For most, if not all, Georgia Tech fans, the past week has not been the most enjoyable as Georgia Bulldogs fervor ramps up to the College Football Playoff Championship game Monday night. Making it worse is that Georgia will play Alabama less than two miles from Tech’s campus.
To understand their aggravation and lamentation, we reached out to Tech fans to ask what it has been like to experience the rise of their archrival and the outpouring of support across the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia, from breathless media coverage to “Georgia Football Friday,” and to also inquire of their plans for Monday’s game.
Their many responses, from email, Twitter and Facebook, didn’t disappoint.
“I am a Tech grad, my brother a UGA grad. We work together. This week has been brutal. Wednesday, I got the play by play of his trip to Pasadena. Even had to re-watch the game at work on ESPNU. My kids’ school is opening late on Tuesday. There is no escaping it. As for Georgia Football Friday, I’m wearing a GT shirt, just as I have every day this week. On Monday night, I may just pull out my tape of the 1990 Citrus Bowl and watch that again - it will stand Tuesday morning as still the last time a team for Georgia won a national championship.”
Jason Hill
"It's been an ever loving nightmare of a week. Can't turn on the TV, the radio, walk down the street, or get on social media without being inundated. You would think it was the 2nd coming of Jesus or something. The obnoxiousness and cockiness is out of control. #rolltide #thwg"
@buzzbabe06
“The worst part about this whole week has been the sudden resurgence of Georgia “fans.” Where I go to school, the parking lot has had a ton of Georgia flags and Georgia plates on the cars of people who haven’t been Georgia fans for a long time. A lot of bandwagon fans suddenly appearing to cheer for Georgia. A lot of them don’t really have connections to Georgia either, which makes it worse. In my opinion, to celebrate Georgia’s success you have to have been through the years that they didn’t do well. It’s also bad because I’ve been barked at several times this week.”
Reeves Guyton
"This reminds me of when I was a 2nd grader in Cordele, GA. It was 1980, and my teacher made us sing the "Georgia Bulldog Bite" song every damn day. I made up my own Tech lyrics and sang them under my breath. Hunker Down Hairy Dogs my (expletive). #THWg"
@GuerryEthan
“I live in South Carolina, so I won't really be affected by this (Georgia Football Day) proclamation, but I thought I would compare Georgia's government to what it’s like over here. Our last governor was Nikki Haley, who graduated from Clemson and has a daughter currently at Clemson. She never asked Clemson fans to wear garnet and black nor did she ask University of South Carolina fans to wear orange. Especially given the struggles Georgia has had with law enforcement and graduation rates, you'd think there would be a little more tempered adulation.”
Brett Welborn
“It's been humiliating. Even when I try to turn the conversation to basketball they have only reminded me that we are 7-7 and they are 10-3, including their 21-point domination of us in December. Maybe they really do run this state. Can we move to Alabama?
@b_n_lucas”
(This was a response from a Twitter user who is clearly a Georgia fan. Nice try, though.)
“Is there a game Monday? Isn’t football over? Moving on to basketball.”
@W4ATL
“Third-generation Tech alum of a now four-generation Georgia Tech family (Generation 5 is in the 2nd grade). I have never worn red & black together. In fact, I am not sure I even own anything red.
Georgia Football Friday meant nothing to me & I am not sure that I had even heard about until I logged onto Twitter just now. As for Monday night, I am married to a woman from Alabama & we will both be saying #RollTide all night long.”
Calvin Johnson (not that Calvin Johnson)
“I know for UGA fans this season has been great and my friends are happy that are getting to see their team play for a national championship. But, I can never cheer for UGA or Bama. Yes, we Tech fans hate UGA, but we also have a history with Alabama.
"Tech is even mentioned in their fight song. Tech fans have forgotten the history between Bear Byrant and Bobby Dodd and the reason of why Tech left the SEC. In addition, many forget the story of the Alabama player who fractured many bones in the face of a GT player (Chick Graning) after a fair catch was signaled. There is just too much history and hate to cheer for either team. I will find something else to do Monday night."
Steve Tanner
“I plan to draw as much attention to myself as possible, maybe wearing something really gaudy like Lady Gaga shoulder pads, and then shout to others to teach them humility.”
@BJCobb56
“It’s like watching the family with lily white skin walk onto a beach. It’s obvious they’ve never been there before.”
@kbarimo
“Spent the day disgusted at the government's proclamation and how they would never have these special events if Tech were in the same position. Also reflected on the fact that they put a column in the middle of an arch.”
@katelovesboeing
“It’s like the wealthiest doofus in town (Kirby) who has every possible resource and advantage also won the lottery and you have to watch him spend the money while all the other doofuses tell him how handsome he looks in his new blazer. UGA can’t lose by enough Monday night.”
@GTechYJ
“I was lucky enough to be out of town all week and not have to hear all the hype. Since I'm now back in GA, I'll just abstain from watching or listening to local TV. THWg!!!”
Amanda Tuck
“I’ve intentionally turned off sports talk radio this week and swerved around all articles on Myajc.com.
As for Monday night, I’m hosting a few friends at my house who are all puppy fans and I’m pretending to be on their side. But secretly I’m praying for an Alabama come from behind win on a freakish play in the closing seconds of the game so I can watch them lose their minds! #THWG”
(Name withheld to preserve the subterfuge)
“This week has made me sick. The coverage has been sickening and embarrassing. As a lifelong Tech fan and a graduate, we've NEVER received this type of coverage. Your employer is one of the worst offenders. I've stopped my subscription over this very issue. The cheerleading by the AJC for UGA is a joke.
“The wealth of resources provided to their coverage and absence of resources to cover Tech is ridiculous. Gov. Deal just added fuel to the fire. I hope Alabama pimp slaps those toothless, hillbilly rednecks. I hate them with everything in my heart, mind, soul and body. To Hell With Georgia. And to Hell with your employer (no offense to you, you do great work), this stupid proclamation by Gov. Deal and all other media mouthpieces for UGa, including 680, 92.9, WSB, 11 Alive and Fox 5.”
Tann McKenzie
“Our school staff was asked to wear red/black today. I told my principal if we “had” to-I would call in sick!! THWG Roll Tide on Monday!”
@sherrystrange
“I walked into my gym and was immediately accosted with why I wasn’t wearing red and black. This week has been me politely nodding to UGA fans at work, not admitting that I was rooting for OU”
@gtpiamp
How about when this was your 2nd grade daughter’s reading assignment this morning in class 😡 pic.twitter.com/EnatMHMJZx
— Jessica Arnoldy (@JessicaArnoldy) January 5, 2018
“My worst nightmare. Please make it stop and go away. 35 years later and not much has changed except the bandwagon has taken on many more passengers.”
@fredfarmer
“I bought some weed for the 1st time since 2015”
@jwill8311
“Worked from home on Friday, and avoided the loudmouth UGA fan that never attended UGA.”
@gmontsalvatge
“All week every local business has been sending out UGA propaganda in their marketing blasts. I want to boycott every single business. Every publication lists UGA as "home" in Atlanta, it's not, it's located in Athens. Teachers giving UGA propaganda to children during school.”
@FlyStefMcD
This will be me on Mon night pic.twitter.com/IeG617qjn3
— claylayfield (@claylayfield) January 5, 2018
“Imagine a cat clawing your eyeballs. That’s an improvement.”
@bonedaddy03
Update: I didn’t move far enough pic.twitter.com/GTivMJx2JG
— Robert Binion (@robert_binion) January 5, 2018
“I've been barked at several times this week while at work, and I don't work with animals.”
@T_Clark39
“Someone said this to me and it is my new motto for this weekend:
“‘Rooting for UGA just because you're in GA is like rooting for the devil just because he is in the Bible.’”
Kathy Long
“I guess even the dwags deserve one shot a century (1980 and now) but at the end of the evening I want that trophy firmly in the hands of Nick Saban”
Jack Quick
“Imagine you’re on a train. All around you is the sound of grown men barking like a bunch of dogs from a Loony Tunes episode. You hear over the radio the sound of a “fight song” that was ripped off from a hymn book being sung by a bunch of tone deaf rednecks. You look out the window and see a bleak wasteland where all things bright and beautiful have been replaced by red and black fires. Up ahead is the horrible b-list freak show that is the future where georgia (lowercase intended) wins the title game. And for the next two hundred something days you must walk into local sports shops and see ornaments and t-shirts commemorating that nightmare and have to avert your eyes and resist the urge to throw it all away and burn the establishment to the grown.
“Pulling your head back inside the singing has been replaced by chanting. You hear drums in the distance falling in line with the lull of the train engine. Signaling the end of the ride and the beginning of judgement day.
“Your heart turns to lead and your limbs to ice as you ask the higher powers at work how this all came to be. Your lungs feel as though they have been chained. But you suck in enough breath to let out one final yell before it all ends, ‘TO HELL WITH gEORGIA!’
“That has been my week.
“Go Jackets.”
Micah Redding
Blakely Bower It's just seems like a lot of hype and show and flair for a team that, no matter what happens this weekend, will still not have as many national titles as Tech.
Jared Davies I'll be contemplating moving out of state....at very least to the state of denial.
Jim Eacona Sick of AJC sports being so dawg dominated. THWg.
Andrew Smith Trying to schedule a root canal for Monday evening.
Jennie Evert Won't be watching; can't stand the way u (sic)ga gets all the attention all the time no matter the circumstances. I am a GT grad, married to a GT grad and mother of 2 bachelor and masters GT grads. Our two favorite teams are Tech and whoever is playing georgia so, in conclusion, Roll Tide Roll!!!!!!
Mary Anne Carroll Gordon We live 10 minutes from Athens, so it is pretty much like living in the ninth ring of hell. All I can say is "Roll Tide!"
Joseph Buffo Like my absolute worst nightmare come to life.
Reid Puckett It will be like watching North Korea against Iran...Roll Tide though...just threw up in my mouth a little...
Ken Jones It's taken awhile to sort out my feelings on this one - Jake Fromm was playing HS football in my hometown last year and I am honestly just tired of seeing Alabama win - so, although I could never actually cheer FOR Georgia, I do want them to win the championship and then go undefeated up until Tech stomps them next year - the possibility of beating an undefeated, reigning NCAA champion in 2018 is the best of possible options to this unfortunate turn of events..
Marjorie Howard Smallwood Sorry I am a GT fan first but I am a Dawg this weekend! I love all my Ga teams and I mean all, and I am pulling for Ga to win this National Championship! Let's not be so petty guys, this is good for our state! (One of a handful to adopt a pro-UGA stance.)
Ken Jackson Never.
Ben Ponder OK, living right outside of the Athens city limits I am forever inundated with Bulldog propaganda. Just about every other car has a Georgia G license plate, all the convenience stores, grocery stores, Wal Marts you go into has UGA merchandise but no Tech merchandise. UGA gets all the headline stories on the local TV stations out of Tech's own beloved city Atlanta. They always have more radio stations that cover their games, no matter what the sport, with much stronger signals along with much longer pre and post game shows. I can't even hardly listen to a Tech game called on the radio due to the fact that 680 hardly picks up out here in Oconee County. Can't listen to the coaches show if I have to drive somewhere during the broadcast...at night their radio reception is a joke. So, how do I feel about the Dogs being in the NC game...let's just say "frustrated" is a nice and polite way of expressing how I feel about it.
Thankfully I'm in a blues/rock band and we have practice that night in preparation for an upcoming show. That is my therapy for having the Bulldog blues! Ha!
Steve Rothschild I hope Bama wins 221-0. THWG!
Tim Rusk Bourbon. Lots of bourbon.
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