We are just four days from tip-off for the first home basketball game. With that, here are some rules all fans should consider when attending a game at the Palestra.
1. Go to the games. None of the other rules matter if you do not follow this one. There are so many reasons to attend, and just listening on the radio isn't a substitute. Penn basketball is a tremendous tradition and should not be missed by any undergraduate.
Last year, there was an average home crowd of 5,330 fans. That isn't bad, but we can do better. It is said that at the Palestra 100 fans sound like 1,000, 1,000 sound like 10,000, and 10,000 fans sound like nothing you have ever heard before. There is no reason the Palestra should not sound unearthly for most of the 15 games.
2. Know the names of the players. Penn, like all Ivy schools, does not place names of its players on jerseys. After a game or two you will likely know the names of most Penn players, as only seven or eight are likely to log a lot of minutes in any particular game.
However, it is best to come prepared to the Palestra, having done a little research on the opposing team. Heckling is much more effective if you shout, "Hey, Smith!" as opposed to "Hey, No. 25!"
3. Get to the game before tip-off and do not leave until it ends. The Quakers played 11 games last year that were decided by a single-digit margin, and six of those games were at home.
Moreover, if the Quakers score 100 points, you want to be there to enjoy the rush to Abner's for free cheesesteaks. Look to the upcoming Florida Gulf Coast game and the contest against Dartmouth as century-mark opportunities.
Warm-ups are the best time to scout out opposing players, to put a name and a face together. Penn fans can get into an opposing team's head before a game even begins, ridiculing players for missed layups, hideous hair styles and embarrassing losses earlier in the season.
4. Be relentless. While the game is decided on the court, the crowd can be very influential. First off, be positive and show enthusiasm for Penn. The home court advantage is primarily about the ability of the home team to relax in a comfortable environment and feed off the energy of the crowd.
Second, do not let the opposing team forget it's in hostile territory. On more than one occasion, the crowd has thrown a player completely off his game by reminding him of an air ball, a technical foul, an untied shoe or his height every time he touched the ball.
5. Tread a fine line when making comments to referees. The refs are human, so they will make mistakes, and their emotions can blind them to obvious facts. A crowd should always let a referee know when he has made a mistake. Yet the reminders should not continue too long after the play, because referees can be spiteful.
The Quakers have the potential for a special and memorable year. You will not want to miss it; so go to the games, and don't forget the rules.
Matt Meltzer is a senior political science major from Glen Rock, N.J. His e-mail address is meltzerm@sas.upenn.edu.
