Home Field Advantage

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gt02

Damn Good Rat
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There is an article in the AJC about Tech wanting to develop more of a home field advantage. [http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-b...ntimidating/?cxntfid=blogs_jeff_schultz_blog] Although I can't stand Schultz, I generally agree that Bobby Dodd has not been the most intimidating place during the past 10 years. There have been exceptions that come to mind (e.g., FSU game last year) but as a whole, we need to do a better job of filling up our stadium.

Anyways, I read this comment in the comments section of the article: "Tech has the most wins at it’s home football stadium than any other school has at their home stadium in the history of college football." Is that true?
 
gt02 said:
There is an article in the AJC about Tech wanting to develop more of a home field advantage. [http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-b...ntimidating/?cxntfid=blogs_jeff_schultz_blog] Although I can't stand Schultz, I generally agree that Bobby Dodd has not been the most intimidating place during the past 10 years. There have been exceptions that come to mind (e.g., FSU game last year) but as a whole, we need to do a better job of filling up our stadium.

Anyways, I read this comment in the comments section of the article: "Tech has the most wins at it’s home football stadium than any other school has at their home stadium in the history of college football." Is that true?
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I wouldn't doubt it since we have the oldest stadium in D1-FBS.
 
Since my days as a student, I've been generally frustrated (and often furious) with the lack of support that Tech fans generate. Looking at the powerhouse programs, their fans come to cheer, cheer loud, and cheer often.

We are lucky if our fans stand and cheer on 3rd down. I'm assuming their logic is as follows: "if I cheer on 3rd down, perhaps it will disrupt what the other team is doing, fire our guys up, etc. with the ultimate goal of forcing the other team to punt." If this is indeed the logic used, why not scream your head off every down when our guys are on defense.
If we expect our team to bring it on every play....shouldn't we as fans do the same? There is nothing more disheartening than seeing one of our guys (MJ, Adamm Oliver, etc.) over the years trying to get the crowd fired up to no avail.

I've actually been told on many occasions over the years to sit down and be quiet BY TECH FANS, when all I am doing is standing and supporting our defense. I told some guy last year that if he felt that way he should have gone to KC with Gailey, that times are changing under CPJ. Apathethic and unsupportive fans have no place in consistently successful programs, and those of us programs trying to get there.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU for 2009:
1. When our team is on defense, stand and scream every down. Good will happen.
2. Spread the word. Let's get screaming TECH fans in the seats of BDS to give us a true home field advantage.
3. ZERO TOLERANCE - do not tolerate anything less from the fans around you at BDS than you expect from our team. 100% all the time!

GIVE 'EM HELL TECH.
 
Some facts from the Media Guide. No mention of having more wins at home.

Bobby Dodd Stadium
Originally built in 1913 by members of the student body, Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field is the oldest on-campus stadium in NCAA Division I-A and easily one of the nation’s most unique settings for college football.
In the 95 autumns since then, legends from Clint Castleberry to George Morris to Joe Hamilton to Calvin Johnson have played on Grant Field, and Paul Johnson joins coaching giants such as John Heisman and Bobby Dodd in patrolling the Grant Field sideline.

Four national title teams and 15 conference champions have showcased their skills on the Flats, and Grant Field was the site of one of the most famous games ever played, Tech’s 222-0 win over Cumberland in 1916.

Today’s Bobby Dodd Stadium seats 55,000 fans in a modern, comfortable facility that embraces the tradition that has made Tech’s venerable stadium a cornerstone of college football for nearly a century.

Milestone Games In Bobby Dodd Stadium
First Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 27, 1913 Ft. McPherson W 19-0
First Game vs. Georgia. . . . . . . . . Nov. 15, 1913 Georgia L 0-14
First Win vs. Georgia . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 13, 1914 Georgia W 7-0
First Thanksgiving Day Game. . . . Nov. 27, 1913 Clemson W 34-0
First Game Under Coach Alexander Sept. 25, 1920 Wake Forest W 44-0
100th Win. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 28, 1929 Auburn W 19-16
First SEC Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oct, 14, 1933 Auburn W 16-6
First Night Game. . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 26, 1936 Presbyterian W 55-0
First Game vs. Ranked Opponent Nov. 7, 1936 Auburn (#20) L 12-13
First Game Under Coach Dodd . . . Oct. 6, 1945 Notre Dame L 7-40
First Win Under Coach Dodd . . . . Oct. 13, 1945 Howard (Ala.) W 43-0
First Televised Game . . . . . . . . . . Oct. 2, 1948 Tulane W 13-7
200th Win. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 8, 1952 Army W 45-6
First Game Televised By NBC . . . . Sept. 17, 1955 Miami W 14-6
First Game As An Independent . . . Sept. 19, 1964 Vanderbilt W 14-2
Last Game Under Coach Dodd . . . Nov. 12, 1966 Penn State W 21-0
300th Win. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 20, 1975 Miami W 38-23
First ACC Game . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nov. 3, 1979 Duke W 24-14
First Game Televised By TBS . . . . . Nov. 3, 1983 Virginia W 31-27
First Game Televised By ESPN . . . . . . Sept. 29, 1984 Clemson W 28-21
First Game Televised By Raycom . . . . Oct. 6, 1984 NC State L 22-27
First Game Televised By CBS . . . . . . . Oct. 19, 1985 Auburn L 14-17
First ESPN Thursday Night Game. . . . Sept. 19, 1991 Virginia W 24-21
400th Win. . . . . . . . . . . . . Aug. 31, 2002 Vanderbilt W 45-3
First Game Under Coach Johnson . . . Aug. 28, 2008 Jacksonville State W 41-14
Georgia Tech's All-Time Record at Bobby Dodd Stadium . . 429-179-19 (96 years)
Total Games Played In Bobby Dodd Stadium. . . . . . . . . . . . . 627
Longest Winning Streak at Bobby Dodd Stadium . . . . . . . . . . 23 games (1915-19)
Longest Win Streak at Bobby Dodd (Since 1950) . . 17 games (1951-54; 1989-91)
Longest Unbeaten Streak at Bobby Dodd Stadium . . . . . . . . . 37 games (1914-19)
Longest Unbeaten Streak at Bobby Dodd Stadium (Since 1950) . . 22 games (1950-54)

Record By Decade
1913-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-5-2
1920-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-12-6
1930-39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-28-4
1940-49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51-16-0
1950-59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45-14-4
1960-69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-16-1
1970-79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47-21-2
1980-89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-30--2
1990-99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-19-0
2000-08 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-18-0
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429-179-19
 
Buzz Life said:
I've actually been told on many occasions over the years to sit down and be quiet BY TECH FANS, when all I am doing is standing and supporting our defense. I told some guy last year that if he felt that way he should have gone to KC with Gailey, that times are changing under CPJ. Apathethic and unsupportive fans have no place in consistently successful programs, and those of us programs trying to get there.
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This happens to me whenever I sit on the West side. I think the end zones are fine, and the East side usually gets up for big plays, but the West side I've found to be kind of weak.
 
gt02 said:
This happens to me whenever I sit on the West side. I think the end zones are fine, and the East side usually gets up for big plays, but the West side I've found to be kind of weak.
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Out tickets were in the North Stands last year where this happened. We moved to the Lower East this year. The crowd there tends to be more supportive.
 
gt02 said:
This happens to me whenever I sit on the West side. I think the end zones are fine, and the East side usually gets up for big plays, but the West side I've found to be kind of weak.
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The obvious answer to our problem is a StingTalk Section at BDS! :D
 
Buzz Life said:
MY CHALLENGE TO YOU for 2009:
1. When our team is on defense, stand and scream every down. Good will happen.
2. Spread the word. Let's get screaming TECH fans in the seats of BDS to give us a true home field advantage.
3. ZERO TOLERANCE - do not tolerate anything less from the fans around you at BDS than you expect from our team. 100% all the time!

GIVE 'EM HELL TECH.
Click to expand...

I admire your spirit but I don't understand your Zero Tolerance prong. No tolerance for another person's silence? How do I demonstrate my lack of tolerance? Do I simply inform the quiet person that I refuse to tolerate his silence? Or else what? Tell the stand manager? I agree that the quiet guy should not tell you not to yell on third down but you should also not tell the quiet guy that he has to yell. In fact, no ticket-holding fan should ever tell another one how to behave for any reason other than things that are just absolutely inappropriate (too much cursing in front of kids, being so drunk that you are a danger to yourself and others, walking past me during a play rather than waiting until dead ball, being a fan of the opposing team, listening to and talking about the Braves game, etc.)
 
GiveEmHellJackets said:
I admire your spirit but I don't understand your Zero Tolerance prong. No tolerance for another person's silence? How do I demonstrate my lack of tolerance? Do I simply inform the quiet person that I refuse to tolerate his silence? Or else what? Tell the stand manager? I agree that the quiet guy should not tell you not to yell on third down but you should also not tell the quiet guy that he has to yell. In fact, no ticket-holding fan should ever tell another one how to behave for any reason other than things that are just absolutely inappropriate (too much cursing in front of kids, being so drunk that you are a danger to yourself and others, walking past me during a play rather than waiting until dead ball, being a fan of the opposing team, listening to and talking about the Braves game, etc.)
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Simply put, just lead by example, try to get others involved, etc. This does not mean trying to be a dictator, jerk, or similar.

I got this premise from the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have a huge sign at their stadium that says "ZERO TOLERANCE". Fans can infer what they want to, but the underlying message is clear: just look at the sustained success they have enjoyed. It starts at the top with the Rooneys, then the GM/Coaching Staff, then the Players, then ultimately the fans. I've been to a Monday night game in Pittsburgh, and let me tell you...those are true fans.

Their philosophy is tried and true and could easily be translated to the college level. I get the impression that our leader, CPJ, is a "Zero Tolerance" kind of guy.
 
Before the games they announce it as the "oldest and winningest on-campus Division I-A stadium." Now, I don't know if there is an off campus I-A stadium that trumps that. But, if memory serves me correct, the 2nd oldest is Miss. St. (1918) and the winningest in the nations is the Yale Bowl, which is not Division I.

As for the fan support, it is extremely frustrating for me as a SWARM member who gets there hours or even days before games to show up and not be joined by every Tech fan once the game starts in giving my all on every play, just as the players do. I hope that with more wins comes more support and more noise. I wish we had Midnight Yell like Texas A&M for the students and had some way to get the rest of the stadium to join in.
 
turbanicusgt said:
As for the fan support, it is extremely frustrating for me as a SWARM member who gets there hours or even days before games to show up and not be joined by every Tech fan once the game starts in giving my all on every play, just as the players do.
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You guys get there days before games?
 
gt02 said:
You guys get there days before games?
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Yes. For big games a lot of times a day before for football. For basketball sometimes it was several days before. The seats were totally worth it.
 
GiveEmHellJackets said:
In fact, no ticket-holding fan should ever tell another one how to behave for any reason other than things that are just absolutely inappropriate (too much cursing in front of kids, being so drunk that you are a danger to yourself and others, walking past me during a play rather than waiting until dead ball, being a fan of the opposing team, listening to and talking about the Braves game, etc.)
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I agree with you almost completely. Except, that if the other person was a fan (and not an elderly fan), no one would have to encourage them to stand up and cheer.

I can't stand Tech "fans" who won't cheer or come to games, when they have no legitimate family, money, or distance excuses.

Let me make this clear: If you can cheer, and choose not to, you aren't a fan. I cheered loudly through the Gailey years. So did a lot of other people. Some of them cheered through the B*** L***** years. Really, if you are a fan, it is not difficult.
 
gth816f said:
Yes. For big games a lot of times a day before for football. For basketball sometimes it was several days before. The seats were totally worth it.
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Wow, mad props. I remember when I was at tech, camping out for tickets, and getting to games super early for good seats, but I don't remember it ever being days.
 
#1, your freedom stops where my nose begins, so don't try to tell me to yell or not.

#2 we do need to improve the homefield advantage but you have to quit chasing revenue maximization like Braine was into. Thats why he would just as soon sell a ticket to a UGAg, Auburn, or Clemson fan as fast as a Tech fan. Good to see this year that Dawg fans couldn't just buy the 3 game package to get tickets.

If we have extras we need to give them away to real Tech fans before selling them to the enemy. I would try to market a joint cheap ticket, discount air fare package to out of state alumni as an example to get folks back to campus for a game or two.

The seat license fiasco has hurt attendance some too, as well as pissed off some loyal fans. This will probably be my last year of paying $350/seat for the pleasure of buying a ticket since I am now a starving new consultant. That is unless some of you guys start hiring me.
 
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