The 1990 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels THE CINDERELLA EVERYONE LOVED TO HATE
A Little History of St. Patrick’s Day
And My Family’s Connection to It
The early ‘90s was a contentious time in college basketball, full of pure amateur competition. The days of the “one and done” player were far ahead, which meant that all the top-level talent was bred in the hotbed of the NCAA. Players like Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson had to prove their NBA mettle in the grueling basketball tournament we all know as March Madness. It has always showcased the best of the best, but America has always loved an underdog. Last year, audiences adored Loyola Chicago as they made their way to the Final Four. Cinderella teams fill our hearts with hope and optimism, but not all of them are loveable. Perhaps no small school is more polarizing than the UNLV squad that was put together by the late, great Jerry Tarkanian. The team was nasty, flashy, and, most importantly, downright impossible to beat. “The Runnin’ Rebels” ran the court like no team before. Reports have the 1991 Tarkanian squad referring to the Arkansas Razorbacks’ “40 minutes of hell” as “40 minutes of vacation” when it beat the then second-ranked team on its home court. The team embodied swagger and wasn’t afraid to create a splash everywhere it went. Most of the noise wasn’t positive, but when you win the national championship the year prior, a little arrogance is necessary to maintain your “bad guy” image. Formally a small state school known to locals as “Tumbleweed Tech,” UNLV wasn’t even a Division I school until 1970. When Tarkanian took over in ‘73, the school went from an institution most acclaimed for its hospitality program to an NCAA basketball tournament regular. After making their first Final Four appearance in 1977, the team started down a path that would take them to four Elite 8s in five years, and there would be no greater success than the season that came to pass in 1990. Most games are back-and-forth, with drama centering around every possession. That was not the case during the 1990 national championship game. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski guided his team to the final through steady stellar performances throughout the tournament, and all was well until the legendary program met UNLV’s rowdies. The opening tipoff was about as close as Duke ever got to controlling any part of that game. Anderson Hunt, Stacey Augmon, and Larry Johnson ran the Blue Devils off the court, and the Cinderella team everyone came to hate won 103–73 in the biggest blowout in NCAA tournament history.
This month, millions of people all across the world will join together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. While the festivities associated with these celebrations certainly vary depending on location, they all stem from the same inspiration: honoring St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. His life story might not be as famous as his holiday, but it certainly should be. Born in Roman Britain in the late fourth century, St. Patrick was kidnapped at the age of 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. Fortunately, he escaped, but he did eventually return to Ireland with the hope of converting the Irish population to Christianity. By the time of his death on March 17, 461, he had established churches, monasteries, and schools. Due to his lasting impression on millions of people throughout the country, many myths formed following his death. For example, one myth circulated for centuries based on the wild idea that St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland. Up until the 1700s, St. Patrick’s Day was a holiday filled with religious services and feasts to commemorate the saint’s efforts. The more secular version of the holiday started with immigrants, particularly to the U.S., who transformed the celebration into a holiday of revelry, chock-full of elaborate parades, shamrock symbols, and the color green. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, I hope you’ll keep in mind the origin of the holiday. We use the day as an opportunity to pore over my own family history since we hail from County Cork and Monahan in Ireland. With last names like Cassidy, Sheridan, Findley, and of course, Patrick, you can very well assume our heritage. The picture is of my Irish great-grandmother and grandmother and her brother. Her favorite songs were "Danny Boy" and "Galway Boy." From my family to yours, have a happy, historical, and safe St. Patrick’s Day this year!
2 • WWW.KEVINPATRICK.LAW I 404-566-5880
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog