Top 25. Penn-Princeton. A possible repeat Ivy championship. Does it get any better than this? This could possibly be the greatest sports week of my collegiate career at Penn. And seeing as that I'm graduating in May (God-willing), I may never see a week like this again. The Quakers crack into the Top 25. Princeton is in town tonight. The Palestra will be packed. Does it get any better than this for a Penn hoops junkie? Now c'mon. How many of you like myself watched every local station and ESPN last night just to see "25. Pennsylvania, 21-2" on the screen? · Many have tried to figure out why the Penn-Princeton rivalry is so heated, so emotional and so intense. The fact that these two schools have won 23 of the last 25 Ivy League men's basketball championships just scratches the surface of the war, for it doesn't just exist on the hardwood floor. The reason these two schools have such contempt for each other is because they are the most diametrically opposed schools in the Ivy League. Permit me to explain. · Location Penn. In the metropolitan Philadelphia, the nation's fifth-largest city, the Penn location and splendor surrounding the campus teaches young Quakers a valuable lesson that will last a lifetime -- always walk in pairs after midnight. Princeton. Located in rustic Princeton, N.J., the nation's 868th largest city, the gothic dorms and modern structures encompassing the 600-acre campus teach young Tigers a valuable life-long lesson as well -- if your daddy helped build it, you will come. · History Penn. We boast the first collegiate school of business in the country (and the first conviction of an alum of said school), the first university-owned teaching hospital and the first large-scale, all-electronic, general-purpose digital computer in the world. Princeton. Only historical note here is that Nassau Hall, home of the college, survived bombardment and occupation by the British during the American Revolution. Rumor has it Pete Carril himself expelled the Red Coats. · Fans Penn. The Quakers have, without a doubt, the best fans in the Ivy League, among the best in the country. Penn fans are crazy, rabid, insane, maniacal, demented, loud, obnoxious, sign-toting and harassing lunatics that will come to tonight's game with every body part painted red or blue (Remember, highlights of tonight's game will be on ESPN). Quaker fans will stand all game (sorry alumni), WILL chant all game and will stop at nothing to make the roof of the Palestra blow off. Palestra Pandemonium lives on. Princeton. Do the Tigers even have fans? And if they do, do they make noise? Can they make noise while they are eating cheese and drinking wine? Is it just that those horrendous tiger-striped jackets worn by old and decrepit alumni must restrict those vocal cords? Do Princeton students even go to games? While Penn may boast of Palestra Pandemonium, all Princeton has is the Jadwin Jeriatrics. · Athletic Facilities Penn. Despite the rotting facilities that are Hutch and Gimbel, and the pathetic lack of a mega-sports complex, Penn has Franklin Field and the Palestra, college basketball's most historic gym. 'Nuff said. Princeton. Palmer Stadium may be a nice place to play football. But Jadwin Gym is the most ridiculous eyesore in the country -- up there with all three High Rises. Half a track behind some pull-out stands makes for a most pleasurable visual experience. The worst acoustics of any enclosed arena guarantees the fan a most disagreeable visit. · Bands Penn. The Penn band is one of the most dedicated in the country -- and their musical expertise is surpassed only by their love of Penn basketball. Why else would they travel to all sites in the Ivy League to cheer on and rock with the Quakers. Only gripe is that they don't play "Rock and Roll, Part 2" (you know, the Da Da Daa Da, HEY! song) at the right time. Princeton. In an everlasting attempt to set the trend for band fashion into the next century, the Tiger marching band wears the ugliest, most heinous jackets of any band in the country. Not to mention the 10 members don't exactly pound out the noise in comparison with the Penn band. · Athletes Penn. The most recognized sports star at Penn is Jerome Allen. He won Ivy Player of the Year as a sophomore, was recruited by a number of scholarship schools and scored his 1,000th point last Friday. All this is secondary to the fact that he is one of the nicest people you would ever hope to meet, always making time for an interview or for an excited young Quaker fan. You can't not like Jerome Allen. Princeton. Most famous Tiger is Keith (59 yards) Elias. He was Ivy Player of the Year in football this year, turned down Rutgers to go to Princeton and is a possible NFL draft pick (yeah right). But he choked against Penn in November, insulted his teammates for studying too much and walks around with a huge chip on his shoulder. At the last Penn-Princeton game, Elias was spotted walking around in his Blue-Gray jersey. (Rumor has it that it's because he constantly forgets how to spell his name.) · So there you have it, the main differences between two schools that have one of the most heated rivalries in college basketball, of which another chapter will be written tonight in front of over 8,700 maniacal fans and a national audience. This is about as good as it gets. Dan Feldman is a College senior from Dallas, Texas, and former Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.