carolina / duke

This is a special day around here. It's not Christmas in Carolina, but it's pretty close. You can taste excitement, breathe anticipation.

With the gravitational pull of a Death Star tractor beam, 'The Game' locks onto every conversation, every train of thought, and drags it in.

It's classic. It's epic. It's Carolina-Duke. There is nothing like this in sports. Yeah, I said it. Nothing. A national rivalry between neighboring giants.

To prepare for tonight, do yourself a favor and watch this video. Consider this clip your pre-game warmup. Like layup lines for the soul. It captures the moment and meaning in image and word. It's written by Fred Kiger, a teacher from my high school, and one of my new favorite writers. His passion for the game, especially 'The Game', is pure and poetic. You can almost smell the Carolina pines in his voice.

So, suit up in your favorite shade of blue. Sip a little Cheerwine or your momma's sweet tea. And soak up the best that basketball has to give us.