Man, I HATE Duke

So getting sick sucked, but it meant getting to see a game at two of the most prominent college basketball programs in the country, Duke and North Carolina. Everything happens for a reason.......

Saturday I showed up at Cameron Indoor Stadium, to see the Duke Blue Devils take on the St. John's Red Storm. The subject of much debate between KU and Duke fans, Cameron is 'supposedly' the best arena in the country to see a college basketball game (KU fans would argue that Allen Fieldhouse is #1). So, with a completely partial view, I went in with high expectations AND an extreme hatred of Duke. I was blown away.

I will only say this once and it pains me to admit it, but I have to say that Cameron IS the best place to see a basketball game in the country. Sigh. There are a few reasons that make it unique/special:
- It is a small arena... capacity is only 9,300 (compare to 16k-20k for most major program arenas) and they PACK you in - luckily no one sat next to me because otherwise I would have had to put my legs ON the person sitting in front of me.
- The facilities were completely OLD SCHOOL - built in 1940 and barely renovated since....lots of charm. The entrance I went through made it feel like I was going to church or the opera or something. Please note: I have ever been to an opera, this example was used for illustrative purposes only.
- The students (aka the Cameron Crazies) get the best seats in the house - the first 8 rows of one complete side of the arena! Most universities understandably reserve these seats for alumni with deep pockets. But, Duke's decision to give these to the students gives them a distinct home court advantage.

Since the students are practically ON the court and because the arena is so small, the cohesiveness and volume of the chants/cheers is like nothing I have ever seen.....again, I have to apologize to all of my Jayhawk comrades. Also, the Cameron Crazies are pretty damn creative for rich, white kids. Some standout things I noticed:
- When opponent's players are announced, they all say in unison (while waving): "Hi Jamal" in a real sarcastic tone
- New free throw distraction tactics that made me laugh out loud: counting down from 10 really quickly; making sexual groaning noises
- When the opponent comes on the floor, they put the 'hex' on them by pointing their arms and chanting 'uhhhhhh'........and they do it not just for 15 seconds, but for like 5 minutes straight.

It just really amazed me how pumped everybody was throughout the whole game. The game was essentially over with about 10 minutes to go in the first half and yet the crowd was still in it. They were yelling 'Defense' with 75 seconds left to go in the game and Duke up by 30. WHAT?! Incredible. Man, I hate Duke.....................

That evening I went out in Chapel Hill for delicious pizza and wine on Franklin St. with an old Jamba friend, Hannah Pask. Her dog Zeke (Nasty) unfortunately wouldn't sit still long enough, but that is a 'Tar Heels' bib that he has on. Yeah, college basketball is big in this area.



Sunday night, I saw the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wow, talk about a totally different experience. While North Carolina has a deep tradition like Duke and KU, the Dean Dome (their 22,000 seat arena) doesn't hold a candle to Cameron or Allen Fieldhouse. Sure, it was fun to see former KU coach/demi-god Roy Williams barking on the sideline and Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansborough making some unbelievable moves, but the crowd was practically asleep at times during the game. And it's not like North Carolina plays boring basketball - Roy's teams always play a very entertaining, up-tempo game (oh, how I miss the days when Roy coached at KU). It was still a much better atmosphere than Memphis and Ole Miss, but the architecture/size of the arena makes all the difference.



Next stop: Virginia.