Again, I’ll be on the air in Cleveland around 10:05 Eastern this morning. Click here to get to the station’s site and find the audio feed.
***EDIT–because I’m a moron, I linked the wrong station. However, it turns out the Cleveland station didn’t have a live feed anyway. The link for 11:30 is good, though.***
And at 11:30, I’ll be on in DC. Click here for that station’s site. I believe both stations offer podcasts, too.
Well, after a piece like the Redick one, there’s only one thing I can post–MAIL CALL!!!

The mail for this piece was overwhelmingly positive. It seems there are a lot of folks at both Carolina and Maryland that feel the same way as me. However, they’re not saying anything about it.
First we’ve got a gentleman who preferred not to be named. The text will explain why.

Ok. I love Carolina. If you cut me it comes out Carolina Blue. Not sky blue or light blue CAROLINA BLUE. And I hate JJ Redick. HOWEVER: your point is valid in your article. He is a phenomenal shooter. Probably the best in the college game in years. And while I do not think he will be Reggie Miller in the NBA he can aver 12 points and shoot 48% from the Field. I had to ask myself though, if he went to say, Maryland, or BC, or ANY other school, would the disdain I reserve for those Dookies whose smug smile makes me look at the passing traffic on Tobacco Road and makes me want to jump in front of it, would I care as much? The answer is no I wouldn’t. I would marvel at his touch, at his shot selection, his ability to take over. However if this gets out I will swear you made it up and I will never acknowledge sending this.

Michael in Rochester was thrown off by the first line in the piece.

Your first sentence in the Redick article was probably not the greatest career move. Questionable at best…I can’t believe ESPN even allows you to write for Page 2.

The first line was, “[i]f Duke played the Klu Klux Klan, I’d root for a 0-0 tie.”
Two things for him to consider. First, that opening line made it hard to turn away from the piece. Second, this isn’t the first time I’ve said that. But most interesting, white people took greater offense to that than black people did. Interesting.
I wonder what he would have said if I reprinted what one of Aden’s friends once told him. He said if Hitler played the Nazis, he’d hope Hitler would win the game with a runner in the lane at the buzzer.
Some guy named Todd doesn’t like me much at all.

Your hatred of Duke is weak, and means you probably would have hated John Robert Wooden and UCLA . I respect the Coach and the institution very much and absolutely love the college game. Your next piece of swill will probably be tearing apart Mo and Mark Few!

Too much of why I hate Dook, I’m not quite at liberty of discussing in a public forum. However, just know it ain’t got nothing to do with how much they win.
Mike in Chapel Hill sent this picture.
Andrew, who works for a pretty large candy company, is gonna need a lot before he says anything good about JJ.

Lay off Redick what in the hell is wrong with you??? I hate everything about Duke and that include Redick. He wont be an NBA player, in fact who from Duke has been other than Elton Brand?
I am a Sixers fan as well and they suck too because their GM is a Duke Alumni. He has made bad move after bad move. Nothing good comes out of Duke. Knowing my luck Billy King will draft that joke and now will have two white shooters who can’t guard anyone or create their own shot.
Give me a break lay off Redick, what are you his big sister.

This guy is representative of a prevailing sentiment of Dookies.

Thank you for continuing to write about Duke.
And, thank you for continuing to hate Duke.
It makes it more fun this way. Because I’m sure when
you start writing about Va Tech or Florida State men’s
basketball, Duke will be at the bottom of the
standings.
Plus, it’s more sweeter to know that your jealousy continues.

Lemme let you in on a secret–I’m jealous of absolutely nothing associated with Dook. Nothing. The assumption that a distaste for them is because I secretly wish I could go to Dook or something is the bullshit that makes them so loathsome.
My favorite, though, was from some guy named Jim.

Hello Mr. Jones,
I just finished reading your piece on J.J. Redick. I can say I never thought much about JJ Redick or college basketball for that matter. However the nausea you feel about the unending adulation towards him is quite understandable. I mean here’s a white kid whose good at basketball.God forbid he’s good enough at something, but wait he’s white. I mean certainly in your mind there are far more black players who are worthy of this praise.I hated your article. You’re a joke.How is it that you can right so freely an article and include race as a mitigating factor. I wonder if someone white wrote a piece on how intelligent a black player was and how they are sick of hearing about is so called presumed intelligence, it certainly wouldn’t get published..I hate the crap the media spews down peoples throat.I’m sure you don’t care what I think.I don’t care what you think either,but Ill tell you this no matter what anyone says about you you’re overrated.

I really love it when these guys tell me I’m a racist. I wish they could meet some of my friends. Or consider that Kirk’s one of my best friends on the planet and is as white as the day is long. I mean like he enjoys to be in the freezing cold in shorts. Very right-wing white. I mean white. But, yanno, I hate white people so much.
And just to show I can get it going and coming, check this e-mail I got from a family member.

Nice piece on Reddick. I enjoyed it. Shows a certain maturity. However, sometime soon you had better write a similarly laudatory piece on some Black player lest you get type cast in a way that may come back to haunt you.

So, it seems I’m both a racist and a Tom. I feel like Donovan McNabb.
But lemme tell you something I’ve learned through this–there are folks out there that hate Dook about as much as Carolina folks. In order of the hate’s intensity, here’s the list.
1. Kentucky. They’ll never forgive Laettner, even after coming back from 18 points down to beat Dook and go to the Final Four in ’98.
2. Maryland. For a stretch, this was the most competitive rivalry in sports. Plus, rarely is there a Terp I could imagine playing for Dook. That fuels things.
3. UConn. I guess this stretches back to the shot Laettner hit to beat them way back in 1990. I guess the win in the ’99 final and, if memory serves, the 2004 final just doesn’t serve as enough solace.
Anyway, even Dookies liked the piece…at least some of them.

. . .is one of the funniest things I have read in the longest time. Your analogies and wording brought tears to my eyes, in the forms of laughter. I know it is probably heresy for such an avid Duke fan to compliment you on your work against our beloved Devils, but your way with words charmed any bitterness right out of me. Thank you for bringing some light and hopefully opening some folks’ eyes to our beloved J.J. We kinda like him too. This may be the only time we agree on anything, but regardless of shade of blue, your article was fantastic.

Dookies also really hate Chapel Hill.

What a great article, “Stop hating on J.J. Redick”! Thank you for taking the time to show the true class that can come out of that hateful place called Chappel Hill. I have been a Duke fan for as long as I can remember, and was very surprised to see a Tar Heel give credit where credit is due. Your opinions of the Duke players, Williams and Ferry, were as accurate as I’ve ever seen. Don’t let any of my fellow Blue Devil fans know I said that though. I just wanted to say thank you, I hope more of the media can catch on to what your doing, as no collegiate athlete, not even Marcus Vick, should have to succumb to the abuse he takes night in and night out. So thank you, and good luck tonight!

Dookies even work for Cold Pizza.

Self-proclaimed Duke fan (not alum), from the Hurley years until now, and huge stooge for JJ’s shooting here:
I really enjoyed your article on Redick for page 2. Was passed through our newsroom from a Duke alum to myself. I laughed out loud at 6:30 a.m. while reading it, which is always appreciated, so thanks.

However, I don’t know why she thought I was joking when I said my mama thinks I should be on television. That kinda hurt.
But here are the three things that most people took objection with.
1. The assertion that Shelden Williams is overrated. And while he came up big against Hansbrough, he’s been lit up too many times by good big men. That he doesn’t get defensive help isn’t an excuse. To be the Landlord, to own the paint, you have to be able to play on-ball defense. That said, he is the best shot blocker in America.
2. The assertion that Paulus doesn’t play well in the clutch. Sorry, but the two free throws against Carolina don’t change that.
3. The shot against Chris Paul. I’ll say this again–nut punches just aren’t forgivable. I was made aware that Redick may have caught Deron Washington similarly, but Paul didn’t even have the heart to do this from the front. He walked behind Julius Hodge, reached around, and hit him in the nuts. That there’s all bad.
and finally, I’m done. There are more e-mails, but none that jump out as being shareworthy. But next week, I’m sure they’ll pour in for the next piece I’m working on.