Comments on: Pay JT III. http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2007/04/03/pay-jt-iii/ The Georgetown Voice Blog Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:20:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Stew http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2007/04/03/pay-jt-iii/#comment-7880 Stew Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:03:11 +0000 http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2007/04/03/pay-jt-iii/#comment-7880 I have to disagree with this sentiment. Look what a great basketball program did for Duke--it went from being a brainy Southern school to a hot-spot destination that legitimately competes with Ivy League schools in terms of both incoming students and prestige. The academics there were always great, but the national notoriety grew out of consistently being in the popular culture spotlight because of its basketball program. The Craig Escherick years proved the difference a coach can make in the success of a basketball program--it's not only about X's and O's (at which Thompson is one of the best), but also recruiting power, an area in which Thompson is proving a formidable player. Since most people don't even know Georgetown has a football team (no joke), basketball is our only chance to keep the school's name in the mainstream consciousness via athletics. Besides, the money spent on a coach to keep a basketball program great is an investment... it can come back in increased merchandise revenue, ticket revenue, etc... It will take a little while of maintaining our team at a high level to really bring the merchandise back up to 80s/early-90s highs though, so keeping Thompson around is a must. It's not about winning a championship or even reaching the Final Four every year... just about being a consistent contender, a big name in college hoops that gets people who have nothing to do with Georgetown excited. I have to disagree with this sentiment. Look what a great basketball program did for Duke–it went from being a brainy Southern school to a hot-spot destination that legitimately competes with Ivy League schools in terms of both incoming students and prestige. The academics there were always great, but the national notoriety grew out of consistently being in the popular culture spotlight because of its basketball program.

The Craig Escherick years proved the difference a coach can make in the success of a basketball program–it’s not only about X’s and O’s (at which Thompson is one of the best), but also recruiting power, an area in which Thompson is proving a formidable player. Since most people don’t even know Georgetown has a football team (no joke), basketball is our only chance to keep the school’s name in the mainstream consciousness via athletics.

Besides, the money spent on a coach to keep a basketball program great is an investment… it can come back in increased merchandise revenue, ticket revenue, etc… It will take a little while of maintaining our team at a high level to really bring the merchandise back up to 80s/early-90s highs though, so keeping Thompson around is a must. It’s not about winning a championship or even reaching the Final Four every year… just about being a consistent contender, a big name in college hoops that gets people who have nothing to do with Georgetown excited.

]]> By: Will http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2007/04/03/pay-jt-iii/#comment-7393 Will Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:17:41 +0000 http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2007/04/03/pay-jt-iii/#comment-7393 I don't know about saddling the university with more expenses just to pay for a possible basketball victory. Georgetown always needs more money, and I think there are better places it could be spent than on JTIII, and in some of those other cases, the money would definitely improve the university. Giving JTIII more money in the hopes that we go to the Final Four again is too expensive a gamble, when we have other places to put our chips. I don’t know about saddling the university with more expenses just to pay for a possible basketball victory.

Georgetown always needs more money, and I think there are better places it could be spent than on JTIII, and in some of those other cases, the money would definitely improve the university. Giving JTIII more money in the hopes that we go to the Final Four again is too expensive a gamble, when we have other places to put our chips.

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