Oakland Zoo (cheering section)

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The Oakland Zoo is the student cheering section for the University of Pittsburgh men's and women's basketball teams. The Zoo cheers on the Panthers from the bottom tier of the stands at the Peterson Events Center, primarily across from the teams' benches and on the baselines under the baskets. The "Pete" holds a rowdy crowd of 1,500 students and is consistently sold out for Panthers home game. The Oakland Zoo is named after Oakland, the neighborhood in which the university is located. The name "Oakland Zoo" is used for the basketball cheering sections only, the football cheering section is known as the "Panther Pitt".

Contents 1 Notoriety 2 History 3 Predecessors 3.1 Tiger Paul 3.2 Panther Paul 3.3 Field House Fanatics 4 T-shirts & merchandizing 4.1 Legal Issues 5 In game activities 6 Student Club 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Notoriety

The Oakland Zoo has been noted as being one of the most formidable student cheering sections in college basketball. The Zoo was featured on ESPN's Student Spirit Week segment on January 16, 2007 and on ESPN's "College Basketball GameDay" on January 13, 2007.^[2] According to an anonymous poll of league players published by Sports Illustrated, the Oakland Zoo has helped make the Peterson Events Center the "Toughest Place to Play" in the Big East Conference. Anonymous players in the article were quoted describing the Oakland Zoo with the following discriptions: "The fans get there early to start heckling you. It's like a zoo." and "The student section is next to the court, and the fans there say some creative stuff."^[3]

The Zoo has also been lauded by many notable visitors to the Pete including Dallas Maverick's owner Mark Cuban^[4] and national college basketball pundits such as Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale who have described it as a "phenomenal"^[5] and one of the "top" college cheering sections giving a "tremendous home court advantage" with an atmosphere demonstrating "college hoops at its best".^[6]

The Zoo was an instrumental member of the Inspiring Pitt Pride Committee that won recognition for the University as being one of five institutions that received the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association's "Sportsmanship Recognition Award" in 2006.^[7]

Although credited by Pitt coaches, players and opponents alike for creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams,^[8] the Oakland Zoo has also been noted for its ability to impress football recruits during visits to Pitt basketball games. Elite high school running back prospect LeSean McCoy credited the Zoo's warm reception for him during a 2007 visit in helping to cement his decision to sign the University of Pittsburgh.^[9][10] Gateway High School linebacker, Shayne Hale, also credited the Zoo with his recruiting. Hale attended a game with high school teammate and friend Cameron Saddler. To the cheers of the Zoo, Hale put on a Zoo shirt and joined the Zoo for a portion of the game.^[11] with particular notoriety for costumes involving animal themes with gorilla costumes being the most prevalent.^[12]

[edit] History

The Oakland Zoo, started in 2000-2001 season, was conceived by Pitt student Matt Cohen, who initially recruited fellow fans Zach "Hollywood" Hale and Jon "Saint" St. George to rectify a seemingly disjointed student section and general lack of enthusiasm at home basketball games seen the late 1990s.^[13] Initiated in the Fitzgerald Field House student section, a core of nine "Original" Zoo students that included Cohen, Hale and George, along with Kimberly "Kimbo" Price, Steve "Brumbox" Bruno, Brian "Butter" Palmer, Allen "Downtown" Scalese, Gabe "Big Bapper" August, and Ellenmarie "Elletrain" Agnew^[14], adopted gold t-shirts and grew consume the majority of the student section. The group transition into the Petersen Events Center when it was opened in 2002 and now fills the larger student section of the Pete. The group is now an officially recognized student group of the university, and with over 6,000 members, the largest such group. Other presidents of the Oakland Zoo include Andy Nagy (2005-2006) who has been followed by David Jedlicka (2006 - current) for the past two seasons.

[edit] Predecessors

The history of specifically organized student sections and especially notable fans of the University of Pittsburgh basketball extend beyond the formation of the current iteration of the student cheering section named the Oakland Zoo.

[edit] Tiger Paul

"Tiger" Paul Auslander served as an unofficial cheerleader at Pitt basketball games in the 1970s and self appointed cheer leader. At 5'4" and 181, the diminutive graduate of Peabody High School in Pittsburgh earned his nickname from his football coach who encouraged him to hit the blocking sled harder by instructing him to "Be a tiger!". Following high school he also coached amateur basketball teams in the city and his enthusiasm on the sideline caught the attention of Pitt head coach Tim Grgurich who invited him to Fitzgerald Field House to liven up the crowd. Typically, his routine would involve dressing in outlandish outfits, sprint along the floor, and doing jumping jacks or push-ups. He was once ejected from a game at Temple University for arguing with an official. Auslander drifted away from the basketball scene in the early 1980s and eventually moved to Nevada where he died in 1992.^{[15] [16]}

[edit] Panther Paul

A fan and season ticket holder of the Pitt men's basketball team, Paul entertained crowds from the late 1980s through the early 1990s. During intermissions and time-outs, Panther Paul would get out of his seat and lead the crowd in cheers with a fist pumping motion. His exuberant nature combined with short stature and portly appearance mad him a fan favorite.

[edit] Field House Fanatics

In the late 1980s, the first organized band of students pulled their efforts and formed the first student cheer group at the University. The Field House Fanatics sat in one section of bleachers on the baseline behind the basket. The opponents losses were recorded on tombstone like cutouts containing the losing team's name that were hung on a beam overhead of the section. T-shirts were made up for the Field House Fanatics, however they lacked the overall coordination and status as an official student group that the current Oakland Zoo section enjoys. They creatively heckled opposing players and worked to distract them while shoot free-throws at the basket in front of the section, but the section slowly diminished in size and disappeared during a slump in basketball quality at Pitt during the mid to late 1990s.^[17]

[edit] T-shirts & merchandizing

Students in the section wear gold T-shirts with and "Oakland Zoo" logo, whose design is altered for each new season, printed on the front. The back of the most recent version of the shirt resembles a jersey, with the name "Panthers" printed above a large number 6^[1], which stands for the "Sixth Man in the Stands," the fans. The last three designs have been completed by Pitt student David Jedlicka who is known as "the bald guy" in the Oakland Zoo. T-shirts are available for purchase by the general public in the official Pittsburgh Panthers Team Store. In addition, the official team store sells limited edition plush animals outfitted with Oakland Zoo t-shirts. Individually numbered Oakland Zoo animals outfitted with 2006-2007 Oakland Zoo t-shirts that were produced in the first edition of the Oakland Zoo collection (with release date) included Corey the Giraffe (12-14-06), Romper the Monkey (1-7-2007), Francis the Polar Bear (1-27-2007), and Porter the Tiger (2-12-2007).^[18] The second edition of the Oakland Zoo collection with their release date are as follows: Cagney King of the Jungle (10-31-07), Corbin the Elephant (11-23-07), Hobart the Brown Bear (1-2-08), and Dandy the Duck (1-30-08).^[19]

[edit] Legal Issues

In 2003, the founders of the Oakland Zoo filed a copyright infringement suit against a local t-shirt vendor.^[20][21] The Oakland Zoo wanted a percent of money for each t-shirt sold. The money is used to defer travel costs for Zoo members. The judge ruled that there was no way to establish the copyright, and it was possible that the Pitt Stop was selling the shirts before the Zoo was. However the owner did agree to pay some royalties to the Zoo.

[edit] In game activities

The Oakland Zoo distributes four page newspapers prior to every home game with details on Pitt players and opponents. The student section uses these papers to mock the opposing team during player introductions for the opponent by feigning disinterest. Also during the introduction of visiting players, the section yells "Sucks!" after the name of each opposing player is introduced, implying that the opposing players are not very good. After the opposing coach is introduced, the section yells "He sucks too!"^[22] At the start of the introduction for Pitt players, the Zoo tosses their newspapers into the air.

During the playing of the national anthem, the Zoo members lock their arms around their neighbors shoulders in a sign of solidarity with the Pitt players who also lock arms during the national anthem.

Currently, Panther Fans sing two fight songs during each game, the "Pitt Victory Song" and "Hail to Pitt". Oakland Zoo members are also known from dressing up, although some are known for their lack of dress and painted chests,^[23] with particular notoriety for costumes involving animal themes with gorilla costumes being the most prevalent.^[24]

In 2006, the Oakland Zoo showed solidarity with the Duquesne University basketball team by wearing red ribbons to commemorate the five Duquesne basketball players who were shot earlier in the year.

[edit] Student Club

The Oakland Zoo also functions as an officially recognized student club by the University of Pittsburgh.^[25] At over 1,500 members, it is the largest such group at the University. The group helps participate with the Athletic Department and Pitt Student Government Board in setting student ticket policy and was instrumental in bringing about a "loyalty points" program.^[26]

The Oakland Zoo also holds an annual Pep Rally serving food and highlighted by talks by Pitt's men's and women's head basketball coaches.^[5]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Oakland Zoo
• Post-Gazette 360° panoramic of the Oakland Zoo
• Pitt Athletics homepage

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