Did the fans start coming because of the winning, or did the winning start because of the fans? The answer, honestly, is “Who cares?” It’s hard not to point back to the first game where a championship-caliber crowd showed up—against some Devils team or something—and find the start of something special there. Great teams need great crowds; it’s the spark that was lacking last year and that which took us into the top-25 this year.
But now we only have two home games left. And in the interest of sending our seniors out with a bang, it’s time to re-evaluate our game plan. It’s not just about finishing out the season strong, but also overcoming the cavernous MCI Center and starting to earn a reputation as some of the best fans around.
To begin, many of us have been sitting around at the arena for over an hour before tip-off, and it’s hard to keep up the energy in that time frame. That’s fine; we just need something to light the fire as game time approaches. The intros are good, but here’s where we can set ourselves apart: the national anthem. Imagine all the Hoya faithful singing along—respectfully, but energetically—with the Star Spangled Banner.
What would you be thinking if you were a lowly Syracuse Orange, already with a few butterflies in your stomach before the game starts, when an entire student body turns out this electric display of patriotism? Even better, though, is that it would show those poor souls who turned out to root for the other team that we own the MCI Center, no matter how big it is.
Those opposing fans are another issue. Always out en force around the student sections, they seem to make a little too much noise every time something goes remotely right for their team. They also tend to bring “unique” cheers that inevitably involve either spelling out their team’s name or yelling “Let’s go __.” There’s no point where these yokels should ever take over the game, and there’s also no reason to break into the “we can’t hear you” chant, which is a tacit admission that we can hear them. Drown ‘em out immediately, don’t even let them get started. Finding a way to turn their chant to involve “Georgetown” or “Hoyas” would be especially effective, since we could chant right along with them and take away any impetus to cheer.
One more thing we need to do away with is the new free throw distraction. Our timing is always way too late—the point is to distract them, not to force the ball left, which, I’m sorry to say, is always going to fail. Let’s just go nuts like the good old times.
Our one great, great asset is the “Hoya Saxa.” No one else has that and no one can take it away from us. The alumni have been getting involved with it lately too, which just rocks. Hoya Blue, I’m calling on you to find another creative chant we can make all our own. I personally like putting “Hoyas” to the “Olé” chant, but if you think that’s lame, one up me. Imagine it first though: “Hoyas, Hoyashoyashoyas, Hoyas, Hoyas!”
Sixth men need to finish strong, too, so all we’re left to do is celebrate our victory. I love the impromptu “Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” sing-alongs, which are clean, but kind of a punch in the gut when you were just beaten.
And of course “Hey Baby.” Lots and lots of “Hey Baby” at the end. I’m yet to sing something not written by Kelly Clarkson that makes me happier than that song.
