Lakehead
      Heckler’s
      Row
      holds
      tryouts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Elliot
      King
      (CUP)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lakehead
      University’s
     
     
      most
      subversive
      institution
      is
      back
     
     
      for
      its
      sixth
      year
      of
      constructive
     
     
      chaos
      and
      maniacal
      devotion
      to
      LU
     
     
      basketball.
     
    

    
     
      Heckler’s
      Row
      is_
      the
     
     
      seething
      volume
      of
      opinions,
      cut-
     
     
      ting
      wit,
      game
      commentary
      and
     
     
      Lakehead
      boosterism
      that
      erupts
     
     
      from
      behind
      the
      opposing
      team’s
     
     
      bench
      during
      varsity
      basketball
     
     
      games.
     
    

    
     
      Since
      1995,
      “the
      Row”
      has
     
     
      been
      a
      key
      part
      of
      the
      unparalleled
     
     
      Thunderdome
      experience
      that
      has
     
     
      more
      in
      common
      with
      the
      displays
     
     
      of
      fan
      support
      at
      American
      college
     
     
      basketball
      games
      than
      Canadian
     
     
      Interuniversity
      Athletic
      Union
     
     
      (CIAU)
      conference
      games.
     
    

    
     
      This
      year
      is
      poised
      to
      be
      the
     
     
      best
      ever
      in
      the
      Row’s
      exciting
      his-
     
     
      tory,
      with
      the
      prospect
      of
      full-scale
     
     
      tryouts
      expected
      to
      bring
      new
     
     
      blood,
      energy
      and
      invective
      to
      the
     
     
      group.
     
    

    
     
      Last
      year’s
      interview
      and
     
     
      audition
      process
      for
      new
      recruits
     
     
      has
      been
      replaced
      with
      a
      true-to-
     
     
      life
      game
      situation
      —
      real
      varsity
     
     
      players,
      a
      certified
      referee,
      and
     
     
      inimitable
      basketball
      action
      —
     
     
      with
      emphasis
      on
      the
      quality,
      tone,
     
     
      and
      volume
      of
      heckling
      from
      Row
     
     
      hopefuls.
     
    

    
     
      What
      kind
      of
      person
      are
     
     
      they
      looking
      for?
      Original
      Row
     
     
      member
      Mike
      Lyons
      lists
      the
      fol-
     
     
      lowing
      attributes:
      “First
      and
      fore-
     
     
      most,
      we
      want
      Lakehead
      basket-
     
     
      ball
      fans;
      people
      with
      basketball
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hollywood
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WWwWWw.mMyfw.com
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “12
      The
      Gatre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      knowledge,
      people
      with
      a
      sense
      of
     
     
      humour,
      people
      with
      moxie,
      and
     
     
      people
      with
      an
      instinct
      for
      getting
     
     
      under
      the
      skin
      of
      opposing
      team
     
     
      players,
      trainers
      and
      coaches.”
     
    

    
     
      All
      of
      these
      qualities
      are
     
     
      important,
      and
      people
      who
      have
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      They're
     
     
      Lakeheat
     
     
      and
      they're
     
     
      proud
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Music
     
    
   
   
    
     
      abundance
      of
      one
      can
      use
      that
      to
     
     
      overcome
      shortcomings
      in
      others,
     
     
      continues
      Lyons.
     
    

    
     
      Since
      its
      inception,
     
     
      Heckler’s
      Row
      has
      been
      an
      integral
     
     
      part
      of
      Lakehead
      basketball.
      It
     
     
      began
      as
      a
      group
      of
      first
      year
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      attending
      a
      basketball
      game
     
     
      and
      starting
      a
      running
      commentary
     
     
      with
      Gogebic
      Community
      College
     
     
      star
      Carlos
      Barnes.
     
    

    
     
      During
      the
      game,
      Barnes
     
     
      fell
      into
      the
      trap
      set
      by
      the
      hecklers
     
     
      by
      trying
      to
      win
      them
      over
      instead
     
     
      of
      concentrating
      on
      the
      game
      and
     
     
      his
      teammates.
      Barnes
      ended
      the
     
     
      game
      with
      two
      missed
      free
      throws
     
     
      as
      his
      team
      lost
      the
      game
      by
      a
      sin-
     
     
      gle
      point.
     
    

    
     
      Having
      realized
      what
      kind
     
     
      of
      an
      effect
      heckling,
      mind
      games,
     
     
      and
      the
      encouragement
      of
      divisive-
     
     
      ness
      can
      have
      on
      an
      opposing
      team
     
     
      in
      a
      close
      game,
      Heckler’s
      Row
     
     
      was
      born,
      and
      hasn’t
      missed
      a
     
     
      game
      since.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fashion
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Last
      year,
      a
      piece
      on
      CBC
     
     
      Radio
      about
      Heckler’s
      Row
      gener-
     
     
      ated
      national
      interest.
      The
      Row
      is
     
     
      known,
      respected,
      and
      feared
      by
     
     
      basketball
      teams
      all
      over
      Ontario
     
     
      and
      the
      mid-west
      United
      States.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      the
      occasional
      con-
     
     
      troversy
      over
      its
      methods,
      the
     
     
      members
      of
      Heckler’s
      Row
      remain
     
     
      adamant
      that
      they
      do
      it
      all
      for
      the
     
     
      love
      of
      the
      game,
      and
      out
      of
      sup-
     
     
      port
      for
      the
      Lakehead
     
     
      Thunderwolves.
      Row
      statistician
     
     
      Mike
      Johnston
      downplays
      the
      neg-
     
     
      ative
      image
      that
      is
      sometimes
      pro-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      jected
      onto
      the
      Row.
     
    

    
     
      “What
      people
      don’t
      under-
     
     
      stand
      is
      how
      much
      the
      opposing
     
     
      teams
      thrive
      on
      the
      attention,
      and
     
     
      consider
      it
      an
      extra
      challenge
      and
     
     
      bonus
      to.
      playing
      in
      _
      the
     
     
      Thunderdome,”
      he
      says.
     
    

    
     
      Row
      member
      Eric
      McGoey
     
     
      agrees:
      “After
      the
      game,
      the
      play-
     
     
      ers
      invariably
      congratulate
      us,
     
     
      compliment
      us
      on
      our
      best
      zingers,
     
     
      and
      tell
      us
      that
      they
      regret
      not
      hav-
     
     
      ing
      fans
      like
      us
      at
      their
      home
     
     
      games.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      :
      Adventure
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      OTINE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      \te
     
     
      .“s
      fordfocus
     
     
      expectmore