Turn It BLUE

Basketball season is now officially underway in the Triangle (Raleigh - Durham - Chapel Hill), and we have kicked off the season by going to three games in the last three weeks. Thanks to a great neighbor who hooked us up with tickets, our first game of the season was at Duke in their famed Cameron Indoor Stadium. That was our first experience in the energy-packed arena, and we certainly enjoyed observing the student pride through their cheers & traditions. It was also a thrill to see Coach K on the floor. Don't tell our Carolina friends, but we had a blast as honorary Blue Devils for a night.

That aside, the real fun began last weekend when we went to our first Carolina game of the season. I've always been a casual college athletics fan - loosely following OHIO & Ohio State football & basketball. However, it was made quite clear to us when we moved to North Carolina that not only is this a serious basketball region, but we had to declare our allegiance immediately. To understand the intensity of the Duke-Carolina rivalry, you first have to know that the universities are only located 8 miles away from one another. Of course, our house is directly in the middle, so most of our neighbors are affiliated with one university or the other. So, out of convenience (and loyalty to the paycheck-provider), we decided to join the ranks of the Tar Heel faithful. This means that we are slowly filling our collection of t-shirts and stadium cups with Carolina Blue. It also means that you plan your November schedule around the exhibition basketball games. For those who do not have the means to donate $50,000 or more to the school on an annual basis, these exhibition games are often the only games we'll get to see. So, us ordinary folk pack out the arena while we can during these pre-season games. Now in our second season as Carolina fans, we are working on the necessary fan-skills such as singing the fight song or spelling UNC with our arms (see above). The team is projected to have a good season, so we'll look forward to supporting the team from our TV for the rest of the season. Go Heels, Go!