We’re live from a real bowl game (BCS notwithstanding)
Wonder if this guy can play left tackle and has any eligibility left?
I moved here 20 years ago, so I missed the worst chamber of commerce disasters involving weather and the Peach Bowl and Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. (Missed the 1988 season game when North Carolina State and Iowa combined for 14 turnovers and it rained so hard and for so long that former AJC staff writer Gary Pomerantz mused that the crowd of 44,635 (or not) “gasped like blowfish.”
Most assumed things would get better when the Peach Bowl was moved indoors to the climate-controlled Georgia Dome in 1992. But to this extent?
The Peach Bowl gave way to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and its current incarnation might be the greatest remainder of what the college bowl season used to be about: Good teams. Intriguing match-ups. Happy and content fans who viewed college football’s post-season as a reward, not an aggravating and illogical exercise in futility (read: BCS).
It helps that the Chick-fil-A Bowl has tie-ins with the SEC and ACC. It helps that the game has a roof to protect it from miserable weather days like today. It helps that fan bases from around the South love to come to Atlanta.
But none of that guarantees great match-ups.
Though the final scores haven’t always backed up the expectation of competitive games — as Georgia Tech would prefer to forget — the game has had great curb appeal. Just look at the last seven years: Clemson-Tennessee, Florida-Miami, LSU-Miami, Georgia-Virginia Tech, Auburn-Clemson, LSU-Georgia Tech and tonight: Virginia Tech-Tennessee.
I’ve seen the economic impact reports and claims that this game brings $33 million into the area. Honestly, I don’t hang out with economists and I have no idea what those numbers mean. But seeing “Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee” provides enough clarity.
Virginia Tech (9-3) is ranked 11th in the BCS standings. The Hokies would be a lot higher if they could figure out how to win a game in Atlanta. They lost their season opener to Alabama in the Georgia Dome, won their next five, then lost at Georgia Tech.
Tennessee (7-5) is looking for its first bowl win under Lane Kiffin. This game is a bonus for him, win or lose, since he spent most of the buildup to this season as a punchline and the NCAA is investigation potential recruiting violations.
I can probably figure out who Georgia fans are pulling for.
Anyway, I’ll be here live blogging during game, so let me know what you think.
Oy. They’re playing Rocky Top. I’m outta here.
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596 comments Add your comment
Not Disappointed
December 31st, 2009
9:50 pm
Yeah rumnog and chinese Buckhead Dawg. I don’t think I will make it to Midnite. Oy Vey!
Lame Kitten
December 31st, 2009
9:50 pm
there’s a chance Slick Willie might be UF linebackers coach. that would be weird.
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
December 31st, 2009
9:51 pm
Russ … there is no such thing as a Hokie. It was a made-up word, created especially by a VPI student about 100 years ago just because it fit into the fight song that he wrote.
Not Disappointed
December 31st, 2009
9:52 pm
I thought hokie was a chicken or bird? Hell, it may be bird flu. I don’t know…………..
Jeff Schultz
December 31st, 2009
9:53 pm
Not Disappointed — Honestly, can’t remember. I might’ve. Something about her actually bothers me a little. Not sure what it is.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
9:54 pm
Reid Adair, you’ve got to be kidding comparing the Ga Dome to the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl game is usually WAY OVERRATED, but the stadium is awesome and in a gorgeous setting. The Ga Dome may be the best, or one of the best, domed stadiums, but it is not picturesque, and certainly not in a picturesque location.
Not Disappointed
December 31st, 2009
9:54 pm
Why didn’t UGA or Georgia Tech offer Poole a sholarship? Damn
Jeff Schultz
December 31st, 2009
9:54 pm
Reid — I’m stunned a hard hitting journalist like Holly Rowe didn;t go after Lane.
Paul's Johnson
December 31st, 2009
9:54 pm
Jeff, 100% right about the weather. I used to be a regular denizen of New Years downtown in the 80’s and I remember well the 1983 PB game where the daytime high was about 1 degree. I recall one visitor during a rain-soaked game in a 70’s edition of the PB describing the gnarly Atlanta Stadium turf as the worst field they “had ever seen, heard of, or thought about”. The only other game that had comparably bad weather during that period was the Cotton Bowl.
sec fan
December 31st, 2009
9:54 pm
No way…never said any thing about UGA, just think the sec would try to fine of fire the ref’s if they make a call
cfb fan
December 31st, 2009
9:55 pm
Probably some mutation of a turkey, since the former nickname for VT was ‘Fighting Gobblers’.
Russ
December 31st, 2009
9:55 pm
Thanks, I remember now. I’ll write that down so I don’t have to ask again next year.
One more question.
GT beat VT. Tennessee beat Georgia. If VT wins tonight, does GT get the state champsionship back.
south
December 31st, 2009
9:56 pm
Jeff – this could be a decent finish if UT gets points here
Tom
December 31st, 2009
9:56 pm
Jeff, she might be hard-hitting but her shuttle time stinks.
Reid Adair
December 31st, 2009
9:57 pm
Jeff, she said he came back out and apologized. It must have been when Kiffin was trying to get his team into the locker room before the officials could review that play at the end of the half.
45ACP
December 31st, 2009
9:57 pm
Oneessee looks awful rusty. No continuity.
Not Disappointed
December 31st, 2009
9:57 pm
Megan likes woman Jeff? She has a cited with a stalking misdemeanor by another chic, but dates guys too. Her eyes? FYI, she can stalk or molest me anytime. Okay………Back to the game.
Beeeeg Boy
December 31st, 2009
9:57 pm
I would not pull for UT if they were playing Tech
Russ
December 31st, 2009
9:58 pm
Paul’s Johnson – That was either the first or second year. The had fog, rain, sleet, hail, freezing rain, snow and a blizzard, all during the game. Hard to believe but true.
Lame Kitten
December 31st, 2009
9:58 pm
Holly Rowe….so has put on some more weight…….again.
south
December 31st, 2009
9:58 pm
these are not SEC refs
Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
9:59 pm
The first, or several of the early, Peach Bowl games was played at Grant Field
Not Disappointed
December 31st, 2009
9:59 pm
UT isn’t out of this game. Long from over.
oh shut up
December 31st, 2009
10:00 pm
a hokie is just a word made up for a cheer back in the 1870’s. hokie is like yelling horay or something like that. of course it caught on.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
10:00 pm
They are probably either Big 10 or Big East refs
Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
10:00 pm
Enter your comments here
south
December 31st, 2009
10:00 pm
…but besides that… I think the SEC did the right thing suspending that crew. There has to be accountability…especially when calls are made when they didn;t actually see the infraction
Reid Adair
December 31st, 2009
10:00 pm
south, I believe the announcers said during the replay at the end of the first half that this crew is from Conference USA.
Tom
December 31st, 2009
10:01 pm
well that sucks
Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
10:01 pm
Damn, that injury could hurt VT bad
Poetry slam Part Deux; the sequel
December 31st, 2009
10:01 pm
I won’t claim to be Dr. Suess
And cook my proverbial goose
For the estate of Theodore Geisal
Would certainly engage in reprisal
If I played with the truth fast and loose.
Reid Adair
December 31st, 2009
10:01 pm
Wow. That doesn’t look good with them having to carry Ryan Williams off like that.
Not Disappointed
December 31st, 2009
10:01 pm
VT has alot of running backs. They will be fine.
Poetry slam Part Deux; the sequel
December 31st, 2009
10:02 pm
Time lapse CWM? You try rhyming with Geisal LOL
Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
10:03 pm
Hmm, maybe it’s the UT defense rather than the actual running back. The replacement is doing the same thing
south
December 31st, 2009
10:03 pm
Thanks Reid. All the bowls will have crews which are not from the conference of either team
VT is moving the ball on Tennessee
December 31st, 2009
10:04 pm
like they are an S She C school.
Tennessee going down to da Hokie Pokie
December 31st, 2009
10:05 pm
Enter your comments here
south
December 31st, 2009
10:05 pm
Jeff – you still awake?
PETA fan
December 31st, 2009
10:05 pm
They don’t really eat the chickens do they? That’s just a marketing slogan right?
Lame Kitten
December 31st, 2009
10:05 pm
jeff do a story on abdullah the butcher house of ribs and chinese food. ex wrestler has damn good ribs.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 31st, 2009
10:05 pm
I love that commercial with Ed Too Tall Jones.
oh shut up
December 31st, 2009
10:05 pm
is ed too tall jones too tall?
Russ, the interim mascot
December 31st, 2009
10:06 pm
You must tell us – No they did not paint the rear of the interim bulldog. That was just a joke by the handler for tv, that if they made him the pernament mascot they would have to paint it because he had lost so much hair.
Scott
December 31st, 2009
10:07 pm
Like I’ve said all along. The acc can hang with the sec.
Is the sec better. yes. But any team can beat any team on any given day. Playing usc and pitt is no cakewalk. Sec uga homers need to quit acting like idiots and realize the competition.
Tom
December 31st, 2009
10:07 pm
Holly just ate Ryan Williams’ shoe.
Reid Adair
December 31st, 2009
10:08 pm
You have a lot more options on playcalling when the defense puts eight men in the box and you can still run for 8-9 yards on first down.
Jeff Schultz
December 31st, 2009
10:08 pm
Reid — maybe he was trying to recruit Holly to be in the Orange Pride.
Buckhead Bulldog
December 31st, 2009
10:08 pm
Not Disappointed: the girl has some ISSUES, but she IS smoking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Fox
“to avoid having panic attacks when getting onto a plane, most notably by listening to Britney Spears songs.[90] In addition, she has expressed a distrust of men. “I just don’t like them or trust them,” stated Fox.
Jeff Schultz
December 31st, 2009
10:08 pm
Not Disappointed — yes. the eyes. most definitely the eyes.