Trying to Stay Positive

[Masonfan3]

Masonfan3, I understand what you are saying, but I could not disagree with you much more in regards to your comments on UNCW. That whole situation has to do with poor decisions made with regards to athletics up and down their administration. Anyone who thinks the fan base should keep doing everything they have been doing before the bad decisions were made, and keep quiet are just delusional. Things won't get better until their administration starts making better decisions. Their fans need to make sure they are aware of that. Their fan base needs to speak to their administration either by voicing their concerns, or voting with their feet (stop donating and stop coming).

Sorry, I should have been more clear when I was referencing UNCW. I meant that I don't want to see us turn into UNCW where we once have a pretty solid basketball program and then turn into the worst team in the conference where we win 5 games a year/lack attendance and everyone stops caring about the program.

 

[mkaufman1]

Sorry, I should have been more clear when I was referencing UNCW. I meant that I don't want to see us turn into UNCW where we once have a pretty solid basketball program and then turn into the worst team in the conference where we win 5 games a year/lack attendance and everyone stops caring about the program.

Normally I'd agree with this and I know the comparison has been thrown out previously. I totally get where you are coming from. At the same time, with the move to the A-10, I just can't see any of those things happening. Yes attendance may suffer, yes the team may not win as much, yes Hewitt may suck, etc etc etc but theres just not that opportunity to become that apathetic with the move to the A-10.

I was much more concerned at the direction of the program and athletics in general when Mason turned down the A-10 the first time. I do understand why it was done but it certainly made me question the direction of athletics in general.

With that being said, there is an enormous opportunity to build "new" rivals with GW and Richmond (a rekindle) and continue the rivalry of sorts with vcu. In addition, due to the type of schools in the A-10 who bring out their fanbases because of DC area alumni, it will only help atmosphere and attendance. I've noticed at just about every game, that there is a group of alumni from the other school. Did that happen in the CAA? Not really, minus ODU JMU and vcu.

 

[Masonfan3]

That game would have been packed if it were a battle for first place in the conference. At least more people would have shown up. Also a lot of the attendance we used to pull was from our local rivals. JMU games were always packed. We don't have that so much anymore with the new conference. We need to build the rivalries and hype and excitement around the games.

I get what you're saying, I just don't think our fan base sucks because we aren't packing the Pat Center to watch a team that's 2-10 in conference. MOST of our fans aren't like us--you gotta cut them some slack that they have better things to do in their lives than follow a losing basketball team. That doesn't mean they're "bad" they're just "different." The majority of every fan base is casual fans who show up when you're winning. Every team, every sport. That's how it works. It's us die hards who keep things going in the mean time.

I agree with you on how the majority of every fan base are casual fans and how its us die hards that keep things going. But we can't lose those die hards and also need to try and get some of those casual fans to turn into die hards. We have opportunities when we play top 25 teams at home and that's why its upsetting that the attendance wasn't better the other day. I had a man and his son sitting next to me who came to their first ever Mason game. They were excited to see a top 10 team (but were rooting for Mason) and they were in shock that there weren't more people in the stands. You think they will come back when their only impression of the "Mason Basketball experience" is sitting in a quite arena? There are two ways to get those types of fans to come back; win and show them a good time. Now obviously us as fans have no control over the first part but if we can get more people in the stands and have the PC rockin then more casual fans will come back because its more entertaining.

 

[GMUSSTN]

I agree with you on how the majority of every fan base are casual fans and how its us die hards that keep things going. But we can't lose those die hards and also need to try and get some of those casual fans to turn into die hards. We have opportunities when we play top 25 teams at home and that's why its upsetting that the attendance wasn't better the other day. I had a man and his son sitting next to me who came to their first ever Mason game. They were excited to see a top 10 team (but were rooting for Mason) and they were in shock that there weren't more people in the stands. You think they will come back when their only impression of the "Mason Basketball experience" is sitting in a quite arena? There are two ways to get those types of fans to come back; win and show them a good time. Now obviously us as fans have no control over the first part but if we can get more people in the stands and have the PC rockin then more casual fans will come back because its more entertaining.

It all comes down to winning--if you win, it'll be easy to fill the seats and the atmosphere will improve.

I also guarantee you that a lot of the guys who cancel their tickets will come right back if the program turns around. A lot of them live far away and it's a pain in the butt to get to the PC in rush hour, and totally not worth it if the team is going to let them down. I wasn't at Wednesday's game because I felt a cold coming on, even though in years past I wouldn't have even considered skipping a home game no matter how shitty I felt. The worse the team gets, the less of a priority it is for me.

Any of the die hards who want to cancel I'd just suggest you go to a saturday plan or get a six game pack or whatever.

 

[Walter]

To compare Mason with UNCW is ridiculous. UNCW failed to keep their winning head coach happy so he left. UNCW's awful AD then went the young assistant route in hiring their next coach who turned out to be just dreadful. Then they hired a guy who is the absolute worst retread HC in all of Div 1 basketball and overpaid him.

See how it is different? TOC went straight for the retread.

 

[Masonfan3]

Is booster support low? Do you have any numbers on that?

I was under the impression that it is doing pretty well, for George Mason at least.

Don't have the numbers but it has declined gradually over the past few years; for obvious reasons. And I can tell you that for the entire university; Mason has a 5% Alumni giving rate. Which is pretty pathetic.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Not that I really want anything, but as a donor for 4 years now.....all I have gotten is extra mail for more donations as well as a magnet for my fridge that looks like it was put together in a dark room.

Again, not expecting anything but at the same time add a frustrating dwindling product, a stagnant AD department and no real perks of being a donor/STH its no wonder things are slipping.

 

[Masonfan3]

Not that I really want anything, but as a donor for 4 years now.....all I have gotten is extra mail for more donations as well as a magnet for my fridge that looks like it was put together in a dark room.

Again, not expecting anything but at the same time add a frustrating dwindling product, a stagnant AD department and no real perks of being a donor/STH its no wonder things are slipping.

I have always wondered why they didn't give out anything other than a magnet or a key chain. If they were to send you something else, what are things that you would want? I have actually been in talks with the PC and that is one of the things I've brought up to them.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Mason swag is always good. Maybe like with every donation comes a package of a shirt, hat or mug etc or something like that. Then as each year you have them, you could get better stuff? Some kind of event at the end of the year...dinner, golf tourney etc?

I mean basically anything is better than nothing, and we arent doing it to get stuff. But at the same time, as a AD you would want to probably distinguish your donors/STH from normal single game consumers. Even at the end of the year, something to say thanks for it all.

For example, I go visit family every year and catch a Niner game while were out there. Im not a season ticket holder, but I purchase my single tickets from the team. At the end of every year they send me a letter "from" Jed York in the mail thanking me for the support. I figure for TOC thats the very least that you can do for STHs.

Again, I donate because I want to and I want to support where I went etc. But overall, the feel of the program from a alumni consumers view of appreciation of donors/STHs, marketing, promoting, coaching, product on court all seems the exact same.....Meh.

 

[gmubrian]

The continued discussion on this thread makes me even more positive that most of our fan base deserves Coach Hewitt. Here is my reasoning:

If you believe Hewitt is a good coach and just needs more time, I disagree based on the evidence to date, but regardless, based on your belief, you should take it as a compliment that you deserve Coach Hewitt.

Mason athletics has the resources to have one of the top coaches in the A10. We don't currently have that. Those that say we are not Kentucky, Duke or UNC, and somehow that means we can't expect this team to thrive in the A10 are just rationalizing bad performance and you are incorrectly blaming the fans. You deserve Coach Hewitt.

Those of you that say you don't get upset over a bad season or two but don't, at the same time, examine the root cause for the bad seasons (like cycling from an experienced team to an inexperienced team versus it being a bad coach) are illogical. You deserve Coach Hewitt.

If you are donating to the basketball program primarily to "support the players", well that is illogical. If there is not a good product on the court, then it is not doing anyone much good other than the scholarship. It would be much more cost effective to support these kids with direct scholarships or other types of programs than to run an athletic program for that purpose. Instead, give to a Mason scholarship fund that gives 95-100% of the money directly to the students instead of an athletic department that siphons most of it off to pay salaries. If you continue to give to the basketball program primarily for that reason, you deserve Coach Hewitt.

If, on the other hand, you think Hewitt is at the root of the problems, well then, you should do something to make sure it is known to the administration (join a group of people to voice your concerns, contact the school/AD directly, and if that doesn't work consider stopping donations or stop going to games) to make sure it gets rectified as quickly as possible. I support the GMURaider guy that most people ripped to shreds on here when he emailed the coach more so than people that know Hewitt is the problem but will continue to do exactly the same thing they have been doing (donate the same amount and attend games) and remain silent as far as the school/AD is concerned. GMURaider does not, but you do, deserve Coach Hewitt.

About the only fans that I can think of that don't deserve Coach Hewitt are those that have concluded Hewitt is at the root of the problem AND let the school/AD know it in some manner.

 

[GMUgemini]

I think any season ticket holders/donors who are contemplating stopping should get with Brian's group first because the decision to stop supporting men's basketball will carry more weight if the AD knows the reasons why.

 

[Raider_SPE]

I love Raider_SPE's avatar.

Walter - since you liked it so much I upgraded it.

 

[Patriotfan49]

I think any season ticket holders/donors who are contemplating stopping should get with Brian's group first because the decision to stop supporting men's basketball will carry more weight if the AD knows the reasons why.

If the AD has no idea why donations and STH would be drying up now..........I would think its probably time they find a different job.

 

[Cool Disco Dan]

I think any season ticket holders/donors who are contemplating stopping should get with Brian's group first because the decision to stop supporting men's basketball will carry more weight if the AD knows the reasons why.

I agree with that. I think, though, that we are in a tough spot, because our AD is part of the problem. Do you want him picking the next coach?

 

[GMUgemini]

If the AD has no idea why donations and STH would be drying up now..........I would think its probably time they find a different job.

I think this kind of glib response is counterproductive and does nothing (and is honestly the reason why so many people dislike us as a fanbase, including a lot of self-loathing).

 

[Patriotfan49]

I think this kind of glib response is counterproductive and does nothing (and is honestly the reason why so many people dislike us as a fanbase, including a lot of self-loathing).

Why? Im serious, if the AD cant understand the general point themselves at the moment and why people would not renew STs or their donations after this year.....perhaps we need some people with more situational awareness and foresight in there. It shouldnt be rocket science nor does it have to do with being rude, glib, or self loathing. Its fairly simple.

The questions should be how as an AD we go out and stop this, we get not just those people back but more...how to spark more interest....how to get a better product...etc etc

Plus Im not sure who exactly are these people who dislike us as a fanbase? What are you talking about?

 

[Walter]

If El Presidente hasn't pulled TOC aside after a game and said, "What the damn hell? What is your plan to fix this?" then Cabrera needs to be fired too.

 

[Pablo]

Trying to stay positive, here is my take on the situation. Former President Merten and AD Tom O'Connor believed that Paul Hewitt was the best available coach for Mason, which was in no need of a rebuilding process. And, let's be honest, most of us were not opposed to Hewitt initially.

So, the real question IMO is how long is a reasonable and practical period before any decision is made regarding possible termination? While I strongly believed that Mason should have fired Paul Westhead after 3 season, I believe that Paul Hewitt should be given 4 seasons. Hopefully, Hewitt will acknowledge his coaching deficiencies, and hire a good lead assistant for next season.

 

[GMUgemini]

Trying to stay positive, here is my take on the situation. Former President Merten and AD Tom O'Connor believed that Paul Hewitt was the best available coach for Mason, which was in no need of a rebuilding process. And, let's be honest, most of us were not opposed to Hewitt initially.

So, the real question IMO is how long is a reasonable and practical period before any decision is made regarding possible termination? While I strongly believed that Mason should have fired Paul Westhead after 3 season, I believe that Paul Hewitt should be given 4 seasons. Hopefully, Hewitt will acknowledge his coaching deficiencies, and hire a good lead assistant for next season.

Who do you believe would be the leading candidate for the assistant to fall on their sword in the offsesaon?

While I don't disagree with you, I also believe we would be missing a golden opportunity in year two of a coach with Holloway, Marko and Royal as seniors and Jalen and Moore as juniors. Of course, there's is no guarantee that all five would be here if Hewitt were fired, but the possibility exists that they would.

 

[GSII]

Re temrmination, It depends on next year on two fronts. Early results on new roster, and recruiting. TOC knew we'd suck this year. He will be able to tell what next years roster will bring. If win 7 a10 games, hewitt will get extended bc we showed promise plus have to fill four spots after next season. You cant convince kids to sign if you may not be here. Its a tough spot. Thats why its best to fire him this year.