IS LIVE CHATTING EAGLES-BEARS
Amelia Arnold glared at me, and she had hate in her eyes. Sadly, it's not the first time it looked as if a woman was about to slap me.
Here's the background: For the last few days, and ever since Villanova beat Pittsburgh, people all over the region have cooed about the Wildcats making the Final Four. On the streets, on the radio, even in this very paper, I kept hearing and reading about how students and alumni from the other city schools were pledging their support to 'Nova. They talked about how Jay Wright has made it impossible (or at least harder) to hate the Cats, and how having a Big Five school reach the tournament's final weekend is good for Philly.
It made sense to me. I went to La Salle, but I'm totally behind 'Nova.
Still, I wasn't convinced that all of the Big Five's long-standing rivalries had been suspended in favor of a temporary truce. After all, any meaningful treaty would have to be signed by the good citizens on Hawk Hill. And in case you haven't heard, they're not crazy about their foils from the Main Line.
Yesterday, I took a trip over to City Avenue and conducted an unscientific poll: Would the students there be willing to suspend their reflexive hatred of Villanova and root for the Wildcats this weekend?
That's how I met Amelia Arnold. She's a sophomore at St. Joe's. She was perfectly pleasant when I approached her outside Campion Hall. But when I asked whether she would support 'Nova against UNC, our dialogue deteriorated. She told me, quite simply, that she would "never, ever" root for the Cats.
Like an idiot, I asked why.
"It's tradition," Arnold said, as though that pretty much summed it up. I didn't press her on it. According to human resources, getting beaten up by a college girl isn't covered under The Inquirer's health plan.
This might surprise you, but Arnold's response wasn't unusual. Her reaction was fairly typical of the students I spoke to about 'Nova. Of course, it probably didn't help that I bothered most of them while they were eating lunch.
Hey. You there. Random St. Joe's student. Put down that turkey club so I can talk to you about Villanova.
Did I mention this was an unscientific poll?
"I hate 'Nova," Giacomo DiLisi said. He spit out "'Nova" the way you or I would spit out bad egg salad. DiLisi is a sophomore, and he plays soccer for the Hawks. He told me he didn't even consider rooting for the Cats. "I despise them. Sometimes they act like they're better than us. I hope they get worked by UNC."
So does Chelsea Azzari. Her anti-'Nova stance has created some friction in the Azzari house. Her dad went to Villanova, and he's been giving her a lot of heat about the St. Joe's basketball program. Whenever Azzari forgets that the Wildcats beat the Hawks by just three points earlier this season, her dad happily reminds her. She's a freshman, and she said her father wore his Villanova shirt when he helped her move on campus. That didn't go over so well.
"He busts on me all the time," Azzari added. "It makes my ears burn."
I did find a few people who said they wouldn't have a problem rooting for Villanova in the Final Four. One guy told me he thought the Wildcats had a great year and that they earned their success. Another confessed that he was hoping Villanova would win it all - but only so he could attend the inevitable parties over there. And a third student confided that he really likes Jay Wright.
When I asked the last guy for his name, he said it was Phil. But when I told him I needed his full name, and that I would probably put it in the paper, he shot me a look.
"Did I say Phil?" Not-Phil said. "I meant Griffin."
In the end, I polled 50 students. The results were about what I expected: 37 said they would root against Villanova this weekend (and probably for the rest of their lives), while 13 brave souls admitted they'd support the Cats. It was far from a definitive sample. But for most of the people I talked to on Hawk Hill, V is for Villains.
One final story: A sophomore named Katera Pellegrino wanted me to know that she's had quite enough of this Villanova business, thank you. The Wildcats are everywhere right now, and that's just not for her. She was at the Acme down the street from campus the other day when she noticed the Wildcats had their paw prints all over her local bakery.
"They had a 'Go Villanova' cake," Pellegrino said. "Can you believe that? Two minutes down the road from St. Joe's and they have a 'Go Villanova' cake. That really [ticked] me off."
Pellegrino admitted the cake looked good, though. She thought about buying it and maybe eating around the "Villanova" part. But no. She remained strong.
The Hawk never dies, and it certainly doesn't sell its soul for baked goods.
Contact columnist John Gonzalez at 215-854-2813 or gonzalez@phillynews.com.
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