If you were expecting the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men’s basketball team to come fast out of the gate and coast through the regular season on its way to another berth in the NCAA Tournament, you’re just being naive.

If you aren’t coming to games because you don’t want to watch the team lose, then you’re not naive. You’re just plain stupid.

The UWM Panthers will make the NCAA Tournament again. If a lot of things go right, maybe even this year. However, the fans need to support the team to have any chance of making a run at the Horizon League title.

Last week Sunday, in the third game of the John Thompson Foundation Classic at the U.S. Cellular Arena, the posted attendance was 2,765. About 20 of those were UWM students.

Division I men’s basketball is the staple of this institution’s athletic department, and a measly 20 students were the only ones who found the time out of their busy Sunday afternoon schedules to hop on a bus and be taken the Cell.

I’m not going to point fingers, but there is something that the students who live on this campus are missing. Why pass up such an obviously cheap and easy form of entertainment?

Getting to the game is easy. The arena may be far from campus, but students can hop on a comfortable coach bus that shuttles to the games from the Union and Sandburg Hall. Dress in your black and gold gear and catch a ride to the game.

The game itself is far from a boring experience. The Klotsche Krazies, the official name of the UWM student section, are a pivotal part of the success of the program.

How many times last year was an opposing player forced to take a timeout because he couldn’t communicate with his teammates over the loud noise of the section? How many times did that same guy have trouble at the free throw line because he couldn’t tell the basket from the sea of black and gold waving their arms?

The point is the Krazies offer a chance for students to be entertained. You get to make a fool of yourself without anyone judging you. You get to yell at opposing players, tell them how much they look like the mom from the Golden Girls.

You get to take your frustrations with your T.A. out on the guys on the court with something other than Milwaukee emblazoned on their chest.

Basically, you get to forget about life for awhile. And you can’t put a price on that.

College students, in almost all cases, have money troubles. What are you supposed to do on that Friday or Saturday night when it’s too early to party?

Check the schedule! If the Panthers are playing, hop on that bus!

Did you know that UWM students get into games for free? Whip out that student ID at the gate and you’re home free. Enjoy the game, get in on the jabs and have some fun.

The Panthers feed off the energy of the student section. They want to make the Krazies explode into cheers. That’s what gets their adrenaline flowing. Then they go off on a tear, and that’s where you’ll see the flashes of championship teams to come.

Want to get involved? The Student Black and Gold Club is organizing. Just join the Facebook group or head to GoUWM. The club will have Klotsche Krazie T-shirts before the Horizon League schedule begins.

Come to all the games to make sure you’re there at the one that you can get your shirt free. Think you’ve got a chant that we should use? Don’t hold back, tell me about it at the game. I’m the guy up front on the right with the fireman helmet on.

Wednesday night, if you’re on campus, bored and looking to take some time off from studying, hop on one of the shuttle buses. They leave campus, and head for the game against South Dakota State, which begins at 7 p.m.

> Comments