This isn’t about patriotism. It’s not about respect for the flag or our military, our domestic protectors, or those lost in the line of duty. This is about control. This is about the small, uber-rich, and almost entirely white owners of professional football franchises reminding their players, nearly 70 percent of whom are black, to […]
Michael Venutolo-Mantovani
Posted inSports
Dispatches from Duke Football’s Annual Spring Game
The weather was perfect for football as the Duke Blue Devils took the field Saturday for their annual Spring Game and open practice. Clouds gently rolled overhead, providing respite from a warm pre-summer sun that has taken far too long to arrive in earnest, giving the thousand or so diehards in attendance license to move […]
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Our Football Withdrawal Formula, Part One: Five Gridiron Books Everyone Should Read
Nine weeks after the Super Bowl and three weeks before the draft, we officially enter Football Withdrawal season! Sure, the break has been nice, the basketball was fun, and other diversions abound to keep us busy. But seriously: When the holy eff does football start again? Four months, you say? What? In an effort to […]
Posted inCulture
The Bulls Are Back in Town: A Primer on the Return of the Home Team (and the Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band Ever)
If I were a more inspired man, I might record a novelty version of Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” for the Durham Bulls’ return to action this week. Guess who just got back today? Them wild-eyed Bulls that’d been away. The Bulls are back in town. The Bulls are back in town. […]
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Carolina Fans: Villanova Is Your Team, If Only for Tonight
I get the looks all over town. General unease at best. Outright scowls, seething anger, gritted teeth, and barely contained rage at worst. Every now and again and for a few instants, the placidness of our beautiful little town is broken and the passion of its denizens overtakes their inherent kindness. I’m a die-hard Villanova […]
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Sweeping Up: A Delightful Visit to the Triangle Curling Club
Cut out of the woods on a quiet edge of Durham sits a long, slender building with a low roof and an expansive parking lot. It’s unassuming in stature and location, with nothing announcing its purpose, a building that hundreds of cars pass every day without even noticing. Inside, however, is a bustling club, a […]
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Tar Heels Replacement Therapy: Things to Do Now That Obsessing Over UNC Is Off the Table
With a whimper and an arena full of stunned locals, the University of North Carolina men’s basketball team saw their season end Sunday. They were beaten badly by a Texas A&M squad that was more physical and, on that night, much better shooters. What it all means for Roy Williams, the underclassmen on the roster, […]
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The Curtain Falls on a Golden Age of Carolina Basketball
What was this season, I wonder? Was Carolina’s drubbing at the hands of a much less talented but far more physical Texas A&M team an anomaly? Perhaps it was closer to the norm. Did Carolina punch far above their weight as the season wound down, or did they underachieve in a handful of winnable games? […]
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Bring On Lipscomb! UNC’s Title Defense Begins Friday.
Many argue thatCarolina’s two-seed was an overstatement, that a ten-loss team should not be rewarded with a second seed, that Duke, Clemson, and Miami all had better overall records and better slates in ACC play yet were awarded lesser two-, five, and six-seeds, respectively. On the opposite side ofthat argument are the people who take […]
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Grayson Allen Is Still a Dirtbag and Other Notes from a Strange ACC Semifinal
Grayson Allen is still a dirtbag. Which is why his Tie Domiimpression earned him a flagrant foul. If any other player in the country commits that transgression, it’s an on-the-floor foul. But given the reputation Allen has rightfully earned over the years, a flagrant one was the call to make. Sure, last night’s movewasn’t nearly […]