^^^ I'm declaring an interdiction on this low-rent, sad sack, superstitious, mopey shit, no offense, this isn't directed to you or anyone in particular.
It's been mostly fun but I think sometime in the last two years it's passed from tongue-in-cheek frivolity to actually unhealthy, repulsive, and somewhat pathetic. I love most of the posters themselves but when we're swapping tales about squinting/obscuring the score for the other team on our phones just to be able to track it ffs -- because nobody watching the games live is taken for granted -- or just whining endlessly and reflexively about how Duke is going to lose, or the indulgence in suffering fantasies, relitigating the past, or attempting to scry vis-a-vis results in other sports and non-sports domains every single day and other superstitious recitations of rules/laws, it's grating no matter how much meta-irony it's supposed to be underpinned with. I've been on this board in all iterations for thirteen years, and been guilty of some of this behavior on more than one occasion, but there's a limit on tolerable cynicism and I think that's now been passed. I believe there's a balance to be struck between say, DBR, and what has become of this board, that would be a much healthier way to consume Duke Basketball for all involved, in my opinion. Duke Twitter is actually worse about this with regards to Scheyer but I think much closer to the mark in their attitude towards Duke basketball fandom long-term and game to game. Like just a little more joy would go a long way, to put it (probably too) simply. I want to revel, boast and take collective pleasure in kicking other teams’ asses or relishing the idea of doing so to our next opponent no matter the chances. I wish I could articulate this better because I don’t want it associated with the genre of simple minded fan who doesn’t countenance any criticism whatsoever that we’ve all rightly ridiculed over the years, and I do unironically still think this is by far the smartest and most realistic collection of Duke fans anywhere
Didn't want to write a tome about this, just something that's bubbled over in my mind as I stepped back the last two weeks, not a call to fight anyone, I'm still trying to improve this mindset in myself.