Take 5: you haven't experienced college hoops until you've basked in a Big 5 game at Philly's old, sweaty and beautiful Palestra

I always get to the Palestra early, and not just because parking outside the venerable gym is scarcer than 21st century fan amenities inside. Let others arrive at tipoff. I want every available second I can get in the place. The Palestra has been the site of scores of memorable games since opening in 1927, and the collective cosmic weight of the epic battles and hysterical crowds can be felt even when the gym is empty.

The University of Pennsylvania's home court, the Palestra sits on Penn's campus in the middle of Philly's University City section, surrounded by bastions of academia and science. It is the fifth-oldest Division I arena in the nation and has hosted 50 NCAA men's tournament games. But most important is its status as headquarters to the Big 5: the City Series competition among La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, Temple and Villanova that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. You can have your 20,000-seat palaces and luxury box-filled arenas. If you want pure, sweaty college basketball, you want the Palestra when it's filled evenly with fans from both teams. Until you've seen a game like that, where every play brings equal doses of joy and misery, you haven't really experienced the sport.

A trip to the Palestra is a step into a bygone era. The place is cramped and uncomfortable. The acoustics stink. Conversations are hijacked by a cacophony of cheers and bleating pep bands, bounced off the walls and returned in forms that would baffle veteran U.N. interpreters. The Palestra's capacity is 8,722, and you're likely to wind up on a back-breaking bleacher--only 274 seats have backs.

Just about every Philadelphia college hoops fan has a Palestra memory. Some recall buying a ticket and helping a buddy sneak in one of the side doors. Others remember throwing a streamer onto the court (a practice since banned by the NCAA) to celebrate the first basket of a City Series game. Still more have a favorite rollout banner (often R-rated) disparaging an opponent.

My first Palestra experience came in December 1972, when 1 sat behind a basket in about the 10th row and saw Penn forward Ron Haigler hit a baseline jumper at the buzzer to give Penn a 54-53 win over Saint Joseph's. Since then, I have been to dozens of games, both as a fan and member of the media. Each time I am awed by the old brick palace, with its vaulted ceiling reinforced by steel girders, cathedral-style windows and giant radiators that heat the place to junglelike temperatures.

My son played a grade school JV game there last year in front of about 50 people, and the arena was just as magical to me as it was December 31 when Temple and Villanova played before a packed house. Temple was the home team, but Villanova fans were boisterous and thrilled to see their team win, 75-53. It wasn't a pretty game--emotional Big 5 contests rarely are--but there was enough energy to power a city block. Every referee's decision brought catcalls. Every basket triggered raucous cheers.

In the 1980s, when Big 5 matchups moved to campus sites, the Palestra became more mythical because those other buildings couldn't measure up. In 2002, the city's coaches and athletic directors realized their predecessors' mistake and arranged for a December tripleheader feast that included nearby Drexel. That event restored the glory days of the Big 5, brought more City Series games to the Palestra and gave us all more reasons to visit.

Nothing had changed. It was still loud and uncomfortable.

It was perfect.

Top three Big 5 rivalries

1 Saint Joseph's-Villanova. Other rivalries run hot and cold according to the teams' positions in the national hierarchy, but the "Holy War" and its old-fashioned animosity between fans has persisted through the decades.

2 Saint Joseph's-Temple. This one has been ting up for years, but last season's "goon" incident has made it a scorcher.

3 Temple-Villanova. The tough city team vs. the kids from the suburbs. Enough said.

STUFF TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

* Get there early. There is precious little parking around the Palestra, and the small city streets become gridlocked as tipoff approaches.

* Eat before the game, The hot dogs and pretzels aren't bad at the concession stands, but that's about all there is. Try the White Dog Care for a refined meal and the New Deck Tavern for a few cold ones. Penn's nearby food court offers a little of everything.

* Prepare to be jostled. They really cram 'em in for big games, and the fire marshal doesn't seem to care. You'll get to know your neighbor quite well.

* Get ready for anything. It could be an overtime thriller or a remarkable comeback. There was even a bomb scare once.

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