I’ve seen college kids do some crazy things. I’ve seen college kids rag on teams, storm courts, and hoist players up on their shoulders like childhood heroes. But until Sunday, I’d never seen anything quite as crazy as the Temple University student section.
Touted on a Facebook event page for weeks, and in the planning stages for months, the Cherry Crusade, organizers of the Temple student section decided to throw a funeral for archrival St. Joseph University’s mascot, the Hawk that never stops flapping its wings.
Being a public school, we take things to heart and play with an enormous chip on our shoulders. We have to prove ourselves every day, so when private schools come in acting better than us, we tend to treat them with nothing less than brutality.
Lining up for hours outside of the Liacouras Center in frigid temperatures, one might have believed it was a gothic convention or Halloween party. Students dressed as priests, pall-bearers, and mourners ready to bury the Hawk, once and for all. Upon entering the arena, students received black t-shirts reading “R.I.P. THE HAWK,” a testament to the day’s agenda. Others passed out mock programs “In Remembrance of the Hawk,” listing the dates of the past eight games Temple won, and a list of players who were either suspended or transferred from Joe’s.
Only seating 10,000, the arena is always loud, but before the game, the anticipation was audible. As the SJU players were introduced, the student section kneeled, praying for their loss. Just before tip-off, the arena erupted as a cardboard casket was marched in donning a Jameer Nelson college jersey. One student dressed as the grim reaper guarded the casket through the entire matchup.
Rollout posters, a staple of Big Five basketball to taunt the other team, were especially stinging during the matchup. Displaying SJU’s Five Stages of Grief, they marched out, much to the awe of the other fans in attendance who clamored to take pictures of them. “Denial: 55 years of chanting ‘The Hawk Will Never Die!’” “Anger: Promising Recruits, 7-18 Record,”
“Bargaining: Phil Martelli's Severance Package,” “Depression: No Atlantic City two straight years,” and finally “AccepTance: 9 IN A ROW” perfectly captured the scope of the event.
The game was less than exciting, with Temple dominating the entire time. Sophomore Rahlir Jefferson turned out an outstanding performance, junior Juan Fernandez had stellar shot selection, and senior Lavoy Allen shattered the school’s all-time rebounding record. The Owls easily won, 66-52, to bury their A-10 rivals, if not their mascot.
Every school has their winner’s chant. Some schools sing “hey, hey, goodbye.” Other schools sing their alma mater. At Temple, we scream our “I Believe” chant. It’s what fans look forward to watching us do, and it seals the win with an immense fiery passion. As an alum screams “I” at the student section, we repeat. The alum then will scream “I Believe,” which we repeat, until finally, the entire section is bouncing, clapping, and screaming “I believe that we have won.” For the final spade in the Hawk’s grave, we substituted our quintessential chant to scream, “I believe the Hawk has died.”
I’ve been to some
crazy college games. I’ve stormed the court twice, twice more than any other person usually gets to do. But never, never, had I been to an event as well-planned, as thought-out, as carried-through, and most importantly, passionate as the Funeral of the Hawk. I certainly give my kudos to the Cherry Crusade on this one.The Owls will look to make a decent run in the NCAA tournament this year and four-peat as Atlantic-10 Champions, and regardless of how far they go, they can certainly rest assuredly that they have a fan base like the Cherry and White. Some schools make signs for their players. Some schools have cheers for their players. Some schools congratulate their players on game day. I don’t know many schools that would kill the opposing team’s mascot for their players. But hey, that’s what college sports are for.
For those of you that didn't get to see the pictures from the game, enjoy. Thanks to the 700 level for the photos.
