ODU Alum letter to Georgetown Fans

[wade moore]

http://www.thehoya.com/viewpoint/112106/view7.cfm

For those that don't know, ODU Men's Basketball defeated #8 Georgetown Men's Basketball by 13 points on Sunday. ODU is in the same conference (the CAA) as George Mason University (and incidently my W&M Tribe)...


Old Dominion Scoffs at GU

Tuesday, November 21, 2006 To the Editor:
As an Old Dominion University alumnus and basketball fan, I want to congratulate the Hoyas on their fine effort Sunday. Your team is really coming together nicely. I particularly commend the superior coaching of John Thompson III. To come within 13 points of the Monarchs, even in your poor excuse for a high school gym, is quite a feat. Your kids really “nutted up” under the intense pressure that the Monarchs brought to bear.
The first time ODU played at McDonough Gymnasium in 1977, Georgetown lost 80-58. So, as the student body leaves campus to celebrate Thanksgiving, keep your chins up. You were well represented on Sunday.
Obviously, the gap has narrowed, and the Big East has become a real competitive conference. Heck, that was illustrated last year when Connecticut took George Mason into overtime. It’s gotten to the point that I believe the Big East’s top teams, on any given night, could defeat the bottom half of the Colonial Athletic Association. This type of parity is good for the game.
Again, thanks for giving ODU your best. Even though the Hoyas would be no more than a “trial horse” in the CAA, they played closely with ODU for 30 minutes. That was just the type of challenge a top conference team needs early in the season to get ready for conference play. If you were in the CAA, you would know what I am talking about.
See you next year in Norfolk.
David Jones
Old Dominion University Class of 1979
Nov. 20, 2006

[albionmoonlight]

That's awesome because there is really no way for Georgetown people to respond to it.

As soon as you start to debate him, you are acknowledging that his position is worthy of debate.

[Swaggs]

That's awesome because there is really no way for Georgetown people to respond to it.

As soon as you start to debate him, you are acknowledging that his position is worthy of debate.

They can stop scheduling them.

[Subby]

Since when do ODU grads know how to write in complete sentences?

[wade moore]

Since when do ODU grads know how to write in complete sentences?

This was actually my first reaction as well.

[ISiddiqui]

That was a pretty asshole-ish letter, IMO. Unless G-Town said something before the game about ODU.

[Logan]

Guess I don't get what's supposedly so cool about this letter.

[Buccaneer]

Since when do ODU grads know how to write in complete sentences?

Since when did they expect those in the Georgetown basketball program know how to read?

[Buccaneer]

Guess I don't get what's supposedly so cool about this letter.

Beacause you lost your sense of satire or humor again?

[terpkristin]

I agree with ISiddiqui and Logan, I thought this was pretty classless.

Now, perhaps ODU is a team not to be trifled with, I really don't know much about their program. Georgetown is nothing to sneeze at, though the game between them shows why college basketball is great--on any given night, any team can win. I bet if that game was replayed, 70% of the time Georgetown would win, but there's that 30% chance that ODU would win. This is why March Madness is fun (remember George Mason, anybody...). Ok, this is a PART of why March Madness is fun (who doesn't love to cheer on their team and do office pools?).

Kind of sad, really, that the ODU alum felt a need to write that to GU.

/tk

[Buccaneer]

SU fans are always happy to see Gtown (and John Thompson 1,2,3,etc.) get their asses handed to them, on-court and off.

[st.cronin]

Trash talking qua trash talking isn't classless. Clever trash-talking is, imo, quite classy. I applaud the letter.

[Logan]

Beacause you lost your sense of satire or humor again?

No, I just don't think it's funny. Maybe it's because I don't know the history between these schools. Is there a long-standing rivalry where GTown has bashed ODU in the press and talked down to them, making this a sweet reversal for ODU alums? Is this a tight series historically, or has GTown destroyed them frequently (as I would assume they would have based on program stature)? Doesn't seem to make much sense to me to celebrate like jackasses because you finally beat big, bad GT once.

[terpkristin]

Trash talking qua trash talking isn't classless. Clever trash-talking is, imo, quite classy. I applaud the letter.

Trash-talking AFTER the game isn't trash-talking, it's just being an asshole, even if it's borderline satirical (which quite frankly, it doesn't have the hallmarks of satire I'd expect, but if people want to consider it "clever satire" then well each their own).

Of course, the world is full of assholes, so perhaps this letter is a sign that I should just get used to people being assholes.

/tk

[wade moore]

Wow.. ok... let's clear a few things up here...

A) The lifetime series (going back to the 70's) is 2-1 in favor of ODU.
B) Everyone is quite aware of George Mason, in particular this letter writer (and I have to wonder if tk READ the letter is he's making that statement since it is discussed IN the letter) because George Mason is IN ODU's CONFERENCE.
C) There is no particular strife between ODU and Georgetown, as I said, they've played 3 times in 30 years.
E) ODU is a solid mid-major program. They were in the NCAA's in 2004-2005 and nearly upset Michigan St. They were in the NIT Final Four last year.
F) The CAA is a rising Mid-Major conference that should be consider at the calibre of the MVC or close to it.
G) I hate to do this. But I guess I'm going to have to EXPLAIN the satire (god)... Take the letter, reverse the words "Georgetown" and "ODU" as well as the words "CAA" and "Big East". Now, re-read the letter. It reads like countless letters/articles/etc that fans of quality mid-majors like the CAA have read 1000's of times. In addition, it is similar to 1000's of pre-game articles that you would read for this game or others that pit mid-majors against top 25 teams.
H) Lighten up Francis.

[Buccaneer]

G) I hate to do this. But I guess I'm going to have to EXPLAIN the satire (god)... Take the letter, reverse the words "Georgetown" and "ODU" as well as the words "CAA" and "Big East". Now, re-read the letter. It reads like countless letters/articles/etc that fans of quality mid-majors like the CAA have read 1000's of times. In addition, it is similar to 1000's of pre-game articles that you would read for this game or others that pit mid-majors against top 25 teams.


Awww, wade, you had to go explain it. What you wrote above is exactly why this is satirical. Don't any of you from the DC area read The Onion? You take a very common or popular topic and replace it with something unexpected, you know, like role-reversal.

[wade moore]

Awww, wade, you had to go explain it. What you wrote above is exactly why this is satirical. Don't any of you from the DC area read The Onion? You take a very common or popular topic and replace it with something unexpected, you know, like role-reversal.

Like I said, I hate to do it ;)... I thought it was/should be obvious...

The only thing I can speculate is that people just have no clue what the mid-majors go through to understand this...

For reference: The CAA schools, all 12, total have about 5-6 games against teams currently in the top 25 this year. It's not because the CAA schools won't schedule them, but because the big teams are afraid to - in particular Maryland is notorious for not scheduling the very-close-by George Mason and UVA will not schedule cross-state ODU.

So, to actually get one on the schedule, and WIN, and particularly after what George Mason did last year... let them have their fun...

Edit: Oh.. and, fwiw, this is really more a stab at the major conferences as a whole than just Georgetown.

[st.cronin]

I was actually wondering if the folks in the thread who objected to the letter were all fans of top 25 teams. Really, that letter is a thousand times more classy than the chants you typically hear at a Maryland (for example) home game.

[stevew]

Ol Dirty U getting the respec'

Last week it was former alum Verlander winning the ROY.

[wade moore]

Ol Dirty U getting the respec'

Last week it was former alum Verlander winning the ROY.

I think he's still an alum ;)...

[stevew]

Details....


Say, have they gotten that Maglev train to work yet? It was "oh so close" for the 2 years i lived right by ODU.

[wade moore]

Details....


Say, have they gotten that Maglev train to work yet? It was "oh so close" for the 2 years i lived right by ODU.

Gotta admit, I don't even know what the Maglev train is.

But I limit my exposure to Norfolk as much as possible. For three years I crossed the tunnel and drove to the base and back. Beyond that I go to the W&M @ ODU game each year and then maybe 1 or 2 other times in a year I'm in Norfolk outside of work.

So, I'm not necessarily the best source.

[wade moore]

Dola:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_train#Old_Dominion_University


Old Dominion University

A track of less than a mile in length has been constructed at Old Dominion University (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dominion_University) in Norfolk, Virginia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk%2C_Virginia). The system is not operational (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational), but research is currently ongoing to resolve some stability issues with the system. This system uses a "smart train, dumb track" that involves most of the sensors, magnets, and computation occurring on the train rather than the track. This system will cost less to build per mile than existing systems. The same principle is involved in the construction of a second prototype system in Powder Springs, Georgia, by American Maglev Technology, Inc. (http://www.american-maglev.com/), set for deployment in Fall 2006.