Oh, Miami, don't ever change.
Wednesday night at the BankUnited Center, things got pretty tense for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his no. 6-ranked Duke Blue Devils. The ACC doormat Hurricanes went into the half up by twelve, and during the Dukies' inevitable comeback one Canes fan had opposing coach Mike Krzyzewski so unnerved he stopped the game and had referees confiscate the man's noisemaker.
Air horn? Vuvuzela? Whistle? Cowbell?
All annoying, but no: it was a conch shell. Blown by a student wearing an elephant head.
Oh, random fan. You complete us.
And here we start the official campaign for Miami to play no one but Duke. Sure, they'd lose 90% of their games, but some of the 'Canes' best moments have come at Duke's expense, one way or another. There was Jack McClinton's "I had a feeling" game from February of '08, when Miami beat Duke for the first time in 45 years at home in an electric BankUnited Center. There was last year's game, which the Canes lost but in the process produced our favorite image ever.
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And now there's the first-ever conch shell confiscating, which exemplifies the madcap dedication and tropical flair we've come to expect from South Florida. And it worked, at least to the point Coach K looked as if he'd like to shove it where the sun don't shine.
So kudos to you, you Triton of the stands. Kudos.
Janie Campbell is a Florida native who believes in the pro-set and ballpark hot dogs. Her work has appeared in irreverent sports sites around the internet.
