My name is Evans, and I am a Virginian. I know what you're thinking.
That doesn't make sense to you, does it?
My column is named after a 1966 song by The Standells, a song which, despite skyrocketing to No. 11 on the Billboard charts in that year, truly gained significance years after its release.
The song is now iconic of Boston sports, as both Fenway Park and the Fleet Cen... errr, I mean, TD Banknorth Garden ... play it after every home Red Sox and Bruins win. "Dirty Water" is known for its rousing refrain of "Oh, Boston, you're my home" sung at the end of each chorus.
But here's the catch. The Standells aren't from Boston - they're from Los Angeles. Boston isn't their home, it never was, and it never will be. The moral of the story? Never trust anyone.
Anyway, I believe I was making a point. In the 19 years of my life that preceded my time at Tufts, three were spent in Massachusetts, and the other 16 were in another U.S. commonwealth.
Why do I hide my heritage? Is it because Virginia has no pro sports teams, and all the nearby franchises (the Orioles, Nationals, Wizards, Ravens, Redskins and Capitals) have fewer combined championships than the Celtics alone? Yes, that is of course part of it.
But the truth is, there's a lot more about the South that I'm not proud of. There's the whole slavery thing, there's the constant allegiance to Republican politicians, and then there are those damn accents (let it be known: I wouldn't be caught dead using the word "y'all").
But the time has come for me to admit it: there is one thing about being a Virginian that I'm not afraid to discuss. And that, dear reader, is what I'm here to address today.
Has anyone else taken a look at the ACC men's basketball standings? Unbelievably, my hometown team, the Virginia Cavaliers, the pride and joy of my very own Charlottesville, Va., have finished the regular season tied with the North Carolina Tar Heels for first place in America's most prestigious conference (that's right, Big Ten fans, you heard me).
The Cavaliers (or, as they're known affectionately by students and fans, "the Wahoos") came out of practically nowhere this season, all the while laughing in the faces of everyone who ranked them dead last in their preseason ACC polls. The 'Hoos are now 11-5 in the ACC, placing them three (three!) games ahead of the Duke Blue Devils, who are inexplicably ranked higher nationally, as they have been for a decade.
Maryland, Boston College and Virginia Tech, all good teams themselves, are a game behind as well; the Cavaliers, despite starting the season just 9-6 overall and 1-2 in league play in early January, are now tied with the Heels atop the league.
Charlottesville's brand-spanking-new John Paul Jones Arena, opened this season to host UVA basketball, will have a 2007 ACC title banner hanging from its rafters, as the Cavaliers have already locked up a share of the regular season title.
That alone is quite the accomplishment as the Cavs hadn't won a league title since 1995 until now. But it gets better. If they can win this weekend's ACC Tournament, it'll be their first tournament win since ... brace yourself ... 1976.
Nineteen seventy-six! We're talking Gerald Ford in the White House, disco still being cool, and virtually no one reading this column having been born yet. How great a story would it be if the Cavaliers ended their drought here and now, when no one predicted they would?
Obviously I'm biased, but I think it would be amazing. Coach Dave Leitao (who, by the way, was born in Massachusetts before moving south) has revolutionized the program in just two years, making himself the undisputed front-runner for ACC Coach of the Year. What an accomplishment it would be for Leitao to lead the Cavs to postseason glory, two years after taking over a train wreck of a program.
Virginia's previous coach, the infamous Pete Gillen, came to C-Ville in 1998 following an impressive tenure as coach at Providence College. He was supposed to be the program's savior, and instead, he ran it into the ground. Gillen went five years without winning a single postseason game - no NCAA, no NIT, no ACC Tournament, no nothin'.
Gillen finally won in March on his 11th try, beating Brown in the first round of the NIT. But two years later, he was finally chased out of town, and it was pretty clear why. In seven years, the man never even got a whiff of NCAA Tournament success.
UVA currently holds the ACC's longest drought in the Big Dance - to be exact, the team hasn't won a game since 1995. With Leitao in charge and a tournament berth sure to come this Sunday, however, perhaps now is the time for that streak to end.
This year's team is led by one of the nation's best point guards, junior leading scorer Sean Singletary, and a pair of star seniors, guard J.R. Reynolds and big man Jason Cain. There's also a solid supporting cast around that trio, including rising stars like Tunji Soroye, Mamadi Diane and Laurynas Mikalauskas.
Chances are you've never heard of any of these players. You probably couldn't even say their names five times fast. But give them a try. You might find it a lot more fun rooting for them than for Tyler Hansbrough or DeMarcus Nelson.
I know it, and you know it. You're tired of two-party rule in ACC basketball. Duke this and Carolina that ... it gets old. You want to root for the little guy in this weekend's tournament? Then just follow me.
All you have to do is say it.
Wah. Hoo. Wah.
