>>>TONIGHT IN

ATLANTA

NCAA

BASKETBALL CHAMPION WILL BE

CROWNED.

50 YEARS AGO

CHICAGO'S

LOYOLA

UNIVERSITY WON THE TITLE,

STILL THE ONLY TEAM TO HOLD

THAT

DISTINCTION.

THE VICTORY CAME IN A

THRILLING OVERTIME GAME.

BUT THE VENTS

LEADING UP TO

THE WIN WAS AS

COMPELLING AS

THE GAME.

WE WILL TALK

A NEW

AUTHOR.

BUT FIRST THE

HOSTILE RACIAL

CLIMATE THE TEAM FACED.

>>EARLY

60s AMERICA, THE

CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE WAS IN

FULL SWING.

IN THE

SEGREGATED SOUTH,

AFRICAN-AMERICANS WEREN'T

ALLOWED TO PLAY SPORTS AT MOST

MAJOR COLLEGES, EVEN IF

THEY

COULD GAIN ADMISSION.

THINGS WERE SLIGHTLY BETTER

FOR BLACK

ATHLETES IN THE

NORTH.

>>IT WAS AN

UNWRITTEN

RULE

THAT THE MOST YOU SHOULD

HAVE

IS TWO.

AND THEY WERE

PUSHING THAT

MIGHT BE TOO MUCH.

>>IN

1961

LOYOLA

COACH

IRELAND WAS TIRED OF

MEDIOCRITY HE

COACHED THE

RAMBLERS FOR 10 YEARS TO

MODERATE SUCCESS.

A 500 RECORD DIDN'T

SUIT THE

AMBITIOUS COACH.

HE WANTED TO

WIN BIG.

>>HE WON 15

GAMES AND LOST

10,

LOYOLA WOULD

BE HAPPY WITH

GEORGE

IRELAND.

HE WANTED TO WIN.

HE SAID I'M GOING TO DO

IT.

>>GEORGE

IRELAND WAS READY TO

RECRUIT AMERICA'S BEST

PLAYERS.

HE WAS READY TO PUT

THEM ON

THE FLOOR, NO MATTER WHAT

THEIR RACE.

HE WAS ALSO READY

FOR CRITICS.

>>HE WAS

JUST

RIDICULED.

WHEN HE WOULDN'T MAKE A

BANQUET THEY SAID HE'S OUT

AFRICA RECRUITING BALL

PLAYERS.

AND THINGS LIKE THAT

>>TEAM IRELAND PUT TOGETHER

INCLUDED A STARTING LINE-UP

FOUR AFRICAN-AMERICANS.

LESLIE HUNTER AND

VIC

ROUSE

FROM NASHVILLE

JOHN

EGAN.

THE NEW

TALENT

TRANSFORMED

LOYOLA BASKETBALL OVERNIGHT,

THE

TEAM WENT

23-4

MAKING THE

FINAL FOUR IN THE NIT

TOURNAMENT.

SUCCESS ON THE COURT CAME

DESPITE THE

PERSISTENT RACISM

THAT SURROUNDED THE TEAM.

WAS

CHANCE

CHANTS, OUR

TEAM IS RED HOT, YOUR

TEAM IS

ALL BLACK.

>>STUDENTS, YOUR PEOPLE I

SHOULD SAY IN THE

STANDS WHO

WOULD THROW

COINS OUT ON THE

COURT, WHO

WOULD

HURL

PAPER

BAGS, JUST GARBAGE

AT US A

WHEN WE WERE IN THE HUDDLE.

ALL KINDS

OF THINGS WERE BEING

SCREAMED AT US.

>>AT HALFTIME HE WENT UNDER

THE TUNNEL, I

WILL NEVER

FORGET, THEY ARE

SPITTING ON

US THROWING MONEY ON US,

CALLING US ALL OF

NAMES.

I WONDERED WHY THEY

HATED ME

SO AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW

ME.

>>JOINING US WITH THE REST OF

THE STORY ARE JOHN

EGAN, HE

WAS A JUNIOR

ON THE

19673

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.

RICH ROCHELLE,

BACK-UP

CENTER

ALSO A IOR DURING THE

CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON.

MICHAEL LENEHAN

THE AUTHOR OF

A NEW BOOK ABOUT THE TEAM

AND

THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP

SEASON

WELCOME ALL TO CHICAGO

TONIGHT.

PLAYERS CONGRATULATIONS ON

THIS 50th ANNIVERSARY.

LET ME

BEGIN WITH MICHAEL

LENEHAN.

IN TERMS OF RACE, WHAT

MADE

THIS TEAM UNIQUE?

THERE WERE OTHER TEAMS

THAT

HAD AFRICAN-AMERICAN PLAYERS.

>>THE

INTEGRATION OF

COLLEGE

BASKETBALL STARTS AT

THE END

OF THE WAR AND IT GOES

ñU t

THROUGH LET'S

SAY

'S 66

LET'S SAY

'66 WON

-- WHEN

TEXAS WON WITH

FIVE BLACK

STARTERS.

THEY WERE

RELUCTANT ABOUT HOW

MANY BLACK FACES THEY

HAD IN

THE TEAM PICTURE.

THE INSTITUTIONS WERE

OVERWHELMINGLY WHITE EVEN THE

ONES WHO ARE

RECRUITING AND

PLAYING A LOT OF BLACK PLAYERS

THE STUDENT BODY IS

WHITE, THE

FACULTY WHITE

ALUMNI WHITER

THAN THE STUDENT BODY AND

FACULTY.

COACHES WERE A

LITTLE

LESS

TAN.

HOW MANY BLACK GUYS CAN

I PUT

ON THE FLOOR AND STILL

REPRESENT THIS WHITE

INSTITUTION?

>>THERE WAS AN

UNWRITTEN LAW

YOU COULD HAVE TWO

AFRICAN-AMERICAN PLAYERS ON

THE COURT AT ANY TIME.

AND YOU WERE PUSHING THINGS IF

YOU WENT BEYOND THAT.

>>YOU KNOW

, UNWRITTEN LAW

GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT,

INTERPRET IT MOSTLY

AS A JOKE.

COACHES TOLD EACH OTHER

, COULD

YOU

PLAY

-- HOW DID IT

GO?

ONE ON THE ROAD

, TWO AT HOME,

THREE IF YOU ARE WAY BEHIND.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD SAY.

>>I MEANT TO MENTION

THAT

WAS

BOB SIROTT

REPORTING

THAT PIECE.

RICH ROCHELLE,

HOW GOOD WAS

THE TEAM?

>>STREETLY GOOD.

OUR STARTING FIVE

, --

EXTREMELY GOOD.

OUR STARTING FIVE WAS

COMPARABLE TO THE BEST

THAT

I'VE EVER SEEN.

THEY WERE

FOCUSED

AND WE WORKED

HARD AS A

SUPPORTING STAFF

TO HELP

THEM

BE THE VERY BEST THAT THEY

COULD BE.

THEY WERE

ATHLETIC, THEY

WERE

FAST, THEY

WERE

INTELLIGENT.

THEY DID EVERYTHING

THAT YOU

WOULD WANT A GROUP

OF YOUNG

MEN TO DO, TO

BE SUCCESSFUL.

>>HOW DID

YOU

SEE JOHN

EGAN

HOW YOU DID SEE THINGS AS THE

ONLY WHITE PLAYER IN THE

STARTING

LINE-UP?

DO YOU THINK YOU UNDERSTOOD

WHAT THE

OTHER PLAYERS WERE

GOING THROUGH?

>>NOT ENTIRELY.

I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH

THE

UNWRITTEN RULE THAT YOU WERE

TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I

DIDN'T REALLY FOLLOW COLLEGE

BASKETBALL THAT CLOSELY.

>>YOU JUST PLAYED IT.

>>JUST PLAY.

I DON'T REALLY THINK

I COULD

IDENTIFY WITH THE THING FAST

THAT THE BLACK PLAYERS

WERE

GOING THROUGH THAT SEASON

BECAUSE

THEY'VE BEEN BLACK

SINCE THEY WERE BORN.

A LOT OF THINGS THAT

DIDN'T

BOTHER ME, I KNOW

BOTHERED

THEM.

WE OF COURSE DIDN'T GET IT AT

HOME.

WE GOT IT ON THE ROAD.

>>SPEAKING OF

GETTING IT ON

THE ROAD.

RICH, MY UNDERSTANDING

IS THAT

YOU A PARTICULARLY TOUGH TIME,

THE BLACK PLAYERS HAD A TOUGH

TIME IN HOUSTON, WHEN

YOU

PLAYED THAT YEAR.

TELL US ABOUT

HOUSTON.

THAT WAS

IN MY OPINION

THE

WORST

OPEN

RACISM

THAT WE HAD

FACED.

WE HAD FACED IT IN OTHER

PLACES, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT IN HOUSTON

WE WERE

SPIT

UPON, WE HAD

GARBAGE

THROWN AT

US, PENNIES

THROWN

AT US.

AS WE SAT ON THE

BENCH WE

HAD

TO DODGE ICE BEING

THROWN AT

US AND OF COURSE YOU HAD

THE "N" WORD BEING

USED

FREQUENTLY IS

>>HOW DID YOU REACT TO

THAT

AS A

BLACK MAN?

>>AS A

YOUNG BLACK MAN,

NUMBER ONE IT WAS VERY

DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH.

YOU REACT TO YOU IT BY

NOT

REACTING.

YOU GO AHEAD AND DO THE JOB

YOU ARE THERE TO DO.

OUR JOB

WAS TO PLAY

BASKETBALL.

REPRESENT THE

CHICAGO

AREA,

WITH AS MUCH

DIGNITY AND

GRACE

AS WE POSSIBLY COULD.

>>WAS THAT HARD AT TIMES?

>>IT WAS DIFFICULT

BUT

WOULD SIT AND TALK ABOUT HOW

WE WOULD HANDLE CERTAIN

SITUATIONS.

>>YOU AND YOUR

TEAMMATES?

>>TEAMMATES.

THE BLACK

TEAMMATES SPENT A

LOT OF TIME IN MY HOME

, MY

MOTHER USED TO COOK FOR THEM.

THEY WOULD SIT AROUND

AND TALK

ABOUT WHAT WE

SHOULD AND

SHOULD NOT DO.

AND AGAIN

, WE WANTED TO

CONDUCT OURSELVES

GENTLEMEN.

AND SO, WE ALLOWED THEM

TO BE

WHO THEY WERE

, THE

PEOPLE

WHO

WERE FOR LACK OF

A BETTER TERM

IGNORANT.

AND WE DECIDED THAT WE

WOULD

NOT GET INVOLVED.

>>MIKE: ALLEN

HAND PERHAPS

THE MOST

FAMOUS

-- MICHAEL

LENEHAN PERHAPS

THE

MOST

FAMOUS WAS THE GAME AGAINST

MISSISSIPPI STATE.

WHY WAS THAT A

KEY GAME?

>>MISSISSIPPI HAD AN

UNWRITTEN

POLICY

;bP

THAT

THEI

STATE SUPPORTED SCHOOLS WOULD

NOT PLAYR

AGAINST INTEGRATED

TEAMS.

ALTHOUGH THEY

WON THE

SEC

TITLE,

FOUR YEARS OUT OF FIVE

THE TITLE THAT IS

NORMALLY

OWNED BY

ADOLPH

OF KENTUCKY

THEY DIDN'T GO TO THE

TOURNAMENT, IN

FACT

KENTUCKY

GO --

GOT TO GO

IN THEIR

PLACE BECAUSE OF THIS

UNWRITTEN RULE, BECAUSE

CHANCES ARE YOU ARE GOING TO

RUN INTO AN

AFRICAN-AMERICAN

PLAYER.

IN 1963 THE

PRESIDENT OF THE

UNIVERSITY DECIDED IT WAS TIME

FOR A CHANGE.

HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS

GOING

TO SEND THE TEAM TO THE

TOURNAMENT

WHICH

CAUSED A COUPLE OF

WEEKS

OF POLITICAL

INFIGHTING AND A

LOT OF NOISE BEING MADE

CERTAIN MISSISSIPPI NEWSPAPERS

BUT,

HANDLED

THE SITUATION

SKILLFULLY AND THEY WERE SET

TO GO TO THE TOURNAMENT.

AND IT

QUICKLY

BECAME KNOWN

THAT THE TEAM THEY WERE

GONNA

PLAY FIRST NOT ONLY HAD

ONE

BLACK GUY IT HAD

FOUR BLACK

GUYS

THE NIGHT BEFORE THEY

WERE TO

LEAVE

FOR

EAST LANSING,

MICHIGAN,

A COUPLE OF

SEGREGATIONISTS POLITICIANS

GOT A COURT

ORDER FORBIDDING

THEM TO GO

AND THEY

RECEIVED WORD,

THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

AND THE COACH

, DAVE

McCARTHY

RECEIVED WORD IN

STARKVILLE

MISSISSIPPI, WHERE THE

UNIVERSITY WAS THAT THE

INJUNCTION WAS

ON IT

ITS

WAY

WHICH GAVE THEM THREE

HOURS TO MAKE

ARRANGEMENTS,

THEY HAD A QUICK MEETING AND

PEOPLE STARTED DISAPPEARING

FROM THE STATE.

>>THEY SNUCK OUT OF THE STATE,

MADE IT TO EAST

LANSING AND

PLAYED.

WHAT ARE YOUR RECOLLECTIONS OF

THAT GAME JOHN

EGAN?

>>MY

RECOLLECTIONS HAVE

BEEN

REINFORCED

BY WHAT I READ

ABOUT IT NOW.

AT THAT TIME I HAD NO

HOPE OF

THEM NOT SHOWING UP.

I KNEW WE WEREN'T

FORTUNATE TO

GET A BUY.

I THINK WE PREPARED, I

DON'T

THINK ANYONE TALKED ABOUT THEM

NOT SHOWING UP FOR THAT GAME.

WE EXPECTED THEM TO BE THERE

AND THEY WERE THERE.

AND THEY WERE A REAL GOOD

TEAM.

SINCE THAT TIME OF COURSE,

WE'VE HAD REUNIONS WITH

THAT

THEME AND WE'VE GOTTEN TO

KNOW

THE PLAYERS.

I THINK -- WITH THAT

TEAM AND

WE'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW THE

PLAYERS.

I'M RIGHT WITH

MY ASSESSMENT

THEY WERE GOOD

GUYS

.÷f UNLIKE --

>>MY

UNDERSTANDING IS THAT

THE BLACK

PLAYERS

ON THE TEAM

BEFORE THE MISSISSIPPI STATE

GAME, GOT

IT FROM BOTH

SIDES.

EXPLAIN WHAT

IS MEANT BY

THAT?

>>WELL

OBVIOUSLY,

THE

KU KLUX KLAN

WHITE

SUPREMACIST GROUPS, ET CETERA

MADE A LOT OF

THREATS.

AND THEY

SENT A LOT OF

LETTERS

THAT

GEORGE IRELAND

INTERCEPTED FOR THE

MOST

PART.

THE COACH.

THE WHOLE IDEA WAS THEY

WERE

GOING TO

INTIMIDATE US

AT THE SAME TIME

, YOU HAD

THE

BLACK COMMUNITY, THE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY

WHO SAW THIS

AS AN

OPPORTUNITY

FOR THEIR ORGANIZATIONS

PROSPER FROM

THIS TEAM'S

SUCCESSES.

>>MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU GOT

MAIL TO THE EFFECT THAT YOU

BETTER NOT LOSE.

>>YOU NEED TO WIN IN GAME.

MOST OF THE MAIL WAS

NOT

THAT

POIGNANT.

BUT IT DID LET US

KNOW

THEIR

EXPECTATION WAS, WE WERE GOING

TO REPRESENT

THE

CHICAGO AREA,

THE BLACK COMMUNITY, AND

REPRESENT THEM WELL.

YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER

LOYOLA

WAS A LITTLE CATHOLIC

SCHOOL

ON THE NOR SIDE OF

CHICAGO

THAT HAD

NO -- ON

THE

NORTHSIDE OF CHICAGO THAT

HAD

NO REAL

NOTORIETY PRIOR TO OUR

SOPHOMORE YEAR

AND

THIS WAS

THE JUNIOR YEAR.

SO WE GO IT

FROM BOTH SIDES.

AGAIN, WE WOULD

SIT AND TALK

ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE IT.

>>YOU WOUND UP BEGIN

-- UP

WINNING THE GAME BY 10

POINTS.

YOU MAKE

YOUR WAY TO THE

FINAL

GAME.

HOW NERVOUS WERE YOU BEFORE

THE FINAL GAME?

>>I

DON'T THINK I WAS TOO

NERVOUS BEFORE THE FINAL GAME.

I'M NOT SAYING

I WASN'T

NERVOUS, BUT I EXPECTED AT

THE

BEGINNING OF THE YEAR

TO BE IN

THAT FINAL GAME.

I WAS NOT

HAVING A

GOOD

RELATIONSHIP AT THAT TIME WITH

COACH IRELAND.

COACH IRELAND

WOULD GET UPSET

WHEN WE WOULD TALK TO THE

PAPERS.

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME WHEN

I WAS INTERVIEWED

, THEY

WERE

SURPRISED WE BEAT

DUKE.

I SAID I GUESS YOU WILL

SITTING HERE TOMORROW NIGHT

SURPRISED THAT WE

BEAT

CINCINNATI.

>>WHAT WERE YOUR

FEELINGS THE

NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME?

>>A LOT OF

ANTICIPATION.

I FELT VERY GOOD ABOUT

OUR

TEAM.

I FELT GOOD ABOUT OUR

STARTING

FIVE.

THEY WERE IRON

MEN.

MY FEAR WAS, THEIR

LEGS HAD

BEEN RUNOFF

BY THE

COACH.

AND THEY WOULDN'T BE

ABLE TO

PERFORM UP TO THEIR

CAPABILITIES.

ALSO

, ALL YEAR LODGE

THERE

HAD BEEN THIS -- ALL

YEAR LONG,

THERE HAD BEEN THIS DISCUSSION

OF LOYOLA,

VS.

CINCINNATI.

WOULD IT EVER HAPPEN?

OBVIOUSLY, HERE IT COMES.

I FELT VERY

CONFIDENT THAT THE

TEAM WE WERE PUTTING ON THE

FLOOR WAS GOING TO

REPRESENT

VERY

WELL, THE CHICAGO AREA.

>>ONCE AGAIN,

LET'S LOOK AT A

PIECE OF OUR

2003

DOCUMENTARY

ABOUT THE TEAM.

HERE'S THE DESCRIPTION OF THE

FINAL GAME WINNING PLAY.

>>ANNOUNCER: 15 SECONDS OUT

EGAN THEY WILL GIVE IT TO

HARKNESS WHEN IT IS TIME.

>>THE BALL WENT TO HARKNESS

GOING UP FOR A SHOT,

DEFENDED

>>ANNOUNCER: THERE HE GOES.

>>I GO UP AND I COULD

STILL

FEEL --

HE TIPS THE BALL A

LITTLE, I COULD STILL FEEL IT.

I DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.

I WANT TO SHOOT.

REALLY DIDN'T FEEL IT

, HE

TIPPED IT AND I DIDN'T FEEL

IT,

MY CONCENTRATION

WAS LOST A

LITTLE.

IN THE CORNER OF

MY EYE I SEE

HUNTER AND I FLIP IT TO

HUNTER.

>>ANNOUNCER: HE PASSES OUT TO

HUNTER, HUNTER

SHOOTS.

>>I PUT UP A

JUMP SHOT, IF WE

DID MISS WE HAD

TIME TO TIP IT

IN.

THOUGHT IT WAS GOING

IN.

SAW

VIC

POSITION HIMSELF IN

FRONT

AND

TIPPED IT IN.

PERFECT TIMING.

>>ANNOUNCER: OFF THE RIM,

SCORES, IT IS OVER!

IT IS OVER!

WE WON!

WE WON THE

BALLGAME!

WE WON THE

&ñ BALLGAME

LOYOLA WON THE

BALLGAME!

RICH

, WHAT GOES

THROUGH

YOUR MIND WHEN YOU LOOK AT

THAT VIDEO?

HE LAY SHUN.

>>EVEN NOW?

>>IT --

ELATION.

>>EVEN NOW?

>>IT WAS A WONDERFUL

TIME

EVEN TODAY,

EVERY

YOUNG

BASKETBALL PLAYER WANTS TO BE.

THE IDEA OF THE FINAL

FOUR,

THE IDEA

BEING

INVOLVED

WITH A

CHAMPIONSHIP, A

NATIONAL

CHAMPIONSHIP

STILL EXCITING.

I'M STILL ELATED

WHEN I LOOK

AT IT.

I BREAK INTO BIG

GRINS WHEN I

SEE IT.

AND I

APPRECIATE THAT STARTING

FIVE AND ALL OF THE

HARD WORK

THEY PUT IN FOR IT.

THAT'S WHERE I AM.

I STILL

ENJOY THE

MOMENT.

>>JOHN EGAN

WHAT GUESS

THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SEE

THAT?

>>I'M ALSO

ELATED THAT WE

WON.

DURING THE PROCESS OF THE

GAME,

I WAS EMBARRASSED THAT

-- AT

OUR PERFORMANCE EARLY.

I THOUGHT FOR THE REST OF

LIFE YOU ARE GOING TO

SAY YOU

HAD THE BIG CHANCE

AND BLOW IT

AND YOU DON'T LOOK

GOOD

BLOWING IT.

>>WERE YOU DOWN BY 15.

>>DOWN BY

15.

THEN WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO

WIN IT.

ONE OF

RELAXATION MORE THAN

ANYTHING ELSE.

I SAID WE WERE LUCKY

TO WIN

THAT GAME.

>>THAT GAME, SOME

PEOPLE HAVE

RATED IT AS THE MOST

EXCITING

MOMENT IN NCAA

HISTORY.

THE TEAM IS GOING TO BE

INDUCTED IN THE

NATIONAL HALL

OF FAME, HUGE DEAL.

MIKE LENAHAN, WHAT

ARE THE

LESSONS

>>TO ME, THE

BIG LESSON

THAT THE

REASON

THAT

SPORTS IS

OFTEN IN THE

VANGUARD OF

SOCIAL CHANGE

THAT IT IS

HARD FOR

EXAMPLE, TO

BE A

PREJUDICED BASKETBALL PLAYER.

IF YOU ARE SERIOUS

ABOUT

YOUR

BASKETBALL, YOU ARE LOOKING AT

YOUR

OPPONENT, YOU BETTER NOT

BE SAYING, WAS

HIS FATHER A

SLAVE OR A

PLANTATION OWNER?

DOES HE COME FROM THE RIGHT

SIDE OF THE TRACKS

OR WRONG

SIDE OF THE TRACKS?

YOU BETTER BE SAYING WHAT CAN

THIS GUY

DO?

HOW CAN I BEAT HIM?

BECAUSE BASKETBALL PLAYERS ARE

AN CUSTOMED TO DEALING WITH

EACH OTHER IN TERMS LIKE THAT,

I -- I

THINK THEY CAN BE A

LITTLE QUICKER TO DEVELOP

THE

EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING THAT

COMES A LITTLE HARDER TO THE

REST OF US.

>>THAT'S WHERE I HAVE TO

LEAVE.

JOHN, RICH, MICHAEL,

THANK YOU

FOR BEING HERE.

CONGRATULATIONS.

I KNOW YOU ARE GETTING

TONS OF

ACCLAIM, ALL WELL

DESERVED.

GREAT BOOK.

>>>MICHAEL

LENEHAN'S BOOK

RAMBLERS LOYOLA CHICAGO

1963,

THE TEAM THAT CHANGED THE

COLOR OF

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

YOU WILL FIND AN EXCERPT FROM

THE BOOK ON OUR WEBSITE,

THE

FINAL MINUTE OF THE

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME OUR

2003

DOCUMENTARY AND COMMENTS

FROM

JERRY HARKNESS.