Guest Blogger: The Freshman Perspective On JMU Sports
After I ran my mouth off about one of our two winners not replying to our emails yesterday, I checked the JMUSB account and yeah, I’m an idiot. JH also picked every game in our CAA brackets challenge correctly and won the right to guest post. He’s a freshman on campus and he shared his perspective on JMU sports. Take it away JH.
Why does this post matter?
I dunno. I picked all the games right in the CAA tournament bracket contest and won the right to share a few of my thoughts on the famed JMU Sports Blog. (Moral of the story: Never doubt the Dukes)
Well, I’m a freshman at JMU who has been to 15 basketball games this season including 5 away games, and all the home football games. What does this mean for the undergraduate population here at JMU? They need to show up and stay for some games!
I can’t say our recent success has made a huge impact for fans here at JMU. Most people are too preoccupied with themselves (I know . It makes me sick) to go to the games. PROVE ME WRONG PEOPLE!!!! Maybe if they had a keg in the lobby area. You hold the door! You know the fight song!! You come to basketball games!!! I blame the infiltration students who come to JMU just to party. If you come to JMU for one reason shouldn’t it be to go to all the various sporting events and support your Dukes?
Over the past season and even before I’ve come to think that every basketball player was part of my JMU family… Andre Nation was in my GBUS 160 class. I just saw Rayshawn Goins in Duke’s and I told him I was proud of him and the way he has played this season. I’m also proud of Alioune Diouf, Devon Moore, Gene Swindle, A.J. Davis! And our solid supporter for most of the season, Andrey Semenov. We have a lot of unforgettable seniors and for that reason I am sad it is my first year at JMU…But I am glad it is my first. We have a huge opportunity to grow within the new CAA. It is a great conference that I believe will benefit from conference realignment in time. We also have a huge amount of talent in our current freshman class, specifically Andre Nation, Ron Curry, Charles Cooke, and Taylor Bessick, as well as in our Pep Band of course.
I’ve watched and played a lot of basketball over the years. Our A.J. Davis..I mean..offense confounds me sometimes, waiting till we have ten seconds left on the shot clock then drive or drive and kick. #WhateverItTakes to win championships I guess! It is an exciting time to be a part of James Madison University. Not only is the Natty Ice still free at parties but we have a new president, Jonathan Alger, who is enthusiastic about ushering in the next era of James Madison University. In an earlier post on the blog someone mentioned they would be happy with an upset every years or something in the NCAA tournament. I see that happening in my career here at JMU (three more seasons). I just want banners! And more court rushing!
JMU will beat LIU-Brooklyn. I’m feeling it. I can’t say much about anything beyond that. But I’ll be in Dayton Wednesday so I’m expecting a great game…and a long bus ride.
Can anyone answer this for me? Who is our biggest rival? I don’t like W&M because my Pop’s went there and I definitely don’t like GMCC. Who is our arch rival?! I have a strong dislike for Tech, UVA, ODU, UR, and VCU. Makes sense, right? The only problem is that most are not in our conference and are afraid to play us. I would appreciate a thought out answer on my earlier question about our biggest rival.
I would now like to make a shout out to all the people that have helped me at JMU: Brett C in the Delta Chi fraternity, alumnus Adam Haan, my real family, and the entire faculty here at James Madison University.
My excitement for the programs here at JMU is too much to handle at the moment right now. I am still rubbing it in the faces of my dorm mates (Dogwood!) that I was always a loyal fan for the Dukes from the beginning. I also have convinced all my other friends at other universities that they went to the wrong college. I can’t imagine myself at any other school, being over halfway through my second semester I am 100% satisfied and happy to be at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.
I pledge my support for the next four years and beyond! There is no university that can match the JMU experience and it’s about time EVERYONE knew about it.
If you’re reading this blog I know you love your Dukes!.. or wish you were one. Please consider a donation to the Madison Forever Vision Fund. JMU is the best campus in America and needs your support. Please give here before June 1.
Thanks for reading!
You sir, are an awesome freshman. Remember to always bleed purple until the day you die! This slightly older alum certainly is!
So now even our fellow students are bashing the students. My
God. And you sound like a fantastic fan and I really do love people like you but only 10 home games man? That is lacking. Let’s criticize other students when you’re at every game not over a break.
Thank goodness for your enthusiasm. You sir, will enjoy your college years to the max as many of us were lucky to do. Never become apathetic!!! I was lucky enough to be at JMU during the 80’s when we went to 3 straight NCAA tournaments and won our first round game each year before losing out 2 of those years to the glory days UNC teams with Worthy, Jordan, Daugherty, Perkins, etc. Those trips to the regional NCAA sites are still etched in my memory to this day.
Stay strong!!! Enjoy your time!!!
Go Dukes!!!
You make me proud to be an alum. Please, “be the change” that this school needs: a true fan. Recruit more to join you. Use this bandwagon to fill Convo next year as much as possible.
“Moral of the story: Never doubt the Dukes!” Great stuff and thanks so much JH! Makes me happy to hear the JMU love flowing so strongly so early – and to hear the Natty Ice is still free though we were a Beast town back in the day. (Jerry -what have you allowed to happen?!).
Your rival question is a really good one. In our day before football meant anything, I think most of us definitely considered Mason #1, but maybe that’s cause Rob and I are both from NoVa. GMCC could definitely be again if JMU can use this season as a springboard for more hoops success.
UR was always a big game, and it remains so in football (hate the Ticks), but back then they were CAA in all sports and it just doesn’t work the same w/out that. ODU was a big game in basketball, but until they added football wasn’t the level it has been and probably won’t be again unless we ever end up as conference-mates again. Academic/Cultural differences never quite did it for that one either. Delaware is always a good one in football and the finish to this year’s hoops semi is certain to spark things for awhile (though Villanova is always UD’s big football rival).
Don’t sleep on Towson if JMU is unfortunate enough to be stuck in the CAA awhile. Lots of recruiting battles and Towson is waking up in both major sports after years as a sleeping giant. We always have a great Dukes turnout at Towson away football games and they are one of the few CAA schools like JMU that are fully pro-tailgating. Not to be missed.
Thanks again for the guest post and Go Dukes!
You don’t like W&M “because your Pops went there.” Shouldn’t it be the opposite? Very weird family dynamic…would love to know the psychological underpinnings of this story.
Not sure what is going on in Hburg, but our rivals are the Ticks as mentioned, nothing and I mean NOTHING is worse than losing to Richmond. If we beat them handily in every sport for the next 20 years, they are still our rivals and any loss to the lowly ticks is a mark of shame upon JMU Nation.
Great post… glad to see the students “still got it”.
Here is some advice:
1. “Not only is the Natty Ice still free at parties… ” It is unfathomable that it wouldn’t be. They are only unhospitable enough to charge for beer at bush-league schools like ODU and VT.
2. Who is our rival? Well, in hoops we have sucked too bad to earn a rival (hopefully that is changing). In Football, it is either Richmond, Deleware or W&M. The problem is, UR is preoccupied with W&M, we do longer play UDee every year because of schedule rotation, and we beat W&M all the time. ODU would have been good….too bad.
3. Sigma Nu is better than Delta Chi (shout out to the snakes…)
4. I’m glad(?) to hear a student is pissed about the priority problem on campus. I have long felt that anyone still tailgating after the opening kickoff of a football game should be arrested.
5. ” I can’t imagine myself at any other school,…” It was the best decision you ever made.
“nothing and I mean NOTHING is worse than losing to Richmond. ”
+1
Rivals in Football (UR/W&M) are much clearer than they are in basketball.
When I was a freshman in Eagle hall, I remember waiting in line to get in to see games against Richmond and ODU. Those were always the best games. Trouble is, neither of those schools are in our conference anymore, so there goes that….
I’ve never considered Mason a rival. Until this year, we’ve always been each other’s doormat over the past 30 some years. When I was a student, losing to them was unheard of. Today, it’s reversed.
Perhaps now we’re entering an era where we’re both on the same competitive level and that rivalry can evolve with some years with more give and take…or just takes by us, I suppose.
For me personnally, the biggest rival is Delaware. I hate them. I hate their stupid blue chicken, I hate their copycat colors and helmet, I hate their coach, I hate their band, I hate their alumns, I hate their stadium, and their students. And their state sucks too.
As far as the other rivals:
The George Mason Statesmen are only a rival of convenience for me. Like Rob and Todd I’m from NoVA so its an easy game to attend. But I just can’t take a college seriously when it has more parking spaces than the Pentagon and only 15 students on campus after classes are over. NVCC might as well play in the CAA.
UofR gets a lot of attention and hate from the Richmond area Dukes, but they’re more preoccupied with W&M and VCU (in basketball) and consider us only a secondary rival. Still they are definitely in the top tier for both teams in rivalry for football.
Everyone else is just meh.
In my opinion, ODU was our best chance at a true rival in EVERY sport. Mason doesn’t have football, VCU doesn’t either and now is also not in our conference and UofR isn’t in our conference. William and Mary is not that unlikable for some reason. ODU was the chance to hate in football and basketball and it was so easy with their insufferable fan base and delusions
of grandeur (oh your football team could have beaten WVU unlike us? Try playing any FBS team before BEATING a ranked one.) I still hate them but hope we end up playing them frequently in the future.