How Long Have You Been A Duke BB Fan?

[Henderson]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

So let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

Anyway, let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

2003. Freshman year of college. Duhon, Redick, Ewing, Deng, and S. Williams. Great introduction to Duke basketball.

NOTE: As sad as it is to say, college basketball internationally has about as much appeal as cricket does in the United States. Basketball is huge, but it's all NBA, NBA, NBA. I wish I had exposure to college ball growing up, but there was so little opportunity for me.

[The Gordog]

Sagegrouse recently mentioned that he's been a Duke basketball fan for 55 years. That's pretty impressive to me, and a lot longer than most marriages last. Anyway, it made me curious about the group.

So let's take roll.

And let me say off the top that longevity of fandom has no bearing on quality of insights. Historical perspective is good, but there are a lot of younger fans here with much better insights than us old farts, or at least than me.

Final Four 1978 - present, so 36 2/3 years.

It started when I was 14.

[cspan37421]

Freshman year at Duke, 1985-6. I went to college as a football fan. But then I saw:

Dawkins, Amaker, Alarie, Henderson, Bilas, Ferry, King
and
Strickland, Smith, Snyder, Williams, Nessley, Burgin

and it was a beautiful game to behold.

oh, and I was caught up the Cameron Crazies mania too.

[markbdevil]

Duke fan since the early 1970's, Willie Hodge and Pete Kramer and Mark Crow fan. Remember watching Mike McGee football teams on wooden splintered bleachers in Wallace Wade. Use to wear my Duke stuff to school and be made fun. Wallace Wade Stadium didn't have a digital clock, use to have a timer that looked like a watch, never knew how much time was left in a game. Remember when smoking was allowed in Cameron (Duke Indoor Stadium). By the end of the game, there was a haze so thick you could hardly see the other end of the stadium.

[brevity]

ACC basketball fan for 27 years, Duke specific for about 25. I say "about" because I injured my back a few years ago, so I don't know if that brief period counts toward the Silver Anniversary.

Hmm, Duke Silver...

dukesilver.jpg

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

As the son of two Duke alums, my first memories of basketball are all Duke related.

My first clear memory of a particular game was losing to Louisville in 1986. I was a new enough fan that it never occurred to me that my team could lose a big game. I learned quickly over the next few years...

My other early Duke memory was going to the Smith Center in 1988 to watch Duke play SMU in the second round of the NCAA tourney. Earlier that same year, my sister took off for UNC and I remember watching Duke knock off JR Reid and UNC on her dorm lounge TV.

Anyways, when people ask how long I've been a Duke fan (I think most people expect my answer to go back to the Reddick days or some such thing) my usual answer is "long enough to remember when the line on Coach K was that he couldn't win the big one."

Go Duke!

[1 24 90]

If I had to pinpoint it, it would be January 24, 1990. I remember watching Duke host NC State with Bobby Hurley vs. Chris Corchiani from my college apartment at the University of Dayton. An overtime thriller won by Duke and I've been all in ever since. Thanks Bobby. 25 years in January.

[szstark]

50 years. Freshman year 1964. First game in the Indoor Stadium versus Michigan with Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin. Hooked for life.

[mgtr]

We moved to South Carolina in July, 1984. Before that time I worked hard, then I had a no-work job in SC (college prof). We were always basketball fans, but my first remembrance of Duke BB was Bobby Hurley. We liked him a lot and have followed Duke BB ever since.

[AncientPsychicT]

My parents say that I was enthusiastically cheering on the Devils at as young an age as 2, but the first season I can really remember at all was the 1998-99 season, during which I turned 5.

In other news, my least favorite team is the one composed of prisoners from cell block C.

[luvdahops]

Since early 1978 (nearly 37 years)

Was an ACC fan dating back to the 72-73 season, when a local station in Ohio started showing the CD Chesley ACC games of the week. Was a huge David Thompson, and by extension NC State, fan initially, but loved watching those games no matter who was on (Devils were not on much back in those days). The Duke fire was lit when my older sister was accepted her senior year ('78), and Forever's team started gathering some national attention. What a ride that was.

[DukieInKansas]

Final Four 1978 - present, so 36 2/3 years.

It started when I was 14.

Thank you for doing the math - and I won't confess to how old I was at the time.

[drcharl]

Starting with watching Bob Verga play 1964-1967. As a senior he averaged 26.7 ppg. Also, enjoyed watching Jeff Mullins and Jack Marin.

[BluBones]

Since I showed up on campus in 1980 and on my first night met this guy in a bar named Gene Banks.

He was cool, so why not be a fan?

[Billy Dat]

Upon matriculation in 1990, nearly 25 years.

I am sad to say that I heartily rooted for Louisville in 1986 as I had liked the Cardinals since the local McCray brothers, Scooter and Rodney, played for Denny Crum. Upon becoming a fan and learning about the fan history of the program, largely from this board, it disturbs me to know that I rooted on the wrong side of what was the most painful loss in Duke history for so many diehard fans. Regrets, I've had a few...

[DukieInBrasil]

Since '86. My dad is a Duke alum and turned me on to college ball during that year's NCAA run. I was 10.

[wilson]

Since the mid 1980s. My father is a Duke alum, and my family first got cable television specifically so that we could watch more Duke games. The first specific things I remember watching on television are Duke games, and the first player I specifically remember watching is Danny Ferry when I was about 5 (I was born in 1982). I matriculated at Duke in the fall of 2000, but had already been a fan for almost 15 years by then.

[Atldukie79]

As a Durham native (born at Duke Hospital ) and son of a Duke alum, I can claim being a Duke fan for as long as I can recall anything. Specifically, I remember listening to the radio in the early 60's and "shooting" a couch pillow at the door jam.

I would have to say 1963 as I recall Hayman's name being mentioned a good deal on the radio. so that would be 51 years.

My Dad would claim about 80 years, though he usually references Wallace Wade when referring to older Duke sports memories. But Dick Groat remains his favorite player.

[Kedsy]

Final Four 1978 - present, so 36 2/3 years.

It started when I was 14.

Same for me, except I was 17. I visited Duke in March of 1978 and chose to attend a month later, starting as a freshman that September. I wasn't much of a college basketball fan when I showed up (despite the famous "Big Five," Philadelphia is really a pro sports city), but it didn't take long for me to get caught up in it.