Last Saturday night, in Columbia, S.C., presidential hopeful Barack Obama delivered a rousing victory speech following his triumph in the South Carolina Democratic primary.
"This election is about the past versus the future," Obama told a throng of supporters. "Don't tell us change isn't possible."
Replace "election" with "season," and Brown men's basketball coach Craig Robinson - the candidate's brother-in-law - would have one heck of a pregame speech.
With perennial powerhouses Penn and Princeton looking increasingly vulnerable, the Bears (9-7, 1-1 Ivy) appear, like Obama, to have at least a fighting chance of toppling the status quo.
Hours before his sister's husband took the stage in Columbia, Robinson led his team to a convincing 77-68 home victory against Yale, evening Brown's Ivy mark at 1-1 and avenging an overtime heartbreaker in New Haven the week before.
"I think this year, every game's gonna count," Robinson said. "I'm just hoping that one [at Yale] doesn't come back to haunt us."
Before the Ivy home-and-home with the Bulldogs, Brown's non-conference play was similarly encouraging. Highlighted by impressive victories at Northwestern and at home against American, the Bears entered their Ivy slate with a winning record for the first time since the 2001-2002 season, when current Penn coach Glen Miller led them to a 9-4 mark before Ancient Eight play began.
Seniors Damon Huffman and Mark McAndrew are leading the way thus far, averaging over 15 points apiece for the Bears. Forward Chris Skrelja has pitched in nine points and six boards per contest in his junior season.
While he remains confident in the progress of his squad, Robinson - a two-time Ivy player of the year during his days at Princeton - warns against placing too much weight on these early-season showings.
"The non-conference season for us usually isn't an indicator of how well [we] do in the Ivy League," he said.
"While we had a decent non-conference, the Ivy League's gonna be tough because for the first time, I think everybody's got a chance at winning it."
Though Robinson's goal of bringing a League title back to Providence for the first time since 1985-1986 may seem Herculean, the task that lies ahead of a certain famous family member throws Ivy hoops into rather harsh perspective.
"While I would love . to compare running an Ivy League basketball team to running for election, there's not any comparison whatsoever."
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.