The Chapman Panthers were dismantled, dismayed and utterly disgruntled by the Whitworth whiteout at the basketball game Saturday night. First of all, what a performance by the Bucs! They took control early and were relentless throughout. There is another article to the left of this one all about the performance on the court, but I want to take a minute to tip my hat to the sixth man.
On Thursday evening, my roommate, Michael Taylor (basketball player and secondary school mascot), came in and asked for some help with some boxes in his car. We proceeded to move 225 white Whitworth NCAA tournament t-shirts (holy basketballs that was a lot of tees) into our room. The basketball team had ordered 1,000 of these t-shirts for their whiteout campaign. Seemed ambitious to me, but sure enough when I walked into the Fieldhouse on game night everyone and their grandma was wearing one of these white tees. The only person not wearing a white tee was a bearded wannabe artist from the Chapman side (anyone can draw a dead smiley face, buddy).
It was not just about the t-shirts though. The sixth man brought their whites and they brought their fire as well. A relentless barrage of cheers and jeers came from the stands for all 40 minutes. Two notable things should be mentioned from the crowd support on Saturday night.
First, there is the undeniable impact they had on the game. The Whitworth players thrived on their supporter’s enthusiasm. With every two-hand slam by big Nate (do that more often Nate, it’s a high percentage shot) and every Alan Iverson-esque cross-over by Beal, the crowd just continued to amp up the Bucs and drive them toward victory.
The Whitworth crowd was also able to get under the skin of the Panthers. With relentless chants of “air ball” and giving players who fouled out a chain-gang exit of “left, right, left, right,” the fans not only did the their job of supporting their side, but also got inside the heads of the opponents.
The second notable aspect of Saturday’s cheering section was the class it had throughout the game. Sure, there were a few crude or uncalled for gestures from time-to-time, but that is to be expected. Overall, they were respectful of Chapman, and their rambunctious supporters (all four of them were rather spirited with their recycled paper signs). In such a high-tension game with so much riding on every bounce of the ball, a toast to the fans in regards to their general conduct, representing our school well.
So, congrats to the basketball team on taking another undefeated step toward a national championship. Congrats to the whiteout Whitworth crowd who valiantly supported their side. And the biggest congrats to the entire Whitworth community on a school win. The players are the ones putting in all the work everyday, but Pirate fans pulled their weight in the way they showed up for their team when they needed them most. What a way to show their appreciation for the remarkable season the team is having? Chalk this one up as a win for the home team. Neato gang.
Contact Colin Zalewski at colin.zalewski@whitworthian.com.
Sports Talk: Whiteout: Left. Right. Left. Right. Sit down!
Published: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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