(Bruce Young, aka The Man of Many Talents, in spite of his horrible taste in music, is THI's social coordinator, official bureaucrat, back seat driver, Palmetto Inn aficionado, ATL instigator, restaurant ruffian, Twitter Trash Talker, Cabana Boi, Restaurant protocol coordinator, oft-fired then re-hired, Rupp Rude Boy, Red Coat troller, baseline ruffian, Diva Boeheim, adored by most - well, some, 2nd biggest Orioles' fan, photographer and resident Tar Heels' fan)​
Since I was unable to go to Syracuse on Wednesday night, it meant I'd have to watch the game on TV and listen to ESPN's awful announcers. Announcers on this night that were obviously not their top crew for prime time games.
As I've stated on many occasions, I know I'm spoiled sitting on the floor at these games and I don't take that lightly. Being in the press room and locker room, I feel very connected to what's going on with the team. Having to listen to ESPN's announcers is really hard to do, especially during Wednesday’s Tar Heels’ win at Syracuse. The announcers don't know the team like most of our fans and especially the media members who cover this team on a daily basis. They try to sound like they do, but believe me they don't!
This leads me to Dan Dakich, who was one of the announcers Wednesday. The play-by-play announcer was Beth Mowins, and I barely remember anything she had to say because anytime Dakich is on a Carolina broadcast he dominates the other play-by-play person! You see Dakich is a Carolina EXPERT; or at least he thinks he is!
Most Carolina fans remember Dakich as the man that made a name for himself playing in one game in particular during his college career at Indiana. For you young people who don't know about him or what he supposedly did, please let me enlighten you!
Carolina and Indiana played in the 1984 East Regional Sweet 16 in Atlanta. Carolina came into the game as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, owned a 28-2 record was led by Sam Perkins and some guy named Michael Jordan. Along with Kenny Smith, Matt Doherty and Brad Daugherty, Carolina was loaded. Indiana was led by Steve Alford, Uwe Blab (yes, that's really his name), Stew Robinson and some guy named Dan Dakich, who was supposed to be a blue collar defensive stopper (this always makes me laugh when people say this).
On the afternoon of the game, Indiana Head Coach Bobby Knight told Dakich he was going to be guarding the eventual College Player of the Year Michael Jordan that night. Knight told Dakich not to let Jordan dunk on him because it would embarrass him and Dakich. Dakich later stated he went back to his hotel room and threw up. This doesn't sound like a rough and tough DEFENSIVE STOPPER, does it!
Michael didn't have a good game that night, going 6-14 from the field and 1-2 from the line scoring 13 points and was in foul trouble for much of the game; eventually fouling out, along with Dakich. I remember this game like it was yesterday and I remember Dakich holding, grabbing and fouling Jordan a lot, trying to deny him the ball. Knight also told him to keep Jordan from posting up, and going back door.
Michael picked up two early fouls and Coach Smith put him on the bench for the rest of the half. Carolina eventually went on to lead at halftime 32-28. Dakich could have been arrested for assault in that first half while guarding Carolina players, especially Jordan.
When Jordan returned to the game, you could tell he was trying to stuff 40 minutes in the remaining 20 minutes. He pressed, took questionable shots and just never got in sync and Carolina went on to lose 72-68.
The media afterwards focused on the one-on-one match-up between Dakich and Jordan, as if Dakich was responsible for STOPPING the great Jordan. Dan Dakich had nothing to do with Michael's bad game, but at the age of 55, Dakich is still delusional enough to believe he was responsible for Jordan's sub-par performance. This honestly makes me sick to my stomach when he mentions it (on every broadcast).
To this day, when someone says to Michael that the only person who could stop him was Dan Dakich and Dean Smith (which is a joke), he thinks back to the shots he had and states he just missed them. We all know how competitive Michael is and you know it still bothers him!
Dakich probably has in his contract with ESPN that this game and his so called defensive gem against Jordan must be mentioned at least once, maybe more. To be honest, Dakich embarrasses himself when he does this. People look at him and look at Jordan and say it must be a joke.
We all know what Michael has accomplished in his career. Does anyone really believe Dan Dakich, who was slow as molasses and never played a second in the NBA, would be able to stop Michael Jordan on that day.......really!
Dakich would probably be HOMELESS today if Carolina had won that game way back in 1984 as they should have. He should thank Michael for having an off night, because without that, nobody but Dakich's mother and father would know who he is. I speak for Tar Heel fans everywhere when I say we wish we didn't know him either! GO HEELS!!!!!
