STAFF EDITORIAL: Hurrah for the Red and Blue

The Penn men's basketball team heads to rival Princeton today. Here's to the Quakers squad before the big game. That Penn has won 107 of the teams' 200 meetings doesn't matter. That the two teams have combined for 37 of the last 41 Ivy League titles doesn't matter. And, as fondly as we remember the game, that Penn trounced Princeton on its home court last year doesn't matter either. What is important is that the Ivy League title -- and bragging rights -- are still very much up in the air. And that anything can happen. The Ivy League is one of only two conferences in the country without a post-season tournament. With the rest of the league foundering, Penn and Princeton's home-and-home series will likely determine who gets to advance to the NCAA Tournament. But this game transcends the rankings, the statistics, the unaesthetic confines of Princeton's Jadwin Gymnasium. It is about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, the nobility of athletic competition, the quintessence of sport. And, most of all, it's about vanquishing the hated Tigers. Over the last 97 years, Penn-Princeton has become one of college basketball's great rivalries. The Ivy title won't be decided with tonight's game, but our school pride is always on the line. Granted, Princeton has suffered a number of debilitating injuries this year. Further, the Tigers do have one Ivy loss at the hands of a usually hapless Yale squad. And in the end, there really is no doubt that Penn is the best the Ivy League has to offer. But we cannot predict who will emerge victorious this evening. So, to the fans lucky enough to have tickets to tonight's game, don't sit by silently. From the distant confines of Jadwin's upper balcony, scream, yell and cheer with all the pride and spirit you can muster. Shake the walls, rattle our opponents and, should the time come, storm the court in celebratory fervor. And to our heroes in Red and Blue, play with all your heart and soul. Go out there with confidence in your ability and the courage to overcome any obstacle on the road to victory. Play knowing you are the best. Fight on, Pennsylvania!