Beware the Ides of March -- March 15th -- Day 3

March 15th has always been an unlucky date for Max (although not as unlucky as it was for Julius Caesar) and as it turned out this year would follow the pattern. The day started off well with a visit to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum which is located in the former Woolworth's Store in Greensboro, the site of the first of a widespread series of lunch counter sit-ins that played a significant role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The museum includes the original lunch counter (one section recreated) and a series of displays depicting the history of the movement and the role that such sit-ins played. It's well worth a visit if you're ever in the area. From there we went to the Coliseum, arriving in time to see part of the tournament's afternoon session -- the second half of the Miami-Boston College game (won by Miami) and most of North Carolina State's victory over Virginia. We snuck out early to have an early dinner at Stamey's a local restaurant recommended by my brother John for its barbecue. As it happens, the restaurant is located across the street from the Coliseum, and with the crowd approaching the facility's 22,000 capacity, we assumed we would have quite a wait. In fact the place was practically empty but as soon as the game was over that changed. By the time we left every seat was taken and the waiting line snaked throughout the restaurant and out in the parking lot. In addition to avoiding the crowd, the early dinner gave us the chance to get back in time for Max to meet a new friend (see picture) and watch the Blue Devils warm up for the first game of the evening. That's when the day went downhill--Duke played listlessly, and in the end lost to Maryland by nine points. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. We quickly decided to forgo the second game and headed back to the hotel, stopping briefly to talk to a NC State fan who expressed an interest in buying our tickets for the last two days of the tournament--we called her as soon as we got back to the hotel, made arrangements to consummate the sale right away,and began thinking about revising our itinerary.