How can Tech capture the imaginations of Atlanta?

GTg8r

GTg8r

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So I'm sitting here watching UF-SFKUGA from 03?
Looking "objectively" at what Richt has built in Athens, georgie is built on smoke and mirrors. Unless they have a talent advantage, Richt is going to chew up yardage and kick field goals. How else is Billy Bennett the NCAA field goal leader?

Back to my point...more than anything Georgia has built a mysticism around their program. Are they good yes, are they great no(or at least they haven't proved it, yet)
Still, They attract a signficnat following.
Are there concrete reasons why? They don't have 12 national titles, great intimidating traditions(what's the difference between UGA and Bully or Eli Yale).

I'm sitting in North Central Florida and the only thing I can point to is that Georgia markets itself so well to the media. The 2002 SEC championship was won against one of the weakest opponents in the games history. Last year, they go to Atl, because the AD's chickened out and didn't reward the SEC head to head...they relied on a flawed BCS formula.

I can only point to the Road win streak that Richt has developed, and the sheer amount of good recruits in the state.

So what is georgia's attraction to the average sports fan, other then thats whom you read about in every newspaper.

It just seems that georgia mostly outmarkets us to attract fans, yet we're the ones offering multi-game packages...

I'm just pondering...
 
First, the job is not to capture the imaginations of Atlantans. It is to capture the imagination of Georgians. The whole state pays taxes for this school. See how we have boxed ourselves in? Second, in 1964 a young coach named Dooley realized that the way to build his program was to beat his rival, and then create bigger rivals. One big win was not the means to the end, it is used as a building block. For instance, this years basketball team got hot during one tournament at the end. Yes, it was great, but if any GT fans think we have arrived then we will only sink as low as we did after BC went to the final 4. We have not arrived. Looking at last year is always a recipe for losers. You beat your rival. Beating UM, UVa, UNC, all of that is nice. It does not mean anything though. If we want to build a program, sell the tickets to ALL the football fans in the state, we must start beating our rival. Ads in the paper, at movie theatres, etc are a good thing to do. But you must beat your rival. And when we do, that does not mean we have arrived because you need to do it the next time as well. It is simple.
 
I see us as having several significant disadvantages to the school in Athens. First, they are a university, which means their broad based academia appeals to a wider variety of students, not the least of which are lots of southern belles. They are almost 60% female, compared to our 10-15%, which would have to appeal to young male athletes.
Next, they have beaten us consistently in most every sport for the past couple of generations. No doubt this has had an impact on most of the general fan base around the state that are not alums of either school. Some of this history may have been precipitated by our foolish exit from the SEC, which caused us to remain independent for so long and lose the big traditional rivalries they still enjoy. These big rivalries attract massive crowds to their games, which can make our games appear inferior to recruits that visit both institutions. While we have to come up with marketing gimmicks to sell tickets, they sell out every game to crowds that can triple ours.
Third, being a university, they are able to offer courses of study that we can't, and thereby attract more in-state athletes. We have to search the country for players that are interested in what we offer, while they are able to appeal to most of the top athletes in the state, and of course, the state of Georgia is loaded with some of America's best players. As a result, they are a team made primarily of Georgians, which further adds to their in-state appeal vs. ours.
And lastly, except for our one great team 14 years ago, our consistent absence from the upper echelon of the game during the lifetime of most Georgians has to have had an impact on our statewide fan support. The great teams we had 40-50 years ago don't attract the kinds of athletes it takes to compete with schools like Ugag. To do so, in my opinion, will only come when we somehow can attract enough quality out of state players to build a winning team. We'll then need to hang on to the coach that was able to do that, as compared to seeing him leave for other pastures like we've had in the past. Maybe one day!
 
Intelligent positions...

1. Basketball didn't sink until we stopped being able to recruit. We were actually quite good until 1997. Consistently Top 25.

2. I disagree with a signifcant focus on the state, because I think creation of a stranglehold of Atlanta is INFINITELY more important than the rest of the state. Atlanta is the money and power center. During the "Golden Year", Tech football was THE EVENT in ATLANTA.
To some extent, it was the same from 1999-2001.

3. You're absolutely right that we must beat our rival, but don't we also have to present ourselves as an alternative. The question that I can't answer from the typical sports fan is "why georgia?" Answering "why not georgia Tech?" is easy; but what is the attraction of SFKUGA.

3. Buzzed, you haven't been to campus since the early 90's. Tech is strongly 30% female. They're not overly focused on their looks, which most of the ladies are here in G'ville, but they are there. And from what I saw, no football player ever had problems finding girls after the game. Besides, how does number of co-eds attract a typical sports fan to buy tickets and attend a game?

4. I understand our need for players,and that's recruiting leading to success to recruiting. Hell, Bob Stoops did it at OU in 3 years...it was just an attitude in the program.
Still, OU was selling Tickets and making fans during the Gary Gibbs and John Blake years.

My key question is what is the difference between GT and SFKUGA that makes sports fans pick georgia?

All I see from UGA is infinitely better marketing, and a huge committment to football(good or not).
What is our committment and what type of fan does it attract?
 
It\'s about winning

or the anticipation of winning. It's about striving for championships. If Uga's coach doesn't compete for the championship, he's gone & they try another(Goof,Duhnan,Durham,baseball coach before Polk, etc). Simple, really, 6-5 7-4 is just not good enough. All the SEC teams follow this philosophy.
At Duke, NCar, WF, u can't get a basketball ticket for yrs, yet they can't sell as many football tix. Why? They win in basketball & compete for championships, but they don't win in football.
Ga Tech's basketball tix will be the hottest property in Atl for the next 2-3 yrs, at least, & probably longer. People (basketball fans) realize this team is after it. If Tech's football team hits an ACC championship & major Bowl everyone reading this will be flabbergasted at how many GT fans will pack the Bowl (i.e. 40,000 Yellow Jacket fannies in the Citrus Bowl after '90 & as many in Gator after '98) & Dodd Stadium the following yr.
 
Re: It\'s about winning

you got it Ace. We have to win and win consistently. We also have to win against the name teams we play. Auburn was a good start, but we need to get competitive again with ugag and we needed to beat FSU. Now we have shots at Miami and VT. Beating UVA, UNC, etc., is good for our record and bowl chances, but we will never capture ATL or GA hearts by beating those guys. We need to do well against the big boys of Southern football, win 10+ games a year (or at least have a real shot at it), and go to some good bowls. The rest takes care of itself.
 
You got it, too!

U can certainly say we're on the exact same page on this one. Just think what would happen if we string together the wins over the teams we really should beat with a big upset(Aub,not let FSU pull it out,again). That's how we can create excitment for our program. Atlanta & the state of Georgia will just plain out back a winner.
 
agree completely...

you saw it with the basketball program. There was a STATE-WIDE buzz that I don't think I have seen with GT football in last few decades.

The reality is Ugag is not coached by Donnan anymore and until that D coach gets a HC job it is going to be tough to keep them down.
 
Tech will never capture the imagination of the rest of Atlanta, because they think we think we're better than the rest of them. And quite frankly, we are better than the rest of them. We are snobs, and with good reason.

But forget all that. It seems to me there are too many Tech fans who whine and wring their hands, and simply crave the attention and admiration of the public, like some kid who was neglected while he was growing up.

It's time for these Tech fans to get some self-respect.

We have a small but elite fan base. Sit back and be content with that fact. Who cares what the ignorant masses think of us? Be proud and smug and yes, be a little too full of yourself, for you are a Yellow Jacket, by God, and there just isn't anything better to be.
 
I agree...REALLY since Bobby Dodd....

NO GT Head Coach and i Mean NO Head Coach has built us up into a Team that contends for Titles every year..Year in and Year out...I look at Oleary ( he came as close as any..But still NO Cigar!!!! ) His record here as Follows: 1st year..0-3 lost to Ugag...2nd year..6-5 lost to ugag..3rd year Record was 5-6 lost to ugag...4th year record was 7-5 and once again lost to ugag...5th year here 10-2 and Finally beat ugag...6th year here BACK to 8-4 again a Medicore record at best But at least we beat ugag...7th year here his record was 9-3 and beat ugag...8th and final year here BACK again to mediocrity..a record of 8-5 and a loss to ugag...So Oleary fared better than any coach SINCE Dodd and yet we NEVER did get to a point where we were a 10 game winner and contending for titles every year....

So YES!!! I long for the Head Coach that will Build us a Program that will contend for ACC Titles every year and that a 9 win year is considered a DOWN year...We have NOT had that Since Bobby Dodd...Some of you guys are way too young and dont realize that...

All that being said: I feel we can and will get to that point and should expect that...And yes at GT it does take longer to build a consistent winner...I look at the past 2 years and see 7-6 as historically a great start for a new GT Head Coach and feel that with our current Head coach's impressive resume and the Fact he loves this state, is from this state and WANTS to be here and his continued improvement each year in recruiting that we possibly have our best shot at building a consistent winner in the very near future..2005 or maybe 2006 and beyond...

YES...GT has finally got to build a consistent winner...A program that contends for Titles every year..We all should expect that and grow used to that....Every year and not the occasional good year and then back to a 7 to 8 win year....
 
[ QUOTE ]
First, the job is not to capture the imaginations of Atlantans. It is to capture the imagination of Georgians. The whole state pays taxes for this school. See how we have boxed ourselves in? Second, in 1964 a young coach named Dooley realized that the way to build his program was to beat his rival, and then create bigger rivals. One big win was not the means to the end, it is used as a building block. For instance, this years basketball team got hot during one tournament at the end. Yes, it was great, but if any GT fans think we have arrived then we will only sink as low as we did after BC went to the final 4. We have not arrived. Looking at last year is always a recipe for losers. You beat your rival. Beating UM, UVa, UNC, all of that is nice. It does not mean anything though. If we want to build a program, sell the tickets to ALL the football fans in the state, we must start beating our rival. Ads in the paper, at movie theatres, etc are a good thing to do. But you must beat your rival. And when we do, that does not mean we have arrived because you need to do it the next time as well. It is simple.

[/ QUOTE ]

you are exactly right. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hitit.gif
 
Re: I agree...REALLY since Bobby Dodd....

BW has hit upon a very good point. I believe we have a coach who not only wants to be here, but wants to stay here. Who is proud of his home state. A guy who knows what deep south football is about. A guy who, I hope, does not have his eye looking at other potential jobs. That means a lot, and I do not think it can be said of many of our HC's in the last 32 years.
 
it boils down to 2 things...

1. UGA has won more often in football than we have over the past 40 years. People want to pull for a winner. The SEC has also had more compelling football for the past 40 years. Losing 10 of 13 certainly doesn't help win the masses. The flip side of this is that more people in the state are interested in GT and ACC basketball than UGA...for the exact same reasons.

2. Whether most will admit it or not, Georgia Tech does not welcome outsiders. There is an elitism and a "not invented" here mentality that dominates the thinking of MANY gt alums. The looking down upon other schools and "sidewalk" alums at GT is stronger than any other school I've seen in the South.

When you have a lesser product for a long time and a less outsider friendly culture, you get a smaller fan base.

The upside is seen as less riff raff. But riff raff pays the bills and fills the seats b/c GT alums sure don't.
 
Re: it boils down to 2 things...

Good post Yoda.

I had an interesting conversation with a member of the GT PR/Ticket office staff recently.

He claims that GT has actually INTENTIONALLY resricted it's marketing and fundraising specificly to those that had a direct affiliation with GT until about 3 years ago. I've never heard of any other school doing anything like that, and if it's been done for years and years, it will take a while, but not near the time it has been done.

In Augusta, you can't go 2 miles without seeing a car with a sticker that says, "Augusta Bulldog Club." I asked about 3 years ago at the GT event, why we had no similar stickers. The response was that, after an alumni focus group questioning, that the alumni didn't want to do things like UGA, and also didn't want just everybody representing the school anyway. This is per the guy that organized the event that year.

As a guy that did not graduate from GT, but donates each year, more than many who did, it was a frustrating conversation. I wondered who the guy thought he was talking to.

Now, you can't go 5 miles without seeing a GT something or other in Augusta, and that's with just one big basketball season. A good football season or two will have a huge impact, and that's probably not too far away.

It seems the school has realized that we need the money and support, no matter who it comes from, and now GT is taking steps to change the influence of the past.

Ronald Reagan, just before his 2nd term, recieved a huge contribution from a gay group in California. A reporter asked if his acceptance of that money meant he supported gays, he said, "The donation of that money means they support me."

Whether the alumni think they want to be associated with Joe Blow or not, they better start wanting outside money in the program if they want the program to continue to grow. It seems that is happening, and that the parties involved are doing the right things, but like I said earlier, it will just take time.

GT has so much to sell to a student, and athlete, an alumni, and an outsider with money. GT football can be whatever it decides to be. I think we are on the right track to even bigger things.
 
Re: Intelligent positions...

[ QUOTE ]
I disagree with a signifcant focus on the state, because I think creation of a stranglehold of Atlanta is INFINITELY more important than the rest of the state. Atlanta is the money and power center. During the "Golden Year", Tech football was THE EVENT in ATLANTA.
To some extent, it was the same from 1999-2001.

[/ QUOTE ]

True, Atlanta should be overrun with GT fans. This is were we live, there shouldn't be any question about who has the bigger fanbase in Atlanta, and a lot of what the school is trying to do will make that happen in the next few years. With Tech Square up and coming, and Atlantic Station if it ever gets built, GT is doing more and more to make itself be more of a part of the Atlanta community. Hopefully this will work out for us on some level.

Realistically though, TSFKAUGA has 3 times the number of students that we have at any given time. This alone accounts for much of the difference, thinking back to my high school years I knew 0 people (outside of family) who had attended Tech. Now granted I come from the Middle GA area where "edjumacation" isn't exactly priority #1, but still. Tech grads go all over the country, and a much smaller percentage stays in Georgia, with the leghumpers tend to come back home and write for their local paper or sell insurance. Exposure does a lot of create fans.
 
Hey Bunger, In the future, please...

only speak for yourself. I don't think that having graduated from GT necessarily makes me better or worse than anyone else. Just because someone didn't go to GT, doesn't mean they couldn't hack it. Maybe they would have done better than me - who knows?

You sound like you've never been outside of the Atlanta city limits with that parochial attitude.

Please don't assume that everyone who graduated from GT is an arrogant snob like you. BTW, that was not intended as an insult. You yourself said you are proud of being a snob.

Also the dictionary does not define snob as someone who is actually better than someone else, but rather as someone whose "condescension arises from social or intellectual pretension."

On second thought, I agree with you. You have every reason to be a snob.
 
Re: Hey Bunger, In the future, please...

It sounds like you're saying "snob" means someone who thinks he is better than everyone else, when really he is not.

In that case, the word I meant is one that applies to us Tech fans: someone who thinks he is better than everyone else, and who actually is.
 
I understand what you are saying....

but I can't think of the exact word that fits either!
 
We\'ve Won 24 Games...

...over the past two years. You can't do that with just "smoke & mirrors." As far as your comment about the SEC ADs "chickening out and not awarding the SEC East Championship based on head to head" UGA beats UT, UT beats UF, UF beats UGA and all three schools end up with the same conference record. Now, Einstein how on earth do you award the SEC East Championship based on head to head results? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wtf.gif
MJ_AU_03.jpg
 
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