First off, let me say that I think that the Hot Dog and Jesus are great for Boston University sports.
The dedication they show to every single athletic team here is truly commendable, even if the whole Halloween costume thing is a bit bizarre.
Normally I agree with what Brian Fadem, the frankfurter, says in his weekly FreeP column ‘-‘- but I have to call him out for his comments following the men’s basketball team’s opener against George Washington in November.
The Terriers dropped a close game in overtime, and Fadem naturally had some anger to release.
However, the Hot Dog’s fury was not directed at the players, the coaches or the referees ‘-‘- he was pissed off at the venue.
Fadem blamed Agganis Arena for the disappointing loss and said BU should stop playing basketball games there altogether. But I will not allow that innocent building to become a scapegoat.
Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand where the Hot Dog’s argument is coming from. As an article in yesterday’s paper proved, the men’s basketball team hasn’t performed well in the few opportunities it has had at Agganis since the arena opened in 2005. The Terriers shoot a better percentage in Case Gymnasium, and players have said they prefer the smaller venue.
But, even with all that in mind, there’s no way a reasonable BU fan can wish for the basketball team to stop playing home games at Agganis Arena.
The state-of-the-art facility is the key to BU’s hopes of getting out of the depressing America East Conference (think of it as the NL West of college basketball).
You can give it whatever nickname you want ‘-‘- but The Roof is still a gymnasium. And real college basketball teams don’t play in gyms.
I know some people enjoy watching games at The Roof because of the noise factor and how it lets you get close to the action ‘-‘- like in a high school gym. But if I wanted that kind of atmosphere, I would go back to high school.
For those of you out there who have played NCAA Basketball 2K8, then you know just how embarrassing The Roof can be. Every other college team in the video game gets to showcase some stunning facility ‘-‘- but not BU. I’ve stopped playing as the Terriers, because when the game starts up and the camera pans around that tiny gym, you lose a part of your manhood.
Think about it this way ‘-‘- I’m sure there were some people who never wanted the men’s hockey team to leave Walter Brown Arena back when Agganis was first built, because they probably thought the new arena could never match the atmosphere of the old rink.
Flash forward three years, and I don’t see anyone starting Facebook groups called ‘Bring Men’s Hockey Back to Walter Brown!’
Agganis Arena was a giant step forward for the BU hockey program, and now we need to let it do the same thing for the basketball squad.
Still, the numbers don’t lie. As Fadem pointed out in his column, the Terriers are a measly 3-10 all-time at Agganis. It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the building is cursed for the men’s basketball team, but keep in mind that BU obviously schedules only the most compelling games for the big arena.
So, it shouldn’t be surprising to see the Terriers struggle at Agganis ‘-‘- because chances are they’re playing a team from a superior conference (like George Washington) or one of the better teams in America East (like Vermont).
It would be fun to watch Corey Lowe and friends beat up on Stony Brook at Agganis Arena, but colleges that sound like yogurt factories don’t deserve such a big stage.
Fadem made the observation that the men’s basketball team does not practice at Agganis, which could be a major reason for their struggles there.
I agree ‘-‘- and by glancing at the upcoming schedule at the venue, I see an easy solution.
The only non-BU sporting event currently on the Agganis Arena schedule for the rest of the school year is a concert by The Killers at the end of January. (I know what you’re thinking: How is there no Australian Pink Floyd show this year?)
So why not give the men’s basketball squad some practice time at the big arena? I’m sure the hockey team can learn how to share. Let the basketball team get more comfortable with what should be its home venue, because perhaps someday it will actually play all of its home games there.
And, in the meantime, don’t forget to come out to the arena this Saturday to see BU host Marshall. We’ll find out if this year’s squad can break the Agganis Curse.
Bennett Gavrish, a junior in the College of Communication, is a guest columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at bennettg@bu.edu. For more of Bennett, visit www.sportsscribbler.com.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
Finally….a rationale and logical voice speaks out about the ridiculous FREEP articles bashing Agganis. Thank you.
When Mike Jarvis was coach in the late 80’s, his teams practiced at Case and then played games at Walter Brown Arena. During his brief tenure, they won plenty of games and made numerous trips to the NCAA’s. When they lost, the players never whined about Walter Brown Arena.