The Kyrie situation is slowly drawing in the Duke program

[scottdude8]

If it's inappropriate to bring this topic back up, please delete this thread, but two recent developments directly related to the current Duke program will likely be of interest to the board.

After Kyrie's recent Instagram Live when he discussed his decision, an eagle-eyed reporter noticed that the @DukeMBB account commented with "supportive emojis": https://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...accine-twitter

This comes following Coach Nolan weighing in on the situation himself, saying on Twitter:

Kyrie Irving is a hell of a person that has done so much for all communities. He is making a personal decision. Thats his choice. If you dont like it… cool, You are not him!! Have a great day!

I will refrain, against all my instincts, from editorializing on this at all and simply leave these two news stories here unadorned for the board's perusal.

[LasVegas]

If it's inappropriate to bring this topic back up, please delete this thread, but two recent developments directly related to the current Duke program will likely be of interest to the board.

After Kyrie's recent Instagram Live when he discussed his decision, an eagle-eyed reporter noticed that the @DukeMBB account commented with "supportive emojis": https://www.dukechronicle.com/articl...accine-twitter

This comes following Coach Nolan weighing in on the situation himself, saying on Twitter:



I will refrain, against all my instincts, from editorializing on this at all and simply leave these two news stories here unadorned for the board's perusal.

And Jay Williams today on first take.

[scottdude8]

And Jay Williams today on first take……

I avoid First Take at all costs (luckily its rarely on up in Canada, haha)... care to offer a brief synopsis?

[LasVegas]

I avoid First Take at all costs (luckily its rarely on up in Canada, haha)... care to offer a brief synopsis?

I wish I could but I don’t want to start anything. Probably best that people look it up themselves.

[Wander]

Jay Williams' take was really bad (anytime you make Stephen A Smith look like the calm reasonable one, you need to look in the mirror) – he started to wade into some extremely dangerous territory before the ESPN host did a nice job cutting him off.

I agree with OP that this is becoming a Duke-wide issue. Coach K needs to have some heart-to-heart conversations with some of his former players.

[FellowTraveler]

Given that one of his assistant coaches and his basketball program's social media accounts have publicly supported Kyrie's comments, heart-to-hearts are necessary but not sufficient. Coach K, and Duke's administration, should publicly and unambiguously distance themselves from this.

[DavidBenAkiva]

This is not engulfing the Duke program. Well, the Duke IG account got involved with a few supportive emojis. That shouldn't have happened. But Nolan Smith and Jay Williams have the right to say whatever they want about Kyrie. I can't say that what they said was appropriate or necessary (moreso Williams, but he's playing a character on TV, after all - all those ESPN talking heads do it). It's just not something that is engulfing the program. It's clickbait. Kyrie asserts that he is his own person. I take him at his word, no matter how I feel about what specifically he is doing. It's his position to throw away his career and $200 million+ in contracts. That has nothing to do with Duke basketball.

[cato]

This is not engulfing the Duke program. Well, the Duke IG account got involved with a few supportive emojis. That shouldn't have happened. But Nolan Smith and Jay Williams have the right to say whatever they want about Kyrie. I can't say that what they said was appropriate or necessary (moreso Williams, but he's playing a character on TV, after all - all those ESPN talking heads do it). It's just not something that is engulfing the program. It's clickbait. Kyrie asserts that he is his own person. I take him at his word, no matter how I feel about what specifically he is doing. It's his position to throw away his career and $200 million+ in contracts. That has nothing to do with Duke basketball.

This is engulfing a segment of fans of the Duke MBB program, that is for sure. People in the program providing public support to Kyrie says that maybe those fans are not entirely on board with how The Brotherhood views this saga.

[Acymetric]

People in the program providing public support to Kyrie says that maybe those fans are not entirely on board with how The Brotherhood views this saga.

Shocking...if only someone had tried to explain this very thing to the board multiple times...

[CrazyNotCrazie]

This is not engulfing the Duke program. Well, the Duke IG account got involved with a few supportive emojis. That shouldn't have happened. But Nolan Smith and Jay Williams have the right to say whatever they want about Kyrie. I can't say that what they said was appropriate or necessary (moreso Williams, but he's playing a character on TV, after all - all those ESPN talking heads do it). It's just not something that is engulfing the program. It's clickbait. Kyrie asserts that he is his own person. I take him at his word, no matter how I feel about what specifically he is doing. It's his position to throw away his career and $200 million+ in contracts. That has nothing to do with Duke basketball.

I think that engulfing is an overstatement but Nolan is now an assistant coach so his public statements directly reflect on the program. Coach K is usually extremely strategic and smart about messaging. This is not good messaging by a representative of the program.

Williams is closely linked to Duke, particularly since in this case he is talking about a fellow former Duke player, but his statement is independent of Duke.

[Bob Green]

This is not engulfing the Duke program.

Bravo! I believe in free speech. I also believe in ignoring people executing their right to free speech. ESPN talking heads are on the top of my list.

[cato]

Shocking...if only someone had tried to explain this very thing to the board multiple times...

Appreciated by several readers, I’m sure. But once a viewpoint dominates the room, mildly different takes can easily get lost in the shuffle and then why bother offering them up?

Strongly divergent viewpoints still force themselves to attention, but that just invigorates the dominant take.

[dudog84]

Here's a thought experiment: If these attitudes were as widespread in the '50s and '60s as they are now, perhaps (maybe even a good chance, who knows how polio would have progressed with the increased population and crowding) Kyrie contracts polio and is not a fabulously rich athlete.

It's not about him, it's about us. But not in his brain, he exists solely unto himself.

We are quickly becoming a nation that doesn't care about the other...on both sides. I know I don't care about the health of anti-vaxxers, so shame on me. But then I'm a scientist. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction (Newton's 3rd).

[LasVegas]

Here's a thought experiment: If these attitudes were as widespread in the '50s and '60s as they are now, perhaps (maybe even a good chance, who knows how polio would have progressed with the increased population and crowding) Kyrie contracts polio and is not a fabulously rich athlete.

It's not about him, it's about us. But not in his brain, he exists solely unto himself.

We are quickly becoming a nation that doesn't care about the other...on both sides. I know I don't care about the health of anti-vaxxers, so shame on me. But then I'm a scientist. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction (Newton's 3rd).

Newton’s 3rd would be a great band name….. or a restaurant that serves chili.

[CDu]

Agree with those who say that "engulfing" might be an overstatement. But it is definitely becoming a "Duke" issue, as Nolan Smith is an employee of Duke and the DukeMBB Twitter account is a Duke account not just some fan gig.

As for "free speech", they are entitled to free speech with regards to not being sent to jail. They are not, however, entitled to freedom from the consequences of said speech short of that.

If I was an employee of Pfizer and I posted something bashing the Pfizer vaccine (or even something supporting being anti- the Pfizer vaccine), it reflects on Pfizer. And Pfizer could fire me for it. [full disclosure: I'm not an employee of Pfizer, nor have I done the things mentioned anyway]

Smith is a prominent Duke employee. The DukeMBB Twitter account is a prominent Duke Twitter account. Part of that privilege is that your statements reflect on Duke. Thus, this is absolutely becoming a Duke issue.

Jay Williams is no longer employed by or directly affiliated with Duke. His comments are disappointing as a Duke fan, but are at most tangentially related to Duke.

[Phredd3]

Smith is a prominent Duke employee. The DukeMBB Twitter account is a prominent Duke Twitter account. Part of that privilege is that your statements reflect on Duke. Thus, this is has absolutely becoming become a Duke issue.

FIFY. Duke has already made it an issue, like it or not.

[dudog84]

Gotta wonder if this is being discussed in the Butters Building as much as it is here.

[CDu]

FIFY. Duke has already made it an issue, like it or not.

No disagreements with your edits.

[duke79]

Given that one of his assistant coaches and his basketball program's social media accounts have publicly supported Kyrie's comments, heart-to-hearts are necessary but not sufficient. Coach K, and Duke's administration, should publicly and unambiguously distance themselves from this.

Totally agree here. IMHO, it would be a smart move on the part of Coach K and the Duke administration. (of course, you could also argue that such a statement would just tie Duke more closely to Kyrie and maybe the tactic of "benign neglect" might the best course of action).

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

It has certainly engulfed this board.