Mount Union beats John Carroll; Hudson eliminates St. Ignatius
November 17, 2014Colts are favorites to sign CFL star, former Buckeye Duron Carter
November 17, 2014Last Friday, we explored the basketball-related reasons to get behind this Cleveland State squad, including head coach Gary Waters, guard Trey Lewis, and a trap-happy, defensive-minded team that will look to run its opponents into the ground.
Today, we look at elements of the live game experience that make attending CSU games worth your while. The Wolstein Center is a fine building, and there’s some cool stuff going on there that makes for a fun game-day atmosphere.
Tickets are cheap. You can snag a seat for ten bucks, $20 if you want to splurge for a spot at center court. If that’s too rich for your blood, the “216 Hoopy Hour” promotion includes $2 food items, $1 draft beers, and $6 game tickets.1 Hoopy Hour begins 90 minutes before games, but the concession deals expire at tip-off. Still, you can gorge yourself on food and drink (responsibly, of course) pre-game.
There are also special family-friendly activities for weekend games, including dollar dogs, bouncy houses, and balloon animals. If you have little burgeoning basketball fans at home, you could do a lot worse than taking them to a CSU game.
To get into a Cavaliers game, on the other hand, you have to pay some combination of an arm, a leg, your first-born, and your first-born’s arm or leg. At Cleveland State, a fingernail will suffice, and your child can live to see his or her high school graduation. Everybody wins.
MJ the DJ spins before and during games. He is the consummate hype man, his role akin to Ahmaad Crump’s at Cavs games. He plays a mix of pop and hip-hop, with the occasional throwback tune for the old heads. If his playlist isn’t to your liking, he also takes requests via Twitter.
Before the exhibition game against Malone, MJ was already in mid-season form. He was active on the mic and beckoned those in attendance to enjoy themselves. He proclaimed pre-game that “Every game’s gonna be a party” and “This is 216 Hoopy Hour, which means we gonna kick it.”
You like kicking it, don’t you? Who doesn’t like kicking it? We could all use some kick-it time to get away from the daily grind. At least one Viking player supports it:
The homie @_MJTheDJ bout to have our games GOINNN this year #CSUVikings
— Trey Lewis (@Treylew3) November 11, 2014
You can hear everything. Every seat is near the court. The Wolstein Center’s full capacity exceeds 13,000, but a curtain system on one end of the arena knocks it down to 8,500. The upper seats are covered when necessary, pushing the fans closer to the court.
That means that you’re up close to the action. You can hear every shoe squeak. You can hear coaches barking directions. You can hear players call out their defensive assignments. You can hear the referees discuss fouls.
It’s like playing NBA 2K15 with the broadcast volume turned off, and the on-court chatter and sound effects turned all the way up. You can get a better sense of the flow of the game and which side has the edge at any given moment. If you’re a basketball junkie, this is invaluable.
It has the college basketball staples: A pep band. Cheerleaders. A student section. A mascot. These are the elements that can turn even the smallest gym into an occasion.
The band plays behind one of the baskets, next to the “Viking Village” student section. They play standard fare like the school fight song and lead “Let’s Go Vikes” chants. Against Malone, they also played tunes including DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” the Romantics’ “What I Like About You,” the Ides of March’s “Vehicle,” the Knack’s “My Sharona,” and Gary Glitter’s “Rock & Roll Part 2,” better known as the “Hey!” song. The band is roughly 40 members strong, including a trombone player who sports a kilt, boots, and a beard.
Magnus, the Viking mascot, is a delight. He has a big beard and a helmet and oversized shoes that occasionally get caught on steps. He struts up and down the court and takes part in promotions. He sometimes carries around a giant “iViking” cell phone and takes mock selfies with fans. I like to think that he calls upon Moondog and Slider for mascotting advice.
You will not have to wait for a bathroom. Again, the building’s full capacity exceeds 13,000, so there are more than enough baños to go around. They’re clean and well-maintained, with modern sinks and air dryers. If you really need to go but also really need a drink, there are cupholders in the stalls. Your convenience is paramount.
The Wolstein Center staff is exceedingly pleasant. The ushers I spoke to were all too happy to help me find my way and talk about the team. One friendly, mustachioed fellow was eager to tell me about how the Vikes play and who some of the key players were. His excitement was palpable and contagious. I felt the symptoms of Viking Fever before the opening tip.
Everyone there is a die-hard. You won’t see suits sipping martinis in suites, only devoted fans who are there because they love the school. The atmosphere is communal, the crowd comprised of alumni and family and friends. At the Malone game, one fellow proudly sported a “Vikes for Life” sweatshirt. If you want to learn about this team, odds are that the person sitting next to you will be happy to teach you.
Some among you may accuse me of shilling for the school. And, well, yes—that’s exactly what I’m doing. I do it not, however, for payment or access or benefits, but out of hopes that you fine people will take in a game or two more than you have in the past. I do it out of hopes that the team and atmosphere will grow together and feed off of one another.
So I invite you to come on down and join the party. Viking games are a fun, affordable bit of entertainment. Check out the Playhouse Square chandelier on the way there. Add some green to your winter wardrobe. Start up a conversation with the folks next to you. Learn about the kids on the court and off. Become part of the CSU community.
- These tickets must be purchased in advance. More info available here. [↩]
1 Comment
Go Vikings!