At louisville

[MUUWUWM]

I know that Spiral and Rocky are at todays game, hopefully we'll get a good first hand account later today or tomorrow if we somehow pull this one off.

[rocky_warrior]

Overall, disappointed we didn't win the game, but not disappointed in the team much.  Let see, so notes...

- The press didn't seem to be an issue at all.  Well, at least not a significant issue.  The guys were well prepared for it.

- I really felt MU let the game get away during the UL run at the beginning of the 2nd half.  It got to 11 points and they were consistently playing catch-up after that.

- The UL admin are such nice folks - they put the MU fans in row Z of the end zone upper deck. (though thanks for MUUWUWM for the ticket assist - else we might not have even got in the building)  We did our best to make some noise, as did the rest of the MU (and DJ) fans there.  A good bunch.

- Impressed with UL fans - they did good on the white out.  And those that didn't wear white wore red.  Funny though, most ushers/security were wearing yellow/gold shirts.  Can't say UL fans were rude at all.  I had to correct a guy in the concession line at halftime that was saying we must be trying to slow down the game.  That was about it.  Hah.

- Freedom Hall is (still) a dump.  It's located at the fairgrounds, and it took us over an hour to get out of the parking lot on the way out - complete traffic mess.  Traffic in wasn't much better (about a half hour to get off the highway and parked).  So we got there just before they announced the lineups.   The good news - we're staying downtown (Galt House) and the new arena is being built just a couple blocks away.  So starting next  year the arena experience should get better.

I'll add if I think of anything else later.  Regardless, we'll head to Pittsburgh tomorrow and have a few free days to get our game voices back

[chcsportsfan]

I was at the game too, in row Z on the other side of most of the Marquette alums...extremely polite/kind louisville fans, i really have to give it to them...there was one fan that was ridiculous at one point, but the other fans said they were not all like that and it showed...

we got yelled to shut up alot though during Louisville free throws when we were yelling...that was awesome...

and yes, 40 min for us to get out of the parking lot...disgusting...

we saw the team on 4th st. Sat. nite...

(4th st. is their big downtown area, restaurants, bars, bowling alley, theater, etc.)

also i was not impressed with the noise levels in Freedom overall,  they only got loud during momentum things (ie big louisville runs) but timeouts by Buzz subdued those...MU and the BC are way way way louder...even though freedom holds more (they said over 20,000 on the postgame show)

[Wade for President]

Returned last night from my 3rd game @ Freedom Hall, and much like what Rocky said, the place is a dump.  With plans stalled last year on construction of their new downtown venue, it looks like we have 1 more year of this glamorous stadium.  Would love for L'ville fans to get a taste of a rocking BC.  Granted, some of my complaints about Freedom Hall could have been curbed, had we not have to wait until 1:00 for beer sales to begin.

My dad and I arrived over an hour before tip, and had a chance to talk/get pics with Jerel, Wes, and Lazar.  Couldn't say enough nice things about this group.

Overall impressions of Cardinal fans pretty much remained the same.  I didn't experience one person talking smack, in fact, I was surrounded by very respectful/knowledgeable fans.  One thing I've noticed about a certain aspect of their fan base in attending games in Louisville, is the passionate "blue hairs". 

I had a number of very friendly older women sitting behind me, who I had good conversations with.  But once play resumed and there was a perceived blown call by the ref, that sweet southern accent would be turned up about 10 notches.  "C'MON REFS, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS...THAT'S A DAMN FOUL!"  It was like watching Paula Dean go off at her camera man during a commercial break.

I think the low noise level that chcsportsfan was mentioning was due in large part to their shock/nervousness of the way the game was transpiring.  Many fans sitting next to us said they knew the game would go down to the wire, as many in this rivalry do.

Overall...great experience, glad to see Cubillan out there (and playing relatively well given his lack of court time this year), and am deflated to know that we would've won, had McNeal shot 30% from the floor.

[mucrew08]

I think the funniest part of this game was during a timeout they had a contest and gave away a John Deere tractor...

[chapman]

I think the funniest part of this game was during a timeout they had a contest and gave away a John Deere tractor...

I think I'd rather the tractor than a massive RV. 

[Wade for President]

Also the first time I've seen a national anthem without both teams on the floor.  Very classy Louisville.

[MonsterWebWarrior]

I hate to admit it, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere at Freedom Hall.  The place is a dump.  It's pretty much Allstate Arena but sold out.  But it's definitely louder and more intense there than at the BC.  All their games are like that, not just "big" games.  Almost all their fans were in their seats with at least 5 minutes BEFORE the game even started, and when the team came out from the locker room, the entire arena was on it's feet clapping in unison, not just the students like we're prone to do.  You're lucky to see the BC even 1/2 full by then because everyone is still coming in from the bars, and then it usually takes a couple minutes for our older alum to get into the game.  You don't even realize they have a student section because their entire place is chanting things all game, even during timeouts.  But then again, I didn't notice their student section because its nothing special either.  Ours is way better.

I kept hearing people screaming about the foul discrepancy in the 2nd half.  At one point, UL had 10 team fouls, we only had 4, and I kept hearing different fans yell comments like, "This is Freedom Hall!  WE'RE supposed to be up 10 fouls to 4!"   I was loving it.

It was really hard for me to spot the other MU fans in the stands besides the ones behind the bench, quite unlike the Georgetown game.  But I overheard the girl next to me mutter, "Man, there's a lot of Marquette fans here."  Surprised to hear that, I asked her if I heard her right, and she said, "Yeah.  There's usually NO fans from the other team here."  Good job MU fans!

The BC is in a far superior location.  There is nothing around Freedom Hall, and probably the reason why their fans are there early.  They've got nowhere else to go.

I liked the part of their intros where Terrence Williams screams for 2 seconds and the entire arena screams along.

Fans were extremely friendly.  I had one come up to me after the game to tell me we played good, and good luck the rest of the year. 

[spartan3186]

I think I must have been at a different game than MonsterWeb. Either that or I was so far in the rafters I didn't notice the noise. I thought it was super quiet for long periods of time, particurally at the beginnng of the game when 'Ville was on offense the entire place was silent. I also didn't hear any of these chants he was referring too, maybe it was a different atmosphore in his section. Freedom Hall is most def a dump, well in need of the update. I was talking to one 'Ville fan who said KFC wants to buy the naming rights and call it "the Bucket" which I think would be awesomne.

Louisville fans were all very civil, some of the most civil I've ever been around, I don't know why they get such a bad rap. I didn't get a single negative comment.

As for Louisville the city... it was essentially a ghost town on Saturday night. If you go down there get the bourbon passport at one of the burbon bars and make your own bar crawl. Finish all 8 bars and they'll give you a flask and a t-shirt.

[MUUWUWM]

I have always loved the Louisville fans when they come up to Milwaukee sometimes with 5-6 busloads and others who come up by cars.

Very, very super nice and love their team.

Have always chatted with them before and at the half or ends of games.

[MonsterWebWarrior]

How could you not notice the C-A-R-D-S Cards! thing that they do like every 5 seconds?   It's so annoying.  They even do it at the Bradley Center.  You can't compare that to us saying We Are Marquette either, because you usually only hear our students chanting anything.  Their regular fans were the ones yelling it.  I guess my point is that their fans bring it every game, even if they're playing South Florida.   Our alum only go nuts for big games.  And if it's not a big game, the BC is pretty much a morgue outside the student section.  I just wish our fans brought it every game.

Considering how low scoring the game was, they didn't exactly have much to go on either.

One other thing I thought was interesting - I sat with a friend who had season tickets.  He couldn't buy just the basketball season.  He could buy season tickets for football or football+basketball, but not just basketball.

[MonsterWebWarrior]

To be fair, 2 of the loudest We Are Marquette chants I've heard this year were on the road at the end of the DePaul and Georgetown games.  I like getting booed by opposing fans.

[rocky_warrior]

How could you not notice the C-A-R-D-S Cards! thing that they do like every 5 seconds?   It's so annoying.  

Oh yeah - forgot to mention that.  It is annoying, but otherwise impressive that most of the arena does it in unison. 

[mu1642]

The food from the Kentucky Pork Producers booth was great - need to have Wisconsin Pork Producers booth at the BC.
Felt sorry for a number of Dom's relatives sitting behund us in the last row of the end zone, but they sure were loud in supporting MU!

[MU B2002]

How could you not notice the C-A-R-D-S Cards! thing that they do like every 5 seconds?   It's so annoying.  

I would compare it to V-O-L-S Vols Vols Vols.

I will say it is impressive that all the fans get these cheers going.

Too bad we didn't change the name to the Gold...  G-O-L-D GOLD GOLD GOLD!!!

[spiral97]

The food from the Kentucky Pork Producers booth was great - need to have Wisconsin Pork Producers booth at the BC.
Felt sorry for a number of Dom's relatives sitting behund us in the last row of the end zone, but they sure were loud in supporting MU!

you must have been sitting right next to us.. thought those might be DJ's relatives but wasn't sure.. and yes, they were loud.. the headache was worth it   I swear they made the l-ville players miss shots!

[mucrew08]

you must have been sitting right next to us.. thought those might be DJ's relatives but wasn't sure.. and yes, they were loud.. the headache was worth it   I swear they made the l-ville players miss shots!

Them and Avery's whistle. Just make sure if you are near him to plug your ear cause it hurts after a while.

[MU111]

After having a few bad run-ins over the years with 'Ville fans at the BC, I was extremely impressed with how we were treated at Freedom Hall.  Everyone around us had nothing but nice things to say about Marquette and said they hoped we went far in the tourney.  I was asked what Milwaukee was like, whether I liked Buzz or Crean better, my impressions of Favre leaving, James's injury, and whether there were any hard feelings about Jerry Smith's not committing to MU, etc.  It is no surprise how knowledgeable their fans are about the game, either.  While I'd agree that Freedom Hall is mostly a dump (and it took us nearly half an hour to move about a mile on the freeway outside the arena), I was glad to be a part of the history there before the new arena is finished.

[Wade for President]

The food from the Kentucky Pork Producers booth was great

Was that the little stand alone both with the guy slicing the meat right in front of you?  Damn...that place was great.  Solid kettle chips made that one of the better game meals I've had.