Jeremy Brevard-US Presswire
Fans may remember Nov. 9, 2012 as the evening that brought an abrupt end to NCAA basketball’s boring boat shows.
Due to condensation, the Carrier Classic featuring Ohio State and Marquette, was called before tip-off. The Georgetown Hoyas and Florida Gators completed a half before their game in the Navy-Marine Corps Classic, was called.
The scene with military personal and basketball players mopping the deck, turned what was built as a night to honor our troops into a shipwreck. Thank God.
Because despite the cool camouflage uniforms, the awesome aerial shots of flight decks transformed into basketball courts, the sight of sailors doing the Florida Gators chomp, these games are boring.
Yes, “Bor-ring!” Why? Because they lack the essential ingredient that makes college basketball exciting: fans.
Of course they had bleachers and people in them. But most were not die-hard, rabid college basketball fans.
Ticket packages for the Navy-Marine Corps Classic started at about $1,000. The type of people who fork over a grand to watch a game are dignitaries, not fans. These are not the kind of people who appear shirtless behind the basketball goal and scream to distract free-throw shooters.
Beautifully staged, it’s hard not to get excited about basketball on an assault ship. Soldiers, ballers and big guns, televised live. It’s testosterone theatre, staged on a neutral site.
Nothing wrong with neutral sites. But neutral crowds are a snooze-fest. Even at NCAA Tournament games, when neither team plays on its home court, the fans at some point, pick a side. The biased energy adds to the excitement.
The Navy-Marine Corps Classic, the 20 minutes we got of it, emitted little energy. Passersby of pick up games generate more interest than did those in the stands for this game.
Besides the polite neutral crowd, there’s something odd about the juxtaposition of college athletes playing in faux fatigues with real servicemen, many who have been deployed to Libya and Afghanistan, cheering them on.
What seemed like a great idea last year, was a disaster tonight and we can thank condensation for hopefully saving us from future boring boat shows.
Merlisa covers Georgetown and Big East basketball. Follow her on Twitter: @merlisa.
