Opposing players and the Crazies

[Lord Ash]

Tonight, after being waved at for a solid four minutes, Johnson from UAB went over to take a seat... and as he started to sit, the Crazies started to cheer "SEE YA!" and? He didn't sit, and a little sneaky smile came over his face. The Crazies laughed, and eventually got him, and gave him a nice round of applause to boot... makes everyone smile, and while the player fouled out he DOES get a nice last laugh.

I always LOVE it when an opposing player has a good time with the Crazies, and the Crazies have always loved it too. General Grievis loved being at Cameron... and who was it who took that dollar in the shooting contest?

Anyone have any good stories of the Crazies and opposing players who have played along?

[OldPhiKap]

Tonight, after being waved at for a solid four minutes, Johnson from UAB went over to take a seat... and as he started to sit, the Crazies started to cheer "SEE YA!" and? He didn't sit, and a little sneaky smile came over his face. The Crazies laughed, and eventually got him, and gave him a nice round of applause to boot... makes everyone smile, and while the player fouled out he DOES get a nice last laugh.

I always LOVE it when an opposing player has a good time with the Crazies, and the Crazies have always loved it too. General Grievis loved being at Cameron... and who was it who took that dollar in the shooting contest?

Anyone have any good stories of the Crazies and opposing players who have played along?

I'll give you a good coach one. When we played NC State sometime in the mid-80's, Jim Valvano was on the sideline giving the refs an earful. The crowd shouted "sit" "sit" "sit" -- so he sat on the floor at the corner of the coach's box, criss-cross-applesauce, still giving the ref an earful.

I want to say I saw him do a lay-up with his team in warm-ups one of those games, too, but I may not be remembering it correctly. I'll blame the distance of time for that.

[gam7]

This was before my time, but didn't Dennis Scott eat a twinkie that a Crazie threw at him?

[moonpie23]

This was before my time, but didn't Dennis Scott eat a twinkie that a Crazie threw at him?

props on the sig line....

[Lord Ash]

This was before my time, but didn't Dennis Scott eat a twinkie that a Crazie threw at him?

I think it was Scott, but I didn't remember so didn't post it... someone I am sure will have the story... I hope?

[OldPhiKap]

I think it was Scott, but I didn't remember so didn't post it... someone I am sure will have the story... I hope?

Dennis was, um, a bit soft around the middle.

[cspan37421]

This was before my time, but didn't Dennis Scott eat a twinkie that a Crazie threw at him?

That sounds like an urban legend. Dennis Scott was sometimes the butt of food jokes among the Crazies for his Barkley-esque physique (esp. as he progressed through his years in a GT uniform). I'm not saying it didn't happen, it just seems to fit the caricature a bit too well.

[OldPhiKap]

I remember when we played LSU Shaq's freshman year ('90, maybe?) he went up for a slam but was a bit far from the basket. So, instead, he did a really nifty draw-down-and-under while in the air and it went in perfectly.

The crowd started chanting "Shaq can't slam! Shaq can't slam!"

The look on his face -- one of those "you kids must be kidding me" smiles -- was priceless. He definitely enjoyed the joke.

[OldPhiKap]

That sounds like an urban legend. Dennis Scott was sometimes the butt of food jokes among the Crazies for his Barkley-esque physique (esp. as he progressed through his years in a GT uniform). I'm not saying it didn't happen, it just seems to fit the caricature a bit too well.

IIRC, the Twinkie was left on the edge of the scorer's table by a student. Going second or third hand, though -- not there.

[davekay1971]

IIRC, the Twinkie was left on the edge of the scorer's table by a student. Going second or third hand, though -- not there.

I was there. Dennis had trimmed down remarkably in the off season and we had brought the twinkies to throw. Dennis did, indeed, pick up a twinkie (one which was still in the wrapper) and ate it. He also accepted a challenge from the crazies to shoot it from near halfcourt in warmups. My memory says he drained it, but I'm not sure about that detail. But, heck, he drained everything else he put up that night, so why not?

[Faustus]

There is a famous story from back in the early 70s when Maryland had a kid named Brian Magid who was no great player but did have legendary range, and during warm-ups a Duke student hopped out onto the court and laid a dollar bill on the floor about 35 ft. from the basket as a challenge. Magid dribbled over to the spot, nailed the shot, smiled to the crowd, picked up the bill and slipped it into his shorts to wild applause. I suspect someone on the forum can confirm/correct this Tale From the Past. (I graduated in '75 but somehow don't recall actually witnessing it myself.)

[Verga3]

I remember a lot more moments where our opponents did NOT play along...they are legion.

I do, however, remember in the early 80's when Duke grad and Maryland Coach, Lefty Driesell was in Cameron. Everybody remembers those skull caps behind the MD bench. Really funny, and Lefty was always a good sport about it. Does anyone else remember the game (2nd half) where Lefty called a timeout and reached back quickly at a heckling Cameron Crazy to rubbed his skull-capped head for luck? I also think once during pregame warmups he even borrowed a skull cap to try on...What a character.

[sagegrouse]

There is a famous story from back in the early 70s when Maryland had a kid named Brian Magid who was no great player but did have legendary range, and during warm-ups a Duke student hopped out onto the court and laid a dollar bill on the floor about 35 ft. from the basket as a challenge. Magid dribbled over to the spot, nailed the shot, smiled to the crowd, picked up the bill and slipped it into his shorts to wild applause. I suspect someone on the forum can confirm/correct this Tale From the Past. (I graduated in '75 but somehow don't recall actually witnessing it myself.)

Magid played two years at Maryland, 1976 and 1977, before transferring to George Washington for his last two years.

Here's a link to the Magid story by Al Featherstone.

sagegrouse

[gam7]

During the late '90s I recall a "you can't dunk" chant during a Wake Forest pre-game layup line, leading to a Wake player dunking and shattering the backboard. Player and crowd got good laughs out of it.

Also, I remember Jeff McGinnis having a lot of back and forths with the Crazies. In particular, I remember him pointing and laughing at my favorite sign in Cameron history. McGinnis was rumored to have slept with Phil Ford's wife and the sign said, "McGinnis, have you driven a Ford lately?"

[-bdbd]

I remember a lot more moments where our opponents did NOT play along...they are legion.

I do, however, remember in the early 80's when Duke grad and Maryland Coach, Lefty Driesell was in Cameron. Everybody remembers those skull caps behind the MD bench. Really funny, and Lefty was always a good sport about it. Does anyone else remember the game (2nd half) where Lefty called a timeout and reached back quickly at a heckling Cameron Crazy to rubbed his skull-capped head for luck? I also think once during pregame warmups he even borrowed a skull cap to try on...What a character.

Actually one time he was asked by one of the skinhead guys behind the visitor bench to autograph the kid's dome. So Lefty grabbed a sharpie, leaned over and signed the skinhead (skull cap) with a big "X". He later explained, "I went to Duke, so I never learned to read or write..."

[devildeac]

I'll give you a good coach one. When we played NC State sometime in the mid-80's, Jim Valvano was on the sideline giving the refs an earful. The crowd shouted "sit" "sit" "sit" -- so he sat on the floor at the corner of the coach's box, criss-cross-applesauce, still giving the ref an earful.

I want to say I saw him do a lay-up with his team in warm-ups one of those games, too, but I may not be remembering it correctly. I'll blame the distance of time for that.

Lore also has it that after Valvano obeyed the Crazies, they started chanting "roll over, roll over."

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I remember a lot more moments where our opponents did NOT play along...they are legion.

I do, however, remember in the early 80's when Duke grad and Maryland Coach, Lefty Driesell was in Cameron. Everybody remembers those skull caps behind the MD bench. Really funny, and Lefty was always a good sport about it. Does anyone else remember the game (2nd half) where Lefty called a timeout and reached back quickly at a heckling Cameron Crazy to rubbed his skull-capped head for luck? I also think once during pregame warmups he even borrowed a skull cap to try on...What a character.

Don't leave out another Lefty funny.... instead of the skull caps from the party/costume store, everyone had a poster with Lefty's picture which had a gas gauge on the forehead. The gauge was on E.

Loved the Fruit of the Loom Night following some State players having a little problem in a retail store.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Lore also has it that after Valvano obeyed the Crazies, they started chanting "roll over, roll over."

Many of us regulars upstairs used bet on how long it would take for Valvano to rip the inseam of his trousers or some part of his jacket as the result of his passionate interaction with the officials.

[dukebsbll14]

In my short time at Duke I have one

-At this years Miami(Ohio) game, there was a player named Julian Mavunga. We had a list of a bunch of Julian's tweets on the cheer sheets and during warm-ups I would scream things like, "JULIAN! Are you gonna tweet during the game! JULIAN! Are you gonna tweet that missed lay-up!" He came over and I asked if he would tweet during the game and was like "Yeah I will!"

Then I would just scream his name whenever he ran by and he would start grinning. Then he would just look at me and I would smile and wave and he would start laughing. He was a great sport. After the game I tweeted him saying it was fun heckling him that day. He responded saying something along the lines of he had fun and told me he'd be back in our building someday. Good kid. Hope he goes places.

[cspan37421]

Many of us regulars upstairs used bet on how long it would take for Valvano to rip the inseam of his trousers or some part of his jacket as the result of his passionate interaction with the officials.

Heck, I saw Coach K do that. I was behind the Duke bench a few rows and he made one of those Hulk-like motions (best and most concise way I can describe it!) at the officials. Riiippp went the jacket along the seam down the middle of the back. I think he may have then taken it off and, um, set it down for the rest of the game, but my memory is foggy after that. I can't even remember which game it was.

Subsequently, I would use that motion (gently) use to test the fit of suit jackets.