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Wheat/"/"/"
11-17-2014, 09:49 PM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Duvall
11-17-2014, 09:54 PM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Lucas is a hack and a troll. He's surprised that Ellington, who has known Henderson since he was a teenager, had a better sense of his character than a UNC fanboy-slash-columnist? Whatever.

Wheat/"/"/"
11-17-2014, 09:56 PM
Lucas is a hack and a troll. He's surprised that Ellington, who has known Henderson since he was a teenager, had a better sense of his character than a UNC fanboy-slash-columnist? Whatever.

Did you even read that?

Duvall
11-17-2014, 09:57 PM
Did you even read that?

I did. I was unimpressed, as I explained above. I've also read Lucas' other work, which is even less impressive.

Wheat/"/"/"
11-17-2014, 10:08 PM
I did. I was unimpressed, as I explained above. I've also read Lucas' other work, which is even less impressive.

To each his own.

I thought it a nice compliment to Henderson and was well written.

"It's not always about the ball".

arnie
11-17-2014, 10:15 PM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

After moving to Cary in 1991, I had a subscription to the Cary News which became a bi-weekly paper. It had a small sports section and Adam Lucas was the "writer". For 4 consecutive weeks he ran inflamed articles on how bad Grant Hill and Coach K were. The criticism was so intense, I finally questioned "why the attacks". The response was simply "guess he just hates Duke". Someday I'll pull these out of an archive, but for anyone to suggest he's a great writer is absurd. He's a little person and is begging to become the next Chansky.

tommy
11-17-2014, 10:17 PM
To each his own.

I thought it a nice compliment to Henderson and was well written.

"It's not always about the ball".

I agree, Wheat. Portrayed Henderson, appropriately, in a very positive light. If the writer is surprised to learn of Gerald's character, then oh well, whatever. Still paid Gerald a nice compliment or two
and put our rivalry in proper perspective.

Furniture
11-17-2014, 10:17 PM
To each his own.

I thought it a nice compliment to Henderson and was well written.

"It's not always about the ball".

I thought the article was well written and very touching. It made me admire GH even more.

Empathy is the ability to accurately put yourself “in someone else’s shoes” – to understand the other’s situation, perceptions and feelings from their point of view – and to be able to communicate that understanding back to the other person. Some people just don't have any....

Wheat/"/"/"
11-17-2014, 10:32 PM
I agree, Wheat. Portrayed Henderson, appropriately, in a very positive light. If the writer is surprised to learn of Gerald's character, then oh well, whatever. Still paid Gerald a nice compliment or two
and put our rivalry in proper perspective.

It should be noted Henderson is a polarizing figure to many Tar Heel fans after "the foul".

I read it as he was not so much surprised by Hendersons character, he said Ellington had told him that one play was not who Henderson was.....but surprised by his own ability to look past his "fan" perception of Henderson the player and see Henderson the person.

I have only been reading his stuff for a few years, and it's no shocker he writes from a pro UNC angle, but I have not seen anything from him that should lable him a "hack".

Ultrarunner
11-17-2014, 11:46 PM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Thank you, Wheat.

CameronBlue
11-18-2014, 12:03 AM
Lucas' first two sentences are small-minded and the piece, with little to aspire to, goes downhill from there. Instead of focusing on the relationship between Henderson and Ellington, how it has endured triumph and tragedy Lucas made the article about himself and his like-minded zealots who foolishly believe the gift of forgiveness is theirs to bestow to any meaningful result. In a profound moment of sorrow for two life-long friends instead of reaching for something bigger and better, Lucas filters his opinions through the narrow prism of basketball fanaticism. The game has great worth that extends beyond the court and enriches the lives of those it touches but Lucas never reaches for the metaphor that can deliver a broader perspective. Honestly it's the worst sort of pandering, though I'm being harsh.

I understand why Wheat posted the link. There is a gesture that Lucas makes which is worth the read maybe a tad trite, but a sincere gesture nonetheless. He tries nicely to right the ship with his last 3 or 4 paragraphs. But I don't get the sense that he ever really commits to his grandmother's wizened words--sad, because that's where he should have started. The lady knew what she was talking about. I realize it's a 500 word opinion piece, not a 10,000 word feature. Still it's a nice little piece in the end that could have been a whole lot more.

Henderson
11-18-2014, 12:37 AM
Lucas is a hack and a troll. He's surprised that Ellington, who has known Henderson since he was a teenager, had a better sense of his character than a UNC fanboy-slash-columnist? Whatever.

He's a homer, and his comments about [a different] Henderson are kind patronizing, but I appreciate the link and the story behind it.

The photo at the head of the piece is good. Roy bought a sport coat from Norm Sloan's garage sale, the fans seem disinterested, and the players are looking at the clock like, "Are we through yet? I have to pick up a paper from a girl I know."

revmel53
11-18-2014, 07:35 AM
Lucas' first two sentences are small-minded and the piece, with little to aspire to, goes downhill from there. Instead of focusing on the relationship between Henderson and Ellington, how it has endured triumph and tragedy Lucas made the article about himself and his like-minded zealots who foolishly believe the gift of forgiveness is theirs to bestow to any meaningful result. In a profound moment of sorrow for two life-long friends instead of reaching for something bigger and better, Lucas filters his opinions through the narrow prism of basketball fanaticism. The game has great worth that extends beyond the court and enriches the lives of those it touches but Lucas never reaches for the metaphor that can deliver a broader perspective. Honestly it's the worst sort of pandering, though I'm being harsh.

I understand why Wheat posted the link. There is a gesture that Lucas makes which is worth the read maybe a tad trite, but a sincere gesture nonetheless. He tries nicely to right the ship with his last 3 or 4 paragraphs. But I don't get the sense that he ever really commits to his grandmother's wizened words--sad, because that's where he should have started. The lady knew what she was talking about. I realize it's a 500 word opinion piece, not a 10,000 word feature. Still it's a nice little piece in the end that could have been a whole lot more.



Agree with this poster. The article is more about the writer than anything else. Henderson has never been anything but full of character. To think otherwise is to be little, but... there you go.

slower
11-18-2014, 08:04 AM
Lucas is a columnist for Goheels.com, so I'm not sure what kind of objectivity or journalistic integrity anybody should expect from him (Hint: none).

blazindw
11-18-2014, 08:34 AM
Henderson and Ellington have been best friends since high school. They both repeatedly claimed the other as among their best friends while they were both in college, despite the rivalry, and they have maintained that friendship to this day. Why the author was surprised to find Henderson at Ellington's father's homegoing, I don't know. This isn't a new story. We've all known this for years. That he was on a West Coast road trip and still made it to the homegoing is something that none of us are shocked at...I'm sure many of us have done similar for a friend and his/her family during a sad time. It read as a backhanded compliment and hinted that it was sharing something that no one would ever think Henderson would do. The article wasn't even about their relationship. It was a footnote on a more personal story to the writer.

I also agree that with the writer (and this article) being on GoHeels.com, he's not even close to the kiddie table of discussion about best writers in anything.

jv001
11-18-2014, 08:38 AM
Thanks Wheat for the link. But I respect you way more than I do Lucas. He missed the chance to tell the true story. One about the friendship of Henderson and Ellington and the other about his wise Grandmother. He wrote the article more about his hatred of Henderson and "the play". GoDuke

moonpie23
11-18-2014, 08:38 AM
after "the foul".



clean block, all ball, against a player that, increasing evidence suggests, should never have been on the court due to academic ineligibility......




BOOM!

Wheat/"/"/"
11-18-2014, 08:51 AM
He wrote the article more about his hatred of Henderson and "the play". GoDuke

Yea, but remember who his audience is on that UNC basketball site. It's not you guys.

He wanted to challenge UNC's fans perception of Henderson, like Henderson's faithful actions challenged his own.

At least that's how I read it.

jv001
11-18-2014, 08:53 AM
Yea, but remember who his audience is on that UNC basketball site. It's not you guys.

He wanted to challenge UNC's fans perception of Henderson, like Henderson's faithful actions challenged his own.

At least that's how I read it.

You could be right. GoDuke!

Wheat/"/"/"
11-18-2014, 08:55 AM
The article wasn't even about their relationship. It was a footnote on a more personal story to the writer.

Right.

ChillinDuke
11-18-2014, 08:56 AM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Wheat,

Appreciate the post. Article was alright. Certainly feel for Ellington.

But anyone who claims to be a diehard fan (of either team - and Lucas appears to do just that) that didn't know Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington were very close before and during college...well...simply isn't a diehard fan.

- Chillin

slower
11-18-2014, 09:22 AM
One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Uh, no. You may need to broaden your reading list.

oldnavy
11-18-2014, 09:32 AM
I really miss Henderson.... the dunk at Maryland after Nolan got laid out is in my top 5 ALL TIME Duke BB plays.... loved the guy!

Mike Corey
11-18-2014, 09:58 AM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

First and foremost, condolences to Mr. Ellington, whose loss I can't even begin to imagine; and to to Mr. Lucas, on the passing of his grandmother. My grandmother died under similar circumstances, and I know that is an excruciating experience as a grandson, let alone for the dearly departed.

I can empathize with Mr. Lucas' position as a writer for an official athletic department's website. I contributed to GoDuke.com for a few years, and knew I had a particular audience, and tried to write to that audience accordingly. It was not journalism, it was a fan writing, albeit one with the charge of writing about Duke athletics and Duke athletes in a unique way. I'm not sure what Mr. Lucas' job description entails, but he surely does it admirably enough.

Mr. Lucas does a disservice to his readers, however, with a sentence like this:


For so long, Henderson has been the picture of everything I thought was wrong.

This is so far out of bounds, I refuse to even begin responding to it. But suffice it to say, with a sentence like this, Mr. Lucas disqualifies himself as one of the "best writers in all of college basketball," because to be an excellent writer, one must also be thoughtful. And a thoughtless statement such as the one above has no place on UNC's official athletic website, even if it is walked back because Henderson is "catching Lucas at the right time."

Either way, the lede to Mr. Lucas' story--As a forewarning, by the time you finish reading this column, you might feel differently about Gerald Henderson. I know. I’m not happy about it either.--suggests that the article is going to be persuasive. But the argument, as Mr. Lucas states it, is that Mr. Henderson was present for his friend in his time of need, and therefore, the notion that Mr. Henderson is "the picture of everything I thought was wrong" should be disregarded entirely. Even assuming Mr. Lucas had a justifiable reason for the sweeping and odious notion previously held, this argument is unconvincing at best. Or rather, if his goal was to convince UNC fans that Mr. Henderson's actually better than what UNC fans had decided, he hasn't done a very good job of it.

77devil
11-18-2014, 10:02 AM
One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Adam Lucas is a hack. Your statement is delusional even for you. The article is self aggrandizing and conveys a total ignorance, real or not, of the well know and long standing relationship between GH and WE. "One of the best writers in college basketball" would know that and incorporated it into the piece.

Trey21
11-18-2014, 10:16 AM
Honestly I was expecting a bit more Gerald in the piece. It seemed to be more about the loss and death of Mr. Lucas' grandmother and Ellington's father relating to Carolina basketball, which is totally alright but it seems he just threw Gerald in there. "Oh, he was at the funeral, Dukies are humans too!" He shifted his focus in a weird way. Those last (brief) 8 paragraphs have some Gerald thrown in there, but as others have said its been known that Wayne and Gerald were close.

From a writing standpoint it wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't call it a good read either. Honestly there were about 4-5 sequences that made me cringe, and that's not because I'm a good fan.

Kfanarmy
11-18-2014, 10:25 AM
This is so far out of bounds, I refuse to even begin responding to it.

And Yet...

Pot - Kettle.

Perhaps not so different after all.

Kfanarmy
11-18-2014, 10:28 AM
Thanks Wheat.

Appreciate the post, the point of view of the author, his understanding of his audience, at the point of the arcticle itself...there's more to life than basketball. Used one of the good guys, GH, to point it out.

cspan37421
11-18-2014, 10:51 AM
Yeah, give me a break. Everything that is wrong with college basketball is one guy who once committed a hard foul that bloodied Tyler Hansbrough's nose (when he was rubbing salt in the wound of a loss)? Everything that is wrong with college basketball ... uh huh ... except of course bogus classes to maintain eligibility, except hiding and defending fraud rather than rooting it out, ... except a whole laundry list of things.

And as others hinted, if the guy is surprised that GH was a good friend of WE, and thus was surprised he would be there for his friend in his time of need, well, the guy doesn't even know his own favorite team well enough to be called a great basketball writer (maybe not even a good one).

oldnavy
11-18-2014, 11:20 AM
First and foremost, condolences to Mr. Ellington, whose loss I can't even begin to imagine; and to to Mr. Lucas, on the passing of his grandmother. My grandmother died under similar circumstances, and I know that is an excruciating experience as a grandson, let alone for the dearly departed.

I can empathize with Mr. Lucas' position as a writer for an official athletic department's website. I contributed to GoDuke.com for a few years, and knew I had a particular audience, and tried to write to that audience accordingly. It was not journalism, it was a fan writing, albeit one with the charge of writing about Duke athletics and Duke athletes in a unique way. I'm not sure what Mr. Lucas' job description entails, but he surely does it admirably enough.

Mr. Lucas does a disservice to his readers, however, with a sentence like this:



This is so far out of bounds, I refuse to even begin responding to it. But suffice it to say, with a sentence like this, Mr. Lucas disqualifies himself as one of the "best writers in all of college basketball," because to be an excellent writer, one must also be thoughtful. And a thoughtless statement such as the one above has no place on UNC's official athletic website, even if it is walked back because Henderson is "catching Lucas at the right time."

Either way, the lede to Mr. Lucas' story--As a forewarning, by the time you finish reading this column, you might feel differently about Gerald Henderson. I know. I’m not happy about it either.--suggests that the article is going to be persuasive. But the argument, as Mr. Lucas states it, is that Mr. Henderson was present for his friend in his time of need, and therefore, the notion that Mr. Henderson is "the picture of everything I thought was wrong" should be disregarded entirely. Even assuming Mr. Lucas had a justifiable reason for the sweeping and odious notion previously held, this argument is unconvincing at best. Or rather, if his goal was to convince UNC fans that Mr. Henderson's actually better than what UNC fans had decided, he hasn't done a very good job of it.

A significant portion of the UNC fan base is mean spirited against anything other than UNC, especially Duke. This may be true of all fan bases to a certain degree, but I have had more opportunity to witness it from the UNC folks than anyone else.

So, it is not surprising for them to think of Gerald Henderson as a bad person simply because he played for Duke, much less that he inflicted injury on one of the chosen ones. So it makes sense that they think of him as suddenly and surprisingly good if he comes to the assistance of one of the chosen ones.... it is all about the chosen ones in their minds.

I know from experience that many UNC fans truly believe that Coach K is EVIL... not simply unlikable from a UNC perspective, but truly EVIL. Despite all the evidence that Coach K is a very generous and caring person, UNC fans see him as a threat and therefore demonize him. It makes life simpler for those who chose to not think rationally.

Now, I am a long standing critic of Roy Williams. I think he is at time disingenuous, and obtuse. He seems petty and self centered at times, and I really don't think that he is a great basketball coach as much as he has benefitted from being in the right places at the right times. He may even have knowingly cheated in this scandal, I certainly think he should be held accountable either way (knowingly or unknowingly allowing it to happen). But even good people make bad choices. Now, having said all of that, I in no way think of him as a bad person or EVIL person. Not my cup of tea, but bad or evil?? Nope.

Not everyone can separate the rivalry from reality.

sagegrouse
11-18-2014, 11:31 AM
Lucas is a columnist for Goheels.com, so I'm not sure what kind of objectivity or journalistic integrity anybody should expect from him (Hint: none).


Thanks Wheat for the link. But I respect you way more than I do Lucas. He missed the chance to tell the true story. One about the friendship of Henderson and Ellington and the other about his wise Grandmother. He wrote the article more about his hatred of Henderson and "the play". GoDuke

The top players may be rivals in college, but they have usually known each other for years before college -- either through AAU ball or national teams. They are often friends and would not normally have any hatred except for competitive instincts. Moreover, they know they could be teammates in the pro leagues. In Gerald and Wayne's case, they were buddies in the Philly suburbs.

Heck, there was an article four years ago that tracked Nolan Smith's exhausting summer workout schedule, including going to College Park every afternoon to play hoops with the Maryland guys.

arnie
11-18-2014, 12:12 PM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Lets go back to Wheat's original post. If Adam Lucas is one of the best writers in college BBall, then i guess he considers Roy the most trustworthy coach in college BBall. Nothing ever changes with the Tarheel faithful.

slower
11-18-2014, 12:33 PM
Lets go back to Wheat's original post. If Adam Lucas is one of the best writers in college BBall, then i guess he considers Roy the most trustworthy coach in college BBall. Nothing ever changes with the Tarheel faithful.

Will Graves is an awesome house sitter and MJ is a wonderful human being.

And of course, Hansbrough records books on tape for children.

Sorry - this stuff just kind of writes itself

rsvman
11-18-2014, 12:41 PM
Oh. I'm kinda surprised and a bit disappointed.

After reading the thread title I thought this was going to be about Gerald's vertical.

GGLC
11-18-2014, 12:59 PM
What an awfully written and morally vacuous article.

Furniture
11-18-2014, 10:38 PM
Wheat. You posted this article because you are a UNC fan and you are mean spirited against anything else that is not UNC. Duke fans arent mean spirited. We treat everyone with respect and generosity.

jipops
11-18-2014, 11:02 PM
Adam Lucas's latest article. (http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&SITE=UNC&DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=209768614)

One of the best writers in all of college basketball.

Not possible for someone of zero objectivity. Lucas is to Pulitzer as I am to a genomic science award and a date with Kate Winslet. Not possible in this universe.

I have to think the motive to post this is solely to enjoy the reactions. This guy is a joke and it has nothing to do with him being a unc fanboy.

Highlander
11-19-2014, 11:19 AM
Wheat. You posted this article because you are a UNC fan and you are mean spirited against anything else that is not UNC. Duke fans arent mean spirited. We treat everyone with respect and generosity.

This thread would say otherwise. Can't believe I'm standing up for a UNC fan, but this thread is ridiculous. If Wheat posted an article stating that UNC hospital had cured cancer, I have no doubt some here would accuse him of being self serving and trying to put down the staff at Duke Med.

I saw the article as an acknowledgement that the demonization of Gerald Henderson is misplaced and that maybe he's an OK guy after all. Nothing more. Wheat posted something on a UNC Basketball site that was mildly complimentary about one of our players. That's a pretty rare find. Just take the compliment and move on. Sheesh.

Kfanarmy
11-19-2014, 11:22 AM
Wheat. You posted this article because you are a UNC fan and you are mean spirited against anything else that is not UNC. Duke fans arent mean spirited. We treat everyone with respect and generosity.

Is this another Pot-Kettle post? or do I detect satire?

Furniture
11-19-2014, 11:45 AM
This thread would say otherwise. Can't believe I'm standing up for a UNC fan, but this thread is ridiculous. If Wheat posted an article stating that UNC hospital had cured cancer, I have no doubt some here would accuse him of being self serving and trying to put down the staff at Duke Med.

I saw the article as an acknowledgement that the demonization of Gerald Henderson is misplaced and that maybe he's an OK guy after all. Nothing more. Wheat posted something on a UNC Basketball site that was mildly complimentary about one of our players. That's a pretty rare find. Just take the compliment and move on. Sheesh.

This pretty much sums up my feelings.

Wheat/"/"/"
11-19-2014, 12:51 PM
In about 15+ years hanging around this site I could probably count the number of threads I've started on one hand.

I saw an article that I consider well written that had a complimentary Duke angle to it from a rival writer.
Henderson is considered "the bad guy" by many Tar Heel fans and this writer challenged that to other Tar Heel fans.

That's why I thought you guys might be interested in it, and that's as far as my motivation for posting the link went.

ChillinDuke
11-19-2014, 12:58 PM
In about 15+ years hanging around this site I could probably count the number of threads I've started on one hand.

I saw an article that I consider well written that had a complimentary Duke angle to it from a rival writer.
Henderson is considered "the bad guy" by many Tar Heel fans and this writer challenged that to other Tar Heel fans.

That's why I thought you guys might be interested in it, and that's as far as my motivation for posting the link went.

Fair enough. I, and some others, appreciated the post.

I think your "one of the best writers" comment offset some of the goodwill intended.

But still, fair enough for me.

Thanks.

- Chillin

Wheat/"/"/"
11-19-2014, 01:03 PM
I think your "one of the best writers" comment offset some of the goodwill intended.

- Chillin

In hindsight, I would have definitely left that out.

devildeac
11-19-2014, 01:10 PM
In hindsight, I would have definitely left that out.

Amazing that most of us see so well in that rear view mirror. Thanks for sharing, man.

slower
11-19-2014, 01:31 PM
In hindsight, I would have definitely left that out.

Wheat, your intentions seemed good. The writer, not so much.

Props to you, but not him.

DukieInKansas
11-19-2014, 01:49 PM
In hindsight, I would have definitely left that out.


Amazing that most of us see so well in that rear view mirror. Thanks for sharing, man.

Sure wish eye doctors could give glasses to improve that hind sight issue - it is just too late for most of us.

Thanks for sharing the article, Wheat.

oldnavy
11-20-2014, 07:38 AM
Sure wish eye doctors could give glasses to improve that hind sight issue - it is just too late for most of us.

Thanks for sharing the article, Wheat.

As Cam Newton likes to say "hind sight is 50/50". :)

Mike Corey
11-20-2014, 08:12 AM
Wheat, your intentions seemed good. The writer, not so much.

Props to you, but not him.

Completely agreed.

superdave
11-20-2014, 09:25 AM
As Cam Newton likes to say "hind sight is 50/50". :)

It could go either way, just like deja vu.