Survive and Advance, which aired last night, was fantastic. I remember so much about that impossible NC State run (I was a college freshman), but there was also so much I never saw. The ACC tournament wasn't broadcast beyond the southern states back then, so those of us up north never watched their upsets over an absolutely stacked UNC team (Jordan, Perkins, Worthy, Daugherty, etc) and Virginia with Sampson (the greatest college center I'd ever seen up to that point).
Had Valvano led such an incredible effort 20-30 years later, in the era of burgeoning media and internet access, it's impossible to overstate the levels to which his global popularity would have soared. Even before his ESPYs speech, he was one of the most engaging, entertaining and captivating public speakers on the planet, and there was a ton of footage last night I either hadn't seen in forever or hadn't seen period which reminded me of that. Following the NCAA investigation that led to his departure from NC State and his taking on a broadcasting role, his presence courtside would get me watch just about any game he happened to be calling no matter how shitty the matchup.
But this film was about far more than Valvano. Great insights and recollections from Whittenburg, Bailey, McQueen, Gannon, and others from that team, players, coaches & staff alike, juxtaposed with the recent passing of Lorenzo Charles who slammed home the shot that slayed Goliath.
It was also great seeing the footage from the balls-to-the-wall semifinal between Houston & Louisville, which I hadn't seen in 30 years. I'd love to have that entire game on DVD.