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Ten days ago, this section published an opinion piece by a Miami Herald writer about the Duke basketball program and its coach, Mike Krzyzewski.

“Devils despised, and it starts with Coach K” was the headline on page B3 of our section April 1.

Labeled commentary, writer Israel Gutierrez’s work drew criticism from readers here and in Miami. It even attracted a rebuke from his own newspaper’s ombudsman, Edward Schumacher-Matos, who wrote that the piece should never have been published.

“Such personal criticism about the coach’s looks, voice and name is beyond the pale, even in a column clearly labeled as 'opinion,’” Schumacher-Matos wrote.

Referring to another section of the commentary, the ombudsman added, “Gutierrez does not actually say he dislikes Duke or (former star Christian) Laettner for being white, but he raises racial characterizations in a way that are irresponsible and dehumanizing.”

I made the decision for this newspaper to publish Gutierrez’s work. Upon reflection, better editing on my part would’ve removed those examples cited by Schumacher-Matos. Yet it’s also reasonable for us to offer a viewpoint that some people outside of our state held about Duke basketball.

We weren’t alone in offering such viewpoints. The Indianapolis Star, the newspaper in the Final Four’s host city, published a story April 2 about basketball fans’ dislike of Duke. The Star, though, during its press run removed an illustration showing doodling, including a bull’s-eye, on a photo of Krzyzewski. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Morrissey led an opinion piece, “Annoyingly arrogant Duke, coach,” by questioning the ego of the coach, who grew up in Chicago, and expressing his dislike of a “share your Coach K story” feature on Krzyzewski’s Web site.

As for whether Duke is loved or loathed nationally, the basketball program felt the love as it traveled to Jacksonville, Fla.; Houston; and Indianapolis on its way to a fourth NCAA championship, a school spokesman says.

“There’s a disconnect between what we’ve experienced when we go places and this overarching theme of 'everyone hates Duke,’” Jon Jackson, an associate athletics director for university and public affairs who works closely with Krzyzewski, told me Friday. “It’s a different experience for us. It gets frustrating to keep reading that when that’s not the reality we’re seeing when we go different places.

“When we go places, people do like us. They like our kids, they like our coach.”

Jackson didn’t like Gutierrez’s piece and didn’t like that our paper published it. Nor did some of you, who’ve made your feelings known loud and clear.

“Why would the News & Record publish a column that sounds like an 11-year-old at the Inside Carolina Web site wrote it?” asked reader Craig Hunter.

“It was the most hateful and erroneous article I have ever read in the News & Record,” Frank Wilder wrote.
One reader was “disturbed.” Another was “horrified.”

I understand those reactions.

One of the roles of a newspaper is to publish thought-provoking commentary. When columnists across the country are writing critical articles about a North Carolina coach, especially one as iconic as Krzyzewski, that’s information we think you should have.

For perspective, bear in mind that the Herald column was not the only commentary this newspaper published about Duke’s run to the championship. Lost amid some of the furor might have been front-page commentaries by our own columnist.
Ed Hardin predicted a Duke championship before the tournament began. And he wrote these words on our front page before the Duke-West Virginia semifinal game:

“They’ll begin the Final Four today in Indianapolis with the best team we saw all season up there playing for the best coach we’ve ever seen. … He’s never done a better job with a team than he did this year. Duke might not be at the top of the college game today or even Monday night, no matter what happens over the next three days. But its coach is. This is, in many ways, Krzyzewski’s finest hour.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Contact Eddie Wooten at 373-7093 or eddie.wooten@news-record.com