How can we constructively show support for Grayson amidst the media craziness?

[scottdude8]

The media coverage surrounding Grayson continues to get more and more insane... this was the most recent and perhaps most egregious example from SI's Facebook page, which seems to be excusing opposing players trying to hurt Grayson:
7079

Combined with the way he's getting attacked by opposing fans in an arguably unprecedented fashion, and the fact that Grayson doesn't appear to relish the "villain" role like a Laettner or Redick, I'm getting seriously concerned for Grayson's mental state. The once fiery competitor now seems sad on the basketball court. I would imagine if I was in his shoes knowing that there is a large community that supports him, even when all the noise seems to indicate the opposite, would mean a great deal.

With that in mind, does anyone have any ideas how we as a community could possibly do more to show Grayson our support? Posting on a message board is great and all, but the likelihood of any of our messages getting to Grayson is minimal at best. I like some of the talk I've seen about some sort of "protest" against ESPN's coverage during College Gameday next week. Any other ideas?

[Edouble]

The media coverage surrounding Grayson continues to get more and more insane... this was the most recent and perhaps most egregious example from SI's Facebook page, which seems to be excusing opposing players trying to hurt Grayson:
7079

Combined with the way he's getting attacked by opposing fans in an arguably unprecedented fashion, and the fact that Grayson doesn't appear to relish the "villain" role like a Laettner or Redick, I'm getting seriously concerned for Grayson's mental state. The once fiery competitor now seems sad on the basketball court. I would imagine if I was in his shoes knowing that there is a large community that supports him, even when all the noise seems to indicate the opposite, would mean a great deal.

With that in mind, does anyone have any ideas how we as a community could possibly do more to show Grayson our support? Posting on a message board is great and all, but the likelihood of any of our messages getting to Grayson is minimal at best. I like some of the talk I've seen about some sort of "protest" against ESPN's coverage during College Gameday next week. Any other ideas?

Great post and great sentiment.

As far as being a community, I'm a lone alum many miles from Durham. I absolutely stick up for Grayson and all things Duke, for that matter, whenever anyone has something smartass to say about our program.

As far as those on campus now, I really like the idea of a College Gameday protest. That makes my Duk-blue-blood-pumping-heart swell up with pride!

[scottdude8]

Great post and great sentiment.

As far as being a community, I'm a lone alum many miles from Durham. I absolutely stick up for Grayson and all things Duke, for that matter, whenever anyone has something smartass to say about our program.

As far as those on campus now, I really like the idea of a College Gameday protest. That makes my Duk-blue-blood-pumping-heart swell up with pride!

I, too, am an alum away from Durham... which is why I feel so sad and helpless watching one of our own get treated like this. And considering how social media is one of the primary problems driving this, I'm not sure if it's the way to counteract it, but it seems to be the only outlet those away from Durham have. Hence, frustration.

[mgtr]

I support Grayson, right or wrong. As with all of us,. he makes mistakes. He is our guy. Period.

[Devilwin]

As long as he keeps it together, I will support him til the end. He did what he did, it's over, he was suspended, so let's get on with the season. He means a lot to the team, and we need his fire.
Told the wife today it was good I was not at that game. I would be languishing in some Louisville jail cell about now. Sick of hearing these fans from schools that have done far worse to keep ragging on our guy..Makes me furious..:mad:

"Heavily Medicated For Your Protection"

[Newton_14]

As long as he keeps it together, I will support him til the end. He did what he did, it's over, he was suspended, so let's get on with the season. He means a lot to the team, and we need his fire.
Told the wife today it was good I was not at that game. I would be languishing in some Louisville jail cell about now. Sick of hearing these fans from schools that have done far worse to keep ragging on our guy..Makes me furious..:mad:

"Heavily Medicated For Your Protection"

It's beyond anything I've seen in all my years watching. I suspect it will just get worse. The sports media are salivating and are in a state of euphoria. And opposing players have picked up on the "okay-ness" to do anything possible to punish Grayson. As we saw today, that behavior is now celebrated by rabid fans an the drama whores that is the sports media.

In my opinion it's a recipe for someone to get seriously hurt...

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

The media coverage surrounding Grayson continues to get more and more insane... this was the most recent and perhaps most egregious example from SI's Facebook page, which seems to be excusing opposing players trying to hurt Grayson:
7079

Combined with the way he's getting attacked by opposing fans in an arguably unprecedented fashion, and the fact that Grayson doesn't appear to relish the "villain" role like a Laettner or Redick, I'm getting seriously concerned for Grayson's mental state. The once fiery competitor now seems sad on the basketball court. I would imagine if I was in his shoes knowing that there is a large community that supports him, even when all the noise seems to indicate the opposite, would mean a great deal.

With that in mind, does anyone have any ideas how we as a community could possibly do more to show Grayson our support? Posting on a message board is great and all, but the likelihood of any of our messages getting to Grayson is minimal at best. I like some of the talk I've seen about some sort of "protest" against ESPN's coverage during College Gameday next week. Any other ideas?

I still love the idea of "Free Grayson" t-shirts worn in Cameron and anywhere else. I'd make a substantial contribution to their manufacture if somebody knows how to get the job done.

Love, Ima

[OZ]

At game day wear a t-shirt that just has GRAYSON on the front; and perhaps a 3 on the back. Don't yell, boo, scream or act disrespectful... just stand in absolute silence. They will have to acknowledge you at some point. Keeping it simple, together and respectful says a lot about Grayson as well as Duke. Those shirts will also be visible during the game.

[Devilwin]

At game day wear a t-shirt that just has GRAYSON on the front; and perhaps a 3 on the back. Don't yell, boo, scream or act disrespectful... just stand in absolute silence. They will have to acknowledge you at some point. Keeping it simple, together and respectful says a lot about Grayson as well as Duke. Those shirts will also be visible during the game.

Good idea. Best one I've seen so far!

[alteran]

I like the support idea, too.

I'd like to point out that he had 23 points today. He was 6-11, and made 9-12 from the free throw line.

I'm sure he's tired of the circus, but it's not like he's a fragile snowflake out there. The kid is tough.

[DukeGirl4ever]

My daughter and I had these shirts made up for when we attended our first game at Cameron in November. (MANY THANKS TO NEWTON_14 for marking that happen!) They were a little play on the the Laettner comparison last year and the "I Still Love Laettner" shirts that were made.

Little did we know these shirts would end up having an even deeper meaning as the season progressed.

I'd love to see more of these shirts made.

(My daughter chose to wear her Grayson jersey in this pic rather than her shirt that was just like mine.)

7081

[KenTankerous]

I still love the idea of "Free Grayson" t-shirts worn in Cameron and anywhere else. I'd make a substantial contribution to their manufacture if somebody knows how to get the job done.

Love, Ima


Like this:

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product2.aspx?from=CustomDesigner&number=2039299824

[scottdude8]

At game day wear a t-shirt that just has GRAYSON on the front; and perhaps a 3 on the back. Don't yell, boo, scream or act disrespectful... just stand in absolute silence. They will have to acknowledge you at some point. Keeping it simple, together and respectful says a lot about Grayson as well as Duke. Those shirts will also be visible during the game.

I love this. Not only would this show ESPN that one of the largest fanbases in College Basketball isn't happy with how they've covered this issue, which could have a legitimate effect on them, it would also send a loud and clear message to Grayson how much this fan base supports him. How can we make this happen?

[ricks68]

Like this:

http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product2.aspx?from=CustomDesigner&number=2039299824

I'll bet you can find them in bulk for under 10 bucks. The GTHC shirt that I got from a DBR poster some years back was only 6 bucks, I think. (Please correct me if I am wrong.)

ricks

[KenTankerous]

I'll bet you can find them in bulk for under 10 bucks. The GTHC shirt that I got from a DBR poster some years back was only 6 bucks, I think. (Please correct me if I am wrong.)

ricks

You probably can but on this short notice and the ability to customize, like this (http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product2.aspx?from=CustomDesigner&number=2039299824), and if we order 72 or more, the price drops to like $14.24 per...

[Dukehky]

The people who go to Gameday really should do some kind of protest. Like turn around when Jay Williams starts talking, or just be silent when the camera pans to them. Something should happen. I'm going to write some letters to the chronicle this week to try and get it out there. I suggest everyone else do something similar.

I think the kids who are tenting are required to go, which is fine, just go in there and stand. Be absolutely silent, don't give ESPN any of what it wants. Maybe at some point they'll ask what's going on.

Have somebody ready to take a stand. Say that Michele Beadle advocating Grayson getting knocked out is not okay, that putting a headline up laughing and saying it's okay to slap Grayson in the face is not okay, and maybe telling Rece Davis that name calling is behavior far more associated with a petulant toddler than touching someone's leg with their foot.


Screw ESPN. This has become a witch hunt and it's really not okay. Swear to God, if we didn't live in NC, there would be an outside chance that by the end of the year that he could have an Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress cause of action against ESPN.

[jacone21]

I think the easiest response would be for students to stay home and refuse to be dancing monkeys for ESPN. Pretty simple really. The second easiest would be to show up but refuse to dance.

[Furniture]

Personally I think this subject is like a dog turd on the ground. The more you mess with it the more it stinks.
I think the students should ignore it and act like other colleges do on game day. That would mean t-shirts and signs supporting GA would be fine but giving the silent treatment and turning their backs is not respectful. When they go low its best to stay high! I think I may have heard someone say that before.

[alteran]

Personally I think this subject is like a dog turd on the ground. The more you mess with it the more it stinks.
I think the students should ignore it and act like other colleges do on game day. That would mean t-shirts and signs supporting GA would be fine but giving the silent treatment and turning their backs is not respectful. When they go low its best to stay high! I think I may have heard someone say that before.

Agreed.

I really, really hate ESPN, and hope they get their karmic comeuppance for this bullwanker, but I'm increasingly convinced it's just not possible for us to be what gives it to them. I think T-shirts is probably the best move we can make without making things worse.

[Newton_14]

Question. Can anyone attend the Gameday Session? Free admission to anyone that shows up or what?

[Native]

Agreed.

I really, really hate ESPN, and hope they get their karmic comeuppance for this bullwanker, but I'm increasingly convinced it's just not possible for us to be what gives it to them. I think T-shirts is probably the best move we can make without making things worse.

T-shirts gives them something to report on and will make the situation worse.

You either have to subvert the quality of the show without giving them any ammunition, or directly attack ESPN without mercy, forcing them to acknowledge their actions in their reporting.

[kmspeaks]

Question. Can anyone attend the Gameday Session? Free admission to anyone that shows up or what?

Yes. The procedure is different at every school but I would imagine you could find information from Duke with details. I went to Gameday at UVA a couple years ago. We got there around 6 am, they let us in at 9, and I had a blast. Everybody should go once.

[Newton_14]

T-shirts gives them something to report on and will make the situation worse.

You either have to subvert the quality of the show without giving them any ammunition, or directly attack ESPN without mercy, forcing them to acknowledge their actions in their reporting.

Totally agree. The last thing we want is to 1. Make it worse, or 2. Make it seem we don't believe Grayson did anything wrong.

[OldPhiKap]

The best way to support and help Grayson is to stop talking about his crap; treat him like every other player we love; and let K take care of the day-to-day.

Harder for him to move on if the fans have not.

Next play.

If folks want to protest how ESPN is playing this up, don't go to Game Day. An empty Cameron is the only thing that will really send a message that resonates, not random signs or chants or shirts. You show up and yell, you're part of the spectacle feeding the beast.

-- OldSchoolPhiKap

[Native]

The best way to support and help Grayson is to stop talking about his crap; treat him like every other player we love; and let K take care of the day-to-day.

Harder for him to move on if the fans have not.

Next play.

If folks want to protest how ESPN is playing this up, don't go to Game Day. An empty Cameron is the only thing that will really send a message that resonates, not random signs or chants or shirts. You show up and yell, you're part of the spectacle feeding the beast.

-- OldSchoolPhiKap

The only drawback there is when other fans notice our absence, accuse us of entitlement, arrogance, and ignorance, and subsequently continue to feed the beast.

But, that aside, this is the best option. Have a party in K-Ville instead, away from the cameras.

[mgtr]

If folks want to protest how ESPN is playing this up, don't go to Game Day. An empty Cameron is the only thing that will really send a message that resonates, not random signs or chants or shirts. You show up and yell, you're part of the spectacle feeding the beast.

-- OldSchoolPhiKap

Remember the old newspaper line -- don't get into a wankering contest with people who buy their ink by the barrel.

[Indoor66]

You will not beat the group that buys ink by the barrel.

Your post went up as I was typing!😎

[OldPhiKap]

The only drawback there is when other fans notice our absence, accuse us of entitlement, arrogance, and ignorance, and subsequently continue to feed the beast.

But, that aside, this is the best option. Have a party in K-Ville instead, away from the cameras.

Haters gonna hate regardless. Can't spend too much time worried about them. I don't see this as a big risk, really.


Remember the old newspaper line -- don't get into a wankering contest with people who buy their ink by the barrel.


You will not beat the group that buys ink by the barrel.

Your post went up as I was typing!��

The way you fight the press is to unsubscribe. Why help their ratings if they are spewing hate on us?

[Furniture]

Totally agree. The last thing we want is to 1. Make it worse, or 2. Make it seem we don't believe Grayson did anything wrong.

You are correct sir.
Any protest would be reported as 2.

Let stinking poo lie.

[jv001]

Haters gonna hate regardless. Can't spend too much time worried about them. I don't see this as a big risk, really.





The way you fight the press is to unsubscribe. Why help their ratings if they are spewing hate on us?

I still want signs about the tarholes cheating ways. You know the Carolina way. GoDuke!

[ricks68]

The people who go to Gameday really should do some kind of protest. Like turn around when Jay Williams starts talking, or just be silent when the camera pans to them. Something should happen. I'm going to write some letters to the chronicle this week to try and get it out there. I suggest everyone else do something similar.

I think the kids who are tenting are required to go, which is fine, just go in there and stand. Be absolutely silent, don't give ESPN any of what it wants. Maybe at some point they'll ask what's going on.

Have somebody ready to take a stand. Say that Michele Beadle advocating Grayson getting knocked out is not okay, that putting a headline up laughing and saying it's okay to slap Grayson in the face is not okay, and maybe telling Rece Davis that name calling is behavior far more associated with a petulant toddler than touching someone's leg with their foot.


Screw ESPN. This has become a witch hunt and it's really not okay. Swear to God, if we didn't live in NC, there would be an outside chance that by the end of the year that he could have an Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress cause of action against ESPN.

Maybe we should ignore it or just concentrate on bad UNCheat signs or just deny ESPN's use of our bathrooms citing HB2 as a reason. (I mean, you did allude to the fact that we are in NC.) Anything to distract them from slamming Grayson is the intent here.

ricks

[richardjackson199]

Recently I've also been in agreement with the ignore it and hopefully it will go away stance.

Until I read Al Featherston's excellent front page piece and saw him reference another recent ESPN columnist's response to ESPN's recent hysteria with Allen. Feather called it disgusting. I found it - it's still a video on NCAA's Men's Basketball home page. It was reprehensible: Jemele Hill says "make no mistake, Allen brought this all on himself because many consider him to be the most dirty player in college basketball and his 1 game suspension was a joke." She then takes a shot at coach K, while he is still recovering from back surgery, calling him "a little sanctimonious." Or that what ESPN is doing is ok because Duke is the school that everyone loves to hate. She takes another shot at Allen stating his "numbers are down" which should concern NBA scouts more than his child-like tantrums. And she ends it by saying that at the next level, Allen is going to "trip right into somebody's fist" as she gives a big smile. She literally propagates the message that it's ok to hit Grayson Allen in the face, because well, he deserves it. Just wow.

Seeing that makes me so angry I wish Duke would never play another game televised by ESPN. :mad:

This is way over the line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS3c2En7Ssc

But we need to beat Miami, and our team deserves our support. So being silent outside the Gameday tent is good, but please show up and cheer us to a win in Cameron. The only real way to stick it back to the haters is just when they think we're about to have an epic collapse, we turn it back around and win another championship, with Grayson the Final Four MOP. Feather is right - it could happen with this team.

Grayson can be stellar at point guard. He is still showing Wooden award talent (not having a Wooden season yet, obviously). But look what Grayson and our team did to Georgia Tech, who is looking decent so far in this ACC. Frank can be deadly as scoring guard. Jayson can defend, score, and do it all. He just needs to get back into team-first, patient, let the game come to him mode. Giles IS improving, and you see more from him each game. I think we will see the true Harry this year. Kennard is a team-first stud. Amile is getting healthy and will be back, hopefully very soon. The human double double has only gotten much better from the guy who stepped up when most needed to win the 2015 natty. And Grayson did that too, and is also much better from freshman Grayson. Matt can help give our team the toughness and leadership we need. He can help this team. Bolden is improving, getting more healthy, and has lottery potential. Chase plays hard and can give us good minutes. Vrank, Jack, and Javin all have unique skills, and could provide well above-average bench depth. We have some pretty good coaches.

The best way to stick it to the haters is to just win it all. We are Duke, and that is how we roll. Expect greatness, and earn everything. Looking forward to the part of the season that matters most. It's time.

[FadedTackyShirt]

Totally agree. The last thing we want is to 1. Make it worse, or 2. Make it seem we don't believe Grayson did anything wrong.

Focus should be on what's best for Duke, K, the 2017 team, and Grayson. Can't stand ESPN, but a tone deaf hamfisted response may be short sighted and not efficiently advance Duke's best interests.

Full throated support for the team during the game is never a bad idea. Would be highly supportive of signs/chants drawing additional attention to Carolina academic hypocrisy at GameDay and/or the game.

[Troublemaker]

About to become favorite chant, "WE LOVE GRAYSON!" clap clap clap-clap-clap

This is my favorite idea so far (albeit from another thread). I would want our support for Grayson to be high-energy instead of a silent protest, and I would prefer us to not bash ESPN or their personalities. Just be really loud in support of Grayson. Even if it's just a simple "Gray-son All-en *clap-clap clap-clap-clap*" all throughout the broadcast.

As for T-shirts, maybe something that expresses the idea that he's not an angel but he's not the (red) devil. Grayson face on a haloed angel (X through it), Grayson face on a red devil (X through it), Grayson the Blue Devil basketball player (Check mark)? Something along those lines?

[Indoor66]

I always favor making it about US and not about THEM. Negative never goes anywhere positive.

[weezie]

... I would prefer us to not bash ESPN or their personalities. Just be really loud in support of Grayson. Even if it's just a simple "Gray-son All-en *clap-clap clap-clap-clap*" all throughout the broadcast...

Weeeellll, maybe a bit of fixed staring when Williams tries to mug for the crowd or Bilas tosses us a wave.

And how about a big old "WE ARE DUKE!" to the beat of "Let's Go Duke!" About a billion times would do it.

[Billy Dat]

This is way over the line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS3c2En7Ssc


I think there's a contest at the WWL to see who can suggest the harshest sentence. Michelle Beadle chimes in with this pearl:

“What have I said?” Beadle asked her colleagues on SportsNation. “Knock. Him. Out. Enough is enough, I don’t need him to be punished, I don’t need mommy and daddy to step in. I need an opponent to say ‘enough.’”
http://uproxx.com/dimemag/michelle-beadle-knock-out-grayson-allen/

If Skip were still at ESPN, I am sure he'd one up this with a call for Grayson's murder.

[NashvilleDevil]

I think there's a contest at the WWL to see who can suggest the harshest sentence. Michelle Beadle chimes in with this pearl:

“What have I said?” Beadle asked her colleagues on SportsNation. “Knock. Him. Out. Enough is enough, I don’t need him to be punished, I don’t need mommy and daddy to step in. I need an opponent to say ‘enough.’”
http://uproxx.com/dimemag/michelle-beadle-knock-out-grayson-allen/

If Skip were still at ESPN, I am sure he'd one up this with a call for Grayson's murder.

I think Skip would be the contrarian in all this and Duke fans would love he's reasonable take.

[devildeac]

I think there's a contest at the WWL to see who can suggest the harshest sentence. Michelle Beadle chimes in with this pearl:

“What have I said?” Beadle asked her colleagues on SportsNation. “Knock. Him. Out. Enough is enough, I don’t need him to be punished, I don’t need mommy and daddy to step in. I need an opponent to say ‘enough.’”
http://uproxx.com/dimemag/michelle-beadle-knock-out-grayson-allen/

If Skip were still at ESPN, I am sure he'd one up this with a call for Grayson's murder.

Advocating physical violence. Truly pathetic.

[Indoor66]

Advocating physical violence. Truly pathetic.

Who the hell is Michelle Beadle? Why would you even listen to her?

[devildeac]

Who the hell is Michelle Beadle? Why would you even listen to her?

I don't, and for fear of insulting someone I consider a friend and is one of her family members who posts here regularly, I will refrain from any judgmental comments and simply state she is an espn employee. I'll let that family member chime in should they choose.

[bluenorth]

I saw that Coach Pitino took a few extra moments to speak with Grayson at the end of the Louisville game. I believe (though not sure - maybe someone can clarify) that Pitino was offering Grayson some encouragement. Is it beyond the realm of possibility that opposing coaches, when Duke is on the road, could encourage their fans to behave with a bit of class? Addressing the issue before a game begins might be more effective than a handshake after the game.

[Troublemaker]

I saw that Coach Pitino took a few extra moments to speak with Grayson at the end of the Louisville game. I believe (though not sure - maybe someone can clarify) that Pitino was offering Grayson some encouragement. Is it beyond the realm of possibility that opposing coaches, when Duke is on the road, could encourage their fans to behave with a bit of class? Addressing the issue before a game begins might be more effective than a handshake after the game.

It's unlikely. While I appreciate Pitino's kind words about Grayson in the postgame interview and apparently in the handshake line, he's a competitor first and foremost. Most coaches, including our own, like to have hyped crowds for their home games and if Grayson gets the home crowd hyped and focused (since one needs to pay attention to see when Grayson receives the ball so one can boo him), Pitino probably would not want to alter that. Now, obviously, if the crowd crosses certain lines (e.g. throws things at Grayson), I would expect any coach to get on the PA system to tell them to knock it off and point out the offenders so they can get kicked out of the game.

[weezie]

Who the hell is Michelle Beadle?


She's a real tough guy, ain't she? A tough guy in a tight skirt and high heels. Perhaps she thinks coasting on Cowherd's contrails gave her the chops to call out players for physical abuse. She must think she's one special gal.

I could drop her like a sack of dirt.

[Owen Meany]

This will be lengthy. I'm not sure of proper etiquette, so I will break this down into smaller posts. I would not normally post this much, but since this is what the thread is for I will. Please disregard if you would like. All of this is, IMHO of course, but...

In normal circumstances, I would be wary of efforts by students to address this. It does often look clueless or brings extra attention to a situation (ex. UNC fans with petitions regarding NCAA and PJ Hairston). In this case, however, I think ESPN's egregious, over-the-top treatment of Allen deserves a response. ESPN is intent on destroying the kid at this point. He is not being allowed to move forward, they are looking to create incidents where none exist, and I believe, creating an environment so hostile toward the kid that they are creating an unsafe environment. For those who believe he brought this upon himself - I strongly disagree he is responsible for this completely disproportional response. But regardless, ESPN is also hurting Duke's chances for a championship this year and possibly hurting the Duke "brand for the future". Coach K was concerned enough about similar, but less hostile, coverage a few years ago to take steps to change perceptions - ex. the creation of Duke Blue Planet.

I would love for the students/fans to do something that forces ESPN to acknowledge their coverage of Allen. It is so egregious that I believe any fair examination would make ESPN look ludicrous, require them to be more circumspect in their future coverage of Allen, and put Allen's actions into a more reasonable perspective.

I mentioned this sign earlier.
7082

I think it could be effective because it is very simple, relevant, could be widely produced and ties in with a hot social topic – it could easily “stick”, ESPN would likely be sensitive to the suggestion (other themes that may make ESPN think twice about their actions would be bullying and the exploitation of amateur athletes). If you can just force ESPN to address it, you open up a lot of possibilities. It could be outside, however, and could attract local media attention - particularly if students give a heads up to local media. As others have said, Grayson Allen shirts could also be used if you could make clear you were protesting the coverage and not absolving him off all guilt.


ESPN has used their website as well as their networks to bully Allen. They do this because they can - there are no ramifications. I would love to see the students use social media to hammer back at ESPN. No person, or network, wants to look ridiculous. ESPN has provided plenty of ammunition. But those angered don't have the platform that ESPN has used and abused. Social media could level the playing field.

[FadedTackyShirt]

Advocating physical violence. Truly pathetic.

Was surprised that ESPN didn't fire Britt McHenry after her nasty tirade against the parking lot attendant. Was suspended for a week.

Dana Jacobson was also suspended for a week for a drunken rant against Catholicism and Notre Dame.

Neither advocated violence, but Beadle will skate without an apology or reprimand.

[Owen Meany]

ESPN has relentlessly used their various platforms to bully Allen. Social Media would be a wonderful weapon to even the playing field with ESPN. The goal would be to create a volume that could not be ignored. Tweet, retweet to other sports sites/reporters. If ESPN realizes that they may actually be questioned on their coverage and comments they will have to be more careful to self-censor in the future, less likely to make outrageous comments.


Just prior to Gameday, students/fans could twitter bomb ESPN, Jay Bilas, Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg, et al. It would help to have many people tweeting the same, strongest points - things that aren't open to interpretation and aren't refutable. I would stay clear of the UNC mess - it is not Duke's fight and will only dilute the message. Besides, if NCSU fans and the PAck Pride board have not gotten ESPN to go after UNC then no one will (also, ESPN's OTL piece with McCants was probably the hardest hitting piece on UNC to date). I'm not really familiar with twitter, but it seems that enough volume would cause a trending topic and be difficult for ESPN and the people in question to ignore.

Sample tweets (someone else could likely make these more concise, clear)
to ESPN - ESFN sign, examples of ridiculous coverage, Beadle saying "knock him out", tweets about


For Greenberg – series of tweets

Jeff Allen flipped off crowd, bumped an official, and intentionally elbowed player.
You said Grayson Allen had “demons”, "needs help". Did you comment on his “demons”, "need for help"?

J Allen's greatest punishment was 2 games for bumping official. Does Grayson Allen deserve worse?

After 3rd incident you were asked if he would be suspended – you replied "Why would I? He served his punishment yesterday. (when he was foul/ejection)”.


********

Deron Washington kicked Lee Melchioni in the face and was suspended.

When you played Duke again "the Virginia Tech Forward proceeded to flop, trip players, try to get into the Duke huddle, start a fight with Paulus, AND undercut Demarcus Nelson on a dunk attempt”

he was called for a flagrant foul for intentionally TRIPPING player running at full speed

Despite his history you did not suspend him

Your Pt Guard "Instead of just bouncing back and defending them hard, we were trying to pick fights."

Your response? "Both teams were a little frisky."

you taunted "I'm sure [Greg] Paulus is probably tired of seeing the bottom of Deron's shorts."




to Jay Bilas (who has been more fair than others. He is very big on the exploitation of the athletes, and ESPN is extremely guilty of this. I believe he should, and much more so than anyone else, could speak to this)-

You are very vocal about the NCAA and schools exploiting athletes. ESPN is valued at $50 billion.

Do you think the extensive coverage of Allen is exploitive? Give examples showing volume of coverage.

Do you think it is ethical/fair for ESPN employees to question Allen's mental status and character?

what are your thoughts on ESPN reporter stating "Knock.Him.Out"?

ESPN is largely responsible for the common belief that Allen should have a several games suspension, and that a further “incident” should result in much harsher penalties.

Is there any precedent for flagrant 1 fouls resulting in long term suspension (from conference)? Is there a precedent for incidents from previous years resulting in a “cumulative”, more harsh punishment. If so, is this the norm or an exception?

ESPN has made extensive use of slow motion video to question Allen's actions and intent on the basketball court. As a lawyer, are you familiar with the widely reported dangers of using slow motion footage in courtrooms?
Links and findings - Slow Motion Dangerous in Courtroom - CSMonitor.com
Slow-motion replays can distort criminal responsibility - BBC News
How slow-motion video footage misleads juries | Law | The Guardian
Real Justice Exists Only in Real Time LA Times
Bias Found in Slow-Motion Replays | University of San Francisco
Slow-motion video makes juries more likely to convict Chicago Booth Univ. of Chicago

Chicago Booth’s Eugene M. Caruso on bias from slow motion video - “We first noticed the phenomenon in sports replays. Often a replay shown of something like a violent collision would seem worse in slow motion than it did in real time."

Do you think ESPN should continue to use slow-motion video to question Allen's intent/actions?

[Owen Meany]

tweets (cont)

Jay Williams – you came out very hard against Allen. Led the charge for multiple game suspension.

What is the precedent for this? Under rules, how could the ACC do this?

You said this revealed Allen's true character. Do you actually believe this?

You were close friends with Dahntay Jones I high school and at Duke. Do you believe Allen's on court actions are worse than Jones.

Do you think Allen's actions warrant the volume of coverage ESPN has provided.

Do you think Grayson Allen is more exploited by having his jersey sold or by ESPN's overwrought coverage questioning his character?

What are your thoughts on your colleague saying "Knock. Him. Out"

You yourself have suggested someone is going to attack Allen. Do you think this is appropriate?

[kAzE]

Michelle Beadle's stance on Grayson Allen is pretty unprofessional. It shows that she's done basically no research on the subject past watching the tripping tapes, and probably allowing her Duke hatred to fuel her opinion of the guy.

Anybody who has looked into Grayson past these tripping incidents knows he's a good kid (shout out to Pitino) who's just made some dumb mistakes on national television. She's lost all credibility with me. This is the epitome of bad media.

[Troublemaker]

Owen Meany,

I agree with you close to 100% on the hypocrisy and sensationalism of ESPN.

But this campaign you're trying to start just isn't going to happen.

As a fanbase, we just don't have the will to do this. Kentucky fans would be capable of the campaign you're suggesting but not Duke fans, imo. I would personally be with you, but a bunch of Duke fans just want this thing to go away, another bunch of Duke fans feel icky about attacking the media, and another bunch of Duke fans think Grayson deserves it and that the one-game punishment is a joke. We're not connected enough, tribal enough, like the Kentucky fans would be to pull this off. We don't have the will.

[TruBlu]

She's a real tough guy, ain't she? A tough guy in a tight skirt and high heels. Perhaps she thinks coasting on Cowherd's contrails gave her the chops to call out players for physical abuse. She must think she's one special gal.

I could drop her like a sack of dirt.

Pay per view. I'm in.

[Owen Meany]

There are pages for Dukesucks and UNCsucks. It would seem very possible to have a page supporting Allen that would allow more detail on ESPN's coverage. It would be embarrassing to ESPN. You could give much more detail on all the things above, such as research on why you can't use slow motion video to judge intent. You could tweet out links, etc. anytime that relevant info was added. No one wants to look stupid, and ESPN would have to be more cautious knowing new segments could be examined, tweeted out, etc.


Things I have seen that would make ESPN look bad
trip in Elon game listed 5 times before Oklahoma Coach's first comments on player hitting female, breaking bones in face

Commentator comments “something wrong with this kid” ,"take him out!”,"knock.him.out","demons"

The Grayson Allen Cam during the Va Tech game

Labeling Allen the next hated Duke player before the incidents

Greenberg's totally inconsistent position on this

still shot of Greenberg and 2 other guys “reinacting” incident against BC (3 men dressed in suits, looked ridiculous)

changing headline - video of BC “incident”, labeled trip, "contact to groin", “using leg to make contact” and finally “did Allen raise his leg too far”

Fla State "incident" at top of ESPN.com. Headline "Allen shoves coach" despite the fact that inside article coach says clearly, unambiguously that Allen did not shove him. Headline changes later to "Allen appears to shove coach"

Around the horn discussing Allen (negatively). Ask about Brooks, they laugh - “that's a whole nother story” “Then why haven't you been talking about it non-stop for 24 hours?” Next topic – girl's brawl – everyone laughed, “men fight to look tough, girls fight to hurt (paraphrase)” “look at number__ coming on to get someone”, etc laughs all around.

Writer tweeting after Elon game “if Allen did that in a mall he would be in jail with civil suit if injured”

information on the volume of articles on ESPN versus more serious matters


The point would be to make ESPN look ridiculous, and to get just enough views that the network and individuals feel the need to tone down their most outrageous comments for fear of looking stupid. I don't think it would require a very popular website - just something to gain enough traction, tweets, retweets to make people realize that there are people out there ridiculing their actions when appropriate. These guys love their social media accounts, number of followers, etc. They would not look forward to seeing their reckless, over-the-top comments being tweeted, retweeted etc with their twitter name (whatever) included.

Send information, links, tweets to non-ESPN journalists, who might like to point out ESPN's excesses.
ex. @TSNMike, @CharlieRose How about an article on why ESPN coverage of G.Allen says more about the adults involved than Allen himself?

When a new non-incident hits, you could flood anti-Allen tweets with own tweets, links to above site.

“rick roll” people looking for negative Allen after games or next time a fake incident hits the air. “Look what Allen did tonight!”- leads to clip of another player's behavior (to show how common it is for players to get tangled, etc.), Allen receiving cheap shot, or info on Allen's Academic AA status.

Include Disney, others with particularly egregious examples of ESPN misconduct. ESPN is under a significant amount of pressure now. Even though it would likely have no real effect, I don't think any employee would relish their boss/owner being tweeted by others about my actions. Also,for some reason, until someone mentioned it here, I was not aware that ESPN had an ombudsman. They would be a great person to include.


This (response) probably seems over-the-top to many, but I think these things would be easy for a knowledgeable (or perhaps typical) college student. And it would be very nice to have a way to push back against ESPN now and in the future, because they show no signs of letting up. ESPN's actions have been and continue to be shameful.

Finally, after all of this, I must confess that I don't actually have a twitter account, much less the ability to start a website;) You will have to excuse me because I have become so angered by a huge corporation using its resources to vilify and bully this young man - who screwed up, but also happens to be a great student who returned to school to graduate, is taking 2 16 hour semesters, stays out of trouble off the court, etc, etc. They have pretty high demands of the young man. But absolutely no one is holding the "adults" at ESPN responsible for their egregious actions in this entire episode. So again, my apologies as I step away from the keyboard.;)

[weezie]

Michelle Beadle's stance on Grayson Allen is pretty unprofessional. It shows that she's done basically no research on the subject past watching the tripping tapes, and probably allowing her Duke hatred to fuel her opinion of the guy...

Naahh, she's just a dumb-donkey. The botox injections aren't helping either.




Pay per view. I'm in.

Pssst, I'm a lefty. She ain't gonna see the haymaker coming. Take her out indeed.

[WVDUKEFAN]

I've about had it with them as well. I actually muted the sound Saturday. Grayson needs to more cautious than he ever was, just because of what has transpired, but ESPN can go pound salt. Screw them. And Bilas. And J will if he doesn't get off Grayson's back. Coach K handled the way that he believed it needed handled. Bilas and J Wil should know better than 99% of the people out there how coach K takes care of business, because they played for him.

[atoomer0881]

I think there's a contest at the WWL to see who can suggest the harshest sentence. Michelle Beadle chimes in with this pearl:

“What have I said?” Beadle asked her colleagues on SportsNation. “Knock. Him. Out. Enough is enough, I don’t need him to be punished, I don’t need mommy and daddy to step in. I need an opponent to say ‘enough.’”
http://uproxx.com/dimemag/michelle-beadle-knock-out-grayson-allen/

If Skip were still at ESPN, I am sure he'd one up this with a call for Grayson's murder.


Advocating physical violence. Truly pathetic.

Literally just watched this video and read the article. How unprofessional for a member of the media to be advocating for someone to knock out a student. What a disgrace.

[arnie]

Literally just watched this video and read the article. How unprofessional for a member of the media to be advocating for someone to knock out a student. What a disgrace.

Would like for ESPN to suspend her indefinitely.

[atoomer0881]

Would like for ESPN to suspend her indefinitely.

I don't know why but this just really made me laugh. Thank you for that!

[DukieInKansas]

Who the hell is Michelle Beadle? Why would you even listen to her?


I don't, and for fear of insulting someone I consider a friend and is one of her family members who posts here regularly, I will refrain from any judgmental comments and simply state she is an espn employee. I'll let that family member chime in should they choose.

Thank you for your restraint, DD. As to "who the h is Michelle Beadle" - I will claim her as my niece. She is on a program called Sports Nation, which I describe as the Seinfeld of Sports - basically a show about nothing. They just talk about things going on in the sports world. She also does some NBA studio work.

What she said was wrong and reprehensible. I've been trying to decide if it is even worth contacting her about this and am still undecided. Usually, it is best to ignore stupid comments as any response will often just backfire. I've thought about sending her videos of all the times GA has been hit during a game to show that he had that happen before the first trip and definitely before the third. I'd want to include any clear video of the arm across his face followed by the forehead swipe from Saturday. Unfortunately, my video skills and patience probably won't cooperate to give me those videos. If anyone wants to provide a top ten times GA has been fouled hard with no "punishment" for the fouler, please PM me.

[jv001]

Thank you for your restraint, DD. As to "who the h is Michelle Beadle" - I will claim her as my niece. She is on a program called Sports Nation, which I describe as the Seinfeld of Sports - basically a show about nothing. They just talk about things going on in the sports world. She also does some NBA studio work.

What she said was wrong and reprehensible. I've been trying to decide if it is even worth contacting her about this and am still undecided. Usually, it is best to ignore stupid comments as any response will often just backfire. I've thought about sending her videos of all the times GA has been hit during a game to show that he had that happen before the first trip and definitely before the third. I'd want to include any clear video of the arm across his face followed by the forehead swipe from Saturday. Unfortunately, my video skills and patience probably won't cooperate to give me those videos. If anyone wants to provide a top ten times GA has been fouled hard with no "punishment" for the fouler, please PM me.

If you do indeed contact your niece, please ask her to discuss the years of cheating that has gone on at uncheat university. I'm with you regarding her statement that called for violence against Grayson. It was wrong and reprehensible but she is still your niece. God first, family second and Duke 3rd. Good luck in what ever you choose to do. GoDuke!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Thank you for your restraint, DD. As to "who the h is Michelle Beadle" - I will claim her as my niece. She is on a program called Sports Nation, which I describe as the Seinfeld of Sports - basically a show about nothing. They just talk about things going on in the sports world. She also does some NBA studio work.

What she said was wrong and reprehensible. I've been trying to decide if it is even worth contacting her about this and am still undecided. Usually, it is best to ignore stupid comments as any response will often just backfire. I've thought about sending her videos of all the times GA has been hit during a game to show that he had that happen before the first trip and definitely before the third. I'd want to include any clear video of the arm across his face followed by the forehead swipe from Saturday. Unfortunately, my video skills and patience probably won't cooperate to give me those videos. If anyone wants to provide a top ten times GA has been fouled hard with no "punishment" for the fouler, please PM me.

To be fair, spending that much time with Colin Cowherd would make anyone lose one's mind.

[Saratoga2]

My experience is to make it uncomfortable for the ownerswhip of ESPN.

The Walt Disney company took control of ESPN in 1995 when it took over ABC, which had in turn bought ESPN from Getty Oil. As of 2014, Disney owns 80 percent of ESPN, Inc., while Hearst Corporation owns the remaining 20 percent. ESPN, Inc., owns other television channels besides ESPN, including ESPN2, ESPN International and the SEC network. It also owns radio stations such as ESPN Radio and Internet sites, such as ESPN.com.

Letters written directly to the President will go through their Public Relations group and may strike a chord with the top with a directive down to ESPN. Disney could suffer if the PR slant was taken against them.

[weezie]

Geez! Sorry I reacted as I did DinK! To be fair though, I have family members who have caused me to consider roundhousing them...just consider, mind you.

[OldPhiKap]

I don't want to see a fight between DinK and Weezie.

If y'all decide to have a cooking throw-down, though, I'll be a judge. (And expect a tie result, after multiple re-tastings)

[devildeac]

I don't want to see a fight between DinK and Weezie.

If y'all decide to have a cooking throw-down, though, I'll be a judge. (And expect a tie result, after multiple re-tastings)

And, if invited to suggest appropriate beverages to fulfill any betting/prize obligations, I am available for a small consultation fee. Let's say, 12-24 ounces. :o

[naclsean]

I don't comment much here, but I do check the thread almost every day. I am so upset about how the media has labeled Grayson that I can remain silent anymore. This not about fighting the media or ESPN, as much as it is about sticking up for our player. I have been a fan since 1985 and never seen a kid as scrutinized as Grayson Allen. It's unfair and rude what the media portrays him as and I agree with the previous post about holding Jay Will, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenburg, and all the rest of the ESPN cronies accountable for their actions. If we remain silent then shame on us. I believe it will hurt the Duke brand in recruiting for years to come.

I remember when Tyler Hansborough played for the bad guys. The boy flailed his arms and kicked his legs almost every time he went up for a shot. At times he connected with other players and we Duke fans noticed this and voiced our displeasure to deaf ears. While we complained, and players wiped the blood off their brow from hansborough, or caught their breath from getting kicked in the groin area; Hansborough was shooting free throws. And while most of my UNC fans saw his flopping and flailing they still loved him because he played hard for their team. They supported him all the way to the championship in 2009. The same can be said about Julius Hodge at NC State and his chicken wing that always came out when he drove to the basket. He never won a national championship, but Wolfpack fans supported him and loved him. If these two players played for Duke who knows if they would have gotten away with all their extracurricular play.

I say all this to remind all Duke fans that it is now our turn to support Grayson. He is a great player who is being killed by the media and we need to stick up for him. Saturday is a great time to make this happen. I hope the crazies make sure that ESPN knows that Allen is our guy and they are wrong in their coverage of him.

[DukePA]

Thank you for your restraint, DD. As to "who the h is Michelle Beadle" - I will claim her as my niece. She is on a program called Sports Nation, which I describe as the Seinfeld of Sports - basically a show about nothing. They just talk about things going on in the sports world. She also does some NBA studio work.

What she said was wrong and reprehensible. I've been trying to decide if it is even worth contacting her about this and am still undecided. Usually, it is best to ignore stupid comments as any response will often just backfire. I've thought about sending her videos of all the times GA has been hit during a game to show that he had that happen before the first trip and definitely before the third. I'd want to include any clear video of the arm across his face followed by the forehead swipe from Saturday. Unfortunately, my video skills and patience probably won't cooperate to give me those videos. If anyone wants to provide a top ten times GA has been fouled hard with no "punishment" for the fouler, please PM me.

I hope someone takes you up on your request. I know I don't have the technical skills to put such a montage together. Who knows, perhaps some rational feedback from Auntie DinK will help change Michelle's mindset and prompt a discussion about the impact the media has on athletes, especially college kids. It does matter and they are responsible for what they say and how they say.

[Troublemaker]

I hope someone takes you up on your request. I know I don't have the technical skills to put such a montage together. Who knows, perhaps some rational feedback from Auntie DinK will help change Michelle's mindset and prompt a discussion about the impact the media has on athletes, especially college kids. It does matter and they are responsible for what they say and how they say.

The technical skills aren't the issue. If someone provides me with 10 timestamps from Duke games when such fouls occurred, I could put everything together within an hour. But there's the true rub. It would take days to search through old games to find them. And the montage would only be effective if you find clear-cut fouls that are not called.

[bluedev_92]

Has anyone already written to the President of ESPN? If so, can you post the mailing address or email you used?

thanks.

[Billy Dat]

It may be old fashioned and simple, but how about a letter writing campaign to the kid himself? Those who want to can send him a quick paper-based note of support amidst all the electronic spew. It might be an effective way to cut through the clutter and actually reach him with some positivity.

Duke University Athletics
PO Box 90555
Durham, NC 27708

[bluedev_92]

We may not have the largest fan base, but we certainly should make ourselves heard as loudly as possible in regards to ESPN's handling of this situation.

[BoiseDevil]

I always favor making it about US and not about THEM. Negative never goes anywhere positive.

Agree100%

Let's cheer Duke in a positive manner at every opportunity.

Duke is such a big deal. I believe most people have Duke as the #2 school they follow. Their alma mater or "team" is first and they either love or hate Duke because they respect or envy us.

That being said, we're better off taking the high road. Going on the offensive now is a long war of attrition and the numbers are not in our favor. Not to mention, the bad karma from all the vitriol back and forth.

Let's just be Duke, play fair, be smart, criticize constructively, hustle, use our skill and be positive with our support.

[DukeandMdFan]

My experience is to make it uncomfortable for the ownerswhip of ESPN.

The Walt Disney company took control of ESPN in 1995 when it took over ABC, which had in turn bought ESPN from Getty Oil. As of 2014, Disney owns 80 percent of ESPN, Inc., while Hearst Corporation owns the remaining 20 percent. ESPN, Inc., owns other television channels besides ESPN, including ESPN2, ESPN International and the SEC network. It also owns radio stations such as ESPN Radio and Internet sites, such as ESPN.com.

Letters written directly to the President will go through their Public Relations group and may strike a chord with the top with a directive down to ESPN. Disney could suffer if the PR slant was taken against them.


I've about had it with them as well. I actually muted the sound Saturday. Grayson needs to more cautious than he ever was, just because of what has transpired, but ESPN can go pound salt. Screw them. And Bilas. And J will if he doesn't get off Grayson's back. Coach K handled the way that he believed it needed handled. Bilas and J Wil should know better than 99% of the people out there how coach K takes care of business, because they played for him.

Sports are entertainment, but for people who make their living off of sports, it is a business.

Sometimes people say and do things that are good for business.

My speculation...Coach K has taught the people around him to do what is best for their careers even when it isn't in the short-term best interest of Duke basketball. He has encouraged talented underclassmen to go pro and assistant coaches to take head coach positions. He understands that Mike Brey prepares his teams to beat Duke. He understands that Tommy Amaker's current career is at Harvard and that Jay Bilas's and Jason Williams's careers are with ESPN. And, Coach K wants them all to be successful.

I think we can still like Brey, Amaker, Bilas, and Williams for their association with Duke and for who they are as people without wanting their teams to win every game or agreeing with everything they say - they are allowed to be wrong. When Brey and Amaker compete against Duke, it doesn't necessarily reflect how they feel about the Duke fans. Similarly, when Bilas and Williams say something against Duke, it doesn't necessarily reflect how they feel about Duke fans.

On Selection Sunday, I used to get frustrated and disappointed that Bilas never seemed to pick Duke to go as far as I did. I was frustrated and disappointed that Bilas wasn't as biased as I was. Bilas went to Duke when few college basketball fans hated Duke and left when many college basketball fans admired Duke. Surely, he could show Duke some love in his picks. But, Bilas's shtick isn't to be a "Duke fanboy" which I suppose is what I wanted him to be - either he didn't want that role or ESPN didn't want him to have that role.

Jason Williams was the man! Not only did he help Duke win a lot of games and an NC, he showed that it was possible to play at Duke and graduate in three years. I'm not sure whether that turned out to be the recruiting advantage or not. Williams went to Duke at a time when there was already a lot of Duke hate. I'm sure Jason Williams knows that many people still hate him for playing for Duke - a lot of people still hate him. Some people don't feel sorry for him wrecking his motorcycle and ending a promising NBA career because of his association with Duke. I think Duke fans can give him a lot of leeway in being able to say things that are critical of Duke.

[Stray Gator]

Has anyone already written to the President of ESPN? If so, can you post the mailing address or email you used?

thanks.

While I agree that Ms. Beadle's comments deserve at least a stern reprimand, don't expect any sort of shaming or disciplinary action from ESPN. The network's top man, UNC alumnus John Skipper, is smart enough to recognize that continuing to stoke this manufactured frenzy by promoting the villification of Grayson Allen can advance several objectives of potential benefit to him:

First, it harms Duke by creating circumstances that could adversely affect the basketball team's success, not only by intensifying the scrutiny and pressure on Allen in ways that could impair his individual performance as well as team chemistry, but also by ramping up a new wave of criticism directed towards Coach K, premised on the notion that he did not adequately punish Grayson because he values winning over integrity and discipline.

Second, it helps ESPN by increasing the amount of attention focused on Duke games, most of which that network (or a related affiliate) televises, thereby assuring the ESPN "family" a larger audience of viewers enticed by the prospect of seeing Grayson commit -- or become the target of -- another "incident." A larger audience, of course, increases ratings and revenue.

Finally, it hides, or at least conveniently obscures, the fact that Skipper's own school is the subject of an NCAA disciplinary proceeding based on an academic fraud scheme, unprecedented in scope and duration, that was employed by the school over a period of several decades to improperly maintain the eligibility of athletes, and thereby obtain an unfair competitive advantage over opponents -- a practice that truly exemplifies valuing winning over integrity and discipline.

Given those considerations, it's unlikely that ESPN would have any motivation to show any shame or remorse for its unrelenting crusade against Grayson Allen.

[LastRowFan]

For the little it is worth, I reported Michelle Beadle's "Knock him out" tweet about Grayson Allen to twitter as being "abusive or harmful" for inciting violence.

That tweet appears to be gone now. ESPN does not own twitter ... and, well, this IS abuse.

[TNTDevil]

Agreed.

I really, really hate ESPN ~snip~
They are the actual “Great Satan”.

[WillJ]

Perhaps we can take some tips from the Chinese government:

"Distraction is a clever and useful strategy in information control in that an argument in almost any human discussion is rarely an effective way to put an end to an opposing argument. Letting an argument die, or changing the subject, usually works much better than picking an argument and getting someone’s back up." http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2017/01/authoritarians-distract-rather-debate.html

[NashvilleDevil]

Has anyone already written to the President of ESPN? If so, can you post the mailing address or email you used?

thanks.

He's a Carolina grad.

[rsvman]

He's a Carolina grad.

So are you saying that if we write to him we should use small words?

[kmspeaks]

So are you saying that if we write to him we should use small words?

Pictures are better, or maybe write in Swahili.

[OldPhiKap]

Pictures are better, or maybe write in Swahili.

I sent him a picture, but cannot post it here due to rules of decorum,

[Chard]

I don't comment much here, but I do check the thread almost every day. I am so upset about how the media has labeled Grayson that I can remain silent anymore. This not about fighting the media or ESPN, as much as it is about sticking up for our player. I have been a fan since 1985 and never seen a kid as scrutinized as Grayson Allen. It's unfair and rude what the media portrays him as and I agree with the previous post about holding Jay Will, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenburg, and all the rest of the ESPN cronies accountable for their actions. If we remain silent then shame on us. I believe it will hurt the Duke brand in recruiting for years to come.

...

I say all this to remind all Duke fans that it is now our turn to support Grayson. He is a great player who is being killed by the media and we need to stick up for him. Saturday is a great time to make this happen. I hope the crazies make sure that ESPN knows that Allen is our guy and they are wrong in their coverage of him.

Thanks for chiming in. I highlighted in bold the one part I disagree with. I believe Duke fans should remain silent. At least the right ones. Let me explain.

This Saturday, ESPN will have their gameday show at Duke. It is at this time that those able to attend the show should remain silent. The entire time. Can you imagine a show where the "in-studio" audience remains silent? They can't take that away from the attendees like a sign or refuse admission because they don't like an ESPN sucks shirt. I'm sure this will send the right type of message.

[budwom]

Perhaps we can take some tips from the Chinese government:

"Distraction is a clever and useful strategy in information control in that an argument in almost any human discussion is rarely an effective way to put an end to an opposing argument. Letting an argument die, or changing the subject, usually works much better than picking an argument and getting someone’s back up." http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2017/01/authoritarians-distract-rather-debate.html

I'm pretty much on board with that. There is no winning an argument like this, and no one's going to change ESPN's mind about anything. Why prolong the nonsense? Just ignore it.
I have found it easy to do.

[kAzE]

This article was linked in the Amile Vigil thread: http://www.wilsontimes.com/stories/Blue-Devils-on-a-rudderless-ship,79070

But it had an interesting tidbit relevant to this thread:


ESPN will be in town for the entire day before the Duke-Miami game, broadcasting from Cameron Indoor Stadium starting at 11 a.m. Duke students, who are required to attend the early portion of College Gameday during tenting for the Duke-UNC game, are talking about having some form of protest during the televised event due to the network’s perceived over-the-top coverage of the Allen incidents this year, including his one-game suspension by Krzyzewski for tripping an Elon player in a game Dec. 21.

I wonder if anything will come of this. I'm sure ESPN has gotten the message already, but they have continued to put out tons of Grayson content to this point.

[flyingdutchdevil]

This article was linked in the Amile Vigil thread: http://www.wilsontimes.com/stories/Blue-Devils-on-a-rudderless-ship,79070

But it had an interesting tidbit relevant to this thread:



I wonder if anything will come of this. I'm sure ESPN has gotten the message already, but they have continued to put out tons of Grayson content to this point.

I want this to happen so badly. I've refrained from talking about Grayson as much as I can, but the media storm has been so bad that other media outlets are coming out supporting Grayson.

I hope the Crazies just boo ESPN for a few hours. Would be amazing.

[tbyers11]

I want this to happen so badly. I've refrained from talking about Grayson as much as I can, but the media storm has been so bad that other media outlets are coming out supporting Grayson.

I hope the Crazies just boo ESPN for a few hours. Would be amazing.

Booing would be great but I think ESPN could spin that to some advantage. Hostile Duke students condone blah blah blah.

I still think silence is the best way. Just sit there. Read a book. Chat with your friends. As mentioned above, the students are required to attend as part of UNC tenting. If they are only required to attend and not to stay for the whole thing, they should just leave en masse in an organized fashion halfway through.

[kAzE]

I want this to happen so badly. I've refrained from talking about Grayson as much as I can, but the media storm has been so bad that other media outlets are coming out supporting Grayson.

I hope the Crazies just boo ESPN for a few hours. Would be amazing.

It will be interesting to see if any of the gameday crew acknowledge the protesters, or possibly even concede that ESPN's coverage on Grayson is perceived as over the top. And I really hope Jay Williams doesn't talk about this situation much, if at all. I love him to death, but he's just wrong, and it's painful to listen to him talk about it.

[OldPhiKap]

Booing would be great but I think ESPN could spin that to some advantage. Hostile Duke students condone blah blah blah.

I still think silence is the best way. Just sit there. Read a book. Chat with your friends. As mentioned above, the students are required to attend as part of UNC tenting. If they are only required to attend and not to stay for the whole thing, they should just leave en masse in an organized fashion halfway through.

This, exactly.

Bring a book; sit quietly and read; leave when able.

[weksray]

Silence in the presence of wrong is never right.

The discussion then is how and to whom our voice is directed. I believe our response should focus on the positive support of Grayson and Duke. Whether there is or is not a response to ESPN is more debatable,with good arguments on both sides.
So,I hope we will at a minimu seize an opportunity and see an outpouring of noise, support etc for both Grayson and for Duke.





Booing would be great but I think ESPN could spin that to some advantage. Hostile Duke students condone blah blah blah.

I still think silence is the best way. Just sit there. Read a book. Chat with your friends. As mentioned above, the students are required to attend as part of UNC tenting. If they are only required to attend and not to stay for the whole thing, they should just leave en masse in an organized fashion halfway through.

[devil84]

Another option that I haven't thought through the entire situation: What if the students/attendees cheer loudly like normal, EXCEPT when the panel is discussing certain topics? That way, they media can't jump on the student body for their behavior for the whole show. We really don't need ANOTHER series of stories painting Duke students in a negative light. Besides, behavior like that may stop ESPN from coming back (I understand there are pros and cons to Gameday on campus, but let's not burn any bridges). So, silence during some of the broadcast will be quite noticeable. Holding up 3 fingers, sitting down, pulling out a book to read, turning around with backs to the camera, linking arms (think like the alma mater), or maybe even doing the "shhhhh!" (like free throws) -- all will be quite noticeable, get the point across, and hopefully remain a story about protesting ESPN's treatment of Grayson and not Duke students being totally disrespectful. You know these actions will be spun to the detriment of Duke.

What are the certain topics? Grayson, for sure. What about any time they single out ANY player on ANY team? When discussing certain upcoming games? The last half of every segment between commercials? Alternating minutes? I don't know. The students should decide and NOT let the whole world know via public message boards or social media to ensure viewers (and producers/commentators) don't know what to look for.

Also, IF (big IF) ESPN actually treats Grayson fairly, the students SHOULD cheer.

[DukieInKansas]

This article was linked in the Amile Vigil thread: http://www.wilsontimes.com/stories/Blue-Devils-on-a-rudderless-ship,79070

But it had an interesting tidbit relevant to this thread:



I wonder if anything will come of this. I'm sure ESPN has gotten the message already, but they have continued to put out tons of Grayson content to this point.

Just draw a bigger distinction between Duke and UNC - put the football team front and center doing homework. If it is in Swahili, even better.

[tbyers11]

Silence in the presence of wrong is never right.

The discussion then is how and to whom our voice is directed. I believe our response should focus on the positive support of Grayson and Duke. Whether there is or is not a response to ESPN is more debatable,with good arguments on both sides.
So,I hope we will at a minimu seize an opportunity and see an outpouring of noise, support etc for both Grayson and for Duke.

Don't convince silence with lack of action

Silence in this sense is making a statement that we won't cheer mindlessly when ESPN says that we should (at a pregame show 8 hours before a game starts) because we don't like how they conduct business. We can positively support Grayson and Duke itself during the actual game

[rsvman]

Don't convince silence with lack of action

Silence in this sense is making a statement that we won't cheer mindlessly when ESPN says that we should (at a pregame show 8 hours before a game starts) because we don't like how they conduct business. We can positively support Grayson and Duke itself during the actual game

Agree. But I think you probably meant to say "confuse" rather than "convince."

[weksray]

I fear, and suspect you are giving too much credit to the ability in distinguishing between the two.
whatever the crazies do ..... or don't, let it be 'loud' and clear

GO Duke
GO Grayson


Don't convince silence with lack of action

Silence in this sense is making a statement that we won't cheer mindlessly when ESPN says that we should (at a pregame show 8 hours before a game starts) because we don't like how they conduct business. We can positively support Grayson and Duke itself during the actual game

[Stray Gator]

This, exactly.

Bring a book; sit quietly and read; leave when able.

It seems that there are differences of opinion here on whether silence or loud cheering would be the best way for the students to express their displeasure on the College Gameday show. But there's no reason to choose only one. For example, why not go old school by breaking out the "we're-more-interested-in-reading-these-newspapers" silent treatment when anyone other than Jay Williams, Jay Bilas, or Seth Greenberg is talking? Then when either of the Jays is talking, maybe crank up a massive "GTHC, GTH" chant, since UNC has now become the program those two appear to hold in highest esteem. And when Seth speaks, might that not be the perfect time to respond with a rousing "Gray-son Al-len" cheer to show support for #3?

[tbyers11]

Agree. But I think you probably meant to say "confuse" rather than "convince."

Yes, thank you. Autocorrect on phone is a finicky mistress.

[atoomer0881]

Didn't see this posted anywhere else, so I wanted to share this article from CBS Sports that was written 3 days ago: http://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/yes-grayson-allen-needs-to-rein-it-in-but-were-the-ones-whove-gone-too-far/

It's the first instance where I have seen a media member admit that the media has gone way too far in their treatment of Grayson. As we have said before in this thread and others, yes Grayson brought some of the attention on himself but the aftermath that ensued was so insanely blown out of proportion. As Capel said “So you are dealing with a situation ... that in all my years of watching and being around basketball ... I’ve never seen this before. I especially have never seen it directed toward a college kid. So it’s uncharted territory.” So I, myself, appreciated reading an article where a member of the media acknowledged that.

[Olympic Fan]

I was driving around today, doing some chores, and I got to hear Dave Glenn interview Jay Bilas. I was excited when Glenn said he was going to ask Bilas about the abuse Grayson Allen was receiving.

Well, it turned out the only abuse that Glenn talked about was the abuse Allen has received from the crowds at FSU and Louisville. It allowed to Jay to get at his sanctimonious best -- lecturing Duke fans that such abuse is part of the game and that the Cameron Crazies frequently abuse visting players.

Obviously, everyone on this board knows that's not the issue. Nobody has complained about the fans at FSU or Louisville booing or taunting Allen. It IS part of the game ad we expect it.

Jay's smart enough to understand that our complaint is with ESPN's witch hunt -- stalking the kid with a slow motion camera is okay I guess (to see if he pulls another tripping incident), but the front page ESPN hysteria over normal plays in the BC and the FSU games was outrageous ... and the ESPN columnist who dismissed the blows Allen took in the Louisville game as something he deserved was sickening.

THAT is the issue that I want to hear Jay and Jason address -- ESPN's behavior. I don't know what the students can and will go Saturday, but that is what we need to make clear ... it is ESPN itself that is driving Duke fans to anger.

The more I think about it, the more I think that the only thing that would work would be for Coach K himself to stand up (if his back allows) and call out the network. He has the prestige and the gravitas to make his voice heard. He needs to make it clear that he's not excusing the things that Grayson actually did wrong ... and he's not complaining about the criticism that he received for cutting the suspension at one game -- all those are fair game for criticism.

But the rest ... the front page stories screaming about the screen at BC or the scramble for a loose ball at FSU or the column saying that Grayson deserved to be beaten up -- he needs to call ESPN out. I would carry a lot more weight than anything the Crazies do (which ESPN would spin and dismiss as Glenn and Bilas did today).

[weezie]

Lazy, cliche ridden, chewed over commentary isn't confined to sports "commentators and writers" but they do enjoy bellying up to the trough with predictable frequency.

Not a syllable means anything beyond the moment it is spewed or pecked out onto paper. Boring, tiresome, meaningless twaddle.

Let's Go Duke!

[flyingdutchdevil]

I was driving around today, doing some chores, and I got to hear Dave Glenn interview Jay Bilas. I was excited when Glenn said he was going to ask Bilas about the abuse Grayson Allen was receiving.

Well, it turned out the only abuse that Glenn talked about was the abuse Allen has received from the crowds at FSU and Louisville. It allowed to Jay to get at his sanctimonious best -- lecturing Duke fans that such abuse is part of the game and that the Cameron Crazies frequently abuse visting players.

Obviously, everyone on this board knows that's not the issue. Nobody has complained about the fans at FSU or Louisville booing or taunting Allen. It IS part of the game ad we expect it.

Jay's smart enough to understand that our complaint is with ESPN's witch hunt -- stalking the kid with a slow motion camera is okay I guess (to see if he pulls another tripping incident), but the front page ESPN hysteria over normal plays in the BC and the FSU games was outrageous ... and the ESPN columnist who dismissed the blows Allen took in the Louisville game as something he deserved was sickening.

THAT is the issue that I want to hear Jay and Jason address -- ESPN's behavior. I don't know what the students can and will go Saturday, but that is what we need to make clear ... it is ESPN itself that is driving Duke fans to anger.

The more I think about it, the more I think that the only thing that would work would be for Coach K himself to stand up (if his back allows) and call out the network. He has the prestige and the gravitas to make his voice heard. He needs to make it clear that he's not excusing the things that Grayson actually did wrong ... and he's not complaining about the criticism that he received for cutting the suspension at one game -- all those are fair game for criticism.

But the rest ... the front page stories screaming about the screen at BC or the scramble for a loose ball at FSU or the column saying that Grayson deserved to be beaten up -- he needs to call ESPN out. I would carry a lot more weight than anything the Crazies do (which ESPN would spin and dismiss as Glenn and Bilas did today).

This is the best post I've read on how Grayson is being handled by the media. Thanks Olympic Fan.

And, for the record, it's great to see opposing fan bases become really passionate about college basketball, even if the target is Grayson. I say let those fans continue to do what they're doing (and you know they will).

[WillJ]

This is the best post I've read on how Grayson is being handled by the media. Thanks Olympic Fan.

And, for the record, it's great to see opposing fan bases become really passionate about college basketball, even if the target is Grayson. I say let those fans continue to do what they're doing (and you know they will).

Bilas is sanctimonious and overbearing on a lot of topics, TBH, not just Grayson. I do not enjoy his commentary.

[jacone21]

Who decides that tenters have to attend gameday? I still believe the best form of protest would be to not show up... or show up and then walk out.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Who decides that tenters have to attend gameday? I still believe the best form of protest would be to not show up... or show up and then walk out.

My guess is ESPN negotiating with the athletic department. "We'll come to Game Day if you can guarantee students will arrive" or something like that.

Students will arrive. I just want to see them do anything but support ESPN. Support Duke, support the ACC, support Miami... do not support ESPN.

[budwom]

The best way to negate this ESPN stuff is to ignore it. Any attempt to make an issue of it (regardless of how shameful their behavior has been) will simply prolong it.
This too shall pass.

[Dukehky]

Who decides that tenters have to attend gameday? I still believe the best form of protest would be to not show up... or show up and then walk out.

My guess is that it's the Line Monitors in congruence with Duke Basketball. If you want to keep your spot in line, then you have to go to GameDay because it makes the school look good and ensures that GameDay continues to come. Line Monitors give grace to tenters if there are other sporting events to encourage kids to attend those events as well.

I doubt ESPN has any say in this since they can't tell the difference if the crowd is 60% kids and 40% kids.

[-jk]

...
This too shall pass.

Yeah. Like a kidney stone...

-jk

[OldPhiKap]

This too shall pass.


Yeah. Like a kidney stone...

-jk

Or like Rashad McCants. Yeah, but not really.

[OZ]

The best way to negate this ESPN stuff is to ignore it. Any attempt to make an issue of it (regardless of how shameful their behavior has been) will simply prolong it.
This too shall pass.


Well, that has really worked so far. I'm sure none of the guys in Cameron tomorrow will bother to mention it, as it is such a dead issue.

[Old Gold 89]

I like the idea of booing Jay Williams every time he speaks. He used to be one of my favorite Duke players, but I have found his comments about Grayson to be shameful. It's far easier and incisive to protest an individual than it is to protest a monolith like ESPN.

I find Jay Bilas to be consistently thoughtful and reasonable, even though I don't always agree with him.

Seth Greenberg is irrelevant.

I hope the students do something. Certain analysts at ESPN will deride us no matter what. Might as well make a point.

[Duke79UNLV77]

I like the idea of booing Jay Williams every time he speaks. He used to be one of my favorite Duke players, but I have found his comments about Grayson to be shameful. It's far easier and incisive to protest an individual than it is to protest a monolith like ESPN.

I find Jay Bilas to be consistently thoughtful and reasonable, even though I don't always agree with him.

Seth Greenberg is irrelevant.

I hope the students do something. Certain analysts at ESPN will deride us no matter what. Might as well make a point.

I disagree. I don't think you can dismiss all Williams devoted and contributed to Duke. I also heard K interview Williams on his radio show last year, and there clearly still is a lot of mutual love and respect. I think Williams is generally very good at his job now. I do think he was over the top in criticizing Allen, but he did note his respect for K. If K was offended, I think he might speak privately with Williams, but not single Williams out publicly. Williams will forever be part of the Duke family, and I don't think a public family spat is a good look or constructive.

[OldPhiKap]

I like the idea of booing Jay Williams every time he speaks. He used to be one of my favorite Duke players, but I have found his comments about Grayson to be shameful. It's far easier and incisive to protest an individual than it is to protest a monolith like ESPN.

I find Jay Bilas to be consistently thoughtful and reasonable, even though I don't always agree with him.

Seth Greenberg is irrelevant.

I hope the students do something. Certain analysts at ESPN will deride us no matter what. Might as well make a point.

Jason and Jay wore the uniform. I will never boo them, even if I disagree. In fact, I give their college basketball opinions more weight than mine often because their perspective is heck of s lot more informed than mine.

If I was a student, I would show up with a paper or magazine text book or ebook and just read quietly. ESPN wants loud yelling craziness for their early pre-day crap. Save it for the game, and don't give them the satisfaction.

That's my two old wheat penny cents.

[devilsince1977]

It is probably too late to make this happen, and it may not be sophisticated enough for the Crazies. I just saw where Wendel Carter dyed his hair blue. My idea is for the students to powder their hair, or wear a gray wig and a T-shirt with "SON" on it. This supports Grayson with a little creativity and humor. I don't think you can make ESPN pay for their transgressions without Duke being perceived in a negative light. Although it would be nice to see 1 ESPN SUCKS poster.

Support Grayson and his teammates, Screw ESPN

[Papa John]

Did anybody see J-Will talk about how his view of the Grayson situation has “evolved” and he now thinks that the criticism of Grayson has gone too far? He now thinks the story has been “blown out of proportion”...

Uh, Jay, buddy... Hold a mirror in front of your face and say that—you and Curly were the genesis of the whole story being “blown out of proportion” thing... Absolutely correct that the story has been blown out of proportion... And you are among the most guilty parties for having pushed this snowball down the hill in the first place! How does that face-full of egg taste, Jay?

Good grief—what a face-palm moment!

[OldPhiKap]

Did anybody see J-Will talk about how his view of the Grayson situation has “evolved” and he now thinks that the criticism of Grayson has gone too far? He now thinks the story has been “blown out of proportion”...

Uh, Jay, buddy... Hold a mirror in front of your face and say that—you and Curly were the genesis of the whole story being “blown out of proportion” thing... Absolutely correct that the story has been blown out of proportion... And you are among the most guilty parties for having pushed this snowball down the hill in the first place! How does that face-full of egg taste, Jay?

Good grief—what a face-palm moment!

Late to the truth is better than never to the truth.

Good for Jason.

[alteran]

Late to the truth is better than never to the truth.

Good for Jason.

Absolutely.

[Troublemaker]

Late to the truth is better than never to the truth.

Good for Jason.

I have a feeling the Duke family got in his ear a bit. Nice to see JWill have a change of heart.

[duke74]

Late to the truth is better than never to the truth.

Good for Jason.

If he truly believes it and is not weaseling his way out of his stupid comments.

[scottdude8]

This is the most awkward College Gameday I've ever seen, given that 95% of the crowd is silent. They even mentioned it briefly once and said it was probably because the Crazies aren't happy with ESPN. I'm loving it. Well done Crazies!!!

[kmspeaks]

I watched the 1st 5 minutes of Gameday and didn't see anything good from the Crazies. There was one sign in the shape of a heart with Grayson's picture that said much love. There were a ton of signs that read "ALL CALM, NO STORM" I'm guessing that's a play on Hurricanes? I've turned it off now as I don't like to give ESPN my eyeballs but I'm a little disappointed. They're not the most enthusiastic Gameday crowd I've seen but they still cheered on cue when the cameras were on. I know there were many here that wanted the situation to be ignored, but this seems like a lost opportunity. Oh well, as long as they're loud at 8:15 tonight it's all good.

[scottdude8]

I watched the 1st 5 minutes of Gameday and didn't see anything good from the Crazies. There was one sign in the shape of a heart with Grayson's picture that said much love. There were a ton of signs that read "ALL CALM, NO STORM" I'm guessing that's a play on Hurricanes? I've turned it off now as I don't like to give ESPN my eyeballs but I'm a little disappointed. They're not the most enthusiastic Gameday crowd I've seen but they still cheered on cue when the cameras were on. I know there were many here that wanted the situation to be ignored, but this seems like a lost opportunity. Oh well, as long as they're loud at 8:15 tonight it's all good.

We may be looking for different things, haha... yeah a few were cheering, but compare those first 15 minutes to any other episode of College Gameday. Normally the fans are yelling and doing choreographed cheers the entire time... I've been to a couple and had to listen as Digger Phelps awkwardly tried to make us get loud. Instead, the students were largely silent and pretended to read those newspapers.

Again, not a 100% coordinated protest, but it's definitely noticeable in my view. Best way to do it too without doing something that could be spun too negatively.

[mattman91]

Low Energy.

[dukebluesincebirth]

I don't see the crazies doing anything to make a statement. Cheering on cue, no protest. Disappointing. The whole thing is rather boring and I'm turning it off.

[rsvman]

I think they've done a good job of making their point. It's a bit awkward for ESPN, which was kind of the point. It was especially funny when Rece Davis said, "the Cameron Crazies are here," and it was just quiet. I had to laugh.

I also loved the sign that said "His knee was down." I guess it's a bit of an inside joke, but it came so far out of left field that it really amused me.

[BandAlum83]

Did anybody see J-Will talk about how his view of the Grayson situation has “evolved” and he now thinks that the criticism of Grayson has gone too far? He now thinks the story has been “blown out of proportion”...

Uh, Jay, buddy... Hold a mirror in front of your face and say that—you and Curly were the genesis of the whole story being “blown out of proportion” thing... Absolutely correct that the story has been blown out of proportion... And you are among the most guilty parties for having pushed this snowball down the hill in the first place! How does that face-full of egg taste, Jay?

Good grief—what a face-palm moment!

No, I didn't see that. When, where, how, link?

Is this verified?

[BandAlum83]

I think they've done a good job of making their point. It's a bit awkward for ESPN, which was kind of the point. It was especially funny when Rece Davis said, "the Cameron Crazies are here," and it was just quiet. I had to laugh.

I also loved the sign that said "His knee was down." I guess it's a bit of an inside joke, but it came so far out of left field that it really amused me.

What is this in refernce to? Certainly not the Miami / Duke football game of 2 years ago?

I thought maybe the sideline catch play in the GB/dallas game??

[Spanarkel]

Did anybody see J-Will talk about how his view of the Grayson situation has “evolved” and he now thinks that the criticism of Grayson has gone too far? He now thinks the story has been “blown out of proportion”...

Uh, Jay, buddy... Hold a mirror in front of your face and say that—you and Curly were the genesis of the whole story being “blown out of proportion” thing... Absolutely correct that the story has been blown out of proportion... And you are among the most guilty parties for having pushed this snowball down the hill in the first place! How does that face-full of egg taste, Jay?

Good grief—what a face-palm moment!

Yes, as he was positioned in front of a display case with his no. 22 Duke jersey. "Evolved" seems like a euphemism for "matured" or "become more reasonable."

[LastRowFan]

No, I didn't see that. When, where, how, link?

Is this verified?

see this: Has the criticism for Allen gone too far? http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18520358

[budwom]

No, I didn't see that. When, where, how, link?

Is this verified?

Definitely true, it made the statement on PTI last night...he got the five minute chatting segment, went into it at length.
Not a full mea culpa, but a moderate one.

[BandAlum83]

see this: Has the criticism for Allen gone too far? http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18520358

Sporks for the link! Thanks.

[richardjackson199]

JWill also just sported a T-shirt on College Game Day that said "I still Love Christian Laettner" on the front "And Grayson Allen" on the back. Got huge cheers from the crazies as he was asking for love, not hate.

[rsvman]

What is this in refernce to? Certainly not the Miami / Duke football game of 2 years ago?

I thought maybe the sideline catch play in the GB/dallas game??

I took it as a reference to the Miami football game.

[MPandolfi]

JWill also just sported a T-shirt on College Game Day that said "I still Love Christian Laettner" on the front "And Grayson Allen" on the back. Got huge cheers from the crazies as he was asking for love, not hate.

Maybe I missed it, but did he pick Duke?

[BandAlum83]

Anyone know what the IH4 signs were?

[richardjackson199]

Maybe I missed it, but did he pick Duke?

When it was his turn to pick, he took off his tie, jacket, and dress shirt revealing the t-shirt. He never announced his pick. But he picked that Grayson Allen would go off tonight, and seemed to agree with Seth that Duke would win. I'm taking the T-shirt reveal when it was his turn to be a pick and love for Duke and our players.

[richardjackson199]

When it was his turn to pick, he took off his tie, jacket, and dress shirt revealing the t-shirt. He never announced his pick. But he picked that Grayson Allen would go off tonight, and seemed to agree with Seth that Duke would win. I'm taking the T-shirt reveal when it was his turn to be a pick and love for Duke and our players.

Here is the video:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18524713

[kmspeaks]

We may be looking for different things, haha... yeah a few were cheering, but compare those first 15 minutes to any other episode of College Gameday. Normally the fans are yelling and doing choreographed cheers the entire time... I've been to a couple and had to listen as Digger Phelps awkwardly tried to make us get loud. Instead, the students were largely silent and pretended to read those newspapers.

Again, not a 100% coordinated protest, but it's definitely noticeable in my view. Best way to do it too without doing something that could be spun too negatively.

I guess I was looking for something a little more coordinated. If the average college basketball fan tunes in do they get why it's rather quiet or do they just assume it's a lame crowd? Like I said I only watched the first 5 minutes so maybe it was made more clear as the show went on.

[rsvman]

Anyone know what the IH4 signs were?

I wondered that, too. When I googled it, all I got was some kind of...umm....Note to put this delicately.....enhancement cream.

That can't be what it was about, though, right? Unless it had reference to Seth Greenberg?

[Troublemaker]

Anyone know what the IH4 signs were?


I wondered that, too. When I googled it, all I got was some kind of...umm...Note to put this delicately...enhancement cream.

That can't be what it was about, though, right? Unless it had reference to Seth Greenberg?

According to twitter, a few kids from Isaiah Hicks' high school got into Cameron. Hicks wears #4.

[elvis14]

It's nice that JWill finally made a statement and yes, he picked us to win (in a home game we should win). At the same time, go surf around ESPN.com and see if you can find that statement anywhere. GA was top of the page ESPN and their mens hoops page. JWill finally says something...it's nowhere to be found.

I liked that the crowd was being subdued. I wish they would have gone further with more pro-GA signs and MUCH more silence.

[BandAlum83]

I wondered that, too. When I googled it, all I got was some kind of...umm...Note to put this delicately....enhancement cream.

That can't be what it was about, though, right? Unless it had reference to Seth Greenberg?

There's got to be a story here. I do hope someone at the game tonight can find out and report back here.

[BandAlum83]

According to twitter, a few kids from Isaiah Hicks' high school got into Cameron. Hicks wears #4.

In the end, there were a lot of ih4 signs. Not just a few.

And if true, maybe they should use the Google machine to see what America may think it means.

[billy]

In the end, there were a lot of ih4 signs. Not just a few.

And if true, maybe they should use the Google machine to see what America may think it means.

Another endorsement scandal!! Is Hicks getting paid for endorsing this product? ;)

[weezie]

Seen on campus, now. This is what Crazies might be waving from the Chronicle insert: "ALL CALM, NO STORM"

Yeah, color me quizzical.

[BlueHeaven]

I was at the game in Tallahassee and the Tuck was rocking...mainly with anti-Grayson behavior. I actually got into a fight with the horrible FSU fan in front of me who challenged my 77 year old father to "sit down old man...go take a piss outside." Classy. I have nothing good to say about FSU fans, but that has been well documented on many fronts. Did anyone hear on Saturday during one of the earlier games, Dickie V say enough was enough with GA...he's a kid, everyone makes mistakes etc. etc. and whomever was calling the game with him completely called him out on it--there is obviously something wrong with him; he needs help; he needs to get it under control; someone is going to get hurt!!!!! Dickie V completely and totally backed down and jumped on the GA is horrible bandwagon. Overall, I've had a disappointing Duke bball experience lately and it has nothing to do with this team. I really really cannot express how awful FSU was.

[wavedukefan70s]

Fsu is maryland south to me.me and my father made that mistake many moons ago.we went with no visable team affiliation.the stuff we had to hear was uncalled for.realisticly id like to think we just got lucky and sat near some jerks.i wouldnt take the xhance again.

[jv001]

I was at the game in Tallahassee and the Tuck was rocking...mainly with anti-Grayson behavior. I actually got into a fight with the horrible FSU fan in front of me who challenged my 77 year old father to "sit down old man...go take a piss outside." Classy. I have nothing good to say about FSU fans, but that has been well documented on many fronts. Did anyone hear on Saturday during one of the earlier games, Dickie V say enough was enough with GA...he's a kid, everyone makes mistakes etc. etc. and whomever was calling the game with him completely called him out on it--there is obviously something wrong with him; he needs help; he needs to get it under control; someone is going to get hurt!!!!! Dickie V completely and totally backed down and jumped on the GA is horrible bandwagon. Overall, I've had a disappointing Duke bball experience lately and it has nothing to do with this team. I really really cannot express how awful FSU was.

Ok, who won the fight. I'm hoping you knocked him out, oh wait, I can't say that. :cool: GoDuke!