T H E
FEBRUARY 2018
O F F I C I A L
M A G A Z I N E
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T H E
R A M S
C L U B
GO WHERE YOU GO
TAR HEEL SUPERSTITIONS
WELCOME
Letter from the Editor
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Woody Durham was often accused of being superstitious. During his tenure as the radio play-byplay man for the Tar Heels, he used certain pens for certain games, and had a photographic recollection of which ties had been worn for victories and which had been worn for defeats—and would therefore, of course, never be worn for a game again. He had the perfect response for those accusations. “I’m not superstitious,” he would reply. “I’m just careful.” That’s exactly right. I’m fairly certain that the route I drive to the Smith Center makes no difference in the outcome of the basketball game. But on the tiny off chance that it does, I might as well be careful, right? You understand. And you do understand, as we learned in this issue. Woody’s great line when the Tar Heels were in a close game late was, “Go where you go, do what you do.” We dedicated this issue to that theme, with the idea that everyone does something to help the Tar Heels. Some of the things, of course, are a little more tangible. It doesn’t have to be something that’s merely “careful” (not superstitious!). It can be something that truly does affect the outcome of a game, like the way the Diamond Heels have utilized in-depth data to prepare differently and
PRODUCED BY THE RAMS CLUB EDITOR IN CHIEF ADAM LUCAS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LEE PACE & JONES ANGELL PHOTOGRAPHY JEFFREY CAMARATI & J.D. LYON, JR. DESIGN JUJUBE SPORTS PUBLISHING
make important in-game adjustments. And as for “go where you go,” what if where you go is somewhere completely, concretely different than where you’ve gone in the past? That’s the case for some of Carolina’s most successful Olympic sport programs, which will be the beneficiaries of new facility projects that are underway this school year. You might be surprised at some of what they’ve done without while they’ve been winning conference and national championships, and the vital changes the new facilities will make in their everyday lives. As we prepare for one of the most nervewracking times of the year—I wasn’t superstitious when I wore the same clothes for three straight weekends in the spring of 2017, I was just careful—we hope you’ll enjoy this look at the ways other Tar Heel fans manage their anxiety about watching Carolina compete. We also got two best friends together, Joel Berry and Theo Pinson, for a roundtable interview that we hope will help you learn a little bit more about how two of the most successful Tar Heels on campus today handle this time of year. Most importantly, with the NCAA Tournament looming: be careful out there.
ADAM LUCAS Editor in Chief ramsclub.com
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“I GOT A LITTLE MORE FAMOUS FOR SPITTING THAN ANYTHING I’VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE.” —Roy Williams during the 2017 run to the national title, on his routine of spitting in the Mississippi River before Tar Heel postseason games
the
GO WHERE YOU GO edition
ON THE COVER: Theo Pinson and Joel Berry are ready for one last ride through March. COVER BY J.D. LYON, JR.
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GO WHERE YOU GO
10 Two of a Kind
Theo Pinson and Joel Berry sit down for a joint interview looking back on their four years in Chapel Hill BY ADAM LUCAS
GO WHERE YOU GO
18 A New Place to Go
Going where they go will be much more productive for multiple Tar Heel teams when a huge facility project is completed BY LEE PACE
26 EDITOR’S LETTER p. 3
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TAR HEEL TICKER p. 6
CAROLINA EVERYWEAR p. 16
GO WHERE YOU GO
Information Edge 26 The Pitching coach Robert Woodard and a group of students have given the Diamond Heels a new way to do what they do BY LEE PACE
GO WHERE YOU GO
32 On The Air
How buying lunch turned into the opportunity of a lifetime BY JONES ANGELL
FIRST PERSON
38 Woody and Jean Durham: ‘Hey Woody’ An update from Tar Heel legend Woody Durham BY WOODY AND JEAN DURHAM
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GO WHERE THEY GO: STUDENT-ATHLETES Tar Heel student-athletes reveal their gameday superstitions. Photo by Andy Mead.
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BRANDON MARTORANO, BASEBALL Sophomore from Marlboro, N.J.
“For me, I used to be a super, super, super superstitious guy. I wore the same underwear every single game until my freshman year of college. But after I went through my last spring, I kind of realized to trust my abilities and superstitions kind of fall to the wayside. I tape both of my wrists every single game; it’s something that I think is more of a routine now. I do the same thing every time I get in the box, but again, I think that’s more my routine. For me, superstitions, I think of it as if you don’t trust your abilities and trust your teammates. I have the utmost trust in myself and my teammates. That’s where I find my confidence. I’m lucky to have teammates that are so good at that.”
ALEXA GRAHAM, WOMEN’S TENNIS Sophomore from Garden City, N.Y.
AVA BERGNER, WOMEN’S GOLF Freshman from Ketsch, Germany
“My ball marker has two sides. When it’s an important putt and I feel a lot of pressure and I really want to make it, I’ll put up the one side. And then if it’s another putt where it’s a longer putt or I’m sure I’m going to make it or I don’t feel any pressure, I will flip the side. I will never putt an important putt with the dark side up.”
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“1) Same coffee, venti vanilla latte 2) Same prematch meal 3) Can’t step on the lines on the court 4) Same amount of bounces on each side of the racket 5) Have to put water bottles in the same order for each match”
STERLING MANLEY, MEN’S BASKETBALL Freshman from Pickerington, Ohio
“Nah, not at all. I think Coach is a superstitious guy, but I’m not too much of a superstitious guy.”
HEARD AROUND THE HILL
TAR HEEL SHORTHAND Choo-Choo
Without fail, you will hear someone at Kenan Stadium ask, “Why is the 22-yard line painted blue?” during a Tar Heel gameday. The answer is one of the most subtle—and best—nods to Tar Heel athletics history on campus. Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice wore number 22 for the Tar Heels while earning All-America honors in 1948 and 1949. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting both years.
Priceless Gem
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In addition to “Go where you go,” here are a few other words and phrases that might only make sense to Tar Heel fans. Photos by Jeffrey Camarati
There was a time these words from the alma mater weren’t belted out louder than any other part of the song, but now it’s a Carolina routine. Side note: the UNC Visitors Center also hosts a special series of tours known as the Priceless Gems that contain information that even a born and bred Tar Heel might not know.
H T A B T D #G
This one will never puzzle anyone under the age of 25, but has vexed older folks on multiple occasions. GDTBATH is internet shorthand for Great Day To Be A Tar Heel. It’s frequently found as a hashtag on social media posts and can be used on the day Carolina wins a title, a perfect fall day in Chapel Hill, or, truthfully, almost any day on the calendar.
Tough Little Nut
When Roy Williams first used this phrase to describe Raymond Felton, it seemed like an odd choice of words. Now, we’ve grown so accustomed to it that it’s part of the lexicon. Felton—tough little nut. Marcus Paige—tough little nut. Joel Berry—definitely a tough little nut.
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GO WHERE THEY GO: RAMS CLUB DONORS Rams Club donors share their game day superstitions.
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“My go where you go, do what you do superstitions are as follows: 1. Must always be wearing #5 Tar Heel jersey (blue or black), has to be opposite color of opposing teams jerseys (neither have ever been washed). 2. I watch games with my dad. He must be sitting on the floor, while I sit on my spot on the couch (same for each game). 3. Always must drink one water bottle during game. Cannot be opened until Tar Heels make their first basket. 4. Once NCAA tournament starts, cannot get a haircut or clip fingernails/toenails until Tar Heels have won championship (ideal situation) or are eliminated.”
– NATE KELLY, RAMS CLUB MEMBER
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“All the classics, plus must drink at least one “Roy” (Coke). Flood any known dook fans’ social media accounts with videos of DG, Stack, Hans, title counts, listen to Ricky Mac’s The Legacy on repeat and call mom and thank her for raising a Tar Heel. Then layeth the smacketh down.”
– BEN JOHNSTON, RAMS CLUB MEMBER
“I would say we discovered the power of the pistachio about 7 years ago while attending a home UNC game. As luck would have it, we were delayed getting to the game. Because none of us had eaten, we pulled into a convenience store and grabbed a bag of pistachios to snack on during the game. The game got tight down the stretch and being the superstitious fans that we are, we passed the few remaining nuts around in hopes of somehow tapping into their hidden power and channeling it to the boys on the court. Well, we won the game and the rest is history. We’ve found that the timing of eating the pistachios is crucial. Always partaking of them at the start of the game, when the other team is on a sustained run, and when we need a big stop or a basket. Whether we watch in the Smith Center, at home, or at a sports bar or restaurant, we always bring along a bag of pistachios. In fact, we truly believe we’ve made consecutive trips to the NCAA championship game with the help of the little green guys. Believe us. They work. MVP most valuable pistachio.”
–ALLEN ROGERS AND HAYES HYMAN, RAMS CLUB MEMBERS
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TA R H E E LT I C K E R FROM THE RAMS CLUB
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“When my mother passed away in 2013 at the age of 92, she died as a still alert, passionate Tar Heel. She was convinced if she was watching the game and the Heels got down, she would go wash dishes in the kitchen and listen on the radio. It ‘worked’ so many times, she would leave dishes in the sink after meals so that she would have something to wash just in case the Heels needed her! That was her go where you go and do what you do moment!”
– GEORGE FLOYD, RAMS CLUB MEMBER
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“Stand on a kitchen rug for the entire second half of the game.”
– CYRUS WHALEY, RAMS CLUB MEMBER
CAROLINA BLUE ANNIVERSARY CONGRATULATIONS! Harry & Ruby Bryant of Gastonia, NC, are celebrating
75 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!
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“In 2009 my brother Joe and I were in New York City for the first two rounds, so we wore sweatshirts and jeans. During the Final Four and title game we were in Charleston and it was 85 degrees. We still wore the same sweatshirt and jeans. Also, I eat seafood before big games because I had seafood in Charleston both nights.”
– SEAN PETRIZZI, RAMS CLUB MEMBER
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TW O KIND of a
THEO PINSON AND JOEL BERRY SIT DOWN FOR A JOINT INTERVIEW LOOKING BACK ON THEIR FOUR YEARS IN CHAPEL HILL PHOTOS BY J.D. LYON, JR.
ADAM LUCAS: Do you remember the first time you met? JOEL BERRY: I think it was at a basketball camp. We went to all the same camps on the AAU circuit. I noticed Theo, because he was always the one laughing and joking. I was the quieter one who didn’t really say anything. THEO PINSON: We went to a USA Basketball camp together. We were on the same team and everyone was playing pickup. We were running this play and Joel had scored twice in a row while he was running point guard. I was like, “Give me the ball, you go on the wing, I’ll throw it to you and you go score.” He did it three more times and I realized this dude could really score the ball.
AL: You started talking about some big goals as soon as you got on campus. What made you comfortable thinking that way so early on? JB: We felt like people were overlooking us as recruits. Duke was getting all the top recruits and had a bunch of top guys in our same class. We went to the Nike Hoop Summit and Theo and I played about four minutes while the Duke guys played the whole time. We felt we were being overlooked, and we wanted to prove we had the same talent as those guys. We just needed and wanted the same opportunities as them. That was why I wanted to set high goals for myself and for the program.
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WE CAME HERE TO PLAY IN THOSE BIG GAMES. JOEL AND I HAVE BEEN IN EVERY SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY. EVERY BIGTIME GAME, WE’VE PLAYED IN IT. WE’VE PLAYED IN THE GREATEST RIVALRY EVER FOR FOUR YEARS. WE WENT TO BACK TO BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES, TWO FINAL FOURS, AND HAVE A CHANCE AT ANOTHER ONE.”
TP: It really started in high school. We played each other in the Peach Jam championship game. Justin (Jackson)’s team made it to the final eight and lost—make sure you include that they lost—so we’ve been winning our whole lives. All three of us were back to back state champions in high school. We wanted to win the same way here. AL: Did you realize how hard it would be to win a national title? JB: The summer before our freshman year, Theo and I would go down to the gym and get on the gun and take 1,000 shots. We had our music on, and we were laughing and having fun. We thought we were working really hard. Then the season came around and practice started, and we were like, “Dang, this is really hard.” It was the total opposite from what we thought it would be in terms of difficulty. That’s what made us into what we are now. We saw how hard other guys were working and how tough it was to compete with them, and we wanted to be part of that. TP: We came here to play in those big games. Joel and I have been in every situation in the country. Every big-time game, we’ve played in it. We’ve played in the greatest rivalry ever for four years. We went to back to back national championship games, two Final Fours, and have a chance at another one. Our first away game as a college player was at Kentucky against the 37-0 team. What haven’t we been through and what haven’t we faced? Going through these experiences with Joel and Coach Williams is something I will cherish. 12
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AL: What’s something outsiders might think is true about the other guy, but you know the truth? JB: A lot of people see how Theo is as a person, when he’s always laughing and the loudest person in the room. So they think he’s goofing around in basketball. People don’t understand that Theo is one of the most serious guys when it comes to the game. I don’t know how he does it. He watches so much basketball. We’ll play a game and I go back to my room. I’m laying on the bed, because I’m tired and I need a break, and I hear the whistle blowing from the other room. It’s Theo watching the replay of the game. Pretty soon, he’ll be yelling, “JB, come look at this!” He takes the game so seriously. He wants to learn from the mistakes and make himself and his team better. He is a student of the game. TP: With Joel, everyone knows he’s a hothead. People will come to me and say, “Theo, you have to talk to Joel.” But you have to pick your spots with him. He’s a grown man. He knows how to get himself going. Ultimately, he is always doing what he thinks is best for the team. AL: What’s something you have learned from the other that has made you better? TP: His approach to the game and his killer mentality. I had a lull this season where I wasn’t as aggressive or engaged in the game. I started thinking about Joel, and how he has that
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GO WHERE THEY GO
Do players as accomplished as Joel Berry and Theo Pinson still rely on going where they go? It depends on how you phrase it. “I don’t think we’re that superstitious,” Pinson said. But… “I always put on my left sock before my right, and my left shoe before my right shoe,” Berry said. “I always listen to the same one song before I go out on the court to stretch and go through pregame warmups,” Pinson said. That tune is Drake’s “Weston Road Flows,” a track that contains a reference to Vince Carter.
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IT’S AN HONOR TO PLAY FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THESE COACHES. SO MANY PEOPLE DON’T GET THESE OPPORTUNITIES... THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY, AND IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE REPRESENT IT THE RIGHT WAY ALL THE TIME.”
business mentality of trying to kill everyone in front of him. I’m trying to learn from the way he competes at all times. JB: The way he studies the game. He sees stuff not everyone sees. I know that being a point guard, you have to see the floor. Sometimes I’m not as good at that because of how I am as a competitor. My first instinct is to score or be the one to take over. Theo sees the entire floor and sees things everyone can do to get better. AL: How has the other changed since you arrived in Chapel Hill? TP: His hair has gotten longer. Let’s be honest—he looked terrible his freshman year. JB: He’s built a little more like his dad now. TP: We’ve grown up together. We have to pay more attention to taking care of our bodies. I’ve been more tired this year than I’ve ever been. When we leave a game or a practice, we look at each other and we’re like, “We’re exhausted.” It’s been a long ride, but it’s been so fun. That’s one thing I wish people understood. Going to school for four years is not terrible at all. Sure, we wish we could’ve been first round picks after our first year and gotten all that money, but we played with some great players, we built so many great relationships, we got one national championship already and have a chance to get another one. What else can you ask for? No one can ever take 14
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these experiences away from us. AL: What does that experience of being a Carolina basketball player mean to you? TP: It means you cherish wearing that Carolina blue. We never take it for granted. We’re human, so we don’t play well all the time. But it’s always important to us, because we value the program. That’s the biggest thing for me. I never want anyone to say that Theo was acting like he was bigger than the program. I’ll talk to anybody, anytime. I wanted to experience college. We gave all we had in practice and games, and we also had fun with our friends. I’ve enjoyed all four years and it’s something I will never forget. JB: It’s an honor to play for this program and these coaches. So many people don’t get these opportunities. So many people wish they were in our shoes. They probably don’t realize that being a Carolina basketball player means you have to have a smile on your face every day. When we go on campus—I don’t want this to sound like I’m talking down to anyone—everyone knows who we are. You never know who you might interact with on that day. One day I was walking across campus the day after a loss, and a little kid shouted my name out a window. There are days you just want to keep walking, but you can’t do that, because like Theo said, the program is bigger than we are. So I waved at him and smiled, and who knows, that might have made his day. This is one of the most prestigious programs in the country, and it’s important that we represent it the right way all the time.
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C A R O L I N A E V E R YWE A R Rams Club members like to wear their Carolina Blue, and they’ll wear it all over the US and the world. If you have a photo of you in your Carolina gear in front of notable landmarks in the US and abroad, send them our way to be a part of Carolina EveryWear!
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To have your photo included: -Send your photo digitally to bornandbred@ramsclub.com. -Identify everyone in your photo and the location of the photo. Here are the “Rules”: -At least one person in the photo has to be a Rams Club member. -You must be wearing Carolina gear. -You must be in front of a notable landmark (sorry, as cool as Kenan Stadium and the Smith Center are, they don’t qualify). SHOW US YOUR COLORS!
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1) Landy & Kelly Anderton of Raleigh, NC, in Utah at Arches National Park; 2) Tommy & “Pip” Day of Portland, OR, at the PK80 Tournament; 3) Allison & Ray Hilliard of Thomasville, NC, in Athens, Greece at the Parthenon; 4) Taylor Sharp of Morganton, NC, with Rob Gourley in Egypt at the Pyramids; 5) Kristan, Tracy, Anna, Thomas & Ronald Garrett of Roanoke Rapids, NC, in the Yukon Territory (with her Wolfpack Club dad); 6) Chancy & Keith Kapp of Raleigh, NC, in Scotland at Loch Ness (no monster visible); 7) Caroline & John Garrett (twin sister and brother) of Raleigh, NC at Big Sky, MT, on Lone Mountain Peak; 8) Jay Thorndike of Hendersonville, NC, at Machu Picchu, Peru; 9) Dave Stadiem of Cary, NC, in South Island, New Zealand at a Carolina-friendly sheep/farm museum; 10) Jessica Hart of Winston-Salem, NC & Jessica Kirk of Charlotte, NC at Machu Picchu, Peru; 11) Spencer, Marcus, Betsy & Bruce Kallor of Parkland, FL, in South Dakota at Mt. Rushmore; 12) Boone, Dudley V, Dudley IV & Armstrong Simms (children and grandchildren of Barbara Simms of Clemmons, NC) in London, England, at the Tower Bridge; 13) Lee Anne Lackey of Decatur, GA, in Sydney, Australia overlooking the Sydney Harbor; 14) Andrea, Malia, Maile & Tim Messer of Keswick, VA, in Tokyo, Japan; 15) Martha, Jim, Lorin, Harper, McLane & Mark Kaley of Greensboro, NC, in France at Cote d’Azur; 16) Gil & Freida Lohr of Lincolnton, NC, in Vienna, Austria aboard the Emerald Star
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NEW SOCCER & LACROSSE STADIUM (AT PREVIOUS SITE OF FETZER FIELD) 18
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A NEW PLACE TO GO GOING WHERE THEY GO WILL BE MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE FOR MULTIPLE TAR HEEL TEAMS WHEN A HUGE FACILITY PROJECT IS COMPLETED
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BY LEE PACE PHOTOS BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Your women’s soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the country, but you’re moving an ACC game from your home field on campus to a community park six miles away in October 2015 because of heavy rains forecast and your field can’t take the water. Your women’s lacrosse team has just won the NCAA regional in May 2013 but has no place to practice the week leading to the Final Four because of rain, construction and the normal demand of available facilities by other teams. And your sprinters and hurdlers are training for the ACC Championships the second week of May, but the success of the lacrosse teams needing Fetzer Field for playoff games cuts back on their training time. “So often we had to modify our workouts because of the demands on Fetzer from other sports,” says Kenny Selmon, a record holder in the 400-meter hurdles. “It’s never good to modify your workout. If it’s because of injury, that’s one thing. If it’s because of lacrosse practice, you question how effective your workout really was.” Needless to say, student-athletes and coaches of a dozen Carolina teams are anxiously awaiting the completion of a massive, $115 million facilities overhaul of the “South Campus Sports Complex” and a satellite cluster on land adjacent to Finley Golf Course. Men’s and women’s teams in lacrosse, soccer, track and field and cross country, the field hockey team and the Tar Heel football program will enter
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NEW SOCCER & LACROSSE STADIUM (AT PREVIOUS SITE OF FETZER FIELD)
FINLEY FIELDS ATHLETIC COMPLEX (MASON FARM ROAD)
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NEW FIELD HOCKEY STADIUM
(AT PREVIOUS SITE OF EHRINGHAUS FIELD)
the 2018-19 academic year with a vast array of new home fields and only one of two ACC schools without one (Miami being the other). venues for training, practice and competition. Thus the 12-acre parcel that housed Fetzer, Navy Field and the “This is an absolute game changer in so many respects,” says field hockey home of Francis Henry Stadium is being rebuilt into a Anson Dorrance, who founded the Tar Heel stand-alone stadium for lacrosse and soccer women’s soccer program in 1979 and has won and next door to the south is the indoor facility 22 national titles. “We are overjoyed to say the and two outdoor fields that will be primarily least. This has been a long time coming.” used by football. “It will be a state-of-the art training “We’ve never had so many projects That left field hockey and track and field simultaneously affecting so many student- facility, but most importantly will be needing new homes. The former issue is being athletes at one time,” adds Karen Shelton, the solved with a field hockey stadium on the site a dedicated track facility. We can field hockey coach since 1981 and winner of of the Ehringhaus intramural field and the six national titles. “This is big. I’m excited for expand the reach of our program by latter by building a track and field complex all our sports.” at what is being called Finley North. Adjacent hosting meets in the spring The first domino to fall in this ambitious to the new track are separate practice fields that we couldn’t before.” project that began construction after for soccer and lacrosse. And on the south commencement last May was the need to side of Old Mason Farm Road, leading to the rebuild Fetzer Field, a 1935 venue used for track, lacrosse and soccer UNC Finley Golf Course clubhouse from the 15-501 Bypass, are two with a field that drained poorly and a hundred-yard long row of natural grass practice fields for soccer named Finley South. concrete bleachers across the north side set well back from the Already in the fall of 2017 and early 2018 the soccer and lacrosse playing field. The second was the need to give Carolina football a teams are benefitting from the new Finley fields, all of which have full-sized indoor practice facility and solve the problem of it being been built with state-of-the-art turf, drainage and water-management
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technology in a flood plain. “Our two most important training periods are winter and summer,” “The quality of our training environment has jumped significantly,” he says. “In winter you’re battling rain, snow and wet fields. In says Dorrance. “The new facility drains so well. The old fields were summer it’s pop-up thunderstorms and lightning. You’re constantly built in a floodplain and if it rained, not only was it difficult to train, monitoring the Weather Channel and you’re constantly juggling it was hazardous. These are the best fields I’ve ever trained on—and schedules. The new building will allow us to lock in on a schedule that’s counting some of the top fields in the sport I’ve seen as the and stick to it.” national coach.” Other sports will have access to the building when football’s not And despite Chapel Hill being hit with two snowstorms in January, using it. one of them 12 inches, women’s lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy “We’ll certainly take advantage of the indoor facility when it’s says her team missed only one day of winter conditioning. available,” Breschi says. “To get out of the elements in the winter and “The crew did an unbelievable job clearing the field so we could do stickwork, have a place guys can go and shoot during the course get on,” she says. “The new stadium and the new Finley Fields will of the day and get extra reps will be fantastic.” have an impact on our program that can’t be measured. We have Field hockey will move into a new venue next door to Boshamer been the most nomadic team of all over the 23 years I’ve been here. Stadium and will share it with Campus Rec, which operated the We have always been at the mercy of weather and other teams’ intramural field that had been there before. The Tar Heels will have scheduling. You cannot be at your best if you have no clue where a 900-seat stadium, new team building and an Astroturf surface like you’re going to practice on a day-to-day basis.” the one used in the last two Olympics. Dorrance, Levy and fellow coaches Joe “We were very happy in Henry Stadium, but Breschi (men’s lacrosse) and Carlos Somoano if it was to the benefit of the entire athletic (men’s soccer) are looking forward to soccer program, we are fine with the move,” Shelton in the fall of 2018 and lacrosse the following says. “It’s a fabulous location. I love the fact it’s “These new facilities are going to spring in their 4,200-seat stadium. The venue in the middle of South Campus and will have will have seats on three sides and room for an impress lot of up and coming talent a lot of visibility with kids walking right past entertainment plaza on the fourth side, and a to come to look at our campus—not it. Hopefully, some will look in to see what’s natural grass surface built on 10 inches of sand going on and we’ll get a few more fans.” just field hockey, but every sport. and four of gravel and will drain as well as the Track and field coach Harlis Meaders will When we bring a prospect in, we field in Kenan Stadium. continue to operate his programs on-campus Dorrance cites two advantages that all four don’t just tour our own facility, we out of offices in the Eddie Smith Field House, teams will gain immediately: a quality playing tour them all. We are the ‘University and indoor practice and competition will surface and the opportunity to generate a true continue there. But outdoors training and of National Champions.’ I’m very home-field advantage. competition will move to Finley North, which “The surface itself will be so much better,” he will feature a track manufactured and installed excited for our future.” says. “And there was no personality in a soccer by Benyon, the leader in outdoor track facilities. stadium if fans are sitting outside a track that “It will be a state-of-the art training facility, surrounds the field. We’ve had no real atmosphere, and now all of but most importantly will be a dedicated track facility,” Meaders says. a sudden fans will move to the edge of the field and surround it on “We’ll no longer have a shared facility with soccer and lacrosse. We three sides. The proximity of fans close to the field will be absolutely can expand the reach of our program by hosting meets in the spring fantastic.” that we couldn’t before because of lacrosse.” “We’ll now be able to feed off the crowd,” adds Breschi. “It’s going All the tangible benefits to practicing and competing in top-notch to be a like a soccer pitch where everyone’s on top of you. Our team venues aside, the new facility overhaul will certainly help Carolina is really pumped for next year. continue its rich athletic tradition by attracting a higher quality of “We’ve had a packed house for several games over the last 10 athlete. years since I’ve been back, but you never felt it. The fans were just “This was a critical move for us,” Dorrance says. “I will make a too far away and spread out too much.” challenge to every kid who visits us that they cannot go and find a Just to the south side of the new stadium will be the indoor better stadium. We have already seen it draw great players for the football facility, which Larry Fedora has lobbied for since he arrived 2018, ‘19 and ‘20 recruiting classes.” at Carolina in 2012. A common misconception about the facility is “All kids today want that ‘wow factor,’ they want to say, ‘Oh my that it’s there for practice on inclement weather days during the gosh, look at this place,’” adds Shelton. “These new facilities are season and spring ball. That couldn’t be further from the truth as going to impress a lot of up and coming talent to come to look at strength and conditioning coach Lou Hernandez and his staff will our campus—not just field hockey, but every sport. When we bring a make more use of the building than the coaches. The new facility prospect in, we don’t just tour our own facility, we tour them all. We will have a sand pit and an incline running track—all the better to give are the ‘University of National Champions.’ I’m very excited for our Hernandez flexibility in training the Tar Heel athletes. future.”
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FOOTBALL PRACTICE FACILITY
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THE
INFORMATION
EDGE
PITCHING COACH ROBERT WOODARD AND A GROUP OF STUDENTS HAVE GIVEN THE DIAMOND HEELS A NEW WAY TO DO WHAT THEY DO BY PAT JAMES
PHOTOS BY JEFFREY CAMARATI
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IT BEGAN WITH A HATRED FOR PIANO LESSONS. Through kindergarten and most of first grade, Robert Woodard returned home from school each weekday and spent the afternoon playing outside. Most children his age developed a similar routine. But his parents insisted he needed a hobby. So they sent him to piano lessons for about a year. Almost 27 years later, Woodard, entering his second season as the North Carolina baseball team’s pitching coach, said he’s surprised he made it that long. The black and white keys exasperated him. If engaging in a non-sports related activity was necessary, he longed for another. Some of his friends participated in chess club. That alone encouraged him to join in the second grade. Although he knew little about the game, he won his first. And he quickly became hooked. “From second grade to eighth grade, I probably played as much or more chess than baseball and sports,” said Woodard, a North Carolina state chess champion in middle school. “When I wasn’t playing sports, I was playing chess, I was studying chess, playing in tournaments, playing online. It was something I just really, really enjoyed. “It taught me a lot in terms of thinking ahead, strategy and understanding sometimes the worst move right away is actually the best move 10 moves down the line and sometimes the best move initially is the worst move down the line.” Woodard embraced that calculated approach not only as a chess player but also as a pitcher, winning a UNC record 34 games from 2004-07. Now he’s doing the same as a coach. Last season, his first back in Chapel Hill, Woodard helped assemble a student-driven data and analytics team headed by Micah DaleyHarris, a current sophomore majoring in statistics and analytics. The group has steadily grown in size and responsibilities. And it’s the primary reason the program remains at the forefront of video and
data collection in college baseball. “Lots of the work and prep and information is done before the game and before practice,” Woodard said. “So then we can have a better idea of what we’re trying to do and then go do it, as opposed to before, we were usually looking back at things. Now we’re looking ahead.”
‘A TRAINING GROUND’
When the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Nationals in 2005, they played at RFK Stadium, near Daley-Harris’ home. He and his father often walked up on game days and bought $5 nosebleed seats. From then, his love for analyzing baseball grew. Daley-Harris also played the game. But around ninth grade, he realized he’d never reach the college level and started dreaming of working in an MLB team’s front office. He watched “Moneyball,” the 2011 movie about the 2002 Oakland Athletics’ use of analytics to muster a competitive baseball team despite a restricted budget. A math enthusiast, he identified an area in which he could thrive. He began working toward that in high school, first studying sports analytics in the Wharton Moneyball Academy – a one-week program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania – and then publishing his own research on a blog and The Hardball Times. He saw his arrival at UNC in 2016 as a chance to accumulate more experience. So early in his freshman year, Daley-Harris emailed head coach Mike Fox and associate head coach Scott Forbes. There was a five percent chance, he thought, that he’d receive a response. But those
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GO WHERE YOU GO odds proved more favorable. Director of baseball operations Dave Arendas replied, and he and Woodard met with Daley-Harris a few days later. Daley-Harris came prepared to sell them on how he could help. It took little convincing. “I met with Coach Woodard,” Daley-Harris said, “and I’ll never forget he said, ‘The one thing I want you to remember is don’t feel like you need to walk on eggshells, don’t feel like you can’t do this or can’t do that.’ “For me, that just opened the floodgates of, ‘How many things can we do to be helpful and make this team be as successful as possible?’” Daley-Harris spent his first two weeks working on the Tar Heels’ recruiting database, inserting emails and headshots. But Woodard recognized his talents were being underused. He subsequently gave Daley-Harris permission to do what he wanted, to assist with player development and in-game decision-making. They started brainstorming how they could use old play-by-play data and other information to predict tendencies. Daley-Harris’ hours at Boshamer Stadium significantly increased. And before long, Woodard knew the one-man data and analytics team needed to expand. It began with the addition of just one more student. But eventually, they added more through a process that saw about 40 applicants. The final pool of candidates consisted of males and females, freshmen and graduate students, statistics and economics majors. The data and analytics team currently features Daley-Harris and six other students. Each possesses baseball experience, ranging from playing Little League to receiving Division III offers. “This is where the game is going,” Woodard said. “There are career paths, very enticing career paths, that involve analytics and this type of work. So if there’s a way for us where we can create kind of a training ground for students who want to have a career in baseball – be it professional, front office, player development, whatever it might be – why not give them a home to develop their skill sets and prepare?”
‘THE NUMBERS DON’T REALLY LIE’
Each game UNC played last season typically began the same. Even in the opposing team’s first time through its batting order, the Tar Heels shifted their defense accordingly for each hitter based off play-by-play information collected and parsed by the data and analytics team. Analytic projections can be made from this data. Among them, UNC tends to know who hits the ball where most often. Several other schools can access such information. And in the final contest of most three-game series, the Tar Heels’ opponent mimicked them by shifting their defense, too. But many programs don’t know how to regularly apply this data, or they hesitate to stray away from the philosophies that players and coaches are accustomed to, like keeping infielders equidistant from each other. “It takes some courage from you as a coaching staff and even more so from the players to do those things,” Woodard said. “You start to see it. When you see it pay off, it’s pretty cool.” Last season, UNC’s analytical approach helped it finish 49-14, win
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the ACC Coastal Division title outright and establish a new school record with 23 conference wins. And perhaps no change was more crucial to the team’s success than the employment of defensive shifts. The Tar Heels’ .979 fielding percentage matched their best since the 2011 season. According to Daley-Harris, shifting prevented about 70 hits and 49 runs scored. “We just want to put our guys in positions where they’re not going to have to go as far to get to a ground ball,” said Daley-Harris, who completed a baseball analytics internship with the Arizona Diamondbacks last summer and still works for the organization on an ad hoc basis. “So all of a sudden, if we can help them record more outs and increase their fielding percentage, all by letting them use their talents, that’s generally what we kind of view as our role.” But that role isn’t just limited to helping on defense. Radar-based tools such as TrackMan and a Rapsodo pitch-tracking camera, one of the team’s newest pieces of equipment, can measure a pitch’s spin axis – the direction that the pitch spins – and spin rate – the amount of spin on a baseball after it’s released. Those metrics can help pitchers learn where in the strike zone they’ll find the most success against particular hitters. The data and analytics team also runs TrackMan during batting practice. From it, sophomore catcher/outfielder Brandon Martorano said he can learn what adjustments he should or shouldn’t make at the plate.
“THE NUMBERS DON’T REALLY LIE,” HE SAID. “SO FOR ME TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, IT’S KIND OF A CONSTANT I CAN TRUST, AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT’S REALLY GOING TO BE HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US.” With so many numbers available, Woodard said Daley-Harris and the rest of the data and analytics team excel at educating the coaching staff on what they all mean and ensuring they receive the most useful information. The coaches then decide the proper time to distribute it to the players. “What’s great is they’re honest,” said Daley-Harris of the coaches and players. “If they don’t understand something, they’ll say, ‘I don’t understand it.’ If they think that something is just too much information for them to have, they’ll say, ‘Hey, I can’t go through all this.’ So we’ve grown, we’ve gotten better and we’ve kind of refined our information.”
‘STAYING AHEAD’
One of the leadoff hitter’s biggest responsibilities has traditionally been to see a lot of pitches. Even if he strikes out, he can return to the dugout and give his teammates a better sense of what the pitcher is throwing.
CAROLINA BASEBALL READINESS REPORT
Pitching coach Robert Woodard reads the readiness report each day. At the minimum, it’s a useful way for a coach to have an entry into a conversation with a player about topics that might not come naturally such as sleep quality or stress.
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Fatigue has been linked to injury risk, so coaches keep a sharp eye on the fatigue report. A player reporting high fatigue numbers will likely be drawn into a conversation about sleep habits—some of the same topics every parent is having with their teenager in the year 2018. Are they getting to bed at a reasonable time? Are they limiting electronics right before bed? Are they in a sleeping routine? Ideally, the readiness figure would stay near 90 percent. But over the course of a weekend series, it could drop to 80 percent and the player could still be ready to play in the game.
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Readiness is also a way to identify players who might need a little extra to warm up. Maybe they perform better after a morning visit to the athletic training room, or a couple extra minutes of either physical or mental warm-up.
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Currently, readiness is a figure reported by the players. As more data is collected, the hope is the Diamond Heels will be able to assimilate multiple other categories and come up with their own readiness figure.
The ultimate hope is that players take this data to heart and evaluate how their numbers might have impacted their on-field performance, and then make adjustments accordingly. ramsclub.com 29
GO WHERE YOU GO
But with a subscription to Synergy Sports Technology, a cloudbased video and analytics system, UNC’s leadoff man will have an even better feel for the opposing pitcher before his first at-bat. Synergy features video and analysis of every pitch, player, plate appearance, game situation and outcome. So if any Tar Heel needs to scout an opposing pitcher, they can sign in and watch every pitch he’s thrown since the start of last season, see other hitters’ statistics against him and view a breakdown of how often he throws each of his pitches in certain situations. “If we can get to a point where our leadoff hitter is already on his third at-bat of the game in his first at-bat of the game,” Woodard said, “that’s staying ahead.” But it’s far from the only way UNC is doing so. Brett Pexa, a former graduate assistant athletic trainer for the baseball team and a current doctoral student studying human movement science, has created two phone applications for pitchers to use in an effort to learn how mental readiness and workload influence each other. The pitchers access the readiness tracker every morning. They then log how ready they feel on a scale of 1-10, the amount of sleep they got, descriptions of how they slept and their mood, fatigue and stress ratings, and if they’re experiencing any sort of soreness. All of this information is then combined into a report that helps Woodard know how to handle certain players. Later in the day, the pitchers open the workload tracker and provide a summary of what they did in practice.
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“IT’S JUST ABOUT TRYING TO BE PROCESS ORIENTED, DETAIL ORIENTED, ON THE FRONT END TO TRY TO HELP OUR GUYS,” WOODARD SAID, “SO THAT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO GIVE THEM THE BALL BETWEEN THE LINES, THEY CAN BE AT THEIR BEST AND THEY DON’T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.” So each day, shortly after lunch, Woodard walks down from his office in the upper deck of Boshamer Stadium to the clubhouse area at field level. He’s received the readiness reports by then. And if a player is abnormally stressed or sore, Woodard will find him so they can discuss what’s wrong. At some point, he’ll also stop and play a game of chess. Woodard bought a chess board for the players’ lounge last year. He knew then at least a few players understood the game, but it turned out about half the team was familiar with how the pieces move. So much interest built that he later added a second board. To combat waiting lines, he also purchased clocks. The players might not know it. But like Woodard, they, too, are learning to look ahead.
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GO WHERE YOU GO
ON THE AIR How buying lunch turned into the opportunity of a lifetime
WRITTEN BY JONES ANGELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY
JEFFREY CAMARATI AND J.D. LYON, JR. 32
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GO WHERE YOU GO
T
The first piece of advice I ever received from Woody Durham was where to get lunch…well, sort of. I had just started an internship with the Tar Heel Sports Network in the summer after my sophomore year in college and was hanging out in the THSN production studio, which used to be housed in the Bowles Room on the second level of the Smith Center. Woody and Mick Mixon entered the studio to cut some station liners for the network’s affiliates and I was there to “help” chief network engineer John Rose with the process. When Woody entered the room I was completely starstruck. Woody Durham, the man who (unbeknownst to him) I had spent hundreds of hours with through the years, was there in the flesh. I had formed a relationship with Woody (again…unbeknownst to him) because we had been together, through the radio, for my entire Tar Heel fandom. Whether it was great moments like Rick Fox’s layup to beat Oklahoma in 1990, Bracey Walker blocking punts in the 1992 Peach Bowl or the Tar Heels winning the 1993 National Championship or tough moments…he guided me through them. My job that day? My way to “help” with the production? Go get Woody and Mick lunch. I vividly remember driving to The Loop holding a twenty dollar bill thinking: “I have $20 of Woody Durham’s money…and it is AWESOME!” Little did I know then that Woody would have such an enormous impact on my career. While I had several opportunities through the years to be on the air in varying capacities with the Network, the first time I really sat next to Woody and considered myself part of the broadcast team
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was the 2005-2006 school year. After 16 seasons with the THSN, Mick Mixon had left to become the play-by-play man for the Carolina Panthers and the Network filled his role with two people. A former athlete would take over Mick’s analyst duties (former All-ACC linebacker Rick Steinbacher would take that spot on the football broadcast while 1993 National Champion Eric Montross handled that role…and still does…on the basketball side of things) and I was asked to fill the role of “host” for our broadcasts. Being the “host” meant I would lead our pregame, halftime and postgame shows, get the broadcasts out of commercial breaks and throw in some side commentary from time-to-time. I made the decision to prepare for every broadcast as though I was going to do the play-by-play. I felt as though it would help me if and when I became a play-by-play man for a school (my ultimate goal) in the future because it would get me in a routine of preparation. The first game I filled my new role was the season opener to the 2005 Carolina football campaign in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. I studied as I never had before thinking I was going to be the most prepared person in Bobby Dodd Stadium. That thought lasted until the moment I walked in our broadcast booth and saw the amount of information Woody had in front of him. It was as though he was preparing to launch a space shuttle. There were boards and cards and pushpins and multi-colored pens and handwritten notes written in vibrant colors all laid out in a careful system for use during the game.
PRICELESS
GEM
HALL OF FAME
That moment provided the best two pieces of football season I have benchmarks at the end advice I have received as a broadcaster. of every day of the week marking where I need 1) Always come prepared. to be in my preparation for the game) and you 2) Create a system of preparation and display need to come up with a display which allows you believe in. you to easily find and use your stats, stories The first point is pretty self-explanatory. and notes when they become relevant. It does Preparation is what separates good from great. you no good to have a tremendous piece of Read. Watch film. Talk to coaches and players. information which would greatly supplement Find stats and stories which can supplement your broadcast if you can’t find and recite it in a your broadcast and timely manner. help explain the There is no “That moment provided the best two pieces of major storylines “right” way to of the game. The display your advice I have received as a broadcaster. trickiest part of this information…it 1) Always come prepared. is, of course, you just has to make 2) Create a system of preparation and never know what sense to you. display you believe in.” the story of a game Could I have sat is going to be so down in front of you never know which piece of preparation is Woody’s material that day in Atlanta and done going to be useful. Woody would always say, the broadcast? Probably not. Just like another and I believe, “You only use five to ten percent broadcaster couldn’t comfortably use my of your preparation for a game, but you never material right now. know which five to ten percent it is going to be.” And that was just Day One! Can that be frustrating? Sure. But when you Over the next six seasons I tried to take in have the perfect stat or note for a relevant as much information on how Woody had been moment in the game…it is pretty satisfying (in a successful as I possibly could (Never ask a nerdy, broadcasting sort of way). question which can be answered with a simple The second point is just as important. You ‘yes’ or ‘no’…Use different colors for different need to come up with a system of how you notes giving you an easy visual cue when prepare for your broadcast (for example, during looking for information). While I certainly don’t
“
Woody Durham added another honor to his illustrious career earlier this year when he was selected to the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame. Durham and the other four nominees—including Thomas Boswell, Bryant Gumbel and Dick “Hoops” Weiss—will be honored during induction weekend in Winston-Salem on June 23-25.
CONGRATULATIONS, WOODY The Rams Club, Carolina Athletics and Carolina fans everywhere congratulate the longtime “Voice of the Tar Heels” on this well-deserved honor, which shows that fans nationally recognize what Tar Heel fans have always known: Woody Durham is a true priceless gem.
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do everything just like Woody did (for example: I do everything family section was directly behind our broadcast location and at via computer while Woody hand wrote all his information) the the conclusion of the game the Wildcat players were standing foundation is the same. on our table, reaching over us to hug loved ones and celebrating Not every piece of a successful broadcast can be or should so the way you would expect in that moment for them. It was regimented or mundane as the preparation. There has to be some extraordinarily difficult to keep it together on the air because of personality and emotion as well. On the present day Tar Heel the disappointment you felt for Carolina and the hurt you knew the Sports Network we try to live up to the standard set by Woody and Tar Heel players/coaches/fans were experiencing while getting a his broadcast teams through the years in two areas: passion for literal front row view of the elation of the other side. We made Carolina and professionalism of the it through without any expletives broadcast. (I think) and took the broadcast “Here’s a big secret: on the Tar Heel Sports Here’s a big secret: on the Tar to conclusion as professionally as Heel Sports Network we want the we could. I will always credit the Network we want the Tar Heels to win. Everything Tar Heels to win. Everything we do training I received during my years we do is made better and easier when Carolina is is made better and easier when of working with Woody for helping successful; however, we have a job to do as well.” Carolina is successful; however, in that difficult spot. we have a job to do as well. While Very few sports broadcasters there is no doubt we are there for the Heels, we don’t want to be have been afforded the opportunity to learn from the people such a “homer” broadcast that every penalty against Carolina is a I have been able to learn from. I was able to sit next to, talk to, bad call or every four yard run or 12-foot jumpshot is the greatest take notes from and receive direct advice from some of the most we’ve ever seen. Plus, if someone for the opposition passes for 500 accomplished people in our business. Some of those lessons are yards or scores 35 points and has 12 rebounds, that’s a story too… put into place on every single broadcast we have on the Tar Heel even if it isn’t the one we want to tell. Sports Network. Easily, the time that passion/professionalism balance was I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to have learned those lessons, most tested was after the 2016 National Championship game put them into use and to have been driving to The Loop that day when Villanova topped the Tar Heels at the buzzer. The Villanova in the summer of 1999 with $20 of Woody’s money in my hand.
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FIRST PERSON
‘Hey Woody’
O
On April 20, 2011, I retired from doing the radio play-by-
play at Carolina. In my comments that day, I mentioned the unique relationship I had with the Tar Heel fans.
Those fans and our memories together were such a big part
of my 40 years on the air with Carolina. They also have played a major role in my enjoyment of Carolina sports today.
“Go where you go and do what you do”, doesn’t have any kind
of unique origin. Like most of the things people remember me saying, it developed off the cuff, but the inspiration for it came from Tar Heel fans.
My wife, Jean, used to clean the house during road games
when things weren’t going too well for the Heels. I heard from
people who would drive around their community, sit in a certain chair, wear something particular, move their radios to a specific place in their homes...all sorts of things they knew would either help Carolina stay ahead or spark the comeback.
I guess you could say, it became a rallying cry in our
relationship through the years. One that had some pretty good success, too, if you know what I mean.
Now of course, it means something totally different as
our family looks to raise more awareness of Aphasia and other neurological disorders. We teamed up with Chapel Hill
Sportswear last August to release the t-shirt that sparked our campaign. Kathy Sapp and Holly Dedmond have been such generous partners in this endeavor.
Our son, Wes, thought we could spark a social media
movement with the shirt. Taylor, our other son, thought #HeyWoody would be a great tag, as a nod to the many Carolina fans who often greeted me at games or around the state.
The response from Carolina fans and others in the ACC has
been great, and we are humbled that people are willing to
support the UNC Medical Foundation in this way. Along with other grass root organizations, they are making a difference with programs and therapies.
For me, I continue to do my therapy for my Aphasia and while
daily challenges are slowing me down, we still enjoy going to
games in Chapel Hill and supporting UNC. Jean and I have also
enjoyed going to basketball games at Elon, where Taylor is on the air doing play-by-play.
Don’t ever quit “going where you go and doing what you do.”
Who knows, it may be the answer to lots of things.
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WOODY AND JEAN DURHAM Voice of the Tar Heels Emeritus Illustration by Jason McCorkle
CAROLINA INSIDER PODCAST HOSTED BY JONES ANGELL AND ADAM LUCAS
POWERED BY
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