I find it amazing...

[EarlJam]

...that as close as Duke students and the Crazies are to the players on the court, that there has been little to zero occurances of fights, inappropriate contact and such over the years.

Like when the opposing player is inbounding the ball on the sideline and all the Crazies are shaking their hands right next to his face. It seems that at some point through the years, one drunken student would throw a punch - or an object, or perhaps taze the opposing player, leading to chaos.

It's commendable and amazing that this has not, to my knowledge, happened to date.

-EarlJam

[weezie]

I think the Crazies must take their role as "sixth man" pretty seriously.

[DukeDude]

There was this one time, when Dale Davis came over to inbound the ball right in front of me, that I was too scared to put my arm up.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

There was this one time, when Dale Davis came over to inbound the ball right in front of me, that I was too scared to put my arm up.

In the 1975 season, we were playing Maryland and I/we were sitting right behind the visiting bench (fourth row, behind their JV football players, aka, buffer zone). We ragged on them pretty good as usual, and I had my air horn blasting, as usual. They beat us handily (104-80, I looked it up), and as Maryland player Jap Trimble was running on the side line from mid court towards the visitors' exit beyond the team bench, he stepped up onto the first row bench and threw a punch at the student about 5 seats up to my left, hitting him in the jaw. I don't know if he thought that was me or if he hit his intended target, but that is the only time in 35 years I've seen a physical altercation between a visiting player and a Duke fan. Of course, that doesn't count visiting players' shins interacting with DUMB trombone slides, back when they sat right up against the end of the court.

[Clipsfan]

In the 1975 season, we were playing Maryland and I/we were sitting right behind the visiting bench (fourth row, behind their JV football players, aka, buffer zone). We ragged on them pretty good as usual, and I had my air horn blasting, as usual. They beat us handily (104-80, I looked it up), and as Maryland player Jap Trimble was running on the side line from mid court towards the visitors' exit beyond the team bench, he stepped up onto the first row bench and threw a punch at the student about 5 seats up to my left, hitting him in the jaw. I don't know if he thought that was me or if he hit his intended target, but that is the only time in 35 years I've seen a physical altercation between a visiting player and a Duke fan. Of course, that doesn't count visiting players' shins interacting with DUMB trombone slides, back when they sat right up against the end of the court.

You stay classy, MD.

[Lavabe]

...that as close as Duke students and the Crazies are to the players on the court, that there has been little to zero occurances of fights, inappropriate contact and such over the years.

Like when the opposing player is inbounding the ball on the sideline and all the Crazies are shaking their hands right next to his face. It seems that at some point through the years, one drunken student would throw a punch - or an object, or perhaps taze the opposing player, leading to chaos.

It's commendable and amazing that this has not, to my knowledge, happened to date.

-EarlJam

Remember when Seth Greenberg thought he might be touched by a Crazy:
http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/articles/?p=346

Touched by a Crazy...
Cheers,
Lavabe

[dukestheheat]

EarlJam,

ok, let's put it like this; my last year at the gothic playground and carolina comes in and beats us like a drum in cameron; i'm standing there in the student section and the line to the carolina dressing room gets clogged up and all the carolina coaches and players are standing right there in a long line waiting to move; carolina player steve bucknall decides he's had enough and he starts to tease cameron indoor stadium, and the guy raises his arms well over this head. i am standing right there. i got a total whiff of that guy. i couldn't move, neither could he. i have hated him virtually ever since.

we are very, very, very close to the enemy, and sometimes, ye, sometimes, i did want to fight them.

the good old days are BACK big guy!

GO DUKE!

dth.

[dkbaseball]

In the 1975 season, we were playing Maryland and I/we were sitting right behind the visiting bench (fourth row, behind their JV football players, aka, buffer zone). We ragged on them pretty good as usual, and I had my air horn blasting, as usual. They beat us handily (104-80, I looked it up), and as Maryland player Jap Trimble was running on the side line from mid court towards the visitors' exit beyond the team bench, he stepped up onto the first row bench and threw a punch at the student about 5 seats up to my left, hitting him in the jaw. I don't know if he thought that was me or if he hit his intended target, but that is the only time in 35 years I've seen a physical altercation between a visiting player and a Duke fan. Of course, that doesn't count visiting players' shins interacting with DUMB trombone slides, back when they sat right up against the end of the court.

Revisit the memory, Oz. Jap trimble graduated in '74.

[Zeke]

Back in the '50's many students came equipped with hat pins to poke the opposing players (particularly UNC players).

Does anyone remember the NC State player who was accused of rape and was greeted with dozens of condoms when he came on the floor?

[arnie]

You're thinking of Herman Veal at Maryland (of course). UNCR did have their share of morons though.

[cbfx3]

Didnt they stop selling apples at cameron years ago?? for some odd reason?

[zingit]

Last year against FSU, I believe, some front row Crazies did get whistled by the ref for getting too close or possibly touching the player inbounding the ball. No big deal, but it did make me giggle.

[JasonEvans]

It was early February of 1988 and the #4 ranked Duke Blue Devils were hosting NC State. I was in my usual seat, the seat I sat in for every single game during my time at Duke, seat #61 right around half-court on the "TV side" -- the side opposite the team benches.

NC State was an underdog but they were a very good team. This was still State's glory years. They had the Fire and Ice backcourt of Monroe and Corchiani along with Vinnie DelNegro. The frontcourt was mostly Charles Shackelford, but he was a load-- a 6-11 bad mutha who would later be known for being amphibious.

We crazies were on our game, harrassing the State players mercilessly. The aggressive Shakelford was one of our primary targets.

It was an exciting back-and-forth battle, if memory serves, but State pulled it out in the final minute. I recall Duke having a last shot that missed and the State players went crazy with joy.

Shackelford and one of the frontcourt backups, a thug named Avie Lester, ran to the middle of the Duke court and started jumping up and down and pointing at the crazies-- pointing at me and my friends. Then, they started DANCING ON OUR LOGO!!

My mind pretty much went blank. I have only the foggiest of memories of what happened next. JB Duke and Spencer's Daddy and a few other posters on this board who knew me back in my Duke days probably know better than I what occured. All I know is I was suddenly on the floor, apparently I leaped over the press row, and I was charging 6-11 Charles Shackelford and 6-9 Avie Lester. It should be noted that Jason Evans stands 5-11 3/4 and weighs less than 200 pounds.

Before I could reach Shackelford and Lester, the Woflpack mascot, the wolf, grabbed me. He held me for a moment and said, "Don't do it. They'll get arrested."

That pause... that brief moment... allowed me to get my head back on straight. What was I thinking? This would be a black eye on Duke and I would get pummeled. I turned around, ready to stop my friends who were certainly charging right behind me to back me up in the fight... but all I saw was a bunch of slack-jawed guys staring at me like I had lost my mind. One friend later commented that he said, "look, Jason is gonna get killed."

I retreated back into the stands, into the crowd, fearful that the overweight public safety officers might come and grab me for charging the floor. Luckily, they were too busy helping the State players get back to the dressing room to have noticed.

So, when you marvel at how Duke fans can show such wildness and so much restraint at the same time, know that somewhere out there is a fellow Duke fan who could have brought it all crashing down if it was not for a friendly wolf.

--Jason "Avie would have pounded me while Shakelford watched and laughed, I think" Evans

[EarlJam]

So, when you marvel at how Duke fans can show such wildness and so much restraint at the same time, know that somewhere out there is a fellow Duke fan who could have brought it all crashing down if it was not for a friendly wolf.

--Jason "Avie would have pounded me while Shakelford watched and laughed, I think" Evans

Thats...........AWESOME!

Do you have it on tape? Were you sober? Sounds so surreal with you being stopped, in a frenzy, by a 7-foot-tall talking wolf.

And yes, with Shakelford being amphibious and all, you would have likely caught multiple left fins and right fins to the side of the head.

-EarlJam

[tbyers11]

As Earl Jam stated, I am surprised that because of the close quarters more incidents haven't occurred. I just think that Duke students should be as concerned as the players.

My junior year in 1998 at the after the infamous comeback against Carolina from down 17 in the with 10 minutes left, the Heels are exiting the court in front of me. I am about fourth row to the left of the Duke bench about halfway to the corner. Security has stretched the rope as they did then (do they still do this?) to try and let the Carolina players and staff through. The court is being stormed so it is a "bit" of a scrum. All the students right in front of me in the first row are right up against the rope giving UNC a hard time. It is pretty close quarters but as far as I can see none of the UNC contingent is being delayed physically in any way from leaving the court. Ademola Okulaja throws a pretty vicious elbow that catches some kid square in the jaw. The kid steps back a bit in obvious pain. A larger scrum ensues but I didn't stay to see what happened in my zeal to rush the court.

I remember reading some anecdotal evidence on message boards right after the fact about the elbow but never saw anything definitive about what happened. I am sure that Okajula's defense was that he never hit anyone because we all know that Ademola Okulaja only beats himself.

[billybreen]

You're thinking of Herman Veal at Maryland (of course). UNCR did have their share of morons though.

Leading to the whole Avuncular Letter and the taming of the Crazies. Still occasionally mentioned by opposing fans with long memories, but it's ancient history.

[billybreen]

I remember reading some anecdotal evidence on message boards right after the fact about the elbow but never saw anything definitive about what happened. I am sure that Okajula's defense was that he never hit anyone because we all know that Ademola Okulaja only beats himself.

That was my Sophomore year. I remember that being much discussed here, on the main page as well as the boards. If memory serves, the kid got his jaw broken.

[dukestheheat]

jason,

i was there that night as well; didn't we retire ferry's jersey that night? i do remember it'd snowed and the roof was dripping.

and i also remember the great defense of state's corchiani and he gave quin the thin snyder (remember 'quin's incredibly shrinking head' pix/article from the chronicle?) and the fact that corchiani would swipe UP at the ball and that's why he got so many steals and didn't get whistled a lot!

dth.

[dukestheheat]

jason,

remember when we used to throw tennis balls across the court during lay-ups pre-game?

i accidentally clocked clemson's horace grant (1987 or '88, not sure) on his left shoulder as he was circling to do a lay-up. i knew when i let it go that it wouldn't make it; dude was 7 feet tall and i threw it from the other side of the court. people around me went 'oooooh'. i ducked, here come the stadium cops and they didn't find me, but grant got mad and ran to the dressing room. see him at an airport and he's going to remember that incident.

we've all been there, man.

dth.

[blublood]

That was my Sophomore year. I remember that being much discussed here, on the main page as well as the boards. If memory serves, the kid got his jaw broken.

Yep - his name was Jess and he was in Navy ROTC. I knew him tangentially through some other ROTC friends, but I don't think his jaw was actually broken. He did spend a few days in the hospital because of that incident, but I can't remember exactly why.

I know every sports fan has a "Dude, I was almost killed!" story, but I literally was almost killed at that game. I stand about 5"2 and couldn't quite hop over the barrier during the court swarm afterwards, so the barrier came down on top of me with about 1000 fellow hysterical Crazies ready to trample my body. Fortunately, somebody grabbed my shirt and set me on my feet again, which is still not as good as my best friend's story - she was picked up by Nate James.