March to the Sea: Go To Philly, For Cheese' Sake

The most important football game of the year is this weekend. Will you be there? Here are ten reasons why you should make the trip to Pennsylvania for this Saturday’s Ivy League Championship rematch between Harvard and Penn. Counting down…

No. 10: Winner takes all. The League championship is on the line as No. 17 Penn (7-1, 5-0 Ivy) battles Harvard (6-2, 5-0) for the second straight year in what should now be officially referred to as “The Game Before The Game.” Be a part of history as Harvard attempts to win its second consecutive Ivy League title and strives for back-to-back undefeated Ivy seasons for the first time in the school’s 372-year history.

No. 9: You can be on national television. ESPN’s College GameDay will be broadcasting live from Franklin Field in Philadelphia. You can be one of the drunk, screaming fans standing behind hosts Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit as they broadcast from outside of Penn’s stadium. It’s the first time ever GameDay will be broadcasting from the site of a Division I-AA game—and will likely be the last for a long time.

No. 8: Speaking of being drunk, it’s your last chance to tailgate with all of the—uh—provisions provided. There’s no such thing as a “keg ban” at Penn. So, buy your Philly cheese steaks, bring the lawn furniture and hope for nice weather as you prepare for the game in the City of Brotherly Love.

No. 7: See future-NFLers play on the main stage. Harvard’s senior wide receiver Carl Morris and junior linebacker Dante Balestracci are likely to be drafted by the National Football League. Penn wideout Rob Milanese might also be pro-quality. While they usually dominate their competition, these superstars will be especially pumped up on Saturday. Playing at Penn is the most difficult challenge on Harvard’s schedule. There could be 30,000 fans at Franklin Field on Saturday, and most will be cheering for the Quakers—unless you decide to make a difference.

No. 6: You might get a chance to hear “The Pennsylvania Polka” playing while you walk to the game. Ever see Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? The accordian-led Pennsylvania polka plays throughout the movie as Murray lives the same day over and over again in Punxsutawney, Pa. The song’s really catchy, and if I know my Pennsylvanians correctly—and I think I do—someone will surely be playing it and singing along at Penn. “Strike up the music, the band has begun. The Pennsylvania Polka!”

No. 5: After seeing Harvard’s momentous victory, stay over one more night and check out the Eagles/Cardinals game at Veterans Stadium or, even better, see Michael Jordan battle Allen Iverson as the Wizards play the 76ers. Why not make it the complete sports weekend? You might even run into Tom Glavine.

No. 4: Anything’s better than staying here this weekend. Heck, go see the men’s hockey team play at St. Lawrence or Clarkson or travel with the soon-to-be No.1 nationally ranked women’s hockey team as it plays in Minnesota. Sure, upstate New York and Minneapolis might not be the nicest places in mid-November, but compared to a Leverett House ’80s dance? (No offense, Leverett HoCo, it was a fine dance. It blinded me with science.)

No. 3: You can stop over at five other Ivy League schools, up and back! Take I-95 and make pit stops at Brown, Yale, Columbia and Princeton before arrival at Penn.

No. 2: If you don’t go, you’ll have to listen on the radio. Ugh. (By the way, that’s 95.3 FM, WHRB, 12:30 ET start.)

No. 1: The game is going to be incredible. The talent level on the field will be as high as you ever see in the Ivy League. This game should be even better than last year’s 28-21 Crimson victory. Morris at his peak, fifth-year senior quarterback Neil Rose trying to win once more as his Harvard career winds down, Penn gunning for revenge…this is the Super Bowl of the Ivy League. Calling all Harvard sports fans: you will not see a more important football game played here during your remaining tenures at Harvard.

So come see what all the fuss is about. Hitchhike, take the H-Club 2 a.m. bus, ride the train or hop in a car. Somehow, get yourselves to Penn this weekend.

—Staff writer Alexander M. Sherman can be reached at sherman@fas.harvard.edu.