SolicitorJacket
Varsity Lurker
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2003
- Messages
- 2
I floated this idea last year when the AA surprised us with the "new and improved" parking plan...IIRC, it was met with general skepticism at the time. Thought I'd throw it out there again to see if 12 months has changed anyone's mind.
Basically, I get the feeling that MARTA and MARTA $$$ is somehow connected to the way Ma Tech has decided to handle the tailgating and gameday parking.
I base this on several factors:
1) The ever increasing cost and requirements to park on game days. My understanding (and I know I could be wrong) is that a higher giving level is being required for some spots this year and the cost has jumped from 35 bucks for the pass to 65. However, the biggest new hoop is the drop from availability of 6 reserved spots down to two.
The lots which were newly restricted last year were rarely full on gamedays (O'Keefe and AMC chief among them) whereas they had been full in years past. It defies all economic sense to take an item that is exhibiting a surplus and lower the availability while raising the price. That is, unless the real $$$ are coming from a source that has a competing interest....ie MARTA.
2) The amount of advertising that bleeds over between Tech and MARTA. It far exceeds the amount given to any other team (pro or college) in the area. In addition to our Interstate matrix board flashing the MARTA logo every 10 secs, we have announcement after announcement at the games about using MARTA. Now I see there are voluminous amounts of buscards that talk about Gridiron not Gridlock and feature a Tech player on the picture. Compare the amount of stuff we hear about using MARTA for the Tech games in comparison to the Falcons or the Braves. In fact, it seems that Arthur Blank has gone above and beyond to try to create as much of a game day atmosphere as you can get down in the Trench. Part of that is seemingly acquiescing to the fact that football=tailgating. That attitude has paid off with great dividends. Tech has taken the exact opposite tact, the results should be obvious in time.
3) The method in which the parking changes are being made is indicative of a measured push toward a wholesale shift. We all remember the 3 hour letter and the stink that was raised as a result. Well now, year by year it seems, the AA is creating an atmosphere that is less and less conducive to the type of tailgating experience we had been trying to encourage of late. Instead of creating a firestorm by instituting draconian parking laws (Lots policed and won't open until 2 hours before. No RV's, strictly enforced open container laws, only select lots open), they have instead chosen to slide it all in so that every year it's a little more hassle, but without really bringing the hammer down at once. Instead of killing tailgating with a swift blow to the head, they instead are slowly poisoning it.
But why? We must remember who we are dealing with at this point. The GTAA is notorious for ham-fisted attempts at fishing for the big bucks (See also enhanced seating) at the expense of the "little guy fan" and tradition. Keeping all these factors in mind, it leads me to the conclusion that there must be $$$ involved in it somewhere....and by the character and timing of the restrictions along with the conspicuously chummy relations between the two, I would hazard a guess that the reason our gameday experience is being compromised can be traced back to MARTA.
Basically, I get the feeling that MARTA and MARTA $$$ is somehow connected to the way Ma Tech has decided to handle the tailgating and gameday parking.
I base this on several factors:
1) The ever increasing cost and requirements to park on game days. My understanding (and I know I could be wrong) is that a higher giving level is being required for some spots this year and the cost has jumped from 35 bucks for the pass to 65. However, the biggest new hoop is the drop from availability of 6 reserved spots down to two.
The lots which were newly restricted last year were rarely full on gamedays (O'Keefe and AMC chief among them) whereas they had been full in years past. It defies all economic sense to take an item that is exhibiting a surplus and lower the availability while raising the price. That is, unless the real $$$ are coming from a source that has a competing interest....ie MARTA.
2) The amount of advertising that bleeds over between Tech and MARTA. It far exceeds the amount given to any other team (pro or college) in the area. In addition to our Interstate matrix board flashing the MARTA logo every 10 secs, we have announcement after announcement at the games about using MARTA. Now I see there are voluminous amounts of buscards that talk about Gridiron not Gridlock and feature a Tech player on the picture. Compare the amount of stuff we hear about using MARTA for the Tech games in comparison to the Falcons or the Braves. In fact, it seems that Arthur Blank has gone above and beyond to try to create as much of a game day atmosphere as you can get down in the Trench. Part of that is seemingly acquiescing to the fact that football=tailgating. That attitude has paid off with great dividends. Tech has taken the exact opposite tact, the results should be obvious in time.
3) The method in which the parking changes are being made is indicative of a measured push toward a wholesale shift. We all remember the 3 hour letter and the stink that was raised as a result. Well now, year by year it seems, the AA is creating an atmosphere that is less and less conducive to the type of tailgating experience we had been trying to encourage of late. Instead of creating a firestorm by instituting draconian parking laws (Lots policed and won't open until 2 hours before. No RV's, strictly enforced open container laws, only select lots open), they have instead chosen to slide it all in so that every year it's a little more hassle, but without really bringing the hammer down at once. Instead of killing tailgating with a swift blow to the head, they instead are slowly poisoning it.
But why? We must remember who we are dealing with at this point. The GTAA is notorious for ham-fisted attempts at fishing for the big bucks (See also enhanced seating) at the expense of the "little guy fan" and tradition. Keeping all these factors in mind, it leads me to the conclusion that there must be $$$ involved in it somewhere....and by the character and timing of the restrictions along with the conspicuously chummy relations between the two, I would hazard a guess that the reason our gameday experience is being compromised can be traced back to MARTA.
