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Jon Jackson, the sports information director at Duke, used to be the SID at SMU. As much as I hated to see Duke win the title (I hate to see Duke win ANYTHING, especially with Billy Packer seemingly intent on starting a romantic relationship with Shane Battier), congrats to JJ. He's a great guy and from what I hear, has been having the time of his life. Now he gets a well-deserved break.

I don't think I can ever root for Duke in anything. PonyTales is right -- the media's love affair with Duke, Coach K and the human Sharpei (Battier) is almost as offensive as the Notre Dame worship we have to put up with from NBC every fall.

Unless you have some other allegiance to a traditional rival, I just don't understand why an SMU supporter would hate to see Duke win. They are a small, private methodist university that is doing things right.

I maintain ther is a difference between Duke and Notre Dame because Notre Dame uses its past success to (1) join a conference when it suits them top share in a common pot of $$ but refuse to do so in football to keep the money all for themselves, (2) have the BCS literally have special rules just for them, i.e. if they have 9 wins in a season, no matter whether there are teams more deserving, they get in (3) they have negotiated an exclusive broadcasting deal that shows all of their home games even if they go 5-7.

Duke does things right, and as supporters of SMU should want to emulate them, not vilify them.

By the way, Kentucky has won two national championships since Duke, do you hate them too? How about UCLA? Michigan State's been to the last three final fours, why not hate them too?

I would tend to agree with you, DM. If there are two coaches one can admire in terms of both their success on the court and with teaching young people, it would be Coach K and, despite some recent attempts to damage his reputation, Coach Wooden. It seems folks tend to vent their dislike for a fawning press on the folks being fawned over. And, Frankly, I wish we had more Battier's to watch - and listen to.

DiamondM
I admit, I'm a fan of the mighty Maryland Terrapins. Nice job making the Final Four. Nice choke against Puke.

SMU ALSO HAD TIES TO THE TERPS!

Former, and arguably SMU's greatest AD, Russ Potts, came to BIG D from College Park. Russ was Assoc. AD and SID up in Maryland in the Lefty Driessell ERA. He is also a U-MD Alum. So SMU had connections to both in the Champ. Game.

SMU-Maryland connection is beautiful. Thanks for the insight.