Evidence

Duke-North Carolina

March 5, 2011: Duke vs. North Carolina, the game of the year. Fans would tailgate for hours, hours, even days before this one. The greatest rivalry in basketball continuously sees something new every time they play, and this time they would see me in the stands with my grandma (gramma), rowdily encouraging our Tar Heels to victory.  

About a month before the big day, Gramma invited me to the game, saying she had one extra ticket. My parents were concerned about the 9:00 tipoff, but nothing was stopping me, nothing. For example,  I laid out my beautiful Carolina blue Tyler Hansbrough jersey with Carolina blue shorts for the game, exactly one month prior. Day after day, I walked up the stairs after another lousy school day to go to bed, and everytime before I cut the lights off, I would stare. I would stare directly at the perfect jersey, and think about how close I was to wearing it. As time passed, the big day grew nearer and nearer, both teams finishing out their regular seasons. When the calendar turned to March, Duke and Carolina were tied atop the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with a 13-2 record; therefore, the winner would be the ACC Regular Season Champion. Before sleeping that night, I packed my bags, placing the Carolina jersey precisely on top, so it wouldn’t get a wrinkle, and that was it. Bedtime had arrived, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, couldn’t arrive any sooner.

Bored out of my mind, I lounged around all day. Spending time with grandparents and cousins and Mom and Dad and my brother was usually fun, but it stunk. I had come to Carolina for a reason, and it was not for family; it was for the North Carolina Tar Heels. After a quiet dinner and unentertaining post-dinner conversation, I crept to bed early. I could not sleep. Dreaming about all the possible ways UNC could win the next day, morning did arrive, finally. The Heels had a great team coming to town, and they would need all they could get to earn a much-needed victory.

Gramma drove me to the Dean E. Smith Center (AKA Dean Dome), the home court of UNC. Gramma can be very silly and funny at times, but she means business when it comes to Carolina basketball, one of her true passions. We had a loud car ride, blaring pump up music down the road, as Carolina and Duke fans alike glared at us as they crossed the road. We parked; we took a bus; we waited in a long line; our tickets were checked; we entered the stadium; we took in the energy and emotion-filled stadium of over 21,000 fans; and we sat down, mentally preparing ourselves for what awaited us.

***

“Let’s go Tar Heels!”

“Let’s go Devils!”

“Let’s go Tar Heels!”

“Go to hell, Carolina!”

“Booooooooooooooo!”

Various chants echoed the building five minutes prior to tipoff. It was deafening. Carolina and Duke fans struck each other back and forth with viscous comments criticizing weaknesses of their adversary’s school. Then, the National Anthem of the United States of America played, and even during the National Anthem, you could hear the Dean Dome buzzing with anticipation. And then, right after the National Anthem, the starting lineups were announced briefly over the loudspeakers. It. Was. Gametime. When UNC played “Jump Around” prior to tipoff, the only thing to do was join in and start going nuts. Even Gramma began jumping ferociously at the traditional pre game warmup tune, and that’s when I knew this would be a night for the ages. The whole building was absolutely exploding, and then the ref threw the ball in the air; the game had begun.

After such a long wait, the game disappeared right before my eyes. Gramma and I screamed our hearts out the entire game, as the Tar Heels jumped out to an early lead and never let it get away. As Gramma and I sat down for really the first time in the game, it looked like the Heels had sealed the victory. A grand smile filled Gramma’s face, not just any smile, but a Carolina just beat Duke kind of smile. And with a minute remaining and the Heels leading 79-67, Tar Heel guard Dexter Strickland threw down a dunk, and the Carolina fans erupted, knowing that our Heels had just beaten the hated Blue Devils. In the ensuing Carolina possession, UNC dribbled the clock out as time expired, and the students rushed the court, filling it with Carolina blue. The increased display of emotion after the big win showed how much that win meant to the Carolina faithful. I was personally exhausted, but there was no way Gramma and I were going to miss the post game celebrations. Taking video after video after video, and then picture after picture after picture of the post game ceremonies, the magical night had finally come to an end. A half-hour later, my gramma and I exited the stadium, taking one final glance where the scoreboard read a perfect score: North Carolina 81, Duke 67.

There are only so many fabulous experiences in everyone’s lifetime, and this ranks among the top of my list. I have still yet to see Gramma go so crazy in my life, and it was just a game of basketball. It was more than just a game of basketball though. It was my chance to be with one of my favorite people by myself, as we screamed and hollered for our favorite team, and that night ranks among one of the best nights of my life.