University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Tar Heels Are White House VIPs
May 11, 2009 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
May 11, 2009
By Adam Lucas
WASHINGTON, D.C.--After a day trip to the White House, most of Carolina's players returned with one-of-a-kind memories and photographs. Jack Wooten might have landed a job.
That was the kind of day it was in Washington on Monday, as the Tar Heels got just the latest example of how truly nationwide the UNC basketball phenomenon can be. One of the Secret Service K-9 officers inspecting the bus was the self-described biggest Carolina fan in Washington. The White House lawn was packed with press, members of Congress, and Congressional staff, all of whom seemed to have ties to the Tar Heels. Congressman Mike McIntyre sported a UNC baseball hat; his son, Stephen, just graduated from the UNC School of Law yesterday.
In the White House foyer, a Marine played the 300,000th piano built by Steinway, which was donated to the White House over 50 years ago. As the members of the basketball team broke into three groups for a behind-the-scenes tour, the Marine played a jazzy version of the Carolina fight song.
Although they hadn't played a game together in over a month, the '09 Tar Heels still felt very much like a team. Everyone except for Ty Lawson was on the team bus--Lawson, whose home is nearby, was supposed to meet the group at the White House. As the bus sat at the maximum security entrance to the building, laughter broke out as Lawson finally spotted the team and began sprinting across 15th Street with his shirt untucked and tie flailing.
As the tour guides were quick to explain, the White House has six levels and 132 rooms.
"It's nice," Bobby Frasor said to Patrick Moody, "but it's no Biltmore."
Moody, an Asheville native, quickly perked up. "220 rooms," he said of the famous Asheville tourist attraction.
One of the most popular parts of the tour was a trip inside the President's personal home theater, where he had watched the Carolina-Duke game and recently viewed several NBA playoff games of his hometown Chicago Bulls. The room, with deep red seats and "the best popcorn anywhere," according to the Secret Service agent guiding the group, drew rave reviews.
Several other rooms where the public isn't normally given access were featured, including the East Room, the largest room in the White House. That room features three giant 6,149-piece chandeliers brought to Washington in 1902 by Theodore Roosevelt.
"You know, the Globetrotters once played a basketball game in this room," the guide said.
"With the chandeliers?" Roy Williams asked.
"Yes sir," the agent replied.
"I know one thing," Williams said, gazing up at the very fragile-looking chandeliers. "The Globetrotters must pass a heck of a lot better than our team."
Upon entry into each room, the agent would provide a complete history of virtually every artifact and painting in the room. Then he'd ask for questions, which were rare.
"You're not going to get many questions," Williams said. "We're all awestruck."
For a team that's been everywhere from Maui to Miami together this season, and is suitably hard to impress, it was a unique experience. Several of the players, including Tyler Hansbrough, noted that they'd never seen any of the famous Washington monuments in person; the team made a special trip to have a group photo snapped in front of the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II monument.
Of course, most of the tourists also taking photos in front of those Washington staples weren't meeting personally with President Barack Obama later that afternoon. President Obama met with each team member in the Diplomatic Room, and then the entire group joined the large gathering on the lawn.
"What makes Coach Williams one of the great coaches isn't just his extraordinary record but his dedication to his players," President Obama said. "He is just as serious about making these guys into men and into leaders as he is into making them champions."
The President also singled out Ty Lawson for his exceptional NCAA play, Hansbrough for returning to school, and Wooten for his Phi Beta Kappa achievement.
"Jack Wooten stole the ball from me, blocked my shot, and fouled me once," President Obama said, referencing the pickup game at the Smith Center last April. "But I want to congratulate Jack on making Phi Beta Kappa. Jack is interested in public service and we need more people like him being willing to serve our country. So Jack, any time you're ready, come on board."
That was the only opening the just-graduated (and unemployed) Tar Heel needed. Wooten had brought a copy of his resume in his jacket pocket just in case--he'd previously sent a letter to the White House in the fall inquiring about a job. Now, however, he had a personal invitation.
Assistant coach Joe Holladay located President Obama's deputy Chief of Staff, who took the resume and promised to email Wooten later in the afternoon.
"Man," said Justin Watts, "next time we play basketball with the President I'm going to block him into the wall."
"See, that's the difference," Wooten said. "I blocked his shot, and I might get a job. You block him into the wall, you might get shot."
After the public ceremony, something entirely unexpected happened. The Tar Heel traveling party had been awestruck by Obama. Now, the Washington insiders--from Senators to staffers--seemed equally enthralled by the Tar Heels. Hansbrough, Williams and the rest of the group posed for countless photos and signed multiple autographs before heading back to the airport for the flight home.
Saw the monuments, met the President, toured the White House, received a heavyweight job endorsement. Pretty good day, Jack?
"This," he said with a grin, "was a very productive day."
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of four books on Carolina basketball.
