PC vs. URI - Still A State Treasure
Saturday, December 04, 2010
You would think that in a year like this one, that interest in today’s PC-URI men’s basketball game might be down quite a bit. You may think that, but you’d be wrong.
In my travels over the past couple of weeks, everyone I have spoken with still has an opinion on today’s game. This is somewhat unusual considering the circumstances.
It seems as if every night is “MCI Night” at the Dunk when PC plays because it’s friends and family only in attendance. It’s actually sad to see but there’s good reason for it. The program was not competitive in the Big East conference last year and isn’t expected to be this year either. Add to that a tough economy with a high unemployment rate in Rhode Island and people just aren’t spending their money on luxury items like college basketball season tickets like they used to.
Down in Kingston, things are much more positive. Jim Baron’s Rams appear to be a very good team again this year. As in the past few seasons, Rhody could be in position to make a run for a coveted spot in the NCAA tournament.
However, it has been 11 years since Lamar Odom’s three-pointer to beat Temple in the A-10 finals which was the last time URI went to the Big Dance. That’s a long drought.
Still, despite the reason for pessimism, this is a game that people still have a passion for. This is Rhode Island’s unofficial state championship and sports fans in this state care about it. How else do you explain less than 1,000 tickets remaining for today’s contest?
The Dunk holds about 12,000 fans for a basketball game and the Friars have been playing in front of a huge number of empty seats so far this season. Not today.
This is a game not only for the diehard college basketball fans in the state, but also for the casual sports fans in Rhode Island as well. It’s this little state’s version of Red Sox-Yankees, Celtics-Lakers, Bruins-Canadiens or, to put it in more immediate terms, Patriots-Jets.
We need this game and more like them. The fans love it. The players love it. The coaches love it. Okay, maybe not the coaches. But you get the idea. It’s a great rivalry with an intense atmosphere. It’s how sports should be.
In a perfect world the PC Friars would be a dominant program in the Big East and a regular participant in the NCAA’s. Ditto for URI in the A-10.
But today, none of that matters. It’s still PC versus URI and all that goes along with it. It’s Sly Williams. It’s our state legislature wishing the Friars “good luck” in the NCAA tournament but not the Rams who were also heading to the Big Dance.
So enjoy the game today whether you’re rooting for the Rams or the Friars. It is something to cherish no matter what the circumstances are.
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