2008 Woodie Awards
No Friar football? Not a problem
Brad Chen '08
Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: Sports
As I make my way past the Huxley Gates toward Hendricken field, I pass Providence College alumni bringing their toddlers draped with Friar apparel, banners, and flags. Students have their mini grills fired up and coolers nearly dry on Slavin lawn. The College's band is pounding out "When the Saints Come Marching In" along with thousands of crazed fans, drowning out Lee Corso and the rest of the ESPN College Gameday staff that made the trip from Bristol Conn., to Providence. The Friars are taking on the Louisville Cardinals in what is expected to be a brutal battle for the Big East title. As the bleachers begin to fill, the 3:30 p.m. kickoff is approaching, and the visitors are on the field. John Dolan, the "voice of the Friars," once more says to "strike up the band" and as they do, nobody runs out of the tunnel . . . then I wake up from my dream.
In case you're a little bit lost right now: No, we do not have a Division I college football team, nor any football team for that matter. While I'm sure hundreds, if not thousands, of students and alumni wish we had a team, it is just not meant to be. There are too many obstacles such as funding, space for a stadium, and other NCAA restrictions, for PC to get its team back for the first time since 1945. The closest thing to a Friar Mascot dancing on the 50-yard line is in a game of NCAA '07 for Playstation or X-Box, and you might as well put you and your roommate in at quarterback and receiver. Though you can't tailgate for something like that (or maybe you can), there is a full nation of college football out there that you can see with the quick push of the T.V. clicker.
Last Saturday, if you weren't too busy getting your Monday school work done to
impress your accounting or Civ teachers, then you should have been glued to the T.V. for Separation Saturday. Ohio State separated itself from the rest of the pack as it toppled the National Champions from Texas the second week of the season. This past Saturday, the Buckeyes beat Cincinnati easily. Notre Dame may have lost its National Championship hopes in an embarrassing home loss to Michigan, which has climbed into the top ten. In a classic SEC defensive battle, Auburn held off LSU. Southern California has been able to balance its ship, even after the loss of the past two Heismann trophy winners, trampling Nebraska last weekend. The Eagles of Boston College squeezed out an overtime victory against the BYU cougars. And Louisville and West Virginia have looked extremely strong for the Big East Conference.
Since my summary of these top 25 teams does not do justice to the past few weeks, throw on your favorite college football shirt and tune in every Saturday. Just because we don't have Friar Football doesn't mean we should forget such a great tradition of Saturday college football. So check the schedules and get your remote control ready-if you're lucky, you may just be able to watch quality college football from noon until well past midnight.
And just in case if you were wondering how the Football Friars of Providence did last week in NCAA '07, they won in a shoot out vs. Louisville 45-38 in front of a maximum crowd of 80,000 on Hendricken field.
In case you're a little bit lost right now: No, we do not have a Division I college football team, nor any football team for that matter. While I'm sure hundreds, if not thousands, of students and alumni wish we had a team, it is just not meant to be. There are too many obstacles such as funding, space for a stadium, and other NCAA restrictions, for PC to get its team back for the first time since 1945. The closest thing to a Friar Mascot dancing on the 50-yard line is in a game of NCAA '07 for Playstation or X-Box, and you might as well put you and your roommate in at quarterback and receiver. Though you can't tailgate for something like that (or maybe you can), there is a full nation of college football out there that you can see with the quick push of the T.V. clicker.
Last Saturday, if you weren't too busy getting your Monday school work done to
impress your accounting or Civ teachers, then you should have been glued to the T.V. for Separation Saturday. Ohio State separated itself from the rest of the pack as it toppled the National Champions from Texas the second week of the season. This past Saturday, the Buckeyes beat Cincinnati easily. Notre Dame may have lost its National Championship hopes in an embarrassing home loss to Michigan, which has climbed into the top ten. In a classic SEC defensive battle, Auburn held off LSU. Southern California has been able to balance its ship, even after the loss of the past two Heismann trophy winners, trampling Nebraska last weekend. The Eagles of Boston College squeezed out an overtime victory against the BYU cougars. And Louisville and West Virginia have looked extremely strong for the Big East Conference.
Since my summary of these top 25 teams does not do justice to the past few weeks, throw on your favorite college football shirt and tune in every Saturday. Just because we don't have Friar Football doesn't mean we should forget such a great tradition of Saturday college football. So check the schedules and get your remote control ready-if you're lucky, you may just be able to watch quality college football from noon until well past midnight.
And just in case if you were wondering how the Football Friars of Providence did last week in NCAA '07, they won in a shoot out vs. Louisville 45-38 in front of a maximum crowd of 80,000 on Hendricken field.