I thoroughly enjoyed Philip Consuegra’s article about the Wachovia Center debacle. As the promotions announcer of the basketball team, I know the difference between a Pro-Nova audience and a hostile environment. The Wachovia center game versus the Syracuse Orange was a hostile situation where our players did not have a chance at a comeback victory due to the lack of Villanova fans in their corner. At best, Syracuse outnumbered Villanova fans, sixty percent to forty percent. This arena is not OUR house! The Pavilion is our house! The ushers treat the fans with respect. They know when to move out of the way when three thousand people stampede toward them at the end of an exciting game and they are just plain nice. To find an example of this at work, look no further than the Villanova/Pitt game this past Sunday. The Wildcats were down by ten or more throughout the first half. I firmly believe that our players deserve a great deal of credit for the win; however, the fans were instrumental in cheering the Cats to victory. Why doesn’t the athletic department look for a more creative way to make the Pavilion work? We need not abandon the Pavilion for an arena thirty minutes away, when we have one on campus. We can add seats to the current arena and give the students some respect by surrounding the court with five rows of students. That is the Villanova I love! That is the Villanova I hope we can become again.

Sincerely,Brian Lamsback