from the 11.27.07 print edition of the herald-gazette. aerial photo is of grant field decked out in bulldog red. ironically, it is from the official georgia tech website.
In the end, all they had was ‘Rocky Top’
By Walter Geiger
As I strolled out of Grant Field Saturday night with a fat, celebratory Cuban cigar clenched in my teeth, I heard the unmistakable strains of ‘Rocky Top’.
You know ‘Rocky Top’ - that sickening tune that brings to mind mouth breathing hillbilly moonshiners, the most hideous shades of orange and the Tennessee Vols.
In the wake of their seventh consecutive loss to Georgia, one of the Tech fraternity houses was blasting the fight song of another school at top volume in reference to Tennessee’s win over Kentucky earlier in the day that kept Georgia out of the SEC title game.
I thought to myself how sad it was the the Tech nation could do no better than that after a big time college football game.
Though we make fun of it, Grant Field is an historic stadium and a great place to watch a football game.
I thought I would need Sir Edmund Hillary and a couple of Sherpas to guide me to my seat in the nosebleed section of the north end zone but, once I was there, I had a great view of the field and the Atlanta skyline.
The atmosphere was of a football classic enlivened by Georgia fans checking all sorts of electronic devices to keep up with the Kentucky-Tennessee thriller.
Tech-Georgia didn’t disappoint either. It was a great game as this one usually is.
But, ‘Rocky Top’ cheapened it.
It cheapened a game in which the two teams were only two seconds apart in time of possession.
It cheapened the 134 yards rushing on 25 carries by Tech tailback Tashard Choice and the 139 yards on 17 carries by Georgia’s Thomas Brown who stole the limelight from his teammate, freshman sensation Knowshon Moreno.
It cheapened a hard fought first half which ended with Georgia up 16-14.
It cheapened the efforts of two defensive units that battled down to the wire. Tech’s defense gave up 15 second half points but blitzed from every angle and left it all on the field.
Georgia’s defense held Tech to but three points in the second half but benefitted from several interceptions and some lucky bounces.
It cheapened the last home game for a handful of Tech seniors who were honored before the game.
It cheapened the effort of the Dog offense which put up 31 points, the most allowed by Tech all season long, as it cruised to its sixth straight win since the debacle in Knoxville October 6.
Certainly, any of us who bleed red and black would have loved to play in the SEC title game. But, Tennessee’s win may have been a blessing in disguise.
Georgia came in at 4th in the BCS standings when they were released late Sunday and could play Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl, Virginia Tech or Boston College in the Orange Bowl, Oklahoma or Missouri in the Fiesta Bowl or - if everything breaks right - Ohio State in the BCS title game.
Tech meanwhile seems headed to the Humanitarian Bowl on the blue turf at Boise.
I wonder if the frat boys will carry the ‘Rocky Top’ CD with them to that venerable football classic.
Saturday night in Atlanta UT’s fight song was all they had.
How sad!
10 comments:
Well they knew playing Rocky Top would be a way to "sting" ugag since it wasnt done on the field.
That picture is deceptive. I was at the game and there were more GT fans than UGA fans, but for some unexpalinable reason, GT fans were a myriad of colors.
But all Georgia has is another year and no SEC Championship game.
will georgia tech ever be able to consistently compete with uga on the football field?
What a moronic question. Of course GT will be able to compete with GA. Those of you who believe GA will win all future games are truely morons in every sense of the word.
GT is looking for the right leader now and they will continue to replace those that can't get the job done. No matter how you look at it - GA will win some and GT will win some. I'll even go so far as to say GT will win a national champ in the future.
To i -
As a GT fan, I like your positive attitude.
Can you share some of that wacky weed you are smoking with me?
that picture is not only deceptive it is retouched to make it look more red. yeah there were a lot of mutts at bobby dodd but i saw the aerial shots from the blimp on tv and it looked nothing like that. nice try though scoop.
i never said it was from this year's game. i googled it! but at least half the fans there this year were dogs imho - i had a bird's eye view from the cheap seats.
The winning college football teams usually have a marque' quarterback. GaTech has missed that since Hamilton. It's almost certain they will land a stud qb soon and help their chances of winning the rivalry. However for the next couple of years, advantage dawgs.
just remember that ga. tech has played in a conference championship game and has been a national champion more recent than has georgia......so take that.....
OMG! I cannot be a fan of anything a liberal is a fan of so, I guess i'm a dogs fan now.
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