[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 3, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H1386-H1387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ODE TO DUKE UNIVERSITY BLUE DEVILS

  (Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, last night, Duke University 
from the 4th Congressional District of North Carolina was crowned the 
national champion after the victory over the Arizona Wildcats 82-72 in 
the Final Four, the king of the NCAA.
  This is the first national championship for Duke since 1992. It is 
the third in their history, and we are as proud as we can be. But 
tonight, Mr. Speaker, we are not going to be hearing from me.
  We are going to be hearing from a couple of fine colleagues with whom 
I

[[Page H1387]]

had an agreement going into this Final Four and who will be all too 
happy, I am sure, to don the Duke jersey and the Duke cap, and to read 
a script which they have agreed to deliver in homage to the Duke Blue 
Devils and their national championship.
  Let me say, before I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer), that Duke in this path to the national championship met not 
just Arizona, but the University of Maryland in the semifinal, 
University of Southern California, UCLA, University of Missouri, and 
Monmouth.
  We are the adversaries of all. We are as proud as we can be.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to yield to the gentleman from College 
Park, Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), my friend and colleague.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my remarks be 
expunged from the record as soon as they are made.
  Mr. Speaker, but for the fact that the rules prohibit it, I would 
wear this jersey during the course of my remarks; but our 
Parliamentarian would have a heart attack and think that I had stepped 
egregiously on the rules. So only because the parliamentarian wants me 
to take off the Duke shirt do I do so. But I will hold it up.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair appreciates the gentleman's 
cooperation.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will put my jacket back on. I 
cannot be totally inoffensive.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will put his jacket back on.
  Mr. HOYER. I will put the jacket back on. The gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Hayes), my friend, is helping me with my jacket, who is a 
graduate of Duke. All the Dukes are pretty gracious tonight. They were 
not very gracious last Saturday night I noticed.
  Mr. Speaker, I humbly rise to deliver an ode to the Duke Blue Devils, 
college basketball 2001 national champions.
  Only one team during the course of the season beat Duke by more than 
10 points, the mighty Maryland Terrapins. Unfortunately, it was not 
Saturday night.
  The Duke Blue Devils are champions worthy of the name. They proved it 
again and again in game after game. But before they could play for the 
title last night, the Dukies had to get through a Saturday night 
fright.
  The Maryland Terrapins, new to the Final Four, came out of the blocks 
like they wanted much more. Determined not to fall short to the Blue 
Devils again, my Terps were as ferocious as a lion guarding her den.
  Duke was down 22 points and flat on their backs, 11 at the half, but 
lo and behold, a comeback was hatched. As the game wore on, the Blue 
Devils would not quit, and for Maryland's Cinderella season, the 
slipper no longer fit. But the Blue Devils were not finished; they had 
not cleared the field.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.
  Mr. KOLBE. By Monday night, Duke had beaten Monmouth and Mizzou. They 
had sent home the Bruins, the Trojans and the Terrapins, too. The time 
had come to battle our beloved 'Cats. The final game would determine to 
whom we would tip our hats.
  Duke came from the East and Arizona rode in from the West for a final 
Minneapolis shoot-out to answer who is best. The Devils showed that 
they were up for the fight, and the question of who is best was 
answered last night.
  We watched the joyous Blue Devils cut down the net, and I thought to 
myself why did I make this bet?
  Arizona, Maryland, and the rest of our teams are left thinking of 
next year and dreaming championship dreams. For now, the Blue Devils 
wear the crown, they can celebrate a great victory as the toast of the 
town.
  Mr. HOYER. Here, here.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and 
congratulate all of these teams. These were wonderful games, hard 
fought; and we are very proud to have survived this Final Four.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Eighth District of 
North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), a Duke alumnus.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price) 
lives in Chapel Hill. We defeated the dreaded Tar Heels several times 
on the way to this victory.
  I say to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), we are not gloating 
here. We are just here saying how proud we are of those young men, the 
coaching staff, the students and others.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to rise a little bit in seriousness 
and say how proud we are, those of us who were in the ACC, of Duke's 
magnificent victory, not in derogation of Arizona, a great team itself, 
but my, my, my, how Duke plays, how Coach Krzyzewski coaches, and the 
fire that they showed.
  I said during the ditty that I was forced to go through, that they 
were down by 22, and it is because of the character, the heart, the 
courage and, yes, the extraordinary ability of the Duke players that 
they came back and prevailed in that game on Saturday night.
  I know the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) joins me in 
congratulating the Duke players, the Duke coach, and Duke itself for a 
magnificent and winning effort.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland 
(Mr. Hoyer) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and to our Duke 
Blue Devils who exhibited team work, sportsmanship, scholarship and a 
family of young men and women working together that achieved remarkable 
things.
  Congratulations to the Blue Devils.

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