How Far is Too Far?

With the crowd expected to be larger than ever this year, the behavior of the BU Zoo is a point of contention between head coach Al Walker and the administration.

Before each exhibition game, an audio clip recorded by the coach asks that the crowd to be polite and respectful. Walker explained to the Zoo faithful at Tuesday night’s “Meet the Coach” night, however, that the decision was not his own.

The Events Center crowd is notorious for being rowdy and disrespectful. As a student newspaper, we recognize that the Junior Bearcats deserve an opportunity to enjoy the game in an appropriate environment, but this doesn’t mean the student section should back down at all. Here is a short guide to etiquette at tonight’s home games:

Wear green. If you get there early enough, you’ll get a ‘BU ZOO’ t-shirt, but wear a green shirt anyway. Body paint is certainly encouraged.

Pack yourselves in. Get down as close as you can to the court and fill up the seats closest to the court.

Stand up. Sit down during time outs only.

Bounce up and down while the other team is on offense. Watch the guys in the front — they’ll show you how to do this. Watching this at say, Cameron Indoor at Duke, you can see the best of the best college basketball atmospheres, and they do this all the time. Also, scream “ooo” while jumping.

When the other team is shooting free throws, wave your arms and scream random obscenities.

During introductions, scream “you suck” at the other guys. Yes, the administration disapproves of this, but I don’t think other teams will be too intimidated by “who’s that?” P.A. announcer Dave Simek tells us who it is — and we’re reaffirming that indeed, he sucks.

Remember, the fans can play a huge part of the game. The Events Center is becoming a scary place to play around the league in large part due to the crazy fan base we’ve developed. Come out and have fun, starting tonight at 7 p.m.