I've been saying this for years, but it seems even more pertinent this year. Maybe it's because the football team has taken a record number of gut shots through just six games. Maybe it's because the Cougar hoopsters' 2009-10 attendance dropped within 150 of an all-time low. Maybe I was hoping that a new coach could make some changes.
So I'll ask it at least one more time - why doesn't the Houston basketball program celebrate the beautiful holiday known to so many college basketball fans as Midnight Madness?
Across the country, on the first day that NCAA regulations allow coaches to practice with their team, schools invite their students out at midnight, and celebrate the kickoff of basketball season with scrimmages, dunk contests, half-court shooting contests, and giveaways for those in attendance. The exact method varies from school to school, but it's a fun way to introduce the fan base to their team, and get people excited for the upcoming season. Even Rice is running out a similar concept, with a "Hooting Hoops" showcase in a couple of weeks.
Houston continues to abstain. This is a program with an unbelievable history. This is a school with a recently reinvigorated fan base, desperately looking for something to cheer for. Besides a little apathy, what do you have to lose? I challenge anybody to come up with one legitimate reason why this shouldn't happen.