Why everybody hates Duke: 5 theories

Duke University's basketball team drives fans of other schools to distraction every time the NCAA basketball tournament rolls around. Why, exactly?

Duke players Kyle Singer and Miles Plumlee celebrate a win.
(Image credit: Getty)

With March Madness in full swing, basketball fans and sports writers are indulging in an annual ritual -- the venting of hatred for the Duke University Blue Devils, a perennial college basketball powerhouse. "You hate Duke. Just admit it," says Pete Prisco at CBS Sportsline. Duke's frequent successful runs in the NCAA tournament earn it widespread TV coverage that only fuels the fire, which might explain why Duke hatred is as strong as ever even though the team hasn't reached the tournament's Final Four in six years. Duke plays Purdue in the "Sweet 16" round on Friday night, and is considered a good bet to advance. But why does this distinguished college's athletic success elicit so much antipathy?

1. Americans hate monopolies, and love underdogs: Think of Duke as Microsoft, says workplace psychologist Paul Damiano, as quoted in Newsweek. Duke's basketball prowess, like Microsoft's software near-monopoly, makes people mad. Americans love underdogs that fight for victory with few resources. Conversely, we hate dominant businesses and sports teams — the New York Yankees are a prime example — on the assumption they buy the best players, or get cushy treatment from the regulators ("aka the referees"). Case in point: Many writers have complained that Duke got easy opponents to help it go far in the tournament, because Blue Devil hatred translates into good TV ratings.

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