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Biggest Regret (Duke Fan Ed.)

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RanDEVILman

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Jan 13, 2014
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Another thread with a picture of G. Hill made me think of this. As Duke fans we don't have many regrets in life. But what, if anything, is your biggest regret as a Duke fan. Heres mine:

My dad took me and a friend of mine to a Hornets game around 95 or 96. They were playing the Pistons. My friend and I were both Duke fans, although he didn't really follow basketball and so he was only kind of a fan. I have always been a Hornets fan so I wore Hornets gear. The only jersey he had was a blue and white Duke #33 jersey he got in 94 when Duke was in the FF. After the game we went to stand where the players could come out and sign autographs. Grant came out and my friend and I worked our way up to the front. When he saw my friends Duke jersey he waived him up and signed the jersey. Then he said, "Anyone got anymore Duke stuff." Well I did, I had a whole closet full at home. Could've had G. Hills signature, instead I got nothing.
 
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skysdad

Heisman
Mar 3, 2006
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It was when DukeSky85 was very young and I took him to a Duke game. It may have been his first. There was a gigantic stuffed Duke bear at the souvenir stand. t was really expensive and he wanted so bad. I didn't have the cash on me that night to buy it and it really hurt him. I really felt bad. It was after we got home that I realized I had a credit card with me and could have used it. It meant a lot to him that night and all I would have had to do was remember my credit card. OFC
 
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DukeDenver

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I ate dinner at Magnolia Grill in Durham a few times and was once introduced to (at the time) chief assistant District Attorney for Durham County, Mr. Mike Nifong. It must have been 2003 or 2004. I regret many things not done that evening.
 
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youngman42

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Posting before looking at the above posts. It's nearly a tossup for me.

1a. Losing the '99 Final to UCONN. Thought we had an incredible team that year and it was just a sad night. Don't think we played nearly our best basketball that game.

1b. Losing in the 2004 semis to UCONN when we had them on the ropes and the refs fouled out our 3 centers. Even though it was a semi-final loss, I think we'd have taken down Ga Tech (just like UCONN did) - we were the better team.
 
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nets on nets on nets

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youngman42 said:
Posting before looking at the above posts. It's nearly a tossup for me.

1a. Losing the '99 Final to UCONN. Thought we had an incredible team that year and it was just a sad night. Don't think we played nearly our best basketball that game.

1b. Losing in the 2004 semis to UCONN when we had them on the ropes and the refs fouled out our 3 centers. Even though it was a semi-final loss, I think we'd have taken down Ga Tech (just like UCONN did) - we were the better team.
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1999 is a top 5 ALL TIME team if they just brought home the title. 04 was a killer too because we had that game.

The 2002 sweet16 loss to IU at Rupp is right up there for me. I was there, and it doesn't get much worse than losing to Indiana, in Lexington. Indiana's fans are awfulllllllllllllllllll.
 
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volball76

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jwill133 said:
1999 is a top 5 ALL TIME team if they just brought home the title. 04 was a killer too because we had that game.

The 2002 sweet16 loss to IU at Rupp is right up there for me. I was there, and it doesn't get much worse than losing to Indiana, in Lexington. Indiana's fans are awfulllllllllllllllllll.
Click to expand...
 
L

LetsGoDuke301

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Apr 4, 2009
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RanDEVILman said:
Another thread with a picture of G. Hill made me think of this. As Duke fans we don't have many regrets in life. But what, if anything, is your biggest regret as a Duke fan. Heres mine:

My dad took me and a friend of mine to a Hornets game around 95 or 96. They were playing the Pistons. My friend and I were both Duke fans, although he didn't really follow basketball and so he was only kind of a fan. I have always been a Hornets fan so I wore Hornets gear. The only jersey he had was a blue and white Duke #33 jersey he got in 94 when Duke was in the FF. After the game we went to stand where the players could come out and sign autographs. Grant came out and my friend and I worked our way up to the front. When he saw my friends Duke jersey he waived him up and signed the jersey. Then he said, "Anyone got anymore Duke stuff." Well I did, I had a whole closet full at home. Could've had G. Hills signature, instead I got nothing.
Click to expand...

Elton Brand and Shane Battier were at Blue Devil Ventures one afternoon and I briefly spoke to them. It was cool and all, but I didn't bother getting their autograph. Maybe I regret that.

But off that subject, you and I have something in common. Here I am as a little brat wearing my Duke Shirt and Hornets hat.

 
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DiehardDukeFan4Life

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My biggest Duke related regret was during my freshman year in high school. I was at Northgate Mall with my mom and sisters, they were Christmas shopping, so I just walked around the mall while they shopped. I was in the food court when I saw Christian Laettner walk by, so I grabbed one of the "thank you for not smoking" signs off one of the tables in the food court and followed him trying to find a pen so I could get his autograph but I never found a pen because I didn't know which store my mom was in so I coul get a pen from her. I even tried having her paged at the courtesy desk but she didn't hear it because she was inside a store and I lost Laettner in the crowd so I didn't get to get an autograph.
 
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d24martin

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Feb 5, 2009
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Louisville game in '86. Heartbreak. The '86 title game is my worst sports memory as a fan by far. And I'm a Minnesota Vikings fan.
 
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dukedevilz

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Apr 3, 2002
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I still can't believe we only won one national title between 1998-2004. Seven amazing years spanning from Battier's freshman year to Duhon's senior season - we won the title only when Battier and Duhon were teammates in 2001. Here's a look back at the what-ifs:

1998: 17-point lead with less than 10 minutes left. I think this might have been the hardest loss for me to take. I don't think we were necessarily the best team that year, but I do think we were a little better than Kentucky... and I would like our chances verse Stanford and Utah. The big what-if: How good may we have been if Elton Brand didn't miss two months of the season?

1999: Many would say that this was the most talented Duke team ever. I think it hurt us that we weren't really challenged in the regular season. UConn was a great team, but man oh man, this Duke team was something special.

2000: After starting the season 0-2, this team really turned things around and went 18-1 against ACC Schools. There are a lot of what-ifs we could replay. What if Dunleavy didn't get mono? Or if Boozer wasn't mired down in foul trouble the whole second half verse Florida (he played about 5 of the last 15 minutes of the game). The other what if scenario, is what if we had another reliable big man, like Chris Burgess. That transfer was very unexpected.

2002: Hard to believe we lost this. What if the ref didn't call Duhon for a foul when he picked Moye's pocket? Or if Williams had made his free throw? Or if the refs called a foul on Indiana when Boozer got hacked on the offensive rebound? Indiana deserved to win, but we very easily could have won. I'm not sure if we'd end up winning the whole thing, but I'm pretty confident in a FF appearance, as Kent State would have been the Elite 8 opponent.

2003: This was the only loss during this 7-year stretch that wasn't truly gut-wrenching. Kansas was a better team. My only regret is that after winning the ACC Tourney, I thought we could have been a 2-seed. I think we were in the most challenging bracket with Kansas and Arizona.

2004: UConn in the Final Four. We all know this story. Our 3 big guys foul out, we play a little bit of stall ball the last 4 minutes and hoist up some low percentage shots, and Emeka Okafor somehow gets the offensive rebound and put-back with 30 seconds when Luol Deng seemingly had the ball right in front of him.

98 and 99 losses made me sad. 02 and 04 made me angry - I suppose I wasn't pleased with the officiating :) All and all though, those were some absolutely golden years of Duke Basketball.
 
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crazyduke3

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Between the IU game in 2002 and the 86 title game it's tough...

but man I wish those boys who set the standard could have got it. They were so dang good that year and we were so close. I'll say the 86 Louisville title game.
 
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Mark Gastineau

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Feb 26, 2009
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2006 loss to LSU for me. Was my senior year, and there was no doubt in my mind Duke was going to cut down the nets and send my class out as champs. I still remember the aftermath of that game and the brutal hangover I had the next day.
 
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nets on nets on nets

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dukedevilz said:
I still can't believe we only won one national title between 1998-2004. Seven amazing years spanning from Battier's freshman year to Duhon's senior season - we won the title only when Battier and Duhon were teammates in 2001. Here's a look back at the what-ifs:

1998: 17-point lead with less than 10 minutes left. I think this might have been the hardest loss for me to take. I don't think we were necessarily the best team that year, but I do think we were a little better than Kentucky... and I would like our chances verse Stanford and Utah. The big what-if: How good may we have been if Elton Brand didn't miss two months of the season?

1999: Many would say that this was the most talented Duke team ever. I think it hurt us that we weren't really challenged in the regular season. UConn was a great team, but man oh man, this Duke team was something special.

2000: After starting the season 0-2, this team really turned things around and went 18-1 against ACC Schools. There are a lot of what-ifs we could replay. What if Dunleavy didn't get mono? Or if Boozer wasn't mired down in foul trouble the whole second half verse Florida (he played about 5 of the last 15 minutes of the game). The other what if scenario, is what if we had another reliable big man, like Chris Burgess. That transfer was very unexpected.

2002: Hard to believe we lost this. What if the ref didn't call Duhon for a foul when he picked Moye's pocket? Or if Williams had made his free throw? Or if the refs called a foul on Indiana when Boozer got hacked on the offensive rebound? Indiana deserved to win, but we very easily could have won. I'm not sure if we'd end up winning the whole thing, but I'm pretty confident in a FF appearance, as Kent State would have been the Elite 8 opponent.

2003: This was the only loss during this 7-year stretch that wasn't truly gut-wrenching. Kansas was a better team. My only regret is that after winning the ACC Tourney, I thought we could have been a 2-seed. I think we were in the most challenging bracket with Kansas and Arizona.

2004: UConn in the Final Four. We all know this story. Our 3 big guys fall out, we play a little bit of stall ball the last 4 minutes and hoist up some low percentage shots, and Emeka Okafor somehow gets the offensive rebound and put-back with 30 seconds when Luol Deng seemingly had the ball right in front of him.

98 and 99 losses made me sad. 02 and 04 made me angry - I suppose I wasn't pleased with the officiating :) All and all though, those were some absolutely golden years of Duke Basketball.
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I honestly believe that every team (minus the 03 team) was one of the 2 or 3 best teams in the country.
 
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Dad2ze

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skysdad said:
It was when DukeSky85 was very young and I took him to a Duke game. It may have been his first. There was a gigantic stuffed Duke bear at the souvenir stand. t was really expensive and he wanted so bad. I didn't have the cash on me that night to buy it and it really hurt him. I really felt bad. It was after we got home that I realized I had a credit card with me and could have used it. It meant a lot to him that night and all I would have had to do was remember my credit card. OFC
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Similar experience...son wanted the stuffed Duke Devil. I didn't have card but had hidden cash I forgot about. We went back a few months later and I mentioned it and he said he was too old for it. Breaks my heart I didn't get it for him.
 
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dukehokie

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Not attending Duke out of high school and not going to the walk on tryouts after having talked that summer multiple times with Wojo about it. Being a dumb 18 year old, I didn't see the value in at least being a manager.

I loved Virginia Tech and the doors it opened for me. I made some lifelong friends and have memories beyond memories. Being involved with Duke basketball would have been a dream come true. One of those gut instinct things.
 
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RanDEVILman

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LetsGo,

Isnt it awesome being a Duke fan and a Hornets fan? We get to see how a program should be run at Duke, then we get to understand how State fans must feel when following the Hornets. It has helped me empathize with many of my State friends.
 
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poppycat

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topps coach said:
Bobby Verga getting sick in the 66 FF.Would have been our first NC
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I still wish you had been in the final game........with your all white team instead of ours.
You would still be (wrongly viewed) , same as UK 50 years later.
 
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Anon1728003274

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Probably the two losses to UNC in '74....Sure the 8 up w/:17 was brutal, but we should have won in Cameron. With score tied,Paul Fox attempted an ill-advised in-bounds cross court pass w/about 5 seconds left. Bobby Jones (a really nice kid who you couldnt dislike), swooped in to pick-off and laid in a left hand lay-up to beat us....

OFC
 
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DevilBlue

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Went to Coach K coaching camp in 2011. Awesome time. My buddy who is a huge Duke fan couldn't come, so I stole his Duke hat to take with me to get signed. Saw Zoubek outside Cameron and got him to sign the hat, but didn't want to hold him up asking for a 2nd autograph. So my buddy has Zoubek's signature, but I don't. I did get almost entire 11-12 team, K, and Nolans signatures though so not a total loss.
 
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topps coach

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poppycat said:
I still wish you had been in the final game........with your all white team instead of ours.
You would still be (wrongly viewed) , same as UK 50 years later.
Click to expand...
I do not think so.We were recruiting black players at the time and had our first commitment that year or the next.Another factor would been that we would have won that game.Big daddy Latin would not dominate Mike Lewis.I base this statement on their head to head matches in the pros
 
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nets on nets on nets

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poppycat said:
I still wish you had been in the final game........with your all white team instead of ours.
You would still be (wrongly viewed) , same as UK 50 years later.
Click to expand...
Rough loss for the Cayuts fans. Living in the area, every UK fan is mighty quick to point out that they have 8 championships to our 5.
I tend to point out that 4 of those 8 championships occured during a time when...well you get my point.
Give me Duke's 5 over Uk's 4 any day.
 
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Anon1728003274

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topps coach said:
I do not think so.We were recruiting black players at the time and had our first commitment that year or the next.Another factor would been that we would have won that game.Big daddy Latin would not dominate Mike Lewis.I base this statement on their head to head matches in the pros
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C.B. Claiborne, our first African-American recruit entered the next year I believe topps, correct...

OFC
 
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dukedevilz

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Though Claiborne would have been on the freshman team in 1966 - right? He began taking classes at Duke in the fall of 1965. His first year on varsity was during the 66-67 season.
 
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