/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/25718513/20130322_hcs_sy4_062.0.jpg)
No team captivated the country's attention during the NCAA Tournament more than Florida Gulf Coast. There were teams that got more attention as the tournament progressed, but it was the Eagles who got everyone's attention early.
Now, we don't like to brag, but we were on the Eagles early last season. We didn't know that they would be this good, but we were intrigued by how the style of play had totally changed from one year to the next. And that new style was #dunkcity.
The initial appearance of Dunk City against Georgetown was eye-opening: an up-tempo style against the slow deliberate pace of the Hoyas. Florida Gulf Coast looked like the team that played in the major conference, not the other way around.
The pace didn't stop against San Diego State, and soon the Eagles were in the Sweet 16. I have the t-shirt to prove it.
But the thing that might have been the best thing about the Florida Gulf Coast run wasn't that it was so unexpected. It was that it gave us some of the greatest GIFs of the year.
From the dunks, to the chicken dance (whose greatest performer made a guest appearance this year), to the locker room celebration of the manager, it was non-stop fun with the Eagles. It almost kept going for a little longer when FGCU pushed Florida in the Sweet 16, but it wasn't to be. Soon the coach would be gone, and Dunk City would take on a whole other persona.
We will still have the memories of that run though.
And here once again are all the GIFs.