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| Gene DeFilippo |
Live Chat With Gene DeFilippo
Do you have a question about BC Athletics? Now is your chance to go straight to the top.
BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo will conduct a live chat on Tuesday, February 27 at 4 p.m. Submit your questions now, then log on to www.bceagles.com next Tuesday afternoon to chat with Gene.
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| Moderator: Thanks for joining us for today's live chat with Boston College Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo. Please stand by. |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Hello everyone. Thanks for joining us for today's chat. I'll take your questions. |
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| Chris from Fairfield County: Given the situation, Coach Jags and his staff seemed to do a pretty good job of holding on to most of the previous coach's recruits while making some key additions to the football program of his own. Have you spoken with him about strategies to bring in more highly recruited football players in the long term without comprising the school's commitment to excellence? If so, what can we expect? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: I thought Coach Jags and his staff did a great job in recruiting and landed some top-flight linemen and two outstanding quarterbacks. We will never compromise our integrity or our academics. We don't have to do that in order to recruit the elite athletes. This staff is committed to recruiting year-round and there's no reason why we won't have an excellent recruiting class every year. |
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| Boston: Hello Mr. DeFilippo. I've notice over the years that there has been a lot more attention toward BC Men's Football and Basketball, but yet the Men's Ice Hockey team is the only true National Championship contender. Do you plan to give Men's Ice Hockey the attention it deserves? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: The attention of which you speak has been mainly from the added exposure of being in the ACC. An example is that we have played three basketball games on national television in the past two weeks. Hockey is very important here. We will do everything possible to promote our hockey programs. Hockey East does not provide the institutions within the conference the same television opportunities that the ACC provides. |
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| Rumson, NJ: Will the football team lose some players to transfers due to TOB's departure? Can you say who they might be? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: I do not expect many players to transfer; in fact, it's worked the other way, in that players from other schools are interested in coming to Boston College. |
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| Joe, New Canaan: Do you think the Eagles will ever resume a home and home series with Seton Hall? We used to play them for years even before the Big East days. You are doing a graet job; especially the signees for women's soccer. Keep it up! |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: At some point, we would welcome an opportunity to have a home-and-home series with Seton Hall. You are correct in that we have played them for years and years. I'm sure that, sometime in the near future, our two institutions will meet on the court. |
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| Brian C., San Jose, CA: Gene,
How can having D-1 men's soccer matches played off on Newton Campus far away from the vast majority of BC students be considered a satisfactory solution? Given the game of musical chairs that will be played in the coming redevlopment of lower campus and the new development of the Brighton campus, can't a better location be found? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Our soccer coaches and our student-athletes are thrilled with their soccer stadium on the Newton campus. There are shuttle buses every 15 minutes that can transport students from the main campus to the Newton campus. I really don't see that as a negative. |
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| Eric (New York): Though we have had a much better turnout then in recent years, I still beieve the ticketing system needs some work, I didnt get a package and most of the games I went to I had to get form girls who had FULL season and didnt go to one game (and sold their UNC and Duke tickets for large profits) how do you plan on changing this problem in the next couple years? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: There is no student ticket policy that is perfect. We have tweaked our policy this year and will look at tweaking it again before next year's lottery. Those students who receive tickets in the lottery are thrilled, and those who didn't are unhappy. We will continue to be as fair as we can to all our students. |
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| Ryan (NYC): Gene, if and when are Troy Bell, Craig Smith, and eventually Jared Dudley's numbers getting retired? In our freshman year (1998) Flutie's # was retired, over a decade after his graduation, so we know BC can have a long retirement process, but we hope this is not the case for the players mentioned above. Bell and Smith were all-americans multiple times and hold numerous BC records and Dudley could very well be the first Eagle to be ACC POY, so we do not think that it would be unreasonable to think they deserve to have their numbers retired. So what do you think?
PS. If they are retired, please do it while the memory of their fantastic play is fresh in hour minds, and the crowd will give them the respect they deserve.
Thank you |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: We will certainly retire the jerseys of Troy Bell, Craig Smith and Jared Dudley, as they are three of the best players ever to play here at Boston College. We have some others to consider and I would rather honor some of those players first and wait a few years before we get to Bell, Smith and Dudley. |
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| Adam (Carrboro, NC): After the hockey game was fogged out and after a couple of unusually hot basketball games there in January, are there any plans to put air conditioning in Conte? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Unfortunately, when Conte was built, it was not air conditioned. We have, however, had one fogged-out game in my 10 years here at Boston College. While air conditioning Conte is important, we have other projects with equal importance and we will get to it as soon as we can. |
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| Brian, Burlington: I have been a football season ticket holder for 25 years. I do not agree with your decision to move toward donor based seating because I feel you are penalizing your most loyal fans. I have renewed and paid for my tickets but will not participate in the donor program. My question is if I do not like my assigned seats will there be an opportunity to cancel my tickets and get a full refund? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: The donor-based seating program is not going deny anyone an opportunity to purchase football tickets in Alumni Stadium. The program affects only 16% of the stadium. The other 84% are non-donor-based. If you are not happy with your assigned seats, we will be glad to give you a full refund. |
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| john mc carthy: Is there any consideration to having a small pep band at away football games similar to other schools? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: That is a really good idea, and one that we are going to look at for the 2007 season. |
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| hopkinton: congrats on the win over clemson. do you think bc is a lock for the ncaa tourney? and if so what number seed do you think they deserve? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Personally, I think 10 wins in the ACC should give us a lock on an NCAA bid. I'd feel even better if we can go down and win at Georgia Tech on Sunday! |
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| Tobias (Raleigh): Are there any enhancements planned for Alumni Stadium in the near future? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Yes. We are studying new LED signage, hopefully for next year, and we continue to make aesthetic improvements to Alumni Stadium, Conte Forum and our other facilities each year. |
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| Rock (Enfield, NH): It looks like the majority of ACC basketball games at Conte were sold out this year? Are there any plans to expand Conte beyond 8,600? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: At the present time, we have no plans to enlarge or expand Conte Forum. |
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| Richard (White River Jct): Can you share your impressions on Coach Jagz recently completed staff? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: I think Coach Jags put together a terrific coaching staff. Frank Spaziani will continue to head up our defense, and Steve Logan, one of the top football minds in the country, will head up our offense. What also impresses me about this staff is that they are all excellent recruiters and are making recruiting the top priority. |
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| Mountain Lakes: Mr. DeFilippo - with BC now in the ACC for it's second season, and the ACC being THE premier conference in lacrosse, what are your thoughts on the club men's lacrosse team becoming a varsity sport in the coming seasons? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: I'm not sure I understand how the ACC is the premiere conference in lacrosse, when only four schools out of 12 sponsor the sport. Lacrosse is a wonderful sport, but we have chosen to fully fund our men's and women's hockey teams, and I do not see men's lacrosse coming back as a varsity sport any time in the near future. |
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| Mike (Nashua): Hi Gene,
A couple of facilities questions for you. Are there any plans in the near future to build a basketball only arena? I know BC uses the bubble over Alumni during the winter but, are there any plans to build a year round indoor facility? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: At this time we have no plans to build a basketball-only arena. We are very happy with The Bubble as our indoor facility, so I expect no changes any time soon with those two facilities. |
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| Steve, Nashville: Geno, hope everything is going well up in Boston. We miss you down here! How much pride do you feel in the success of all of your sports teams? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Thank you, Steve. Yes, I am very, very proud of our coaches and our student-athletes, because they are the ones who are responsible for the success of our teams. |
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| Jeff (Easton, MA): Have you ever pursued a home and home with Kentucky in basketball? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Chris Cameron and I would both love to see a home-and-home with Kentucky, and have tried several times to put together a series. Up until now, the Cats play North Carolina, Louisville, Indiana and other national opponents and have shown no interest in playing a home-and-home with us. |
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| Bob (Middletown, RI): My brother is a longtime BC ticket holder. This year, he has been told that he must donate $1000 to BC or he will lose his tickets near the 50 yard line. He was able to get the choice tickets since many people dropped BC football tickets when BC went 0-11 one year. Is this any way to treat your loyal fans who have been there for BC in the good years as well as the bad years? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: We certainly appreciate our longtime season ticket holders, and would never deny anyone a chance to purchase good football tickets for the upcoming season. We have taken some of the better seats (16% of the stadium) and put them into donor-based seating, but I'm sure we can find some good tickets in another part of the stadium for your brother and our other loyal season ticket holders. |
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| Frank (Newton): Gene, Why do we have so many more athletic scholarships than most other universities?
I would be inclined to give more to the Flynn Fund if more of it was earmarked for facilities upgrades for Football & Basketball, rather than FULL scholarships for many minor sports and activities. |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Please send your money in today, as we have recently spent $28 million for the Yawkey Athletics Center for football and nearly $5 million to renovate every office and every locker room in Conte Forum. I'm not sure if you have seen our basketball offices, locker rooms, players' lounges and meeting rooms, but they have been recently renovated and are first-class in every way. We will continue to work on our facilities each and every year. |
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| Henry Walsh - Yarmouth, MA: Hi Gene:
Can you comment on the possible transfer situation on the football team?
Thank you. |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: You're the second person to ask this question, so I would assume there are rumors out there about possible transfers. Other than Keith Willis, who wanted to play for his dad, I don't know of any of our other players who might want to transfer. |
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| Eddie, Washington, DC: Mr. DeFlippo, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Is there a reason why we never land one of the nations top recruits in basketball? You would think with our recent success we could add a top McDonald's All American to go along with Skinner's recruiting gems (ex. Troy Bell, Craig Smith, Jared Dudley) and seriously contend for an NCAA Title year in and year out. Thanks for all you do. Keep up the good work! |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: This year's signing class in basketball is probably the best crop in the last 10 years. Coach Skinner and his staff were able to land some of the nation's top recruits. |
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| Kevin (Stamford, CT): Gene, Al Skinner has openly stated that his job is not to market the men's basketball program, rather it is just to win games. Do you agree with this sentiment or would you like to see him add some flash? |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: The best way to market our basketball program is to win games, and Al Skinner is the winningest coach in the history of Boston College basketball. I like him just the way he is. |
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BC Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo: Thanks for joining us for today's chat. We'll hold another one in the near future. Please stay tuned. |
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