Welcome Back, Duke Persecution Complex

At left is the front page of the Charlotte Observer the day after North Carolina won the 2009 national championship. At right, this morning's front page. Dookies, you may now return to your hilariously overblown sense of persecution.

Of the Observer's front page, the Greensboro News & Record's John Robinson notes:

The fact is, though, a UNC win is much bigger than a Duke win to advertisers. We produced an eight-page special section supported by advertising when the Heels won. This year? Not so much. Interest by advertising isn't there.

That's not all that surprising, given that the school's fan base for the most part comprises Duke students and alums and their parents back in Parsippany, New Jersey — all of whom are terribly busy at the moment living up to everyone's expectations. Our old friends at Seth Curry Saves Duke!, for example, are celebrating their national championship with maybe the Dookiest expression of joy imaginable, a great big popped collar of a phrase: "We're national champions. Go fuck yourself." Someone put that on a commemorative t-shirt.

A (Blue) Devil of a front page [Greensboro News & Record] Morning: The Champs! [Seth Curry Saves Duke!]