So I'll try to be optimistic and start a thread about the 2020-21 men's basketball team.
The article on the front page mentions the team is back on campus but Duke has not been able to do things they normally do like getting the players acclimated to the Duke culture. This preseason acclimation is due to Duke's "hyper efficiency" and it prepares Duke to win some of those early season games.
I have often worried that being prepared so well early in the season almost makes the team susceptible to late season slides. In a sense they are at their peak in Dec and Jan rather than Feb and March.
So since this team is forced to develop team chemistry a little later than in the past will they peak later in the year?
It's always a good idea to get a head start on a season that isn't going to happen.
Sorry for sounding like a crochety old man, but something rubbed me the wrong way seeing that DukeMBB video of our players loading mountains of shoes into their luxury rooms at the WaDu. I know they're kids and I would be enjoying life as much as I could had I been in their position at that age, but we're in the middle of a pandemic where so many people are struggling to fill their basic needs.
I would have liked to have seen them doing some sort of community service project as Duke athletes (yes, hard with. COVID), but otherwise I’m not too offended.
Pathetically, my general demeanor has been affected by this pandemic. My own assessment is that a lack of sports (playing and watching) has been the greatest contributor. I still get outside plenty in Idaho, but MAN did I miss hoops and the thought of the fall seasons likely not happening... DEPRESSING!
Let’s Be diligent and can keep the spread at a minimum so we can watch and play the sports we love ALL SEASON LONG!
I had a similar thought, and imagine some people will get up in arms and say, "Hey, those Duke basketball players get to stay at a luxury hotel with brand new Apple TVs and stuff... whatever happened to student athletes being real students?" That said, I imagine if any school had a place like the WaDuke on campus, they'd take full advantage during these bizarre times. While the athletic department can't pay the players, there's no limit to how comfortable they can make them!
But more to your point, I agree and think a lot of reasonable minded people will have similar thoughts. There was analogous reaction when some of the NBA players were complaining about the food/accommodations in the bubble early in that process. That said, those are professionals/adults (or more adult, given how young NBA players are now), whereas these are kids, many still teenagers... I think it's more on the school to manage the optics of that rather than the players. It would not shock me if we get another highly produced video of them "giving back" sometime in the next couple weeks.
Scott Rich on the front page
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Duke Chronicle, Sports Online Editor: 2010-2012
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^ for me, the disparity is glaring when regular junior and senior year students can't come to Duke this semester, but football and hoop seniors and juniors can.
Even a bit worse than that- these students can likely travel for Duke business but the other students cannot and these students can participate in some specific Duke activities without a mask at close distance and the other students cannot. The difference between athletes and students is much more glaring right now.
Can always count on budwom to take another opportunity to tell us for the 100th time that there will not be sports this year on college campus, or at Duke anyway. But happy to see those who want to talk about it until it is officially canceled. Don't see any harm in it. A nice diversion.
Totally agree with that assessment. I know the team gives back to the community plenty - I once attended an event where kids from the Duke Children's hospital got to watch a practice and then mingle with the players. After a while the players were dismissed to leave, but they all chose to stay even longer on their own time so the kids could have more time with them. So I don't fault them for enjoying the lavish accommodations they are given, but as you said it's not a great look right now.