We have all heard about sophomore basketball guard Jordan Snipes' miraculous full-court, game-winning, buzzer-beater shot by now. It's been everywhere.
By the time I caught up with him he had already been interviewed by the News and Record, ESPN radio, News 12, Fox 8, CNN, USA Today, The Roanoke Times and The Associated Press, to name just a few.
So, how has Snipes' long shot traveled around the world in such a little amount of time?
"It started the day of the game when the videographer from WRIC was there," said Dave Walters, Guilford's Sports Information Director. "He stayed through until the end of the game and got the picture. He took it upon himself to send it on to the CNN Pathfire service."
Walters describes the Pathfire service as "a video news feed service that broadcast medias subscribe to."
After people saw the feed, Walters said, they wanted to learn more about it. The next day alone Snipes conducted 11 interviews.
"It's been crazy," Snipes said. "You play Division III basketball, so you don't expect to be on Sportscenter, or even the local news."
Not only was Snipes' shot aired on Sportscenter, the video clip is appearing all over the Internet.
"It's more than just a sports story," Walters said. "It's one of those incredible videos." It is similar in this sense to the clip of Randy Johnson hitting a seagull with his 90 MPH fastball, or Vince Carter leaping over France's 7'2" Frederic Weis for a slam dunk at the 2000 Olympics.
With everything that Snipes has experienced since making the shot he said the most exciting was recreating the shot for WFMY News 2. "They gave me a rack of 16 balls," he said. "I made the eleventh one."
Despite his busy schedule of interviews, on top of his ordinary classes and practices, Snipes has still found time for his family.
The day after the shot, when Snipes had 11 interviews, "he still found time to come to his brother's game," said Chuck Snipes, Jordan's father. "Justin (Snipes's brother, a high school senior) was thrilled."
"There were a lot of little kids asking for Jordan's autograph," Mr. Snipes said. "We all thought that was pretty amazing."
This sort of recognition has not been uncommon over the last few weeks. "When I go to sports bars around town people will start pointing and talking about me," Snipes said. "Then they come over and say congratulations. People know me now, it's weird. I like it, but it's kind of crazy."
Other members of the family have experienced this as well.
"Guys who I played college basketball with called me up," Mr. Snipes said. "They say 'I saw your son on the news.'"
Although the buzzer beater shot was the highlight of the game, Snipes was dominant throughout. He was 9-12 shooting, going 6-7 from behind the arc. He was also a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line, totaling a career-high 34 points.
"I just got into the zone," he said. "My teammates were giving me open looks, setting screens. They kept running plays that would give me open shots and luckily I just knocked them down."
Emphasis on team play is something that Mr. Snipes has always taught his son. "I coached the boys when they were younger," he said. "Team play is always something I stressed. Individual accomplishments are great, but you can't do it without the team."
"We told him to enjoy it," Mr. Snipes said when asked about him and his wife's advice to their son regarding all the attention. "Just don't get too cocky or big-headed about it."
Snipes has done just that. "I've learned be grateful for what happens," he said. "Stuff like that only happens once in a lifetime. Try not to get overwhelmed about it. Just take it in stride. Just thank God for it happening."
:jaw:
