Intimate Setting Suits Valparaiso Well

By Ryan Fagan
Sporting News’ Ryan Fagan is traveling the Hoosier State, watching every D-I team in Indiana over 12 days. He’ll write about all things Hoosier Culture for The Sporting Blog.
Enjoyed the trip to Valpo. Good food, one oddity at the Broadway Cafe. In the front counter, where most diners would display pies or other assorted desserts, the folks at Broadway decided to show off their raw meat. Seriously. There were eight or nine cuts of meat, from steaks to ribs and other things I didn’t recognize in their uncooked state. Very, um ... different. Yeah, that’s a good word.
The Valpo gym might have the most boring (but descriptive) name in college sports. It’s the Athletics-Recreation Center. Unlike the name, though, the gym has character. It’s intimate, which feels perfect for a mid-major program. It’s like watching a great band in a small setting. In St. Louis, there’s nothing better than watching true musicians perform in the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill. Just a great place to interact and be a part of the show.
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The same feels true at Valpo, even if this game wasn’t the highlight on the Crusaders’ home schedule. I got the pleasure of watching Youngstown State for the second game in a row (let me tell you, watching these Penguins was like watching “March of the Penguins†-- once was fine, but enough). I heard one thing over and over at the ARC ... “You should have been here for the Butler game.†Apparently the Butler game a few weeks back was one of the best atmospheres in the history of the Valparaiso program. Every seat filled, all the standing room accounted for. Valpo had a chance late, but couldn’t pull off the upset.
Since that game, the Crusaders had lost four straight and enthusiasm was waning. But, the members of the 1998 Valpo team -- y’know, Bryce Drew and his dive after hitting one of the NCAA Tournament’s greatest buzzer-beaters -- were honored at a ceremony at halftime. It’s hard to believe that was a decade ago, isn’t it? Made for a good atmosphere, and the Crusaders used a run late in the first half to pull away for the victory. Here’s a recap, courtesy of former Sporting News intern David Robb, now the Valpo beat writer for the Northwest Times of Indiana.
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