Well here’s an interesting topic of conversation. College basketball fans hating Duke is not a new thing. Whether that’s because they are always good or always seem to have annoying players on their team is up for debate. What’s not up for debate is their status as the most hated squad in the nation.
Bleacher Report has a video up of a conversation with Blue Devil alumni Grant Hill, and he has some interesting things to say about why Duke is so hated.
“We’ve had a lot of really good white players and I think that plays a role,” Hill said. “I played with Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettner and they were despised when we were on the road. But you look in the crowd and it’s nothing but white students at the game. It was white on white hate.”
Hill elaborated a bit more.
“A lot of times kids have to you know, camp out. And you know we’re, black people, are not gonna camp out. So a lot of the kids in the crowd were white students.”
Now Hill was just being sarcastic (I think) about the white on white hate, but it’s interesting he thinks that is the reason for the Duke hate. Anyone who has seen the Fab Five 30 for 30 remembers Jalen Rose saying that they hated Duke because they were “Uncle Toms”. So there are definitely people that can make argument as well.
Personally, I’ve always hated Duke for guys like Laettner and JJ Redick, not because they are white but because they fit the snobby, arrogant Duke mold. Or because of Coach K and his perceived cockiness, but that’s just me.
What do you guys think? Is Hill right, or is there another reason Duke is so hated?
Either way, I think we can all agree on one thing; life is better when Duke is upset early in the NCAA Tournament.