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
10:23 pm
Cuz – How do you guys find these video gems on the internet? Im a Luddite, remember? I had to get my wife to email me the link of the Mr. Shy video that my daughter did.
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
10:24 pm
The HR girl where I use to work bought a Vespa Scooter when the gas prices were really high.
She was good at riding however she kept forgetting to put her feet down when she came to a stop.
True story. Very funny to see it. No, she didn’t get hurt.
Paul in RDU
November 27th, 2009
10:24 pm
Cuz – I liked the posts, especially Aretha and the Talking Heads.
Here’s the anthem for the Dawg fans tomorrow – and from some Athens boys no less
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmxyj6iInMc
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
10:25 pm
The field at Boise looks frozen. Boise Dawg did say it was raining while ago.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
10:30 pm
45ACP – Coming home one day from the base in Charleston, I was behind one of our officers on his Honda 350. As he pulled up to the guard shack, the guard saluted. Lt. Gay (real name) saluted back and fell right over on the side. Pancaked. Hilarious. Of course, I never told any of the other guys on the boat about it, though. That would not have been nice.
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
10:30 pm
Paul in RDU – I hope it is NOT the end of the world as we know it.
No serious injuries and not a blow out by either team.
A hard fought good, clean close game. No matter who wins.
Leave everything on the field and no excuses.
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
10:33 pm
Delbert – Too funny.
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
10:35 pm
I missed the end of the Pitt vs West Vir game.
I was blogging of course.
Who won?
MauiDAWG
November 27th, 2009
10:35 pm
Anybody keeping an eye on the boob tube…watch the boise st. game and see how those guys are playing. If we were to remove CMR (I believe he turns it around next year) we have to get this C Peterson coach at Boise. Could you imagine what this guy would do with the talent we have at UGA?
One more comment about this article Bill wrote. Think about the UGA-GT series from a UGA fan perspective. When is the last time ANY of these matchups had real significance other than “bragging rights”? Recruiting aside…which hasn’t mattered anyways in the last DECADE.
Not only is GT out of conference…usually by this time at the end of the season it only comes down to a W or L in the record. The game hardly ever effects UGA bowl status because at this point we’ve already determined the outcome of our season as a whole. UF game is hands down the biggest rivalry game for UGA because that game can really define how our season ends up and UGA usually has to win that game to go to the SEC champ. game. Just a thought.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
10:37 pm
Well, gents, I’m going to go upstairs shortly and put some time in with James Ellroy’s “Cold Six Thousand.” Let’s get all charged up and ready to go crazy tomorrow night!
May the best Tech, I mean, Team win!
Paul in RDU
November 27th, 2009
10:38 pm
45ACP – I hear you on the good clean game with no injuries.
Remember the key phrase to “The end of the world as we know it” is “I feel fine”. It is just a game.
My home town team was involved in 2 of the biggest sports disasters in history – at the second one 96 people died. People take sports way too seriously.
Cuz
November 27th, 2009
10:39 pm
Paul try this version by my homegirl Julia. It is awesome in its awesomness.
http://www.youtube.com/user/jaaaaaaa#p/u
check out the ukulele
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
10:40 pm
Cuz – I get it now…”youtube” is part of the address of the song. They have a web site! Wooo-hooo!
White & Gold Forever
November 27th, 2009
10:40 pm
Was this blog written by an 11 year old??? Please tell me the AJC does not pay this goof.
So it has come down to this: The entitled “powerhouse” is about to be 6-6 and lose the state championship for the second year in a row and all the puppy fans can do is make cracks about our conference and how many people are in our stadium. No words on what is taking place on the field? Oh, that’s right. It doesn’t matter so much, right Billy boy? Those are some sour grapes you got there!
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
10:42 pm
45ACP – WV won. I was watching and blogging, Pitt tied it with a minute or two, and then it was over. Next thing I saw was blue turf.
Tim Brown
November 27th, 2009
10:44 pm
Just wondering about National Championships. Who has the most in the state and which team has won it in the past 20 years or so?
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
10:47 pm
Parkview, Brookwood, or Lincoln County, I’d say have the most. Maybe Lowndes or Valdosta.
Delbert D.
November 27th, 2009
10:48 pm
I’m gone…..
Tech Fan
November 27th, 2009
10:48 pm
There is something to be said about having one main rival. Georgia considers the majority of teams on their schedule to be a rival in some capacity. How special can a rivalry game be when there is one every other week? Also, based on your logic concerning why the Tech game is not as important to UGA fans, shouldn’t the Florida rivalry fall under the same umbrella? Just some ideas to ponder.
Cuz
November 27th, 2009
10:49 pm
Baylie wanted this song on the Mark Richt Dance Party. I picked the Night at the Roxbury version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvJO6W7MFMI
Dodd's Best
November 27th, 2009
10:52 pm
“hand jive” defines bill king
Cuz
November 27th, 2009
11:02 pm
Tech fan, I said the same thing on another page about rivalries. UGA considers Florida a rivalry game, Florida does not because they beat their former rivals like a drum. Losing to a team makes it a rivalry. Beating a team every year would not make it a rivalry. Beat us on Saturday and two years in a row will make more UGA fans feel like it is a rivalry.
It was hard but I used rivals or rivalry in every sentence.
Jason
November 27th, 2009
11:02 pm
Does anyone else notice the irony here? A UGA blogger doing a post that is entirely about Tech, mentioning Georgia’s team only in passing (and that in saying the team is too flawed to have a realistic chance of beating Tech) — and his point is that Tech is overly fixated on UGA!
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
11:03 pm
Cuz – You’re killing me……My ears are bleeding…….
Cuz
November 27th, 2009
11:07 pm
Well Jason, maybe he just means Tech fans that come on UGA blogs to post.
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
11:08 pm
Perhaps the Dawgs need some mojo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MSzUXShEXE
RedneckU
November 27th, 2009
11:10 pm
Of course you fail to mention why Tech fans hate UGA so much. The trash talking (and of course…campus trashing) fans from Georgia – which includes most of the KKK types from this great state, tend to trash talk everyone not for their school. They make it like we are step children within our own state…indeed this very paper tends to include twice the articles for Georgia as for Tech. This year you will notice the UGA blogger on the main menu but have to search for the Tech blog.
Mistreatment does not breed love in return but there are plenty of UGA fans that supposedly pull for Tech whenever not playing UGA. This is because by and large the Tech fan base is educated (actually grads of the school) whereas according to the Athens stadium reports a couple of weeks ago, many UGA fans pee from the upper deck onto the fans below.
What class!
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
11:14 pm
I know for a fact that there are UGA fans that pull for the Jackets.
I also know for a fact that there are Jacket fans that pull for UGA.
Paul in RDU
November 27th, 2009
11:17 pm
Here’s another one for the Dawgs for tomorrow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skUJ-B6oVDQ
45ACP
November 27th, 2009
11:17 pm
Once you realize that there are ignorant fan bases on both sides it’s easy.
Most of us are from the Great State of Georgia first.
Cuz
November 27th, 2009
11:26 pm
There are even grads of UGA who do not know any better than to pull for Tech. Quite possibly, they had friends in high school who went to Tech when they went to UGA.
I met a fellow Westside grad on the field of Sanford Stadium in 1980. I told Mike Kelly, Tech quarterback, good game. I don’t hate Tech. I have far better things to worry about in my life other than hating an opponent of my Alma Mata. Last I checked, Tech had Georgia for a first name.
Paul in RDU
November 27th, 2009
11:27 pm
RedneckU – Don’t stereotype. Does UGA have some drunken fools as fans? – yes. Does GT? – yes.
UGA has more of them – they have more fans period.
Does GT have some “nerd types” – yes. So does UGA.
As far as the AJC is concerned – they are trying to stay in business. If more of their readers are UGA fans, it stands to reason that there will be more articles on UGA.
Michael
November 27th, 2009
11:29 pm
Boy the AJC editorials are amazing; when UGA is going to win, they talk about it incessantly. When UGA is most likely going to lose, suddenly it’s not as important a game as they make it out when they win. Some consistency would be amazing.
RAMBLE ON!!!
November 27th, 2009
11:30 pm
I wish ole Billy King would tell us that story about UGAs only retired jersey!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWf1MdHv80Q
Paul in RDU
November 27th, 2009
11:31 pm
BTW – Who would have thought that Mark Richt inspired Chris Martin?
Diggity Dawg
November 27th, 2009
11:41 pm
It’s simple, really, why losing to Tech got Donnan fired.
For Tech, beating Georgia is the top of the mountain (denying it doesn’t make it false.)
For Georgia, beating tech is the minimum standard. One the Dawgs likely won’t meet again this year.
Big L
November 27th, 2009
11:48 pm
UGA has more fans because they can go to the school. Tech thinks so much of itself that regular folks can’t go there. So screw all you high air breathers. UGA will always have more fans because the state has more regular folls than smartasses who look down on folks.
Starring Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife
November 27th, 2009
11:57 pm
RAMBLE: Blowhard Bill King won’t tell the story, but I will. Hey Bill, so UGA doesn’t value beating Tech? Well, please explain why UGA retired Theron Sapp’s jersey? I’ll tell you why moron. Sapp scored the only touchdown in a 7-0 UGA win over Tech in 1957. The win broke an EIGHT GAME LOSING STREAK TO TECH!!!!!!!! It wasn’t like Sapp won the Heisman or something like that. It would compare to Tech retiring Brad Chambers number for kicking the winning FG in Athens in 1998.
Bob Horner stayed hurt
November 27th, 2009
11:58 pm
Michael…you’re probably right….but so is Bill…
MauiDAWG
November 28th, 2009
1:45 am
Big L, when is the last time you looked up UGA’s academic admission standards for regular applicants? You have to be pretty much cream of the crop for either school. You obviously did not attend or graduate from either one any time recently.
UGA has much more tougher academic standards than it did before this decade. (credit M Adams on this one)…..UGA and GT are pretty close….despite UGA being a much larger school open for enrollment.
Not to mention UGA has produced 21 Rhodes scholars, 6 since 1996. GT only has 3 in it’s history. The whole argument of GT grads smarter than UGA grads dosn’t hold water anymore. At least since the glory days in the 90’s or earlier when UGA was ranked highest on party schools.
TechFanInTampa
November 28th, 2009
2:32 am
This season’s beatdown will be reminiscent of the 1916 Tech/Cumberland thrashing. Tech:222 UGA: 0
Tailback U
November 28th, 2009
2:35 am
Bill You can’t get more anti Tech than myself as a someone who has
lived in this state all his life. I would say that Tech’s obsession
is a big reason they have problems drawing fan interest from folks
who are not a part of the alumni base. A quick personal story as a
young man totally into college football I attended a few games of
both schools . I was sitting at a Tech game one year and the Georgia
score was annouced (UGA was losing at the time) and the crowd errupted
louder for that score than the cheers for their own team. I guess
you could say that was a revelation to me . I totally understand
hating your rival I mean I can’t even say Florida Gators without
adding the word stinking in front of it. But it’s all about the Dawgs
winning and not the Gators losing. I don’t respect that
mindset as a matter of fact. It is a loser’s mindset. When you
start off down that path you complain about the rival getting a couple more inches of space in a newspaper and make yourself look petty, and very few college football fans other than the alumni base want to
be associated with it. But Tech fans have never gotten that and I suppose they never will. A true and funny fact is many Tech fans
will brag that all the folks that support their program are only people
that actually went to school there. They miss the obvious point,
in that you are more relevant when folks who never attended the school want to associate themselves with it as a fan. It means your school has great prestige and fan appeal. Everyone wants to associate themselves with a winner. But for all their supposed smarts they didn’t get it then and I suppose they never will. Oh well who needs fans when you can offer attractive ticket bargains right?
Bookdawg
November 28th, 2009
4:37 am
I’m a Georgia fan and I pull for Tech in every game but one. As far as the rivalry is concerned, I think Florida and Auburn are above Tech. However, losing to Tech will cost a coach his job. The reason is that the powerful alumni that work and deal in the high-rises of Atlanta hate to hear crap from their Tech alumni colleagues. But I don’t know, Goff beat Tech his last five years in a row and was fired. That being said, I would like nothing better than for Texas, TCU, Boise, and Cincinatti to lose and Tech sneak into the title game and win it….if they beat us, of course. That’s what I am pulling for.
Dawg Trainer
November 28th, 2009
4:45 am
Bill, I want some of whatever you are smoking. This article reads like it was written by a grade school kid.
jdl2
November 28th, 2009
5:41 am
Typical article by some guy, who probably never played, probably didn’t graduate from either school, and is trying to downplay the fact that right now, Tech is just a better football program than Georgia. Ranked higher 2 years running (will continue for several more) and on the way up, not, like UGA, on the way down. Get over yourself. Georgia doesn’t define Tech, never did. Tech has our own heritage, that of a nationally prominent program for more than the last four decades thank you very much, and, as I recall, a more recent National Championship than Georgia. Go Jackets.
hop
November 28th, 2009
5:44 am
i know it makes the tech people very mad,but the facts are the facts.
to the dawg fans, the tech game is not a big rivalry,since tech decided to leave the SEC.
DAWGS have dominated the series since then and hold a commanding lead in the overall series 59-37.
georgia also leads the florida series even though this one has tighen the last few years.auburn is very closr overall with the tigers ahead by one and such it is with our other rivals,but not tech.
the problem with tech is, they do not have another rivalry game since the acc is a basketball conference.
i think it is high time the dawgs drop tech from the schedule since they both are in different conferences and georgia has so dominated the past thirty yers.
War Jacket
November 28th, 2009
6:44 am
And so what’s your point? What difference does it make that Tech loves to beat the snot out of Georgia more than the other way around? I if was a Dog fan, I would rate a win over Florida higher than one over Tech, with the way the Gators have dominated the Dogs for so long. But, face facts, when Tech beats Georgia for the third year in row next year, Richt will be gone, similar to what has happened in the past. Ask Donnan how losing to Tech defined his career at Georgia.
btgt69
November 28th, 2009
6:49 am
you need to go teach morals, character, integrity to the future inmates of Clarke County jail,,, will all of them be out on work release this week? Look to GT’s Total Person program on how to educate young men and women on civic, family, and financial responsibilty. uga is a great school, but the corrupt athletic department drags it down. THWg
Buzztrip
November 28th, 2009
7:01 am
Bill, Dude,
Don’t flatter yourself.
This game will become increasingly important to dog fans as loss streak to Tech grows – 2 years, 3 (Richt fired due to Donnan clause), 4, 5,…. Sure, UF is important now, I mean, y’all only beat them once every 20 years or so.
Yes, beating Georgia is very important to us Tech fans – we hate Ugag.
What’s the good word?
Bill likes to play with cox
November 28th, 2009
7:49 am
You represent the uga fan base very well Bill the virgin. Calling out players for poor performance because they didn’t get you that win and allow you to bark any your “friends” faces sunday morning. Then,downplaying a loss before it even occurs so that another sunday morning isn’t hurtful to your feelings.
I ask you to revisit this topic next week when we are in Tampa and you are awaiting news about Shreveport. Also, revisit this before the game next year when we will be getting ready for another ACC championship game and extending this streak to 3 games, while uga talking about who the next head coach will be.