Barker Does It Again

Barker Davis's writing about the Hoyas has been fantastic this year. I am constantly impressed by his insight. In today's Washington Times he turns his attention to an aspect of the Hoyas' success that has hitherto gone unexamined.

This key component of the Georgetown team has worked hard all year. He's endured abuse from opposing clubs and even our own fans (including the knuckleheads who sit behind me). But he's been training hard. It shows in his performance. He's making strides and it's making us a more formidable competitor. Of course, I'm talking about our male cheerleader.

Calling men of good cheer
By Barker Davis
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
March 14, 2007

They are the tape-wristed polyester warriors of the college sports world.

A dominating presence along the baseline or behind the bench, they take over timeouts with a daunting combination of megaphone-wielding zeal and compulsive hand clapping.

They are the men at the bottom of the on-court pyramid and the off-court machometer. Meet the male cheerleader -- easily abused, often misunderstood, always spirited.

"We're that guy on the court doing that thing that's a little bit out there that not everybody wants to do," said Georgetown freshman cheerleader Eric Cusimano at last week's Big East tournament. "I think the best kind of cheerleader would be a guy kind of like Will Farrell, somebody who's not going to take himself too seriously and just wants to have fun with it."

Now that I know that his inspiration is Will Farrell it all makes more sense. I knew that the awkward way he runs out on to the Verizon Center floor with that huge flag, waving it frantically and occassionally hitting an opponent (as well as a Hoya or two) with its billowing furls, couldn't be serious. I get it. It's supposed to be comical.