Untaming the Cameron Crazies

This week, the Associated Press released its first Division I men’s basketball ranking since the 2007-08 preseason poll without a ranked Duke team. This follows the women’s fall last month from its rankings for the first time since 1999. Basketball is certainly at one of its regular season basketball at Duke is at one of its lowest points in recent memory, but perhaps what is more disappointing is the lack energy displayed in Section 17 of Cameron and for sports more generally at Duke outside of pockets of enthusiasts.

Two weeks ago, a letter to the editor was critical of the Crazies not jumping and shouting on defense to create the atmosphere that has historically made Cameron the most difficult road environment in all of college basketball. The fanaticism that drove the Crazies to fame in the mid-1980s seems to have faded.

Looking into this trend, Duke certainly has risen as a university in the last several decades and students are increasingly coming to campus for more than just the basketball scene as “Why Duke?” essay answers are sure to indicate. Duke’s reputation in farther reaches of the country is gaining additional keywords beyond basketball. Further, parallel to the rise of basketball apathy in students is the perception that being in Cameron for games requires a tremendous amount of time investment and energy expenditure. While students should value their time, we should appreciate how unique it is to have basketball and other sports like fencing and swimming right at our fingertips--not to mention for free. Third, the experience of being a Crazie is perhaps increasingly being taken for granted, rather than something Blue Devil fans need to put gritty work into becoming.

While Duke should not make basketball passion a part of its admissions considerations, students can reconsider how they view basketball and other sports in the context of their college careers. Line monitors and graduate ushers should continue to work to dispel the perception that exists about walk-up line times and to hype up the difference in experiencing sports live rather than on television.

Some argue that the resuscitation of our student section’s particular brand of wildness will take the lucky selection of the right leaders among line monitors. No matter who deals with tenting and game admissions, organization is key. It starts with simply communicating the chants and actions that make up our special Cameron rituals, but it goes further to understanding sports at universities. A very American phenomenon, having free access at Duke to highly competitive teams--revenue and non-revenue--throughout the school year is not to be underestimated for its entertainment value and school pride.

Even as Coach K’s time to retirement dwindles and our many sports teams go through ups and downs, it comes down to students finding digging deep and finding their competitive spirit to cheer on their classmates. Duke’s academic and social traditions have their own space and benefits to students on campus, but athletics are something special. Go to the women’s home game on Thursday night, the men’s home game on Saturday afternoon, our fencing team’s one hosted meet in Card Gym this weekend and find out when other teams host their competitions. In Cameron and throughout all our playing fields and arenas, student support is the next most important thing to see besides the teams themselves and the thing they deserve for their hard work day in and day out.