America’s greatest sports venues: Cameron Indoor Stadium

On Tobacco Road, Duke-UNC is “The Game,” the Atlantic Coast Conference’s biggest basketball rivalry. It is the equivalent of Red Sox-Yankees, or Packers-Bears, or Bruins-Canadiens. In the last 100 meetings, the series is tied, 50-50.

A tent city pops up before each big home game at Cameron Indoor. They call it Krzyzewskiville.

Katalina Guma, a freshman from Nashville, chose to attend Duke because of how unique the experience was. She dressed as a human backboard for Duke-UNC.

Grad student Alex Caspary and his buddies were bundled up waiting to get tickets before Duke-UNC in February.

Student leaders administer trivia tests to determine who gets the best seats at Cameron Indoor.

The reward for camping outdoors is sweet: Free courtside seats at the rowdiest college basketball venue in America.

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Cameron is where the foul-mouthed Crazies wiggle their fingers, yell, and try to intimidate inbound passers. They invented the “air ball” chant. They’ve tossed album jackets on the court to embarrass a player who had allegedly stolen a stereo. In 1986, when North Carolina guard Steve Hale was sidelined with a partially collapsed lung, the Crazies chanted “Inhale … Exhale.” Eventually, Coach Mike Krzyzewski appealed to the Crazies to stop swearing. For a while they chanted “We beg to differ” at the referees.

But even the great Coach K had his limits.

“We respect the man, but we’re going to heckle as best we can,” says Dan Behrens, a Duke student who digs up dirt on opponents. He says the chants and insults make a difference.

The Crazies’ wildest stunt was in 2003. When UNC’s Jackie Manuel stepped to the line to shoot two free throws, Duke student Patrick King — wearing nothing but his blue speedo — jumped up and started dancing like Will Ferrell giving more cowbell. Manuel clanged both shots and later admitted he was “distracted.”

Apparently so was the girlfriend of Speedo Guy’s brother. She quickly dumped her man and married King. He later became a pastor.

Duke’s Ryan Young runs past the Crazies en route to the locker room.

Cameron Indoor Stadium fits fewer than 10,000 people.

Workplace hazard? Just like Duke’s opponents, media members must learn to drown out the noise.

The Crazies dig up dirt on opponents and aren’t afraid to use it in chants and cheers.

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