gideon said:
Serious question here for those of you from North Carolina. I have been a college basketball fan for forty years here in Michigan. I have cheered for NC State when they had David Thompson and have cheered for North Carolina for many team they have had. I have enjoyed many teams that Duke has fielded and still remember that great shot by Mike Giminski fondly. Their coach is one class act and runs a very clean program. So I have very positive feelings to teams from your state.
What is the basis of Duke hating? Is it mere rivalry or is there some real background to it that can be explained to an outsider. Having a young Duke team leave the tourney in the first round leaves the tournament without one of its premier names. I was not happy to see that.
For what it is worth, i expect NC to go at least to the final four. Excellent team, very well coached.
its just the heated rivalry between the 2 thats pretty much been going on forever. Almost like tradition.
ESPN has even called UNC/Duke basketball the biggest Rivarly in all of sports.
I think UNC and Duke fans both enjoy not liking each other. Its pretty mutual between the hardcore long-time fans. Some of my best friends are Duke fanatics as much as Im a UNC fanatic and we all LOVE giving each other hell.
then there are other things.
Duke's fans are some of the most annoying obnoxious ever. Just watch a Duke home game and you'll see what Im talking about. more power to their gusto for their team, but they take nerdy entheusiasm to a new level.
Duke's coach. The guys one of the best ever in colleg basketball, but he can also be very arrogant at times.
EX: just yesterday when he was questioned about many picking them to be the underdog against VCU he said "As long as Im coaching at Duke, no matter what team I have, we'e not an underdog"
.. and that comment was pointed out to me by a Duke fanatic I work with. She was disapointed at his arragance moreso than I.
but overall, its just fun and games.
