Usually this level of BC hatred is reserved for the Hartford Courant or our scorned Big East football frenemies. But Projo College Hoops writer Jim Donaldson will not be denied. He wants a piece of the action, taking exception to the fact that the Eagles won't be renewing its series on the hardwood with Harvard:
"Although the games have, of course, been played at Chestnut Hill -- heaven forbid the high-falutin', ACC Eagles travel all the way across the Charles River to take on their Ivy League rivals in Cambridge -- Harvard has beaten BC three years running.
So now -- Cluck, cluck! -- the erstwhile Eagles have turned chicken and, ahem, can't seem to find room, ahem, on their early-season schedule to take on the Crimson."
Donaldson further takes BC to task for suspending the annual BC-Holy Cross series, saying that the school "should be ashamed of itself for not restoring Holy Cross to the schedule, and now for dropping Harvard."
As you'll remember, GDF suspended the series in 2006, who, along with Skinner, cited a "no-win situation" in playing the Cross. By no-win situation, they meant non-competitive basketball (BC was 14-1 in the last 15) and putting players at risk of serious injury (which is exactly what happened to BC star forward Uka Agbai in 2002).
Now I get why Holy Cross alumni were a little upset at the school for suspending a basketball series that had been played every year from 1945-2006. That's quite a bit of history between two similar schools located just 45 miles apart.
But when did it become Harvard's god given right to play BC annually on the hardwood? The Eagles play a number of local, New England college basketball programs on a semi-regular basis. None of those series have much sense of permanency, with the exception of BC's series with Holy Cross (110 games), Providence (105 games) and the Commonwealth Classic with UMass (44 games). Where is the outcry from Terrier hoops fans over the fact that that Boston University isn't on BC's schedule every year? BU has played BC in more games all-time (55) than Harvard (43), after all. I suppose Harvard is a more "natural, local rival" than Boston U.
Finally, if you are going to rip BC in your column, you might want to do a little homework first (either that, or check your verb tense). Boston College and Holy Cross have, in fact, renewed their hardwood series as announced over a year ago. Slight oversight there.
Maybe this is just Donaldson's attempt at rekindling a BC-PC hardwood rivalry. Maybe Providence just misses BC ("you complete me?"), seeing as the Friars have been largely non-competitive in the Big East since we left.
HT: smartybarrett