The two biggest home games of the fall sports season are descending upon Providence this weekend. With the men's soccer team playing what is essentially a one-game playoff for the Ivy League title and the football team wrapping up its home schedule, the avid Brown sports spectator will have plenty of action to catch on campus. There's just one catch: Due to the way the schedule is put together - with the football game at 12:30 p.m. and the soccer game at 1 p.m. - Brown fans won't be able to make both events.This underscores the absolute idiocy of the Ivy League schedule. Sure, there is something to be said for holding games at times that don't cut into schoolwork for students, but it would be nice to see at least some coordination so events that could potentially have postseason implications do not overlap. Of course, it would also be nice to see postseason play for the Ivy League's football champion, but that's a topic for another column.So, which event do you pick? The soccer team is literally playing for the Ivy title. A win over Dartmouth gives them the crown and an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. A loss or tie could possibly leave the Bears on the outside looking in when the brackets are drawn up.The football team also has a key match-up, competing in a dead heat with Princeton for the Ancient Eight crown. While the Big Green are not the most daunting opponent at 1-4 in league play, the game will be the last game in Providence for all-everything, tri-captain running back Nick Hartigan '06 and the rest of the senior class.So what's the verdict? Watch the Bears score off a punt - or see Brown punt Dartmouth out of the title picture?More importantly, how is President Ruth Simmons going to make two token appearances at two different events?
Other musings of the week:If the soccer team ties for the Ivy League championship, it loses the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament given to the Ivy League champion because of tiebreakers. Lousy, yes, but still better than the situation in football. If Brown and Princeton win out, they just share the crown, despite the Bears' previous 31-28 victory over the Tigers. Ladies and gentlemen, reason number 5,000 to allow postseason play: When an automatic bid is at stake, somebody has to be the clear winner.I don't know who writes the Brown T-shirts, but that person definitely has a guaranteed job in a fortune cookie factory somewhere. On the other hand, whoever finally ordered XXL shirts for the Boldly Brown campaign is my hero of the week.
For the record, the hot chocolate served in the Brown Stadium press box might be the greatest beverage on this campus that does not start with Samuel Adams Winter Lage-.
Who decided that building four athletic buildings with courts, rinks, tracks and pools that are utterly devoid of windows was a good idea? Thank goodness the Nelson Fitness Center will make up for it by being a gigantic sheet of glass.
If we wanted to solve the parking problem on campus, let's just follow the lead of the recently demolished New Haven Coliseum. For those not familiar, picture the ugliest building you've ever seen with a parking garage on top that you can only reach by a five-story spiral ramp. Now wouldn't that look cool on top of Meehan Auditorium?
Sports Editor Ben Miller '07 will be sprinting back and forth from Brown Stadium to Stevenson Field on Saturday.
