Originally Posted by
scottdude8
For what it's worth, the author didn't specifically call out this forum (although I can think of at least a few who merit it). He called out a segment of Duke fans, with an emphasis on those who use Twitter to vent their frustrations... and we all know that, for better or worse, that can and does get seen by players, recruits, etc. If we disagree on whether there are "entitled" fans on this board (and you're both right that the number is very low, although not 0), there are certainly many such fans out there in the wild. While I don't actively use Twitter to discuss Duke basketball, I do use my professional account (yes, that's a thing... we live in weird times) to lurk on those conversations, and JD is 100% right that there are a lot of IC-level posts by otherwise "normal" fans on there.
As to your other point FDD, you're right that the evidence is minimal so far. Personally, I've seen Scheyer make some specific adjustments over the past few games, including his defensive adjustments against Va Tech, that have me feeling quite encouraged. But one thing that we may be overlooking is that Coach K chose him, and I'm not sure there's a better way to vouch for his potential.
If the author is going on Twitter to gauge Duke fandom, then he's in the wrong place. Twitter is the ultimate hellscape. It's awful. No fanbase looks good on Twitter.
As for Coach K choosing Scheyer, I'm not sure how much equity I put into this. To bring in a business analog, one of the most difficult responsibilities of a leader is succession. Bob Iger (Disney), Howard Schultz (Starbucks), and Jack Welch (GE) are all storied, incredible CEOs. And they each hand-selected a successor who failed miserably. The same applies for sports. Look at some of the greatest sporting coaches in the last 20-30 years: Sir Alex Ferguson (Man Utd), Phil Jackson (Bulls and Lakers), Pat Summitt (Tennessee), Pat Riley (first stint with the Heat), etc. Each of these legends was involved in helping to select a coach. And each of the successors didn't last that long.
It is stupidly hard to follow a legend. 'Good' unfortunately just isn't enough. And while fanbases will get angry, the truth is the alumni that matter will also get angry. And that's the beginning of the end (not suggesting Scheyer will fail; just suggesting the hurdles he'll face are very challenging).
Also, I think one area where Coach K failed is not casting a wider net. He wanted a person familiar with Duke basketball, and truth is Coach K's tree is pretty bad for a legend who coached for nearly 45 years. No coach on his tree made it to a Final Four. Only Mike Brey has had success in the college ranks. Quin Synder had success in the NBA but failed in college. And Tommy Amaker, while really good at Harvard, failed at Michigan.
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club