Happy rivalry day! (or UNC vs. Duke basketball game day!)
With a Duke grad and a UNC grad under one roof, Will and I very much have a house divided. Until last year, our first spring of marriage, we had never watched a Duke-UNC basketball game together. Neither of us likes losing to the rival team (who does?), and we definitely have to make a conscious effort to be calm and nice to the other team throughout the game, but that doesn’t necessarily come easy. Two days a year we sit together, in our respective university colors, cheering on opposite teams, and today is one of those days. May love win over rivalry in this Woodhouse divided ;)
Will and I both grew up watching ACC basketball, and both regularly watched and attended games throughout college (though Will was a bit more passionate and rowdy than I). Last year around this time we were featured in an article about Duke-UNC couples and the rivalry we endure together. Since then we have experienced 4 rivalry football games, 2 rivalry basketball games and a Duke basketball national championship and lived to tell the tale. I choose not to tell the tale of either of those 2015 basketball games.
To say Will was a very involved Cameron Crazy would be the understatement of the year. If I am his first love, Duke basketball is his second. He camped out for months to get into the UNC game, painted up, and wore a Duke blue suit to most games. He was always shown on ESPN during Duke games, appeared in a few newspapers and even in a spread in Sports Illustrated. Passionate? Yes. Crazy? Yes. But, they don’t call them Cameron Crazies for nothing. Below are some of the photos from Will’s time in Cameron, can you spot him? (Hint: left corner; behind the player with face paint; center; left corner)
And a true depiction of love over rivalry – I made a Duke needlepoint belt for Will for his birthday while we were in college. The belt spells out the Duke fight song and his initials in the classic gothic Duke lettering. It was certainly a labor of love. I worked on a little bit each night and a lot on car trips. The only time I didn’t work on it in front of the TV? During the Duke-UNC basketball game. ;)
My basketball experience at UNC wasn’t quite as crazy and full as Will’s experience at Duke. At a bigger school, it could sometimes be hard to get into games, but my friends and I went to the games we could and cheered on the team from our dorm when we couldn’t. While I was not nearly as TV famous as Will, I still made a point to paint up, stand in the bleachers and rush Franklin Street after a UNC victory over Duke. Basketball games were such fun moments in both of our college careers and we will always tune in for this rivalry game above all others. All we can do now is cheer and remember that love is stronger than rivalry. Right? We hope so. Go Heels! :)
Rushing Franklin Street after a win over Duke!
All of these photos are from social media – thanks to all of the photographers!
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