Walmart shoppers! Here’s the scoop on Tech and UGA fans!
Sometimes Tech folks feel overshadowed. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
In years past our annual look at Georgia fans vis-a-vis Georgia Tech has been offered in the spirit of good clean fun. This year, for the sake of novelty (and also because even I’ve wearied of Willie Martinez), the idea will be to help these two neighboring-but-different groups actually understand one another.
And then we’ll all join hands and raise our voices in a spirited rendition of “I’d Like To Teach the World to Sing” and toast one another with Coca-Cola products, and by the way: Did you know Georgia fans refer to Bobby Dodd Stadium as “The Joke By Coke”?
But enough! No more gags from me this year! Instead I offer the observations gained from dwelling among Tech and Georgia folks these past 27 years, eight months and 18 days.
• Tech fans care just as much about football as Georgia fans. This may come as a surprise to those Bulldogs backers who are forever mocking the attendance at Bobby Dodd Stadium. (For the Jackets’ mammoth Thursday night clash against No. 10 Virginia Tech, attendance was announced at 50,140 in a facility that seats 55,000.) But counting heads isn’t necessarily a measure of passion.
Tech’s enrollment is roughly 20,000 — Georgia’s is 35,000, by the way — and a goodly percentage of those students will take their degrees and move elsewhere. (This isn’t to say that no Georgia grad ever moves out of state. Even Lewis Grizzard moved to Chicago for a few months.) But studies have shown that there are more Auburn grads living in metro Atlanta than Tech alums.
Numbers-wise, Georgia is always going to win. That doesn’t mean Tech folks don’t care. They do. Just ask any alum what he/she thinks of a Tech uniform that doesn’t feature the color gold. Or get one going on Bill Lewis’ 2 1/2-year reign of error.
• Just as Tech fans hate being hit over the head with attendance figures, Georgia fans hate hearing about Jan Kemp. When John Davis was a Tech lineman back in the ’80s, he told me this joke: “How do you get a degree from Georgia? Drive by campus and roll down the window.” And there was a time, let’s stipulate, when UGA wasn’t exactly a school of renown, and the Jan Kemp trial only underscored the notion.
But that was then, and under presidents Charles Knapp and Michael Adams the University of Georgia has become a place of pride and achievement. No, calculus isn’t a requirement for every UGA undergrad, but the academic missions of the schools are rather different. Georgia is a broad-based state university; Tech is, duh, a technical institute. Not everyone wants to be an engineer. Just because your diploma is from UGA doesn’t make you a comparative moron.
Not that Tech folks are eager to concede the point. On his Tuesday night radio show, Tech coach Paul Johnson took a call from someone who began barking. Said Johnson: “He just got off from Walmart.” (FYI, the CEO of Walmart is Tech grad Michael Duke.)
• When Tech fans speak of football tradition, they think first of Bobby Dodd. He was everything a Tech fan wanted in a coach. He was smart and his teams played precise football and he won a lot of games and he, not incidentally, beat Georgia eight times running. But that was in the ’50s, and those were different times: College football wasn’t yet a billion-dollar industry driven by TV and recruiting wasn’t a cutthroat nationwide competition.
Reasonable Tech fans — and Tech fans, by and large, tend to be reasonable — cannot envision their team ever again beating Georgia eight times in a row. (Since 1977, Tech has beaten Georgia eight times total.) In their heart of hearts, Tech fans would be satisfied with winning one of every three against their bitter rival. Not coincidentally, Johnson is 1-2 against Georgia.
• When Georgia fans speak of tradition, they think first of Herschel Walker. Yes, the Bulldogs were winning SEC and even national championships and turning out famous players (Sinkwich, Trippi, Tarkenton) long before landing the kid from Wrightsville on Easter 1980, but the Era of Herschel propelled Georgia from the ranks of perennial Southern power to something bigger. By every measure, those were the three greatest years in Bulldogs history.
That said, those three seasons skewed some Georgia fans’ view of their program. Two decades would pass before Georgia won another SEC title. Mark Richt has taken two conference titles and three division championships and his teams have finished in the top 10 five times, but Georgia hasn’t played for a national crown since 1982, and five different SEC schools have finished No. 1 over the past 13 years. UGA fans are still waiting their turn, same as they await the Next Herschel.
• Georgia is Tech’s biggest game of every year. Chan Gailey got fired not because he had losing seasons — he didn’t, not a one — but because he was 0-6 against the Bulldogs. And it’s undeniable that the words “To Hell with Georgia” are sung the loudest whenever “Ramblin’ Wreck” is played.
• Tech is Georgia’s biggest game only when Georgia fans are scared they might lose. This isn’t such a year. Georgia has won its division and is going to play LSU or Alabama for the SEC title next week. Georgia has, to borrow another Johnson line, bigger fish to fry. Which is the primary reason Georgia fans should be wary of Johnson and his team.
By Mark Bradley
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521 comments Add your comment
headley lamar
November 23rd, 2011
1:34 pm
but Georgia hasn’t played for a national crown since 1982,
We could have in 2007 but we were told that if you don’t win your conference you cant play for the title.
Funny how that’s conveniently changed isn’t it.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
1:36 pm
I am definitely capable, Kelly. There just wasn’t any present.
Still crying about 2007, headley?
that's why they play the games
November 23rd, 2011
1:36 pm
Georgia has won it’s division and is going to play LSU or Alabama for the SEC title next week.
~~~~~~~~~ This is not carved in stone.
In 2009, 11-0 Alabama barely escaped 7-4 Auburn 26-21 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
If Auburn upsets Alabama and Arkansas upsets LSU,
Georgia will play Arkansas for the SEC title.
Chuck
November 23rd, 2011
1:37 pm
“GTBob
dawgfan, are you admitting that losing a football game can actually affect your soul? This is what is sad about UGA and SEC fans. Their life really is impacted significantly by the athletic performance of 18 year olds.”
… said the man that posts insults of fans of another team on a bulletin board.
Burdell
November 23rd, 2011
1:37 pm
LawDawg–
“Duke, which doesn’t even have a football program. They just hand out jerseys to the first 100 fans who show up.”
That can’t be true b/c I’m not even sure enough fans showed up last weekend to field a team! You could hear the Tech fans TALKING in the stands…not even yelling.
Jimmy Crack
November 23rd, 2011
1:38 pm
Game plan against Tech…Eliminate the fullback dive. That’s it. Thanks for coming. Drive safely.
DIT
November 23rd, 2011
1:38 pm
Anyway you slice it, it will be a great weekend in College Football. This is the best regular season weekend for CF each year.
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
1:41 pm
Neither am I. It was pretty poor to start with.
You’ll have to go back and spell out your complex reasoning to my simple mind. When you break down what you’re saying with examples from my post, then I might concede that my reasoning was flawed. After all…I didn’t go to number 25. Go back to my post and prove that what you’re saying is true.
I’ll break it down for you again. GT fan introduces academics as a relevant factor. I disagree and point out that GT’s academics aren’t as great as they’re cracked up to be. I then move to saying that this a rivalry based on a football game anyway, not a battle of mathletes. Pretty easy to understand GS. You probably need to take a step back and try not to complicate things so much. Convolution as red herring doesn’t work well on me.
BobDawg
November 23rd, 2011
1:41 pm
GTBOB, you said earlier you have already turned your focus to BBall??? Then why in the name of Bobby Dodd are you on every football blog spewing your nonsense??? Yeah, you are focused on BBall until you Nerds luck up and win a game against us, then it will be a full Monty on, right???
Burdell
November 23rd, 2011
1:42 pm
Funny how that’s conveniently changed isn’t it.
Headley…just proves that nationally UGA isn’t as relevant in MNC picture as most fans think.
WDE
November 23rd, 2011
1:43 pm
Folks we are never going to agree (I hope) on our schools and their respective merits…however anyone like GT Bob who lives on every GT or UGA blog I’ve looked at in the last 3 months declares that Tech fans are not really obsessed with football like UGA fans are…needs to look deeply into the mirror admit the problem and get help!! Denial is not a river in northern Africa.
BobDawg
November 23rd, 2011
1:44 pm
… and John Davis is a LOSER, big time… Never graduated from the North Ave. Trade School and has more losing businesses in Ellijay, than Carters has pills!
WnE = bulldog
November 23rd, 2011
1:44 pm
From today’s New York Times: “Many would question whether the (English bulldog) breed’s quality of life is so compromised that its breeding should be banned.” Expand that to segments of their fan base and it says it all I think!
Georgia Grad
November 23rd, 2011
1:45 pm
Georgia fans are the most fickle in the SEC. I still remember students and fans pelting the football team with ice and other junk after Georgia lost to Vanderbilt at home in the early 1990’s. I have not seen that kind of behavior anywhere in over 50 years of SEC football. Richt is good. Fire Richt. Richt is good again, extend his contract.
Ron Swanson
November 23rd, 2011
1:45 pm
The only time Tech is nationally noticed is when the UGA game is on national television.
PerroGrande
November 23rd, 2011
1:46 pm
Here are Richt’s comments on Tech and CPJ:
>>We have Georgia Tech coming up. Coach (Paul) Johnson and his staff have done a fantastic job during the time he’s been there. They are really an outstanding football team and one that we really have a lot of respect for and one that we know we have our work cut out for us. Anybody who has ever played Coach Johnson’s offense, they know it’s an awful lot of work to get done in a short amount of time. We’re thankful that we don’t have school this week. It helps us to get in a few more walkthroughs and a few more meetings.
GTBob
November 23rd, 2011
1:47 pm
BobDawg, I said I have shifted most of my attention to basketball. It happens naturally for us when the football season ends. I have a little bit left for this weekend’s game though. Don’t worry. I do wonder how unhappy life must be for a UGA fan when the football season is over though.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
1:48 pm
If you don’t think academics are relevant, why not just say that and move on.
When you begin to argue academics, they become relevant. Essentially, all you’re saying is “he started it.” Perhaps I shouldn’t be disappointed in your reasoning. But I am.
Tech82
November 23rd, 2011
1:48 pm
I love that so many UGA fans proclaim no interest in Tech while claiming we are eternally consumed with the goings-on in Athens. If that were truly the case, we wouldn’t have to deal with the constant barrage of UGA trolls on the Tech blogs.
GO JACKETS! THWG!
PerroGrande
November 23rd, 2011
1:49 pm
The server appears to be dumping my message. Apologies if it repeats. Here are Richt’s comments on Tech and CPJ:
>>We have Georgia Tech coming up. Coach (Paul) Johnson and his staff have done a fantastic job during the time he’s been there. They are really an outstanding football team and one that we really have a lot of respect for and one that we know we have our work cut out for us. Anybody who has ever played Coach Johnson’s offense, they know it’s an awful lot of work to get done in a short amount of time. We’re thankful that we don’t have school this week. It helps us to get in a few more walkthroughs and a few more meetings….
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
1:49 pm
Expand that to segments of their fan base and it says it all I think!
Sure. If you don’t know the difference between canines and humans. Of course, by that logic it’s easy to see why so many Tech fans drone on in lockflight about academic superiority, tired references to Wal Mart and limp redneck bits ironically lifted from their own alumnus.
GTBob
November 23rd, 2011
1:49 pm
I’ve had about 4 comments filtered now that had nothing offensive in them. Mark, is there a reason that your blog is so terrible with this compared to the other blogs?
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
1:50 pm
If you don’t think academics are relevant, why not just say that and move on.
Because it doesn’t nullify my argument to refute yours.
Tech82
November 23rd, 2011
1:50 pm
GTBob – Agreed. I’m having the same problem.
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
1:50 pm
GTBob: Is there a keyword you think is causing that?
Tech82
November 23rd, 2011
1:52 pm
Kelly – You could raise the level if the conversation on this blog simply by leaving.
Tech82
November 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
I love that so many UGA fans proclaim no interest in Tech while claiming we are eternally consumed with the goings-on in Athens. If that were truly the case, we wouldn’t have to deal with the constant barrage of UGA trolls on the Tech blogs.
PerroGrande
November 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
Here is what will likely happen: every time we tackle a Tech player Saturday, they will tell them, “Welcome to Walmart!”
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
1:54 pm
Tech82. I imagine you’d like that, wouldn’t you? You might want to turn right side up, by the way, so that you correctly understand “raise” relative to the conversation on this blog.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
1:54 pm
Sure it does. If something is irrelevant, you say so and move on. Arguing the point confirms its relevancy. Wee, that or your own insecurity.
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
1:55 pm
Whatsa matter Tech82? Frustrated by a UGA fan not falling for your smoke and mirrors academic superiority inferiority complex?
Ron Swanson
November 23rd, 2011
1:56 pm
The filter removes nonsensical, false bloviations rooted in emotion and devoid of fact, which pretty much sums up all of GT Bob’s postings.
Atlanta87
November 23rd, 2011
1:56 pm
@ PerroGrande Who were you referring to when you said we and they. Are you talking about two different people?
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
1:56 pm
Long as the tackle is five yards downfield, the UGA players can knock themselves out, Perro.
GTBob
November 23rd, 2011
1:57 pm
Ron Swanson, that was actually kinda funny. I’m gonna leave you alone for a day. You have earned it.
DawgInaTruck
November 23rd, 2011
1:58 pm
C’mon Bob get it solved. Your stuff makes me smile. Now, if you’re calling me ten kinds of dumb a$$, that will get filtered and I ain’t smiling!
WnE
November 23rd, 2011
1:58 pm
re:
john
November 23rd, 2011
1:19 pm
___________________
All Coach Kung Fu Panda had to do when that caller started barking was respond that when we/GT start winning this series more often than not, then guys like that will either disappear or find some other college to root for, but you won’t hear them barking again.
Instead CPJ makes a non PC comment that does nothing but HURT GT.
At some point GT Fans will have to realize that the PE Major from W. Carolina needs to be more Media savvy and needs to REPRESENT the Institute better.
CMR has gotten much more heat than CPJ ever has, and yet he has never embarrassed uga in the Media, while CPJ has done it multiple times in a very short tenure.
The “Walmart comment”, what happens when it is time for CPJ to Recruit an elite FB Player that has a PARENT that works at a Wal-mart or in a similar blue-collar job, then how will Coach-punch-em-in-the-mouth explain his smart-ice commentary then?
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
1:58 pm
Sure it does. If something is irrelevant, you say so and move on. Arguing the point confirms its relevancy. Wee, that or your own insecurity.
Or you illustrate why it’s relevant, confirm it’s invalidity…then move on, only to laugh when those who regularly employ smoke and mirrors and shiny object magic tricks GS get frustrated by their inadequate reasoning. By the way, you didn’t cut and paste what it was that was exactly wrong with my reasoning. Which brings me to my next point. It wasn’t a problem with my reasoning. It’s the problem you have with my style, because telling me how I should discuss the topic of irrelevance isn’t a logic problem, but a stylistic sticking point for you. Do you see the difference?
Ron Swanson
November 23rd, 2011
2:00 pm
Thanks GTBob. I do enjoy the back and forth.
DILLIGAF
November 23rd, 2011
2:00 pm
Why don’t George Stein and Kelly go take a timeout. waaa…waaa…waaa… pseudointellectual children.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
2:01 pm
You didn’t confirm anything was invalid.
Irrelevance is absolutely a logic problem. For example, I think Tech will win because our academics are better. Make sense?
coachx
November 23rd, 2011
2:02 pm
UGA is 25-8 vs. GT over the last 33 years.
Mark Richt is 9-1 vs. GT
Paul Johnson is 2-1 vs. UGA
CRYSTAL BALL SAYS:
This year will be UGA 34 / GT 14
CPJ will refuse to kick field goals and will turn the ball over on downs 2 times in the red zone.
DawgInaTruck
November 23rd, 2011
2:02 pm
Heck, they lost me a long time ago.
PerroGrande
November 23rd, 2011
2:04 pm
Sorry87, Walmart taught me better pronoun references than that, but sometimes I slip back into the my trailer park retard lingo when I’m typing fast. >>When the GA players tackle the GT players, the GA players will say, “Welcome to Walmart.”
crackbaby
November 23rd, 2011
2:05 pm
@WnE
You are certainly allowed to have your anti CPJ opinions but your assessments are always wrong. Nothing about that comment hurt GT.
The fact that he declared the caller a retard is an insult to retards. But we get it.
CPJ’s plainly speaks his mind and it is REFRESHING. No coachspeak. He says what he thinks. You don’t like it? Then don’t listen. Listening to CMR talk to the media is a waste of time – he is rarely sincere and won’t say what he thinks.
Both men are very good coaches.
It’s time for some football.
bill arp
November 23rd, 2011
2:05 pm
Paul Johnson very well may be Ole Miss’ coach next year…wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
PerroGrande
November 23rd, 2011
2:05 pm
into my…can’t get it right!
coachx
November 23rd, 2011
2:05 pm
GTBob, its nice to see you have a since of humor.
We are all looking forward to a great classic game Saturday !
Kelly
November 23rd, 2011
2:06 pm
George, you still haven’t shown where my reasoning was bad. Very simple: academics don’t have anything to do with the football game at hand. GT fans resorting to perceived academic superiority is irrelevant to the game. And because the rivalry is based on a football game, academics are irrelevant. I don’t know how to make that any simpler for you and, frankly, DILLIGAF has a point. I’m not spelling it out for you anymore. I’m confident in my ability to reason.
JB
November 23rd, 2011
2:07 pm
I’ve heard Reggie Ball interviewed….And keeping that guy eligible at the almighty Tech for 4 years was not Legal.