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When
Tri-Village does player introductions, it becomes a school production.
CNO Photos by Dylan Knoop
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It’s more than
just a player introduction
It’s a player
production
By George Starks
NEW MADISON - When I was doing sports in Indiana, I was sent to Union
City one night for a basketball game.
I’m not sure whom the Indians were playing that night but it was a
Tri-Eastern Conference game.
When the opposing team was announced, it was just like any other night
at a high school game.
Little did I know what was to come.
Before the home team was introduced to the crowd, the lights were
turned off and about four huge flood lights were turned on.
The tom-toms started beating and the lights were crisscrossing the
floor as if they were looking for their beloved Indians.
At that time, the Tribe hit the floor after the starting five were
introduced.
My first thought to all this was…how insane!
All this for a high school basketball game?
Then it hit me. This is Indiana and basketball is king in this state.
So why not go all out for the team?
Twelve years in Hoosier land and never did I see anything that ever
really topped that player introduction.
Now enter Tri-Village and Patriot Nation.
Last year for the kids, the lights were turned off, small spotlights
came on and at the boys games the added feature was a portable box with
a flashing red light and a siren.
At that point, my first thought was…HERE WE GO!
Was this going to be as good as the Union City production?
The answer was that it was better.
When the lights were off, the music started playing and a big screen
was lowered from the ceiling that had all the pictures of the starting
five displayed on it.
The student body formed a tunnel and the mayhem was underway.
This season, it was no different.
The first girl was introduced and down the tunnel she went. Some of
them ended their intro with a chest bump. Some ended it in other ways.
This is no longer just a player introduction at Tri-Village.
It has turned into a major, theatrical production.
What surprises me the most is that up to this point, no other school
has done anything of this nature or at least not on this scale.
I have always loved the high school atmosphere and after 27 years, it’s
only gotten better.
I would love to see other schools get into the act with their own brand
of mayhem like it is at Tri-Village.
Tri-Village has set the bar when it comes to the theatrics at
basketball games.
I challenge all schools out there to do something to raise that bar.
COME ON SOMEBODY!
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