You are about to enter a dimension of sight and of sound - one of sub-par basketball teams and of cramped seating areas. You are about to enter ... the Wild Zone.
When one passes through the doorway into Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena, he or she is immediately transported into another dimension of Big Ten athletics.
Wildcat students courageous enough to put down their books for a few hours sit in the Wild Side."" Although only a dozen or so rows at each end of the court make up this ""raucous"" cheering area, it was far from full when the first-place Wisconsin Badgers visited last weekend.
The faces of Northwestern students all possess a similar look. Like Roman citizens observing lions (or in this case Badgers) that feast upon their favorite gladiators, they survey the scene - knowing in their hearts they are not watching for purposes of entertainment, but to put off studying for that philosophy exam.
The NU reporter sitting beside me on press row decided to multitask by reading and underlining passages in a textbook during timeouts. In his defense, I'm sure he had already finished his homework and was just reading to keep his mind off the game.
Fans or lack thereof aside, Welsh-Ryan is a unique venue to watch a game. With a seating capacity of 8,117, it's the smallest basketball stadium in the Big Ten.
Actually, calling Welsh-Ryan an arena might be an overstatement. Both Brian Butch and Jason Bohannon said it reminded them of a high school gym. And with wood bleachers providing 75 percent of the seating for fans in the lower level, the comparison is understandable.
Welsh-Ryan does not have an upper deck, and, like many high school gyms, the crowd seems to sit right on top of the players.
The scoreboard, added in 1982 as part of a ""major renovation project,"" flashed graphics and visuals rivaled only by Atari. Because no Northwestern team has ever won a conference championship or even played in the NCAA Tournament, no banners hang from the rafters.
In short, the arena, or gym, is anything but glamorous. Nevertheless, its intimate setting provided the perfect atmosphere for Wisconsin's outright Big Ten title.
Watching Saturday's game reminded me of the movie ""Hoosiers"", minus Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper and the short shorts.
The crowd seemed to almost be divided by section, with Wisconsin fans sitting in the upper sections and Northwestern's fans occupying the majority of the lower ones.
Students and spectators engaged in one-on-one trash-talk battles. The only thing missing was the NU pep band, which, like the Wildcat students, had apparently given up on their team.
Sure Welsh-Ryan lacks all the modern amenities that most Badger fans take for granted: Jumbotron, unobstructed views, multiple bathrooms. But Welsh-Ryan also contains a character that many college stadiums lack.
The Badgers are a blue-collar team. They've scored more than 80 points only three times this season. After Saturday's win, head coach Bo Ryan said his team's personality was ""built on defense and grit.""
Where else, besides the Kohl Center, would a team ""built on grit"" feel at home?
Nowhere but in the Wild Zone.
If you would like to help Ryan raise money to give to Northwestern for a new scoreboard, e-mail him at reszel@dailycardinal.com
