Who doesn’t love an underdog? It doesn’t matter what sport, underdogs intensify the idea that anything can happen in sports. Whether it’s the #1 NCAA men’s basketball team, the #3 NCAA women’s basketball team, or a rivalry game that one squad hasn’t tasted the sweetness of a win in years, court storming is undeniably a part of basketball. However, at what point does it become too much? Should students even be allowed on the floor? What can go wrong? Well, in the past month, there have been multiple issues of star players being injured after the clock hits the most exciting zeroes in sports.
On Janurary 21st, a 2 seed Iowa, saw star guard Caitlin Clark injured in a mad rush to the court after they were upset by Ohio State. Clark has elevated the intensity and attention to women’s college basketball this year, which means beating her and her newfound fame is a big deal. Clark was caught up in the celebratory rush and collided with a fan, sending her to the floor. Although she ended up okay, Clark exclaimed that it was “kind of scary and could’ve caused a pretty serious injury to me and knocked the wind out of me”. Obviously, this is not the goal of fans and it is a blessing the Clark is alright, but it cannot be ignored as an isolated case.
In fact, on Feburary 24th in Winston-Salem, NC home of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Duke’s 7-foot center, Kyle Filipowski was sent to the floor in a hectic rush to storm the court. There were fans on the court before the clock had even graced those marevelous zeroes. Filipowski made contact with multiple Demon Deacons before tumbling over. In the video, it appears he was taunted by the first fan, shoved in the back by the second and collided in the shoulder with the third. This sequence of events cause Filipowski to hit the deck in what seemed like the scene from the Lion King when Mufasa was trampled (devestating scene) (childhood tears). Fllipowski, met by teammates and coaches hobbled off the court among the crazed student section’s seizure of the court.
Since the Fllipowski incident, the sports media world is on fire. Some personalities believe that court storming should be banned because it puts the players at risk of severe injury. There is a lack of control right now with court storming and there has to be some measures taken to ensure the safety of the players. However, and this is my opinion, I think banning court storming would be a travesty to college athletics. It has a deep-rooted history and gives the fans of underdog teams a chance to be a part of the action. Without court storming, an unranked opponent beating Duke does not hold the same gravity as it does when you see thousands of students join their fellow student-athletes on the court to celebrate. It is a bonding experience for an entire university. To me, the storming of the court embodies the essence of college basketball, which is that any team at any time can take one another down. This concept is proven year in and year out during March Madness and my hope is that schools across the country are able to keep the tradition and find ways to keep the players safe. Whether it is a presence of police, a countdown that displays on the big screen or through genuine human courtesy, I hope we can find a way to keep the tradition alive and thriving, instead of under the eyes of scrutiny and banishment.