Just finished re-reading Devin Gordon's breathtakingly confident story from last March about why people hate Duke -- and since Today Is The Day, you should, too. Re-read, that is. Consult your physician before taking up the hatred part -- to hate like this can cause windbagitis. And cubicle art.
The latest outlet to try and capture all that fear, hatred and defensive tone is HBO, in a Feb. 23 sports documentary that puts the Duke-UNC rivalry in its crosshairs. "The Battle for Tobacco Road: Duke Vs. Carolina" logs face time with the two schools' greats (Jordan, Smith, Laettner, Krzyzewski), all set to narrator Liev Schreiber's soothing intonation. The doc doesn't get it exactly right, sez this fan -- the ultra-cheesy sax soundtrack throughout the segment on UNC's Charlie Scott made me think of how "Gossip Girl" played jazz every time a black bartender came on screen. The one-hour film's strength is in the historical narrative and rare clips of early games: Anyone know that inter-ACC vitriol started with football? And that N.C. State was the original Tobacco Road basketball powerhouse?
But if you're looking for any fresh perspective beyond the vintage footage, you won't find it here. Everyone in Chapel Hill is beautiful. Every Cameron Crazie has acne and a cracking voice. There's a token Maryland fan, desperate to be included in the commentary. Aaaaaand
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
