Chronicle writer calls out the Crazies

[scottdude8]

For those who haven't seen this yet: http://www.dukechronicle.com/article...-crazies-quiet

It seems like we have this discussion every year about if this year's incarnation of the Crazies hold up to the "good old days" (although it makes me feel super old now that the "good old days" are when I was in Cameron, haha). Personally, I didn't notice anything particularly egregious from the Crazies on Saturday from my couch... it looked like a solid, if not spectacular, performance from the student section.

Does anyone who was in Cameron on Saturday, either in the student section or elsewhere, have any light to shed on this? I've stopped trying to make major judgements on the Crazies too much since a lot of the noise doesn't translate well through the TV. Interested to hear what everyone has to say!

[UrinalCake]

I was not at this game but have attended several in recent years. In general the fans are reactionary, they’ll cheer after something good happens but they don’t make noise when the team really needs them to provide a boost and some energy. They mostly just stick to the same 3-4 scripted chants. Since we were down most of the game, it’s not surprising that the writer thinks they were quiet throughout.

[hallcity]

For those who haven't seen this yet: http://www.dukechronicle.com/article...-crazies-quiet

It seems like we have this discussion every year about if this year's incarnation of the Crazies hold up to the "good old days" (although it makes me feel super old now that the "good old days" are when I was in Cameron, haha). Personally, I didn't notice anything particularly egregious from the Crazies on Saturday from my couch... it looked like a solid, if not spectacular, performance from the student section.

Does anyone who was in Cameron on Saturday, either in the student section or elsewhere, have any light to shed on this? I've stopped trying to make major judgements on the Crazies too much since a lot of the noise doesn't translate well through the TV. Interested to hear what everyone has to say!

I don't agree with this. The Crazies seemed to me to be in good form. If anything, I think the Duke frosh weren't ready for that intense an environment.

[Native]

Hmm. They’re earlier than usual this year.

[Truth&Justise]

Isn't this basically the "SNL isn't as funny as it was 5-10 years ago!" argument, that somehow gets made every year?

[MarkD83]

Isn't this basically the "SNL isn't as funny as it was 5-10 years ago!" argument, that somehow gets made every year?

Maybe Duke needs a new president to inject life into the Crazies.

[BeachBlueDevil]

So the Crazies have been getting called out the last few years... Now over that time 3rd party ticket selling sites have popped up and for just about every game you can find tickets in the student section. Is there a correlation to these sites and the lack of crazy coming for the Crazies? I think it's entirely possible that this could be a factor (but how much of a factor remains to be seen).

[uh_no]

Does anyone who was in Cameron on Saturday, either in the student section or elsewhere, have any light to shed on this? I've stopped trying to make major judgements on the Crazies too much since a lot of the noise doesn't translate well through the TV. Interested to hear what everyone has to say!

It's BS. the students were lit. The atmosphere was great leading up to the game and the place was rocking. It's always hard to stay excited when nothing much good is happening for your team, especially when the tempo is already slow...but that's mostly always been the case. This is no different than the drivel that spews out yearly on how it was better in the past. Maybe it was...but certainly not within the past 10 years since I've been here. The second half wasn't the loudest I've heard it...but it's top few.

So the Crazies have been getting called out the last few years... Now over the time 3rd party ticket selling sites have popped up and for just about every games you can find tickets in the student section. Is their a correlation to these sites and the lack of crazy coming for the Crazies? I think it's entirely possible that this could be a factor (but how much of a factor remains to be seen).

Line monitors and the department estimate how many students will show up each game and sell the rest. This didn't happen when I was a student from 07-11, but definitely happened in the years after, and I believe I've seen it happens in the years prior. Just because they didn't sell tickets didn't mean students showed up any more. There were often lightly attended games where students were encouraged to "spread out" and "call your friends." I'm sure native would have a much better take on it.


Anyway, screw that noise. sorry the author is both entitled and disappointed.

Thanks for the students who show up and cheer. I appreciate it regardless of how much better it was or was not in the past.

[dudog84]

It's my understanding that over half of the "student section" has been turned over to non-students. Is that correct?

When I was there (long time ago, 30+ years) we had the entire bleachers except for a relatively small band section. It looks like they also took away some rows, especially at the ends.

[uh_no]

It's my understanding that over half of the "student section" has been turned over to non-students. Is that correct?

When I was there (long time ago, 30+ years) we had the entire bleachers except for a relatively small band section. It looks like they also took away some rows, especially at the ends.

Line monitors and the department estimate how many students will show up each game and sell the rest. It's on a game by game basis.

[BD80]

The Crazies were crazier in my day.

And the sun shone more brightly, gravity was stronger, we had polyester leisure suits ...

Frankly, much of what made my generation of Crazies so "crazy" is probably outlawed, illegal or severely frowned upon these days. The kids still do a great job. Earlier iterations have pretty much explored the limitations of the genre, given the constraints of good taste. All that is left is energy, and it sounds to me like it is still there.

[Rich]

The Crazies were crazier in my day.

It was better because we could throw tennis balls across the court before the game. And because of BOG. And because we old folks say so.

[CDu]

Meh. Don't care. The only knock I can really give is that the students stopped filling the student sections back during my time at Duke (Battier years). That eventually led to losing seats (now being sold). Of course, a lot of that has to do with reasonable factors: much better and more available TV coverage of each game, a student body more international and more academically-inclined (and thus perhaps having greater academic pressures), team got so good that the lesser ACC opponents were just not close games, etc. So I think it IS fair to say that the student contribution now is contributing less than it was back in the 80s/90s, but that is in no small part due to the fact that the student section itself is smaller than it was back then.

But I don't blame the students for this. The decline in attendance was understandable. The decline in craziness is also somewhat understandable, as more TV coverage means more restrictions on what can be done in the stands. Just a different world.

[CameronBornAndBred]

To the writer and his reference of Stanford's "Sixth Man" student section...been there, done that.

SixthMan.jpg

[weezie]

..It's always hard to stay excited when nothing much good is happening for your team, especially when the tempo is already slow...but that's mostly always been the case... sorry the author is both entitled and disappointed...

Well, now wait a sec. I was there Saturday and I'll be there tonight (our annual three day layover here between close calendar games) and on Saturday I was dismayed that there were significant patches of agitated silence when a few big DEFENSE cheers might have been appropriate. Sure, once the comeback began it got louder but the Chronicle writer has a point.
No way that was on the Richter Scale of Cameron games.
But, still, the entire team left the floor after the loss by hand-slapping with the Crazies along the front row the whole way.

It was an ugly, frustrating game, just the way Tony wanted it to be. What does a visiting team like the most? Silence from the home crowd and hoos got it for most of the first half and half of the second.

The Chronicle writer is within his rights to call out the Crazies; it's their Cameron now, their time.

[UrinalCake]

Line monitors and the department estimate how many students will show up each game and sell the rest. It's on a game by game basis.

My understanding is that an hour before the game starts they look at how much space in the student section is still empty and will sell tickets to anyone who walks up to the ticket booth for $90 apiece. These people end up in the corners of the lower section on the side that the TV faces. But there may also be some amount of estimation that occurs beforehand, as you say.

dudog84, it used to be that students occupied 100% of the "TV" side and 3/4 of the "non-TV side." Now, the non-TV side has been completely turned over to be sold, minus the areas for the visiting team and their guests plus the guests/family of the Duke players. On the TV side it is mostly students but if they don't fill it then the tickets are sold. For the more popular games it will be entirely students, but for some of the preseason yawners maybe half of it will be non-students. The grad students still have both end zones (minus the band area) but for most games there is a process that allows them to bring non-student guests.

[Dev11]

To the writer and his reference of Stanford's "Sixth Man" student section...been there, done that.

SixthMan.jpg

Is the lack of blue apparel among the fans a design choice or the style at the time? I'm 28 and I'm always fascinated by old sports photos where the fans aren't all in branded clothes.

[weezie]

My understanding is that an hour before the game starts they look at how much space in the student section is still empty and will sell tickets to anyone who walks up to the ticket booth for $90 apiece...

Not entirely. I requested an extra ticket through the IDs and received one in general admission for that same $90 nearly two weeks ago.

[CDu]

dudog84, it used to be that students occupied 100% of the "TV" side and 3/4 of the "non-TV side." Now, the non-TV side has been completely turned over to be sold, minus the areas for the visiting team and their guests plus the guests/family of the Duke players. On the TV side it is mostly students but if they don't fill it then the tickets are sold. For the more popular games it will be entirely students, but for some of the preseason yawners maybe half of it will be non-students. The grad students still have both end zones (minus the band area) but for most games there is a process that allows them to bring non-student guests.

Yep. When I was there, we had the entire TV side and the majority of the non-TV side (less the visitors' section behind the visitors' bench and the family/friends' section behind the Duke bench). I watched the Duke/UNC game in 1998 from the last row of the bleachers on the baseline behind UNC's bench.

The non-TV side is for sale, and the TV side is varying degrees of for sale depending upon attendance.

[uh_no]

My understanding is that an hour before the game starts they look at how much space in the student section is still empty and will sell tickets to anyone who walks up to the ticket booth for $90 apiece.

it's much before that. you can often find the tickets on sale on goduke way before the game. The number has to be known long before, as the area in which the students have to stand is demarcated before students even start entering the building. I imagine they also sell them if they end up with more space than expected (last week v pitt) and they'll do shenanigans like move the dancing devils into section 17 to take up space.