By Brett Gellman and Andrew Wiseman
In this series, DCist writers tour the area’s college basketball arenas, taking in the sights and sounds of the home team, its fans, the stadium, as well as where to grab a drink and a bite to eat before and after the game. In our fourth installment, we venture out to Foggy Bottom to see the George Washington University Colonials.
Arena: GW’s Charles E. Smith Center is perhaps the best basketball venue in the District given its intimate configuration. Recently renovated and accommodating 5,000 people, there’s arguably not a bad seat in the house. Andrew and I were sitting above one of the rims, a unique perspective to watch the action. Meanwhile, the student section is not only situated behind the scorers’ table but also on the floor behind the hoop closest to the main entrance, creating a distracting view for opponents at the free throw line.
The court itself is impressive too, with dark wood graphics of the Capitol, White House, and Washington Monument.
The arena has a walkway around and above the court, so you can see the action while walking to concession stands or the restrooms, as well as trophy cases downstairs with old footballs (GW dropped the sport in 1967) and other mementos of sports history, like a small statue of GW alum Red Auerbach, an NBA Hall of Fame coach.
Atmosphere: The Colonials have had an up and down season with a big win over then #6 Virginia at the Smith Center but disappointing losses to St. Louis and DePaul, so the building was about half full against St. Joseph’s—but still fairly loud. Colonial Brass, GW’s pep band, provided a nice soundtrack during timeouts as the acoustics and small arena really helped amplify the band’s output.
The students behind the hoop were standing the entire time, some decked out in full costumes, taunting the Hawks on every possession. In previous games, those fans have dressed in themes—one time, like they were on a beach, complete with bathing suits, inflatable palm trees and surfboards—but this game they were a bit more randomly attired.
A lot of the breaks were filled by the school’s dance team (amusingly named the First Ladies) and the cheerleaders.
GW’s team is known for having a number of foreign players, and at this game we were treated to a Spanish lesson on the jumbotron from “Professor” Patricio Garino, a guard from Argentina. Other games have had lessons from Kevin Larsen of Denmark and 6’8″ Japanese forward Yuta Watanabe, plus trivia questions, dance contests, and the like.
Meanwhile, St. Joe’s mascot, the Hawk (one of the few that travels to every away game) continuously flapped his wings without stopping the entire evening. Yes, that even included halftime. Pretty impressive arm muscles on that bird.
Concessions: The Smith Center offers several concession stands offering your typical fare like popcorn and hot dogs (Andrew is a fan of the chicken tenders with waffle fries) but the recent addition of the Colonials Club gives fans a chance to schmooze with beer and wine, including some local brews from DC Brau. They also serve mimosas for weekend afternoon games. The only caveat is that all alcohol must be consumed inside the Club, but at least there are plenty of screens inside to catch the game.
Pre- and post-game spots: We met up at relaxed, no-frills Lindy’s Red Lion, a perennial pregame spot for GW fans that’s a few blocks from the Smith Center. To say space is tight would be an understatement, but the narrow upstairs corridor features table service to enjoy your burger and beer before the game, unless you choose to sit at the bar downstairs. The space is so small, they deliver food from the basement to the bar via a dumbwaiter.
We were planning to grab a postgame drink at Tonic, the Foggy Bottom branch of the former Mt. Pleasant mainstay, but given the extremely cold weather and Brett’s uncertainty if Metro will actually get him home to Silver Spring at a decent hour, we went our separate ways. Tonic is also a good spot though, with brunch, lunch, and dinner (and tots). It’s housed in the university’s former geography department building, so you’re drinking in the computer lab where Andrew had cartography class.
Tickets: GW basketball tickets start at $16, while season tickets are a steal, starting at $100. Might be a good option for an inexpensive family outing or a good fix for college hoops fans. And for big games, there are often scalpers outside with inexpensive tickets.
GW’s last home game of the season is a big one, Tuesday at 8pm against George Mason.
Previous Installments:
Howard University’s Burr Gym
UDC’s Athletic Complex
Maryland’s Xfinity Center
