Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sports columnist Aaron McFarling: Fans spell out their new love of Hokies' basketball
Aaron McFarling
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BLACKSBURG -- Meet Emory Barlow. He's the "L."
The funny thing is, there was never really supposed to be an "L." At first, a few friends were just going to spell out "HOKIES" on their chests. But word spread in Miles Hall since the plan was hatched last Friday, and soon it became "GO HOKIES."
Then it grew a little more ... and a little more ...
By the time the group of friends made it to Cassell Coliseum on Monday, their message had become a real mouthful, stretching across almost an entire row of seats.
"LET'S GO HOKIES!" it shouted. Exclamation point (freshman Gordon Block) and all.
"We went out today and caught the two-town trolley to Christiansburg," said Barlow, a Tech freshman from Damascas. "Went to Wal-Mart and got us some acrylic paint, started painting about five o'clock."
They got to the arena about 6:30, and there was a line. A long one. Long enough to relegate the group to about halfway up the general admission section once they got in the door for the 9 p.m. game. Inside, they saw other messages painted on other chests.
"GO HOKIES."
"WE LOVE GREENBERG"
All this for an NIT game. On a Monday night. Against Alabama Birmingham.
One look around could tell you the Hokies would not lose. Not here, on this night, in this atmosphere. It was over by halftime, the Hokies eventually blasting the Blazers 75-49. But more than a single win, this night served as another notch on this program's growth chart, a signal that the excitement the Tech basketball team has built is here to stay.
"I know coach [Seth] Greenberg mentioned earlier in the season that he wanted to have as much support for the basketball team as we do for the football team," Barlow said. "And I believe he's achieved it this year."
It might not be quite there yet, but it's definitely getting closer. The arena was stuffed with 9,757 fans, and many of them were students -- the lifeblood of any teeth-baring college atmosphere .
The NIT forbade the customary smoke machine and heavy metal music during introductions, but it didn't matter. This crowd brought its own heat. The Blazers had to call a timeout just 28 seconds in. A few minutes later, they trailed by a dozen.
There's a correlation between the energy in the stands and the energy on the court. Players this age often take cues from their peers. If the students say this tournament is important, then it's important. If they show up, then so should the team.
Clearly, everyone showed up Monday.
"Probably one of the craziest atmospheres I've played in," said Tech freshman guard Malcolm Delaney, who made 6 of 8 shots and scored 17 points. "Every defensive possession, everybody was standing up. I think they've probably got some tired legs, because they didn't really sit down today."
And they won't Wednesday, either. With a spot in the NIT semifinals on the line, Mississippi comes to town -- a town that's becoming more and more crazy about its team.
"Passion and ownership," Greenberg said of the crowd. "We've reached out, and they've put their arms back around us and embraced us. I really do feel like we have a relationship with the students and a relationship with the community.
"I say it all the time: I really do appreciate it, because it's not that way everywhere. People didn't think it could be that way here, but they allowed us to be part of their social schedule."
Count the "L" among them. Barlow didn't attend any regular-season games, but he's been to both of Tech's NIT matchups. He's not a huge basketball fan -- or at least he didn't used to be -- but after this, he's planning on buying season tickets next year.
There was never supposed to be an "L," remember.
But somehow, you can bet they'll find room for him again.
