As we get closer to the FINAL FOUR here in town I want to go back to the one NEW ORLEANS got in 1982. Houston, North Carolina, Louisville, Georgetown. What a collection of hoopsters. Ch. 2 was the only TV station in town granted fulll media access in the Superdome. To get that you had to cover every stop along the way and we did covering wins by UH in the regionals over Alcorn, Tulsa, Missouri, and Boston College. A certain sports guy at ch. 11 wasn't pleased that despite CBS carrying the tourney for the first year, he couldn't get in the team locker rooms. I won't name him but he is the LT. Governor. Houston had drawn North Carolina in a semi final.
The Coogs were rattled at first. Carolina led 14-0 before Clyde hit a short jumper to get Houston on the board. Things got tighter in a hurry thanks to Larry Micheaux and it was N.C. 31-29 AT HALF. Rob Williams had partied the night before and Michael Young had the flu. Williams was 0-8 from the field while Sam Perkins led the HEELS with 25. Houston lost 68-63. The slow start killed them. I was sitting court side next to the crusty poet of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, Pete Axthelm. He looked like he had fun the night before.
Pete looked at me midway through the first half and said simply, "French Quarter 28 Axthelm 0. I got it. i went to the locker rooms to get reaction when it was over. I remember one guy sitting by his locker with no reporters around him. It was the freshman Mike Jordan. 2 nights later he hit the winner against Georgetown and told every reporter he was Michael, not Mike. We made the correction.