Rappin' on Floor Slappin'

[EarlJam]

It's mid-December, and I have yet to see our players slap the floor.

Has the team abandoned this practice?

Calling Wojo! Calling Wojo!

-Maj Lrae

[mr. synellinden]

When was the last time a Duke player slapped the floor on defense?

Is that a lost tradition?

I honestly can't remember the last time it was done. It might have been during the Battier era - perhaps 2001.

My memory could be fuzzy on this but the point is I miss it.

I'd love to see Paulus or Nelson or Henderson or Scheyer break it out during the UNC game at home this year, if not sooner.

[mr. synellinden]

... can I be so bold as to say great minds think alike? Do I want my mind to be like EarlJam's?

[TillyGalore]

I saw Paulus do it, I think it was against Wisconsin.

[hc5duke]

When was the last time a Duke player slapped the floor on defense?

Is that a lost tradition?

I honestly can't remember the last time it was done. It might have been during the Battier era - perhaps 2001.

My memory could be fuzzy on this but the point is I miss it.

I'd love to see Paulus or Nelson or Henderson or Scheyer break it out during the UNC game at home this year, if not sooner.

Pretty sure I've seen at least one instance of floor-slapping this year. I'm 100% positive we did this last year. I'm not a big fan, but I don't have strong feelings against it either.

[FreezingDevil]

Nolan Smith slapped the floor during the Wisconsin game. It was a beautiful Duhon-esque moment.

Jamal Boykin used to slap the floor all the time when he was still around. Most famously, I remember he slapped it during the blue-white game as a freshman. It was so unnecessary, yet you couldn't help but love the kid's enthusiasm.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I saw Paulus do it, I think it was against Wisconsin.

Yup. He did.

Slapping the floor has to mean something - a great defensive effort resulting in a stop. A couple/few years ago, we did it repeatedly with no positive results, so the frequency of floor slapping dropped, and rightly so. I think these guys can renew the tradition.

[EarlJam]

... can I be so bold as to say great minds think alike? Do I want my mind to be like EarlJam's?

Oh SUPER SNAP!

Insert Twilight Zone music!

My line of thinking went like this:

1. Read the post about players helping other players up after a foul
2. Thought of Laettner's attitude and the chest stomp
3. Thought of how "chest stomp" has become somewhat of a Dukeism
4. "What other Dukeisms are out there," pondered EarlJam
5. "Hmmmmm, there's the floor slap."
6. It then occurred to me (apparently at the same time it occurred to you) that Duke has been lacking in floor slapping of late, hence the post.

Far out man.

-EarlJam

[bird]

Floor slapping, in it heyday, was a moment of high drama. A defensive stop was needed, the home crowd was primed for a stand, and the team and crowd was being called to a supreme effort. When the stand succeeded, and especially when a quick layup or three resulted, the roof would be lifted, the opponent would call a timeout, and victory would be in sight. I especially liked it when JJ would take a three on the secondary break - the noise from the defensive stand, fed to a higher pitch by the turnover / rebound, would go silent for just a moment as the crowd drew in its collective breath, and when the 3 was made the resulting explosion would be almost hysterical in its intensity.

[bird]

1. Wojo
2. Tommy
3. Battier
4. Duhon

[Patrick Yates]

The floor slapping thing is GREAT. It can inspire the team, fans, etc.

But, immediately after the Hurly years (he was the main slapper [do NOT use British connotation] during his run) the floor slap was used too often.

I don't want to name names (Wojo), but some people (Wojo) went to the well too often. The floor slap means that Duke is taking up the defensive pressure, to a higher level than even our own standards. This is a WMD. It is not to be used lightly. When we are up by double digits, or the game is in its infancy, or we are out of it (it has happened, apparantly), that is not the time.

Personally, I think the floor slap should be reserved for big games, at moments when we need a stop. Either when they are running, or Duke is cranking up our patented hope killer run early in the second half.

Methinks we need some sort of floor-slap commission, headed up by a commissioner who is the ultimate arbiter of floor slap approval. Perhaps a player (scrub only), or fan. This would prevent over use of the floor slap, which has the deleterious effect of lessening the psycological impact of said slap.

This year's team has been great with meting out the slaps. Only when needed. Bravo.

Patrick Yates

[EarlJam]

This would prevent over use of the floor slap, which has the deleterious effect of lessening the psycological impact of said slap.


Hyperslappulation?

Which often occurs along with...

Pre-mature Reslappulation


Also, what is the British meaning of "slapping" or do I already know based on my good guess?

-EarlJam

[throatybeard]

The most weapons-grade floor slap had to be back in the 80s when all five players would do it, kind of in succession.

I nominate Amaker for Commander of Allied Floor Slappers.

[hurleyfor3]

Hurley made it famous long before Wojo.

[PallasAthena]

I think the floor slap can be overused, and that is not a good thing.

I was present for the original floor slap, I believe. Wasn't it Hurley? In a game where the score was very close and the team was being asked to make a supreme effort? The crowd, upstairs and down, went completely, absolutely, crazie. One of you out there will remember, I am sure.

Didn't I hear Gottlieb (God love him!!) :D ) refer to Duke during a pregame broadcast as "The Floorslappers?" I mean he hadn't used the team name in a few minutes, had been talking about other games, and then came out with "The Floorslappers." It was good. He thought it was an ugly thing to say, of course, but I loved it.

[cspan37421]

You guys are too young! The slap goes back at least as far as Billy King, defensive player of the year.

[Indoor66]

I think the floor slap can be overused, and that is not a good thing.

I was present for the original floor slap, I believe. Wasn't it Hurley? In a game where the score was very close and the team was being asked to make a supreme effort? The crowd, upstairs and down, went completely, absolutely, crazie. One of you out there will remember, I am sure.

Didn't I hear Gottlieb (God love him!!) :D ) refer to Duke during a pregame broadcast as "The Floorslappers?" I mean he hadn't used the team name in a few minutes, had been talking about other games, and then came out with "The Floorslappers." It was good. He thought it was an ugly thing to say, of course, but I loved it.

I believe the floor slap became noted with the '86 team - along with the arms-around-each-other huddle. Players slapped the floor as far back as I can remember - into the 50's. It was often a loosening-up move.

[Jaymf7]

I agree that we have used this weapon a bit too indiscriminately.

More troubling, I have too frequently seen opposing guards mimic the slap (often at Cameron). I'm pretty sure someone from Clemson did it as we fell apart at home last year (just before Dave saved us). I would love a creative crowd response to this.

In the first few seconds of thought, cheers like "Not a Dukie," "Wannabe" or "We're on Offense" come to mind, but these are pretty lame. Of course, a quick score, followed by "In your face" or "Slap it Again" or something like that could work.

Whatever we do, such mimicry by opponents in our house (especially if not countered) is a huge blow to this practice.

[mr. synellinden]

You guys are too young! The slap goes back at least as far as Billy King, defensive player of the year.

The floor slap to me was always a - "we need a big defensive stop here, buckle down, fire up the crowd" kind of thing, and it did always fire up the crowd. To be effective, it had to be after a big shot or a dunk that had the crowd going and the slap would sustain it. I have lots of video of the late 80s and early 90s teams and that's when it was always used. I'm not sure when it started, but in this context, I really did think it was the Billy King era that popularized it. Hurley seemed to be the instigator on the early 90s teams and seemed to use it more during UNC games.

I love it as long as it is used selectively and with the partial intent of invigorating the crowd.

-- I just realized I repeated a lot of what Patrick Yates said - needless to say, he's right on. I agree.

[mr. synellinden]

Oh SUPER SNAP!

Insert Twilight Zone music!

My line of thinking went like this:

1. Read the post about players helping other players up after a foul
2. Thought of Laettner's attitude and the chest stomp
3. Thought of how "chest stomp" has become somewhat of a Dukeism
4. "What other Dukeisms are out there," pondered EarlJam
5. "Hmmmmm, there's the floor slap."
6. It then occurred to me (apparently at the same time it occurred to you) that Duke has been lacking in floor slapping of late, hence the post.

Far out man.

-EarlJam

I read the post on why players don't help up other players after a foul ...

... which led me to thinking about why I haven't seen any floor slapping recently (something that has been on my mind for the last couple of seasons - I can say that I watch every nationally televised game and I don't remember seeing it during the past few seasons - obviously it has been happening) ...

... which led me to create a new thread about it ...

... and then I learned that I hadn't created a new thread, that I was two minutes late ...

... and then I posted about great minds thinking alike ...

... then I reluctantly went back to doing "real" work

[gvtucker]

I believe the floor slap became noted with the '86 team - along with the arms-around-each-other huddle. Players slapped the floor as far back as I can remember - into the 50's. It was often a loosening-up move.

Floor slapping at Duke goes back to Coach K's first year, in 1980. It wouldn't surprise me if others did the same a lot earlier.

[devil84]

Floor slapping at Duke goes back to Coach K's first year, in 1980. It wouldn't surprise me if others did the same a lot earlier.

It was definitely started at Duke with Coach K's first team. I remember that certain players were having trouble maintaining a proper defensive stance. During practice, Coach K had all players slap the floor on every defensive possession to force body posture approximating the proper defensive stance. It was brought out in game time on an as-needed basis -- generally this floor-slapping brought out the proper stance as well as a renewed focus on actually executing the defense we spent long hours practicing. The resulting defensive play usually resulted in a cause for the students (not yet known as Crazies) to cheer.

I'm sure Duke/Coach K didn't invent floor slapping. And it didn't really catch on as something to fire up the crowd for several years. But it was definitely used in all of Coach K's teams in the early years.

- della

[DevilAlumna]

1. Wojo
2. Tommy
3. Battier
4. Duhon

What, no Chris Collins?

He always struck me as the worst for over-use of otherwise meaningful shows of team enthusiasm, including the hug/tackle following a good shot. I guess being on the floor at the same time as Wojo, he had to refrain a bit in his floor slappage.

[rthomas]

The most weapons-grade floor slap had to be back in the 80s when all five players would do it, kind of in succession.

I nominate Amaker for Commander of Allied Floor Slappers.

I think Tommy began this tradition.

Should be used occasionally for a huge huge stop.

[FreezingDevil]

IMO, if slapping the floor is what helps a player play lights out defense, then I'm for it every time

[pratt '04]

Does anyone have a good picture of a Duke player slapping the floor? Google image search was surprisingly unhelpful in finding this...

[markbdevil]

Dockery.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Does anyone have a good picture of a Duke player slapping the floor? Google image search was surprisingly unhelpful in finding this...
You might find a picture in an old Chronicle or Chanticleer or other file in the Duke Archives. This practice started back when Vic Bubas was the coach.

[pratt '04]

Dockery.

Awesome, thanks!