Storming the Court 101

I've learned in life that most young men tend to lead goal-oriented lives. Some want to be the next Nick Lachey, become an astronaut or retire at 30 with millions in the bank. But me, I have no such aspirations. I have one small goal in my life that seems to happen every night, but yet I can't seem to attain it. My dream you ask? It's to storm the court of a basketball game (a football field would work too).\nMy only chance at the glory of the hardwood came and went this weekend at the IU-Michigan State game. As I stood in the balcony with my parents, the courtside student sections flooded the court with a sea of cream and crimson. Sure, I could have rushed down the stairs, gotten to the floor seats and hopped onto the court to join in on the fun. But my dad decided we should get to the car quick so we could make it out of the parking lot fast. Thanks a lot, Dad.\nBut anyway, I am going somewhere with this. It's that there are plenty of reasons to storm a court and an unranked team beating a top-10 team in overtime is one of them. So congrats Hoosier fans, you passed the test. But lately fans have been abusing their privilege of rushing the court and have been doing it at unwarranted times. Heck, storming the court this season has become as trendy as quoting lines from "Napoleon Dynamite."\nTake the Feb. 19 game between then then-No. 9 Syracuse Orangemen and No. 6 Boston College Eagles. The game was played at BC and the Eagles came out of the contest victorious in a 65-60 tally. Apparently some members of the BC faithful thought this warranted a trip onto the court because as soon as the buzzer sounded the court was flooded. Hey everyone, look at us! We're on TV! \nApparently these fans missed article 3 in section D of The Official Rulebook of Storming College Basketball Courts. The rule clearly states, "No fan of a team ranked above another team may enter onto a court after a victory. The fans should act as if their team was supposed to win and politely cheer from the stands."\nHow 'bout that Duke-North Carolina match-up Feb. 9. Sure, it was a tight game between two top rival teams, but it ended rather anti-climatically as David Noel dribbled the ball out of bounds in the closing seconds to give Duke the win. Duke fans proceeded to jump out of the stands and onto the court, breaking another rule.\n"Fans are only allowed to rush the court against a rival if they win on a buzzer beater. No exceptions shall be made," states the rulebook.\nDo you think you look cool if you rush the court every time you beat your rival? I don't. I can only image this Sunday's game in Chapel Hill between the two teams. UNC will win by 10, but yet Tar Heel fans will feel the need to out-do the Duke fans and will rush the court as well.\nBut not every team's fans have broken court-crashing etiquette. The crazy Clemson finish against Virgin Tech Tuesday night was worthy of a storming of the court as was Notre Dame's upset of the then-undefeated BC Eagles Feb. 8.\nSo college sports basketball fans, think next time you decide to hop onto your team's court. Keep your dignity and rush the court only when it is deemed necessary by following the rulebook. But you'll probably continue to do whatever you feel like, gosh.