G-man says many Duke fans did not like Capel

[rthomas]

What??? 95 was my last year and the Virginia game was my last game. I really loved Capel and that continues today. If Duke doesn't go all the way, then I hope Capel does.

I hope this was announcer hyperbole.

I also hpe somebody changes my Dukd to Duke. Liqior is typing.

[davekay1971]

Referring back to the overblown incident when come less-than-stellar fans booed when Capel was about to be inserted into the game. The Duke family has always been proud to claim him as one of our own. It was his younger brother Jason we didn't like too much

[rthomas]

Referring back to the overblown incident when come less-than-stellar fans booed when Capel was about to be inserted into the game. The Duke family has always been proud to claim him as one of our own. It was his younger brother Jason we didn't like too much

The younger Capel made a youthful mistake.

[DukieInBrasil]

i was at the Duke-Purdue aka Grant Hill vs. Glenn Robinson NCAA tourney game in Knoxville when Jeff had an amazing behind-the-back bounce-pass for an assist, it was beautiful. I´ll always remember Capel for that moment, so i guess i´ll always like him.

[doctorhook]

davekay71,

I know the debate will never be resolved, but I was at the game and Jeff was not booed. He had played poorly when K reinserted him in the lineup at a crucial point. The crowd let out a collective groan/Oh, but it was not a boo.

Doc

[Seattledukie]

I was in Cameron for the unfortunate '95 season. I think the fans booed the season, but Capel took the brunt of it because he was supposed to be the bridge from Hill/Hurley to the future. I have always worried that he wouldn't like Duke because of that, but I've read he would leave OU for Duke.

http://newsok.com/coach-jeff-capel-a...rticle/3344365

[SharkD]

i was at the Duke-Purdue aka Grant Hill vs. Glenn Robinson NCAA tourney game in Knoxville when Jeff had an amazing behind-the-back bounce-pass for an assist, it was beautiful. I´ll always remember Capel for that moment, so i guess i´ll always like him.

I was there for that game, and the Final Four that year -- I was quite impressed by Jeff's acumen in that game -- he made a similar play in the national championship game, but followed it up with a pass to the 4th row sideline seats on the next possession. I've always felt that that epitomized Jeff -- great talent, just lacking some polish -- which wasn't helped by the 94/95 season and K's struggles with transfers and troublemakers in 95/96 and 96/97 -- I think he ended-up being taken for granted, as a coach's son, and expected to pull himself up by his own bootstraps.

[DukedOutTwins]

davekay71,

I know the debate will never be resolved, but I was at the game and Jeff was not booed. He had played poorly when K reinserted him in the lineup at a crucial point. The crowd let out a collective groan/Oh, but it was not a boo.

Doc

I, too, was at the "groan" game. When 9,000 people exhale at the same time, it is not a pleasant sound. Duke's fans emotions are amplified by adrenaline, acoustics, the media, and selective memory. 98 percent of the time, we all cheered for Jeff. But, it is unfortunate that people remember that rather than the half-court shot he hit vs. Carolina in 1995.

I also saw Capel play his final game in 1997 in Round 2 of the ACC Tournament vs. Providence. It was heartbreaking to see him hang his head in defeat. It's as if he owed Duke more, but I believe we owe him a lot!!

So, Let's all say, "Go Jeff! Go Sooners!!"

[concrete]

i watched the game on t.v. and definitely sounded like booing...maybe it started as a groan but i think there were some people booing. (probably heard the groan and thought it was a boo and it dominoed)

[DukeUsul]

I was at that game and yes there were a handful of boos. But not much. And I don't know what G-man is smoking, everyone I knew really liked him.

[miramar]

I still remember Capel's father dancing gleefully in the aisles at one of his son's plays, but that tall kid next to him obviously didn't get it. What was it the Crazies used to chant, "Jeff is better"? The Crazies were right as usual.

[jkidd31]

Wasn't it Jason who made a comment that his brother was booed?

The thing I'll remember about Jeff was the quote after they lost to Providence that he didn't want to take his jersey off because he knew that would be the last time.

[bjornolf]

I was at that game too. That was my sophomore year at Duke, and I went to every home game. I loved that team for their heart. I don't recall any booing of Capel. I KNOW I heard some booing of a Freshman Wojo when he came into a game. Those few cretins were VERY quickly hushed before it got out of hand.

[orrnot]

DBR seems to have a pretty good sample of the crowd from that infamous moment in Duke Basketball history. I'm another, and I recall it as a gasp of concern and dismay more than a boo. Maybe there were a couple of boos in it, but that wasn't the vibe I got. I think Capel was not having a great night and turning him loose again just didn't seem like the move we armchair coaches wanted. I hate that Capel and his family had to hear it, whatever it was, because he was a rock for Duke during tough times.

[Kim*]

That comment confused me tonight as well. One incident at one game hardly deserves the generalization that "many Duke fans weren't Jeff Capel fans" or however it was worded. And my goodness, so many of you were at that game!

[DukeUsul]

Interesteing how we all have differing memories. I very clearly remember thinking to myself after it happened "Dear God, some people just booed Jeff Capel."

[RelativeWays]

Chapel did catch some flack for the 95 season but I think he was pretty well liked during the rebuilding years of 96 and 97. Me personally, I blame Cherokee Parks for our lack of on court leadership during the dark season. Granted its not who he is, but if you're a senior, you need to step up and lead, he didn't. You can see why Laettner busted his chops his freshman year to toughen him up. I don't think it worked.

[Eldorado]

Interesteing how we all have differing memories. I very clearly remember thinking to myself after it happened "Dear God, some people just booed Jeff Capel."

Oh he was definitely booed. I would add, it wasn't undeserved either. His shot selection was questionable at best during a number of games that season. There was one game in particular taht I think most people remember, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't the only time people booed him. Although that team wasn't as talented as alot of other Duke teams, they were certainly capable of winning more games than they did. Part of it was K being out, but Parks and Capel trying to show their NBA range or whatever they were doing wasn't helping.

[Coballs]

Refresh my memory. In which season and against which team did the "groan/boo" game take place? Was it in the 94-95 disaster season or was it Capel's senior year?

[Olympic Fan]

The groan/boo incident occurred early in his senior season -- Dec. 5, 1996 ... Duke was locked in a tight game with Florida State (Duke would win 72-66 in overtime) and Jeff was playing horribly. Late in regulation, K sent Capel to the scorer's table and there was a negative reaction from the crowd ...

I am one of those who heard more of a gasp or collective "Oh No!" than any boos. I do know the Capel family thinks Jeff was booed in that moment.

But that was it. I was at every game in 1995 and I never heard any booing of Jeff or any other player. After the FSU incident in 96-97, it was almost like the Cameron crowd went over the top in their affection for Jeff to make up for it.

However you interpret the FSU incident, that was one moment in a four year career ... I can't think of any other evidence that would lead Mike to think that Jeff wasn't liked or appreciated at Duke. Certainly his senior day appearance against Maryland was a love-fest.