Duke beats UNC for the ACC Championship ~ GTH Carolina, GTH!!!

My brother and I, 2005 ACC Tournament

If you haven't been to an ACC Tournament and you're a fan of a team in the ACC you really need to make the trip.  I'm a Big East and ACC fan.  I grew up loving the Georgetown Hoyas, and was crushed when they were upset by Villanova in 1985.  I ended up liking Duke, and my brother ultimately went to Duke for 9 years to pursue all of his degrees.  While my brother was at Duke, I was dating and engaged to a professional basketball player who's teammate(s) went to Duke, and I would get free tickets for my brother and I through them.  I've been to Cameron Indoor Stadium numerous times, and it's amazing.


Coach K cutting down the net, ACC Tournament 2005

I've been to the ACC Tournament at least once.  I know I saw it in 2005, when it was in Washington DC.  I may have seen it another time in Greensboro, NC but I can't remember if it was the ACC Tournament or the NCAA Tournament.



Duke ~ 2005 ACC Tournament Champions

Anyway, today Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils beat the UNC Tarheels with a final score 75-58.  Duke's Nolan Smith had 20 points and 10 assists.  UNC's John Henson had 10 points and 18 rebounds in the losing effort.  I only caught the 2nd half, since I had plans earlier today but the Blue Devils prevailed.



I was out a few weeks ago with a couple of guys.  One was a retired NBA Veteran and UNC alumnus.  The other was a Duke alumnus and a current professional basketball player.  We were at a fundraiser for an NBA player's foundation and as the Blue Devil walked by the UNC guy yelled, "Go to hell, Duke.  Go to hell."  ****  For those of you familiar with the rivalry, that's not uncommon ~ but the chant is wrong.  Immediately, the Duke alumnus and I both smiled and yelled back, "Go to hell, Carolina.  Go to hell."  We all laughed, but let's not get it twisted ~ this rivalry is serious.

Check out the tourney.  If you're a fan, you owe it to yourself!

THE WIRK

UNC v Duke doesn't disappoint tonight ~ Duke defeats UNC

The North Carolina Tarheels are giving the Duke Blue Devils a run for their money at Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight. 

****  I'm not sure when I was at Cameron Indoor last, but since I'm doing this post on the fly the best pictures I have that I can locate are from 2006.

Right now, the year is 2011 and the game is tied at 62 with just under 6 minutes left in the game. 

Both Roy Williams and Coack K are coaching their hearts out right now.  Actually, I've met both coaches at airports ironically and they both were nothing but nice.  I'd describe them as very personable and appreciative of the fan support.

If you haven't been to Cameron Indoor Stadium or the Dean Smith Center to witness a Duke v UNC match-up you really need to count and save your pennies and make it happen.  Both venues are very different.  Cameron Indoor is so much more intimate, but to experience the rivalry "right" I recommend you check out both stops.  ****  I'll save my Dean Smith Center pics for later.

If you're a college basketball fan, this is one rivalry game that needs to be seen in person.

I used to go to Cameron Indoor once a year for a period of about 4 years.  I've been to the Dean Smith Center at least twice.  If you end up at Chapel Hill, stop at the Top of the Hill for some food and/or drink before or after the game.  I met Scott Maitland years ago at the ACC Tournament (i.e. when it was held in Washington DC), and I've been to the restaurant a few times.  I have nothing but good things to say.

This rivalry has so much history that alumni and sports fans return to see the action first-hand.

Can you pick out Duke alumni: Danny Ferry and Billy King?

What about the Terp, Len Elmore?

Don't believe that it's a great match-up?  Check out who I saw when I went to the game in 2006.  Yes, that's Cal Ripken Jr.

Duke just defeated UNC.  Final score 79-73.  Nolan Smith had a career-high 34 points.  Great game!

The rematch at the Dean Smith Center, is scheduled for March 5th.

THE WIRK

Duke defeats Butler in the rematch, and I meet Bill Cowher

I left Ohio this morning and flew into Philadelphia.  I did that because I needed to be close(r) to New Jersey since I had a ticket for the Duke v Butler 2010 NCAA Championship rematch. 

The line for the game was Duke -14.5 if anyone is curious (i.e. and from the conversations overheard at the Izod Center by the men around me, people cared).

I didn't expect this game to be a close one.  However with Kyle Singler getting into early foul trouble and Duke shooting ice, ice cold the game was a lot closer than more Blue Devil fans wanted. 

Incidentally, I was surprised to see a fairly sizable Butler University contingency.  ****  FYI.  I've seen some of Butler's campus in Indianapolis. and it's beautiful. 

Both teams were tied at 33 at half-time.

With Butler's Gordon Hayward gone (i.e. he matriculated to the NBA), I figured Brad Stevens would have his hands full.  I was right.  As mentioned before, Duke's Kyle Singler ran into foul trouble but towards the stretch in the 2nd half, Duke its rhythm and started to drain shots.  Ultimately, Singler would foul out.  However, the Blue Devils were able to ride Nolan Smith's 24 points and Kyrie Irving's 21 points (i.e. 17 of which that came when it mattered in the 2nd half).

I'm not going to pretend that this game was more interesting than the game I missed (i.e. UNC's upset of Kentucky), but it was a fun game to watch for any Duke fan. 

In addition, it just so happened that I looked across the aisle and you'll never believe who was sitting a couple of rows behind me.  It was former Pittsburgh Steelers' coach, Bill Cowher.  The rumor is that his daughter is dating Ryan Kelly.  I guess that makes Coach Cowher a Duke fan.  EXCELLENT! 

****  FYI.  I never forget a face.  If you're a sports person, actor, singer, performer, politician etc. and you're in the building, I will recognize you.  I am always looking around, and I'm just good like that at picking people out of a crowd.  Trust me.  The list of random "celebrities" that I've run into or had sitting next to or near me at events is outright strange (i.e. Oprah, Tom Cruise, and countless others).

Go Duke!  Duke defeated Butler with a final score of 82-70. 

****  For the gamblers out there, Duke didn't cover the 14.5 points.

THE WIRK