DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Aug 10, 2010 10:15:55 GMT -5
Another summer passes without the Multi-Sport Facility or its prospective next-door neighbor, the basketball practice facility. Ten years ago, when football was 9-2, the MSF seemed the next big step. A decade later, without a facility, the coaches pick up the pieces from an 0-11 season and a players' recruiting visit can't help but pass by the project that never finished--this is now five years since construction was "temporarily" halted. For the practice facility, this has been on the fundraising tarmac for four years now without any public momentum to get on the runway. I know the development folks that work on each of these projects and I don't doubt them when they say they've never stopped trying to move these forward. But when this drags on as long as it does, when other projects jump ahead of it on the University's calendar, and when there's no public awareness to raise funds, no one should be surprised when it starts affecting recruiting and assistants start looking elsewhere. So it is with some interest when I read today that a Georgetown alumnus is a naming rights donor for a $50 million arena and practice facility at Bradley. No, he didn't go there, but his director of player personnel did and the alumnus was generous when the call came in. www.pjstar.com/news/x979355579/-J-J-HOLDS-COURT-AGAIN?img=1Good for Bradley--they made the call, after all. But at least he knew that when he made the gift to Bradley, the thing would get built, and I think that's the biggest single hurdle these two campus projects face--if you had $20 million to give, would there be any assurances from the University it could actually start building this in a year? Two? Five? More? I don't think Development can even answer that question, and a donor can invest the $20 million a lot easier than handing it over to GU and waiting. (Don't laugh. Donors to the Multi-Sport Facility donated or pledged a lot of money from 2001-03 and they're still waiting, too.) Is the Practice Facility a priority? Sure. Is it still the priority? www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1414611&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=3400&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT= |
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Aug 10, 2010 10:28:45 GMT -5
We probably didn't even ask him.
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tashoya
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Post by tashoya on Aug 10, 2010 10:47:02 GMT -5
Yet another reason to dislike my job. Sadly, just a bit outta my price range.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Aug 10, 2010 11:02:40 GMT -5
With the high turnover in McD development over the past decade, the only real constant in determining why our McD fundraising has been so poor is Healy 2. In other words, McD is underfunded because the University has decided that it prefers such a state of affairs.
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Post by jkhoya12 on Aug 10, 2010 11:09:12 GMT -5
Well speaking of Georgetown's worst idea ever: Alumni edition.....candidate A. Michael Heisley is worth over 1 billion and hasn't given virtually anything(of relevance considering his net worth) to the university.
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Aug 10, 2010 11:18:44 GMT -5
And his son went to Georgetown too!
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lichoya68
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OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
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Post by lichoya68 on Aug 10, 2010 11:31:49 GMT -5
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kchoya
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Post by kchoya on Aug 10, 2010 11:33:47 GMT -5
It helps if you click on the links posted in the thread. |
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Post by strummer8526 on Aug 10, 2010 11:38:25 GMT -5
With the high turnover in McD development over the past decade, the only real constant in determining why our McD fundraising has been so poor is Healy 2. In other words, McD is underfunded because the University has decided that it prefers such a state of affairs. Is Jack's time almost up? Sure, maybe he did a lot of good in certain areas, but isn't it about time to bring in some new ideas, new priorities, etc.? |
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Post by strummer8526 on Aug 10, 2010 12:01:45 GMT -5
You think it might be partly the university's fault that they haven't been able to put any of his money to use on a practice facility? Who else's fault would it be? It's entirely the University's fault! |
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seaweed
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Post by seaweed on Aug 10, 2010 12:07:03 GMT -5
my guess is that the political obstacles GU faces every time it wets some mortar are non-existent in Peoria. DC is what it is and I am always stunned by people who bitch about a university in their neighborhood when the school pre-dates their existence by a couple of centuries, but in the end, ANCs and all the bull ship are real obstacles.
Edited. Let's keep your thoughts on the development staff out of the discussion.--Admin
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Post by jkhoya12 on Aug 10, 2010 12:33:22 GMT -5
Well speaking of Georgetown's worst idea ever: Alumni edition.....candidate A. Michael Heisley is worth over 1 billion and hasn't given virtually anything(of relevance considering his net worth) to the university. That's kind of the point, jk. The man was on GU's board of directors for 20 years, his son went to Georgetown during the Ewing era, he's the owner of a pro basketball franchise. He's not a grinch; the university lists him as a +$1 million donor. You think it might be partly the university's fault that they haven't been able to put any of his money to use on a practice facility? Again, if he had given a sum of 50 million to Georgetown, we'd be seeing the name Heisley somewhere other than in the headlines for being the owner of the Grizzlies. |
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Post by jkhoya12 on Aug 10, 2010 13:02:43 GMT -5
There must be a plan, jk, before the money matters. But the money's there. It's got to be there with the basketball and other alumni GU has. That's not the reason nothing's getting done. That's the point of this thread. ... By the way, GU alumni seem to be particularly well represented in the pro sports world. Aside from Heisley, the owners of the Arizona Cardinals (Bill Bidwell), the Washington Capitals and Mystics (Ted Leonsis), the LA Dodgers (Frank McCourt), and the Washington Nationals (Ed Cohen, part owner) are all GU alumni. The president of MLS (Mark Abbott), two of the MLB's five executive VPs (Tim Brosnan, John McHale), and a former NFL commissioner (Paul Tagliabue) are too. Lots of pro sports front-office executives went to Georgetown. ... But none of these guys would know anything about building a practice facility, would they? Ok but so we basically agree on my point. For me the main thing is, no one in the GU Administration is sitting there twiddling their thumbs saying "I don't want money for a new practice facility". The planning may not be getting done in a timely fashion. I don't know, you don't know. But if someone came up to you with a 100 million dollar check for ATHLETICS ONLY, no one in their right mind would turn it down because they didn't want the Athletics Program to grow at the expense of academics. |
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sleepy
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Post by sleepy on Aug 10, 2010 13:13:30 GMT -5
Pash you omitted Bob Castellini produce Mogul and owner of the the Reds.
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Post by strummer8526 on Aug 10, 2010 13:39:24 GMT -5
my guess is that the political obstacles GU faces every time it wets some mortar are non-existent in Peoria. DC is what it is and I am always stunned by people who bitch about a university in their neighborhood when the school pre-dates their existence by a couple of centuries, but in the end, ANCs and all the bull ship are real obstacles. I agree wholeheartedly about the neighborhood problems, but didn't the practice facility already get some kind of preliminary approval? I thought we had reason to believe that a practice facility, not an on-campus arena, would face minimal, if any, neighborhood resistance. Maybe I made that up, though. |
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HoyaChris
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Post by HoyaChris on Aug 10, 2010 15:24:50 GMT -5
Based on a very recent conversation with the athletic department, I beleive that a lead donor will be announced this fall and that everyone who complains about the lack of a practice facility will have the opportunity to give generously.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Aug 10, 2010 15:28:58 GMT -5
Based on a very recent conversation with the athletic department, I beleive that a lead donor will be announced this fall and that everyone who complains about the lack of a practice facility will have the opportunity to give generously. Chris, that's wonderful... ... but even with your generally great sources, the source here is ultimately the University, who finds ways to screw everything up. So I'm in show-me mode. |
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McBricks
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Post by McBricks on Aug 10, 2010 15:30:00 GMT -5
Also, is this the first legitimately angsty facilities thread of this summer? Post-Kenner might be a new record. Have we given up all hope? I feel like yes, many of us have given up hope. I know we can't know what happens behind closed doors on the development side, but I feel like we've simply never asked. There are a ton of sports "icons" as has previosuly been noted in this thread that have ties to the University. I bet you if we asked and had a plan, many big time donors would donate. I doubt we've ever asked and doubt we have a plan to do so. |
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HoyaChris
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Post by HoyaChris on Aug 10, 2010 15:35:59 GMT -5
Based on a very recent conversation with the athletic department, I beleive that a lead donor will be announced this fall and that everyone who complains about the lack of a practice facility will have the opportunity to give generously. Chris, that's wonderful... ... but even with your generally great sources, the source here is ultimately the University, who finds ways to screw everything up. So I'm in show-me mode. Certainly skepticism in this regard is warranted, but I have been pushing on this issue for 5 years, and this is the first time I have been told anything that is apparently definitive. |
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Aug 10, 2010 15:59:31 GMT -5
Based on a very recent conversation with the athletic department, I beleive that a lead donor will be announced this fall and that everyone who complains about the lack of a practice facility will have the opportunity to give generously. That is EXCELLENT news Chris! Let's hope nothing happens to derail our progress. Thanks for sharing. |
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