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Vols, Wildcats square off in SEC hoops battle
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Charleston, S.C.-based Myer to play at Remedy Coffee
Friday, March 4, 2011 Issue 37
PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://utdailybeacon.com
Vol. 116
I N D E P E N D E N T
S T U D E N T
Cloudy with a 20% chance of rain HIGH LOW 63 52
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Fan creates basketball student section legacy ‘Sully’ Sullivan leads ‘Rocky Top Rowdies’ with pregame cheers, outlandish costumes “He was really inciting the students to get into the game,” Kose said. “If you look at the way he dresses, you can tell he Editor-in-Chief has a lot of passion for Tennessee basketball. We said, ‘Let’s see if this guy can take our student section to the next level His outfit is outrageous. His antics are over the top. His and be the leader of our student section.’” passion is unrivaled. Two years later, Sullivan hasn’t looked back. But for Richard “Sully” Sullivan, it all amounts to just “He’s been great,” Kose said. “He’s the kind of liason with another UT game at Thompson-Boling Arena. the athletics department to the student groups who attend the Sullivan, a senior in biological sciences, has game. We can run ideas through him, been one of the most recognizable fans gracwe can encourage him to get the ing the student section at UT men’s basketball crowd going. games for almost his entire college career. “He’s been a great extension of the Posted up on the floor directly in front of the athletic department to get students “Rocky Top Rowdies,” Sullivan is often seen excited about basketball.” leading the students in cheers throughout But the key to Sullivan’s antics is each contest, wearing a loudly fashioned the fun he has at every game. He hasTennessee outfit at each game. n’t missed an SEC game during his Sullivan said his unusual brand of fandom time at UT, and he’s been front and started as a high schooler. center for historic moments on the “Growing up in high school, I played footTennessee hardwood, like the Vols’ ball, and all our football guys used to dress up upset of No. 1 Kansas last January. to go to the basketball games,” Sullivan said. “Going into that game, I was say“So when I got (to UT), we just kept doing ing, ‘Do we even have a chance?’” that. Sullivan said of the matchup which “We’d dress up, get to the game early, lead followed the well-documented cheers. That’s how I started becoming a big arrests and suspensions of four UT basketball fan.” players. “It turned into probably the Many fans could lay claim to Sullivan’s greatest upset in UT sports history. immense amount of passion, but it’s Sullivan’s Being there for that was a surreal gameday outfit that puts him head and shoulmoment.” ders above casual fans. The get-up has evolved Sullivan’s costume even changes from his 2007 freshman year , but his fashion for specific occasions. statements have remained as outlandish as “Last year, we had ‘white-out.’” ever. Matthew DeMaria • The Daily Beacon Sullivan said. “I wanted to do someFirst, there’s the orange-and-white checkerboard shoes Sullivan painted in his North Sully Sullivan stands in front of the student section after a game against Mississippi State thing different. I called around costume places trying to figure out what Carrick dorm room as a freshman. Then, on Feb. 26. Sullivan hasn’t missed an SEC game during his tenure at UT. I could do that was all white, and I Sullivan chooses between his orange-andended up renting a white tux with tails and everything to wear student population. They wanted to make Sullivan a mainstay white pinstripe pants and overalls. The centerpiece of to the game. at UT basketball games. Sullivan’s outfit is a throwback Wayne Chism jersey. “It got a lot of positive feedback. I ended up doing it again “The marketing department came to me and said, ‘Hey, we Finally, it’s all about the accessories. “I’ll put on four or five different kinds of beads,” Sullivan love what you do,’” Sullivan said. “They said, ‘Would you just for College GameDay this year.” The chance to lead students has been rewarding for said. “Then the UT flag cap, my orange top hat, and occasion- want to stand back here and lead the cheers?’ So from there, it Sullivan, but even he is surprised at his effect on the Rocky took off.” ally I’ll paint my face, depending on the game.” Doug Kose, assistant athletics director for sales and mar- Top Rowdies. Sullivan said the goal is simply to keep the student section “(UT) told me to keep the students in unison, to serve a keting, said Sullivan’s passion was key in asking for the engaged in the game, even when the Vols aren’t playing well. purpose,” Sullivan said. “And it’s kind of taken off, I guess.” “A lot of times, something bad will happen in the game,” he senior’s help.
Zac Ellis
said, “and so we try to start a positive cheer. When you go to other sports, the crowd influences the game, but in basketball, because it’s such a small atmosphere, the student impact is so great. “When students are used to doing the same thing, it makes a bigger difference.” During Sullivan’s sophomore year at UT, the athletic department took note of the Nashville native’s effect on the
‘Fun Run’ to benefit UT libraries she said. Colin Spaulding, vice president of the Graduate Student Senate, is excited that Staff Writer the senate is helping with the run. “The Graduate Student Senate has The 19th annual Love Your Libraries chosen to help support digital subscripFun Run will take place on Saturday. The event takes participants on a tour tion services or online journals,” he said. The nonprofit event is also sanctioned of the UT campus, past several of the by the Knoxville Track Club and awards libraries, where all proceeds are donated. will be given for first, second and third It will begin at 8 a.m. at Circle Park, near place, as well as a number of various t h e awards for Torchbearer, best in cerbut all stutain age dents who groups, best have not team effort preregisand fastest tered should student runshow up ner. before 7 A limited a.m. with number of T$10 in cash shirts will and a stualso be given dent ID. All to all particinon-stupants who dents and show up early faculty are on the race welcome to day. run with a Carr has registration also coordifee of $20. nated the Megan efforts of Carr, a UT A r a m a r k doctoral F o o d candidate in Services, geophysics, library peris chairing sonnel, UT the event administrathis year and tion, UT has set a police and goal of UT recycling $15,000 for to make the the UT race success. Libraries. Carr also “These a c k n o w lfunds will File Photo • The Daily Beacon edgemed assist the libraries in Hodges Library towers over the Pedestrian K a l e y p u r c h a s i n g Mall and the Humanities Amphitheatre in this Schwab and much-needed stock photo. Hodges, which is only one M a r t h a e l e c t r o n i c branch of the UT Libraries, will benefit from Rudolph of the annual Love Your Libraries Fun Run taking the Library resources, place on Saturday. Development books, equipStaff, who ment and other items critical for student “were tremendous and vital to the success at the University of Tennessee,” fundraising, more so than myself.” she said. “A majority of the funds will More information, a map of the race come from local businesses. However, a significant portion will track and preregistration materials can come from the registration costs as well, be found at www.lib.utk.edu/funrun.
Christopher Thomas
Tia Patron• The Daily Beacon
Lindsey Pickett, senior in history, takes advantage of the weather to study outside the Humanities Building on Thursday. The unseasonably warm weather will continue through today, with a high in the mid-60s, but temperatures will drop to the 40s by Sunday.