Duke-North Carolina: Notes from a True Fan

(Warning: This article comes from a diehard Duke fan. The majority of the information stated in the article should NOT be taken seriously, unless you are a fan of the Duke Blue Devils. All info is strictly biased.)

The Duke-North Carolina is "arguably" the best rivalry in college basketball.

When it comes to rivalries, this one is hard to put into words. 

Two teams whose campuses sit 30 minutes from each other get a chance for bragging rights as they face each other twice a year.

For die-hard fans like myself, the two games they play against each other are better than the Super Bowl. 

First of all, I want everyone out there to know that the North Carolina Tar Heels are the worst team in college basketball. I hate them with a passion that can't even be described.

Nothing personal, it's just the territory that comes with being a Duke fan.  

Everyone knows one can't like both teams; it's either one or the other. 

If you do like both teams, then I'm afraid you are not a real fan. 

From the days of Eric Montross to the days of Sean May and Co. that won it all in 2005, the Tar Heels have always made me sick to my stomach.

And today is no better with that piece of trash they call Tyler Hansbrough. What a joy it was for me when Gerald Henderson bust Hansbrough's nose wide open last season.

With that said, my Blue Devils failed to get it done against the Heels last year, and lost both meetings between the teams.

This year, though, will be different.

This year, we didn't have to watch a softie by the name of Josh McRoberts get dominated under the hole by Hansbrough the whole game.

This year, we have two new players by the name of Kyle Singler and Taylor King, who are way better together than McRoberts was alone last season.

And this year, North Carolina's point guard, Ty Lawson, sat out the game with a sprained ankle.

The good news was that Lawson was hurt. And the bad news was that North Carolina won't be at full strength.

Whenever your team goes up against their rivals, you want the opposing team to be 100 percent so you don't hear excuses from your friends.

For me, the hate for Carolina isn't towards the whole team, but rather towards certain players.

Sam Perkins, Eric Montross, Rick Fox Jerry Stackhouse, Sean May, Tyler Hansbrough, Reyshawn Terry, and Brandon Wright go on my list of most hated Tarheels.

These guys always did something to spoil the ruin excitement of Bue Devil fans.

And as much as it pains me to say this, there were Tar Heel alums who deserve respect: Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter, and Antawn Jamison top my list of most respected UNC players.

But back to the game.

Wednesday was a great day for all college basketball fans in the Carolinas. The game was on three different stations, and that doesn't include the blackout on ESPN. All of the sports bars in Chapel Hill and Durham North Carolina were be completely filled with Duke and Carolina blue.

And most importantly, I made the dangerous attempt to sit between NC fans while sporting a Duke hoodie with a "Duke fans only" sign attached to my back.

The pleasure of seeing this game from the bleachers of Chapel Hill for the first time is something I will cherish forever.

So to all of my fellow Duke fans, I did manage to make it out of Chapel Hill safely despite my screaming and gloating towards Carolina fans after the game.

To all the Tar Heels fans out there, sorry for the whooping we handed you guys.

Michael Whittenberg is a senior writer for BleacherReport.com.