Is this bulletin board material or what?

[MarkD83]

TAR HEELS HAVE RELATIVELY EASY SLATE
The remainder of UNC's schedule doesn't have many tough games left on it, according to the Football Power Index. But the matchup with its in-state rival NC State in late November will be the stiffest test this season.

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[Edouble]

TAR HEELS HAVE RELATIVELY EASY SLATE
The remainder of UNC's schedule doesn't have many tough games left on it, according to the Football Power Index. But the matchup with its in-state rival NC State in late November will be the stiffest test this season.

5558

So there is a 50% chance that the NC State visitors locker room gets defaced.

[dragoneye776]

The FPI is only relevant because it so extraordinarily inflates homefield advantage. Notice that they have over a 20% higher chance to beat Duke and Miami (better teams) than VTech and NCState (inferior teams) simply because of home field.

[Duke95]

The FPI is only relevant because it so extraordinarily inflates homefield advantage. Notice that they have over a 20% higher chance to beat Duke and Miami (better teams) than VTech and NCState (inferior teams) simply because of home field.

The sunlight reflecting off all those empty stands gives UNC a home field advantage.

[killerleft]

The sunlight reflecting off all those empty stands gives UNC a home field advantage.

So that's why Duke is kickin' butt.:rolleyes:

[Duke95]

So that's why Duke is kickin' butt.:rolleyes:

What?

The game is AT UNC.

[duke blue brewcrew]

What?

The game is AT UNC.

I'm pretty sure he's speaking more generally about Duke's successful season to date, and the lack of attendance that has witnessed it in person at WW.

[killerleft]

What?

The game is AT UNC.

Sorry, I meant in general at home, not specifically at UNC. In other words, people who live in glass (or half empty) houses shouldn't throw stones.

[johnb]

I've been skeptical about bulletin board material. Does additional anger improve performance? I'm unsure. So I looked for evidence. If bulletin board material can be equated with trash talking during a game (one is for public consumption/embarrassment/ridicule before the game, while the other is presumably more spontaneous and local--as in for the ears of the players rather than the media), then this PhD dissertation concludes that trash talking doesn't impact the outcome. Definitive evidence awaits further study--though it might be difficult since there would be a lot of variables involved.

here's the dissertation, from FSU no less...
http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2617&context=etd

[Skitzle]

Is there a similar info graphic for Duke?

Always curious.

[dukejim1]

Is there a similar info graphic for Duke?

Always curious.

Sat, Oct 24
@ Virginia Tech
42.0% 11.0 (32) --
Sat, Oct 31
vs Miami (FL)
58.6% 10.0 (39) --
Sat, Nov 7
@ North Carolina
31.6% 13.2 (27) --
Sat, Nov 14
vs Pittsburgh
63.9% 7.8 (47) --
Sat, Nov 21
@ Virginia
71.9% -0.7 (74) --
Sat, Nov 28
@ Wake Forest
78.8% -3.7 (84) --

[wilson]

Sat, Oct 24
@ Virginia Tech
42.0% 11.0 (32) --
Sat, Oct 31
vs Miami (FL)
58.6% 10.0 (39) --
Sat, Nov 7
@ North Carolina
31.6% 13.2 (27) --
Sat, Nov 14
vs Pittsburgh
63.9% 7.8 (47) --
Sat, Nov 21
@ Virginia
71.9% -0.7 (74) --
Sat, Nov 28
@ Wake Forest
78.8% -3.7 (84) --Are these FPI numbers as well (Football Power Index, the Worldwide Leader's statistical measure of overall team quality)? The above graphic gives carolina a 74% chance to beat us, but the numbers here give us a ~32% chance to beat them. That adds up to 106%...more reason, it would seem, to give these figures precious little credence.

[Duke95]

Sorry, I meant in general at home, not specifically at UNC. In other words, people who live in glass (or half empty) houses shouldn't throw stones.

Because comparing the attendance at FB games of a small private school vs. that of the state's "flagship" university makes a whole lot of sense....

Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable "throwing stones" in this case. UNC has a bazillion alums and fans in NC. If they can't fill their stadium, that's laughable.

[wilson]

UNC has a bazillion alums and fans in NC. If they can't fill their stadium, that's laughable.The giant is still asleep. (http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/unc-now/article26856769.html)

[Duke95]

The giant is still asleep. (http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/unc-now/article26856769.html)

How did UNC manage to cheat for nearly two decades and still stink at football? I mean, that takes some impressive ineptitude.

[tux]

How did UNC manage to cheat for nearly two decades and still stink at football? I mean, that takes some impressive ineptitude.

And despite putting a long list of talent in the NFL, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

One could argue that if you take all the advantages UNC has over Duke in football -- flagship university in a state with a good HS talent pool, a large local alumni and fan base to draw from (attendance + donations), 20+ years of reduced academic loads, etc. -- Duke has performed just as well over the past 3 decades as UNC. Maybe better. I'm not kidding.

And the same could perhaps be said about NC State. The article linked above talks a little about the particular recruiting challenges that make it hard for either State or UNC to elevate themselves into the top tier of college football. And that dynamic does help Duke.

[Merlindevildog91]

How did UNC manage to cheat for nearly two decades and still stink at football? I mean, that takes some impressive ineptitude.

The last time their football team was in NCAA trouble, Michael Wilbon justified the slap on the wrist with a feather duster that they received for punishment in just this fashion. He said, in effect, why should the NCAA punish them to any extent? They weren't even successful when they cheated!

[throatybeard]

I'm gonna go with "or what." ESPN shows these win probabilities all the time, for a variety of sports.

[oldnavy]

The giant is still asleep. (http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/unc-now/article26856769.html)

They gave up 70 freaking points to ECU last year!!!

Just saying that makes me happy!

[OldPhiKap]

How did UNC manage to cheat for nearly two decades and still stink at football? I mean, that takes some impressive ineptitude.

It takes a special kind of stupid on the sideline.

[Neals384]

Please do us the courtesy of prefacing your thread title with FB: for football. Those of us who are Basketball fans only would save a couple wasted clicks. Thanks.

[wilson]

Please do us the courtesy of prefacing your thread title with FB: for football. Those of us who are Basketball fans only would save a couple wasted clicks. Thanks.Seriously? At its heart, this forum is for people who love Duke. Even if you're primarily a basketball fan, as many people here are, surely you can also get behind the idea that our football team's historic successes in recent seasons are to be celebrated. You can also surely spare the two seconds and two calories it took for you to click on the link. Furthermore, by hovering over the thread title, you can get a preview of its content without clicking.

[killerleft]

Please do us the courtesy of prefacing your thread title with FB: for football. Those of us who are Basketball fans only would save a couple wasted clicks. Thanks.

If you'd read the 'Spurrier retiring, immediately' thread you might not be so snarky.:)

[duke blue brewcrew]

Please do us the courtesy of prefacing your thread title with FB: for football. Those of us who are Basketball fans only would save a couple wasted clicks. Thanks.

This mentality baffles me. I truly don't understand how someone who is a sports fan, could be so close minded to the idea of pulling for the college team they love in ...wait for it...more than one sport. WOW! What a concept.

[Edouble]

Seriously? At its heart, this forum is for people who love Duke. Even if you're primarily a basketball fan, as many people here are, surely you can also get behind the idea that our football team's historic successes in recent seasons are to be celebrated. You can also surely spare the two seconds and two calories it took for you to click on the link. Furthermore, by hovering over the thread title, you can get a preview of its content without clicking.


This mentality baffles me. I truly don't understand how someone who is a sports fan, could be so close minded to the idea of pulling for the college team they love in ...wait for it...more than one sport. WOW! What a concept.

I'll second Neal's post. The board has gotten a bit football heavy as of late. It's nice for those who want to stick to hoops to be able to do so with a delineation in the thread title.

I personally find football pretty brutal and off putting, just based on the chronic injuries that so many of its participants sustain. For me, this is enough of a blemish on the sport to make it one that I don't care to follow or celebrate.

[uh_no]

I'll second Neal's post. The board has gotten a bit football heavy as of late. It's nice for those who want to stick to hoops to be able to do so with a delineation in the thread title.

I personally find football pretty brutal and off putting, just based on the chronic injuries that so many of its participants sustain. For me, this is enough of a blemish on the sport to make it one that I don't care to follow or celebrate.

I think whether one agrees or not is less important than the tone of the post, which seemed to have no intention of actually generating discussion on the matter and simply was intended to rip the OP because neal was annoyed.

I think there could be a discussion whether we need some sort of sport tagging, but that wasn't the way to start it.

[MarkD83]

Since I was the original poster I'll stir the pot. The post was actually one that showed how UNC was being placed ahead of Duke for perhaps no good reason. So am I not allowed to talk about UNC on this board. In which case why the thread about the academic scandal at UNC. That scandal is only related to Women's BBall at UNC so why even have that thread :)

[wilson]

The first post in the "Welcome to DBR" thread, the one stickied at the very top of the main board, reads in part:

You'll mostly find Duke topics, as well as general college sports and other basketball topics, on the EK Board.

So even the board's own stated guidelines, the ones everyone is asked to read at least once before posting, make it pretty clear that this board, despite the site's name, isn't really meant to be limited to just Duke basketball. The briefest glance at the DBR main page reinforces this; just yesterday, half of the first ten items on the page were football-related. In that same vein, DBR joined the SB Nation network of college sites a couple of years ago as SBN's primary Duke site...again, not just Duke basketball. Search among their blogs, and you'll see DBR listed as the representative Duke site among general sports sites for all the other major conference teams. Again, to be fair, ours is one of the few (if not the only) sites on that list to be specifically branded as a basketball site in its URL, but DBR's official inclusion on that larger network is, to me, another indication that although it springs from basketball roots, DBR has evolved in the last ~2 decades into a site that reports more broadly on Duke sports.

I think the recent uptick in football conversation is a) a perfectly natural and very exciting result of our program's amazing accomplishments in the last 3+ seasons, and b) an indication that those of you with basketball tunnel vision are outnumbered here. At the very least, as I've already pointed out upthread, people who do have basketball myopia can easily get a preview of any thread's content by hovering over the thread title, without any clicking. It's really not that hard or time-consuming.

[Dev11]

To be fair, of all the threads on the first page right now, this is the only one that doesn't suggest what it might really be about, unless you think somebody posted here about watching a Kentucky football practice.

Wilson summed up my thoughts better than I could have.

If you're only a Duke Basketball fan, don't worry, it'll be basketball season before you know it. Take a deep breath, the offseason is nearly over.

[duke blue brewcrew]

I'll second Neal's post. The board has gotten a bit football heavy as of late. It's nice for those who want to stick to hoops to be able to do so with a delineation in the thread title.

I personally find football pretty brutal and off putting, just based on the chronic injuries that so many of its participants sustain. For me, this is enough of a blemish on the sport to make it one that I don't care to follow or celebrate.

In case you haven't notice, it's football season. Oh yeah, and the Duke football team has cracked the Top 25 nationally in both polls, so they're kind of a big deal.

[Edouble]

In case you haven't notice, it's football season. Oh yeah, and the Duke football team has cracked the Top 25 nationally in both polls, so they're kind of a big deal.

In case you haven't noticed it's Duke Basketball Report.

This could go on and on, but no need to get so defensive. I stated my reasons for not liking football, in or out of season, big deal or no big deal football team.

[TheDevilMadeMeDoIt]

In case you haven't noticed it's Duke Basketball Report.

This could go on and on, but no need to get so defensive. I stated my reasons for not liking football, in or out of season, big deal or no big deal football team.

I rarely post, but as a Duke grad who is proud of all our teams, I felt compelled to respond. When this site originated our football program was irrelevant, whereas basketball was at the top of the heap. The founders could certainly answer this, but I assume if football had been a perennial top 10 team the site would have a different name. I appreciate the fact not everyone likes football. I joke with my friends that Duke football became relevant just as football in general may not be around a lot longer. However, until we have a dedicated Duke football site, I encourage all football fans to post regularly. Many of us have waited for 50 years to read about and enjoy Duke football.

[duke blue brewcrew]

In case you haven't noticed it's Duke Basketball Report.

This could go on and on, but no need to get so defensive. I stated my reasons for not liking football, in or out of season, big deal or no big deal football team.

Sorry, there was more jest intended in that than was perhaps conveyed. I was hopeful the Anchorman reference would bring that through. Maybe I should have used emoticons? Not being defensive. I was somewhat jokingly pointing out, that it is football season which is why there are so many more football posts these days than during the off season. Also, the team has achieved a level of success that has not been witnessed in decades by Duke fans, which is yet another reason for increased posts on this board. While you're right, this board is called Duke Basketball Report, I'm willing to wager that it was created during the great depression that was Duke Football post Steve Spurrier/pre-Cut era. There was no reason to create a website that discussed Duke Football, what was there to talk about other than how awful they were. Times have changed in that regard. I view this site as a place where Duke fans of all kinds, from all walks of life can come show their support for this beloved university and all it's programs (believe it or not, even baseball, lacrosse and soccer get discussed here sometimes...shhh, don't tell anyone). :) Personally, I was a bit put off the the snarky tone of the original poster. Implying that clicking on any thread not basketball related just wasn't worth their time. Even if you don't watch a particular sport, how can you not be happy that Duke is having success in the largest money grab of college sports? Football drives the national media money bus, no matter how much we love basketball.

[JetpackJesus]

The first post in the "Welcome to DBR" thread, the one stickied at the very top of the main board, reads in part:

You'll mostly find Duke topics, as well as general college sports and other basketball topics, on the EK Board.

I would also add that we're all commenting and reading the EK Forum that explicitly defines itself (both above all the threads in the EK Board and on the Forums homepage) as follows:


Forum: Elizabeth King Forum
This is the board for discussions of Duke basketball and Duke athletics in general.

It seems that some people may have expectations that are antithetical to the stated purpose of this forum.

To Neals' point:

If this were basketball season, I think distinguishing a generic-titled thread as being a football thread rather than a basketball thread might be warranted because either: (a) the football team is no longer playing so one wouldn't be expecting a generic thread title to be football related; or (b) both teams are still playing so one might reasonably expect a generic thread title could relate to either program.

But it's the middle of football season. People have been and are going to continue discussing football quite a bit. I think it's quite reasonable to expect that a thread titled 'Is this bulletin board material or what?' is related to football. I'm actually surprised people clicked on it expecting it to be a basketball thread at this time of year.

[OldPhiKap]

I rarely post, but as a Duke grad who is proud of all our teams, I felt compelled to respond. When this site originated our football program was irrelevant, whereas basketball was at the top of the heap. The founders could certainly answer this, but I assume if football had been a perennial top 10 team the site would have a different name. I appreciate the fact not everyone likes football. I joke with my friends that Duke football became relevant just as football in general may not be around a lot longer. However, until we have a dedicated Duke football site, I encourage all football fans to post regularly. Many of us have waited for 50 years to read about and enjoy Duke football.

You should post more. Agree 100%.

[Stray Gator]

For the record, there was significant interest in Duke football on the DBR even during the early years of the website, when Julio and Boswell and James ran the joint with the support of a handful of sponsors and gridiron wins for the Blue Devils were rare events. In fact, I still have some of the buttons that were made for the few dozen regulars on the site, which say: "I Read The DBR and I Support Duke Football."

[Edouble]

Sorry, there was more jest intended in that than was perhaps conveyed. I was hopeful the Anchorman reference would bring that through. Maybe I should have used emoticons? Not being defensive. I was somewhat jokingly pointing out, that it is football season which is why there are so many more football posts these days than during the off season. Also, the team has achieved a level of success that has not been witnessed in decades by Duke fans, which is yet another reason for increased posts on this board. While you're right, this board is called Duke Basketball Report, I'm willing to wager that it was created during the great depression that was Duke Football post Steve Spurrier/pre-Cut era. There was no reason to create a website that discussed Duke Football, what was there to talk about other than how awful they were. Times have changed in that regard. I view this site as a place where Duke fans of all kinds, from all walks of life can come show their support for this beloved university and all it's programs (believe it or not, even baseball, lacrosse and soccer get discussed here sometimes...shhh, don't tell anyone). :) Personally, I was a bit put off the the snarky tone of the original poster. Implying that clicking on any thread not basketball related just wasn't worth their time. Even if you don't watch a particular sport, how can you not be happy that Duke is having success in the largest money grab of college sports? Football drives the national media money bus, no matter how much we love basketball.

Watch it... if there's one thing I abhor more than football it's poor grammar. :o

I've never seen Anchorman. :(

I also view this site as a place where Duke fans of all kinds, from all walks of life can come show their support for this beloved university and all its programs. I do think that football threads should have an "FB" in their thread title. JMHO. I agree with Neal on that point.


I rarely post, but as a Duke grad who is proud of all our teams, I felt compelled to respond. When this site originated our football program was irrelevant, whereas basketball was at the top of the heap. The founders could certainly answer this, but I assume if football had been a perennial top 10 team the site would have a different name. I appreciate the fact not everyone likes football. I joke with my friends that Duke football became relevant just as football in general may not be around a lot longer. However, until we have a dedicated Duke football site, I encourage all football fans to post regularly. Many of us have waited for 50 years to read about and enjoy Duke football.

I agree!!!

I also agree with Neal that the football threads should start with a "FB:". That way those that come here just for the football chatter can zone right in on those threads. Those that want hoops talk can steer clear.

[MarkD83]

Should the "Duke Versus Kentucky" thread start with "BBQ" so folks don't inadvertently click on that thread? That wouldn't be any fun.

[oldnavy]

I find football a much more interesting sport to watch than basketball.

I LOVE basketball, especially Duke basketball, but football has much more strategy, complexity, and variety than basketball IMO.

As far as being brutish and the injuries, yes no doubt that football is a violent game but I have seen two injuries on the basketball court in the past two years that were every bit as horrifying as any I have seen in football.

My son never played football, but he did play basketball where he suffered a severe concussion and a compound fracture of his lower arm that now has two metal plates and 14 screws in it.

Point is, football is dangerous no doubt, but basketball is not a game where severe injuries are avoided and it can be quit brutish as well.

[duke blue brewcrew]

Watch it... if there's one thing I abhor more than football it's poor grammar. :o

I've never seen Anchorman. :(

I also view this site as a place where Duke fans of all kinds, from all walks of life can come show their support for this beloved university and all its programs. I do think that football threads should have an "FB" in their thread title. JMHO. I agree with Neal on that point.



I agree!!!

I also agree with Neal that the football threads should start with a "FB:". That way those that come here just for the football chatter can zone right in on those threads. Those that want hoops talk can steer clear.

Please excuse my poor grammar with the use of it's instead of its...didn't realize I was chatting with the grammar police. :) You're correct, I should know better on that one. Also, I'm not saying that using FB: for dedicated football threads is a bad idea. My issue was how it was brought to the table. There are a couple of Southern expressions that I'm fond of that sum up my thoughts on that. "You draw more flies with honey than vinegar." and "It's all in the presentation of the fly to the fish." As MarkD83 points out, there are other misleading thread titles out there, (See Duke vs Kentucky thread...it's about BBQ if you haven't read it). Some people are just more willing to roll with the punches than others I guess.