Welcome to YouTube.com, the website you visit to check out a particular clip and end up viewing two hours of videos.
Just another innovation in our media-friendly, internet-craved, I’ll-do-anything-for-attention society.
Don’t get me wrong – YouTube is amazing. At the click of a mouse, I can watch Freddie Mitchell’s 4th-and-26 catch, James Willis’ 1996 end-zone interception to beat the Cowboys and Keith Primeau’s goal in the fifth overtime of the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
OK, so I can also watch Mitch Williams serve up a gopher ball to Joe Carter or Ronde Barber return an interception 92 yards in the 2002 NFC Championship game. But that’s just the beauty of being a sports fan, right?
YouTube isn’t limited to pro sports, obviously. There are plenty of NCAA videos, including many involving the Terrapins.
So here’s my list of the top-5 YouTube videos involving anything that has to do with the Terps.
5. Josh Allen’s 72-yard touchdown highlights the Terps’ win over No. 5-ranked Florida State (Search: Josh Allen Terps).
I think as soon as Josh Allen cut his way into the end zone, every Terp fan started thinking ‘Wow, we actually have a legitimate chance to win this game.’ To that point, the Terps had never beaten Florida State and were annually whacked by the Seminoles during the Ralph Friedgen era.
My favorite part is you get the bonus of Johnny Holliday’s voice booming in the background and gradually getting louder as Allen makes his way down the field.
4. Vernon Davis drafted No. 6 by San Francisco (Search: 49ers draft Vernon).
It’s quite possible that VD is the most beloved athlete to play for any Terp team since Juan Dixon. The fan-favorite was drafted No. 6 overall – highest ever for a tight end, along with Kellen Winslow. If you didn’t catch the NFL Draft, relive Vernon’s emotional day in this package from April 29.
My favorite part is seeing Davis break down right before his name is about to be called. It shows the true beauty of sports when an athlete cries tears of joy. Vernon’s reaction was quite the opposite from many draft picks. Eli Manning, anyone?
3. Len Bias profile (Search: Len Bias highlights).
Very few students understand how good Len Bias was during his career, which was tragically cut short. He was supposed to be the Boston Celtics’ answer in the 1990s. This video eloquently highlights Bias’ career with the Terps.
My favorite part is watching Bias single-handedly take down North Carolina in Chapel Hill – one of the season’s biggest upsets. The best part about it is Mike Patrick was announcing games back then. And yes, his trademark “Holy cow!” is in there.
2. Locker room footage of women’s basketball victory over UNC in final four (Search: Maryland women’s basketball).
No one expected the Terps to upset the one-loss Tar Heels, but the women did just that in last year’s national semifinal. In this clip, there’s exclusive locker room footage of the team celebrating the victory.
My favorite part is just watching the team celebrate – from running off the court to posing in the locker room to hearing Brenda Frese’s post-game speech. You don’t get to see this very much anymore, and it’s cool to see a natural celebration like that.
1. Terps defeat Duke in 2004 ACC Championship Game (Search: Terps ACC championship).
This highlight reel was part of SportsCenter’s Top 10 Games of the Year. It ranked No. 7, and this game was pretty much the final bright spot of John Gilchrist’s career as a Terp. It was all downhill after the overtime win against the Blue Devils. In this clip, relive the Terps’ memorable comeback in the final few minutes, as well as Mike Grinnon’s two huge free-throws.
My favorite part is in the beginning when Scott Van Pelt is introducing the game. He says, “[Duke] routed the Terps by 23 in Cameron in February where the Crazies chanted at Maryland ‘Not our rival.'” Van Pelt ended the introduction with “Is that right?”
This list could easily be different had a few more memorable moments been on YouTube or been filmed better. But I’m sure over time, almost every important game will make it onto this website.
And if you do end up checking out these clips, good luck clicking the X at the top right corner of the page. YouTube is becoming quite an addictive part of our society.
Contact sports editor Andrew Zuckerman at sports@dbk.umd.edu.
