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Those darn Dukeys.
I don’t mention sports much here…but I am a big college basketball fan. It’s really the only sport I think I can say I’m a true “fan” of…although I generally like and enjoy watching many others.
I’m pretty upset about Duke retiring Shane Battier’s jersey tonight. Not for the obvious reasons. Shane deserves to have his jersey retired. He’s an incredible talent, and model person. No problem there…but he deserves to have it retired next year, or the year after. ( BTW, he should get an Oscar for his performance in “Taking Charge” as well 
).
He’s a senior. He’s actively playing. I think it’s insulting to the many other talented players that he plays with now, and distracting, to have it “retired” while he’s still going out on the court wearing it twice a week.
Have him comeback next year and celebrate him then. Retiring a jersey should mean “this number will never be worn on this court again”. It should be reserved for celebrating legacy.
Jersey retirement is a great tradition in sports. By bringing back those that have made a significant contribution to a particular school or franchise, the ceremony gives the opportunity not only to show respect for an individual’s contribution, but also to educate fans about the history of the organization and make different generations of fans feel bound together.
If this tradition is broken down into just celebrating a great talent at the peak of their career, it might as well be an MVP award.
(Disclaimer: I’m a Maryland fan, which make me skeptical of anything Duke does — but I feel that’s not tainting my opinion here)
