“Now I know why Tigers eat their Young”

Alums Fans Flashback NCS Basketball Tradition17

There could, and maybe should have been an open thread just on fond rememberances of the ’83 Championship team running non-stop all night. 25 years, could it really have happened that long ago? RR was in office and I was six years old and occasionally glancing the rim with my jump shot. In short, it would be good for me as a Wolfpack fan to absorb some of the magic that transpired here a quarter century ago.

I’ll leave it at that and welcome anyone who wishes to recall some stories about the ’83 team here on this thread. I will gladly read them and also go out and purchase Tim Peeler’s new book, “When March Went Mad.” That will consist of my “constructive” efforts.

Now for the “destructive” part of me and the text that pairs with the infamous words in the title, written for Rodney Dangerfields’ character in Caddyshack. The question I have asked myself and now throw out to you all:
Has there been a more awkward meeting in a sports sponsered event involving two different generations of participants representing the same program?

Seriously, I have put some thought to this, definitely too much thought, and my efforts have produced just two examples.

One that I could imagine (because I can’t find facts to back up the actual event) would be when Disney released a movie called Glory Road on January 13, 2006, concerning UTEP’s 1966 championship season. What if the first screening was on the jumbo -tron in the Miner’s gym at half-time of another thrilling Mountain West (or whatever they paly in) showdown. Upliftment to the players, coach’s and fans was probably experienced (again, fictional occurence as far as I’m concerned), but the reconcililiation of the two extremes; then vs now; is extraordinary.

The other example I came up with is any Swimming event held at Casy Natitorium celebrating the achievements of former legendary NC State head coach Don Easterling. Coach Easterling and his team dominated the ACC, winning 17 ACC Titles, 40 national champions, and 7 olympians. This one goes out to you Jed.

Alums Fans Flashback NCS Basketball Tradition

17 Responses to “Now I know why Tigers eat their Young”

  1. graywolf 02/16/2008 at 12:11 PM #

    It really is time to seriously find a way to rid ourselves of our current athletic administration “Jed and company”. The $60,000 question is how do we go about this process?
    I think that there is only one way for this to happen and that would be for large donors to get involved…… one large hog farmer comes to mind.

    Regrettably, I have little to no hope of this happening. We are like the Titanic with Jed at the helm and we are moving full steam ahead!

  2. RBCRowdy 02/16/2008 at 12:17 PM #

    Or hope for a major scandal, IU is about to clean house. But I like your way better haha!

  3. dbo2874 02/16/2008 at 12:18 PM #

    i have heard alot of folks say they think Bobby Purcell is the answer once we get rid of Jed. I have also heard there are some large donors that feel this way as well. If you think the good old boy network is bad now……

    i hope we have enough people that are thinking bigger than a fund raiser to be our AD.

    State needs some innovative leadership in the athletic department……. Mary Anne Fox leaving set us back in my opinion but if nothing else, she was innovative and demanded excellence… and if she ever had a chance to bring in a new AD, I feel like we would have gotten someone strong.

    The good old boy network is as strong at NC State as it is anywhere…..and Jed is tenured……. that MFer aint going NOWHERE.

  4. McPete 02/16/2008 at 12:22 PM #

    Fox hired Fowler, didn’t she?

    Yes and Amato. Murphy is qouted in the Purcell article as being thankful to Amato firstmost for the enthusiasm he brought, and then Fowler, Oblinger, and Purcell doing the follow up “grunt work”. I personally could care less, names like Fox, Murphy, Oblinger, Fowler, Purcell, will never be apart of anything resembling Athletics “on the field” excellence at NC State. It will take fresh blood and real leaders to make any drastic improvement around here.

    SFN: Go back to our Amato coverage. We owe the “heavy hitters” some things for ridding us of that clown. There was some talk of purging Fowler too, but unfortunately that wave never crested the dam. Had Fowler refused to fire Amato, he would have been canned.

  5. McPete 02/16/2008 at 12:27 PM #

    http://www.newsobserver.com/734/story/947976.html

    Purcell also works closely with athletic director Lee Fowler. In 2000, when Les Robinson resigned as AD, Purcell sought the job. But Marye Anne Fox, then NCSU chancellor, hired Fowler, who was the athletic director at Middle Tennessee State.

  6. wufpup76 02/16/2008 at 12:32 PM #

    vt, i was 6 in march of ’83 as well … one of my favorite memories, not just of state’s ’83 run, but all my memories, was being able to stay up late w/ my dad for that first round double ot victory over that cheating scumbag jim harrick’s pepperdine team

    i remember to this day looking up at my dad when the pack was down by 6 points late in that first overtime and asking him “Do you think they can do it?” … my dad, not wanting to crush his young son’s hopes, said “It will be tough, but I think they can do it!” … and they did

    my dad had made snacks for us all night as we watched first round games … that was one of the best nights of my life

    after that game i thought it was never impossible to win any one game, no matter what the circumstances were … i of course know now that my dad could have said “No, son, they probably won’t win this one” but he didn’t … my dad, that game, and that team taught me that anything is possible and i will never forget that

    ***

    “When March Went Mad” is a good, quick read and if you remember anything at all about the ’83 run i definitely recommend it

    as for the “destructive” part of your post :), it does get a little uncomfortable/embarassing bringing up ’83 all the time when you compare it to now … the pack has gotta get back to showing some promise nowadays

    i’m always willing to shrug off that embarassment though, especially for a 25 year honoring … i just hope we have another team that we can “honor” sometime soon! … our last postseason title was in 1987 … hard to believe

    go pack today

    Thanks pup, it’s always a pleasure to find another Bicentennial Baby. Thank you for sharing that NCAA tourney story. The joke or irony in my post is just a coping tool. The way your father taught you to respect being a trusting fan is how I aspire to be deep down inside.

  7. Hardest job i have is being a State Fan 02/16/2008 at 1:09 PM #

    I was one of the lucky ones, I got to watch both National Titles. 83′ we got lucky. 74′ We would woop your ass, because we were the best. Oh how I long for those days.

  8. BJD95 02/16/2008 at 1:14 PM #

    I was 9 months old in 1974. I was 9 years old in 1983, and remember it very well.

    My oldest child is 9 now. It’s time to create some new memories for the next generation.

  9. golf76 02/16/2008 at 1:34 PM #

    ’83 was a different kind of championship, truly exciting and unexpected. Nothing like it ever before, probably won’t be anything like it ever again.

    I was a junior at State in ’74. That team was the real thing. Every opponent they faced – Carolina, Duke, Maryland – brought the absolute best they had, but walked off the court defeated everytime. Few people today realize how formidable UCLA was during its dynasty and the Wolfpack knocked ’em off enroute to the championship! Raleigh absolutely erupted. Would be great to see State put another ’74-type team on the court.

  10. lsutton5144 02/16/2008 at 2:11 PM #

    I was lucky enough to be ushering games at Reynolds for the 83″ championship season. Had one on the student sections, courtside, right behind the visitor’s bench. The noise level was unbelieveable for nearly every game – something that you’ll never experience at the RBC. It was warm, often hot, seating was close, but it felt like home and everybody that came to Reynolds to play knew it wasn’t going to be easy. “Those were the days” as Archie Bunker would say.

  11. pacman23 02/16/2008 at 3:07 PM #

    I got to live through both of our national title runs and there’s no question the 83 championship was far more satisfying. It’s so much better to win when no one thinks you’ve got any chance. (Jeez, sort of sounds like this season, doesn’t it?) I remember those late night west coast games and not being able to sleep for hours because my heart was beating so fast from those miracle finishes.
    As great as the 74 team was, we were even better the year before (27-0) and probably would’ve won it all that year too if we’d had the chance to go to the tournament.
    Good times, indeed.

  12. b 02/16/2008 at 3:11 PM #

    Doctor, we have a pulse.

  13. pacman23 02/16/2008 at 3:16 PM #

    In regard to the 83 championship, you must see this if you haven’t already: http://www.cstv.com/goingmad/2008/blog/2008/02/15/?m=2&d=15

  14. wirogers 02/16/2008 at 3:34 PM #

    I was not at State for the 83 game. I had however been accepted to Sate and new that the following fall I would be a student. Growing up with a father/engineer who graduated from State I had learned about the school and followed its history. (We missed the end of the UCLA game on TV to go out back and help put out a brush fire)

    Growing up in the shadows of College Park, I had a great time razing all my friends and even ran into Lefty a few times. I think the best thing as a kid was going to a Bullets NBA Game (for the younger ones out there they are now the Wizards) with some friends and seeing Lefty there doing a meet and greet. He was shaking hands with the kids trying to get more interest in the Terps. I actually had a State shirt on under my coat when we were in line. He shook my hand, asked if I was going to be pulling for Maryland, I opened my coat and had to tell him no, he just laughed.

    Stayed up to watch the 83 games, missed a few homework assignments (this time I thought I had a good reason), but really enjoyed the run to the championship and the money I was able to make off of friends who continually thought State was not going to make it another round.

    On the other topic, State needs to hire an AD that can run the programs and sell the school to the public. State is not just a good place to play athletics, it has a great Alumni support program (as I slowly find them here in central Pennsylvania) and great academics. Hopefully any new AD will hire a PR group that can actually sell the programs and school; it is not a hard sell.

  15. brown pelican 02/16/2008 at 3:37 PM #

    golf76—i was a soph in 74—you are correct—every big game was like the thrilla in manilla—and—more often we were ali and not frazier—83?—awesome—i was living in missouri—running outside to howl at the moon and sing the alma mater after every improbable comeback—i believe that sid can revive that spirit—let’s get it started today—go pack

  16. Greywolf 02/17/2008 at 11:10 PM #

    vtpackfan says, “The way your father taught you to respect being a trusting fan is how I aspire to be deep down inside.”

    vtpackfan, This is how I know you and others here to be – trusting, enthusiastic fans. Makes you wonder what happened, doesn’t it. How do we go from “real” fans to “if-this-team-isn’t-championship-caliber-I’m-badmouthing-then-until-they-are” no-respect fans?

    Here’s my take on it. Being a trusting fan today would be like being an enthusiastic rower on a slave galley of old. It is not popular to be a trusting or enthusiastic or positive thinking. Instead, being a cynical, smart-ass seems to be the order of the day.

    We are using our intellect to come up with clever put-downs, not clear, insightful critique of both negative and positive. Our expressions of negativeness is suspiciously akin to staking claim to high standards of excellence. That is just not so.

    Standing for your team, supporting your team, cheering your team on, etc., when your team is losing and experiencing adversity, does not require hope. What it does require is character – the kind that wufpup76’s dad had.

    Amen to that brother. Only I would check some of the thrilling third hand tributes written about the slave gallies (after you’ve read one or two of them you become much less squeemish). You’ll find that contrary to present times, enthusiasm and willingless is thought of as getting the upper hand over the smart-ass cynics in row 235. Often is was measured by the height of the wip welts that provided rather then popularity.

  17. redfred2 02/18/2008 at 10:09 PM #

    Good stuff above!!!

    I saw both championships, they were night and day. About ’74, there is nothing like absolutely knowing you’re among THE VERY BEST, and then having to prove it night in, and night out. The nervous tension and excitement continues to build and build as the wins keep piling up. I don’t see another ’74, or another unequaled talent like #44, ever being repeated. It’s corney, and I’ve said it before, but the best description I have is that it was PURE MAGIC. ’83, on the otherhand, was enjoyable and fun. It was an opportunity to watch as a group of kids became a team that seemed to have a sixth about each other.

    ’83 is the most remembered for many great and valid reasons, but I’d have to say that until you’re an NC State who has ABSOLUTE and TOTAL confidence that your team WILL defeat any and every opponent who stands in their way, then you’ll just never understand what that feeling, and season, was truly like.

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