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You know how basketball coaches always say that they don’t care about the rankings, what the press is saying about them, or how well they’re playing in the middle of the season? It’s all about March, making the NCAA Tournament and trying to win a championship. That’s what matters.
Except for at a tiny basketball program coached by Mike Krzyzewski on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC. This little-known team has surged to No. 2 in the AP poll despite having at least two or three players who weren’t even McDonald’s All-Americans. It’s truly an amazing story and one that Krzyzewski wishes the local paper, The News & Observer, would pay a little more attention to:
"I don't even think it was mentioned in the newspapers here that we were No. 2 in the polls.How dare the N&O not throw a celebration for Duke’s ranking. Or at least throw ‘em a bone in the form of a banner headline on the front page -- “PRETTY DAMN GOOD: DUKE BEST TEAM IN NATION NOT NAMED WAKE”. How this team continues to win without their quarterback/point guard hybrid Greg Paulus in the starting line-up is a true testament to Krzyzewski’s coaching ability. We can only hope that someday the sports media will acknowledge the accomplishments of Coach K and the Blue Devils. Maybe start by actually showing one of their games on ESPN sometime."I know it's not that big here," he said of Duke's success, "but it's pretty damn good. So when this group makes No. 2, it's a new group, they should be celebrated for doing something good."
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Hating Duke basketball is so early 2000s. You need to find a new shtick.
by The Great Snook on Jan 19, 2009 4:18 PM EST reply actions
I had no idea there was a style guide to hating. Is it still ok to hate the Yankees and Cowboys, or did that go out of fashion years ago as well? Please, tell me who it is cool to hate these days so I can mix up my "shtick."
by cmottram on Jan 19, 2009 4:22 PM EST reply actions
I would be glad to help.
As to your questions hating the Yankees was only O.K. if you lived in Boston the past couple of years, but that was because they weren’t an elite team anymore. As of now, it is O.K. for everyone to hate the Yankees because of the new talent they have acquired. As to the Cowboys, you should pity them as a team, but it is O.K. to hate their fans and Jerry Jones.
If you need someone to hate by default, Boston is still the sexy pick as they seem to keep on winning and their fans won’t let you forget it.
As to Duke, they haven’t done anything in quite some time. Their last national championship was in 2001 and since then they only have 1 final four appearance and the last two years they haven’t even made it to the sweet sixteen. Although, sadly, I can’t think of a NCAA team to replace them on the "hate" list.
by The Great Snook on Jan 19, 2009 5:07 PM EST reply actions
Love and hate in sports are the same: You can’t jump on and off the bandwagon.
by cmottram on Jan 19, 2009 5:09 PM EST reply actions
Wow, Coach K needs to lighten up. Duke hasn’t beaten anyone except for G-Town and a solid Michigan team. They’re lucky to be No.2 in my opinion.
by westbrook13 on Jan 19, 2009 5:10 PM EST reply actions
Coach k complaining about not enough media exposure or ‘celebration’ by the media is a joke. His ego is huge and he really has come to believe that he IS college bball…what a goof.
by JoeCool on Jan 19, 2009 5:44 PM EST reply actions
And that solid Michigan team returned the favor.
by ChiAdam on Jan 19, 2009 5:48 PM EST reply actions
Coach K is caricature. He can’t win in March so he looks elsewhere for attention.
by ptviperz on Jan 19, 2009 6:19 PM EST reply actions
Celebrate Duke? OK! I will call all my friends over tonight and we will party like never before. Thanks Coach K……We have been looking for something to celebrate since well….err…. uhhhhh ……..last night.
by TJack on Jan 19, 2009 6:30 PM EST reply actions
How about UCLA and Ben Howland – easily hateable as talk a big game, play a walking screen O with a grab away D, hardly ever go past the Rockies to play, and when they do at tournament time they get punched out every year.
by MemphisBBQ on Jan 19, 2009 7:09 PM EST reply actions
Yeah, Duke basketball should be celebrated… If arrogance should be celebrated. They are very good but they are the most arrogant program in the country, bar none.
by IHATEPITT on Jan 19, 2009 7:16 PM EST reply actions
Celebrate what??? That a bunch of old rich farts buy you good players every year? You have a huge ego and a very bad hair do :)
by vstarboy on Jan 19, 2009 7:26 PM EST reply actions
Great post. That’s all I have to say.
by RavenManiac52 on Jan 19, 2009 7:39 PM EST reply actions
it’s not as if Dick Vitale doesn’t work K and the Dookies into every broadcast that he does.
by Richter7.7 on Jan 19, 2009 8:01 PM EST reply actions
stop your whining. This is why people dislike Duke, they are a very good team, but we do not need Coach K telling everyone about it. The team reflects the coach and there are to mnay arrogant players on this team, but as I said it reflects their coach.
by kbonner1 on Jan 19, 2009 10:06 PM EST reply actions
Coach K,Steelers,Yankees,Lakers,Mets,Red Sox,Tiger,Metallica:YOU ARE ALL OVERATED!Poor,homeless,elderly,neglected children:YOU ARE THE ONES THAT I THNK ABOUT.
by reddogracer on Jan 19, 2009 10:26 PM EST reply actions
Coach K needs to meet Mr. Wooden. Then tell him were Duke stands.
by brooks36 on Jan 19, 2009 11:29 PM EST reply actions
wow, did he really say that? and people wonder why so many hate Duke.
Has it come to this? K wants to be celebrated for being #2????
I hope Wake wipes the floor with you. 7 FF in a row and you deserved to talk trash and have a swagger. Whether we liked it or not you were there every year. Now, noo one fears you.
How about you make it out of the sweet 16 before you get celebrated. Also You may want to beat a team in the triangle. And i don’t mean UNC.
You know that undefeated team in your conference?
by NASTYMAN on Jan 20, 2009 3:08 AM EST reply actions
So Coach K wants the LOCAL paper to print a story about Duke reaching number 2.
I wonder how the local paper handled the "unbeatable favorites" UNC when they were ranked number 1. Probably pushed it down everybody’s throat.
By the way, nice pulling of a headline to really make a story. Looks like you got everybody riled up.
by dtalbott on Jan 20, 2009 9:16 AM EST reply actions
Another coach with a big ego. Shocking.
by IamMcNasty on Jan 20, 2009 10:57 AM EST reply actions
What? Please me this completely fabricated? While I don’t "care for him" only due to his position at DOOK, but I have to respect the accomplishments of that program. Again, tell me a celebrated, champion, hall of fame, and olympic gold medal winning coach is NOT complaining about being slighted? Please say it ain’t so?If it is so, shame on you K. If not, shame on the writer. Either way, shame on us all for wasting our time to worry about who gets what level of recognition in January.
by heelsn08 on Jan 20, 2009 12:39 PM EST reply actions
To help shed some light, here are top 15 RPI with their AP ranks:
1/2 Duke
2/4 Pitt
3/7 Mich St
4/6 OK
5/15 Xavier
6/5 UNC
7/12 Geo
8/3 UConn
9/16 Butler
10/10 Clemson
11/1 Wake
12/9 L’ville
13/22 Memphis
14/11 Marquette
15/8 Syracuse
And some anomalous others:
28/14 TX
41/13 UCLA
52/18 Purdue
62/19 ND
Bottom line is Duke is "celebrated" exactly where it should be, Wake seems to be celebrated beyond what they should get, some teams are celebrated way beyond where they rightfully belong (see Wake, UCLA, ND), and others, mostly mid-majors, get celebrated less than they belong (Xavier, Butler, Memphis).
Same as every year – thank gawd we have a tournament….
by MemphisBBQ on Jan 20, 2009 12:53 PM EST reply actions
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