There are precious few sports in which fans can have a direct impact on the outcome of the contest. Home court/field advantage is a very real thing in most sports, but its impact is largely intangible. The role between fans and players is clearly defined. Players play, and fans cheer.
There is one area in basketball where the fans can have a tangible effect on the scoreline: free throws. Fans sitting behind the baselines get to be in the peripheral vision of the free throw shooter and grab their attention with silly antics Over time, fans have developed free-throw distraction into an art form, with a level of dedication and ingenuity one wishes draft busts would have displayed. They've taken the simple acts of yelling and heckling and elevated it considerably.
It has been well established that making free throws during a game is largely a matter of calming your nerves. Shaq used to claim that he could make 80% of his freebies during practice, but during game time nerves often got the better of him. Fans are all too aware of that.
Here's a look at some of the funniest, creative and most distracting free throw distractions in basketball:
#10 Khem Kong
Size does make a difference in some cases. This terrifying reproduction of the likeness of UNLV forward Khem Birch was created through a 3D printer and christened Khem Kong.
It took over two months to produce this likeness and it cost roughly $1500 to create it. The first time it was unveiled was on 22 January 2014 against Utah State, but the player ended up making both free throws.
The hard work paid off as it earned the distinction of the largest prop in college basketball.
#9 Child Birth
Players might want to ignore the antics of the crowd, but if you are anticipating that something profoundly distracting is going to emerge, it captures some of your attention in order to prepare for not giving it your attention. Like preemptively closing your ears at the sight of a train approaching to block the noise or shielding your eyes when a flashlight is pointed at you.
Student sections take note. The @SheridanStuSect knows how to put on a show. pic.twitter.com/2BW2YH6bv8
— Storied Rivals® (@StoriedRivals) January 20, 2016
This one truly takes the cake when it comes to originality. It has a slow buildup which captures your attention, wondering what hell-spawn is going to emerge from underneath the covers. This distraction worked to perfection as the player ended up missing both free throws.
#8 All around me are familiar faces
Cutouts of faces remain quite popular as a tool of distraction. It can be disconcerting to see your own likeness reproduced in front of you in an unflattering manner. The one of LeBron James is cute enough to draw his attention for a second at least.
Donald Trump would tell you that he can hit fantastic free throws, with the best free throw form in the world. His free throws are splendid, and he can hit them over a wall as well.
The fact that Pau Gasol bears a slight resemblance to a Llama is well known. Here, a fan attempts to rejoin the long lost twins with the help of tiny hearts.
#7 Curtain of distraction
Arizona State has taken this art to a whole new level. Their infamous Curtain of Distraction adds an element of anticipation to their antics, and often what pops out is distracting enough to merit a second glance.
It has been claimed that the free throw discrepancy is stark when the curtain is deployed. In one sample collection in the first half Pac 12 teams shot 80% from the line, and that number dropped to 62% in the second half.
Granted, fatigue has a role to play here. Also, free throws get progressively difficult in situations. That being said, there is no denying that when you see an old lady pop out and smack a bear with her walking stick, it makes for an effective distraction.
A cowboy riding a man dressed as a cow, a shirtless dude gyrating in a Lucha Libre mask, Elvis reincarnated, these are regular sights at ASU. Perhaps their most effective and high-profile move was bringing out an Olympian to support their cause.
It was a surprise, to say the least when the curtain unveiled Michael Phelps against Oregon State. And when the Olympian ripped off his tearaway warm up gear and yelled in nothing but his swimming costume and his numerous medals, it was a sight to behold. Oregon State’s Stephen Thompson Jr missed both his freebies.
The New York Times has estimated that prior to the curtain, visiting teams would miss about 28-32 percent of their free throws. In the first season when the curtain was instated, that number rose to 40 percent.
#6 Eva Longoria
Tony Parker is one of the few Spurs' players who buys into the celebrity hype. Amidst the silent stars of the Spurs, Parker even had his own catchy rap song. It wasn't a surprise to them to see him marry a celebrity in Eva Longoria. But it did come as a surprise when they were divorced with rumors of Parker's infidelity.
It must have been a surprise to Parker to see a cutout of his wife staring at him while taking a free throw. No primal male can overlook such an egregious affront to his lady. The price of having a celebrity wife is that her image is seen as fair game.
If a player's wife was not a celebrity and someone brought a cardboard cutout of her to a game, the security would probably take the picture away. But home arenas are notorious for ignoring the sensibilities of the visiting team.
#5 Free throw guy
Two fans in the NBA have made a name for themselves with their persistent antics: The Speedo Guy and The Free Throw Guy. While the nomenclature behind the latter's name seems bland, he's endeared himself to the Portland squad and often shows up on the jumbotron. He wears a t-shirt with the jersey number 1, and is now retired from his beloved role.
He actually made custom t-shirts for the other 29 NBA teams, and yells out taunts to distract the opponents. To get under the skin of Amare Stoudemire, he put on goggles like the forward wears and yelled "your ego writes checks your body can't cash."
#4 Speedo Guy
Distractions can come in many shapes and forms. One of the more subtle techniques of distracting involves taking what is the norm and doing the exact opposite. Some have speculated that if an arena were to observe pin-drop silence while a shooter is at the line, he/she would be more unnerved than at a cacophony of noise.
The Speedo Guy asked the entire fan section to sit down so he could stand out. And stand out he did, gyrating in a manner most vigorous. The shooter, North Carolina’s Jackie Manual, later acknowledged the impact of Speedo Guy, "I just saw this guy in a Speedo, y'know, no shirt, just dancing around. It was kinda hard to focus on my free throws, seeing a guy in a Speedo moving around. I was like, OK, gather myself, y'know, refocus. He jumped up again and started doing another dance and y'know, inside I was laughing, but, y'know, trying to stay focused. It kinda threw me off and I ended up missing my second free throw."
Those incensed by his behaviour can rest easy knowing that he is now a pastor.
#3 Raptors Mascot
Mascots get a lot more leeway than the casual fan when it comes to outrageous antics. Players are also allowed to have mock beefs with them and vent some of their frustration, see: Robin Lopez and pretty much every mascot. It is no surprise to see mascots go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to distracting players.
One of the easiest forms of distraction lies in giving exposure to your natural form and going shirtless. Here is where mascots are encumbered, they are stuck in a costume. The Raptors mascot wasn't going to let that technicality stop him, or the fact that he's not a girl, from gyrating in a bikini in a manner most suggestive.
That is one creative way to appear risqué without actually displaying any skin.
#2 Wild Bill
Why does Robin get to walk around without pants? Batman can live the wild life as well. Wild Bill is one of the wilder characters in college basketball. He has lent his ample gut and support to Utah State, and it has been greatly appreciated. He hasn't stuck to any one gimmick, instead, he's run hog wild in a multitude of costumes. So many that he could launch his own brand of All Size store clothes lineup. Here are some of his greatest hits:
You may miss the free throw, but the Cupid's arrows never miss their mark.
Bill Sproat of Utah State later said, "I love to be as close to naked as possible without going to jail,"
#1 Hypnotic signs
Pure, unadulterated noise alone may not be as effective as a well thought out sequence which is scientifically designed to create a distraction. One would assume that the rowdy crowd which yells its lungs out is comprised of people who are too carried away to craft a coherent strategy. One look at these crafty signs and you'll realize that a lot of thought and effort goes into creating a distraction. Napoleon could have used some of these bright minds to create distractions during wars.
Finding Waldo is a fun activity where you look for the character Waldo in a sea of red and white. This distraction engages your mind in the puzzle and rewards you with Waldo's appearance while you're trying to reward your team with freebies.
If eyes could hypnotize, this one would definitely take the cake.
Guess the Lakers players!
