If you asked me to describe this past Wednesday’s game against St. John’s in one word, I would probably say “Sleepover.” Most likely, you would then ask me what the heck I was talking about, so let me elucidate here.

Think way back to those sleepover parties you used to go to when you were in junior high. Do you remember what happened? Usually, you’d have some food (hopefully with cake afterwards), you’d play some silly games, you’d hang around and watch a movie you’ve seen a million times, and then you’d stay up late chit chatting about personal things. That is basically what happened a few days ago at the Verizon Center.

The Food

Of the 16 home games that Georgetown plays this season, a vast majority of them have been at mealtime. Seven games were scheduled for either noon or 1:00pm, prime time for lunching. And for the night games, there were five games that had their tipoff at 7:00 or 7:30 – dinnertime. What this means is, fans who attend the games have a hard time getting their food on. If you try to eat before the game, you’re going have to do it quick and that means super long lines at Chipotle. If you try to eat after, you’re gonna be pretty hungry by the final buzzer and then you’ll probably get into that long line at Chipotle too hungry to wait until you get home. And don’t even think about eating during the game.

But the game against St. John’s was scheduled for 9:00 PM. A 9:00 PM start gives everybody a chance to eat their dinner wherever they want and still be able to get to the game before the players. I, for one, went to Clyde’s. It took a long time to wait for a table, eat dinner (unfortunately, without cake afterwards), and then pay and leave. But I still got into the Verizon Center with plenty of time to spare. I probably should have waited in that long line at Chipotle and gotten a burrito for dessert.

The Silly Games

For some reason, the marketing people at Georgetown thought that it would be a good idea to have a costume contest during the game and the winner would get a ticket to the Big East Tournament. I still haven’t quite figured out what costumes and Georgetown Basketball have in common, but I’m sure this guy can clue me in.

Anyway, the costume idea turned out better than I expected because instead of it being a popularity contest where the contestants parade through midcourt with the ticket going to whoever earns the most cheers, it was more like a game of The Price Is Right. There were several mini contests and the winners advanced to the Hoya version of the Showcase Showdown, where it became, um, a popularity contest where the contestants parade through midcourt with the ticket going to whoever earns the most cheers.

But seeing a guy dressed like Tigger trying to put on a Georgetown uniform, I couldn’t help but think of those silly games you might play at a slumber party where you make up the rules as you go along, and it doesn’t really matter who wins. And it was good that Steve Alleva was the MC instead of the usual guy because frankly, I’d want Steve at my sleepover and I’m not sold on that other guy.

The Movie

And then there was the game itself. Much like the movies you’d see at a sleepover, this was a game where fans could tell you how it was going to end just from the title: Georgetown vs. St. John’s. Based on the rout from last time, people knew what to expect. It wasn’t going to be as easy as that game, but it also wouldn’t be as exciting.

So what do you get? A mildly entertaining game with lots of sleepy people only half watching the action but keeping themselves amused with each other’s company. Replace “game” with “movie” and you’ll see why I decided to write this article. The fans were unusually jovial at the late night contest, and it seemed that every little thing got people laughing – a common symptom of staying up past your bedtime. There was just a different atmosphere at the game and it seemed a lot more lighthearted than for most Big East contests.

And then there was the other things happening at the game that would have fit in perfectly in a teen movie. The story of the young college student who after years of wishing to be a sports commentator wins the opportunity of a lifetime, calling a game on ESPN. The story of the struggling dance team who after weeks of absence finally make their triumphant return to the spotlight. The story of the hapless blogger who can’t seem to get his computer working.

The Chit Chat

And like any good sleepover, it ended with a lot of personal questions with silly responses. In the postgame press conference, St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts talked first, but he was extraordinarily quick, staying for less than three minutes. Perhaps he was a little tired.

Then Coach Thompson spoke for a while about the team’s performance, until (and I guess I have to admit, that I was the first one starting the chit-chat) I asked him about teasing his players about his high school beating up on theirs.

Then when the players came in, it seemed like all of the questions were about DaJuan’s missed dunks. I thought I’d let everyone have a sneak peek of what was said. (I’m going to be editing and paraphrasing a bit):

 

Camille Powell: “Early in the game you had those two missed two dunks. How do you sort of respond to that?”

DaJuan Summers: “It just happens sometimes, you know? …”

Barker Davis: “Do you get any ribbing from your teammates in a situation like that?”

DaJuan Summers: “No, most of us don’t do that to each other. In practice, I don’t usually miss dunks.”

Roy Hibbert: “He makes everything. And some people have to get out of the way sometimes.”

DaJuan Summers: “Thanks Roy.”

Dedrick Love: “When that ball hit the rim, and you knew it didn’t go in, what went through your mind at that moment? This is a big crowd.”

DaJuan Summers: “‘I should have made it.’ I don’t know. ‘How did I miss it?’”

Bill Shapland: “You can admit DaJuan. You went, ‘DAMN!’”

DaJuan Summers: “Can I say that?”

Bill Shapland: “We’re all adults here.”

 

And with that – the man responsible for helping the players interact with the media in a professional manner having what could be called, ‘an unprofessional comment’ – I think a lot of us agreed it was time for bed.