Monday, February 1, 2010

Losses!

So I got really bored today and counted up all the Terps games I've been to. In my defense, it was a Sunday afternoon, so it's not like I should have been doing something super-productive, but still. Looking at the list I compiled, I realized that I had a pretty distinct memory of every single loss I've seen. So here's a rundown.

sophomore year vs Notre Dame at the BB&T - Turd and I got all amped up for a trip to see a game outside of the Comcast Center. By this point it had already been established that Verizon was a house of horrors for us, but still we went. Well, we went and saw Notre Dame rain threes on us all day. Turd didn't get the food he paid for at McDonald's before the game, and I had to go home and write a final paper for John Newman that was due the next afternoon.

junior year vs Boston College - This would be the game where Jamie Luckey fouled out Greivis on a technical for hitting the basket support after a questionable fourth foul call. That was pretty much all that BC would need to win this game, perhaps the most daggerishly officiated game I've witnessed in person - which is saying something. Zatch and I, as I recall it, walked home cursing the refs and their family before getting CluckU. This was my concourse level debut.

junior year vs Ohio - part deux of the unholy BC/Ohio/American loss troika. Luckily I didn't see the third one. This one was the night before exams started, and we got pwned by Leon Williams, formerly of Cardinal Gibbons. I believe that this was only the third home nonconference loss for Gary since he came to Maryland, after Coppin State way back in 1989 and Florida a few years before this one.

junior year vs Duke - my first Duke game! And we lost. This would be the one where Eric Hayes tried to box out Gerald Henderson to shield him from getting a ball that had rolled into the backcourt instead of, you know, going after this. That would be something of a pattern of behavior for Hayes. Ritchie and I froze our balls off waiting to get into Comcast, and this is how they repaid us.

junior year vs VT - This one was most famous for Turd screaming "FUCK YOU SETH!" at the end of the game, flipping him off, and kicking the seat in front of him at the Comcast Center. I remember this being another dagger game, though I can't say for sure what actually happened other than us blowing a lead. I was more proud of Turd that day than ever before as his tantrum was more like something only Zatchman or I can pull off.

junior year vs Clemson - The worst ever. Nothing will ever top this loss. We blew a TWENTY (20!) point lead in the last ten minutes in a game that would have all but sealed a tournament berth (we didn't make it). I had even sung the "We're going to the lig" song when it looked wrapped up. Honky extraordinare Terrence Oglesby gave the final dagger on a buzzer beating three that we all knew was coming. The five of us walked back separately and didn't speak to one another for several hours thereafter.

senior year vs Morgan State - Just an awful all around game, with Reggie Holmes of Saint Frances pwning us thoroughly. Morgan State was actually decentish, and we made the Lig, so this wasn't as bad as it could have been. Still, another blown lead to one of the Little Sisters of the Poor no less? Ugh.

senior year vs Boston College - Blown lead. I don't remember how much it was, but it was probably the worst one at home other than Clemson the previous year. I think it wasn't quite as bad as the one at Miami a few weeks prior to this, but it was close.

senior year vs Duke - Another game standing out in the cold, another loss. 0-2 in Duke games! The game made Bob too physically ill to stay (or possibly it was something else), but this was another game where questionable foul calls against Greivis kept him out of the game. On the other end of the court, as I recall it, Gerald Henderson was allowed to act like a running back to get into the lane, but Greivis got called for crummy fouls on the other side. Duke ref bias much?

senior year vs Wake Forest - SENIOR NIGHT!!!!!! My last game as a student. Dave Neal did his best, hitting like four pick and pops, almost leading me to having a stroke screaming SENIOR NIGHT!!!!, but it was all for naught as Jeff Teague teabagged him on a dunk and the Terps lost by two, despite an awesome buzzer beating three by Dave Neal that cut the lead that far down. God I miss the cyborg. This game also would have clinched a Lig berth.

this year vs William & Mary - The first loss as a paying customer at the Comcast Center. They pretty much worked us. I wasn't really angry, just thoroughly disheartened because we were barely even competitive against a mid-major team on our own home court. I think this game would be the 73rd time I swore off of Gary Williams "for good". I think this one last ten days, maybe two weeks at the most.

And there you have it.