Friday Focus

What's wrong with Crisler Arena?

If you build it, they will come, right? Well, not exactly. Crisler is no "Arena of Dreams," and apparently, it's no place for Michigan fans.

Although the Michigan men's basketball team has been ranked among the nation's top 25 teams all season, its home court doesn't make anyone's top 25. Crisler Arena is better known for its lack of an inspired atmosphere than anything else.

The atmosphere of this season's Michigan home games, in fact, is far from the feeling of a sports arena. Michigan players rarely have given credit to the Crisler crowd, while many times they have mentioned the home court advantage of other conference opponents.

Instead, the feeling around Crisler has mimicked the nickname that the The Sporting News recently came up with - "The Cemetery."

"I don't think teams fear coming in here as much as they should," said Michigan senior guard Travis Conlan. "When you go to Michigan State, Purdue or Illinois or anywhere, the crowd is around the floor, yelling at us. That's fun. That's college basketball. That's fun for a player who is going to play there and for a player whose home court is there."

Michigan guard Louis Bullock described Michigan State's Breslin Center as a place where the students make remarks that "should be on HBO." During Tuesday's Michigan-Michigan State match-up in East Lansing, Spartans fans were rowdy from tipoff until the final buzzer and came up with some unique chants about Robert Traylor's weight and Robbie Reid's hair.

The Crisler fans' chatter at times is more likely to be heard on PBS. An older fan actually was seen reading a newspaper during a recent game.

At Breslin, the announcer asked fans before Tuesday's game to keep the noise down. Michigan players only wish that was a problem at Crisler.

"It's kind of tough some nights when the crowd is not into (the game) and you've got to get them into it," said Michigan center Robert Traylor. "If the crowd gets into the game a little more, it gives you an advantage. Not only is the opposing team put out of their game, it gets you into the game."

As the start of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago approaches - preceding what could be a berth for Michigan in the NCAA Tournament - Crisler attendance seems to be dwindling, rather than growing in anticipation.

So far this season, only two of Michigan's 12 games at Crisler have sold out - the Duke game on Dec. 13 and the Michigan State game on Jan. 10.

In Michigan's most recent home game, against Ohio State, the stadium had 1,200 no-shows, but in reality, it looked as if hundreds more fans were absent. In front of a tranquil crowd, the Buckeyes (winless in the conference) almost came back from double-digits to win the game.

"I think it is quiet because of the student section (and) the way they seat everyone at Crisler," said LSA senior Diego Garcia. "They have all the alumni down low, and if you look at all the other big stadiums, like Cameron Indoor (Stadium), it has all students down" around the court.

But Crisler wasn't always quiet. When the heralded Fab Five was here - when general admission seats for the students were first-come, first-served and the students surrounded the court - it was packed and it was loud. Well, louder, anyway.

"Obviously it was good, but was it as good as it could've been? No, it probably could've been better," said Michigan assistant coach Brian Dutcher, who is in his 10th year with the program. "The alumni (buy) tickets year after year, but the students, they come for four years. They have got to be the ones to generate it ... it is their team."

Crisler's quiet nature, however, is not entirely the fault of the fans. The physical attributes of Crisler make it difficult to reach ear-ringing levels - no matter how loud the fans bellow.

Crisler architect Robert Dworsky, a University alumnus and former Michigan football player, designed the arena, which opened in Dec. 1967.

Dworsky, who in 44 years as an architect designed UCLA's track and field stadium and a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, said Crisler was built with acoustical treatment on the ceiling and walls that decreases the sound capabilities of the arena.

"It's a matter of reflective surfaces, rather than shape," Dworsky said. "I'm sure a building like Illinois' Assembly Hall (which houses Illinois basketball games) tends to focus sound toward specific areas on the floor because it's a dome."

The arena architect said Crisler is less dome-shaped and more flat, which makes it harder for the sound to reverberate to floor level.

Crisler building manager Lisa Panetta-Alt said Crisler's cushioned seats also muffle the sound.

"My suggestions would be to get rid of the padded seats and then put in bleachers," said Panetta-Alt, who is responsible for all of Crisler's daily operations. "Make the first 10-15 rows all students."

Can "The Cemetery" regain a lively atmosphere once again, with rowdy fans supporting a Michigan team that is still ticking? Dutcher said he's not sure.

"There's got to be some way in between where we can get our students involved," he said. "Because in the end, any great home crowd starts with the students. A majority of the enthusiasm comes from the students."

Scenes like this one, after Michigan beat then-No. 1 Duke on Dec. 13, are hard to come by in Crisler Arena.

02-20-98