The Thing I Hate The Most

[GT_05]

For the first time ever, I’m getting pity from opposing fans. Yes, it’s that bad.

 

[okiemon]

Next week I will be recognized as the "Georgia Tech guy" ... again... when at a horse show in Guthrie, OK all week. On Saturday, 10/1, they'll make it a point to find the GT game so that I can watch the game against Pitt. The folks at the Lazy E have been nice enough to do so each year we get to go.

Oklahoma folks are great, but more than once, when I’m wearing my GT gear, I’ve had someone ask me, “So you are a Georgia Tech fan? That’s the Bulldogs, right?”

 

[HouseDivided]

I think most of our rivals fans are at a sympathetic/pitty state regarding of program.

 

[CEB]

Oklahoma folks are great, but more than once, when I’m wearing my GT gear, I’ve had someone ask me, “So you are a Georgia Tech fan? That’s the Bulldogs, right?”

Thats Lane-level trolling...
I’d ask them if they are a football fan. They’re definitely messing with you

 

[BuzzBy]

Fellow Wreckers...Put that gear on and wear it with pride. Our days of despair are coming to an end soon, and we will bask in the glory of a new day for GT football. Time heals and bad memories will fade. It takes gumption and a bit of grit to be a Rambler. Keep the faith, brothers and sisters, the sun is going to shine on us again....then maybe we can focus on the basketball team.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Kiffin had a short stint there too.

Short...but memorable and as usual, he left a trail of rubbish, discontent, and in this case, burned furniture in his wake. Damn fine coach though and he seems to have matured a lot since those days.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Wore GT Buzz on polo shirt at church Sunday. Wore GT shirt at work and during TEAM / WevEx meetings on Monday. Yes, I too got some looks and some questions. But, have to rep and still be proud, even after getting beat down.

I have worn GT something almost everyday if leaving the house even if it's only a ball cap.
Coats, jackets, polo shirts, shorts, and of course Tshirts or combination are all in the mix.
Next week I will be recognized as the "Georgia Tech guy" ... again... when at a horse show in Guthrie, OK all week. On Saturday, 10/1, they'll make it a point to find the GT game so that I can watch the game against Pitt. The folks at the Lazy E have been nice enough to do so each year we get to go.

Now the next coach will know whom to see about getting the "horses". Sorry, bad joke.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

It’s been a rough road, but we have been here before. Sunday morning I got up and went for a walk in my GT gear and stopped at the driveway to straighten the GT flag. My almost 4yr old daughter asked why I’d keep it flying right now since “we didn’t win” and I told her this is the time it counts.

It’s easy to be a fan when things are rolling but to find an appreciation for something based off the macro view allows you to grit up and push when the micro view is a low point.

I’m not shading anyone nor am I demanding people follow the team and show support in the way I do. What I am trying to do though is remind us all that fandom is about the highs and lows, that the kids are out there doing what they can and that the staff (love ‘‘em or hate ‘em) are our staff till they’re not. I upped my annual donation this year after the loss Saturday night because it’s a ride or die relationship for me.

If I want GT to get back to the top of the mountain you better believe I’m going to stare down the chasm of despair and grind till the wheels fall off or we get back to where we belong.

You have a most perceptive daughter. Best wishes for her continued development and one day she may make you proud as a Yellow Jacket.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

For the first time ever, I’m getting pity from opposing fans. Yes, it’s that bad.

Well, part of that is because as a general rule, this fan base is way less obnoxious than say, UGA, Auburn or even Clemson. It is easy to feel sorry for teams perceived as academic schools like Tech, Tulane, Vanderbilt, and Duke. IIWII

 

[laoh]

I wear my GT gear pretty regularly, be it a hat or t-shirt or a Champion sweatshirt. I was at a Seoul hotel during the 2018 winter olympics having breakfast and wearing a hat with Buzz on it. A guy walked past me and said "go Jackets!" I was so surprised, ended up chatting with him and he was an aerospace guy that went to Tech. And speaking of aerospace as an example, Tech is well represented around the world in that field and many other fields.

Point being, you don't have to tie GT to just football. It's a proud institution known in certain circles around the world for many other things, with the obvious one for academics. To be frank, outside the US, no one knows/cares about American football and certainly for those that know GT outside, they don't associate it with sports.

Whatever reason you associate yourself with Tech, do whatever you want. You certainly don't have to worry about shame or embarrassment.

PS - I also gifted a pretty good looking GT tshirt to this friend I have in Brazil and she actually wears it pretty regularly... strutting around Rio in a GT shirt

 

[nwgatech]

I'll jump in. I have a 12 year old son who follows the same sports teams I do so naturally he has become a Tech fan. I almost feel like I am dooming him to a life of sports misery. His friends look at him with a blank stare when he tells them he loves GT football. He is so innocently optimistic and upbeat but he wonders what is wrong and why the team doesn't win. Soul crushing to me...

Sounds like my life in the late 70s and 80s. Life is too short not to pull for a winner. I guess I learned many character lessons but am so happy my daughter went to Bama and gave me a winner to pull for

 

[Buzzman]

Appreciate your words and have a great deal of respect for your tenure as a fan. I myself am an alumna, now a fan for 20 years and I too have wondered during these 4 years whether I’m better off finding another college football team to follow so that I can enjoy fall football again. These last years since CPJ ‘retired’ have been so demoralizing and the lack of accountability on the admin and athletic side of the house has me greatly concerned that the message being sent is ‘we no longer care’. I too wonder when you reach that point as a fan when you know it’s time to cut ties?

Yes, grew up in Smyrna, been a Tech fan forever. Never knew what a Dawg was… as a High school wide receiver, I Idolized Jimmy Robinson, a little 5’9” fireball…. I was told Tech had to get with the times, that the triple option was passé (not), and Johnson had to go. I would give anything to have 7-8 win seasons and bowl games again.

 

[Buzzman]

My GT game gear is on every game day win or lose.

We are going through a really bad time now - worse than the BL era has that really only bottomed out for one year - this has been consistently bad for over 3 years.
But it will come to an end, likely after the UGA game, and we can look forward to rebuilding into something more positive.

It may be just me but as i've gotten older sports in general don't mean as much in my life. In my 20's and 30's I would live and die by my team. I'm now at a point where if they win, great, if they lose i'm upset for 15 min and then I get on with my life to more important things.

I'll be honest, other than the Clemson game to open this season, i've just been completely emotionally detached from the FB team for the last 1/2 year. I wasn't even upset we lost to ND, UGA, Ole Miss by the margins we did, just sort of numb to it. I'll still cheer hard for the team, but I don't have any big expectations right now.

Yes, Tech shall rise again! Count on it.

 

[Buzzman]

It’s been a rough road, but we have been here before. Sunday morning I got up and went for a walk in my GT gear and stopped at the driveway to straighten the GT flag. My almost 4yr old daughter asked why I’d keep it flying right now since “we didn’t win” and I told her this is the time it counts.

It’s easy to be a fan when things are rolling but to find an appreciation for something based off the macro view allows you to grit up and push when the micro view is a low point.

I’m not shading anyone nor am I demanding people follow the team and show support in the way I do. What I am trying to do though is remind us all that fandom is about the highs and lows, that the kids are out there doing what they can and that the staff (love ‘‘em or hate ‘em) are our staff till they’re not. I upped my annual donation this year after the loss Saturday night because it’s a ride or die relationship for me.

If I want GT to get back to the top of the mountain you better believe I’m going to stare down the chasm of despair and grind till the wheels fall off or we get back to where we belong.

Tech will rise again. Count on it. Too many good atheletes sitting on the bench in AU, GA, FLA etc.

 

[Kmag]

This whole thread sounds like a bunch of whining. Its been a rough go for all of us lately. Let’s get on here and fuss a little and gripe, but stop with the “I’m giving up”. Put your big boy pants on, it’s football. We aren’t always going to be this bad. We’ve been here before and we need your support. I have kids I’m trying to bring up as Tech fans. They need to see people in the stands and cheering for the good guys. We’re still in a major conference with big boy sports. By the way in the words of Paul Johnson if you don’t like the way someone is saying something to you “punch them in the mouth!”

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I was at the game with my group of GT buddies. We all got out in 81 or 82. We get together for a game about every other year or so. None of us live in the ATL. We have not been to a game since the COVID thing. We picked this game 2 years ago due to the novelty of an SEC team. All of us arrived Friday and had drinks then dinner. The next day we enjoyed perfect weather and great tailgating at Peters Park. We got on campus around noon.

What I noticed the most going into the game was the subdued atmosphere. People were enjoying the weather, the cockatils, the snacks, the fellowship, etc. But the pegame electricity that used to exist whenever a "big name" or ranked opponent was coming into town wasn't there. It was a Wimbledon or Masters crowd - polite, respectful, quiet. I had thought going into this game that we could compete with them. Even my Ole Miss friends were unsure of what they had and weren't quite anticipating such an easy win. But all the season ticket holders around our tailgate didn't have any sense that we MIGHT upset this team and it was apparent. They have seen this up close and personal. I had not.

The first drive was jaw dropping. It was like watching the JV scrimmage the varsity. The blocked punt was beyond belief. We all left in the early 3rd quarter. Over drinks and dinner that night, we have decided to move our reunions to different locales and not have them be around football games. It's time to move on.

We had a frat reunion for those pledged in 1970 to 1980 last weekend. Like yours great weekend other than the game. I saw the same thing and watched the entire game and our apathetic sideline. Some guys played hard but not enough guys. But afterwards, we really didn't talk about the game at a nice dinner. Not relevant any more.

The next reunion will be in April / May baseball season.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I have seen guys like Coach Collins before in my career. Men who were in over their heads big time and had moved up to a level beyond their capabilities. I think you are very kind here...it's not his personality that keeps him from going off (imo). It's just the fact that he DOESN"T know what to DO. Therefore, he doesn't know what to SAY.

With that being said, there is no doubt in my mind that he truly did want to be succesful here. I don't question that for one second. I think it was just too big of a job for him. It doesn't make him a bad guy. As I said, we have all seen this play out in our careers as well. Heck, I see it as a HS teacher now....the kids who want to be in the AP courses but aren't capable of doing that level of work (but think they can). Read about the Dunning Kruger effect if you are not familiar with it...it summarizes things pretty well regarding people who are self unaware about their own capabilities.

I’m glad you stated this. His first press conference gave me an eerie feeling. I worked with a guy that talked and acted just like him. Super confident and couldn’t find his butt with two hands. Most incompetent person I ever met. Way over his head.