https://youtube/watch?v=QmmeLt2HS-Q Today is the 30th anniversary of my favorite sports event ever... when, as a W&M student, I watched the Tribe beat Virginia at W&M Hall. Back then, I was such a big UVa. fan... cheering the Ralph Sampson-led squad through a Final Four appearance and 3 years of top-5 national rankings till he graduated in 83... and cheering UVa as the Hoos made the Final Four in 84... and several of those players were on the floor that night. But, that night, no divided loyalty at all. I was 100% for the Tribe. The game was like a too-corny-to-be-believed script: Virginias star player was Olden Polynice, who ultimately had a longer NBA career than Ralph Sampson, but he had just been tried for a UVa. honor code violation and got a slap on the wrist. That was too much for us Honor Code geeks of W&M... and the gym was as electric as Dukes gym for a UNC visit. Banners insulting Polynice were all over the gym... several people waved term papers and chanted OLLLL DENNN... HONOR CODE... every time he touched the ball. I have never seen a player so bothered by an opposing crowd... this future NBA pro had 3 points and 4 fouls.... The game itself was perfect. The Tribe bolted to an early lead, helped by a surprisingly athletic breakaway dunk, and led 22-13 at halftime. The fans stayed loud and energized throughout until Virginia took its only lead of the game with 30 seconds left. Our star player... all 64 and 160 pounds of him... finally got the ball with 10 seconds left, dribbled to the the goal to set up his patented jump shot, and... passed it instead! (6... 5... 4...) to a guy probably 4th or 5th of our preferred scoring options(!!!), and he shot an airball (!!!)... (3... 2...)... and the ball was slapped back to the wing where the point guard (almost certainly out of position) kept it from going out of bounds, and squared to shoot. (He was, at best, scoring option #3)... and, as the red lamp (indicating time expiring) lit up behind the backboard, the ball swished through the net. The W&M players stormed the floor... the fans stormed the floor... and I was jumping up-and-down in my seat to the point where I am not 100% sure my feet were on the ground. Most fans did not leave for 10-15 minutes... with spontaneous, repeated chants of T...R...I...B...E... TRIBE!!! Good times.... :)
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 15:47:26 +0000
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