Since the beginning of the 2003-04 season, and peaking with the alleged rape incident in 2004, it has been a tough road to rebuilding for St. John’s and its fans.
The Red Storm needs its sixth man just as much as any other team in all capacities, from the die-hard enthusiast to the casual fan who simply reads about the team. There are a few websites that provide information and are a potential breeding ground for team interest among fans.
Redmen.com, which has long been the home of some controversial topics regarding the Johnnies, is generally a solid source of information and rumors. Although registration for the site remains closed, guests are free to peruse the forums.
Bigeastboards.com provides message boards for all 16 teams in the Big East, and guests are welcome to register at BEB and post on any team forum they wish.
Johnnyjungle.com, the newest St. John’s fan site, also has a solid community on its forums, including many members who have migrated over from Redmen.com.
“Message boards are great for fans because their voice can be heard and everyone has an opinion which makes for great discussion and debate,” said Johnny Jungle President David Krupinski.
The problem is, though, that since 2004, fan support for the team has all but disappeared. The lack of support can be seen simply by going to a game against Syracuse or UConn, where fans of the opposing team essentially take over Madison Square Garden.
It’s hard for a team to win a game on the road, but for a team to win a game on its home court while getting jeered makes things even harder.
“The fans provide a competitive edge acting as the sixth man,” Krupinski added, “uplifting our team while taking the other team out of its rhythm.”
Unfortunately for St. John’s, the sixth man has been all but missing over the last few years. One result of poor ticket sales is the Johnnies playing just five games in the Garden this season, as opposed to the usual seven or eight.
The increased number of games at the aging Carnesecca Arena may be a blessing in disguise.
“I’m going to love being in Carnesecca Arena and with it being all red and white and saying, ‘Here’s [the opponents] 40 tickets up there in the rafters and now [they can] deal with it,'” head coach Norm Roberts told ESPN.com.
St. John’s needs to make sure that the stands are, in fact, red and white. It may be impossible to avoid opposing fans taking over the Garden, but being overwhelmed on its home floor in Queens would be truly unacceptable.
The excitement needs to start before the season. Fans need to get involved in any way possible. Whether it’s becoming active on internet forums or chatting about the team casually around campus, it needs to start now.
St. John’s needs its sixth man.
