GREENSBORO, N.C. — This recent dose of March Madness is, for North Carolinians, like nothing we've ever seen! This Carolina Duke Final Four thingy is insane!
I've been thinking about all things Carolina these past few days and it took me back to my senior year in college when I auditioned for what would be the first person in a Rameses costume for UNC. It was very exciting and as I walked onto the stage at the audition I thought to myself, what have I done?
They gave me the instructions. We are down by two in a basketball game and we have the ball with 7 seconds to go, what do you do?
So, like any good mascot, I jumped around like a fool, shook my hiney and bang, I got the job!
I was shocked. But even thought the costume was sad and made locally instead of at a big company and I only got to do it for half a year I can say that I was the first. It was a thrill for someone who grew up obsessed with UNC basketball.
My father went there and I went there and when growing up my best friend and his mom would come over to watch the games and we even had superstitious seats we sat in. My mother would even keep points and fouls on both teams so we could keep track of what was going on.
I can honestly say, that when I stood in the tunnel just before that first game and watched Dean Smith talk to J.R. Reid and the rest of the team just before running out. I was in heaven. As a kid who watched Phil Ford and all the greats play in the 1970s, this was a moment that brought tears to my eyes.
I will never forget those memories. As I watch the games this weekend I will always keep one eye on Rameses to see what he is doing on the sidelines as well.
But that's just My 2 Cents.