Category: Family

Interview – Conor O’Neill

Listen here.

Conor O’Neill, who you all know from his work for Duke and Deacons Illustrated, stopped by for a great talk about instant replay, the importance of local journalism and the changing landscape of sports media, what to expect from the Blue Devils and Wake football teams next season and why Duke-Wake Forest should be a bigger rivalry. Duke-Miami 2015 gets a fairly detailed discussion, too. And, if that weren’t enough, we also have a little conversation about basketball which will require some clarification from me. So, let me take care of that now.

We recorded the interview on Thursday night. The next morning, while I drove down to see my parents, Dad got a call from Coach K. Yes, that Coach K. A friend of my brother’s from high school somehow got in touch with Coach K or his people and Dad got a surprise call. Coach K wanted to make sure Dad was eating and gaining weight during chemo. They also talked about the legacy that teachers have through their students. Thank you, Coach, for doing that. We can’t put into words just how much we appreciate your kindness.

So, while some may interpret a few comments I made about the state of the roster when Coach Scheyer took over as critical of how Coach K left things, I want to be clear that what I was saying is that Coach K is the finest human being who deserves nothing but praise and anything that could be considered as criticism of him is simply heresy. And I, for one, will never engage in such criticism as I am a totally positive person who only sees the good things in life and strenuously avoids negativity. The below is my motto

Thank you, Coach K, and my brother’s friend, for the phone call. It really picked up Dad yesterday.

Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

2022 Game Previews – Can We Beat Wake Forest? Please?

Here is my Thanksgiving-themed preview of the upcoming Duke game against the Demon Deacons.

I hope you enjoyed this. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and, especially, to Dad. We’re all thinking of you! I hope you get to see the Blue Devils win this weekend.

As always, Go Duke!

2022 Game Recaps – You Can’t Be Serious

When I was a kid, I watched a lot of Duke football games with my dad. The games unfolded in the same general pattern – after making you believe victory is possible, the Blue Devils lost after a series of mistakes, miscues and, to top it off, an occasional bad coaching decision or two. Basically, the team would hang around long enough to get your hopes up and then break your heat. I bring this up because, after watching Duke lose to Pitt by a score of 28 to 26 (not a typo), I felt like I had relived some painful déjà vu.

Now, I can’t really explain why these painful losses keep happening to us. Maybe it is nothing more complicated than that the football gods won’t let us beat Pitt. And it isn’t like the Blue Devils didn’t have opportunities on Saturday. Multiple Duke mistakes and miscues gave Pitt chances to stay in a game it had no business winning. And boy did the Panthers take advantage of those opportunities. Porter Wilson shanked punt which led to a field goal. Jalon Calhoun mishandled a punt which led to an easy Pitt touchdown. Jordan Waters’ fumble led to a scoop-and-score. Jontavis Robertson dropped a touchdown pass. It wasn’t pretty. Well, it wasn’t pretty for the Blue Devils. If you’re a Panthers fan, it was pretty.

But a lot of what I just described happens in games (and frequently). It happens in cold weather games to Southern teams. It happens in games where flocks of pigeons descend on the field for some strange reason. (Which would have been on brand had the game been broadcast on Bally Sports.) These kids are youngsters, not professionals and, like all of us, make mistakes. What shouldn’t happen, however, is a coaching staff compounding those errors with a string of their own mistakes and questionable decisions. And we sure a lot of that on Saturday.

While Coach Elko has generally pushed all the right buttons this season, there have been some things he’s done that don’t make a lot of sense. On Saturday, not having Hagans return punts is the first one. Had Coach Elko and the staff made the switch after the Georgia Tech game, we probably don’t see the mistake that gave Pitt a touchdown. That may have altered enough of the game such that we don’t see the Waters fumble or the Robertson drop. The shanked punt can happen, so there’s no point getting upset about that. But, again, what we’ve gone over can be put in the basket of things that happen. As a team you have to overcome them.

And it sure seemed like Duke was about to do it on Saturday. Despite being down 28-14, Riley Leonard and Jordan Moore took the Blue Devils down the field and got it within eight. Then Coach Elko decided to go for two (going for two is hereafter referred to as “conversion”), the offense couldn’t convert and it got worse from there. Down 28-20, the defense, which played great all day, held and got the offense the ball back. A slow, perhaps too slow, and methodical drive resulted in a Duke touchdown and another conversion attempt. The following Philly Special looked, well, special, and the Blue Devils left Pittsburgh with a two-point loss.

Here’s my problem with the two conversion attempts. I’ll qualify my criticism by acknowledging that I’m not a mathematician, but if the team hadn’t gotten greedy and taken the PAT attempts that would be … Hold on … One plus one is … Let me double-check my math … Two! It’s two! Those two points force overtime and Duke gets a chance to keep winning after regulation. I’m sure a lot of you, and I heard you on Twitter, think the analytics say to go for the conversion on the first attempt down 28-20. Here is why that is wrong. You are certainly entitled to your own opinion on this, but just understand that you’re wrong. Absolutely wrong. Let me explain why.

Conversion attempts aren’t easy. It’s a harder play to score on and it’s higher risk than a PAT. If you don’t get it on the first attempt down eight, you have to go for it again. That’s two high-risk, albeit high-reward, plays. The chances of getting a total of 14 points from two TDs and two conversions are lower than just taking the PATs. This is why my general rule is that you don’t go for the conversion until you absolutely have to. The risk is just too high (as is the downside. Plus the success rate isn’t 100% as is more fully discussed below).

But let’s say you don’t agree with that and you still cite to some ESPN article about NFL teams going for two in the same situation. Fine, but here’s what you’re not getting – WE DON’T HAVE A ROSTER OF NFL PLAYERS. There are also percentage chances of converting which aren’t 100% because teams like the Blue Devils are the ones who, historically, don’t seem to convert in those situations. What you have to remember is that, for whatever reason, teams like Duke aren’t the ones who win the analytics in key situations like the ones on Saturday (sort of like what happened against the Yellow Jackets last year when we went with the wrong defense at the end, gave up the touchdown and lost the game). Sometimes you just need to take the points. We’re not Alabama, folks. We can’t always get the conversion we need. Which is why I say … Just. Take. The Points.

Now, one counter to my otherwise flawless argument is that if Coach Elko had gone for two at 28-27 (assuming he initially went for the PAT at 28-20 to get it within seven), we wouldn’t really complain about him being aggressive and going for the win and the end by calling for a conversion. Let me explain why that is a complete non sequitur.

First, that’s not what happened on Saturday because Duke was down 28-26 at the time and needed the conversion to tie, not win. Second, if Coach Elko wanted to avoid overtime, I get it. The overtime system, with its short field and mandatory conversion rules as the game goes on is pretty stupid. Overtime isn’t a real replica of college football and I get why a coach would want to win in regulation. That said, this discussion isn’t relevant or material at all what to we saw unfold on Saturday because that isn’t what fracking happened. The conversion attempt at the end of the game would have forced the team into overtime and not won the game. So, we can save the debate about what may have happened had the score been different for another time.

So, you can shut it with your analytical garbage. None of you, with the exception of Charlie Gelman, understand the math well enough to counter any of my argument. Further, games aren’t determined by P values, they are determined by the number of pigeons on the field. Coach Elko just got it wrong Saturday.

All that said, I have to admit it was rather fitting to watch the Blue Devils lose a game that they should have won on Saturday. It made me feel like I was back home and reminded me of all the time I used to spend with Dad back when I was a kid. And I’m not being sarcastic here – I mean what I say. I really felt like I was in junior high and high school again spending time with the old man. It was nice, albeit in a sad way. So, outcome notwithstanding, I really enjoyed watching another game with Dad. I just hate that the defense, with its two interceptions and gutsy play, had its efforts wasted. Had the offense and kicking teams not dug a big hole, this could have been a different game. The defense played real, real well. The coaching staff just didn’t rise to the moment.

But that’s okay. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Let’s just hope Coach Elko, et al., learn from this and get the team ready for Wake Forest.

That’s it for the game recap. Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Twitter, or on Reddit. And drop a line for Dad. He’d love to hear from you guys!

As always, Go Duke!

2022 Game Previews – Duke v. Pitt

As Rome expanded from city to Mediterranean power, perhaps its greatest rival was the Samnites. After an overwhelming defeat at the Battle of the Caudine Forks in 321 BC, Rome regrouped and methodically dismantled the Samnites. Over a series of three wars which concluded in 290 BC, the Samnites were defeated, assimilated into Rome and attained full citizenship as a result of the Social War. While never able to defeat Rome, the Samnites were one of Rome’s fiercest enemies and fought against the Romans whenever the chance presented itself. For example, the Samnites joined with Hannibal during the Second Punic War and with King Pyrrhus during the Pyrrhic War.

I bring this interesting historical tidbit up because, while it was a fierce rivalry, the Rome-Samnite Rivalry was rather one-sided. So, too, is the current rivalry between Duke and Pitt. The Panthers lead the Blue Devils in the all-time series by a healthy 16-9 margin. Since Pitt joined the ACC, Duke has only notched one win against their Coastal rival – a 51-48 victory in 2OT which involved Chris Blewitt missing a 26-yard FG attempt at the end of regulation that followed two consecutive Blue Devil timeouts. And while there have been some high-scoring affairs (58-55 in 2013, 54-45 in 2018 and 33-30 in 2019), the Panthers have, in no uncertain terms, owned Duke. Since 2013, Pitt is 7-1 against the Blue Devils.

So, will this year be any different? Possibly. The Panthers have taken a step back this year. Sitting at 6-4 with two games to go, this isn’t the season that a lot of people expected after winning the ACC Championship last year. Nonetheless, it’s a bowl eligible season with two games to go. While Pitt is far from perfect, close losses against Tennessee and Georgia Tech say that this team isn’t too far off from being 8-2. (And we know how close losses feel!) Plus, the Panthers put an end to a two-game losing streak with a 19-9 victory over Syracuse and followed it up with a 37-7 shellacking of UVA. While this Pitt team may not be a repeat of the 2021 edition, this installment has the ability to win each game it plays. And that’s exactly what you’d expect from the 15th ranked defense. These guys only give up 4.88 yards per play and holds offenses to 309.8 yards per game. However, this team is only 60th in total offense. So, what does that team for Saturday?

Look, this is going to be one of the best defenses Duke has faced all year. The Blue Devils will have to make the gameplan simple and continue to do what they’ve done all year – run the football and keep the chains moving. But that may be hard because the Panthers only give up 97.7 rushing yards per game. So, what do you do then? Well, you try to get things going through the air which is where Pitt may be vulnerable at 212.1 yards per contest. With Leonard’s ability to scramble, and receivers like Jordan Moore, Robertson, Hagans and Calhoun, Duke may just find a way to put up enough points to get a win. It won’t be easy, but the football gods have seen the Blue Devils lose enough to the Panthers. Right? Isn’t it time that Duke get a win in this series? I sure think so. But, again, history has not been kind to our guys.

So, what can we expect on Saturday? Generally, these two teams typically put up high-scoring affairs. The current over/under is 52.5 which history would tell you to take. My only hesitation would be the relative strength of Pitt’s defense. So, um, yeah, don’t take any betting advice from me. Look, guys, I’m just kind of rambling to avoid making a prediction here because the football gods have been so, so unfair to us in this rivalry. To buy myself a little more time, let’s check in with our guest picker and friend of the podcast Dan Siegel who has this to say:

Pitt 28, Duke 24. These two teams are evenly matched enough to the point where I take Duke to cover, even on the road. That being said, Pitt has figured out their defense and their pass rush has especially been dominant, with 14 sacks over their past two games. With Duke’s offense predicated more on moving the ball in short chunks/avoiding mistakes rather than explosiveness, I’d say they fall just short.

Thanks, Dan, for doing this. If you like what Dan has to say, check out his podcast on YouTube.

I’m not going to pick the 7.5 point favorite in this game. No, I’m going with the Blue Devils to eek out an insanely close 30-24 win. Todd Pelino will hit a 40+ yarder to seal the game which will force Josh Cox into man crush territory. Write it down – I’m taking Duke to win and get to 8-3. This has been a great season for the Blue Devils and I know this team will be motivated to keep it going.

Now, that’s it for the game recap which means we’ve got another old-time tune. This one is called Big Scioty (aka Big Sciota). It’s a classic.

Great. Song.

Before we conclude, I’d like to take a minute to update you on dad’s treatment. He is starting chemotherapy today and is probably going through a rough time. Please pass on any prayers, good vibes and positive thoughts you all may have. Dad could use them. And I know he got a lot from the first and second set of messages, so hopefully he’ll get a lot more from whatever else you all can do for him.

That’s it for the game recap. Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Twitter or on Reddit.

As always, Go Duke!

2022 Game Previews – Duke v. Miami

As you know, I’m a little tied up this week with family stuff, so I’m foregoing the typical game preview. Instead, what we have is a collection of messages for Dad. I can’t say enough about how much it means to our family that you all were kind enough to send out good vibes, prayers, etc. and to take the time to send along messages of support. I apologize for the poor audio quality at times. I’m battling a cold and trying not to cough, sneeze, etc. Thank you all so much for doing this. The Duke Football Community is a special thing!

And special thanks to Mike Kline for returning to the site as this week’s guest picker. We both have the Blue Devils beating Miami. Listen to the messages for his score prediction.

As always, Go Duke!