The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516111
28 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Guard Craig Kuszmaul still does some daily duties with his Triangle-area con- struction business. Thompson and Bur- leson still give motivational speeches and clinics when asked. Mostly, though, they are proud grandpas, sharing pictures of their families and travels, analyzing the most recent NC State victory or loss and talk- ing about the aches and pains of being in their 70s. Make no mistake, however, these guys own their legacy, just like they owned the decade of the 1970s and beyond. Nationally, they are recognized for ending the dynasty of seven-time na- tional champion UCLA, which they did in dramatic double-overtime fashion in the NCAA semifinals at the Greensboro Coliseum, and for beating Marquette in the championship game. In ACC territory, they are remembered for going undefeated over two seasons against league opponents and winning the greatest game ever played, an over- time triumph over Maryland in the final of the ACC Tournament. For the three varsity seasons of Thompson's career, they were among the highest-scoring offensive teams in conference history, averaging more than 90 points a game. Among NC State fans, many of whom gathered in December to see a statue of Thompson unveiled outside Reynolds Coliseum, the only former Wolfpack athlete to be so honored, they are re- membered as heroes, treated as such each time their accomplishments are commemorated in gatherings, on televi- sion or anytime they walk into a game. There are many reasons for that legacy. Great coaches, led by the underap- preciated Norm Sloan. Great inside-outside players in Burle- son and Towe. Players who understood their roles, like Rivers, Spence and pitcher-forward Stoddard. A deep bench that wasn't always called on to contribute in games but was invaluable to the chemistry of the team. And the unquestioned greatest player in the history of the school and the con- ference, Thompson, a two-time na- The 1974 National Championship Bumper Sticker I was in my sixth year at North Carolina (I wasn't a good student) in the spring of 1974 and a huge fan of David Thompson and the NC State basketball team, which was ranked No. 2 nationally heading into the 1974 NCAA Tournament. I had an idea to do a national champion- ship bumper sticker for the Wolfpack in the event they won the title. My father, an artist, designed the sticker (there was no licensing at that time) and had a buddy in Charlotte print 2,000 for me before the NCAA Champi- onship semifinals on Saturday, March 23. NC State beat UCLA, 80-77, in a thrilling game, overcoming a seven-point deficit in the second overtime to end the Bruins' string of seven straight national championships. I headed to Raleigh with my friend Jack Stanley after the game was over in a car covered with NC State National Champion bumper stickers. They cost 3 cents each, and we were selling them for a dollar. We hit the Hillsborough Street area and then headed to the North Hills Shopping Cen - ter, where the Kerr Drugs bought 100. As we were walking back to my car with several hundred dollars in our pockets, a light drizzle started. When we reached the vehicle, we saw something shocking. The ink on the bumper stickers was washing off from the rain. The dollar signs in my eyes turned to jail bars. "I'll come see you in prison," said Jack. I didn't know anything about printing, and it turned out the stickers were printed on paper, not vinyl. When the fans who bought the sticker got up the next morning, it would be washed away. I got back up with the printer in Charlotte and was shipped a new batch of stickers on Monday, just in time for the title game with Marquette. They were better than the original stash, lasting about a month instead of a day. The NCAA and the Greensboro Coliseum, site of the Final Four, had given me permission to sell the stickers in the parking lots after the game. Our crew of eight, wearing nail aprons full of stickers, were ready for the happy Wolfpack fans after NC State won the game, and we sold more than 1,500. I dropped out of UNC to focus on selling the stickers and a poster my father drew, and I earned my degree (barely) over the summer. We ended up selling more than 10,000 stickers (we had the only national championship version). I loved the excitement of being in business for myself, wrote that down as a goal and accomplished it six years later when I started The Wolfpacker. — Stu Coman Over 10,000 of the bumper stickers (at top) were sold, but not without some issues. My father drew this poster (above), which we also sold. PHOTOS COURTESY STU COMAN