Arizona Is Home To Basketball’s Funniest Tradition

College athletics are weird. Each college and university has their own history and traditions, and those tend to find their way into athletic programs, whether it's U of A's "BEAR DOWN" slogan, or The University of Florida's "Won't Back Down" singalong.

Many of these weird and wacky traditions are nothing more than a fun way for fans to get involved, but very few actually impact the result of a game. Arizona State has led the charge in being actually disruptive.

Revitalizing Student Cheer at ASU

If you've been to an Arizona State basketball game, you've probably been made familiar with the "942 Crew", the self appointed name for the Sun Devil Student Section. This rowdy bunch does everything they can to make playing at Desert Financial Arena an impossible task.

In 2012, energy seemed to be getting lower at games, so the crew put their heads together to revitalize the spirit of Sun Devil Nation. What they came up with would change the trajectory of Sun Devil basketball forever.

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What is "The Curtain of Distraction"

The following season, in 2013, the 942 Crew's dreams came true, and they unveiled (literally) The Curtain of Distraction. The premise is simple, when the opposing team lines up for a free-throw in the second half (so the shot is facing the student section), the students put up a giant black curtain just behind the goalpost. When the shot is about to be taken, the curtain is dropped to reveal...

Well, just about anything. From students in ludicrous costumes to celebrities like Charlie Day and Michael Phelps, the curtain has housed all kinds of surprises. And guess what? IT WORKS. Free Throws shot in the second half tend to be around one point less effective than the first half, so while it's not much, it's still an advantage the 942 Crew are happy to help with.

[ESPN][FOX SPORTS via YouTube]