If we're doing a true starting five, I think it would be Laettner, Hurley, J.J., Wojo, and Collins -- though you could make an argument for starting Ferry and bringing Collins off the bench as the sixth man.
Someone mentioned Gerald Henderson, but I think that's really just a Chapel Hill thing because of The Foul. Outside of UNC, I don't think Henderson is as universally and irrationally reviled as the others.
I think that's about right. Noticing a trend there. Not saying anything, I'm just, you know, sayin'.
I find that, all these years later, the hatred for Wojo still runs really, really deep for a lot of people between 35 and 45 years old. Always comes back to the floor slapping. Even know a few Marquette fans who had a hard time until he gave his first press conference in Milwaukee. I actually think he's no. 2 on the hated Dukies list among the people I know.
I'd put Patrick Ewing before any non-Laettner player in the frontcourt.
Hurley did it first.I find that, all these years later, the hatred for Wojo still runs really, really deep for a lot of people between 35 and 45 years old. Always comes back to the floor slapping. Even know a few Marquette fans who had a hard time until he gave his first press conference in Milwaukee. I actually think he's no. 2 on the hated Dukies list among the people I know.
Hurley
Paulus
JJ
Laettner
Meagher
That's a team that would rival the Detroit Pistons on the '80's for most hated. And good.
Spotted during the UK KU game:
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I can't believe you left off Shane Battier. As a Triangle resident (and non Duke fan) since 1986, I'd put Battier above Collins and Hurley in the pantheon of disdain. Honorable mention to Dahntay Jones. Agree, though, about Henderson.
A few other random thoughts
1) I wonder if the quote actually came from one of Laettner's teammates (Cherokee Parks??). The difference to me between Laettner and every other "hated" Dukie is that Laettner actually inspired bad feelings from some of his own teammates, if legend is to be believed.
2) Danny Ferry doesn't get enough credit as a player. I feel like Laettner's exploits from 1990 to 1992 (UConn buzzer beater in '90, the '91 and '92 seasons) made people forget Ferry's greatness. Laettner had the better career, but if you looked at the 1988 and 1989 Duke rosters vs 1991 and 1992 you'd notice that Laettner had significantly better talent around him.
Although I hate this kind of thing, I just had to chime in.
I think you both got it wrong, but are both close. Collins doesn't make the team. He really had a fair career with strong bookends, if you will (freshman and senior years), but never withstood the heighth or longevity of Wojo hatred. Likewise, Meager hatred can not stand next to that of the true fifth starter. Paulus makes the squad, despite a mediocre career, due to his association with JJ and for sheer minutes played. He also gets some flack for being over-hyped, which makes no sense. Would opposing fans have "hated" him less if he had played better against them? Again, I really hate this kind of thing.
To me, clearly, the team is Laettner, JJ, Paulus, Wojo, and Battier.
Yes, Battier is the fifth member of the "most hated" team.. Despite being one of the greatest defnsive players of all time, he is only remembered for one subset of his defensive prowess... drawing the charge, which for some reason makes people throw their arms up in frustrated disgust, like the defensive player has somehow exploited a loophole in the rulebook by drawing a charge.
I have always wanted to attend a UK vs Uncch game with a 32 Duke jersey on and pull for UK.
One of the great things about enduring Laettner hate is how easy it is to get the haters fired up, and the random places where you see it happening.
I don't tweet, but I follow some political commentators that I enjoy on twitter. One is Mary Katherine Ham, a conservative with a pretty good sense of humor. I saw a few tweets from her provoking the Laettner haters this morning in reference to the upcoming 30 for 30 special. (A quick wikipedia check shows, while she went to UGa, she grew up in Durham and went to Riverside High). As a Duke fan, I try to have the same fun with it. Laettner, in college, was an awesome player, and he enjoyed playing the villain. At this point, he seems to still embrace the villain role. Since time is clearly not going to help the Laettner haters become more rational, might as well have fun with their irrationality. When KY fans accuse him of "physically assaulting" Aminu Timberlake, about all you can do is laugh. Because in their minds, the decades haven't healed Timberlake's wounds from that foot-tap. 22 years later, in KY world, the poor guy was killed dead on the spot as Laettner put the sole of his foot straight through Aminu's beating heart (which Coach K then ate before it had a chance to stop beating).
"Something in my vicinity is Carolina blue and this offends me." - HPR