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.

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.

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.