Fred Brown: "I do not support the (Georgetown) program"

I echo the sentiments on Mike Wise. He's excellent when putting into words the faces and the images of the story.

It's hard for me to take sides on this because I've on both ends of it. Thompson may have his detractors, like Feinstein who knocked him a few times, but Freddie Brown has made a name for himself and comes off as bitter at Georgetown and Thompson, as a whole, for not recognizing or assisting those like himself who put in the committment to put G-town on the map.

With that said, I can see his point when it comes to those who have played and are dealing with hard times and hard luck. Those who are struggling may need the help of those like Thompson, G-town and their teammates and alumni. Do I think that they "deserve" or "expect" it? No. I do wonder if Brown has done anything himself to help former teammates who might be down on their luck or need an emotional boost when they are having a tough time.

I have two accounts on the good and the bad of it:

I graduated from college and I have done pretty well for myself. When I lost my job several months ago, I didn't sit around internally demanding why my college hasn't helped me get a new gig. The problem with that analogy is that if I didn't ask them in the first place for assistance, then why am I bitching about it?

I drove up there and talked to several of my profs and a few others I know, including my coach, and they helped me get some leads and places to go to find open opportunities. I'm still grateful for it and I pay it back unconditionally in helping new grads and pitching in to the school whenever I can.

The second story is the flipside of it. My former high school football coach, who is still the assistant basketball coach, felt I owed him for 1) losing his job (when he actually quit) over the new GPA rule that the school district implemented. I was in favor of it for my own principaled reasons, but word got to him about where I stood. He ambushes me at my college homecoming 4 years ago talking about "how can you be in favor of it?" among other things. I was lucky to not respond back because the both of us would have landed in jail I was pissed. I didn't feel that I owed him anything. It was on an issue, not a family situation or something that the school needed.

Fast forward to a few months ago, I send a letter to the new HS AD (a family friend), offering to help volunteer or do anything to help work on putting together a list of athletic accomplishments that were not recognized by the school yet. He has yet to respond back and I asked my uncle what's going on. My uncle found out if my name was even mentioned in the school, the aforementioned coach and the head hoops coach will do everything they can not to have me associated with the school, even bake sales. In effect, I was being blacklisted for some petty shit four years ago.

I still continue to support the school by following the sports teams and seeing what's going on up there, but it's hard to imagine that I could get kicked out of "the family" over a rule. Sad. Fred Brown feeling that he's "owed" something and my coach are bitter individuals that would be best off moving on with their lives. Brown is successful in his career. If he doesn't Georgetown, he doesn't need them, but get over yourself.

 

If you can find these people, and they are ready to talk, it makes for great story-telling and column-writing.
Brown's obviously got some problems identifying, as an adult, with his former coach.
Me personally, I think JT's son is a lot more down-to-earth than his stuffy, pressed-shirt father.
I've never met either one of them, though. Maybe John's a real friendly and engaging person.

But Brown's pissed that no former GTown players are working in the coaching ranks.
Among other things.

Good column.

 

Blitz, good job pointing the coaching thing out. It would be interesting to know how many of JT's former players have applied for HC jobs or are currently assistants.

If many of them are not interested in coaching, then it makes Brown's assertion moot. JT's son learned a lot about personality from Pete Carill at Princeton. You don't have to resemble your old man in mannerisms and coaching style.

 

This is from Roy Hibbert's profile on the GT athletics website:
"Averaged 19 points, 17 rebounds, six blocks and three assists as a senior at Georgetown Prep in Adelphia, Maryland... coached by former Hoya Dwayne Bryant ('90) "
So at least we know of one former Hoya in the coaching ranks. Albeit, the prep ranks.

 

Good work Blitz.

 

Fred Brown is now supporting the Georgetown program.

 

Pretty ballsy of The Washington Post to run this column considering the prior history between Thompson, whose skin is thinner than Joan Rivers is stretched, and the Posts prior sports editors. John Thompson Jr. is the most beloved figure in DC, aside from Marion Barry. To even benignly criticize him is tantamount to criticizing Martin Luther King Jr. That said, Brown does seem to an immature man. It would have been nice to get another former player or two to go on the record as having similar sentiments as Fred Brown.

 

Isn't the Savannah State coach a Georgetown grad?

 

It's Horace Broadnax.
http://www.savstate.edu/Athletics/mbasketball/headcoach.htm

 

Great column.

I think the fourth-to-the-last graph is much of the genesis of Brown's bitterness (I don't think he came off that bad, just bitter) -- the thing about his son.

He attended the anniversary ceremony after that, and was probably already feeling the way he comes off in the column, but likely uses that as a defensive mechanism for the issue with his son and Thompson III. Given that, I can kind of understand why Thompson Jr. is confused about this.

Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it was a great read.

 

From reading this, it seems Brown is upset about slights toward other people rather than anything with himself. I think the fact about a former Georgetown player getting fired as an assistant bothered Brown, to judge from the article.

Thompson's comments about "I abused all of you but I loved you" would seem rather strange to someone who isn't involved in sports, if you think about it. Yeah, Thompson the elder is a big deal in Washington, but you don't see a coaching line from Thompson like you do from Dean Smith or Bobby Knight, and maybe there is something to that.