Duff Man

Are you serious? You used climax and rickma in the same sentence, so there's at least a small chance this was meant to be funny/ironic. Although I guess almost anything would be an improvement over climaxing with KC (not trying to pick on the kid - just being real about it - everyone knows KM should be the last starter introduced). This is a basketball game, not one of GOB's magic shows. The average SLU season ticketholder has been going to games for decades. They are not going to be brainwashed into cheering harder by some pregame light show. Home court advantage is not something than can be synthetically engineered. When the team is playing well and the games start to matter, the crowds are infinitely better.

What exactly are we clinging to here? From my seat there is not some insane kinetic buzz flowing through the crowd between the intros and the tip off. It is my opinion that the over-the-top intros do more harm than good. I'm 28 and I think they are silly. I can only imagine what the more *ahem* mature fans think... I'm fairly confident the student section would still manage to get psyched up without such theatrics. The band is the real engine behind the crowd, anyways.

This concept was played out 10 odd years ago whenever SLU started doing it. It actually discourages me from cheering because it's so incredibly lame. The Billikens are not an indoor soccer team, nor are they the World Champion Chicago Bulls (insert Kyle Cassity joke here) . Leave the lights on, let the band do their thing, and introduce the players like we always used to.

Even during the glorious 2-year Claggett/Waldman/Highmark run they didn't draw for ###### until X-mas time (also remember they weren't playing exhibition games in October). The SIU game right before Christmas in 1993 was the watershed moment (removing the banners in the vertigo seats at the old barn). From there on out (possibly with the exception of the following home game) it was pretty much a full house every game. The following year (at Kiel) they didn't sell out the early games, but I'm pretty sure they had over 20k for Austin Peay the week between X-mas and New Years and continued to draw 16-20k the rest of the year. November Sunday afternoon games against unfamiliar opponents are never going to draw well. also, it was a beautiful day outside - there will be plenty more opportunities for students to see Billiken basketball over the next 3 months. There may not be many more weekend days like yesterday weather wise...

KC got himself into trouble more than once by picking up his dribble and holding the ball in the backcourt. He had a good game overall though. He's certainly playing with more confidence (taking open 3s without hesitation, taking the ball to the basket). KM was fouled hard midway through the first half and spent a few minutes in the locker room/tunnel getting his non shooting arm checked out. He returned to action and played like his usual self. CS has no conscience when it comes to 3 pointers. As long as he continues to hit them, this will work to our advantage. Aside from a few bad turnovers here and there, the guards all played very well. Even FJ did well with the minutes he was given. It's encouraging to see the offense flow without relying on KM to be the scorer.

were you at this game? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAOVObydMM

precedent...you mean like those 4 times SLU lost to Xavier in the MCC Tourney from 1986-1991... /goes into convulsions

The refs were bad as usual, but the Bills blew this game on their own. LaSalle hit their open looks and SLU didn't. Kwamain was great for most of the game, but forced shot or two when he should have been running the offense and missed a critical front end of a 1 and 1 (don't get me wrong - I'd still go to war with the kid). Willie had his moments but got banged up midway through the 2nd half and never really got back into the game. Kevin hit a big shot late to pull them back within 3, and had a heartbreaker rim out that would have tied it with under 30 to play. Tommie couldn't buy a basket for most of the game. Just a miserable finish to an up and down season - on the plus side, some dude won $900 by swishing a 40 footer during a timeout - and 2 of the 3 halftime contestants hit layup/FT/3pt and launched half court shots with a chance to win a car - brought back memories of the ole Suziki shootout...

God bless the Internets...