Bull City Coordinators: A Duke Football Coverage Podcast

News & Observer columnist Luke DeCock stopped by the pod to talk about the problems facing The ACC. Looking at you, former Big East teams and FSU. We also discuss the "legally interesting" (which is a kind way of saying "dubious") lawsuit filed by FSU against The ACC. Having read FSU's most recent Complaint, I don't think very highly of it. I had initially planned on doing a more detailed discussion of it, but that would be a waste of time. Which is pretty much what that lawsuit looks like to me. But I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again.

Luke also discussed the future of The ACC and how we got into this mess. This involves a hopefully interesting discussion about the pros and cons of Notre Dame's involvement with the conference. We also both comment on how we don't see an exit strategy for FSU. If another conference wanted the Noles, the TV overlords would've moved the school by now. Also, and this should be obvious, the TV partners running college football want a strong Grant of Rights. They don't want GoRs to be found unenforceable. The TV deals just won't work if member schools can invalidate them. Just sayin'!

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If you're interested in Greek Antiquity, here is a good place to start - https://www.theoi.com/. If you'd like some books on the topic, Dr. Salowey suggested reading Stephen Frey's books.

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First and foremost, big thanks to Troy Taylor from Totem Pole Nation for getting this set up. I can't thank him enough for making this happen.

Former Duke football head coach Fred Goldsmith stopped by the podcast to talk about his early career in football, a stop at Rice and his time coaching the Blue Devils. We learned about a lot of great coaches that Coach Goldsmith worked with including Ken Hatfield, Chan Gailey, Mike Heimerdinger and Craig Bohl among others. During this long and informative discussion, we learn a lot about the challenges Coach Goldsmith faced after an amazing 1994 season, the number of players he got in the NFL and how he was close to getting Duke over the hump before he was let go after the 1998 season. I know you will enjoy listening to Coach Goldsmith tell some great stories about his time leading the Blue Devils.

We also talk about how, after the 1994 season, Coach Goldsmith was close to getting a lot of high-profile coaching jobs. You won't believe where he almost ended up.

If you get a chance, you should check out his book, Comeback Coach. I bought it a few years back. It's a quick and entertaining read.

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As always, Go Duke!

Dr. Jennifer Gerrish, Classics professor at the College of Charleston (Go Cougs!), stopped by to talk about one of my favorite topics, Ancient Rome. During our almost hour long conversation, we learn about Dr. Gerrish's Ancient Rome origin story, cover the problems inherent in studying Antiquity and spend a lot of time going over the political genius, yet completely destructive force, that was Julius Caesar. SPOILER ALERT - he gets assassinated. Dr. Gerrish provides the greatest characterization of Caesar I've ever come across. You'll love it. We also spend a fair amount of time talking about why governments fall and what appears to be the unchanging pattern of human nature.

If you want to learn more about Roman history and read some of Dr. Gerrish's writings, check out the below -

Dr. Gerrish's books:

• Sallust's Histories and Triumviral Historiography: Confronting the End (routledge.com)
• Julius Caesar: The Gallic War Books V-VI - Paperback - Jennifer Gerrish - Oxford University Press (oup.com)

Recommended reading list:

• Spqr Mary Beard - AbeBooks
• A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome: Southon, Emma: 9781419753053: Amazon.com: Books

I'd also check out Emma Southon's book on Aggripina because she is a fascinating character and that era of the Empire is always worth your time.

I know this isn't the typical stuff we cover at Bull City Coordinators, but this was an informative discussion with an intelligent guest. Dr. Gerrish and I are hoping to do another interview after this coming school semester ends. And, hey, why not do more after that? Rome is always a great topic.

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As always, Go Duke!

Josh Boutwell of the Troy Messenger stopped by to talk about Duke's next opponent, the Troy Trojans, and what to expect from Troy in the Birmingham Bowl. During our interview, we talked the coaching change for both teams, my time working for a sign company and the advantage it gave me in recognizing random cities and towns across the United States, the Trojans' football culture, what a great stadium we'll get to watch the game in and the terrible parking situation in Birmingham. Not to give away the ending, but the Blue Devils are going to have their hands full come December 23.

In addition, Josh discusses his cancer treatment during the interview. Please stop by this site to help out with his medical costs if you are so inclined.

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ESPN and ACC Network reporter and noted Tar Heel Marilyn Payne stopped by the pod to talk about her history covering Duke football, my conspiracy theory that she singlehandedly brought about the end of the Elko Era in Durham, FSU getting snubbed and how The ACC can improve its overall brand. We also talked about Manny Mania coming to Blue Devil Nation. Funny thing happened after that as we spent about 20 minutes disputing two points that, once we defined our terms, we agreed on. I edited that out for time. That edit notwithstanding, you will get an update about Marilyn's upcoming plans for bowl seasons and which future ACC team she will be covering. And, if that weren't enough, you'll learn about Marilyn's favorite movie and get a some real deep nerd references from me.

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As always, Go Duke!

Steve Wiseman stopped by to talk about a crazy, crazy week of Duke and ACC football. We begin by talking about how FSU got the shaft courtesy of Boo Corrigan, et al., as did SMU. And, most important, I got to use one of my favorite historical quotes. It's Truman on Nixon. I mean, what else do you need?

After that, Steve and I talk about his hectic schedule trying to cover Elko's departure from Durham and the Blue Devils' coaching search. There's a lot of ground to cover and Steve will tell you pretty much everything you need to know about what happened with Elko and how Nina King is leading Duke through this transitional period. If that weren't enough, we also go over how the Blue Devils landed in the Birmingham Bowl and not the Gasparilla Bowl. Thanks, CFP Selection Committee. And Notre Dame.

Oh, and it turns out Duke has a basketball team. Who knew? In all seriousness, we spend some time trying to diagnose why the Blue Devils have been struggling out of the gate. As always, Steve was a great and informative guest. You'll love this episode.

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As always, Go Duke!

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As always, Go Duke!

Pitt beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Noah Hiles stopped by to get us ready for a noon matchup with the Panthers at Wallace Wade. During this 5o+ minute interview, we talk about the struggles that Duke has had in beating Pitt, the disaster of a year the Panthers are going through and the fact that the Blue Devils have sort of kind of maybe fallen off after a good start.

In addition, we discuss the scheduling issues that ACC teams will continue face as a result of an unbalanced and ridiculously unfair schedule. To elaborate on that, there's a reason that Duke is behind GA Tech, UNC and VA Tech this year. The Blue Devils have had, by far, the toughest schedule in The ACC. When you throw the injuries on top of that, this record shouldn't be a surprise. Listen, guys, we're just going to have to deal with getting a raw deal when it comes to the schedule. It's not fair, but it is what it is.

Also, we get a guest pick from former Duke WR Ben Erdeljac! He's taking the Blue Devils to close the season on a win. Let's Go!!!

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Old friend of the podcast Dan Siegel returned to get us ready for a big game this weekend with UVA. Dan tells us about the Hoos' improving situation that isn't reflected in the W-L column. Turns out the Cavs have a good QB and a solid defense. We also discuss Tony Elliott's future in Charlottesville.

Before we get into the interview, we have some voicemails which bring some real heat to the ending of the Duke-UNC game. These guys had a lot to say and it's hard to argue with any of it.

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Mack Brown, UNC's head coach, stopped by to talk about the state of the Carolina program, how great of a job Coach Elko is doing and what to expect in the Battle for the Victory Bell. You won't believe who Mack takes to win. During our interview, we also discuss Mack's plan to return to broadcasting, The Carolina Way and why UNC has struggled with consistency so much during the last two seasons. It might be because he's perpetually online. Oh, and Mack has some thoughts on MJ Morris redshirting and what Brennan Armstrong will do for the Wolfpack going forward.

If that weren't enough, we've got a guest pick from all-time great Blue Devil Randy Cuthbert! It's always a good day when you hear from a Duke legend who knows a thing or two about beating the Heels.

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Conor O'Neill, co-host of the Big J & Little J Show and publisher for Deacons and Devils Illustrated, stopped by to preview Duke's upcoming Thursday night game. During our interview, we discuss Wake's struggles on offense, the chances it has left to get bowl eligible and we do a deep dive on the Blue Devils. During the Duke portion of the discussion, we recap the loss at Louisville, cover the struggles at the WR position, discuss the uncertainty surrounding the health of our quarterbacks and try to comprehend the slew of injuries that have struck the Blue Devils of late. My conclusion is that we're fortunate to have a great coaching staff and we have to hope their tactical expertise will get the Blue Devils a victory on Thursday night. We're lucky to have the staff that we have and we have to hope those guys will right the ship.

Oh, and it turns out we landed a big, big guest for the UNC preview. We didn't drop the name in the episode, but this is a guy with significant coaching experience at CHC. You're going to enjoy this one, I promise.

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All-time Duke great Robert Brickey returned to the podcast to get us ready for the Blue Devils' basketball team. (Turns out this team has been around for a while. Who knew? I always thought Duke was just a football school, but I'm glad to learn.) During the interview, we discussed Robert's upcoming wedding, give glowing reviews to Coach Scheyer and are both high on the Blue Devils' chances this season. Robert also gives his perspective on conference restructuring and how it may be time to separate football and Olympic sports going forward. Oh, and we talk about how well the football team has been doing since Elko & Co. got to Durham. This was a fun talk with a great guest.

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As always, Go Duke!

Thanks to a scheduling conflict on the part of someone who will remain nameless who may also run this blog, I wasn't able to schedule an interview with my friends over at From The Pink Seats. As a result, we filled the gap by checking in with our Richlandia correspondent, Dad.

During the interview, we talk about the potential shortcomings of analytics in specific situations, recap the FSU game and preview what to expect on Saturday when Duke travels to Louisville. In addition, we get into the remaining teams on the Blue Devils' schedule, I trash the B1G and we both agree that North Carolina has benefited from an easy schedule. Sorry, not sorry. And, because I'm a younger brother, I take a few moments to throw some shade at my older brother and demand an explanation from Dad as to a parenting choice he made when me and my brother were both teenagers.

We also make a reference to one all-time classic TV show episode, "Space, Geeks, And Johnny Unitas", and Dad avoids going full Abe Simpson during the open mic.

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As always, Go Duke!

To get ready for a big road game this Saturday, I sat down with FSU beat writer Ehsan Kassim. During our talk, we went over Ehsan's Seminole origin story, his SEC roots and then got into Duke's upcoming opponent. We covered how Mike Norvell utilized the transfer portal to build the team, the overall strengths of FSU and how the teams will match up with one another in Doak Campbell Stadium. We also talked about CFP scenarios and speculated about what the Committee would do with one loss PAC-12 and ACC teams come selection time.

We listen to a few voicemails, discuss how the Blue Devils did against NC State, check in on Richlandia during the prediction segment and get Joey Finison to stop by with a guest pick. I also botch a Fight Club quote (the actual quote is "In the Tibetan philosophy, Sylvia Plath sense of the word, we're all dying. But you're not dying the way Chloe is dying." And, of course, I detour into Roman history. I mean, why wouldn't I?

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As always, Go Duke!

As you know, Duke has a game with NC State coming up. And who better to introduce us to the Blue Devils' upcoming opponent than Joe Giglio. In addition to co-hosting the OG Podcast, Joe hosts The Law of the Wolf Podcast which is dedicated to the Wolfpack. It's a great podcast with a spectacular interview with Debbie Yow that I highly recommend to all.

Before getting into the upcoming game between NC State and Duke, we talk about the OG Stable of Champion Podcasts including the OG, Young Gun and The Law of the Wolf. In addition to briefly discussing the flaming dumpster fire that is the Carolina Panthers, we also get into a discussion about the origin of the term "student athlete". I highly, highly recommend you take the time to learn about Ray Dennison. His on-the-field death and his school's successful attempt to avoid paying Worker's Compensation benefits to his widow and children gave us the term "student athlete". It's a sad story.

We also discuss what it will take for the Blue Devils to get to the ACC Championship game, what other teams still have a chance to win the ACC title (looking at you, FSU) and what we can expect on Saturday from both teams. Despite the injury to Riley Leonard, it turns out that Joe is big on the team as well as on Coach Elko and what he and his staff are doing in Durham. We also hear from the Boy and check in on Richlandia.

We also have a guest pick from Brian at DukeBlogger.Com. Check out his stuff, folks!

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As always, Go Duke!

Steve Wiseman stopped by for his second appearance on the podcast. In what will hopefully become an annual thing, we used the bye week to talk about the wild ride that was the Notre Dame game, Riley Leonard's injury, injuries to other players, the struggles we've seen from the kicking teams this season and what to expect from the team going forward. We also discuss what a fantastic job Coach Elko and his staff have done in getting Duke ready for every single game. Seriously, what this staff has done with the Blue Devils is amazing.

Steve also takes a moment to introduce us to Jared McCain who will be one of Duke's incoming guards. Give the story a read, folks! Hopefully the Blue Devils' basketball team will be able to handle the pressure of being at a football school.

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As always, Go Duke!

We all know that there's a big game coming up at Wallace Wade what with Notre Dame coming by to get exposed to a real college football environment. Sticking with our theme of the season, our guest Dan Sullivan gives you a chance to get to know the Irish. Dan is a fellow attorney and good friend of mine who grew up watching Notre Dame and is my source for information regarding the Irish. During our interview, we discuss how Notre Dame has done this season, the loss to Ohio State and how Duke will match up with the Irish on Saturday. We tell some stories about cases we tried together and what a jerk I apparently was early on in our professional career. I think I was just misunderstood. We also talk about conference restructuring, my overall thoughts on the Blue Devils so far this season and we get a game prediction from Jay Pelosky before checking in on things in Richlandia.

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As always, Go Duke!

To get ready for Saturday's road game, we sat down with Graham Chamberlain of UCONN Rivals. In this almost hour long discussion, we cover the recent history of UCONN football, discuss the challenges the Huskies face in building a program, listen to a few voicemails and give our prediction for the game. The episode starts out with a brief recap of where Duke is so far this season before getting into the upcoming game. We also take a few shots at UVA because why not?

In addition, we discussed the future of UCONN football and The ACC going forward. I give my opinion on adding the three new schools and how the conference will look over the next decade. You will hear me tell UNC, Clemson and FSU to shut up and stop whining about money if you don't want to add SMU at no real cost to The All Coast Conference. Seriously, guys, stop complaining about money if you aren't going to take that free pile of cash the Mustangs gave you.

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As always, Go Duke!

To get ready for Duke-Northwestern on Saturday, we've got an interview with the editor of Wildcat Report, Louie Vaccher. During a very informative discussion, we talked about the Northwestern hazing scandal, the associated lawsuits, listen to a few voicemails and, hey, we actually talk about the Wildcats and the Blue Devils! We have some game predictions from me, Louie and Duke running back Joe Ajeigbe! We also check in on Richlandia.

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As always, Go Duke!

Charlie Berman, the sports editor for The Lafayette, stopped by to talk about Duke's second opponent this season. The Leopards are in the process of a turnaround under second year head coach Jim Troxell. Lafayette's strengths are defense and running the ball. Given the short week that the Blue Devils have after a Monday night game with Clemson, expect a lot of early punches from this Patriot League foe. We also detour into Boston College's week two matchup with Holy Cross.

Both me and Charlie give our picks and, sure enough, Dad calls in with a prediction. We have a few other voicemails, too, and a reaction to the win over the Tigers. Please call the pod (540-632-0160), leave a message and you’ll get in an episode.

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As always, Go Duke!

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As always, Go Duke!

Chapel Fowler of The State newspaper stopped by to introduce us to Duke's first opponent of the season, the Clemson Tigers. We talked about the strengths and the unknowns of the Tigers, how the Blue Devils will match up with Clemson on Labor Day and we dropped our win-loss predictions towards the end. You'll learn that the Tigers have a lot of depth, a good running game and a new coordinator who likes to run the ball.

And the Duke FB Talk guys get a mention, too!

As if that weren't enough, we get to know a little more about The State Guild and drop a reference to the IWW. As an aside, the IWW has an interesting history which you guys should take some time to read up on. We also briefly mention the history of unions in the South. That's something that our history classes don't devote enough time to.

Chapel was a great, informative guest who has a bright future in the business. I appreciate him stopping by and hope we get a chance to do this again.

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As always, Go Duke!

Friend of the podcast Lee Rodio stopped by to preview Duke's 2023 season. In addition to catching us up on what he's been doing since his last interview, Lee gives his perspective on the strengths of the Blue Devils. He points out we have a great staff, a veteran team and talented people on the OL and DL. Lee is high on Duke and what the Blue Devils can accomplish this season. We also get into a discussion about one of the greatest Duke players ever - DeVon Edwards. And there's a brief detour into a discussion about Ingles grocery stores. Oh, and happy late birthday to Noel Durfey!

During this excellent interview, Lee decides to set up shop in Cancelvania. Lee goes after Florida State, implies Clemson can't compete outside of the ACC (his opinion, not mine), throws some shade at Dabo (again, his opinion, NOT MINE), unleashes a right hook on Pat Narduzzi and trashes the hurry-up offense. He also trashes Maryland, but that's just stating facts.

I also take a trip to Cancelvania when I characterize the ACC's marriage to Notre Dame as an abusive relationship. But, let's be honest - the Notre Dame deal is going to turn the ACC into the Big East 2.0. Also, I say that the B1G is soft. Which, again, accurate.

Another key point in the interview involves the fact that I'm now an ordained minister in The Church of the Latter-Day Dude. Abide, my brothers and sisters. Abide.

Some of the conversation we had dealt with expansion which, as of the time of writing this, looks to be DOA. But, as of the time of editing this, may be back on. So, if you want to skip the expansion and get straight to the season preview, the timestamps are below:

0:00 - Introductory comments and general expansion issues

19:47 - Cal, Stanford, SMU and the future of the ACC

39:48 - Duke's strengths for 2023 (and ancillary matters)

108:56 - Schedule prediction

131:53 - Open Mic

133:19 - Surprise announcement and ending

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As always, Go Duke!

Our old friend Jeff from All Sports Discussion stopped by to preview the old Coastal Division teams. In what should come as a surprise to no one, we predict a PAINFUL season for UVA. A very, very painful season. I mean, there's going to be a whole lot of pain. And, to be clear, we're not telling you Cavs fans there's a chance.

In other news, Pitt and Duke get high marks from both of us and I don't remember what we said about Chapel Hill College. That place is straight trash and no one cares about its garbage football team. An interesting recurring theme for most of the teams is the difficulty of their respective schedules. The new 3-5-5 is going to be interesting to watch develop.

This was a fun talk with a great and knowledgeable guest. We hope you enjoy it and, while you're at it, tell a friend about both of our podcasts.

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As always, Go Duke!

Our old friend Dan Siegel returned to the pod to preview the old Atlantic Division teams for the upcoming 2023 season. While we may not have divisions anymore, it's still an easy way to break down the ACC come football season. Before getting into 2023 football, we discuss the pros and cons of the end of divisions and the start of the 3-5-5.

In regard to what to expect this year, Dan gives high marks to FSU and has some serious questions about the Eagles. He also thinks that the Wolfpack have a lot pressure to do well this year. Also, I come out and say that the B1G is an absolute fraud.

In addition to football, I tell an embarrassing story about my kids and Dan catches us up on what he's been doing since last season's interview.

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As always, Go Duke!

If you follow sports in the Triangle, you know who Joe Ovies is. Joe was kind enough to stop by to talk about how he got started in sports media, his new podcast with Joe Giglio (which is great), his prior podcasting experience, the outlook for the North Carolina football teams this season and the problems facing the ACC as a whole. We also discuss the brutal schedule Duke has this season. This was a very informative talk that I know you'll enjoy.

And as if all the sports weren't enough, we spend a good portion of the interview talking about what we all really care about, Star Wars. SPOILER ALERT - there are plenty of spoilers in our discussion. During our Star Wars discussion, Joe and I have a debate about the greatness of Chopper, the droid from Rebels. If you aren't familiar with Chopper, he's the best character from Rebels and arguably the GOAT of Star Wars droids. Seriously, just look at his body count. Look, folks, there was a war on and Chopper got results. To paraphrase Ramsey from The Great Escape, a soldier has a sworn duty to harass the enemy. Chopper did that. And then some.

There's a little bit for everyone to enjoy in this episode. I mean, I think that. But I'm fairly biased.

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As always, Go Duke!

Jontavis "Hollywood" Roberston stopped by for a talk about Duke's mood coming out of Spring Ball, his position coaches, the deep wideout room, what to expect in 2023, the strength and conditioning program and Coach Elko's fondness for Coca-Cola products. Jontavis, like all cultured soda drinkers, also likes Coke. Let me just say it's very reassuring to know that he and Coach Elko don't like the trash of all soda products, Pepsi.

Jontavis tells us about how much it meant for the Blue Devils to win a bowl game as well as the different running styles of each quarterback. While Riley is a giraffe, we haven't landed on what animals Belin and Loftis run like. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments.

Thanks, Jontavis, for stopping by. This was a fun talk.

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As always, Go Duke!

Brett from over at Pick Six Previews stopped by to talk about his yearly Power 5 previews, how great season preview magazines used to be, mini-helmets, how Duke turned it around last year and why the ACC needs to make the annual game with Wake more important. We also get into the 2023 season and the future of the ACC. This was a fun talk with a die-hard college football fan and top-notch analyst.

One thing that I found to be of particular interest was our discussion of the differences between the Blue Devils' 2022 and 2023 schedules. This year could see the team lose more games, but still be a better team than last year. I can't wait to see what happens and I'm hoping that Duke builds on the success of last season.

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As always, Go Duke!

During our almost 1.5 hour interview, we covered a wide range of topics. These include Chris' work as a strength and conditioning coach during the Ted Roof era. That gave Chris the chance to work with other teams including Duke LAX. Chris was there for the Duke LAX scandal which we talked about. In addition to that, we learned about Chris' current career and how his playing days at Duke gave him the strength to persevere through a slow start. We also talked about how great Roanoke is, how much I continue to hate Maryland and one of the worst calls in the history of Blue Devil football. And for all you young fans, we've got a pretty good argument that the ACC refs have always been out to get us. Fun fact, I called Dad the day after the interview, mentioned the call and then listened to him get real, real upset at the officials when I brought it up. It's been more than twenty-five years and he's still mad about it. Safe to say, Dad is of the opinion that the refs made a horrible, horrible call. Which they did - there was no reason for the penalty flag on that play.

If all that weren't enough, we also talked about the historic Flu Game against Florida State in 1998. For those of you who many not remember, pretty much every Duke player got a case of food poisoning and became violently ill during the game. Naturally, the team absolutely fell apart against the Seminoles. What I didn't know is that the Flu Game resulted in a CDC and North Carolina Department of Health investigation. The Blue Devil players transmitted the Norwalk virus to Florida State players during the game which was the first time that mass transmission of a virus occurred on a football field. The New England Journal of Medicine published an article about it.

Here is what Coach Goldsmith had to say about how he felt during the game (this is taken from his book, "Comeback Coach"):

"I was walking around the FSU field when all of a sudden I felt the sickest I have ever felt in my life. I thought something was wrong with my heart and I was going to die right there in Doak Campbell Stadium."

Now, you may question some part of Coach Goldsmith's recount of his symptoms because he goes on to claim in that same paragraph of his book that the Blue Devils only lost to the Noles by a touchdown or two. That's not remotely close to being accurate. The final score was actually a much closer than it looked, according to Coach Goldsmith, 62-13. However, after listening to what Chris had to say about the game, I've concluded that Coach Goldsmith's memory of the final score is colored by the severity of his symptoms.

I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Chris and to talk to him about an era of Duke football that I spent a lot of time watching. It's great to have guys like him be part of the Blue Devil family.

As always, Go Duke!

Desmond Scott, one of Duke's most versatile players ever, stopped by for a great discussion about a wide variety of topics. In regard to just how impactful of a player Desmond was, take look at his rushing, receiving and return stats - it's unreal, especially considering that he transitioned to wide receiver for his senior year. Unbelievable.

During this almost 1.5 hour discussion, we talk about how Desmond elected to forego the NFL to become a principal which, in turn, led him to his current career of being a life trainer. Desmond owns and operates Prime Athletic Training & Fitness Institute and helps develop his clients in all aspects of their lives. We discuss how Demond built his business, how he became an entrepreneur, the challenges presented to his livelihood by COVID-19 and being a new father. Oh, and did I mention we talked about Blue Devils football? Well, we did. And Desmond has an amazing recruiting story that involves an all-time "What If?" in regard to West Virginia. You'll be amazed when you hear it.

Further, you'll recall that Desmond was on the 2012 team that beat the Cheats and was part of the 4th and Bowl play.

And, if all this weren't enough, Desmond has some great things to say about Coach Elko, Coach Feeley and the current state of the program. Thank you, Desmond, for stopping by and for such a great talk.

As always, Go Duke!

Conor O'Neill, who you all know from his work for Duke and Deacons Illustrated, stopped by for a great talk about instant replay, the importance of local journalism and the changing landscape of sports media, what to expect from the Blue Devils and Wake football teams next season and why Duke-Wake Forest should be a bigger rivalry. Duke-Miami 2015 gets a fairly detailed discussion, too. And, if that weren't enough, we also have a little conversation aboutbasketball which will require some clarification from me. So, let me take care of that now.

We recorded the interview on Thursday night. The next morning, while I drove down to see my parents, Dad got a call from Coach K. Yes, that Coach K. A friend of my brother's from high school somehow got in touch with Coach K or his people and Dad got a surprise call. Coach K wanted to make sure Dad was eating and gaining weight during chemo. They also talked about the legacy that teachers have through their students. Thank you, Coach, for doing that. We can't put into words just how much we appreciate your kindness.

So, while some may interpret a few comments I made about the state of the roster when Coach Scheyer took over as critical of how Coach K left things, I want to be clear that what I was saying is that Coach K is the finest human being who deserves nothing but praise and anything that could be considered as criticism of him is simply heresy. And I, for one, will never engage in such criticism as I am a totally positive person who only sees the good things in life and strenuously avoids negativity. The below is my motto

Thank you, Coach K, and my brother's friend, for the phone call. It really picked up Dad yesterday.

Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

Do we really need to do an introduction for Conner Vernon? He's one of the greatest wide receivers in program history. If you don't recognize him by now, that's probably on you. Seriously, this guy is in the GOAT discussion for wide receivers.

During this interview, we discuss Conner's current career in wealth management, his work as a radio color commentator for the Blue Devils' beatdown of Miami this past season, Dave Harding's slow response time and how his class helped turn Duke around from a doormat to eventual ACC Coastal Champion. We also get into Conner's proficiency at trash-talking his opponent. Oh, and did someone say Fourth and Bowl?

This was a great talk with a Blue Devil legend. Thanks, Conner, for stopping by.

As always, Go Duke!

Let us know what you think about what we think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

Ron Frederick played at Duke under Coach Red Wilson after transferring in from ECU. He was fortunate enough to play alongside several Blue Devil greats including Ben Bennett and Chris Castor. After playing in Coach Spurrier's offense, Ron got a chance to show his stuff and made it into professional football with Tampa Bay and then with the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL.

During the interview, we discuss Ron's football career, his time in Durham, the current state of Duke football and the unique motivational abilities of Coach Spurrier. In addition, we covered the reincarnation of the USFL and have a good talk on how coaches should sometimes stay where they are. This was a fun talk with a diehard Blue Devil.

Big shoutout to my friend Dan for helping put this together and getting me and Ron in touch. This interview wouldn't have happened without him.

Let us know what you think about what we think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

We all know Lauren Brownlow, purveyor of all things ACC, from her Twitter account and The ACC Panic Room. What started off as a conversation about ACC football got sidetracked into more entertaining subjects like how awful Pete Carroll is and the punchable face that he has, did Russell Wilson get a hex put on him (and by whom?) and the Catsup toss that was the 2010 Music City Bowl. We also discussed Long-COVID and the difficulties associated with being a woman in sports journalism.

Now, we did actually discuss a lot of issues with ACC football including the conference serving as Notre Dame's sidepiece (and, because I wasn't clear initially, my complaints about the Irish go back to 2013 when they "joined" the conference), a mixed bag of good and not so good bowl games and what Coach Elko and Duke accomplished this year. We also discuss the sort of implosion we're watching real-time over at that school in Chapel Hill. There's also a good discussion about what it will take to keep the Blue Devils competitive over the coming seasons.

And, of course, we relive this glorious moment of ACC football:

In the open mic session, Lauren made good use of her time and talked about the need to donate to domestic violence shelters. Please consider doing this during a time that many families could use some help. It's a great cause.

Let us know what you think in the comments, on Reddit, on Mastodon or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!

We all remember Colby from the 2021 season at Duke. Colby transferred in from Presbyterian College and, after being a beast on special teams, went on to be a part of a championship team in the Finnish Maple League and was named the MVP of the championship game. Colby will play for the Albany Empire this coming season as he continues to pursue his dream of getting to the NFL. In addition to these topics, Colby and I discuss the 2021 season and how Coach Elko (and Coach Feeley) turned things around this year. You'll also hear from Future Ben as he reads Colby's prediction for Duke's bowl game. This was a great talk with a memorable Blue Devil.

Now, let me conclude by saying that there will be a discussion about the team meeting with law enforcement during the 2021 season and the effect it had on the team. This podcast is not set up to fully and completely engage in a discussion about use of force by law enforcement, so please don't consider this to serve as that discussion. The level of detail that topic requires is well beyond the scope of this podcast.

I hope you enjoy the interview. As always, Go Duke!

Matthew from The ACC Weekly Podcast returned to the podcast to recap the 2022 ACC football season. We covered a lot of topics including Coach Elko being ACC Coach of the Year and the great season that Duke had, how FSU is on the cusp of getting back to the top of the ACC mountain, the disappointing seasons that UVA and Miami had as well as the future of the conference and what it needs to do in order to stay viable. We also both take Clemson to win the ACC Championship (and I called out the ACC for conspiring to put UNC in the title game over the Blue Devils). And we talked about Russian misinformation in online sports communities! This was a fun talk with an expert on all things ACC.

As always, Go Duke!

Folks, it finally happened. After a lot of requests from fans, Anthony Boone and I were able to connect for a great, great talk about Duke football, QB Country and the mindset it takes to overcome devastating injuries.

During our talk, Anthony discussed what it took to win at Duke, provides great advice on how to maintain success over multiple seasons and what it was like sharing snaps with Brandon Connette (aka The Phantom). As we discussed the Blue Devils' current season, Anthony gave some great insight on what Coach Elko and the staff are doing in Durham. You also learn a lot about the DukeGang mindset that his era personified.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity point out that while Anthony has some impressive clients at QB Country, it sure sounds like he may be a sleeper agent who is funneling top prospects to Chapel Hill College. We've got to correct this, folks! Anthony, get your guys to Durham!!!

In all seriousness, this interview was a blast. You'll enjoy every minute of it and I hope we can have him back on soon.

As always, Go Duke!

We aren't getting to my "Where this team stands after eight games" post because Eli Pancol is back! Eli and Duke are in the midst of an outstanding 5-3 season with four games to go.

During this nearly forty minute talk, after covering the fact that I'm the Legal Mamba, we gEt into the Blue Devils' mindset, what's responsible for the turnaround this season, the Slideouts and what we can expect from the Blue Devils the rest of the year. If you take the time to listen, you'll learn a lot about how important Coach Elko, Coach Feeley and the rest of the staff have been in righting the ship. Eli also updates us on his NIL deals and how NIL arrangements are helping players. And, hey, look at that - you can get some Eli merch here! Follow Eli on Instagram to learn more about his merch.

Wait, what's that? Eli talks about the Hellraisers? And the icy whites? What does he think about them? You have to listen, folks!

As always, Go Duke!

It may not be a game preview or a game recap in the traditional sense, but we have a bonus interview with Steve Wiseman! Steve is a reporter for the Durham Herald Sun and the Raleigh News & Observer. He's covered Duke Athletics since 2010 and recently started co-hosting a podcast on the Bleav network, Bleav in Duke, with The Landlord, Shelden Williams.

After a discussion about Steve's background and the changing landscape of local and regional sports journalism, we recap the Blue Devils beating UVA, the upcoming game against Georgia Tech and talk about what to expect during the remainder of Duke's schedule. We get into the current state of the Coastal, dissect what is going on at UVA and Miami and talk about Coach Elko's rehabilitation of the Blue Devils. We discuss what it will take to keep Coach Elko in charge of Duke football going forward and what the fans need to do to show him their support. HINT - SHOW UP AT GAMES. Seriously - the Blue Devils are having a great season and the turnout last Saturday was awful.

And, before you ask, we have another guest picker. I won't reveal the person's identity here, so you'll have to listen to find out who it is!

This was a great talk with a top-notch reporter. Thanks again, Steve, for stopping by. Let us know what you think about what we think in the comments or on Twitter.

As always - Go Duke!

Our old friend Lee Rodio returns to the podcast for his third appearance. (Listen to his first two here and here.) After he updates on us on what he's been up to lately, we go over what it will take for Duke to have a successful season, Lee gives his picks for each game and closes with a discussion about what NIL can mean for students. Also, Lee delivers some real hot takes when he starts talking about that other school in North Carolina which all us Blue Devils will love. This is a fun talk with a great guest. 

Also, we recorded this on Sunday night and by the time I got this posted, Coach Symmes' interview hit the SEVENTY listens mark. Congrats, Coach! I know when you retire from coaching you'll think about appearing on this podcast before anything else. Right? I mean, appearing as a guest here as to be a momentous achievement. Right? Bueller? Bueller?

Go Duke!

Jeff from the All Sports Discussion ACC Weekly Podcast stopped by for a great talk about the future of the ACC. With USC and UCLA bolting the PAC-12 for the Big Ten, we know that the college football landscape is, once again, uncertain. Jeff and I break down what this could mean for our beloved conference. We also discuss the 3-5-5 scheduling format and what to expect from the ACC this season. It was a great talk with a great podcaster!

Go Duke!

After a bit of trash talk on Twitter, Coach Symmes took some time out of a Wednesday evening to talk about ECU football, his coaching career in college and the NFL and, of course, Duke football. Coach Symmes coached at Duke during the Cutcliffe era before moving onto Indiana where he worked with current Blue Devil OC Kevin Johns. Coach Symmes also had stops at Florida, USC (the one in South Carolina) and with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During this informative conversation, you'll learn about what a defensive analyst does, the challenging life of a coach and what made the 2013 Duke team so special. We'll give Symmes a pass for thinking that Indiana made the field goal at the end of the Pinstripe Bowl. I think his glasses were broken or something. Oh, and we mention Miami. Blerg.

Go Duke!

Those of you who follow the ACC closely probably get information from Dan Siegel. Dan hosts the eponymously named The Dan Siegel Show where he covers all things ACC. It's a great podcast that you should listen to.

Dan stopped by to give us his thoughts on what to expect from the ACC this football season. As you might expect, the Coastal is up for grabs whereas the Atlantic is likely to be won by one of three teams. Dan also educates us about his recent Twitter disaster which caused him to set up a new account. Let's hope all of his listeners find him - he's a great source of information.

We hope you enjoy the episode. Let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter. As a heads up, the Miami game was mentioned during the episode and I said a few choice words. Sorry, but it was time. And please let me know if you think I should do a special episode specifically about the Miami game. The idea would be that I would edit all the discussion we have so far about the game into one episode.

Go Duke!

Porter Wilson, Duke's famous punter and the man in possession of a great mullet and moustache, stopped by to talk about how he got into football, his plan to stay for another three years in Durham, the approach he takes to get ready for game day and what the Blue Devils are looking to accomplish this season. He also tells us about the time he takes to get his mullet and his moustache ready for football season.

Oh, and Porter is fully recovered from the horrific injury he suffered during last season's game against Pitt which you can watch here. Watching that again, I think we can agree that he is lucky to be alive.

I hope you all enjoy this interview. It was a lot of fun. Thanks for stopping by, Porter!

Go Duke!

We all remember Carlos Wray from his time at Duke (2012-2015) and the Golden Era of Duke Football he was a part of. Carlos previously sat down for an interview back in 2020 and another one in 2021 to discuss the Blue Devils' appearance in four straight bowl games.

During our third and most recent discussion, we talk about Carlos' coaching career, family crises, leadership and, of course, Duke football. As you would expect, we spend some time going over what it will take for Duke to win and also how to better connect the football program to the Durham community. And we both mention that we don't like BLEEDBLUE and that DukeGang should make a comeback (or, at the least, start using DukeGRIND).

Go Duke!

Eli Pancol took some time out of a Sunday to give us an update on what to expect from Duke heading into the upcoming football season. This was a great talk about the mood of the Blue Devils, how NIL helps student-athletes and Eli's tattoos. That last topic took us down a discussion about his family's history which is pretty interesting.

During the interview, Eli discusses his clothing line which you can find here. He's got some cool stuff - check it out! If you do get some of his merch, post a video of you dancing in it and see how your moves compare to Eli's moves.

George Pearkes, a walk-on tight end at Duke from 2008-11, stopped by for one heck of a talk. We discuss economics, market trends, the economic response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and we learn why gas prices have been so high. Oh, and we talk Blue Devils football, too. This was an informative discussion with a very knowledgeable guy.

If you want to learn more about the economic response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, read this article by George. We hope you enjoy the interview.

Go Duke!