By Alejandro Solana/Staff Writer
As far as student fan sections go, the Rosenberg Rowdies continue to be the only one FIU has to offer.
Started by Andrew De Mino, Joshua Rivera, David Kinne and Giorgio Izzo, the Rowdies are the University’s first and only student fan group, dedicated to making all sporting events “a more enjoyable and fun atmosphere.”
The Rosenberg Rowdies continue to attend every home men’s basketball games decked out in their beach attire, bringing what they hope will be a tougher atmosphere for opposing teams coming to challenge Head Coach Anthony Evans and the Panthers.
However, with the basketball season coming to an end, we wanted to catch up with the Rowdies and find out what they’ve been up to lately, and what is next for De Mino and the rest of the group.
“The crowd at a sporting event can make all the difference in the outcome of a game, whether its getting into an opposing teams head, or just generating a lot of noise. We really believe that we can make an impact, not only for the basketball team’s, but for every team here at FIU,” De Mino said.
According to the Rowdies, they plan on attending every Panther sporting event possible. They were at last weeks National Signing Day event, officially introducing head football coach Ron Turner’s 2014 recruiting class, and have much more in store for this semester.
When asked about future plans for the group, De Mino commented.
“Softball, baseball, beach volleyball, football next season. Anything FIU, we’ll be there,” De Mino said. “Once football season comes around, it will be different. We’ll get more people to come out, and have tailgates before the games to really give people a college football experience.”
One question people may ask is, why the name Rosenberg?
“We were trying to think of something kind of catchy, something specific to the school. Something that can stick to FIU,” De Mino said. “We appreciate everything President Rosenberg has done for our school. It’s a moment in history.”
The group did confirm that they were weighing a few other options besides Rosenberg, like incorporating Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia into the mix, but finally decided that none of the other options were as good as the Rowdies.
So we know the students love it, but do the players enjoy it? After all, that is why the Rowdies are out there in the first place, making noise and creating a chaotic scene, for the players.
“We know the basketball team loves it. They do pretty well at home, and sometimes come over to interact with us,” De Mino said.
According to the group, Ray Taylor, the ex-starting guard for the men’s team who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA earlier this season has shown tons of support, probably having to do with the “Let Ray Play!” chants you hear coming from the Rowdies every game.
It won’t be long before more and more FIU students throw on some Tommy Bahama flower shirts and join the Rosenberg Rowdies at future sporting events.
Most would agree that FIU has a lack of excitement for its sports teams and definitely does not compare to the passion and atmosphere other state schools in Florida have for their teams.
This is exactly the type of exciting and unique idea that may create a lasting tradition for sports here at FIU, and even create some new Panther fans who had no idea that a basketball game at the U.S. Century Bank Arena could be so much fun.
The Rowdies are on twitter @RosensRowdies.
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