Late Saturday night on the East Coast, San Diego State and
New Mexico were locked in, well, let’s politely call it a defensive struggle.
The two were battling – quite literally – for the regular season Mountain West
Conference crown.
It was the type of game that without any stakes involved
would necessitate a channel change. But it was a game for a championship. And
there were real, genuine emotions involved between two NCAA
Tournament-bound teams.
Alas, the favored Aztecs were down 41-25 with about 12
minutes to go and, like many others, I was ready to change the channel and move
on with my life. But San Diego State wouldn’t go away. They kept clawing back.
They threw in a
1-3-1 zone out of nowhere. They went on a 19-1 run. They won the game. They
won the Mountain West regular season title. Their fans stormed the court.
Uh-oh. A court storming?
Sure enough, I read a tweet like this one the
next morning: “Wait, they rushed the court at San Diego State? For a win by
the No. 10 team over the No. 21 team? What am I missing there?”
I am picking on him because I was following him and
immediately unfollowed per my rule that I unfollow any sportswriter that
complains about college kids rushing the floor. And what is he missing? The
ability to enjoy sports.
This hit critical mass in late February, when North Carolina
pulled off a huge win at home against Duke and the prevailing wisdom was, like this tweet,
“You storm the court, that means you're putting your opponent -- in this case
your hated rival -- on a pedestal. FAIL!”
When did this become a thing? When did sportswriters get to
decide when college kids should or should not have fun?
It is sadly indicative of a larger problem within the
context of reporters
using social media where they believe they know more than anyone else and
their opinion carries a greater weight. In particular, that they get to decide
what is wrong and what is right with the sports world.
At the end of the day – who cares? Who cares that some
40-something sportswriter believes there are unwritten rules for when college
kids should rush the floor?
This is not a problem unique to college basketball, as
college football fans have come under fire at times for a field rush. As if you
are only allowed to celebrate a huge victory in that way if you go to certain
school or beat a certain opponent.
Who makes up these rules? Why can Nebraska fans rush the
court after beating Wisconsin but San Diego State fans can’t? Why can Maryland
fans – in the midst of a horribly disappointing season – get the rush the floor
but North Carolina fans – in the midst of a remarkable season of overcoming
adversity – cannot?
This is a long-winded saying that the rushing the court
debate should go the way of the dodo bird and never be discussed again. Why
should we discourage fans from having fun?
It’s remarkable that in an era when college administrators
are struggling with attendance from students, that sportswriters go out of
their way and appear to take such glee in boarding their high horse and looking
down their nose at students.
There are some who believe the rushing the court could pose
a safety problem. Remember, most field storms in college football used to
involve tearing
down the goal posts until injuries took that mostly off limits. No one
seems to mind.
If we find that rushing the court results in injuries –
safety is frequently cited
as a concern without any evidence – than maybe it would be time to ban all
court stormings. No one would like that but no one like to see people pointlessly
getting hurt.
But as we stand in 2014, there is no reason to stop college
kids and fans from rushing the court. They do not need to answer to old men who
haven’t been a college student in a generation, nor should they listen to me, a
mere decade out of a college.
No, college students should heed the advice
of Sigmund Freud. When it comes to rushing the court, you’ll know when the
moment is right. Your fellow fans and students will give you the cue. When the
buzzer sounds and your team wins a big game in spectacular fashion – whether you’re
rooting for Maryland, UNC or North Dakota State – you’ll begin the sprint to
half-court.
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