Don’t Believe the Hype

The Dook Media Hype Machine was churning on all cylinders yesterday during CBS’ telecast of the NCAA Tournament’s South… errrr “Atlanta” Regional Final between Duke and Xavier. I hope Verne Lundquist was wearing a bib during the game to keep all the slobbering he did over Chris Duhon off of his suit. Lundquist and Billy Rafferty couldn’t stop themselves from heaping hyperbolic praise on the Blue Devils’ “injured” point guard. “He’s a true hero. What courage,” Lundquist gushed. “To play through that kind of pain is just unbelieveable. What a man Chris Duhon is,” raved Rafferty.

Give me a freaking break.

Duhon bruised - not broke, not fractured, bruised - his ribs in a game two weeks ago!!!! He returned to the court about 10 minutes after the injury and has shown no ill-effects of the mishap since then. Yet the media treats this guy like he’s Lance Armstrong beating cancer to win the Tour de France. Get a grip, fellas. Georgia Tech’s BJ Elder hurt his ankle Friday night and tried to play on it yesterday. I didn’t hear anyone calling him courageous or special. UConn’s Emeka Okafor has a legitimately broken bone in his BACK and is playing through it, yet I don’t see anyone singing his praises.

To put a bit more perspective on this “devasting injury”, I fractured - not bruised, fractured - two ribs in a city league game a couple years ago and still managed to finish the game. In case you didn’t know it, I’m a world-class puss. If I can finish a game with two fractured ribs, I certainly don’t see what’s so speical about Duhon playing two weeks after he bruised his.

I think the broadcasters - you can’t call them journalists - must have their own office pool where they pick who will make the most outlandish claim about Dook before the tournament ends. Maybe Lundquist was trying to oust top seed Dooky V by making Duhon into a war hero because he rolled into a camera. Rafferty was trying to give Verne a game by suggesting that two of Shav’s fouls today were not actually fouls at all but good blocks. But Lundquist would have none of it, delivering the pink slip to Rafferty’s weak mess by comparing Coach K and Dook to John Wooden and the UCLA dynasty of the 60s and 70s. What???!!!! They won 9 championships in 11 years!!! Coach K and Dook won 3 in 11 years. It’s a great accomplishment, but hardly worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Wooden and UCLA.

I hate Dook as much as the next guy, but I’m willing to give them their due. They’re a very good team and Coach K has put together an impressive run recently. You’d be foolish not to acknowledge them. But what’s more foolish is to make up absurd things to praise them for. It does a disservice to the journalism profession and it also takes away from legitimate accomplishments the program should be acknowledged for. You know, like Shav being a big boy now and only needing mommy to cut his steak some of the time.

Go back to figure skating, Verne, and take Rafferty with you. Your wretched commentary today made me miss Billy Packer. Ugh. I think I’m going to be sick.