Standing in line, the bar air wafted out, full of the smell of smoke, beer and too much cologne.

If you weren’t there early, chances were you were out of luck. From the looks of people in their seats, they weren’t going to move for anything.

Except maybe for more beer.

The crowd at Welch Ave. Station last night watching the Iowa State-Kansas game was serious. All faces were turned toward the big screens like flowers toward the sun. If you got in the way, you were told sternly to move.

The crowd was down to business.

Yalcin Bulut, who just completed graduate work at ISU, was but one in the packed house watching intently. He played basketball professionally in Turkey for six or seven years before coming to the U.S. Even though he didn’t have faith that ISU would win the game — and it turns out his skepticism was well founded — he was still there.

Don’t mess with Bulut and his basketball.

“College ball is better than the NBA,” he said. “The NBA is all show business, not the sport. ISU is the sport.”

Matt Knier, a senior in mechanical engineering, and Ivan Rivera, a senior in industrial technology, were hunkered over a table eagerly watching the performance of ISU’s senior point guard Jacy Holloway. Every time he scored, they did a shot — of alcohol that is. From the smiles on their faces, they apparently had a good time despite the outcome of the game.

The tension in the bar crowd was apparent when ISU was getting close to making a shot — any shot, really.

Almost simultaneously, hands would nervously reach up and push baseball caps further down on heads; people would rise up a few inches off their seats; and if ISU put the ball through the net, the cheer was just about loud enough to jump start any lazy pacemaker within ear shot.

But it only lasted for a second or two.

Then everyone sat back down to concentrate on the game.

Those who came in late lined the bar and any other place they could find to stand.

Some spots were made taboo by bar attendants serving drinks and those who had seats with good views of the televisions.

John Dobrydney, a senior in economics, and Joe Riley, a senior in elementary education, were actually hoping for a little more bar-crowd participation.

“This place is too quiet! There needs to be a lot more drinking going on even if this is the first day of school,” said Riley.

Dobrydney agreed, looking out above the focused fans. The way everyone was turned in one direction, maneuvering was almost eerie.

You won’t likely see behavior this good in class today.