Folks, this is my last column of the semester, and there’s really only one thing I want to write about. I could go on about the mediocre records of the men’s basketball and hockey squads as we enter break — or another men’s basketball player quitting the team. I could even get into the Baby Tiger Four.

Well, four hockey players were suspended last week for an undisclosed reason. I, along with numerous others, am convinced the only way coach Jack Parker would take such action was because of the release of a baby tiger on Commonwealth Avenue. I don’t see anything wrong with hockey players releasing baby tigers back into their natural environments, but I guess that didn’t fly with Parker.

Anyway, I want to explore one of the more startling developments of this semester: Jason Lawrence’s decision to change his number from 22 – a number he wore his first two years at BU – to 21 only a year after the half-man, half-God known as Tom Morrow graduated.

I had a chance to sit down with Lawrence recently. I was determined to learn the truth on why the sudden – and slightly disrespectful – switch occurred, and a little bit more about what makes J-Lo tick.

Last Wednesday, I entered Agganis Arena, walked downstairs and waited outside the fitness room. The square footage of that room is probably equivalent to the College of Arts and Sciences. At least that’s how it seemed to me — Keith Tkachuk and Chris Drury are generous donors.

Usually, I don’t think too kindly of J-Lo, solely because he stole Morrow’s number. Tom Morrow was a 6-foot-7 he-man. He scored two goals in his BU career — both in his senior year. He often took the puck the length of the ice to the tune of “COAST-TO-COAST” chants. Like I’ve reiterated time and again, when Tom scored it was almost the second coming. Glorious, to say the least.

I saw Lawrence working out in the fitness room, rehabbing his injured shoulder back into playing shape. I looked at him and thought about what he must be going through. He knows he is a vital part of this team, and I can tell he wants to do all he possibly can to come back. I thought of J-Lo as someone like Tyler Morris at this moment. Both are key parts of the team, both are injured and both are eager to do just about anything to get their squads above .500.

J-Lo left the fitness area and greeted me with a handshake. We walked upstairs to Parker’s office to start our interview. I was expecting more of a cold greeting from Jason. When I booed him at the skills showcase earlier this season, he stared me down. I thought I saw him mouth “I hate hot dogs” when he was on the ice.

We sat down, and the first thing I noticed was J-Lo’s Boston University hockey Nike shirt. It read Boston University with the No. 21 under it. I couldn’t help but be reminded of my Tom Morrow Coast-to-Coast t-shirt, which had an uncanny resemblance to Lawrence’s training shirt.

I asked him, “Do you have a Tom Morrow Coast-to-Coast shirt?” His response: “No, but I have to try to get one. I’m thinking about stealing Strait’s.” Brian Strait: Listen to me, if you don’t want your amazing Tom Morrow shirt stolen, keep it out of J-Lo’s sight, or it will soon be missing.

Anyway, the interview didn’t heat up too much after that. I tried asking some juicy questions, like “Which goalie should this team start?” Jason, of course, answered “Either one.”

I found out that Jason has a bit of a man-crush on Chris Higgins, but then again, who doesn’t these days? Higgy has the body of a Greek God and can rock the Blue Steel pose of Zoolander anytime he wants. I often find myself getting lost in Chris’s eyes. J-Lo said Higgins is the funniest kid on the team and has the best hands. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the two roommates sharing a couple burritos at the Towers dining hall (J-Lo’s favorite dining hall) whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears.

When I asked Jason about fan sections, he revealed some very interesting things. First off, Jason hates playing against Northeastern. He said he has a sour taste in his mouth when BU plays the Huskies – home or away. But he hates playing against Maine at Alfond Arena the most. It might be because when BU parents stood and cheered after the Terriers scored, the Maine faithful started an “UGLY PARENTS” chant. I don’t care where you’re from, that cheer hurts. J-Lo’s favorite song from the pregame playlist is “Two Step” by Dave Matthews Band. I wasn’t surprised by that answer. Jason said the team thrives off the energy from the fan section, which is probably why his favorite song the band plays is in fact “The Song” at the beginning of the second period.

Then I got to the real difficult questions. Here’s the dialogue:

Hot Dog: What do you think of Tom Morrow?

J-Lo: I love Tom. Tom was a great kid and a great teammate.

Hot Dog: What is your history with No. 21, and is it true you had a gold necklace with the number on it?

J-Lo: Yeah I did. I was always No. 21 when I was growing up. Then I went to Ann Arbor and played out there. I was going to be 21 for my second year, but I lost a coin flip. The first year I played in Michigan we got crazy numbers. I think I was 39. Second year, we got to pick our numbers. I was 21 my whole life and I was just waiting for Tom to leave.

Hot Dog: So 21 has always been your number?

J-Lo: Yeah, it was a family number.

Hot Dog: Did you let Tom know you were going to take his number?

J-Lo: Yeah, I told him I was taking it when he was leaving. He liked the idea. He passed it down.

So there it is. If the mighty Tom Morrow liked the idea and passed down his number, I cannot argue. The interview with Jason made me change my opinion of him. I’m not saying Jason will be my new favorite player all of a sudden, but he will no longer be my least favorite for taking Tom’s number. That peaceful exchange of numbers and J-Lo being a stand-up guy makes me want to see him back on the ice as soon as possible. I look forward to his return.

Brian Fadem, a sophomore in the College of Communication, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].