By Harry Minium
Something very important will be missing when the Old Dominion University men's basketball team opens at home against William & Mary Saturday night – 7,000 or so loyal, blue-clad, exuberant ODU adherents
Because of state restrictions imposed to help slow the growth of the pandemic, attendance is limited to 250 fans per home game for every college basketball team in Virginia.
That's down from the 1,000 we had hoped less than two weeks ago to bring into Chartway Arena and way down from the more than 7,000 fans we average in a typical season.
ODU has among the most loyal fans in mid-major basketball. We consistently lead Conference USA in attendance and many seasons, No. 2 isn't close.
So it goes without saying that everyone at ODU is sorry that most of our fans can't attend our games. We will miss you. We wish things were different, but state regulations are regulations and safety during the pandemic should be paramount.
We've made arrangements for our first two home games – including the Dec. 22 game against Virginia Wesleyan – to be streamed on our website free of charge. And we're hoping to bring more fans into the arena in the New Year, if government restrictions allow.
I also feel for the ODU basketball players, who say fan support is one of the major reasons why they win most of their home games.
"The interaction with fans is what touched me most about my experience here," Aaron Carver said before his last game as a Monarch last season.
"The energy we feel from the fans has been amazing. I don't think our fans know how much they mean to us."
Not having fans at home games could cost the Monarchs a bit of a competitive edge.
So what can you do to help?
You can be there and show your support for the Monarchs -- in cardboard form.
Fans can purchase cardboard cutouts, similar to those you've likely seen at Major League Baseball, college football and NFL games.
Upload a photo of yourself to www.fancutouts.com and create a cutout. Then go to https://shop.fancutouts.com/products/old-dominion-university where you arrange to have it displayed at Chartway Arena.
At $59 apiece, it's a bargain compared with our competition.
Imagine the impact it will have if players are greeted by throngs of happy faces? They will know you still care.
Men's basketball coach Jeff Jones is purchasing fan cutouts for his wife Danielle, grandson Boyd, granddaughters Langley and Bess and pooches Maggie and Grady.
He says he's hoping the Monarchs eventually will see 1,000 to 1,500 cardboard fans in the arena. There likely will be about 150 or so for Saturday's opener.
"From a psychological perspective, it would mean a lot to our players and create a neat environment," he said. "It would also help us in recruiting. If we can get a bunch of them in the arena, it will create an atmosphere that's very, very different from what you're going to see at other schools.
Dave Twardzik
"It will show our players and recruits how much our fans care."
I've written this before, but I want to remind you that this is a difficult time for students who happen to be athletes. Every men's and women's player realizes that if he or she goes to the wrong place or hangs out with the wrong people, an infection could occur that could shut down the team for up to two weeks.
The basketball teams are doing more than social distancing. To avoid getting infected, they go to class and then practice and then straight home. They've given up one of the most important facets of going to college – their social life – because they want to play this season.
They deserve our support.
ODU will receive a portion of the revenue generated by the cutouts, so you will not only be helping the players, you'll be also helping the two basketball programs that are missing out on a ton of ticket revenue this season.
Beyond showing players that you care, your face will also be visible to all of Monarch Nation. We control the TV cameras at Chartway Arena, so you know your mug will get some significant airtime.
Kent Bazemore
We have cutouts of Big Blue, NBA and former ODU star Kent Bazemore, radio voice Ted Alexander, former ODU All-American and radio color commentator Dave Twardzik, and former long-time sports information director Carol Hudson.
Football coach Ricky Rahne has ordered a cutout of himself, along with his wife, Jen, and sons Jake and Ryder. One of the Ted Heads, the group of guys who smother their faces in blue and white makeup, wear ridiculous hats and wear a tie over an ODU t-shirt, has a cutout, too.
We'll place those faces around the arena and make sure those sitting around them get some TV airtime, as well as some love on social media.
If you're camera shy, or just want to show your support for the program, you can also purchase virtual seats at $20 per seat. That's a way of financially supporting ODU's basketball program, while also providing you a chance to cash-in on some nice prizes.
Purchase one virtual ticket and you will receive a Virginia Lottery digital scratcher. Among the prizes you could win: Two season tickets for all ODU sports in 2021-22, from football to basketball and baseball to volleyball; use of a Chartway Arena suite for a basketball game in 2021-22; a $500 Harris Teeter gift card, a $500 Under Armour shopping spree or an ODU Under Armour pullover.
Pretty sweet, if you win, but given a choice between the two, I'd take a fan cutout.
Carol Hudson
The cutouts began in Germany, when Bundesliga member Borussia Mönchengladbach created them and filled up nearly half of its 54,000-seat stadium. The idea then quickly spread to MLB and American football leagues.
You don't have to limit your cutout to photos of yourself. Your kids, pets, significant other or something more creative can be used, within reason.
Animals of all kinds, especially Lions, are acceptable. Penn State fans posted cutouts of squirrels holding up "Go Penn State" signs. Dozens of Los Angeles Dodger fans dressed their dogs in Dodger attire, including hats.
Chicago White Sox fan Paul Garrett has been to every ChiSox opener since 2005. Denied the chance to attend games this year, he purchased 100 cutouts of himself, to be placed together, to make sure players and fans know him.
He was rewarded with stories in national publications.
Our rules are fairly strict. No photos of celebrities or rock stars allowed. No logos or advertising, negative comments about our opponents and vulgarity or depiction of smoking or drinking.
Get your order in in the next couple of weeks and we'll have them up for the VWU men's game in late December.
And remember, things are going to get better. The pandemic has been horrible but vaccines will soon become available and we hope they are distributed as quickly as possible. Government officials said over the weekend and 75 million Americans could be vaccinated by the end of February. Let's hope that the vaccines are as effective as promised.
Then, perhaps, not only will life return to something resembling normal, but the best fans in Conference USA will again be allowed to crowd their way back into our sports venues.
hminium@odu.edu
Minium: If You Can't Attend ODU Men's and Women's Basketball Games in Person, You Can With a Fan Cutout
