Duke men's basketball has lost in the 2019 NCAA tournament, and oh how sweet that is. Let's be clear -- I love them, but there is nothing more sweet in the world of sports than watching the Duke Univerity Blue Devils lose a game of basketball.
Coach Krzyzewski is arguably one of the greatest coaches of all time in any sport. Zion Williamson, a freshman, is already considered one of the greatest basketball players to ever step foot on the court. Early 2000s Duke's JJ Reddick, backpedaling-down-the-court-cockiness after draining a three and all, is perhaps one of my personal favorite players of all time.
But still, nothing in sports brings me greater joy than seeing Duke lose in basketball. I think it is because it conveys a certain sense of nostalgia for me. I more often than not fall asleep watching anything on TV past 9:30 PM. Thus, when I was growing up and whenever Duke was about to lose, I'd be awoken from my slumber on our living room couch by joyous cries from my mother -- "Duke's about to lose!" I would quickly wake up to see the clock tick down as a frustrated Coach K. snarled his face.
I'm not sure if it's Duke's arrogance, how good they always seem to be, or the sense that they always get the calls from the referees to swing the game their direction, but seeing them lose always brings a smile to my face.
I get to experience that again this evening because Duke basketball has lost to Michigan State in the Elite 8 of March Madness right here from Washington, DC. Tom Izzo's Spartans defeated Coach K's Bue Devils 68-67. Michigan State moves on to the Final Four in Minneapolis to play against a surging Texas Tech team for a shot to go to the national championship game.
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“Are you disappointed Duke won’t be in the Final Four?”
— NOTSportsCenter (@NOTSportsCenter) March 31, 2019
America:pic.twitter.com/2rWSoeFER6
Author's note: The photo attached to this piece is my cousin, a 2013 graduate of the University of Virginia. As president of the Hoo Crew and life long UVA fan, he attended most games. His senior year, he printed out the fathead of Coach K. snarling his face and just happened to be in the right place at the right time for arguably a perfect camera shot.
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