An Article That Every GT FB Fan Should Read

[JacketRacket]

“GT now has HST and LMC as Academic Majors to go along with Business, most years roughly 80 of the Top 100 HS FB in Ga can get accepted to “

whats LMC?

Literature, Media, and Communication

 

[TooTall]

Yep. I have strongly felt we need to rebrand the lower levels of our GTAA program to call it something like GOLD (gift of loyalty donation) where you give say $50/year (or pick your number). We’ve got to make the regular Joe’s more relevant, significantly increase revenue, and lessen the dependency on the big checks. It’s been a few years, but the last time I looked, something like 1/3 as many Georgia Tech alumni give back to the athletic department as do other places like Clemson.

I contacted the GTAA head of fund raising for this matter when I found out that for $60 you get a tshirt and hat when you give to IPTAY and the Erk Russell Fund at GaSou. We give $150 and get a window decal.

I received a phone call and had a nice 30 min chat. It boils down to if you don't contact them and say what we fans want, they keep doing the same thing and will not change. He said that some people want the gear at low numbers but that some also want more of the money to go to the fund. Its a balancing act. So just email and call and say what we want as fans from the GTAA.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Look, you make some very good posts. But you’re going to start losing people if you keep denigrating former players and coaches and conflating the challenges of academics versus a STEM school.

You're dealing with the latest incarnation of well known troll. You're not going to talk sense into him.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

You're dealing with the latest incarnation of well known troll. You're not going to talk sense into him.

Oh, I didn't know that - thanks for the heads up.

 

[stech81]

I like CPJ but he did not do well with the media which is fine if you keep winning ( like Saban) but if they media turns against you they can and will hurt you)
I still like CGC great salesman but we need to start winning or you will see that the media will trun on him.
Point blank our problem other than money is the media they are so pro SEC and uga it makes it hard on us. If all read about about is the SEC where do you think the recruits will want to go play.

 

[TheJuiceIsLoose]

Look, you make some very good posts. But you’re going to start losing people if you keep denigrating former players and coaches and conflating the challenges of academics versus a STEM school.

The Mindset of a CHAMPION is that "we don't see obstacles" we see opportunities to overcome and opportunities to achieve greatness

BTW, I haven't mentioned any former players by name (as least I don't think I have), and I know for a fact that I haven't mentioned the Previous HC by name, that quit on us and left the cupboard bare

Use those Keystrokes to defend our current HC, a Guy that believes in us, and believes that GT FB is a sleeping giant that is poised to go on a run of great seasons, believe in that Guy instead of using keystrokes to defend "ghosts" that thought that the only way for GT FB to compete was to play a unique Offense and hope that we catch Teams off balance

The New Guy would say, "when you're trying to change the CULTURE, then there are going to be some tough times where People aren't able to grasp the VISION just yet, and they worry about losing People along the way"

Trust CGC's VISION for GT FB, trust the "process", all this stuff will be a lot easier to digest if you just have FAITH in our HC

 

[GoldZ]

Mr TakeThePoints:

At one point in time were a solid upper half of the SEC type of Program, maybe upper quarter of the SEC

GT now has HST and LMC as Academic Majors to go along with Business, most years roughly 80 of the Top 100 HS FB in Ga can get accepted to GT as a FB Recruit (different, lower standard)

Having a great FB Program on the field doesn't diminish Avademics in any way

All the recent Blue Chip QBs out of Ga were Academic Qualifiers for GT, Cam Newton, Watson, Lawrence, Fields, Fromm

Academics hasn't been a problem for GTFB in the last 25 or so years, the problem is GTFB being "attractive enough" for the Elite Recruits from GA HSs

They aren't rejecting GT due to Academics, they just aren't attracted to GT FB

Adam Pac-Man Jones sent his LOI to West Virginia instead of GT or else he would have been running around ATL during his eligibility, if we can give an LOI to Pac-Man we have a wide latitude of guys we can Recruit IMHO

I wish there could be some sort of "Gentlemen's Agreement" among all the major GT Msg Boards to never mention Academics ever again or at least replace the word with those umlat thingys

I think having an excuse handy & close by makes it difficult for our Fans to honestly assess GT FB and look for ways we can improve

Explain ND, crappy locale, ugly women compared to ATL, bad weather, yet they pump out Pros every year, BTW this isn't ND of the Mid 70s, they are no longer loading up on slow Players from Catholic HSs, they're getting Guys like Tuitt that could've gone to Bama or anywhere

I see no reason why we can't act like an SEC Program wirhout spending like one

Juice, in your experience, have football players typically been more academically accomplished than 80 out of every 100 non-football students in Ga high schools? Tech's incoming regular student freshmen have credentials near that of Duke, Emory, ND, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, etc. etc. etc. Once you discount their 1450 SATs, 3.8 GPAs, extra math and science credits, you may have for football players a standard of near 1100 SATs, 3.2 GPAs, and extra math and science credits (but less than regular students). Does this sound like 80 out of every 100 top players in high school to you? Keep in mind, this is to "get in" vs "get out" of a school that requires all programs, including the ones you listed, to be Bachelor of Science programs vs BA programs (research the difference).

Look, GT football has more issues than academics, but to dismiss academics from the list is ignorant and disingenuous. As for other issues, one far surpasses the others (and did so prior to Covid), hint: Follow the $. This is the one that can end one of the most storied programs in CFB history, and break our collective hearts. Acting like it doesn't exist, will simply hasten the heartbreak. Z

 

[ncjacket79]

And I will add one other thing. The city of Atlanta is not a plus. All those SEC schools are away from the issues of the city. Parents want their kids to stay out of trouble. And this is only going to get worse.

May not be a plus for you but that’s not true for everyone. And the same issues exist at every medium size city in the country. If ATL is so terrible why don’t we have trouble recruiting typical students? I swear if I listened to some of you guys I would think we should just give up with all the insurmountable issues we face.

 

[Deleted member 2897]

The Mindset of a CHAMPION is that "we don't see obstacles" we see opportunities to overcome and opportunities to achieve greatness

BTW, I haven't mentioned any former players by name (as least I don't think I have), and I know for a fact that I haven't mentioned the Previous HC by name, that quit on us and left the cupboard bare

Use those Keystrokes to defend our current HC, a Guy that believes in us, and believes that GT FB is a sleeping giant that is poised to go on a run of great seasons, believe in that Guy instead of using keystrokes to defend "ghosts" that thought that the only way for GT FB to compete was to play a unique Offense and hope that we catch Teams off balance

The New Guy would say, "when you're trying to change the CULTURE, then there are going to be some tough times where People aren't able to grasp the VISION just yet, and they worry about losing People along the way"

Trust CGC's VISION for GT FB, trust the "process", all this stuff will be a lot easier to digest if you just have FAITH in our HC

"I haven't mentioned any former players or coaches by name."

This is a hilariously worthless argument. When you say "the previous head coach", that is a world of possible people of 1. Enjoy the ignore trash bin heap pile.

 

[Oakland]

Talking about finances / funding, every now and then I check Ramblinwreck.com and look at the fund raising for the Intercollegiate Athletics Fundraising Initiatives (AI2020). The goal is to raise $125 M by December 2020. According to the website $19.87 M has been raised and that number hasn't been updated in a while. We're getting close to December, does anyone know if we met the goal or if we're getting close?

​

 

[TheJuiceIsLoose]

Juice, in your experience, have football players typically been more academically accomplished than 80 out of every 100 non-football students in Ga high schools? Tech's incoming regular student freshmen have credentials near that of Duke, Emory, ND, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, etc. etc. etc. Once you discount their 1450 SATs, 3.8 GPAs, extra math and science credits, you may have for football players a standard of near 1100 SATs, 3.2 GPAs, and extra math and science credits (but less than regular students). Does this sound like 80 out of every 100 top players in high school to you? Keep in mind, this is to "get in" vs "get out" of a school that requires all programs, including the ones you listed, to be Bachelor of Science programs vs BA programs (research the difference).

Look, GT football has more issues than academics, but to dismiss academics from the list is ignorant and disingenuous. As for other issues, one far surpasses the others (and did so prior to Covid), hint: Follow the $. This is the one that can end one of the most storied programs in CFB history, and break our collective hearts. Acting like it doesn't exist, will simply hasten the heartbreak. Z

Every Major Recruiting expert (as well as former GT Players) have opined that 70 to 80 of the Top100 HS FB Players in GA can get into GT as a Recruited Player

Bring your mindset to the year 2020, it isn't 1980 anymore, GA HSs aren't putting out as many Pulpwood Smiths anymore - the Metro Area is now 7 million people, no longer are most of the State's Top100 Players in South Ga in Rural Underfunded School Systems, also - GA has had Lottery Funded Head Start
& Pre-K programs for about 20 yrs (?) - no longer is Ga dead last in the Deep South in K-12 education battling with Miss, S. Carolina, Arky, and Louisiana

Ga K-12 Education went from dead last in Teacher Pay to Tops in the Deep South and on par with some Mid-Atlantic States

There's a reason that NW, Stanford, ND, Michigan, Penn State, Virgina, BC and many other Colleges make GA HS FB a priority during Recruiting Season

More & more FB Athletes now focus on only 1 Sport and once they get on the "Camp Circuit" they are constantly bombarded with reminders about SAT Prep and constant reminders to use their Academics to give themselves as many Offers as possible

In a "bad year" at least 65 of the Top100 HS FB Players in Ga could get admitted to GT as FB Recruits

I'm not asking to you to have blind faith in what I'm saying, start to pay attention to the Numbers of Recruits that are Top50 in their State throughout the Deep South, that CGC makes offers to

As far as the money goes, if you have nearby Talent, you can literally go on a 20 to 25 yr Run like FSU & Miami did, ask any Coach, nearby Talent is the most desirable variable among all the factors that help determine a Program's success

Gotta have faith!

Imagine waking up a 4:30am on a Sunday Morning, instead of seeing Joel Osteen Preaching the Gospel, imagine that you see our own CGC giving a Sermon about where GT FB is headed, that's the kind of faith that I'm talking about

 

[Vespidae]

Good article. It reminds me a lot of Tennessee and how their downfall started with pushing Fulmer out the door and the circus that last for ten years .

Does it apply to Tech? Hard to say. Tech hasn't a total sports program for 30 years along with a miss-mash of AD's. Moreover, Tech has a series (not just one) dysfunctions where a) students are disconnected from athletics, b) the Hill is disconnected from athletics and c) the alumni are spread out and ... Tech doesn't believe it has to use athletics as a means to unify the "family".

Tech created its' first strategic plan for sports just four years ago .... Our financial fundraising programs are all over the map, don't work well with each other, and barely operate in the state with the depth they need to penetrate the power elite.

Tech has stood by and watched as other schools in the state launched engineering programs and football operations. GSU? A laughing stock yet ... they have 53,000 students enrolled every year and we should think about the size of that alumni base in 10 years.

So this is not just a recruiting issue or a locker room issue. Tech and the GTAA have to make major structural changes to be competitive in 2020+. And yet ... these same structural changes have existed for 40 years. Will they change? Not in my lifetime.

My personal opinion is that as long as Tech goes 7-5 or 8-4 and keep the alumni happy, the Hill could care less. Peterson once quipped that his ONLY obligation to athletics was to hire the AD. And that's it. And I think that view is the prevailing view across the Institute.

Culturally, Tech leadership does not see itself as a major sports competitor. It's a necessary evil and we are closer to emulating Vanderbilt than UGA.

Is it possible to have a competitive athletics program? Yes. Absolutely. Is it likely? Whole n'other question.

 

[4shotB]

My personal opinion is that as long as Tech goes 7-5 or 8-4 and keep the alumni happy, the Hill could care less. Peterson once quipped that his ONLY obligation to athletics was to hire the AD. And that's it. And I think that view is the prevailing view across the Institute.

Culturally, Tech leadership does not see itself as a major sports competitor. It's a necessary evil and we are closer to emulating Vanderbilt than UGA.

I think this laissez faire attitude from the top down is why we aren't attractive to most sidewalk fans. GT has always created the impression of dabbling in athletics. When we succeed, it's on the backs of a select few individuals (Rice, Cremins, and Ross to name a few). This pathway to success is akin to hoping to draft a Michael Jordan or Larry Bird so your BB franchise can win games. It happens but it is not a process that is repeatable. But the average Joe on the street can tell we have never been serious about athletics. It's hard to invest, financially or emotionally, when the other party isn't all that interested.

 

[WreckinGT]

The Mindset of a CHAMPION is that "we don't see obstacles" we see opportunities to overcome and opportunities to achieve greatness

Sure wish we had that mindset when trying to win games with the current talent we have.

 

[takethepoints]

I think this laissez faire attitude from the top down is why we aren't attractive to most sidewalk fans. GT has always created the impression of dabbling in athletics. When we succeed, it's on the backs of a select few individuals (Rice, Cremins, and Ross to name a few). This pathway to success is akin to hoping to draft a Michael Jordan or Larry Bird so your BB franchise can win games. It happens but it is not a process that is repeatable. But the average Joe on the street can tell we have never been serious about athletics. It's hard to invest, financially or emotionally, when the other party isn't all that interested.

In a way, I agree. I remember the stretch from 2008 - 2011. There was plenty of "buzz" around the program and you could see it in the tailgates. It wasn't just Tech alums either. My son and his family are all Tech fans and so are my wife and I. None of us ever darkened a doorway at the place.

The problem is alluded to above. We were winning and we weren't changing. One thing about being a consistent winner is that people don't think you have to do much to stay that way. This is what happened at FSU and at Tech. Other ACC schools started spending a lot more on football and Tech didn't. And that hurt; it hurt recruiting especially, but it hurt facilities, coaching salaries, ect. as well. If Tech had started accelerating spending at the same time Duke did, for instance, we would be much further along. Part of that is due to the general lack of interest in major college sports among the students, faculty, and administration, but that's problem elsewhere (Stanford and, yes, Duke, for instance) and hasn't proven impossible to overcome. However, a combo of low spending levels, low institutional interest, and a technical curriculum have always presented challenges at Tech. They can be surmounted, but it will take sustained commitment and major money to pull off. We'll see if that emerges more fully.

 

[cthenrys]

Every Major Recruiting expert (as well as former GT Players) have opined that 70 to 80 of the Top100 HS FB Players in GA can get into GT as a Recruited Player

Bring your mindset to the year 2020, it isn't 1980 anymore, GA HSs aren't putting out as many Pulpwood Smiths anymore - the Metro Area is now 7 million people, no longer are most of the State's Top100 Players in South Ga in Rural Underfunded School Systems, also - GA has had Lottery Funded Head Start
& Pre-K programs for about 20 yrs (?) - no longer is Ga dead last in the Deep South in K-12 education battling with Miss, S. Carolina, Arky, and Louisiana

Ga K-12 Education went from dead last in Teacher Pay to Tops in the Deep South and on par with some Mid-Atlantic States

There's a reason that NW, Stanford, ND, Michigan, Penn State, Virgina, BC and many other Colleges make GA HS FB a priority during Recruiting Season

More & more FB Athletes now focus on only 1 Sport and once they get on the "Camp Circuit" they are constantly bombarded with reminders about SAT Prep and constant reminders to use their Academics to give themselves as many Offers as possible

In a "bad year" at least 65 of the Top100 HS FB Players in Ga could get admitted to GT as FB Recruits

I'm not asking to you to have blind faith in what I'm saying, start to pay attention to the Numbers of Recruits that are Top50 in their State throughout the Deep South, that CGC makes offers to

As far as the money goes, if you have nearby Talent, you can literally go on a 20 to 25 yr Run like FSU & Miami did, ask any Coach, nearby Talent is the most desirable variable among all the factors that help determine a Program's success

Gotta have faith!

Imagine waking up a 4:30am on a Sunday Morning, instead of seeing Joel Osteen Preaching the Gospel, imagine that you see our own CGC giving a Sermon about where GT FB is headed, that's the kind of faith that I'm talking about

My reaction would be the same. I’d turn around and walk out. You’re either the carnie or the rube

 

[GoldZ]

Every Major Recruiting expert (as well as former GT Players) have opined that 70 to 80 of the Top100 HS FB Players in GA can get into GT as a Recruited Player

Bring your mindset to the year 2020, it isn't 1980 anymore, GA HSs aren't putting out as many Pulpwood Smiths anymore - the Metro Area is now 7 million people, no longer are most of the State's Top100 Players in South Ga in Rural Underfunded School Systems, also - GA has had Lottery Funded Head Start
& Pre-K programs for about 20 yrs (?) - no longer is Ga dead last in the Deep South in K-12 education battling with Miss, S. Carolina, Arky, and Louisiana

Ga K-12 Education went from dead last in Teacher Pay to Tops in the Deep South and on par with some Mid-Atlantic States

There's a reason that NW, Stanford, ND, Michigan, Penn State, Virgina, BC and many other Colleges make GA HS FB a priority during Recruiting Season

More & more FB Athletes now focus on only 1 Sport and once they get on the "Camp Circuit" they are constantly bombarded with reminders about SAT Prep and constant reminders to use their Academics to give themselves as many Offers as possible

In a "bad year" at least 65 of the Top100 HS FB Players in Ga could get admitted to GT as FB Recruits

I'm not asking to you to have blind faith in what I'm saying, start to pay attention to the Numbers of Recruits that are Top50 in their State throughout the Deep South, that CGC makes offers to

As far as the money goes, if you have nearby Talent, you can literally go on a 20 to 25 yr Run like FSU & Miami did, ask any Coach, nearby Talent is the most desirable variable among all the factors that help determine a Program's success

Gotta have faith!

Imagine waking up a 4:30am on a Sunday Morning, instead of seeing Joel Osteen Preaching the Gospel, imagine that you see our own CGC giving a Sermon about where GT FB is headed, that's the kind of faith that I'm talking about

Bobby Ross sermons >>> Joel Osteen in this context. Btw, Malcom Mitchell says Hi there Juice! He can't read it to you, but he can say it. The recruiting world is uglier than you imagine it to be. ND and PSU and others outside of the South aren't here for scholars, they are here for speed.
I will however, take you up on your offer to not have blind faith. Faith is earned, kinda like the good deeds that Jesus' brother James preached about.

 

[4shotB]

My son and his family are all Tech fans and so are my wife and I. None of us ever darkened a doorway at the place.

They can be surmounted, but it will take sustained commitment and major money to pull off. We'll see if that emerges more fully.

Thank you and your son. It's not easy being a Tech fan, most especially without any "official" affiliation.

I continue to have hope and confidence that TStan and to a lesser degree CGC understand the challenges here and are willing to attack them. Seems like some of our previous AD's wanted to play in their confined sandboxes and color inside the lines without challenging the status quo.

 

[alagold]

Those two guys are extremely important for the future of GT football. If they can get some help around them(c’mon CBK!), they have a chance to elevate the culture of GT football. This is their first year so there’s going to be bumps in the road but I forecast special things by year 3.

Unfortunately, we also lost Gowdy who I also saw as a guy that just seemed to have that “it” factor. He would’ve been starting and a definite playmaker IMO.

The one issue concerning me about the next couple years that HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.

DT-we aren’t pulling in the recruits....so we will need to be looking to the transfer portal. If we can get some of those guys I have confidence it CGC to field a decent defense.

yep on the DTs--if we don't get them and some real INSIDE LBs, we wil struggle on DEF going forward.It being a weakness and not a strength.- and not to mention STs which not a strength either.

 

[684Bee]

Yep. I have strongly felt we need to rebrand the lower levels of our GTAA program to call it something like GOLD (gift of loyalty donation) where you give say $50/year (or pick your number). We’ve got to make the regular Joe’s more relevant, significantly increase revenue, and lessen the dependency on the big checks. It’s been a few years, but the last time I looked, something like 1/3 as many Georgia Tech alumni give back to the athletic department as do other places like Clemson.

There are not nearly enough people contributing. The ones that do, give generously. Per capital giving is actually toward the top of the ACC. Sheer numbers of donors is down at the bottom. That’s the issue.

The GTAA does share in the blame. They’ve been lazy and just called on the same people over and over.

You’re right. We need to widen the base. That’s why a friend and I started GTFAM (Giving Tech Fifty a Month). It’s like the Clemson IPTAY model. We created a site that allows for easy online payment. C19 crushed the momentum we had, but this is exactly the model that the GTAA needs

Yes, having a big money booster, like a T. Boone Pickens or Phil Knight, who can stroke a check with a lot of 0’s, would be great, but we need to build out a more solid foundation with bigger numbers of people consistently giving. That creates a predictable number that the GTAA can rely on and make strategic plans with.

If any of you are interested in helping, shoot me a message.