Traditions:

Arriving early - For years, students have been known to show up hours in advanced for sporting events.  At UW, students will arrive several hours early for a big game even in the worst weather conditions.  Students have also set up tents the night before just to get the best seats in the house.  A few students even tented two nights before the final home game in 2002 against Utah and watched the Cowboys capture the MWC regular season championship before a record crowd of over 16,000.  Students at the University of Wyoming enjoy 6 sections to themselves, including two sections with front row seats.  Many Sixth Man Club members arrive early to be there when the doors open one and a half hours before game time.  Only the Sixth Man gets in early, as the public and students not part of the Sixth Man Club cannot enter until one hour before tip-off, guaranteeing the best seats for the Sixth Man.

The Back Turn - Students turn their back to the court as the opposing team is introduced to the crowd. The back turn later became a part of the tribute to on of the greatest players to ever wear the Cowboy uniform, Marcus Bailey. Early in senior year Marcus went down with a knee injury that ended his colligate career. The Sixthman Club had t-shirts with the number 44 on the back so for every game from then on out, Marcus "faced" the opponents as they come onto the floor. The "turn" can still be seen today, especially against our rivals CSU & BYU

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The eternal "Air-Ball" cheer - If there is one thing you do not want to do as an opponent in the Double A, it is shoot an air ball.  Once an opposing player shoots an air ball, he has targeted himself for harassment the rest of the game. With the student section right on the court this player will be haunted till the final minute of the game by the constant air-ball chant from the Sixth Man.

Songs - There are a few songs that have become traditions in themselves.  Of course, "Ragtime Cowboy Joe", the song most commonly associated with Cowboy and Cowgirl athletics can be heard multiple times at any basketball game.  A lesser known, but commonly played song, is "Fight, Wyoming, Fight".  There is one song, however, that has become the tradition for the student section.  Best know as "The Beer Song", it is played often multiple times during a game to the cheers of the students.  However, a little work is involved, as students must "call" for the beer song in order for it to be played. Recently, "Apache" has become a student favorite and gotten students out of their chair druing the game.

Regular cheers through the years - Some of the cheers you might hear from the crowd:
* De-Fense clap-clap
* W-Y-O around the arena
* Here We Go Cowboys, Here We Go!
* Waving "Goodbye" to opposing players who foul out, in accordence with certian "goodbye" songs.

Traditions of old - A few traditions have past their time or just simply died off, but left a memorable mark on Cowboy basketball.  One of the most well remembered traditions was that of newspapers.  A few seasons during the 90's, copies of the Varsity (the student newspaper's special sports section) were distributed prior to the game to all students.  During the opposing team's introductions, the students would hold high and make noise with the newspapers.  At the conclusion of the introductions, the students balled up the newspapers and threw them to the floor.  After a while, the mess created by the balled up newspapers became such a problem that game start times were delayed by cheerleaders and others picking up that mess on the floor.  It wasn't long before this tradition was put back in the closet.  However, every once in awhile, this tradition resurfaces.

Another great tradition that has died off is the "Whoosh!" cheer.  The "Whoosh" cheer consisted of raising both hands in the air prior to a Cowboy free throw and bringing them down while saying "Whoosh!" after the shot was made.  No one knows why or how this cheer died off.  However, this year the cheer has resurfaced due in part to the one, the only Pistol Pete.

Historic Student Antics - Sports Illustrated mentioned an act by the students so creatively thought up, it was meant for print.  "(Coach) Brandenburg's teams were conservative, zone-oriented, physical crews who got after it. As did their fans. One visiting coach pulled his team off the floor at Laramie before the game. "Gorilla U," another rival coach called the school. The Cowboys' fans pelted him with bananas."  View the whole article from the 1987-88 College Basketball Preview (Cowboy Fennis Dembo was on the cover) here.

Traditions are a very important part of the history of Cowboy basketball.  One can only hope that these traditions and all the others keep on for all time.

Go Cowboys!