“You may not know what this means because you don’t live in North Carolina” my friend began. “But, for us, if just for a moment, hell froze over.”

He was talking about the greatest rivalry in all of college basketball:

Duke versus North Carolina.

They played last night at Duke University. It was the 239th game of their rivalry. The teams are similar in their successful histories. Even their different shades of the same color of blue point to their similarities. And those similarities only increase the intensity of their rivalry. Every minute of this particular game was worthy of the rivalry’s competitive reputation. The score went back and forth, and even into the drama of overtime. In the end, Duke defeated North Carolina 92-90.

...

Which leads me back to hell freezing over last night at Duke University. The competitive rivalry took a back stage to something far more important. Before the game, we witnessed a moment of nonviolent Atonement.

Duke and North Carolina players and coaches huddled together at center court in a moment of silence to honor the life of North Carolina coach Dean Smith, who recently passed away. Men and teenagers marked by different shades of blue came together, arm in arm, to offer respect to a man who was so much more than a great basketball coach.