35 Ways To Know You're A True Duke Fan

[roywhite]

This from Kevin Lincoln, of Buzzfeed Sports, Duke '11, and former Chronicle editor.

True Duke fan?

[sagegrouse]

This from Kevin Lincoln, of Buzzfeed Sports, Duke '11, and former Chronicle editor.

True Duke fan?

Good stuff. Thanks for posting. Readers, it has pictures with all 35 points. Don't miss!

sage

[hurleyfor3]

I remember when my complete knowledge of Duke basketball spanned all of five years, too. And I was a Chronicle person, so there's that.

[cato]

I remember when my complete knowledge of Duke basketball spanned all of five years, too. And I was a Chronicle person, so there's that.

It was still good. And to be fair, most changes I would make would simply be from my period of fandom. For example, that photo of Derrick Williams should be replaced with Scotty Thurman.

[devildeac]

Well, maybe 33 out of 35 or even 34/35...

[GGLC]

I don't secretly root for Carolina in the slightest.

[rsvman]

I don't secretly root for Carolina in the slightest.

This.



And I don't have any asterisks or complications around my dislike for Tyler Hans-blah-blah, or Hanstravel, or Hansfrodo, or <insert favorite Tyler H nickname here>.

[Bostondevil]

I also don't secretly root for Carolina. Ever.

Plus, that video at number 33? It's not funny. It's not clever. "Duke even sucks at rape"? Really? You want share that bit of ugliness and say it shows I'm a true Duke fan, Kevin Lincoln? But it doesn't stop there. The video manages to refer to Duke female undergrads as variatons on the term ugly b*tches multiple times. Said by two guys who, not trying to be too conceited, rank so far below me in the attractiveness scale, that I think they would have known they were reaching but still probably would have hit on me in my undergrad days, if only to prove their theory that Duke coeds were all b*tches when I politely turned them down.

I draw the line at going after the undergrads, particularly the women. Hate the team, hate Coach K, hate Laettner 21 years after the shot, go ahead. But the undergrads are not fair game. It's time we stop turning a blind eye to including them in the hate game played to great profit by ESPN and their fellow sports media outlets.

[Bostondevil]

This.



And I don't have any asterisks or complications around my dislike for Tyler Hans-blah-blah, or Hanstravel, or Hansfrodo, or <insert favorite Tyler H nickname here>.

Yeah, this too. I didn't respect his game. Still don't.

I'm not the only one.

http://withleather.uproxx.com/2013/0...we-all-deserve

Gerald Henderson was onto something. When you get punched more than once? I start thinking you're doing something to deserve it.

[Channing]

I don't agree with a lot of what he wrote. For instance:

5. True Duke fans who had the privilege of attending Duke did the whole Cameron Crazy thing way more than 5 times. I look at the Crazies now and, when they are on, think they are great, not annoying.

6-9. Most True Duke fans go back further than the mid 00s. Scotty Thurman, as mentioned, should make any True Duke fan curl up in a ball.

14. I never root for UNC, for any reason.

18. I don't care that Quinn is cocky, but I wish he dialed back some of the negative energy every now and again. The play of the 3 seniors is my favorite part of this season, not the occasion when Cook showboats to the crowd or something like that.

19. Everyone who has watched a Duke game knows Curry is on a bum leg. That has nothing to do with being a true fan.

20. Dick Vitale attaches himself to every team that is good, especially if they have an established coach. Just so happens Duke is almost ALWAYS good. He acts the same way with Michigan State and UNC.

I think most who are true Duke fans have knowledge that goes beyond the last 5-8 years or so, aside from the occasional toss in of something or someone everyone knows. Even if we stick to just the Coach K era ... no mention of Johnny Dawkins? No reference to K and Bobby Knight? Nothing about Bobby Hurley or Grant Hill? The article just references things everyone, whether Duke fan or not, is familiar with.

Not sure why this is getting me worked up, except that it seems that this article is exactly what people don't like about Duke fans. There is a misconception that they are all fair weathered, bandwagon, Johnny-come-latelys who don't know about the history of the program.

[COYS]

I don't agree with a lot of what he wrote. For instance:

5. True Duke fans who had the privilege of attending Duke did the whole Cameron Crazy thing way more than 5 times. I look at the Crazies now and, when they are on, think they are great, not annoying.

6-9. Most True Duke fans go back further than the mid 00s. Scotty Thurman, as mentioned, should make any True Duke fan curl up in a ball.

14. I never root for UNC, for any reason.

18. I don't care that Quinn is cocky, but I wish he dialed back some of the negative energy every now and again. The play of the 3 seniors is my favorite part of this season, not the occasion when Cook showboats to the crowd or something like that.

19. Everyone who has watched a Duke game knows Curry is on a bum leg. That has nothing to do with being a true fan.

20. Dick Vitale attaches himself to every team that is good, especially if they have an established coach. Just so happens Duke is almost ALWAYS good. He acts the same way with Michigan State and UNC.

I think most who are true Duke fans have knowledge that goes beyond the last 5-8 years or so, aside from the occasional toss in of something or someone everyone knows. Even if we stick to just the Coach K era ... no mention of Johnny Dawkins? No reference to K and Bobby Knight? Nothing about Bobby Hurley or Grant Hill? The article just references things everyone, whether Duke fan or not, is familiar with.

Not sure why this is getting me worked up, except that it seems that this article is exactly what people don't like about Duke fans. There is a misconception that they are all fair weathered, bandwagon, Johnny-come-latelys who don't know about the history of the program.

To be fair, I think it's pretty cool that a younger writer can come up with a list of 35 things a "true" Duke fan knows and yet leave off entire chapters of the K era, much less the pre-K era. Duke's been good for so long that there are fans who have been through a lot like compared to fans of most other teams, but have still only managed to experience a small part of Duke's success. I was a kid in '91 and '92 and while I remember it, I also don't really remember it. '98-present is where I can say I've really experienced being a Duke fan. If I were to make a similar list, I probably would've had more from the Brand/Battier/Williams years, but I would not have been able to honestly say I personally remember Johnny Dawkins in anything other than a suit sitting on the bench as an assistant. That doesn't mean I don't know about the history and how important he was to the development of the K dynasty, but it also wouldn't have a genuine place in my list of 35 ways I know I'm a Duke fan.

This isn't to say that my list wouldn't differ from the writer's quite a bit. I'd definitely have some Sweaty references. Plus, there's no way the '01 semi-final against Maryland and Gone in 60 seconds don't make it onto this list somehow. But mine would still shamefully leave off many deserving memories and characters from Duke's basketball past. But, hey, I've only been alive so long.

[ChrisP]

Ok, I wasn't going to chime in here when I first read that list, but...I don't give a rat's behind about the tourney games today so...I will add my $.02

First off, no mention of Vic Bubas' remarkable success in the 60's? No mention of the '78 team and, as painful a memory as it is - no mention of Jack "Goose" Givens dropping 40 on us in the title game that year? No mention of the great '86 team (K's first final four bunch) and the one that started a remarkable run of 7 FF's in 9 years?

And #14???? I NEVER secretly root for UNC. EVER!

And I agree with Bostondevil - that video was way more offensive than it was funny. Since when is it ok to joke about rape? WTF?

Ok, ranting over. I hope to be able to channel all my energy going forward into willing 87% of Duke's shots to go in the basket tomorrow night from about 7-9pm

[roywhite]

Ok, I wasn't going to chime in here when I first read that list, but...I don't give a rat's behind about the tourney games today so...I will add my $.02

First off, no mention of Vic Bubas' remarkable success in the 60's? No mention of the '78 team and, as painful a memory as it is - no mention of Jack "Goose" Givens dropping 40 on us in the title game that year? No mention of the great '86 team (K's first final four bunch) and the one that started a remarkable run of 7 FF's in 9 years?

And #14???? I NEVER secretly root for UNC. EVER!

And I agree with Bostondevil - that video was way more offensive than it was funny. Since when is it ok to joke about rape? WTF?

Ok, ranting over. I hope to be able to channel all my energy going forward into willing 87% of Duke's shots to go in the basket tomorrow night from about 7-9pm

Chris, my own perspective is similar to yours, and I love memories going back to the 1960's.

But the author is a 2011 Duke grad, and as others point out, it's nice to see that even fans of a more current vintage have a true passion and appreciation of Duke basketball.

[NSDukeFan]

I may not agree with the whole list, but it was worthwhile to me simply for #10.
anigif_enhanced-buzz-5975-1363097851-3.jpg
(Sorry I don't know how to post animated GIFs yet, so I attached a Youtube clip, which didn't start at the 32 second mark like I intended in preview. I guess I have a ways to go before I learn these new technologies like those hip kids. Get off my lawn.)

[Channing]

To be fair, I think it's pretty cool that a younger writer can come up with a list of 35 things a "true" Duke fan knows and yet leave off entire chapters of the K era, much less the pre-K era. Duke's been good for so long that there are fans who have been through a lot like compared to fans of most other teams, but have still only managed to experience a small part of Duke's success. I was a kid in '91 and '92 and while I remember it, I also don't really remember it. '98-present is where I can say I've really experienced being a Duke fan. If I were to make a similar list, I probably would've had more from the Brand/Battier/Williams years, but I would not have been able to honestly say I personally remember Johnny Dawkins in anything other than a suit sitting on the bench as an assistant. That doesn't mean I don't know about the history and how important he was to the development of the K dynasty, but it also wouldn't have a genuine place in my list of 35 ways I know I'm a Duke fan.

This isn't to say that my list wouldn't differ from the writer's quite a bit. I'd definitely have some Sweaty references. Plus, there's no way the '01 semi-final against Maryland and Gone in 60 seconds don't make it onto this list somehow. But mine would still shamefully leave off many deserving memories and characters from Duke's basketball past. But, hey, I've only been alive so long.

fair enough ... but you know about the history. Even if you never saw JD play a minute at Duke, you know what he meant to K's success. Even if you were no more than twinkle in your father's eye at the time, you know Art Heyman tried to lay out Larry Brown with a haymaker.

[CDu]

I draw the line at going after the undergrads, particularly the women. Hate the team, hate Coach K, hate Laettner 21 years after the shot, go ahead. But the undergrads are not fair game. It's time we stop turning a blind eye to including them in the hate game played to great profit by ESPN and their fellow sports media outlets.

While I agree that the undergrads should be off-limits for the spewage of hate, I'd extend that to include the undergrad athletes too. It is just not acceptable as an adult to have hate for anyone you don't know, especially kids playing a game.

Hate that Duke wins. Hate that Coach K can seem smug and/or surly. Hate the elitist private school image that Duke has gained as its reputation. Hate the style of play that a player may have (i.e., Paulus flops; Hansbrough gets away with travels). But don't take shots at the kids (athlete or not).

I can't stand the idea of the "most hated players" bracket on the internet (regardless of how many Duke guys are or are not on it). It's just really not appropriate.

[Tripping William]

fair enough ... but you know about the history. Even if you never saw JD play a minute at Duke, you know what he meant to K's success. Even if you were no more than twinkle in your father's eye at the time, you know Art Heyman tried to lay out Larry Brown with a haymaker.

Your point is well made, although if he's an '11 Duke grad, he was no more than a "twinkle in the eye" for Billy King, let alone JD or Artie.

[-jk]

fair enough ... but you know about the history. Even if you never saw JD play a minute at Duke, you know what he meant to K's success. Even if you were no more than twinkle in your father's eye at the time, you know Art Heyman tried to lay out Larry Brown with a haymaker.

History? Love it! I was merely a "twinkle" at our first final four! Love the roar of the crowd!

Go Duke!

-jk

[NashvilleDevil]

Your point is well made, although if he's an '11 Duke grad, he was no more than a "twinkle in the eye" for Billy King, let alone JD or Artie.

Billy King played with JD

[weezie]

I don't secretly root for Carolina in the slightest.

Yeah no really after he lauded hansblah I lost interest and switched over to a show about watching paint dry.