Open Scrimmage

[gmutom]

You can tell no one went to the open scrimmage when Hewitt is mentioned in this thread. I can't wait till he can no longer be referenced to defend anything. When will that be? 5 more years? 10 more?

I'm sure Dave would be the first person to tell you that the current state of the program is no longer on his predecessor. He knew what he was inheriting when he took the job, and I'd say he handled the first few years better than any Mason fan could have possibly envisioned.

The reality, though, is he has now had five years to turn over the roster, change the climate and adjust to a better league. Herndon has correctly pointed out on several occasions that our facilities are inferior to other programs, but the new practice facility, meeting space and locker rooms are luxuries no other Mason coach has ever had to lure recruits and improve the program.

I honestly hope Dave figures things out and ends up retiring at Mason, but let's make it clear that he is the captain of this ship. He hired the staff, recruited the players, designed the schemes and set the schedule. Here's hoping for smooth sailing ahead.

 

[Herndon]

Touché, but I assume both go hand in hand. Players got in trouble under coach L, wouldn’t describe KRAM as clean, bad culture? Sometimes...kids will be kids but I get what you’re saying. I frankly don’t care what kids do, as long as they win. Is this wrong?

Don't know about right and wrong, but different from me, at least.

 

[Herndon]

I'll gladly take a dumpster fire. You know exactly who you are and you can cut bait with your coach and formulate an action plan to move in the only direction there is. At least you can cycle to the next coach who could be "the guy." You also have a figure (dumpster fire coach) that the fan base can galvanize behind and collectively hate as a whole.

Alternatively, you can hover in mediocrity for years, never really knowing if you are good or bad. You start to ask questions like, how long do you extend your mediocre coach? The fan base becomes either divided on that coach or years of mediocrity can leave the fan base completely complacent and just not caring (see Redskins). Ultimately leading to unknown expectations and mild goals like top 6 in the conference or hoping to make it to Saturday at the A10 tourney.

Mediocrity scares the hell outta me.

Maybe it depends on how you look at life. You can play it safe and work your 9-5 job, make a modest living and be fine with it. Or you can take a shot at something bigger. You can fail miserably but you also could become wildly successful. At least you took a chance

I know a lot of broke a** losers with exactly this "get rich or die trying" mindset.

Edit: that comes off as way more confrontational than I meant it.

My point wasn't that it's wrong to have high expectations and want the best. That is a good and laudable thing.

My point was that there's a difference between high but realistic expectations, and cutting off your nose to spite your face in an effort to try to achieve something that is a low-percentage play.

 

[gmujim92]

“But from the beginning this has been a long-term rebuild. That’s how Dave is choosing to do it and the AD supports him. So this is where we are and I think most of us are trying to make the best of it.”

I’d counter your long rebuild point with......then why did he declare the last 2 seasons 1 long season? He must have expected more from last year. You’ll blame injuries, I’ll blame poor talent evaluating and we’ll go nowhere. No chance, he thought it would take this long given his own quotes from the last few years. I’ll stay away from your AD support comment, but there’s a 0% chance Brad approves of last season.

You do understand the concept of “best laid plans,” right?

Almost nothing went as expected last year. Guys we were counting on got hurt. One guy literally quit on the team. Our senior leader struggled for most of the season.

Shit happens. Not sure why you seem so obsessed with blaming the coach for things far beyond his control, but here we are.

 

[G M U]

I know a lot of broke a** losers with exactly this "get rich or die trying" mindset.

that’s odd, the most successful people I’ve met have had that mindset. Guess we run in different circles

 

[Herndon]

that’s odd, the most successful people I’ve met have had that mindset. Guess we run in different circles

Darn it, I was hoping you would see my edit before you responded.

 

[G M U]

Darn it, I was hoping you would see my edit before you responded.

I hear you Herndon. Def need to check out Shark Tank, gotta swing for the fences at some point

 

[By George.]

You do understand the concept of “best laid plans,” right?

Almost nothing went as expected last year. Guys we were counting on got hurt. One guy literally quit on the team. Our senior leader struggled for most of the season.

Shit happens. Not sure why you seem so obsessed with blaming the coach for things far beyond his control, but here we are.

Grayer quit on the team? Haven’t heard that, but even if he did, maybe it’s because he was forced to play out of position his whole career at Mason.

You’re not sure why I blame the head coach? The one who set expectations, multiple times, publicly? You’re not sure why I blame DP for overhyping Jarred and playing him way too much until he could barely run anymore? Well Jim, here we are.

I’m tired of making excuses, win please.

 

[sleeperpick]

Grayer quit on the team? Haven’t heard that, but even if he did, maybe it’s because he was forced to play out of position his whole career at Mason.

You’re not sure why I blame the head coach? The one who set expectations, multiple times, publicly? You’re not sure why I blame DP for overhyping Jarred and playing him way too much until he could barely run anymore? Well Jim, here we are.

I’m tired of making excuses, win please.

It’s hilarious. AJ gets blame, Jaire gets blame, Jaires dad gets blame, Goanar gets blame, Reuter gets blame yet paulsen is infallible to some folks. Really pathetic.

Playing people out of their position for their Mason careers seems to be a Paulsen specialty. No wonder we have trouble attracting big men recruits

 

[Herndon]

I hear you Herndon. Def need to check out Shark Tank, gotta swing for the fences at some point

It's funny, I was working out just now thinking about this conversation and the metaphor that came to my mind was golf.

if you've ever seen the movie tin cup, you strike me as the kind of guy who would rather be Kevin Costner than Don Johnson. It's better to hit 25 consecutive shots into the water and eventually get the hole in one then to lay up and two putt for par.

That's okay. Some folks are like that. Some folks believe that the joy in life is defined in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and seeking anything but the highest of highs is settling.

Maybe they are right, it's certainly possible.

Maybe they're not, though. Maybe for something like college athletics, that isn't central to my life, it's preferably to be reliably pretty good, and something I can take my little girl to and now we're going to have a good time, and know that I can teach her about basketball, and know that the players aren't going to get into trouble off the court, and I'm not going to have to explain that to her.

Our last hire was a swing for the fences move. It was a ballsy, shoot for the moon kind of sang, and if it had worked out it would have been glorious. the problem is that most of the time when you swing for the fences, you end up striking out. I dislike sucking more than I dislike being just okay.

It's no fun for me to go watch a team that sucks, even if it means that maybe they'll be great someday.

I would prefer to have five pretty good seasons to four sucky seasons and one great one.

This is all a very long way to say I hear where you're coming from, and I understand that mindset, it's just not one that I share.

 

[gmujim92]

It’s hilarious. AJ gets blame, Jaire gets blame, Jaires dad gets blame, Goanar gets blame, Reuter gets blame yet paulsen is infallible to some folks. Really pathetic.

Playing people out of their position for their Mason careers seems to be a Paulsen specialty. No wonder we have trouble attracting big men recruits

Please show me where I have ever suggested Paulsen is infallible.

 

[G M U]

The five pretty good/mediocre seasons versus the 4 bad and 1 great season seems like a no brainer.

I want to raise a banner. That’s the goal of the season. That 1 great season will always be remembered. You’re not getting a banner for 4th place or 11th place in the A10. We won’t be talking about the 5 year stretch of finishing between 8th and 5th place. Mediocrity will be forgotten quickly. It’s merely a gap between banners.

TLDR: Dumpster > mediocrity

Let’s agree to disagree. Go Mason!

 

[masonjoe]

The five pretty good/mediocre seasons versus the 4 bad and 1 great season seems like a no brainer.

I want to raise a banner. That’s the goal of the season. That 1 great season will always be remembered. You’re not getting a banner for 4th place or 11th place in the A10. We won’t be talking about the 5 year stretch of finishing between 8th and 5th place. Mediocrity will be forgotten quickly. It’s merely a gap between banners.

TLDR: Dumpster > mediocrity

Let’s agree to disagree. Go Mason!

A lot more difficult to go directly from dumpster to banner then it is from mediocrity. I get the Ricky Bobby reference but highly doubt Mason will ever bring in a coach that doesn’t need time to build. Not saying Paulsen’s time isn’t close to being up, could be soon but rooting for failures to get the next guy this early seems dumb.

 

[G M U]

A lot more difficult to go directly from dumpster to banner then it is from mediocrity. I get the Ricky Bobby reference but highly doubt Mason will ever bring in a coach that doesn’t need time to build. Not saying Paulsen’s time might be up, could be soon but rooting for failures to get the next guy this early seems dumb.

Just working with the example provided

 

[gmujim92]

Grayer quit on the team? Haven’t heard that, but even if he did, maybe it’s because he was forced to play out of position his whole career at Mason.

You’re not sure why I blame the head coach? The one who set expectations, multiple times, publicly? You’re not sure why I blame DP for overhyping Jarred and playing him way too much until he could barely run anymore? Well Jim, here we are.

I’m tired of making excuses, win please.

You don’t seriously think Jaire was hurt last season, do you?

He sat out after the Florida trip because he was still under the threshold to qualify for a medical redshirt and grad transfer, but he was healthy enough to play if he had wanted to.

I’m sure he had his reasons, but yes, he quit on the team.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

The fan base mainly sucks now because Mason has recently prioritized admitting men of lower testosterone and the ones that have high testosterone are no longer allowed to drink in the parking lot.

You can pretend it's about wins and losses if you like.

 

[By George.]

You don’t seriously think Jaire was hurt last season, do you?

He sat out after the Florida trip because he was still under the threshold to qualify for a medical redshirt and grad transfer, but he was healthy enough to play if he had wanted to.

I’m sure he had his reasons, but yes, he quit on the team.

He saw a foot specialist after the Florida trip, I know that much. I wish I had time to pull Paulsen quotes that would counter you, don’t care enough I guess.

We’re working hard to send our team to the TCU game and we’re happy to ask him. Now, I’m going to have to ask guys around Mason about this.

Sad day when we call Grayer a quitter. I sure hope you’re wrong, for all our sake. #AirGrayer

 

[gmujim92]

He saw a foot specialist after the Florida trip, I know that much. I wish I had time to pull Paulsen quotes that would counter you, don’t care enough I guess.

We’re working hard to send our team to the TCU game and we’re happy to ask him. Now, I’m going to have to ask guys around Mason about this.

Sad day when we call Grayer a quitter. I sure hope you’re wrong, for all our sake. #AirGrayer

Jaire was one of my favorite players and for his sake I hope things work out at TCU. But I wish he had told his dad to pipe down and finished out the season with his team, which clearly could’ve used his help.

Even after the big blowup in Florida, DP and Brad were very generous to let Jaire sit and finish his degree on Mason’s dime so he’d have a full year of eligibility left as a grad transfer (assuming he got the medical redshirt, which he did).

Still, if Jaire’s foot was still bothering him so badly that he couldn’t play, I’m curious why our medical staff didn’t have him in a protective boot like Mar wore (and Kier is currently wearing).

And don’t you find it a little interesting that an injury that had bothered him for more than a year suddenly went away when TCU offered a scholarship? I highly doubt Jamie Dixon would’ve taken him as a grad transfer if there was doubt whether his foot was right.

The whole situation was sketchy as hell.

 

[Mason32]

He saw a foot specialist after the Florida trip, I know that much. I wish I had time to pull Paulsen quotes that would counter you, don’t care enough I guess.

You can't be serious. If he didn't quit then why isn't he playing here this year? Call transfers whatever makes you feel better, as you've documented your obsession with individual players before, but he LEFT the team!

 

[sleeperpick]

You can't be serious. If he didn't quit then why isn't he playing here this year? Call transfers whatever makes you feel better, as you've documented your obsession with individual players before, but he LEFT the team!

you're seriously asking why he isn't playing for GMU this year?!? are you going to ask the same thing when AJ takes his grad year somewhere else next year?! It is pretty simple if you are actually asking. I cannot tell if you are invoking sarcasm