The Team the Race Hustlers Couldn't Kill

Congratulations to the Duke Lacrosse team. And a great big "go to hell" to Al Sharpton.

Just wearing the jersey was hard. The words "Duke lacrosse" were viewed more as scarlet letters than banners of pride.

The players knew it. They put on a brave face and went about their business, but the Blue Devils were well aware of the word association people made with their names: Duke lacrosse equated to scandal and shame. One year gave way to two, to three and though the charges of rape were dropped and the players involved in the 2006 scandal ultimately exonerated, the stigma still existed. There was, after all, nothing else to associate Duke lacrosse with.

Since 2006, the Blue Devils played for one national championship and made two other Final Four appearances but each time, the Devils came up short. And then in five short seconds, CJ Costabile did what four years couldn't do. The sophomore long pole won the opening faceoff in overtime, sprinted down the field and scored to give Duke a 6-5 victory over Notre Dame, its first lacrosse national championship and the ultimate cathartic moment.