Capitals were shooting in the 1st and 3rd periods.  The 'Rock the Red' fan campaign was still in its infancy and by game time I looked around at the arena and had only seen fans like this one other time in my life (foreshadowing alert).  The place was electric.  After Donald Brashear (of all people) put the Capitals up 1-0, dreams of a Stanley Cup flowed throughout the arena.  Then the reality of the moment seemed to hit the young Capitals as Philadelphia scored 4 of the next 5 goals to hold a 4-2 lead after two periods.  The Verizon Center was silent.  Then Mike Green took over.  Less than two minutes into the third period he scored to shave the deficit to one and on a power play about five minutes later he scored again to tie the game at four.  The crowd was back in it.  That's when the face of the franchise announced his arrival with not only his first ever playoff goal, but a game winner to boot.

The place went nuts.  My friend and I were hugging each other, we were hugging strangers.  This was only game one.  Imagine how it would feel in the later rounds with even more at stake.

4. 1998 Playoffs - Game 2 vs. Buffalo

Memorial Day 1998.  The day started as any normal Memorial Day had to that point in my life.  In Falls Church there has been a parade since 1982 and I had been to just about all of them.  I knew the Capitals were playing Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals that night and that was the only thing on my mind the whole day.  My best friend worked for the local paper (The Falls Church News-Press) at the time and the editor received four lower level tickets to that nights Capitals game from a Washington Mystics player who the paper sponsored to be in the parade.  He took my friend, me and one other friend that night.  It was the first ever playoff game for me and I had never been more excited.  Dressed for the 'white out' the and with two pom-poms in hand I rocked out to the 'Beautiful People' intro and I don't think my feet ever hit the ground.  I had never witnessed a crowd like that at a Capitals game.  Even President Bill Clinton showed up.  The game had everything.  Peter Bondra scored.  Dominik Hasek threw his catching glove in frustration after being hit in the corner.  I openly mocked Matthew Barnaby...at least until he scored in the final moments to send the game into overtime.  Down 1-0 in the series, it was basically a 'must-win' game for Washington.  Just over three minutes into the extra frame, Todd Krygier sent the fans home happy.  I didn't have a voice for days.  Greatest Capitals moment I saw in person ever.

3. 2009 Playoffs - Game 7 vs. New York Rangers

By the time the 2009 playoffs began, the Capitals were beginning to resemble Stanley Cup contenders.  They drew the New York Rangers and promptly dropped the first two games at home.  The season appeared to be over as the Capitals were apparently headed for another playoff bust.  They won Game 3, lost Game 4, but won Games 5 and 6 to even the series at three games apiece.  Just like in 2008, the Capitals hosted a Game 7, but this year they were seen as the prohibitive favorite.  The Rangers struck first, but were answered later in the 1st period by Alexander Semin.  Halfway through the 3rd period, the game was still knotted at one and it looked as though the next goal was going to be the winner with the way Henrik Lundqvist and Semyon Valarmov were playing in goal.  That next goal came from nineteen year veteran Sergei Federov.  In what turned out to be his final goal of his Hall of Fame career, he sent Washington to the second round for the first time since 1998.  It was their first Game 7 victory of any sorts since the Dale Hunter overtime goal in 1988.

2. 2012 Playoffs - Game 7 vs. Boston

The 2011-12 season was tumultuous to say the least in Washington.  The high flying, offensive dominant Capitals shot out of the gate with seven consecutive victories.  Fifteen games later, they had fired their head coach, Bruce Boudreau as they stood 12-9-1.  The ex-captain Dale Hunter was brought in to coach the team and he quickly instilled a defensive minded approach to the game.  Difficult at times to watch, the Capitals stayed afloat enough to earn a playoff spot as the 7th seed (out of 8) and were paired up against the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins from Boston.  Heavy underdogs this go around the Capitals managed a thrilling 2OT victory in between two losses over the series first three games.  Then Washington won two straight and headed to D.C. with a chance to eliminate Boston in stunning fashion.  Game 6 went to overtime and as Washington fans had witnessed time and time again, Boston scored sending the series back to Boston for a decisive Game 7.  Nobody seemed to give Washington much of a chance, and to be honest, I didn't think they would fare well at all.  They played snug to the vest and for the fourth time in the series the game headed to overtime.  That is where Joel Ward forever etched his name into Washington Capitals lore.  He cleaned up a shot by fellow fan favorite Mike Knuble and Washington dethroned the champs and moved on to round number two.

1. 1998 Playoffs - Game 6 vs. Buffalo

As stated earlier, most good stories about the history of the Capitals end with 1998.  Their final win of that magical season came in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Buffalo.  The series between future Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hasek and future Vezina Award winner (Best goalie of the year in 2000) Olaf Kolzig was as good as billed.  Through five games each goalie had a shut out and there were three one goal games including two in overtime (both won by Washington).  Game six would be the third overtime game of the series.  I was at my parents house, still wearing the same white t-shirt from Game 2, still waving the pom-poms that were handed out there and I don't think I blinked the entire game.  I had no interest in a Game 7 for obvious reasons, but knowing that Hasek had the ability to stand on his head (literally) and dominate was the primary reason.  Joe Juneau made sure that didn't happen.  He got a shot past Hasek and I erupted and streaked through the house screaming like an idiot.  My friend called me and all I remember yelling was 'We're going to the Stanley Cup!!!'  Good times.

But there have been plenty of bad times.

TOP 10 MOMENTS OF HEARTBREAK AS A WASHINGTON CAPITALS FAN

HONORABLE MENTIONS:


1987 Playoffs Game 7 vs. New York Islanders (Too young to remember)

2003 Playoffs Game 6 vs. Tampa Bay
Fire Sale of 2004

10. 1995 Playoffs Game 6 vs. Pittsburgh/2010 Playoffs Game 5 vs. Montreal (Tie)

I couldn't decide which possible clinching, non Game 7 was the worst home playoff performance in the history of the franchise.  In 1995, Washington was en route to blowing a 3 games to 1 best of seven series lead against Pittsburgh (shocked, I know).  Their best chance was in Game 6 at home, but Washington was spanked in that game as the Capitals ended up using three goaltenders.  That final score 7-1.  Not surprisingly the Capitals mailed in Game 7 as well losing 3-0.  Fifteen years later, the Capitals were the best team in the NHL.  They had a 3 games to 1 series lead against a seemingly over matched squad from Montreal.  Ten minutes into Game 5, Washington had already surrendered two goals, thrown away momentum and gave the Canadiens a glimmer of hope.  Even though neither of these games had true 'heartbreak', they were seminal moments of playoff failures in a long string of playoff failures for the franchise.

9. 1993 Game 6 vs. New York Islanders

This was early on in my life as a Capitals fan.  Again there wasn't heartbreak in the truest sense, but it was my first real experience with the season ending.  Washington lost in six games against the Islanders, but this game will always be remembered for the late hit that Dale Hunter laid on Pierre Turgeon after he iced the game with the fifth Islanders goal.  He separated the shoulder of Turgeon and received a 21 game suspension the following season which left a permanent black eye on the stellar career of Washington's beloved captain.  As a fan you never want a player on your team to be 'that guy' and on that night, Hunter was him and then some.

 8. 1995 Playoffs Game 5 vs. Pittsburgh

The game before the one written about earlier definitely had heartbreak.  Up 3 games to 1 and up 2 goals to 0 in Game 5 and coming off of consecutive 6-2 victories, things were looking as good as possible for Washington.  Then Jaromir Jagr undressed Joe Juneau who got stuck on defense and Jim Carey to pull the Penguins within one.  Then it was tied.  Dale Hunter put the Caps back up 3-2 with his second goal which was quickly answered by Ron Francis.  My emotions were on tilt.  Peter Bondra and Jagr both scored in the third period and once again the game was knotted up.  Unbelievable.  Then the third goal in 90 seconds and the second of the night by Bonzai!!!! gave the Capitals a 5-4 lead.  That had to be enough...right??  Nope.  Goal Pittsburgh, tied at 5...to overtime we go.  That's where Luc Robitaille ended it, giving Pittsburgh a 6-5 win.  As stated above the Penguins outscored Washington 10-1 in Games 6 & 7 and the collapse was complete.
 
7. 2012 Playoffs Game 7 vs. New York Rangers

It still stings like it just happened.  Mainly because as of me writing this the Capitals have only played one game since.  From huge underdogs against Boston to slight underdogs against New York to even expecting to win Game 7, the Capitals gritty style of play just began to click come playoff time under Dale Hunter.  Through six games the two teams had traded wins and losses, but the last two wins for New York had required overtime, giving fans and players alike supreme confidence that going to New York for Game 7 would be winnable.  The team had just gone to Boston and done the same thing so why not once more?  This is why this game makes the list.  After a season of lethargy, I began to believe.  The city began to believe.  More importantly the team seemed to believe in the system and in itself.  Unfortunately, Henrik Lundqvist was too good on that night and rookie goaltender Braden Holtby was just not good enough.  The Rangers took a 2-0 lead midway through the 3rd period and even though Washington answered right back to keep me glued to the screen, they could never get the equalizer and the short, uneven tenure as head coach for Dale Hunter came to an end. 





6. 2003 Playoffs Game 3 vs. Tampa Bay

This is the forgotten playoff year for many in Capitals history.  The only playoff appearance for Washington over six years (five seasons) began with high hopes and ended with the franchise on the cusp of disarray.  After trading for hated Cap-killer Jaromir Jagr the year before, the '02-'03 Capitals had hoped to ride his talents along with Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig to the promise land.  In round one, Washington marched down to Tampa Bay and outscored the Lightning 9-3 to go up 2-0.  Heading back to Washington, I secured tickets to both Games 3 and 4 with the hopes of sweeping away the Lightning.  Silly, silly, boy.  In Game 3 Tampa Bay held three different 1 goal leads, but each time Washington evened it up as the game headed to overtime tied at 3.  That's where all hell broke loose and I will forever blame the referees for changing the course of the series and the franchise as a whole for the next half decade.  *Editor's note* (Yes I understand that Ovechkin era also came from that crap, but I'll never let this game go).  It's rare to see penalties called in overtime.  Not only did Washington get called for a penalty, but :54 seconds after one was called, a second was called.  If I remember correctly, never had a home team faced a 5 on 3 power play in the history of the playoffs.  I'm so happy I was there for the first time.  Of course Tampa Bay scored, and the ice was then littered with anything and everything.  I used so much foul language that even George Carlin told me to watch my tongue.  The Capitals came out flat in Game 4 and never recovered, eventually losing four straight including a gut wrenching 3OT game to end their season in Game 6.

5. 1996 Playoffs Game 4 vs. Pittsburgh

Speaking of multiple overtime games.  My senior year in high school saw yet another Capitals versus Penguins playoff series.  This time the series started in Pittsburgh and Washington promptly went up north and took the two games.  With their foot on the throat of Pittsburgh, Washington played another poor home game in Game 3 dropping it 4-1 making Game 4 a big swing game.  I had my friend over to my house for the game that started just after seven p.m. and wouldn't end until two in the morning.  The usual suspects were present as both Jaromir Jagr and Peter Bondra scored for their teams respectively.  The game was tied at two when it went to overtime #1.  No scoring.  Onto overtime #2.  No scoring.  During that overtime, Washington had a chance to win it, but Joe Juneau flubbed a penalty shot on the terrible ice.  Onto overtime #3.  No scoring.  That is when my dad awoke and yelled down questioning why my friend and I were still up and had the television on.  'The game is still on, Dad,' I pleaded.  My friend was spooked.  He wanted to leave as the fourth overtime began.  I told him that he couldn't leave.  Bad karma.  He insisted, I relented.  The rest is history.  The Penguins received a power play (yeah where have I heard that before) late in the period and with less than a minute until intermission for a fifth overtime Petr Nedved beat Olaf Kolzig and I was crushed.  Washington never recovered (same story, different year) as they lost the next two games as well.

4. 2008 Playoffs Game 7 vs. Philadelphia

Game 1 of this series was on the happy side of this post, but like many series including this one, the Capitals started hot and ended up fizzling away.  Up 1 game to none, Washington went on to lose the next three games and faced sudden elimination.  Then they righted the ship winning Game 5 at home and Game 6 on the road.  Heading back to D.C. to the ravenous fans that had finally bought into the franchise in droves looked to be perfect for Washington.  Nicklaus Backstrom scored first and momentum had completely swung in favor of the young Capitals.  Although the Flyers scored the next two goals, Alex Ovechkin tied it up at two and the game headed to overtime following a scoreless third period.  Once again, the referees helped play a part in the demise of a Capitals season.  A 'penalty' by Tom Poti just 4 minutes into overtime gave Philadelphia all the edge they would need.  With just nine seconds left to kill of that penalty Joffrey Lupul broke the hearts of the red clad fans in the Verizon Center with a series ending goal.  Once again, vitriol was spewed towards the referees as another overtime power play goal that had crippled the Capitals in past seasons finally cost them one.

3. 2009 Playoffs Game 7 vs. Pittsburgh 

The following year and another series where an earlier game proved to be much happier than a later one.  The Capitals once again won the first two games against Pittsburgh in a series and as per usual pissed their advantage away swiftly.  The Penguins won three straight games and headed back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 where every fan expected Washington to crawl into the fetal position and die.  Somehow this version of the Capitals proved resilient as the not only played tough, but survived a late Sidney Crosby game tying goal to win in overtime.  The curse had been broken.  Washington was now going to be the one that came from behind to steal a series.  This was the beginning of something special.  Game 7 started and Alex Ovechkin had an early breakaway opportunity.  Stoned.  That was it.  That is all the Capitals brought to the penultimate game against their bitter and hated rivals.  The Penguins scored two goals within 8 seconds of each other and the rout was on.  It was 5-0 before the Capitals scored.  It was pitiful.  It was painful.  It was to Pittsburgh and to Sidney Crosby of all people.  The kicker was that Pittsburgh went on to win the Stanley Cup leaving Capitals fans thinking about what could have been.



2. 1998 Playoffs Game 2 vs. Detroit

The only negative memory for me from the 1998 playoffs comes from Game 2 against Detroit.  Of course it was the best game of the four that Washington played against an obviously more talented Red Wings squad.  After being held in check in Game 1, Washington exploded in Game 2 leading 4-1 after two periods.  Then Detroit made it interesting as you figured they would.  With two goals the lead had dissipated to just one, but an Esa Tikkanen breakaway looked to be the goal that Washington would need to finally ice the game and give the Capitals their first ever victory in a Stanley Cup Finals game and more important level the series at a game apiece heading back to Washington.  Then it happened...watch for yourself, if you can:

Shortly thereafter Detroit tied the game up, and then went on to win the game in overtime.  Washington (have I typed this before?) never recovered and lost both games in Washington.  I'm not saying that the Tikkanen miss would have turned the series, but we'll never know, and that is what kills me.

1. 2010 Playoffs Game 7 vs. Montreal

This was probably the best Capitals team to ever take the ice.  They won the President's Trophy that regular season by having the most points in the NHL.  They were a favorite, if not the favorite to win the Stanley Cup that year.  They led Montreal 3 games to 1 and then it all fell apart.  Game 5 was covered earlier.  A horrid start and Jaroslav Halak took care of the rest.  Game 6 was no better as Montreal jumped on Washington with the first 3 goals and Halak made 53!! saves to win 4-1.  Back home, the pressure was squarely on the shoulders of Washington.  I headed to Atlantic City for an already planned birthday trip.  As the puck dropped I settled into an out of the way bar to watch the game, thankfully in peace and quiet because I was a nervous wreck.  Then it happened.  About a dozen people entered the establishment and saw that I was watching the game and were happy.  They told me they had just gotten into town from...wait for it...Montreal!!  Then I knew, I definitely knew.  Washington dominated the game, again, out shooting the Canadiens 42-16, but still trailed 1-0 heading into the 3rd period.  That's when Montreal seemed to have put the game away with their second goal with only 3 1/2 minutes left.  Brooks Laich finally solved Halak with just over two minutes remaining in the game.  With 1 minute 44 seconds left Montreal took a penalty giving the vaunted Capitals power play on final chance to salvage their season.  It didn't happen.  The best season in franchise history was squandered away in a blink of an eye.  They didn't play poorly, but were just out dueled by a ridiculously hot goal tender.  Frustration doesn't even begin to cover my feelings about this one.  At least I wasn't surrounded by a bunch of Canadiens fans.  Dammit.