We have this debate every year, and it generally turns out like Lucy pulling the football
away from Charlie Brown as he goes to kick it.
   But have to say, it sounds refreshingly different from accounts so far. 
I have unlimited hope this time of year. But as always, we'll see when the ball is thrown up.
   Truly hope the optimism proves to be warranted.

It's talking season ... which amounts to zero. People can say we are going to good, bad or mediocre. All of it doesn't matter. It is all outside noise. The only thing that matters is what happens once the ball is tipped against Maine and thereafter. That's right ... the Georgetown game (or Temple for that matter) doesn't matter either. Hopefully, we are focused on the task and not the noise. As I always say, if you are good, there will be plenty of people talking about you. As Cornell lacrosse said during the entire 2025 season which culminated in a national championship ... well done > well said. So let them say what they want ... no one should care right now either way.

GWRising wrote:

It's talking season ... which amounts to zero. PSo let them say what they want ... no one should care right now either way.

Ehhh, I'll grant you it amounts to zero on the court, but from a marketing perspective it's definitely a good thing for the program.  

Caputo has talked about how much of a hole he had to dig out of when he got here.  One part of that is offseason enthusiasm for the team which drives donations, season ticket sales, attendance, and recruiting.  It's why the MBB social media account will post things like "best ever NET rating" even though it was fluffed up with a Charmin soft OOC schedule.

Also, being labeled as a potential contender by multiple media outlets may help influence the league in scheduling GW on Friday nights on ESPN with the likes of VCU, Dayton, & SLU.  This increases the number of eyeballs on the team and may get some alumni to decide to come to games they might not otherwise attend.
 

Florida Colonial wrote:

GWRising.. Are we playing an exhibition/scrimmage against Temple?
 

 Yes, at Temple (before Georgetown). Think it is a closed scrimmage.

Gwmayhem wrote:

Fully agree with GW0509 here. It matters, not from an ultimate wins and losses perspective, but in several other ways that could impact the team's record. Perhaps the flattering publicity gives the team more confidence than it otherwise might have had. Perhaps opponents are more respectful or even, dare I say it, intimidated to play GW. As GW0509 points out, perhaps this all has a very positive impact on television scheduling. Take a look at how much respect George Mason has received under Tony Skinn after essentially being somewhat of an afterthought since joining the A10.

Of course, this can also go sideways very quickly. If the team buys into all of the press and concludes that they don't have to put in the work. Or that they show up "less hungry" than their opponents. That kind of thing. Am not expecting to see this but if GW were to fall into this trap, they wouldn't be the first "ascending" program to ever do so,

 Teams are intimidated because someone wrote a flattering preseason article? Stop it lol! Actually what it does is put a target on our back. Better to be the hunter than the hunted. Let me ask you something? I think you mentioned that you were a New York Jets fan somewhere. How did all the preseason hype around Rodgers, Hard Knocks etc. help the Jets over the past few years? 

Point is that it is hard to win at the level GW is competing at. Distractions, hype and general noise do nothing to win games. Eyes on the prize, always. Hopefully, CC has his guys ignoring that stuff.

Gwmayhem wrote:

Rising, you probably could not have come up with a worse example than the 2023 NY Jets.  Aaron Rodgers was lost for the year four plays into the season.  Am pretty sure that had far more to do with the Jets' record that year than believing preseason hype did.

Intimidation is all part of perception.  As a basketball coach, my guess is that you've coached teams that were among the best in their leagues, and others who were among the worst.  Did the better teams approach games by feeling that they had targets on their backs?  Or, did they take the floor confidently, realizing that if they played to their potential, they would be fine more often than not?  How about those lesser teams?  At 2-5, did they look at a 7-0 team and get all excited to play them?  Or, were they perhaps a bit intimidated that their collective butts would be handed to them?

When the season starts, everyone is 0-0.  Preseason hype can help instill confidence in a team.  No, it doesn't get you any automatic wins (which I realize is your point), but it can help build a culture where players feel very good about their chances almost every time out.  So yes, this is how hype CAN help win games.  As I mentioned earlier, it can also backfire for the reasons I 've already stated.
 

So the 2024 Jets had no hype associated with them? Some had picked them to beat the Bills and win the AFC East. Here is an article in case you need a refresher.

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2024-nfl-odds-jets-favored-dethrone-bills-afc-east

As a coach, the best thing you can do is prepare your team. I have been fortunate to do all the preseason training for a high school team which has made back to back MD State Championship appearances (lost both sadly). We focus on our standard of play and not anyone else. The first year we snuck up on people. The second year everyone was gunning for us. The second year we made a huge point about ignoring the media and just worrying about us. The point was made over and over again that we would get everyone's best shot. This year, we are doing the same. We are using the well done > well said mantra. We are doing everything we can do to control the noise by focusing on us. Granted, it's not college but there still will be articles written. I've found over 30 years that what John Wooden said when I was a kid holds true for teams as well as players: "You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."

 

Gwmayhem wrote:

Rising, you're completely missing the point on the Jets analogy.  Of course there was hype surrounding that team.  My point is that the team's downfall had everything to do with Rodgers being lost for the entire season.  Had Rodgers played a full season and that team had gone 4-13, your point would be much more relevant.

Back to basketball, you're making it sound like my point is that teams should buy into whatever hype they receive.  No, what they should do is use that hype to become a more confident team, but not an overconfident team.  In the year the team snuck up on people, there likely wasn't very much hype (hence, you snuck up on people).  The following year, you couldn't take the exact same approach.  By repeating again and again that this would be the year where everyone would take their best shot, you were acknowledging to your team that it was very good.  It's not quite the same as GW because I'm not sure last year's GW team genuinely snuck up on anyone and yet, it is receiving a lot of favorable publicity heading into this season.  We both agree that there is a danger in falling in love with the press clippings.  Where we disagree is that I believe there are ways to take advantage of the positive publicity without necessarily ignoring it. 
  

I am talking about the 2024 New York Jets - Rodgers played.
As for the publicity - it will always be there to read later. Ignore it and if things work out you will have plenty of time to read all that you want after the season.
 

Hard to believe that some folks are actually saying all the positive vibes could end up being a bad thing. LOL….we really do live in an alternate universe as Colonials. 

Me?  Yeah, Give me the engagement that comes from people paying attention every day of the week.  I’ll take my chances on that “risky” endeavor. 😂😂😂

I think we'll be able to tell this team's makeup early on.  The thing that's bugged me the most over the last few years is letting bad teams hang around.  Can we beat teams like Maine and William and Mary by 20+ points?  That's what A10 contenders/possible tournament teams should be doing.

Likewise, can we keep the Florida game within 15 points? We have had a horrible string of games against power schools on the road and let's be real, this "neutral site" game is a road game for us.

Gwmayhem wrote:

Alum1 wrote:

Hard to believe that some folks are actually saying all the positive vibes could end up being a bad thing. LOL….we really do live in an alternate universe as Colonials.

Me? Yeah, Give me the engagement that comes from people paying attention every day of the week. I’ll take my chances on that “risky” endeavor. 😂😂😂

Alum1, as someone who is on your side of this debate, I'll continue to point out that yes, too much positive publicity CAN be a bad thing if the team falls in love with the press clippings, doesn't put in the hard work because it doesn't feel that it has to, or ends up playing with pressure that might otherwise have not existed (without all of the favorable reviews).  That said, I am with you.  The team should take these accolades and build confidence.  It should develop the mindset that while nothing will be handed to them, they deserve to be considered one of the top teams in the conference.  There's a fine line between confidence and cockiness that should not be crossed.
 

 
I hear you Mayhem. Just found it a little funny that we are so beaten down that we have to find the clouds in an otherwise sunny outlook.