Wake up the echoes

NEW YORK - Greetings from Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at Columbia's Baker Field Athletics Complex.

Yeah, that's right. It's not the most distinctive stadium ever, but it surely has the longest name.

The facility is as far north in Manhattan as you can get, at 218th Street and Broadway. It's a long way from anywhere in the borough. But the reward for making the trip is a great view of the the confluence of the Harlem and Hudson Rivers, which you can see at left. It's even nicer on a day like this, when the leaves are just starting to turn.

I'm here to cover the Penn-Columbia football game. But like you, I'm watching the other big games today as well.

Which brings me to New York's primary football team, Notre Dame. You might not think that the Lions and Fighting Irish have much in common, and you'd be right. Unlike some other teams in the Ivy League, Columbia and Notre Dame have never met in football.

But their fight songs share a few lyrics, including that most famous of exhortations: "Wake up the echoes."

That's what Columbia is trying to do this afternoon. As I wrote yesterday, it's been 13 years since the Lions beat Penn. This year might present their best chance yet, with seniors in key positions on both sides of the football.

In addition to this game, we can also talk about Penn State, Texas-Oklahoma, and whatever else is on your mind. Have at it.