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DocLibby

Calling All #IUBB Fans: These Hoosiers Need Their 6th Man Now More Than Ever

By DocLibby, in Indiana Men's Basketball

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DocLibby    761

DocLibby
Posted
 
 
 
 
 

hanner-and-yogi.jpg

IU has millions of fans (especially when the bandwagon is full), but only a select few are able to grace the presence of Assembly Hall on a regular basis.

 

17,472 to be exact.

 

The Hall may not be as full as we would like these days. Some say the student section has been light as of late. And when the fans don’t show, it’s obvious how quiet it can get in a building that usually has a deafening atmosphere.

 

I don’t know about you, but I take my position as a sixth man pretty seriously.

 

My seats are better than most, admittedly. When I yell at the players and tell them to stay “locked in” while they sit on the bench for a short rest, it is heard by all the players and the coaches. I am the sixth (wo)man.

 

I apologize to anyone who sits around me before the game ever starts. I am passionate about this IU team. Win or lose, I will be cheering until the clock ticks to 0:00.

 

But what is the point of booing?

 

Why would I, or anyone, ever boo the IU team at home (or away)? I’m still having a big problem wrapping my head around this one.

 

We know that we are hurting as fans, but don’t you think that the players and coaches feel even worse? Is it a “herd mentality” that took over for a brief second at the most recent Iowa game? Did one genuine boo turn into hundreds of blind followers? Whatever the case, it is not helping the team.

 

No doubt, it is hard to keep up the enthusiasm that was echoed after the heartfelt loss at Maryland. Blood, sweat and tears were left on that floor—literally. After that tough road loss, we had some great things to say about this same team that not long ago lost miserably at Michigan State and in other tough road environments. But things seemed to be improving.

 

Unfortunately, the pendulum has swung back in the other direction in recent games.

 

Needlessly to say, there will be ups and downs with any sport, and a true fan cares about wins but they care less about losses. Ultimately, it’s all about entertainment. These young men are here to give the fans something to do for 40 minutes. Yes, there is big money in this pastime, and maybe that is why people get so angry about something that is supposed to be fun …

 

I’m a competitor like Yogi, but I know that a loss will not make or break me. Even though my heart breaks with every loss, I still have to wake up and go to work the next day. The world will still turn, and the young will continue to be restless.

 

Remember all the things we don’t see as fans

 

There is one man who may have to worry about employment, but rest assured he will be back for another year and the voices of naysayers won’t change that.

 

Coach Crean is the head coach, but he has a lot of unsolicited help.

 

Sideline coaches without perspective are  the worst fans because the only thing a sideline coach sees is the 40 minutes with bright lights and whistles. They don’t see the practices, the film sessions, the late night curfew checks. They don’t witness the off-court leadership. They don’t see the one-on-one conversations with the players.

 

Players are reduced to their stat lines and become only as good as their last game. Unfortunately, during that 40 minutes nothing else matters, unless you are the coach.

 

I’m not blind. I know we need presence down low. I know that some players have off shooting nights. I know that the defense has been lacking.

 

Even I am guilty of second guessing the offense, and questioning why Yogi keeps shooting or is not shooting. And whether he wants to hear it or not, I will often tell Yogi how I thought the game should have gone. (Parents sometimes are the worst sideline coaches because we tend to over-focus on our own child).

 

So yes, you can be a fan and still be critical, but there is a way to do it without being hurtful, disloyal, or asking for the resignation or firing of certain individuals.

 

Let’s all move forward together … and pack The Hall on Saturday

 

There is a very important game that will be played on Saturday versus Michigan State.

 

Will it make or take a job? Athletic Director Fred Glass says no. I would tend to think that we have a better chance of winning without that added pressure, and I hope that the focus can stay on the game and its players.

 

Please keep come out in big numbers on Saturday to show your support for these young men who work more hours than you can imagine. 

 

They work hard in the gym so that you can come into Assembly Hall to sing “Indiana, Our Indiana” and be entertained; but what they did not sign up for is booing by their own fans.

 

This is not a team beyond repair.

 

And if anyone can recall, we are actually exceeding expectations established by the preseason experts.

The excuse of this being a young team has faded, though it is particularly evident at that last home game, which is usually reserved for senior night. But Saturday’s game will end without any senior speeches.

 

Hopefully the gift that ends our home season to the unwavering Assembly Hall fans will be a win. I’m holding out hope like I always do.

 

Will you be a faithful fan and join me in Assembly Hall this one last time?

 

IU Men’s basketball needs their sixth man now more than ever.

 

Let’s pack the Hall out! 

 

 

Never daunted … Indiana, we’re all for you.

 
 
 
 
 


[url=http://doclibby.net/2015/03/06/hoosiers-need-their-6th-man/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hoosiers-need-their-6th-man]View the full article[/url]

ccgeneral, moyemayhem, hoosierfan6157 and 20 others reacted to this

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TrueHoosier62    1,593

TrueHoosier62
Posted

A very well written, articulate and inspiring message, Doc, one that under normal circumstances would and should make the Hoosier faithful march in lockstep to AH. However, these are neither normal times nor circumstances. 

Those 17,000+ pairs of eyes you refer to can easily see, and have seen for the past seven years, a program that isn't developing at an appreciable rate, and in any appreciable way. Defense, arguably the easiest and quickest aspect of the game to develop and instill, is nowhere to be found. Mental toughness has gone for a walk. Even on offense, our game is limited to what we can achieve from beyond the arc. 

These are not casual observations by novices, but by people who've been exposed to and have witnessed great basketball through the years. They know greatness when the see it, quality basketball when the see it, great coaching when they see it, great defense, teamwork and discipline when the see it, and I'm telling you Doc, they don't see any of that here; not now, and not seven years ago. Not at the most embryonic stage do we see it.

At some point, after years of watching sub par basketball, IU fans are charged with reminding those in positions of power, that this in unacceptable, intolerable, and mostly, sad. We are not Purdue, where mediocrity reigns supreme, or Illinois, where 20 win seasons are cause for parades. We are Indiana. Because we're Indiana, we're charged with holding people accountable when we feel and see things have gone irreparably wrong with our beloved basketball program. If those in charge of making the necessary corrections to the program are hesitant or disinclined to do so, the damn-it, we will incline them! We'll be willing to use whatever means available to us. Attendance at games, while noble and important, is secondary, when the program is headed in the wrong direction. And it is going in the wrong direction, and everyone including the AD knows it. Whether we convey our message through walk outs, letters, emails, or indifference to the games themselves, the message needs to be heard loud and clear. We won't tolerate mediocrity at IU!

colonel06, Naturalhoosier and Dalton26 reacted to this

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8bucks    6,449

8bucks
Posted

a slip up or an intentional final plea?

Very easy to be the skeptic here. Doc has not posted for weeks then we get this passionate post. Why, again to easy to be the skeptic and realize that fans reaction make it less fun for the players and players families to enjoy the last game at IU. Easy to assume that a loss Sat also may mean the teams season is basically over.

Sorry but the "one last time" slip makes it too easy to become a skeptic here.
TrueHoosier62 and WayneFleekHoosier reacted to this

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bnkepner    1,509

bnkepner
Posted

I will always show my support for the team but Ive just lost faith in Crean over this last half of the season. I understand losing a few close games, but we have lost the last 7 of 11 and we have lost the games the exact same way. I haven't seen any hint of change and I haven't seen coach Crean try to do anything different.
Albert Einstein once said "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Thats what has been going on here over the season. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting us to win even though the same efforts have not warranted a win. Im not a basketball coach, Im a fan but it just gets frustrating we went through the same experience and after a great start this year it has slowly come back. The players do not look like they are buying into it either. There is no intensity on the faces of the players and the last few games it just seems like there is no effort. I would never boo or stop supporting the team but it is just disappointing.

87ashtonhoosier and TrueHoosier62 reacted to this

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