RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
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Post by RusskyHoya on Mar 3, 2014 16:20:53 GMT -5
Via WaPo's Gene Wang: @gene_wangGeorgetown set to break ground in the summer on intercollegiate athletic facility that will be adjacent to McDonough. More to come. #Hoyas New facility will be named in honor of John Thompson Jr. #Hoyas It will have practice courts, locker rooms, lounge area, offices for men's and women's hoops coaches and locker rooms for other sports. John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center will be 144,000 square feet and be built at cost of $60 million. #Hoyas Release coming. I'm sure there will be a presser at some point too. MT @guhoyafan Did university issue release? Press conference?
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GUJook97
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by GUJook97 on Mar 3, 2014 16:28:28 GMT -5
Have to admit, I am a sucker for the timing of this. Was just thinking how down I am about this March, but this is great news that gets me psyched again.
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hoyabinx
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by hoyabinx on Mar 3, 2014 16:42:20 GMT -5
This is great news. I love the name.
Gene Wang says it is slated to be completed in 2016.
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by SFHoya99 on Mar 3, 2014 16:43:53 GMT -5
I'm glad it's named after Pops.
I'm glad we're actually getting a groundbreaking.
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TBird41
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
"Roy! I Love All 7'2" of you Roy!"
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Post by TBird41 on Mar 3, 2014 16:45:25 GMT -5
I'm glad it's named after Pops. I'm glad we're actually getting a groundbreaking. Agreed on both counts. Nice to get this really good news today.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2014 17:19:32 GMT -5
This is probably the best thing to come out of an otherwise depressing year. If I remember correctly, the shovels can break ground when we get the full building permit, which was scheduled for August last time I checked. If we can indeed get building started this August and completed by 2016, that's a big draw for '15 recruits still holding out like Mann, Bacon, Dickerson, Rabb, and others who would be freshman/sophomores depending on when in 2016 it is finished. Might also be the key piece we need for a guy like Thon Maker in '16 and untold players down the line.
This doesnt solve every problem we have with recruiting but no longer will other programs be able to talk about the facilities advantage they have to get players the strength and conditioning needed to play at the next level. Also think this facility is a force multiplier because by improving our recruiting and level or play, it helps turn Verizon into a venue that can be pretty enjoyable when Georgetown is winning games. This eliminates another big hurdle for recruiting....
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hoyainspirit
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
When life puts that voodoo on me, music is my gris-gris.
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Post by hoyainspirit on Mar 3, 2014 18:17:53 GMT -5
It's about time! Way to go, Pops!
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calhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by calhoya on Mar 3, 2014 18:25:02 GMT -5
This will also help the women's program and every other athletic team on campus. Hopefully it is not another false start.
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
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Post by RusskyHoya on Mar 3, 2014 19:18:13 GMT -5
Intercollegiate Athletics Center at Georgetown to be Named in Honor of Hall of Fame Basketball Coach John Thompson Jr. WASHINGTON – Georgetown University announced on Monday, March 3 that the new Intercollegiate Athletics Center on campus will bear the name John R. Thompson Jr., in honor of the Hall of Fame Men’s Basketball Coach who guided the Hoyas for 27 years and led the program to the 1984 NCAA Championship. Ground is expected to be broken on the building in the summer of 2014 and plans are for the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center to open in fall 2016. John Thompson Jr.’s name is synonymous with success. From 1972 to 1999, he compiled 596 wins, the most of any coach in the history of Georgetown University and the magnitude of his achievements are undeniable. “John embodies the most profound values, the deepest values that animate the Georgetown community,” says Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. “He showed us what it meant for us to be true to our mission, to live authentically.” On the court, he amassed league-leading records against all BIG EAST Conference opponents (233-122) and captured 13 BIG EAST Championships, seven regular season titles and six tournament championships. Thompson’s Hoya teams earned 24 consecutive invitations to postseason play, appeared in three NCAA Final Fours (1982, 1984 and 1985) and won the NCAA Championship in 1984. Off the court, he inspired his players to pursue their degrees and Thompson ended his tenure with a 97 percent graduation rate, while 26 of his players were drafted by the National Basketball Association, including eight of them in the first round. “We’re very excited to be able to have the opportunity to recognize the career of John Thompson Jr. this way,” Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed said. “Coach Thompson’s legacy as a leader, a teacher and a coach are unparalleled in college athletics. Having his name on this building is a fitting honor.” Thompson had the privilege to be a part of the United States Olympic effort on several occasions. In 1988, he was the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the Seoul Olympics. He helped to secure the gold medal twice, once as an assistant coach for the 1976 squad and later as a member of the selection committee for the 1984 team. A member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame, Thompson was named Coach of the Year a total of seven times. The BIG EAST honored him with the award following the 1979-80, 1986-87 and 1991-92 seasons. After leading the Hoyas to the National Championship in 1984 he received the title from The United States Basketball Writers Association and The Sporting News. Following a consecutive return to the National Championship game in 1985, he was honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He even garnered the award on a global scale when The United Press International honored him following the 1986-87 seasons. The John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center is a major priority of For Generations to Come, the Georgetown Campaign. The four-story, 144,000-square-foot building will be constructed adjacent to McDonough Arena and include: practice courts, locker rooms, team meeting rooms, lounge areas and coaches' offices for men's and women's basketball, locker rooms for four additional varsity sports, weight-training and sports medicine rooms for all varsity athletes, student-athlete Academic and Leadership Center, auditorium and team meeting facilities for all varsity programs and a new venue for the Georgetown Athletics Hall of Fame. The John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center is the largest single facilities goal remaining in Georgetown's historic $1.5 billion fundraising campaign, For Generations to Come. The athletics portion of that goal is $125 million, with $60 million dedicated to the construction of the Thompson Center. For more information on the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletics Center, please visit campaign.wearegeorgetown.com. Link
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sleepy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by sleepy on Mar 3, 2014 19:40:11 GMT -5
So what are we doing exactly? A ground breaking this summer for what fundraising activities? It shouldn't take 2 years to build. Do we not anticipate commitments to be in the bank until 15. Russky or DFW am i missing something.
I'm a liitle disappointed in the name thought Thompson would have defered to Raymond P. Medely Center.
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SoCalHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
No es bueno
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Post by SoCalHoya on Mar 3, 2014 19:44:54 GMT -5
Great news, sending in another my check!
[EDITED!]
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hoyaloya
Century (over 100 posts)
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Post by hoyaloya on Mar 3, 2014 19:49:47 GMT -5
Will Ewing Mutombo Mourning et al be sending in their checks. Hope so, because then this fund raising could be over before it started.
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
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Post by RusskyHoya on Mar 3, 2014 20:01:36 GMT -5
So what are we doing exactly? A ground breaking this summer for what fundraising activities? It shouldn't take 2 years to build. Do we not anticipate commitments to be in the bank until 15. Russky or DFW am i missing something. I'm a liitle disappointed in the name thought Thompson would have defered to Raymond P. Medely Center. In DC, in the middle of an active university campus and immediately adjacent to several buildings that have to maintain operations throughout... you better believe it'll take 2 years to build something like this. By way of comparison: GW's new Public Health and Health Services building is 115,000 sq.ft. - smaller than the IAC. Construction began in March of 2012 and as of today it is still in final inspections/punch list completion. That's 2 years.
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thebin
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by thebin on Mar 3, 2014 20:08:30 GMT -5
Lets hope this is just called Thompson Fieldhouse. Current name is as usual far too literal.
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lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
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Post by lichoya68 on Mar 3, 2014 20:26:06 GMT -5
Great news Great coach Great hoya well deserved. GOOD GET BY GU not sure whats behind this but it is the WRIGHT thing to do . Proud of alma mater. GO HOYAS>
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sleepy
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by sleepy on Mar 3, 2014 20:29:50 GMT -5
Thanks Russky for clearing that up for me. Still think that despite the location its a 12 month job at most. But it is D.C.
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Post by johnnysnowplow on Mar 3, 2014 20:35:56 GMT -5
Will Ewing Mutombo Mourning et al be sending in their checks. Hope so, because then this fund raising could be over before it started. Dont forget about Green and Hibbert
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seaweed
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by seaweed on Mar 3, 2014 21:06:07 GMT -5
Agreed on Thompson Fieldhouse monicker, at least assuming the Big Dog's House proves impossible. Paranoia Palace also works.
I could never get my mind around a major hoops facility not named for Pops. I don't know if the money came from a few large donors, if our NBA stars were involved (or other massively successful former ballets) or if this was done w many smaller donors, but count me as happy that no ego-centric donor bought the naming rights and called it the Flying Wasp Athletic Center.
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by SFHoya99 on Mar 3, 2014 21:19:54 GMT -5
There's no real way to raise $60M with just small donations. If I had to suspect, they secured a naming rights donor who agreed with naming it after Thompson (perhaps Leonsis, perhaps someone else).
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RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
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Post by RusskyHoya on Mar 3, 2014 23:24:20 GMT -5
There's no real way to raise $60M with just small donations. If I had to suspect, they secured a naming rights donor who agreed with naming it after Thompson (perhaps Leonsis, perhaps someone else). "Small donations" is a relative term. When every office and meeting room has a five-figure naming rights price tag on it (did we ever figure out how much you had to donate to get a vomitorium named after you?), those 'small' donations start to add up. Let's also not forget that Pops knows a lot of people who, collectively, likely owe him a lot of favors. He also remains one of Georgetown's highest paid employees. I have no idea whether there was a beneficent Mr. Moneybags behind the scenes or not, but the guy whose name is going on the building is not without resources at his disposal.
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