Jimmy Fallon ribs Villanova's light pole-greasing cops after NCAA championship win

Villanova greased up its utility poles in preparation for the Wildcats' second NCAA championship victory on Monday, and while those efforts may not have worked to keep folks from climbing the fixtures, they did work as opening monologue fodder for Jimmy Fallon this week.

"Villanova really played great. They beat Michigan 79 to 62," Fallon said to kick off Tuesday's episode. "I'm not saying Villanova was cocky, but at halftime, all five starters left for the NBA."

The host then discussed police attempts to grease the utility poles around Villanova hoping to discourage revelers from climbing them, much like Philadelphia police did in the city following the Eagles' NFC championship and Super Bowl wins earlier this year. Fallon, for his part, was surprised at who was responsible for the job.

"It's interesting. I didn't realize that police officers were the ones to have to do that," he said, following up his surprise with a few made-up quotes from the cop who he imagined had to grease the poles.

"I grease the poles. The light poles. I grease the poles real good," he said as a pole-greasing cop. "I grease the poles. With Crisco, butter, oil…Whatever can lubricate a pole. I'm a pole luber. I lube the poles."

This is not Fallon's first Villanova run-in. In 2016, Fallon famously brought "Piccolo Girl" Roxanne Chalifoux on to sit with the Roots. A 2016 Fallon SNL cameo also became a meme to celebrate Villanova's 2018 win.

Philly cops used Crisco following the Eagles' NFC championship win, and when that didn't work, they stepped the lube game up to a hydraulic fluid, which also didn't work. As Radnor Police Lt. Chris Flanagan told the Inquirer this week, what Villanova authorities lubed up with is something of a mystery.

"I don't know what they're using, but some poor guy from Villanova has to smear it all over the place" Flanagan said ahead of Villanova's victory on Monday. "We just don't want anybody falling, that's the biggest problem."

However, as Villanova fans took to the streets after the Wildcats' victory, it became apparent whatever the cops use to grease up wasn't working, just like in Philly, Time reports. Several people were spotted scaling light poles and sitting on top of traffic signals.

According to the Associated Press, area police reported two arrests in the wake of Monday's celebration. Classes at Villanova were canceled on Tuesday.