WTOP to "investigate" GU absence from BB&T

[hoyahoyasaxa]

Mark Plotkin, local political blowhard (sorry, I meant commentator) and GW alum (coincidence?) enjoys criticizing us for our absence in the BB&T every year. He's now vowed that WTOP radio will do an investigation to expose GU. He's also the crusader for DC voting rights, so I assume this investigation will have as much traction as his other campaign. Though I do like his recognition that our attendance in the tourney would bring it "millions of dollars."

Link: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/11/28/DI2006112801197.html

Chat excerpts:

Arlington, Va.: I was at the Verizon Center on Sunday watching the Colonials and, even though Lefty and Tom McMillen were one section over, all I noticed was Shields, Novak, and Al Hunt. So where was Plotkin?

Mark Plotkin: All those guys you mentioned had floor seats. I was sitting in section 120, row L, seat 10 and I took five of my buddies. I've never missed a tournament or a game, and I'm so glad you brought the BB&T up, becuase Georgetown University once again did not participate. That's 12 straight years. They think they're better than everybody else and our crack investigative reporter Mark Seagraves is going to be doing a story, or stories, on how they don't want to be civically engaged and are depriving the children's charities of millions of dollars. The Thompsons, the coach and his 450 thousand-dollar-a-year father (that's what he gets paid by Georgetown University as the supposed dDrector of Urban Affairs)are intent on arrogantly ignoring the city and its least-fortunate residents. Mike Wise, the sports columnist for the Post, on Monday got it just right. Call Pete Telly who will tell you about the unreturned phonecalls from Thompson. We at WTOP are going to do this story. This behavior has gone on far too long without public scrutiny.

-------------------------

Go Colonials!: G'Town will simply never play any DC area teams for fear of losing. It's a pathetic excuse, but the truth. If they lost to GW or the Twerps or (heaven forbid!) American, they would be devastated and have to seek counseling.

Mark Plotkin: You are absolutely right! Georgetown are a bunch of cowards. They're overrated in every way. But seriously, the administration of the univeristy needs to be exposed for their arrogant and anti-city ways. I'm not going to let up on this. They've gotten away with this for far too long and there are plenty of alumni of that university who, if they were told of their role, would be embarrassed and would demand they become part of this city. They're not participating in the city-wide tournament just speaks volumes about who they are.

[williambraskyiii]

wow - talk about character assassination. who is this EDITED?

[chinatownfanclub]

Ethnobotanist
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Plotkin

[AustinHoya03]

Mark Plotkin is the love child of Gary Williams and John Feinstein.

[Boz]

I have submitted a "question," but something tells me the moderator is not going to let it through.

What a jackass.

[Jack]

What a jerk. Setting aside the likely inaccuracies about the game itself, does the fact that Georgetown students, faculty, and alumni are critical to initiatives such as Sursum Corda, DC Schools Project, After School Kids, the Wounded Warrior project, CoRAL, Lombardi cancer research, several legal clinics devoted to the underserved, etc. etc. not register with him? Or is playing a basketball game the only way a university can contribute to community?

[DanMcQ]

I forwarded the link and the quotes to the Athletic Dept. This is where easyed can chime in about what a reliable source the Post is.

[Grandpa]

Don't want to steal Cam's thunder, but dare we put him on a level with JF:

Mark Plotkin = Bum ?

[RBHoya]

williambraskyiii said:

wow - talk about character assassination. who is this EDITED?

Sounds to me like just another GW guy full of resentment toward the school up the hill that is perceived both locally and nationally as a superior university, athletically and especially academically. Perhaps also a relative of Smokefree from the TerpTown boards.

When you're perceived as being superior, those who feel inferior will try their damndest to knock you down. Fact of life, and this looks like a clear case. Do you really think Plotkin is launching an expose because of some huge impact on the DC community that Georgetown could make but is consciously deciding against making? Of course not. He's trying to degrade the University because he obviously can't stand the school, and his use of words like "cowards" and "arrogant" pretty much tell the tale.

Hell, he actually even says:

"They think they're better than everybody else"

which is pretty much the official saying of immature people with inferiority complexes.

[wildhoya]

more of the same back in October----

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/10/10/DI2006101000759.html


Washington, D.C.: I know I'm going to regret asking this because we've disagreed on it in the past, but here goes...last week at the Hoya media day, JTIII seemed pretty open to playing Maryland or any other school in the area. And on Dave Sheinin's blog on The Post Web site, there's a lot of talk that some of the blame for a matchup never happening falls at the feet of John Feinstein, who more or less runs the BB&T, Gary Williams and others for issues over who would play when, etc. I know you're as passionate about GW as I am about G'town...what is the straight dope on this one?

Mark Plotkin: I really wish I had some inside information. John Thompson Junior engaged in outright dishonesty when he denied having a conversation with me at Cafe Deluxe last winter with Kojo Nmandi witnessing where he said that GW was afraid to play Georgetown. I know Council member Jack Evans has sent a letter to both Presidents of each university, but still no game. I know that Steve Tratchenberg has written the president of Georgetown University. Georgetown just doesn't want to play anybody out of conference who they think they might lose to. The old man John Thompson Senior who gets over $400,000 a year still at Georgetown is the prime nay-sayer for any game. For a guy who grew up in D.C. he still has a chip on his shoulder. And his son doesn't have the guts to take on his dad on this issue. I've been told this by a very high ranking official at Georgetown, so I'm just not making it up. As for Feinstein's role, I don't know. I do know that Feinstein wanted to get Georgetown in during the December Tournament from the very beginning and this city school refused to join. That's their community spirit. They should be ashamed of themselves. Gary Williams cares about this area and participated from the very beginning. The proceeds go to charity, but that didn't mean anything to Georgetown. They just thought of themselves. Shame on them.

[TrueHoyaBlue]

My favorite part is that even a sellout of the Verizon center with all tickets at $45 (which they're not), doesn't even hit the $1 million mark. But we're definitely depriving them of millions?

Must be all that money we're stealing from the little kids.

[DanMcQ]

Someone should ask Mr. Plotkin what percentage of his speakers fees he donates to the BB&T charities:

www.leadingauthorities.com/19371/Mark_Plotkin.htm

Traveling From: District of Columbia

Local Fee Range: $5,000 to $10,000

East Coast Fee Range: $5,000 to $10,000

West Coast Fee Range: $5,000 to $10,000

This speaker's specific fee falls within this range. Ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact your Leading Authorities representative.

[kchoya]

"Gary Williams cares about this area and participated from the very beginning." Ha! Maybe, if you defines "cares" as downing chicken wings and trying to sleep with college girls.

[Bahstin]

I am not sure why people get so worked up about this stuff. I love it -- people only hate the greats. No one boos a benchwarmer.

[RBHoya]

bahstin said:

I am not sure why people get so worked up about this stuff. I love it -- people only hate the greats. No one boos a benchwarmer.

I tend to agree with this philosophy. People always hate what's great, in large part because people hate feeling inferior, and are willing to go to great lengths to knock down those perceived as superior. And since people hate feeling that Georgetown is superior, they look for ways to bring the University down, ie. they don't care about the community, they hate black people, they are too afraid to play X team in basketball, etc.

It shouldn't bother us at all. It's amusing IMO to see how far people will go in spinning these kinds of things to try to avoid feeling inferior.

[hoya95]

I really didn't need this idiot getting on my nerves this week. Since Georgetown is the home to a bunch of "cowards" (seriously, did somebody hack into his chat? He can't be this ridiculous), I'm sure Mr. Plotkin will have the spine to show up to one of our home games this month. Then we can all politely and calmly explain to him what an absolute fool he is.

[aggypryd]

rbhoya said:

bahstin said:

I am not sure why people get so worked up about this stuff. I love it -- people only hate the greats. No one boos a benchwarmer.

I tend to agree with this philosophy. People always hate what's great, in large part because people hate feeling inferior, and are willing to go to great lengths to knock down those perceived as superior. And since people hate feeling that Georgetown is superior, they look for ways to bring the University down, ie. they don't care about the community, they hate black people, they are too afraid to play X team in basketball, etc.

It shouldn't bother us at all. It's amusing IMO to see how far people will go in spinning these kinds of things to try to avoid feeling inferior.

Wait a minute....Are you saying that Georgetown hates Black People?!?!?

What the hell is that all about?

[TigerHoya]

Not that Plotkin had anything to do with it, but a seat approved in Utah's redistricting plan makes it likely that DC will get a House seat, maybe even during the lame duck session of Congress this week.

[Deleted]

aggypryd said:

Wait a minute....Are you saying that Georgetown hates Black People?!?!?

What the hell is that all about?

Aggy - I think he's referring to a thread on the UMCP boards a month or so ago where - for 20+ pages - a bunch of Twerp fans went on and on about how Georgetown was "the worst" college for black students in America. How black students who attended were Uncle Tom's, etc. ad nauseum.

If it weren't so filled with hate, it would have been hilarious.

[aggypryd]

I will say that I hate the fact that Georgetown doesn't really seem like it's a part of the city. I don't know if playing in the BB&T classic is the answer to that, but I think they have more to gain by strengthening their ties to the city.

A lesson that Howard should have learned also.