As we may have mentioned, this weekend we journeyed to No’th Cackalack as guests of the illustrious, happily moneyed Duke University. Between Skoal, sweet tea, and other firsts (hotel staff calling us “mister”), we took in the first Duke lacrosse game since The Business.

We tried mightily to prepare for our trip to Duke, but plans were thrown into chaos early: the Drawl-English language cassettes we ordered were lost in the mail, nowhere in Brooklyn would serve us sorghum, and then, the day of the trip, airport security confiscated our brand-new Axe Body Spray. How would we blend in with the natives now?!? We arrived in Durham in a fever, feelin’ swell on 105 minutes of sleep, and set off for Duke’s Koskinen stadium anyway. Historic game, versus hated Dartmouth, beautiful crisp afternoon: we don’t need a map, sir, the sweet strains of ACC tailgating in the air will point the way.

Except. The pre-game tailgate in the stadium’s lower parking lot — the upper one was closed to accomodate the national media, which didn’t really show up — was nearly dead. A few SUVs with beer in the trunk; a coupla lifer Dartmouth fans with great-great-grandchildren swaddled in green. But nothing like the rollicking beerfest we’d imagined. Later, we found out a school VP had emailed the entire campus with a request to wear official Duke apparel proudly, leave signs at home, and generally put the ix-nay on the ape-ray okes-jay. (”We have much to gain as a community with our best effort and even more to lose with our worst”) Amazingly, the students played along: not a single violent Dartmouth chant, no burning Mike Nifong in effigy, no nothing to make for the ultimate IvyGate post. It was clear, though, fans had done some research on the enemy for heckling purposes; one Dartmouth player with by the unfortunate name of Tim McVeigh got special attention. But for the most part, Duke lacrosse fans were ridiculously well behaved, especially for a sport where the goal is to crosscheck your opponents’ faces in.

The few references to last year’s non-season were remarkably mannered: girls wearing Reade Seligmann No. 8 jerseys. A lone parking lot banner supporting the players.  Ubiquitous “innocent” blue rubber bracelets.  T-shirt report: there was, like, one guy with a “Disbar Nifong” [Ed.: we really wanted to buy one, but couldn't find a seller -- little help, Duke readers?]

9 Responses to “Duke Lacrosse Redeems Itself, College Sports In General”

1. DG Says:
   February 28th, 2007 at 11:54 am

   17-11? I think it’s fair to say Dartmouth got raped.

2. brown '10 Says:
   February 28th, 2007 at 11:55 am

   how many black kids were in attendance?

3. Seaslug Says:
   February 28th, 2007 at 1:27 pm

   “how many black kids were in attendance?”

   Well, there were black kids playing on the field for Duke, if that counts.

4. country bama Says:
   February 28th, 2007 at 11:48 pm

   Skoal, sweet tea, sorghum and “Drawl-English”
   a refreshingly original characterization of the south.

5. country bama Says:
   February 28th, 2007 at 11:48 pm

   Skoal, sweet tea, sorghum and “Drawl-English” wtf btw.
   a refreshingly original characterization of the south.

6. Duke Says:
   March 1st, 2007 at 11:16 am

   Is it fair to assume that this will be the last post concerning Duke by “Ivy” Gate? Duke is one of the most hated colleges in the nation. Stick with what you know, Ivy Gate.

7. jacob Says:
   March 1st, 2007 at 9:47 pm

   Duke: Hear, hear! Not only do I find it irritating to have to read about parveneau Duke when I’m trying to read about Ivies, the “insights” and “reporting” IvyGate is doing on Duke aren’t original, entertaining, or very smart.

8. Brown Says:
   March 1st, 2007 at 10:14 pm

   So is Reade Seligmann coming to Brown or Harvard? (The rumor mill says Harvard is also interested in him….)

9. kc Says:
   March 3rd, 2007 at 12:02 am

   Ok Ya’ll maybe its the “sweet tea and moonshine talking” but who wants to hear about this crap?Duke and there “golden boy rapists” are not worth even talking about..Sorry im from Charlotte and it makes me sick to think that the kids that pulled this shit are getting so much support from the school. Noone should go to a Duke game without burning the school banner.lol

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