Bethel basketball goes wacko

The lights go dim and the people go wacko. The men's varsity basketball game last Thursday against Aquinas was a successful one, 62-55. This was a night of many where the fans of Bethel basketball go wacko in support for their team. Sophomore Landon Booker of the basketball team gets hyped by their team chant before pregame warm-ups. However, he also talks about how they get hyped from the wackos. "Nothing gets me more pumped than when there's someone telling me to take the ball from the person I'm guarding, and also once we score, how loud they can get," said Booker. As the players condition throughout the season, Assistant Coach Tony Natali believes things are working out well. He believes that the Wackos are great support for the team and a distraction to the opposing team. "Our guys feed off the fans’ energy," said Natali, "(The wackos) just make the entire experience fun for everyone involved − except the opponent. " Booker seems to agree that the wackos are part of their home court advantage. "They are the people who are there to support you, intimidate the other team for you, and to just get crazy wild for games," said Booker. The purpose of wacko is more than just school spirit. It is about supporting friends and giving back to the team. "Over the years while I was playing soccer my friends who are predominantly on the basketball team were always on the front row cheering for me and at the other teams," said senior wacko, Arron Patrick. "To me it's less about supporting basketball and more about supporting my roommates (senior) Caleb Laidig and (senior) Joey Welch and all the ex-B3 basketball players." At tip-off madness, the wackos made that message clear. "Bethel's you're family, we stick together," said junior wacko, Robby Burns. To say the wackos enjoy going to the games to yell, dress crazy, paint themselves, and include the audience in their wacky behavior for a fun college experience is an understatement. They do it for their family.