Disappointed Dukie
Waking up to the news of JJ Redick getting charged for a D.W.I. is not the kind of news that puts a smile on my face. In fact, it’s the kind of news that makes me want to bury my head further into the pillow.
First off, I am still in shock. Like myself, most Duke fans have come to accept that JJ has "cleaned up his act" since his freshmen and sophomore years of partying. Sure, he undoubtedly drank and partied during his junior and senior seasons, but there's no question that he definitely knocked the partying life down a few notches (otherwise, do you really think he would've become the player that he is today?) I've never had problems with my Dukies partying and having some drinks - come on...they're college students when it's all said and done. If I ever criticized any of them for doing that kind of thing, I'd be the biggest hypocrite in the world.
BUT when you are JJ-freakin'-Redick and you are going to be drafted by an NBA team in just a few weeks, making an illegal U-turn at a checkpoint at 1 in the morning does not strike me as acting like someone who has just graduated with a Duke education.
Oh JJ...why, why, why? His BAC wasn't astronomical (0.11 - over the limit in NC is 0.08), but I still can't believe he would put himself in that situation. Lord knows, many people have probably driven when they shouldn't have, but we are also not going to get millions of dollars from an NBA team in a few weeks and we also wouldn't get the national attention that JJ will get for this mistake. In a way, it's actually unfair, but it comes with the territory when you become a public figure. Once you step into that limelight, as JJ did when he first put on that Duke uniform, you are held to a different standard. You do good things - you will be celebrated. You do bad things - it will be all over the news and people will be talking and writing about you for weeks, months, and even years. It’s quite simple - you don't have to have a Duke education to figure that out.
In light of the lacrosse situation, it would have seemed that anyone affiliated with Duke would watch their backs. People are out to expose Duke for what it "truly" is - just read The Rolling Stone article if you need an example.
This isn't going to help. I'm sure those involved at Duke are behind JJ 100 percent and I am too. Don't get it twisted - I am in shock and I'm disappointed, but this doesn't make me feel any different about what JJ did at Duke or what he represented. I'm not new to loving teams and athletes that have run-ins with the law (I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan, remember?)
But going deep down to the absolute root of my feelings, I never thought JJ would've done this. I guess it might make some of us reevaluate their feelings about his judgment. I thought he had good judgment, but this situation brings a whole other opinion to the surface. He had the world in the palm of his hand and he is still going to get the big bucks in a few weeks - did he really have to drive? As we all know, you never know when a checkpoint will be out. And if you're JJ Redick and you know that getting caught means tons of news coverage, you might think to yourself that you should just hand over the keys, even if you aren’t that intoxicated. But I guess we all know how alcohol can impair judgment, even if it's not taken in large doses.
I guess I still don't know what to think. It’s horrible for him and I feel for him, but I can't help but feel sheer disappointment as well. He doesn't really need to feel the disappointment from fans though, because when it's all said and done, the people who he really needs to worry about is his family and his Duke family - those who have really been there with him firsthand throughout his whole career. The disappointment that he will receive from those people will probably be enough for him to realize the magnitude of this "bad-timing" mistake.
We all make mistakes, and it sure doesn’t feel good when we do. We beat ourselves up over them, our parents and friends beat us up over them, absolute strangers beat us up over them, but most importantly, with the beatings come the realization that you can also learn from them. Learn JJ, that's all you can do. I hope he can keep his head up throughout all of this because this situation is going to be a field day for all the Duke haters in the world. Believe me, I'm sure I'll have to deal with plenty of them in the upcoming weeks.
With all that said though, I'm still behind JJ. I hope he goes to an NBA team who can utilize his talents and appreciate and acknowledge his accomplishments. I just want him to go where he has a fair shot at succeeding. The NBA repulses me, but I cannot change the fact that for some Duke players, that is just the next step. I might not like the game, but I will always support the Duke almuni who goes to it in hopes of continuing their basketball careers.
-Tasha Dean