Harvard - MBB - 12/10/11

BU vs. Harvard Men's Basketball, 12/10/11 - Agganis Arena, Boston, MA


Bottom Line: Harvard beats BU 76-52

The Memories: BU hosts a ranked team for the first time since 2003 / Coach Jones takes the end of the game to give the rest of the bench a shot to play / Agganis Arena seems pretty full - of fairly pathetic BU fans and too much Crimson

I'm going to take the time to commend the good about this game.  First things first, I'm not going to acknowledge the quality of the crowd, but damn, was there a crowd.  I'm sure most of that can be attributed to the fact that we were playing a ranked opponent that happened to be right across the river, but I don't really care.  I was honestly convinced that things like the America East Championships and the home opener against Northeastern were never going to happen again.  But hey, I couldn't be happier to be wrong.

The men's basketball team deserves to have a crowd behind them.  If you haven't taken the time to go see those guys in person, you need to.  I don't think I've ever seen a person get more fired up than I've seen Matt Griffin get.  I don't think I've ever seen a more consistent and humble person than John Holland.  I don't care how BU ranks nationally in terms of basketball.  No, we're never going to be Kentucky.  No, we'll never have a rivalry like Duke/UNC.  But in America East, holy hell do we hold our own.  And then some.  That alone is exciting and worth going to a game to see.

Now, for the not so good.  First things first, let me take the time to say that I whole heartedly respect any student that comes out to a game.  Even if you're sitting down and falling asleep, you're showing (some) support for a group of your classmates that deserve it.  Now let me say that I obviously love the hockey Dog Pound because of its size and creativity.  But, last year's basketball Dog Pound was probably the greatest group of students I have gotten to see in action.

Last year's basketball Dog Pound was just...I don't know, probably off their rocker.  They never stopped cheering and freaking out even if the basketball team was dying on the floor.  That's what's huge about basketball.  No glass, close proximity.  Anything the student section chants is without a doubt heard.  Basketball players take that as pure fuel and absolutely thrive off of it.  Last year was absolutely on point.  I remember specifically when we were in Hartford, those kids were going crazy.  First of all, they were spitting fire for both the men's and women's team and wouldn't stop screaming until both games were over.  I also remember that in between games (not sure which two) they managed to grab a bunch of generic signs that whoever was sponsoring the games was giving out and they used the back to make some of the stupidest and most awesome BU signs.  I really can't remember what most of them said, but I do specifically remember the "BU Male Dance Team" sign that made an appearance every time the cheerleaders or the dance team of the opposite school performed.  I literally have never been more into a game (and this includes the America East Championships and any hockey game) than the BU vs. BU game at the end of Hartford weekend last year.  And it was because of that student section.

Now, yesterday.

Well, I don't really have anything positive to say.

For anyone that wasn't there, Harvard students managed to fill almost an entire section.  And as stupid and unintelligible as they were, they were louder than we were.  Much louder.

And now here's where I talk about the men's crew team.

Okay, so, I'm convinced these kids know close to nothing about sports.  But as I said, I have so much respect for anyone that even shows up to a game.  So despite the fact that they chant literally the dumbest things I've ever heard, good for them for making noise.  Even if you yourself think they chant the dumbest things, you should still pay attention because once in a while they actually say something normal.  Yesterday they chanted players names after they scored.  No reason for anyone not to join in on that chant.

That's just the thing.  There are a few brave souls who decide, "hey, I'm going to start a chant."  Then everyone else should, completely should, join in.  The people that start chants, for the most part, start chants that make sense and work.  Every chant should erupt after that one kid starts it.  I'm sick of lackadaisical fans that sit there with their arms crossed and don't really say anything.  You've got a mouth, you've got hands, you bought a sports pass to be here, put all that stuff to good use.  Oh, unless a kid starts a scoreboard chant before it's appropriate.  Then by all means punch the kid in the face.

Basketball, especially when it's played at Agganis, gives the fans the opportunity to literally be on top of the players.  Everything you say they hear and you can see that all over their faces.  So in a game when they really needed fire and they really needed something to play for, most of Agganis was quiet.