And So It Officially Begins...Grayson Allen Is The New Laettner/JJ/Paulus

[slower]

http://grantland.com/features/mark-titus-top-12-ncaa-rankings-admitting-a-love-for-duke/

At the end of an otherwise glowing segment about Duke, Mark Titus officially goes there:

"I know plenty of you are keeping the flames of Duke hatred burning, and I thank you for your service. And if you’re dreaming of a more appropriately loathsome Duke team next year, help is on the way. I’m fairly certain incoming freshman Grayson Allen will take fewer than 20 games to become the most hated player in college basketball."

Let the games begin. I hope Grayson has a big, wide streak of Laettner/JJ in him. :)

[FerryFor50]

http://grantland.com/features/mark-titus-top-12-ncaa-rankings-admitting-a-love-for-duke/

At the end of an otherwise glowing segment about Duke, Mark Titus officially goes there:

"I know plenty of you are keeping the flames of Duke hatred burning, and I thank you for your service. And if you’re dreaming of a more appropriately loathsome Duke team next year, help is on the way. I’m fairly certain incoming freshman Grayson Allen will take fewer than 20 games to become the most hated player in college basketball."

Let the games begin. I hope Grayson has a big, wide streak of Laettner/JJ in him. :)

Gee I wonder why they picked Grayson...

[Bluedog]

Gee I wonder why they picked Grayson...

He's a big fan of the show Revenge? ;) Yeah, Cook is more showy/flashy/cocky (which I like in him personally) than Paulus in my opinion, although admittedly, he doesn't try to draw charges...

[MCFinARL]

Gee I wonder why they picked Grayson...

Wow. I know I shouldn't be, but I am really shocked that anyone would be so obvious--because there isn't any other reason they could have picked Grayson, is there? is there video of him being especially cocky? Does he tweet obnoxiously? Has he given himself a college nickname already? He hasn't even had a chance to flop in a college game yet.

[slower]

Wow. I know I shouldn't be, but I am really shocked that anyone would be so obvious--because there isn't any other reason they could have picked Grayson, is there? is there video of him being especially cocky? Does he tweet obnoxiously? Has he given himself a college nickname already? He hasn't even had a chance to flop in a college game yet.

Titus is a pretty obvious guy.

[g-money]

I'm trying really hard to have a sense of humor about that comment by Titus, but... it really, really bugs me.

I just looked up the meaning of "prejudice" and it definitely fits the bill here: A preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.

Is white self-loathing a form of racism, particularly as it pertains to sports fans? I think so.

Too bad Grayson has been sent into the crossfire without having done anything to deserve it.

[CDu]

Here's the thing though: is there any way Allen even plays enough next year to be hated? I am kind of expecting a Pocius-type role for him next year with Cook, Jones, Sulaimon, Jones, and Winslow likely getting the guard/wing minutes next year.

So not only is Titus' statement racist, it is almost assuredly inaccurate.

[davekay1971]

The phenomenon is merely jealousy. The reason white Duke players are selected by white Duke haters is because it's easier for the haters to identify their own lack of excellence in those players. This is especially true in Duke's white guards. Take Paulus, Hurley, Wojo, Redick: they aren't much bigger than your average fan. On tv they may not even look much more athletic. But there they are on tv, playing for a championship program and coach, being lauded by announcers. And there is nothing obviously different about them compared with the hater except what they are accomplishing. Thus the jealousy, and thus the hate. So, yes, race is a component of the hate...but they aren't hated solely because they are white. They're hated because their success highlights the hater's own mediocrity.

[FerryFor50]

The phenomenon is merely jealousy. The reason white Duke players are selected by white Duke haters is because it's easier for the haters to identify their own lack of excellence in those players. This is especially true in Duke's white guards. Take Paulus, Hurley, Wojo, Redick: they aren't much bigger than your average fan. On tv they may not even look much more athletic. But there they are on tv, playing for a championship program and coach, being lauded by announcers. And there is nothing obviously different about them compared with the hater except what they are accomplishing. Thus the jealousy, and thus the hate. So, yes, race is a component of the hate...but they aren't hated solely because they are white. They're hated because their success highlights the hater's own mediocrity.


That may be part of it, there have been plenty of non-white guys who are normal guy size.

And Laettner wasn't short. Nor was Redick (unless you call 6'3" average height).

No, this is blatant.

[jipops]

http://grantland.com/features/mark-titus-top-12-ncaa-rankings-admitting-a-love-for-duke/

At the end of an otherwise glowing segment about Duke, Mark Titus officially goes there:

"I know plenty of you are keeping the flames of Duke hatred burning, and I thank you for your service. And if you’re dreaming of a more appropriately loathsome Duke team next year, help is on the way. I’m fairly certain incoming freshman Grayson Allen will take fewer than 20 games to become the most hated player in college basketball."

Let the games begin. I hope Grayson has a big, wide streak of Laettner/JJ in him. :)

This is absolutely pathetic. I guess this team is just too black for these types of haters to jump on it. So there is some kind of hope that this white guard will come in and fan some flames to feed their hunger. As CDu already pointed out, this grossly ignores the logjam at guard that will already exist. If he gets the opportunity to be hated, he'll have to be more than good.

[davekay1971]

But on TV a 6'3 BBall player looks small, not 6'3". And it's easier for a white hater to subconsciously compare himself on a superficial level to Redick than to J Will.

As for Laettner: he earned a lot of his hate with his on court demeanor. Other Duke white bigs (Parks, Plumlee) didn't get the hate that Duke's write guards do. Ferry did, but was a lot like Laettner in encouraging and relishing in the hate. Redick did too, but not Hurley, Paulus. Collins, or Wojo.

I'm not denying the impact of race on this nonsense. I'm merely saying the racial impact is the ease it gives on a superficial level for the hater to see their own lack of exceptionalism relative to a guy who is accomplishing much more than him.

[Newton_14]

That may be part of it, there have been plenty of non-white guys who are normal guy size.

And Laettner wasn't short. Nor was Redick (unless you call 6'3" average height).

No, this is blatant.

Totally agree. Blatant racism. I stopped reading Grantland long ago.

By all reports we know of, Grayson is a humble kid. Has mad hops though, kind of like Olek in that regard.

Anyway, I detest racism in all forms, no matter which ethnic group is targeted. Can't stand it. If I could find a Genie in a bottle and she only gave me one wish, ridding the world of racism would be what I use the wish on.

[jipops]

Anyway, I detest racism in all forms, no matter which ethnic group is targeted. Can't stand it. If I could find a Genie in a bottle and she only gave me one wish, ridding the world of racism would be what I use the wish on.

That and get rid of the Dutch.

[flyingdutchdevil]

That and get rid of the Dutch.

Hey now. Let's not get crazy here...

[pbohan]

It is racist and I do not support it or would not write that myself, but he is just being realistic. White duke players are hated more than black players. It has nothing to do with the actual character of the person. Im not saying thats how it should be but thats how it is.

[weezie]

Titus is a pretty obvious guy.

Bless his little dumbbell, obvious, lazy, cliched heart.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

To me, the part that I find most disturbing is athe use of the term "more appropriately loathsome".

[BlueDevilBrowns]

To me, the part that I find most disturbing is athe use of the term "more appropriately loathsome".

OK, so I've just got a new laptop and this thing is really weird to type on so what I meant to post is the following:


To me, the part that I find most disturbing is the use of the term "more appropriately loathsome". As in, "well, we can't hate Duke this year because they're just too darn BLACK. But just wait till next year, when they get that WHITE guy coming in, boy can we start hating Duke again!"

In modern society, especially sports media, there aren't too many subjects that can be laughed at or made fun of without serious repercussions(and in some cases, that's a positive change) these days. But, those few things that are still socially acceptable to laugh at(why, I don't know, as these stereotypes are just as bad as others) - people from the South and Appalachia, people of Asian/Indian descent, people who are obese, the dumb White Dad(BTW, who, according to every commercial on tv, can't utter a coherent sentence without help from his wife and kids, who are all vastly smarter than him) - are pasted all over the internet, TV, and movies, because frankly, they're just isn't much material for writers to work with these days, apparently.

I mean, if Titus had used the term "more appropriately loathsome" when discussing a Duke recruit who was openly gay, for instance, his career as a writer would be over the minute his words were published(which would be more than appropriate). Heck, ESPN would suspend Grantland and Bill Simmons indefinitely until the firestorm of negative press blew over after a few weeks.

But, unfortunately for Grayson, he's a boy who happens to be white and wants to play basketball for Duke. So "FIRE AWAY!" says the national media on a KID who has done absolutely nothing to deserve it.

Now that's loathsome, folks.

[Atlanta Duke]

Titus is looking for page hits (the coin of the realm for online writers) and creating bogus controversy. It reminds me of when his boss Bill Simmons, who has absolutely no use for college sports, engaged in some desultory drive by Duke bashing over the years and then tried to stir up a feud worthy of professional wrestling because Grantland could not get credentials for the 2012 Carolina game

Duke wouldn’t credential Grantland for Saturday’s UNC-Duke game. I already hated Duke but was diplomatic about it… no more. IT IS ON!” he wrote.

This prompted Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch to do a little reporting: ESPN already has 10 seats for the game, Duke told him, plus space for a photographer and “multiple camera spots required to air the game.”

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/164785/duke-denies-grantland-credentials-for-carolina-game/

Consider the source and don't feed the trolls - if Titus finds out his racist comments have prompted a thread at DBR he will be thrilled.

[brevity]

Titus is a pretty obvious guy.

No one in this thread has mentioned that Mark Titus is also an Ohio State guy, that place with Aaron Craft on the floor and Greg Paulus on the sideline. While the haters have marveled at Duke's likeability, they have to shift the hate somewhere. Craft isn't getting a Duke-level of hate, but his Wooden Award attention has irked a lot of people. Titus is desperate to shift the hatred back.

[SupaDave]

Without this becoming PPB material, there truly needs to be a study done on this. It is absolutely fascinating from quite a few angles. Almost as if there's a privilege to denigrate someone of your own race (something I think all races suffer from) because it SEEMS that they can't claim racism.

From what I've seen of Grayson, his demeanor is more Singler than Redick and to hate on the kid will definitely be something of a reach at this point.

Side note, a close frat brother of mine officiated at the Peach Jam last year and was blown away by Grayson - he's black - if that matters (nope - it doesn't).

[calltheobvious]

The phenomenon is merely jealousy. The reason white Duke players are selected by white Duke haters is because it's easier for the haters to identify their own lack of excellence in those players. This is especially true in Duke's white guards. Take Paulus, Hurley, Wojo, Redick: they aren't much bigger than your average fan. On tv they may not even look much more athletic. But there they are on tv, playing for a championship program and coach, being lauded by announcers. And there is nothing obviously different about them compared with the hater except what they are accomplishing. Thus the jealousy, and thus the hate. So, yes, race is a component of the hate...but they aren't hated solely because they are white. They're hated because their success highlights the hater's own mediocrity.

My thoughts exactly, though far better expressed than I've ever managed to do on this topic. Bravo.

[kAzE]

In my opinion, it's not really racism. I think people don't like confident white players who play for Duke because A. They are really good, and we always beat their team, and guys like JJ and Laettner loved to stick it to opposing fans, but mostly B. People accept that basketball is particularly suited to the physical attributes most often associated with black people (speed, vertical, quickness, athleticism), and at their core, they are jealous of the white kids that make it to this level and are successful.

Because of Duke's success with star white players, our good white players are unfairly hated on in comparison to white players from other schools. Imagine if Craft played for Duke. Or Adam Morrison, or even Jimmer Fredette. These guys would have been hate magnets. I hate to say it, but this guy is probably right about Grayson Allen. Even if he's the nicest kid ever, if he becomes a star at Duke, people are going to hate him, and it's not his fault at all. Although, I will say, Grayson's game is nothing like the typical white guy. That dude can jump. But regardless, I say screw them. They just jelly.

[slower]

Folks, I really wasn't intending to open this can of worms - it was more of an observation. It's certainly not unexpected that this might happen to Grayson - I'm just surprised it started so early.

If it does indeed play out that way, I hope the kid is mentally strong. Laettner and JJ seemed to thrive on it, Paulus not so much.

And to follow up on an earlier statement, I feel quite certain that if Quinn was white, he'd be the current poster boy for Duke hate.

[bob blue devil]

In my opinion, it's not really racism. I think people don't like confident white players who play for Duke because A. They are really good, and we always beat their team, and guys like JJ and Laettner loved to stick it to opposing fans, but mostly B. People accept that basketball is particularly suited to the physical attributes most often associated with black people (speed, vertical, quickness, athleticism), and at their core, they are jealous of the white kids that make it to this level and are successful.

I disagree that there isn't racism at play. based on the rest of your post I can see we disagree even further. Do you think black people are associated with any attributes that make them particularly not suited for certain other professions (a logical extension of you position)? Would accepting that not be racism? Further, should hating black people who are successful in those fields not be considered racism.

[Lunchab1es]

The phenomenon is merely jealousy. The reason white Duke players are selected by white Duke haters is because it's easier for the haters to identify their own lack of excellence in those players. This is especially true in Duke's white guards. Take Paulus, Hurley, Wojo, Redick: they aren't much bigger than your average fan. On tv they may not even look much more athletic. But there they are on tv, playing for a championship program and coach, being lauded by announcers. And there is nothing obviously different about them compared with the hater except what they are accomplishing. Thus the jealousy, and thus the hate. So, yes, race is a component of the hate...but they aren't hated solely because they are white. They're hated because their success highlights the hater's own mediocrity.

An article was posted to ESPN last year addressing the hatred for Aaron Craft in the Big 10, and from what I recall (I read it so long ago), it touched on a pretty similar theory.

Link to article:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9014023/ohio-state-point-guard-aaron-craft-earns-wrath-fans-michigan-espn-magazine

[Ichabod Drain]

Wow, I didn't expect to see all the hate for Titus on this forum. I read the article yesterday and didn't think anything of the comment at the time.

I've read Titus' stuff for a while now and even own his book. He pretty much just tells things how they are with a pretty good sense of humor along the way. Anyone who doesn't recognize that lot's of people have hated Duke in the past due to their success with white basketball players must have their head in the sand. Is it right? No. But don't shoot the messenger.

Titus is an equal opportunity offender, he makes fun of his alma mater and if he has something negative to say he'll usually attribute it to jealousy or some other obscure reason. He has been very complimentary of Duke the past couple seasons.

Titus is a white guy who played college basketball (though just a walk-on, he was recruited by Harvard) and is a pretty intelligent guy. At no point did he say that Grayson should be hated or that he doesn't like him. He just makes a prediction that people will be ignorant and hate on him.

Lastly, I'll post this quote by Titus from back when Grantland had the most hated player in college basketball history tournament:


Think about it. What do you really hate him for? For being a pretty boy? For hitting the most famous shot in college basketball history? For winning back-to-back national titles? All that really says is that you’re jealous that Laettner was the total package. So instead of hating him, maybe you should hate yourself for not being him. Have you ever thought about that?

[kAzE]

I disagree that there isn't racism at play. based on the rest of your post I can see we disagree even further. Do you think black people are associated with any attributes that make them particularly not suited for certain other professions (a logical extension of you position)? Would accepting that not be racism? Further, should hating black people who are successful in those fields not be considered racism.

How is that logical at all? You're putting words in my mouth, and the fact that you think what I said is racist is pretty ignorant, to be honest. 76.3% of players in the NBA in 2013 were black. I'm not being racist, it's just cold, hard fact that black people are generally more athletic and more physically able to perform on a basketball court. And that's all I said. I mentioned nothing pertaining to anything non-basketball related. And I still disagree that this has any racism about it. It's mostly people hating other people because they are jealous of success. There's a race component because of the predominance of black people in the sport, but nothing specifically racist. Stop trying to make this a bigger issue than it is.

And with that, I'm done . . . this thread has already degenerated enough, somebody lock this thing . . .

[Dukehky]

I really didn't read all that much into it. People hate white Duke players... kind of a lot sometimes. Is that really news to anyone. I also read it as kind of tongue in cheek as Titus knew what he was saying, maybe that's me giving him the benefit of the doubt, but I actually enjoy his power rankings and think Dick's Degrees of Separation are hilarious. So maybe I'm bias on that one.

Also, it is not even close who is going to be the most hated player on next year's team. It is Okafor by far. Have you seen him play? I love the kid but he's got the QC going on a little bit when things don't go his way, plus he's incredible. Great player + minor problems with his on court demeanor all the time = hated. Grayson isn't going to see the court enough to be hated.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Without this becoming PPB material, there truly needs to be a study done on this. It is absolutely fascinating from quite a few angles. Almost as if there's a privilege to denigrate someone of your own race (something I think all races suffer from) because it SEEMS that they can't claim racism.

From what I've seen of Grayson, his demeanor is more Singler than Redick and to hate on the kid will definitely be something of a reach at this point.

Side note, a close frat brother of mine officiated at the Peach Jam last year and was blown away by Grayson - he's black - if that matters (nope - it doesn't).

I'm with you. I don't think Grayson will be hated for a number of reasons:

1) As CDu pointed out, Grayson most likely won't be playing next year. If anything, he'll see Matt-Jones-this-year minutes (4-6 a game). But I think even that is unlikely.

2) Grayson doesn't carry himself like JJ or Laettner at all. He seems to be a humble guy by all accounts.

3) Grayson's game isn't that of the stereotypical "white guy". (NOTE: I am not stereotyping myself or expressing that all white guys have this game; I'm merely pointing out how the haters' view it). Grayson is super athletic (maybe even moreso than Winslow, which is kinda crazy to think about), can get to the rim, can pop a 3, and isn't great at D (at least from what I've read). That is as far from Aaron Craft and Paulus as you can get.

Next year, I'm not sure we'll have a hated player. Given that Cook isn't despised (and he is a leading candidate, personality wise), I'm not sure where the hate will go. If it's team-wide, that would be great.

[bob blue devil]

How is that logical at all? You're putting words in my mouth, and the fact that you think what I said is racist is pretty ignorant, to be honest. 76.3% of players in the NBA in 2013 were black. I'm not being racist, it's just cold, hard fact that black people are generally more athletic and more physically able to perform on a basketball court. And that's all I said. I mentioned nothing pertaining to anything non-basketball related. And I still disagree that this has any racism about it. It's mostly people hating other people because they are jealous of success. There's a race component because of the predominance of black people in the sport, but nothing specifically racist. Stop trying to make this a bigger issue than it is.

And with that, I'm done . . . this thread has already degenerated enough, somebody lock this thing . . .

Beyond statistics you note about the racial make-up of the NBA, there are plenty of statistics about about the racial make-up of prisons and board rooms. I fear what conclusions you'd draw from those cold hard facts.

[Kdogg]

It is racist and I do not support it or would not write that myself, but he is just being realistic. White duke players are hated more than black players. It has nothing to do with the actual character of the person. Im not saying thats how it should be but thats how it is.

Race definitely plays a role but it's not the only factor. A lot of people just hate Duke. The last national champion team was one of the "whitest" teams in the last two decades but there is not a hated player on that roster. People didn't hate Laettner because he was white. They hated him because he was kind of a jerk. Even his teammates will tell you that. He was a great player, knew he was a great player and played with a big chip on his shoulder. He was hard working, ultra competitive and ultra demanding. Danny was just as talented (maybe slightly less) but he didn't get the same vitriol. Court demeanor is huge. Kyle Singler or John Scheyer or Quin Snyder or any of the Plumlees were never hated like Laettner or Redick. They didn't have the same attitude on the court. Remember a lot of people hated Dante Jones and to a lesser extent Jason Williams. These guys played with a swagger. Paulus may not have that swagger but as the point guard, he was very vocal which draws attention.

I agree with the posters that say Titus is an idiot and trying to stir the pot. Problem is the pot is empty. I saw Grayson play over the holidays and he's demeanor is more Singler than Redick.

[Kfanarmy]

Unfortunately I think way too many people use the abundance of time they have on their hands to find offense, intended or not, in what other people say. So I'm not sure what the writer's agenda was in his article, but it was mostly complimentary. The last paragraph left me flat, not because it was racist, denigrating or offensive, but because it was a low hanging fruit appeal to people's emotions. A little thicker skin, and maybe giving the other "guy" the benefit of the doubt, on most people's part would go a long way in making us all more civil.


How is that logical at all? You're putting words in my mouth, and the fact that you think what I said is racist is pretty ignorant, to be honest. 76.3% of players in the NBA in 2013 were black. I'm not being racist, it's just cold, hard fact that black people are generally more athletic and more physically able to perform on a basketball court. And that's all I said. I mentioned nothing pertaining to anything non-basketball related. And I still disagree that this has any racism about it. It's mostly people hating other people because they are jealous of success. There's a race component because of the predominance of black people in the sport, but nothing specifically racist. Stop trying to make this a bigger issue than it is.

And with that, I'm done . . . this thread has already degenerated enough, somebody lock this thing . . .

FWIW the 76.3% is the only fact here. The why stands on an interplay of social, cultural, economic AND physical aspects of people that ultimately propel them into the NBA as in every other professional sport.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

What if we just enjoy the fact that the article basically calls this year's Duke team unhateable, and don't waste any of our precious time and energy on what players some people might hate on next year's Duke team? I can barely think of a topic that's less worthy of our attention at this moment in time.

Our team has a game against our Big Rival tonight, a game against the number one team in the nation (for a few more days) then a return game against UNC, followed by a brand new version of the ACC Tournament - all while fighting for what is becoming a better chance at a #1 seed for the big prize. Please, I beg you, concern yourselves with these things, Jabari's article, Cook's need to refocus, Sulaimon at PG, or a dozen other things before wasting your mental resources on a blog piece written by an admitted Duke hater who acknowledges how fun our team is and uses a throw-away line on a 17 year old kid who will suit up for Duke next year.

And yes, the racial aspects of both the one line in the article AND the discussion on the board make me very uncomfortable.

GO DUKE! WHOOP DEM TAR HEELS TONIGHT!

[davekay1971]

But, unfortunately for Grayson, he's a boy who happens to be white and wants to play basketball for Duke. So "FIRE AWAY!" says the national media on a KID who has done absolutely nothing to deserve it.

Now that's loathsome, folks.

This is a great point and deserves a second look.

Grayson is a high school student right now. I don't even know if he's old enough to vote or serve in the military yet, but I know he'd better not order a beer in a restaurant anytime soon. He's maybe a year into being old enough to drive. He's a kid. I've got Duke t-shirts older than him (and a great deal more tattered).

To have a national media figure point to him and say, "Hey, get ready to start hating this guy!" is despicable. I can't get my panties in too big of a wad, as a white guy, about whatever racism may or may not be behind that comment. But as a father of a kid about a year or two younger than Grayson, it ticks me off to see a writer encourage hating a kid his age. Unfortunately, this isn't an uncommon practice (see: Chelsea Clinton, the Bush daughters, the Obama daughters, etc).

And don't judge me for the panties, Putin.

[Ichabod Drain]

This is a great point and deserves a second look.

Grayson is a high school student right now. I don't even know if he's old enough to vote or serve in the military yet, but I know he'd better not order a beer in a restaurant anytime soon. He's maybe a year into being old enough to drive. He's a kid. I've got Duke t-shirts older than him (and a great deal more tattered).

To have a national media figure point to him and say, "Hey, get ready to start hating this guy!" is despicable. I can't get my panties in too big of a wad, as a white guy, about whatever racism may or may not be behind that comment. But as a father of a kid about a year or two younger than Grayson, it ticks me off to see a writer encourage hating a kid his age. Unfortunately, this isn't an uncommon practice (see: Chelsea Clinton, the Bush daughters, the Obama daughters, etc).

And don't judge me for the panties, Putin.

Please show me where Titus encouraged hating Grayson? Despicable? Come on people.

[davekay1971]

Please show me where Titus encouraged hating Grayson? Despicable? Come on people.

"And if you’re dreaming of a more appropriately loathsome Duke team next year, help is on the way. I’m fairly certain incoming freshman Grayson Allen will take fewer than 20 games to become the most hated player in college basketball."

That's a quote from the article. He specifically cites Grayson Allen as someone who will "help" Duke to become "a more appropriately loathsome...team" (emphasis mine)

He could have said something along the lines of "Duke will be more likely to be hated next year because of the arrival of Grayson Allen" and cited the tendency of fans to hate white guards at Duke. That would have put the onus on the tendency of fans. But no, he specifically cites Grayson as being a person that will make the Duke team more "appropriately loathsome". Why, dear Titus, does Grayson make Duke's team more "appropriately loathsome"? The use of the word "appropriate" implies (forget implies, it flat out states) that Grayson's addition to the Duke team is a good reason to hate Duke.

Titus may have not meant to imply, or state, that Grayson was a good reason to hate Duke, but, if that implication was an accident, then he's an incompetent writer. Assuming, on the other hand, that a professional writer knows something about how to smith words, he meant it exactly as most readers on this board took it. Grayson Allen coming to Duke makes Duke more "appropriately loathsome"...therefore Grayson Allen increases the loathsomeness of Duke...and what does that say about Grayson Allen? This is not a stretch...it's a straight line drawn by a professional writer.

[bob blue devil]

Please show me where Titus encouraged hating Grayson? Despicable? Come on people.


I know plenty of you are keeping the flames of Duke hatred burning, and I thank you for your service. And if you’re dreaming of a more appropriately loathsome Duke team next year, help is on the way. I’m fairly certain incoming freshman Grayson Allen will take fewer than 20 games to become the most hated player in college basketball.

I'm not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. That seems like encouragement to me. And even if its not, I hold him as a professional writer accountable for understanding how it would be interpreted.

[Ichabod Drain]

I'm not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. That seems like encouragement to me. And even if its not, I hold him as a professional writer accountable for understanding how it would be interpreted.

Obviously you meant could instead of would. There is no way a sports writer can be accountable for every which way radical fans can interpret things.

There's been some serious extrapolation of a couple lines in an article here. It has escalated to throwing the term racist around even to the extent of implying some posters here might be.

We should be focused on more important things today.

GTHCGTH!!! 9F9F9F!!!