The Best Seat Not In The House For The Duke/Carolina Game

Updated 3/3/15

Called the greatest rivalry in sports, there is no love lost between the Duke University Blue Devil and UNC Tar Heel  men's basketball squads. The rivalry between the two is as fierce as any along the 8 mile stretch of Tobacco Road, or anywhere on earth, for that matter, and possession of tickets to see that game is, to some, tantamount to possession of the Holy Grail...especially when that ticket is for Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University in Durham.

So then, where does one go to watch the game? Home is all well and good, sure, as are bars, but there the focus is only partially on the game. Plus, folks may want to get out of the house to truly show their spirit at full volume, and a bar isn't appropriate for fans younger than 21, the number of which is legion.

This year, a new option has emerged, and it's "beyond exciting as a visitor attraction, and as a development for fans already in Durham," said Sam Poley of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. On Saturday, March 7, 2015 from 3:00pm-11pm, Stadium10 Theater, Northgate Mall will show  Duke-Carolina: The Blue Blood Rivalry, an in-depth look at the Duke-North Carolina basketball rivalry. "We're excited that this game is now more accessible to all fans from individuals to families" Poley added referring to the $10 ticket price to attend a special documentary screening and then watch the game.

 "Sports are ultimately about fans," said Hassan Pinto who produced the documentary, as well as this event. "This event creates access to an elite sports match for thousands of fans because they can't see the game like this anywhere else," Pinto added referring to the fact that the game will be shown on the movie screens in the theater at true 4K resolution, or four times clearer than the typical HD TV that many people own, and on a massive scale. "I can go to the game at Cameron, but I'm excited to watch it at Northgate this year with my friends and family, and so many excited fans," Pinto said.

Basketball and football legends including Gene Banks, Dre Bly, Marty Hensley, Jeff Denny, Ross Cockrell, and Bryn Renner will walk the red carpet and attend a special ticketed VIP event before the screening. The VIP reception will feature food and an open bar with with a silent auction to include autographed basketballs, Duke and Carolina ticket giveaways and more to benefit The V Foundation in honor of ESPN's Stuart Scott. 

The documentary film will screen from 6:30:00-8:15 pm. Shuttles will leave promptly after the film to transport fans with game tickets directly to the Dean Dome for the 9:00 pm tip-off. VIP event attendees will have first rights to theater seats for the live game to be shown on all ten Stadium 10 screens. Tickets for the events can be purchased in advance online. The general public is invited to fill in remaining seats for free on a first come, first served basis after all ticketed guests have been seated.

Learn more about Durham's storied Duke basketball history or other sporting events in Durham, and share your experiences at this event on Facebook and Twitter.

Live On-Air Blue Blood TV Hangout on Google+

In preparation for the upcoming basketball season and in celebration of the UNC/Duke rivalry, fans can hang out with two of their favorite former UNC players.

GreatestFan.com, LLC, a media and technology company located in Durham has announced an interactive Blue Blood TV (Google+) Hangout with two of UNC’s most accomplished basketball stars.

On Tuesday, September 24th at 4:30 PM, Mitch Kupchak and George Lynch will join Blue Blood TV’s social hangout to talk with famed basketball historian, Art Chansky to discuss all things Carolina basketball, including the the theatrical premiere of The Duke-Carolina, The Blue Blood Rivalry on October, 1 at the Carolina Theatre as well as the special moments of the rivalry and the upcoming basketball season.  Kupchak and Lynch will interact with fans online, as well as those in attendance for the live event at Beyu Caffe.

“We are producing interactive online/live events as part of our partnership with Google+,” said Hassan Pinto, Founder of GreatestFan. “GreatestFan is connecting fans to the greatest rivalry in sports.”

“We encourage fans to visit the Beyu Caffe and watch the show live. A few lucky attendees will be selected to participate live on set with Kupchak, Lynch and Chansky in a virtual discussion,” Pinto added. Fans that attend the live event at the Beyu Caffe are encouraged to bring their laptops or tablets to watch and listen to the show as it airs live.

“The Duke-­Carolina rivalry is the best rivalry in American sports due to the proximity of the universities and the sustained excellence of each program.

 “The Duke-Carolina rivalry is the best rivalry in American sports due to the proximity of the universities and the sustained excellence of each program. The rivalry is further intensified because the fans of both teams live and work amongst one another," added Pinto.

As the film’s theatrical premiere at Durham’s Carolina Theatre on October 1st draws near, Pinto and GreatestFan, LLC want fans to experience the hoopla live.  "To one very, very lucky fan we are giving a pair of tickets to each of the 2014 Duke-Carolina games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham and the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. The winner will be announced at the Carolina Theatre premiere," Pinto said.  "When we rolled out the Blue Blood brand (eBook, Movie and TV show), we wanted to be sure, absolutely sure, that we were able to connect the fans to the story. The best way to do that is to send a few lucky people to the games!” Pinto added. According to Pinto, fans have entered from across the United States and the globe to win these tickets.

In advance of the premiere, GreatestFan is airing shows live on Blue Blood TV with guests including basketball alumni from each program. Check Google’s On-­air Schedule or the Blue Bood TV’s page for show times. To enter to win the tickets to both games, Blue Blood rivalry fans can like or join GreatestFan’s Blue Blood Facebook, Twitter, or Google pages. Full contest rules are available at GreatestFan’s Blue Blood TV page on Google+. Fans can also text "blueblood" to 919-­490-­8602, or email their name and mailing address to Greatest Fan with the subject line “Blue Blood Tix.”

Discover more about Durham, NC.

Duke-Carolina Basketball Documentary Film Goes Social

Durham collegiate sports are getting significant play from documentary film makers with two premiering here in the next two months. Duke Carolina, The Blue Blood Rivalry will be shown at The Carolina Theatre in Durham on October 1.  

In advance of that showing, there are several ways for fans to connect with the film and the people it covers, one of which is an opportunity to win tickets to both Duke-Carolina games in 2014. Coming up this Tuesday at 7 PM at Beyu Caffe on Main Street in Downtown Durham there will be an interview with Phil Ford.  The interview will be broadcast live on YouTube as a Google+ Hangout session. Future sessions will be held with additional players and coaches from Duke and UNC Chapel Hill.

This is event is open to the public. Those who cannot attend in person can watch live at the link on YouTube or Google+.  Learn more about the chance to win free tickets in this story on the Durham News Service. 

Another documentary about Durham sports, The Coach Buehler Story is detailed here. It premiers on September 1.

Know about all the events here by subscribing to the Durham Event Calendar.

Lucky Movie Fan To Win Duke-Carolina Tickets

UPDATED 9/30/13:

• Film Premiere at The Carolina Theater at 7 PM. 
• Tickets are available at the box office. 
• People can enter to win the tickets until October 1. 
• One winner gets two tickets to both Duke-Carolina Men's Basketball games.

When Durham-based filmmaker Hassan Pinto produced the movie Duke - Carolina, The Blue Blood Rivalry  (Duke-Carolina), he knew he was chronicling one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports - the one between Duke and UNC men's basketball programs.

Now, as the movie nears it's theatrical premier at Durham's Carolina Theatre on October 1, Pinto and his company, GreatestFan Films, want to be sure that not only does the world know, but that some lucky fan and a friend get to experience these games for themselves. "To one very, very lucky fan we are giving a pair of tickets to each of the 2014 Duke-Carolina games at Cameron Indoor and The Dean Dome. We're announcing that winner at the premier of the movie in Durham," Pinto said.

"People around the world know about this rivalry - it's that epic,"said Pinto, and the rivalry is, indeed, significant. Beyond the hype, there are some significant facts.  The two teams have met 236 times since 1920. UNC has won more times than has Duke, but Duke has won the last two match-ups. Games are attended by celebrities, broadcast nationally, and generate massive amounts of revenue for the schools and their sponsors.

"When we made this movie, we wanted to be sure, absolutely sure, that we were able to connect people to the story," Pinto added.  "What is the best way to do that? We make sure some lucky fans get to see this for themselves," Pinto said.

In advance of the premier, the company is releasing short interviews with some of the current team players, as well some alumni.  None of the footage in these clips shows up in the movie, and the clips are about anything but sports. "We want fans to get to know these players as people, too.  They are warriors on the court, but we, and the players themselves, want people to know more about them off the court," said Pinto. In each of the clips is information about how to enter to win the tickets. These clips will be linked on the movies Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ pages. Full contest rules are available Greatetfan’s Blue Blood TV page on Google+.  Fans can text to enter by sending "blueblood" to 919-490-8602, and also by emailing their name and mailing address to info@greatestfan.com with the subject line Blue Blood Raffle.

There was a screening of the film held for players, alumni and school officials, and professional athletes in Durham on March 4th, 2013.

Tickets go on sale for the October 1 premier on September 25th, 2013.

Stay on top of everything that is happening in Durham with the Durham Event Calendar.