From: michaelv@iastate.edu (Michael L. VanLoon)
Subject: Re: #1 Student Section ?
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:39:48 GMT

In <00966F0C.13518A40@abby.chem.ucla.edu> larry@abby.chem.ucla.edu writes:

> fehr@ms.uky.edu (Jeff Davis) writes:
>>I think that a lot of the comments from players about how the crowd
>>really helps blah-blah-blah is a little bit of PR and a little bit
>>of snake oil on the psyche. Every single one of my kids this
[blah...]

>  I would have to agree with Jeff here.  I think the effect of crowd
>noise for either pumping up a home team or tearing down the away
>team is overrated.  As another example, one of the most popular
[blah blah...]

I think this is a bunch of bull.  The home court has several
advantages over a visitors court for a team.  Remember, we're talking
about humans here and not machines.  Sometimes imperceptible things
can throw a person just enough to mess up his/her game.

Of course, not all courts are the same, so I'll qualify this by saying
it's my perception from Hilton Colliseum, ISU's home court.

Advantages:

1) Drowning them out.  Placing the Pep Band right next to the visitors
bench makes it much more difficult for them to discuss strategic game
plans with a lot of brass blowing right in their ears.  This, while
the home bench is basically on the other side of the arena with a
bunch of bodies blocking the sound between them and the band.

2) The crowd as another official.  I guess you have to have a fairly
knowledgeable crowd to begin with.  When the ref's make several really
awful calls in a row against the home team and the crowd starts making
a *lot* of really ugly noise in a real loud way, the ref's are likely
to think to themselves "Maybe I missed something on that call" and
give a makeup call a little bit later.  In essence, putting a little
fear and doubt into the refs' minds when they start screwing your team
over--making them question themselves next time.

3) Familiarity/locality.  It's where *you* play.  It just feels right
to play here.  You don't feel out of place.  Besides, you walk down
the street to get here.  In a lot of cases, the visiting team just
took a long bus/plane ride and is probably a little tight.

4) The crowd as a booster.  I don't care how much you tell me the
crowd noise doesn't matter.  I've heard several basketball players say
"The crowd really gave us a boost to get back in this one."  When a
team is a bit behind and the momentum is going against them, and the
crowd starts getting behind them, it can make a difference in the
momentum of the game.  If you deny the crowd-booster effect, then
you're going to have to deny game momentum as well, in my book.


I'm no psychology major, but you can't deny the psychology of the home
crowd.  While it may be a much bigger factor in some places than it is
in others, I believe it does make a difference.

-- 
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  Michael L. VanLoon                           Project Vincent Systems Staff
  michaelv@iastate.edu              Iowa State University Computation Center
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college