03/6/22

North Caroline Tarheels Wreck Coach K’s Coronation

Last evening, the University of North Carolina and Duke University contested a bit of sport on the Cameron Indoor Stadium basketball court in the Southern redbrick mecca that is Duke University, a school on Tobacco Road built by tobacco money.

Cameron Indoor Stadium defines home court advantage with its Crazies making it like the game is played in a dorm room under a flashlight. It is a horrific environment if you are a visiting team.

The Duke Blue Devils were favored by the punters, the smart money, by 12 points at game time, but here was much more at stake. The Duke v Tarheels basketball rivalry is the best in all of college sports. It is huuuuuuuuge.

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02/6/21

Tarheels V Duke — Tonight

For the first time since the start of the Eisenhower administration in the middle of the last century (long before any of y’all were even alive), the North Carolina Tarheels play the Duke Blue Devils at Duke’s Cameron Center in Durham, NC with neither team nationally ranked in the Top 25 teams in the United States.


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11/28/19

Grateful For The Underdog — Stephen F Austin v Duke

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the American tradition of championing the underdog.

If you were knocked unconscious this week or you do not follow college basketball (I would personally prefer my excuse to have been the “knocked out” thing.) then you may not know that the Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks whipped the #1 Duke Blue Devils (they wanted to be called the Spawns of Satan, but that name was taken), thusly:

Stephen F Austin 85 — Duke 83 Final, OT

The Lumberjacks/Jills beat the Dukies at Cameron Indoor (this is a known portal into Hell that is located on the Duke campus and has a home team advantage of at least 20 points with the heat and the student body rocking the house).

Stephen F Austin player relieving a Dukie of the ball — the key to the game turned out to be ball control and turnovers. The Lumberjacks were adept at stealing the ball and physical play. Bravo!

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03/16/19

Tarheels v Blue Devils

If you are a basketball fan, last night you were treated to a spectacular basketball game when the North Carolina Tarheels played the Duke Blue Devils. Duke took it 74-73 and the game was every bit that close as the Heels missed several opportunities to take the game.

This is the best rivalry in college basketball. It is a guaranteed dramatic struggle. There is no rivalry that has been as consistently excellent as these two teams.

Last night, the rivalry was made even better.

This year, the Tarheels beat the Blue Devils twice but those wins have to be asterisked because Zion Williamson did not play in those two games. [OK, injuries and staying healthy ARE part of the game and you have to play with the team who shows up and laces up. Fair point.]

This game Zion Williams came with a full strength performance of 31 points and one of the fiercest dunks ever recorded in the history of collegiate basketball.

This is guy is amazing.

Image result for images zion williamson

Duke starts a lot of freshmen. Coach K has come to grips with building teams around “one-and-done” players who will not stay long enough to graduate.

These Duke athletes are some of the best to ever play the game. Ever.

Roy Williams builds his teams around players who may never play in the NBA or who will not be leaving early.

This is a difference in style and strategy that translates into two competitive programs and teams, but with a different view of things. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

Your Big Red Car thinks the Heels lost the game because the Heels Coach Roy Williams failed to call a time out and organize things when the Heels had the ball at the end of the game and were behind by a single point.

When the Heels did try to win it, they took a poorly selected three point attempt. Still, it had a chance to go in and we would be singing a different song if it had. It certainly could have.

The Heels, usually a good shooting team, went 4/27 on three point shots.

In spite of this, both teams could have won this game. When you win by a single point, every shot and every free throw was a game winner. But, if you shoot 15% from beyond the arc, you are likely to lose.

Now, let’s get onto the National Championship.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? Hook ‘Em Heels!

 

 

 

12/10/17

Duke Basketball

Who knew? Top ranked Duke gets beat 89-84 by unranked Boston College. It was a good game with Boston College shooting 57.7% from three-point-land while Duke shot 26.7%.

[OK, so the key to beating Duke is for you to shoot almost 60% on your three pointers while they shoot 25%? Haha, simple game plan, no?]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=400986132

I am a North Carolina Tar Heels fan except when they are out of the NCAA tournament (they won it all last year) and then, I hold my nose, get a cider ,and root for the Dukies.

Still, it is nice to see #1 Duke getting beat like a rented mule by an unranked opponent.

I will be attending church this morning to celebrate and to thank God for His wondrous works.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Be good to someone  today who doesn’t expect it. It really screws with their minds. Hook ’em, Heels!

 

12/22/16

Grayson Allen, Duke Basketball

Allen, Grayson Allen, is a Duke University basketball player who has tripped three opposing basketball players in calendar year 2016 during two different seasons. Each such event was blatant, captured on video, and deliberate.

Allen is, also, one of the best basketball players in the country privileged to play on one of the best basketball teams at one of America’s elite universities. The coach of Duke, Mike Krzyzewski, is one of the best coaches in the game and an all-around good guy.

[Please note that the Big Red Car’s favorite team is the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, so praising Coack K is a hard pull. But, it is all true. Great team, great school, great coach, great player.]

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03/22/14

March Madness – Oh Happy Day!

Big Red Car here.  Who cares about the freakin’ weather in Austin, Texas?  It’s March Madness, we care about the strength of our cable signal almost more than life itself.

The Boss got the Grande Communications 1 gig service recently.  The cable signal is strong.  It is fast.  Life is good.

Ladies, we spoke of the protocols of March Madness here — MARCH MADNESS For Women Only.  Go read it.  Make your man happy.  Please.  This will pay huge dividends in the future. Continue reading