I may stop by and listen (perhaps "chat" as well).

“Chat with Jack”
 
On Friday, October 24th, from 6pm – 8pm, Jack Kvancz, Athletic Director, will be providing an opportunity to GW Season Ticket holders, alumni, and friends to “Chat with Jack” on the following topics:
 
GW Athletics
GW Basketball scheduling and the A-10 Conference
Prospects for the Charles E. Smith Center Renovation
Colonials Athletics Club
The Future of Athletics at GW
This “Q and A” session will take place in the AD’s Club in the Charles E. Smith Center.  Refreshments will be served.
 
Please RSVP to Francine Smith at (202) 994-6650, or frsmith@gwu.edu by October 23rd, 2008.
 

Dootie,

Your comment horrifies me!  Everyone knows it's: "Ethnic dining, foreign movies, NY Times in bed Sunday mornings, walks along the beach, and snugglebunnyburgers."

How about asking him how hard it is to make a schedule that is as horrible as the one we have this year.  I mean it must take real talent and effort to make a schedule that horrific.  I imagine a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into finding the worst teams in Division 1 basketball and squeezing them in one by one.  It's not like they can all say yes to us.

Don't think Joe the unlicensed plumber could do any worse.

And come to think of it, he looks tall, so maybe he could be a forward or

center for us.

 Figure either they get the message of the great unrest out there or in here, which is to their credit.

Or they just want another opportunity to try and get donations for new Smith Center renovation.

I suspect that if the program really wanted input from its fan base, such that JK and staff could incorporate these suggestions for the upcoming season, then this chat would have been better served to take place in April or May.  The fact that this is taking place weeks before the start of a new season represents a transparent attempt to earn PR points.  Is it better than doing nothing at all?  Yes, I suppose it is.  However, don't be fooled into thinking that any proactive or rational suggestions will be incorporated, at least not this season anyway.

This place has been loaded with questions and criticisms leveled at Jack, Karl, the athletic department, and most things GW for some time. The school's primary supporter and defender here at GWHoops managed to antagonize many of the readers with his posts and was ultimately banished from the kingdom by the Board's major domo as a consequence of issues that apparently rose between them.

I have no idea what percentage of GW athletic boosters are represented by the frequent posters and lurkers at this site.  But when I saw that this session with the AD was set up with GW's boosters and fans to discuss all the critical matters that have been discussed here concerning GW athletics, I thought it was a great opportunity to confront and calm the contentious relationship that seems to be brewing between the GW athletic department and the vocal supporters who frequent this Board. Instead, rather than relishing the opportunity to ask questions and get concerns addressed, this seems to be taken as the drop of the flag to start leveling the same complaints all over again. 

I would think that people would be checking their schedules in an effort to attend net Friday's session so that they can put their issues on the table and get a first-hand answer from the guy presumably most familiar with the dynamics of the GW athletic department?  If Jack doesn't have answers to the questions, accept that.  If Jack won't answer the questions, then walk away annoyed. If you don't like Jack's answers, reevaluate your own position and determine whether it has any basis in reality or whether you think Jack was just blowing smoke.  And if you end up with an epiphany about GW athletics, then use it to calibrate your own epectations about GW sports in the future.  

Poog-  you are dead right on this one!  I was a bit taken back by the negative response to this chat session.

I have worked with Jack on and off over the years.  We've had good times and bad.  Let me be clear, I am neither freind nor foe; however I feel as if I can weigh-in on the discussion and lend a first hand opinion.

Jack has the respect of many people in the the college athletic community and he knows it. It is also true that Jack has a very high opinion of himself. I have seen him puff out his chest when in the company of either his peers or people who need to go through him to get something.  I don't believe Jack is a vindictive person but he can be etremely selfish and I know for a fact that he can be prone to making decisions out of anger. 

So, why would hack have a Chat with Jack session?  It's more for his ego than anything else. It has been pointed out here already that it's not because he cares how the community feels.  It's because he likes to be "the man".  There's also some truth that he thinks it will allow him to position himself as an AD who has ties to the supporters.  But mainly, this is for Jack to be in (and remain in) control.

Time has passed Jack by.  He's an old school guy (not a bad guy as some have alledged) who wants to do things his way...and only his way.  Is he good for GW athletics?  Maybe at one time he was, but not anymore.  He's out of touch and sadly, he's the kind of man puts himself ahead of anything else.

Thought you'd want to know the truth (at least from a former collegues perspective).

Not to start something, but as I read it, you are saying his best days are behind him and it's time to move on.