So the reason “…Now” is in the title is because for many many many years, Virginia Commonwealth University basketball games were really nothing to see unless you were a VCU student (even if you were a Richmonder,
someone could’ve argued that University of Richmond games were worth
seeing). But ever since our historic run to the Final Four in 2011,
each VCU home game has really become an exciting and entertaining event.
Despite the fact that I’ve been going to VCU since 2005, and
even used to live up the street from the Verizon Wireless Siegel Center and
therefore could’ve walked to the games and attended for free (yay for being a
student right?), I still didn’t go to my first Rams men basketball game until December
2010. I remember the month because I was
just starting a new job, getting ready for New Years, and later (for a little
while at least) I would become a die-hard Rams fan and defend myself in the RamNation forums against being a bandwagon fan
(due to the Final Four run) by saying that I became loyal months before their
NCAA tourney :)
Anyway, since the Final Four run, everything about the VCU Mens' Basketball program has only
gotten better. Watching our team play is
exciting enough, with last season’s team consisting almost entirely of new
players that are now exceeding expectations this season. But
there are so many more “players” involved that make game experiences so fun and
awesome.
My defensiveness in the forums was due to not only loyal alumni
(fans for 20-30 years) but also due to a real die-hard group of Ram fans known
as The Rowdy Rams. If you’re looking for a sit-down, quiet…relatively
calm game experience, be sure to sit as far away from this group as you
can. These are the kids who deck
themselves out in black and gold from head to toe and break their throats
screaming chants, fight songs, and distractions during opponent free
throws. They are a big part of the
show. And they are the reinforcement your
mind needs in case you ever start to doubt how proud you should be of our team
or yourself for being a fan.
The cheerleaders
are consistently spirited J
lol but there’s not much to say about that.
And I mean no disrespect by that!
My best friend used to live with 2 of the team’s male cheerleaders so I
hung out with them a bit and thought they were awesome (and mostly hilarious)
and luved watching them on TV during the 2011 NCAA tournament. They’ve since graduated. But the squad is full of talent.
A welcome improvement comes from our dance team, the Gold Rush Dancers. In the past I found it hard to watch their
routines because they were so simple and repetitive. As a former dancer, I would get frustrated
that I hadn’t known about the dance team when I was younger, because not only
was I confident that I would’ve made the team, I was almost positive that I
would’ve become captain and helped choreograph the routines! But this season, as a lot of their costumes
grow tinier and tinier (much to the joy of male spectators) their talent shines
through more and more, with more difficult and captivating dances. I now cheer the dancers on during their half
time routines (which is usually their longest performance of each game).
Our athletic band, The Peppas,
became celebrities in the pep band world during the Final Four run, mostly due
to their energy and offbeat characters.
Besides the infamous pep band leader who enjoys stripping down to a wife
beater during games, students began to dress outlandishly in everything from
American flag boxers to bikini tops. They
also lead the crowds in VCU’s most famous chants (like “You don’t want to go to
waaaarrr, with the Raaaaams – don’t start no stuff won’t be no stuff” J My fav) and often come
up with chants that the Rowdy Rams quickly follow. And of course, they sound good! So this season they continue their tradition
of playing classic VCU songs as well as radio hits, dressing outlandishly, and
bringing the energy to the STU. My favorite
addition so far this season is a stilts-wearing trombone player…like he’s on
stilts the whole time pretty much. Quite
impressive. Well done, sir.
The university and athletic department do everything they
can with remaining time to keep the audience engaged during time outs. They have different schools compete against
each other in tug of wars or free throw shoot outs, they have selected fans
come down and compete for prizes in “Minute to Win Its” and other random games,
they honor servicemen, they drop prizes over the crowd, and whatever else they
can think of.
The VCU mens’ basketball team has quickly become Richmond’s
team, their pride, their staple. We’ve
lost our city’s hockey team, changed our city’s baseball team, and the talk of
a VCU football team is growing stale. If
you want a great sports experience in our little city, then the VCU basketball
games are an absolute MUST.
Here are some highlights from the games this year:
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