I was in grad school at UNC in ’92, and my girlfriend and I had left a grad school party to go out to watch the 2nd half of the game at the “Red Baron” restaurant on the outskirts of Chapel Hill on Hwy 54 (we left the party because the game was too intense and the party was too distracting, heh).

The place was packed for the game and oddly enough was split almost 50-50 with Duke fans and diehard UNC fans, who were naturally pulling mightily for UK. Thing was, too, although I was a Duke fan, my girlfriend was a UNC fan, so that added a little more fireworks to the situation as well.

Well, when Sean Wood hit that miracle running bank over Laettner, the UNC half of the bar just ERUPTED, went absolutely bonkers, while we Duke fans stood there in utter shock and despair. My girlfriend, being the UNC fan, was also celebrating and doing very little to mute her obvious joy over the situation, much to my displeasure of course.

I was so disconsolate I turned to walk out of the bar right then and there because I was sure the game was over (and of course I was also a little ticked at my girlfriend for so brazenly celebrating in my presence). But a fellow Duke fan standing beside me stopped me as I turned and said, “Hey wait, just stay, you never know.”

Well thankfully I took his advice and stayed. And then THE PLAY began to unfold-you made that terrific pass to Laettner (why UK didn’t guard the inbounds pass we’ll never know, eh) and miracle of all miracles, Laettner hauled it in, dribbled, spun and launched the shot…

And then, with Vern’s call of “YESSSSSS!” thundering out over the speakers, the Duke half of the bar EXPLODED, went ABSOLUTELY NUTS. We were probably leaping around as much as you guys on the actual floor were, just going BONKERS.

What was so utterly surreal about it, though, was the total reversal of emotions-though the UNC fans had only moments before been beside themselves with joy, they were now in total despair, and we Duke fans were now in pure ecstasy when we had just been in the depths of misery only seconds before. Talk about the thrill of victory, agony of defeat encapsulated so amazingly, so perfectly in that one moment!

And of course my girlfriend, forgetting in her despair that only moments before the roles were reversed, was now fuming that I was wildly celebrating and was herself threatening to leave. I was in the doghouse for a few days because of that!

So I just want to say thanks for your part in providing one of the most memorable “I’ll always remember where I was when…” moments in time ever for me.

Thank you, Grant.