Who are here on the swarm are sidewalk fans?

[techfan#14]

I have no family connections to Tech. I had a cousin who was a sidewalk fan in the mid 1990's (now a dwag fan), who introduced me to Tech. I started following intensely in 1997-98, and became enthralled in the Joe Ham years. I have been going to multiple games every year since college 2003 and forward. As much as I hate to admit I am a UGA grad, but it only fueled my disgust and disdain for their football team. I vowed to never set foot in that cesspool stadium, and sold my tickets every year. My history and love for Tech completely overrides any of my ties to the Alma mater. From my experience, my obsession and desire for Tech football to succeed far exceeds the few tech grads I know. I literally cannot explain it but I will die a tech fan no matter what. I will cease watching football before my allegiance ever waivers.

 

[Oakland]

I used to pull for both Tech and Georgia as a child. Oddly, I started pulling much more for Tech after they lost to Florida in the Orange Bowl. I was a weird kid I guess. I lost interest in Georgia and they just faded away. For many years I have been a die hard fan of GT.

 

[iceeater1969]

Logo on ball hat at the game

Gt Sidewalk Fan
BEST FANS IN THE WORLD


GTAA gives them to season ticket holders

U guys are the best .

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

I guess you could say I was a sidewalk fan have had season tickets since 1981 . Got my degree from Southern Tech but older people say I'm not a sidewalk fan, the reason they said this 99% of the people on here don't know at the time Southern Tech was part of GT. ( Who on here knew that part ?

View attachment 12682

I knew there was a "Hornet" around here somewhere.

 

[awbuzz]

LOVING all of these stories of how some of you became GT fans.

GT "side walk" fans are saints. Lord knows you have to be glutton for punishment if you willingly choose to be a GT fan

I just figured being a Georgia Tech fan was doing some penance...

 

[Wayxjacket]

I have been a sidewalk fan since 1985. My son is a current student at the institute.

 

[SteamWhistle]

My Dad was a sidewalk fan and Reason I am a Tech fan.
He liked Tech basketball and Mark Price in the 80s and eventually the Football team as well.

 

[iceeater1969]

My Dad was a sidewalk fan and Reason I am a Tech fan.
He liked Tech basketball and Mark Price in the 80s and eventually the Football team as well.

Your handle - leads me to a general off season question which u may have an answer.

What is the history of the steam whistle? I know in 1965 it was a real whistle in power plant behind the Rotc building . Imo , the current whistle sounds less whistling- but hey I am half deaf.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Side walk fan. As I’ve shared before, in my childhood I pulled for Tech and the only other game in town -the Atlanta Crackers. My dad was a hard core UGA fan but my brothers and I all ended up going to Emory. We thought pulling for a football team where the players actually had to attend class was way cooler than cheering for somebody’s pet. To this day it still means more to me when Tech beats a factory.

 

[CEB]

Your handle - leads me to a general off season question which u may have an answer.

What is the history of the steam whistle? I know in 1965 it was a real whistle in power plant behind the Rotc building . Imo , the current whistle sounds less whistling- but hey I am half deaf.

I don’t know if this is the answer you’re looking for but I know the whistle was removed in mid 90’s and the replacement never sounded up to snuff to me. If you’ve been pondering this question for 25 years, you’re not losing your mind or your hearing.
If you’ve noticed a more recent change, I can’t explain or even speculate. That could indeed be your hearing.

 

[GaTech4ever]

Well, weren’t we all sidewalk fans before we weren’t?

I was a huge sidewalk fan of Cremins and his teams in the 80s and 90s. I left a family full of Boilermakers in Indiana to come to Tech- hadn’t ever stepped foot in Atlanta until then.
I have a couple of sons who wear the Tech gear and we’re trying hard to get the oldest in as a transfer next year. But I’d rather have him be a sidewalk fan than no fan at all!

Assuming you already know about this for legacies but just putting it here:

Conditional Transfer Pathway Program | Undergraduate Admission

admission.gatech.edu

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Your handle - leads me to a general off season question which u may have an answer.

What is the history of the steam whistle? I know in 1965 it was a real whistle in power plant behind the Rotc building . Imo , the current whistle sounds less whistling- but hey I am half deaf.

My father said that post World War II the steam whistle sounded every hour to signal a change in classes. Keep in mind that the Institute in the early 1950s was much smaller than today. It used to sound off whenever Tech won a game. When I was a college student in the 1970s and went to all the home games I would sit in the North Stands and coming down that walk way was not far from the whistle and when that thing went off it was really loud. So loud, I made it a habit to turn my hearing aid off.

 

[yeti92]

My father said that post World War II the steam whistle sounded every hour to signal a change in classes. Keep in mind that the Institute in the early 1950s was much smaller than today. It used to sound off whenever Tech won a game. When I was a college student in the 1970s and went to all the home games I would sit in the North Stands and coming down that walk way was not far from the whistle and when that thing went off it was really loud. So loud, I made it a habit to turn my hearing aid off.

It still does these things

 

[SandySpringsJacket]

Sidewalk fan who grew up listening to Al Ciraldo on Saturday afternoon with my Dad in the early70s and going to one game or so a year with him. I then became a season ticket holder in the 90s and have been ever since.

 

[SteamWhistle]

Your handle - leads me to a general off season question which u may have an answer.

What is the history of the steam whistle? I know in 1965 it was a real whistle in power plant behind the Rotc building . Imo , the current whistle sounds less whistling- but hey I am half deaf.

I’m not fond of it’s history. I just remember my first Tech Game was 2008 Home opener on a Thursday night. At that time I was more excited to miss school the next day, that was until I experienced BDS for the first time and I was hooked. I chose the handle because walking out of the game I had no idea what the whistle was and thought it was awesome that it blew and how it could wake up all the students that had class the next day.

 

[CEB]

Assuming you already know about this for legacies but just putting it here:

Conditional Transfer Pathway Program | Undergraduate Admission

admission.gatech.edu

That’s the one we’re working on. Thanks!

 

[jacket_fan]

Bless all the sidewalk fans. Especially all who have hung in these past years. You are amazing.

Many of the guys I graduated with from the late 70s and early 80s have stopped buying season tickets after last year. We used to have great tailgates both before and after games. So sad. When alumni that have had season tickets for over 30 years succumb to recent performance and the sidewalk fans remain, it is impressive.

And yes, the whistle still sounds to change classes.

 

[Bonaire41]

Bless all the sidewalk fans. Especially all who have hung in these past years. You are amazing.

Many of the guys I graduated with from the late 70s and early 80s have stopped buying season tickets after last year. We used to have great tailgates both before and after games. So sad. When alumni that have had season tickets for over 30 years succumb to recent performance and the sidewalk fans remain, it is impressive.

And yes, the whistle still sounds to change classes.

I will never stop loving ga tech.No mater what!!!!! Players come and go, coaches come and go but my love and the swarms love will never go!!!!!

 

[MidtownJacket]

I hesitated to post this because I didn’t want to go too far off topic but then decided some history for our fans to discuss is close enough to talking about what caused fandom outside of attending classes at MaTech and figured it worth the post:

Georgia Tech Traditions: The Whistle

traditions.gatech.edu

For those of us looking to learn more about the whistle and it’s history on campus.

 

[bobongo]

Sidewalk fan who grew up listening to Al Ciraldo on Saturday afternoon with my Dad in the early70s and going to one game or so a year with him. I then became a season ticket holder in the 90s and have been ever since.

I miss Al and the "Young Left-hander". I also grew up listening to Al and I credit my Tech fandom to him. I'm absolutely biased but to me he was the best - one of a kind. Irreplaceable.