The Greatest Moments In Our Lives

For one night only, breaking away from normal days passing by, something comes along to ignite a fire- awakening our souls. Upon flares of destiny, for brief periods in time, the world opens up in an explosion of rapture so that we may ascend to our finest moments. Our lives are defined by hills and valleys; feelings of pure exhilaration, as well as the deepest despair. Whether the tears we shed are of joy or heartbreak, we relentlessly pursue these dare-to-be-great situations, in search of the next moment that defines our very being. Now as the nation moves approaches an indescribable climax, a region heralded by miracles will erupt when for one day, the blues will run once again.

Powder and Royal; 8 miles; two schools, and two programs. One fabled road connects two breathtaking universities with one identical driving passion to excel. There are many competitive rivals, but no two, nowhere in the world that serve up more staggering credentials than the magical rivalry, known as Tobacco Road.

•  9 National Championships
• 33 Final Fours
• 44 Consensus All-Americans
• 16 National Players of the Year
• Two universities firmly rooted in the top 30 in the land
  

Led by two men whose leadership is legendary; supported by fans whose brotherhood is unmatched. Something which ceased to be “Just a game” long ago, it is a phenomenon which brings two empires to their feet time and time again. A rivalry of eternal passion which requires the most devout ambition, and nothing less. Fighting through blood, sweat, and tears, we are painted with ecstasy when we grudgingly admit our respect for one another. It is an enigmatic experience when for one night, the tides of emotion swell with electricity.

A new chapter lined with anticipation and drama will be written on March 3^rd, when dreams will culminate with reality. The allegiances we own burn with inherited desire to punish our foe, and soon enough the central characters of Tobacco Road will have their finest hour. Never “Just a game,” more than a mere rivalry; we walk into battle, and into history. 

The North Carolina Tar Heels, and The Duke Blue Devils.

Top Moments in Duke-North Carolina

On Wednesday night, the Blue Devils of the world reigned supreme. On the heels of a tremendous comeback, and the incredible buzzer-beater of Austin Rivers, we experienced on the best moments of our lives.

"This game is special, it's better than any other game....the rivalry is bigger than any one of us." The words of J.J. Redick When someone asks me why I throw down for Duke as hard as I do, or why this is the greatest rivalry in the world, Wednesday night's is undeniable testimony.  Down by 10 to a potential NCAA champion, on their homecourt, with 2:15 to go, the Duke Blue Devils took down the North Carolina Tar Heels, with Austin Rivers' 3-point buzzer beater. A shot which will live in the minds of Tobacco Road participants forever. In honor of Duke's perseverance, here is a look at the top 10 moments of Duke-UNC since 1995:

10) 2010 @ Chapel Hill, Mason Plumlee's reverse jam- Tied 45-45 in a dogfight with UNC, Mason Plumlee took on Carolina's towers, Deon Thompson & Ed Davis. Skying for an offensive rebound, Mase battled the Tar Heels 2-1 down low. Then, igniting a fire, Mason blasts the heels with a reverse slam-dunk like it was nothing at all.

9) 2008, @ Chapel Hill, "It's raining 3's in Chapel Hill!"- Duke K-Oed North Carolina, treating UNC's homecourt like their own personal playground. Duke hit 13 3-pointers on 29 attempts, with Greg Paulus drilling 5 in a row.


8) 2001, @ Chapel Hill, Momentum Swing- Duke was coming off a loss to UNC, after one of their most intense meetings ever. The Devils, up 50-47, watched as UNC's Joseph Forte broke away for an uncontested dunk. Then, out of NOWHERE, Shane Battier comes from behind to block Forte's dunk; Dunleavy recovers, fires it back up court, for a Jason Williams 3-point jumper. An incredible sequence of events, from which UNC would not recover.

7) 2010, @ Duke, Heel Stomp- 2006-2009 were a painful 4 years for Blue Devil fans. Tyler Hansbrough & Danny Green led North Carolina to 4 consecutive wins in Cameron Indoor Stadium; something never accomplished before. With that being said, the 2010 Blue Devils exorcised demons with a therapeutic 32 point beat-down of UNC at home. It was a rip-roaring fun-time, which ignited Duke's championship run.

6) 2004, @ Chapel Hill, Coast 2 Coast- Leading 81-78 in overtime, UNC's Rashad McCants nailed a tying 3 with 15 seconds to go in OT. Unphased, Chris Duhon took the in-bounds pass 94 foot, straight to the basket for a reverse lay-up to win the game. Heartbreak city, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

5) 2011, @ Duke, The Comeback II- Down by 14 points at the half, Duke would have it's biggest comeback in over 50 years. Nolan Smith had a career high 34 points, with Seth Curry also putting in a career high of 22. A euphoric comeback, evidence of Duke's passion and drive to beat North Carolina.

4) 1998, @ Duke, The Comeback I- From start, until 1:00 left in the second half, Duke never led the game.  Dominated by the low-block firepower of Antawn Jamison & Vince Carter, and the speed of Ed Cota, Duke struggled to get back into the game. But on the back of soon-to-be superstar, Elton Brand, Duke came storming back to win the game 77-75, in one of the most exciting games in the history of Tobacco Road.

3) 2005, @ Duke, The Stop- Monster matchups! Redick vs. McCants, Williams vs. May, Ewing vs. Felton,  Nelson vs. (Marvin) Williams. Building up to round 1 of The Battle of Tobacco Road, the world knew this had all the makings for a game for the ages. It certainly lived up to it. Final 10 seconds, 71-70 Duke, no timeouts to either team, UNC with the ball at the top of the key. Felton picked up his dribble, looked for an option, threw the ball away, "3-2-1 They're not gonna get a shot away! DUKE'S GONNA WIN IT!" Duke stopped the #2 Tar Heels in their tracks, in one of the most dramatic finishes ever.

2) 2012, @ Chapel Hill, AUSTIN RIVERS- For all of the non-believers in this rivalry, this game is evidence that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE DUKE-UNC GAME. Down 10 points on Carolina's homecourt, it was showtime. Tyler Thornton 3, Seth Curry 3, a Harrison Barnes charge, and Tyler Zeller tipping in a Duke shot into his OWN goal?! The stage was set; 4 seconds left at the top of the key, for Austin Rivers, 84-82 UNC: Rivers with Zeller on him, from beyond the arc, he fires with 1 second left...IT'S IN! Duke upsets the #5 North Carolina Tar Heels, IN CHAPEL HILL! At the buzzer!!!

1) 1995, @ Duke, Jeff Capel's Half-Court Shot- UNC had one of its best teams ever, with Jerry Stackhouse & Rasheed Wallace. Duke had one of its worst teams ever, having lost its upperclassmen to graduation, and Coach K for the season to back-spasms. But with the magic of Tobacco Road, Duke's undermanned team pummeled the Goliath Tar Heels for 40 minutes, up until a 99-102 deficit in OT. With 3 seconds left, UNC misses 2 free throws. And from half-court, Jeff Capel heaves a 50 ft shot, and SWISH- TIE GAME! A half-court buzzer-beating shot to stab the Tar Heels through the heart; one of the best plays in all of college basketball history.

Blue Blood 4.0: The Battle

Chapel Hill, N.C. So few cities in the United States carry the swagger such as the home of the North Carolina Tar Heels. When you hear Chapel Hill, you think of powder blue glossed across the campus of the university, you think of Michael Jordan, you think of beautiful scenery painted with pine and timber. Most of all, you think of Chapel Hill as the baby blue counterpart to the empire of the north: Durham, N.C.

Durham, N.C. A city known for business, technological research, grand scenery left over from the days of tobacco plantations. More importantly, you think of the boys in blue who dwell on the campus of Duke University. The likes of Christian Laettner, the Cameron Crazies, and Mike Krzyzewski. These are the Duke Blue Devils; these are the arch-rivals who counter the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina. These are the legendary programs of the prestigious North Carolina universities- this is Tobacco Road. THIS is the greatest rivalry in the world, where the camps live 8 miles apart on a road painted two shades of blue.

The UNC Tar Heels come into this game ranked 5th in the nation, followed by the Duke Blue Devils ranked 9th. Duke comes off of an embarrassing loss at home to the Miami Hurricanes, who have never won in Durham in their program's lifetime. Meanwhile, the Heels are on a 5 game win streak since losing horribly at Florida State. For round 1 being played in Chapel Hill, here is the tale of the tape:

• Opening game since 2000: Duke leads, 9-3 (all 3 losses in Cameron)
• Opening game played in Chapel Hill since 2000 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010:
  Duke 6-0.
• Games played in Chapel Hill: Duke leads, 7-5
• UNC vs. Duke with Hansbrough: 6-2
• UNC vs. Duke post-Hansbrough: 1-4
• Teams played eachother 8 times since 2000 when both are ranked: Duke leads 6-2.

As you may see, history favors Duke heavily in this matchup. Throughout the season up until this point, the numbers between the two teams have been identical. However, there are departments in which both teams excel while the other trails. Keys to the game:

UNC

• Second chance points through their superior front court
• Perimeter shooting; living without Strickland or McDonald complimenting Marshall.
• Stopping the Dunk-a-thon; when the Plumlees get rolling, they're incredibly difficult to stop.
  
  
  
• Duke

• Good passing; UNC's strength is the transition. Poor passes will allow UNC to get out on the fast break, leaving Duke in the dust.
• Rebounds; limiting Zeller & Henson on the boards will be HUGE if the Devils are to continue their round 1 dominance.
• 3-Point Shooting; going up against Barnes, Henson, and Zeller means more perimeter shooting, and essential shots made from beyond the arc.

That is my take on tonight's game. This and the 2nd game played between the two teams are the biggest nights of my entire year. Bigger than the new year, more exciting than the Super Bowl, more fun than my birthday, THIS is what I live for. Broken hearts, rough days in the office and the classroom, and generally hard times come and go- but no matter what, Duke basketball is always there. It is my saving grace, this is what powers me throughout the year. And now, it is finally here, the greatest moments of my life are found in this rivalry: NORTH CAROLINA-DUKE! LETS-GO-DUKE!!!

Blue Blood 3.0

We are less than two weeks away from The Battle for Tobacco Road: Round 1, and there couldn’t be a more exciting time of the year for Blue Devils and Tar Heels.

Right now, Duke and UNC seem to be at about the same level. Both have three losses, both have had their issues with defense exploited, while the two teams have hovered around each other in the rankings the entire season. Surprisingly enough, both teams lost to Florida State within the same week. Of course, UNC’s loss to FSU was MUCH worse than that of Duke’s, with a lot of controversy to boot.

For those who did not witness the end of the game, it seemed as if North Carolina was actually forfeiting with 14.2 seconds left on the clock. However, the intentions are in dispute. 

Here are the facts:

• Seminoles were primed to rush the court, as soon as the clock hit 0.0
• Roy Williams met with Leonard Hamilton at mid-court with 14.2 seconds left
• After a short conference, Roy Williams took his starters and bench players, and left the court.
• The walk-on, non-players for the North Carolina, were left behind to finish an embarrassing 33 point loss, while thousands of students rushed the court. Yes- LEFT BEHIND.

There was and is a lot of dispute over what the process of events was, and whose idea it was for UNC to leave early. But that’s not so significant; the fact is that it happened, Duke lost also to FSU so we can’t say much (yet), and now we’ve all moved on. Both teams are dealing with their share of injuries, as Duke’s point guard Quinn Cook battles a knee issue, while UNC’s Dexter Strickland joins Leslie McDonald on IR, with a torn ACL. Tough luck, Dex. However, the Tar Heels are still afforded the opportunity to start new shooting guard Reggie Bullock (former #10 recruit); not a huge deal. The Blue Devils remember Reggie Bullock for his bold talk, speaking how how badly he was going to dominate the Blue Devils last season. Define dominate? If you say so: 6.1 PPG, 36% FG. This Year- 8.4 PPG, 44% FG. Keep it up, moron.

The Blue Devils, losing at home for the first time in 45 games, rebounded last night with a solid pummeling of Maryland on the road. Duke rises to 5-1 in the conference, while UNC lacks at 3-1 with a game at home against NC State (easy win). Through 6 games in ACC play, the Blue Devils offense can be best described as unpredictable. But that’s not a bad thing; between Austin, Mason, and Andre, it seems one player rises to the occasion with at least a double-double, while the rest of the players fill in the stat sheet, handsomely. The same can be said for Syracuse- there’s not one key player on the team, but together, everyone plays a key role.

After UNC’s loss to FSU, some might say the Tar Heels are complacent. Despite their praise, their talent, and their stats, Chapel Hill has lately looked comfortable and unwilling to get their hands dirty. If I were Roy Williams, I would light a fire, and tell these boys that they’re going to have to sweat and scrap to achieve anything this season…..and then I’d leave them behind on the court like it’s 1999. I digress- Duke and North Carolina have pulled neck and neck. Points, rebounds, defense; it’s all in the same neighborhood.

It will be very interesting to see if the Heels and Devils clash against one another with the same record, as similar as they are now. Since North Carolina has struggled to live up to expectations, with the Blue Devils excelling to 4-1 against ranked opponents, one has to wonder if the Heels may be over-confident heading into February 8^th? We shall see. LET’S GO DUKE!

Krzyzewski, A Gentleman and Scholar

Jimmy Valvano at N.C. State, Dean Smith at UNC, and Pat Summitt at Tennessee. Coaches who have become commanding role models of their sport; famous for how deeply beloved they are, by their universities.   

Thanks to college football and the work of people such as Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer, there has developed a misconception that just because someone is a coach of a legendary college program, respect is automatically deserved. The wins, the money, and the fans stadium have become the only thing relevant to those in power, in a sport poisoned by conference re-alignment. Thankfully, leaders of institutions such as those aforementioned give hope to those not impressed by million-dollar extensions. There are things much more important, such as philanthropy, ambition, and class. 

There is a very small group of figures in college sports who are so strongly associated with one university,  and at the same time so beloved for their work off the court, that they survive the test of time and of a losing season. In my hometown of Durham, North Carolina, Blue Devils are unanimous in their allegiance, respect, and love for coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Coach K, the winningest mens coach of all time, has won 4 national championships, a FIBA world championship, and most importantly the almighty Olympic gold medal. UNC will always have the indisputable argument, “We had Michael Jordan,” but since 2008 Duke can say, “The United States of America chose our coach, and not yours.” Krzyzewski became the first and only college basketball coach to coach the Men’s team in the Olympics; an honor capped by the re-gaining of superiority and the gold medal, after eight years of yearning and mediocrity. As impressive as his accomplishments are on the hardwood, his accomplishments off are arguably more so, as portrayed by his motto “I don’t want you armed for the game, I want you armed for life.”

It was announced on January 10^th, 2012, that Mike Krzyzewski will receive the second annual Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award. The award, first given to Dick Vitale in 2011, marks the accomplishments of someone involved with college basketball, who strives to make a positive difference in society. As a fan of the Blue Devils and of a man who truly is a humanitarian, I could not be happier for the winningest of all time. Not everything is about money, and piling up the wins; I believe that, and Coach K exemplifies it. His philanthropy extends to the Emily Krzyzewski Center (a community center in Durham named after his mother), the Duke Children’s Hospital, the Children's Miracle Network, and the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research (for which he is a board member). 

There are countless people who earn millions of dollars, and meanwhile they’re getting arrested or getting caught up in a scandal when they don’t even care. These people (Gilbert Arenas) do not deserve any of the fame and fortune they receive, but people like Mike Krzyzewski deserve 10 times as much, while they’re already giving what they have back to society.

K’s work and devotion to the welfare of his community, his players, and his family is an inspiration to myself and millions more. Someone like John Calipari abuses his coaching abilities by producing problematic, immature players such as John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, and Tyreke Evans; all one-and-dones (See where I’m going with this???). On the other hand, a coach like Krzyzewski grooms his players for impressive careers, and teaches them the utmost meaning of discipline, respect, and showmanship: Shane Battier, Grant Hill, Elton Brand. Duke players rise, fall, succeed, fail. While none of them are perfect, the reputations of anyone associated with Mike Krzyzewski are preceded by the decorum instilled in them by their coach.

I am honored to be a Duke fan, supporting the greatest program in college basketball, led by a giant and humanitarian. Never has he breached ethics, never has he endangered his university of players- it has been 32 years of pure delight. Delight, basketball, and passion. LETS-GO-DUKE.

Manning Takes Over Ole Miss

A year after the University of Mississippi made the revolutionary decision to change it's mascot to a black bear, Ole Miss has decided to make two resounding alterations within its athletic department.

On November 8th, 2011, Houston Nutt was forced out at Ole miss as Head Football Coach. On December 8th, 2011, Arkansas State's Hugh Freeze agreed to become the new Rebels head ball coach.

Now, on January 9th, 2012, a source close to Ole Miss has confirmed that Rebels alum and hero, Archie Manning, will be replacing Pete Boone as Athletic Director at the University of Ole Miss.

More to come.

Blue Blood 2.0

It’s a New Year. Good riddance to the horror-fest that was 2011.

Now that college basketball has been through a decent amount of games, it’s time to re-examine tobacco road. Since the last analysis, Duke was riding high, UNC was average, and 6 men on the court was still outlawed. Now, it seems it’s 2007, and the Blue Devils may not be who they think they are.

The Durham Thunder have fizzled since their thrilling triumph in Maui. After a rough pounding in Columbus, I said the team needs to wake up and realize their playing for one of the greatest teams in all of sports; not some mid-major struggling to make a name for itself. 2-1 against ranked opponents, the Blue Devils looked awful against the Temple Owls, going down 78-73. Our guards played soft defense the entire game (somewhat attributed to ridiculous foul calls), our three 6"11 posterizers were outrebounded by little boys, and Seth Curry made a case for being benched the rest of the season.

Duke committed 16 turnovers: a season high…conference play has not started yet. My living room took a beating as I watched Philadelphia referees call cheap fouls one after the other, and our guards play like frightened girls down in Bon Temps, LA. Here is the latest list of unacceptables:

UNACCEPTABLE:

• Seth Curry. This is not the guy who STUNNED UNC twice last year. Go find THAT guy!
• Only 3 Blue Devils attempted more than 5 field goals
• Out rebounded by a team with ONLY TWO forwards (6”9, 6”6)
• 16 turnovers. UN-FREAKIN-ACCEPTABLE for DUKE basketball, this is John Calipari territory!
• Losing to a mediocre team, in a mediocre atmosphere, when you are #3 in the country.
  

Last year, Seth Curry went insane and hit up North Carolina for 20 points a game (3 times). This year, Seth has looked scared, clueless, and absolutely passionless. Someone needs to bench him, and make him watch tape of Shane Battier, Wojociechowski, and Elton Brand; he’ll see what playing with heart looks like. This is not a rant because of a loss- this is a rant over being 0-2 on the road, and our second consecutive embarrassing loss to a team that matters.

8 miles south, UNC has been as good as exceptional as they should. That is to say, they’re exceptionally better than the cream puffs they've played, therefore they've won big. The only true blemish on their record is the upset loss to UNLV; the 73-72 loss to Kentucky means nothing. Two giants stood back to back, and one of them was only 1 inch taller. This is irrelevant; a complete coin-toss. With all the talent on both teams, realistically, they are as equally great as were LSU-Alabama in The Game of the Century.

The Duke Blue Devils seem to be where they were in 2007: starting off the season loaded with great, young, inexperienced talent. Assuming leadership, immediately after losing the greatest players in the country (Nolan, Kyrie, Kyle). The ’07 Devils finished with 9 losses; the most since the 1995-1996 team, who had 11 losses. On the other hand, the Tar Heels are loaded with talent, seasoning, and experience- the perfect trifecta. However, these Tar Heels lack leadership, and at times motivation. John Henson & the gang want to win and can do so in dominating fashion, but they have got to get better at going for the jugular.

Furthermore, North Carolina has taken the lead on Tobacco Road, ahead of Duke. Chapel Hill knows how to use its working parts; they’re gelling, and they play so well because they are having fun doing their thing. Duke- you have to get your heads together. Seth has to want to win, Ryan has to want to have the rock, and MP2 has to finish on the rim. That’s the game.