The early bird may get the worm but he misses the game. I'd rather have the game. It happens every February. The first Carolina-Duke basketball game has the late night slot. 9 o'clock on a week day. Sorry but that's too late for me. My alarm clocks start ringing at 2:35 every morning so I can rise and try my best to shine on the Big Five. That means a bedtime of 7:30 or 8:00 the night before. I am a huge basketball fan.  Do you feel my pain?

     I grew up in Morganton bleeding Wolfpack red but then went to Duke basketball clinic and was mesmerized by the Gothic architecture in Durham.  Eventually I saw the blue light of illumination by getting my undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. Just once for early risers I wish the basketball gods would show us some mercy and schedule the initial Duke-Carolina clash at 7 instead of 9.

     Here's my plan for tonight. I will DVR the game, go to bed a half hour earlier and get up 45 minutes earlier, pop some popcorn and watch the showdown while the rest of the world sleeps. My only fear is that my wife will accidentally wake me when she goes to bed and there is no way I can resist asking her who won the game.