The Crimson has had trouble restraining a daunting foe named Archibong (Yale's Ime Archibong helped his team beat the Crimson with 19 points), but has also effectively shut down a player who is good friends with a bong (a certain Dartmouth player, who shall remain nameless, seemed to be struggling to overcome an apparently wicked buzz).

But perhaps the most sensationally odd occurrence of this New Year has been the refutation of an age-old basketball myth. Hold on to your seats, ladies and gentlemen, because as it turns out … White Men Can Jump.

That's right, folks, you missed quite a sight this past weekend. Crimson guard and Ohio native Brady Merchant threw one down with authority in the overtime period of Harvard's loss to Yale on Friday. Not to be outdone by his Quincy House roommate, Crimson forward Sam Winter, who grew up on the prairies of Kansas, belittled the Brown frontcourt the very next day with his impressive dunk and subsequent tongue-brandishing celebration.

It goes without saying that both acts of athleticism were instant crowd pleasers. However, the audience at Lavietes Pavilion should not have been so quick to cheer. You see, similar to other conventional phrases of impossibility like "When Hell Freezes Over" or "When Pigs Fly", the more trendy "When Two Midwestern Harvard Basketball Players Dunk" was thought to be one of life's unattainable constants, not to mention a sure sign of the Apocalypse.

After the dunks this weekend, it now seems that anything is possible. Peace in the Middle East, the Red Sox winning the World Series, The Harvard Crimson landing an interview with out-going Athletic Director Bill Cleary '56, appetizing dining hall food, intelligent life at Yale.

Well, maybe the last one is too much of a stretch, but you get my general point. Seriously though, what's next? A Canadian on the basketball team? Oh wait, nevermind. Sorry, Onnie. My bad.

Despite all of these weird and uncanny events in the first few games of this new millenium though, something interesting and positive should be pointed out. Permit me to be serious for a minute.