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.

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.

Duke-Carolina, The Blue Blood Rivalry Screening Premiere

The basketball rivalry between Duke and UNC is the stuff of sport legend. Some suggest it is the greatest rivalry in sports. Period.

Knowing the depths of emotion and passion engendered in fans, Durham-based filmmaker Hassan Pinto and his company, GreatestFan Films, has created a 95-minute documentary on this subject. Duke - Carolina, The Blue Blood Rivalry  (Duke-Carolina) highlights historic moments in this greatest of rivalries and captures the essence of the game-day experience from the perspective of basketball fans, players and coaches from each university.

The film contains never-before seen interviews with Hall of Fame Coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams, as well as current and former Duke and Carolina greats Phil Ford, Jay Bilas, Eric Montross, Chris Duhon, Antawn Jamison, Seth Curry, P.J. Hairston and many more, as well as notable basketball announcers such as Dick Vitale, Dan Shulman, Tim Brando and Erin Andrews as well as famous alumni like comedian Lewis Black (UNC) and recording artist Mike Posner (Duke).

An event to premiere the film will take place on March 4th at 6 PM at Tyler’s Taproom at American Tobacco in the Speakeasy. The premiere is a private event, but Tyler’s will be showing the movie in their Biergarten, as well. This area is open to restaurant patrons desiring to see the premier of this film and catch a glimpse of those featured in the film. It is expected to be a busy night and fans should remember that Tyler’s does not take reservations.

The event will be covered by video crews from local media as well as a documentary crew. Fans are encouraged to dress in the colors of their favorite team. “We hope fans dress and represent their teams well,” says Pinto. “This is a premiere, so we’d love to see people out there dressed for the occasion,” he added.

For those unable to attend, the entire event will be streamed live on a Google + Hangout that can be viewed on YouTube. A link for that will be shared on social media the day of the event. Fans should check the Durham, NC Where Great Things Happen Facebook page for this link on Monday, March 4. The stream will be live at 6 PM.

Beginning Friday, March 8, 2013, and continuing throughout the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Duke-Carolina, The Blue Blood Rivalry documentary film will be available on Time Warner Cable’s On Demand service.

The Duke-Carolina premier screening is held in conjunction with Tyler’s Taproom.

Duke Professor Research Indicates NCAA Fans Work Less During March Madness

The trees are blooming, layers of outerwear are being shed and Durham's Sarah P. Duke Gardens are teeming with those seeking the rays of a warm sun. These things all point to one obvious and extremely important thing, perhaps the biggest the month of March has to offer each year - Madness.

All these niceties of life take second seat to that which rules this area for a few weeks each spring.  Spring wouldn't be Spring without college basketball.  Brackets are filled out, friendly banter about which team is best occurs at nearly every human interaction, and the games are viewed almost to the exclusion of all other things.  They even get streamed online while people are at work.

So as the NCAA tournament is about to begin, fans’ attention is on brackets and seedings. By at least one measure, this focus will mean a decrease in academic productivity, says Duke University professor Charles Clotfelter Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of Public Policy at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy

“The week after selection Sunday, the amount of work goes down. But, in addition to that, the amount of work goes down if your team wins a big game,” Clotfelter said.  In this area, that must mean a big hit to productivity since two (three counting the much improved former powerhouse NC State) college hoops cathedrals are within a few short miles of one another and are embroiled in what some consider the greatest rivalry in all sports.  For the uninitiated, that's Duke and UNC Chapel Hill - the Tobacco Road rivalry.

In his 2011 book "Big-Time Sports in American Universities," Clotfelter analyzed the number of articles viewed during February, March and April at 78 research libraries in three different years. Using the retrieval of articles as a measure of work, he found declines corresponding to the tournament. The study explained in the video linked above.

The #2 ranked Duke Blue Devils Men's Basketball Team plays its first game of the tournament on Friday the 16th at 7:15 PM against #15 ranked Lehigh Mountain Hawks.

See Also:

A more in-depth video interview with Clotfelter

Bracket - everyone needs a bracket

JIM CROW LOSES; The Secret Game

History and diversity are two of the things that make Durham, NC so interesting - here are amazing things that take place here everyday. Today one of the most interesting occurred; well, 68 years ago today.  Read on for an amazing piece about The Secret Game. It's a truly fascinating story, and one of the things that makes Durham the place that it is today.

Published originally in New York Times Magazine - March 31, 1996

By Scott Ellsworth

Aubrey Stanley double-checked the laces on his sneakers and sneaked a look across the gym floor. The other team's center was a good three or four inches shorter than Big Dog, the center on Stanley's team, the Eagles. A good sign. Stanley and his teammates, dressed in their maroon jerseys, satin shorts, knee pads, striped wool socks and war-issue canvas high-tops, lined up for the tip-off.

It was 1944, a banner year for basketball at the North Carolina College for Negroes, in Durham. The Eagles had lost only one game all season and were making a name for John B. McLendon, their 28-year-old coach. His standouts -- Stanley, Henry (Big Dog) Thomas, Floyd (Cootie) Brown, James (Boogie-Woogie) Hardy -- ran a blistering, high-speed attack. "We could have beaten anyone," says McLendon, now a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. But there was no way to prove it. Neither the National Invitational Tournament nor the N.C.A.A. tournament allowed black colleges to participate.

Across town at Duke University, the Blue Devils had won the Southern Conference championship. But they weren't necessarily the best team on campus. The Army and the Navy had established wartime training programs at Duke, and the intramural teams were stuffed with former college athletes.

The medical school team was perhaps the best. Dick Thistlethwaite, a former star at the University of Richmond, played center. David Hubbell, a forward, had started for the Duke varsity. Homer Sieber had played at Roanoke College, and Dick Symmonds at Central Methodist in Missouri. Jack Burgess, the team's newest member, had played guard at the University of Montana. As much as he liked Duke, Burgess despised the Jim Crow laws. Once, he was chased off a Durham city bus -- at knife point -- when he told the driver what he thought of the seating arrangements.

At a place like Duke, Burgess's opinions were unusual, though not unheard of. In early 1944, the Y.M.C.A. chapters at Duke and North Carolina College had begun to meet, at considerable risk from the police, who vigorously maintained the color line. "It was dangerous," recalls one former Duke student. "We had to lie on the floor of the car going to those meetings."

At one meeting, a North Carolina College student overheard an idle boast about the Duke medical school basketball team. A challenge was issued: let's see who has the best team in town. It was an absurd notion. Convening a secret Y meeting was bad enough, but holding an illegal, racially mixed basketball game was courting disaster. That same year, a black G.I. had been killed by a white bus driver for not moving quickly enough to the rear of a Durham bus.

Coach McLendon, however, endorsed the idea: denied a postseason championship game, he would create his own. The game, he decided, would be held in the North Carolina College gym, a legitimate contest with a referee and a game clock.

At Duke, the proposal fell on stunned ears. Jack Burgess wanted to play, but some of the others were hesitant. In the end, pride won out. "We thought we could whup 'em," David Hubbell says. "So we decided to find out."

Sunday, March 12, dawned blustery. McLendon had scheduled the game when most of Durham, including its police force, would be in church. He hadn't told the school administration about the game; when a reporter for The Carolina Times, Durham's black weekly, found out, he agreed not to write anything. No spectators would be allowed.

Just before 11 A.M., the Duke team piled into a couple of borrowed cars. "To keep from being followed, we took this winding route through town," Hubbell recalls. They pulled their jackets over their heads as they walked into the small brick gym.

Inside, stomachs had been churning all morning. "I had never played basketball against a white person before, and I was a little shaky," Stanley says. "You did not know what might happen if there was a hard foul, or if a fight broke out. I kept looking over at Big Dog and Boogie to see what to do. They were both from up North."

The game began with a sputter. Both teams botched routine plays, and shots caromed off the rims. One of the Duke players made a gorgeous pass -- right into the hands of a North Carolina College player. "On that particular morning, you didn't exactly need to play skins and shirts," Hubbell says with a laugh.

As the nervousness subsided, the Duke team found its game: give-and-gos and three-man weaves, two-handed set shots off screens. Burgess fed Thistlethwaite the ball inside and Hubbell shot from the wings. But the Eagles warmed up, too. Big Dog knocked down four-footers, while George Parks, a towering Kentuckian, swept the boards. Boogie and Cootie ran cutaways and reverse pivots, whipping down-court passes after crisp steals.

Stanley was only 16, the Eagles' youngest player, and had grown up under Jim Crow. "About midway through the first half," Stanley says, "I suddenly realized: 'Hey, we can beat these guys. They aren't supermen. They're just men like us.' "

By the second half, the Eagles were scoring on nearly every possession. Running one fast break after the next, they were skirting a wide-open style of play that wouldn't flourish for another two decades.

The Duke players had never seen anything like it. By the end of the game, the scoreboard told the story: Eagles 88, Visitors 44.

Then came the day's second unlikely event. After a short break, the two teams mixed their squads and played another game, an even more egregious violation of Jim Crow. This time, it was skins and shirts. "Just God's children, horsing around with a basketball," says George Parks.
Word had spread, meanwhile, that something was afoot in the gym. McLendon had bolted the doors, but a few students climbed up to the window ledges. Pressing their faces to the glass, they saw this second game -- a segregationist's nightmare and a scene that college basketball in the South would not know for years to come. Afterward, the two teams adjourned to the men's residence hall for a bull session. A few hours later, the Duke students drove home.

The Durham police never found out what happened. Nor did the city's two daily newspapers, and the black reporter kept his word. No scorecard exists, and as far as official basketball recordkeeping is concerned, the game never took place.

"Oh, I wonder if I told you that we played basketball against a Negro college team," Jack Burgess wrote to his family in Montana a few days later. "Well, we did and we sure had fun and I especially had a good time, for most of the fellows playing with me were Southerners. . . . And when the evening was over, most of them had changed their views quite a lot."

(Published in New York Times Magazine on March 31, 1996 / Written by Scott Ellsworth)

Learn more about Durham, it's past, present and future by visiting 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.