Tapping Into a Very Real Madness
CSU basketball teams know fans a big part of their home success
Mike Brohard
No sense in skirting the truth, it’s a marketing plan.
Moby Madness. The phrase suggests a bit of discourse, a touch of chaos, a dash of insanity. Turn it into a graphic. A pregame hype video to not just get the crowd going, but to make them understand they are part of something special.
Something fun. A memory. An experience.
But at the start, you must have something to market, and to Colorado State men’s basketball coach Niko Medved, the madness exists. You can’t concoct those visuals without something real to start with, and to him, down to the core, Moby Madness is a vibe.
“It’s something people talk about and whatever, but once you’ve been here for a while, the veteran players, the coaches, the former players who come back, there’s a certain feel in Moby when it’s rocking,” Medved said. “You can feel it. There is an energy before tip. There’s an energy at tip.
“You can’t explain it, but you know it when you feel it.”
Ryun Williams did, long before he was the women’s basketball coach. He was a high school player from Wyoming when the Cowboys had their legendary team led by Fennis Dembo and Eric Leckner. He, his father, and Wyoming politician Mike Enzi sat high in the stands by the lighted Rams head.
“Moby was crazy then,” he said. “Moby Madness is the life behind the energy in that building. It’s there at the start of every game, but where the madness is most advantageous, it’s there when you need it. When you need that defensive stop. Gonzaga, the crowd got crazy. Toward the end of the Oregon State game, that crowd really got us over the hump, and we’ve had numerous times over the years where I don’t know how many times I’ve said in the press conference we won that game because of the energy in that building at the most crucial times.
“And we’ve won a lot of games there.”
Both programs can make the same statement. Both are winning in the building at an 80 percent clip in the past six seasons. Coaches and players alike will tell you they try to block out the noise during a game, stay focused, remain in the moment.
At times, it can be hard. At the beginning, they ignore the mantra and tap into the feeling when they run out on the floor behind the spirit teams to thunderous applause.
“It’s an energy boost. It lifts us up in all ways,” guard Kyan Evans said. “It makes us play better, for sure. It’s there at the beginning, and at the end you feel it. There are moments in-game where you feel it, but the beginning and the end is when you feel it really get rowdy.”
You just get a sense of it before a game it’s going to happen. It’s unique and how much the crowd is right on top of the court.Niko Medved
The women’s team taps into the vibe as well. With Williams at the helm, the program has seen the crowds grow again, harkening back to the days when Becky Hammon and Katie Cronin ruled the floor. It’s been a slow build, backed by a dedicated base. Add in the fans, it gets better.
His program takes it a step further on weekends, calling those dates Sacred Saturday’s. Then there are the education days – which was held Wednesday – where thousands of local elementary school students take the noise – and the pitch – to a stratospheric level.
“I feel the crowd contributes to it. When the game starts, you’re in that zone,” Marta Leimane said. “You try not to let the outside distraction into your head, and Moby Madness helps you understand it’s a game day and to get locked in.
“Education day, I don’t know what the name for it is. It’s Moby Extreme Madness. Those kids are crazy. I remember my freshman year. First play of the game, they scored, everyone started screaming and I was like, ‘no, this is … no.’ The kids are crazy but we’re happy they’re here and doing that.”
Moby Arena is old. Built in 1966, the seating has changed through the years to where it now holds 8,083 people. It is also quaint, filled with history and moments. It’s the Whale. It’s the place where the movie ‘One on One, starring Robby Benson, was filmed in 1975.
In a day and age where people want modern, the two basketball coaches would push back. Because if Moby Arena is one thing, it is intimate. The fans are on top of the court, and that, Niko Medved said, is what really makes the madness possible.
“You just get a sense of it before a game it’s going to happen. It’s unique and how much the crowd is right on top of the court,” Medved said. “The people in the first four rows can hear what’s going on on the bench. We’ve got all the seats courtside, and the student section is packed into the corners all the way up.
“It’s that feel and that energy. When our place is packed and rocking, it’s as good as any place. The crowd is on top of you; it’s an old-school arena in that way. When you look at some of the classic arenas … when you go to Cameron Indoor, it’s different. It’s cramped, it’s crowded, everyone is right on top of you, and you feel you can touch the crowd. That’s what makes this place cool.”
A Saturday night. Even a Tuesday. White Out. Orange Out. Key game, bright lights, full house. The student section moves the tifos up the stands, Team ‘Em Asunder staring down Proud To Be across the way. The lights dim, the lineups are announced. Flames shoot into the air.
Then the video comes on the board, a reminder of what comes next. Not that it’s needed. Those in attendance know their role.
Moby Madness is upon you. And it is very real.
Support Colorado State Athletics: Tickets | Ram Club | Green And Gold Guard