I have come to despise Paul Hewitt. I still can't dislike him as a person since I can only base that on personal experience. The few times I've met him, I like him. But I hate him as a basketball coach. I've sat directly behind his bench in game, I've heard him speak at Insiders events, and I've watched almost every game his Mason teams have played. I just don't like what I see or hear.
I don't enjoy watching Mason play basketball in 9 out of 10 games. Even that 10th game I actually enjoy still doesn't produce the kind of enjoyment it used to. I don't like the predictability (unless it's the kind of predictability we had in 2011 - we will win and we will beat the spread. I know this, yet it's not boring!). I don't like the way it makes me feel to watch them lose at home. I don't like spending the toll, gas, and ticket money. I definitely didn't like hearing and seeing the GW student section at our game. I really don't like driving home.
I don't usually enjoy the boards. The same people say the same things and it's meaningless. It's not fun. I like Ricky. I like wedunk. I like picture threads. I don't like analyzing the same bullshit the same way. I don't like the same people feeling the same way about the same thing. I don't enjoy being one of them. I don't like checking them literally every day, and saying I'm going to stop literally every day. I don't like being a battered spouse/dog.
I don't like supporting people financially who are doing things I don't like. I don't like feeling hypocritical and ineffective by NOT hitting the athletic department where it hurts - in the wallet.
But I did/do all of this stuff. Because, as I see it, we have two choices this season
1 - hope to lose every game to facilitate change faster
2 - hope to win some games because I like seeing Mason win
I choose 2. Whatever I'm doing by buying tickets, donating to the Patriot Club, continuing to be an Insider even though I truly don't enjoy it anymore, and being in the stands cheering for my team whenever it is feasible for me to make the trek, has at least some chance at helping them win. We used to have one of the best home court advantages in div1. I want to help have that again. I want my dollars to improve recruiting, help with a coaching buy-out, or get the team on an airplane instead of a bus. I am a public school teacher; I ain't rich. But what I do have, I am happy to share a little with Mason. A very loud voice in my head says, "Stop buying tickets! You do this for fun, and you're not having fun!" And like a stupid, loyal dog, I come back and do it again.
I'm not trying to toot my own horn; I'm not proud of myself. I'm also not one of the popular, moralizing posters on here who make it clear that "If you don't agree with me, you're wrong." So, I'm not even telling you to choose option 2 like I did. I'm just using you, and your free time, to vent to someone other than my wife. I don't care what you do, and I don't know why you'd care what I do. But I typed it anyway. Deal with it.
If you do want some advice from a fellow fan, I honestly would urge you to choose one of the options above. Either root for us to lose, or root for us to win. Then, like you are always urging our players to do, throw yourself wholeheartedly into one or the other. If you want us to lose, admit it. If you want us to win, help it happen.
Or don't. I don't give a shit.
I don't enjoy watching Mason play basketball in 9 out of 10 games. Even that 10th game I actually enjoy still doesn't produce the kind of enjoyment it used to. I don't like the predictability (unless it's the kind of predictability we had in 2011 - we will win and we will beat the spread. I know this, yet it's not boring!). I don't like the way it makes me feel to watch them lose at home. I don't like spending the toll, gas, and ticket money. I definitely didn't like hearing and seeing the GW student section at our game. I really don't like driving home.
I don't usually enjoy the boards. The same people say the same things and it's meaningless. It's not fun. I like Ricky. I like wedunk. I like picture threads. I don't like analyzing the same bullshit the same way. I don't like the same people feeling the same way about the same thing. I don't enjoy being one of them. I don't like checking them literally every day, and saying I'm going to stop literally every day. I don't like being a battered spouse/dog.
I don't like supporting people financially who are doing things I don't like. I don't like feeling hypocritical and ineffective by NOT hitting the athletic department where it hurts - in the wallet.
But I did/do all of this stuff. Because, as I see it, we have two choices this season
1 - hope to lose every game to facilitate change faster
2 - hope to win some games because I like seeing Mason win
I choose 2. Whatever I'm doing by buying tickets, donating to the Patriot Club, continuing to be an Insider even though I truly don't enjoy it anymore, and being in the stands cheering for my team whenever it is feasible for me to make the trek, has at least some chance at helping them win. We used to have one of the best home court advantages in div1. I want to help have that again. I want my dollars to improve recruiting, help with a coaching buy-out, or get the team on an airplane instead of a bus. I am a public school teacher; I ain't rich. But what I do have, I am happy to share a little with Mason. A very loud voice in my head says, "Stop buying tickets! You do this for fun, and you're not having fun!" And like a stupid, loyal dog, I come back and do it again.
I'm not trying to toot my own horn; I'm not proud of myself. I'm also not one of the popular, moralizing posters on here who make it clear that "If you don't agree with me, you're wrong." So, I'm not even telling you to choose option 2 like I did. I'm just using you, and your free time, to vent to someone other than my wife. I don't care what you do, and I don't know why you'd care what I do. But I typed it anyway. Deal with it.
If you do want some advice from a fellow fan, I honestly would urge you to choose one of the options above. Either root for us to lose, or root for us to win. Then, like you are always urging our players to do, throw yourself wholeheartedly into one or the other. If you want us to lose, admit it. If you want us to win, help it happen.
Or don't. I don't give a shit.
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