The Oakland Zoo is the cheer students section for the University of Pittsburgh men and women's basketball team. The Zoo cheers the Panthers from the bottom level of the stands at the Petersen Events Center, especially across from the team benches and at the baseline under the basket. The "Pete" holds a rowdy crowd of 1,500 students who are usually uniforms wrapped in gold t-shirts, and the Zoo student section is consistently sold out for the Panthers home game. The Oakland Zoo is named after Oakland, the neighborhood where the university is located. The name "Oakland Zoo" is used only for the cheering section of basketball; The cheering soccer section often uses the title, "The Panther Pitt."
Video Oakland Zoo (cheering section)
Fame
The Oakland Zoo has been noted as one of the most formidable cheer section students in college basketball. The Zoo has been profiled on The Wall Street Journal, and has been featured on ESPN in various segments including ESPNU Campus Connection Week on January 19, 2009, ESPN Student Spirit Week on January 16, 2007, and ESPN "College Basketball GameDay "on January 13, 2007. According to an anonymous poll of league players published by Sports Illustrated, the Oakland Zoo has helped make the Petersen Events Center the" Hardest Place to Play "in the Big East Conference. The anonymous player in the article was quoted describing the Oakland Zoo with the following description: "The fans arrive there early to start pampering you. It's like a zoo." and "The students section is next to the court, and the fans there say some creative stuff." In 2013, the Petersen Events Center, with the specific mention of the Oakland Zoo, is ranked as the second best game arena in the world by USA Today . Some members of the Oakland Zoo have been known to wear body paint, wigs, masks, or animal-themed costumes that have incorporated, at various times, giraffes, deer, penguins, gorillas, bears, and other species.
The zoo has also been praised by many of Pete's famous visitors including Dallas Maverick Mark Cuban and national college basketball experts like Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale who have described it as "phenomenal" and one of the "top" colleges cheering " extraordinary home court "with an atmosphere that shows" the best college circle ".
The Zoo is an instrumental member of the Pitt Pride Inspiration Committee that won recognition for the University as one of five institutions that received the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association "Sportmanship Recognition Award" in 2006.
In 2011, Pitt debuted a special Nike Hyper Elite uniform featuring aerography with the Oakland Zoo logo on the back. Pitt described this as the first NCAA basketball jersey to ever show off their individual student sections.
In December 2011, ESPN's Eammonn Brennan and Dana O'Neil requested feedback on the best student divisions in all NCAA I Divisions. They then registered their top-5 podcast discussions, naming the second best Oakland Zoo in the country, behind only Duke and Cameron Crazies.
During the 2011-12 season, the Oakland Zoo, in collaboration with the WPTS-FM university student radio station, created the The Oakland Zoo Show . Broadcast live locally on WPTS and streamed over the internet, radio shows begin 30 minutes before every Pitt boy basketball game and be commandeered by all parts of the Oakland Zoo students. During the next game broadcast, discontinuation of the game also includes a direct check-in with the Zoo.
Despite being credited by Pitt coach, players and opponents alike to create an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors who have helped the men's team achieve a 13-1 record against the top 10 (9-0 vs 5 top) teams, the Oakland Zoo has also been recorded because of his ability to impress football recruits during a visit to a Pitt basketball game. Elite high school running back prospects LeSean McCoy credited Zoo's warm welcome to him during his 2007 visit in helping to cement his decision to sign the University of Pittsburgh. Linebacker Gateway High School, Shayne Hale, also credited the Zoo by recruiting her. Hale attended the match with his teammate in high school and friend Cameron Saddler. For cheers from Zoo, Hale wore Zoo T-shirts and joined the Zoo for a portion of the game.
Maps Oakland Zoo (cheering section)
History
The Oakland Zoo was independently formed by Pitt students in the winter of 2001. The initial ideas for the Zoo came from Matt Cohen and Zach Hale during the January 6, 2001 basketball game against Syracuse where they determined Pitt's student sections were too quiet. Cohen and Hale, gathered eight of their college students from the university's Litchfield Towers dormitory to start the club's first appearance on January 13, 2001 over the 15th Seton Hall. The name "Zoo" is meant to represent "a group of kids at a zoo acting crazy" while "Oakland" is the Pittsburgh neighborhood where the university is located. The students adopted a golden t-shirt and eventually grew to consume most of the students section in the team's home court later in the Fitzgerald Field House. Initially, after searching for official sponsorship of the University for the 2001-2002 season, the group was rejected and the athletic department attempted to implement their own counterpart for their cheering soccer student section called "Aero-Zone", named after the athletic department's outfit sponsored AÃ © Å © ropostale, and publish free t-shirts to students decorated with this name. However, "Aero-Zone" failed to catch up as the Oakland Zoo continued to grow, transitioning to the Petersen Events Center when it opened in 2002 and filling the larger student section of "Pete". The group is now a group of university officially recognized students, and with more than 2,000 members, is the largest such group. The Pitt Athletics Department now also works hand in hand with the Oakland Zoo, using the Oakland Zoo student leaders, otherwise known as Zoo Keepers, as a link to the student body to make the playing experience better. Following Cohen, Other Zoo Keepers include Andy Nagy (2005-2006), Ian Smith (2006-2007), David Jedlicka (2007-2009), Josh Frantz (2009-2010), Robert Hogan (2010-2011), Eric Haybarger (2011-2012), Joe Lassi (2012-2013), Jordan Shoup (2013-2014), Nick Brenner (2014-2015), Eric Floyd (2015-2016), Charlie Hansen (2016-2017), and Madeleine Shelley ( 2017-presenting).
His predecessor and recorded fan
The history of a specially organized section of students and especially the University of Pittsburgh's renowned basketball enthusiasts extends beyond the establishment of the current iteration of the cheering students section of the Oakland Zoo.
Tiger Paul
"Tiger" Paul Auslander served as an unofficial cheerleader at Pitt's basketball games in the 1970s and early 1980s. At 5'4 "and 181, a small graduate of Peabody High School in Pittsburgh got a nickname from a football coach who pushed him to hit the sled blocking harder by instructing him to" Be a tiger! "After high school he also coached an amateur basketball team in town and his enthusiasm on the sidelines caught the attention of Pitt head coach Tim Grgurich who invited him to Fitzgerald Field House to bring the crowd up and running, typically involving dressed in strange clothes, running all the way through the floor , and doing jumping jacks or push-ups. He was once expelled from the game at Temple University for arguing with an official, Auslander went from the basketball world in the early 1980s and eventually moved to Nevada where he died in 1992. Panther Paul
A fan and season ticket holder of Pitt's men's basketball team Paul Hipp entertained the audience from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. During intermission and time-out, Panther Paul will get out of his seat and lead the crowd with cheers with pumping fist movement. His extraordinary nature combined with his short stature and fat appearance make him a fan favorite.
Home Fans
In the late 1980s, the first organized group of students (mostly consisting of baseball teams) withdrew their efforts and formed the first cheer students group at the University. Home Field Fanatics, dropping their name from Fitzgerald Field House which is a former home facility used by the university basketball team, sits on one of the bench parts in the baseline behind the basket. (closest to Pitt's bench) The opponent's losses are recorded on the tombstones like pieces containing the name of the losing team hanging over the beam sections, tradition revived by the Oakland Zoo during the 2008-09 season. T-shirts are made for Home Field Fanatics, but they do not have overall coordination and status as the official student group currently enjoyed by the Oakland Zoo. They creatively scorned opposing players and worked to divert their attention when firing free throws in the basket in front of the passage, but the passages gradually diminished in size and disappeared during a decline in the quality of basketball in Pitt during the mid to late 1990s.
Crazy Dancing Lady
During the Oakland Zoo era, another well-known and passionate Pitt fan, Joyce Joynes Langston, often referred to as "Crazy Dancing Lady", became famous for his unimpeded dance in panther home basketball and soccer games. The dancing antics make him often make a scoreboard appearance and he becomes a familiar sight in Pitt home games. Langston died on January 5, 2012.
Oakland Zoonicorn
During the 2017-2018 season, junior student Tyler Vitale began wearing a unicorn mask in the game and instantly gained fame among fans and defeated the author as "Oakland Zoonicorn." Throughout the season, Vitale made numerous appearances on the scoreboard and television, a small bright spot in the season where Pitt started 0-17 in the conference game. He gained national attention when Pittsburgh Steelers recipients JuJu Smith-Schuster tweeted a photo with him. Vitale is currently Vice President of the Oakland Zoo and is trying to get Pitt basketball to recognize him on Senior Day 2019.
src: i.ytimg.com
T-shirts and merchandising
Students in the section wore gold shirts with the logo "Oakland Zoo", whose designs were changed for each new season, printed on the front. In some iterations, the back of the shirt resembles a jersey, with the name "Panthers" printed on top of a large number 6, which stands for "Sixth Man in the Stands," the fans. Designs for the 2004-05 to 2008-09 season were completed by Pitt graduate students and former Oakland Zoo President David Jedlicka, known as "The Bald Guy". Since 2010-11, T-shirt logo design has been by graphic designer Sean Montgomery and has incorporated elements of the University of Pittsburgh seal which itself includes a stylish version of Pittsburgh's city emblem which in turn comes from the namesake arm of the city, William Pitt. Behind this latest t-shirt there is also a description of the Learning Cathedral at the university. Symbolizes the relationship between the basketball team and the student section, the image of the Learning Cathedral behind the Zoo mimic shirts found in Nike game shirt aerography worn by the team, as well as the T-shirts 'Autonomous Games' team including the Oakland Zoo logo in their design. The university's motto, logo, date of establishment, and various basketball imagery have also been incorporated into the shirt design.
The Oakland Zoo t-shirts are available for purchase by the public at Pitt Shop University of Pittsburgh and other outlets. Other merchandise, including T-shirts, hoodies, and Polo Zoo pink shirts are also available. In addition, the official team shop sells limited-edition luxury animals equipped with Oakland Zoo socks. Individual Oakland Zoo Animals with Oakland Zoo T-shirts 2006-2007 produced in the first edition of the Oakland Zoo collection (with release dates) including 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). The second edition of the Oakland Zoo collection with its release date is 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). The third edition for 2008-09 includes the release of Kirby Koala and Penelope the Penguin wearing the Oakland Zoo VI socks.
Legal issues
In 2003, Oakland Zoo founder Matt Cohen filed a trademark infringement suit, on behalf of the club, against local shirt vendor Chuck Bonasorte. The Oakland Zoo wants one percent of the money for every T-shirt sold to be used to fund club-related events for Zoo members. The judge ruled that there was no way to establish a trademark, and that the Bonasorte business, The Pittsburgh Stop, sold the shirts before the Zoo. However Bonasorte agrees to pay royalties to the Zoo. The trademark "Oakland Zoo" is then registered by the University of Pittsburgh.
src: pittnews.com
In-game activity
The wait time for the best seats in the Oakland Zoo section of the Petersen Events Center can be extended for hours before the tip of the match. For a higher profile game, the Zoo members spent the night overnight in the large lobby of the Petersen Events Center, sometimes pizza delivered to them by basketball coach staff.
The Oakland Zoo distributes four pages of newspapers before every home game with details about Pitt players and opponents. The students section uses these papers to mock the opposing team during the player's introduction to the opponent by pretending not to be interested. Also during the introductions of the guest players, the section shouted "Sucks!" after the name of each opposing player is introduced, implying that the opposing player is not very good. After the opponent's coach was introduced, the part shouted "He's also a bitch!" Early in the introduction to Pitt players, the Zoo threw their paper into the air. After the first point of the game was printed by Pitt, the Zoo threw discarded papers which had been torn apart, into the air to create a rain of confetti.
During the play of the national anthem, the Zoo members locked their arms on their neighbors' shoulders as a sign of solidarity with the Pitt players who also locked the weapons during the national anthem.
Right now, Panther Fans sing two battle songs during each game, "Pitt Victory Song" and "Hail to Pitt". Members of the Oakland Zoo are also known for dressing up, although some are known for lack of painted clothing and chests, with special fame for costumes involving a variety of animal themes including gorillas and bear costumes.
In 2006, Oakland Zoo showed solidarity with Duquesne University basketball team wearing a red ribbon to commemorate five Duquesne basketball players who were shot at the beginning of the year.
In 2008, the Oakland Zoo was wearing more ribbons, but this time it was for Pink the Pete. During the women's game Pitt vs. UConn, the Oakland Zoo distributes pink ribbons to everyone present to show support for breast cancer awareness. These bands are similar to ribbons of 2006, but this time the Oakland Zoo logo is printed on them. The tradition continued with a different pink shirt for Pink the Pete's annual game against Cincinnati in 2009, against Louisville in 2010, and against Connecticut in 2012.
During the 2008-09 and 2012-13 seasons, the Oakland Zoo revived the tradition, beginning with Fanatics Field House, hanging tombstones for any team defeated by the men's basketball team at the Petersen Events Center.
For much of its history, communication between Zoo leadership and other student sections has been communicated by the board. In 2013, universities and zoos collaborate so messages can be communicated throughout the Petersen Events Center through the main scoreboard.
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Student Club
The Oakland Zoo also serves as a student club officially recognized by the University of Pittsburgh with over 2,000 members. The group helps participate with the Athletics Department in setting student ticketing policies and play a role in bringing about the "loyalty points" program.
The Oakland Zoo also hosts an annual preseason event, hosted by the current organization president, where food is served and talks are given by male and female head coach Pitt.
There is also an announcement announced via Twitter where members of the Oakland Zoo can unite and exchange ideas about new Zoos and upcoming opponents.
The Oakland Zoo has also been involved in numerous student activities and charitable events throughout its history. The Zoo held its first 3v3 Annual Basketball Tournament on September 30, 2012. The match was held in the field at the Petersen Event Center, and all proceeds from spectators and competitors were donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh. Charity events collect more than $ 4,000 in the first year.
src: www.post-gazette.com
References
src: grfx.cstv.com
External links
- Oakland Zoo
- Oakland Zoo on Facebook
- Post-Sheet 360 ° panoramic Oakland Zoo
- Pitt Athletics home page
Video
- Fitur PSN di Oakland Zoo 3v3 Charity Basketball Tournament di YouTube
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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