Dec. 21, 2007
10. The advent of holiday hoops in the Thrillerdome. A trifecta of terrific yuletide hoops: Tech-Centenary at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by Tennessee Tech Thursday night, then Florida State in next Sunday’s ACC opener.
9. A chance to savor Tech’s first homecourt victory in just its third game all season at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. After an opening-night upset loss to UNC-Greensboro on Nov. 9, the Jackets finally returned home Tuesday after a 39-day absence and nearly upset unbeaten, No. 3 Kansas before succumbing 71-66.
8. There are no endless gift-wrapping lines at all in the Coliseum. No Santa’s lap to sit on, either.
7. A chance to see Tech get a third straight win over one of the best-nicknamed teams in the country. “And now, the starting lineup for the Centenary Gentlemen…” Hey, “The Chief,” the great Celtic Robert Parrish, was once a Centenary Gentleman. Now just imagine if the schools ever played a men’s-women’s doubleheader, Tech facing the absolutely coolest co-ed nicknames in college sports: your Centenary Ladies and Gentlemen.
6. Every Tech home game is sold out this season, but some “single” tickets will go on sale at Coliseum gates Saturday at 12:30. This holiday reminder: Bring cash.
5. Alexander Memorial’s within walking distance of Atlantic Station, where you can shop ’til you drop lots of last-minute Christmas cash, then take an Ikea break and walk to the Coliseum for some holiday hoops…and maybe even a Varsity chili dog and F.O.
4. Once you’ve ridden the Pig Pig at Lenox Square, you can ride MARTA to the Midtown station and walk across 10th Street to watch what Bobby Cremins and the rest of us native New Yorkers call The City Game.
3. Enjoy Lewis Clinch, who’s scored in double digits in Tech’s last eight games and has averaged 19.3 points in the last four, as he tries to lead the Jackets to a third straight win over Centenary.
2. No one on either team was cited in the Mitchell Report.
1. And, with all due apologies to the dulcet tones of Wes Durham, the No. 1 reason to go to Alexander Memorial Coliseum Saturday to watch the Tech-Centenary game: It’s not televised.
