To all of you who pogo stick around sections 102, 103 and 104 of the Carrier Dome like it’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, fantastic. Really.

But do everyone a favor — fully imitate Duke students and STAY OFF THE COURT.

The most recent court storming that Duke Director of Sports Information Jon Jackson can recall occurred five years ago. On Feb. 28, 1998, No. 1 Duke rallied from 17 points down to upend No. 3 North Carolina for Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 500th win. Fifteen-hundred students had camped out for six weeks to be among the 9,314 inside the hallowed gym. By all means, make like Parisians on July 14, 1789.

At Kentucky, the Wildcat faithful have never in the course of 326 wins over 27 years rushed the court at Rupp Arena. Not once.

‘We’re used to winning,’ said Walter McCarty, a Boston Celtic forward who played for the Kentucky team that beat Syracuse for the 1996 national championship. ‘That’s nothing new to us. We’re used to winning big games. We have seven national championships. When you go out on the court, you are expected to win. (Storming the court) is just for teams that don’t expect to win.’

Makes sense. The problem here seems to be that many students either don’t agree or don’t know how good Syracuse generally is. Fact is, since the start of the 1999-2000 season, Syracuse’s overall winning percentage (.742) ranks ahead of Kentucky’s (.730). SU’s all-time home winning percentage in the Carrier Dome is .836. That figure this season is 1.000 (15-0).

Why then, have so many students here come to believe that for $85 per season comes the right to storm Jim Boeheim Court like fourth-graders at recess? Why have some students rushed three times — five if you count the Feb. 1 hat trick — for No. 11 Missouri, No. 2 Pittsburgh and No. 10 Notre Dame?

For starters, how about Jim Boeheim? There is a reason (think that whip he displayed at one press conference) that students never flooded Indiana’s Assembly Hall floor until after Bobby Knight was fired.

When students swarmed the court for a second time vs. Pitt, Boeheim did grab a microphone and demand court clearance so that Brandin Knight’s prayer could be reviewed. Boeheim did not, however, reprimand students for their recklessness and cluelessness. Not then, and not later, even after he apologized to the Pitt players because some nitwit punched one of them during the chaos that ensued.

‘That showed a lack of crowd control,’ Pitt coach Ben Howland said that night. ‘Something needs to be addressed here.’

Enter Director of Athletics Jake Crouthamel, who in a statement promised an investigation.

‘… We will not tolerate inappropriate behavior toward any student-athlete, coach or official,’ Crouthamel warned. ‘If that means we cannot allow anyone on the court again, so be it.’

So be it, if it comes to that, will require a significant increase in security. Don’t count on it.

‘I’m not sure,’ Crouthamel said, ‘that the presence of mounted police and riot squads with shields and helmets and batons and mace and stun guns serves much purpose.’

If that is the case, neither did his statement. But that is not the point. The point is that only one party seems capable of — and hopefully willing to — restore dignity to student fans. Which would be you, the student fans.

To assist, I propose Operation Prevent Court Stormings, the synthesis of an e-mail conversation between former Syracuse students and myself.

First and foremost, students are allowed one and only one storming per season. To ensure that protocol is met, one person will be designated to give the signal to rush. Ideally, a team walk-on will perform this function. All aspects of the following formula must be met for the conductor to give the green light.

Students may rush the court only …

(BULLET) vs. teams ranked in the AP Poll top 10, unless the win snaps a 10-game losing streak against the opponent

(BULLET) vs. teams with a top-25 RPI

(BULLET) after games decided by 10 points or less

(BULLET) vs. teams with five losses or fewer, including the defeat just incurred

(BULLET) vs. any conference opponent except Rutgers, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, for obvious reasons

Under these regulations, only the Pittsburgh win would have qualified for a court storming.

Of course, as all underage Konrad’s patrons know, rule-breakers face consequences. A violation of OPCS should result in …

(BULLET) nullification of the 75-point free taco rule, if applicable

(BULLET) two Tully’s turtles at all subsequent home games

(BULLET) no dance team for five games

(BULLET) one-game ban of SUpercard use at the Dome

Seriously, though, you want to know the measure of a great team? Great teams get stormed. Fans have barreled onto the court for all four Duke losses — at Maryland, N.C. State, Florida State and Wake Forest.

Me, I’m rooting for Michigan State on Sunday. If the Orangemen get beaten and the Spartan students storm, that will show a national TV audience that Syracuse basketball is truly a respected program.

Your overzealous actions surely have not.

Chris Snow is a staff writer at The Daily Orange, where his column appears on Thursdays. E-mail him at [email protected].

Published on February 19, 2003 at 12:00 pm