a painful memory

[docdore]

our game with michigan saturday reminds us of more advanced age of the mideast regional of 1965. the dores were a top-ten team in '64-'65 and faced off against the wolverines in lexington in the elite eight. it's the closest we've ever been to the final four, the outcome was heartbreakingly controversial and here's the story:
(https://vucommodores.com/controversial- ... ite-eight/). clyde lee is #43, bob "snake" grace 42, john ed miller 31 and coach roy skinner sits next to miller. larry munson's description of the heist still rings in my ears. hoping for a better outcome this time around.....i'm not sure if we've played michigan since '65.

[OldDude]

our game with michigan saturday reminds us of more advanced age of the mideast regional of 1965. the dores were a top-ten team in '64-'65 and faced off against the wolverines in lexington in the elite eight. it's the closest we've ever been to the final four, the outcome was heartbreakingly controversial and here's the story:
(https://vucommodores.com/controversial- ... ite-eight/). clyde lee is #43, bob "snake" grace 42, john ed miller 31 and coach roy skinner sits next to miller. hoping for a better outcome this time around.....

At least we won't have the same officials. (We won't will we ? )

[frstev17]

Although I had season tickets, I wasn’t able to get to Lexington. In fact I listened to the broadcast in Ft Lauderdale on Spring break. A friend provided me recently a tape of Larry Munson’s call of the last 2 minutes of the game. I wish I knew how to post it. It is classic Munson.
My favorite lines are “Good Lord, nobody dreamed it would be like this…you’d have paid a million bucks to see this one…” You can tell also he was absolutely exhausted when the game ended. Interestingly the tape doesn’t include a description of Miller’s alleged traveling. Sort of ironic a late traveling call entered in to the outcome. Not the only time in VU MBB history!

[charlestonalum]

I was at the game: actually on the side of court as a cheerleader and nobidy could believe the call. It was devstating. Crowd was pulling for Vanderbilt. Unforgetable game. Still hear fans razzing Cassie Russell. We owe them for that one and they beat us in baseball by hitting HR when Corbs put Davud Price in to close it out. Our turn to eliminate (I realize we did in Omaha.)

[nyyankeeDore]

I was at the game: actually on the side of court as a cheerleader and nobidy could believe the call. It was devstating. Crowd was pulling for Vanderbilt. Unforgetable game. Still hear fans razzing Cassie Russell. We owe them for that one and they beat us in baseball by hitting HR when Corbs put Davud Price in to close it out. Our turn to eliminate (I realize we did in Omaha.)

If I remember correctly, in those days the cheerleading squad included a "Mr. Commodore" whose real identity was on display (i.e., not wearing a big head mask). Was that your role?

[FayetteDore]

Good posts. The controversial call was for traveling, and there's this line from the VU archives link cited above: “He kept his pivot foot, but they thought he moved it when he made a move to the basket,” Grace said about the controversial call on Miller. “We watched that game film 15 to 20 times a day and never saw a walk at all... It was just a bad call. Coach Skinner wanted to talk to the referee after the game, but as soon as the game was over they were gone.”
I think it was TheFan but somebody said in a post on here a month or so ago that hardly anyone seems to get called for traveling or palming the ball anymore. In comparison to the rigid rules of the game I was taught as a kid way back then, that's true. I see players' palms totally under the ball often and what certainly would have been called traveling back then. Just how the game has evolved.

PS - John Ed Miller's playing days were two or three years before I began paying attention to college sports but I knew him later in his role as a top executive at South Central Bell/BellSouth (I didn't work there but came in contact with him often) and you could never meet a finer fellow.

[docdore]

Although I had season tickets, I wasn’t able to get to Lexington. In fact I listened to the broadcast in Ft Lauderdale on Spring break. A friend provided me recently a tape of Larry Munson’s call of the last 2 minutes of the game. I wish I knew how to post it. It is classic Munson.
My favorite lines are “Good Lord, nobody dreamed it would be like this…you’d have paid a million bucks to see this one…” You can tell also he was absolutely exhausted when the game ended. Interestingly the tape doesn’t include a description of Miller’s alleged traveling. Sort of ironic a late traveling call entered in to the outcome. Not the only time in VU MBB history!

i can "hear" munson in my head but would love to hear that tape.

[HarpoMarx]

We also played Michigan at the beginning of the 1976-1977 season, if my memory is right. Charles Davis was a freshman and one of the Michigan players was being really rough with Charlie D. He reached his limit and BOOM, down went Frazier. I'm sure he was kicked out of the game, but in those days you didn't get multi game suspensions for that. Where is Charlie D. nowadays?

[vandybl]

Charles Davis still lives in the Nashville area and attends the VU basketball games. A very humble person who still follows Vandy hoops closely. He was a great player in his day. Go Vandy!

[commadore]

our game with michigan saturday reminds us of more advanced age of the mideast regional of 1965. the dores were a top-ten team in '64-'65 and faced off against the wolverines in lexington in the elite eight. it's the closest we've ever been to the final four, the outcome was heartbreakingly controversial and here's the story:
(https://vucommodores.com/controversial- ... ite-eight/). clyde lee is #43, bob "snake" grace 42, john ed miller 31 and coach roy skinner sits next to miller. larry munson's description of the heist still rings in my ears. hoping for a better outcome this time around.....i'm not sure if we've played michigan since '65.

We played Michigan in the early season on Dec. 6, 1976. I remember because I usually got there early enough to sit on the first or second row, but that night had a church basketball game and ended up sitting on the next to last row in the student section. We weren't all that good that year and Michigan won rather easily, 97-76.

[charlestonalum]

I was at the game: actually on the side of court as a cheerleader and nobidy could believe the call. It was devstating. Crowd was pulling for Vanderbilt. Unforgetable game. Still hear fans razzing Cassie Russell. We owe them for that one and they beat us in baseball by hitting HR when Corbs put Davud Price in to close it out. Our turn to eliminate (I realize we did in Omaha.)

If I remember correctly, in those days the cheerleading squad included a "Mr. Commodore" whose real identity was on display (i.e., not wearing a big head mask). Was that your role?

No Commodre was EB Peeples dressed like a naval officer and yes no head coverlng. The whole year was exciting, but that game was increidble. That was before balconies in our gym and every game was packed to the brim and students got there an four before the game to get a front seat.

[BrentVU]

Although I had season tickets, I wasn’t able to get to Lexington. In fact I listened to the broadcast in Ft Lauderdale on Spring break. A friend provided me recently a tape of Larry Munson’s call of the last 2 minutes of the game. I wish I knew how to post it. It is classic Munson.
My favorite lines are “Good Lord, nobody dreamed it would be like this…you’d have paid a million bucks to see this one…” You can tell also he was absolutely exhausted when the game ended. Interestingly the tape doesn’t include a description of Miller’s alleged traveling. Sort of ironic a late traveling call entered in to the outcome. Not the only time in VU MBB history!

i can "hear" munson in my head but would love to hear that tape.

I'd love to hear that tape too! Any way you could put it online? Or find someone who knows how to do it?

[rEvUrB]

Another painful memory: Had Vanderbilt beat Temple in ‘93, they would have faced Michigans vaunted Fab Five in the next round.

[Versus75]

I believe we will see one of the Fab Five on Saturday.