JT (the original) hands out praise for GU students

[MCIGuy]

About a half hour ago John Thompson paised the students of Georgetown on his show. The Hall of Fame coach who attended the Illinois game last night commented that as far as he was concerned the MVP of last nigt's contest were the students who braved the weather and showed up to generate much needed atmosphere at MCI Center. JT said that he wished the Hoyas had a better arena on campus in order for these kids to really show what they can do but he gave them props anyway for energizing the building yesterday. On air he asked what CJ (a producer of the show as well as a GTown alum) what he thought and he too agreed the students were great. The one complaint they both had was that the students started chanting "overrated" way too early in the game (Hoyas up by 3 with ten minutes left in the first half).

You students have to really slow your roll with the overrated chants (this ain't the first time) but other than that I think you should take a bow and pat yourselves on the back. Good job.

[YB]

I agree. The students came to play last night.

The alums must follow suit. Don't sit on your hands- let's create a home court advantage as best we can.

Yell.

Cheer.

Bring your families and kids especially.

Make signs.

Get up and clap.

But whatever you do- WHATEVER YOU DO- don't sit on your hands!

[Joe Hoya]

They actually started the "overrated" chant BEFORE TIP-OFF.

I love chants like "O-VER-RA-TED" and "airrrrrr-baaaallllll!" as much as anyone, but jeez, at least wait until the game starts.

MCI, better watch what you post, it seems like it's illegal to criticize the students on this board now.

[Eurostar]

the overrated chant was for dee brown, but i forget why. i think he shot an airball or committed a dumb foul or something.

[GUHoya07]

I still cant believe that overrated thing is making so much noise, it was just a select group of people who we quickly yelled at to shut up.

[HoyaRejuveNation85]

Kudos to the students, 007 and gang, for their enthusiasm. I won't take shots at the "over-rated" chants as any chants are appreciated in my book. The place has sounded like a morgue in the past -- in person and on tv. I watched on TV from CT and you could hear the crowd.

We need to get a program going between the Athletic Dept and/or Hoop Club) and MCI and figure out a way for ticket holders to say they're not coming and to let us fill the empty seats near the court. It's not a crazy thought. Perhaps provide an incentive such as a discounted season ticket renewal for the next year or the risk of losing seating priority if you don't. The dollar incentive could be a nominal discount covered by the Hoop Club. It's in everyone's interest to get a GU presence close to the action. There were WAY too many empty seats in the low middle sections last night. Wouldn't it have been great if we could have moved the loudest, most colorful, etc. students, fans to the good seats... The AD should track how the seats are being used. If people know that folks are checking they're more likely to use the tickets and not have them go to waste.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

The chant was for Dee Brown - the people on the front row just didn't seem to think he brought his A game last night. But I do agree that its a bit premature before the game to be saying it. I feel really bad for SJSU - most of the people there will be students - they won't know what hit them.

[MCIGuy]

HoyaRejuveNation85 said:

The AD should track how the seats are being used. If people know that folks are checking they're more likely to use the tickets and not have them go to waste.

Hate to be cynical but as long as those seats are being purcahsed by season ticket holders (regardless of whether or not those buyers show up) isn't that all the AD really cares about?

[YB]

Not anymore. There is an effort to make MCI a better home court- that's why they closed the upper bowl. I think they might be receptive to a G'Town "Unused ticket pool" Where they might give them to community groups or other persons, or sell them, and fill those seats. Anybody with me on this?

[GUHoya07]

St Petersburg, no one in the front row did the overrated chant that I am aware of, it was a small section of people in between the 3rd and 5th rows or so.

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

I recall one drive where Dee Brown ran three circles around Wallace and then took it to the rack for a bucket. That guy is ridiculously quick and really forces the tempo. When I heard the overrated cheer, my first thought was what a huge jinx it was.

[FLHoya]

StPetersburgHoya said:

I feel really bad for SJSU - most of the people there will be students - they won't know what hit them.

One of the great things about McDonough games is that you can sit literally five feet from the opposing bench. It's really hilarious, and I believe the Coastal Carolina and Nicholls State coaches obliged during our games in 2000-1 by each picking up technical fouls at one point and in general flipping their lids. One of those two had a penchant for yelling out "UNBELIEVABLE" or "YOU'RE UNBELIEVABLE" when he got upset. Truly classic.

I always get a little leery when I hear over-rated chants in general. And Illinois...uh, no they're not. But in reality it was a couple people, didn't last long, and it seemed to be behind me and to my right, so at least the 4th row and behind.

The worst over-the-top one was some students in the back at the Syracuse-GU game in 2002 trying to start the "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" chant with 19 minutes to go in the second half. They got shouted down quick by their friends.

Full credit to the students that came--I can't emphasize that enough. Everyone came to play and for the full 40 at that. The atmosphere aside from a few isolated bad apples was far and away better than the Duke game last year, which I believe to be the worst student section I was a part of in 4+ years.

[MCIGuy]

GUHoya2007 said:

St Petersburg, no one in the front row did the overrated chant that I am aware of, it was a small section of people in between the 3rd and 5th rows or so.

Ha-ha! 007 has it narrowed down. Perhaps there is a recording of who did what ala the brawl in the Pistons arena. We can get experts to break it down and find the people responsible.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

GUHoya2007 said:

St Petersburg, no one in the front row did the overrated chant that I am aware of, it was a small section of people in between the 3rd and 5th rows or so.

Kurt - this is Steve. I personally chanted that Dee Brown was over-rated, Benita and Sarah joined me in that.

[MCIGuy]

FLHoya said:

The atmosphere aside from a few isolated bad apples was far and away better than the Duke game last year, which I believe to be the worst student section I was a part of in 4+ years.

Probably because most of the students grew up rooting for and watching Duke and did not know who to cheer for.

[kghoya]

i thought students did a great job this week..keep it up

[JimmyHoya]

I can't complain about the student section. We were praising y'all in section 100. I loved seeing the whole place packed and rockin'.

[mplshoya]

For what its worth, I am friends with an NBA scout for the Nuggets. After the game I had a few drinks with him and another scout for the nuggets and a scout for the clippers. All three of them seemed to think Jeff Green was the real deal and the best prospect on the Hoyas. My friend seemed to think Illinois was certainly overrated and said he "saw nothing" from the guys on the Illini. The other guys mostly echoed this. The other Nuggets scout really liked the Hoyas and said that we are certainly on the right track (if we hadn't already noticed!) All in all no bombshells from them, but I did think it was interesting how blase they all were about the Illinois prospects.

[ahoya3]

As a 20+ year season ticket holder, I would like to add my thanks to the student section. Perhaps we could set up a system on this board for unused tickets in the 100-101 section. I travel a lot and miss a third of the games. Would love to see my tickets in the lower section used as would most other alums. I was very pleased with the HOYAS performance last night. JTIII kept them playing when they could have cashed it in early in the second half and ended up losing by 30+. For those who weren't there, Wallace is a true point guard. Illinois has arguable the best backcourt in the country and they are physical. Wallace handled the pressure well, had only two turnovers and never got rattled or showed emotion with the tough D played by Illinois(they were really and unselfish, prepared, impressive team who played tough, tough D)

[GUHoya07]

StPetersburgHoya said:

Kurt - this is Steve. I personally chanted that Dee Brown was over-rated, Benita and Sarah joined me in that.

Haha, how often do you change your board name? I cant keep up.

About the chant, do you mean the one before the game or was there another one during the game. Because how could you be chanting that Dee Brown was overrated before he even got a chance to play?

Also, thats a difficult chant to understand in that situation. When you chant that against a highly ranked team it is understood as the team being overrated.