One of the interesting (though in the long term, probably fairly meaningless) subplots of the NCAA's decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to all of the freshmen, sophomores and juniors from Duke's 2006 lacrosse team was the impact on the record book.

Sure, those guys lost the second half of the 2006 season in the wake of rape accusations and a generally due process-free circus in Durham. But should the numbers rolled up in eight games that year still count for something.

This is a relevant point since fifth-year senior Matt Danowski broke the NCAA career points record yesterday. Danowski now has 347 points (167 goals, 180 assists), passing the 343 rolled up by Air Force's Joe Vasta from 1983 to 1986.

But if you take away the 26 points Danowski earned in 2006, he falls back to 321 points. That's still second all-time, and not too shabby. But it would still be hard to make it back to 343 with no more than three games left --- though if anyone is capable of averaging nearly eight points a game in the postseason, it's Danowski.

(This rhetoric doesn't really affect attackman Zack Greer, who holds the NCAA record for career goals with 199. Greer is only in his fourth year, so no one should argue his mark's legitimacy. Greer might have played far more games overall in the last four years than some others on the list, but it's still his record).

Since only three other guys who played in the last decade even have 260 points --- Syracuse's Casey, Ryan and Michael Powell --- chances are Danowski won't have much company at the top of the points list.

During a trip to Durham late last month, I asked a few people in the program what they thought of this situation. It never made it into the story that ran last week in the print edition, but this seems as good a time as any to drop in these snippets from the cutting room floor.

JOHN DANOWSKI, coach

"The sad part is the guys here, they could care less. Do whatever you want but I think to seniors from 2006, that's their senior year and to take away out of the record books for them would be to say what you did didn't exist."

MICHAEL WARD, fifth-year defensive midfielder

"I think that's one way to go about it. I'm not breaking any record, I don't have any interest in it. I can understand that. If you want to strike that season and truly replace it, then that's fine. I really think at the end of the day, if we're the 2008 national champions, that's the only stat I care about."

TONY McDEVITT, fifth-year defenseman

"I don't think that would be too far off. Statistics are a part of sports, but when it comes down to it they don't really mean anything beyond the win and the loss. I'd have no problem with them doing that [and tossing the numbers].

"I think there's some symbolic value to those eight games. I think it would be tough on the seniors from that year. They're the forgotten ones. They're the ones we feel bad for. They're done. We play Cornell, lose 11-7, and their Duke lacrosse careers are over. I don't know if I could deal with that. For those 12 guys, I don't think you can do that. So I don't think that will ever happen.

"Especially coming a defenseman, what are you going to do, get rid of my 12 groundballs? I don't think you can do it because of those seniors. Matt Zash, Dan Flannery, Bret Thompson, all those guys, they were legit and they want to have that 6-2."

That's a look from inside the Duke program. How about some thoughts from outside it? Should the NCAA affix an asterisk for a record earned over an extra half-season of eligibility? Or should it stand as is?

--- Patrick Stevens