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Post by vivanloshoyas on Dec 30, 2009 13:20:10 GMT -5
Seems like tomorrow's game against the Johnnies could be Barker Davis' last covering the Hoyas for the Wash. Times. As many around here, I've greatly enjoyed Barker's coverage and insights over the years (not only on the Hoyas, but also college football and golf). He will be dearly missed. Is there any way to organize a show of appreciation beyond a long string of thank yous in HT? voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/12/goodbye_to_the_times_sports_se.html#more
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MCIGuy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Anyone here? What am I supposed to update?
Posts: 9,356
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Post by MCIGuy on Dec 30, 2009 13:51:40 GMT -5
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PhillyHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,016
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Post by PhillyHoya on Dec 30, 2009 14:04:02 GMT -5
Barker, since you're probably reading this, you will be very sorely missed by thousands of Hoyas fans. DC is poorer without the Times sports department.
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EasyEd
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 7,272
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Post by EasyEd on Dec 30, 2009 14:08:39 GMT -5
Barker, you're the greatest. Thanks for your coverage of Hoya basketball. We will greatly miss you.
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DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,152
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Post by DanMcQ on Dec 30, 2009 14:19:48 GMT -5
Fortunately for Barker he at least appears to have a reasonable plan in place which puts him personally in a far better spot than most of his colleagues at the Times. I've enjoyed his writing and the fact that he's covered the program long enough to give us some great insights that other writers cannot hope to gain. While emblematic of what the internet is donig to print media in general, the loss of a second sports staff/paper in a major town cannot be seen as anything other than a great loss.
Best of luck to Barker in whatever he does next. I'm sure we'll see him at some Hoya game(s) in the future.
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Dec 30, 2009 14:20:50 GMT -5
We will miss you Barker!
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Post by jkhoya12 on Dec 30, 2009 14:41:55 GMT -5
Thanks for your expert commentary on all things Hoya Basketball Barker. You're leaps and bounds above anything any other publication has to offer in the DC metro area. You'll always be a Hoya no matter where you work/live.
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Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
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Post by Boz on Dec 30, 2009 14:43:48 GMT -5
I recommend a "Bar-Ker! Da-Vis!" chant from any and all in attendance.
Hopefully this can be done with the Hoyas comfortably ahead in the second half.
Sadly, I have to work on NYE, so I will not be able to participate in person.
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SSHoya
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
Posts: 17,967
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Post by SSHoya on Dec 30, 2009 16:11:57 GMT -5
Someone organize a "Barker Davis Appreciation Nite/Game Watch"
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lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,429
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Post by lichoya68 on Dec 30, 2009 17:45:18 GMT -5
i hope you ARE reading this barker all on this site all hoyas almost everywhere have appreciated your in depth fair excellently written i ESPECIALLY appreciate good english adn grammer.. you are like the old post writers who told it like it was with the hoyas mark asher,, wilbon.. even boswell at times YOU WILL BE SORELY MISSED. good luck to you and cant we do SOMETHING if its barkers last game come on sports informatioin lets think of something creative for newyears eve to help celebrate an excellent sports writer who just happens to also to be a HOYA if i remember correctly GO HOYAS GO BARKER THE BEST TO YOU MAN THE BEST
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hoyaalf
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
I like what your doing very much. Why squirrel hate me?
Posts: 688
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Post by hoyaalf on Dec 30, 2009 19:08:20 GMT -5
A sign of the times, NPI.
Have a Lucky New Year, BD !
I hope that you have developed other skill sets (being in recent upper-management at Merrill Lynch comes to mind.)
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DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,734
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Post by DFW HOYA on Dec 30, 2009 22:38:14 GMT -5
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lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,429
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Post by lichoya68 on Dec 30, 2009 22:41:17 GMT -5
great idea i hope any athletic dept people who are reading this HELLO OUT THERE take note and take a second to acknowledge barker at that first time out STANDING O HES A HOYA AND WAS A VERY FAIR AND GREAT BBALL REPORTER GO HOYAS GO BARKER GREAT IDEA ;D
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SirSaxa
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 747
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Post by SirSaxa on Dec 30, 2009 23:43:31 GMT -5
Barker not only had great access and good insights, he also has a unique writing style that adds a lot of fun to his Hoya Basketball articles and columns.
Thanks for all the great coverage and the "inside story" stuff Barker. Wishing you all the best in whatever you choose to do next.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Dec 30, 2009 23:57:48 GMT -5
Barker will be sorely missed for all of the reasons stated. Look forward to his swan song (in recognition of the significant loss) and hope he gets some deserved recognition for his years of work.
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Post by sleepyjackson21 on Dec 30, 2009 23:58:15 GMT -5
Thanks Barker! Really good stuff over the years. Once a Hoya always a Hoya.
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 17,655
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Post by SFHoya99 on Dec 31, 2009 1:29:52 GMT -5
Thanks for the great years, Barker! What little inside info ever came out of McDonough often came through him, and his articles were always insightful rather than just a poorly done regurgitation of cliche and AP wire stories, like so many sports articles today.
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hoyaalf
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
I like what your doing very much. Why squirrel hate me?
Posts: 688
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Post by hoyaalf on Dec 31, 2009 3:04:01 GMT -5
... like so many articles today in the Post.
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DanMcQ
Moderator
Posts: 30,152
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Post by DanMcQ on Dec 31, 2009 4:16:03 GMT -5
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MCIGuy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Anyone here? What am I supposed to update?
Posts: 9,356
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Post by MCIGuy on Dec 31, 2009 8:05:54 GMT -5
Memories. I remember back in the day on the original board I acted like I was Barker's agent as I constantly went around bringing attention and puffing up anything he wrote. I'm sure I annoyed the hell out of a lot of people with that overkill approach. But I was just so excited because I came across a writer for a local newspaper who seemed to actually report on the Hoyas as if he was covering the Washington Redskins. One of the first major articles that Barker wrote that caught my attention occurred during JT Jr's final seasons as coach. JT had gone on some now infamous rant during the post season banquet and sat down with Barker a day later to explain his frustrations with his players, himself, the game itself. Safe to say JT's banquet speech would have gone unknown to the general public if Barker had not written about it. Barker wrote an extensive piece that ran on the front page of the Washington Times. Not the 1st page of the sports section, but the front page of the actual newspaper. I remember wondering how the heck did this guy get such a revealing interview with the usually closed off John Thompson? It wasn't until years later that I learned Barker was a Georgetown grad who worked at The Hoya. That probably helped him gain some trust from Thompson. But I think just as important was that Barker was a good reporter who cared about his assignment. Guys like Ken Delinger of the WPost were understandably, at that point of their careers, far less enthused to cover a dying college program that wasn't even the most beloved college team in the area. The last interesting beat writer for the Hoyas from the Washington Post at that tiime was J.A. Adande who covered the team during Iverson's two seasons. Barker started his beat for the WTimes around that same time and with the exception of one or two years has remained the beat writer for the Hoyas. Meanwhile over at the WPost there has been at least a half dozen writers covering the team over that same timespan. With that type of longevity, those types of connections to Georgetown University and that type of passion to cover the program is it any wonder that Barker's coverage has been superior to anyone's at the bigger newspaper? I will miss those fall college previews that Barker and all the rest of the WTimes staff provided for college basketball; the coverage that the WPost, when it finally awoke, eventually copied. I will miss his features on actual Hoya players, something the Post has had little interest in. I will miss his pregame articles that actually centered on the team, not the opponents. I will miss his non-season (off season) articles about the Hoyas which we would get a few times each year (once again something the Washington Post will not do....its reporters only write Hoya articles that they are obligated to write). I will miss Barker overusing some adjectives and some corny catch phrases when describing the players. I will miss the guy that provided us with the best quotes from members of the program and provided the best insight of the program. My experience reading sports is about to feel a lot more hollow, especially when it comes to Georgetown and college basketball. Heck, I feel like I'm losing a friend. A fond farewell to the sports staff at the Washington Times. I hope they find employment elsewhere soon. Most of all a special farewell and thanks to Barker Davis who treated the Georgetown program significantly when others did not and when the program itself had temporarily fallen from significance. Good luck to you, Barker. And God bless.
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