Has Duke Been Saved?

A while back, I was browsing through ESPN and found Duke's incoming class of basketball players. For the most part, the players we got were just like everything Duke Basketball has resembled the past eight years. White, un-athletic, good, but un-reliable, shooters, and defense that seemed to be played by a passive seven year old, not a division one athlete. Remind you of players from the past?



After finding this out and realizing that our post players for the next four years were going to be panzies, I went to Youtube and stumbled upon this video.



Class of 2010 Duke recruit? Athleticism? African American? Visible muscles? There's got to be some mistake right? No this kid is really coming to Duke. About a week later it hit me that he must be related to Johnny Dawkins. After fact checking this, I found out that it wasn't true. I figured that in two years, we would have one of the best back courts in the nation with Dawkins and Seth Curry.



A few weeks ago, I found out that he had enough credits to come to Duke and skip his senior season. Now, we actually have some athleticism. After reading about Amdre Dawkins, I found out that he is already a great shooter. This explains why he's going to Duke. Coach K would never recruit someone with great athleticism and a boat load of potential would he?



I mean in the 2000's, when I'm old enough to realize Duke's problems.

Greg Paulus: From Scapegoat to Savior

Greg Paulus has always been the player Duke fans blame for everything. I did it, and you probably did too. He was everything Duke basketball has resembled over the last ten, horrible, years. White player? Check. Slow? Check. Small for his position? Check. Role model was Coach K? Check. He was all these things and was hated for four years. Finally, Coach K made a smart decision and benched him.



Images like the one above embodied Paulus' career at Duke. About five seconds later, Paulus would get beat to the basket by a much quicker, bigger, and stronger player and then try to flop. What most people don't know about Paulus is that in high school he was a better football player than basketball player. He was the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year and had scholarship offers from Notre Dame and Miami.



After his basketball career at Duke didn't work out. Let me re-phrase that sentence. After his basketball career at Duke failed miserably, like a two year old trying to ride a bike for the first time, Paulus decided to try football at Syracuse University. Syracuse is his hometown, but it's also my second favorite college.



At first, I wondered why Greg was trying to ruin college sports for me. Then, I realized that Syracuse football is absolutely terrible. He, as a hometown hero, could actually help. Help? Usually when Greg Paulus and help are in the same sentence it results in a picture like this.



However, yesterday he was named starting quarterback for Syracuse. With the return of wide receiver Mike Williams, Paulus could actually form a good connection. Now I don't expect Syracuse to go to the Rose Bowl, but I expect an improvement over last year.



Paulus also finally gets a chance to redeem himself for four years of mistakes and flops. There isn't a football equivalent to a flop is there? Paulus can prove that he really is an athlete, and he can do it in front of his home crowd just like he did in high school at CBA.

Tim Tebow and Psycho T: Competitors of the Century

It is rare that a successful college athlete would turn down the millions of dollars that are guaranteed with the signing of a contract. Why go back to school for a year or two and risk being injured and having all your success and future fortune taken away? The answer is a shot at glory and history, not to mention your dedication to your college and desire to win. Not many athletes see this. They play in leagues where one day it can all end and your career and aspirations are over. They want to get the money now while they're healthy. It takes a special person to realize this and an even better player to achieve it. It takes a player like this.



Gotcha. Or a player like this.



Tim Tebow and Psycho T both came back to school for their senior years, turning down the money and fame of the NFL and NBA. They also are very similar. Both are white men who often look like they don't belong in Division One sports. They also share three common traits, hustle, desire, and intensity. I'm a Duke fan, but it's easy to see that Psycho T just plain and simply outworks his competition. I don't even need to say anything for Tim Tebow.



Tim Tebow and Tyler Hansbrough just seem to be so alike. Both have(and will)star at major Division One colleges who have great tradition and programs in their respective sports. Both were very successful, each so far having one player of the year award and at least one national championship. They were both very successful in their college endeavors. They both share a look that says they don't belong playing but yet both dominate games. They're hated by opposing teams but loved by their own and I don't think that there is a program in the country who wouldn't want either.



Going into their senior seasons, both of their squads were ranked number one. Hansbrough and the North Carolina Tarheels won the championship after a few letdowns, none of those were at Cameron by the way. It will be interesting to see if Tim Tebow can finish the season where he started it and win a National Championship, which will be his third. He could also win his second Heisman trophy if he plays like he did the second half of the season.



The only thing that's different than last year for Tim is that the BCS is much stronger and one loss almost certainly derails your championship dreams. Last year, the one loss was what fueled them. Tebow gave a speech at the press conference that fired up him and the rest of his team mates and fueled them to go on and eventually win the National Championship.

Am I a little worried about Tim Tebow taking a few more snaps under center than last year or our games on October 10th and 31st against LSU and Georgia? A little bit, but one fact drowns that fear out. The fact that Tim Tebow, and Tyler Hansbrough, always find some way to get things done.They are the players that everyone wants but can't have and therefore are the most hated players in their respective sports. They are plain and simply competitors and winners before they are football and basketball players.



I'll end this blog by making my prediction about the upcoming college football season. Florida Gators 14-0 and National Champions and Tim Tebow Heisman Trophy winner.

The Beginning

Welcome to my blog, I've Given Up All Hope On Duke and Other Memoirs. As you can probably tell, I am a Duke Blue Devils fan and am not always proud of it. However, there will be several posts later in my blog existence to tell you about that.

My blog posts won't just be criticizing-and on some occasions praising-the Duke Blue Devils, I watch almost all sports and will voice my opinions on them. My favorite teams in respective sports are as different and unique as Michael Jackson's childrens' names are. Blanket, really?



I should end this blog soon, so before I do, I'll say the for the NBA my favorite team is the Miami Heat but I also like the Denver Nuggets. My favorites player is Dwayne Wade. When I watch the NFL, I root for the the New York Giants and my favorite player is Brandon Jacobs, an absolute beast.



And, although sometimes to my embarrassment, My college basketball team is the Duke Blue Devils. My MLB team is the Bronx Bombers, who are like a roller coaster.

Well this is the end of my first blog, and although it is short more will come in the following days.