'Twas the Night Before Sportsmas, 2011

Sportsmas begins tomorrow! Excitement is in the air!

The First Day of Sportsmas

What: Harvard women's basketball @ New Hampshire
When: Tuesday, December 6th, 7pm, coverage begins at 6:45
Coverage: 95.3FM in the Greater Boston Area (those not in the metro area that have in their heart the true meaning of Sportsmas can log on to whrb.org to listen)


And now, here's that WHRB original classic, The Night Before Sportsmas

Twas the night before Sportsmas, and all through the school,

not a sports team was stirring, not even men's crew.

The radios were placed, on their desktops with care,

In hopes that WHRB's coverage, soon would be there.

The students were nestled, all snug in their beds,

while visions of Crimson danced in their heads.

Before going to sleep, I and my buddy,

Had just settled down for a long winters study.

When out on the Yard there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the desk to see what was the matter.

I jumped up after hearing the noise coming at us,

Hoping it was the hockey team returning from practice.

Away to the window I flew like a dart,

Pushing aside Harvard pennants and art.

The moon reflecting in the dead of winter

Made the yard glow like inside the Bright Center,

When, what by my wondering eyes should be caught,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny mascots,

With a little old driver, a jolly good charmer,

I knew in a moment it must be John Harvard.

More rapid than track stars his mascots they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Tiger! Now, Bulldog! Now, Big Green and Lion!

On, Quaker! On Brown Bear! On, Big Red and Crimson!

To the end of the ice! to the end of the court!

Now play away! play away! play each in sport!

As a point guard jumps up for a rim shattering slam,

Or a goaltender who gets his team out of a jam

So up to the dorm-top the mascots they flew,

With the sleigh full of radios, and John Harvard too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard 'bove the roofbeam,

The skating and dribbling of each Ivy League team,

As I put on my Crimson hat, and was turning around,

Down the chimney John Harvard came with a bound.

He was really quite large, a great big old mass,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ice shavings and grass;

A bundle of radios he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- pure Crimson! his dimples how small!

His cheeks were like pucks, his nose like a ball!

His droll little mouth had a smile a bit loony,

And the beard of his chin was as white as home unis,

The stump of a pipe he held was immense,

And the smoke it encircled his head like good defense,

He was in a great mood, not at all mopey,

Because in his bag sat an Ivy league Trophy,

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old man,

And it seemed his entrance was all part of his plan;

A wink and a point to his championship rings

Soon let me know that he could do great things.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And tuned all the radios, then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to the teams gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Happy Sportsmas to all, and to all a good-night!"