I've got nothing against the kids, they worked hard and earned everything they have.

But if I have to hear even one verse of "Duke University Loves the City of Durham" at this baseball game I paid my money to attend, by golly, well, I don't know.

That comment sounds like more Durham citizens biting the hand that feeds them. I'll bet there are more Duke fans per capita outside this city that would show more appreciation for both the Bulls and the Blue Devils. Can it be that our local liberals still hold a grudge because of the lacrosse fiasco, or because neighborhood leaders whine on blogs and listservs because they don't always get what they want? I might understand the black community sticking their collective noses up at Duke for all the supposed rich white kids that go there, but Durham, RTP, and most of our jobs would not exist were it not for Duke.

GL - I am confused. Are you saying that you don't understand why the white citizens of Durham would feel the same way about Duke as the black citizens, or are you saying that you would expect a racist attitude from the black citizens but not from the white ones?

@9/9: I guess after the lacrosse case, where Duke was practically raked over the coals by activists in the black community, and where three players were guilty in the minds of both black and white Durham community leaders, blogger, and reporters. Where a white prosecutor often praised by Durham's liberal elite went along with that community pressure, my feeling was that it was Duke that was getting leveraged. Disputes over the development of Central and East Campus, and complaints that Duke wasn't doing enough to invest in the black community all seem to have been used to focus attention on Duke in the hopes of getting concessions. Those expecting concessions from Duke were surprisingly quiet.

So, no the problem isn't as much racism, as it is one of classism, although having the black community fall in lockstep behind a known prostitute could not have been just the result of classism.

What I continue to read and hear is how Duke somehow owes Durham more than what it's already giving just by being here. Duke doesn't owe anything to Durham, or should it be expected to shoulder the burden of our social problems. Duke and its hospital are the engine of our economy. It should be appreciated more rather than complaining about what they've done for us lately. Unless there's a LOT of Carolina fans living in Durham, there should be no complaint that the city is doing what it should do to recognize the achievements of Duke's basketball legacy, and the positive attention on Durham that is often few and far between. We should be celebrating Duke wherever and whenever possible. It's quite appropriate to hold a ceremony at the national champion's ballpark.