Staff Editorial: Here's to the champions

It's hard to believe that very little was expected of the team that rolled over Harvard on Saturday afternoon.

But to those who have followed the Penn football team's "Cinderella season," to quote coach Al Bagnoli, it's simply par for the course.

The squad that captured at least a share of the Ivy League championship this weekend was picked to finish fourth in the Ivies. Instead, it dominated its league opponents, winning each game by an average of 30 points before pummeling the Crimson in a 44-9 win.

Our heartiest congratulations go to the Penn football team on its 12th Ivy League championship and 11th title in the last two decades. Kudos especially to the team's seniors, quarterback Mike Mitchell, who threw for four touchdowns on Saturday, linebacker Travis Belden, defensive lineman Chris Pennington, running back and defensive back Stephen Faulk, safety Vince Alexander and wide receiver Rob Milanese. We wish them the best of luck next week, when a win against Cornell can clinch the Ivy title outright.

But the football team is not the only one celebrating. Though overshadowed by the hullabaloo, congratulations are due to the men's soccer team and the volleyball team on winning their respective Ivy championships this weekend and last weekend.

The soccer squad clinched its a piece of its first title in 22 years, securing its first trip to the NCAA College Cup in a quarter century. Seniors Will Lee, Nathan Kennedy, Alex Maasry and Chris Kan deserve special mention on this momentous achievement in their final season.

The volleyball team rode its 11th straight victory to its second consecutive Ivy championship. The squad has been absolutely dominant, dropping only one result in its last 21 matches. We salute the volleyball team, especially seniors Stacy Carter, Kai Gonsorowski and Elizabeth Watty, on its continued success, and we wish them the best at the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.

Sadly, this fantastic weekend for Penn sports was marred by the University's ridiculous and overblown response to a grand tradition -- drowning Franklin Field's goal posts in the Schuylkill.

After 1998's successful dunking, the University sank the posts in 20 feet of concrete. But far from protecting them from attack, the tactic only insured that they would be destroyed in place, rather than thrown from the South Street Bridge.

Fueled by the euphoria of victory, Penn fans will continue to try to bring down the goal posts when the football team clinches a title, in spite of the University's best efforts to stop them. Administrators should accept this reality and do whatever they can to insure that the festivities, rowdy as they are, are safe. And that includes the inevitable assault on the goal posts.

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