Originally Posted by
Lulu
Well let's just say that if the name of a school contains the name of a US state that school will probably always be seen in a better light to the average joe, at least when it comes to athletic favorites.
You'd really have to be scraping the bottom of the barrel to find those who have no idea that Duke is a good school. The average person in my tiny, midwestern hometown is well aware that Duke is considered a better, if not more privileged institution than most. Besides, a significant portion of the college basketball fanbase is going to be those those who went to college, and I dare say there aren't many who want to see a school that's considered academically superior to also defeat them athletically; no one likes that, especially when you add the perception of having a body of spoiled rich kids.
The contempt of the large number of college grads who do know why they hate Duke is going to rub off on the fans with no actual connection to those same schools, too. I've seen the dislike for Duke grow amongst my own personal friends the past few years, who simply know what they've been told by ESPN etc, and then have to ask me about it.
Duke was not hated like this from the 90's to 2001, when we were at our best. (OK, so some opposing fans weren't fond of Battier, presumably because of his elegance.) I cannot pinpoint a date right now but there was a distinct time when the sports journalists just seemed to pounce on Duke at every chance, and that's really when the hatred started. It's sad, but I'm not even comfortable wearing my Duke gear around much anymore because I know I'll get a bit harassed sometimes. Had a car trashed once, and the perpetrators made it clear that the Duke license plate frame and sticker instigated it, and this was nowhere near North Carolina or the east coast. No more stickers on the cars now.
The rational fans dislike us now, at least partly, for having so many McD's and not "achieving". Rational fans are in the minority though in any case.
Dickie V probably didn't help either.