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Latest North Carolina Basketball Stories

Speedo Guy Returns to Duke-UNC

Posted: Mar 9th 2008 12:34 PM ET by Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)
Filed Under: UNC Basketball, Duke Basketball, ACC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Fans, Charlotte, Carolina, ESPN

3 COMMENTS

Speedo Guy III came and went in the UNC-Duke rivalry ... and hopefully he will never come back.

ESPN spent all day on its family of networks showing a feature on the original Speedo Guy. He was a Duke grad student who, back in 2003, stripped down to his skivvies and danced while UNC's Jackie Manuel shot (and missed) two free throws.

ESPN thought it'd be neat to do a feature on his which saw Speedo Guy (who is now a minister), Jackie Manuel and Mike Krzyzewski (who said that no one should ever do that again) discussing the incident. No one listened because Speedo Guy II appeared in 2005 while UNC's Marvin Williams shot (and missed) two free throws.

ESPN's Reece Davis noted that UNC has missed all free throws that Speedo Guy has danced to. Trap set. As you can see in the video above, the bait was taken.

Duke-North Carolina Gets ESPN Huge Ratings

Posted: Feb 10th 2008 6:50 AM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: UNC Basketball, Duke Basketball, ACC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, ESPN

0 COMMENTS

A lot of college basketball fans think that ESPN is far too favorable toward North Carolina and, especially, Duke, on its college basketball broadcasts. Dick Vitale, in particular, draws criticism for treating Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski as though he's not just the greatest coach in human history but the greatest man in human history.

But ESPN has a very simple motivation to shower love upon Duke and North Carolina: They deliver enormous ratings.

Last week's Duke-North Carolina game drew a 2.1 cable rating for ESPN, making it ESPN's highest-rated regular season college basketball game in more than a year. And that high rating was despite having the game blacked out on ESPN in most of ACC country.

The last time ESPN did better than a 2.1 rating for regular season college hoops, it was also a North Carolina game, against Ohio State in November of 2006. Fans of Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, SEC and Pac 10 teams may not like it, but as long as the ACC delivers the biggest ratings, the ACC's top teams will be on TV more than Leave it to Beaver reruns.

Who Would You Rather Hear: Dick Vitale or Billy Packer?

Posted: Feb 3rd 2008 2:40 AM ET by Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)
Filed Under: UNC Basketball, Duke Basketball, ACC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Charlotte, Carolina, ESPN

12 COMMENTS

Around the country, fans will see the return of ESPN's Dick Vitale to announcing when Duke takes on North Carolina on Wednesday. Either you are excited to see him back ... or a bit bent that you have to hear all that pent up emotion just waiting to explode. The fact that he will be paired up with Mike Patrick might just make you want to watch the game with the sound off.

Maybe you rather be in ACC country? In ACC markets, the game will be carried by Raycom sports ... who will have Tim Brando (of "the iron unkind" fame) and Billy Packer calling the game. In those markets, ESPN's coverage will be blacked out and ESPNews will be shown instead. No Vitale for you!

Who would you rather listen to: Dickie V waxing poetic about Duke, Michaelangelo (aka, Dean Smith) and the rivalry? Or Billy Packer ... who hates everything?

Dick Vitale is Targeting Duke-UNC Game for Return to Broadcasting

Posted: Jan 13th 2008 7:15 PM ET by Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)
Filed Under: UNC Basketball, Duke Basketball, ACC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Charlotte, Carolina, ESPN

92 COMMENTS

ESPN's Dick Vitale, who had surgery to repair his vocal chords, plans to return to broadcasting games with the February 6th showdown between Duke and North Carolina:

A scope and analysis of Vitale's throat by Dr. Steven Zeitels in Boston revealed that the broadcaster has recovered sufficiently after the removal of the non-cancerous lesions.

"I was in tears when he asked me to speak my first words since the surgery," Vitale wrote in a letter to fans. "Believe me, it was very difficult to go 3½ weeks without speaking! When he had me count to 10, I was so relieved."

It seems a fitting comeback game for Vitale, who is mocked as "Dookie V" and also glowing of North Carolina to return to action. He does most of the UNC-Duke games over the years and has been part of some of the most memorable calls in this memorable series.

Photos: ACC Cheerleaders

UNC's Athletic Director is Straight Ballin'

Posted: Feb 21st 2007 8:45 PM ET by mjd (RSS feed)
Filed Under: ACC, UNC Basketball, ACC Basketball

6 COMMENTS

Pictured above is North Carolina's athletic director, Dick "AD's Up, Hoez Down" Baddour. I don't have any idea what Baddour is doing in this picture, and I don't have any idea he's rolling like that, but I will say this: it's a very fine line between recruiting and pimping. A very fine line.

The picture was taken at the ACC Women's Swimming Championships, and if you know anything at all about the ACC Women's Swimming Championships, you know you have to go in there blingin', or they won't respect you. It's just how things have always been ... swimmers love thugs.

Thanks a bazillion to The Wizard of Odds for the pic, via 850 The Buzz.