Now that Duke beat Carolina in football I'll have to brush up on my arrogance a bit early. Basketball has been my thing since high school cheerleading followed by four scintillating years in Durham. I adore college basketball because it's fast, exciting, high-scoring, dramatic. I follow all ACC teams, rarely missing a televised game. Nothing's impossible in basketball as I discovered a few years ago when, two minutes to go and Duke losing by about 10, I turned off the TV in disappointment and went to bed. Lo and behold, they pulled off a win. I missed that thrill of victory. Football? Only when my son was high scorer, MVP and all-star in a state not known for high school sports prowess. Nevertheless, it was a trip. Yet with big-screen, high-definition technology football makes a little more sense if you like your sports down and dirty, punctuated by injury. But Duke football? Painful to watch....different from the glory days of chrysanthemum corsages and post-game frat parties. This year, so far, has been different. So I watched the Duke-Carolina game on Saturday. At least it wouldn't be a slaughter. The home stadium offered a slight edge. Duke played admirably the first half, then Carolina came on strong. A touchdown with three minutes to go copped the lead. I turned off the TV and went to bed. Lo and behold, the Devils brought the victory bell home. Soon Duke blue paint covered the paler shade on its caisson. And I, of too little faith, didn't even check the score in the morning. A friend's congratulatory email informed me of the results. Therefore, I'm forced to be an obnoxious, arrogant half-Yankee a few weeks before the pitter-patter of size 15 sneakers hit the hardwood. This can't last. Carolina has a good football team. Duke still faces some big guns. But the surprise victory after decades of defeat was oh so sweet. And I missed it. .

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