WATERCOOLER CHAT: UNC/DUKE RIVALRY, WHAT WILL ROSE DO, VALENTINE’S DAY ALTERNATIVE
BASKETBALL
In college basketball, it is that time of the year — the UNC/Duke rivalry game. This one goes way back. This game even has pre-game traditions. Before the match-up, all the managers and assistant coaching staff from each team play each other. That’s pretty crazy. This time, UNC was un-ranked, taking on #2 Duke, and this exact situation hasn’t happened since 1995, except UNC was the highly ranked team led by Jerry Stackhouse. However, UNC held the lead for a while, but with about 10 minutes left in the second half, Duke pulled away and snagged the victory. If you watch this game, it’s such an electric environment, with the Duke fans going crazy after every basket. You don’t necessarily see that in the NBA. Duke 73, UNC 68.
And in the NBA, the Chicago Bulls are having a pretty decent season without their leader Derrick Rose. Rose got hurt in the first game of last year’s playoffs with a torn ACL. That put him out for 8 months, but he was expecting to make a comeback soon. A torn ACL is a very serious injury, and Rose doesn’t want to rush back to the court if he’s not at 100%. With Rose in the line-up, the Bulls become a very different team and a very serious threat to do some damage in the playoffs. Wednesday, Rose said that he “wouldn’t mind sitting out the season”. That pulled the rug from under Bulls fans. Without Rose, they’re almost a guaranteed first round exit. It’s not certain what Rose will do, but he doesn’t intend to take a risk with his injury.
Finally, if you’re looking for some alternative entertainment on Valentine’s Day, look no further than TNT. TNT has decided to air one of the best games of the year on (according to Hallmark), the most romantic night of the year. It’s a rematch of the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams are scorching hot right now, and LeBron is playing on an entirely different level than anybody ever has. It’s a certainty that he will bring something special against the Thunder, but it is Valentine’s Day so wonder how many people will tune in.
