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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Great Falls Va + Avalon NJ

    Heading to the Phog

    One of my old classmates has a daughter attending KU - a few of us are heading out to the game against WVU this weekend.

    I’m curious from those who have been how it compares to Cameron. I hear louder. Many say better but I am not clear why. I’ll be happy to share my two cents when I return.

    Would also love any tips on how to make the most of the experience.

    Separately - when I logged in, the main screen showed that I had ten notifications. I clicked on the first one and when I went back all the others were gone. Is there a way to find them again? Apologies if this is obvious.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Atlanta
    Quote Originally Posted by Utley View Post
    One of my old classmates has a daughter attending KU - a few of us are heading out to the game against WVU this weekend.

    I’m curious from those who have been how it compares to Cameron. I hear louder. Many say better but I am not clear why. I’ll be happy to share my two cents when I return.

    Would also love any tips on how to make the most of the experience.

    Separately - when I logged in, the main screen showed that I had ten notifications. I clicked on the first one and when I went back all the others were gone. Is there a way to find them again? Apologies if this is obvious.
    Clicking on settings at the top right on the Forum home screen will take you to the page with all of your infractions and spork comments (reputation comments).

    In the left navigation panel you can get to your DBR Mail inbox.

    Really looking forward to your comparison observations: Cameron vs. Phog

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC area
    Been there once - back in the ‘80s. Herb (crazy towel dude) was “this” close to being arrested into protective custody. They had cameras recording fans in case of “incidents”.

    All in all, a fun trip. Not Cameron, but bigger. Louder when they tried (a lot more voices). Not quite as intimate. Or intimidating.

    -jk

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Winston-Salem
    Less banners.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Atlanta
    Quote Originally Posted by mattman91 View Post
    Fewer banners.
    FIFY on an admittedly nitpicky item.

  6. #6
    My parents have had season tickets to KU since before I was born, so I've been to tons of games at Allen Fieldhouse (AFH). The only place I've seen more games is, of course, Cameron.

    AFH has a lot going for it. It does get very loud, but the loudest place I have ever been in my entire life is Cameron. I'll hear no arguments that AFH is louder. It has almost twice as many people, but it's not louder. The pep band is great (better than Duke's, imo). The crowd is very intelligent, but can get eerily quiet at times. The history throughout the building is unmatched. Get there early to check out the various exhibits. When it gets loud, or it's a close game, you can absolutely feel the history in the building. It's great, really great.

    All in all, it is without a doubt the second best place to watch a college basketball game.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Great Falls Va + Avalon NJ
    Love this. Never new crazy towel guys name. (and is it crazy towelndude and not guy?)

    Is crazy towel guy in fact a little crazy!

    Quote Originally Posted by -jk View Post
    Been there once - back in the ‘80s. Herb (crazy towel dude) was “this” close to being arrested into protective custody. They had cameras recording fans in case of “incidents”.

    All in all, a fun trip. Not Cameron, but bigger. Louder when they tried (a lot more voices). Not quite as intimate. Or intimidating.

    -jk

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Great Falls Va + Avalon NJ
    Thanks - this makes me even more psyched for the trip!

    I always want to represent Duke when on the road - is that a bad idea here? I am sure I will hear some Elite Eight comments from last year.

    Any recommendations for post game activities to get a taste of the whole experience?


    Quote Originally Posted by Hingeknocker View Post
    My parents have had season tickets to KU since before I was born, so I've been to tons of games at Allen Fieldhouse (AFH). The only place I've seen more games is, of course, Cameron.

    AFH has a lot going for it. It does get very loud, but the loudest place I have ever been in my entire life is Cameron. I'll hear no arguments that AFH is louder. It has almost twice as many people, but it's not louder. The pep band is great (better than Duke's, imo). The crowd is very intelligent, but can get eerily quiet at times. The history throughout the building is unmatched. Get there early to check out the various exhibits. When it gets loud, or it's a close game, you can absolutely feel the history in the building. It's great, really great.

    All in all, it is without a doubt the second best place to watch a college basketball game.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Albemarle, North Carolina
    Closest thing to Cameron you can find.... Honestly it's what I imagine a Duke game wil be like when the stadium does get redone at some point *insert sad emotions here*.



    ----- What makes Cameron so special is the feeling you get. The feeling that everything has happened there, that every shot, block, rebound, assist, steal, and every spectacular moment has happened before you. You can feel it's energy, whether it's Pine Bluff or Carolina the history resonates to the seats. To me that's the tipping point.
    "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge" -Stephen Hawking

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Utley View Post
    Thanks - this makes me even more psyched for the trip!

    I always want to represent Duke when on the road - is that a bad idea here? I am sure I will hear some Elite Eight comments from last year.

    Any recommendations for post game activities to get a taste of the whole experience?
    If they give you too much trouble for wearing Duke stuff, just remind them of my favorite Chronicle headline of all time:

    IMG_3979.jpg

    For pre- and post-game enjoyment, definitely check out the bars and restaurants on Massachusetts St. It's their version of Franklin St. Free State Brewing Company has pretty good food and great local beer. But you can't really go wrong anywhere. Unless KU pulls a repeat of their horrible performance in Morgantown, they should beat WVU easily, and the locals will be in good spirits.

  11. #11

    Went to the Phog Last Year for the First Time

    (also for the WVU game, coincidentally). It's impressively historic, and the "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" chant is spine-tingling. Fans did seem to be knowledgeable. But not louder than Cameron (at least in my experience) by a long shot. I agree that spending some time with the exhibits in the concourse is worthwhile (I had forgotten that KU was a track power at one time - alma mater of mile record-holder Jim Ryun, for example).

    If you spend any time in Kansas City (which isn't far - maybe 30-45 minutes), I would recommend the Negro League Hall of Fame and the Jazz Museum (which are side-by-side, and I think tickets to both are available in a package deal), and any number of great BBQ joints (Arthur Bryant's is very near the museums, Jack's Stack is really good, and Oklahoma Joe's (in a gas station) is awesome).

  12. #12
    Oklahoma Joe's is now called Joe's Kansas City. They still have the garage location.

    If you come to KC, Boulevard Brewery is just off I-35.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Great Falls Va + Avalon NJ
    I know this is far from the top topic on your mind this week but I wanted to report back - at a minumum to thank those who helped me with color fo my trip.

    Biggest takeaway - do this if you get a chance. Seeing a game at Allen is everything I thought it would be and more. It’s impossible not to get caught up in the history of the place. You approach by walking past the intersection of Naismith Drive and Allen Fieldhouse Drive and something inside you gets revved. After walking the statue of Naismith (and the obligatory picture) you enter into a museum like area. While there is a Kansas centric focus - it feels more like a museum celebrating the history of basketball than for example the museum in Cameron. One of the high points is getting to see Naismith 13 Original Rules. There is also a little section focused on Wilt that reinforces his dominance - especially how he compared to the players of that time.

    While I think it would be even more impactful if Allen had more of a vintage feel to it, as the game tips you can’t help but think this is really where basketball grew up under Naismith and then Allen.

    It may be difficult to fully compare Allen to Cameron given the game I saw was not competitive - the most interesting question was whether WVU was going to beat State’s 24 point total as bad as they looked on during much of the first half. That being said, I can’t believe the game experience at Allen is better than at Cameron. I don’t think anything adds to the game like having the students along the court - and all the more so right on top of it. It’s not the same when they are relegated to behind the baskets. I thought the periodic entertainment during time outs and other stops is more energetic at Cameron as well.

    The one thing I was disappointed in was the Rock, Chalk Jayhawk chant. I never paid attention to it before but I found it kind of creepy. It’s like a hymn or spiritual chant - generally very slow (I think it can/does ultimately sped it up later) but I was just expecting something more powerful and upbeat.

    We took up Hingeknocker’s recommendation and went to Free State Brewery post-game to watch Duke vs. State. Have to say I was disappointed to see the dislike for Duke as we cheered them up (somewhat amazingly one of my friends brought a friend of his who was my classmate at Fuqua and who I hadn’t seen since graduation). One guy was telling us we paid Zion 100k to come to Duke and it was clear just about everyone there was just very anti Duke. We had a nice little De Souza reply for our one friend . I actually like and respect the Kansas program and was hoping for better treatment from Midwestern folk who are pretty rabid hoop fans but Duke hate just seems to dominate everywhere these days.

    As you can guess from my user name I grew up in Philly and would probably rate the Palestra a little higher for the feel of the place - this is definitely one of the best places you can see a game.

    Thanks again to all those who’ve replied here and most importantly 9F!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC area
    Quote Originally Posted by Utley View Post
    I know this is far from the top topic on your mind this week but I wanted to report back - at a minumum to thank those who helped me with color fo my trip.

    Biggest takeaway - do this if you get a chance. Seeing a game at Allen is everything I thought it would be and more. It’s impossible not to get caught up in the history of the place. You approach by walking past the intersection of Naismith Drive and Allen Fieldhouse Drive and something inside you gets revved. After walking the statue of Naismith (and the obligatory picture) you enter into a museum like area. While there is a Kansas centric focus - it feels more like a museum celebrating the history of basketball than for example the museum in Cameron. One of the high points is getting to see Naismith 13 Original Rules. There is also a little section focused on Wilt that reinforces his dominance - especially how he compared to the players of that time.

    While I think it would be even more impactful if Allen had more of a vintage feel to it, as the game tips you can’t help but think this is really where basketball grew up under Naismith and then Allen.

    It may be difficult to fully compare Allen to Cameron given the game I saw was not competitive - the most interesting question was whether WVU was going to beat State’s 24 point total as bad as they looked on during much of the first half. That being said, I can’t believe the game experience at Allen is better than at Cameron. I don’t think anything adds to the game like having the students along the court - and all the more so right on top of it. It’s not the same when they are relegated to behind the baskets. I thought the periodic entertainment during time outs and other stops is more energetic at Cameron as well.

    The one thing I was disappointed in was the Rock, Chalk Jayhawk chant. I never paid attention to it before but I found it kind of creepy. It’s like a hymn or spiritual chant - generally very slow (I think it can/does ultimately sped it up later) but I was just expecting something more powerful and upbeat.

    We took up Hingeknocker’s recommendation and went to Free State Brewery post-game to watch Duke vs. State. Have to say I was disappointed to see the dislike for Duke as we cheered them up (somewhat amazingly one of my friends brought a friend of his who was my classmate at Fuqua and who I hadn’t seen since graduation). One guy was telling us we paid Zion 100k to come to Duke and it was clear just about everyone there was just very anti Duke. We had a nice little De Souza reply for our one friend . I actually like and respect the Kansas program and was hoping for better treatment from Midwestern folk who are pretty rabid hoop fans but Duke hate just seems to dominate everywhere these days.

    As you can guess from my user name I grew up in Philly and would probably rate the Palestra a little higher for the feel of the place - this is definitely one of the best places you can see a game.

    Thanks again to all those who’ve replied here and most importantly 9F!
    "Rock, Chalk Jayhawk" is meant to be creepy. Our "Airball!" used to sound like that...

    -jk

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by -jk View Post
    "Rock, Chalk Jayhawk" is meant to be creepy. Our "Airball!" used to sound like that...

    -jk
    the fact that our students can't seem to chant ANYTHING without speeding up to plaid is kind of lame. At one point, there was a concerted effort to keep the chants slower so as to not fade into jibberish, but that seems to have been short-lived.

    lets go duke, airball, and defense seem to be the biggest offenders.

    I remember when we faced pitt in the garden with singler, and their fans could keep a "lets go pitt" going far longer than the duke fans, simply because it stayed a sane tempo...I wished and still wish we could be like that...

    (The extremely dirty clapping on 2+4 before the base drops in every time we touch is another trigger for the musician in me...c'mon people, subdivide eighth notes!!)
    1200. DDMF.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by uh_no View Post
    the fact that our students can't seem to chant ANYTHING without speeding up to plaid is kind of lame. At one point, there was a concerted effort to keep the chants slower so as to not fade into jibberish, but that seems to have been short-lived.

    lets go duke, airball, and defense seem to be the biggest offenders.

    I remember when we faced pitt in the garden with singler, and their fans could keep a "lets go pitt" going far longer than the duke fans, simply because it stayed a sane tempo...I wished and still wish we could be like that...

    (The extremely dirty clapping on 2+4 before the base drops in every time we touch is another trigger for the musician in me...c'mon people, subdivide eighth notes!!)
    Sporks for this even though I have no idea what it means (I'm not a musician).

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by curtis325 View Post
    Sporks for this even though I have no idea what it means (I'm not a musician).
    dirty is just "not together"
    2+4 = 6...i kid. there are 4 beats in each bar. The first beat is highlighted here (except in measures where nothing is sung on the first beat), and the third beat is italicized

    i
    STILL hear your voice when you
    SLEEP next to me, i
    STILL feel your touch in my
    __dreams...for
    GIVE me my weakness but
    I don't know why, with
    OUT you it's hard to sur
    ___vive

    If you listen to the song in cameron, the students clap between the first and third beats, on 2 and 4. This is very common in pop music. It's the "chic" in a boom-chic beat

    subdividing is (effectively) just breaking down the time between clapping into smaller time segments so you can ensure you clap at precisely the right time. Instead of just going

    clap...clap...

    you might hear in your head:

    1 CLAP 2 CLAP

    but you might go even further and think

    1 and CLAP and 3 and CLAP and

    but you might go even further and think

    1 e-and-a CLAP e-and-a 3 e-and-a CLAP e-and-a


    Since you've filled the space between claps with internalized pulses, it's easier to place the claps precisely, and in this particular case, not early, like the students almost universally do. It can be noted that it's particularly difficult for lay people to clap to this piece because it's syncopated (though with a very generic pop-rhythm), meaning a lot of times Cascada are not singing on the beats themselves, but in between (hence the ___ on some of the beat 1's above). Students have a tendency to clap when the words are sung rather than when the beats actually occur.
    1200. DDMF.

  18. #18
    In the spring of 2006, I presented a Workshop to High School Math teachers on ku's campus. That is the only time I have ever been in Lawrence as I am from South Dakota. Checking into my hotel room near the interstate, I asked the worker if Allen Fieldhouse is within jogging distance. I think he overestimated my fitness as it felt like about 3 or 4 miles and that was not my idea of jogging distance. Not knowing if Allen Fieldhouse would even be open, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were having their intramural championships right on the Main Court. I was able to walk around and sit in many different seats with many different Vantage points. I figured it would be a great place to watch a game. I agree that behind the bleachers was a lot of history like Wilt Chamberlain stuff, Danny Manning stuff, and the previously mentioned Jim ryun stuff. The best that I could remember, it seemed like only about 10% of the seats had backs and the rest were just numbers painted on the bleacher. I always wondered what I would do if I were seated between a fat man and a fat lady.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Atlanta
    Quote Originally Posted by uh_no View Post
    the fact that our students can't seem to chant ANYTHING without speeding up to plaid is kind of lame. At one point, there was a concerted effort to keep the chants slower so as to not fade into jibberish, but that seems to have been short-lived.

    lets go duke, airball, and defense seem to be the biggest offenders.

    I remember when we faced pitt in the garden with singler, and their fans could keep a "lets go pitt" going far longer than the duke fans, simply because it stayed a sane tempo...I wished and still wish we could be like that...

    (The extremely dirty clapping on 2+4 before the base drops in every time we touch is another trigger for the musician in me...c'mon people, subdivide eighth notes!!)
    Back in my day. Before what someone out here called the modern era, I was allowed to play my snare during live play. The cheers never sped up!

    I always kinda believed I was head cheerleader. Lol!

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