Indianapolis Star apologizes to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski over 'juvenile' artwork

INDIANAPOLIS -- In Friday's early editions of The Indianapolis Star, the cover of the sports section featured a picture of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski with some, well, artwork around him.

The newspaper added horns to his head, a bullseye and other markings on his face and the word "lose" several times in the space surrounding Coach K's tie.

Though it made early editions, the image was changed for a later edition that circulates in Indianapolis. But there was a buzz about the image in the media room at Lucas Oil Stadium. (The (Anderson, Ind.) Herald Bulletin had preserved the artwork.)

The final-edition version was just a picture of Krzyzewski with the headline 'BOO DEVILS' across the bottom of the photo. (Here's picture of the final-edition version.)

Though it was changed, enough people saw it that Krzyzewski was asked what he thought of it during Friday's news conference.

"I did see that, and first thing I thought was, 'that can't be.' How could a newspaper do that," Krzyzewski. "I thought somebody doodled ..."

"But it was kinda juvenile," he added."Not kind of, it was juvenile. And my seven grand kids didn't enjoy looking at it. It is what it is. It's very juvenile. We have great kids who go to school, they graduate. If we're going to be despised or hated by anyone because we go to school and we want to win, you know what? That's your problem. You have a problem. Because we're going to go to school and we're going to try to win. You don't like it? Keep drawing pictures ... just keep drawing pictures. Try to do them a little better than that, though."

Editors from The Indianapolis Star,  owned by Gannett, the parent company of USA TODAY,  met with Krzyzewski, his wife and a few other Duke officials in the team's locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium  to apologize after the team's practice Friday.

Jeff Rabjohns, The Indianapolis Star writer who authored the story, was "stunned" to see the artwork this morning. He said he wasn't aware of it until after he received numerous emails and voicemails early Friday morning.

"I had no involvement in the design whatsoever and was as stunned as anyone else to see that in the newspaper and horrified that it was above my byline," Rabjohns said.

Said sports editor Jim Lefko, "Coach Krzyzewski accepted our apology. The Duke people were very gracious about it."

Lefko said the drawing came together late in the day, was finished close to the deadline for the paper's state edition which goes to outlying counties and wasn't properly vetted.

"It didn't meet our standards," Lefko said. "It was one of those ideas that you start throwing around and by the time it came together, it was on deadline. ... It didn't get vetted."

Lefko said he called Duke officials Friday morning before some knew what had happened.

"When you are wrong, you admit," said Lefko, "and you apologize."

Lefko said the paper also plans an apology column in Saturday's editions.

-- Tim Gardner and Thomas O'Toole