Dec. 23, 2011
In Praise of Break Game Crowds
As a student from 2006-2010, I used to be disappointed and annoyed every September when the season schedule would come out and show that one of the marquee home games fell over Georgetown's winter break. Not only did this make it unlikely that I would be able to attend, I also would whine to myself that the game atmosphere was going to suffer without a large contingent of students on hand to make some noise. As I am of the belief that crowd atmosphere does have a real impact on game outcomes and the program's health, I would worry that the school and the team was being let down.
Now, as a burgeoning old dude, I have come to appreciate what the guys and gals who come to games in slacks and button-downs can do to make the Verizon Center loud and exciting. This Thursday's 70-59 win over the Memphis Tigers was a case in point. With all but a few dozen students gone for the holidays, it was up to us to make the place rocking to help our Hoyas win their eighth straight game and enter conference play on a high note. And we did not disappoint.
People who watched at home will have to confirm, but there were times during the game where you would have never guessed that the average age of a fan in the building was probably in the 30s. Henry Sims's breakaway jam right at the end of the 1st half provoked a roar as loud as I've ever heard from the phone-booth seats. The deafening boos aimed at the carelessly wandering Josh Pastner's inadvertent disruption of play certainly gave the Memphis players pause. Beyond these key moments, the game was from tip-off to final buzzer full of screams, cheers, yells, and overall passion.
Thank you Hoya fans for proving an overconfident and younger me completely wrong.
Kasper Statz (COL '10)
