We got this letter from a reader last night and thought we'd pass it along.
Thanks Jimmy!
Dear Julio and Boswell,
I just finished reading the article about
Freddie Lind and the Duke overtime game
in 1968 that you reprinted today. I believe
you will find this mail to be very uplifting
from a loyal Duke fan since a little boy.
In
1968 I was 12 years old and living in a
small town in Monterey, Virginia. I know
you love Duke so I'm sure you will remember Freddie Lind forever. I've never forgotten that game and somehow
that
game was very magical. I can still see
Fred Lind in my mind shooting a jump
shot from the left side of the court. He
was amazing and didn't he play with such
passion in that game. There aren't many
games that leave such an impression on
a kid .That was one of them. I've got to
see him since at some of the alumni
blue-white games and I always go back
to that Saturday afternoon in 1968 in
Monterey, Virginia and sail a little bit with
the Pilot. I was so passionate as a kid
about Duke basketball that I would keep
score and stats while listening on the
radio. Many pencils were broken and thrown across the bedroom.
It's funny how we remember things
in our lives. A few Christmas's later I
became really sick with a sore throat
and stayed sick with the symptoms of
what we all thought was a bad flu. Weeks
later I was in the hospital at Charlottesville at UVA. You see back in
the early 70's Rheumatic Fever was still
prevalent and the strep throat I had led
to Rheumatic fever. At the time there was
a snowstorm going on and no one could
get out to go to the doctor quick enough
to get penicillin.
Anyway I watched
Robbie West hit the jumper to beat the
Tar Holes from a hospital bed. How's
that for a memory?
Imagine all the heart
doctors at UVA around the bed that day
pulling for the Blue Devils and also going
bananas when Robbie hits that jumper.
Well, they were all celebrating and trying
to make sure my heart rate wasn't getting
too high and of course I could have cared
less. Duke had won. The reason for their
celebration-it put the Cavs in first place
at the time and they had a good team that
year with Barry Parkhill. They hated the
Tar Holes as much as I did.
I went on that year to sit at courtside
in a wheelchair, I wasn't supposed to walk
at that time , and saw all the UVA home
games courtesy of the rehabilitation staff
at the children's re-hab center. Wouldn't
you know that when Duke came to town
I was ready to go home. I believe I was
sicker then.
I shook hands with their coach Bill
Gibson at the time and I looked straight
at him and told him I loved only Duke.
He said it was a great choice, even then.
Anyway, Freddie Lind and Robbie
West will always be remembered in this
great Duke-Unc rivalry as well as Jim Spanarkel, Gene Banks, Kenny Dennard,
and also Tate Armstrong who had a
tremendous game at Carmichael as a
freshmen before we couldn't get the ball
in bounds. I'm glad I'm still living to see
it still. What passion and feelings this
game has for both sides.
I really enjoy your site and keep up
all the great work. Man, if such great
reading had been available as a kid in
Monterey, VA in the late 60's and the early
70's I would have stayed grounded.
This Duke team is really fun to watch
and long live Coach K. What he has done
for Duke is simply genius. Take care.
Jimmy Moon