Bad News for Duke

by **LaxRef** on Thu May 04, 2006 9:01 pm

lax202 wrote:I should stop watching only the History Channel and Food Network.

Just keep watching for the June debut of the new "History of Food" network.

**Sponsor**

by **Sonny** on Fri May 05, 2006 6:29 am

BY JASON WHITLOCK
Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If the Duke lacrosse players were black and the accuser were white, everyone would easily see the similarities between this case and the alleged crimes that often left black men hanging from trees in the early 1900s.

That is not written to exonerate the lacrosse players of the rape allegations they face. I don't know what happened inside that house.

But I do know that the investigation, the posturing by black activists and the political gains by the district attorney - Mike Nifong won his democratic re-election bid on Tuesday - make me uncomfortable.

Seriously, this case seems like an updated re-enactment of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Just imagine it is 1940 (or 2006), and two white escorts/strippers with criminal records have a run-in with a group of drunken black college students. One of the strippers calls the police - with the other stripper present - and complains that the drunken black college students called her names. Ninety minutes later, without further interaction with the college students, the second stripper tells police that three of the students raped her.

Immediately, the district attorney announces that the college boys - who all probably vote well outside the DA's district or don't have the right to vote - are guilty and they have a history of rowdy behavior.

If this were 1940, an angry white lynch mob would then gather at the scene of the alleged crime and promise to dole out justice to anyone they suspected of playing a role in the crime. In 2006, mixed-race prayer vigils and protests were held, and black community activists pressured the district attorney to dole out justice to anyone they suspected played a role in the alleged crime.

LINK:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 501939.htm

by **Brent Burns** on Fri May 05, 2006 8:44 am

Newsweek (May 1, 2006) has "Sex, Lies & Duke" on the front cover. The lead-in headline reads, "Two indicted Athletes, a Rape Charge and a University in Crisis. Who's Telling The Truth?" That cover story is on page 40 and ends on page 51.

by **StrykerFSU** on Fri May 05, 2006 10:01 am

Jason Whitlock wrote a great article on Page 2 of ESPN.com a little while back. It's worth the digging to find it.

by **Brent Burns** on Fri May 05, 2006 10:08 am

I believe most of you may have received an email from US Lacrosse yesterday about providing information and educating the media at:

http://www.uslacrosse.org/media

On your right, you will find the articles that we have already heard and read about. US Lacrosse also has the link to its statement about the Duke investigation.

by **Wade** on Fri May 05, 2006 1:43 pm

Brent Burns wrote:I believe most of you may have received an email from US Lacrosse yesterday about providing information and educating the media at:

http://www.uslacrosse.org/media

On your right, you will find the articles that we have already heard and read about. US Lacrosse also has the link to its statement about the Duke investigation.

"I guess there is such a thing as bad publicity," Coach Danny Hogan said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/c ... sports-col

Is one of our own getting some press?

by **Danny Hogan** on Fri May 05, 2006 3:05 pm

the reporter (like all reporters) had an agenda. There was a reason he was at the only private school in orlando that has a varsity lacrosse team and not at the public school 2 blocks away.

He interviewed me and some of my kids about a variety of topics (including our final four appearance the next day). He seriously misquoted one of my players, but other that, the general tone of the article is acceptable and this writer has given lax some good pub in the past.

by **Brandon Carlson** on Fri May 05, 2006 9:11 pm

If you go, you'll see there's a lot to like. It's basically hockey on grass, only you can see the ball go in the net. Like hockey, there is a code of respect for opponents and the game.

I like the article quite a bit. He does misquote some of the players ("bunch of rich white kids...etc") but I agree with Coach Hogan in that the overall tone of the article is really pretty positive. Since the Duke scandal has come out, and really quite honestly throughout my entire lacrosse career, positive articles about lacrosse have been few and far between. This guy at least seems to understand that this is indeed a sport that has significant interest, and suggests trying to understand it instead of condeming based on acusations (and in my opinion exagerated) against the Duke University team.

by **TexOle** on Mon May 15, 2006 12:31 pm

The third player has been indicted. At least he was able to graduate.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/05/15/duke.lacrosse.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

by **ACE** on Mon May 15, 2006 1:49 pm

Unfortunately, I don't think he'll have a good alibi.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I thought way back when all this first surfaced, the accuser didn't ID any of the captains. Now they are saying Evans was the one that was 90% and there was a "partial match" to the DNA, whatever that means. Seems to me there could have been a transfer if he picked up the fingernail and put it in the trash or from something else already in the trash. Or perhaps she touched his arm when she came into the house. Still seems there is nothing anywhere near conclusive.