UNC Basketball History

[donbosco]

From the March 8, 1982 Chapel Hill News - there were other, less kind headlines.

I celebrated like hell.

 

[donbosco]

I reckon this is about history.




Since the Carolina/dook affair has a new wrinkle over language I felt compelled to Google ‘Krzyzewski cursing’ and got 10,000+ “hits.” Perhaps only challenged by his mentor Bobby Knight, Coach K was the champion of the foul-mouth so much so that hot links are unnecessary as proof. You google for yourself. Indeed, I’d venture to entitle him as the single greatest contributor to the demise of decorum in the college game. He has had teammates in that endeavor to be sure: John Chaney once of Temple was disrespectful of propriety in his final years. Frank Martin at U Mass and John Calipari, now of Arkansas, are also known for their indecency. And of course trumpism has been the greatest culprit of the setting of new world records in vulgarity. Connections?



But back to the long-time Blue Devil headman and “legend” and the world that he orchestrated on that Piedmont Gothic campus. Let’s take it way back yonder to 1990 when the ACC was truly regional, Bible Belt to be exact, and all eight teams fit neatly between Maryland and Georgia, and while hate had long reigned supreme between the teams and followers, language itself tended toward the more creative and less the gutter. In that year the coach in Durham, having long since shaken off his first three seasons (1980-1983) and a dismal record of 38-47 and secure in his tenth campaign (then 272-94) with an overall record as of mid-season of 12-2 (3-0). That team finished 29-9 and was NCAA Runner-up.



But despite the success, the Durham Coach didn’t approve of the student newspaper’s coverage of a weekend home 91-80 win over Maryland. Fuming the Future Legend called the student paper’s sports staff to a meeting with the team where he delivered the following decorum denigrating message: “I just wonder where your mindset is that you don’t appreciate the kids in this locker room…I’m not looking for puff pieces or anything like that but you’re whacked out and you don’t appreciate what the fuck is going on and it pissed me off…get your head out of your asses and start looking out for what’s actually happening.” The foundation of the coach’s profanity laced ire was a student sportswriter who had dealt out a B+ grade on the squad’s performance versus the Terps.



Now I bring this up because as a historian , ignorance of the past, especially one’s own, is particularly alarming to me. Kelly Flagg, mother of player Cooper Flagg, must be credited with accidentally joining into that true Blue Devil Krzyzewski spirit inaugurated 35 years ago by calling the Carolina fan base “classless assholes” for treating her and her son’s team with some rough words when they visited Chapel Hill a couple of days back. Remarkably Ms Flagg seems not to have known what a good ole natural Blue Devil she is. She truly fits right in. Thankfully she doesn’t have to reach back to 1990 for her future inspiration since so much more exists in the historical record in the intervening years. And in her upcoming review of that historical record she won’t even have to focus solely on the former coach since the chronicles of the student body itself, the cleverly named “Cameron Crazies” scripted by their famous cheer sheets (archived no doubt), should provide her ample study material.



Here’s to you Ms Flagg — study up now. If there was ever any doubt it is gone - we all know where you truly belong.



$$$$$$$$$$$$$&$$$$$$&$$

 

[mpaer]

I reckon this is about history.




Since the Carolina/dook affair has a new wrinkle over language I felt compelled to Google ‘Krzyzewski cursing’ and got 10,000+ “hits.” Perhaps only challenged by his mentor Bobby Knight, Coach K was the champion of the foul-mouth so much so that hot links are unnecessary as proof. You google for yourself. Indeed, I’d venture to entitle him as the single greatest contributor to the demise of decorum in the college game. He has had teammates in that endeavor to be sure: John Chaney once of Temple was disrespectful of propriety in his final years. Frank Martin at U Mass and John Calipari, now of Arkansas, are also known for their indecency. And of course trumpism has been the greatest culprit of the setting of new world records in vulgarity. Connections?



But back to the long-time Blue Devil headman and “legend” and the world that he orchestrated on that Piedmont Gothic campus. Let’s take it way back yonder to 1990 when the ACC was truly regional, Bible Belt to be exact, and all eight teams fit neatly between Maryland and Georgia, and while hate had long reigned supreme between the teams and followers, language itself tended toward the more creative and less the gutter. In that year the coach in Durham, having long since shaken off his first three seasons (1980-1983) and a dismal record of 38-47 and secure in his tenth campaign (then 272-94) with an overall record as of mid-season of 12-2 (3-0). That team finished 29-9 and was NCAA Runner-up.



But despite the success, the Durham Coach didn’t approve of the student newspaper’s coverage of a weekend home 91-80 win over Maryland. Fuming the Future Legend called the student paper’s sports staff to a meeting with the team where he delivered the following decorum denigrating message: “I just wonder where your mindset is that you don’t appreciate the kids in this locker room…I’m not looking for puff pieces or anything like that but you’re whacked out and you don’t appreciate what the fuck is going on and it pissed me off…get your head out of your asses and start looking out for what’s actually happening.” The foundation of the coach’s profanity laced ire was a student sportswriter who had dealt out a B+ grade on the squad’s performance versus the Terps.



Now I bring this up because as a historian , ignorance of the past, especially one’s own, is particularly alarming to me. Kelly Flagg, mother of player Cooper Flagg, must be credited with accidentally joining into that true Blue Devil Krzyzewski spirit inaugurated 35 years ago by calling the Carolina fan base “classless assholes” for treating her and her son’s team with some rough words when they visited Chapel Hill a couple of days back. Remarkably Ms Flagg seems not to have known what a good ole natural Blue Devil she is. She truly fits right in. Thankfully she doesn’t have to reach back to 1990 for her future inspiration since so much more exists in the historical record in the intervening years. And in her upcoming review of that historical record she won’t even have to focus solely on the former coach since the chronicles of the student body itself, the cleverly named “Cameron Crazies” scripted by their famous cheer sheets (archived no doubt), should provide her ample study material.



Here’s to you Ms Flagg — study up now. If there was ever any doubt it is gone - we all know where you truly belong.



$$$$$$$$$$$$$&$$$$$$&$$

classy dookie mom

 

[donbosco]

classy dookie mom

Or perfect dookie mom?

 

[donbosco]

Round about now and 50 plus years ago teachers across The Old North State would be rolling a cart like this into classrooms, assigning some light ‘busy-work,’ and settling in to watch a few games spotlighting Tobacco Road. In those days the Atlantic Coast Conference of C.D. Chesley and “Sailing With The Pilot” was 8 teams small and stretched from Maryland to South Carolina. The conference season was 14 games, with everyone doing a home and away with everyone else. Sentiments were strong and rivalries and history ran deep. The familiarity bred a good deal of both respect and enmity each one to the other.

In 1971 an ACC Tournament with 8 teams was held in the only proper place, The Greensboro Coliseum. That year was an infamous one featuring a heart-breaking 52-51 finals win by South Carolina over Carolina. The NCAA field was only 32 then so a very good Tar Heel team went to the National Invitational Tournament, where, after putting down dook in the semis, they defeated a then non-ACC Georgia Tech for the championship. UNC also beat a Julius Erving-led Massachusetts team on the path to that title, a significant feat. The NIT was strong before the expansion of the NCAA field to 64.

Whether there were 8 or 7 (Sub Carolina bugged out in a huff in ‘72 so until Georgia Tech joined in 1979 the count was 7 schools in the league) the games began on Thursday with the winners battling on Friday evening and the knock-down, drag-out final was scheduled for Saturday. For that Thursday noon game - the first versus last seed - classrooms were transformed into mini-arenas and bone-dry barrooms - hardwood heavens peopled by youthful lovers, and haters, of the teams in play and everyone in thrall to The Game that Mr. Chesley and that Old Seafaring Pilot broadcast, saving us all for one glorious afternoon from the quadratic formula and diagramming sentences.

In 1971 on that afternoon we watched UNC’s George Karl, Dennis Wuycik, and Bill Chamberlain rout a hapless Clemson squad. Lee Dedmon, Dave Chadwick, and the hard-nosed prototype for every floor-diving defensive-specialist to come through Carolina, Steve Previs, added in key contributions that day. UNC was ranked #13 and on the other side of the bracket stood Frank McGuire’s New York City Gamecocks ranked #6 - the despicable Roche, Riker, Ribock, Owens, and Joyce. Only the tournament victor went to March Madness (itself a brand yet to be dreamed up by marketing).

Tournament recollections from that long first day are Howard White and Jimbo O’Brien starring for the Terps in a loss and Wolfpack reserve Jim Risinger rose up to help Paul “Cocaine” Coder upset Duke. Barry Parkhill and Scott McCandlish led UVA over Wake and Charlie Davis and Gil MacGregor. That bunch of Tar Heels back in 1971 will forever be among my favorites and Roche shall be eternally despised, unliked, and unwelcome.

Today, March 11, 2025 the tab is three games. No. 12 seed Notre Dame (14-17, 8-12) faces No. 13 Pitt (17-14, 8-12) in the opener at 2 p.m. ET. No. 10 Virginia Tech (13-18, 8-12) plays No. 15 California (13-18, 6-14) at 4:30 p.m. ET in the Golden Bears’ first-ever ACC Tournament game. No. 11 Florida State (17-14, 8-12) takes on No. 14 Syracuse (13-18, 7-13) in the Tuesday nightcap at 7 p.m. ET. Thus on Day One nary an original ACC school will play.

On Wednesday, March 12 the first day starts with No. 8 seed Georgia Tech (16-15, 10-10) playing No. 9 Virginia (15-16, 8-12) at noon. The Cavaliers will be the first of the true ACC squads to play. Founding school NCSU, by the way, has transcended The Les Robinson Invitational of yore by not even making the top 15 and thus joining Boston College and Miami on the outside, gameless (and newly coachless) and displaced by Left-Coasters in the tournament that they won so miraculously just a year ago.

That afternoon No. 5 seed North Carolina (20-12, 13-7) will play the winner of the Notre Dame-Pitt contest at 2:30 p.m. ET. In the evening session, No. 7 Stanford (19-12, 11-9) makes its ACC Tournament debut, playing the winner of the Virginia Tech-California game at 7 p.m. ET, while No. 6 SMU (22-9, 13-7) takes the ACC Tournament court for the first time ever as it plays the Florida State-Syracuse winner at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Not until Thursday do the top four seeds, dook, Louisville, Clemson, and Wake Forest play the survivors. Friday will bring the semifinals and on Saturday, at 8:30 pm, the showdown for all the marbles.

There is value-added in that Carolina - 20-12 (13-7) with only a single so-called Quad 1 win stretching out behind them (UCLA), may just need to win the tournament to make the NCAA - just like the old days - you gotta win to go to the Big Dance.

 

[donbosco]

I reckon this is about history.




Since the Carolina/dook affair has a new wrinkle over language I felt compelled to Google ‘Krzyzewski cursing’ and got 10,000+ “hits.” Perhaps only challenged by his mentor Bobby Knight, Coach K was the champion of the foul-mouth so much so that hot links are unnecessary as proof. You google for yourself. Indeed, I’d venture to entitle him as the single greatest contributor to the demise of decorum in the college game. He has had teammates in that endeavor to be sure: John Chaney once of Temple was disrespectful of propriety in his final years. Frank Martin at U Mass and John Calipari, now of Arkansas, are also known for their indecency. And of course trumpism has been the greatest culprit of the setting of new world records in vulgarity. Connections?



But back to the long-time Blue Devil headman and “legend” and the world that he orchestrated on that Piedmont Gothic campus. Let’s take it way back yonder to 1990 when the ACC was truly regional, Bible Belt to be exact, and all eight teams fit neatly between Maryland and Georgia, and while hate had long reigned supreme between the teams and followers, language itself tended toward the more creative and less the gutter. In that year the coach in Durham, having long since shaken off his first three seasons (1980-1983) and a dismal record of 38-47 and secure in his tenth campaign (then 272-94) with an overall record as of mid-season of 12-2 (3-0). That team finished 29-9 and was NCAA Runner-up.



But despite the success, the Durham Coach didn’t approve of the student newspaper’s coverage of a weekend home 91-80 win over Maryland. Fuming the Future Legend called the student paper’s sports staff to a meeting with the team where he delivered the following decorum denigrating message: “I just wonder where your mindset is that you don’t appreciate the kids in this locker room…I’m not looking for puff pieces or anything like that but you’re whacked out and you don’t appreciate what the fuck is going on and it pissed me off…get your head out of your asses and start looking out for what’s actually happening.” The foundation of the coach’s profanity laced ire was a student sportswriter who had dealt out a B+ grade on the squad’s performance versus the Terps.



Now I bring this up because as a historian , ignorance of the past, especially one’s own, is particularly alarming to me. Kelly Flagg, mother of player Cooper Flagg, must be credited with accidentally joining into that true Blue Devil Krzyzewski spirit inaugurated 35 years ago by calling the Carolina fan base “classless assholes” for treating her and her son’s team with some rough words when they visited Chapel Hill a couple of days back. Remarkably Ms Flagg seems not to have known what a good ole natural Blue Devil she is. She truly fits right in. Thankfully she doesn’t have to reach back to 1990 for her future inspiration since so much more exists in the historical record in the intervening years. And in her upcoming review of that historical record she won’t even have to focus solely on the former coach since the chronicles of the student body itself, the cleverly named “Cameron Crazies” scripted by their famous cheer sheets (archived no doubt), should provide her ample study material.



Here’s to you Ms Flagg — study up now. If there was ever any doubt it is gone - we all know where you truly belong.



$$$$$$$$$$$$$&$$$$$$&$$

Re: A friend wrote… “My high school basketball teammates were sitting with the dook families (they coached one of the dook players in AAU) and confirm that Flagg’s mom is lying about fans saying mean things to them. One of them texted, ‘WTF IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ??
good gracious just stop!! She’s probably a part of the MAGA PARTY as well smh’”

 

[SnoopRob]

Re: A friend wrote… “My high school basketball teammates were sitting with the dook families (they coached one of the dook players in AAU) and confirm that Flagg’s mom is lying about fans saying mean things to them. One of them texted, ‘WTF IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ??
good gracious just stop!! She’s probably a part of the MAGA PARTY as well smh’”

I wouldn't doubt that she probably had a few mean things said to her at some point during her time in the dome, there are 21+k folks in there and some of them are gonna say something stupid. I would expect the same would be true for Carolina parents taking in a game in Cameron, despite the much lower number of fans. But I have serious doubts that she experienced anything particularly noteworthy and I fully believe that she's blowing whatever she experienced well out of proportion. It's especially hypocritical to call the entire UNC fan base "classless" when you're so classless yourself that you run to facebook to whine after the game and act like a complete and utter fool in the process.

 

[uncsig]

I travelled for work quite abit. So it was with great enthusiasm I looked forward to when the nascent broadcast.com would begin streaming Woody for UNC games. This was Mark Cuban's first big money maker. They had Indiana of course (Cuban) and Kentucky, we were #3.

Can't remember if the precursor for Cuban or not, but in the early 90s, you could dial an 800 number for a large number of teams [each team had its own dedicated number if I remember or maybe just its own code to enter] and you could listen to the home radio broadcast.

I had a deposition where I had a minor defendant on the Thursday of our first round NCAAT game against Miami [OH] in 1992. Using the landline in the corner of the conference room at the firm where the depo was taking place, I dialed in and listened to a very tense game. With some time left in the second half [I can't remember how much now], it was my time to ask the dozen or so questions I needed to ask. I left the receiver off the hook in my corner seat, moved to the front, asked my questions, went back to my corner seat, and finished listening to our 5 point win.

 

[uncsig]

I reckon this is about history.




But despite the success, the Durham Coach didn’t approve of the student newspaper’s coverage of a weekend home 91-80 win over Maryland. Fuming the Future Legend called the student paper’s sports staff to a meeting with the team where he delivered the following decorum denigrating message: “I just wonder where your mindset is that you don’t appreciate the kids in this locker room…I’m not looking for puff pieces or anything like that but you’re whacked out and you don’t appreciate what the fuck is going on and it pissed me off…get your head out of your asses and start looking out for what’s actually happening.” The foundation of the coach’s profanity laced ire was a student sportswriter who had dealt out a B+ grade on the squad’s performance versus the Terps.

Wasn't Seth Davis the student reporter who got called on the carpet by the Rat that day?