Most intramural sports teams work together to win games. Tingus Pingus, a C League intramural basketball team, works together to lose them.
The team is composed entirely of residents of the second floor of Samuel Morris Hall, otherwise known as Sammy II.
According to Luke Stone, a senior computer science major and de facto team captain, the name Tingus Pingus was chosen based off of a joke made by comedian Michael Rapaport about the name of NBA player Kristaps Porziņģis. The name reflects the silly and unserious nature of the intramural team.
The Tingus Pingus team dresses in a wide variety of costumes and plays in absurd fashion when it takes the court, Stone said. Students from all grade levels on Sammy II are welcome and encouraged to join the fun.
Stone not only accepts inexperienced players to the team; he seeks them out specifically.
“I want guys that have fun and are willing to be laughed at,” Stone said. “It gets you out of your comfort zone, which I love.”
Stone said the goal of Tingus Pingus is to remind others that the point of intramural basketball is to have fun. He believes some teams can take the game too seriously, especially at the C League level, losing sight of the enjoyment that comes with the game.
The antics of Tingus Pingus are meant not only to give its players a good time but also to give opposing teams the chance to join in the fun, he said.
“We know we’re gonna lose every game, but it ends up allowing the other team to have fun,” Stone said. “I want the other team to think, ‘This is going to be fun,’ not, ‘I’m going to hate this, this is going to be boring.’”
Stone explained that the team provides entertainment primarily through the variety of skits and jokes they incorporate into their playing.
Jackson Banister, a freshman biochemistry major and Sammy II resident, thoroughly enjoys participating in the team’s stunts.
“We (the players) like to have fun, build community and grow closer to other guys on the floor in any way possible,” Banister said.
Some of his favorite antics include forming mock football plays with the basketball and passing it to teammates as if it were a volleyball.
Other standout jokes the team uses to spice up their games include pushing each other around the court in an old wheelchair, using a broom to defend against opponents and “cleaning” players with a comically large sponge.
Opposing teams appreciate getting to join in on Tingus Pingus’ performances. Orlando Chatwell, a sophomore Christian ministries major, has competed against the team on two separate occasions.
“This year was a lot of fun,” Chatwell said. “There was a point where we just stopped playing and started chucking half-court shots, like knockout style.”
Chatwell believes the team has left a positive impact on C League intramural basketball. He recalled speaking to B League players who wished they could have experienced the less competitive, lighthearted nature of C League brought about by teams like Tingus Pingus.
Despite his own team finding enjoyment in the game, Chatwell noted some people get upset with the existence of Tingus Pingus.
“I think there are a few teams that are like, concerned about why Tingus Pingus is even a thing if they’re just there to lose,” Chatwell said. “They’re there to have fun, and they are having fun. I think that’s more important than competition in the C League.”
Aside from a few negative reactions, most of the team’s opponents seem to enjoy the energy they bring to the games.
Both players such as Banister and opponents such as Chatwell hope Tingus Pingus returns for the intramural season next year. However, with Stone graduating in May, the team will need to find a new captain to keep the tradition going.
“Tingus Pingus has to come back next year,” Banister said. “I want to remind Taylor students what the purpose of C League really is and show (it) in Sammy II’s own unique way.”
