Although football of the American variety is religion in the Southeastern portion of the United States, we love us a good basketball tournament like the rest of the nation and fortunately this years NCAA men’s basketball tourney has been worth the price of admission. But as the end draws nigh and the road to the Final Four has been set in stone I can help but think that as an admitted Pro-South writer I might have to do something that I’ve never, ever, ever done in my life. That thing is rooting for Duke.

Before you start running off telling your friends that KJ doesn’t like Duke, I implore you to please pump your breaks and kindly talk to the hand (see also moutza). It’s not that I don’t like Duke–although there was a time that I didn’t like Duke. At all.

I thought Grant Hill was a stuck up rich kid with a stupid hair cut (although I later became a fan of Grant after his performance on Queen Latifah’s Living Single and then the HILL dropped. It was one of the greatest shoes ever created–a thing of beauty). Oh and don’t get me started on Christan Laettner and their coach with the name that starts with the letter ‘K’ but the word sounds like “Sha-CHEF-ski” (how lame is that?) was just took much for me to handle. As I got older I added started to add different facets of dislike to my already deep arsenal of hate for Duke. Like in addition to the stuff I just mentioned, they seemingly got ALL THE CALLS in their favor. Not to mention  that I assumed every dude on their squad was some spoiled rich brat with a superiority complex. Plus they were always on TV and no one from Duke has ever gone on to become an impact player in the NBA.

But now-a-days I find it hard to hate Duke. In fact, I don’t have any problem with Duke as an institution. They recruit kids from stable & supportive families that work hard  on the court and in the classroom. Ok, they don’t seem to get the Vince Carters and Kobe Bryants of the world to come to their school but that’s because it’s hard as hell to get into that school. How silly would that be for the  guy that runs a blog about Southern enlightenment be against a school that recruits smart kids that are also really good at basketball? Doesn’t make much sense to me either. I still have a distaste for the school but I’ve discovered that hate has been slightly misguided. I don’t hate the school.

I hate the fans.

I don’t hate the alumni or the booster or people that have any real connection with Duke. I don’t hate the fans that have NEVER ATTENDED DUKE 0r even the fans that have never been to Durham, North Carolina. Whom is my hatred saved for then? My hate is saved for the fans that GRADUATED FROM OTHER COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES yet claim Duke as ”their school”. Being a business major in college, proud season ticket holder and alum of South Carolina State University, and a huge sports fan has made me acute to the hypocrisy that rooting for a school you’ve never been to/could never get admitted into is. These are the same people who complain that their school is never on television or why their alma mater gym still sucks arse after all these years, while they’re buying a Duke tee shirt.  Think of how RICH you’re making an already affluent school when you support them so vigorously. It’s maddening to me.

I could get deep into the numbers game but it comes down to this: support your own, dammit. This concept isn’t limited to just Duke basketball. This isn’t even limited to just sports. In fashion, in music, in the arts, the list can go on and on. But the fact of the matter is, that’s not even what this post is about so let me switch gears real quick. I’ll save my “Support your own” rant for another day.

With only one team from the South in the Final Four (way to blow your wads–I’m talking to you Tennessee and Kentucky) I am forced to side with the Dark Army of Duke men’s basketball. It sucks being such a homer sometimes. But what I’m really hoping for is for Butler to make some magic and shake up the world like Ali since the two teams I just previously mentioned destroyed my remaining brackets and my hopes of seeing an all Southern school National championship game. I will side with the Devils in blue THIS year but all bets are off once this season comes to an end. Buleeve dat!