2008 Woodie Awards
Penn's Palestra: Truly one of a kind
Michael S. Miller Jr.
Issue date: 12/7/04 Section: Athletics
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As sports fans remain shocked at the debacle that was the brawl in Detroit last month, attention should be diverted to what really makes basketball great. It is no surprise that an Eagles team that has wrapped up the NFC East before darkening the doorway of December may have some fans distracted. But we sometimes need to stop and realize how great college basketball is in this town. The Big Five held its annual Big Five Classic at the historic Palestra on Saturday with a tripleheader. Temple topped Villanova 53-52, Penn beat LaSalle 78-67, and Drexel surprised Saint Joe's 57-49. The loss is the Hawks' fi rst loss against a city team since 2002. St. Joe's Coach Phil Martelli looks like he has a long way to go before reaching the pinnacle that was last year's team. The Philadelphia Big Five is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Those 50 years are packed with some of the best moments in college basketball history. The Palestra is known as one of the best places in the country to watch a college basketball game. Forget Cameron Indoor, the Palestra is the best place to watch a game. "The Palestra is like having warm maple syrup poured all over you. It's got a charisma that you just don't find anywhere else in the country today," said former Quaker coach, Chuck Daly in one of the many quotes on the wall in the Palestra's concourse. No gym belongs to the rich basketball tradition of a city like the Palestra belongs to Philadelphia.
Nowhere else in the country can a visiting team walk to an away game like Drexel does every year. Once a season, the Dragons, now led by ex- Saint Joseph's star Bruiser Flint, walk down 33rd street to the historic building. In 2000, Steve Bilsky, University of Pennsylvania's athletic director, decided that the then 75- year old building needed renovation. He built Palestra 2000, the museum in the main concourse. Bilsky raised $2 million and spent more than six months researching the names and photos. "I though that rather than simply make the repairs, we could create an atmosphere that would capture the history of Philadelphia basketball just as Cooperstown had done for baseball," it says on the museum's main piece. "The history is what attracts people. It's the fi rst building that all five teams play in," said Beth Devine, Associate Director of the big Five.
Nowhere else in the country can a visiting team walk to an away game like Drexel does every year. Once a season, the Dragons, now led by ex- Saint Joseph's star Bruiser Flint, walk down 33rd street to the historic building. In 2000, Steve Bilsky, University of Pennsylvania's athletic director, decided that the then 75- year old building needed renovation. He built Palestra 2000, the museum in the main concourse. Bilsky raised $2 million and spent more than six months researching the names and photos. "I though that rather than simply make the repairs, we could create an atmosphere that would capture the history of Philadelphia basketball just as Cooperstown had done for baseball," it says on the museum's main piece. "The history is what attracts people. It's the fi rst building that all five teams play in," said Beth Devine, Associate Director of the big Five.
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