For 27 years, Anderons Arena has been affectionately known as "The House That Roars." In the halcyon days of Nate Thurmond and Howard Komives, when the coach the building is named for was still at the helm of the home team, that nickname was well-deserved.

In recent years, however, Anderson Arena might be more accurately described as "The House That Whimpers."

Granted, the phenomenal success of the Falcon hockey program has overshadowed the roundballers in recent years; however, rare is the time the two teams' scheduled conflict.

Yet, while the lines for a BG/Michigan State faceoff stretch to Mercer Street, the stands for a BG/Toledo tipoff never seem to be in danger of filling up.

The House That Roars, it seems, lies dormant.

Well, that's not quite true. One day last season -- Feb. 9, to be precise -- Anderson Arena rocked 'til the roof shook, thousands of fans screaming for a victory from the guys in orange and black.

Black?

We are ... F.C.! ... We are ... F.C.!"

F.C.?

That stands for "Findlay College," enrollment 1,145, a small-college squad that knocked off the Falcons last spring, 86-73. It was really no surprise, though, as some 3,000 of the 4,310 fans at the game were vocally pushing the underdog Oilers to their upset win.

Findlay College. A team Bowling Green has beaten 50 times in 65 tries. A team BG had defeated 20 times consecutively. A "breather" in a tough 16-game conference schedule.

A "home game"? Hardly. If fans are a team's "sixth man," then Findlay College played that ballgame against BG roughly 7-on-5. The homecourt advantage was clearly with the visitors.

Can anyone imagine that happening at a hockey game? The few Michigan State fans who dare to show their faces in The Ice Arena With No Name are resoundingly razzed by a capacity crowd armed to the teeth with verbal barbs.

Numerous members of the hockey team have often, willingly, credited the fans with providing an emotional boost. It's always nice to feel welcome when you come home.

Imagine, then, how the Falcon roundballers felt last spring when they faced the Oilers in Anderson Arena. A hostile crowd was overrunning their own back yard.

There has been an overwhelming amount of material devoted to student apathy on these pages in recent times, and perhaps that sentiment is best captured in the persona of the Bowling Green basketball fan.

The typical BG basketball fan bought (pardon the sexist pronouns) his All-Sports Pass in order to attend football and hockey games, and only uses it for basketball when Cleveland State (or some other "name" school) is in town.

Spoiled by the success of his favorite icers, he stayed away from Anderson Arena during the 19-35 disaster of John Weinert's last two years as coach. Worse, even when he does attend games, he is apparently saving his lung power for the hockey game later.

Where is it written that only hockey fans can be organized? There has been complaint that the CCHA has taken from the Falcon fan his opportunity to "newspaper" the opponents with chants of "Who's he? Nobody!"

Save those old newspapers that you can't use this Friday at the hockey game against -- who else? -- Michigan State, and bring them out to Anderson Arena next Monday night at 8:00.

That's the first home basketball game for Jim Larranaga's new, improved hoops squad, and the opponent just happens to be Findlay College.

A couple of returning Falcons has decent games in last year's Findlay Fan Fiasco -- Joe Gregory knocked down 24 points, and Steve Martenet grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.

But if you asked either one of them -- or anybody else who was there -- what they remember most about that game, you can bet they'd describe the Findlay players spilling onto the court at the final buzzer in a celebration worthy of a national championship.

It's a safe bet that the Findlay players and fans are planning for a repeat performance of last year's upset. The largest responsibility for preventing that, of course, lies with Larranaga, Martenet & Co. -- they'll actually have to play the game.

But fan support can make a tremendous difference, and can make the aforementioned players' jobs that much easier. Just ask Findlay College.

And when that ultra-annoying chant starts up -- We are ... F.C.!" -- it'll be time to show these Oiler fans what the letters really stand for.

This is Falcon Country.