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I haven't written that much recently but I do hope at some point in my life to have some of my poetry published.
--J.J. Redick
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Not so Royal Blue
Duke's shining image is looking a little tarnished
January 18, 2003
Jon Siegel, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The name evokes regality, and for years the college basketball world treated coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils like royalty. Collectively, it pointed to the program and said, 'That's the way to do it.'
Players were polite and articulate. They stayed four years and graduated. And rarely did a player get into trouble off the court.
That all started to change a few years ago, and last year the program took one of its biggest PR hits.
Mike Dunleavy Jr., anointed as the next player to carry on in the glorious tradition of Danny Ferry, Grant Hill, Christian Laettner and Shane Battier as great four-year players, made himself eligible for the NBA Draft after his junior season. All the loyal subjects in college basketball's Camelot (a k a Cameron Indoor Stadium) mourned.
Dunleavy didn't hire an agent and left open the possibility of returning to Duke. But when that deadline passed, the expected cornerstone of this season's Blue Devils quietly put his college days behind him.
'That was the final chapter in the evolution of the college game,' CBS analyst Billy Packer said of the increasing number of underclassmen going professional. 'He had every reason to come back.'
But in 1999, so did sophomores Elton Brand and William Avery and freshman Corey Maggette - all of whom entered the draft after Duke lost to Connecticut in the NCAA title game. Before last season, juniors Jason Williams and Carlos Boozer announced or implied they would leave after the season.
Dunleavy's departure, though, was perhaps the worst blow. The model program, often considered the proper blend of athletics and academics, was starting to deal with problems more common to flawed big-time programs.
An ESPN 'Outside the Lines' program questioned the academics and suggested the school bends entry requirements for basketball recruits. Krzyzewski dismissed the report as 'bogus' and 'lies.'
Blue Devils and potential Blue Devils also had several run-ins with the law, including a top recruit being dismissed from his high school team after being accused of rape. And Duke suffered public humiliation when one of its players got into a physical confrontation with an official after its NCAA tournament loss.
Dunleavy, the son of former NBA player and coach Mike Dunleavy, was a good student who was expected to be the focus of Duke's title run this season. Instead, the versatile 6-foot-9 forward became the draft's third overall selection and now averages 4.4 points playing 14.3 minutes a game for the Golden State Warriors. He was the sixth underclassman to exit Duke early in the last four seasons.
'Here is a player that had finances and didn't need to leave for that,' Packer said. 'He had access to articulate information more than any other. He had a chance to lead his team to conference and national championships and be the national player of the year. Ten years ago, had some guy been in that position, there is no way shape or form it happens - for a player like that to leave and become a nondescript rookie in the NBA.'
It also was one of the final installments of a difficult season at Duke. Despite a 31-4 record, the Blue Devils were upset by Indiana in the third round of the NCAA tournament. And their five-season run of claiming at least a share of the ACC regular-season title was snapped by eventual national champion Maryland.
Nonetheless, Duke finds itself today in a situation familiar since Krzyzewski took over the program and built it into a national power again in the mid-1980s. The Blue Devils are ranked No.1 heading into their game against 17th-ranked Maryland at Comcast Center. They are the nation's only undefeated Division I team and have a heralded six-man freshmen class designed to retain the status. But despite the quick start, it's too early to tell if Duke has recovered from last season's talent drain and from its smudged reputation.
The ESPN show suggested some players are taking 'easy' classes and majors to get their degrees and noted that an unusually high number of players are studying sociology, which is considered a light course taken by only a small percentage of the student body.
According to this season's media guide, three of the seven players who have decided on majors chose sociology. Williams, the second overall pick by the Chicago Bulls, graduated in three years with a sociology degree. Boozer, a second-round pick by Cleveland, also was a sociology major.
The segment also claimed Duke accepted basketball players whose high school grades and standardized test scores were dramatically lower than the rest of the incoming class and used freshman Sean Dockery as an example. Krzyzewski fired back before this season.
'That [program] was bogus,' said Krzyzewski, who refused to be interviewed for the show.
'Our kids graduate. If you are in the spotlight with the Internet, talk shows and people looking for stories, you are going to take shots. We have had no adversity
'That's the fan intellect and the media intellect, in some respects. That's just sports. When they tell lies about what you're doing, that's different. Like that one show - that was lies.'
The team also had to deal with Reggie Love, a walk-on who is no longer with the team, being arrested for DUI and then pleading guilty to a lesser charge. Casey Sanders, a senior center, was charged with assaulting his girlfriend and admitted guilt in an agreement that gave him probation.
Shelden Williams was accused of sexual assault while traveling with his high school team. The 6-foot-9 forward was never charged in the incident, which included four teammates in a hotel room at 2 a.m., although he was suspended from school and thrown off the team.
'It was settled to everybody's satisfaction,' said Krzyzewski, who was clearly offended by the question. 'He's a great kid, and all those things have been resolved. I think that is enough said. Obviously, I talked to all my players about everything.'
The most public embarrassment came immediately following Indiana's 74-73 upset over then-No.1 Duke in a South Region semifinal, when Matt Christensen blocked official Bruce Benedict from leaving the court following the Blue Devils' loss. Christensen stood in Benedict's way and yelled, 'Call the foul!' after Boozer missed a potential game-winning shot.
The NCAA said Christensen was guilty of 'verbally assaulting and making physical contact' with an official. Duke was given a slap on the wrist for the violation: Christensen was required to write an apology to the official, and Duke was not reimbursed a few hundred dollars by the NCAA for the player's food and lodging. Had Duke won, Christenson would have been suspended for the next tournament game. The ugly incident was the latest black eye in a difficult season.
'Trent Lott did a lot of good things too,' said Packer, comparing the Blue Devils' situation to the former Senate Majority Leader from Mississippi. 'It's a lot of things. The press decides if you don't get a pass on that one. Had this been another program, maybe that would be the case. I don't see it that way.'
The series of off-court problems likely will be forgotten unless incidents continue, but what isn't likely to be forgotten is the fact that the Blue Devils' top stars are leaving early. Dunleavy's departure suggests that situation isn't going to stop - even at hallowed Duke.
'It hurts a little bit,' said Laettner, the Washington Wizards forward who led Duke to back-to-back national titles before graduating in 1992. 'But they have been the most prestigious [program] for the longest. Duke was the last big school that had kids leave early. It tarnishes the prestige a little bit. But in today's day and age, that's just what happens.'
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Dick Vitale -
Dick Vitale has become a parody of himself. If you have a good memory, or have recently seen an ESPN classic game Vitale announced, you will know that Vitale used to actually pay attention to the game and provide good analysis. Now, he is more of an act than anything.
Perhaps most annoying is Vitale's love for anything Duke. He once proclaimed of Duke: 'There's nothing to criticize!!!'. During a game, (it doesn't matter if Duke isn't even playing) you often hear him praise Coach K, the Cameron Crazies, Jason Williams and Chris Duhon (best backcourt in America? Yeah Right) and Shane Battier.
One can only hope that Vitale receives the welcome he deserves in college arenas across America.
Boo him.
Boo him loud.
At least download a 260 kb wav file of dookie V proclaiming Jason Williams and Chris Duhon the 'best backcourt in the history of college basketball'...... or play the Dick Vitale drinking game.
Here's an article about Dick Vitale's wife complaining about Dick
Finally, here is an hilarious piece:
A Day in the Life of Dick Vitale
5:30 am: Alarm clock goes off with the sounds of Duke's fight song. Vitale wakes up happy, ready to face another day.
5:35 am: Vitale enters the shower and uses Blue Devil Blue bar of soap while going over his to-do list mentally. Suddenly, his wife hears him blurt out, "It's a travesty that no one has hired Wojo yet! He's gonna be awesome babeee!!!" She wonders why she ever said "I do" 80 years ago.
6:00 am: Turns on ESPN to find SportsCenter replaying for the two hundredth time of the morning. When Duke's game isn't the first highlight shown, Vitale throws his bowl of Coach K Krunch at the screen. He sees the teams and yells something about "That damn West Coast bias"...Iowa vs. Missouri is the highlight being shown.
6:03 am: Vitale calls ESPN's employee direct line to complain about the lack of respect Duke is being shown during the broadcast. The producer tells him that because Duke beat Portland (not the Trail Blazers, mind you, but Portland U.) by 74, no one in the production meeting wanted that game to lead in with. Vitale threatens a boycott of Stuart Scott, the current anchor on air, and UNC alum. The producer laughs.
6:45 am: Vitale is on the phone to Coach K's secretary...at home. "Mr. Vitale," She says. "I don't go to work until 8 o'clock, please wait until I'm in the office. Coach K won't be in until 10 either. Stop calling me!" Vitale responds that he must have an exclusive interview with The Almighty, er, Coach K as soon as possible! He needs his opinion on what to wear to that night's game.
8:30 am: Vitale plays tennis with Grant Hill's dad and loses six-love, six-love. Afterwards, Vitale grabs the sweat-soaked towel Hill used and runs off with it. Later, his wife finds it in the closet next to the ones from Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette's AAU coach. She calls her divorce lawyer...again.
10:15 am: Dick is doing an interview with ESPNews' Michael Kim about the young college basketball season. Kim asks him about the surprising Arizona Wildcats and their two top-five wins from last week.
"That's right, Michael, you heard it here first, Duke's Jason Williams is the best point guard in the history of basketball. Not just college basketball, but all of basketball at every level!!!"
Kim sighs and asks Vitale who his early favorite to win the Big XII is. "Personally Michael, I think it's an M&Mer, a mismatch babee, it's no contest. Duke could beat the Bulls right now. I know some of you out there in America are going to laugh at me, but I really think the two best teams in the NBA are the Lakers and Duke."
ESPNews immediately cuts to commercial.
1:30 pm: Vitale has lunch with new-signed Duke recruit Sean Dockery. Dockery thanks Vitale for helping him pass his ACT and asks him what he thought of "his boy Will Bynum" the other night in New York City.
"Never heard of him." Vitale says.
3:45 pm: Vitale is on the phone with Coach K asking if he can give the team a pre-game pep talk.
"But Dick, we're just playing Davidson, the kids will be fine."
Vitale then literally begs Krzyzewski to let him sit on the bench next to Shane Battier.
"He's in the NBA, Dick. Plays down in Memphis now, doing quite well as a matter of fact, had 30 last night."
"Oh," Vitale says. "Do you have his number?"
4:57 pm: Minutes before he is to be on the air along with College Basketball 2Night's analyst, Jay Bilas, Vitale is despondent.
"What's the matter Dickie V?" Bilas asks.
"The Network just called. They're sending me out west again. I have to cover the LSU-Tennessee game in Baton Rouge next week."
"Dick, that's not even close to the west. It's right off the mighty Mississip-"
"I know...I hate the Pacific Ocean."
6:10 pm: Tip-off of the game Vitale is covering: UConn vs. Fairfield (Why this game is on ESPN nation-wide is unknown to 99.3% of the country). The Huskies win the tap.
Vitale: "Duke should cut the nets down once again this March in the Georgia Dome, it's gonna be repeat city, babee!"
By mentioning Duke in a non-Duke game in the first 0.3 seconds, Vitale bests his own World Record by nearly a full second! His broadcast partner, Brad Nessler, congratulates him.
8:15 pm: UConn wins 102-60 behind sophomore phenom Caron Butler's quadruple-double. He scores 55, grabs 17 boards, dishes out 11 assists and records 11 steals as well. Many around the nation are calling it one of the best all-around single game performances they've ever seen. Nessler asks Vitale his opinion on Butler's game.
"When you break it down, it becomes clear that Jason Williams and Chris Duhon of Duke are far and away the greatest backcourt in history, babee! This Butler kid is nothing compared to the Super Soph Duhon! I saw a game last year where Duhon scored 14 points! He was flat out awesome babee!"
8:22 pm: Vitale is forced to go on-court to interview Butler. The Q&A goes like this:
Vitale: I'm here with Caron Butler, who shocked the nation by not signing with Duke outta high school. Caron, what is your take on Shane Battier?
Butler (stunned): "Uh, he was a great player last year. I have a lot of respect for his game."
Vitale: "Me too. Brad, back to you."
9:57 pm: Vitale watches the last minutes of Duke's 129-52 victory over a helpless Davidson club at the ESPNZone in Manhattan. Someone in the restaurant tells Vitale to shut up after he screams when Duke backup guard Andre Buckner scores on a layup.
"You're the most biased person alive, Dukie V!" the man yells. "You are the reason everyone outside of Durham HATES Duke, because you never shut up about them!"
Vitale leaves the restaurant, but not before taunting the crowd with chants of "Who's your daddy, Battier!" a la the Cameron Crazies.
No one gets it.
11:00 pm: Vitale is back home, watching SportsCenter. When Duke is not the first highlight shown, he once again calls the studio in Bristol, CT.
"Dick," the producer says. "Duke won by 77, no one cares! Caron Butler had one of the best games ever, Michael Jordan broke his legs, Barry Bonds AND Jason Giambi signed with the Yankees and Arizona beat another top-five team. Those are our lead stories!"
Vitale responds angrily. "Nobody cares about those things! Michael Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer both dunked tonight...with authority babee! I heard Coach K even played Casey Sanders and Nick Horvath together tonight! These are important things the country must know about! And how about the suit little Wojo was wearing? If he's not head coach material I don't know who is! And speaking of suits, get that Stuart Scott off the air, he's a Tar Heel babee! We hate those Chapel Hill guys. ...Hello?"
All he hears is: "If you'd like to make a call, please hang up or try the number again."
11:59 pm: Duke is the last highlight shown, and now Vitale can go to bed. He brushes his teeth with the 1992 Final Four toothbrush Thomas Hill used, flosses with the same strand Trajan Langdon used before the losing the '99 championship game and prays to his shrine of Battier.
All he asks for is that Duke gets respect around the country and that no one, especially ESPN, sends him out to the West Coast to do a game. Because he hates going to Nebraska.
He gets into bed and thinks about the next day. Someone named UCLA is playing against someone named Stanford.
"Hmm," he thinks. "Never heard of 'em."
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