Big Apple Classic Review

I like college basketball a little more then the L during this point of the season. Every year it happens the same. When the season first starts I’m amped to watch NBA games for about two weeks, then once I remember that the regular season lasts until spring my excitement wanes so I focus on college ball. I went to the Big Apple Classic this past Saturday (Dec 1st) to check out Bowie St vs Virginia Union and Howard vs Hampton (shout out to Glow Media’s Elisha Silvera for making this thing happen) Both games were entertaining but for entirely different reasons.

The VUU guys all fit the stereotypes of their alums Ben Wallace and Charles Oakley, these dudes look like they’re 29 years old with wrinkled faces and beards stretching down to their collarbones. Straight husky dudes, even the point guard looked like he did time in a chain gang. It was awesome. They seemed to intimidate Bowie St who fielded a bunch of guys who looked like, well, college students. It was no match physically. Even the Bowie St band was wack and what little support they had from the crowd and their fans was easily muted out by random MSG spectator conversations. Final score was VUU 75-Bowie 65 and it wasn’t close.

I was getting bored but things picked up for the Howard/Hampton game. I don’t always have a favorite at college games; more I like certain players so I root for them. But I have a crazy history with Hampton so I surely wanted them to win. I have an ex-girlfriend who went to Hampton, my ex apartment roommate went to Hampton, my most recent ex-girlfriend’s mother is a big time alum who was Ms. Hampton back in her matriculation days and last year I spent Thanksgiving in the Hampton Roads area of VA and its just and area I like a lot because of its laid back but decidedly not country mentality.

It was obvious early on that Howard was severely out-matched. They didn’t score their 1st point until the 15:25 mark of the 1st and had nobody on the team who could create their own shot. And to make matters worse, Hampton (who by the way have a pirate as their mascot but the pirate was white, lol) was running up and down and got the crowd into the game. I was sitting in the baseline media seats, right in front of the Hampton faithful and according to one of their faculty members they came 5 busloads deep. Howard is supposed to be huge in NY (every time I go out I meet another Howard person but I guess they knew the team sucked. They scared!)

Howard is weak in here, for real. Then Hampton students turned the place into Def Comedy Jam. 1st off they were all painted in blue and yelling out the funniest stuff imaginable. They even had the cameramen laughing. Here are some of their priceless gems:

After a Howard players missed a really bad shot—“ Man, that was the worst shot I’ve seen in 20 years. And I’m only 18”

They teased Howard forward Kandi Mukole about his name—“ I can’t believe your momma named you Kandi! She must have know you were gonna suck. You are a girl!”

After yet another Howard turnover—“ You are terrible. I hate you. Admit it. You hate you”

In reference to the whole team’s general suckiness the crowd suggested that Howard put in the kid who was at the game helping clean up sweat or the Hampton Head coach Kevin Nickelberry—“ Put him in the game. The kid, Really could he do any worse, you guys are wasting scholarships. You should be ashamed of yourselves. You guys are the worse. Put me in the game, No, put Nickelberry in, put him in. He’ll kill you. I hate you!’

It was amazing really. The kids voice was so funny and the Hampton kids had so much energy that it was contagious. Lot of fun actually, the game itself, not so much. Final score Hampton 65 Howard 31. For more info in the game check out this blog as well–
http://collectivethinktank.blogspot.com/2007/12/real-hu.html