The Anti-Duke Chili Strikes Again

Back in March of 1998, the "Comeback Cats" pulled off a thing of beauty--they beat Duke in a come-from-behind grudge match for a Final Four spot that almost avenged UK's 1992 loss at the hands of Christian Laettner. Almost. And I'm pretty sure my chili had something to do with it.

We watched that 1998 game in our tiny little Falmouth apartment with one of our good friends from Centre. (Well, they watched it in the apartment; I paced nervously up and down the street while neighbors called out the score to me.) I had made my dad's burn-out-your-insides chili recipe that night and after the unbelievable had happened, I joked that it was the chili that did it. The next year, I saw that it was no joke.

The 1999 tournament bracket left the door open for a Duke-UK rematch. So I kept the ingredients for the chili stocked in my pantry so I could recreate the atmosphere should we meet again. Alas, it was not meant to be for the 'cats, but Duke would go on to the championship game, which they were expected to run away with. The night of that game, I made the chili even though our 'cats had bailed out early. Why not? I already had the stuff. And we all know what happened--Duke lost. UConn won the title. I realized I had an unusual power in that chili, and if I learned nothing else from watching Spiderman I learned that "with great power comes great responsibility."

So I have been judicious in the making of that chili during tournament season. I have been holding out for that one year when UK will once again meet Duke in the tournament in a high-stakes game that will determine a Final Four berth or even a championship. I made it for Selection Sunday this year with a heavy heart, knowing that UK would probably get a low seed and probably wouldn't make it out of the first round.

But lo and behold, Duke LOST last night in their first-round game. And guess what's still in my fridge?

The chili.

This is some magic I've got.