If asked, how well would I say Midnight Madness would go over at Dartmouth?
I'm sorry to say that my first reaction would be a little chuckle. Midnight Madness at this College on the Hill just seemed very amusing at first thought. But seriously, why not? Is it because the Dartmouth College Athletic Department thinks there isn't enough of a fan base or is it because that just isn't Dartmouth's style?
Well, just in case you the loyal reader didn't know, there is a HUGE fan base for Dartmouth basketball -- men's and women's. While I won't start rattling off a list of hard core Big Green basketball fans here, let me just say you know who you are.
So after my chuckle, you may say, "I'm serious Kev. I would love to go watch a practice and see Kiss [Mark Kissling] or Charles Harris dunk."
I can't see how someone wouldn't think this was a good idea. The Programming Board is always looking for "campus-unifying events," and this event would be huge, not to mention a boost for school spirit. As I said before, I know that all Dartmouth sports have their core group of die-hard fans, but I think that it would help if we were all a little bit more of die hard fans.
In my time here, I've heard so many people say, "Oh, the _______ team really sucks." To this, I would reply, "Have you gone to any of the games?" This usually generates a response of, "No way, they suck."
Well, let me tell you something, Mr. or Miss Cynic, that's the easy way out. It's easy to hear that a team is not playing well and not go out to support them. The hard thing to do is to go out and root for a team that's been down on its luck. Nobody likes to lose. Do you think it's tough on you when your friend from _______ University tells you how their team took our team to school? Well, think about how the players feel. If they've practiced for hours and hours every week since the beginning of the season, but still aren't winning, you might say it's been a little tough for them.
Which is why an event like Midnight Madness would be great for this school. Dartmouth has some truly talented athletes, and having people come out to Midnight Madness will help drive that point home. I'll admit that a Midnight Madness practice might not be as productive as Dartmouth basketball head coaches Dave Faucher (men's) or Chris Wielgus (women's) might want, but that doesn't matter. Excited fans make for excited players, and if players got to showcase their abilities a little bit for the fans, I can guarantee the fans would be excited. I'm not saying that Midnight Madness will instantly give this school a UNC -- or god help us, an Indiana -- basketball atmosphere, but at least it will be something for athletes and fans to be excited about.
So if Dartmouth has a Midnight Madness event sometime down the road, do your best to get over to Alumni Gym and show your support. Even if you don't like basketball, it'll be a good time because lots of people will be there, just hanging out and showing they love Big Green sports.
