Duke, Dukies Featured On National Television

Being on television is nothing new for anyone associated with Duke Basketball, but usually, the Blue Devils are on ESPN—maybe ESPN2, if they're playing a team just pumped about being in Cameron Indoor Stadium. NBC Nightly News, though? That doesn't happen every day. Some astute and loyal viewers—and Duke Basketball Report readers—noticed two familiar faces on the show's segment about the H1N1 vaccine for pregnant women: Chris Spatola, Duke's director of basketball operations, and Jamie Spatola, Mike Krzyzewski's daughter and co-author of two of his books. The couple is featured in a Duke University Medical Center room, and Chris Spatola's even wearing a Duke Basketball polo. (Plus-one for free advertising!) Congrats to the expecting couple, by the way.

Also, while we're on this topic: Duke's one of three schools featured in a commercial for the new brand campaign for ESPNU, which, as you might have guessed, will air across platforms. (Fun fact: the spots for Florida and Texas were also filmed at Duke. Which is why you might have seen Bevo on campus. Or not. Just saying.) The Duke spot leads with a tour guide leading pre-frosh around campus and relating everything to basketball. Christian Laettner once had a few classes in SocSci (really, Bostock). Elton Brand ate a sandwich on Main West (probably true). Then some dweeb in the front asks about, you know, academics. Nerd.