It starts with us

[jwsavhGT]

I try to stay out of most discussions because, to me, being a moderator means that to be most effective I need to remain neutral. With that being said, I really am so tired of hearing about the "elitist" attitudes of GT alumni/fans. I have never put down another GT fan, no matter whether they are legacy, alum, or casual/sidewalk. I'm just glad that we have people who like Georgia Tech, whether it's GT the school or GT the sports team. You can call me elitist if you want but I am VERY PROUD of the fact that I graduated from Georgia Tech in 1983! It was hard/tough school to get out of. I was made to feel less than welcome because I was female. I almost gave up my 1st winter quarter but I decided that no one was going to force me out so I stayed and got my diploma. I am proud to say that of the 7 people from my high senior class that went to GT (6 guys, 1 gal) I was the only one who graduated. My Mother busted her butt selling Tupperware so I could get my diploma from Georgia Tech and I refuse to feel guilty/ashamed/less than proud of being a Georgia Tech grad. I owe it to my Mother's memory to celebrate that accomplishment.
Now, I will step off my soap box and thank you for your indulgence.

P.S. TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

https://ramblinwreck.com/staff-directory/

Look at the bios to make sure you contact the right person for your complaint and idea. (You turn off people by complaining without offering real world solutions).

I emailed Mr Taylor-Dixon about the water monsters after the USF game and got a response a day later, so it does work.

Never have gotten a response from ADTS so, go through his staff to get to him.

Just remember that our transition will take time. Have patience my little grasshoppers.

I have emailed TStan 3 or 4 times. The only time I got a response was the first time, and it was regarding the treatment of a small-town GA journalist. He not only responded, but he remedied the situation. No responses at all to any of my other emails, regardless of the topic.

 

[Dustman]

Sorry this is long, struck a chord.

1. Stop making excuses - I talk to tech fans who don’t attend games and man can they come up with dozens of reasons not to attend. How about support what you love, it takes a level of sacrifice.

2. Stop being elitist - Just stop. It’s a turnoff. I’m a sidewalk tech fan despite the fact that the elitist attitude of tech fans bothers me. If I were making a choice of what team to pull for now, it might not be Tech, bc of this attitude. Oh and by the way, UGA fans, especially the most obsessed ones in Athens (where I lived until recently) are extremely elitist as well and it was obnoxious to me. They especially find themselves superior academically to other SEC schools. But most of all many of their alumni consider themselves the perfect mix of smarts, personality, and class and carry themselves with an arrogance that is annoying. Let’s be better than UGA in this way. You were blessed to go to Tech and if you were raised in different circumstances you may not have achieved admission in the first place. Also for some of you, your children may not get into tech today or in the future so be thankful, be humble, and be respectful to others.

3. Learn to be above UGA. It’s not a good look how we handle our ‘UGA-complex.’ They have a better program, so-what, act like it isn’t the end of the world (harder than it sounds I know). Our insecurities are noticed by UGA fans and casual onlookers and it doesn’t exactly give being a tech fan a shining endorsement. On a side note, all of my tech fan friends think it’s silly that we yell ‘To Hell with Georgia’ when we play Virginia or anyone else, so we don’t do it. But guess what, I actually go to the Tech/UGA game in Athens and Atlanta and cheer and try to have class. So many tech fans are obsessed with THWG every day of their life but then sell their tix and let them take over our stadium. There’s something wrong there. I realize THWG is a tradition and really I’m fine with others doing it if you enjoy it, but I personally think that we don’t need to let that attitude go too far bc I think speaks more to our insecurities than anything else.

4. Recruit your tech friends - season tix are next to nothing compared with many schools. My group wasn’t getting season tickets until last year for various reasons. Tix were so cheap on the secondary market and we like sitting in the upper north where you can get tix to most games for less than $10. We decided that we needed to be more supportive so I literally reached out to every tech fan that I could think of spanning my entire life. Last year our group was 7, this year 11, and many others are interested in joining at some point down the line. I’m taking pride in getting tech fans that otherwise would be sitting at home in the stands. If we all did this then we would see a drastic increase in attendance.

5. Tailgate, have fun - gotta create a culture of fun and family. When the bad years hit, we should still enjoy coming to games and being with friends. It’s more than Ws and Ls

Great post! I don't know which point I like the most, but the first point really resonates with me since I make a 4.5 hour drive up for every home game. Love what you're doing to recruit people to the games. You're the best kind of Tech fan. We need more like you.

 

[wvGT11]

Completely agree
Unfortunately I've been one of those fans not there this year, buying a house that needs renovation will do that to you.
Anyways, this thread has popped up just about every season since I was at tech (gaileys last year)

Since then I've been to one game at Clemson and one at uga, and one thing that struck a cord was tbe difference in atmosphere on game day and leading up to that even in crummy weather.

GT has had a long issue with getting students to tbe game and when they do getting them there at tbe start. I still see that issue when watching on TV.
Then you got the elitist attitudes of some fans on here and outside of the forum. This has to change .

I get it, not winning isn't fun for anyone and harder for fans in the city to want to go, so how to we change that?
UGA and Clemson didn't have issues like this during down years if I recall


Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Animal02]

Great post! I don't know which point I like the most, but the first point really resonates with me since I make a 4.5 hour drive up for every home game. Love what you're doing to recruit people to the games. You're the best kind of Tech fan. We need more like you.

I wish I had a 4.5 hour drive....I would make most game....Flying the family down gets pricey. I would never get away with coming alone. ​

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

It’s not just a lack of fans filling the stadium. It’s also a lack of engagement by the fans that do at least show up.

Yeah we have had some shining moments from time to time like a big Thursday night game. Those are incredible exceptions to the rule. IIWII

 

[DAVID F]

This for supersize I am glad you were not in our house when my dad read Tech was getting out of the SEC.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

This for supersize I am glad you were not in our house when my dad read Tech was getting out of the SEC.

That could mean he was tickled pink (contrary to most), or that he was totally PO'd (as were most Tech fans). Which was it?

 

[herb]

Strange, I heard the same thing about the GT tour/events for students. A couple of excellent students from our area went up there for a GT-organized tour. One came back and said, "I'm NOT going to GT. That was the worst, more unorganized event I've ever been a part of." And, the kid went up there thinking that he did want to go to GT.

You are not alone. My daughter, who is a junior, went on their college tour around the south two weeks ago. Tech was “too busy” to tour the students. The school has sent over 30 kids to tech in the last 4 or 5 classes, from average class sizes of 35 to 45. So my son ended up meeting them on his lunch break and showing them around. If you are looking for the warm and fuzzy, you aren’t getting it.

 

[Vespidae]

You are not alone. My daughter, who is a junior, went on their college tour around the south two weeks ago. Tech was “too busy” to tour the students. The school has sent over 30 kids to tech in the last 4 or 5 classes, from average class sizes of 35 to 45. So my son ended up meeting them on his lunch break and showing them around. If you are looking for the warm and fuzzy, you aren’t getting it.

Hmmm. Auburn conducts tours of 30 or so every 2 hours, daily. Well done too.

My guess is Tech is topped out enrollment wise and basically doesn’t care. They’re skimming cream.

 

[herb]

Hmmm. Auburn conducts tours of 30 or so every 2 hours, daily. Well done too.

My guess is Tech is topped out enrollment wise and basically doesn’t care. They’re skimming cream.

BTW, she loved Auburn and said their tour was very well done

 

[LibertyTurns]

Hmmm. Auburn conducts tours of 30 or so every 2 hours, daily. Well done too.

My guess is Tech is topped out enrollment wise and basically doesn’t care. They’re skimming cream.

That’s the way GT sees it. They’ve completely cut the Alumni associations out of having anything to do with GT, particularly with newbies because they see is older folks as damaging to GT’s reputation with our style. They’re really after the wine and cheese crowd not the whiskey drinking brass knuckle engineers of days home by.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

The problem with students not coming to games is because they aren’t GT fans because a vast majority of them are not from this state. When I joined a fraternity at GT it was weird to see guys staying at the house to watch “their” team, whether it was Syracuse for the boys from New York, or Michigan/ Ohio State when GT was playing a 300 yards away.

The only way to see a full stadium is to grow the alumni base in the state of Georgia. Admitting kids who already have 18 years of loyalty to other schools in other parts of the country won’t convert them. Their children may be converted to GT fans as they hear the stories and visit the campus, but GT does nothing to help alumni children. Meanwhile, GT families in this state get the shaft regarding admissions. When I see all the empty seats I think of my fellow GT graduates who are sitting at their teams stadiums all over the country and I think of all my GT buddies whose kids went to UGA and other schools who would love to have been at GT. And these are great students but GT decided to bring in another great student who is a lifelong fan of another team. One of my longtime GT roommates was/is a lifelong LSU fan and it still sticks in my crawl that he came, got his degree, and probably hasn’t been to campus since.

 

[ibeattetris]

The problem with students not coming to games is because they aren’t GT fans because a vast majority of them are not from this state. When I joined a fraternity at GT it was weird to see guys staying at the house to watch “their” team, whether it was Syracuse for the boys from New York, or Michigan/ Ohio State when GT was playing a 300 yards away.

The only way to see a full stadium is to grow the alumni base in the state of Georgia. Admitting kids who already have 18 years of loyalty to other schools in other parts of the country won’t convert them. Their children may be converted to GT fans as they hear the stories and visit the campus, but GT does nothing to help alumni children. Meanwhile, GT families in this state get the shaft regarding admissions. When I see all the empty seats I think of my fellow GT graduates who are sitting at their teams stadiums all over the country and I think of all my GT buddies whose kids went to UGA and other schools who would love to have been at GT. And these are great students but GT decided to bring in another great student who is a lifelong fan of another team. One of my longtime GT roommates was/is a lifelong LSU fan and it still sticks in my crawl that he came, got his degree, and probably hasn’t been to campus since.

Man I can relate. During my school tour my guide asked where I was from (DC area at that time) and the kid said he was mainly a VT fan since he was from the area too! I was shocked, but he said it was normal for people to have a main team and for GT to be their second team. During my tenure art the school, I can't say his description was too far off with a good amount of students.

I still cheer for the team I did growing up, but GT is far and away the only team I am emotionally vested in.

 

[Vespidae]

The problem with students not coming to games is because they aren’t GT fans because a vast majority of them are not from this state. When I joined a fraternity at GT it was weird to see guys staying at the house to watch “their” team, whether it was Syracuse for the boys from New York, or Michigan/ Ohio State when GT was playing a 300 yards away.

The only way to see a full stadium is to grow the alumni base in the state of Georgia. Admitting kids who already have 18 years of loyalty to other schools in other parts of the country won’t convert them. Their children may be converted to GT fans as they hear the stories and visit the campus, but GT does nothing to help alumni children. Meanwhile, GT families in this state get the shaft regarding admissions. When I see all the empty seats I think of my fellow GT graduates who are sitting at their teams stadiums all over the country and I think of all my GT buddies whose kids went to UGA and other schools who would love to have been at GT. And these are great students but GT decided to bring in another great student who is a lifelong fan of another team. One of my longtime GT roommates was/is a lifelong LSU fan and it still sticks in my crawl that he came, got his degree, and probably hasn’t been to campus since.

Hard to say, for me anyway. I was Greek and we went to all the games. We still tailgate today, 35 years later. But ... Tech has destroyed the experience for students. No more flash cards. No Rats. No reason.

Re attendance, it’s going to get worse. The ACCN will deliver a pile of dough to a Tech and it won’t matter what the Game Day attendance is.

 

[slugboy]

Hard to say, for me anyway. I was Greek and we went to all the games. We still tailgate today, 35 years later. But ... Tech has destroyed the experience for students. No more flash cards. No Rats. No reason.

Re attendance, it’s going to get worse. The ACCN will deliver a pile of dough to a Tech and it won’t matter what the Game Day attendance is.

The rat caps were dying out when I was a freshman. Only a few frats still pushed that.

Flash cards died about the same time. They were always a hot mess. My friends who did them practiced for a little while and just screwed up when they tried. That was part of their charm. That’s part of what a game day experience, especially a college game day experience, should be. That, and the Tifos (like soccer) and the banners and the signs that you’re having a fun time are what going to the stadium is about.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[AE 87]

First step to end elitism: new school song

I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia Tech and a passable engineer, a passable passable passable passable middling engineer. Like all the average people I might sometimes have a beer. I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia Tech and a half-decent engineer.

 

[ibeattetris]

First step to end elitism: new school song

I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia Tech and a passable engineer, a passable passable passable passable middling engineer. Like all the average people I might sometimes have a beer. I'm a ramblin wreck from Georgia Tech and a half-decent engineer.

I know this is a joke, but GTSwarm needs a thumbs down option so I can dislike this post.

 

[Animal02]

It is not just Tech...fans every get unhappy.
https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/20...-is-flowing-but-the-trophy-case-is-empty.html

 

[DAVID F]

Supersize, he was mad as hell and cussed every person involved.