I think that my motivation is similar to yours, Mayhem.  For me, it’s not so much a question of what keeps me here, because that’s pretty much a given for me.  I can’t imagine not following GW basketball, and more passively other GW Sports.

It may be kitschy, but I truly do bleed buff and blue.  GW was the only school I applied to coming out of high school. I spent four years as an undergrad, working in GW athletics and day-to-day operations of the Smith Center. I left the university briefly and then began full-time work with GW Athletics where I stayed for nine years.

Now, decades later, I still geek out over the occasional GW mention in the media.  I follow our alumni, I’m happy to see us competitive, and even happier to see a program that represents who we are.

I don’t pretend or ignore the fact that our teams have not been good for sometime, but it really doesn’t matter in terms of my fandom.  NIL and other changes don’t impact my interest at all. 

I will say, and I mean this with 100% sincerity, that my commitment to following the program has been strengthened significantly by the information shared on this board. I think the reason why I have been almost militant in wanting everyone to just get along here, is because when we do, this is a phenomenal environment for people like me.

So, there it is.

I echo the sentiments above. The connection to the school as an alum has kept me going even with all the losing and changes that have been made to the sport (it helps that I enjoy CBB in general). I honestly see NIL as an opportunity to elevate a program that has fallen on hard times in the past several years (and also get creative with it by partnering with local organizations in the DC area). We were never going to get the top players in a recruiting class anyways whether NIL was a thing or not.

Things may change if the high majors form their own NCAA tournament. I was pretty upset with the NIT change requiring a certain number of schools from the bigger conferences to be represented. They really don't want the little guys to have anything...

In terms of what I'm looking for, in the coming years it is for CC to be able to raise the floor of the program. A lot is talked about ceiling and I would love for the program to get back to the level it was in previous decades but right now the program has been in the "wow this program sure does exist" territory for the past 6-7 seasons. I don't see why GW can't be in the top 150 yearly with maybe a higher ceiling depending on experience/continuity (probably a low bar, but one that needs to be cleared before thinking about loftier goals). We aren't as far away from that as it feels right now (last year's team certainly looked the part in November), but it will require the team to be more consistent defensively (as I've said a lot this offseason).

That would go a long way in changing the perception of GW relative to other conference foes. We're not Dayton, SLU, or VCU and I think most realize that. However, we should be in the conversation of a team in the second tier of the conference rather than third tier with the goal of making a postseason tournament and finishing at least .500 in conference (would love NCAA, but I've never considered that the only requirement for a season to be successful - I would even take the CBI). In the short term, getting past the second round of the conference tournament would be amazing (requires a bit of luck to advance just like the NCAA tournament, but GW's only wins have come from the play-in games of late).

And that finally brings me to the whole dropping down a level talk that has sadly been expressed on here several times this offseason. I've held off on commenting on that stuff but from purely a fan perspective (I understand there are other things that may be out of GW's control in the future) I don't understand voluntarily dropping down to a smaller conference just to make the NCAA tournament/be more competitive because 1) there's no guarantee of that, but more importantly 2) the stakes would be lower. I would probably still try to catch most (if not all) of the games regardless but imagine spending OOC season with no expectations (this is the case for most teams at the lower level) and then watching lesser talent during conference play. Even with all the losing, having the opportunity to have expectations for a full season being in the A10 is something I do appreciate and don't take for granted.
 

RaiseHigh'96 wrote:

NIL and the post 2016 fiasco makes it harder for Geedubs to pull off our past successes, but I am still a daily visitor to this site. I also follow closely the x (Twitter) feeds of WRGW, Abe Rothstein from WRGW, Liam from WRGW, Ryan Puleo (hysterical), A10 Talk, 3 bid pod. Really exciting how the staff on the ground at WRGW have really carved out a niche.

As a WRGW alum, I cannot emphasize enough how amazing of a job the recent group has done covering GW athletics. I tried so so hard to push social media and to get the best talent to cover games but the student body just wasn’t receptive at the time. I just wish I was able to recruit as many talented and hardworking people as they have now.

I am not a GWU alum but consider myself a college basketball fan

JUST MY OPINION!!!
1) without some major NIL money and some "curriculum adjustments/enhancements" GWU is perennially in the Bottom 10 of the A-10

2) GWU historically has had a terrible reputation in the DC African- American Community, Buchanon has a chance to change that and enhance DMV talent acquisition 

they are games, have fun, they are playing to entertain the students and alumni and to further their own lives and careers, dont take it overly seriously

The other teams are trying to do all the same things, winning is a lot more fun than losing, but at the end of the day its just a game played by 18-23 year olds, as the alumni sit on their backsides, the young men have been working their tails off all their lives for this moment, but so too have our opponents.

Whining endlessly, which has been unfortunately what GWHoops has far too often turned into is.... pretty pathetic and certainly does our university no good

my view

Last edited by The Dude (8/09/2024 5:55 am)

No one said not to "take it seriously"  and certainly not me.  Fans want to win

However to spend 2-6 decades whining non stop about a mid level A10 program is more of a lunatic than a fanatic

We are going to have at best ups and downs. I'd settle for the ups, knowing there will always be some downs. This is GW, not VCU or Dayton, or Duke or UNC. So its more like have some perspective, and hopefully stop using the one GW fan site to pollute the board and drive away support and other fans



 

A wise man is xAC.

If only the site had a Like button.....xAC would definitely receive one from me.

How is this dude allowed to steal the identity of illustrious alum Michael Avenatti?
Dude's claims were debunked years ago on old site by Brian Paul Jenny!

The Dude wrote:

I was recruited to play baseball at GW over 30 years ago, as an invited walk on and arrived 29 years ago on the campus and returned for Law School as well

I can count on 17 hands on the # of players Coaches, parents who have told me what a cesspool this site has been over the years, something to consider when "fans" pour bile on the one and only site for GW hoops fans

 

A disclaimer before I speak: my comments here, now, are my own and not representative of anyone else, including any business entity for which I may serve. Yes, I must say that because I’m about to say something I haven’t said before, and I’m afraid i may say something I could regret later.

Dude, and anyone else who feels the way he does, if you don’t want to be here, you don’t need to be. This is not a prerequisite to being a GW fan.

I take it incredibly personally about your comments about this board being a cesspool. I take it further personally when you imply that the things on here that are said by others, other than you, create an unwelcome atmosphere for our athletes and prospective student athletes.

There is incredibly intelligent conversation shared on this board by devoted fans. There are insights that are provided by committed members of our board community. And this board is most certainly NOT the same as the previous board.

This board was created out of frustration from the cesspool (using your words here) that existed over there. As far as I can see, your comment(s) are creating the very conflict and negative tone of which you protest.

We have known each other a long time, and I defend you often, because I believe your right to be here is important. You are a committed fan, a bleed-buff-and-blue kind of guy, and you have the power to be supportive of this current board and respect the efforts i have made to make this place a haven for the small but loyal fan base we have here.

I honestly don’t want to give up management of this board but feel that i cannot be the arbiter and judge and jury while taking on my new professional role.

So, I urge you to:

1: Retract your comments that this board is a cesspool. I’d like an apology, in exactly the same public way you have dumped on me and this board.

2. To you and others, stop instigating conflict seemingly just for the sake of creating conflict over an argument that didn’t start on this board and certainly has no place here.

I will continue to defend your right to be here, Dude, you and everyone else. But you have lost my sympathy and empathy when you attack something I launched and very much believe is vital to GW.

To everyone else, please don’t pile on. Don’t add fuel to the fire. Everyone take a break, let some time pass, and let’s start fresh.

Thanks.


PS: To everyone else, please do not respond to this post. The next post response must be from Dude with an apology. Failing that, I will close and move this post to the rewind section if I don’t hear something in the next 24 hours. Much appreciated.

Last edited by BGF (8/14/2024 4:10 pm)