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With Championship Week traditionally serving as the biggest floor stormin' week of the year, we figured this would be the perfect time to update "STF's Rules to Storming the Floor." Special thanks to SI's Luke Winn for the addition of the "Winn Embargo " during the Gelf Varsity Letters readings, a new rule that states that students should avoid stepping on media members at all costs. Unfortunately, the Winn Embargo was violated approximately one day after its creation by Cornell fans.
When to Storm:
If your unranked team beats a top-10 opponent.
If your lower-division school beats a D1 opponent.
You beat your most hated rival in overtime, or on a last-second miracle shot.
Your team breaks a long losing streak against a particularly difficult opponent.
Your team wins the league tournament in a one-bid conference.
You become the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
If your school wins the NCAA tournament. This very special win also confers limited looting & pillaging rights.
Not OK:
Winning the NIT (or CBI or any other two-bit post-season tourney some hustler dreams up).
If your school is ranked, with possible exceptions for beating #1.
Students at Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, and Duke should be very used to winning. Unless a National Championship is within sniffing distance, you will look like *******s storming the floor.
Never, ever storm the floor before the final buzzer sounds (yes, this has happened).
If you storm an opponent's floor, odds are you will get hurt.
A personal milestone for a player or coach is his moment, not yours.
The Ivy League? I don't think so.
How to Storm:
Make sure you know which gate will be open. If you try to storm through the wrong one, risk entering enemy territory and becoming a target for an entire section of irate opposing fans. (I speak from personal experience)
Don't try to bust in on your players and coaches. They appreciate your enthusiasm, but you aren't welcome in a huddle.
Do not approach Bobby Knight or Bob Huggins, even if they coach for your school.
Don't rub it in the face of opposing players. They lost, and you didn't score, dish, or rebound once in the game. If the players can treat each other with respect, fans owe nothing less.
For the love of god, don't damage your own building. That's just stupid.
Don't overstay your welcome. When things start to wind down, take it to the nearest bar. If the team's gone, you should be, too.
Enjoy the moment. Storming the floor should be rare enough to taste sweet.
Amendments (The Basketball Lover's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities)
The Wake Forest Rule: We've recently seen small clumps of students attempt to start a storming, creating lonely eddies instead of the ecstatic rush to the logo. Storm, don't drizzle.
The Indiana Corollary: If your once-dominant team falls on hard times and misses the tournament for four or more years running, then turns it around cleanly, a year of compensatory floor storming privileges will be levied.
The Winn Embargo: If at all possible, try not to step on the poor schlubs on press row. We know it's tempting, but they're just trying to do their jobs. This goes for clock operators too (The Cornell Addendum) However, it behooves front-liners to scent the wind occasionally and be prepared for the inevitable. In other words, don't tempt the beast
When to Storm:
If your unranked team beats a top-10 opponent.
If your lower-division school beats a D1 opponent.
You beat your most hated rival in overtime, or on a last-second miracle shot.
Your team breaks a long losing streak against a particularly difficult opponent.
Your team wins the league tournament in a one-bid conference.
You become the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
If your school wins the NCAA tournament. This very special win also confers limited looting & pillaging rights.
Not OK:
Winning the NIT (or CBI or any other two-bit post-season tourney some hustler dreams up).
If your school is ranked, with possible exceptions for beating #1.
Students at Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, and Duke should be very used to winning. Unless a National Championship is within sniffing distance, you will look like *******s storming the floor.
Never, ever storm the floor before the final buzzer sounds (yes, this has happened).
If you storm an opponent's floor, odds are you will get hurt.
A personal milestone for a player or coach is his moment, not yours.
The Ivy League? I don't think so.
How to Storm:
Make sure you know which gate will be open. If you try to storm through the wrong one, risk entering enemy territory and becoming a target for an entire section of irate opposing fans. (I speak from personal experience)
Don't try to bust in on your players and coaches. They appreciate your enthusiasm, but you aren't welcome in a huddle.
Do not approach Bobby Knight or Bob Huggins, even if they coach for your school.
Don't rub it in the face of opposing players. They lost, and you didn't score, dish, or rebound once in the game. If the players can treat each other with respect, fans owe nothing less.
For the love of god, don't damage your own building. That's just stupid.
Don't overstay your welcome. When things start to wind down, take it to the nearest bar. If the team's gone, you should be, too.
Enjoy the moment. Storming the floor should be rare enough to taste sweet.
Amendments (The Basketball Lover's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities)
The Wake Forest Rule: We've recently seen small clumps of students attempt to start a storming, creating lonely eddies instead of the ecstatic rush to the logo. Storm, don't drizzle.
The Indiana Corollary: If your once-dominant team falls on hard times and misses the tournament for four or more years running, then turns it around cleanly, a year of compensatory floor storming privileges will be levied.
The Winn Embargo: If at all possible, try not to step on the poor schlubs on press row. We know it's tempting, but they're just trying to do their jobs. This goes for clock operators too (The Cornell Addendum) However, it behooves front-liners to scent the wind occasionally and be prepared for the inevitable. In other words, don't tempt the beast
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