Georgetown football made history this year by recording its first winless season since the program began in 1874. This unfortunate milestone won’t come as a shock to anyone on campus—members of the class of 2010 have never witnessed a season in which the football team won more than two games. Given the team’s underwhelming record, it’s also not surprising that for the Senior Day game against Richmond, the crowd in the stands was comprised more of players’ moms and dads than actual Georgetown students.
I consider myself a pretty dedicated fan of Georgetown athletics, but it’s hard to get pumped for a game if it seems like your team doesn’t stand a chance—especially when it takes up hours that could be spent doing schoolwork or getting an early start on weekend festivities. I love sports, and have caught as many games as I can here. But this season, grabbing a cold one and popping in a movie to kill time until the evening tended to be much more appealing than trekking down from Burleith just to watch the team get trounced one more time—no matter how many Chipotle burritos the Hoya Rewards program offered as bribes.
A winless season is disheartening for players and fans alike, as evidenced by the lack of interest in the team by the end of the season. I can’t hold it against students for not wanting to come watch a game where Georgetown is almost certain to get blown out. No matter how die-hard a fan you are, it’s painful to watch your team get beaten over and over again. When even the Hoya Blue faithful start leaving at halftime, it’s a pretty good indicator that the situation is hopeless.
This widespread apathy toward the football team may be the worst part of the situation. Sporting events have the potential to bring a sense of unity to a campus. During the 2006-2007 basketball season, the campus was flooded with students celebrating our team’s victory over UNC, which secured the team its first Final Four appearance since 1985. We fans cheered, we sang the fight song, we took over M Street, and we even paraded to the White House. I’ve yet to see any other event bring massive numbers of Georgetown students together spontaneously. That enthusiasm is a big part of what’s missing from our football program.
Granted, the equivalent of a Final Four appearance for our football team might be a bit of a stretch at this particular juncture. Their winless season may not have shocked anyone, but what might surprise some Hoya fans is that the football team hasn’t always struggled the way it has the past few years. In the 2005-2006 season, the team finished with a 4-7 record. That may not have been a stellar season on the whole, but its definitely more respectable than being the Patriot League version of last year’s Detroit Lions.
Alumnus Peter Keszler (COL ’09) recalled fond memories of cheering on the Hoyas as their kicker led them to several down-to-the-wire or overtime victories that year. “The excitement my freshman year really brought out a lot of fans, and they didn’t all leave at halftime,” he said.
That’s really all I’m asking for: a reason to watch the games. I’ve seen some bad football on the Multi-Sport Field, but I’ve seen other things too. I’ve seen potential and even the occasional gutsy, inspiring play that made me want to stay and watch more. The guys on the team certainly put in the effort. But the team’s performance has gotten progressively worse over the last few years, which may be an indication that the problem is related to coaching. The fact that the ‘05-’06 season was the last season before Kevin Kelly became the head coach of the Hoyas is significant. Coach Kelly might be the Jim Zorn of Georgetown.
Many would say that Georgetown is just a basketball school, but I’ve enjoyed soccer games and lacrosse games every bit as much as I’ve enjoyed the past three basketball seasons. While the football team deserves the support of the students and administration alike, the student body is entitled to some solid performances on the gridiron, too. They’re certainly not incapable of winning, as Bob Benson’s years as head coach showed. Maybe it’s time to shake things up in the coaching department, get our football program back on track to more competitive performances, and make the fall season more enjoyable.
Otherwise, every fall’s just going to be a long, melancholy wait until Midnight Madness.
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