Actor Rob Riggle leads way during the entertainment portion of Late Night in the Phog
The 16,000 or so fans who attended Friday’s 37th-annual Late Night in the Phog certainly approved of the guest host.
Actor Rob Riggle of “Hangover” and “Saturday Night Live” fame, among other credits, started the evening’s festivities by standing in the upper deck, northwest corner of Allen Fieldhouse, where Riglle, a 1992 KU graduate, began a short speech by saying, “Just so you know, I watched every basketball game when I was a KU student from right here.”
Riggle received high-fives and a loud ovation from the students who surrounded him in the stands.
Wearing a long-sleeve blue hooded Kansas sweatshirt, jeans and gym shoes, Riggle descended to court level, slapping five with numerous fans. Once on James Naismith Court, he reminded everybody that Kentucky would be playing KU at 5 p.m., Jan. 29 at Allen.
“When I was in college sitting right there (NW corner, upper deck), we beat Kentucky right here in this fieldhouse, 150-95,” Riggle said of the epic KU win over the Wildcats on Dec. 9, 1989.
‘’More importantly we are playing Missouri (2 p.m., Dec 11, Allen). I was here the last time we played Missouri. It’s one of the greatest games I’ve been to in the Feldhouse,” Riggle stated, referring to KU’s 87-86 overtime victory over the Tigers on Feb. 25, 2012 at Allen.
Then Riggle cracked maybe the joke of the night by saying he was told to keep the show clean so he’s “done talking about MU.”
Yet he quickly added: “Because it’s pretty hard to talk about MU without using the phrase, ‘Big pile of (bleep).’’’
The crowd erupted in applause, the students slamming together their thundersticks provided them for the evening’s show.
The KU men’s squad made its first appearance at Late Night at 7:39 p.m., walking slowly through the northwest tunnel wearing Late Night in the Phog blue T-shirts and either jeans or sweat pants.The 18 players stood with their arms draped around each other in a line as the pep band played the KU alma mater.
They then left for the locker room as emcee Riggle returned for the men’s portion of Late Night, which followed a KU women’s dance and scrimmage.
A skit played on the video board in which sixth-year super senior Mitch Lightfoot said to freshman Bobby Pettiford: “You got any Big 12 championship rings?”
“Not yet,” Pettiford said.
“It’d be a lot cooler if you did,” Lightfoot said with a smile, showing off his four league-title rings,
At that point the KU men’s team blazed through the tunnel for a group dance number.
After warming up, the Jayhawk Crimson Team beat the Blues in a 20-minute scrimmage 41-30.
Here’s the scoring from the scrimmage: Crimson: David McCormack 9, Christian Braun 8, KJ Adams 6, Joseph Yesufu 4, Dajuan Harris 7, Michael Jankovich 3, Jalen Coleman-Lands 2, Zach Clemence 2.
Blue: Ochai Agbaji 12, Jalen Wilson 5, Cam Martin 4, Mitch Lightfoot 4, Chris Teahan 3, Dillon Wilhite 2.
The night’s featured music act, Run-DMC, started its performance at 9:10 p.m., virtually everybody in the building appearing to stay for the hip-hop show. The Jayhawk players either sat on the court or stood and danced as Run-DMC played one of its hits “It’s Tricky” right at the start of the musical performance.
Also at Late Night, seventh-year KU women’s coach Brandon Schneider spoke to the crowd briefly before the women’s squad performed a dance number as a group then held a short intrasquad scrimmage.
The fieldhouse was close to full for Late Night, a spattering of seats empty in the southeast and southwest corners of the upper deck.
KU’s student section of fans filled the area behind the north goal by 5:30 p.m., an hour after doors opened.
Thundersticks were provided this year, which the students used in response to beats played by a D.J. who was situated at court level, southeast corner.
Athletes from all of KU’s sports teams were introduced to begin the Late Night show, just before 6:30 p.m.
Faces in the crowd included former Jayhawk players Sherron Collins and Patrick Richey.
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 9:49 PM with the headline "Actor Rob Riggle leads way during the entertainment portion of Late Night in the Phog."
