Howlandwood Classics

What I just found on YouTube is a little scary. But it makes me think.

Every year, after the end of the national championship game in NCAA men's basketball, the winning team is shown its "One Shining Moment," a montage of clips of the winning team from the six wins it had during that year's NCAA tournament. The clips include audio from those moments, but the primary sound is background music - a song called "One Shining Moment" (hence the name of the montage).

This song is known by most sports fans as the NCAA basketball song, and coaches even reference it in their pep talks to their players before going into the final games (I just heard Tom Izzo refer to it before Michigan State's Elite Eight game). The reason the song fits so well, I surmise, is because it was written specifically about the NCAA tournament, rather than just being an atypical inspirational song.

It first aired along with the montage after the 1987 championship, and though it initially was a venue to show remarkable clips from all the games in the tournament, the focus has increasingly centered on the winning team. Now, every championship team is graced with its own "One Shining Moment," most of which you can find on YouTube now.

The current version is sung by the late, great Luther Vandross, and taken with clips of the winning team completing various razzle-dazzle stunts throughout the tournament, the montage is usually corny beyond corny, clearly a product of the late 80s/early 90s, with the music's piano-driven melody, synth horns and tones, as well as a catchy-as-all-hell hook.

But as lame as it is, it's tradition, and it is always fun to watch (especially if you were on/supporting that winning team [I only can speculate that the first option is true, since I've not actually been on the roster of an NCAA championship team]). I always look forward to seeing how they edit the clips together into a video scrapbook, for fans to always look back upon with pride.

As many know, I was extremely disappointed last year, when 24 minutes into UCLA's Final Four game, I realized that I wouldn't be watching a "One Shining Moment" for the Bruins two days later.

But, a year later now, I realize that I can.

One loyal fan, not content to see UCLA's season finish without the soulful sounds of Mr. Vandross's voice gracing clips of James Keefe and Russell Westbrook, decided to take it upon himself to give UCLA its own "One Shining Moment" for the 2008 tournament. I cannot say that I was not a little perturbed to watch it - it seemed like a desperate plea for recognition for a team with so much promise knocked to the side by bad in-game coaching.

But, as scary as this revisionist history may seem, it is still fun to watch. Mata with the trophy held high. James Keefe making amazing plays against Western Kentucky. Russell Westbrook's slam dunk at the end of regulation against Texas A&M. All of it only whets my appetite for the real thing. Now, more than even, do I want UCLA to rebuild and make a run to the title.

So here's hoping. But, even if it is next season or in 20 more, I can feel it in my bones - rather than just overzealous fans of Howlandwood, CBS will one day put together another montage for UCLA.

For now, enjoy.