Camping out for tickets....

[NT80]

Slackers need not apply for this role

BY WALTER VILLA, wvilla@herald.com

DURHAM, N.C. - Camping out for Duke tickets isn't only for fans. In rare circumstances, athletes do it, too.

Former Westminster Christian golfer Ryan Blaum, the ACC Rookie of the Year last season at Duke, camped out for a week to get in to the Feb. 22 Maryland game.

"Camping for one week is considered slack," said Blaum, who grew up a Hurricanes fan.

The only reason Blaum had the time to camp was because he had a back injury that temporarily kept him from playing golf. When he got hurt, his girlfriend asked him to fill in for a camper who left the 12-person group.

"I wouldn't [camp] for a month, but for a week, it was worth it," Blaum said.

EYES WIDE OPEN

One problem, Blaum said, is that sleep is pretty much a foreign concept in this tent city.

"Everyone is so active here -- there is a band playing, there are kids throwing frisbees or footballs, talking. The earliest you can even think about sleeping is 1 a.m.," he said.

"Then at about 2:15, they give you a one-hour grace period to go eat at this 24-hour place on campus. So you end up going to sleep at 3:30 and waking up three hours later for class.

"But it's a great experience. It's the only time I'll be able to do this."

BEAT THE HEELS

Blaum just hopes Duke beats North Carolina, especially after the Blue Devils' home winning streak of 41 games -- which had been the longest in the nation -- was snapped Wednesday by Georgia Tech.

"People live and die Duke basketball here," he said. "When Duke loses, you can just tell on campus. People walk around depressed."

[CMJ]

Duke has the best fans in college basketball...

HOWEVER, camping out for tickets like this is a rite of passage for most ACC schools. They love their hoops on Tobacco Road.