Carolina basketball games, even the contests in the beginning of the season that bigger schools like ours use to 'tune-up', are all glorious events. I know so many people who will give away their ticket because they don't want to sit in the upper level, or don't want to go alone, or just don't feel like showing up early for phase 3, et cetera. I respect that, but I will never understand it. I've been as close as the hardwood itself and I have been as far away as the upper level row X, and every experience has been a great one. Except that one loss to Maryland, which shouldn't have happened, and Tyler should NOT have been the one taking that last-second three, and we had to walk home uphill in the rain. That sucked. But the rest, oh, wonderful!
The Risers, though, are a different sort of animal. Freshman year they were miserable, because you had to line up according to ticket-number and it was all grossly unfair. But since they instituted phases, it's been much simpler. If you get a Phase 1 ticket, all you have to do is show up four or so hours beforehand and you'll be on television, guaranteed.
The deal is, though, you have to be willing to make some trade-offs. Being in the risers proper, which for me means being in the front row on that hallowed hardwood, means you'll be standing there well before the cheerleaders or the mascot or the band shows up- before the players even have a chance to warm up.
You can't have any food or drinks down there, and going up for anything means your spot will probably disappear, so you go without, all while jumping and shouting like a mad person during the game, during warmups before the game and sometimes even before that if a cameraman wants some pregame footage for ESPNU.
And you pretty much can't sit down, ever. The players get more sitting-time than the riser kids, even the good players.
The burden is on you to keep the noise level up, since the old people in the seats you'd like to have won't do a damn thing. You start the chants, you come up with the taunts. It helps when creative people show up. Last night, for example, some guys behind me started chanting "Suuuun Belt, Suuuun Belt" at FIU, then another one said "It's not that they're in the Sun Belt [conference], it's that they're BAD in the Sun Belt," which made it even better. When Isiah Thomas stopped near the section at halftime for a brief interview, the same guys chanted "Ma-gic, Ma-gic," then came back with "Dream-team, dream-team" when Isiah reappeared. He actually stopped and laughed at that one, and gave the guys credit. Hey, at least the man has a sense of humor. Lots of coaches don't.
Your feet are killing you afterwards. You're sweaty. You're hoarse. You get a nice shock from the freezing air once you leave and then you get to walk up a huuuge hill to get back to campus. You need another shower even though you took one six hours before, and you still have a ton of homework to do because you've been at the Dean Dome for the past six and a half hours.
And it's so worth it. And I'll be doing it again on Wednesday, and on Sunday if I'm lucky, and every other game that I can manage to get my hands on a phase 1 ticket, because there is nothing to compare to being ON THAT HARDWOOD, no matter how long you have to stand or how many errant basketballs you almost take to the face (because that is quite a hazard).
Nope. Wouldn't trade it, not for anything.