The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • C6

11 99 FXNC50401OC6 NCAA BASKETBALL 6C 6C RR RR BlueRedYellowBlack BlueRedYellowBlack C6 Monday, April 1, 2002 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5 He was the Head Turtle for 17 years, during which Maryland basketball first climbed the 10-meter platform of success and then bellyflopped into the deep end of the treatment plant. It is one busy man who can be portrayed as both the cure and the ill. But realize this about Lefty Driesell above all else he is as practical as direct deposit. So, whether or not the Terrapins win their first national championship at the Georgia Dome tonight, not going to do all that much to or for him. not going to get a pay raise if they win or the old coach said, a small laugh rumbling up from the depths.

since I left there, had my own agenda. I looked back at he says. Driesell expects the Terps to win, just as he loves watching Juan Dixon compete, but, really have a rooting interest. not going to get fired up if Maryland wins or if Indiana wins. not going to get down over which team Driesell at 70 now rules a walk-up gym just up the road a piece from the Georgia Dome.

about as far from the Final Four as you can get and still be within walking distance. He has been at Georgia State five years now, after nine at James Madison, meaning that his term of exile should be just about served. Especially after you factor in time off for good behavior (defined as tournament appearances for both those teams). When Terps star Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose in 1986, kingdom crumbled. He stood accused of, but was never indicted for, obstructing justice.

He was widely viewed as a coach who neglected the moral and academic compass of his program. There set upon Maryland basketball a gloom that is just now parting. It has been a strange relationship since. Driesell was not invited to the ceremonies marking the final game in Cole Field House this season bother he says. Yet, in two months be inducted into athletic hall of fame in recognition of his 348-159 record at the school.

The two parties ignore what they have meant to each other. He does have his defenders in high places. was blamed by some people for what happened to Len Bias, which was totally said current Maryland coach Gary Williams. Bias had signed a contract with the Boston Celtics and Reebok; he had moved on. It was just a shame that whoever the basketball coach was at the time was going to share in some of the As Maryland stands poised to break through to a national title, people tend to celebrate those who got it here.

Williams has coached the Terrapins up to nine straight NCAA tournament appearances and consecutive runs to the Final Four. But what about Lefty? Maybe Maryland have gotten here with him none of his eight tournament appearances at Maryland went beyond the regional final. Those were different times. After all, his 1973-74 team won 23 games, included Tom McMillen, John Lucas and Len Elmore and even invited to the then-25-team dance after losing the ACC tournament final. But just maybe Maryland have gotten here without him.

think it was so emotional during that time his forced ouster in that sometimes Lefty get the credit he Williams said. he came there in 1969, I had just finished playing there. There was no marketing. We a major program. Lefty is the reason why Maryland became a major As he is now, Driesell was the great charismatic who made Maryland believe it could compete in the ACC.

He had them install seats on the floor of Cole Field House to bring the students closer to the action, then filled them because of a better product and the power of his personality. Few can play the publicity pipe more hypnotically than Lefty. On the eve of first championship game, it is up to others to decode legacy. never been hung up on he says. think we did a good job at Maryland.

I know what my legacy is. I really Driesell initially planning to come to the Dome for championship. As the game has drawn closer, he has begun to reconsider. It is a pretty big deal, after all, when Lefty old team plays Bob old team for the title. The history alone is worth the price of admission.

Lefty made Terps believe STEVE HUMMER COMMENTARY Staff Lefty Driesell who took Georgia State to the NCAA tournament last season, coached at Maryland for 17 years. Game ends. tired, ready for bed. Gotta get up early tomorrow. As Maryland or Indiana turns the Georgia Dome floor into a mosh pit, your thumb finds the power-off button.

Whoa. You watch NCAA terminus and miss it any more than you should skip a epilogue or leave a concert before the encore. Shining Yeah, baby. Its four-minute collage of tournament scenes, set to music so uncool that no radio station of any format would dare touch it, is so It seemed stale enough to CBS execs that they intended to phase it out after the 1993 finals. Jim Nantz lobbied against it told people be making a huge but announcers only call the shots on the air.

So after North Carolina won, Nantz was conducting interviews with players when he overheard the Tar Pat Sullivan warbling the lyrics. During a break, Nantz asked, know the Yes, said Sullivan, who consented to a brief televised performance. that, he saved the Nantz said. Nowadays, if CBS decided to change its tune, it might induce a players-coaches boycott. has become their cultural icon.

Mateen Cleaves called it And it was when Michigan State won in 2000. Jason Williams said he dreamt of hugging the ball as the clock reached zeroes, thus earning him the final image of Dream fulfilled, 2001. Duke players had viewed a video, assembled of their season to that point as they were bused to last finals. When the tape went to black, coach Mike Krzyzewski told them prophetically, want you to know be standing on the platform tonight, and be playing the song for Kelvin Sampson showed his Oklahoma team a season highlight tape, with the song as backdrop, before semifinal. Among the first words out of Billy mouth when CBS came on the air were, teams are so close to Shining Today, all of us are.

When the Moment comes, touch that dial. Warmups CBS is almost basketballed out. Dispensing with a lengthy pregame buildup, it will devote only 20 minutes tonight to setting the stage. A few will show the tattered World Trade Center flag as displayed in the Dome. ESPN does a one-hour drumbeat at 8 p.m.

Several coaches will be interviewed, none of them Bob Knight, who has been a regular cinematic and real on the sports network lately but silent this weekend as the team he left in disgrace soldiers on. The gradual creep into prime time, along with the marquee hoop schools here, paid off with an overnight rating of 10.7, up from 10.1 a year ago. The collective overnights are the highest since 1994. MIKE TIERNEY SPORTS MEDIA MIKE TIERNEY SPORTS MEDIA Concluding not to be missed By KEN SUGIURA One day 16 years ago, David Barrett tried explaining the greatness of Larry Bird to a waitress. He A day later, it came to him.

And tonight, as CBS broadcasts its traditional video montage of the NCAA tournament, hear his explanation. Shining is basketball love song that has struck a chord with hoop nuts everywhere. will call me and want to be married to said Barrett, a 47-year-old songwriter from Ann Arbor, Mich. Barrett said Shining was one of 20 songs written that month. was no grand marketing Barrett said.

just wrote a He wrote it in 15 minutes on a paper napkin while waiting for a friend to show up for lunch. He went home and wrote the music just as easily. Barrett said, bemused. wish they were all that About a year later, Barrett was visiting Armen Keteyian, an old friend who was then a Sports Illustrated staffer and now is a CBS correspondent. Barrett mentioned the song to Keteyian, who said be interested to hear it.

Barrett eventually recorded it and sent a copy to Keteyian, who, unbeknownst to Barrett, got it into the hands of CBS. In 1987, it found its home at the end of the championship broadcast. must say, CBS has been very good about taking care of Barrett said. Barrett still holds the rights to the song, which is for sale at oneshiningmoment.com. There is more to career than the one song.

He has written for broadcasts for the tennis U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Olympics. His music will accompany an upcoming PBS special on author C.S. Lewis. He also once toured as Art opening act.

But nothing has had the effect of Shining Barrett, who played in high school and was a self- confessed ball hog, heard that former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves used to sing the song while playing alone in the gym as a youngster. Once, a woman called Barrett and wanted to play the song at the funeral of her son-in-law, a basketball coach. like that, when you set out to be a songwriter, what you set out to Barrett said. ONE SHINING MOMENT The ball is tipped and there you are running for your life a shooting star And all the years no one knows just how hard you worked but now it shows (in) one shining moment, all on the line one shining moment, there frozen in time But time is short and the road is long in the blinking of an eye ah that gone And when done win or lose you always did your best cuz inside you knew (that) one shining moment, you reached deep inside one shining moment, you knew you were alive Feel the beat of your heart feel the wind in your face more than a contest more than a race And when done win or lose you always did your best cuz inside you knew (that) one shining moment, you reached for the sky one shining moment, you knew one shining moment, you were willing to try one shining moment. copyright David Barrett Basketball love song born in 15 minutes David Barrett wrote Shining on a napkin in 15 minutes.

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