The Tragedy of Acting Like You've Been There Before

[690West]

I thought of this thread immediately last night as SMU fans were storming the court after winning a game they were favored by 4 to win. There was a time when I would've thought it ridiculous for them to do such a thing. But I thought about OP's post, smiled, and said "good for them"

 

[SWC75]

I thought of this thread immediately last night as SMU fans were storming the court after winning a game they were favored by 4 to win. There was a time when I would've thought it ridiculous for them to do such a thing. But I thought about OP's post, smiled, and said "good for them"

On the other hand Texas Tech fans did the same and the ESPN guy suggested that that could have incited something in thew wake of the Marcus Smart incident. It didn't but it could have.

 

[tptcuse]

I love that this thread has evolved into ridiculous ways to celebrate the team.

All these ideas are grade-A idiotic, but I think they do point out that over-celebration is vastly superior to "act like you've been there before." Because if you take that idea to the extreme, you have a fan who -- after his team wins the national championship -- stands up from his stadium seat, brushes off the nacho crumbs, and heads for the exit.

And I'd wholeheartedly endorse any of these awful ideas mentioned. Storming the court at half-time? Brilliant. We'd be the lead story on ESPN that night and have half a million new fans the next day. We'd be to fanbases what FGCU was to basketball teams for a week last spring -- completely unpredictable and entertaining.

Opposing coaches would have to prep their teams for any possibility, "Guys, be aware, anything can happen here. They used to stand and clap, now they chant the c-word in unison until the 69th basket is made. They gave Boeheim a gatorade shower at the first tv-timeout. Remember when our fans wore the black t-shirts and had a "Blackout" game? These fans had a nude-out last week. During half-time of the Duke game, everyone chipped in $10 and they gave the duke mascot $350,000 to drop out of school and enroll at Syracuse and cheer SU in the blue devil costume for the second half. They're going to show intercepted s e x ts from your phone on the jumbotron, it's just what they do, be ready for that. Their cheerleaders are in nun's habits. They have a 6-minute call and response cheer that is a scene from According to Jim. They did the wave and a had a guy actually surf it. And during football games they jingle their keys."

This is a classic post. One for the ages.

 

[SWC75]

Jim Brown coined the term "Act Like You've Been There Before" as a reaction to end zone dances. Others have applied it to storming the court by fans, which I think is a different issue, one which can have some safety concerns and, as I've said, routs the players from the field and thus separates them from their fans.

 

[Cowtown]

Agree on the safety issue, especially for all the players. All it takes for something ugly to happen is an overzealous fan to "get in the face" of an opposing player. While I'm aware he had other issues, I always liked Jon Chaney who counseled his players, "Don't be emotionally drunk," and always thought it consistent with "act like you've been there before." I'm okay with taking that farther than just the confines of the playing surface. As far as what constitutes a good fan, whether it is one who cheers wildly throughout the game or another who watches quietly and cheers when he considers it appropriate, it should first be stated that good fans buy tickets and attend games. Beyond that, it's rather a "different strikes for different folks" thing for me. I noticed another poster earlier in the thread mentioned that the "boneheads" are those who watch quietly and go home. I'm sure that sentiment is ironically shared by others who criticize the Duke crazies for their regularly over-the-top antics.

 

[690West]

Agree on the safety issue, especially for all the players. All it takes for something ugly to happen is an overzealous fan to "get in the face" of an opposing player. While I'm aware he had other issues, I always liked Jon Chaney who counseled his players, "Don't be emotionally drunk," and always thought it consistent with "act like you've been there before." I'm okay with taking that farther than just the confines of the playing surface. As far as what constitutes a good fan, whether it is one who cheers wildly throughout the game or another who watches quietly and cheers when he considers it appropriate, it should first be stated that good fans buy tickets and attend games. Beyond that, it's rather a "different strikes for different folks" thing for me. I noticed another poster earlier in the thread mentioned that the "boneheads" are those who watch quietly and go home. I'm sure that sentiment is ironically shared by others who criticize the Duke crazies for their regularly over-the-top antics.

I couldn't stand Chaney but that is a fantastic line for players, "don't be emotionally drunk". I'm gonna use that with my 3rd grade team. Actually wait, maybe not. Love the line though

 

[Charco]

I thought of this thread immediately last night as SMU fans were storming the court after winning a game they were favored by 4 to win. There was a time when I would've thought it ridiculous for them to do such a thing. But I thought about OP's post, smiled, and said "good for them"

Nice!

To be clear -- since some people are fumbling over themselves to misread this thread -- I'm absolutely fine with having an atmosphere of "act like you've been there before" for players (to a certain extent). I too don't want Baye doing the Nestea plunge into the student section after every made free-throw.

What prompted this thread was all the frightened, self-conscious threads about "we better not storm the court" or "I can't believe they made a t-shirt" or "if we do X we're going to look like a mid-major." I think the last thing a fanbase needs to do is spend time worrying if they're celebrating or supporting their team "properly" or in a manner that another fanbase is okay with. Worrying about how you're perceived by others is something that was perfected by middle school girls. We shouldn't be taking our cues from them. And I'm not chastising the people who choose to sit quietly, applaud gently and get up and leave, anymore than I'm chastising the guy who has dull, lifeless sex with his wife. Maybe the team -- and your wife -- would prefer someone who was more "into it" but you live your life like you want to. Just don't tell your neighbor how to bang his wife.

 

[ABitHusky]

This thread got linked from the court storm thread.

I chuckle quietly to myself from time to time at Cuse's propensity for making shirts for any relatively significant accomplishment. Now I feel like I just got blindsided by a truck labelled "life lessons". Well done.

 

[ssbriefcase]

This thread got linked from the court storm thread.

I chuckle quietly to myself from time to time at Cuse's propensity for making shirts for any relatively significant accomplishment. Now I feel like I just got blindsided by a truck labelled "life lessons". Well done.

Big difference. There's a company making $$ off of every shirt they print. The more they print, the more $. C'mon keep up Ucant

 

[orange79]

This thread got linked from the court storm thread.

I chuckle quietly to myself from time to time at Cuse's propensity for making shirts for any relatively significant accomplishment. Now I feel like I just got blindsided by a truck labelled "life lessons". Well done.

 

[swish7]

So don’t act like you’ve been there before. Because the fact of the matter is, you haven’t been in this moment before. And there’s no guarantees it will ever be this good again.

I love this, because as you might not know, every day is the shortest day of our lives.

 

[creatorsgam]

I love this, because as you might not know, every day is the shortest day of our lives.

Loved that link, good read.

 

[690West]

Our boy Charco said it way better:
http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaab/eye...-ban-court-stormings-fine-but-till-then-relax