Improvements to BDS and game attendance and atmosphere...

gtg970g

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
327
As soon as it became clear that everyone agrees that the only way to fill the stadium is remain unbeaten.....Trips to Iceland talk became more compelling.

I mean if 1990 were to repeat...how many games into the season would we have to get to reach a full capacity game at BDS? And would it have to be a night game. Lol....wow.
If we were undefeated going into the uga game there would be marginally more gold than normal. I’ve said it many times but it’s worth repeating, in 2014 we were 8-2 going up against Clemson on senior day and couldn’t draw 50k on a beautiful fall afternoon. If we were winning at a Bamma clip “fans” would say “why should I go if I know we will win”?
 

4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
4,941
I mean if 1990 were to repeat...how many games into the season would we have to get to reach a full capacity game at BDS? And would it have to be a night game. Lol....wow.

I was at the VT game that year ('90), when VT was a relative unknown. Cold, windy dreary Nov. day just one week after the epic Uva game. We were unbeaten and ranked pretty high by then. The place should have been rocking. IIRC, the crowd was about the same as I saw at BDS this past Saturday.

I think GT needs to win consistently to attract new fans. That has been the missing piece of the puzzle over the decades of following GT FB. We can be great one year...then win 5 games the next.
 

Animal02

Banned
Messages
6,269
Location
Southeastern Michigan
The club seats was probably a great idea on paper....but it removed how many thousands of seats behind the visitors bench and stuck them a mile high in the north end zone? Way to take away what little intimidation factor there was. Not sure what can be done now with that now. All I know is I am tired of seeing those seats 3/4 empty at the start of the second half.
 

Whiskey_Clear

Banned
Messages
10,486
I was at the VT game that year ('90), when VT was a relative unknown. Cold, windy dreary Nov. day just one week after the epic Uva game. We were unbeaten and ranked pretty high by then. The place should have been rocking. IIRC, the crowd was about the same as I saw at BDS this past Saturday.

I think GT needs to win consistently to attract new fans. That has been the missing piece of the puzzle over the decades of following GT FB. We can be great one year...then win 5 games the next.

6-3 defensive struggle. Wind was so bad neither team could throw the ball. Very cold. Exciting as hell and no touchdowns! One of my favorite games.

If I had waited to “know” GT was going to have a special year before bothering to go to a game....I wouldn’t have these memories now.
 

slugboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,499
As soon as it became clear that everyone agrees that the only way to fill the stadium is remain unbeaten.....Trips to Iceland talk became more compelling.

I mean if 1990 were to repeat...how many games into the season would we have to get to reach a full capacity game at BDS? And would it have to be a night game. Lol....wow.

In 1990, I think it was about 7 games in—we had capacity that year too


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Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
I was at the VT game that year ('90), when VT was a relative unknown. Cold, windy dreary Nov. day just one week after the epic Uva game. We were unbeaten and ranked pretty high by then. The place should have been rocking. IIRC, the crowd was about the same as I saw at BDS this past Saturday.

I think GT needs to win consistently to attract new fans. That has been the missing piece of the puzzle over the decades of following GT FB. We can be great one year...then win 5 games the next.
I was at that VT game in '90 also, and I certainly don't remember anywhere near as pathetic a crowd as we had last Saturday. I don't remember other sections of the stadium, but I know that my section in the upper east was packed.
 

GT_05

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,370
I was at that VT game in '90 also, and I certainly don't remember anywhere near as pathetic a crowd as we had last Saturday. I don't remember other sections of the stadium, but I know that my section in the upper east was packed.

The crowd that was there was actually pretty boisterous. Lots of no-shows though. Perfect weather, great kickoff time, and we had just won 5 out of our last 6. Disappointing.


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TheSilasSonRising

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,729
If we were undefeated going into the uga game there would be marginally more gold than normal. I’ve said it many times but it’s worth repeating, in 2014 we were 8-2 going up against Clemson on senior day and couldn’t draw 50k on a beautiful fall afternoon. If we were winning at a Bamma clip “fans” would say “why should I go if I know we will win”?

Yes, but we had Lost to puke & unc in 2014. It is not like suddenly turning on a water faucet.

For the previous 3 years, as an example, we had won 55% of our games against an ACC schedule and the typical nobodies. (And whether people want to admit it, unless we are winning like Clemson or old fsu, winning ACC games will not garner the hype that beating auburn, fla, ut, and other SEC teams do in our region).

If we want to increase attendance, we can not start 1-3, open against nobodies like Alcorn ( it doesn’t matter if bama can get away with it), or have seasons when we go 11-3 and then 3-9.

If people don’t realize this fundamental, nothing will ever change attendance wise. And combine that with what appears to be serious customer service issues, poorly designed game day promotions, and almost idiotic PA administration during games.

Not my opinion, I think looking at our history since 1980, or whenever will bear it out.

Anyone thinking going to a bowl this year, or beating um, or uva is going to impact ticket sales next year is not dealing in reality.

First, we have to have a goal of beating ugag 50%, AND doing something with that. Not beating them and thinking we have “arrived”, but building on it.

We can’t beat ugag and lose to puke. Nothing good will come from that, probably only bad.
 

LongforDodd

LatinxBreakfastTacos
Messages
3,195
That’s where I sit. It’s been thinning out for a while. Used to always be full. We just have too many seats.
I sat in the Upper East for Duke after many, many years in the West. I like Upper East a lot better.

For night games though, nothing beats way up in the North(west) except when trashy Miami comes to town.
 

GT_05

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,370
I sat in the Upper East for Duke after many, many years in the West. I like Upper East a lot better.

For night games though, nothing beats way up in the North(west) except when trashy Miami comes to town.

Why do you prefer the upper east? I sat in the upper east for a night game against VT in 2015 and I thought it was nice. I always thought the east would be bad for a day game because of the sun.


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Whiskey_Clear

Banned
Messages
10,486
Yes, but we had Lost to puke & unc in 2014. It is not like suddenly turning on a water faucet.

For the previous 3 years, as an example, we had won 55% of our games against an ACC schedule and the typical nobodies. (And whether people want to admit it, unless we are winning like Clemson or old fsu, winning ACC games will not garner the hype that beating auburn, fla, ut, and other SEC teams do in our region).

If we want to increase attendance, we can not start 1-3, open against nobodies like Alcorn ( it doesn’t matter if bama can get away with it), or have seasons when we go 11-3 and then 3-9.

If people don’t realize this fundamental, nothing will ever change attendance wise. And combine that with what appears to be serious customer service issues, poorly designed game day promotions, and almost idiotic PA administration during games.

Not my opinion, I think looking at our history since 1980, or whenever will bear it out.

Anyone thinking going to a bowl this year, or beating um, or uva is going to impact ticket sales next year is not dealing in reality.

First, we have to have a goal of beating ugag 50%, AND doing something with that. Not beating them and thinking we have “arrived”, but building on it.

We can’t beat ugag and lose to puke. Nothing good will come from that, probably only bad.

Do you realize that the bar you are setting is to increase strength of schedule vs P5s AND go undefeated?.......Ok.
 
Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
Why do you prefer the upper east? I sat in the upper east for a night game against VT in 2015 and I thought it was nice. I always thought the east would be bad for a day game because of the sun.


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I have sat in the upper east since 1967. I love it there, sun or no sun. But it used to be full for every game, and it hasn't been since DRad instituted the ticket fees. The number of Tech fans there probably decreased by 50% that first year, and it's never recovered.
 

4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
4,941
I have sat in the upper east since 1967. I love it there, sun or no sun. But it used to be full for every game, and it hasn't been since DRad instituted the ticket fees. The number of Tech fans there probably decreased by 50% that first year, and it's never recovered.

I believe the period between Dr. Rice and our current AD was our 40 years equivalent of wandering in the wilderness. It's hard to believe we had such a run of incompetence.
 

GT flunkout

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
374
I have sat in the upper east since 1967. I love it there, sun or no sun. But it used to be full for every game, and it hasn't been since DRad instituted the ticket fees. The number of Tech fans there probably decreased by 50% that first year, and it's never recovered.

I think this is largely true. The Upper East for most of the 90s and 2000's was known as the party rowdy section of the stadium and it truly does have some of the best seats ... right on top of the field. The tech fund fees in the upper east definitely drove most people off. A lot of them just got pushed off into the upper north. I'm in the upper north now and it's so weird to see the upper east look the way it does. All of those seats in between the twenties to the very top are the best seats in the House, even if it's a little warm for those noon kickoffs. Even the Upper East Corners have great sight lines.

Anyone who thinks the UVA crowd is some kind of normal for Georgia Tech needs to go back to the 80s and mid-90s and stay there. We are definitely in a lull for attendance.
 

TheSilasSonRising

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,729
Do you realize that the bar you are setting is to increase strength of schedule vs P5s AND go undefeated?.......Ok.

Read again. Yes we need to schedule better. We can not get away with scheduling like a lot of others.

Going undefeated was never mentioned. How many teams go undefeated? We need to raise the bar and win more, and more consistently, for better attendance.

Anyone that does not understand that can not be serious about us having better attendance.
 

stech81

Helluva Engineer
Messages
8,901
Location
Woodstock Georgia
I have sat in the upper east since 1967. I love it there, sun or no sun. But it used to be full for every game, and it hasn't been since DRad instituted the ticket fees. The number of Tech fans there probably decreased by 50% that first year, and it's never recovered.
That was when I moved to the lower west. But I'm not young like you :) the sun was too much. Now on row 41 I'm in the shade by 2:30.
 

MikeJackets1967

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,844
Location
Lovely Ducktown,Tennessee
That was when I moved to the lower west. But I'm not young like you :) the sun was too much. Now on row 41 I'm in the shade by 2:30.
I remember the first time i watched a game at the Flats it was November 4th 1905 and Men and My Dad rode a train to Atlanta to the game from Cartersville to watch John Heisman's Golden Tornado beat James DuPree's Tennessee Vols 45-0:cigar::cool::D:smuggrin::) The GT Golden Tornado was 6-0-1 that season and finished 2nd to 7-1 Vanderbilt in the Southern Conference:cigar:
 
Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
I think this is largely true. The Upper East for most of the 90s and 2000's was known as the party rowdy section of the stadium and it truly does have some of the best seats ... right on top of the field. The tech fund fees in the upper east definitely drove most people off. A lot of them just got pushed off into the upper north. I'm in the upper north now and it's so weird to see the upper east look the way it does. All of those seats in between the twenties to the very top are the best seats in the House, even if it's a little warm for those noon kickoffs. Even the Upper East Corners have great sight lines.

Anyone who thinks the UVA crowd is some kind of normal for Georgia Tech needs to go back to the 80s and mid-90s and stay there. We are definitely in a lull for attendance.
Agree with everything you said. The upper east used to be a blast. Now, as far up as I am, it's either empty, but for the few remaining Tech fans there, or always filled with opposing fans. It really sucks, but I'm staying where I am as long as I am able.
 
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