On Sunday, the Duke Blue Devils suffered one of their worst defeats in program history. They quickly lost their free pass to the Final Four after blowing a 19-point lead over the UConn Huskies in the March Madness Elite Eight. A year after they suffered yet another devastating loss to the Houston Cougars in the Final Four, no favorite in the tournament’s history had ever wasted such a big lead.
For the coaches, players, spectators, and even the announcers, it was a blow to the gut. The Duke broadcasters, that is.
Hours after the game ended, the Blue Devils’ radio coverage of the last seconds went viral, with over four million people listening to the Duke commentators’ hearts break in real time. Beyond the pain in their voices, though, the most notable aspect of the video is a commentator calling for a technical foul following Braylon Mullins’ instantly memorable game-winning shot.
Malachi Smith bolted from the bench! That ought to be a technical one! On social media, Blue Devil critics and well-known media figures attacked Duke’s devastating loss.
The demand for a technical may appear trivial at first, but things get worse. Smith was racing around the court because he was participating in the game, not because he sprung off the bench in a state of joy. He was having fun. Additionally, Smith will play in the Final Four this coming week in Indianapolis, where the Huskies will play Illinois in an attempt to win a national championship.
