By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

It is impossible to go to Sojka Pavilion for a Bison men’s or women’s basketball game without hearing the sounds of Brad Brown ’11, who has been dubbed by many as “The Sojka Psycho.” His spirited voice bounces off the walls of the arena and his energy is unmatched as he gets the fans to stand up and cheer.

Brown, who lives just down the road in Milton, Pa., said he has been watching Bison basketball since the games were played in Davis Gym. He has for nearly his entire life lived and died with every shot for Orange and Blue basketball.

“I am literally living a dream,” Brown said. “I love Bucknell and it is an honor to help showcase the collective spirit and passion that we as students have for our school.”

As a part of his job, Brown is charged with not only pumping up the Sojka Psychos, but also to give away free pizza and T-shirts to lucky fans. He is usually there 90 minutes before each game starts, to get himself and his energy ready for the two-hour game ahead. Getting ready usually involves putting on his orange wig and Bison basketball jersey, as well as rolling up shirts that will be thrown into the crowd.

But Brown’s job truly begins once fans start rolling into the gym. His exuberance and energy are contagious, and anyone who runs into him before the game starts can feel the emotion he has for Bison basketball.

The Sojka Psychos have fed off his energy and have packed Sojka Pavilion in droves. In the men’s basketball team’s final home game of the regular season, the eighth-largest crowd in facility history showed up to watch the Bison defeat Army to complete a 13-1 season in the Patriot League. The noise in the building that day was deafening, a good part of which can be attributed to Brown’s passion.

The student section has grown even more since the regular season finale for the Orange and Blue’s two Patriot League Tournament games, the rematch in the quarterfinals against Army and the semifinal contest with Lehigh. At certain points in the Lehigh game, the intensity of the Sojka Psychos made the entire building shake.

“The best part of my job is knowing that the crowd and its supportive energy can have an impact on the outcome of the game,” Brown said.

Brown’s omnipresence in Sojka Pavilion, just like this magical season that the men’s basketball team has been having, cannot last forever. When this semester ends, Brown will graduate from the University. His job as the Sojka Psycho still is in question.

“I would love to have the job after I graduate,” he said.

The Patriot League final against Lafayette tonight is a game that most fans have been waiting a whole year for. For the Bison’s most spirited fan, this may just be the game he has been wishing for his entire life.