WASHINGTON, DC—I want to talk to 10-year-olds.
Carolina State lost to North Carolina State in the 2024 ACC Tournament Championship in Washington, D.C., and the Wolfpack’s mid-season regular season bounced back with a victory over the regular season champion Tar Heels. You may not realize this is possible.
Believe me, it is.
The exact same thing happened in 1987. I can relate to her so much because she was 10 years old when it happened. I sat in the Capital Center and watched a guy named Vinny Del Negro carry the torch for the Tar Heels.
You may have never heard of Vinny Del Negro. He was a pretty great guy by all accounts and played and coached in the NBA. He also continued to be irrationally disrespected by Tar Heel fans as young as 10 years old, perhaps the same way he feels about DJ Horne, DJ Burns, or any other DJ other than Khaled.
In 1987, the ACC Tournament was the biggest event on the Southeast sports calendar. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it was held at the Capital Center, which is essentially the grassy Dorton Arena.
The Capital Center was a success. Everyone from Elvis Presley to Bruce Springsteen to Madonna has performed there. President Bill Clinton’s inauguration ceremony was held here.
If this tells you anything, the 1987 ACC Tournament title game was held on March 8th. The next big event at Cap Center was the March 12th tour stop “Poisons Look What the Cat Drag In.” Two days later, Michael Jordan and the Bulls played. There; Jordan made 5 of 20 shots.
Every rose does have its thorns.
The 1987 Carolina team was the first Tar Heel team I cared enough about to memorize the media guide. They probably feel the same way about the 2024 team. To this day, 37 years later, these facts are completely etched in my memory.I may not be able to remember other relevant details of my life without stopping, but I absolutely know that Jeff Lebo Originally from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. (And Carlisle arranged for a Tar Heel Sports Network affiliate to hear about his accomplishments.) Ranzino-Smith was No. 33, and J.R. Reed attended Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach.
Everyone has such a team, and that team is responsible for cementing the addiction. 1987 was mine.
Maybe you’re familiar with this year’s team. You bought shirts, checked out shoes, followed social media. Being 10 years old means you’re old enough to understand the players and young enough to worship them. It’s a great time to be a sports fan.
And there’s one piece of good news. It doesn’t always feel as painful to care so much about a team like this as it did tonight. It’s true that like most things you love, your team can sometimes hurt you. But sometimes they bring great joy, like a victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the retirement of a particular coach, or winning a national championship (Carolina’s last four NCAA titles came in the ACC Tournament). (remember that I got it without winning the title).
But sometimes there are nights like tonight. I had Kenny Smith, so I knew he could grow up and play like him.maybe you have RJ DavisAnd believe me, the chances of you being an RJ are much higher than the chances of me being a Jet.
Watching Kenny Smith lose to North Carolina State in 1987 was one of the darkest moments in my life as a sports fan. But it ultimately makes you better. For one thing, it lets you know your team isn’t always winning, which makes winning a little more fun. These Tar Heels were undefeated during the ACC regular season, meaning they didn’t lose a single game. And coached by Dean Smith himself. But somehow, they lost to State University that day in Landover.
These Tar Heels were outright ACC regular season champions. But State was the better team this Saturday night. Sports are stupid. Except when they’re at their best.
Also, today you will develop a fiery competitiveness that will serve you well later in life. Tar Heel fans for decades have grown up without a good understanding of why North Carolina State is important. You now have a frame of reference that the rest of the world hasn’t had since 1987 (forget coaching Carolina games). Hubert Davis I didn’t played (against Carolina in 1987), serves as a reminder that winning streaks and blowout losses aren’t enough. Although it may not seem like it, this will ultimately benefit your life. Keep in mind, State University almost had a close call the night Carolina beat Duke in the Final Four. Well, either that, or they just experienced their basketball cousins of the long-term effects of football’s Tar Heels defeating Miami during the 2001 season (kids, parents). please listen).
By the time you read this, the NCAA Tournament buzz has already begun and will be a big topic across the country this week. The ACC Tournament hasn’t been what it used to be for decades, and no amount of confetti cannons can change that. It’s a part of the past that has been washed away by the NCAA Tournament dominating college basketball and conference expansion rendering the old leagues unrecognizable. Next year, the University of California and Stanford will join the ACC, but some people will pretend this is the same event. Even if you give the Everett Case Award to a newcomer, you will only get looked down upon.
But don’t get me wrong. This sense of loss still lingers in my heart. This is your team and having a team means sometimes losing games that don’t mean much.
The first step is to fill in the brackets. Tonight you may have thought the Tar Heels would never win another game, but tomorrow you’ll have no hesitation writing their name in Phoenix.
Being 10 years old is not easy. But what you experience today will ultimately enrich your life. That doesn’t mean you don’t have certain feelings that you may not be able to explain to the people who become part of your life years later.
For example, in 2002 they blew up the Capital Center, and it felt really great.
But I have absolutely/almost/nothing for what happened there in 1987, and I’m a well-adjusted person in most/some/some ways. Someday you will too.
Don’t ask me about Vinny Del Negro.