2008 Woodie Awards
"From the Bleacher Seats"
Wake Up and Smell the Playoffs
Raanan Lefkovitz
Issue date: 2/15/05 Section: Sports
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If there was a device that could measure the decibel level at Yeshiva Macs basketball games, it would have about as tough of a time registering as an incoming freshman does when he enrolls here.
More often than not, during the Macs home games, the crowd produces so little noise that it becomes hard to distinguish between a library and a basketball game.
"The fans come and then act like they are watching the game on television," complained Roman "Ole, Ole Ole Ole" Rosenberg. Rosenberg and his coorts are usually the only ones who can be heard cheering at most Mac games. Unfortunately their European soccer chants don't always seem to catch on with a predominately American student section. However, even when Rosenberg tries to jump-start a chorus of "D-FENSE" or "LETS GO MACS," his cheers are left unrequited.
At a recent Macs game against Manhattanville College, the team clinged to a three point lead with under a minute to go. As Manhattanville dribbled the ball down the court to set up their play, most of the fans in attendance sat down and played with their knuckles or Ipods. Yet, in a subconscious moment of counterintuitive brilliance, the Manhattanville players appeared so stunned by the silence, that they panicked and turned the ball over. Sadly, none of the fans were at all aware of their collective cleverness.
More troubling though, for every expressionless student who attends a Macs game, there are 10 others who don't even bother to show up.
Two questions need to be addressed. First, where are all the Mac fans? And second, why are we so thrifty with our cheerholes?
I understand that with a double curriculum and everything else going on it's not easy to make it to games. Actually yes it is. Most schools' gyms are nowhere near campus and it is next to impossible to score tickets. Here we basically live on top of the games and we don't even sell tickets. Games rarely take longer than 90 minutes, time that most students would probably spend playing poker or downloading network movies.
More often than not, during the Macs home games, the crowd produces so little noise that it becomes hard to distinguish between a library and a basketball game.
"The fans come and then act like they are watching the game on television," complained Roman "Ole, Ole Ole Ole" Rosenberg. Rosenberg and his coorts are usually the only ones who can be heard cheering at most Mac games. Unfortunately their European soccer chants don't always seem to catch on with a predominately American student section. However, even when Rosenberg tries to jump-start a chorus of "D-FENSE" or "LETS GO MACS," his cheers are left unrequited.
At a recent Macs game against Manhattanville College, the team clinged to a three point lead with under a minute to go. As Manhattanville dribbled the ball down the court to set up their play, most of the fans in attendance sat down and played with their knuckles or Ipods. Yet, in a subconscious moment of counterintuitive brilliance, the Manhattanville players appeared so stunned by the silence, that they panicked and turned the ball over. Sadly, none of the fans were at all aware of their collective cleverness.
More troubling though, for every expressionless student who attends a Macs game, there are 10 others who don't even bother to show up.
Two questions need to be addressed. First, where are all the Mac fans? And second, why are we so thrifty with our cheerholes?
I understand that with a double curriculum and everything else going on it's not easy to make it to games. Actually yes it is. Most schools' gyms are nowhere near campus and it is next to impossible to score tickets. Here we basically live on top of the games and we don't even sell tickets. Games rarely take longer than 90 minutes, time that most students would probably spend playing poker or downloading network movies.