The Harvard Men’s Basketball team is traveling to Italy in mid-August for some summer competition.  The Crimson will be playing in Rome, Pisa and Venice.  There is a fan package being offered that also includes opportunities to sightsee between games in Florence and Lake Como.

As the saying goes, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”  So, Harvard players and fans alike should come prepared to wholeheartedly embrace the Italian culture. The Crimson players should not have any trouble carbo-loading before game days. And, instead of filling the typical Gatorade sport bottles on the Harvard bench with water, why not drink Chianti, the traditional red wine of Tuscany?

While basketball sneakers are practical, they are not fashionable across the Atlantic.  Perhaps players and spectators should exchange them in their suitcases for Superga sneakers, the multi-colored Italian brand of shoes that is ubiquitous across Europe.

With a little bit of luck from a coin tossed into the Trevi Fountain, we should expect great success for Harvard this summer. And, hopefully, the team will return with ample photographs of various players “holding up” the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  That is the only reason people go there, right?