Do UNC and Duke like each other too much to be true rivals?
- Thread starter Robcatt24
- Start date
All I could think about was how Rupp really does need a facelift. The Dean dome looks pretty sweet during the introduction.
I think there is a professional, mutual respect between Roy and K. But make no mistake: the fans absolutely loathe each other and their respective programs. It's so vile that most of them pull for UK over the other team when we play them.
If you ever read the national board their fans will often go out of their way to defend their "rival" against any criticism. It's nauseating.
True rivalries have turf and people. Anybody who has lived in North Carolina and paid attention to college basketball knows there are not many Duke fans living in that state. Definitely not in proportion to any rivalry as perceived through the national media. The local rivalry in North Carolina is the Pack and holes. The vast majority of the in-state basketball followers side among these two. The VAST majority. Nationally, Duke has a following to make a rivalry presentable. Locally, it barely exists. Compared to the local rivalry between unc and State, it doesn't.
I'm just surprised how much less physical their games are than what UK is faced with. You don't see the bumping and holding at all. Thats why I think UK kills Duke. If UK is allowed to move and operate without people hanging all over them it can make for lights out Lucille.