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Post by 98hoya on Dec 29, 2010 10:52:45 GMT -5
Is there ANY word out of McDonough as to what's happening with our staff, our recruiting, our 2011 schedule?
It's honestly like the Athletic Department is intentionally hostile toward the few of us who count ourselves of supporters of the program and want information.
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Post by ahoyadad on Dec 29, 2010 11:28:19 GMT -5
crickets.........
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Post by hoyaparents on Dec 29, 2010 15:05:37 GMT -5
Communication, or lack thereof, has always been an issue.
There has been no effort to attract interest from alums, no fundraising, and no information with respect to facilities.
For those of us who want to see the football program succeed, it is difficult to stay interested.
It's like a patient on life support, still breathing, but little hope for a meaningful recovery.
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Post by 3706R on Dec 30, 2010 12:21:57 GMT -5
Maybe the Sports Information Director can shed some light on the offseason developments? His name is Ryan Sakamoto and his contact is posted on the GU website www.guhoyas.com/staffdir/gu-staffdir.htmlRyan Sakamoto has been with the Georgetown University sports information office since December 2007. He serves as the primary contact for football, field hockey, swimming and diving, softball and both the rowing and crew squads. The Easton, Pa. native took his current role in the sports information office after spending a year as an Account Executive with CBS Radio in Baltimore, Md. and as a Sports Correspondent with the Frederick News-Post in Frederick, Md. Prior to his work with CBS Radio and the News-Post, Sakamoto spent four years in Minor League Baseball, serving as the Director of Public Relations with the Frederick Keys, class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles from 2004-06. Sakamoto also worked as the Public Relations Assistant and marketing intern for the Bowie Baysox, class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles from 2003-04. Sakamoto graduated from the University of Maryland - College Park in 2004. He earned his bachelor of arts in communication studies with a concentration in government and politics. |
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derhoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 584
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Post by derhoya on Dec 30, 2010 12:50:32 GMT -5
Never seen that guy before, which I guess meshes with the lack of any substantive news RE fball
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Post by ahoyadad on Dec 30, 2010 13:19:11 GMT -5
Never seen that guy before, which I guess messes with the lack of any substantive news RE fball I attended every game this year and do not recall seeing him at any of them.....he could have been there as I was not looking for him but certainly not a familair face in the crowd and our "crowds" weren't so big...... |
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DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,753
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Post by DFW HOYA on Dec 30, 2010 15:02:44 GMT -5
As Ryan is working in the press "box" at MSF, he's not altogether visible at games, but this isn't altogether his fault.
Even in the Internet age, Sports Information is primarily focused with the working press, of which there is next to none for Georgetown....but therein lies the paradox about publicity. If the Post, AP, Channel 9 et al. aren't asking about it, does GU have a need to talk about it? If no one asks if Kelly has a long term deal, a one year deal, no deal, is working month to month, whatever, does Sports Information have to say so? If the coaches aren't releasing the schedule, does Sports Information have to extract it from them if no one is asking for it?
The culture across Georgetown tends to view communications on a "need to know" basis, even in Healy, which makes it difficult for Sports Information not to get ahead of itself. Sports Promotions would would be valuable in some of these regards, but it's devoted almost exclusively to basketball.
It's a function of the press (and I can also include the HOYA, Voice, and WGTB in this) to ask questions and request information; otherwise, it won't get answered. Example from last year: No one in the press asked what happened to three assistant coaches that dropped off the roster last year, when they left, why, etc., so it was not released as "news", even though some of us would certainly be interested in it.
I can tell you Frank Colaprete left for a job at Johns Hopkins because Hopkins said so, but not because Georgetown did. I can say Princeton announced a four year deal to play Georgetown beginning in 2013 because Princeton said so, not Georgetown. But how many in the press are asking in the first place?
Note: I don't consider HoyaSaxa.com the "working press" inasmuch as it is a news aggregator and not a news source.
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eb59
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 152
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Post by eb59 on Dec 30, 2010 21:13:39 GMT -5
I thnk that I have asked this before on at least a dozen occassions, but since I've never been pleased with the response....I will ask again!
Why can the GridIron Club not have some proactive invovlement in the communication of details and plans for the program out to what are it's real main focus (alumni, donators and people who care about the program)?
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Post by hoyaparents on Dec 31, 2010 12:55:09 GMT -5
eb59, The Gridiron Club is a dysfunctional organization, without a mission or effective leadership.
You're right, it should be the vehicle that shapes alumni support, and be our source of reliable and accurate information.
The Gridiron Club should declare its independence from being under the thumb of the Athletic Department and Hoyas Unlimited. The Club should be directed by the alumni and friends of the football program, as opposed to being a tool of the athletic department.
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Post by 98hoya on Jan 1, 2011 14:44:20 GMT -5
This conversation is now playing out for its 5th year in a row. For example, Hoyaparents, on 11/10/09, you posted the following:
"A number of alumni, parents and friends have been discussing forming a new organization, separate and apart from university, Hoyas Unlimited and the Gridiron Club, to take the lead in reconnecting with the 1,200 football alumni, and building a "football culture" at Georgetown.
Will keep you posted."
Later that day, I responded:
"I look forward to this new organization. This is the first I've heard of it, but please let us know when you get it off the ground. In the past, plenty of people have talked big and done nothing except vent, so it'll be great to have you take the bull by the horns. "
Any updates? Let's end the cycle and make it our collective new year's resolution (or one of them) to actually do something. HoyaParents, if you're still in the lead, I'll happily contribute what I can financially. EB? You've posted similar thoughts. If you guys lead, I'll give what I can and I bet other people will pledge to as well.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Jan 1, 2011 21:01:27 GMT -5
eb59, The Gridiron Club is a dysfunctional organization, without a mission or effective leadership. You're right, it should be the vehicle that shapes alumni support, and be our source of reliable and accurate information. The Gridiron Club should declare its independence from being under the thumb of the Athletic Department and Hoyas Unlimited. The Club should be directed by the alumni and friends of the football program, as opposed to being a tool of the athletic department. While I do not doubt that there may be benefits to that, it is probably not kosher under the NCAA regs. Around spring 2004, some basketball fans discussed the possibility of raising money in a separate escrow or some similar arrangement to force GU into raising money officially for basketball facilities etc., and it hit a wall. I mean no offense by this, but news often is a supply/demand thing. Journalists decide whether there is interest in a particular story (i.e. coaching changes), and then allocate ink accordingly. Right now, there is not interest among Post readership, for example, to even make the idea of covering our coaching staff serious. Fixing football is not a matter of hiring new coaches IMO. It will require a sustained commitment from Healy and AD Reed on scholarships, finishing MSF, staff salaries/selection, and all of the other underpinnings that turn a football program into something. The 2004 basketball changes are one thing - easy to turn around a basketball program (especially when lightning strikes again), but you can't play a football game with 5 guys and without a serious ability to offer scholarships. Football is a victim of the "less is more" risk-taking that has limited our programs. You can compete with less in some of these sports and get away with it every now and again. So, we give it a try in football - limited interest in scholarship fundraising (when it could be integrated into a capital campaign), limited interest in finishing the MSF (when it could be integrated into a capital campaign), and down the line. It does not take rocket science to figure out why we have lost folks to Delaware and George Mason. And it is hard to expect better fundraising, when, according to our GUHoyas staff directory, the Senior Director of the Annual Fund is also running Hoyas Unlimited. My $.02. |
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derhoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 584
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Post by derhoya on Jan 2, 2011 6:57:10 GMT -5
Is there ANY word out of McDonough as to what's happening with our staff, our recruiting, our 2011 schedule? It's honestly like the Athletic Department is intentionally hostile toward the few of us who count ourselves of supporters of the program and want information. Spoke with one of the coaches - they've been given a year extension. this is a done deal with papers signed. now they're focusing on recruiting. from the sounds of it, they're aiming to expand the depth of each line and replace some key starters lost to graduation. no word on current results. the next couple weeks are the most important with a majority of the targeted prospects visiting Gtown. I'm sure a number will be at the WVU game |
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Post by ahoyadad on Jan 2, 2011 9:40:28 GMT -5
thanks for the coaching update.
Am I the only one that dislikes 1 year extensions?
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eb59
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 152
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Post by eb59 on Jan 2, 2011 13:54:55 GMT -5
Did he say anything about MSF?
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HoyaNyr320
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,233
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Post by HoyaNyr320 on Jan 2, 2011 18:00:08 GMT -5
Did he say anything about MSF? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the current state of the MSF was also given a 1 year extension.  |
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derhoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 584
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Post by derhoya on Jan 3, 2011 12:02:22 GMT -5
Did he say anything about MSF? No word on it. |
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theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506 
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Post by theexorcist on Jan 3, 2011 12:24:58 GMT -5
As Ryan is working in the press "box" at MSF, he's not altogether visible at games, but this isn't altogether his fault. Even in the Internet age, Sports Information is primarily focused with the working press, of which there is next to none for Georgetown....but therein lies the paradox about publicity. If the Post, AP, Channel 9 et al. aren't asking about it, does GU have a need to talk about it? If no one asks if Kelly has a long term deal, a one year deal, no deal, is working month to month, whatever, does Sports Information have to say so? If the coaches aren't releasing the schedule, does Sports Information have to extract it from them if no one is asking for it? The culture across Georgetown tends to view communications on a "need to know" basis, even in Healy, which makes it difficult for Sports Information not to get ahead of itself. Sports Promotions would would be valuable in some of these regards, but it's devoted almost exclusively to basketball. It's a function of the press (and I can also include the HOYA, Voice, and WGTB in this) to ask questions and request information; otherwise, it won't get answered. Example from last year: No one in the press asked what happened to three assistant coaches that dropped off the roster last year, when they left, why, etc., so it was not released as "news", even though some of us would certainly be interested in it. I can tell you Frank Colaprete left for a job at Johns Hopkins because Hopkins said so, but not because Georgetown did. I can say Princeton announced a four year deal to play Georgetown beginning in 2013 because Princeton said so, not Georgetown. But how many in the press are asking in the first place? Note: I don't consider HoyaSaxa.com the "working press" inasmuch as it is a news aggregator and not a news source. If you have a job in communications or PR, you're not going to last very long if you only respond to information requests. Good SIDs are contacting people, building bridges, and faxing press releases about how Podunk State's first-team all-conference wide receiver is working in a lab to cure cancer, or how the starting defensive back is volunteering in an orphanage. If you do not participate in the discussion, then other people drive it. More discussion occurs about other teams or other sports or other schools than yours. Promotion can be key for minor sports. Cornell wrestling is ranked #1 this year in part because their coach has been a relentless publicity hound, doing everything possible to market his team to everyone, including the media. More discussion leads to more recruits putting the school on their radar. All schools have some desire to keep things in-house. It's also the SID's job to fight those battles and get minor victories. |
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Post by hoyaparents on Jan 3, 2011 12:57:06 GMT -5
98hoya, I would be please to take the lead.
Let's get 5 or 6 guys together to form a core group, then arrange a meeting with the AD.
I will contribute $ 10,000. toward organizational and promotion costs to reach out to the 1,200 to 1,300 football alums to establish a base.
By the way, I offerred the same $ 10,000. last year to Hoyas Unlimited, their response, no response.
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theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
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Post by theexorcist on Jan 3, 2011 13:24:03 GMT -5
As discussed by Ambassador, there can only be one supporter's group, and it has to be associated with the university. These are NCAA regulations. If you don't like how the Gridiron Club is being run, run for an office and change it.
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Post by strummer8526 on Jan 3, 2011 16:01:45 GMT -5
As discussed by Ambassador, there can only be one supporter's group, and it has to be associated with the university. These are NCAA regulations. If you don't like how the Gridiron Club is being run, run for an office and change it. The NCAA has the authority to regulate private associations of sports fans? |
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