Rally Nuns to attend in spirit
They are among fans who have purchased cutouts for upcoming games at ARC
Though fans aren’t allowed at Siena basketball home games for the foreseeable future, the popular “Rally Nuns” plan on being in the gym this season — and not just in holy spirit. Sisters James Marie Carras and Mary Stephen Vamosy, whose presence at home games has fired up Saints crowds for the past 17 years, will be represented by cardboard cutouts of themselves in the stands when the Saints finally open their season.
The Siena men are on their third pause from team activities because of coronavirus but are scheduled to begin against Monmouth at Alumni Recreation Center on Jan. 3 and 4.
“(The cutouts) are to let them know that we support Siena College and the basketball team and everybody at Siena,” Carras, a Sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, said Wednesday. “And we wish them the best of luck and we’re praying for God’s blessings to keep them all safe from the virus, and everybody else, too.”
About 60 Siena fans so far have purchased the cutouts, which will be displayed at Siena men’s and women’s games. Siena requires fans to submit an order and a photo of themselves at sienasaints.com/fancutouts. Siena men’s coach Carmen Maciariello’s parents have bought them. Fans can request the cutouts at the end of the season.
They cost anywhere from $60 to $150, which can include perks such as having them autographed by Maciariello or women’s coach Ali Jaques, and access to video streams to men’s basketball practices and weekly “chalk
talks” with a member of the men’s coaching staff.
Such cutouts have become popular at professional and college sporting events to allow fans to be closer to the team, in a sense, when COVID -19 prevents in-person attendance.
“It’s hard for everybody and for the basketball players who want to practice so much and then they have to stop and start over again,” said Carras, who works with Vamosy with autistic children at St. Colman’s in Watervliet. “It’s difficult, but we’re going to get through this.”
Season-ticket holder Patti Bayly drives the nuns to home games. Bayly bought a cutout for herself and said the situation reminds her of 1989, when Siena played in an empty ARC because of a measles outbreak on campus.
When Siena beat Boston University in the conference championship game at Hartford Civic Center, which also had no fans, there were cutouts in the stands, Bayly recalled.
“At least it shows the kids that we’re there in spirit,” Bayly said. “We’re all going crazy, dying to
see a game, obviously. It’s my college basketball fix and it’s kind of like a disease, Siena basketball, you don’t want to get rid of. It’s the kind of thing you get through the winter nicely, and when you go to the TU (Center), it’s the one place you can yell, scream and holler and go crazy and they don’t take you away in a white jacket or something.”
Without fans, Siena plans to play at least its first four home games (including Canisius on Jan. 8 and 9) on campus instead of at Times Union Center. But Bayly doesn’t expect to be able to see any games in person this season.
“I would doubt it,” she said. “The way the vaccine is going, regular people, healthy people under the age of 65 probably won’t get vaccinated until maybe April, and so I just don’t see how it can happen.”
At least they ’ll be able to see the likenesses of themselves with the men’s home games televised on WNYA and women’s games livestreamed this season.
“We’re just going to have a good laugh,” Carras said. “We told all the sisters about it and we have a picture of (the cutouts) and we’re showing everybody and everybody ’s so happy.”
Former Siena guard Scott Knapp bought cutouts for his son, Alex, 11, and daughter, Samantha, 10. He took photos of both of them wearing his old practice jersey.
He said his children are looking forward to getting the cutouts after the season to put up in their rooms.
“It’ll be cool,” Knapp said. “They’re so excited to go the games and they enjoy watching the team so much that they just want to be part of the action in any way. I’m sure they ’ll be watching for their faces more than probably watching the game the first few min
utes.”