Rivalry with UGA defines Tech
UGA fans don't view the rivalry the same way Tech fans do.
It’s a given that Georgia fans hate to see the Dogs lose to Georgia Tech.
They are, after all, our in-state rival, and you always hate to lose such a game. But aside from bragging rights, UGA fans don’t attach nearly as much significance to the rivalry as do the folks from North Avenue.
We also hate to lose to Florida, Auburn or Tennessee. In fact, the Florida rivalry has a pretty strong claim to being the biggest one in the eyes of Bulldogs fans.
Whereas with the Techies, there’s no question at all who ranks No. 1 in their thoughts 365 days a year: Georgia.
It’s an obsession at Tech. I understand they indoctrinate incoming students at orientation with the importance of hating the school in Athens. They have “to hell with Georgia” in the official lyrics of their fight song. (UGA’s fight song makes no mention of Tech, and even the unofficial version sporting a “to hell with …” line sung by the student section substitutes whoever the Dogs are playing that week.)
Tech puts fans in the stands up on the Grant Field scoreboard video screen during a game to recite their mantra, “to hell with Georgia.” They put Bulldog stickers in some of the urinals at Grant Field. First thing Paul Johnson did after coming to Tech was declare that beating Georgia would be paramount for his team.
How large do the Dogs loom in the Jackets’ consciousness? They actually engraved the score of last year’s win over Georgia (Tech’s first in eight years) on the rings given to players the end of the season!
The lopsided nature of the results in football over the past four decades have also ingrained an insecurity in Tech fandom that even Johnson taking the Jackets back into the Top 10 can’t erase. Amid the usual trash talking this week in comments posted by Tech fans on Georgia blogs have been a surprising number of folks worrying that the Dogs somehow will pull out another win this year, despite the Jackets being the clear favorite.
I think an upset win by Georgia this year is unlikely. The 2009 Dogs are just too deeply flawed. But it could happen. And if it does, Dogs fans will be thrilled and surprised. But it will be just another Georgia win over Tech. The universe restored to its normal order.
If Tech wins, it’ll be just one more disappointment in an ugly season for Georgia fans. But in the Tech world, it will be time to put up a statue or something.
Their hatred of the Dogs is what defines them. After all, you can’t spell Georgia Tech without G-E-O-R-G-I-A!
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418 comments Add your comment
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
4:55 pm
By the way, this season is played this year, not next year.
duke
November 27th, 2009
4:58 pm
Delbert, I’m glad to see that you have accepted your physical appearance…..unfortunately, evidence shows that attractive people enjoy greater success in many areas of life….have you “climbed your way all to middle management” yet? Do you wear short sleeve dress shirts like Dwight K. Schrute?
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
5:03 pm
duke – Middle management, huh? Nice try. Also, I was much more better looking 45 years ago. I don’t think in a million years that I’de be attracted to you, unless you look like Daisy Duke. Or maybe Patty Duke.
Dr. Seuss
November 27th, 2009
5:04 pm
Interesting. Mr. duke believes he is more attractive than GT fans and therefore superior. He certainly must obtain a very high sense of entitlement. Maybe he should change his name from duke to king. May I suggest Mr. duke you call my office for an appointment as to where we can research this level of arrogance and entitlement you seem to behold. Call me at 45-42.
See you tomorrow night.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
5:13 pm
Time to go over and eat leftovers at mom-in-law’s.
See you later, 45ACP.
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
5:21 pm
See ya Del. Enjoy!
PTC Jacket
November 27th, 2009
5:22 pm
Lol, this is a joke. Paul Johnson just stated a few days ago that UGA is not our priority. That was last year. I’m pretty sure most Tech fans hate Virginia Tech more than UGA. Count me in on that.
Cuz
November 27th, 2009
5:23 pm
Rivalry is in the eyes of the beholder. Most Georgia fans feel that the rivalry game is Florida. Florida fans after owning UGA since three coaches ago feel different. Tech feels that UGA is their rival. If they tattoo three in a row on UGA, the UGA fans may feel the same.
Me, I live on the banks of the Savannah. My rivalry game is USCe. That is a must win game.
Boise Dawg
November 27th, 2009
5:24 pm
Bill, I see your point and personally Auburn has always been the game I want Georgia to win the most… but I am not sure I completely agree. Case in point: Would Richt survive losing to Tech 3 years in a row?.. because he is 2-7 against Florida and so far the majority of the fan base can live with that. It seems to me we have come to expect to dominate Tech, but I have a feeling if we lose to them this year, the most important win for Mark Richt and us Georgia fans next year will be Tech.
Cuz
November 27th, 2009
5:25 pm
Okay PTC, you are excluded from that previous comment. I think that Tech-Tech rivalry is heating up. The pre-Impeachment meaning of the word “is”.
Innocent Bystander
November 27th, 2009
5:33 pm
And you think Florida gives a rat’s a** about the Georgia “rivalry”?
dh
November 27th, 2009
5:36 pm
To Boise Dawg:
Off topic a bit, I’m guessing by your monicker you are in Boise. What are Boise St fans like out there? Just curious to see if they are realistic about their team or if they believe they should be in BCS Bowls every year.
GT For You And Me
November 27th, 2009
5:42 pm
Bill King:::::::::::::::::::::::GT will Crush your DAWG’s……………………… Bank on it!!!!!!!!!!
Va Dawg
November 27th, 2009
5:47 pm
Tech is a mediocre school in a mediocre conference. Any rivalry that was there lost it’s importance when Tech dropped out of the SEC because it couldn’t compete. That is why there s such hatred from the Techies. They couldn’t cut it in the big leagues and now have a huge inferiority complex because they have such little stingers.
bulldawghuff
November 27th, 2009
5:56 pm
Gt for you and me.. get ready for a good game the dogs will show up,the one thing that hurt tech was winning last year cause the team just like fans get overconfident ,and now that you won last year the dogs well once again be hungry for a win.they will walk in there knowing they could lose the game unlike years past ,wich gives the dogs something they aint had in years,a CHIP ON THEIR SHOULDERS with nothing to lose.gooooo dawgs sic’em.
Bill eats paste
November 27th, 2009
5:57 pm
And… peeing in pants defines Bill King… anyone tell you that you look like a GOAT !!
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First Canary
November 27th, 2009
6:02 pm
Just wondering Bill, what do you do for a living?
Herschel
November 27th, 2009
6:03 pm
Hey Billking. Have fun tomorrow night. Don’t forget your G license plate, magnets, flags, stickers, facepaint, G logo clothes and other souvenir shop crap.
Boise Dawg
November 27th, 2009
6:04 pm
dh. I find the majority of Boise State fans to be very reasonable. Nobody expects to be in the BCS championship game and while there will be dissapointment in Boise if they don’t get into a BCS, I think overall the fans would understand. Do the fans think they are as good as Florida? No. Do the fans think they are better than Oklahoma State or Iowa? Yes… but really you dont’ hear a lot of trash talking from their fans. They love their team, but aren’t comparing themselves to Florida, Alabama or Texas.
Overall the fans despise the current system, just like everyone else. For Boise it is a BCS bowl or a really crappy bowl. Personally I think they are a legit top 10 team, but they need to get out of the WAC.. hopefully the Mountain West gets smart and invites them in this year.
First Canary
November 27th, 2009
6:04 pm
Whatever it is I hope that it doesn’t require much intelligence
bulldawghuff
November 27th, 2009
6:06 pm
oh and if you tech fans feel that this game with fla, aint big look in the stands while the game is being played and look at the gator fans face and you will see hate.
P- Option
November 27th, 2009
6:08 pm
Wow, Bill way to get the Georgia faithful prepared for the ass-whippin. Now they can say the game does not matter that much to them.
amused
November 27th, 2009
6:18 pm
I’m amused that Georgia fans consider Fla their biggest rival.
Don’t you have to win once in awhile to make it a rivalry?
Saint Simons
November 27th, 2009
6:20 pm
45-42!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Saint Simons
November 27th, 2009
6:28 pm
1 win in 8 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
MauiDAWG
November 27th, 2009
6:28 pm
I hope UGA gets C Peterson at Boise St. if UGA replaces CMR. I say give CMR a chance next year to turn it around, if not I’d like to get Peterson
Johnny Test
November 27th, 2009
6:31 pm
Amused… Georgia leads the florida series and the tech series BIG. The worm will turn with Florida.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
6:32 pm
I’m thinking Georgia might have beat Alabama.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
6:35 pm
MauiDAWG – Good evening, or afternoon, sir. Peterson is a good coach, and Boise St. is tough to beat.
Bill is a virgin
November 27th, 2009
6:41 pm
Way to sandbag the hurt you will feel saturday night. if you think uga dismisses the rivalry with Tech, how do you think UF feels about the ownage of uga?? lol, how could you even call uf a rivalry?
wes
November 27th, 2009
6:41 pm
A statue? Oh, you mean like the one of Dooley you guys have?
Cool.
dh
November 27th, 2009
6:42 pm
Thanks Boise Dawg. I will say this, I sure wouldn’t want to play them. They proved they do belong after that Fiesta Bowl a few years back. I do hope they lose tonight against Nevada, but I don’t see it happening.
Bill is a virgin
November 27th, 2009
6:44 pm
Didn’t u(sic)ga retire a player’s jersey for ending a Tech winning streak against uga? How sad, ever do that for a win over vandy or florida for that matter? Oh yeah, you don’t beat florida.
SEC Watch
November 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
Updated: November 24, 2009, 3:28 PM ET
Bottom 10 teams are losing their religion
Comment Email Print Share
By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com
Archive
WEEK: Preseason | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Bye | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
The Bottom 10 inspirational thought of the week:
If you’re on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
When you think you’ve had too much of this life to hang on.
Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
Everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes.
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on.
Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on.
Everybody hurts. You are not alone.
– “Everybody Hurts,” R.E.M.
The college football teams that have become Bottom 10 staples are not alone in their misery this season.
Even some of the sport’s traditional heavyweights have become bottom-feeders in 2009. Michigan finished 5-7 and will miss a postseason bowl for the second season in a row. Defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma has to beat Oklahoma State on Saturday to finish the regular season with a winning record. So does Notre Dame, which plays at Stanford on Saturday night.
R.E.M., which spent last weekend in New Orleans recording new tracks for an upcoming album, was greeted by “The Wake-Up Bomb” from its hometown of Athens, Ga., on Sunday.
After leading Kentucky 20-6 at the half at Sanford Stadium, the Georgia Bulldogs committed four second-half turnovers in a 34-27 loss to Kentucky. It was Georgia’s first home loss to the Wildcats since 1977, when Prince Charles watched the Bulldogs get royally blasted, 33-0.
Georgia, which went into the 2008 season ranked No. 1 in the country and was No. 13 at the start of this season, must upset No. 7 Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Saturday night to finish the regular season above .500.
Maybe the Bulldogs will be inspired by New Mexico, which won its first game of the season by beating Colorado State 29-27 on James Aho’s 27-yard field goal with 12 seconds to play. Or by Rice, which has won two consecutive games, over Tulane and UTEP.
With apologies to Steve Harvey and Michael Stipe, here’s this week’s Bottom 10:
ESPN.com’s Bottom 10
Rank Team Record Comment
1. Western Kentucky 0-10 “The Worst Joke Ever”: The Hilltoppers have two more chances to end their 18-game losing streak, the longest in the country: at Florida Atlantic on Saturday and home against Arkansas State on Dec. 3.
2. Eastern Michigan 0-11 “Shiny Happy People”: Akron has to be more than excited about hosting the winless Eagles in Friday’s Pillow Fight of the Week.
3. Miami (Ohio) 1-11 “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”: The RedHawks seemed to be lost in translation during new coach Michael Haywood’s first season.
4. Ball State 1-10 “Final Straw”: A year ago, the Cardinals were undefeated and preparing for the MAC championship game. They get one more chance at a second victory Tuesday night at Western Michigan.
5. Georgia 6-5 “Losing My Religion”: Georgia fans seem like lost souls after the Bulldogs collapsed in coach Mark Richt’s ninth season.
Boise Dawg
November 27th, 2009
6:48 pm
DH: Just curious.. why do you hope they lose? Are you a Tech fan worried about overall rankings? Would you rather see Iowa, Penn State or Oklahoma State in a BCS game? This years Boise State team is better than the team that won the Fiesta Bowl. That being said… the fan base is very nervous about this Nevada game tonight. Should be a WAC barn burner, the weather is nasty too. 34 and raining right now.
White & Gold Forever
November 27th, 2009
6:49 pm
And, for the record, who has beaten whom more in the last 20 years
Tech over “U”GA or “U”GA over Florida. That’s what i thought.
Bobbi Dud
November 27th, 2009
6:51 pm
Maybe we can sell some hot dogs that we tried to give away with tickets! Paul Johnson Stadium will be named after the win!
White & Gold Forever
November 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
What a worthless piece of dribble. Typical of Georgia and their fans.
“We don’t really care about this game anyway.”
MauiDAWG
November 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
To Falcon, the Tech triple option is only a glorified wish bone formation, I beg you to differentiate…so Bill King was correct in his initial response but also wrong in his latter response saying he didn’t reference the wish bone….
As far at the game goes…as I posted on MB’s column..This is a wildcard game at BEST. It really comes down to which Georgia team shows up….Georgia has the horses (talent, size, athleticism)..arguable as good as anyone in the county…. it just depends on how they execute…and limiting those recurring problems of turnovers, penalties, kickoffs etc. Georgia DOES have the ABILITY to blow out GT.
GT is definately playing physical, but hey, Georgia is arguably the most physical team, just depends on the intangibles of excution/discipline. GT has been on the positive side a several close games with weak teams. They are NOT a hard to beat team.
UGA has nothing to lose and this is a proving game for the players, coaches, etc. If I were betting this is definately a stay away game…. too unpredictable.
I like UGA playing spoiler. 42-17 UGA
Bill likes boys
November 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
and preseason and unfounded recruiting rankings define uga. i know it hurts to lose to a team with less worthy players. sad, but please get some counseling to help you deal. i am sure it helped you deal with your virginity
VaDawg .. Tech cut it last year
November 27th, 2009
6:52 pm
45-42 !!!
I know,, I know… lets talk about 1980 again… LOL… Losers !!!
mansup01
November 27th, 2009
6:54 pm
You UGA guys aren’t fooling anyone. It grinds on you to see Tech succeed at anything, and, Tech is foremost in your minds as a hated rival. All of the BS about Tech not being your most hated rival is just more of the facade meant to cover your feeling of inadequacy regarding the high school continuation education offered over in Athens. At Tech, we’ve had to circle the wagons. We are a small group that shares background and tradition…..unlike you guys where every toothless, sixth grade dropout is presented with a UGA cap and a 1980 Nation Champs bumper sticker. Yeah, we don’t like your fan base at all. The school’s OK, I guess. I even respect the athletic program. But, the fan base is the very worst.
dh
November 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
Boise Dawg: Yeah I’m a Tech fan. A realistic one in knowing they will not play for the NC. However, being ranked 6th is better than 7th, that is if Tech wins tomorrow night. I don’t know who I would rather see in a BCS game. I just want to make sure there are interesting matchups. I will say this, if Tech can win out and go to the Orange Bowl, they would probably play Cincy. There would so much scoring in that game the scoreboards may break.
Do you go to any of the Boise St games?
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
Del – How were the left overs?
Usually better the 2nd day.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
7:01 pm
Boise Dawg –
Raining? Does the snow get dumped all at once in Boise?
Anyway, I for one don’t care about that “if who beats whoever” stuff. I like to see good matchups in the bowls. The BCS doesn’t count for anything; it’s all mythical. Tech has never “won” a national championship, and neither has Georgia, Notre Dame or anybody else. A bunch of guys (or bunches of guys) award trophies based on how much they like some coach or team. Picking out two of their favorites and having them play doesn’t count, either. The best any team can do is win a conference championship and a bowl championship. Any bowl, not “The Bowl.”
That’s my 2 shillings’ worth.
Boise Dawg
November 27th, 2009
7:03 pm
dh: I have been to a few… usually try and go to 1 a year. I wanted to go to the Nevada game tonight, but with the weather, I am kind of glad I will be watching it at home.
Good luck Saturday. I don’t feel very optimistic, but despite what Bill thinks… beating Tech tomorrow would put a big smile on a hurtin fan base.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
7:03 pm
45ACP – Yes, “leftover heaven”, as we call it was great. I pigged out…two slices of pumpkin and one slice of pecan pie.
Boise Dawg
November 27th, 2009
7:07 pm
Delbert: It is snowing in the mountains, just north of town. Believe it or not we don’t get a ton of snow in Boise. The elevation is just under 3000ft. and it usually only snows a few inches at a time and melts quickly… however 16 miles north of town is a ski hill that tops out just over 7000ft. and it can snow over 10ft in one night.
Bill King's a fat wuss
November 27th, 2009
7:08 pm
POOOR WIDDLE BILLL. HIS PREDICTIONS OF TECH’S OFFENSE GETTING FIGURED OUT DIDN’T COME TWUE AND NOW HISS POOR WIDDLE DAWGGIES MITE GET WHUPPED.
NOW HE SAYS IT DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING TO UGA, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS DEDICATED NUMEROUS LINES IN HIS COLUMNS TO COMMENTING ABOUT GT THROUGH THE YEARS. GO SUCK YOUR THUMB, YOU BIG BABY!!
dh
November 27th, 2009
7:09 pm
Thanks for the chat Boise Dawg. I understand how you feel about a hurtin’ fanbase. I think that’s why Tech fans were so thrilled after last year’s game, because Chan the Un-man really put the program in a general depression, at least for me.
Stay warm & dry out there.
*Note to others: You can have a civilized conversation with an opposing fan like we just had.