What the heck is it with the Coach K hate???

[SirFozzie]

Saw this little bit of stupidity on Page 2 today..


By Patrick Hruby
Page 2

I hear Canada is a lovely place.

Clean streets. Cold beer. Universal health care. Home to a democratic society and the World Rock Paper Scissors Championships with a Mike Myers for every Alan Thicke.

Oh, and Mike Krzyzewski will never, ever coach the country's Olympic basketball team.

Don't get me wrong: I love the United States. I'm proud to be an American, despite our status as the world's leading exporter of Michael Bay movies. I'm not exactly standing on the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, teeth chattering, fluttering application for political asylum in hand.

But in the wake of reports that Krzyzewski has been tabbed to lead the U.S. national team, well, let's just say that northern Saskatchewan is starting to look a little more inviting.

Let me be blunt. For Duke basketball haters, myself included, the alliance of Coach K and Team USA is terrible news … and terribly confusing.

Imagine waking up one fine morning to discover that Dr. Phil has been appointed surgeon general. Or flipping on "Sesame Street" to find guest host Michael Jackson frolicking with Big Bird.

Picture the following headlines:
LIMBAUGH TO HOST MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
MIKE BROWN TAKES OVER RED CROSS
PARIS HILTON AND CARROT TOP SEX TAPE RELEASED
BILLY BUSH ELECTED PRESIDENT

Would you be angry? Distraught? Incredulous? Or just flummoxed?

In the case of Krzyzewski's Olympic ascension, the Duke anti-fan's answer is more like all of the above.

On one hand, we embrace the red, white and blue (and can't exactly root for France); on the other, we uniformly reject all things Blue Devils (helpful hint: AmEx cards will jam your paper shredder. Trust me on that one).

As such, we're a bit torn.

Granted, more reasonable fans might put aside petty abhorrence to unite behind a common cause, same as the U.S. and U.S.S.R. did in WWII. Up against Hitler? Stalin doesn't seem so mean.

To put things another way: Go with the Blue Devil you know. Or else pull for Slovenia.

Problem is, Duke detesters aren't magnanimous, let alone sane. We're small and spiteful, which is part of the reason we don't like the wildly successful, do-it-the-right-way Dookies in the first place.

Also, we remember Steve Wojciechowski's winning the National Defensive Player of the Year award, pretty much for leading the country in floor slaps. Oy.

Anyway, I digress. The point is that everyone who can't stand Duke faces an Olympic dilemma: Root with the heart or the spleen? For his K-ness, or against one's countrymen?

Patriotism … or hate-riotism?

Either way, no good can come of this. And not because Krzyzewski stinks. To the contrary, Coach K, a Hall of Famer, is tops in the college game. He served as a Dream Team assistant. He'll probably perform admirably. He certainly can't do any worse than Larry Brown and John Thompson, especially since Kobe Bryant figures to play.

(Unless, of course Krzyzewski pulls a Thompson and leaves Bryant off the roster in favor of Stacey Augmon -- or some other guy who can't hit a jump shot without the help of a GPS system).

That said, a return to Olympic glory under Coach K would be at best annoying, at worst insufferable.

The Leading From the Heart (c).

The ceaseless talk of "special, special kids."

The lavish, condescending praise for bug-squashed opponents, even when said opponents hail from the war-torn Balkans and would be content with immigration visas.

Think those American Express ads were irritatingly ubiquitous (and ubiquitously irritating)? Just wait until Krzyzewski is aligned with official Olympic sponsor Visa. Duke loathers will long for the days of Dan and Dave. And if America's Coach brings home the gold? Forget a Sports Illustrated commemorative issue. Dante's "Inferno" would be more appropriate.

Sadly, an Olympic defeat wouldn't be any better.

Would Krzyzewski go home empty-handed? Sure. But not in satisfying fashion. It's one thing to enjoy Duke's losing to Michigan State; it's quite another to take pleasure in America's falling to some commonwealth that isn't even a state, such as Puerto Rico. When Team USA falls short against the likes of Carlos Arroyo, the humiliation taints all of us.

Besides, it's not like people would blame Coach K, anyway. Not after George Karl set the bar this high at the 2002 World Championships.

Win or lose, Duke detractors are bound to suffer. An Olympic post means more exposure for Krzyzewski. Which means more prep All-Americans in Durham. Which means more wins for the Blue Devils, unless said prep All-Americans turn out like Shavlik Randolph.

Worse still, the chances of Coach K's jumping to the NBA -- something I feverishly hoped for last summer -- are now remote. Rather than take over a crummy team like Atlanta and suffer a Lon Kruger-esque comedown, Krzyzewski can quell his pro jones by coaching the very best players in the world.

He gets dessert without dinner, the cure without the surgery, lottery talent without the lottery podium.

And Duke doesn't crumble in his absence, as the program did under Pete Gaudet.


GAUDET: "Do you expect me to talk, Bluefinger?"
BLUEFINGER: "No, Mr. Gaudet, I expect you to die. And also take responsibility for this 13-18 season. Into the memory hole!"

Faced with the prospect of Coach K in Beijing -- and Christian Laettner somehow sneaking onto the Team USA roster -- what's a Duke-basher to do? Grudging acceptance isn't an option. Yes, rivals become lovers all the time in romantic comedies; yes, the sports world is full of erstwhile villains becoming good guys, like Robert Horry leaving Los Angeles to play for San Antonio. However, college sports are different. They're the one place where loathing remains pure, unsullied by rampant player and coach movement.

Think of it this way: if the acquitted O.J. Simpson could still rush for 2,000 yards right now, he'd be a top fantasy pick, because pro fans have long since abandoned any pretense of loyal antipathy. Not so on campus.

Besides, Krzyzewski isn't actually switching sides; he's simply adding additional responsibilities to his ongoing role at Duke. Asking Blue Devils dissidents to look the other way is like asking consumers to buy Madonna's children's books while pretending that "Swept Away" and "Body of Evidence" never happened.

Consequently, the only real, lasting solution for Duke haters is to go bail out completely and find a new country. I don't mean a new country to root for; I mean a new country to live in.

Otherwise, we'll be no better than the legions of Duke fans who didn't actually go to school in Durham, or Notre Dame fans who haven't even visited South Bend.

Like beef? Try Argentina. Fancy the Baltic Sea? Lithuania's your place.

Full-blown expatriation may seem slightly drastic, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And really, if Coach K can learn to work the refs in Chinese, Duke detractors can learn a new language, too. Or just look north of the border for an easy way out.

Again, I'm not about to hop on the next flight to Toronto. I'm just saying that Vancouver was recently ranked No. 3 in a world cities quality of life survey. And I'm told the weather is quite nice

[QuikSand]

How far into that article do you need to read to see, clearly, that this fellow is really trying too hard?

I got to "Michael Bay" -- but I'm a little bit forgiving.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Lots of jealous people can't stand winners, that pretty much sums up the hatin'.

[rkmsuf]

Now Pitino hate I understand.

[rexallllsc]

See: William Avery situation

[Pumpy Tudors]

And what the fuck is this guy's problem with Alan Thicke?

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

How far into that article do you need to read to see, clearly, that this fellow is really trying too hard?

I got to "Michael Bay" -- but I'm a little bit forgiving.

I got too "Alan Thicke" -- I think that reference may be a bit too "square" for the average ESPN fan.

[Ksyrup]

I got to "...frolicking with Big Bird" and stopped. Although, it was for entirely different reasons.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Lots of jealous people can't stand winners, that pretty much sums up the hatin'.

You nailed it.

[gstelmack]

Because he let Christian Laetner get off scot-free after stomping on that Kentucky player's chest, proving how much of a hypocrite he can be?

[Young Drachma]

I thought it was weird, too. I mean, seems that's what people are talking about when folks mention ESPN's blurred lines between commentary, reporting news and just being..well, stupid.

[Ksyrup]

Page Two - We Try Too Damn Hard To Be Funny

[VPI97]

It's not that I dislike Coach K, I just dislike the special treatment he gets from the refs. Didn't really care until I saw how bad it was in the first Duke/VT game last year.

[MrBug708]

Because Coach K would somehow make Shaq regress

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Because he let Christian Laetner get off scot-free after stomping on that Kentucky player's chest, proving how much of a hypocrite he can be?

This single-handledly assured that I would hate Duke and Coach K for the rest of my life. Laettner should have been ejected from the tournament, no questions asked. If he was some scrub, he would've been. But because he was the prettiest boy on a team of pretty boys, he was allowed to go on without even a slap on the wrist. His highlightless NBA career provides some measure of justice.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by VPI97

It's not that I dislike Coach K, I just dislike the special treatment he gets from the refs. Didn't really care until I saw how bad it was in the first Duke/VT game last year.

The IU / Duke Final Four game in the early nineties was the worst-officiated game I have seen at any level in any sport. The refs gave the game to Duke on a silver platter.

[Ksyrup]

If officiating is the problem, though, why would you hate the beneficiary? I guess I don't understand what Coach K has to do with getting calls. Does he do a lot of pre-game talking about how he expects games to be officiated, and they fall in line with what he says, or has he gained some measure of respect from officials that automatically translates to his team getting the benefit of the doubt?

NBA stars get calls all the time, and I didn't see a huge anti-Jordan or [fill in the blannk] movement among fans. I saw it directed at the officials. Same with Greg Maddux - yes, every so often someone will root against him because he gets an expanded strike zone, but most of the time, people understand the respect he commands for being so accurate and suggest that if anything, it's the umps' fault, not his. Just like Jermaine Dye the other night...what do you want them to do, tell the officials they made the wrong call?

[terpkristin]

Why do I hate Coach K?
Well, first because he coaches Duke, and as a Maryland alumna, anything associated with Duke is evil.

Second, because he's a hypocritical jerk. He sets rules and lets everybody know how "upset it makes him" that when Duke plays in their arena, that there are "bad words" being said and some of it isn't exactly polite. His influence on Maryland has forced Maryland to change and make rules regarding conduct in the arena. Now, don't get me wrong, I agree that there were certain UMD traditions that were not of much class (the Hey! You Suck! song comes right to mind), but they weren't hurting people and compared to some of the stuff I've seen at other arenas, it was downright civil.

Alas. Coach K gets annoyed, complains to UMD's AD (Debbie Yow) and she makes rules for fans, but then Coach K doesn't make his fans do anything similar. I'm not sure how it is with other "big rivalry" schools, but when the Terps come to Durham, "bad words" are just the tip of the iceberg. If he's going to hold OTHER stadia to his demands, he should really get his ass in gear and work towards controlling HIS fans.

And that is why I hate Coach K.

/tk

[MrBug708]

His ads he did during the NCAA tournament last year was a nice recruiting advantage too

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

His ads he did during the NCAA tournament last year was a nice recruiting advantage too

Yeah, you'll notice no other coach did ads during that time.
Gary was fuming over that, such a punk thing to do, of questionable ethics.

Oh well, just more fuel to my Coach K hate fire.

/tk

[bossfan2000]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Yeah, you'll notice no other coach did ads during that time.
Gary was fuming over that, such a punk thing to do, of questionable ethics.

Oh well, just more fuel to my Coach K hate fire.

/tk

And you think Gary would have said no if he had the same opportunity?

[terpkristin]

During the tourney, absolutely.
Any other time/during recruiting season, maybe.

He's turned down opportunities to do ads in the past because of ethics.

/tk

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Yeah, you'll notice no other coach did ads during that time.
Gary was fuming over that, such a punk thing to do, of questionable ethics.

Oh well, just more fuel to my Coach K hate fire.

/tk

Gary is the biggest crybaby in the ACC. I have never seen a coach so close to crying so many times during a game as I do with him. Also someone please get him some damn anti-persperant deodorant because the guy just sweats so damn much.

[Airhog]

I personally don't care for coach K. He can coach, but can he get a bunch of rich, overpaid players to work together? Unless you have the cream of the crop NBA players, you have to stress teamwork. I think we were better off just taking the best college players to the olympics.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by bsak16

Gary is the biggest crybaby in the ACC. I have never seen a coach so close to crying so many times during a game as I do with him. Also someone please get him some damn anti-persperant deodorant because the guy just sweats so damn much.

Wow, why don't you add something MEANINGFUL to the conversation instead of just spouting off on something that isn't related to the topic OR furthering the discussion that was at hand with fact.

I'd rather have a coach close to crying (which I don't necessarily think he is, just that he's supercharged with all kinds of emotion--if you call that crying, then whatever, but you're wrong) than one who's impassive. Gary is passionate about the game. So is Coach K, I think, but I've already listed what it is about Coach K that I don't like.

And yes, Gary does sweat a lot.

As for you, I'll be ignoring you from now on seeing as you're just trolling here.

/tk

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Wow, why don't you add something MEANINGFUL to the conversation instead of just spouting off on something that isn't related to the topic OR furthering the discussion that was at hand with fact.

I'd rather have a coach close to crying (which I don't necessarily think he is, just that he's supercharged with all kinds of emotion--if you call that crying, then whatever, but you're wrong) than one who's impassive. Gary is passionate about the game. So is Coach K, I think, but I've already listed what it is about Coach K that I don't like.

And yes, Gary does sweat a lot.

As for you, I'll be ignoring you from now on seeing as you're just trolling here.

/tk

Wow the truth hurts for some people. You spout off all kinds of allegations against Coach K and cant take a little ribbing of your own.

And by the way the chant the Fuck You Reddick is way worse than any You Suck chant done at Cameron. It cannot even be compared.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

During the tourney, absolutely.
Any other time/during recruiting season, maybe.

He's turned down opportunities to do ads in the past because of ethics.

/tk

I honestly don't get how that's an ethical issue.

[Easy Mac]

It's ok, it's just like that little brother who wants to play basketball with you and your friends, but he just isn't good enough. Yeah, he'll make the occasional basket, but he eventually develops an inferiority complex.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Why do I hate Coach K?
Well, first because he coaches Duke, and as a Maryland alumna, anything associated with Duke is evil.

Second, because he's a hypocritical jerk. He sets rules and lets everybody know how "upset it makes him" that when Duke plays in their arena, that there are "bad words" being said and some of it isn't exactly polite. His influence on Maryland has forced Maryland to change and make rules regarding conduct in the arena. Now, don't get me wrong, I agree that there were certain UMD traditions that were not of much class (the Hey! You Suck! song comes right to mind), but they weren't hurting people and compared to some of the stuff I've seen at other arenas, it was downright civil.

Alas. Coach K gets annoyed, complains to UMD's AD (Debbie Yow) and she makes rules for fans, but then Coach K doesn't make his fans do anything similar. I'm not sure how it is with other "big rivalry" schools, but when the Terps come to Durham, "bad words" are just the tip of the iceberg. If he's going to hold OTHER stadia to his demands, he should really get his ass in gear and work towards controlling HIS fans.

And that is why I hate Coach K.

/tk

tk, you must be a woman. Oh, wait...

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

If officiating is the problem, though, why would you hate the beneficiary? I guess I don't understand what Coach K has to do with getting calls. Does he do a lot of pre-game talking about how he expects games to be officiated, and they fall in line with what he says, or has he gained some measure of respect from officials that automatically translates to his team getting the benefit of the doubt?

NBA stars get calls all the time, and I didn't see a huge anti-Jordan or [fill in the blannk] movement among fans. I saw it directed at the officials. Same with Greg Maddux - yes, every so often someone will root against him because he gets an expanded strike zone, but most of the time, people understand the respect he commands for being so accurate and suggest that if anything, it's the umps' fault, not his. Just like Jermaine Dye the other night...what do you want them to do, tell the officials they made the wrong call?

Where do you get this? There are a lot of people that complain about the Roger Clemens strike zone or the Shaq star treatment and it's not just from Cards and Sacramento fans who are bitter. It's from people who want to see a fair game. For instance, I don't want to see Kansas win because the refs handed us a game, I want to see us win because we're better than the other team.

And that pretty much sums up why I dislike Duke, too. Coach K works the refs for those advantages more than any other coach out there. It's dirty and slimy, and I'd rather everyone be on a fair playing field so it's less like what people associate with basketball where the refs determine the game.

SI

[Radii]

The newfound hatred Maryland has for Duke is hilarious, IMO. Maryland fans and students need to learn to act like they've been there before when they beat Duke.

I've hated Duke all my life. They're the only ACC team I'll root against when they play non conference opponents. But then again, I'm a lifelong, die hard UNC fan. My "hatred" for Duke goes no further than the basketball rivalry. A lot of what I see here certainly does come across as being jealous of the top team.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by bsak16

Wow the truth hurts for some people. You spout off all kinds of allegations against Coach K and cant take a little ribbing of your own.

And by the way the chant the Fuck You Reddick is way worse than any You Suck chant done at Cameron. It cannot even be compared.

I reiterate. Troll.

/tk

[Huckleberry]

I don't hate him but I'd like to know why he refuses to play the Longhorns on our home floor. For those that wouldn't know, Texas will be playing Duke again this year on a neutral site. Coach K refuses to agree to a home-and-home.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

I reiterate. Troll.

/tk

One last question, doesnt your football coach do Under Armor commericals that are splashed all over ESPN during recruiting season? Okay one more...was it ethical for Gary Williams to go in the booth during the ESPN broadcast of Virginia Tech vs Maryland last week and pimp his team?