Well, it worked. I went to bed early last night and got up early this morning and watched a recording of the Duke-Carolina basketball game. And I still made it to work on time. I did pass on the popcorn and stuck with my usual morning fare of Cheerios, yogurt and vegetable juice.

     What did you think of the game? Please share your thoughts. Here are mine.

     I was really impressed with Duke's spunk and spirit in the first half. They looked much hungrier than the Heels in the opening stanza. Carolina has got to do a better job defending the three point shot if they want to win a national championship. Reyshawn Terry played an inspired game for Carolina. He wasn't perfect but his zeal was contagious and helped trigger the turning of the Tar Heel tide in the second half.

      Fans criticized the play of Wes Miller and Bobby Frasor after the NCSU game. I thought Miller and Frasor played great defense against Duke as did Marcus Ginyard. And the long arms of Brandan Wright helped rule the paint during some important Duke possessions

     Duke would have won the game if they had done what they usually do well. They missed crucial free throws which is a sign of fatigue. Carolina's depth helped win this game. They have superior talent this season but Duke showed tremendous heart.   Duke may want to give Gerald Henderson more opportunities one on one.

     I prefer a thorny Billy Packer over a talkative Dick Vitale because Packer tells me more things I don't already know. I do think Packer should back off from some of his historical comments and concentrate more on the present moment. Good plays often go unannounced.

     I love my new HD video recorder. It is so easy to operate. The picture is absolutely stunning. I could even pick out my boss Jim Goodmon and his son Jimmy at the game.

     One final thought. It's hard to watch a great game and be quiet at 3:00A.M.