Hampton on everybody's mind

by Lut Williams

All anyone had to do who thought the Hampton University contngent would not be the toast of Washington, D. C. as they were in Boise, Idaho last year was to hear the first song the pep band played before the start of Friday’s East Regional matchup with Connecticut.

 

Hampton cheerleaders shake up the house and a whole lot more during the Pirates' game Friday against UConn at Washington D. C.'s MCI Center. Carroll Smith, All Pro Photo

Once the band let out the medley of bouncin’ tunes, the fans were hooked.

That, combined with an inspired effort from the 15th-seeded Pirates against the second-seeded Huskies, won the huge crowd of 17,725 over to the Pirates’ side. After all, a rockin’ pep band, gorgeous, dancing cheerleaders and a huge underdog of a team that fought the taller Huskies for 40 minutes before succumbing 78-67, is enough to win even the hardest hearts.

America likes underdogs and the Pirates were huge underdogs again this year just as they were a year ago when they shocked the basketball world with a first round upset of Iowa State in the West Regional.

One of the reasons the Pirates are such huge crowd favorites is that they’re different. Everyone knows they’re relative unknowns in the world of big-time college basketball. But unlike Siena, UNC-Wilmington, Central Connecticut State and Winthrop., they’re a black college team with a black college band and black college cheerleaders.

The other schools rely on traditional pep bands that try to hype the crowd but end up sounding a little more lively than elevator music. Their cheerleaders form pyramids, do amazing tosses, flips and handstands.

The Pirates are a little – make that a lot – different.

“When Hampton plays a traditionally white school, it’s like a hot fudge sundae,” said MEAC TV color analyst Mark Gray. “You know the sundae ain’t the same without the fudge. And Hampton just got that kinda sweet chocolate flavor. And it wins people over.“

While those of us who cover black colleges on a regular basis are used to it, the rest of the college basketball world isn’t. That explains why they fall in love with whichever black college team makes it to the Dance. Black colleges turn it into a real dance.

And the popularity of black college sports grows by leaps and bounds everytime a Hampton or any other HBCU takes center stage.

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