Petition to stop noon home games

[Gold1]

Which tells me that getting together is not important to your group of friends. If it was important, they would make it happen. It appears that your group only gets together when it is extremely convenient. There isn't anything wrong with that, but just don't blame the game time for preventing your get together. Realize that your group has more important things to do unless the stars align perfectly.



The reason I made a statement about mutt fans is that they are devoted. If they were to have a 9:00AM game, fans from Valdosta would leave shortly after midnight to set up very early and have a breakfast tailgate before the game. If they win, they would stay after the game drinking, watching other games on TV, and boasting about how the mutts are going to win the natty this year.

Their fans are fanatical. If Walmart gets a shipment of cheap crock-pots or neon table lamps with the mutt logo on them, they will sell out. If they play in South Bend, their fans will pay multiple times above the face value for tickets and fill up half the stadium.

Our fans are pathetic. At my local Walmart there is still half a tray of blu-rays from the 2014 Orange Bowl for sale. They have been sitting there for over three years and won't sell. Store managers know this and won't stock GT gear. It isn't because they hate GT or companies refuse to make GT gear. It is because store managers know that GT gear will not sell. The have to put it on a heavy discount, leave it on the shelf for three-plus years, or throw it away. I'm not sure that GT fans purchased the entire allotment for the ND game in 2015. I know they didn't purchase half of the ND fans' tickets.

To GT fans it is:

• Too hot
• Too cold
• Too far away
• Too expensive
• Too early
• Too late
• Too painful to use a clear bag
• Too painful to not be allowed to bring in outside food/begeraves
• Too much traffic
• .........

I don't like mutt fans(in general at least), but I don't hear such things from them. They go to games: far, near, hot, cold, expensive, early, late, have had a clear bag policy for a few years, don't allow outside food and beverage, and have worse traffic to get to their stadium the GT fans do.

Edit: I looked it up and the mutts instituted the clear bag policy last year instead of for several years. The SEC mandated that all SEC home games use a clear bag policy.

Not playing noon games is a way get to MORE FANS!!!! Jesus

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

To GT fans it is:

• Too hot
• Too cold
• Too far away
• Too expensive

And yet we took 30,000 to Dublin.

 

[stech81]

Remember one thing the people on here that don't like noon games still come and buy season tickets . I know supersizethatorder-mutt does and most others also . They just don't like noon games. I promise you no matter what time the game is 25% won't like it.

 

[Milwaukee]

You may call them "excuses" or "reasons"...so you think people should invest in RV's or change personal habits to attend games? Yes, his "logic" is correct. Using the same "logic" then everyone in a radius of a 6 hour flight should be at BDS right? Fly in for the game, fly out after the game. It is not that important to some of us, especially since they have provided the alternative of letting me watch it on TV. I don't understand why some of y'all can't wrap your mind around this. Milwaukee isn't that bad of a flight...may I assume you attend all home games?

Then just say it's not that important to you. It doesn't make you a bad person or a bad fan. We're all pretty good fans here imo.

 

[RonJohn]

And yet we took 30,000 to Dublin.

I don't know the numbers, but it is true that many went to Dublin. I wasn't one of them. But then ask yourself: How many did we take to the Orange Bowl? How many did we take to the Gator Bowl which is a short trip for people in Atlanta?

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Which tells me that getting together is not important to your group of friends. If it was important, they would make it happen. It appears that your group only gets together when it is extremely convenient. There isn't anything wrong with that, but just don't blame the game time for preventing your get together. Realize that your group has more important things to do unless the stars align perfectly.



The reason I made a statement about mutt fans is that they are devoted. If they were to have a 9:00AM game, fans from Valdosta would leave shortly after midnight to set up very early and have a breakfast tailgate before the game. If they win, they would stay after the game drinking, watching other games on TV, and boasting about how the mutts are going to win the natty this year.

Their fans are fanatical. If Walmart gets a shipment of cheap crock-pots or neon table lamps with the mutt logo on them, they will sell out. If they play in South Bend, their fans will pay multiple times above the face value for tickets and fill up half the stadium.

Our fans are pathetic. At my local Walmart there is still half a tray of blu-rays from the 2014 Orange Bowl for sale. They have been sitting there for over three years and won't sell. Store managers know this and won't stock GT gear. It isn't because they hate GT or companies refuse to make GT gear. It is because store managers know that GT gear will not sell. The have to put it on a heavy discount, leave it on the shelf for three-plus years, or throw it away. I'm not sure that GT fans purchased the entire allotment for the ND game in 2015. I know they didn't purchase half of the ND fans' tickets.

To GT fans it is:

• Too hot
• Too cold
• Too far away
• Too expensive
• Too early
• Too late
• Too painful to use a clear bag
• Too painful to not be allowed to bring in outside food/begeraves
• Too much traffic
• .........

I don't like mutt fans(in general at least), but I don't hear such things from them. They go to games: far, near, hot, cold, expensive, early, late, have had a clear bag policy for a few years, don't allow outside food and beverage, and have worse traffic to get to their stadium the GT fans do.

Edit: I looked it up and the mutts instituted the clear bag policy last year instead of for several years. The SEC mandated that all SEC home games use a clear bag policy.

I don't organize the tailgating group of which I am a part. Someone closer to Atlanta (but still an hour away) does. It is not a question of what is IMPORTANT to them; they go out of their way to provide food and drink for whoever shows up, whether those others bring anything or not. So YES, IT IS IMPORTANT to them. But something that you apparently refuse to accept is that it is not an ideal situation for them, or for any of us who have to travel an hour or more to get there. Is it important to mutt fans, and do they buy any s**t that Walmart puts on the shelf, and pay outrageous amounts of money for tickets to games? Yes, I guess it is, but in my book, that just indicates how stupid they are. I neither admire nor envy them for the support they, and other factory schools get. I would venture to say the majority of those buying all that s**t from Walmart have never even been to a game, and the ones I know sure as hell didn't go to school there, or anywhere else. Would I like to see BDS packed with Tech fans every game? Would I like to see more Tech gear on the streets and byways in the state? Of course I would, but I would also like to think that they would be half-way intelligent and football savvy, which few mutt fans are. And as much as I love Tech, I would hate to think that any, other than the very rich, would make the sacrifices required, when that money could go to more important things than a house full of junk and a closet full of gear or scalper-priced tickets. Winning consistently will pull in more fans and garner more attention and support, and especially a few more wins over the mutts. But as Gold1 has posted several times, we are not going to pull in more fans and fill more seats at games and ultimately sell more Tech stuff by having so many nooners. Obviously there is very little the Tech AA, nor certainly we fans, can do about that, but the FACT is that nooners have a very negative effect on both attendance and support.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

I don't know the numbers, but it is true that many went to Dublin. I wasn't one of them. But then ask yourself: How many did we take to the Orange Bowl? How many did we take to the Gator Bowl which is a short trip for people in Atlanta?

Actually, we took a representative number to the Orange Bowl. The problem there was that the people of Miami no longer support the game like they did when there were only 4 major bowls. I doubt that we took less there in 2014 than we did in 1952 (I think that was the OB year), but the people of Miami filled up the stadium back then. I agree that we should have had more at the Gator Bowl. I don't know why so many Tech fans didn't go to that one. BTW, I went to Dublin, Miami, and Jacksonville, and I have also been to El Paso twice, Birmingham (1985), Nashville, the ACCCG's in both Tampa and Charlotte, and (going way back) to Los Angeles in 1969 when we played USC there. I also generally go to at least one regular season away game each year. I will be there for every home game this year, regardless of the KO time, but I still DO NOT LIKE NOON GAMES !!!

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Not playing noon games is a way get to MORE FANS!!!! Jesus

You have made a few posts in the past that not only did I disagree with but that, at least in some cases, pissed me off. I am more than glad to see that you and I are on board together on this issue. All is forgiven.

See all us old farts ain't so bad.....LOL

 

[RonJohn]

Instead of complaining about the few fans that we have, shouldn't the bigger question be (if your premise is valid) how and what does Uga do differently to foster that fan connection? Can GT learn from the competition? In business, you can complain about why customers don't like your product. Or you change your product to meet customer demands. Wishing for customers to change to meet your needs is NOT a fruitful endeavor in my experience. It feels good...but it doesn't increase sales.

Except that some of the fans are actually detractors from enlarging the fan base. There was a post a few years ago on here about a guy who brought his young son to his first GT football game. As I recall the post, the son was super excited and loved the experience ... until... an old guy wearing a fedora dressed the young kid down for having the nerve to wear a blue GT shirt. After that the kid had a terrible time. I don't recall any follow up to that, but it is quite possible that GT lost a fan that day because of an old jerk. I have never sat in the lower East stands during a game, but the common story is that people yell at you to sit down if you have the nerve to stand up when GT is scoring a touchdown. Really, don't be so rude as to celebrate a touchdown? Luckily there is a wall behind me because I stand up and start flailing my hands as soon as I see a receiver break open behind the coverage. Sometimes I have to sit down in disgust, but sometimes I am 3 or 4 seconds early in the touchdown celebration. When I first started sitting in the area I am in now the people in front of me actually pre-apologized for rising up during big plays. What kind of fan base has to apologize for getting excited during a game?

I do want some of the current fans to change. They need to stop acting like curmudgeons and start enjoying the games.

 

[TheStolenT]

I'm a young sidewalk fan from 2 hours away and the prevalence of noon games led us to get rid of our season tickets and instead pick a choose a couple games a year to attend. Its not worth driving late Friday, waking up early Saturday for a short tailgate, baking in the sun then driving home. I love tech games, hell I flew to Dublin for one, but if the experience becomes more hassle than benefit then it's not worth it. You want a full stadium you have to convince the sidewalk fans the juice is worth the squeeze.

 

[jwsavhGT]

Just as on observation, we have 9 pages, 168 posts about noon games. Make that 171 posts.
I just love the off-season!

 

[RonJohn]

Why are you such a defender of noon games? Sorry but they suck. You make no sense at all

If you believe that my posts have been defense of noon games, then you don't understand them at all.

 

[RonJohn]

I don't organize the tailgating group of which I am a part. Someone closer to Atlanta (but still an hour away) does. It is not a question of what is IMPORTANT to them; they go out of their way to provide food and drink for whoever shows up, whether those others bring anything or not. So YES, IT IS IMPORTANT to them. But something that you apparently refuse to accept is that it is not an ideal situation for them, or for any of us who have to travel an hour or more to get there.

It has not been my intention to bash you personally or your group of tailgating friends. I'm just pointing out that it is a value proposition. If the game starting at noon is such an inconvenience that your group won't tailgate, then that shows that the value they have of the tailgate isn't extremely high. There is nothing wrong with that. Is your tailgate worth contributing $5? Probably so. Is your tailgate worth contributing $5,000? Probably not. Does your group value tailgating for a 7:00 game? Apparently so. Does your group value tailgating for a noon game? Apparently not. Doesn't indicate anything about your group except for the relative value of the tailgating experience.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

It has not been my intention to bash you personally or your group of tailgating friends. I'm just pointing out that it is a value proposition. If the game starting at noon is such an inconvenience that your group won't tailgate, then that shows that the value they have of the tailgate isn't extremely high. There is nothing wrong with that. Is your tailgate worth contributing $5? Probably so. Is your tailgate worth contributing $5,000? Probably not. Does your group value tailgating for a 7:00 game? Apparently so. Does your group value tailgating for a noon game? Apparently not. Doesn't indicate anything about your group except for the relative value of the tailgating experience.

It has nothing to do with "value." It has to do with workability. Noon games are simply not as workable as later ones.

 

[RonJohn]

It has nothing to do with "value." It has to do with workability. Noon games are simply not as workable as later ones.

I would argue that it does have to do with value. If it is important, a way can be found to do it. Meet at 7:30 for breakfast sandwiches and mimosas or hotty toddys. Apparently it isn't "valuable" enough to do that. Nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is a morning person. However not everyone is a night owl either. It is all a matter of personal preference. Not a hard and fast rule about what is a good time and what is a bad time.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

I would argue that it does have to do with value. If it is important, a way can be found to do it. Meet at 7:30 for breakfast sandwiches and mimosas or hotty toddys. Apparently it isn't "valuable" enough to do that. Nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is a morning person. However not everyone is a night owl either. It is all a matter of personal preference. Not a hard and fast rule about what is a good time and what is a bad time.

Regardless of what existing fans and ticket holders think, it is apparently of no value (to use your word) for sidewalk fans and newbies to make it to a noon game. Attendance alone shows that.

 

[RonJohn]

Regardless of what existing fans and ticket holders think, it is apparently of no value (to use your word) for sidewalk fans and newbies to make it to a noon game. Attendance alone shows that.

Really? The attendance numbers don't seem to support that. A noon game against GSU is the highest attended game of the year while a 3:30 game against Virginia is one of the lowest.(2nd behind Wofford) It appears to me that the attendance depends upon the opponent and not the time. Even further, the attendance appears to depend upon how many opposing fans actually come to the game, not how many GT fans attend.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Unfortunately, attendance does depend on how many opposing fans come. One should expect lots of GSU fans, regardless of the time, although 3:30 might bring even more. The UVA game was at UVA, and the 2016 game in Atlanta was at 12:30

 

[RonJohn]

Unfortunately, attendance does depend on how many opposing fans come. One should expect lots of GSU fans, regardless of the time, although 3:30 might bring even more. The UVA game was at UVA, and the 2016 game in Atlanta was at 12:30

2014 -- GSU highest attended home game. Even ahead of Clemson. UVA second lowest behind Wofford

August 30 12:30 PM Wofford* Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA RSN W 38–19 45,403
September 6 4:00 PM at Tulane* Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA ESPNews W 38–21 30,000
September 13 12:00 PM Georgia Southern* Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA RSN W 42–38 53,173
September 20 12:00 PM at Virginia Tech Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA(Battle of the Techs) ESPN W 27–24 62,318
October 4 7:30 PM Miami (FL) Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN2 W 28–17 52,221
October 11 12:30 PM Duke No. 22 Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA ACCN L 25–31 44,281
October 18 7:00 PM at North Carolina Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC ESPNU L 43–48 53,000
October 25 3:30 PM at Pittsburgh Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, PA ESPNU W 56–28 44,734
November 1 3:30 PM Virginia

Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPNU W 35–10 46,657
November 8 12:30 PM at North Carolina State No. 24 Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC ACCN W 56–23 54,653
November 15 12:00 PM No. 19 Clemson No. 22 Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA (Rivalry) ESPN W 28–6 49,378
November 29 12:00 PM at No. 9 Georgia* No. 16 Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA(Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate) SECN W 30–24 OT 92,746
December 6 8:00 PM vs. No. 4 Florida State No. 11 Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC (ACC Championship Game) ABC L 35–37 64,808
December 31 8:00 PM vs. No. 7 Mississippi State* No. 12 Sun Life Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL (Orange Bowl) ESPN W 49–34 58,211

 

[RonJohn]

Unfortunately, attendance does depend on how many opposing fans come. One should expect lots of GSU fans, regardless of the time, although 3:30 might bring even more. The UVA game was at UVA, and the 2016 game in Atlanta was at 12:30

If you want to compare to the mutts: In 2016 4 of 6 home games at 12:00. In 2015 4 of 7 games at 12:00. In 2014 4 of 7 games at 12:00. Every single noon game was a sellout at almost double the capacity of BDS.