In spite of our unapologetic hatred for royal blue, the various curse words that we use to preface the articulation of the name of that school down the road and our shocking aptitude to despise Coach K and all that he stands for, the students of UNC hold a level of respect for Duke University that can only be described as unique and singular.
Duke is the only school that we will call our rival. Further, if any other school were to attempt to fabricate a rivalry with us (I am speaking in reference to one red school in particular), their insignificance would serve as an injustice to our true rivals.
The relationship that we have with our Durham neighbors is so deeply ingrained and all-consuming that we simply do not have the emotional or spiritual capacity to sustain an additional rivalry.
A loss to Duke is the only instance of loss that absolutely breaks our heart — in every sense of the phrase.
A victory over Duke is the only instance of victory in which we absolutely lose our minds — in every sense of the phrase.
We refuse to bestow this manic intensity upon anyone other than Duke University. In our level of hatred for one another, we have found ourselves caught up in a strange love affair. To award importance to any other school is to cheat on our partner in hate. And we have worked for nearly a century to preserve this unyielding loyalty.
What does this mean for the students of UNC on the evening of a Duke win?
It means that we hold nothing back.
It means that we sprint through the darkness and the cold winter air and we do not stop until we see fire. Literally. We set fire to the streets. We jump over those fires because we are invincible. We climb light poles.
We chant. We sing. We wrap our arms around one another.
And as we stand among the thousands of students who eventually arrive in the intersections of our beloved Franklin Street, as we shout our Alma Mater at record volume, as we hug, as we laugh, and as we set off the fireworks, we come to an understanding.
We understand. We get it. We discover what it means to be a Tar Heel. It’s something that we’ve always known and something that we finally get the chance to physically feel.
And so we owe our gratitude. Thank you, Duke University, for allowing us to feel the way that we felt last night. Thank you for allowing us to experience a GDTBATH in the most spectacular way.
Thank you for allowing us to understand who we are as Tar Heels better than we ever have before.
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