America's Team

Even those who read their daily sports page and tune into Sportscenter on occasion may have missed it, but there is a great story developing in college sports. The Duke lacrosse team overcame an early 6-1 deficit and stormed to a 19-11 win to advance to the NCAA Final Four.

I don't usually have a rooting interest in this thing, although I enjoy it and usually try to tune into the Final Four games on ESPN. But how can you not root for Duke in the wake of the despicable lynching endured by three of their players, causing the cancellation of last season for the team and destroying the lives of three young men whose only crime was to be white and at least somewhat privileged. No need to rehash the story here, it has been very well documented, but suffice it to say that the conduct of the corrupt DA trying to secure black votes in an upcoming election and the cheerleading of countless racists and class bigots in a faction of the Duke faculty and much of the mainstream media were as shameful as the lynchings in the bad old days of segregation.

"Fight, Fight Blue Devils,
Fight for Duke and the Blue and White."

And fight for David Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty.

UPDATE 5/28/07: A campus organization asks for an apology from the group of 88 faculty bigots. I'd advise against holding your breath waiting for it.

UPDATE 5/29/07: Ultimately Duke fell just short, hitting the post twice late in trying to tie the game. Kudos to them nonetheless for what they have had to endure and overcome the last two years, they serve as an inspiration to us all.