Friday, January 25, 2008

It Was 20 Years Ago Today.....

January 25th, 1987, one of the greatest dunks in college basketball history happened and one of the great catch-phrases in all of sports was spawned. You've all seen it 1000 times now, but it must be celebrated. Pittsburgh Point Guard and now Xavier head coach Sean Miller grabbed a loose ball and started a three on one fast break. With Demetrious Gore on his left, he fake that was and dished it right to Jerome Lane who rose and and threw down a power dunk that shook the rafters and broke the backboard. In one fell swoop, Lane hammered it down and took the rim with him. The Pittsburgh crowd erupted, as did Lane's teammates. The game was being televised by ESPN that night and color man Bill Raftery, one of the best of all time, yelled at the top of his lungs "SEND IT IN JEROME!"

Here is Raftery's famous call in a short clip.





Here is a longer version set to music.





The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote a solid piece in it as well. My friend Adam happened to be the ball boy under that rim that night and was shown all over ESPN holding the rim with the mascot and still has pieces of the glass to this day. I loved that Pitt team. Jerome and Demetrious. Charles Smith, Darelle Porter, Sean Miller, Jason Matthews. They had some good talent. Prop-48 special Brian Shorter. Rockin Rod Brookyn. If Paul Evans only had a clue how to coach....

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