Just saw this great blurb over at AUEagles.com about one of this site's favorite alums, Brian Gilmore. Brian has moved on to playing in the top basketball league in Poland for a team that finished third last year.
Brian showed up frequently last year for liveblogs and in the comments here at AUHoops.com. He stays in touch with his alma mater, and his alma mater likes to keep tabs on him too. All the best to you, Brian!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Quenching the Collective Thirst of Eagles Nation
Boy, September just seemed to fly right by. Although it's been a bit of a slow month here on AUHoops, things will be picking up in a big way shortly as basketball season tantalizingly inches closer and closer. Just think, in only one month, eight days, and approximately two hours we will be in Sections 114 and 115 again, relishing sweet revenge as we hand Randolph-Macon's asses back to them on a big Red, White, and Blue platter. Of course, if you can't be in Bender that day we'll be live-tweeting the whole shebang for you, because we care.
Speaking of caring, let's catch up on what's been going on in Eagles Nation recently. First, I want to announce that our power of prediction here on AUHoops continues to improve. If you remember, on September 2nd Bill graced us with an impassioned rant about how Coach Jones should embrace some of this newfangled social networking technology in order to better connect with fans. A week later, on September 10th AU Athletics revealed that of the fall sports teams (men's and women's soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and swimming and diving) now has its own twitter and facebook page, complete with smiling pictures of each head coach, and a promise that the winter sports (read: basketball) are to come shortly. Well, there it is, JJ is going to be on twitter...sort of. The chances that he's the one to actually update this thing are pretty slim, but we'll take what we can get. Fact is, someone close to the program is going to be updating these things, and that's good enough for us. Is it good enough for you? That brings us to (the week before last's) Poll of the Week - "Should Coach Jones have an online presence (twitter, website, etc.)?" You said:
It seems that the majority of our readers (80%) agree that this is a good thing, or at least that this will strike fear into the motherboards of computers everywhere. About 1 in 5 disagree however, and think that Coach Jones should keep it to the sidelines. Well, for those folks, we're sorry - we don't make the future, we just predict it semi-accurately some of the time.
Of course, for those who've been to AUHoops recently, you'll notice that I've fallen behind and this isn't the latest Poll of the Week. Here's this past week's - "Which nonconference game is AU most likely to win?" You said:
Speaking of caring, let's catch up on what's been going on in Eagles Nation recently. First, I want to announce that our power of prediction here on AUHoops continues to improve. If you remember, on September 2nd Bill graced us with an impassioned rant about how Coach Jones should embrace some of this newfangled social networking technology in order to better connect with fans. A week later, on September 10th AU Athletics revealed that of the fall sports teams (men's and women's soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and swimming and diving) now has its own twitter and facebook page, complete with smiling pictures of each head coach, and a promise that the winter sports (read: basketball) are to come shortly. Well, there it is, JJ is going to be on twitter...sort of. The chances that he's the one to actually update this thing are pretty slim, but we'll take what we can get. Fact is, someone close to the program is going to be updating these things, and that's good enough for us. Is it good enough for you? That brings us to (the week before last's) Poll of the Week - "Should Coach Jones have an online presence (twitter, website, etc.)?" You said:
Yes: 17 (62%)
No: 5 (18%)
Computers fear Coach Jones' power: 5 (18%)
Total Votes: 27
It seems that the majority of our readers (80%) agree that this is a good thing, or at least that this will strike fear into the motherboards of computers everywhere. About 1 in 5 disagree however, and think that Coach Jones should keep it to the sidelines. Well, for those folks, we're sorry - we don't make the future, we just predict it semi-accurately some of the time.
Of course, for those who've been to AUHoops recently, you'll notice that I've fallen behind and this isn't the latest Poll of the Week. Here's this past week's - "Which nonconference game is AU most likely to win?" You said:
West Virginia: 2 (6%)
Florida: 5 (17%)
Pittsburgh: 0 (0%)
Northwestern: 22 (75%)
Total Votes: 29
I tend to agree with three quarters of voters that our best shot (although by no means guaranteed) is against Northwestern, which remains the only power conference school to have never been to the NCAA Tournament. Surprisingly, a few voters think we also have a shot against Florida, likely because the game is in our city and we will without a doubt have an incredible fan presence there (hail to the Blue Crew). However it looks like popular opinion is that we will not prevail over the Big East again this season: only 6% of voters think we have any shot at all against the Mountaineers of West Virginia, and no one thinks we'll top the Pittsburgh Panthers. That's OK, as I think we'll be too busy gloating over Northwestern and Florida (yeah, I'm optimistic) to notice. This week's poll is, "Which Patriot League opponents is AU most likely to sweep this season?" You can again select multiple answers (including all seven), so let us know what you think!
Finally, I want to congratulate all AU sports teams on two absolutely dominant weekends. How dominant are we talking about? First, Men's Soccer went and knocked off Syracuse of the Big East, and although they lost against #5/#7 and defending national champions Virginia, rebounded and defeated Bucknell in a rematch of last year's Patriot League Championship 3-1. Women's Soccer, after losing their first 8 games of the season, has won three straight against UMBC, Radford, and Vermont. Volleyball is enjoying a seven game win streak, and is 13-2 on the season (5-0 since a week from last Friday). #15 Field Hockey is also 4-0 the last two weekends, knocking off two top-20 opponents and finishing off both Temple and St. Joe's of the A10 this weekend in Philadelphia. While I'm undoubtedly anxious for basketball season, this is definitely something for all Eagles to be proud of.
We'll be back soon with a breakdown of our 2010-11 schedule. Until then, keep yourself occupied with our first Guess that Game! competition, or if you're an alum, consider joining the Blue Crew 2. Otherwise stay classy, Eagles Nation!
Pro Deo Et Patria,
Josh
Friday, September 24, 2010
Are you STILL in?
In case you missed our post introducing the Blue Crew 2, be sure to check out the below video which introduces AU Athletics' newest support group...err...FAN COLLECTIVE! LET'S GO EAGLES!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Guess that Game!
Let's try something new this week. We'll provide a famous (or not-so-famous) Eagles quote, and our fabulous readers (that's you) guess which game it's associated with, and who said it. These will span all 84 years of AU Basketball history, but we'll start with an easy one:
"40-37, this is Carr, who just hit a 3 from 25 yards-- OH OOOH, HE WANTS IT, HE NEEDS IT, now how good is this!? That's why they play in this tournament!"
Leave your answer in the comments - as of now all you get is sweet bragging rights (so please use a handle of some kind so we can give you credit as something more than "anonymous commenter 3"), but as they get more difficult, we might start throwing in some real prizes (and we're going to be rolling some good stuff out later this season, so stay tuned).
Ready...set...GO!
Pro Deo Et Patria,
Josh
"40-37, this is Carr, who just hit a 3 from 25 yards-- OH OOOH, HE WANTS IT, HE NEEDS IT, now how good is this!? That's why they play in this tournament!"
Leave your answer in the comments - as of now all you get is sweet bragging rights (so please use a handle of some kind so we can give you credit as something more than "anonymous commenter 3"), but as they get more difficult, we might start throwing in some real prizes (and we're going to be rolling some good stuff out later this season, so stay tuned).
Ready...set...GO!
Pro Deo Et Patria,
Josh
Saturday, September 18, 2010
An Introduction to the Blue Crew 2
We are all keenly aware of the fact that the Blue Crew is comprised of the best fans and represents the most decisive home court advantage in the Patriot League. Students make up the majority of the Blue Crew at games though it is not uncommon to see many diehard alums and staff wearing their Blue Crew shirts as well.
I have to warn you, my next statement may shake your world.
Everything you thought you knew about cheering for the AU Eagles is going to be turned on its ear this year.
Introducing...the Blue Crew 2.
According to the Athletics website, "the Blue Crew 2 is your opportunity to show your school spirit, wear your colors proudly, and let everyone know that you support your alma mater!" I know, I know, what we'd really like to see is everyone decked out in blue body paint, but this just may be the next best thing!
You can get most of the basic details from the website link above, but I had some other questions that Associate Athletic Director for Development David Bierwirth was nice enough to answer for me via email recently:
Q: It says on the site that there will be home game ticket discounts if you're a BC2 member. How much is the discount per game? Does this mean if someone signs up for BC2 they will get a discount on their season tickets? If so, how much is the discount on a season ticket package?
A: All Blue Crew 2 members are eligible to receive $2 off any regular season home sporting event on our campus. (Our season ticket programs are managed independently). Members are limited to a maximum of two discounted tickets per game. This offer does not apply to post-season play. Blue Crew 2 discounted tickets are available for purchase online and on game days at the competition venue.
Q: For basketball, will BC2 members have a dedicated section in Bender Arena in the same way that student Blue Crew members currently occupy sections 114/115 predominantly? If no, would you folks encourage BC2 members to try and sit in the same section?
A: All alumni, anywhere around the world, are encouraged to join. With this in mind, Blue Crew 2 membership will be independent of seating arrangements at home games.
Q: This campaign appears to be largely geared toward alumni (and as an alumnus, I'm very happy to see that!). I assume there is no prohibition against staff members/other AU community members joining the BC2, but this is just not a campaign that is specifically geared toward them, correct? In the future, can you see a push to make the BC2 more inclusive to staff as well?
A: Blue Crew 2 is an alumni affinity group that has been developed solely for American University alumni. The special connection our graduates have with the Eagles is unique, albeit not exclusive. So we designed this in a model that reflects our alumni's passion, is an extension of the student experience with Blue Crew and works well with the department's and university's goal of increasing our connection with alumni. Faculty, staff and fans are all welcome to attend our free series of Blue Crew 2 launch parties and can also visit AUeagles.com to see other programs offered for their participation as well. (BBQs, Fac/Staff basketball games, ticket discounts, etc...)
Q: Is there any kind of governance associated with BC2? I.E. there are student leaders "in charge" of BC. Is there going to be any kind of governing body comprised of alumni for BC2 that would work in collaboration with Athletics?
A: At this time, we do not foresee a governing structure associated with Blue Crew 2.
Overall, I think this is a solid idea from Athletics, big kudos to them. I really wish that the Blue Crew 2 discount applied to season tickets. Think about it, Blue Crew 2 will be comprised of your most connected and passionate fans; said fans are the most likely candidates to have season tickets, but they won't get to take advantage of the Blue Crew 2's prime benefit: home game discounts. From what Athletics has said, this will be a very fluid program, so I hope sometime in the future season ticket holders will get a discount for being Blue Crew 2 members.
Even if Athletics says seating assignments are independent of BC2, I personally recommend to you that we get together and all sit in the same section. We need to designate a Blue Crew 2 section so we concentrate our cheering power and presence. Over the next week, I'll take a look at an arena map and make a suggestion. Feel free to make your own in the comments!
What are your thoughts on the Blue Crew 2? What does it include that you're psyched about? What is it missing that can be improved? Will you be signing up for it (like I will?)
Leave it in the comments or at the AUHoops Message Board!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
I have to warn you, my next statement may shake your world.
Everything you thought you knew about cheering for the AU Eagles is going to be turned on its ear this year.
Introducing...the Blue Crew 2.
According to the Athletics website, "the Blue Crew 2 is your opportunity to show your school spirit, wear your colors proudly, and let everyone know that you support your alma mater!" I know, I know, what we'd really like to see is everyone decked out in blue body paint, but this just may be the next best thing!
You can get most of the basic details from the website link above, but I had some other questions that Associate Athletic Director for Development David Bierwirth was nice enough to answer for me via email recently:
Q: It says on the site that there will be home game ticket discounts if you're a BC2 member. How much is the discount per game? Does this mean if someone signs up for BC2 they will get a discount on their season tickets? If so, how much is the discount on a season ticket package?
A: All Blue Crew 2 members are eligible to receive $2 off any regular season home sporting event on our campus. (Our season ticket programs are managed independently). Members are limited to a maximum of two discounted tickets per game. This offer does not apply to post-season play. Blue Crew 2 discounted tickets are available for purchase online and on game days at the competition venue.
Q: For basketball, will BC2 members have a dedicated section in Bender Arena in the same way that student Blue Crew members currently occupy sections 114/115 predominantly? If no, would you folks encourage BC2 members to try and sit in the same section?
A: All alumni, anywhere around the world, are encouraged to join. With this in mind, Blue Crew 2 membership will be independent of seating arrangements at home games.
Q: This campaign appears to be largely geared toward alumni (and as an alumnus, I'm very happy to see that!). I assume there is no prohibition against staff members/other AU community members joining the BC2, but this is just not a campaign that is specifically geared toward them, correct? In the future, can you see a push to make the BC2 more inclusive to staff as well?
A: Blue Crew 2 is an alumni affinity group that has been developed solely for American University alumni. The special connection our graduates have with the Eagles is unique, albeit not exclusive. So we designed this in a model that reflects our alumni's passion, is an extension of the student experience with Blue Crew and works well with the department's and university's goal of increasing our connection with alumni. Faculty, staff and fans are all welcome to attend our free series of Blue Crew 2 launch parties and can also visit AUeagles.com to see other programs offered for their participation as well. (BBQs, Fac/Staff basketball games, ticket discounts, etc...)
Q: Is there any kind of governance associated with BC2? I.E. there are student leaders "in charge" of BC. Is there going to be any kind of governing body comprised of alumni for BC2 that would work in collaboration with Athletics?
A: At this time, we do not foresee a governing structure associated with Blue Crew 2.
Overall, I think this is a solid idea from Athletics, big kudos to them. I really wish that the Blue Crew 2 discount applied to season tickets. Think about it, Blue Crew 2 will be comprised of your most connected and passionate fans; said fans are the most likely candidates to have season tickets, but they won't get to take advantage of the Blue Crew 2's prime benefit: home game discounts. From what Athletics has said, this will be a very fluid program, so I hope sometime in the future season ticket holders will get a discount for being Blue Crew 2 members.
Even if Athletics says seating assignments are independent of BC2, I personally recommend to you that we get together and all sit in the same section. We need to designate a Blue Crew 2 section so we concentrate our cheering power and presence. Over the next week, I'll take a look at an arena map and make a suggestion. Feel free to make your own in the comments!
What are your thoughts on the Blue Crew 2? What does it include that you're psyched about? What is it missing that can be improved? Will you be signing up for it (like I will?)
Leave it in the comments or at the AUHoops Message Board!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Milan Brown Throws Down the Gauntlet...We Need AUJeffJones.com
As much as it pains me to send you there, check out MilanBrown.com, which is the home of Holy Cross's first year head coach Milan Brown. Let's be honest folks, this site is simple and sleek. Recall my recent lament about there needing to be a stronger two-way connection between the team and the fans. What you're looking at here is that connection, bringing fans closer to the guy stalking their favorite team's bench.
I've already done some research for Athletics, and unfortunately, JeffJones.com is already occupied by a Marketing Anthropologist (a Marketing Anthropology Wonk?). However, there is a perfectly fine option left: www.AUJeffJones.com. Additionally, www.freeMikeBersch.com is also available. Just saying.
Now, of course, I wouldn't trade Coach Jones for Milan Brown for all of the blue body paint on the east coast. Having a Twitter account and a sleek website doesn't have any correlation to being a better X's and O's coach. I think it does have something to do with building the connection I'm always talking (read: ranting) about. Tweet at me soon, Jeff Jones! I'll be sure to retweet you to all my friends.
Actually, on second thought, maybe Matt Wolff, who is younger and arguably more likely to be savvy with navigating the series of tubes (rest in peace, Senator Stevens) that is the Internet, can pick up a Twitter and connect with the multitudes of AUHoops fans on Twitter. This will give Coach more time to pick amongst the 12 point guards on the team and see who is going to get play time.
Just a thought.
Stay tuned, I should have some info on THE BLUE CREW 2 coming up before you know it!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
I've already done some research for Athletics, and unfortunately, JeffJones.com is already occupied by a Marketing Anthropologist (a Marketing Anthropology Wonk?). However, there is a perfectly fine option left: www.AUJeffJones.com. Additionally, www.freeMikeBersch.com is also available. Just saying.
Now, of course, I wouldn't trade Coach Jones for Milan Brown for all of the blue body paint on the east coast. Having a Twitter account and a sleek website doesn't have any correlation to being a better X's and O's coach. I think it does have something to do with building the connection I'm always talking (read: ranting) about. Tweet at me soon, Jeff Jones! I'll be sure to retweet you to all my friends.
Actually, on second thought, maybe Matt Wolff, who is younger and arguably more likely to be savvy with navigating the series of tubes (rest in peace, Senator Stevens) that is the Internet, can pick up a Twitter and connect with the multitudes of AUHoops fans on Twitter. This will give Coach more time to pick amongst the 12 point guards on the team and see who is going to get play time.
Just a thought.
Stay tuned, I should have some info on THE BLUE CREW 2 coming up before you know it!
Pro deo et patria and GO EAGLES!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Bits and Pieces to Brighten Your Hump Day
There's nothing better than Wednesday, except possibly Thursday, or even Friday. It's our mission here at AUHoops to help get you through "hump day", and toward that end I have a few bits and pieces to share.
First, big news on The Mid-Majority Legacy Countdown today. The first Patriot League team has reared its ugly purple head, and (if you couldn't guess) it's Holy Cross at number 63 (43 points). Since neither AU nor Bucknell has shown up yet, I'll assume that both schools have scored more than 43 points and can be ranked no lower than the low-60's, and I'm just fine with that.
Second, our own version of Rudy, Warren Flood, has officially been assigned the number 10. In binary, this is actually the number 2, which is how many seconds it will take for him to warm the hearts of Eagles fans nationwide with his relentless determination and drive to succeed. Too corny? Well how about a real fact: his uncle, Fred Stokes, played in the NFL for Washington, LA (Rams), and New Orleans for nine years (factoid courtesy AUEagles.com).
Next on the docket is confirmation that we will be playing an exhibition game against the Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College on November 4th. I have this marked on my calendar as "Sweet, Sweet Revenge Day." If you haven't had a chance to see the full schedule yet, check out our new schedule page. While the schedule has not officially been announced yet, those dates are from an official athletics publication (the 2010-2011 wall calendar) and are accurate as of late August.
Speaking of premature announcements, we have the results from this week's Poll of the Week! About seven days ago we asked "Who is your preseason pick for Patriot League Player of the Year?" The final tally is:
There was a great turnout this week for the Poll, so first, a big thanks to our readers for voting. It's no surprise that AU players hold just shy of 75% of the votes: this is an AU blog and accordingly there were more AU players listed. Vlad the Impaler comes out the clear favorite, with Stephen Lumpkins having a solid following as well. Even with an inevitable bias toward the Red, White, and Blue, our readers still have a healthy respect for the talents of Lehigh's CJ McCollum. There's really no contest there, he's just really, really good. However CJ shares 19% of the vote with AU transfer Troy Brewer, who will finally be eligible in November. I'm excited to see that our readers have big things in mind for Troy, and I'll be sure to link to this very post after he first dunks straight over CJ.
On this note, however, I also want to address a shortcoming of this week's poll: for certain members of the Patriot League, I just didn't know which player to list. I wanted to keep it fair for the other seven schools, and list only one player apiece, but frankly I just wasn't up to snuff when it came to researching just who I should put. One astute Bucknell fan pointed out this transgression to me, and it's clear that there's about 4-5 players on their roster who could easily be listed ahead of GW Boon (in retrospect, I should have chosen Darryl Shazier or Bryan Cohen). So, to any Bucknell fans out there, thanks for reading, and I'll do my best not to let this happen in the future. For now, GW will just have to enjoy his lone vote in our poll. That being said, I am (for now) only human, and am likely to screw up again in the future. If I do, make sure to tell me - I appreciate the feedback as it can only make AUHoops a better place for fans of any stripe.
Finally, there was a minor change made over the weekend to our facebook page. Alright, maybe minor is an understatement. After realizing that "Real Eagles Read the AUHoops Blog" is a mouthful that is difficult to remember and even harder to search for, and then realizing that facebook doesn't allow name changes for pages, we migrated to an entirely new page, simply called "AUHoops." It went quite smoothly, and within 24 hours we had actually exceeded the number of fans of the older page, which tells me that it was a good decision. If you're on facebook, take a gander, and "like" us if you please. Alternatively, you can also now "like" our facebook page straight from the sidebar on the left. Nifty!
That's all for this hump day, folks. As always, keep checking back for the best Eagles coverage that the internet can possibly offer (a fact empirically proven by multiple teams of top scientists). Until then, stay classy Eagles Nation!
Pro Deo Et Patria,
Josh
First, big news on The Mid-Majority Legacy Countdown today. The first Patriot League team has reared its ugly purple head, and (if you couldn't guess) it's Holy Cross at number 63 (43 points). Since neither AU nor Bucknell has shown up yet, I'll assume that both schools have scored more than 43 points and can be ranked no lower than the low-60's, and I'm just fine with that.
Second, our own version of Rudy, Warren Flood, has officially been assigned the number 10. In binary, this is actually the number 2, which is how many seconds it will take for him to warm the hearts of Eagles fans nationwide with his relentless determination and drive to succeed. Too corny? Well how about a real fact: his uncle, Fred Stokes, played in the NFL for Washington, LA (Rams), and New Orleans for nine years (factoid courtesy AUEagles.com).
Next on the docket is confirmation that we will be playing an exhibition game against the Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College on November 4th. I have this marked on my calendar as "Sweet, Sweet Revenge Day." If you haven't had a chance to see the full schedule yet, check out our new schedule page. While the schedule has not officially been announced yet, those dates are from an official athletics publication (the 2010-2011 wall calendar) and are accurate as of late August.
Speaking of premature announcements, we have the results from this week's Poll of the Week! About seven days ago we asked "Who is your preseason pick for Patriot League Player of the Year?" The final tally is:
Stephen Lumpkins (American): 6 (11%)
Vlad Moldoveanu (American): 22 (42%)
Troy Brewer (American): 10 (19%)
CJ McCollum (Lehigh): 10 (19%)
RJ Evans (Holy Cross): 2 (3%)
Jordan Sugars (Navy): 1 (1%)
Yaw Gyawu (Colgate): 0 (0%)
GW Boon (Bucknell): 1 (1%)
Jared Mintz (Lafayette): 0 (0%)
Julian Simmons (Army): 0 (0%)
Total Votes: 52
There was a great turnout this week for the Poll, so first, a big thanks to our readers for voting. It's no surprise that AU players hold just shy of 75% of the votes: this is an AU blog and accordingly there were more AU players listed. Vlad the Impaler comes out the clear favorite, with Stephen Lumpkins having a solid following as well. Even with an inevitable bias toward the Red, White, and Blue, our readers still have a healthy respect for the talents of Lehigh's CJ McCollum. There's really no contest there, he's just really, really good. However CJ shares 19% of the vote with AU transfer Troy Brewer, who will finally be eligible in November. I'm excited to see that our readers have big things in mind for Troy, and I'll be sure to link to this very post after he first dunks straight over CJ.
On this note, however, I also want to address a shortcoming of this week's poll: for certain members of the Patriot League, I just didn't know which player to list. I wanted to keep it fair for the other seven schools, and list only one player apiece, but frankly I just wasn't up to snuff when it came to researching just who I should put. One astute Bucknell fan pointed out this transgression to me, and it's clear that there's about 4-5 players on their roster who could easily be listed ahead of GW Boon (in retrospect, I should have chosen Darryl Shazier or Bryan Cohen). So, to any Bucknell fans out there, thanks for reading, and I'll do my best not to let this happen in the future. For now, GW will just have to enjoy his lone vote in our poll. That being said, I am (for now) only human, and am likely to screw up again in the future. If I do, make sure to tell me - I appreciate the feedback as it can only make AUHoops a better place for fans of any stripe.
Finally, there was a minor change made over the weekend to our facebook page. Alright, maybe minor is an understatement. After realizing that "Real Eagles Read the AUHoops Blog" is a mouthful that is difficult to remember and even harder to search for, and then realizing that facebook doesn't allow name changes for pages, we migrated to an entirely new page, simply called "AUHoops." It went quite smoothly, and within 24 hours we had actually exceeded the number of fans of the older page, which tells me that it was a good decision. If you're on facebook, take a gander, and "like" us if you please. Alternatively, you can also now "like" our facebook page straight from the sidebar on the left. Nifty!
That's all for this hump day, folks. As always, keep checking back for the best Eagles coverage that the internet can possibly offer (a fact empirically proven by multiple teams of top scientists). Until then, stay classy Eagles Nation!
Pro Deo Et Patria,
Josh
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