New ‘Hoosier Hysteria’

Amazing things happen at midnight. \nA giant, high-voltage ball drops into Times Square. Cinderella’s carriage turns back into a pumpkin. 20-year olds transform into 21-year olds by eviscerating their childhood innocence with shots of tequila. \nThere’s a certain mystique surrounding the hands of a clock aligning to point heavenward. That’s part of what made Hoosier Hysteria – formerly known as Midnight Madness – so exhilarating. It happened late, and it was great.\nSince the NCAA relaxed the rules regarding when basketball teams can officially hold the first practice of the year, basketball-crazy schools like IU have pushed their season kickoffs to a more family-friendly hour. This year, the Assembly Hall doors open at 5:30 p.m. That’s barely \ndinner hour.\nThe schedule has been bloated beyond basketball as well. Both basketball teams will hold an autograph session to lure fans in, followed by the IU volleyball team’s match against Michigan State. Then, the hysteria ensues.\nNothing against IU volleyball coach Sherry Dunbar and company, but couldn’t a more titillating opening act be found? Couldn’t Lance Bennett return to B-town to lay down a beat while Felisha Legette-Jack freestyles over it? Who wouldn’t get amped for that?\nScheduling aside, Hoosier Hysteria will have a positive impact on more than just the photos in next year’s volleyball media guide. For the 15th consecutive year, Hoosier Hills Food Bank will be collecting canned goods at the Assembly Hall entrances. The price of admission is either $5 or two canned goods.\nAs a former volunteer can collector, I can attest to the volume of green beans and cream of mushroom soup, among other items, gathered at this event. With the barrels of food collected, you could make a green bean casserole to feed all of Monroe County.\nLast year alone, Hoosier Hills pulled in 10,000 pounds of food items. It’s Hoosier Hills’ second-largest food-raising event of the year, and it comes at just the right time, said Julio Alonso, Hoosier Hills’ executive director. Apparently, the fall season is when the food bank desperately runs low on, well, food.\nOther than the time, the thing I will miss most about the new Hoosier Hysteria format is the rush of eager fans when the doors open. Sure, a few diehards will be camping out around lunchtime to make the mad dash for the best seats, but it will be nothing like years past, when graying fanatics rediscovered their athleticism and accentuated the sprint with a slam dunk of their Spaghetti-Os in the canister. The best box-outs of the night used to be made by 5-foot-6 middle-aged men at the doorway – not the 6-foot-10 basketball stars on the floor. But I digress.\nThis year’s Hoosier Hysteria will be notable for the excitement and expectations surrounding the men’s team – the newcomers in particular. This year’s hysteria will look fresh because the Big Ten Network will be broadcasting live from the Hall. This year’s hysteria will be like never before, because Eric Gordon will be on the court, not in the stands.\nThe madness may not be at midnight anymore, but the mystique of the approaching basketball season still has a hold on this campus.