A writer for the New Republic, who attended Duke, writes an essay about how the Blue Devils team has been subjected to more homophobic taunts over the years than any other. From Christian Laettner to Bobby Hurley to J.J. Redick to Greg Paulus “kissing a boy,” the easiest way some Duke haters have to vent is to pull out the “Duke is gay card.”
The writer, Seyward Darby, details the litany of anti-Duke hate with a homophobic tinge, much of which we have covered on Outsports. Stuff like this, and this, and this. An item we had recently on “Greg Paulus kissing a boy,” drew a spirited debate among our readers on whether it was offensive. But Darby is offended.
I’m well aware that homophobia is all too common in the world of sports — and hardly the exclusive province of Duke haters …. And yet, while it’s obviously hard to quantify the assertion that Duke is the object of more homophobia than other teams, it’s also hard to think of any other squad in college hoops that has seen so many of its players singled out so prominently for gay bashing in recent years.
She then pinpoints why he thinks this is happening.
The answer, I think, has something to do with race and class. Disparagers of Duke typically frame their opposition to the school, and its basketball team, in terms of anti-elitism: Duke, according to this view, is a private school plopped in the Carolina Piedmont, where it caters to wealthy, mostly white elites who have zero regard for the local community. …
That’s a defensible sentiment, as far as it goes, even a liberal one in many respects. But, in the world of sports, being white as well as wealthy often translates into a perceived softness. (And Duke’s white players seem to attract the lion’s share of the homophobia directed at the team.) For many Duke bashers, expressing anti-gay sentiment seems to be just one more way of delivering the message that Duke players are whiny, wimpy, pampered products of privilege.
I think she gets it right. Using gay as a slur is still acceptable, since even gay people disagree on what they find offensive. And in sports, gay = soft = not masculine. In addition, Duke basketball is a perennial power, which drives a lot of fans crazy with hatred and jealousy; hell, even I often root against Duke for reasons I can’t really articulate (to me Duke = Yankees = Cowboys = Notre Dame).
If Duke stunk, none of this would be occurring, so a segment of Duke haters (still a distinct minority) see the only way to slam Duke players is to de-masculinize them, and what easier way they playing the gay card? I encourage you to read the piece and post your comments below.
on Mar 19th, 2009 at 7:37 PM
It’s all jealousy. Duke is the best. It’s lonely at the top….
on Mar 19th, 2009 at 8:33 PM
Duke is also one of the most homophobic campuses in the country. So maybe what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
on Mar 19th, 2009 at 11:31 PM
and you would know this….how?!
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 1:17 AM
Duke University’s trouble is only present because of the prestige it holds and the great players it has had. This is just one very large case of jealousy by other contending universities who have to use “gay” as a way to mock Duke players. It’s a shame too, considering the word itself has lost all original meaning and it’s just playground taunts. In plain English that means those who resort to such a stupid taunt in order to ridicule Duke players aren’t very mature, or rather less mature than your average 10 year old.
@ John: Duke is actually not a homophobic school. The theory of it being a homophobic school spans decades. In Spring 2003 a program was started up at Duke University to change the perception of Duke being a homophobic school. The program since then has spread to other universities in the US as well. Unless you can actually back that claim up, I see it as mere fiction.
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 1:07 PM
DJ, as i previously stated: “It’s all jealousy”
on Mar 20th, 2009 at 9:07 PM
Hate duke. Why? All the reasons you talked about. But as a duke fan keep talking. Even over the last two years, when we lose its news. But then again we are the Blue Devils. So all haters thanks- because we love it, THAT THERE IS THE PROBLEM.
on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 9:11 AM
Where John got Duke is homophobic I don’t know. It’s
one the most Liberal Southern schools there is. It’s got
to be jealousy or some bad UNC joke that’s causing
this gay thing.
on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 2:29 PM
Duke haters? Duke bashers? Playing the gay card? Hell, sometimes I root for them and sometimes I root against them. As long as my Villanova Wildcats beat the southern snot out of them Thursday night, I could care less whether they suck dick or not in the Piedmont. Come on guys, get over yourselves and just enjoy sports and enjoy being gay!
on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Duke sucks with teeth!
on Mar 24th, 2009 at 9:25 AM
In a related, but somewhat different take on the Duke gay issue, I’ve always wondered about Krzyzewski’s recruiting – and some of his possible motives.
Without question Duke is one of the top 5 men’s basketball program’s in the entire country. All the other programs in that category exclusively recruit and sign high school all-americans with potential NBA futures.
Yet Duke is the only top five program that continually recruits, signs and plays certain guys with absolutely no chance of an NBA future. Funny thing is all these type recruits/players have a similar profile; cute, white preppy. From the day they stepped on campus players like Wojo, Chris Collins, Paulus, Schuyer (can even go back to Quin Snyder and Billy McCaffery if you want) never had a prayer of making it to the NBA. And none of those guys could’ve gotten a scholarship to North Carolina, UConn, UCLA or another top school.
Makes you wonder what exactly Coah K saw in these guys. And is it entirely basketball driven or is he operating with some other motivation?
on Mar 24th, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Excellent point, Mike. Being a fan of “cute white and preppy”, I wonder the same thing about the Duke squad and also one like Notre Dame (McAlarney, Harangody etc…) But I dont know how you make the jump to “and none of those guys could’ve gotten a scholarship to UNC, UConn, UCLA or another top school”.unless you’re privy to their high school transcripts or SAT scores. And since when is UConn such a tough place to get into……..for ANYBODY.
on Mar 24th, 2009 at 10:05 AM
irish, I meant they couldn’t have gotten a scholarship to the other schools based solely on their basketball skills or lack thereof. Obviously Duke is tougher academically than UConn or probably any other top basketball program.
on Mar 24th, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Ok, gotcha. I misunderstood.