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GP3NY
03-13-2010, 09:34 PM
So, I don't post on this board very much, but I do read it daily and love the conversations that go on here.

I am writing as a lifelong Duke fan and current Duke graduate student. I just got back from the games today and am going tomorrow. I just wanted to make a plea to the Duke fans on this board, especially the Iron Dukes!

I 100% respect the Iron Dukes and love their financial support for our team, but MAN where are you at the tournament? I see you in your amazing courtside seats, but why can't we hear you cheering! (This is a generalized statement because there are some great fans in the Iron Dukes and us students LOVE you!). The Krzyzewski daughters cheer from across the court, and yell for the Iron Dukes to stand up - - - we get loud for one possession then sit down again. Today at the games the students were begging the fans to STAND UP and GET LOUD. I mean really, aren't we the best fans in the college basektball!? An undergrad actually had to run around with her dry erase board that said "Duke fans Get Hungry" to get a rise out a few Iron Dukes.

I hate Maryland and their fans with all of my heart, but one of the ONLY good things I will say about them is that they FILLED their section yesterday and they were LOUD during their game. The fans that were in the first rows of their section were standing, cheering, singing, and having fun. When you watch our section during our games it is nothing compared to that! So what is the deal?

I know I may be preaching to the choir here on this board because I know a lot of you don't live in North Carolina. I also know that as a fan in NY a few years ago, many of you, like myself, would practically DIE to have floor seats to ANY Duke game. So, I guess my plea for any of the Iron Dukes that may read this is to please cheer! Respect those seats, your fan base, and the people that would give $10,000 a year if they had it to sit where you do! You are a Duke blue devil and we are supposed to be the best in college basketball!

I had a few Iron Dukes come up to me and thank us for cheering so loud today.

Come on guys! We are Duke! We are playing for an ACC championship and #1 seed tomorrow! Can we get a little more excited??????

DukeGirl4ever
03-13-2010, 09:46 PM
Watching from PA, I would have liked to see the crowd get a little involved, and NOT just after K got teed up.

I agree with you, where's the noise?

GODUKEGO
03-13-2010, 09:48 PM
As hard as this is to admit, I agree with you. I have posted similar threads referring to the same thing. I am not saying everyone has to lose their voice after a game like I do but cheer loudly. I see people sitting in the highest demanded seats probably in sports sitting on their hands in CIS. Not all but way way to many. In the quarterfinals, VA had a fifth of the fans that we did and it is terrible to say but were as loud if not louder than the best sports fans in the world. Sneak in some lemon and honey tea for your vocal cords and yell. You will feel better!!! Miles should not have to go over to the crowd and motion for them to get up and cheer.

jv001
03-13-2010, 09:49 PM
Sorry I can't be there but sure wish I could. Pretty bad that Coach K had to ask the Duke crowd to get loud. Go Duke!

Franzez
03-13-2010, 09:51 PM
Theres no noise, the ACC Tournament is a joke of what it once was 10+ years ago.

You have 8 mediocre teams that change spots yearly, 2 second tier schools in GA Tech and Maryland, and the Elite schools in Duke and UNC.

The addition of VA Tech, BC & Miami along with the continued mediocrity of schools like UVA, NC State, Wake Forest, FSU, and Clemson has drained away the competitiveness of the conference.

GODUKEGO
03-13-2010, 09:57 PM
Theres no noise, the ACC Tournament is a joke of what it once was 10+ years ago.

You have 8 mediocre teams that change spots yearly, 2 second tier schools in GA Tech and Maryland, and the Elite schools in Duke and UNC.

The addition of VA Tech, BC & Miami along with the continued mediocrity of schools like UVA, NC State, Wake Forest, FSU, and Clemson has drained away the competitiveness of the conference.

and what does this have to do with cheering loudly, we are cheering for the #4 team in the country and a spot for the championship of our tournament. The current RPI rankings for conferences:
Men's Basketball - Atlantic Coast (2009-2010)

Conf. RPI Rank: 3 Conf. SOS Rank: 3

cbnaylor
03-13-2010, 10:04 PM
I concur that it probably didn't seem as loud today, but it actually was. We were just out numbered due to other fans in the building cheering against Duke. I'm still recovering from yelling so loud today at the one-sided calls during the first half! Go Duke.

Franzez
03-13-2010, 10:06 PM
and what does this have to do with cheering loudly, we are cheering for the #4 team in the country and a spot for the championship of our tournament. The current RPI rankings for conferences:
Men's Basketball - Atlantic Coast (2009-2010)

Conf. RPI Rank: 3 Conf. SOS Rank: 3

Its because the ACC Tournament is as important in terms of bragging rights as it once was. There are no "great teams" battling it out like it once was, there are some mediocre teams just looking to get off the bubble and then there is Duke.

Of course our fans will be cheering once the NCAA Tournament arrives, but at this point what is the reason to cheer for Duke to beat a mediocre Miami squad coached by a Muppet?

Winning the ACC just doesn't mean as much as it would years ago.

RockyMtDevil
03-13-2010, 10:13 PM
Franzen,
I've never seen you post before, and the two posts about the ACC show that you don't have a clue what you are talking about. The ACC has produced 4 National Champions since 2001, more than any other conference. To say that the ACC and the ACC Tourny don't mean anything just confirms that you may want to cease posting, because you aren't adding anything of value to the conversation.

GP3NY
03-13-2010, 10:19 PM
I concur that it probably didn't seem as loud today, but it actually was. We were just out numbered due to other fans in the building cheering against Duke. I'm still recovering from yelling so loud today at the one-sided calls during the first half! Go Duke.

That is absolutely NOT true! I agree that there were "times" where it was loud - - like when K got a tech, or when the game was over. However, we had a good amount of fans there... and a decent amount of NCSU fans were cheering for us - which accounts for 75% of the people there. The rest were GT and Miami, and a few leftover Maryland and Tar Hole fans.

And, I too have NO voice left - - which of course I am in the student section and we are trying to constantly compensate for the people who are down on the floor not cheering. I probably made such a lengthy post because I haven't been talking since I left the game... trying to preserve whatever I have left for tomorrow!

GP3NY
03-13-2010, 10:21 PM
I also, don't agree that the ACC tournaments don't mean anything. I absolutely do not think it means any less to any player on any team. Usually the people who say they don't care about the tournament or that it doesn't matter are those who lost early.

We, as fans, can make this change. An ACC tournament championship is AWESOME! No, it's not the same as a NCAA championship... but look at this tournament! It is an amazing accomplishment to win it! It means A LOT to the players, coaching staff, and real fans!

GODUKEGO
03-13-2010, 10:24 PM
That is absolutely NOT true! I agree that there were "times" where it was loud - - like when K got a tech, or when the game was over. However, we had a good amount of fans there... and a decent amount of NCSU fans were cheering for us - which accounts for 75% of the people there. The rest were GT and Miami, and a few leftover Maryland and Tar Hole fans.

And, I too have NO voice left - - which of course I am in the student section and we are trying to constantly compensate for the people who are down on the floor not cheering. I probably made such a lengthy post because I haven't been talking since I left the game... trying to preserve whatever I have left for tomorrow!

It works, warm lemon and honey tea, do it we need you tomorrow!!!

doctorhook
03-13-2010, 10:28 PM
Franzen,
I've never seen you post before, and the two posts about the ACC show that you don't have a clue what you are talking about. The ACC has produced 4 National Champions since 2001, more than any other conference. To say that the ACC and the ACC Tourny don't mean anything just confirms that you may want to cease posting, because you aren't adding anything of value to the conversation.
RockyMtDevil,

I think your comments are a little harsh. I love the tournament as much as anybody, been going pretty regularly for fifty years. Unfortunately, the tourney has lost a good deal of its excitement and luster. As you point out, 4 NCAA champions since 2001, but only one of those teams ( Duke 2001 ) won the ACC tourney in one of the great finals ever. UNC (twice) and MD both had early exits and went on to win the big dance.

cbnaylor
03-13-2010, 10:34 PM
That is absolutely NOT true! I agree that there were "times" where it was loud - - like when K got a tech, or when the game was over. However, we had a good amount of fans there... and a decent amount of NCSU fans were cheering for us - which accounts for 75% of the people there. The rest were GT and Miami, and a few leftover Maryland and Tar Hole fans.

And, I too have NO voice left - - which of course I am in the student section and we are trying to constantly compensate for the people who are down on the floor not cheering. I probably made such a lengthy post because I haven't been talking since I left the game... trying to preserve whatever I have left for tomorrow!

I would agree that there wasn't a lot of chants but the overall crowd was good. If I saw you correctly which I probably did, you were jumping up and down right before tip off but to the defense of others who were at the game, Duke fans did a good job cheering. Could it be better? Yes...I wish that the atmosphere could be more like Cameron but there's always room for improvement.

1999ballboy
03-13-2010, 10:46 PM
That is absolutely NOT true! I agree that there were "times" where it was loud - - like when K got a tech, or when the game was over. However, we had a good amount of fans there... and a decent amount of NCSU fans were cheering for us - which accounts for 75% of the people there. The rest were GT and Miami, and a few leftover Maryland and Tar Hole fans.

And, I too have NO voice left - - which of course I am in the student section and we are trying to constantly compensate for the people who are down on the floor not cheering. I probably made such a lengthy post because I haven't been talking since I left the game... trying to preserve whatever I have left for tomorrow!
Our fans could definitely stand to get louder, but I pretty much disagree with everything else here. Perhaps you had to be in the upper deck to see the whole picture. But there were almost no Miami fans. If you look online at ticket-selling sites, almost ALL of the available tickets are either in the UNC or Miami section. I just don't think many Miami people made the trip. And I also didn't see a single State fan rooting for Duke. I'm not suggesting you're making that up, just that if there were indeed State fans cheering for Duke, they were too outnumbered to matter. Weren't very many Tech fans that I saw, and the ones I did see were quiet. Otherwise, I saw a lot of Maryland, Virginia, and Clemson fans sticking around, and the Maryland fans and State fans probably accounted for most of the anti-Duke cheering that I heard.

Oh, and it wasn't just when K got the T that Duke fans got loud. There were "Defense" chants until the very end of the game. "Let's go Duke" chants were audible too, and the upper deck definitely joined in for both. The only "Let's go Canes" chant was from the Miami band, joined by no one else as far as I could tell. Tomorrow I fully expect an improvement in the relative crowd noises due to the elimination of NC State. There was a whole lot of red in the building today. As I am to understand, this is the story of every ACC Tournament in NC ever... except usually there's a lot more powder blue mixed in.

Franzez
03-13-2010, 11:05 PM
RockyMtDevil,

I think your comments are a little harsh. I love the tournament as much as anybody, been going pretty regularly for fifty years. Unfortunately, the tourney has lost a good deal of its excitement and luster. As you point out, 4 NCAA champions since 2001, but only one of those teams ( Duke 2001 ) won the ACC tourney in one of the great finals ever. UNC (twice) and MD both had early exits and went on to win the big dance.

I concur.

Im just pointing out the lack of "great teams" in this era of ACC basketball. The mediocrity below the Duke & UNC levels is just disgusting currently and just shows where the conference is at as a whole.

Maybe I am just being too harsh comparing the current ACC tournament to basically one of the Golden Era's in ACC basketball. RockyMtDevil, I am willing to bet you $500 that there wont be an ACC team other than UNC or Duke win a NC in the next 10 years. The ACC Tournament used to be the premier conference tournament in the country based on the competition level, now its currently the Big East but even that doesn't compare to the ACC in its hay day.

YourLandlord
03-13-2010, 11:15 PM
The Big East championship game right now is insanely loud. Tons of Georgetown fans going nuts, many WVU fans, and the impartials have picked a side and are cheering.

Both these teams are in the tournament. It's a great atmosphere. Very much unlike tomorrows atmosphere will be in Greensboro. Sad, really.

GP3NY
03-13-2010, 11:20 PM
You are probably right in the fact that there may have been less Duke fans than I had estimated. After I posted that I thought that I probably overestimated. However, we had a decent section, and I do agree that it did get loud at times.

I know that I am super spoiled from going to so many games at Cameron for the last 3 years, and (unfortunately) I know that tournament arenas will never be like that.... however I just feel like us as fans can do SOOOOOOOO much better!

How about we start tomorrow!!?? :D

GODUKEGO
03-13-2010, 11:23 PM
RockyMtDevil,

I think your comments are a little harsh. I love the tournament as much as anybody, been going pretty regularly for fifty years. Unfortunately, the tourney has lost a good deal of its excitement and luster. As you point out, 4 NCAA champions since 2001, but only one of those teams ( Duke 2001 ) won the ACC tourney in one of the great finals ever. UNC (twice) and MD both had early exits and went on to win the big dance.

But this proves the point the conference has been strong over the last 10 years. If Carolina twice and Maryland lose early in the ACC Tournament but went on to win the National Championship what does that say about the other teams in the ACC. Again the RPI and SOS has the ACC #3. We all can thank the Heels for bringing the conference down to three this year. This thread started by GP3NY was about the crowd noise or lack of , lets keep this thread on that subject. There is another one on the ACC Tournament. Remember we are all on the same team and are CRAZIE!!!

weezie
03-13-2010, 11:37 PM
Well, ok, I'll be there yelling loudly with a the tried and true, but face the obvious facts, Duke has fewer grads and less of a "common" touch with the locals. You all know this, people.
And most of the IDs who qualify for tix are older than boosters in the other schools. Either through having the $$ to give serious cash, or having bought tix for years and years, there are many older folks in the Duke section. No knock on them at all, I love them, they're the finest people on planet earth but they don't know they should jump up and down when "Touch" gets played.
Gboro was well represented by the royal blue today....there were just too many other cretins from all the other schools who delighted in cheering against us. Including when the Duke lady got hit in the head with an errant pass during the state-gt game...some hole jerk said it was no biggie since a Duke fan was hit.
Forget support from the rest of the ACC: they hate us because we are better and their tiny brains just can't accept that fact.
Period.

Stray Gator
03-13-2010, 11:56 PM
That is absolutely NOT true! I agree that there were "times" where it was loud - - like when K got a tech, or when the game was over. However, we had a good amount of fans there... and a decent amount of NCSU fans were cheering for us - which accounts for 75% of the people there. ...

Our seats are up in Section 212, which is in the FSU section adjacent to the N.C. State section. The vast majority of the people sitting in Section 212 this afternoon were N.C. State fans. During the first game, those that weren't actively and enthusiastically cheering against Duke weren't cheering at all. I saw no N.C. State fans--none--cheering for Duke.

As a veteran of many ACC Tourneys, however, this is what I've come to expect. In fact, I relish being the team that gets everyone else running back and forth at the end of their chain with their eyes bulging out. When you see the fans of teams who aren't playing start cheering against you, it means your team is the one they fear having to face.

weezie
03-14-2010, 12:02 AM
Stray, surf on down to the lower bowl tomorrow. We crept down from 205, the ushers are cool.
Watch for open seats and then act like you own the joint.
Because we do.

Stray Gator
03-14-2010, 12:09 AM
Stray, surf on down to the lower bowl tomorrow. We crept down from 205, the ushers are cool.
Watch for open seats and then act like you own the joint.
Because we do.

Thanks, but we're good where we are--located between the top of the key and mid-court, on the aisle, in a low row of the balcony. Besides, I'm superstitious, and won't change seats as long as Duke is winning.

OZZIE4DUKE
03-14-2010, 12:14 AM
Greetings from section 240, row P. Stray, I disagree with you - lots of State fans rooted for Duke. Certainly more Duke fans were rooting for State. And overall, I thought the Duke sections did a good job on Saturday providing noise at appropriate times! Not like the students at Cameron, but then, no one else does that.

Jderf
03-14-2010, 12:19 AM
The noise always comes from the student section. Even in Cameron, the old folks upstairs sit down for most of the game and just watch (with the notable exception of Crazy Towel Guy). It is sad but true. When the tournament rolls around during spring break, the student section is notably thinner (by orders of ten). So tournament fan sections are typically quieter than the ACC season fan sections.

GP3NY
03-14-2010, 12:27 AM
I guess it just seemed like in our section (the very few) NC state fans were rooting for Duke!

I didn't want to come here to start a fight, just to encourage everyone and get people excited!! I just want the best possible atmosphere away from Cameron that it can be! I want it to be loud and loyal during our TV timeouts (which we could get better choices for songs from the band, but that is a different story, different thread). I understand that no one except for crazy students will do cheers the ENTIRE game. It is hard for me to accept that, but I do understand! I just know we can do better as a fan base when we travel! That's all!

Also, if you are in the area... come to Greensboro there will be TONS of tickets!



Going to bed... big things tomorrow! GO DUKE!!!! :)

Stray Gator
03-14-2010, 12:33 AM
Greetings from section 240, row P. Stray, I disagree with you - lots of State fans rooted for Duke. Certainly more Duke fans were rooting for State. And overall, I thought the Duke sections did a good job on Saturday providing noise at appropriate times! Not like the students at Cameron, but then, no one else does that.

I don't doubt that some N.C. State fans sitting in or near the Duke section cheered for Duke. But those sitting all around us in the FSU section, and what we could see of those in the N.C. State section, either were cheering for Miami or seemed indifferent. I certainly understand why Wolfpack fans, looking towards a possible championship game matchup, would cheer for Miami to defeat Duke, so I'm not criticizing them or saying I hold it against them. I merely wanted to set the record straight, for those are not attending, that there were many State fans cheering against Duke.

GODUKEGO
03-14-2010, 07:21 AM
My wife and I were rooting for NC State. We wanted an all Triangle final, pay back for the last loss at State, and mainly I think we match up better against them. As we were walking out behind us and was a Carolina fan who smiled at me and said have a nice day while we were leaving. Personally, I think it looks good when we root for another team. Hate the message not the messenger applies here. As mentioned earlier when everyone else pulls against us, envy hates!! Yankees Celtics Packers etc..!!!s

hurleyfor3
03-14-2010, 07:43 AM
In the late 1980s/early 1990s we would bring 200-250 students to the ACC Tournament.

Now it's down to a dozen or less. Not sure whether this is due to changing student tastes, a decision made by the school or what. (NCSU, UNC and even UVa send far fewer students now too, so perhaps more tickets are being saved for bigger donors.) With every other team (and fanbase) present, there were a lot of opportuntites for antics. People heard us all over the building, and there is a reason the Duke and unc sections are never next to each other nowadays. This year, the Maryland section (two over from us) probably heard us cheer "Please Don't Riot!" after they lost, but that has been about it.

OTOH, we didn't have Erin Andrews 20 years ago.

30scheyer
03-14-2010, 08:57 AM
Any suggestions on which sections to try and buy tix to 2today? I would love to be surrounded by some Duke blue.
Thanks in advance.

GP3NY
03-14-2010, 09:06 AM
101 and 132 are the lower Duke sections... might be hard to buy those but any of the lowers around that will be Duke!

doctorhook
03-14-2010, 09:07 AM
But this proves the point the conference has been strong over the last 10 years. If Carolina twice and Maryland lose early in the ACC Tournament but went on to win the National Championship what does that say about the other teams in the ACC. Again the RPI and SOS has the ACC #3. We all can thank the Heels for bringing the conference down to three this year. This thread started by GP3NY was about the crowd noise or lack of , lets keep this thread on that subject. There is another one on the ACC Tournament. Remember we are all on the same team and are CRAZIE!!!

GODUKEGO,

Id does not necessarily prove the point. Unfortunately, I think it reflects the attitude of the players and some of the coaches ( see Huck's comments ) which is that the tourney is not that important so the higher seeded teams with little to gain from winning put forth less effort until the "real tourney" ie the big dance.

DU82
03-14-2010, 09:37 AM
In the late 1980s/early 1990s we would bring 200-250 students to the ACC Tournament.

Now it's down to a dozen or less. Not sure whether this is due to changing student tastes, a decision made by the school or what. (NCSU, UNC and even UVa send far fewer students now too, so perhaps more tickets are being saved for bigger donors.) With every other team (and fanbase) present, there were a lot of opportuntites for antics. People heard us all over the building, and there is a reason the Duke and unc sections are never next to each other nowadays. This year, the Maryland section (two over from us) probably heard us cheer "Please Don't Riot!" after they lost, but that has been about it.

OTOH, we didn't have Erin Andrews 20 years ago.

I think some of the problems with the number of students is that they have to buy the entire tournament ticket package, and I presume they still have to pick up their tickets in person. The Thursday games, which are the same price as the other games, adds $142 to the cost, which is a lot of money to a student (and me, too!) and is practically worthless.

Another reason to hate expansion, and to want John Swofford to, well, 9F.

killerleft
03-14-2010, 10:12 AM
Y'all come on out to the Coliseum if you're anywhere close to GBO. I scored 2 tix yesterday for $20 each, and they might be found even cheaper today! Just ignore the high-price scalpers if you must and play a waiting game. Those people with bunches of tickets will NOT want to take them home with them. By game time, tickets should be going for cheap - after all, Duke fans are the only ones left who want them except for a few neutral and GT fans.

Let's fill that place up with Duke fans!!

-jk
03-14-2010, 10:19 AM
My recollection from my undergrad days (hazy, I admit) is that Duke reserved 10% of the ticket allotment for students. That would be a tenth of a ninth share of 18,000 or so seats, so about 200 seats for students. It would be about 150 post-expansion.

And you had to put in for a lottery, paying in advance. As DU82 says, it's a lot of cash and you had to pick your tickets up in person.

Add that spring break is squeezed by UNC/Senior Day and the ACC starting Thursday - with no market to resell the Thursday session tickets. I can see a problem getting students to show, though I suspect a number of students came back from break and purchased tickets for yesterday and today.

(I made all the ACC's when I was there - and some weren't pretty.)

-jk

GP3NY
03-14-2010, 06:43 PM
Just wanted to say THANK YOU FANS! You were sooooo awesome today! :D

DU82
03-14-2010, 08:13 PM
Just wanted to say THANK YOU FANS! You were sooooo awesome today! :D

And a special shout-out to the students that were there. In particular (watching from across the arena), the guy (grad student, if I saw correctly) with the t-shirt with the tie on it, and the ladies running up and down the stairs with the dry-erase board. Glad you got a great graduation gift!

SharkD
03-14-2010, 09:39 PM
In the late 1980s/early 1990s we would bring 200-250 students to the ACC Tournament.

Now it's down to a dozen or less. Not sure whether this is due to changing student tastes, a decision made by the school or what. (NCSU, UNC and even UVa send far fewer students now too, so perhaps more tickets are being saved for bigger donors.)

It's also Duke's Spring Break this past week, as well as Wake's. NC State is on break next week, UNC was the week prior to ours (not that it mattered for them).

GP3NY
03-14-2010, 10:02 PM
I think part of it is also that it costs $400 a book... but the majority of it is spring break.

1999ballboy
03-15-2010, 12:41 AM
Crowd was MUCH better today. Combination of 2 factors:

-Students back from spring break
-NC State fans went home.

hurleyfor3
03-15-2010, 03:21 AM
I talked to some of the students at the tournament.

They pointed out that you have to buy the worthless Thursday games, and if you actually want to see those games, commit to an extra day away from classes or spring break. $400 is not pocket change to most college kids, either, not to mention lodging and transportation costs.

By comparison, a ticket book in 1992 cost $120, all the sessions were worth seeing, and many attendees lived around Charlotte or stayed with friends who did.

I can't blame kids for not going anymore. But lots of students made it for Saturday and especially Sunday, and I think expansion has made tickets easier to find on the secondary market overall.