Ten years ago, authors Andy Bagwell and Reed Tucker released “Duke Sucks,” a totally unbiased journey through the Carolina-Duke rivalry.
Today, that rivalry is as strong as ever — and so are their feelings about it.
And so, last month, Bagwell and Tucker published the sequel: “Duke Still Sucks,” chronicling the last decade of Duke ignominy — from the Grayson Allen era to Zion mania to Coach K’s retirement tour.
The book’s on sale now, and Bagwell and Tucker will be signing copies at the UNC Student Stores on Saturday at 3:00 p.m., ahead of the game at the Smith Center that night. (Also on hand will be Tate Frazier, who wrote the foreword, and illustrator Joel Tesch.)
97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck discussed the book with Andy Bagwell – who’s also a WCHL alum. Click here to listen.
Aaron Keck: It’s the day before the game. What are you feeling? What are you thinking?
Andy Bagwell: The nerves are getting up there. The blood pressure’s rising, the knots in my stomach are happening. It’s one of those days where you have to stay distracted so you don’t start thinking about the game.
Keck: Different coaches, different players, but continuity in a lot of other ways – what feels different this year, and what’s the same?
Bagwell: Yeah, it’s interesting. I think a lot of people (are) looking at this to see what this next chapter will look like. You’ve got Hubert Davis, you’ve got Jon Scheyer – the styles haven’t all that much changed, but it’s going to be interesting: how do these two teams start to take this rivalry forward? I always think every time you come to this game, something unusual is going to happen. So I’m always sitting there, waiting with bated breath: “what’s going to happen? Is somebody going to get punched? Is there going to be some altercation?” ‘Cause it’s still UNC-Duke.
Keck: I love the fact that up until last year there was such a worry – and I was worried too – that (the) year Carolina and Duke meet in the NCAA tournament, it’s going to be the end of everything. Everything’s going to be totally different. And – nothing changed. The rivalry is exactly the same as it always was.
Bagwell: Yeah. I mean, it’s not like Duke went far off the coaching train, right? Jon Scheyer played at Duke, he coached under Coach K, they’re still recruiting one-and-dones, they’re still playing Duke basketball – and Coach K hasn’t even left the building! He’s still kept his office. He’s like the college guy that comes back for high school parties. It’s all the same.
Keck: What’s your most vivid memory of a Carolina-Duke game? Good or bad.
Bagwell: I mean, I go back to the bloody Montross game. That’s the one that sticks in my mind. That was my senior year at Carolina. That was probably one of the few times that I can remember (being) brought to tears. It was such an amazing game. More recently, the game where – I don’t know why it always comes back to blood, but the game that Tyler Hansbrough got smashed in the face…
Keck: You said Bloody Montross, I’d forgotten about that one! I was thinking Hansbrough the whole time.
Bagwell: And of course, how can you forget last year: the game in Cameron and the game in the Final Four, I wasn’t at either one of those games, but man, what a memory – and what an incredible ride they had last year.
Keck: The new book is called “Duke Still Sucks.” What have you had to change for the sequel?
Bagwell: Not a lot! We just had to actually document all the things (from) the last 10 years. We had the first book out in 2012, (and) we thought if we sold a couple dozen copies to our friends, it’d be awesome. And then it took off, it landed me a spot on the “I Hate Christian Laettner” 30 for 30. And over the years, Reed Tucker and I would be like, “oh, Grayson Allen’s tripping dudes. We got to put that in the sequel. Oh, Zion Williamson did what? We got to put that in the sequel.” And then last year when the whole retirement tour happened – oh, it was just nauseating, Aaron. And then with the Final Four game, we were like, “okay, this is God speaking to us that we’ve got to write this thing.”
Keck: What initiated the idea for the first book? What was that day when you were like, “we got to do this?”
Bagwell: We actually had a podcast together back in 2010, and we would end every episode with “this week’s reason why Duke sucks.” So we did this thing for several years, and started building up this list, and it was Reed who actually said, “Hey, we should just write this book.”
Keck: What’s your favorite reaction that you’ve gotten to the book?
Bagwell: Oh my gosh, there’s so many. First of all, I love seeing when fans will take the book to the players and have them sign it, which I think is really cool. I had a guy come up and tell me he’s started a tradition during UNC-Duke games, where during the commercial timeout, he’ll get up in front of his friends and read from the book. Like, I mean, that’s just insane. Like he’s reading from some religious tome or something. There’s tons of great stuff like that.
Keck: Don’t spoil your favorite, but what’s your second favorite anecdote in the book?
Bagwell: I’ll give you two. One is a whole chapter about the behind-the-scenes story of being on the “30 for 30” and meeting Christian Laettner. The aftermath of me having to call the cops to my house – and then some of my friends running into Christian Laettner years down the road. And then the second thing: we looked at (UNC-Duke games in) the Coach K era, and Duke and Carolina finished 50-50. So we did an analysis of weighting those wins. You know, one win is worth a little bit more than another, a Final Four win is worth a little bit more. So we did a really in-depth analysis: “okay, who really won during that time period?” And I won’t spoil it, but it was really kind of cool the way that it all worked out.
Keck: I remember the day before the Final Four, looking at that (stat) and saying, “okay, Carolina’s 49-50 (against Duke) during the K era. There’s no way they don’t win this, right?” Like it’s just fitting.
Bagwell: It had to be that way.
Keck: You got a website?
Bagwell: DukeStillSucks.com.
Keck: Is DukeSucks.com also available?
Bagwell: No, and in fact we chronicled this in the first book: it’s owned by Duke University!
Keck: That’s great.
Bagwell: Now they’ve hidden that since we came out with the first book, but it’s true.
Keck: Before we wrap up: one nice thing about Duke?
Bagwell: Oh, man…the hospital’s a really great place?
Keck: True, they do good work over there.
Bagwell: That’s all I can do, Aaron. That’s all I can do.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines