An Honor I Can Do Without
Have you ever looked around the room for the mark and, not seeing it, realized it was you?
I had that experience last year in Atlanta when a bunch of us scribes got to wondering who had been to the most ACC Tournaments in a row and the more we asked around, the more it started looking like the honor belonged to me. And I didn’t want it. I’m old, but not that old. But through the recent wave of downsizing and retirements and people wising up and finding honest work and one generation passing into another, we couldn’t find anyone with a longer streak than mine.
There were many who had seen tournament since the 1960s, but as it turned out a Caulton Tudor had missed a tournament this season or a Bill Brill had missed one that season and no one had that long of an uninterrupted streak.
I’ve been to at least one session of every tournament since 1974. I was still a student at that state university in the general vicinity of the geographical center of the state when I saw my first ACC Tournament game. It was the championship of 1974, N.C. State’s 103-100 victory over Maryland that is still widely considered the greatest game in conference history. No wonder the hook sank in so deep.
Finally we ran into Al Featherston, the venerable scribe who after writing for decades for the Durham Herald and Durham Herald-Sun now covers ACC basketball for Basketball Times. Al, to my great relief, said he had made every tournament since 1968. So Al, best we can tell, gets the prize. Good for Al. Good for me.
Back to the main page.
By Dan Collins on 03/11/2010 (2:13 pm)
Comments
I think I got the numbers below right. Mr. Wellman, now it’s your turn to make things right.
- ACC 1st Rd 2010: lose by 21 to the 12th seed
- NCAA 1st Rd 2009: lose by 15 to the 13th seed
- ACC 1st Rd 2009: as the No. 2 seed lose by double digits to Maryland
- ACC 1st Rd 2008: lose by double digits to FSU
BAL on 03/11/2010 (6:09 pm)
Dan,
NCAA bid, great recruits, and all that jazz - zero consolation to this fan base. Bottom line - Deacon fans are crushed - absolutely crushed, demoralized. We can’t afford to have a bad program that just dissapoints. It hurts the entire athletic dept. I would never take away from our players effort but this loss hurts bad. We should find another coach, try our hardest to keep the recruits, and begin anew.
Just Crushed on 03/11/2010 (6:02 pm)
Dan,
Your insightful columns have given good insight, in advance, of the potential of Wake’s “no show” today.
Peace.
Bobby
bobby h griffin on 03/11/2010 (5:20 pm)
It’s time for Dino to go. I’ve never seen a coach who’s teams are less prepared in the post season. Wake has looked completely overmatched in EVERY tournament game he’s coached. Time to bring in a coach who knows how to win when it counts.
FDP on 03/11/2010 (4:37 pm)
Dan,
The first half of the Miami game just ended. I am still holding out hope that Miami’s outside shooting will cool down and we will be able to pull off a second half comeback.
But, in the event we don’t turn it around, and since you referenced your streak of ACC Tournaments… Have you ever seen Wake Forest play as poorly over three consecutive ACC Tournaments as we have since the 2007-2008 season?
Greg on 03/11/2010 (4:26 pm)
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