cto
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I have been to some hostile and noisey venues in my life, but Gampel tonight won the prize.
My friend, his grandson and I arrived a early (around 7:30) because they had never been there and wanted to see it. So we walked around the inside of the arena a bit. When we walked in front of the smaller of two student sections (the one behind the UConn basket), the students there unleashed an unprintable torrent of expletives at us because we were wearing orange. My friend's young grandson was literally frightened by them. They were that vicious and obscene.
During the 30 minutes before the "Game Day" telecast began, the students in the larger student section (the one behind the SU basket) were led through a rehearsal of their cheers by someone on the PA system. It was all choreographed. They were told what to do at each time out throughout the game. And they practiced it. I had never seen that before. And ESPN iikes Game Day in small on-campus venues because of the spontaneous student enthusiasm. I hope they noticed.
A guy two rows behind us screamed expletives at JB all game long. At one point, security told him that he would be asked to leave if he kept it up. He kept it up, and they never came back. (Really pleasant environment. It was all we heard in our ears all game long).
And now the worse part: the students behind the SU basket. In the second half, when UConn made its sustained charge, they made more noise than I have ever heard at a basketball game. And they really tormented the SU players when they attempted free throws or any other shots in the second half. They were so loud during timeouts (the choreographed cheers) that we wondered whether the players could hear anything JB was saying to them. We couldn't hear each other.
I was sitting near someone who has been at many more game at many more venues than I have, and I asked him whether he had ever been in such a hostile environment. He said he could not think of one.
Unless UConn follows us to the ACC, this will probably be out last game ever at Gampel. I for one will not be unhappy.
PS, at the end of the game, someone collected all the signs used by the students in the student section. They had not been spontaneous signs made by students. They were produced by the school and distributed to the students. (Even the big heads).
My friend, his grandson and I arrived a early (around 7:30) because they had never been there and wanted to see it. So we walked around the inside of the arena a bit. When we walked in front of the smaller of two student sections (the one behind the UConn basket), the students there unleashed an unprintable torrent of expletives at us because we were wearing orange. My friend's young grandson was literally frightened by them. They were that vicious and obscene.
During the 30 minutes before the "Game Day" telecast began, the students in the larger student section (the one behind the SU basket) were led through a rehearsal of their cheers by someone on the PA system. It was all choreographed. They were told what to do at each time out throughout the game. And they practiced it. I had never seen that before. And ESPN iikes Game Day in small on-campus venues because of the spontaneous student enthusiasm. I hope they noticed.
A guy two rows behind us screamed expletives at JB all game long. At one point, security told him that he would be asked to leave if he kept it up. He kept it up, and they never came back. (Really pleasant environment. It was all we heard in our ears all game long).
And now the worse part: the students behind the SU basket. In the second half, when UConn made its sustained charge, they made more noise than I have ever heard at a basketball game. And they really tormented the SU players when they attempted free throws or any other shots in the second half. They were so loud during timeouts (the choreographed cheers) that we wondered whether the players could hear anything JB was saying to them. We couldn't hear each other.
I was sitting near someone who has been at many more game at many more venues than I have, and I asked him whether he had ever been in such a hostile environment. He said he could not think of one.
Unless UConn follows us to the ACC, this will probably be out last game ever at Gampel. I for one will not be unhappy.
PS, at the end of the game, someone collected all the signs used by the students in the student section. They had not been spontaneous signs made by students. They were produced by the school and distributed to the students. (Even the big heads).
