Hate Mail: A little too much love for your taste
Updated Feb. 28
So this week I went with something a little bit different. It wasn't planned, wasn't intended at all. It just happened. I wrote something nice about Mike Krzyzewski. I wrote something nice about the Cleveland Cavaliers. And then I wrote something about Kelvin Sampson, and while it wasn't nice, it wasn't completely hateful. For me this was progress.
For you, this was disturbing.
Forever, it's Hate Mail.
From: Rocco
You make me insane, Doyel! It's Monday and I'm ready for the Sampson Slam, and instead I get your pussy-footing. If this wasn't karma, I don't know what it was. Stupidity? Sure. Arrogance? You bet. Did he piss away everything over something minor? Half right. It was minor at his previous job, it was HUGE at IU. Bad job by you, Doyel. I know -- well, I think -- you're smarter than what you wrote today. First time in a long time I have to say bad job, and really mean it.
Instead of swinging my mallet upon Sampson's skull, I went for contemplative, even deep. And you scold me for it. Sir, you offend me. Bugger off.
From: Glenn
I want to like you ... and then you write something nice about Coach K??? He fits the terms "feral" and "bat cave" just fine -- just not "Coach of the Year."
I'm unpredictable. Some would say I'm contemplative, even deep.
From: Rick M
I haven't seen hate mail from Mike Freeman in a long time. Is it possible you are that much more hated than him? Personally I find him much more irritating.
He's lazy. That's the answer to the question you seek. As for your other question ... I'm not hated at all. I'm deep and contemplative, and people respect that about me.
From: B.J. Davis
You're a moron Doyel. Rat Face has eight -- count 'em, eight -- McDonald's All-Americans. But Duke has no talent? Who did you get to ghost-write this column for you, Billy Packer? You've proved yet again why you're a dumbass sportswriter. The sad thing is, you get a paycheck for this garbage. Idiot.
OK, some people respect that about me.
From: C.L. Johmnson
This afternoon I was watching the Kentucky-Arkansas game, and with less than one minute to go and a three-point difference, CBS switched to the Duke game -- for the tipoff! I can't believe CBS is dumb enough to do something like that. To say I am still upset would be a gross understatement.
Nobody's perfect, C.L. You, for example, misspelled your own last name. Unless your last name really is Johmnson.
From: Geroge Davis
Greg, are you some kind of retard? Coach K for Coach of the Year? Danica Patrick can't race? I think you just like to get a rise out of people. I could write the s--- you write for free.
And what a treat that would be for readers everywhere. Not only did you misspell my name -- it's Gregg -- but you misspelled your own. What is it with my readers? Dumber by the day ... but not this guy.
From: Jimmy
Great column on the scouting combine. Nice research. I agree totally. You managed to say what other people have been saying, but you said it much better. But I want to be in the Hate Mail column, so ... you're self-absorbed, arrogant and stubborn. You're dumber than a Roger Clemens steroid denial and you have smelly feet. Just guessing on that last part.
The thing is, you're right about everything but the "dumber" part. I'm so smart, I can even spell my name correctly. And "Gregg Doyel" is no picnic.
From: CT Hoosier
Buried in your story on Krzyzewski was this little nugget: "And Bill Self, you know who are ..." It's the little things that make you the preeminent sports writer in America.
You could call me "your preeminence."
From: Charles Scott
I am still rolling on the ground from that "bingo arms" piece of Hate Mail.
The only thing worse than writing in to compliment Hate Mail is writing in to compliment a part of Hate Mail that was written by someone other than me. I work too, you know. I have feelings. I'm not a piece of rubber.
From: Johnson
You're a piece of s---.
I prefer rubber.
From: Tim
You called Ricky Williams "a wacko"? Grow up. What's your sins and weaknesses? Why not tell them, too? Yeah, Ricky has some problems -- but so do we all.
Do we all sacrifice millions of dollars to smoke dope? We do not. He's a wacko, and you're an idiot.
From: Brent Taylor
Damn, that article on Sampson's demise was spot on. Very discouraging. Now where will the Hate Mail come from this week?
Hate finds a way.
From: John S.
You don't know Duke basketball at all. Why even try? Gerald Henderson's jump shot is "miserable"? He's no Wayne Ellington, but he's a lot better than most. He shoots like 40 percent on his unblockable fade-away. Watch more games! And learn to not hate people you don't know.
Henderson is shooting 28.6 percent on 3-pointers, which from the college distance is miserable. Also, I'm trying very hard not to hate you. And failing.
From: Craig
Heard your spot on ESPN radio yesterday. Just curious why you dislike Rick Stansbury? I agree that he may not be the greatest X-and-O coach, but you can't knock his recruiting.
Hahahahaha, I can't knock his recruiting -- oh, wait. You're serious.
From: Jocko I.
Sampson will make $750,000 for cheating. As a high school teacher/coach trying to teach morals and ethics, I think he personifies the mentality of a CEO who drives his company and its employees into the ground and gets rewarded for it.
You're right, and you're brilliant. I was struggling to find an example of a coach who threw away so much for so little, and couldn't do it. I should have looked at Enron.
From: josh
Taylor's tackle was not malicious. He was just as shocked as everyone else by what he had done to Eduardo. Also, Wenger retracted his statement saying that Taylor should never play again. Overall I didn't like your article. It has the tone of an American commentating on a European match. The only thing you don't talk about is what is relevant -- the game itself. Unfortunately, you sound ignorant.
Apparently you'd never know I was all-state in soccer. Or that I won my (amateur) boxing debut a few weeks ago by second-round TKO. I love me some me.
