Pack pumps it up...and in

I went to the RBC Center yesterday afternoon and watched NC State beat up on UNC-Greensboro. As a person who doesn't have much loyalty to either team, I have a few observations.

First, State is a lot better this year than they were last year. The folks at firesidneylowe.com should have less to gripe about during the 2008-2009 season. Courtney Fells and Ben McCauley looked fantastic. Courtney Fells looks fantastic. Tracy Smith and Trevor Ferguson were fun to watch. Brandon Costner did not have a particularly good game, but still carries high expectations.

They still need better guard play, and also need to make sure they don't take naps on defense. The only time UNCG looked good was toward the beginning of the first half when the Pack seemed to forget that aspect of the game. Other than that, it was a strong showing for the Wolfpack.

Second, there are several differences between the RBC Center and the Dean Dome, many of which are rather obvious:

1. The RBC Center is newer than the Dean Dome, and therefore has nicer amenities, including luxury suites. No such thing in the Dean Dome.

2. I was much colder in the RBC Center than I've ever been in the Dean Dome, partly because there was a Hurricanes game scheduled a few hours after the basketball game, and partly because I was sitting in an aforementioned suite. It's hard to get warm when you're not packed like sardines in the nosebleed seats, especially when there's a sheet of ice somewhere below the visible floor. I kept my sweater on the entire time, whereas I would have taken it off immediately in the Dean Dome.

3. In the Dean Dome, you can hear the sound of the students jumping up and down in the riser section. In the RBC Center, you can hear the sound of students jumping up and down in the riser section...

...but wait...I could hear the sound of jumping up and down, but I could not identify any groups of fans jumping in a manner that would create such a noise. Does State pipe in "bleacher jumping" noise? I honestly want to know. If someone knows where that sound is coming from, please let me know. Is the Pack the Indianapolis Colts of the NCAA?