The NEW/Game 13 Thread: GMU at #6 Kansas on Saturday, January 1, at 5PM

[GMU79]

Unfortunately, we don't know all of the facts related to Carlos Yates' death - https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ex-george-mason-star-slain/2011/12/14/gIQA0t7PuO_story.html

"Yates, 27, was shot several times in the chest shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday near 18th and East Capitol streets SE, across the street from Eastern High School. He was taken to D.C. General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

D.C. police said they believe the slaying was linked to drugs. No other details of the shooting were available, and officers said they had no suspects.

Yates was arrested in Maryland this spring and charged in U.S. District Court in Baltimore with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, said Harvey E. Eisenberg, an assistant U.S. attorney in Baltimore and coordinator of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Eisenberg said last night that Yates’s trial was pending and that he was out on bail."

Was Yates murdered in retaliation because he was cooperating with law enforcement after his arrest?

IMO, in deciding who are worthy to be inducted into the GMU Athletic Hall of Fame, character and conduct must be considered in the nomination process. Yates and Jason Miskiri are former basketball players whose athletic excellence should be considered for nomination. But, should their criminal or alleged criminal conduct after their GMU career disqualify them for nomination? In the case of Miskiri, I believe that he has made amends for his criminal activity and should not be disqualified for nomination.

GMU needs to determine whether Carlos Yates' conduct after his GMU career disqualifies him for nomination to its Athletic Hall of Fame. And, then move on and reactivate the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Concerning Yates, that is a very good question, and one that will have to be answered by the powers that be. I have long been a huge Yates fan, though he came along after I graduated and I only saw him play a couple of times (most notably when he almost single-handedly took down UR during their Dick Tarrant heyday at the Robins Center). But yes, to what extent he should be recognized is a tough question. Did he have dirty hands? Yes. Was he murdered because he was trying to turn himself around, come clean, and was a threat to others? Maybe. Was he up to his eyeballs in the drug culture and sinking deeper? Perhaps. We will never have the answers, but it seems to me, and I may be completely wrong, I don't think you can have a Mason sports hall without him included in some way. To me, how, is the question.

 

[Five Two]

Maybe the question is this- is the Mason Athletics Hall of Fame about what the player/coach/administrator did on the field/court/etc only while at Mason or does it take into account factors after their time at Mason. There are a lot of a$$-holes in their respective HOFs, some have done terrible things, but they are still in the HOF because their HOF was only about their time in the league. I don't know what Mason's perspective years ago when a HOF was created and then paused.

If this was addressed earlier, apologies.

 

[Pablo]

Maybe the question is this- is the Mason Athletics Hall of Fame about what the player/coach/administrator did on the field/court/etc only while at Mason or does it take into account factors after their time at Mason. There are a lot of a$$-holes in their respective HOFs, some have done terrible things, but they are still in the HOF because their HOF was only about their time in the league. I don't know what Mason's perspective years ago when a HOF was created and then paused.

If this was addressed earlier, apologies.

Your question should have been answered in 2002:

http://gazette.gmu.edu/articles/3254

"As part of Homecoming 2002 festivities in the Patriot Center, the George Mason Athletics Department will re-launch its official Athletics Hall of Fame with a halftime ceremony during the televised men’s basketball contest on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, at 2 p.m.

The new Athletics Hall of Fame, dormant since the late 1970s, will include seven members who were enshrined during that decade. Also, a Hall of Fame constitution and criteria will be announced, kicking off an annual campaign of candidate review for induction."

 

[GMUgemini]

Concerning Yates, that is a very good question, and one that will have to be answered by the powers that be. I have long been a huge Yates fan, though he came along after I graduated and I only saw him play a couple of times (most notably when he almost single-handedly took down UR during their Dick Tarrant heyday at the Robins Center). But yes, to what extent he should be recognized is a tough question. Did he have dirty hands? Yes. Was he murdered because he was trying to turn himself around, come clean, and was a threat to others? Maybe. Was he up to his eyeballs in the drug culture and sinking deeper? Perhaps. We will never have the answers, but it seems to me, and I may be completely wrong, I don't think you can have a Mason sports hall without him included in some way. To me, how, is the question.

I think it's pretty simple: his records stay in the record books, but there doesn't have to be a display specifically dedicated to him (i.e. you don't hang his jersey).

 

[GMU79]

I think it's pretty simple: his records stay in the record books, but there doesn't have to be a display specifically dedicated to him (i.e. you don't hang his jersey).

Personally, I don't think it's that simple.

 

[Pablo]

Personally, I don't think it's that simple.

I agree - otherwise, this matter would have been resolved decades ago. But, there is just no excuse for delaying a decision any further. The constitution and criteria was promised for Homecoming 2002, which is 20 years ago.

 

[MasonFanatic]

If Maryland can finally change course and honor Len Bias, then I would think we could honor Carlos Yates.

 

[GMU79]

If Maryland can finally change course and honor Len Bias, then I would think we could honor Carlos Yates.

Yes.

 

[nynva]

the tone of https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-20-sp-1195-story.html would sort of be a good guide / exhibit idea on the downsides of the role of star college athlete. I wonder if things would have turned out differently if he played in a time when athletes mental health seems to be given more importance.

The issue about character reminds me of the issues MLB is / has been wrangling with (rose, Bonds, A-Rod ...)

 

[psyclone]

the tone of https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-20-sp-1195-story.html would sort of be a good guide / exhibit idea on the downsides of the role of star college athlete. I wonder if things would have turned out differently if he played in a time when athletes mental health seems to be given more importance.

The issue about character reminds me of the issues MLB is / has been wrangling with (rose, Bonds, A-Rod ...)

One could make the argument that the reason that those guys aren't in the Baseball HOF is due to the fact that they engaged in behavior that specifically violated rules of the game and in Bonds & A-Rod's case enhanced their "numbers" by actively cheating/taking performance-related drugs.

Carlos Yates, at least to my knowledge, wasn't dealing drugs while he was at Mason. Feel free to correct me on this point as I have no inside information about his situation.

 

[tblack33]

Good lord give us basketball, we are citing AD promises from 20 years ago before most of our players were born, talking about another player that is older than some of their parents.

 

[mkaufman1]

Good lord give us basketball, we are citing AD promises from 20 years ago before most of our players were born, talking about another player that is older than some of their parents.

Thoughts on mason football?

 

[Old Man]

We lost to Ohio St. in the finals this year IIRC. Great season!

 

[Pablo]

We lost to Ohio St. in the finals this year IIRC. Great season!

https://spark.adobe.com/page/cWgm03g293qAu/

"After stellar performances in the conference stage and playoffs, they made it to the National Championship Bowl on December 3 where they played the Ohio State Buckeyes, who went on to win the Championship.


The Mason Club Football Team in Action vs The Ohio State Buckeyes

This is truly a remarkable achievement by the Mason Club Football Team, who finished the championship with their heads held high! The future is truly exciting and we cannot wait to see the great things this team achieves."