DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,823
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Post by DFW HOYA on Jul 13, 2016 8:05:46 GMT -5
Are things too quiet around Georgetown football? Absolutely. Are they explainable? Absolutely. 1. I'm convinced that no Division I team has less media coverage than GU. OK, not all I-AA teams gets TV coverage, but Georgetown is one of four D-I teams without radio broadcasts. That's a shameful number all its own, but those other teams have some level of local news coverage. Sacred Heart, for instance, has no radio but there are enough local Connecticut papers that can give them some shred of coverage. The Post commits to one article a year and that's it, so local interest is nonexistent. 2. Georgetown's online media are disengaged. Sure, I'd post an article every day if I could find it, but football is irrelevant to the Casual Hoya site, Scout is rebooting its entire site, Rivals doesn't cover it, and while 247 Sports has a list of football links, there's no coverage whatsoever. Further damaging this is the lack of consistent sports coverage at The HOYA of late. 3. The soft bigotry of low expectations is a continuing cloud over the program and one which the Athletic Department seems unwilling to tackle, no pun intended. No talk on a plan for scholarships, no impact recruits, no aspirant scheduling beyond the Ivy League sends a message that they don't care to get better. That's 100% unfair but perceptions matter. What's the 5 and 10-year plan for Georgetown and its schedule? While Fordham is playing Holy Cross this year at Yankee Stadium, Davidson and Marist are the introduction to our freshmen on the Georgetown football experience. 4. Finally, there is the perception that Georgetown is firmly in the PL cellar this year and that doesn't engender a lot of discussion. The College Sports Journal did publish a preview on the Hoyas I'll post this week. To no surprise, Georgetown is predicted for last in the PL. www.college-sports-journal.com/2016-fcs-preview-georgetown-hoyas/ |
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thebin
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,849
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Post by thebin on Jul 13, 2016 13:06:55 GMT -5
5. Fool me once, shame on you....fool me 14 times....shame on me.
Official university release from last fall: "....and the existing Multi-Sport Field will be renamed Cooper Field when it is completed in an estimated 12 to 18 months."
Stadium going to be ready in 4-10 months? Of course not. Total radio silence as we blow past that estimate in reality? Of course. We haven't a clue what its going to look like, what it will hold, or if it is even on a timetable for local govt approval. Pretty careless it seems to publish that timeline if sharing renderings or broad strokes on approvals/construction wasn't in the cards for 8 months plus. Completed in 4 months from now huh? I'd take the over on 36 months from now at this point just because NEVER has got to be even money. Now if you want to say that the press release did not say 18 months FROM TIME OF PRESS RELEASE....well if they are trying to lawyer us on an official press release after a $50mm donation/pledge to build a nice high school sized stadium with real bathrooms...well then i think you can see why people are mentally checked out.
The question now is an unpleasant one; stupid or liar?
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Post by bgsmitty43 on Jul 18, 2016 8:32:39 GMT -5
I agree Diamond Hoya. There has been unacceptable communication on the new football facility which received $50 mil last year. Whether the money is not in hand yet, I don't know. Still, plans could be formulated now. C'mon man, let's get this thing going! Not expecting anything like the "Big House". But let's put together an attractive brick facility with new stands, locker rooms underneath stadium, new restrooms(!), concession stand, new turf, and maybe a small place for Jack. If we sell new recruits on a new stadium, we better back it up. Completion of Thompson Center a hold up? Let's get on this thing.
Having been part of the GU family just a short time, I do not feel Coach Sgarlata is content with mediocrity. Football and basketball drive a university's school spirit. Georgetown has some great athletic programs, but the American culture clamors for football on Saturday afternoon. Sgarlata have the experience and staff to be competitive. Some intrusion from the athletic department is needed. A realistic 5 year goal is a new stadium, top half of the PL, and hopefully a FCS playoff spot. How 'bout a home-and-home with Villanova played in a bigger staduim (I love the Catholic rivalry!)? I don't know how to get the Post promoting GU football, probably success is the answer. Hoping for at least a 5-win season this year. Go Hoyas!
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eagle54
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,471 
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Post by eagle54 on Jul 19, 2016 21:54:00 GMT -5
But consider this Member, if they'd at least tell us what they are doing with these funds that they were so proud to announce and what a potential timeline to action is, we could move forward. Seems like something is happening behind the scenes or what we were led to believe is not what it seems.
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Post by Problem of Dog on Jul 21, 2016 21:49:43 GMT -5
I agree Diamond Hoya. There has been unacceptable communication on the new football facility which received $50 mil last year. Whether the money is not in hand yet, I don't know. Still, plans could be formulated now. C'mon man, let's get this thing going! Not expecting anything like the "Big House". But let's put together an attractive brick facility with new stands, locker rooms underneath stadium, new restrooms(!), concession stand, new turf, and maybe a small place for Jack. If we sell new recruits on a new stadium, we better back it up. Completion of Thompson Center a hold up? Let's get on this thing. Having been part of the GU family just a short time, I do not feel Coach Sgarlata is content with mediocrity. Football and basketball drive a university's school spirit. Georgetown has some great athletic programs, but the American culture clamors for football on Saturday afternoon. Sgarlata have the experience and staff to be competitive. Some intrusion from the athletic department is needed. A realistic 5 year goal is a new stadium, top half of the PL, and hopefully a FCS playoff spot. How 'bout a home-and-home with Villanova played in a bigger staduim (I love the Catholic rivalry!)? I don't know how to get the Post promoting GU football, probably success is the answer. Hoping for at least a 5-win season this year. Go Hoyas! lolololololol This will never happen without a major complement of scholarships that the school will never fund |
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Post by bgsmitty43 on Jul 23, 2016 10:39:00 GMT -5
I know I'm a minority in that I don't think the scholarship issue is what is holding Georgetown back. For middle to lower income families, there is enough financial aid available to fund most if not all their education. The key is developing a program that is successful with good (not great) athletes. I compare it to Navy, who has to recruit high academic athletes. They have developed a successful program in the FBS (Air Force not far behind) using a system that takes average, smart athletes that produces wins and bowl games. The O is unique, an option attack. They have to score points to win because the D is usually below average. Not many Navy grads play in the NFL, that's not why they are there, it's the education and opportunities after graduation. My point is that they are able to be successful being put at a disadvantage against other FBS programs. Forbes rated Georgetown #21 on the best college list, this is a great education with opportunities after graduation (ahead of at least one, maybe two of the academies). If GU can continue an upward trend in winning, compete in the PL, and maybe even make the playoffs, I think you will see a program of high success on the Hilltop that will attract good talent. We have an advantage over the Ivies, we can go to the FCS playoffs. Rob Sgarlata has the energy and enthusiasm to do this, I'm convinced. Develop a unique program that is successful (like Navy, but doesn't have to be option football), and winning will follow. A new, quality stadium is a must, though. We need to get that done to sell the program.
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eagle54
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,471
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Post by eagle54 on Jul 24, 2016 20:59:40 GMT -5
I know I'm a minority in that I don't think the scholarship issue is what is holding Georgetown back. For middle to lower income families, there is enough financial aid available to fund most if not all their education. The key is developing a program that is successful with good (not great) athletes. I compare it to Navy, who has to recruit high academic athletes. They have developed a successful program in the FBS (Air Force not far behind) using a system that takes average, smart athletes that produces wins and bowl games. The O is unique, an option attack. They have to score points to win because the D is usually below average. Not many Navy grads play in the NFL, that's not why they are there, it's the education and opportunities after graduation. My point is that they are able to be successful being put at a disadvantage against other FBS programs. Forbes rated Georgetown #21 on the best college list, this is a great education with opportunities after graduation (ahead of at least one, maybe two of the academies). If GU can continue an upward trend in winning, compete in the PL, and maybe even make the playoffs, I think you will see a program of high success on the Hilltop that will attract good talent. We have an advantage over the Ivies, we can go to the FCS playoffs. Rob Sgarlata has the energy and enthusiasm to do this, I'm convinced. Develop a unique program that is successful (like Navy, but doesn't have to be option football), and winning will follow. A new, quality stadium is a must, though. We need to get that done to sell the program. I think the problem is our counterparts in the PL are adding scholarships and we are not. We are a better school then most if not all of the PL schools but they are all very good schools. Then you have the Ivies as the other option. So a kid looking at Georgetown who could also go to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, etc. versus playing at Georgetown on need based aid at both - tough to compete. Then a kid who gets football money from a more successful football program like Lehigh, Colgate or Fordham that's tough to compete against. Kind of puts us in a tough spot that we aren't quite Ivy prestige nor do we have the stadiums/facilities that they have, we aren't funding our program the same way the PL schools are doing and they may not be Georgetown academically but they aren't far off. Add to that, we are a school that doesn't value football versus our other sports the way the other schools likely do and it's not hard to figure out why we don't compete recruiting against them. If someone can figure it out I think Sgarlata is the guy as he's a Georgetown story and has been with the program for his entire adult life. |
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Post by bgsmitty43 on Jul 25, 2016 9:19:06 GMT -5
That was well stated Eagle54. College football is an expensive proposition. At the FCS level, money must be poured into a program without much return (but a good football program does help promote the university, creating a positive college atmosphere). I think it has to start with a new football facility. If GU can build a cozy, state-of-the-art stadium that looks impressive and attracts athletes, that could be a good beginning. Plus, athletics must open up the purse strings and put some more money into the program, I agree. For the team to travel to Harvard on a 9 hour bus ride the day before the game and expect to be at peak performance, is ludicrous. I assume this is because flying is too expensive. I'm not all that impressed with the online promotion from Georgetown on any of the athletics, either. We need more information and communication. I agree Georgetown has a tough time recruiting against Harvard and the Ivies because of the tradition. The thing the PL has going is the FCS playoffs. I'm not sure right now if that outweighs the education and tradition of the Ivies. Rob Sgarlata "bleeds blue and gray". If anyone can elevate this program it's him, he knows the people and workings of Georgetown. I hope there are more Mr. Coopers around with money and influence. Go Hoyas!
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