My first southern swing through the ACC...

[cto]

Home from my first ACC tour (two tough games at Duke and Maryland), but I am glad I did it. Cameron Indoor Stadium is everything it is said to be (small, crowded, loud and intimidating), but the Maryland students last night were every bit as loud as the Duke students on Saturday night, and there were more of them in Comcast than there were Duke students in Cameron. On the other hand Comcast is twice as big as Cameron...and I am sure the Duke students would have filled a vastly increased area.

After two road ACC games (small sample size, I know), it seems to me that ACC fans are more intense, more knowledgable and more polite to visitors than your typical Big East fans. I saw none of the nastiness that i frequently experienced at Big East venues. Maybe it's a southern thing. At both Duke and Maryland, home fans actually started conversations... welcoming us to the ACC and asking us what we thought of it. Imagine that happening at the Verizon Center!

Duke is a beautiful sprawling campus with plentiful parking if you don't mind walking a bit. It was 70 degrees, and the overwhelmingly preppy students were wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals. To this northerner, it felt like late April. UMD is a huge, confusing semi-urban campus with a parking and traffic nightmare. It was also about 35 degrees and very windy... which didn't add to the parking experience for most people... and which felt like winter.

Indeed, it WAS winter. It was 28 degrees and snowing so hard in DC this morning, that my plane had to be de-iced twice before it was allowed to take off. Oddly enough, it was sunny and significantly warmer when I got to NYC. Since Maryland is leaving the ACC after this season, maybe I'll never be tempted to go there again in February.

This weekend I'm off to UVA... one of my favorite campuses in America, but I've only been there on business -- never to a sports event. Looking forward to beating that other Orange team.

 

[Orangezoo]

DC was a mess this morning. 3 hour drive in to work for snow that didnt stick lol

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I'm curious how many Cuse fans were at Duke and at Maryland. It was hard to tell on TV. Also can you tell TGD that it wouldn't hurt to throw something orange on. Occasionally he might wear an orange tie, but if he is at a game, he is usually dressed more casual and almost never has orange on. Maybe no one else notices and it's just me.

 

[Cuseregular]

Home from my first ACC tour (two tough games at Duke and Maryland), but I am glad I did it. Cameron Indoor Stadium is everything it is said to be (small, crowded, loud and intimidating), but the Maryland students last night were every bit as loud as the Duke students on Saturday night, and there were more of them in Comcast than there were Duke students in Cameron. On the other hand Comcast is twice as big as Cameron...and I am sure the Duke students would have filled a vastly increased area.

After two road ACC games (small sample size, I know), it seems to me that ACC fans are more intense, more knowledgable and more polite to visitors than your typical Big East fans. I saw none of the nastiness that i frequently experienced at Big East venues. Maybe it's a southern thing. At both Duke and Maryland, home fans actually started conversations... welcoming us to the ACC and asking us what we thought of it. Imagine that happening at the Verizon Center!

Duke is a beautiful sprawling campus with plentiful parking if you don't mind walking a bit. It was 70 degrees, and the overwhelmingly preppy students were wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals. To this northerner, it felt like late April. UMD is a huge, confusing semi-urban campus with a parking and traffic nightmare. It was also about 35 degrees and very windy... which didn't add to the parking experience for most people... and which felt like winter.

Indeed, it WAS winter. It was 28 degrees and snowing so hard in DC this morning, that my plane had to be de-iced twice before it was allowed to take off. Oddly enough, it was sunny and significantly warmer when I got to NYC. Since Maryland is leaving the ACC after this season, maybe I'll never be tempted to go there again in February.

This weekend I'm off to UVA... one of my favorite campuses in America, but I've only been there on business -- never to a sports event. Looking forward to beating that other Orange team.

It's definitely a southern thing their polite niceness. I've noticed the same thing on the boards with visiting posters as well as hitting their boards. Much to like about our new reality and this is a part of it.

 

[stuckinbig11]

I am glad they were nice to you, Mam.

 

[SRHoo]

Cuse didn't have a road game to UNC this year, correct? Awesome campus, and Franklin Street is a fun hangout. Easily my 2nd favorite ACC campus.

 

[cto]

Cuse didn't have a road game to UNC this year, correct? Awesome campus, and Franklin Street is a fun hangout. Easily my 2nd favorite ACC campus.

Correct. Our only UNC game this year was at the Dome. Looking forward to going to Chapel Hill next year. As I said above... really looking forward to going to Charlottesville this weekend. I have been to business receptions/dinners in the Rotunda... but never to a basketball game there.

 

[pfister1]

What!?! No impressions on JB's ejection and the events leading up to it.... I am going to grade your submission an incomplete and suggest you take it back and put a little more time into it.

 

[MikeFan]

Glad you had a good trip to the "southern" ACC. No doubt, both Duke and Maryland are "south" of Syracuse, but don't ever tell Terp fans they are "southern". They were not part of the Confederacy and for years, before expansion, they were seen as the red-headed Yankee stepchild in the ACC. Gary Williams once remarked after one of many All Carolina Conference ref screwings, "what are we, Alaska?" Most Terp fans are happy to be leaving for the B1G.

I hope that Cuse does well in the ACC. Maybe with the addition of so many former BE schools, there can be some serious efforts on the part of the ADs from those schools to get more balance. If you don't think having nearly all the ACC BB tournaments in Carolina does not give a home court advantage to those schools, think again. The ONLY reason that any of them are played out of Carolina today is that back in the 70's, Maryland threatened to bolt the league and the ACC fathers almost crapped their pants over the idea of losing the DC-Baltimore TV market. Anyway, light-years better for all today, but there is still a strong Carolina bias. We need to change it.

 

[cto]

What!?! No impressions on JB's ejection and the events leading up to it... I am going to grade your submission an incomplete and suggest you take it back and put a little more time into it.

It was three days ago... and I assume you all saw it better on TV than I saw it in person. Okay... my ringside take on it. I was sitting right behind the SU bench (so close to it that Jerami Grant was literally perspiring on me; Cameron is so crowded that there is ZERO space between the bench and the first row of spectators), and I was sharing my seat with an empty Gatorade barrel that could not be moved because Gatorade had paid to have the damned barrel on tv.

Jim was standing .. not sitting .. when the outrageous foul was called (which we all thought was gonna be an "and one" for us). He rushed onto the floor like a a shot out of a rifle... and we were all screaming "be careful"... but it was too late. The assistant coaches ran after him, but it was too late. After the game, Coach K spoke to all the SU players as he walked through that traditional line thing .. and he hugged Mike Hopkins and said something consoling to him... right in front of me. I was so shocked and speechless by the whole thing.. that I neglected to take my iPhone out of my pocket to get a picture of it.

BOTTOM LINE: It was classic Jim. He is extremely loyal to his players and to his friends. He fights for his players and for his friends. And he thought one of his players had been screwed. That's my take on it. May I now get rid of the incomplete?

 

[thebigeast44]

A+ report cto! Although, I do have to ask how intimidating Cameron really is - intimidated by a bunch of preppies - come on now

 

[SmilinBob]

First off...very jealous but glad people are taking advantage of doing this!

Second...my youngest daughter has Virginia on very long list CTO, love to hear your feedback after all is said and done. Wife's a big Jefferson fan so this one could get very interesting as all 3 of us love history and that school is jam packed with it.

 

[pfister1]

That's my take on it. May I now get rid of the incomplete?

Your grade has been updated to an A+. Thank you.

 

[Eric15]

After two road ACC games (small sample size, I know), it seems to me that ACC fans are more intense, more knowledgable and more polite to visitors than your typical Big East fans.

On average, I find that south of the Mason-Dixon line people are much more friendly and gracious towards complete strangers. People go out of their way to greet others whereas in the Northeast it's not really like that.

 

[RenoHeel]

UVa has one of the prettiest campuses you'll ever see. if you have time, go for a ride in the surrounding countryside...worth the time and effort.

V Tech has one of the prettiest campuses, for a Community College. in the world.

(Thought my Hoo friends would appreciate that)

 

[BostonOrange]

Home from my first ACC tour (two tough games at Duke and Maryland), but I am glad I did it. Cameron Indoor Stadium is everything it is said to be (small, crowded, loud and intimidating), but the Maryland students last night were every bit as loud as the Duke students on Saturday night, and there were more of them in Comcast than there were Duke students in Cameron. On the other hand Comcast is twice as big as Cameron...and I am sure the Duke students would have filled a vastly increased area.

After two road ACC games (small sample size, I know), it seems to me that ACC fans are more intense, more knowledgable and more polite to visitors than your typical Big East fans. I saw none of the nastiness that i frequently experienced at Big East venues. Maybe it's a southern thing. At both Duke and Maryland, home fans actually started conversations... welcoming us to the ACC and asking us what we thought of it. Imagine that happening at the Verizon Center!

Duke is a beautiful sprawling campus with plentiful parking if you don't mind walking a bit. It was 70 degrees, and the overwhelmingly preppy students were wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals. To this northerner, it felt like late April. UMD is a huge, confusing semi-urban campus with a parking and traffic nightmare. It was also about 35 degrees and very windy... which didn't add to the parking experience for most people... and which felt like winter.

Indeed, it WAS winter. It was 28 degrees and snowing so hard in DC this morning, that my plane had to be de-iced twice before it was allowed to take off. Oddly enough, it was sunny and significantly warmer when I got to NYC. Since Maryland is leaving the ACC after this season, maybe I'll never be tempted to go there again in February.

This weekend I'm off to UVA... one of my favorite campuses in America, but I've only been there on business -- never to a sports event. Looking forward to beating that other Orange team.

There are few flying experiences worse than the double de-ice

 

[Bayside44]

Glad you had a good trip to the "southern" ACC. No doubt, both Duke and Maryland are "south" of Syracuse, but don't ever tell Terp fans they are "southern". They were not part of the Confederacy and for years, before expansion, they were seen as the red-headed Yankee stepchild in the ACC. Gary Williams once remarked after one of many All Carolina Conference ref screwings, "what are we, Alaska?" Most Terp fans are happy to be leaving for the B1G.

I hope that Cuse does well in the ACC. Maybe with the addition of so many former BE schools, there can be some serious efforts on the part of the ADs from those schools to get more balance. If you don't think having nearly all the ACC BB tournaments in Carolina does not give a home court advantage to those schools, think again. The ONLY reason that any of them are played out of Carolina today is that back in the 70's, Maryland threatened to bolt the league and the ACC fathers almost crapped their pants over the idea of losing the DC-Baltimore TV market. Anyway, light-years better for all today, but there is still a strong Carolina bias. We need to change it.

If you recruited better (Williams laid down after he won the title) and didn't waste money on stadium expansion you didn't need the Maryland attitude may be different.

Good luck hosting Ohio State next season.

 

[Delmar]

It was 70 degrees, and the overwhelmingly preppy students were wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals.

"Overwhelmingly preppy." Well-phrased and accurate.

 

[cto]

A+ report cto! Although, I do have to ask how intimidating Cameron really is - intimidated by a bunch of preppies - come on now

Intimidating because everything the students do is choreographed and rehearsed... and they jump and sway and gesture and shout in unison. It is a small and absolutely packed-in arena. We saw Duke fans with small children... and the children were wearing industrial ear muffs. It is hard to explain how loud it is. Remember the Dome when John Thompson was kicked out of a game in 2000? That was the loudest I have ever heard the Dome. Cameron was like that the entire game.

 

[Hoo's That]

UVa has one of the prettiest campuses you'll ever see. if you have time, go for a ride in the surrounding countryside...worth the time and effort.

V Tech has one of the prettiest campuses, for a Community College. in the world.

(Thought my Hoo friends would appreciate that)

Yes, we do.

 

[Hoo's That]

Correct. Our only UNC game this year was at the Dome. Looking forward to going to Chapel Hill next year. As I said above... really looking forward to going to Charlottesville this weekend. I have been to business receptions/dinners in the Rotunda... but never to a basketball game there.

I hope you're able to see the MLax game as well.

 

[cto]

I hope you're able to see the MLax game as well.

Depends on the weather. A 7:30 pm outdoor event on March 1 is a bit problematic for me because I hate to be cold. And I see the evening forecast for Charlottesville on Saturday is 33 degrees. If the powers that be (ESPN, apparently) had a brain, they would have sked the lax game in the afternoon and the basketball game in the evening.

 

[GoTerps99]

Home from my first ACC tour (two tough games at Duke and Maryland), but I am glad I did it. Cameron Indoor Stadium is everything it is said to be (small, crowded, loud and intimidating), but the Maryland students last night were every bit as loud as the Duke students on Saturday night, and there were more of them in Comcast than there were Duke students in Cameron. On the other hand Comcast is twice as big as Cameron...and I am sure the Duke students would have filled a vastly increased area.

After two road ACC games (small sample size, I know), it seems to me that ACC fans are more intense, more knowledgable and more polite to visitors than your typical Big East fans. I saw none of the nastiness that i frequently experienced at Big East venues. Maybe it's a southern thing. At both Duke and Maryland, home fans actually started conversations... welcoming us to the ACC and asking us what we thought of it. Imagine that happening at the Verizon Center!

Duke is a beautiful sprawling campus with plentiful parking if you don't mind walking a bit. It was 70 degrees, and the overwhelmingly preppy students were wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals. To this northerner, it felt like late April. UMD is a huge, confusing semi-urban campus with a parking and traffic nightmare. It was also about 35 degrees and very windy... which didn't add to the parking experience for most people... and which felt like winter.

Indeed, it WAS winter. It was 28 degrees and snowing so hard in DC this morning, that my plane had to be de-iced twice before it was allowed to take off. Oddly enough, it was sunny and significantly warmer when I got to NYC. Since Maryland is leaving the ACC after this season, maybe I'll never be tempted to go there again in February.

This weekend I'm off to UVA... one of my favorite campuses in America, but I've only been there on business -- never to a sports event. Looking forward to beating that other Orange team.

I'm really glad you enjoyed the trip to Maryland! Yeah, the traffic is a different kind of Hell than what NYC experiences, but if you had the chance to stay in DC and Metro up to campus, I think you may have had a better experience. Give that a try next time.

Please, please, please, don't call us Southerners. I think those who were born in DC or Maryland tend to think of ourselves as "Mid-Atlantic", as Maryland very much is a convergence of North and South...thankfully with the Southern aspects slowly being squeezed out. This plays itself out through the various names I've been called as the away fan. At Clemson, NC State and GT, I've been called a "Yankee", while at UNC we've been told to "Go back to the Ghetto". The demographics of Maryland are changing rapidly, as is DC and Northern VA, so the "Southern-ness" of Maryland will soon be relegated to small pockets of the state.

The ACC does have some beautiful campuses and sports venues. I've been to every campus for games (minus your school), and I've always found the trips to be fun. UNC/UVA/Clemson/FSU/Wake all have great crowds and wonderful campuses.

Cuse, I hope you guys do well here in the ACC, and I hope that you'll help continue to change the culture as well! Best of luck to you guys and enjoy your visits!

 

[Alsacs]

What I found interesting as CTO said the Duke students had cheers/taunts on sheets with numbers and then the student leaders would say number 3 and then that was the chant the Duke students would do. It was completely choreographed and that isn't a bad thing it was just interesting that its not organic as I thought. Duke campus was pretty and honestly I didn't think our team was intimidated at all playing at Cameron which was cool and shows these kids are tough.

 

[sufandu]

I wonder how ACC fans compare to SEC fans. Living in Knoxville, I haven't found people to be any nicer than CNY (can't compare to Big East away venues, since I never made it to any).