Where were you 20 years ago today?
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 | Men's Basketball, Women's Swimming & Diving, Chris Harry
There are milestone moments in life when, years later, people are sure to ask, “Where were you when ________?”
Most of the time, they're landmark events that are transcendent in their impact. I was four years old when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Still remember my brother coming home early from school and telling us to turn on the TV.
I was nine when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, riveted to the television. Across the street from my apartment in Tampa, I looked high into the bright blue sky to the east and watched the Challenger explode across the state. During a party at a friend's house three years later, we toasted as the Berlin Wall came down.
And on the morning of my daughter's eighth birthday, I answered the door to sign for a package from a UPS driver, who asked me if I'd hear about what was going on at the World Trade Center.
While paling in historical significance, icon sports moments provide similar reference points. I watched the Mets win the '69 World Series after coming home from school (day baseball, baby). Stayed up hours past my bedtime to soak in Ali-Foreman -- on the radio. And even my wife was mesmerized by what Michael Jordan (See Russell, Bryon) and Mark McGwire (See *70) did in 1998.
So, where were you -- 20 years ago today -- when Christian Laettner launched his turnaround jumper in overtime against Kentucky to end the greatest game in NCAA Tournament history?
[Note: Billy Donovan was on the Kentucky bench, alongside Rick Pitino. And we know the whereabouts of UF assistant coach John Pelphrey. That's him, to the left of Deron Feldhaus (No. 10), eyes on Laettner releasing his dagger]
Get this: I was at Steve Spurrier's house in West Gainesville. He actually had a party after for the writers who covered the Gators after a spring football scrimmage. A party for the “media boys,” as he liked to call us. Or the “hacks,” as we liked to call ourselves.
Of course, that party was loaded with Duke rooters, as Spurrier was still less than three years removed from leaving Durham, where he guided to the Blue Devils to the first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1962, along with former assistant coaches Carl Franks, Jim Collins, Bob Sanders and Rich McGeorge. Franks was a running back for the Blue Devils in the early '80s when Spurrier was offensive coordinator. All were friends and fans of Mike Krzyzewski.
Spurrier's wife, Jeri, laid out a ridiculous spread for us (better than any pre-game media buffet, trust me), and prepared all the food herself. She insisted.
One of the writers in the house pulled enthusiastically (borderline obnoxiously) for the Wildcats, whom Lon Kruger's NIT-bound Gators had dismantled 79-62 three weeks earlier at the O'Connell Center. His boisterous cheering for Kentucky was noted by the host, especially after Sean Woods' bank shot with two seconds left.
But more so after Laettner's buzzer-beater ... amid lots of hugging and cheering from the hosts.
Where were you?
