ESPN Article On Cameron Crazies

I normally don't like to use articles or anything....but I read this one and was rolling.  It was written by Mike Ogle, a UNC grad and contributor to ESPN.com.  He writes on the fallen state of the Cameron Crazies.  It's a good read.  Then below, I've taken the Mottram's cue of getting the Crazies' Cheer Sheet [since they now need people's help on the internet to come up with ideas] from the UNC-Duke game.  The best part of it is the third thing mentioned.  "Remember, we don't rush the court for anything less than a national title."  Once the ball trickled out of bounds....the waves of Dookies flowed onto the court after beating a team that they were a mere 2 point underdogs to.  Anyway...enjoy these articles. 

THESE CRAZIES DON'T MEASURE UP
from Mike Ogle
ESPN.com
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=ogle/050210&num=2

OK, let's get this out of the way right up top. Yes, I am a North Carolina grad.

But have I written in praise of Duke? Absolutely. And have I trashed the Tar Heels? Well, during my senior year at The Daily Tar Heel the hoops team lost home games to the EA Sports All-Stars, Hampton, Davidson and Ohio.

What do you think?

 

So for the moment, let's put aside the outcome of Wednesday night's UNC-Duke game and turn our attention to another matter, one of higher importance. The Cameron Crazies -- yes, those delightfully painted, bouncing, hand-waving, mind-bendingly clever Crazies who cheer their little trust-fund hearts out -- have jumped the shark.

Cleared it by a good 50 feet.

The most clever sign at Thursday's game? Certainly not "RAYMOND FELTON IS A $0.75 TAIWANESE SEX WORKER!" Whatever that means.

Nor was it "SEAN MAY ATE ALL OUR COOKIES."

Or "HEY ROY -- IN THE RARE CASE AN ERECTION LASTS MORE THAN 4 HOURS, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DR."

It wasn't even "CAROLINA BLUE IS JUST PAST TENSE FOR CAROLINA BLOWS."

None of the above. The one that hit closest to home belonged to a pair of Carolina fans in the middle of the madness. It read, simply, "POSERS." And it featured arrows pointing in every direction around them.

The truths hurts. And what must be especially painful for the Crazies is that the truth is coming at them from observers in both shades of blue.

"It's been said for a while that [the atmosphere has] been down," said Andrew Eimer, a former Crazy from the class of 2003, in a phone interview before the game. "It happens to be a dorkier part of the student population. You realize it more when you're out of school."

You heard that right. The Crazies are now considered nerdy, even by Duke standards.

Eimer isn't alone. Last year, a columnist at Duke's student newspaper wrote, "You cheer to be a part of your big, dorky club, one that's lost any pure root, root, root for the Blue Devils ... You're not even living up to your reputation -- one that gives you a lot more credit than you're worth."

Sure, these kids still come equipped with blue paint, wigs, togas, Speedos, and soap on a rope for Rashad McCants. Bless their little hearts. They try, they really do. But it's for their own amusement more than anything else.

What does Jawad Williams care that they're wearing a clown's bowtie and sunglasses? More importantly, did he even notice?

The chants of "Cameron Crazies? You're crazy" to McCants and "Sean May ... eat me ... you so fat" to May? McCants once related playing ball on this level to being in jail and Sean May still has some baby fat, so those riffs were almost mildly amusing. But they were about the only logs the Crazies used to try to burn the Heels.

Please.

North Carolina swingman Jackie Manuel proposed to his girlfriend two weeks ago with a talking Build-A-Bear. So where were the stuffed teddies and "Will ... you ... marry me? Clap-clap clap-clap-clap" taunts? Nowhere to be found. The Crazies' official cheer sheet suggested singing "Here Comes the Bride" when Manuel shot free throws. That might've worked, but it never happened.

Last week, McCants seemed to issue an open invitation to the full Crazies treatment when he pulled his throat-slash gesture against N.C. State. Wouldn't the heyday Crazies have been all over that? Thursday night, it wasn't mentioned.

Maybe they're too busy with their future-CEO classes to actually care about basketball anymore -- or at least care as much about the hoops as they seem to care about amusing each other. Now they appear to be too smug to realize, much less admit, that their mere presence alone isn't worth the 20 points they seem to think it is.

They're too in love with themselves.

There were problem signs this season even before the UNC game. A cheer sheet for the Virginia game (including such gems as "You killed Abel," to be directed at the Cavs' Jason Cain) was circulated on the Internet, complete with an Instant Messenger screen name to submit ideas. An enterprising Duke hater used this information to dupe the Crazies into self-deprecating taunts during the Maryland game.

And on a more serious note, Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg claimed his eye was nearly poked by fans as he walked off Coach K Court, and he rightfully complained publicly about the lack of security at Cameron Indoor.

Now, don't get me wrong. The atmosphere at Cameron still dwarfs most other arenas.

But these days, it's more a product of the building than the students. They've been living off their reputation for years. Duke's student fans aren't even the cleverest in the ACC anymore. Wake Forest has snatched that title.

Where did the Crazies go wrong? Maybe it isn't so much that they've jumped the shark. (And besides, hasn't the phrase "jumped the shark" jumped the shark by this point?) Maybe it's that the Cameron Crazies have, shall we say, adopted Cousin Oliver. The Bradys added Oliver in the final season when the Bunch wasn't so cute anymore. "Growing Pains" (Chrissy and Luke) and "The Cosby Show" (Olivia) tried to compensate the same way as those shows matured.

Now, the Crazies are peopled with young blood, the freshmen. That seems to be what it's come to in Durham -- the student section has been taken over by frosh in recent years. And get this: There is a significant sentiment even on campus that regards the once-revered Crazies with embarrassment, that looks down on them. They don't seem clever, and they don't seem spontaneous.

They rely on lame attempts at biting humor, body paint and capes. And that isn't enough anymore, because at the end of the day, at the end of the game ... it's only Carrot Top material.

Mike Ogle is a freelance writer for ESPN The Magazine. Contact him at Mike.X.Ogle.-ND@espn3.com or mogle23@hotmail.com.

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Below is a copy of the Crazies cheer sheet.  Kinda lame for Dook standards.  Back in the day...even I will admit they came up some awesome and funny cheers at the Tar Heels.

Duke vs. Tar Holes
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Fact Sheet

This is the game you've been waiting for. No excuses. Give everything you've got, and we will walk away the victors. Cameron should never be less than painfully loud tonight.

At Coach K's request, please focus on our team tonight. Better to bring our team up than put theirs down. Especially coming out of timeouts, we need to be incredibly loud. During their free throws in the second half, forget the novelty stuff, just be unbelievably loud.

Remember, we do not rush the court for anything less than a national title.

This is a huge game, but it's not a title game. Stay in the bleachers and go nuts.

Fodder for your creative impulses ...

Head Coach Roy Williams (good ol' Roy-Will to his friends)

Recently left Kansas to coach Carolina after turning them down three years earlier (there's no place like home?)

When asked about the opening at Carolina after Kansas's loss to Syracuse in the national championship game, Roy-Will exclaimed "I could give a sh*t about North Carolina right now"

In his pre-Miami press conference, Roy-Will started comparing his coaching style to Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' character

Throw in the Rock Chalk Jay Hawk if you know it.

#32 Rashad McCants (Notorious whiner and all-around selfish playmaker)

This summer, despite being the most talented player trying out for the U.S. national team, McCants was sent home by coach Kelvin Sampson because of his attitude

Was quoted as saying that Wake's Chris Paul was a better, more natural point guard than his teammate Raymond Felton

Has two tattoos, one says "born to be hated" the other says "dying to be loved" (back and forth between grads and undergrads?)

Earlier this year, McCants was describing what it is like to play at Carolina and said "You're not allowed to do certain things. You're not allowed to say certain things, but once you get out of jail, you're free. [I'm] in my sentence and I'm doing my time." (Think "go to jail, Rashad McCants, go to jail!")

He also compared being part of Carolina's program to having a 9-5 job

#42 Sean May (The teddy bear who has had one too many Big Macs)

Son of Scott May, the 1976 player of the year and leader of the Indiana team that went 32-0 (daddy's better?)

Vaguely reminiscent (in body shape and facial features) of Grimace (from McDonald's)

Wears a size 20 shoe (Big foot? Big feet, no game?)

It's a well-known fact that Sean May eats babies

#5 Jackie Manuel

Manuel recently got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Ronda Norman (this is true information by the way)

Manuel proposed to his girlfriend using a "Build-A-Bear" programmed with his voice asking Ronda to marry himwhen she squeezed the bear's hand

According to the article, Manuel gave Ronda the bear saying, "They say that if you close your eyes, kiss the bear, make a wish, and squeeze the bear's arm, your dream will come true."

Though we at cheersheets would never require any type of cheer, how great would it be if the entire stadium sings/hums "Here Comes the Bride" if Manuel goes to shoot free throws?

#1 Melvin Scott

In 2002, Scott was arrested on assault charges for hitting a woman at Player's nightclub (Franklin Street)

#21 Jawad Williams

When Williams committed to Carolina, he made the claim that he would "own Cameron." Oh really ... curious that he's never won here.

#24 Marvin Williams

Couldn't find much on him, but Coach K believes he's going to be an important part of this game. Anything you can do to get under his skin will help.

And of course, generous helpings of the full "Go To Hell Carolina, Go To Hell" chant ...

We've had to change cheer sheet submissions around a bit. In order to submit an idea, send an e-mail to cheersheets@hotmail.com. We will only, ONLY, look at e-mails from "duke.edu" addresses so you must send one from your school account.

Next Home Game: Wake Forest, Sunday, February 20 @ 6:30 PM