Durham Celebrates Duke

Duke fans have been celebrating since Tuesday's historic NCAA Championship Men's Basketball win and now the community is invited to Durham to celebrate.

The community will come together to show a little Durham love to the 2015 Duke University Men’s Basketball NCAA championship-winning team with an event on Tuesday, April 14 from 5-6 p.m. at the American Tobacco Campus lawn and amphitheater.

Music and pre-event festivities will start at 4:30 p.m. with the Duke pep band and Duke cheerleaders. At 5 p.m. the team will be welcomed by Durham Chamber President Casey Steinbacher and then recognized by Durham Mayor Bill Bell and Durham County Board of Commissioners Chairman Michael Page. The team will be presented and Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski will give remarks.

The celebration is presented by the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, Downtown Durham Inc., The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, The City of Durham, and Durham County to recognize and thank the team for bringing such tremendous honor to Durham through their excellence as a team.

Duke's Cutliffe National Coach of the Year

Durham got another feather in its cap last week as Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe was named the 2013 National Coach of the Year by the Walter Camp Foundation. Cutcliffe's win further solidifies Durham as City of Champions, a title the city gets from the dominance of so many of the sports teams and squads that call the city home.

Credit: Duke Photography via GoDuke.com

The Walter Camp Coach of the Year is selected by the nation’s 125 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.

“Coach Cutcliffe is more of a mentor than a coach to me and the rest of my teammates,” redshirt junior quarterback and team captain Anthony Boone said.  “It’s been great, just learning how to be a better quarterback and a better man. What makes him special is that he actually cares; that he’s a genuine guy. Everything he says, you can take to heart.”

The ACC’s Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013, Cutcliffe guided Duke to its first ranking in the BCS standings and jumped four spots to No. 20 following last week’s 27-25 road win over North Carolina.  Also ranked 20th in this week’s Associated Press national poll, the Blue Devils will face top-ranked Florida State in the 2013 ACC Championship Game on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.  The game will be televised nationally by ABC.

Duke will face Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Kick off is at 8 PM on December 31st.

Learn more about visiting Durham online and be part Duke's football action here next season.

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.

Duke Gets No. 2 Seed; Hosts Hampton on Sunday

There's no doubt about it—Durham has fantastic basketball teams and March Madness is their time to shine.

The fifth-ranked Duke women’s basketball team received its 19th straight NCAA Tournament selection on Monday.  The Blue Devils (30-2) were seeded No. 2 in the Norfolk Region and will play 15th-seeded Hampton (28-5) in the first round on Sunday, March 24, 2013 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and will tip at 12:05 p.m. (EST).

The Blue Devils have earned one of the top eight seeds in 12 out of the last 13 years in the NCAA Tournament and are coming off three straight Elite Eight appearances.  Duke has been a No. 2 seed in each of the last four years.

Hampton advanced to the NCAA Tournament after claiming the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament championship for the fourth straight year with a 59-38 victory over Howard on March 16.  The Lady Pirates enter the NCAA Tournament winners of 19 straight games under head coach David Six.  Hampton features four double-figure scorers on the season – Keiara Avant (16.1), Nicole Hamilton (12.2), Alyssa Bennett (10.2) and Olivia Allen (11.8).

Duke and Hampton will meet for the second time over the last four years in the NCAA Tournament.  The Blue Devils downed the Lady Pirates, 72-37, in 2010 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.  Overall, Duke and Hampton have met on four occasions with the Blue Devils holding a 4-0 advantage.

The winner of the Duke/Hampton game will advance to face the winner of the No. 7 seed Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 seed DePaul game, which will tip at approximately 2:30 p.m., on Sunday.  The second round contest will be played on Tuesday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m., in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Blue Devils received an automatic invitation to the 2013 NCAA Tournament after claiming their eighth ACC Championship on March 10 with a 92-73 victory over 15th-ranked North Carolina.  Duke has registered 30 wins for the 10th time out of the last 13 years, including three out of the last four.  The Blue Devils claimed the ACC regular season title outright for the second straight year and the fourth consecutive season.

Entering the 2013 NCAAs, the Blue Devils own an all-time record of 49-19 in NCAA Tournament play and are 50-20 in all postseason action.  The Blue Devils feature a 16-game winning streak in Cameron Indoor Stadium in NCAA Tournament action.  Duke has advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 14 out of the last 15 years and reached the NCAA Final Four in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2006.  As a conference, the ACC received five bids in 2013 -- Duke, Maryland, Miami, Florida State and North Carolina.

Tickets can be purchased by heading to online or calling the Duke Ticket Office at (919) 681-2583.

For more information about sports in Durham, check out this website.

The City of Champions to Welcome Olympic Medalists at DBAP

As a city renowned for its athletic prowess, Durham has much to celebrate in the wake of the 2012 London Olympics. Two Duke student-athletes, Abby Johnston and Nick McCrory, secured berths on the U.S. Diving Team. Both dominated in synchronized diving and returned to the City of Champions as champions. 

In honor of their achievements, Olympic medalists Abby Johnston and Nick McCrory will throw out ceremonial first pitches prior to Thursday’s Durham Bulls game against the Norfolk Tides. The duo will also sign autographs for fans on the concourse during the game.

Abby Johnston, 22, captured a silver medal in London in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard diving competition along with partner Kelci Bryant. Their medal was the United States’ first diving medal since 2000.

Chapel Hill native Nick McCrory, 20, brought home the bronze in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving final along with his partner David Boudia. The junior collected the Duke diving program’s first national title on the platform at the 2010 NCAA Championships.

Meet the newest champions to make Durham great on Thursday, August 23rd. The game begins at  7:05pm and ceremonial first pitches are scheduled for approximately 6:45pm. Tickets for all Bulls regular season home games and the 2012 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game are available online, by phone at 919.956.BULL, or in person at the DBAP ticket office.

Durham is where great sports happen.  Learn more about it online.

Basketball...with Benefits

Duke Men’s Basketball and the Emily Krzyzewski Center in Durham will team up once again and allow basketball fans to get a rare glimpse inside Duke's four-time national championship program with proceeds benefiting the Emily K Center. It's a hoops lover's dream come true.

Ticket holders will have floor side seats in Cameron Indoor Stadium as Coach K leads the 2011-2012 Blue Devils in a preseason practice, while former team captain and 2001 national champion Nate James offers insights as the team goes through its paces. 

The practice is followed by a catered dinner in Scharf Hall with Coach K and the men’s basketball coaching staff.  To cap off the evening the coaches will answer questions and share basketball stories. 

Event proceeds benefit the Emily K Center, a non-profit organization in Durham serving academically-focused, low-income students in out-of-school programming designed to help them achieve in school, gain entry to college, and break the cycle of poverty in their families.  

The event takes place on Tuesday, November 8, at 5 p.m.  Tickets and additional information can be found here.

REPOST: Factoid

No Surprise – Duke is the Nation’s Favorite Men’s College Basketball Team

Regardless of your bracket...it looks like Duke wins - at least according to this poll:

Source: MarketingCharts.com and Harris Interactive Click to enlarge.

Bull City Mutterings

Factoid

Winning Tradition in March

March Madness in Durham is synonymous with winning. For example, the sixth ranked Duke Women’s Basketball team just won their second straight ACC regular season title and their second straight ACC Tournament championship. Given these recent victories, they expect a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Division I Women's Tournament.

Continuing the winning tradition, the men’s basketball program at Duke is looking to defend their ACC Tournament title this weekend during the men's ACC Tournament in Greensboro. Duke won the last two tiles – in 2009 and 2010 – which vaulted them past North Carolina for the most titles in ACC history. The Blue Devils now have 18 league championships, one more than the Tar Heels.

The defending NCAA Division I Champions are currently ranked fifth in the country and expect a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament. If the past is any indication, the men will make it deep into the tournament. During the 12 years in which the Devils have won nine ACC titles and gone 30-3 in ACC Tournament play, the Devils have won two national titles, played in four Final Fours and 10 Sweet 16s. Not a bad record in March.

Duke plays Maryland tonight at 7pm in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Their play through the weekend will determine their seed which will be assigned during the selection show on Sunday, March 13 at 6pm. The women will receive their seeding during the selection show on Monday, March 14 at 7pm.

It’s not just the Duke teams taking part in tournament play this year. The N.C. Central men’s basketball team will play its final basketball game of the season as a guest at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday. The Eagles transition to the MEAC will be complete with full membership next year, at which time their games in the tournament will count.

If you are itching to see March Madness basketball in person you’re in luck because for the second straight year, Duke will host first and second round action of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Games will be played March 19 at 11:00am and 1:30pm and March 21 at 7pm at Cameron Indoor Stadium. To purchase tickets, stop by the Duke Athletics Ticket Office, call 919-681-BLUE, or visit http://www.goduke.com./

Watch the Blue Devils, Benefit the Emily K Center

On Wednesday, November 10, basketball fans have a rare opportunity to get a glimpse inside the Duke Men’s national championship program as a part of a special evening to benefit the Emily K Center.

Guests at Inside Duke Basketball will observe team practice in Cameron Indoor Stadium in the company of former players Jay Bilas (now ESPN analyst) and Chris Carrawell; tour the new Duke Basketball Museum and Athletics Hall of Fame; dine in Scharf Hall along with Coach Mike Krzyzewski; and participate in a question and answer session with the basketball experts.

Tickets are available for a donation of $250 per ticket at the Emily K Center by calling (919) 680-0308, ext.1006 or buying online here.

The Crimson Tide Brings its Green

Yes, the national champions Alabama Crimson Tide Football team is beginning its descent on Durham. And it's a beautiful sight.

Not only will the home town Duke Blue Devils (who beat the 'Tide in 1944) bring their A game to the field at Wallace Wade Saturday afternoon, but the Crimson Tide fans will bring with them significant visitor economic impact.

Duke added about 4,000 extra seats to the for spectators for this upcoming game which speaks to the fact that 'Bama fans travel.  The economic impact from this game in Durham this weekend is $5.9 million -extremely high for a weekend event. Some of the reasons include much higher percentage of overnight visitors than most events, longer stays - particularly from the Alabama folks, and of course, ticket prices.  No tickets are available through Duke Athletic's ticket office for this game, according to the Duke Box Office.

Hotel rooms around Duke and 15/501 are sold out. There are still rooms available in S.E. Durham in and around Research Triangle Park which provide direct and easy access to Wallace Wade Stadium. 

Parking around town might be a touch challenging so use this map to see where spectators can park for the game or where to avoid if the game is not on Saturday's agenda. Local businesses will likely see a major influx of visitors in the early evening when the game lets out so residents should make plans accordingly for any dining or entertainment plans they might have. 

Sure, the Devils have an uphill battle on the field, but let us not forget that sports are a game and in any game there are chances...remember ASU in Michigan a few years back?... so there's a chance that the Blue Devils may make the Crimson Tide a little red in the face.  One thing not left to chance is that Durham will be a touch more green as the Tide subsides, and for that thanks go to Alabama.

Lets. Go. Bulls.

Even the unitiated sports fan has to love the Durham Bulls.  Let's face it, aside from having a world-class stadium in an awesome downtown setting in which they play world-class baseball, they are also the subject of the number one sports movie of all time.

And now they are in the play offs.  Again. 

The league champion will be crowned in Durham this weekend - what day depends on who wins each game.  Read that another way and it says "GO ROOT FOR THE BULLS TOMORROW" but the Durham News Service is not a place for yelling.  Sure, 'Bama and the Crimson Tide is coming to Duke for some football, and frankly that's all the more reason to head on out the The Durham Bulls Athletic Park and let the Bulls know that the hometown fans are behind them 100%.

Besides, how sweet would it be to have a (nother) championship in the place where great things happen?