Uh oh, Duke basketball and its counterparts might be getting a snitch line.
There will either be no 2020-21 season whatsoever or a season unlike any other from the past or future. Seeing that the universe has wiped out the old normal before pinpointing its replacement, those are the two conceivable paths in the distance for the Duke basketball team.
Now that the Blue Devils are on campus — well, most of them, anyway — in their own quarantine, of sorts, there would normally be a certain thrill in the air among fans on social media and message boards. But relatively speaking, there’s not. And it’s not because of a lack of talent on the roster; no, the five-star makeup of that is on par with recent years.
It seems “next season” talk sparks emotions some refuse to fully process. Could we handle the absence of Cameron Crazies? What about no home games but instead an ACC-only schedule inside an NBA-like bubble? In light of all this planet’s post-March Sadness changes, is it reprehensible to ask college stars to risk anything while lining the pockets of wealthy old men and without having the right to profit off their name, image, and likeness?
Today’s hot topic, though, involves one possible component to a “new normal” in the form of a potentially problematic scenario for the Blue Devils. Per Bryan Fischer of Athlon Sports on Friday, a snitch line is on its way to college sports:
“In light of recent events, I’m told NCAA is creating the equivalent of the NBA’s snitch line. Phone number (and email) for players to report schools’ behavior putting them at risk of COVID-19.”
Now, pair that news with the report on Thursday from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Apparently, the invite to snitch gave some pro ballers down in Orlando the idea to just directly contact Duke grad and NBA commissioner Adam Silver with their concerns:
My report on how some players are bypassing the anonymous tip hotline and going straight to the top with their complaints in the bubble. pic.twitter.com/JLMzLulpa0
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 7, 2020
Now, project this to college hoops. Yup, this could get ugly inside a bubble containing the much-maligned Blue Devils and their foes. Will the opposition be hitting up the office of NCAA president Mark Emmert every time Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski or his staff hands someone a bag, noting the potential spread of the virus while probably also implying something else?
In addition to the potential for snitching among opposing schools regarding mask protocols and whatnot, this opens the door for issues within a program, such as backups snitching on starters from their own squad in an attempt to swipe some playing time or snitching on the coaches who put them on the pine.
True, 99 percent of people don’t possess the necessary evil to exploit a tip line meant to help combat a pandemic. That said, mixing in the other one percent with all other upcoming tweaks to the college game amid this new reality, well, watching how it all plays out will in itself provide some new form of entertainment that should be quite interesting.
Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more news and views regarding all things Duke basketball.