No matter how much people (cough: ESPN) over-hype the trials and
tribulations of Duke's Cameron Crazies, the bottom line is that the
Crazies comprise one of, if not the, most loyal fan sections in all of
sports, and their devotion to good-natured fun is a consistent force
for good in college hoops.
Duke might get more than its fair share of
press. Fan sections like Illinois's Orange Krush might feel neglected.
(The Krush actually have to fundraise to be able to sit close to the
floor at Assembly Hall, which may or may not be more arduous than
drinking in a tent for three days. I'd choose the tent.) But the bottom
line is that the Crazies have earned their reputation and the home
court advantage that comes along with it, like it or not.
Duke understands this fully, which is why this decision is not exactly surprising: The school's athletic department has decided to seat its graduate students in the lower areas of Cameron Indoor Stadium,
just behind the baskets at each end of the court.
This is the sort of
thing that could spark a minor controversy anywhere else. Boosters used
to sit in those seats, and the big money types who help support Duke
hoops probably aren't thrilled about giving up another prime section of
courtside real estate. Plus, they're just graduate students! They
barely even count!
But this is a good idea for obvious reasons: It rewards grad
students, many of whom are as intense about Duke basketball as their
undergrad brethren. )Though I can't imagine how they fit it into their
schedules; undergrad is easy, but aren't grad students supposed to be
really busy?) It also helps with atmosphere. No one needs the stodgy
old folks sitting behind the hoops. You need the clever and spry youth,
the kind that use their considerable non-scholastic brain power to
devise ingenious ways of distracting the opposing free throw shooter.
Duke might be trading out a little money for these seats, but it's the
right call.
It's remarkable how easy this is, and yet how infrequently it's
followed in other college hoops arenas. Indiana is a prime example.
Personal anecdote: In my tenure there (2003-2007), Indiana students cried out for an organized seating arrangement at Assembly Hall.
(Some students are on the floor behind the hoops, some are on the side
in the corner, and the rest are in the craned-neck balconies.) But to
no avail. The best seats in the house are right down next to the court.
They'd be perfect for a Duke-esque student section. But there's so much
old Indiana money flowing through those seats, so many waiting lists
and so much clout, that there's literally no chance of the students
seizing them, no chance of creating a better atmosphere. (To its
credit, Indiana tickets a huge number of students, even though this
creates seating issues of its own. Frankly, it's a mess.)
The point of which is that even though Duke is doing the right
thing for its students and basketball program, it's not the easy thing
at all. It's a sacrifice. But other schools would do well to consider
the same. And Duke students should appreciate the joys of Cameron
Indoor while they can. It's a rare gem, that place. You guys are lucky
to have it.
