Brad Edwards and Lamar Butler on Sportstalk - Newschannel 8

[Washingtonian]

FYI.

 

[GSII]

Was he introducing our new coach this early??

 

[Washingtonian]

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/07/july-15th-sportstalk-with-brad-edwards-105131.html

 

[Walter]

"It is about winning." We now know the standard by which Hewitt will be judged.

 

[Walter]

"Athletic programs and departments are the front door of the institution." Big Balls Brad

"Set expectations . . . not only to get into post season but to compete in post season." Big Balls Brad

Me like.

He also talked about how having been a pro athlete with a championship will help him relate to and hire top coaches.

 

[Five Two]

"Athletic programs and departments are the front door of the institution." Big Balls Brad

When he say this, he has to know what his predecessor said, correct?

 

[Pablo]

While I really like the hiring of Brad Edwards, he will be judged by what Mason accomplishes (not what he says) particularly in men's basketball. If Hewitt doesn't turn things around next season, then my expectations are that Edwards will ensure he's dismissed.

 

[mkaufman1]

Obviously actions speak louder than words (and he hasn't had much time to do much), but I do enjoy hearing what he has had to say so far. He sounds like he is going to make athletics a top priority and expects to win by any means possible. The fact that he understands what athletics means to a university and how it can drive the success is big. I also suspect there will be added pressure on Mens basketball since that is the main sport.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

The mab just got here and he is laying down his direction for the AD. The right direction and making it clear in public. I am here in an airport in SC and had to go to the men's room to rub out my joy after reading this.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[gmutom]

When he say this, he has to know what his predecessor said, correct?

My thoughts exactly. Too much of a coincidence otherwise.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Making a statement

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[KAOriginal]

When he say this, he has to know what his predecessor said, correct?

Yes but to be fair, while TOC was conservative, I have no doubt that sentiment and other things were marching orders from Merten.

There's a new sheriff in town and his name is Reggie Hammond......I mean Angel Cabrera. The fact he moved us to the A-10 so fast once in, gives me hope on what he wants Edwards to do going forward....

 

[Pablo]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...-off-the-court/2011/04/22/AFZINoRE_story.html.

“What happened in the ’06 season gave us the opportunity to tell the great story of George Mason,” he [Tom O'Connor} said. “But we have to put everything in perspective. Many times, people say that intercollegiate athletics . . . [is] the front door [to a university]. It’s not the front door. It’s the side door. In the department store of higher education, we’re the toys and games department. When you think of it, when you go into the side door of a house, it’s usually the family room or the kitchen, where people are smiling. That’s how I look at it. It gave us great visibility for the basketball program, but it didn’t come in the sense that it became more important than the university as a whole.”

 

[psyclone]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...-off-the-court/2011/04/22/AFZINoRE_story.html.

“What happened in the ’06 season gave us the opportunity to tell the great story of George Mason,” he [Tom O'Connor} said. “But we have to put everything in perspective. Many times, people say that intercollegiate athletics . . . [is] the front door [to a university]. It’s not the front door. It’s the side door. In the department store of higher education, we’re the toys and games department. When you think of it, when you go into the side door of a house, it’s usually the family room or the kitchen, where people are smiling. That’s how I look at it. It gave us great visibility for the basketball program, but it didn’t come in the sense that it became more important than the university as a whole.”

I know many on these boards like to think in terms of "front door" role for athletics, but I think TOC statements reflect what many of those in academics believe the core mission of a university to be. Athletics is a major influence in terms of publicity for the university, especially for the masses who don't know the meaning of what research entails or how prestigious a Nobel prize really is within the community of scholars. That doesn't mean we should ignore athletics but it shouldn't be the tail that wags the dog. (Note: I still think a basketball practice facility is not a prudent expenditure).

 

[Washingtonian]

Different channel, but the 2nd video is 15 minutes long:
http://www.wusa9.com/story/sports/c...wards-is-the-new-ad-at-george-mason/12707885/

 

[Walter]

Different channel, but the 2nd video is 15 minutes long:
http://www.wusa9.com/story/sports/c...wards-is-the-new-ad-at-george-mason/12707885/

"We want to try to do everything we can to put our basketball team in a position to win not only Atlantic 10 championships but also national championships," said Edwards.

 

[mason2k1]

"We want to try to do everything we can to put our basketball team in a position to win not only Atlantic 10 championships but also national championships," said Edwards.

...so i missed the announcement and Hewitt was relieved of his duties...free to take his long awaited vacation?!?!

 

[Five Two]

I know many on these boards like to think in terms of "front door" role for athletics, but I think TOC statements reflect what many of those in academics believe the core mission of a university to be. Athletics is a major influence in terms of publicity for the university, especially for the masses who don't know the meaning of what research entails or how prestigious a Nobel prize really is within the community of scholars. That doesn't mean we should ignore athletics but it shouldn't be the tail that wags the dog. (Note: I still think a basketball practice facility is not a prudent expenditure).

College athletics is a business, pure and simple. Maybe 20+ years ago when TOC and others were ADs, athletics had to be part of the "core mission" of a university. Today, its about winning, TV deals, sponsorships, donations and season tickets. It is the tail that wags the dog and if schools don't want to subscribe to that or can't subscribe to that, there are lower divisions of the NCAA as an option or NAIA. We didn't "move up" in basketball because of the core mission of the university. We moved up because of $$ and the potential to generate more $$ than we could have in the CAA. Right or wrong, that's the world we live in these days.

 

[GMUgemini]

College athletics is a business, pure and simple. Maybe 20+ years ago when TOC and others were ADs, athletics had to be part of the "core mission" of a university. Today, its about winning, TV deals, sponsorships, donations and season tickets. It is the tail that wags the dog and if schools don't want to subscribe to that or can't subscribe to that, there are lower divisions of the NCAA as an option or NAIA. We didn't "move up" in basketball because of the core mission of the university. We moved up because of $$ and the potential to generate more $$ than we could have in the CAA. Right or wrong, that's the world we live in these days.

That's great Five Two, but two things:

1) This started about 40 to 50 years ago, not 20 and two

2) Athletic success or failure really has nothing to do with the actual institution's quality. So we can lament all day long that our coach sucks and he's going to run our basketball team into the ground, but that has little to no effect on the quality of the institution that George Mason University is. Athletics feeds itself.

 

[Pablo]

Athletic success or failure really has nothing to do with the actual institution's quality.

http://eagle.gmu.edu/newsroom/591/.