Appreciation for Barker

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.