Duck Fuke! Go Heels!

The greatest rivalry in college basketball, if not all of American sports, is Duke University and the University of North Carolina, who tip off tonight at Duke's Cameron Indoor Arena (above), which next to the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania probably is the most hallowed court in the land.

Jason Zengerle tries to explain the Blue Devils-Tarheel madness in this Slate article. An excerpt:

While Duke's standing as college basketball's most hated team brings national interest to every game they play, it's still true that all rivalries are local. No matter how much I prattle on about how the hype generated by the Duke-UNC matchup doesn't do the rivalry justice—full disclosure, I'm a big-time North Carolina fan—I won't be able to convince people from Tuscaloosa that it's more special than Auburn-Alabama. I can trot out all the usual arguments: Duke and UNC are only eight miles apart, and they're the two most dominant college basketball programs of the past 25 years, with six national championships and 19 Final Fours between them. But no matter what I say, I'm never able to explain just how monumental these games are to Carolina and Duke fans.

I too am a huge Carolina fan. I too "hate" Duke (as well as the New York Yankees), although I use that word in the mildest possible sense.

After all, it's only a game.

Update: Youth and speed won out over experience.
The final score: Carolina 83, Duke 76.