February 12, 2010
Now I can die happy!
Chris (Duke Fan=Boo!)
Tip Off!
The original Thing to Do #48 on the 101 Things to Do Before You Die list is ”Be Present When Your Country Wins the World Cup.” When I updated the list in September I changed it to #48: Be Present When UNC Wins the National Championship, Redskins Win the Super Bowl, or Hurricanes Win the Stanley Cup (since I couldn’t care less about soccer). However, I’ve posted several times about my obsession with UNC and that seeing UNC play Duke was a pretty big deal. And I managed to accomplish this feat on Wednesday night.
I had made plans with my friends to watch the UNC v Duke game at a local bar (originally Flying Saucer but it was way too crowded and we changed it to Hi5 at the last second). We arrived at the bar around 7:30pm, and had just ordered our drinks when my phone rang. It was Steve and the first thing he asked was “Do you want to go to the game tonight?” A million questions rushed through my brain and things began happening very quickly. After quick and furious discussion, it was decided that Alex was too tired and not interested in going, but my friend Chris (who is a yucky Duke fan) was VERY excited about the possibility, having also never gone to a UNC v Duke game. Logistics were quickly hashed out for transportation from the bar for Alex and Chris’s wife Monica and Chris and I were literally running from the bar to the parking deck.
Downtown Raleigh is a good 30-45 minutes from Chapel Hill and by the time we got on the road, it was 7:50pm. We met up with the other couple that had gotten the tickets around 8:30pm and were driving like crazy people towards the campus. Understandably there was a lot traffic but they had a parking permit and we parked rather closely and ran/walked to the Dean Dome. When I left Hi5 in Raleigh, I had to use the restroom but I didn’t think there was time; an hour later I was about to pee my pants but all I could think about was making it to the game in time for tip off. We arrived in our seats a whole minute prior to tip off and the game had begun!
I can’t put into words the experience of being in the Dean Dome during the biggest rivalry in all of college basketball. Yeah, sure, its an off year for UNC, a team of young guys that are still finding their way. Nevertheless, this is Duke and Carolina – it doesn’t matter how the season is going, everyone is going to bring their A-game. And it WAS a good game, close for so long. I finally went to the rest room during the first TV time out and managed to return just as the game was resuming. And then at Halftime, Tyler Hansbrough’s number was retired and I was present for that too!
If someone could have video taped me, I’m sure I looked like a woman possessed. I was completely uninhibited and lost myself in the moment, screaming and jumping up and down. Chris kept his jacket on over his Duke T-shirt, cheering quietly so that no UNC fans would know a Duke fan had entered our midst.
And then came that moment in sports that is an incredible phenomenon, an intangible force. Something in the atmosphere changes, the air goes out of the room, and everyone in the building knows a shift is happening. I’ve played softball games when I felt it on the field and I’ve watched games when I felt it as a spectator. It happened around the 6 minute mark of the second half. The players felt it and the fans felt it, and although there was plenty of time left to recover, fans began leaving, further enforcing what was to become fact – UNC was going to lose. And we did, 64-54. However, it had been an incredible game till that moment and the experience was like none other, a once in a lifetime experience. Typically seeing UNC play Duke at Cameron Indoor is on many people’s To Do list and I definitely wouldn’t pass up that opportunity (Cameron only being about 9,000 seats strong, its certainly a more difficult ticket to get). However, this was a tough one to get for me – the first offer I’ve gotten in 29 years and I’ll probably have to wait another 29 years to go again.
Thing to Do #48.5: Attend a UNC v Duke Game: COMPLETED
What sporting event would you like to attend? Olympics? World Cup? Super Bowl? (ACC Tourney is still on my list, too!)
Well good for you! Sounds like it was well worth the rigamaroll to get there. I hope you…uh…finally relieved yourself.
For me, as a HUGE NFL fan, I would have to say the sporting event I would most like to see is the Super Bowl, preferably with my favorite team in it (the New England Patriots). BUT, if I had a chance to see THE big game, I’d take it regardless of the teams in it. I’m a die-hard football fan first after all.
Soccer World Cup Final France vs Italy … the return match !
Handball World Cup Final France vs Croatia or Russia or Iceland
Curling Olympic Final …just for fun
Yay curling! It just makes me laugh!
And yeah, I agree Lisa, it doesn’t matter who is playing, being at the Super Bowl is a pretty awesome thing.
Congrats! I’m not a big sports fan. But I’m a big fan of the oversized beers they sell at sporting events, but I am a big fan of the olympics so one day I would like to see an event.
Yeah, I really wish I had taken advantage of going to Atlanta but there will be other opportunities. I’m not big on the Olympics (I didn’t watch the opening ceremonies or any other event yet) but attending them would still be a big deal.
PS – There’s a really cute US curling player. Just an FYI…