Why I Cheer for Duke

The question is why not. I represent Durham, so duh! It’s a team with a following similar to the New York Yankees… similar proportion of fans nationwide as locally or with graduates. To top it off, it’s a great school, great basketball tradition, great coach. I’d have to have my head examined to not cheer for Duke.

But I’m frankly astonished at how some people who similarly represent Durham as a place don’t connect these dots, yet expect people to be loyal to their efforts.

One of my peer “Durham messengers” sees no conflict of interest with cheering wildly for a team in a nearby town because a child went there? Excuse me? Maybe I’ll encourage a business to select Downtown Raleigh over Durham because my daughter enjoyed herself there once. Another messenger wears clothing the color of schools in different nearby cities that compete with Duke, hoping to be neutral? What’s that about? Maybe membership dues in that organization should be split with similar organizations in other cities?

I can understand having an underlying (keep it to yourself) loyalty for where you went to school, but to me, when you’re a Durham messenger, you’re true blue (Duke blue) for the ACC and true Eagle maroon when it comes to the CIAA, soon to be MEAC, for North Carolina Central.

Otherwise, go work somewhere else. Life is too short to be conflicted, and it's just hypocritical to represent Durham as a place which includes Duke, ask Duke for money, and then not reciprocate.

Next blog, I’ll tell you how I really feel. ;-)