Men's hoops loss to Penn will test fans' loyalty

The last few seconds of last night's game went by in slow motion. It was an out-of-body experience. The players moved back and forth like shadows of themselves and all I could hear was silence. It was deafening.

For the first time in my two-and-a-half years at Princeton, the men's basketball team failed to beat Penn in February. I feel empty inside, as if something was taken from me and the real significance of its loss will only sink in with the passage of time.

There are obvious consequences of last night's defeat. With seven games remaining, the Tigers must run the table and hope that at least one other team can upset the Quakers. No small feat, as Penn has not lost a league game since last February — a 50-49 loss to Princeton better known as the "Palestra Miracle." As time wound down last night, Tiger fans could only pray that something similar would come to pass, but alas, it was not meant to be.

Princeton's destiny is out of its hands now. The Tigers are in an uncomfortable position — rooting for the likes of Harvard or Yale to upend the Quakers and give them a shot at revenge.

These are the immediate consequences, but not the only ones. This will be a true test of the faith of this institution's student body — how many fans will decide to come to Jadwin Friday night when the Tigers face Columbia?

It is so easy to wrap yourself up in work here, forgetting that the moments that you will remember 30 years down the road will not take place in front of your computer or in the library. You have a life — don't forget to live it.

Some of the times I have been most proud to be a Princetonian have been at sporting events, especially Princeton-Penn showdowns. I remember going to the Palestra freshman year and taking pride in wearing my orange and black as the Tigers beat the Quakers, 78-72, in overtime. The atmosphere was sparkling — both figuratively and literally, as many will remember that this was the "Firecracker Game."

Another basketball memory from that year occurred at Jadwin Gym, when the students, jumping up and down on the bleachers, made the floor shake so badly that the Harvard game had to be stopped.

Last year, my Penn basketball memory is not as sweet. The image of Michael Jordan cutting down the nets at Jadwin Gym will forever remain burned on my brain. Yet the strains of 'Old Nassau' were never more appropriate: "Our hearts shall give while we shall live, in praise of Old Nassau."

We can be an apathetic group, fickle in our support of our athletic teams. The first football game at Princeton Stadium last year saw a full student section — for the one and only time. Other teams, field hockey, for example, have regularly taken their place among the best in the nation to limited support from their fellow students.

There is something about cheering against a common foe that brings people together, and we, like it or not, are no different. So I hope that you will not write off this year's men's basketball team. Though they may end up playing only for pride, they are still worthy of a student section that can make Jadwin Gym a formidable place to visit.

Forgive me for waxing philosophical on you, but I need time to recover and this is my place to vent.

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Take heart, my friends. It ain't over yet. And if it is, then there's a lesson I have learned well as a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan: Wait 'till next year.