CiraldoForever
Damn Good Rat
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2014
- Messages
- 1,133
I find myself getting a little sad, nostalgic and sort of depressed over the present state of Tech athletics, especially since I'm 66 and remember my Daddy taking me to Tech games during the end of the days when Coach Dodd was our Coach and Grant Field was where everybody wanted to be.
There have been a lot of great games and some great seasons since then, but the trend has been downward in so many ways, and things never seemed less hopeful than they do now. It is just harder and harder for me to be optimistic.
I find myself thinking things like, "I'm 66. I can't let this football season be centered on Tech pulling a rabbit out of the hat. I've got to accept Tech football for what it is and not let that keep me from enjoying the overall season."
Recruiting isn't very good and, no matter the cause for this, it still means we're playing with a big disadvantage compared to the "schools" with far less demanding academic requirements for athletes. It also discourages me that the people running the institute don't seem to care very much whether Tech succeeds in sports or not.
Then, the less important things. Our last two athletic directors have left for Clemson and Purdue. And, even though I don't consider either one of them leaving a bad thing, it is embarrassing, because I remember the days when people left big programs to come to Tech.
Our last two announcers left, too, and I remember and miss the stability, loyalty and love for Tech that we heard on so many fall afternoons for so many years when Al Ciraldo and Kim King were in the booth above the West Stands.
So, I decided to look for some positives. First of all, despite last year's terrible season, we're just one year away from a team that beat Clemson and Georgia, won the Orange Bowl and finished in the Top Ten.
Second, we've got a Coach who knows what he's doing. Even though nobody thinks we'll be any good this year, he's had some good seasons, when people thought that before.
Third, we're in a solid conference. Maybe not the nation's best, but still good enough to propel the team that wins it into the championship playoffs.
Fourth, when you look at last season, we weren't out of too many games. A fumble here and an intercepted pass there, and who knows? The point is that we don't have to go back to the drawing board and start at square one.
Fifth, the excitement can come back to the Tech program as soon as we get a little positive momentum going.
Finally, when you look at our record over the history of the program, you can find plenty of times when we've seemed down for the count and gotten off the deck to have some pretty special times.
So, while I do plan on enjoying the football season regardless of how my Jackets do, I have hope that the Ramblin' Wreck might surprise us with another good season.
But, we all need to do our part to help. Tech people have the ability to support the athletic program financially a lot more than we do now, and it would be great to see that happen.
If we all pull together in every way that we can, I definitely do not think that the good times are really over for good. To Hell With Georgia!
There have been a lot of great games and some great seasons since then, but the trend has been downward in so many ways, and things never seemed less hopeful than they do now. It is just harder and harder for me to be optimistic.
I find myself thinking things like, "I'm 66. I can't let this football season be centered on Tech pulling a rabbit out of the hat. I've got to accept Tech football for what it is and not let that keep me from enjoying the overall season."
Recruiting isn't very good and, no matter the cause for this, it still means we're playing with a big disadvantage compared to the "schools" with far less demanding academic requirements for athletes. It also discourages me that the people running the institute don't seem to care very much whether Tech succeeds in sports or not.
Then, the less important things. Our last two athletic directors have left for Clemson and Purdue. And, even though I don't consider either one of them leaving a bad thing, it is embarrassing, because I remember the days when people left big programs to come to Tech.
Our last two announcers left, too, and I remember and miss the stability, loyalty and love for Tech that we heard on so many fall afternoons for so many years when Al Ciraldo and Kim King were in the booth above the West Stands.
So, I decided to look for some positives. First of all, despite last year's terrible season, we're just one year away from a team that beat Clemson and Georgia, won the Orange Bowl and finished in the Top Ten.
Second, we've got a Coach who knows what he's doing. Even though nobody thinks we'll be any good this year, he's had some good seasons, when people thought that before.
Third, we're in a solid conference. Maybe not the nation's best, but still good enough to propel the team that wins it into the championship playoffs.
Fourth, when you look at last season, we weren't out of too many games. A fumble here and an intercepted pass there, and who knows? The point is that we don't have to go back to the drawing board and start at square one.
Fifth, the excitement can come back to the Tech program as soon as we get a little positive momentum going.
Finally, when you look at our record over the history of the program, you can find plenty of times when we've seemed down for the count and gotten off the deck to have some pretty special times.
So, while I do plan on enjoying the football season regardless of how my Jackets do, I have hope that the Ramblin' Wreck might surprise us with another good season.
But, we all need to do our part to help. Tech people have the ability to support the athletic program financially a lot more than we do now, and it would be great to see that happen.
If we all pull together in every way that we can, I definitely do not think that the good times are really over for good. To Hell With Georgia!
