View My Seats

At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

Photo Credit for Header: Alex Foucre-Stimes

NYC’s College Basketball Team?

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Here are a few quick views from tonight’s St. John’s/UConn Big East basketball tilt in Madison Square Garden.

Seems like the Garden filled up nice and early for the game, although it looked like the upper level “blue” seats remained unoccupied for the duration. Crowd sounded sluggish at the start perhaps due to the fact that they were not quite sure who they were supposed to root for.  St. John’s hasn’t been relevant for a few years now so many New Yorkers have perhaps switched their allegiance to other NY teams like Syracuse and maybe even Fordham. (I kid! I kid!)

This year could be different as the Red Storm are poised to make a run at the NCAA tournament. This game vs UConn could prove to be crucial in determining St. John’s March Madness chances.

views from MSG courtesy of @VeganCapitalist and @its_twon

An Interview With a Tree

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Ben Cortes is living a double life.  By day, Ben is an unassuming Stanford University senior who enjoys international travel and playing the drums. But at night, he likes to dress up. As a tree. That’s right, Ben Cortes is the Stanford Band mascot. A few weeks back, Viewmyseats was fortunate enough to ask The Tree a few questions. What follows is not official Stanford University dogma.  Our “fireside chat” is meant only to show sports fans around the country that mascots are real people too.

view of Maples Pavilion courtesy of @zoedunning

VMS: You did a lot of crazy stuff to earn the right to be the Stanford Tree. Tell us, how many other jobs would you be willing to draw blood for?

Tree: Any job that pays. Cash rules everything around us, right? But I’d prefer something that also entails a steady stream of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.

VMS: Does your view from the game allow you to enjoy the action on the field/court or are you too busy shooting t shirts from a cannon?

Tree: I’m actually in a primo position to watch the games. One member of my protection detail (T.P.S. – Tree Protection Service) caught an overthrown football when we played U.S.C. And the Stanford administration doesn’t even trust me with a beer when I’ve got the costume on – they’d never let me anywhere near a cannon.

VMS: The Stanford football team is preparing to play Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl on January 3rd. Tell us, what’s your strategy heading into the big game?

Tree: My conditioning mostly consists of tanning beds and watching Scarface on repeat. For game day, I’m going to upgrade the costume with something that should bring the best of Bay Area culture to Miami. I have no idea what the team’s strategy is going to be.

VMS: What advice would you give to high school students who one day aspire to become a college mascot?

Tree: Study hard and get used to sweating. And you’d better like kids, because they’ll freaking love you.

VMS: More intimidating Pac-10 mascot: Puddles the Oregon Duck or Traveler the USC Horse?

Tree: Well I hate both of those creatures so damn much, I’ll have to rephrase the comparison in the negative: Puddles is such an astoundingly unassuming opponent that he somehow manages to be less intimidating than Traveler, a mascot so stupid that it still walks on four legs and poops in public.

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Thanks again to Ben for being such a willing participant. Good luck to Stanford in the Orange Bowl. Hopefully The Tree won’t get lost in all the debauchery on South Beach. Remember, Tony Montana is NOT a real person.

View of the Day: Gampel Pavilion

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Why can’t UNH basketball be more like UConn? Are the demographics between these two New England states all that different that one university system can support a perennial national championship contending DI basketball program while the other struggles to remain competitive in the America East Conference? Does it come down to interest? UNH is a hockey school with a basketball problem whereas UConn has used the basketball program(s) to help their football team emerge as this year’s Big East favorite for a BCS bowl bid.

I may live in Connecticut but I grew up in New Hampshire and can tell you that I would love to see the Wildcat basketball program become a regional power. For tonight however, please Huskies take mercy on our Granite State souls! Share your views.