Kritik und Lob » ch, nobody said anything, even the bow

Over a two-week span, were answering the following question for college basketballs 10 best conferences: Which venue in each conference is the toughest place to play? A number of factors, not just capacity and attendance, could affect a venues place in the order. Where does your school fall??14. La Salle Explorers: Tom Gola Arena, opened in 1998 Its a small venue. Capacity is 3,400. But last season, the Explorers fell about 1,000 short of averaging a sellout each night. Thats not good. According to RPIRatings.com, its the 287th-ranked home-court advantage at the Division I level. The consensus for Tom Gola? Great job bringing basketball back to campus after a lengthy absence but a poor design limits its allure.Fun fact: Tom Gola, the venues namesake, still holds the NCAAs career rebounding mark with 2,201.13. Massachusetts Minutemen: Mullins Center, opened in 1993 With only one NCAA tournament appearance since 1998, the Mullins Center charisma has declined since the Marcus Camby/John Calipari era. The good news is that this is still a fun, on-campus venue on its best nights. Its also positioned in a great college town on a gorgeous campus. But the program averaged just over 3,300 fans last season. Thats one-third of its capacity. Hard to create a great environment under those circumstances.Fun fact: The building also holds the Mullins Community Ice Rink, a popular public facility.12. Duquesne Dukes: Palumbo Center, opened in 1988 The 4,406-seat Palumbo Center averaged just over 1,832 fans per game last season. The atmosphere resembles a high school contest more than a Division I event. Part of thats on Duquesne, which hasnt reached the NCAA tournament since 1977. But its also easy to get lost in Pittsburgh if youre not a competitive program. Duquesnes atmosphere reflects that.Fun fact: Duquesne has won only 54 percent of its home games at Palumbo Center since 1988.11. Fordham Rams: Rose Hill Gymnasium, opened in 1925 College basketballs oldest venue was nicknamed The Prairie when it opened 91 years ago because it was then considered one of the games largest facilities. It oozes nostalgia and will always possess a unique personality. Fans show up in the big moments and agitate opponents. Perhaps thats the reason former St. Johns coach Lou Carnesecca tried to punch former Fordham coach Tom Penders twice in one game during a 1982 matchup. But head coach Tom Pecora once told the New York Times that a good number of recruits werent impressed. Last season, Fordham averaged 2,100 fans in a building that seats more than 3,400. The program hasnt reached the NCAA tournament since 1992. That doesnt help.Fun fact: Vince Lombardi, a Fordham alum, started a fundraising drive to replace Rose Hill Gymnasium in the 1970s, but he died before he could complete the effort.10. George Mason Patriots: EagleBank Arena, opened in 1985 The EagleBank Arena, formerly the Patriot Center, was a wild place when George Mason reached the Final Four in 2006. The aftermath of that moment led to some of the largest crowds in the 10,000-seat arenas history. But the program has failed to sustain that frenzy. The Patriots averaged just 4,300 fans per game in 2015-16. Still, the Green Machine, the schools pep band, is always worth the price of admission.Fun fact: EagleBank Arena hosted the state of Virginias first UFC event in 2010.9. Saint Josephs Hawks: Hagan Arena (former Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse), opened in 2009 A $25 million renovation of Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, which opened in 1949, added 1,000 seats and erected a modern basketball arena with the old-school hauntings of the building that Jameer Nelson and Dr. Jack Ramsay set afire in their respective eras. The new digs have air-conditioning and premium seating. The student section hugs the baseline. And then theres The Hawk, a mascot who flaps its wings nonstop all game. Saint Josephs failed to fill the building for most games in 2015-16. Phil Martellis squad has won 66 percent of its games in the building.Fun fact: The ceiling in Martellis office in the old Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse was below the bleachers and had a ceiling that barely rose above six feet.8. Richmond Spiders: Robins Center, opened in 1972 A recent renovation removed nearly 2,000 seats to the Robins Center, which moved the capacity to 7,000. The program averaged 6,435 fans per game last season. Thats a good crown. But James Madison, Wake Forest, Northeastern and others have stolen road wins at the Robins Center in recent years. The place explodes whenever crosstown rival VCU arrives. But the Spiders have to find a way to duplicate that experience every night. Thats a talent issue, though. The recent $17 million renovation enhanced the building. Now, Richmond has to give its fans more to cheer about -- consistently.Fun fact: The venues video boards (15 feet by 32 feet) are among the largest in the region.7. Saint Louis Billikens: Chaifetz Arena, opened in 2008 Rick Majerus made this venue one Americas toughest arenas as he led the Billikens to a 15-1 record on their home floor in 2011-12. St. Louis is a vibrant sports town and Saint Louis University benefits from that fervor as the most prominent Division I basketball program in the city. Attendance has dropped off in recent seasons. But the Majerus era proved that Chaifetz Pavilion, where Saint Louis has won 72 percent of its home game, can still be a difficult place to play when the program fields a competitive squad.Fun fact: The first concert at the venue? The one and only Barry Manilow performed there in 2008.6. St. Bonaventure Bonnies: Reilly Center, opened in 1966 The Reilly Center has enjoyed multiple stretches as one of the games most hostile venues. Fans arrive early and dont wait until tipoff to start cheering. In good years, you dont want to play at the Reilly Center. But its best days preceded a 2003 scandal that forced the program to forfeit all but one game, barred it from postseason competition the following year and prompted a player boycott. That will strip the fire from any program. Still, Bonnies fans come strong. A recent priority seating move, however, pushed the student section back and hurt the atmosphere. That doesnt change the fact that this is one of Americas more underrated venues.Fun fact: Bob Lanier, the No. 1 pick in the 1970 NBA draft, scored a Reilly Center-record 51 points against Seton Hall a year before entering the draft.5. George Washington Colonials: Charles E. Smith Center, opened in 1975 When the Colonials are soaring, they can turn their home venue into one of the nations toughest compact buildings in the country. Just ask Virginias Tony Bennett, whose squad suffered its first loss of last season at George Washington. What a college basketball atmosphere. I usually have my suit on. I sweated through that thing, Bennett said after that game in November, when he wore warm-ups to the postgame news conference. I was very impressed with that atmosphere. We knew it would be that. Thats not the case every night, though. Theyre often below capacity at George Washington. Last season, the Colonials averaged 3,127 in a building that holds 5,000. On big night, however, few can match this environment.Fun fact: You might want to leave a few minutes before halftime if youre searching for food. Theres only one concession stand at the Smith Center and its on the lowest level of the building.4. Rhode Island Rams: Ryan Center, opened in 2002 This is not a friendly building for opposing fans. And the top-25 team that Dan Hurley has assembled for next season wont help matters. When the Ryan Center opened, fans sat behind the opponents bench. You remember things like that, Shaka Smart said during Atlantic 10 media day before the 2014-15 season. You remember that experience because its hard to forget the image of a kid in a blue cape shouting No Class UMass! or some other cruel chant as you walk to the locker room. If you want to see how wild this place gets, just search for the clips of the final minutes of last seasons Rhode Island-Providence rivalry game at Ryan Center. Goosebumps, man.Fun fact: Fans dont have to miss the action when theyre thirsty for their favorite beverages. The Rhody Pub, which opened for the 2014-15 season, overlooks the court.3. Davidson Wildcats: Belk Arena, opened in 1989 Steph Currys presence turned Belk Arena into one of the hottest venues in America. Its a modest place (capacity of 5,295) with a stadium sound. Just listen to the vibrant Davidson fans sing Sweet Caroline in the second half of each home game. They shake the place. In good years, its a terrible trip for opposing teams. Theyve won 78 percent of their home games at Belk Arena. So those smiles you see from the gentile Wildcats fans turn to passionate scowls and screams once the game begins.Fun fact: Currys jersey is not hanging in the rafters at Belk Arena. Why? Because the school wont retire his jersey until he completes his degree. Sorry, two-time NBA MVP. School comes first at Davidson.2. VCU Rams: Siegel Center, opened in 1999 On March 2, 2016, Will Wades VCU squad defeated Davidson 70-60 on senior night. The program also enjoyed its 83rd consecutive sellout. Thats 83 sellouts. In a row. The 7,637-seat Siegel Center feels like a spider web for opposing programs that enter a venue that has produced one of the great defensive swarms of recent years. You combine that with a funky band that has created its own national identify -- the Peppas handle boasts more than 4,000 Twitter followers -- with its style and its easy to see why the Rams have won 86 percent of their games at the Siegel Center and suffered only 35 home losses since the building opened 17 years ago.Fun fact: Some Rams fans worry that the vibe will change next season after band director Ryan Kopacsi resigned last month. Kapasci is the face of the Peppas. He directed the band while wearing a Superman cape. Will his absence change the atmosphere at the Siegel Center?1. Dayton Flyers: UD Arena, opened in 1969 So you walk into UD Arena to face a Dayton team that has reached the NCAA tournament in three consecutive seasons. To your right, you see a mascot, Rudy Flyer, who looks like a possessed pilot that should be banned from all airports. You look in the stands and that nice college student who just smiled at your team ... Were lying. She didnt smile. She just screamed things we cant repeat. A bunch of fans next to her are dressed like pilots. Like, dont-get-on-this-flight pilots. The guys next to them have painted their faces blue and their bodies red. Oh, and its a probably a sellout crowd or close to it (Dayton finished 25th in Division I attendance last season). All of that before tipoff in a game against a powerful Dayton team. This isnt an arena. Its a horror flick for opposing teams. Dont believe us? Ask Dayton officials if its easy to schedule nonconference games at UD Arena. Its not. But you wouldnt want any part of that Stephen King experience if you were a Division I head coach, either.Fun fact: The Red Scare, Daytons official spirit organization, has a Facebook page with more than 3,500 likes. Business hours for the rowdy fan base? Open always, according to the page. Großhandel Nike Air Max .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. Nike Air Max Billig Kaufen .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.airmaxschweiz.ch/ .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Nike Air Max Günstig . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. Air Max Schweiz . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. The game was extremely popular in England in those days. Television, which came to India much later, was big there even at that time. Wherever I went I was recognised as the wicketkeeper.We enjoyed the long tour. I was a teetotaller and they used to respect it in England. Fortunately I was not vegetarian and did not face too many problems.What struck me initially was that the crowd would clap for a maiden over. A good piece of fielding and a good throw was appreciated. Everyone applauds fine batting strokes but seeing sharp fielding appreciated showed how knowledgeable the crowd was.Frank Chester was one of the greatest umpires I have seen. There was no bias at all against us among the English umpires.Peter May was the best post-war English batsman I saw. Vinoo Mankad [slow left-arm] used to bowl a floater which used to come in with the same action instead of breaking away. Peter was batting [at Lords] when Vinoo bowled the floater on middle and leg. I knew the ball would come in, but I also understood that the great batsman that Peter was, he would pick it and try to glance it. Any other player would have blocked it but Peter glanced and I caught him down the leg side. At the end of the over, umpire Chester came running towards me from square leg and said,Well caught.What a fine wicketkeeper you are. I am surprised you werent selected for all the Tests, Chester told me later. That was a great compliment, but it was decided before the tour by the selectors that I and Khokhan Sen will play two Tests each.I once met the UK Deputy High Commissioner in the 70s. He asked me whether I had lofted Douglas Wright [England and Kent legspinner] for a six in Canterbury. The ball came to me in the crowd, he said.Godfrey Evans was an excellent keeper; whether it was diving, standing up, moving down the leg side, everything was well-timed.I got 50-odd in one of the tour games, and two girls came up to congratulate me after the days play. One of them pointed out my peculiar way of plonking my front foot forward and asked me why I did so. I must have subconsciously copied this style from DB Deodhar, but no one had ever pointed it out to me before. That is how closely people watch the game in England. The grounds used to be full, even for the county games.Fred Trueman was really fast, especially for us, as we didnt get such fast bowling in India. And to think that it was his debut series.Our tour allowances used to be meagre but the value of the rupee was also quite a lot then. To put it in perspective: when I was in college I had a lot of hair and used to get it cut for four [pauses] not rupees but annas [16 annas made a rupee]. Today there is no hair left but the cut costs Rs 60. We used to get about Rs 60 for five days of cricket. We were not professional back then; it is only now that the players are contracted. We were just happy to be representing India. It was a great honour. The idea of money was not there at all. Merchant and I received tthe same amount.dddddddddddd There was no difference between what the top players got and what the others got.Vijay Merchant and Vijay Hazare were of the top class and on par. Hazare, Vijay Manjrekar and Phadkar were very good players of the hook. Pitches in England were covered only for the Test matches, not for the county games. The ball comes slowly off a wet wicket, but when it is drying it gets very difficult. It bounces, turns, shoots, skids; it all depends on the different patches on the surface.You were selected for your respective place in the side and no one bothered about things like practice. It was entirely up to you. Our own bowlers used to bowl in the nets to our batsmen. There were no county bowlers available for practice.I was having breakfast at a Norwich hotel when a lady came up to me and asked if I was an Indian cricketer. She chatted for a while and asked me to say hello to her little boy. I want him to know that the colour of the skin may be different but all people are the same, she said.Alec Bedser had a normal incoming delivery and a legcutter. I was facing him when Dattu Phadkar told me that the ball pitching on leg stump will be the legcutter. He used to bowl it with the same action and it was very difficult to pick.I was speaking to the Worcestershire groundsman about the nature of the wicket when a girl came and asked me what I was doing alone - everyone else was dancing merrily in a party in the pavilion. She asked me to dance with her but I politely refused. She was disappointed as she was sure I would relent. I later came to know that some team-mates had a bet with her to get me to the dance floor. I didnt dance on the entire tour.The concept of fielding was not given any importance then in India. Once, in the Bombay Pentangular, Muslims were nine down and needed four runs. I was fielding on the boundary, and kept a stroke down to three. Next ball, KC Ibrahim pushed to covers. Shute Banerjee, the fast bowler, just had to pick up the ball and throw, but he didnt, allowing the batsmen to get away. I am a fast bowler; I am not expected to throw, he said. No one bothered with fielding, it was only batting and bowling. If one dropped a catch, nobody said anything, even the bowlers.The basic job of a keeper during those days was keeping. They were usually sent to open the innings and take the shine off the new ball. I remember a game where the keeper opened and batted the entire day for some 30-odd runs.A keeper has something else to do apart from catching and stumping. I understood this in a charity match under CK Nayudu. A few overs after the start, CK came to me and asked whether I was observing what the bowler and the batsman were doing. I realised that keeping is also about being friend, philosopher and guide to the captain. This incident helped me when I led sides later. ' ' '