I'm also not dumb enough to believe there were 36,000 there. No matter how many were actually there, it wasn't good and it is indicative of a dying organization.
The saddest part of yesterday's game was how empty the stadium looked on TV. I remember when there were waiting lists for Tech season tickets. That ended when Coach Dodd retired. If has slowly gone down ever since. Now, it's just very depressing.
A lot of things contribute to the decline.
- The games take way too long, because of all the commercials.
- There are so many games on TV. When I was growing up, there was one game on TV every week, for the whole country. Tech would be on once or twice a year during the regular season.
- The whole game experience is built around what's good for TV, not what's convenient for fans. When I was young, all Tech games started at 1:00 or so, I can't remember the exact time. But, I do remember going to games with my father in law. We would eat lunch at his house in Newnan, drive to the game, park at the Coca Cola building, and walk in during the national anthem.
- The whole program was built around what the fans wanted, not what the players and recruits wanted.
- We played teams from within driving distance of Atlanta, so there were lots of visiting fans at most games.
- We were a good and well coached team every week. We won a lot, and we were usually in the games we lost. We were a big time program.
- Grant Field was the place to be. There was a lot of excitement in the air. There weren't so many other things to do.
Times have changed. I've seen parts of a lot of games on TV this year. Very low attendance stands out almost everywhere. It's not just Tech. Football is attracting less people to the games in most places, especially bigger cities. The sport is not healthy. I wonder how TV ratings are doing.
There are not many big time programs any more, in terms of doing good on the field and in the stands. I used to think winning would solve the attendance problem. I'm not even sure about that any more. I think college football is in trouble.
As for our team, it's like riding an elevator. I believe the coaches and players are doing the best they can. All I hope for this year is that they improve, play good every other week and win six games. Those are my goals, not my expectations. We looked good two weeks in a row. Then, we looked bad yesterday. That's probably the best we can do. Our 2-3 record is about what we are. This game with Duke is very big for this season. The game will be played like a bunch of people in the witness protection program getting some exercise, because there won't be anybody there. But, if we win, we'll be 3-3 and in contention for a mediocre season, which would be unexciting but a step up. If we lose, it'll be bad. I figure we've got a 50-50 chance.
