Krzyzewski/Cutcliffe '12 : CBSSports.com Blogs

The Day Before Gameday

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:40:39 EDT

BOSTON, MA -- Today was open practice day for each of the four teams participating in the East Regional. Each had an hour of practice, free and open to the public, held at TD Banknorth Garden. I happened to catch the last half of Pitt's practice and all of Duke's.

Matt Beck put it best when he called it "a waste of time for the team".

Because it was an open to everyone, clearly the teams weren't going to run an actual practice and reveal any strategies for their upcoming games. In reality, this was a glorified shootaround, like what we watch our team do in the hour before tipoff of a game. They did run some drills that were pretty cool to watch; then again there were other parts that weren't so pretty (mainly, Brian Zoubek dribbling and sprinting baseline-to-baseline in an end of game scenario).

This is Gonna Be Sweet

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 1:36:26 EDT

RALEIGH, NC -- (If Parrish can do datelines so can I) I'm sitting on the charter flight from RDU to Boston right now, with my fellow Pep Band members, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Duke Blue Devils team on its way to their first Sweet 16 in 3 years. I can't wait.

Duke has been much maligned in the recent years as no longer being the dynasty it once was (two consecutive early exits from the Big Dance didn't help), Coach K's recruiting has been called into question, venomous Tar Hole fans have seen their team victorious against us in 3 of the last 4 contests...

None of that matters now. This team, this season, is different. In fact, this team is different than it was even a mere 6 weeks ago, before Coach K gave the starting lineup a facelift by inserting freshman Elliot Williams into the lineup and moving Jon Scheyer to point guard to provide an offensive spark. That lineup change has proven to be Coach K's best decision all year, as a team who had dropped 4 of their last 6 games prior to the change have since gone 10-1, earning an ACC Tournament title and a ticket to the Sweet 16 during that run.

I Love That I Had to Write This.

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 1:11:04 EST

In the words of Jake Kaplan, it is time for me to "rescind that doomsday blog post."

After a loss at Boston College, Duke had dropped their last 3 conference road games, and 4 of their last 6 total games. Even against a very mediocre St. John's team, the Blue Devils seemed to struggle, as they won by a mere 7 points in an ugly game inside Madison Square Garden.

It was not until this past Sunday, when the Devils returned to Cameron to play Wake Forest, that my confidence in this Duke team was restored, and in fact, boosted. Before the game had even tipped off, it was already clear to everyone that the players and coaches were treating this game as a must-win situation. They could not accept a second loss to Wake Forest in 4 weeks, a second defeat in Cameron Indoor Stadium in as many games, nor the loss of second place in the ACC. And so, when players and coaches were introduced, Coach K was seen pumping his fist and waving his arms at the crowd, and screaming encouragement at his players with more emotion than he normally shows for the entire season. He repeated these gestures several times over the course of the game, and even removed his jacket for most of the night as well, another rarity.

I Hate That I Had to Write This.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:49:48 EST

Jan 28: James Johnson muscles his way to a game-winning layup with under 1 second to go, and Wake Forest holds on to tackle #1 Duke, handing them their first ACC loss of the season. The students storm the floor in Winston-Salem as Duke's 10-game winning streak comes to a halt. Final score: Wake Forest 70, Duke 68.

Feb 4: In the worst blowout they've seen since 1990, #4 Duke shoots a paltry 30% and gets trampled by Clemson. With as many field goals as turnovers (16), this is a game that no Blue Devil will soon forget. The Clemson fans celebrate en masse on the court at Littlejohn Coliseum. Final score: Clemson 74, Duke 47.

Feb 15: #6 Duke blows another second-half lead in Chestnut Hill, MA. Hundreds of Boston College students flood the court to celebrate. The black and blue of the Devils' uniforms today matches their bruised and beaten egos, as the weight of their third straight ACC road loss begins to sink in. Final score: Boston College 80, Duke 74.

A Season in Review

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:01:17 EST

Year 1 of the David Cutcliffe era of Duke football has officially come to a close. Duke goes 4-8, while losing 7 of their last 8 games and dropping the UNC-Duke game for the 5th consecutive year. While this loss was especially disappointing,

overall, I think this was a tremendous season and a very large step in the right direction for Duke football.

4-8 is not a record to be excited about for a lot of football programs out there, but for Duke, that means the Devils equaled their win total from the past 4 seasons combined this year. We also saw Duke win their first home opener since 2003, secure a marquee victory by winning on the road at Vanderbilt, and end their 25-game ACC losing streak with a dominating win over Virginia. They were competitive against every team they faced, and lost a few heartbreakers (game-winning TD called back because of holding against Northwestern, missed game-winning FG against Wake). Had just a few more things gone Duke's way this season, we could easily have seen them in a bowl game.

David Cutcliffe is the man.

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:47:00 EDT

It was the great Jim Mora who said, "I don't care who you play, whether it's a high school team, a junior college team, a college team [...], when you turn the ball over 5 times (for UVA it was 6), 4 interceptions, one for a touchdown [...], you ain't gonna beat anybody I just mentioned. Anybody."

What an overpowering performance for Duke's defensive unit against UVA. The first half was pretty ugly, but the Devils were completely in control from the moment the ball was kicked off in the second half. The defense led to offensive production, which put the 'Hoos away. Every time UVA got any momentum going (including at least one trip inside the red zone), the D caused a big turnover or made a strong defensive stop and brought things to a halt.

Duke! Football! YEAH!!!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:43:35 EDT

Duke football is currently in first place in the ACC, ahead of former Top 25 teams Virginia Tech and Clemson.

(Did you ever think you'd actually hear that sentence?)

Okay, we're technically tied for first place, but it's no technicality that we have a better record than VT or Clemson. The Tigers played against a tough opponent from the SEC, but they got flattened by 24 points. Virginia Tech lost at their own game to lowly East Carolina, who blocked a punt and returned it for a TD with 3 minutes left in the game, which was the game-winning play and a signature play of VT's "Beamerball". Almost this year's App. State, if I may.

But it's not really valid to compare Duke football to those teams right now. What's important is that we won a game at Wally Wade Stadium for the first time since defeating VMI 3 years ago. What's important is that we equaled our combined win total for the last two seasons by stomping JMU 31-7 on Saturday night. What is important is that David Cutcliffe is undefeated as Duke's head coach. What's important is that we started our season off right.

Just Walk Away, Brett...

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 1:42:34 EDT

I have always had a hell of a lot of respect for Brett Favre. He was loyal--the beloved Green Bay QB played all but one of his 17 NFL seasons in a Packers uniform--and even brought a Super Bowl victory home to the cozy Wisconsin town. Like all the TV announcers said, Favre played for his whole career like a little kid who had just made it to the big leagues. There was no one who loved his job more than Brett Favre.

But after a 17-year career, the time has come for Favre to retire...or so he thought.

The guy openly wept at his retirement press conference. He said, "I know I can play, but I don't think I want to." He walked away from a certainly Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, leaving a legacy of greatness and love of the game behind him. His #4 jersey will be retired in the Packers' 2008 home opener on September 8.

Stanley Cup Finals

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:39:09 EDT

This post is overdue, but what I have to say about the Stanley Cup Finals I already put into words on a discussion board somewhere else on this site. It goes something like this:

Watching that puck in Game 6 barely slip through Marc-Andre Fleury's legs and eventually into the net, which became the game-winner and series-clincher, sort of reminded me of how the Penguins seemed to have a firm grasp on their Stanley Cup aspirations, until they reached the finals and watched it slip out from under them...

But the Red Wings' victory was no fluke, they outplayed the Penguins from the moment the puck dropped in Game 1. The age and experience of the Red Wings definitely shined through, while the young Penguins were left digging themselves out of an insurmountable 2-game hole. I wonder what the outcome would have been like had the first 2 games been played in Pittsburgh instead of Detroit, but I still find myself seeing a Penguin loss. These inexperienced Penguins, who did not face the Red Wings once during the regular season, got walked all over by the Wings, and it took them 2 games to even realize it.

Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 Glog

Thu, 29 May 2008 12:12:01 EDT

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 3 -- Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA

After viewing domination by the Red Wings in Games 1 and 2 in Detroit, I was anticipating highly the Penguins' return to Mellon Arena, where they are a cool 8-0 in the playoffs thus far. Game 3, I expect, should be the game for them to bounce back and regain their composure in this Stanley Cup Final, the first such series for 36 of the 40 men on this Penguins roster.

1st Period, 14:00 -- Penguins 0, Red Wings 0

Well, it's looking like the Red Wings should be cruising to another easy victory, with the way play has gone so far. 9 of the first 10 shots on goal come off the sticks of Red Wings, and some mindless penalties have already been committed by the Pens. The play already seems frantic, with very little time being taken to actually set up plays and carry out any sort of an organized offense. Play is simply back and forth up and down the ice, breakaway after breakaway, bad pass after bad pass. The only difference is all the bad passes are bouncing the Red Wings' way, and the Penguins still have yet to catch any break. This is gonna be another long game...

The Dark Side of Horse Racing

Fri, 09 May 2008 0:56:45 EDT

The Kentucky Derby this past Saturday gave rise to two big news stories. Big Brown, favored to win at 5:2 odds, becomes the first Kentucky Derby winner to start from the 20th post since Clyde van Dusen in 1929. Eight Belles, the first filly in the Derby since 1999, finishes second, only to break both her front ankles during cool down after the race and be euthanized on the track immediately afterward.

Triumph and tragedy.

Let me interject that the rest of this post will be quite hypocritical of me. I do enjoy watching the three Triple Crown races, and I find myself caught up in the annual hype of a potential new Triple Crown winner. But still, this needs to be said.

I cannot help but find myself drawing comparisons between Eight Belles' most unfortunate demise and another recent news item regarding animal cruelty: Dog fighting.

Why I Hate the NBA

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:48:20 EDT

There are so many reasons to hate the NBA. The obvious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwq8KPyzkSI (Watch the whole thing, or at least through 1:40)

Allow me to present just one example of the not-so-obvious.

Here are the final scores from the 4 matchups this season between the Denver Nuggets and the Seattle SuperSonics:

Oct 31: Denver 120, Seattle 103

Penguins - Atlantic Champs!

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 3:26:47 EDT

With a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins secured their first Atlantic Division title in 10 years! Not since the year after Mario Lemieux's first retirement, with superstar Jaromir Jagr at the helm, have the Pens earned the title of Atlantic Division Champs. And they're not done yet -- they currently sit atop the Eastern Conference, 2 points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens. That conference title is theirs for the taking.

More impressive: They've done it all without phenom and captain Sidney Crosby for more than a quarter of the season, and without standout goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for 3 months, both out with ankle injuries. That the Penguins could pull off their most successful season of the decade without two of their best players is further proof that this year's team is tremendously well-balanced, and really has the potential to go far in the postseason. Could this year be Pittsburgh's first Stanley Cup since 1992?

Happy Trails, TK.

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:44:33 EDT

So, it's official. Taylor King will be transferring to another school after a confusingly dichotomous freshman season. Though he was a crowd favorite for the first half of the year, he suffered from a swift fall from grace and ended up finishing the season as little more than a cheerleader on the sideline.

It took me awhile to decide how I felt about TK. After his dominating, 27-point performance against Eastern Kentucky in November, I was definitely sipping the Taylor King Gatorade, riding the Taylor King bandwagon, and doing other idiomatic things to show my love for the kid. Hell, he was 6-11 from the 3-point line in the EKU game, and shot a cool 51% from downtown in the month of November. How could I not be a fan?

Even further proof that Taylor King had arrived: He had his own chant from the Cameron Crazies. "T-K-Oh!", they would shout, emphatically making an O shape with their arms on the last syllable. Several grad students had the chant printed on signs, which they would thrust into the air every time Taylor effortlessly knocked down another of his signature 3s.