I Hate Duke - Short Story
- Greg Luti
- Apr 2
- 21 min read
Updated: Jun 4
Greg Luti’s short story “I Hate Duke” follows a passionate basketball fan who becomes increasingly frustrated when his coworkers know nothing about March Madness — a humorous look at how shared experiences shape everyday conversations and friendships.
The day of schedule changes and constant messages from parents was done for, and whatever else was to be done would be completed later, by a more energetic version of myself. I picked up my bag and headed towards the door. I thought of the previous conversations I have had with a few co-workers about the current March Madness tournament, and who they feel would make a run in it.
To my surprise, not a single person I asked knew anything about March Madness or what it was. They didn't know what a bracket was to be filled out. Why Cinderella is in the tournament, or what the Madness even means. They could barely name a school in the tournament. I didn't go into details with them once I learned none of them knew about it. I find that when I am speaking about a topic where I wish for an opinion from the listener, giving background information ruins the experience. I don't want to explain the entire thing to you; I want you to already come to the table with a take, I can then bounce off of, so we can have a back and forth.
Conversations are ruined with too much explaining, in the same way that jokes are ruined if explained. The more I learn about the world, the more I wonder where exactly explanations are even needed. For if you understand the topic, you don't need an explanation, and if you don't understand, then you only need experience or exposure to it, rather than an explanation.
