The definition of Hilton Magic IMO

[JUKEBOX]

The "Magic" is still alive. It just hasn't been to Hilton recently.

During football, Oklahoma State and Iowa where I felt the magic. There was a unexplainable feeling during the last drive of the Iowa & Oklahoma State game where the crowd just knew we were going to win.

 

[Cydwinder]

Everyone saying that the crowd should be loud no matter what is being ridiculous. When was the last time JTS was loud when ISU was down by 4 touchdowns? It is really hard to get behind a basketball team that is getting dominated and for the most part that has happened for the past 5 years or so. This team showed that it can play with pretty much anyone and I think that will go a long way to getting the students and the rest of the crowd more into the game.

 

[CycloneNorth]

The "Magic" is still alive. It just hasn't been to Hilton recently.

During football, Oklahoma State and Iowa where I felt the magic. There was a unexplainable feeling during the last drive of the Iowa & Oklahoma State game where the crowd just knew we were going to win.

This is 100% true. Even when we were down 24-7 to OSU it felt like we would win. I haven't felt anything like that at a basketball game recently.

 

[sdcyfan]

Hilton Magic was alive when we had top teams come here and we beat them. We had our chance last night to take a step forward and didn't. I wouldn't say Hilton Magic is dead, our team just has to do their part too. We should have won that game. We had so many possessions in the 2nd half that were a complete waste, which I put on the coaches. So many missed free throws, which I put on the players, and so many times when Hilton was ready to errupt but never happened because of our missed opportunities. The Magic is there, just need a clutch team to go with it.

 

[LeaningCy]

I don't think a "good team" is required at all. I really don't think that has much to do with it, except for the fact that you do need some bodies in the seats to make the place noisy, and if your team is not winning much, then apparently people use that as an excuse to not go to the games. The "Hilton Magic" existed before it was named that, and there were some pretty bad teams back then.

Hell, the team that was at ISU when the term was coined in 1989 only finished 17-12, and tied for fourth in the Big Eight. Not exactly a powerhouse, although they did make the NCAA, losing in the first round to UCLA.

But Hilton Magic is about the fans. What do they do to support the team, and how uncomfortable can they make it for the opposing team without being rude or offensive? The players in turn seem to feed off that, and in many cases performed better and in some cases seemingly did the impossible.

I have not been in Hilton in years, but from everything I have seen on tv, and everything I have read here........it seems to be a much more dead and quiet place than in the past. Maybe it is the distractions of the scoreboard and advertising, maybe it is things like Cyclone Alley, maybe it is that we have not had a coach like Johnny (and probably never will again).

I'm not sure how you bring it back, but I know it has to come from the fans, not the team. If the ads and other distractions are a problem, then someone should be letting JP know that. That has always seemed to me to be a bit of a lame excuse though....but maybe it really does deter people from yelling somehow.

I do know this.....the OHHHHHH thing does not work....no matter how many people are yelling it. Everyone does it......not intimidating. With Hilton Magic....the noise decibel was so high, your ears would hurt.

I don't know what to say about Cyclone Alley. I do know they do not show it a lot on tv broadcasts, so that kind of tells me that not much is happening there.

Ok....that's my two cents.

Comments like this are incredible. You haven't been to Hilton in years, and you assume the students don't show up or aren't loud because "they do not show it a lot on tv broadcasts."

Unbelievable.

 

[DesertClone1]

screw the crowd, no one show up to the next game, we shall play in silence!

 

[JP4CY]

This is 100% true. Even when we were down 24-7 to OSU it felt like we would win. I haven't felt anything like that at a basketball game recently.

I thought the same thing at the football game.

 

[Cydwinder]

This is 100% true. Even when we were down 24-7 to OSU it felt like we would win. I haven't felt anything like that at a basketball game recently.

I felt like our team was on the verge of making a run and taking the lead for almost the entire second half, especially when we cut it to 3 with under 30 seconds to play. The team just never quite got the run they needed to take the lead. The crowd seemed to be anticipating it for most of the game as many people have already said.

 

[Cloned4Life]

The definition of Hilton Magic is the CROWD willing the TEAM, not the other way around.

Obviously it all got started in the 80's because we had some exciting teams. But after a few years the crowd completely took over, and was the SINGLE dominating force in Hilton coliseum - and that is saying something, because we had some awesome, awesome teams then. So did the Big 8. And we beat a bunch of em at home.

The crowd back then just didn't sit down as much, and was generally always rowdy during conference play. Last night, people sat down at every opportunity. My upper deck section was completely lifeless. About the whole game. I was actually asked twice to sit down - "Can you please sit down, I'm trying to watch the game." Couldn't believe it.

Cyclone Alley blows. And it's not the students fault (well, not entirely). The concept, FOR HILTON, blows.

 

[Dryburn]

Comments like this are incredible. You haven't been to Hilton in years, and you assume the students don't show up or aren't loud because "they do not show it a lot on tv broadcasts."

Unbelievable.

Reading comprehension problem I see. Nice way to take one sentence out of context and apply it to something else that was said.

No, I have not been in Hilton in years. But from what I have seen on tv, AND FROM WHAT I READ HERE, and from talking to people who still work at Hilton, it does seem that the students really don't show up much. That comes from comments that are made here by those who do go to the games. As far as things like Cyclone Alley.......watch a tv game and compare how much Cyclone Alley is shown compared to the student sections at a Duke, UNC, KU, KSU, or most any Big 10 game. It doesn't appear from the tv broadcasts that the ISU student section is contributing much to the atmosphere.

What I could hear on the broadcast last night was a bunch of people chanting a monotonic OHHHHHHH. Not very intimidating.

 

[motorCYcle]

Reading comprehension problem I see. Nice way to take one sentence out of context and apply it to something else that was said.

No, I have not been in Hilton in years. But from what I have seen on tv, AND FROM WHAT I READ HERE, and from talking to people who still work at Hilton, it does seem that the students really don't show up much. That comes from comments that are made here by those who do go to the games. As far as things like Cyclone Alley.......watch a tv game and compare how much Cyclone Alley is shown compared to the student sections at a Duke, UNC, KU, KSU, or most any Big 10 game. It doesn't appear from the tv broadcasts that the ISU student section is contributing much to the atmosphere.

What I could hear on the broadcast last night was a bunch of people chanting a monotonic OHHHHHHH. Not very intimidating.

How was that in any way a lack of reading comprehension or out of context? You said that you haven't been to Hilton in years, so you can only assume that the student participation is bad because that is what some people say on here. He called you on the fact that you clearly would not know the quality of the atmosphere, yet claim that it should be better.

Mostly, just understand that you should not judge the atmosphere of a game based on what you hear and see on TV and this message board.

 

[ISUKyro]

screw the crowd, no one show up to the next game, we shall play in silence!

We're at Baylor next?! - Thought we had KU

 

[LeaningCy]

Reading comprehension problem I see. Nice way to take one sentence out of context and apply it to something else that was said.

No, I have not been in Hilton in years. But from what I have seen on tv, AND FROM WHAT I READ HERE, and from talking to people who still work at Hilton, it does seem that the students really don't show up much. That comes from comments that are made here by those who do go to the games. As far as things like Cyclone Alley.......watch a tv game and compare how much Cyclone Alley is shown compared to the student sections at a Duke, UNC, KU, KSU, or most any Big 10 game. It doesn't appear from the tv broadcasts that the ISU student section is contributing much to the atmosphere.

What I could hear on the broadcast last night was a bunch of people chanting a monotonic OHHHHHHH. Not very intimidating.

Reading comprehension problem? You assume I'm a dumb student, and I'll assume you have a failing memory and don't remember typing this exact sentence:

I don't know what to say about Cyclone Alley. I do know they do not show it a lot on tv broadcasts, so that kind of tells me that not much is happening there.

Surely through your numerous contacts you have heard several times now that student tickets sold out in July and that the lowest section of CA was full within 5 minutes of the doors opening last night?

You keep getting info from your secondary sources, and I'll form my own opinion based upon my attendance over the past 4 years.

 

[Cyclone90]

I was in school in the mid/late 80s when the Magic started and attended many games. The crowd back then, students and adults alike, were eager to get on board because the program was doing things it had never done before. Much like the football program today. It was fresh and new. This continued through the early 2000 teams when we reached the Elite 8 and with Stinson, Blaylock, etc in the following years the talent and excitement was there to continue the Magic with more high hopes.

Then the McDermott years set in and there was neither hope, talent or excitement. Then then enthusiasm died, but the expectations did not. I would say the basketball fans are, generally speaking of course, spoiled and entitled. They don't cheer when the team stinks and is lazy, and if they play well they sit on their hands because they think we should be winning.

For those that have mentioned it's now more JTS Magic than Hilton Magic, you are correct. The eagerness to participate in the CPR momentum is tangible. Even Hawk fans are on board to a certain extent.

I don't envy Fred's situation. Considering several years of player turnover, transfers and lack of success it's going to take some time to turn this program around and get people emotionally vested in this basketball program. Probably a trip to the NCAA's again.

 

[ISUKyro]

Probably a trip to the NCAA's again.

Agreed - post season play a couple of years in a row could really get the crowd back to what more people remember.

It has been far too long since we've made any noise late in the season that really matters.

Heck even a couple of rounds in the B12 tourney would have been helpful. The post season fixes much of this!

 

[CYEATHAWK]

Didn't want to bump the entire thread.....so picked out a couple from almost the same conversation almost a year ago to date........

I know you asked when it existed, but it started on per Wikipedia v Missouri in 1989.
Hilton Magic

“Hilton Magic,†the power of the Coliseum faithful to produce unexpected victories, was first recognized by Des Moines Register sportswriter Buck Turnbull. On a Feb. 14, 1989, showdown with the No. 3 Missouri Tigers, the Cyclones conjured up the spirit of the Hilton crowd to produce a stunning 82-75 victory. The following day’s headline read “Hilton Magic Spells ‘Upset’ One More Time.â€
In the article, Turnbull called for more “Hilton Magic†in the Cyclones’ upcoming bout with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, which had pummeled ISU, 102-74, just three weeks earlier. On cue, “Hilton Magic†displayed its powers, as the Cyclones defeated the Cowboys, 90-81, marking a 37-point reversal from the season’s prior meeting.
Hilton Coliseum was specifically built to hold in sound with a solid concrete structure, steel doors, and a crowd that sits just a few feet from the court. With a fan base that frequently ranks among the nations largest crowds, players from opposing teams, as well as Iowa State, have said that the floor has shaken due to the loudness of the crowd.
More than two decades old, the term “Hilton Magic†is still applicable today. This reality was never more apparent than ISU’s school-record 39-game homecourt winning streak that was ended during the 2001-02 season. The streak, which spanned four different basketball seasons, was the second-longest in the nation at the time. In 2003-04, Iowa State went 17-1 in Hilton, recording the second-best single-season home win total in school history.[1]

"Hilton Magic" IMO is hard to describe with words. The phrase "you had to be there" really applies to this issue. I guess if one had to try an explain, it would be how a team........who cannot come close on the road against anyone.......can beat almost anyone at Hilton. Although there are many examples every season up until the GMAC era.......the 88-89 season I think is a striking example.


At Kansas we lose 127-82
At Hilton we win 97-89

At Mizzou we lose 96-71
At Hilton we beat #3 Mizzou 82-75

At Kansas State we lose 104-89
At Hilton we win 101-89

At Okie State we lose 102-74
At Hilton we win 90-81

And even though they swept us:
At #1 Oklahoma we lose 126-97
At Hilton we lose 100-109 in (OT)


You add this along with the well known examples of Danny Manning and his Larry Brown coached J-Hawks never winning here.............well, there you have it.

Good post, man! As I was thinking back on Hilton Magic I remember one characteristic that stood out. We would will us to win and raise the roof not only after a spectacular dunk or a mid-court three pointer but also when we were down by ten and the other team had the ball.

The crowd could sense when the team needed to be picked up and we would go nuts screaming and jumping up and down. The team would respond and as they did, the crowd would get louder. The other team would become disoriented and turn the ball over, foul or miss a shot. The whole scene would be complete chaos as we then would take the lead. Chalk up another win for the Hilton crowd and the Cyclones.

Any crowd can yell loud after a dunk, but Hilton Magic was like another player for the Cyclones that would come off of the bench at critical times during the game and give the team a lift when they needed it. The players would feel the excitement and crank it up. The crowd would play the game with the team; the big difference was we were in the stands they were on the court. A player never felt the need to wave his arms at the crowd and implore us to cheer, because we were waving our arms, yelling and imploring them on.

Nothing better than seeing Johnny chase the officials off the court! I doubt you will ever see Fred do that.

Certainly some good posts here but Hilton Magic is about going to Hilton expecting to win no matter who the opponent is as opposed to going with the hope of winning. And, ultimately, it is about impacting the game from the stands by lifting the Cyclones when they need it and by harrassing the opponents and opposing coach through shear volume as opposed to profanity..."SIT DOWN NORM, SIT DOWN NORM" for example.

How many of you have clapped in Hilton until your hands bled? How many of you have yelled in Hilton to the point that you could not speak audibly after the game?

It started when Orr finally got the program off the ground and stayed (for the most part) till Chewbacca killed us dead.

 

[JUKEBOX]

The "Magic" is still alive. It just hasn't been to Hilton recently.

During football, Oklahoma State and Iowa where I felt the magic. There was a unexplainable feeling during the last drive of the Iowa & Oklahoma State game where the crowd just knew we were going to win.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZoavL9P0Go]Iowa State v. Oklahoma State Overtime Win - YouTube[/ame]

 

[mikem]

This cannot be compared at all. You just selected a team that wen't to the tournament, had a winning record, and finished in the top half of the conference. How many times has all of these occured in the last 6 years? In the 80's there weren't bad teams year in and year out like there have been recently. The atmosphere has been pretty good for how bad we have been. Our last 6 years have been worse than Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Look where they are at? I'm pretty sure they both struggle to get 2,000 people to show up. At least we still have as many people showing up that we do.

The older folks remember what it was like. My uncle still talks about not being able to hear the player introductions before the iowa game in 87.

I think what they used to do was spread the students out amongst the crowd, so there was just more energy in the building.

Ronnie Virgil was quoted in Johnny Orr's book as saying that Hilton made you run faster, and jump higher, and this was before the expression was coined.

It is sad that the quality, and style, of basketball we saw under chewy really undermined what Hilton Magic was.

I don't think with the current set up, you will ever see the building get back to that level ever again. They have it set up to let the monied people be in the places that could have the most effect.