Quote Originally Posted by Wheat/"/"/" View Post
HB has done nothing that I have seen to deserve all the negativity people seem to enjoy tossing his way. From all sides.

I've listened, or read, almost all his press comments for the past two years and he has always handled himself in a very mature manner. He's been straightforward, praised his teammates, and the competition. Nothing he has said has been controversial, that I've seen. His teammates all seem to enjoy playing with him. He's been a good student and representative for his school. He has preformed a a very high level on the court, even if he hasn't met others standards, or even his own.

What I see from some fans is very unbecoming. From one side there's a lot of envy, jealousy and resentment. From the other, a lot unrealistic expectations, simple greed.

Why not just let the amateur psychological, analytical BS go and let HB just be HB.

I say lets just let him find his way, he's still a young adult, and enjoy,(or not if he's playing against your team)...watching him play basketball.
Oh, yes he has.

Okay, I'll cop to resentment. I don't so much enjoy it when things go badly for Harrison Barnes as I feel nothing. When I first saw the picture of him with the towel over his head, I thought pretty much like you-- I felt sorry for the kid. Is the world really a better place when cameras get shoved in a kid's face at a moment like that? Of course not. Sure, the kid went to UNC, but whoever he is, of course I empathize.

Then I realized the photo was of Harrison Barnes and I went, "oh... whatever."

It all comes down to the skype stunt. What you perceive as a teensy bit kinda maybe over the top was something, much, much more to Duke Nation. It's 2012 now, so let's set the stage for the skype stunt. It's 2009. Duke had lost early in the NCAAs yet again, and has not been to the FF since 2004. UNC sure felt like it was eclipsing us, what with a recent title and beating us 4 years in a row in Cameron. We don't know 2010 is coming. Public perception is that our teams have been alarmingly unatheletic (yes, I know that quote came later) for quite some time, and that we are consistently losing our big recruiting battles, particularly to Huckleberry the over-his-players bus driver-- who's been recruiting negatively against us.

As Skype day approaches, HB makes a call to Coach K-- he's got some key last minute questions. K goes to Ames, settles down Prince Harry, and leaves feeling pretty confident. Why shouldn't he be? Clearly Harrison Jordan Barnes is a great kid who would NEVER manipulate a legendary coach and thousands and thousands of fans just to hype himself up? Would he?

Then the skype event comes. My initial take is like yours-- hey, it's over the top and he chose THEM. Screw him. I'll be over it when the season starts. He's got a right to make his decisions, even if they're tragically misguided. Duke and UNC fans will move on from this like we have with dozens of other great recruits over the years who went to the other school.

But then people ask-- where did the jersey photo come from? Well, we find out that while K was summoned by Prince Harry to calm his jitters (seemingly successfully), Huckeberry was driving around Ames at the same time with what's already been agreed to be Harrison Barnes' jersey. (We know this because they told us-- apparently, they wanted us to know.) HB later makes the comment that the choice between Duke and UNC was never really close.

The whole skype day fiasco was a fraud, and a calculated FU to Coach K and the Duke fan base. And they wanted us to know.

Imagine how you felt as a UNC fan during the worst of the Gut era or middle of the Doh era. (The analogy isn't quite right but hang with me.) Then imagine some kid pulling what Harrison did-- but to UNC. I think you'd remember it a little. Maybe a little too much.

Now, don't think I don't have empathy for UNC players despite the rivalry. I felt serious empathy for Zeller after this year's game at the Nose Dome, particularly when people wanted to make him the dog. I also felt bad for Marshall-- you could tell it was eating him up to sit on the sidelines and it was NOT enjoyable to me in the least even though I was thrilled UNC lost.

Without the skype stunt, I'd probably feel the same way about Barnes.

Let's be real-- I'm treating him exactly like he wanted me to. Like he BEGGED me to. He's a kid that has said he doesn't want to offend any person ever, because hey! Everybody buys shoes, right?

But Duke fans, well... we don't rate like everybody else in the world in his book.

Fine with us. Just don't expect our tears.