Sail With The Pilot 1974 Long Version

[socrh2]

This was the era when the ACC Basketball Tournament meant everything.  You had to win it to move on to the NCAA's. Bigtime pressure!

Remember Wally Walker in 1976. UVA beat State, MD and UNC in three days. They went on to lose in the NCAA first round to Depaul. Still, the only time UVA has one the ACC Tournament.

[tonytarheel55]

great days in acc basketball!

[billpatton1]

By the way, that 1974 ACC title game...best of all time..sorry Duke and Carolina fans...and I happen to be fortunate to have it on DVD.

[tonytarheel55]

@billpatton1 it was

[randy28146]

I agree with you, Bill. In fact, I think the two greatest games of all time were in the same building in the same month. Later that month, we had the State-UCLA game in the NCAA sem-finals.

[randy28146]

I agree with you, Bill. In fact, I think that the two greatest games of all time were in the same building in the same month, the other being the State-UCLA game in the NCAA semi-finals.

[billpatton1]

Boy, that takes me back...Jim Thacker, Billy Packer, Bones McKinney, and even before them was Charlie Harville. CD Chesley started something really big. I remember those days...

[knsdonnell]

it was a special time to be a basketball fan in the Carolinas.

[cag1970]

I don't remember this exact Pilot Life video, but there's no way you could escape them--not if you watched ACC basketball way back in the day. Thanks for posting this; great memories of some classic TV commercials!

[KongaZilla]

BSTOKES3 THANKS FOR THE INFO

[bstokes3]

Zilla - you are probably thinking of Jim Thacker - "Thacker and Packer" - another CD Chesly announcer from that era was ex-Wake Forest coach Bones McKinney - you might be thinking of him. I am willing to bet it was one of the two

[KongaZilla]

even tthough my dad worked for state farm, i used to remember this tune real well. brings back memories of cold february nights and watching hot acc basketball. thanks for bringing back the memory. by the way does anyone rember the play by play man who was working with billy packer at this game it wasnt bill currie was it?

[randy28146]

There is a possibility that an ACC Hall of Fame might be located inside the Greensboro Coliseum. (An earlier proposal for a separate location did not work out). I think that the Pilot Life commercials should definitely be a part of that Hall. Again, great work, Bill.

[bstokes33]

The game I have is the orginal broadcast version from either WRAL or WBT. It is likely wht ESPN Classic used when it ran the game several years ago. Of course, my version includes the commercials of the era (including the "Pilot"). Also, ESPN version ends with 3mins remaining in reg & does not include OT - My version does the same thing, except the missing time has been "restored" by adding coach's game film. Therefore, in a sense, it is complete. Apparently, the last 3mins & OT do not exist.

[nyterpfan]

Bill, just checking, do you have the 74 ACC tourney final broadcast in it's entirity?? If you do, I would love to see if I could make arrangements with you to get a copy. Please let me know if you have a chance. I would tremendously appreciate it!! Thanks so much!!

[bstokes33]

nyterpfan- Ironically, this copy of the the commercial came from an original WRAL broadcast of the 1974 ACC Final epic between State and Maryland. I have also posted a shorter, later produced version from the 1981 tournament..check it out too if you get a chance

[nyterpfan]

I agree Randy, that was an incredible time for the ACC. So many great players in addition to Thompson, McMillan, etc. You had Phil Ford at Carolina (who to this day IMHO is the greatest college point guard ever), Skip Brown at Wake Forest, Tree Rollins at Clemson...I can go on and on. I have to say, though, as a Maryland Terp fan those years were so heartbreaking. The 74' team was one of Maryland's greatest squads ever and they NEVER EVEN MADE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT!! It's painful to this day!!

[randy28146]

Sorry if my comment led anyone to believe that I deserved credit for the posting. My thanks to Bill. Those days of storming Norman, Lefty, Thompson and Burleson, McMillan, etc. were the best in college basketball.

[nyterpfan]

My apologies Bill, again, thanks so much for posting. I swear I hear this and I can see David Thompson soaring to lay-in (no dunking) his patented Alley-Oop. (NC State was the source of a lot of torture for Terp fans back then).

[nyterpfan]

Randy...you are a HERO for posting this!! I've been trying to find a clip of this for years!! As an ACC hoop and Maryland Terps fan for over 30 years, this commercial brings back incredible memories. I swear I believe every ACC hoop fan of those years can sing this jingle word for word!! It's an absolute classic!! Thanks so much for posting!!

[bstokes33]

Not Randy, Bill here - but thanks for the comment! Glad to post it -lots of memories!

[randy28146]

I remember the Pilot Life commercials better than I remember most of the games. This brings back a lot of nice memories. The ACC was much better in the days of Lefty, Thompson, John Lucas, etc.