Mike Pressler, right, and Don Yaeger, second from right, sign books for a standing-room only crowd at The Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street in Durham on June 21.
After I got my book signed by Yaeger and Pressler I went over to George’s Garage for a seafood platter and a pint of Newcastle, so I haven’t had time to wrap up what happened. As it turned out, this was a hugely successful event. There did not seem to be a single potbanger. There were former Duke athletes (including a lacrosse player who played in the ’60s), former players (I saw Kevin Cassese), and just lots of concerned Duke alumni. As you can tell from their questions, they are not happy with President Richard Brodhead, VP John Burness or AD Joe Alleva.
I was surprised there were no opening statements. They went directly to questions after Regulator owner Tom Campbell introduced them. Pressler was visibly angry at times talking about some of the outraged he endured over the past 15 months. And he got emotional at one point talking about his daughter and her letter to President Brodhead. Yaeger was very professional and well-spoken and, though he surely wrote the book, he let Coach Pressler have most of the limelight, seeming to know that it is his story, after all.
All in all, a very enjoyable event with no untoward hitches.
