Dear Pit Crew

Censored by Laurie · January 29, 2009

I want to preface this statement by saying I am elated to see how the Pit Crew has grown since I left Denton...the numbers you guys have on a game-to-game basis is far and beyond what we were capable of, and that takes good work and dedication so thank you.

That said...I have recieved some various reports that the level of "heckle discourse" has dropped considerably. What we as the original Pit Crew prided ourselves on was the creativity, knowledge of our opponent and humor that went along with our heckling...and how that worked its way into the heads of players considerably more than the simple "you suck", "your team sucks", or especially any type of vulgarity. These players hear stuff like that in every building they play a game in and it just bounces right off them. However, they still hear most things you say...and if it is new and creative it tends to register more...and once you can tell that the player or coach is listening to you, you've pretty much just made him your bitch.

Flyer was on the right path last week with the sheet he made for the FAU game...there was plenty of chance for heckle gold...but from what I heard, it kinda fell flat...so this week heres a quick Troy checklist with some possible suggestions on how to handle the heckle:

- Troy's leading scorer is a guard named Richard Delk...he's a transfer from Mississippi State and he has a twin brother named Reginald who transferred from MSU to Louisville at the same time Richard left. Reginald is currently collecting ass-splinters on Rick Pitino's bench...averaging less than 2 points a game...and making fun of a man's brother can get under ones skin better than just making fun of the dude himself...especially b/c Reginald was supposed to be the better player

-Don Maestri has coached at Troy for 27 seasons...and has taken Troy to the NCAA's once. Seems like they may be setting the bar pretty low. (Also, I'm almost certain that the floor at Trojan Arena is named for Maestri as well...again, low expectations)

- Second leading scorer is Brandon Hazzard...there is an obvious one here...but its a slippery slope as it can go from funny to generic pretty quickly...this one should only be attempted by someone with supreme confidence b/c if it looks like its a failure of a heckle YOU DO NOT ABORT!! Beat it into the ground, repeatedly...its kinda like the over-jokes on Family Guy...they're amusing in the first 5 seconds, but they become genius as they just continue for an absurd amount of time...stick to your guns.

- Center Tom Jervis is Australlian. NO SHRIMP OR BARBIE REFERENCES, PLEASE. Instead, maybe a quick study of Australlian history would suit you well...while he's on the bench you can discuss Australlia's founding as a penal colony (plus, penal is a funny word...use it a lot)...or perhaps discuss the process of emigrating to the United States...maybe even eventually round that off into a full blown discussion on emigration as a whole.

- Regis Huddleston and Mario Telfair have names that you can work with...as in Philbin and Sebastian, respectivly...ask if they're related.

- Everything else should be observational humor...maybe some a player or coach looks like Billy Joel...sing Piano Man. Also look for NBA arm and headbands and inquire about these players NBA aspirations...names on tattoos are great as well, R.I.P. John? Well who's John? Find out.

I hope this isn't taken as some sort of slight...just some friendly advice to make what is already a great Pit Crew amazing...and to aid in making the Pit the most feared place to play in the conference

Edited January 29, 2009 by Censored by Laurie

hickoryhouse · January 29, 2009

Genius

UNTflyer · January 29, 2009

Here are our notes on the Troy game:

· In 1992, Troy played DeVry Institute in the highest scoring basketball game in NCAA history. Troy scored 258 points, but what’s really shocking is that DeVry scored 141.

· Troy is #35 in the nation in scoring (78.6). North Texas is #46 (77.2).

· Troy is 8^th in the country in 3-pointers (9.3 per game). Just as a Troy player shoots a 3, yell “MISS IT!”

· Troy is 3-7 on the road this season.

· Tom Jervis (#13) is from Perth, Australia.

· Richard Delk has a twin brother. They both played for Mississippi State, and both transferred. His twin brother Reginald went to Louisville, where he is averaging 1.8 points a game.

· Delk is the team’s worst free throw shooter (53.7%)

· Kenneth Ware’s middle name is Montreal. He has 9 siblings: Katuria, Kentessa, Keria, Kentavious, Kevoskie, Kenneth (yup he has a brother with the same name), Toanterria, and William.

· On the Troy website, William Toombs is listed as “…the son of John and Johnnie Toombs”.

· Asst. Coach Michael Curry is in his first year as a Troy assistant. Previously he coached at Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, Florida.

· Head coach Don Maestri has been coaching at Troy since 1982. Troy fans have been critical that Don focuses on offense and practically ignores defense. As an example, CAA cellar-dweller North Carolina-Wilmington beat Troy earlier this season, 107-95.

UNTflyer · January 29, 2009

BTW, I also agree that the cleverness of the Pit Crew is currently lacking. That's why we're making the cheer sheets, to provide information for heckling. The sheet also, at the top, encourages creative, funny heckling and to refrain from vulgarity.

Censored by Laurie · January 29, 2009

Troy is 8^th in the country in 3-pointers (9.3 per game). Just as a Troy player shoots a 3, yell “MISS IT!”

Facepalm...I think our want for them to miss is probably understood...it won't effect a player at all.

Kenneth Ware’s middle name is Montreal. He has 9 siblings: Katuria, Kentessa, Keria, Kentavious, Kevoskie, Kenneth (yup he has a brother with the same name), Toanterria, and William.

This is GOLD...I wonder why Toanterria and William don't have K names...maybe you should ask Kenneth why that is.

UNTflyer · January 29, 2009

Troy's program is so squeaky clean, we couldn't find a lot of material.

Now, the New Orleans game... I may need two sheets.

Censored by Laurie · January 29, 2009

Troy's program is so squeaky clean, we couldn't find a lot of material.
Now, the New Orleans game... I may need two sheets.

Statute of limitations is over...Katrina is fair game

UNTflyer · January 29, 2009

Statute of limitations is over...Katrina is fair game

My cousin said it was over when the Hurricanes played LSU in the Peach Bowl. I thought that dude was going to leave on a stretcher.

Censored by Laurie · January 29, 2009

My cousin said it was over when the Hurricanes played LSU in the Peach Bowl. I thought that dude was going to leave on a stretcher.

I may have to defer to the Tina crew on this:

Would wearing a University of Miami, a University of Tulsa, or a Carolina hockey team, t-shirt to the UNO game make you a douche or a humorist? What if the entire Pit Crew was adorned in such gear?

Quoner · January 29, 2009

I may have to defer to the Tina crew on this:
Would wearing a University of Miami, a University of Tulsa, or a Carolina hockey team, t-shirt to the UNO game make you a douche or a humorist? What if the entire Pit Crew was adorned in such gear?

Well, Miami was playing LSU, so douche is not in play - at least initially. That said, there are a few things to consider:

-Most Miami fans are not real except when the team is winning titles. I work with a former cheerleading alum and all she talks about is A-Rod being a creepy douche who hangs around trying to bang young girls at half-empty stadiums from time to time.

-Miami itself is a pretty good private school excluding the athletes. Is your brother an alum?

For us:

If you're going to make a joke about the hurricane, you need to form it. If you were a neutral observer of the game who wanted a sick laugh, then yes, the random weather-related jersey is okay. However, if you are a Mean Green fan, why not try the following:

-Get the band to play "It's raining men"

-Yell "don't break the levy" before every FT

-Make a "George Bush doesn't care about UNO" banner

-"You're doin' a hell of a job, Pasternack"

Also, I would do none of these things.

Censored by Laurie · January 29, 2009

Well, Miami was playing LSU, so douche is not in play - at least initially. That said, there are a few things to consider:
-Most Miami fans are not real except when the team is winning titles. I work with a former cheerleading alum and all she talks about is A-Rod being a creepy douche who hangs around trying to bang young girls at half-empty stadiums from time to time.
-Miami itself is a pretty good private school excluding the athletes. Is your brother an alum?
For us:
If you're going to make a joke about the hurricane, you need to form it. If you were a neutral observer of the game who wanted a sick laugh, then yes, the random weather-related jersey is okay. However, if you are a Mean Green fan, why not try the following:
-Get the band to play "It's raining men"
-Yell "don't break the levy" before every FT
-Make a "George Bush doesn't care about UNO" banner
-"You're doin' a hell of a job, Pasternack"
Also, I would do none of these things.

How about a cut out of Eugene Levy

Smitty · January 29, 2009

Wasn't there a Tony Delk who was a star player at Kentucky?

Found him. Here's some stuff from Wikipedia:

Tony Delk was picked 16th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He was traded by the Hornets along with Muggsy Bogues. (How would you feel about getting traded for a guy named Muggsy. The only league where that wouldn't be embarrassing is in the Mafia.)

He eventually ended up with the Mavericks, and was part of the trade that brought Jason Terry here.

After he finished in the NBA, he played in Greece with Panathinaikos, in Athens. He won the Greek Cup, the Greek Championship and the European Championship with Panathinaikos. He is retired from playing, but is a technical assistant with Gigantes of Carolina in the BSN (whatever that is).

Tony Delk is the uncle of current basketball-playing twins Richard and Reginald Delk.

Quoner · January 29, 2009

How about a cut out of Eugene Levy

and a nice Harry Connick Jr. medley

Censored by Laurie · January 29, 2009

Bet we'd make Sportscenter

Censored by Laurie · January 29, 2009

What about FEMA raincoats

oldguystudent · January 29, 2009

Giant hotel room keys and/or debit cards?

NT Drummer · January 29, 2009

Gotta do something with "Katrina & The Waves" - starting with having the band play "Walking on Sunshine"...

Wikipedia - Katrina and the Waves

When Hurricane Katrina and its storm surge devastated much of the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005, the MSNBC news program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, dubbed its coverage of the hurricane, "Katrina and the Waves"; the name also appeared in numerous headlines and blog postings. A New York Times reporter contacted Katrina Leskanich, who said: "The first time I opened the paper and saw 'Katrina kills 9,' it was a bit of a shock. ... I hope that the true spirit of 'Walking on Sunshine' will prevail. I would hate for the title to be tinged with sadness, and I will have to do my own part to help turn that around."[2]

greenminer · January 29, 2009

A necessary thread for one of the most critical 1-game stretches in our history.

Green Lantern · January 29, 2009

A necessary thread for one of the most critical 1-game stretches in our history.

Indeed. Substantial homecourt advantage is a must with a Huge 1-game stretch like this. So much riding on this game.

Quoner · January 29, 2009

Indeed. Substantial homecourt advantage is a must with a Huge 1-game stretch like this. So much riding on this game.

If there is one thing this thread is about, it's tonight's game!

GrandGreen · January 29, 2009

Statute of limitations is over...Katrina is fair game

You obviously have not seen the damage that still exists in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Not to mention not having any consideration for the number of people who lost not only most of their material belongings but loved ones to the tragedy. I would hope that NT fans are above that kind of verbal abuse. Also you might consider NT has two players from NO, which I am sure might not appreciate the humor in Katrina.

I am sure this will be interpretated by some as just the ramblings of someone who doesn't get it, but IMO using Katrina in this matter would be truly classless.

Edited January 30, 2009 by GrandGreen