Duke Baseball: Even Art Chansky Is Impressed

Over the years we’ve had a mixed opinion of Art Chansky. He’s a good writer but he’s unquestionably (and proudly) a UNC homer. That’s fine but it’s not a very useful quality in the Triangle where writers have to deal with multiple schools and be fair.

Lots of guys have preferences - Jim Sumner and Al Featherston are Duke guys obviously, but they manage to write fairly about other schools.

Chansky always slanted things for UNC. It hasn’t mattered for a while since he quit trying to be impartial but it used to be a drag.

He’s not the only one of course. One local reporter is widely known to favor NC State, even while covering an event.

But we digress.

About 20 years ago, we were at a newsstand (that was a place people used to go to by paper publications, kids) and picked up an article by Chansky which he gleefully started by saying “I hate Duke! There. I said it.” and went on to explain that it was nice not to have be impartial anymore (or to a least try).

So when he praises Duke, we listen. That was the case with this article about Duke baseball.

When Chansky is impressed by anything Duke, well, that’s an accomplishment. Naturally, he did work in a bit of a putdown (“The Bulldog players were bigger, stronger and meatier than the Blue Devils, who still wear plain uniforms that look like throwbacks to the 1960s, except for the royal jerseys”) but he was impressed.

For anyone who is unclear, a Super Regional is a best of three playoff to go to the College World Series.

Eight teams get to Omaha, the permanent host city. Duke is two wins away from reaching that level.

Duke will play Texas Tech in the Lubbock Super Regional on Saturday, 3 pm, ESPNU; Sunday, 6 pm, ESPN2; and Monday, 4 pm, ESPN2 - if necessary. The schools will also play a basketball game in Madison Square Garden in December.

• How did freshman Chris Crabtree lead Duke to its first NCAA regional title? By heading home
• How Chris Pollard brought Duke to the brink of the College World Series
• A hard hat and a bucket of water. Duke rides another comeback to NCAA baseball super regional.
• Duke stays alive, comes from behind to beat Georgia in NCAA baseball regional
• Duke baseball shows resiliency, grinds out 4 consecutive comebacks to win Athens Regional