Video Board Getting Wired For Madden as Duke Coaches Try to Keep Players Entertained
With Duke’s players back on campus, the coaching staff needs to walk a thin line between keeping them safe and allowing them to entertain themselves in some fashion.
Coach David Cutcliffe has emphasized the importance of wearing masks.
“The biggest thing I hope they buy into is it’s not about you,” he said. “It’s about caring about someone else. That’s what the mask stops. I mean the droplets are going to hit the mask. That’s the real reality to this, and if you’re not concerned about others, than it’s going to be very difficult.”
It’s made more difficult by the fact that college-aged kids don’t want to stay cooped up for their own good.
“They are young,” Cutcliffe admitted. “I’ve got a rising junior at home, and believe me, she’s heard the riot act a few times about making good decisions.”
“I’ve dealt with young people for 45 years professionally, now. This is the biggest challenge that we have faced,” he said. “I was kidding, but, for our over 21 year-old guys, I said, maybe I need to open up a bar with players only down on the practice field, where they can gather and put the tables and seats at a safe physical distance, because—I get it—They want to socialize.”
While getting a liquor license for the practice field may be too big an ask, the coaching staff is looking into some interesting ways to keep the players occupied.
“I think we can do some gaming in the stadium,” Cutcliffe said. “How about some Madden on the Jumbotron? I think we’ve got to be creative. We can play home run derby. We’re going to do some of that. I realize they’ve got to have some fun. So we’re just thinking through this thing. My brain’s tired, and it’s hurting a little bit, but I’m going to push through it.”
