THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 21, 1995 TAG: 9503210438
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB MOLINARO, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
When the Old Dominion University basketball team walked off USAir flight No. 965, they were greeted by a huge sign.
Welcome Back Monarchs
NCAA Upset Kings.
At 9:30 Monday morning, about 100 people stood and cheered at Gate 6 of the Norfolk International Airport, saluting the team that has given this NCAA tournament one of its best stories.
In the crowd was Marty Jones, a senior at ODU. He walked around to each player and had them autograph his orange rubber basketball.
``Guess I won't be using this to shoot around any more,'' Jones said.
``I've been following the team since I was a kid, but this is the first time I ever asked for an autograph.''
As the players waded through the crowd, signing their names and posing for pictures, coach Jeff Capel finished a couple of stand-up interviews for the minicams. Then he walked over to a nearby gate, took a seat and began reading the paper.
In a few minutes, Capel and assistant Jim Corrigan would be leaving on another flight. There's this player in Knoxville, Tenn., ODU is interested in. It's recruiting season, you know.
``You gotta go while you're hot,'' is the way Capel put it.
Norfolk State couldn't have said it better. Watching ODU's homecoming celebration was the Spartan basketball team. Clad in green sweatshirts, Norfolk State's players just happened to be in the Gate-6 waiting area prior to taking off for Louisville and the Division II Elite Eight tournament.
This was ODU's moment, though. The fans trailed the Upset Kings through the airport until the players boarded a bus for the ride back to campus.
``This makes you feel appreciated,'' ODU center David Harvey said as the bus pulled away.
At school, another 40 or so fans waited outside the Athletic Administration Building. A few balloons and home-made signs waved in the breeze, as three students standing up front doffed their baseball caps to reveal shaved heads.
``Friday night, like two minutes into the Villanova game, we said we'd shave our heads if ODU won,'' explained Christian Obenshain, a junior.
``It was a completely sober decision.''
By Sunday, Obenshain and fellow chrome domers Jeff Schrecengost and Doug Weatherley were shaving the heads of other students at a campus pub.
``Even after we lost,'' said Weatherley.
Other than a few tonsorial disasters, what did ODU's victory over 'Nova in Albany, N.Y., bring to the campus?
``It was something for every student to rally around,'' Obenshain said. ``That's what's great about it, because the spirit around here isn't what we'd like it to be.''
Maybe not. But as the morning sun bounced off the shiny scalps of these three sober fraternity brothers, ODU spirit never looked brighter. by CNB