Duke

I read my brother Adam’s blog today and it got me thinking why do I like Duke as much as he and most of the college basketball community apparently hates them.

I am slowly realizing that I am in the minority of fans that like Duke. And definitely in the Zundell family and among my friends I am the only one that cares for the Blue Devils.

I met Coach K once and heard him speak at a coaching conference in Cleveland, and I have read his books, (which if you coach a sport you have to read). I like Duke because I realize that that is what college basketball is all about. Playing hard, playing with passion, playing with a terrific understanding of the fundamentals, playing as a team. All of those things, as a former player and coach, I respect and understand how hard they are to come by and put together.

Does ESPN’s love for them annoy you? YES it annoys the hell out of me. Does Dickie V’s apparent man crush on J.J. Redick Coach K, and any Duke player for that matter make you want to puke? YES. Are some of their players annoying? Of course, but you know what? You would LOVE them if they were on your team. Who wouldn’t want a J.J. Redick, or Sheldon Williams, Shane Battier, or Grant Hill on their team? You would LOVE it if your team played with that passion and desire every game, and who wouldn’t give whatever it took to get a Coach K clone (this is why his assistants are always in the running for head coaching jobs)? Who wouldn’t want the crowds, the atmosphere, and the tradition of Duke?

If you have ever been successful, you have been hated, and if you have been lucky enough to be hated (yes I just said that and you know what I am talking about), then you remember that feeling and how much you loved it. They hated you because you were good, you were the best, and you beat them often. That is what it is like to be Duke. They are hated because they are good. It’s that simple.

So hate them. Root against them. Wish for their players to break arms and legs while going in for a layup. Laugh at their Crazies, traditions, coaches, and the tents outside Cameron. They love it.

Truth is, we all wish to be that good and that hated.