Duke-Carolina on primetime network TV? Whoopty do

As Dane Huffman mentioned below, CBS Sports announced today that the Saturday, March 5, 2011 Duke at North Carolina basketball game will be aired in primetime at 8 p.m. It will be the first primetime broadcast of the series on network television. Whoopty do.

Does it really matter much anymore? Primetime network ain't exactly what it used to be. It's not as if there are only three or four channels like years ago. Most people have satellite or cable with hundreds of entertainment choices. Plus, frankly, I'd rather watch an afternoon game and have Saturday evening free.

I haven't even gotten used to the Sunday night ACC games on Fox Sports (that used to be a TV movie night or a night to get to bed early to start a new work week) and now this.

Most people I know are going to watch the Duke at Carolina game if they played it at 7 a.m. in a parking lot. Certainly they are figuring a lot of eyes will be in front of their TV sets and that a good game could set the tone for the NCAA tournament coverage set to begin a few days later.

"It is an honor for the Duke-North Carolina game to be placed on this stage — for us, the ACC and for college basketball," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement released by Duke. "Hopefully the game will live up to that level of expectation."

The emotion should certainly be there but, while it will be played up even more because its on primetime network TV, the emotion shouldn't be any higher because its on channel 5 rather than channel 31. Plus, some show you might have Tivoed on channel 5 while you watch the game on ESPN will be preempted.

Let's just hope the game means something. Otherwise, a lot of people might just stick with "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted."