At some point tomorrow, my subscription ends.
Sorry I've been like a boxer or a stripper or the band Kiss with multiple swan songs but this "retirement" is official. I've been here over 20 years and made over 10k posts. Not sure whether to be proud of that or embarrassed. Probably a bit of both.
I want to start by apologizing to those that had to witness the bickering over the last year or so. I was definitely complicit and wish I never engaged in hindsight. I'm a huge crypto guy (since 2017) and this community reminds me of some of my crypto communities. When things are good, it's unicorns and rainbows. When things are bad, we support each other. When things are REALLY bad, we start infighting. I've seen it in crypto and I've obviously seen it here. I'll justify it by saying it's just a deep love for this program which often times does not reciprocate that love.
This will be long-winded as I tend to do. Don't shoot me I'm Italian. Feel free to not read ahead.
I think the reason I'm so obsessed with this program is threefold:
1) We didn't have high major football so basketball was king on campus
2) I was randomly placed in New South 1 which housed the basketball players. Back then basketball players were like mythical people on campus. You rarely saw them. They ate separately. The studied separately. And they were gone a good chunk of the school year. The average student could go a semester without seeing them on campus.
3) Jaren Jackson: not only did he live right next door to me (with Charles Smith), unlike 99% of players back then he was a business student. Most were sociology. So Jaren had to study with us and spend time with us. So us business students on New South got closer to the program than most.
Interesting fact: back then it was very difficult to get money to the players as the NCAA was looming everywhere. And all the sociology majors would just pass down school books and pocket the scholarship money designated for books. A bit shady sure. But not a violation. One of the other freshmen on our floor was a big sports bettor (football). And we had to keep things very hush hush when betting with and against him. We had a wannabe bookie on campus and one of my buddies laid bets for this player. Good times back then.
Anyways. Back to the program.
I truly believe we are in capable hands and I hope all you do to. One of my favorite things lately is the sitewide consternation over not getting this "promised" big as of yet. Shows me expectations are higher almost to the point of entitlement. And that's a very good thing.
As I've mentioned too many times, I am part of a newer Hoya community that is much more positive (delusional? maybe) than this and other communities. And after getting kicked in the nuts by this program for years, I need that. And that's the main reason I'm leaving. One thing about Georgetown is that the program never really valued students, alums, fans and locals. And everything this new community has heard (and we have some interesting and significant albeit unusual sources) that has changed. Either Cooley is a world class bullshit artist or he truly cares about all the aforementioned above. As most great program leads, it is probably a combination of the two.
Before I go I'd like to list my four favorite moments as a Hoya fan:
1) Reggie and the Miracles. As I mentioned above I lived next to Charles Smith. He didn't travel sometimes freshman year and he'd watch games with us. He was a friend. I'm very saddened to hear he's not doing that well in his personal life. He was a really nice guy. Freshman year however he was an afterthought. But Jaren kept telling us there was something there. He rarely missed an open shot in practice. And to watch him explode on the national scene my sophomore year in that run to the elite 8 was just fantastic. And damn if the campus wasn't buzzing. But f'ing Pitino and Providence beat us after we handled them with ease three times and that run was over.
2) Senior year with rejection row sleeping outside for tournament tickets to the Meadowlands. Then Rayful Edmunds limosine appeared in the parking lot at about 3am and out popped John Turned in a full length fur coat and Alonzo. It was surreal. And then we all know the story of JT Jr. putting out the word that he needed to talk to the biggest drug dealer in DC and next thing you know Rayful was at his office. Imagine that.
3) Actually getting to see Rayful Edmund play pickup at a midnight outdoor hoops court with some of the players. And he was legit.
4) Telling Charles for years I could take him. And since we were the bicentennial graduating class, we had a lot of events leading up to graduation. And at a massive picnic Jaren and Bobby and Charles played pick up with us. I boasted that I had Charles and then proceeded to take a world class beating I still remember to this day. The difference between a world class athlete and a schlub like me is mind-boggling. And I was in decent shape. But the speed is something else. I'll tell you that.
So I bid all of you farewell. I enjoyed my time here mostly commiserating with other disgruntled fans. If anyone cares to contact me for any reason there are three ways:
1) Lpucci@pacbell.net
2) Sometime this week I'll be joining an exploding discord community for recruiting. I know some here are already there. I'll be there soon.
3) the twitter account 2.0 all contribute to but is run by someone not of this community:
and my final thought: I was dead wrong about Ewing's ability to both run a program and break from the old guard. It was awful to sit thru that tenure despite that thrilling run to the BET title. Ed is and has always been the right man for this job. He has somehow broken from the past while honoring it and has truly changed the culture. And even if this elusive big does not happen, we are still vastly improved from last year (especially on the defensive end). I think .500 is very possible and with a good big even better. And regarding that big, if we don't get him it won't be for lack of effort. Cooley is fighting and fighting hard. Really hard. You can trust 2.0's sources on that.
HOYASAXA!!!
Sorry I've been like a boxer or a stripper or the band Kiss with multiple swan songs but this "retirement" is official. I've been here over 20 years and made over 10k posts. Not sure whether to be proud of that or embarrassed. Probably a bit of both.
I want to start by apologizing to those that had to witness the bickering over the last year or so. I was definitely complicit and wish I never engaged in hindsight. I'm a huge crypto guy (since 2017) and this community reminds me of some of my crypto communities. When things are good, it's unicorns and rainbows. When things are bad, we support each other. When things are REALLY bad, we start infighting. I've seen it in crypto and I've obviously seen it here. I'll justify it by saying it's just a deep love for this program which often times does not reciprocate that love.
This will be long-winded as I tend to do. Don't shoot me I'm Italian. Feel free to not read ahead.
I think the reason I'm so obsessed with this program is threefold:
1) We didn't have high major football so basketball was king on campus
2) I was randomly placed in New South 1 which housed the basketball players. Back then basketball players were like mythical people on campus. You rarely saw them. They ate separately. The studied separately. And they were gone a good chunk of the school year. The average student could go a semester without seeing them on campus.
3) Jaren Jackson: not only did he live right next door to me (with Charles Smith), unlike 99% of players back then he was a business student. Most were sociology. So Jaren had to study with us and spend time with us. So us business students on New South got closer to the program than most.
Interesting fact: back then it was very difficult to get money to the players as the NCAA was looming everywhere. And all the sociology majors would just pass down school books and pocket the scholarship money designated for books. A bit shady sure. But not a violation. One of the other freshmen on our floor was a big sports bettor (football). And we had to keep things very hush hush when betting with and against him. We had a wannabe bookie on campus and one of my buddies laid bets for this player. Good times back then.
Anyways. Back to the program.
I truly believe we are in capable hands and I hope all you do to. One of my favorite things lately is the sitewide consternation over not getting this "promised" big as of yet. Shows me expectations are higher almost to the point of entitlement. And that's a very good thing.
As I've mentioned too many times, I am part of a newer Hoya community that is much more positive (delusional? maybe) than this and other communities. And after getting kicked in the nuts by this program for years, I need that. And that's the main reason I'm leaving. One thing about Georgetown is that the program never really valued students, alums, fans and locals. And everything this new community has heard (and we have some interesting and significant albeit unusual sources) that has changed. Either Cooley is a world class bullshit artist or he truly cares about all the aforementioned above. As most great program leads, it is probably a combination of the two.
Before I go I'd like to list my four favorite moments as a Hoya fan:
1) Reggie and the Miracles. As I mentioned above I lived next to Charles Smith. He didn't travel sometimes freshman year and he'd watch games with us. He was a friend. I'm very saddened to hear he's not doing that well in his personal life. He was a really nice guy. Freshman year however he was an afterthought. But Jaren kept telling us there was something there. He rarely missed an open shot in practice. And to watch him explode on the national scene my sophomore year in that run to the elite 8 was just fantastic. And damn if the campus wasn't buzzing. But f'ing Pitino and Providence beat us after we handled them with ease three times and that run was over.
2) Senior year with rejection row sleeping outside for tournament tickets to the Meadowlands. Then Rayful Edmunds limosine appeared in the parking lot at about 3am and out popped John Turned in a full length fur coat and Alonzo. It was surreal. And then we all know the story of JT Jr. putting out the word that he needed to talk to the biggest drug dealer in DC and next thing you know Rayful was at his office. Imagine that.
3) Actually getting to see Rayful Edmund play pickup at a midnight outdoor hoops court with some of the players. And he was legit.
4) Telling Charles for years I could take him. And since we were the bicentennial graduating class, we had a lot of events leading up to graduation. And at a massive picnic Jaren and Bobby and Charles played pick up with us. I boasted that I had Charles and then proceeded to take a world class beating I still remember to this day. The difference between a world class athlete and a schlub like me is mind-boggling. And I was in decent shape. But the speed is something else. I'll tell you that.
So I bid all of you farewell. I enjoyed my time here mostly commiserating with other disgruntled fans. If anyone cares to contact me for any reason there are three ways:
1) Lpucci@pacbell.net
2) Sometime this week I'll be joining an exploding discord community for recruiting. I know some here are already there. I'll be there soon.
3) the twitter account 2.0 all contribute to but is run by someone not of this community:
x.com
twitter.com
and my final thought: I was dead wrong about Ewing's ability to both run a program and break from the old guard. It was awful to sit thru that tenure despite that thrilling run to the BET title. Ed is and has always been the right man for this job. He has somehow broken from the past while honoring it and has truly changed the culture. And even if this elusive big does not happen, we are still vastly improved from last year (especially on the defensive end). I think .500 is very possible and with a good big even better. And regarding that big, if we don't get him it won't be for lack of effort. Cooley is fighting and fighting hard. Really hard. You can trust 2.0's sources on that.
HOYASAXA!!!