The Greatest Game Ever Invented II

What a great weekend it has been.  As the Chinese New Year approached, I kept thinking about Coach JT III telling us, when he came back from China, that there are more people in China who play basketball than there are people in the United States.  As an Asian-American I certainly understand the Chinese love for the greatest game ever invented.  I had a wonderful weekend with my fellow Georgetown Board of Governors including a great game watch party at Epicurean as the Hoyas battled the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University.  Their home court, the RAC, has been the location of many great upsets.  Indeed it is a very difficult place to play with their blue collar team, and crowd.  Usually, Rutgers struggles from the 3-point line, but their current team is very different.  It made me very nervous as their guards consistently drained shots from NBA 3-point range.  We had trouble on the boards as Nate Lubick was in foul trouble.  In the end the Hoyas gutted it out with some strong defense, and some clutch plays by Markel Starks and Otto Porter.

On Saturday night it was great to see Lorry Michael inducted into the Georgetown Hall of Fame.  Indeed it warmed my heart to see how many people loved her, and how eloquent she was from the podium, recalling some great memories over her 36 years on the Hilltop.  Last night I saw the Hoyas gain another great win over first place Marquette.  As we enter the Year of the Snake, I am ready for some more great Hoya basketball games.  The Chinese New Year started for me over a week ago when  our Chinatown gang gathered at Tony Cheng's to discuss some serious basketball.  My new Hoya friend John Emerson impressed me with his vast knowledge of DC basketball.

As March Madness approaches I am comforted by Big John Thompson Jr.'s kind words for Lorry Michael.  It was good to hear him on the podium again reminding us that it is about Georgetown Defense, and that we do not need to worry about all this Big East conference realignment, because we are Georgetown!  Our next challenge is the University of Cincinnati.  Go Hoyas!

Hoya Midnight Madness 2012--A Digital View

     I have always said that Life Begins with Hoya Midnight Madness.  It seems very early this year being on October 12th!  Although I had planned for months to attend, a bad bout of the flu has stranded me at home to watch on HD TV.  Furthermore, with the Yankees playing the Orioles, and the Nationals facing the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals on the same evening, there are quite a few great sporting events in the Bronx, and the DMV.  It pains me that I had to miss both the Hoya Midnight Madness and the Nats--Cards game as I had access to tickets for both.  A ticket to that classic game with Baltimore in the Bronx would have been great also.
     So this year my Midnight Madness experience has been through ESPNU HD, and social media, i.e. twitter, facebook, youtube, and pinterest.  As I tweeted earlier, my Hoya Spirit is in McDonough.  Now the countdown to my trip to the Carrier Classic in Jax, FL and the battle with the University of Florida. The last time I saw my beloved Hoyas face the Gators was in that heartbreaking loss to the eventual national champion Florida in the Metrodome in Minnesota.  It is hard to believe that was 6 years ago.  Anyway thanks to FLHoya for covering Midnight Madness and carrying on the legacy of Generation Burton!
     This will indeed be a strange year in the Big East.  We have had lots of turnover and change, but the eventual departure of Syracuse, Notre Dame, Pitt, etc. will be strange.  I am watching the ESPN coverage and cannot help but feel that the egos of these sportscasters has gotten way out of control--Where have you gone Bobby Knight!  Coach Knight would laugh at the premature analyses.  Georgetown will have some very exciting games this November and December--Florida, UCLA, possibly Indiana, Tennessee.  I cannot wait for the season to start.  Look for me in Jax, and for Syracuse's last game in the Big East at Verizon Center.  I know Syracuse's heart is in the ACC, but we are Georgetown and we are the founding school of the Big East Conference!  That game will be an old fashioned war!
     I hope to see many of you around the world this year.  Remember arrive early, and wear Gray!
How I wish I was on the Hilltop tonight to see those thunder dunks by Jabril Trawick and the Hoyas!
Enjoy this video: Hoya Midnight Madness 2012.
     My friends almost consider it sacrilege when I discuss baseball, especially on this venue.  However, I do want to acknowledge the great season the Washington Nationals had.  After last night's heart-breaking loss I do not want to jump on the bandwagon with the second guessing of Strassburg.  I do not believe in moral victories, but do recognize that it been has been 40 years since DC had a baseball team, and some players like Frank Howard, and Aurelio Rodriguez to get excited about.  DC is a Redskins town, a basketball town, and a growing soccer town, but now we have baseball again in the Nation's Capitol!

Hoya Saxa!  We are Georgetown!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong
Hoya Hoop Club Vice President--Communications
Proud Member of Generation Ewing

A Double Hoya's 4th of July 2012 in New York City

July 4th 2012--It is great to be an American.  Being in New York this year for the 4th of July I found some comfort in walking the streets of Chinatown.  There is something about Mott Street that gives me comfort.  It seems like a lifetime since I attended my cousin's wedding at the legendary Port Arthur restaurant on the corner of Mott and Bayard.  There are certain constants in your life that are forever: Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, the Capitol Fireworks, Georgetown beating Syracuse, SUNY-O Optometrists serving the community, Hoyas being Men and Women for Others, and the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden.

I am honored that Georgetown will play in this year's Carrier Classic against the University of Florida to honor our military.  It will be a special game indeed.  As I sit in my Manhattan apartment now and see the Macy's Fireworks light up the Hudson River like Times Square I am also watching the new episode of the show Dallas.  It reminded me of the days when Georgetown dominated the world of college basketball like no other program.  Things are different now.  There is much more parity in college basketball.  Some may call it mediocrity.  Anyway, I look forward to returning to McDonough Gym next week to see the incoming freshman play for the Tombs.  This has been a summer rite of passage for me since I was a student at Georgetown.  Until then it is wonderful being in New York celebrating the 4th of July!

God Bless the USA! We are Georgetown!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong
Hoya Hoop Club VP & Director of Communications
Proud Member of Generation Ewing

Georgetown Reunion Weekend 2012

What is IN for the Georgetown Area in 2012,  1982?

1982                                             2012

Healey Basement                         Leavey Center

Darnall Cafeteria                          Epicurean

The Tombs                                   The Tombs

New South Cafeteria                    Leo's

Tom Sarris' Orleans House          Ray's Hell Burger

Gepetto's                                      Cafe Milano

Port of Georgetown                     Citronelle

Sugars                                          Saxby's

GU Hospital                                 Medstar

Poulton Hall                                 Davis Center for the Arts

Nevils                                           McDonough School of Business

Capital Centre                              Verizon Center

American Cafe                             Billy Martin's Tavern

Social Safeway 1982                   Social Safeway 2012

Booeymongers                             Wisemillers

Germaine's                                    Town Hall

Lot 3                                             Southwest Quadrangle

Loyola/Walsh/Nevils                    LXR

Roy Rogers                                  Saxby's

Med School Movie Nights           AMC Georgetown Student Night

Harbin                                          Kennedy

Village A                                      McSwain

Clyde's                                         Kafe Leopold

Brunch at Key Bridge Marriott    Brunch at Ritz Carlton Georgetown

Swenson's                                    Georgetown Cupcake

Mister Day's                                 Baked & Wired

A Double Hoya's Return to the Dunkin Donuts Center

Since that awful game against Ohio in the 2010 NCAA tournament I have been dying to return to the Dunkin Donuts Center to erase the memory. This trip to Providence was a great weekend filled with the Hoya Spirit throughout New England. I met a nice couple from the University of Rhode Island and I mentioned to him how Nate Lubick was one of the few players we have ever successfully recruited from Massachusetts. He came right back and said to me, "What about Patrick Ewing!" How could I ever forget the man from Cambridge, Massachusetts. I am getting ready to tour Newport before returning home to New York city. Hoya Saxa and it is off to Seton Hall and New Jersey.

We are Georgetown!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong

Hoya Hoop Club VP & Director of Communications

Proud Member of Generation Ewing

A Journey to the Steel City! Hoya Saxa!

It has been 5 years I believe since my trip to the Steel City, PA. I cannot believe the Pitt Panthers have had a 1-7 start in the Big East Conference. They have arguably been the most consistent top program in the Big East over the last dozen years. However, with their point guard healthy and a big win over the Providence Friars the Pitt Panthers look like a Top Ten team again, especially at the Pitt Zoo--one of the top venues in college basketball today.

I enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night with a great Hoya, a good friend, and Pitt native Art Murphy. Art is a regular at Verizon Center driving 4 hours back and forth to almost every game at Verizon Center. So playing at Pitt is certainly a timesaver for him. I am getting ready for a pre-game gathering of Hoyas before the 4:00 PM tipoff. I have always had great respect for Jamie Dixon and the tremendous job he has done taking over for Ben Howland and keeping their program at such a high level. Georgetown--Pitt games are throwbacks to the old Big East--Physical play, defense, and rebounding will decide the game as it does most games. Stay tuned for further updates.

Dr. Thomas A. Wong

Hoya Hoop Club Vice President--Communications

Proud Member of Generation Ewing

Meet Me at Verizon Center--Hoya Saxa!!!

Oh what a season this has become. This Hoya team continues to impress. An excellent Marquette team probably still has no idea what has hit them. Jason Clark willed us to win. Henry Sims was a tower of strength, and Hollis Thompson knocked down the big 3 pointers. I love watching this team! We are Georgetown!