[SuperJon]

I'm being told on the Winthrop board that I'm jealous of Winthrop because I felt they shouldn't rush the court today. They think I'm jealous of them rather than listening to my reasoning.

So, I'm coming to people that can actually be rational sometimes (never heard that one before have ya?). When do you think it's ok to rush the court/field?

[thepostman]

Well, I think the rush court/feild thing is over done....but I do think a conference championship does merit that... lets see a list...

a. conference championship
b. mid major school upsets a top 25 school
c. a team that has struggled in one of the major conferences and beats the top team

ummm, thats about it i think....though I do understand where you are coming from with the WU thing

[TallyW]

Especially when you know your school is on TV during a championship... I think WU should definitly rush the court... The Big South Championship is billed as the first champ to go to the big dance... we'd look silly if the fans just politely clapped and walked away.

[RubberMallet]

- when you are a huge underdog and you upset the favorite
- when you are not the "yankee empire" of a league and you win the championship.
- if you comeback from a huge deficit and win at the buzzer regardless of who you are or who you are playing...

thats all that i can think of right now...

seriously, sure they beat vmi but this winthrop team has a really really good chance at winning a game in teh dance.....whatever they need to do to pump themselves up is okie dokie with me....

[horrez]

I'm being told on the Winthrop board that I'm jealous of Winthrop because I felt they shouldn't rush the court today. They think I'm jealous of them rather than listening to my reasoning.

So, I'm coming to people that can actually be rational sometimes (never heard that one before have ya?). When do you think it's ok to rush the court/field?

Here is one way you might try to look at it, SJ:

Even though there has been talk (and talk and talk and talk) about WU maybe being able to get an "at-large" bid to the NCAA if they loss today, that wasn't a sure thing. Now, VMI played great today. They played like a team that could win the Big South Championship. They played like a team that could keep WU from making the NCAA Tournament. If anything, rushing the court shows that Winthrop fans don't take winning the Big South for granted.

Plus, it's a good way for the fans to celebrate with the players. I think it's something mainly for "younger" people (i.e. students and children). Besides, they aren't hurting anyone.

And don't let the new people on our board get to you. Mine is the only opinion you should worry about, and I know you aren't the jealous type.

Not to get but (and this means I'm going to get off topic ) some guy from VMI won Fan of the Year. For what it's worth, I booed when they announced his name. I wasn't loud... only WEF and a nice couple sitting in front of us could hear me, but I still booed. And I told the nice couple in front of me that a guy at Liberty should have won. I stopped short of saying "A guy I know from the internet" because, well... that just don't sound right. Sorry you didn't win.

[SuperJon]

I knew all along that the only way I'd win is if we made it to the Championship game. They won't pick someone from a team other than one of the two finalists because they don't want to pay for that person to get to the game. If the Fan of the Year comes from one of the two finalists, then it goes without saying that they would be at the game anyways. That's why I haven't made a big stink of it.

[Fumblerooskies]

Coach K at Duke summed it up great about 10 days ago on the Dan Patrick Show...
...he tells the students that the ONLY time to rush the court is for a championship...that any other time if you do, you are giving legitimacy to the opponent.

That being said, I do recall the students rushed the court after the buzzer beater against VA Tech last year...and that might have been the reason he made the comments.

[Cider Jim]

Players cutting down the net should always be preceded by fans rushing onto the court.

[PAmedic]

I must be aging more rapidly then I thought

I thought it was hokey. If you are the underdog, you rush the "playing surface"

if you are the PROHIBITIVE favorite, you don't.

Since, oh- JULY- (if not earlier) WU has been that. And nearly blew it.

I'd have been glad of the win, and praying they get back to form for the big dance.

color me biased

*Still laughing about the "jealous" smack. Yeah- remind me of that in football season

[NJLibertyboy]

I think Winthrop wasn't out of line by rushing the court. I think if your team wins a conference championship, even if you are the favorite, you still crash the court. It's a celebration, and we shouldn't act like just because a team is always good that fans still don't have the right to celebrate.

We have to remember that alot of these kids are freshman, they've never experienced anything like this. It's like telling them they don't have a right to celebrate because their team is a favorite, or has always been a favorite.


Now, for a normal game, rushing the court is never acceptable, unless you are a mid major beating a top 25, as someone mentioned before.

I think rushing the court is over used. It takes the luster out of it. But celebrating for large upsets and conference championships is acceptable.

[TIMSCAR20]

I subscribe to the theory that you rush the court when the spirit moves you. If it is a last second shot or if there is something at stake or if you make a huge comeback or if you beat a ranked team and certainly if you win a championship and a ticket to the big dance. I am pro rushing the court. I think it is fun and I think it belongs in sports. I don't like tearing down the goal posts though. Vandalism plain and simple. I am also against setting cars on fire when you win the national championship The last time people rushed the court during a Liberty Men's game I think was 04 when we beat rival Radford when Ryan Mantlo made Whit Holcome-Faye miss the game winning shot a week before our kids got to do it again vs HPU in the bs finals. I am trying to remember if they rushed it after the WU win but I just can't remember.

[bigsmooth]

no big deal! it's winthrop's court let em party!