So the DBR Podcast guys were asking for some stories about your earliest Duke memory, and I thought I'd kick it off.

I grew up a Duke fan because my father graduated from Div school in the early 70's. My parents put me in blazers with a Duke patch sewn on the breast and little horned beanies, and encouraged my fandom. I don't remember watching sports all that much until around 1985, when I was 9 years old. My dad and I had started watching Duke basketball games together that year. I grew up in rural NC and spent most of my time around UNC and NC State fans. UNC had won the title in '82 and State in '83, so most of my friends had one of those commemorative "true blue/true red" soda cans. Well, my team was pretty good in 1986, Michael Jordan was replaced by Johnny Dawkins, and I had my heart set on one of those cans in royal blue. I absolutely idolized Johnny Dawkins, and remember always wanting him to hit 24 points since that was his number. I remember also hoping Jay Bilas would be able to make it to the end of the game without fouling out (apologies to Jay if he's reading this; I was 9). When we made the Final Four I just KNEW we were going to win the national title that year simply because it was just our turn. I watched most of the games that year that I was allowed to stay up and see, but I only remember one of them in any detail, and it was the biggest one of the year. I remember watching the final on TV. When Duke missed their last shot down one, they were forced to foul with only seconds left. The UL player hit the first shot to make it a two point game and as the shooter readied for his second shot, the announcer said "This one's for the national championship." I realized he was right, as there was no three point shot in '86, and no way to stop the clock. His free throw swished cleanly through, Duke missed a desperation heave, and this nine year old boy literally cried himself to sleep.

To add insult to injury, the following season (1987) saw the introduction of a three point shot; a shot a guard laden Duke team could have sorely used the previous season, especially on that night in April.

I finally got one of my True Blue sodas back in 1991, and now have several others. Each season is a fun experience, but I have never been as emotionally invested or as devastated as I was after the 1986 final.