Duke-NCCU secret game

[DavidBenAkiva]

Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune wrote an article previewing an upcoming ESPN documentary entitled "Black Magic" about segregation, discrimination, and Black athletes in basketball. Among the nuggets in the article, Mitchell talked about the "Secret Game" that took place in Durham, NC in March of 1944.

The all-white Duke basketball team, hiding under their jackets as they walked from the bus to the gym, went to North Carolina College for Negroes and played the all-black team. They lost 88-44. I applaud Duke for breaking the law, as it was illegal for the White team to play an African-American team in basketball.

We've discussed in the past that Duke is "White Team," with what appears to be an abundance of White players. I thought that this was a cool perspective on Duke and the history of African-Americans in the sport, as well as segregation and other forms of bigotry. I'm looking forward to watching the two-part series.

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

[Cameron]

When you really do sit down and think about it, we've probably had more white superstars than any other college basketball program over the last 20 to 25 years. Think of the list: Ferry, Laettner, Hurley, Parks, Wojociehowski, Dunleavy, Redick, Paulus, McRoberts (I mention him for mere nationally recognized reasons, not because he was a superstar), Scheyer, and now Singler.

I realize, however, that this means little to nothing. Coach K is not "choosing" races when he recruits. But still interesting nevertheless.

[RelativeWays]

Those players are also more likely to stick around than just a year or two, which is probably more important to K than their skin color (McRoberts being the exception...and Dunleavy, except he stayed at least 3 years).

[fan345678]

I wouldn't say all those guys were superstars. Of Duke players during the integrated era whose parents were apparently both caucasian, only Gminski, Ferry, Laettner, Hurley, and Redick have been "superstars."

But still, that's probably more than any other school has had.

When can we get an article about our superstars whose parents were of two different races?

[Uncle Drew]

In an era where we are probably going to elect our first US president of African descent. It's amazing to think about an era I never knew, glad I didn't grow up in and am glad is behind us.

At the same time race is thrust into our living rooms and lives if not on a daily, then at least monthly basis. I have had African American fans for other schools tell me point blank they don't like Duke because Duke is too "white". And as much as some would like to deny it, there has to be a small portion of fans who like Duke because they get a high number of white players. That's not to say these people are quote unquote racist. But we as human beings tend to want to congregate with people like us and see people on TV that resemble and act like us. In a sport with a high percentage of African American players in the pros and college it really isn't a shock that people enjoy seeing someone they relate to playing a sport.

Tiger Woods has probably inspired tons of minority children to take up golf, a sport that until he came along was about as white as you can get. Arthur Ashe proved in tennis that an African American can compete and excell. While I could care less if Duke sported a team of all blacks, whites, asians etc. I think it's VERY important to note the intelligence of all players playing for Duke as opposed to other schools especially after 4 years. Duke players white and black are for the very most part articulate when speaking to the media and regardless of background are bettering themselves attending Duke. I will never forget Ed Cota's famous quote as a SENIOR after losing to Duke, "If Antawan and Vince had been here it wouldn't have been no contest". And taking a look at Maryland's graduation rate of all players speaks volumes to how much their players are truly bettering themselves in school.

I do have one question perhaps someone could explain to me. An athlete like Shane Battier, Tiger Woods or Langdon who is of mixed race, why is it they seem to wear one side of their race on their sleeve like a badge of courage and identity, yet barely acknowledge the white portion. Battier while in Memphis was noted to doing several charitable works for African American causes. Tiger Woods rarely gets noted for being Asian except when he goes to his mothers home country to play a tournament. I have no problem with anyone being proud of their race. But it seems sometimes with people of mixed race they want to focus on one part and it's almost like they are ashamed of the other. In some sectors of the black community speaking with good grammer, in an articulate manner is regarded as selling out and being "too white". I for one applaud the African American players we have had who not only scored baskets and made touchdowns, but especially those who took the time to learn something durring their Duke days and represent the school with class and dignity.

[Jumbo]

Everyone, please tread carefully in this thread. I don't want to have to move it to the public policy board. This tends to be a very sensitive subject.

[crimsondevil]

The all-white Duke basketball team, hiding under their jackets as they walked from the bus to the gym, went to North Carolina College for Negroes and played the all-black team. They lost 88-44. I applaud Duke for breaking the law, as it was illegal for the White team to play an African-American team in basketball.

I hesistated before posting in this thread since I'm not sure I like where this is going, but my natural inclination for accuracy got the best of me:
I don't want to diminish what such a game represents, but for clarity's sake, a couple minutes research revealed that the "Duke team" was not the varsity team but a med school intramural team (though reportedly composed of some pretty good former players from other schools). It's very possible the varsity would also have lost, but probably not by 44 points. It's a neat enough story without embellishment.
See link:
http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...ATCLID=1306520

[Mike Corey]

I do have one question perhaps someone could explain to me. An athlete like Shane Battier, Tiger Woods or Langdon who is of mixed race, why is it they seem to wear one side of their race on their sleeve like a badge of courage and identity, yet barely acknowledge the white portion.

The questions you raise regarding identity require extensive, probing answers, ones that I will not pretend to have within me or within my intellectual or anecdotal grasp.

I have thoughts on the subject, as do most here I'd imagine, but rather than offer an amateur's opinion--mine--I think it would be more productive of me to direct you to a professional's.

Maddeningly, the author and book title I'd like to direct you toward are both escaping me at the moment...but suffice it to say, it is an autobiographical consideration of a white man's discovery that he was of black ancestry, and how that knowledge impacted his self-identification, and much more.

So I will hope that someone will have a better memory than I, and can offer up the author and title accordingly...or the author and title of superior articles/books on the subject at hand.

[Kilby]

The reason why people of mixed races identify with the minority is simple. Racism. No matter how subtle it's still there and it's still felt. If the person of mixed race felt equally welcomed you would not find this phenomenon. Did you guys know that genetically there are really only three races. Aboriginals, Eskimos and everybody else. Some anthropologist would argue a forth in that Germans have some neanderthal mixing (why they may tend to be bigger and stronger). There is not enough difference in the genes of everyone else to make a distinction. And, the differnce in genes that make up what "we" call race is so small that an African-American is likely to have be closer genetically to an asian or caucasion as another than another African-American.

[mgtr]

The IP tells a story of which I was not aware. Perhaps the next leg of this story (though not involving Duke), is the movie Glory Road, a mostly true representatiion of basketball turning color. I remember seeing that game on National TV. I also recall when Rick Barry (a long forgotten superstar) came into the league about that same time (mid-sixties), and how he was was referred to as "the great white hope." You no longer hear such references, which is a sign of how our civilization has advanced.

[4decadedukie]

During my Navy career, everyone was "Navy blue." For this (and similar) threads, every athlete (and member of the Duke Community, for that matter) is "Duke Blue." Some may believe this makes me sociologically naive, but racism (to me) simply means any treatment, attitude, behavior, and so forth -- favorable or unfavorable -- that is racially-based. I hope -- and I sincerely believe --that the Duke Basketball Programs are FAR past that archaic paradigm.

I have attempted commented with care, and urge others participants to judiciously evaluate their input before designating "submit reply."

[Kilby]

4decadedukie,
So who is your favorite Duke player?

[4decadedukie]

Battier

[JStuart]

I will never forget Ed Cota's famous quote as a SENIOR after losing to Duke, "If Antawan and Vince had been here it wouldn't have been no contest". And taking a look at Maryland's graduation rate of all players speaks volumes to how much their players are truly bettering themselves in school.

And then there was Walter Davis (Sweet Pea, I believe was his nickname), after his Tarheels were upset by Duke, "Sometimes it just be's that way,"
my favorite UNC student-athlete quotation.

[doctorhook]

JStuart,

Glad to see the clarification about the team composition, it was a med school team, not the varsity. Also, I think that quote is attributable to Al Wood rather than James Worthy. Doc

[upstateny]

Walter Davis was Sweet D, are you still bitter about his shot to send the UNC-Duke game into overtime?

[MChambers]

Walter Davis was Sweet D, are you still bitter about his shot to send the UNC-Duke game into overtime?

One of his nicknames was Pea Head.

[upstateny]

Never heard that one. Walter was 11-1 for his career against Duke, maybe that had something to do with his difficulty to find the right words at that time.

[snowdenscold]

I will never forget Ed Cota's famous quote as a SENIOR after losing to Duke, "If Antawan and Vince had been here it wouldn't have been no contest". And taking a look at Maryland's graduation rate of all players speaks volumes to how much their players are truly bettering themselves in school.

Perhaps he was acknowledging that it was no contest (in Duke's favor) since they weren't there - but if they had been, there would have been a contest. That's plausible, right?

[doctorhook]

Again, wasn't that a quote from Al Wood, not James Worthy? Doc