One Shining Zoubek: A Tribute to Greatness

Between amazing basketball, amazing weather, getting to live like I was in college again, and a reverse jinx executed to near-perfection, these past few days have been pretty spectacular. Other than the picture below, I'll spare you the gloating -- I got that out of my system last night -- and bring you the fair and balanced. Also, you haters will be happy to hear that this will be the last Duke post for at least six months. After I wrap this up, it's time to move on to bigger and better things like, you know....the invention bracket. Sweet 16 voting ends tomorrow.

To comment on Daniel's last post: yes, I was pessimistic. Ask anyone in Durham, and they'll tell you that I spent the weekend acting as an emotional tether. At Duke, national championships are celebrated with a giant bonfire on the main quad. After the dominant win over West Virginia on Saturday night, people were talking about the bonfire as if it was as sure a thing as Bob Huggins and Da'Sean Butler eventually running away together. For the next two days, I put my downer soundtrack on repeat. "You guys know the bonfire isn't happening, right? Man, it's gonna suck when we lose to Butler. I've seen Hoosiers. I know how this ends."

Text Messages From a Duke Fan: Reverse Jinx or Lack of Confidence?

There are two types of sports fans: those who believe in jinxes (ie that you as a sports fan have an effect on your teams chances of winning/losing) and those who are misguided. Jinxes exist.  If you say aloud in the presence of other people that your team is going to win, it does not bode well for your team. My older brother, Zach, knows this all too well as he cost the Giants a win in the 2002 wildcard game against the 49ers when he inexplicably blurted out "Bring on the Bucs, this game is over!" with a 38-14 lead in the 3rd quarter.  I tried watching in a different room and changing into a different Giants jersey in order to appease the sports karma gods but the fate of the game was sealed. The Giants lost and I have held it over Zach ever since.