Grayson Martin
Senior
Public Relations
Dothan, Ala.
College basketball has seen it all: big heads, posters, signs – anything to distract the opposing team.
But Grayson Martin wanted to do something nobody had done before at a basketball game. Inspired by LMFAO’s Robot Pete, Martin made a robot head of his own. It’s a wooden square that fits over his head, complete with flashing lights where the eyes should be.
“I was wondering what my next ‘thing’ would be,” Martin said. “I figured it would be funny to make the head. It would light up eyes, which would be distracting, and I learned the dance moves to go with it.”
Martin doesn’t reserve the head for the games alone. On the day leading up to a big game, he wears the robot head to class and around campus in an effort to promote the night’s game.
“I wear it to school on big game days to try to grab attention for the game that day and everything,” Martin said. “They usually like it and end up asking me about it and what it’s all about and I tell them, ‘It’s [for] a basketball game. Come on out and watch’.”
Martin joined Crimson Chaos at the beginning of last season and has been an active member ever since. He said he feels like he’s a part of the team and wants to do whatever he can to help the Tide win.
“I was big into basketball back in high school,” Martin said. “So, I feel like if I can’t be on the court playing, I want to do as much from the crowd as I can to influence the game and make an impact on the final score.”
Daniel Spaulding
Sophomore
Public Relations
Birmingham, Ala.
Daniel Spaulding is about as diehard of an Alabama basketball fan as you’ll find.
The sophomore grew up with a love for college basketball, and now, he’s experiencing firsthand what it’s like to be a part of an intimidating student section.
“I’ve always grown up a huge college basketball fan, ever since I was little,” Spaulding said. “I watched the student sections and always wanted to be a part of it.”
Spaulding has been a member of Crimson Chaos ever since he arrived at the Capstone last year and has worked his way up to vice president of the organization. He started off with just the basics, but this year he’s stepped up his game. You won’t find anybody else in Coleman Coliseum with more Alabama apparel.
“Last year it was just basic: tie, headbands, shorts,” he said. “But this year, everything I wear is Alabama. I’ve got shorts, socks shoes, shirt, headband, shutter shades. I’ve got a mask that I wear at some of the games.”
Spaulding leads a lot of the cheers during the games, but there’s one that has become popular across the whole fan base that he likes to take credit for.
“No one’s going to believe it, but last year, I started yelling, ‘Feed the Swede,’ and that kind of took off,” he said.
But his favorite part will always be the atmosphere in Coleman after a big play, which he said has the potential to be one of the best in the country.
“There are certain parts during the game after a dunk, or we’ve gone on a run and you can tell both sides [of the student section] really get into it. When that happens, it’s special,” Spaulding said. “If we could ever get it to where the whole student body could do that the whole game, I think this could be one of the toughest places to play in the SEC, if not the whole country.”
Hannah Stephens
Sophomore
Sports Broadcasting
Seattle, Wash.
Hannah Stephens was no stranger to passionate basketball environments when she got to Alabama. Coming all the way from Seattle, Wash., Stephens’ high school had a section similar to Crimson Chaos, and she wanted to continue to be a part of that at Alabama.
Like many of the other Crimson Chaos members, Stephens enjoys being right in the middle of everything going on.
“We’re so close to the action. We’re a part of the team,” Stephens said. “I feel like when we’re loud enough and we’re crazy enough, the team feels the vibe and they play with it.”
She pointed to the Tide’s numerous comebacks at home this season being a result of the hostile atmosphere Crimson Chaos creates.
“We’ve had major comebacks that I think Crimson Chaos was a part of,” she said.
“I feel like when we’re this close to them, we can distract [the opponent] and help Alabama pull through.”
Even her friends back home have noticed. Because the Crimson Chaos risers are so close to the court, Stephens and many of the other members are regularly shown on TV.
“It’s crazy,” Stephens said. “People in Seattle watch it on the Internet and they see me every time on TV. It’s crazy to feel like we’re this close to the action.”
If you’re looking for Stephens, she usually has the Alabama script “A” painted on her face. She also may be letting the referees have a piece of her mind.
“I make it known that I’m here,” Stephens said. “I’ll go crazy enough during the game. The refs know who I am. I’ve had them glare at me a couple of times. They’re just horrible refs.”
