Duke Basketball: Cameron Crazies Take It Too Far
Last night No. 4 Duke defeated in-state rivals North Carolina State in a highly publicized rematch, 98-85, after the Wolfpack upset the Blue Devils in January. The game was make it or break it for North Carolina State who desperately needed to win the game, but in hostile territory, it was nearly impossible.
Feb 7, 2013; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils fans get pumped up against the North Carolina State Wolfpack before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
One of the factors last night and any time you play at Cameron Indoor Stadium are the Cameron Crazies.
The Cameron Crazies are known for their boorishness, obnoxiousness, and personal intensity. They tend to carry a reputation of being one of the most hated fan bases in all of sports and college basketball. They’re known for the outlandish and most often rude cheers during games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Last night after the Blue Devils victory of the Wolfpack, the crowd got to chanting and letting the Wolfpack know they lost. However, they took it to far.
Alex Kennedy was first to report that the Crazies chanted, “How’s your grandma?” to Wolfpack guard Tyler Lewis after the game. Lewis’ grandmother passed away recently, and this of all chants in Cameron Crazy history was too far.
Duke fans reportedly chanted, "How's your grandma?" at N.C. State's Tyler Lewis, whose grandmother recently passed away. That's messed up.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 8, 2013
After the report from Kennedy, the Duke “blogophere” blew up like fire saying none of that happened. Sadly for them, they’re wrong. Many people began to confirm the reports that in fact there were “How’s your grandma?” chants being made. The Duke blogosphere then began to say that the chants were actually, “Past your bedtime.”
In Duke’s Defense: Now if you watch the video (see below), and think that they said, “Past your bedtime,” it sounds like they’re saying that. If you watch the video thinking they said, “How’s your grandma?,” it sounds like that is what is being chanted. To me it sounded like “how’s your grandma?” and with multiple reports confirming that…I’m sticking to it.
However, reports continued to come in and Kennedy confirmed that in fact the Cameron Crazies were chanting about Lewis’ grandmother.
It sounds like it was just a few jerks at the Duke game who chanted. Still messed up, but glad to hear it wasn't the entire student section.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 8, 2013
To chant something like that at anybody even a rival, is uncalled for and beyond disrespectful. They should be ashamed and truly feel guilt about this. Of course, that probably won’t happen.
You can chant and get into the game, but there are ways to do it without crossing a line that the Crazies did last night.
I’m fully aware any Duke fans reading this will disagree with this entire article or defend the Crazies. However, you can’t change my mind on this. It was heard and confirmed, and it was wrong.