What do you think about the return of streamers?

The streamers tradition was banned in 1985, four years before I was born, so it's hard for me to fully comprehend its significance. So I ask you, the readers, especially those of you who threw streamers in your day: What do the streamers mean to you? What is your favorite streamer-related story? Do you like this idea by Penn Athletics?

I actually originally had a fair bit of opinion in my article today (I thought it was too dry as a straight news story), but due to the realities of published media, we had to cut it in half.

ESPN's Dana O'Neil seems to think that it adds pressure on Jerome Allen to win, at least according to her twitter post.

In order to stimulate some discussion, I present the other half of my article, most of which didn't make it onto the back page:

One well thought out aspect of the current plan is that the streamers will be thrown only after the end of the game. Unlike the throngs of toast-throwers who stream out of Franklin Field after the third quarter, students who are solely interested in a school-sanctioned excuse to make a mess will still be supporting the Quakers through the final whistle.
Whether or not streamers will actually make a tangible difference is still up in the air. While the wild popularity of the tradition in the ‘80s is promising, it will still need to resonate with a new generation of fans.

“We’re just going to have to wait and see what overall student reaction is,” said Red and Blue Crew member Jayson Weingarten. “My gut feeling is that students will really go for it initially, and I think that it will catch on.”

But perhaps most significant is that streamers will only be distributed after a Penn win. Anything resembling last year’s disastrous 0-10 start may mean that most freshmen will stop coming to the Palestra before they even know the streamers exist.

On a campus with very few undergraduates who were here to root for the 2007 NCAA tournament team, a return to sustained on-court success will ultimately be the foundation for rebuilding school pride and spirit.

The streamers are nothing more than brightly colored window dressing, to be enjoyed only by those who can be lured through the front door.

At the end of the day, it’s not the post-win celebrations but the victories themselves that will keep fans coming back for more. And you can be sure that when the game’s on the line, the tradition will be the last thing on the players’ minds.

“These banners hanging up [on the Palestra ceiling] and me sitting with a bare hand with no rings on it is enough pressure already,” Senior co-captain Jack Eggleston said, “so I don’t think streamers are going to add much to it.”

The Athletic Department should be applauded for reviving a storied and nostalgic tradition, but now it’s up to Penn’s team to begin to resurrect the cathedral the Big 5 built.

A 26th banner would be more than window dressing.