by F.J. DelgadoGood luck to Duke tonight against archrivals North Carolina... it will be a great game regardless of the rankings.
What most sports fans don't objectively realize is that UNC/Duke is bar none the best and most prolific rivalry in all of American sports. ESPN might tell you that the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is the most popular or best rivalry, but that's straight up bullshit.
The Red Sox, historically, have been a losing franchise, especially to the Yankees. "26 to 6" or "SCOREBOARD" is all you need to say to a Red Sox fan to get him to shut up about what a great rivalry they have. Once Red Sox fans mention their special little World Series Championship in 2004, all you have to do is remind them that they weren't alive for the last one 80+ years ago, and if they were, point to the cemetary across the street and politely ask them if they have investigated purchasing a plot there, because surely the fan in question will be dead in a few months.
Just because one team thinks two teams have a rivalry, doesn't make it a rivalry. And again, just because the greedy corporate pigs (I'm looking in your general direction, ESPN) make millions off of advertising it as such, doesn't make it a rivalry, either.
Duke and UNC in college basketball, however, is a PURE rivalry. It goes so much further than the game itself, for fans of both schools, and it is steeped in tradition, history, and true competetitiveness. The schools also produce some of the most amazing games ever played on a basketball court - year in, and year out.
when: 9:00 PM
where: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU
Jay Bilas previews tonight's game (ESPN)
joining the club: Gene Wojciechowski goes from Duke hater to Duke fan (ESPN)
Roy Williams should - hands down - be the National Coach of the Year.
The last time the Duke Men's Basketball team lost a big game on a Senior Night, they won a National Championship.
Let's see if history repeats itself... Duke is angry now, and heads will roll - hopefully.
ALSO: my post/reply to an idiot on the Duke Basketball Report Message Board (which won't be posted because I go off on a rant on them):
Jumbo:
I have been reading these boards almost as long as you have been posting.
You are right about many things, but dead wrong on a few key points.
First of all, it is SICK that Marty Pocius hasn't gotten more time to develop his blatantly obvious offensive skills. He would be a great option on a Roy Williams squad, but on a Coach K squad, he wastes on the bench. Recruits will start seeing this, and they will stop coming to Duke (remember Kris Humphries, anyone?)
And the DBR better stop crying about "hey dude, watch what you say on these boards, recruits and parents read this!" Great for you DBR, here's a cookie. The last time I checked, this country was founded on the basic right of freedom of speech, and you guys abuse your power to no end. Get the hell out of here and go to France, Cuba, or Nazi Germany, you guys are missed in those places.
Anyway, Coach K is a an excellent recruiter and motivator. He is severely overrated as a tactician and developer of players. Having him as our Coach is a double-edged sword at times: without him, we would have 0 national championships. With a better tactical coach, Duke should easily have 6.
I also disagree about the UConn game in 2004. We were the better team that year, with more talent, with a dominant lead with few minutes to go, but we lost.... why is that?
If you think we got beat by the better team, you're dumber than I had previously thought. Coach K has constantly cost his teams with two incredibly obvious shortcomings: failure to manage the last 10 minutes of games with sizeable leads, and an absolutely arrogant and stubborn refusal to develop a freaking bench.
Tonight's loss was embarrassing to everyone associated with Duke University. And the only person to blame is none other than Coach K.
J.J. Redick has had a wonderful career for the ages. To blame anyone else BUT Coach K for how this team has imploded would be a travesty.
Oriole Way
11 comments:
is Duke a dude or a team? i only know about cricket and soccer...
Duke is a good-looking baseball player for the New York Yankees - the most well-recognized team on the face of the earth.
its great that youre so into sports now and its pretty amazing what a phony you are since you probably have never even worn a jock in your entire life you fucking unathletic loser
JF: incorrect, i played travel soccer as a kid, and club soccer at Duke.
i am WAY more athletic than you are, no matter what game you play.
you're probably a plodding brute that can't even run, but either way, i would challenge you to any sport, one on one, and i would crush you, no doubt.
except golf, that's a game for sissies.
I do not like golf either. for old fat men. Oh wow, travel soccer. Holy crap, you are so so athletic. And you played club soccer at duke? you ever play varsity anything or not? high scool or college? retarded kids play on the club team! and travel soccer in rec league? stop the fucking presses! only kids with one leg cant make that. you can always tell when someone isnt an athlete by how much they cling to their college teams. ha
how do you know that I am not Michael Jordan? yet you so smart and say you are way omre athletic? just shows what a dipshit you are and how full of crap you are your whole life is
Michael Jordan??!! holy shit, MJ reads my blog, that's badass!
thanks for stopping by dude... my favorite all time college play of yours was when you threw that sick dunk down against Maryland way back in the day... the game was well in hand, UNC was up like 20 points, and as time expired, you jumped out of the building - literally!- and everyone there and watching on TV just stood in awe.
I was too young to remeber it, because I was only about 2 years old, but I saw the jam on ESPN Classic. you're the man!!!
wait a minute, you already knew that... oh well!!
hey MJ, are you going to make another baseball comeback with the Chicago White Sox? what about a second fragrance of that cheap ass cologne you had out a few years ago? i wore it, but girls apparently didn't like it...
my favorite baseball card was that 1992 Upper Deck Special Edition, wow I love that card! I still have it in a plastic case, it used to be worth $20.00 (going up!) in the Beckett, but now it's probably only worth about $4.00 (going down). fuck!
i was also impressed with how you ran the Washington Wizards in to the ground... wait a minute, scratch that, at NO point was i impressed. you sort of suck as a GM and President, dude, what was the deal with that?
anyway, MJ, good talk... i hope you stop by more often! word to the wise: lay off the blackjack, stick to PLAYING basketball, and you stay classy!
luv,
your biggest fan
wow, you are a looooooooser. have fun waiting tables for the rest of your life you overpriveleged underachieving embarassment to your family and your people
unfortunately I have to say, after watching Duke vs. UNC, Duke is vastly overrated. All their players are overrated except maybe Shelden Williams who I believe is much more valuable than JJ Reddick. JJ vs. UNC was effing horrible and worthless. When they dish him the ball, he either 1) jacks up a horrible shot with someone in his face 2) dribbles it and hopes for a foul which he probably gets.
People regard him as the BEST Duke player ever which is wrong. When Duke needs a desperate score they can't go to JJ, unless he gets three people to screen him. If you get a fast enough defender on him, he will get the ball in the corner then jack a terrible shot. When he struggles like last night, he seems to just jack it up even more because of the fact he was struggling and needed to put points on the board. he's a good shooter, but sorry to say Fern-dawg your favorite player is pretty overrated. But I will not take credit away for fulfilling 100% of his potential.
Also, the problem with Duke is that at time they have 4 white guys on the floor and Williams. Seriously. Even watching Dockery and Demarcus Nelson, who are also overrated. That freshman point guard also frustrates me as a poor man's Steve Blake. I like to cheer for Duke, but last night's game I realized all their hype is not deserving.
And on another note, Penn BBALL first team to the tournament!! This is our year baby!!!
Must suck to get owned so badly all of the time on your own blog. All of the time.
whitstick:
I think you are right in saying that Duke is overrated, but you are dead wrong on JJ.
Without Shelden Williams, we wouldn't be a probable NCAA #1 seed, and a favorite to win the ACC tourney (Carolina and Duke are the only faves right now, maybe Boston College has a chance) - so I agree with you on your points about Williams.
But, without JJ, we wouldn't be in the same position, either. And, he's broken pretty much every offensive Duke record in the book. You name it, he's number 1.
Add to that the fact he's an average defender, and you have a hell of a college player.
So, J.J. Redick is indeed probably the best Duke player to ever suit up in Durham.
Furthermore, in written form on my blog, I have him as only #4 on my all time best Duke players, so I take further issue with your points in regards to Redick.
Duke is white, true, but we're still pretty fucking good this year. In my Duke preview in November on this blog, I said EXACTLY that.
I was disheartened by the loss to UNC, as we got punked big time by a great coach and a hot team, but that doesn't take away from Redick's historic season, nor Duke's solid regular season.
Oh MY GOD! You must be a genius! YOU actually said that DUKE was going to be BOTH good and white this year? HOLY FUCKING SHIT, you must be able to see into the future. DAMNIT! HOLY FUCKING SHIT, its fucking NOSTRADAMUS! WOW!
I predict the football team at TEMPLE UNIVERSITY will be both black and awful this year! Will someone pay me to make such predictions?!?! Tney won't? Well they must not recognize my or your genius!
I cant wait for when they lose in the elite 8 and you tell the world that YOU predicted exactly that! Why do you brag when you think youve predicted something correctly? Do you think that makes people think you're less of a psycopath? Because it sure doesnt work.
I like how you're blaming Coach K a little bit when you no doubt have called him the best college coach ever on no less than 24 occasions since the day you set foor in Durham.
ALSO, SO FOR YOUR BLOG YOU BASICALLY REPOST THE SAME THREE OR FOUR ARTICLES (OR UPDATES THEREOF) ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS? THIS IS A FUCKING BLOG. I BET YAHOO IS SHAKING IN THEIR LARGE, WEALTHY PANTS.
Buying lotto tickets is now your only hope you laughingstock. Why dont you become skilled at something? You know, like a trade. Pipe-fitting, electrician, medical records billing specialist? Anything but poker. I bet your parents are really happy with their ROI on paying for your dumbass to get into Duke, even with your minority status, The only thing Latino (hispanic, whatever) about you in the absurd number of free-range children probably running around in your basement.
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