Get Herald RSSRegardless of whether or not a fan's favorite team is in the game, the Super Bowl has become an unofficial American holiday, and even those who normally do not care for football will tune in for XL on Sunday.
Unlike last year, when students who hail from Philadelphia were pitted against those from the greater-Boston area, this year Brown certainly has a united rooting interest. Even if you happen to be from the Great Northwest, all Brunonians should be pulling for Steelers quarterback coach Mark Whipple '79 and Steelers wide receiver/special teamer Sean Morey '99 to perform well on the grand stage.
The past year for Brown sports - with the baseball team's success last spring, the men's soccer team's NCAA tournament appearance and the women's ice hockey and basketball teams confirming their spots as annual title contenders in their conferences - has been impressive.
Capping it off is the football program. In addition to claiming the school's first-ever outright Ivy League championship just three months ago, Joe Paterno '50 completed one of the most astonishing turnarounds in college football history at the age of 79. Now Whipple and Morey will be in the biggest spotlight of them all on Sunday.
Current football Head Coach Phil Estes believes that this might be a golden age for Brown football not seen since the early years of the last century, when Brown made its only Rose Bowl trip and the 11 iron men played every minute of every game in 1926.
"I think so," Estes said when asked if this current streak is as good as it has ever been. "Add in Fritz Pollard's ('19) induction into the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame last summer along with the writer Jerry Green's ('63), and like Chris Berman ('77) said at the ceremony back in August, 'It's a great day to be a grad from Brown.' This has certainly been a great year for fans of Brown football and, with Nick Hartigan ('06) likely to get drafted or at least signed as a free agent, it's only going to get better."
Here's hoping that this golden age continues for a few more years and hopefully we get the chance to see a few more former Bears get rings this season on Sunday.
Hoping for women's hoops Last week in this space, Herald Sports Editor Chris Hatfield wrote that the men's basketball team received a considerable boost from a raucous home crowd in its victory over Yale. In the team's double-overtime victory over Dartmouth last Friday, the crowd was similarly vocal and energetic.
The student section at the Pizzitola Center nearly touches the court, impacting the game's atmosphere to a degree that sports played outdoors cannot experience. As the Dartmouth game forged on, the louder the fans became and the more exciting the game felt. Though the contest was drama-filled, numerous people who watched it on television commented on the roar of the home crowd. Spectators could imagine they were not simply watching a game in the Ivy League, but a head-to-head match-up of two big time college teams.
This weekend, the men hit the road for games at the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton, while the women will host the Quakers and Tigers at the Pitz. The women (3-1 in conference) are right in the thick of the race for the Ivy championship, and a win over the 3-0 Tigers on Saturday would give the Bears a legitimate shot at holding the crown when the dust settles.
It would be nice to see a similar student turnout at the Princeton game on Saturday as came out for the men's win over Dartmouth last week. Without question, the students can intimidate a visiting team when they come in full force. With the Bears hosting a game that has definite playoff implications, stop by the Pitz on Saturday night and check out the atmosphere for yourself.
Alum race makes cents The ski team is off to a rough start in its quest to return to the national competition where it finished second in 2005. The battered team, battling injuries and difficult conditions, has only one first-place finish this season - in the giant slalom in its season opener. But with Kelly O'Hear '07 now healthy and the young team gaining experience each week, look for the squad to get it turned around soon.
On another ski team note, if last weekend's alum race at Wachusett Mountain becomes an annual event, it will be an asset not just to the program, but to the entire athletic department.
The idea behind the event is simple: organize a fun event for Brown students and alums, raise money for the athletic department and help publicize a successful team. If pulled off, it has the makings of a successful and innovative venture.
If the event were held on the first Saturday after school resumes, most students who wanted to attend likely could without sacrificing too much in terms of schoolwork. Next year, the team is trying to organize buses to take students from campus to Wachusett, a little over an hour from Providence.
Not only will this event provide an opportunity for the Bears' fans to see them in action, it would also be a chance for those Brown students who have never been skiing before to give it a go. Encouraging alums to attend is also a great idea for both raising money and increasing the team's exposure.
The athletic department should definitely look into expanding and instituting this event on a permanent basis.
Gymnast garners Rookie of the Week honors Brittany Anderson '09 was named the ECAC Rookie of the Week yesterday after her impressive performance in the Bears' home meet last weekend. Anderson's two scores of 9.4 - on the balance beam and in the floor exercise - helped Brown squeak past Ithaca College by less than a point. It marks the first time a Bear has won rookie of the week honors in two years.
Anderson's performance in her first career home meet bodes well for the future. The senior laden Bears are ranked sixth in the 16-team ECAC and should contend for the conference crown. With regular contributions from Anderson and classmates Whitney Diederich '09, Rachel Foodman '09 and Jennifer Sobuta '09, the Bears will have every opportunity to make some noise in the conference. This weekend, Brown heads to New York for competitions with Cornell and Cortland State on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Sports Editor Stephen Colelli '08 is secretly rooting for the Patriots on Sunday.
