Thanks to the kick in the groin we gave ourselves last week I've already slipped back in to a state of ambivalentness (at best... if that's even a word). I'm looking over the schedule and we could easily win or lose every game based on how this team is playing. On one hand its exciting to think that we could win out. On the other, we've had way too much recent experience with hope and promise quickly turning in to steaming pile of stuff being reflected in the "L" column. Normally (last 5+ years) I'd say I'm still in, but with the general lack of improvement that EVERY team is supposed to see between the first few weeks (i.e., why haven't we improved with penalties), the RB by committee approach, and Frank's exhibition comments (the final dagger for me), I'm at a point where football on Saturday's will be something I watch if I can find time, instead of scheduling my Fall around VT's schedule.
Show of hands - Who is done with the season already?
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Virginia Tech football, I can't quit you. I'm in.
It's been a long wait for football, I am not bailing in September, will stay through October, freeze my ass of in November, and maybe get gut punched in a bowl in December. But I will never quit.
I'm not out yet, but I can't deny that its getting much more difficult to get hyped.
I've survived far more soul-crushing losses in my VT fandom, and I've endured dumb coaching and dumb remarks.
I'm far from out.
i have to ask - why do you stay in it? Dont take it as questioning your loyalty as a fan, I'm just curious as to what keeps you coming back. I was able to rebound before when dumb things would happen (Temple '98, for example), but when the frequency of the dumb things increases and the record goes with it, like it has for the last few years, I have a hard time investing myself because I know I'm just setting myself up for a miserable Fall.
Nothing short of an outright scandal in our athletic department would stop me from supporting VT athletics. My favorite sport is football, but I'll watch anything if our Hokies are competing. But let's focus on football.
Some of my best memories of college were made in Lane Stadium. I've met players and otherwise read about good things they've done. I've celebrated success with old friends and made new friends watching games, and I've always found a support system when we lost (nowadays it's more of you guys, a virtual community). I high-fived and hugged strangers in the East Stands. I've run up and down the bleachers screaming for people to go crazy on third and fourth down. I kissed my wife in the stands when we celebrated touchdowns. And, perhaps most memorably, I wept in those stands during the 2007 opener, in a moment of much-needed catharsis and coming together.
One stupid loss to ECU and some foot-in-mouth comments by the coaches does precisely jack with regards to my faith in, and love for, this team.
Totally agree with you GuitarMan. This is the best time of the year, period. I hate watching us lose and my wife hates to put up with me when we do. But, football, like life, is a journey. If we won every game, that would get boring too (a better type of boring, but eventually still boring). This is my team, this is my school, and there's no where I'd rather be than Blacksburg in the fall. I know many Clemson fans that had to endure several seasons of what we're now enduring. It made them enjoy their current success that much more. Look at Texas. All the resources in the world and Texas recruiting, and they're worse off than us. I might get angry or frustrated, but this is still my damn team and my damn school. Period.
What are you talking about? We didn't play Temple in '98.
IT NEVER HAPPENED!!!
I'm never out.
I'm all in. The fact that you have to ask makes me sad, mad, and confused.
I'M ALL IN!
win lose or draw I will always root for my Hokies. They will find ways to disappoint me and upset me and they'll also find ways to make me laugh, smile, and generally feel euphoric. They're like (I imagine) the child that I don't have yet. I will always love Hokie Football unconditionally. That. Is. All.
that won't stop me from being critical of things I don't like
#usealltherunningbacks
Nor should it, but being critical of mistakes is not the same as bailing alltogether. Criticism generally comes from the perspective of wanting the team to be better. Giving up is just giving up.
Not me. I am all in. I have hope. We have an offense, and we haven't had one in a long time. This team feels like a mixture of 2004 and 2010. I think Motley will continue to grow and turn into Bryan Randall. Yes this defense isn't 2004, but can it be like 2010 and be opportunistic enough to let the offense outscore the opponent? That idea is not something we are used to but I think thats how it will go.
I still say we run the ACC Coastal. I'll see you in Charlotte.
Totally agree with the 2004 and 2010 analogies. . It's not gonna be smooth sailing BUT I can still see 9-3 and winning the Coastal. I don't see any quit in our team, so no quit here either. Count me all in! GO HOKIES!!!
I'm not only not "done" I'm doubling down. ACCCG game and bowl tickets preordered through the school. Wife is taking off the Duke game so I can go up to Blacksburg and see it and we got my mother in law to watch the kids the whole weekend so she can go with me to the Pitt game this weekend.
You should also double your Hokie Club contribution, get some Battle at Bristol tickets, and buy some jerseys.
You know. To show you care.
You have to make up for those fair-weather fans who are holding back what we know would otherwise be generous contributions to show their disapproval to Beamer.
Did move up a Hokie Club level this year but that was prior to ECU game.
Yea, me too. A leg for your troubles.
You, sir, are bold.
Not bold, not only do I believe in the players on the team but I want to show the AD and athletic department that they have financial support going forward.
I'm with you on that sentiment. Every game we win is worth celebrating, whether they come six times a year, or ten.
Life is too short to get your panties permanently in a twist over football. Losses suck, but life goes on!
we could be blanked all season. I'm still in.
2-8-1 didn't do it for me, so why should 2-2? I understand the impatience of youth, I understand the impatience of the impatient, but the real thing here is this. Is VT your team? Yes or no. Do or die, win or lose, if you are a Hokie, you don't give up on your team. When you say you've given up, what do you mean? If we cannot win a Natty Champy, is it over for you? If we cannot win our division, is it the end of the world forever? I understand frustration, and I understand criticism of the coaches, officials, etc. That's ok and part of being a fan. What I don't understand is just totally giving up on the reason we are all here on this website. The kids playing this game that entertains us to the point of distraction deserve our support. Like I said, be critical, be skeptical, but always, in the end, be supportive.
Yea I'm with ya. I just don't know what the author of the thread really means though. He's right about the hype factor, but I still enjoy watching football. I mean football is a source of pride for most people. You see all those Bama and OSU fans at work sitting smug, knowing that their "program" is fighting tooth and nail to win. (meaning: winning to the point of overlooking sanctions and other scandals)
Don't get me wrong, I love having a clean program and still being able to win without breaking the rules. Sometimes it was always painful to see us reap what we sowed. (coaching, recruiting, etc.)
this is beautiful
100% agree. well said
If the question is am I going to be super excited to re arrange my schedule and spend money on gas and tickets, add in time for tailgating and travel. Then no.
If the question is do I still want to follow the Hokies. Then yes
Going from being #26ish and in the Top 25 soon to back to the high 30s in rankings. It's just another average VT season. I'm still a fan but back in July I had all the games and all the plans I would need to move around for the season. Why am I giving 110% myself with my time and money when the team is leading another average year.
If the question is do I still want to follow the Hokies. Then yes. Yes I will still follwo and watch the games and read TKP on Sundays
I wonder if the players feel the same way when they run out to only 50k fans in the stadium instead of capacity? Should we be mad if they do?
The test of fans isn't when their team is winning, but when their team is losing.
Then again, what do I know about that? I'm also a Redskins fan.
Me too. Maybe that's why I'm a little less pissed off than some.
The fact that you boldly announce you are a Redskins fan, IMO makes you a expert, and that deserves a leg. I tend to agree because I, too, am a Redskins fan.
I'm with you. As a Redskins fan, I know it can always get worse. Go Hokies!!
You guys might as well be rooting for the Patriots when compared to the lows of being a Browns fan. Someone asked me if I had given up hope on the season yet and I told them the last time I had hope for a season was 1999.
I'm with you Homebrew. Watching the Browns on Sundays actually helps me feel better about the Hokies. I consider it a form of therapy.
Hey, just an idea, but maybe Whit could schedule Cleveland for one of those non-conference preseason games one year. I think we would be first, can anyone confirm?
Ha ha, me too. Maybe that explains why VT losing doesn't upset me that much. I've got decades of practice in dealing with losses... There's always hope for the next game!
We lost one game to the best team in the country, rolled the hell out of the next two opponents, and lost by a touchdown at ECU without half our defense and with suspect officiating. This is hardly quitting time. But to those who abandon ship now, we won't forget it when you try and climb back on if the team goes on a run.
We could lose every game here on out and I would still be 110% HOKIE.
Hokie FOREVER!
Edit:Corrected! :)
You're slacking. You should be 110%, according to Whit.
Just kidding. 100% is all we ask, really.
Never done, but I've lost any excitement I had from the beginning of the season at this point. It looks like another 6-7 win campaign, and that won't stop me from watching, but it will stop me from investing as heavily in each game. We know what to expect from Beamer Co at this point, the past 3 years have shown us that and these first 4 games don't really show much different. A team that is inconsistent week to week, with glaring talent deficiencies, and a lack of leadership/cohesion from the coaching staff. I love Hokie football, but my expectations have fallen through to the floor at this point already.
Your avatar is just wrong.
It just speaks the truth about our performance over the past few years. I made it up after the Boise/JMU debacle in 2010.
Sometimes the truth hurts.
But couldn't you have used a logo other than the great fighting gobbler?
Yeah the foghorn leghorn logo is betting to be put in a noose. Use that one.
Edit: *begging
Considering how the next eleven games went, it seemed a bit premature, no?
I doubt anyone who posts on TKP will ever quit football, that is more of a Sabre mentality.
They have to start, first.
Are you asking who is a bandwagon fan?
Hell no, what kind of fan are you?
This season is either going to be 2012-esque or 2004-esque. I don't really see an in between.
Whoa. I just realized how close this season parallels 04 (for now). Lose to defending national champion, beat the living hell out of the next two, lose ugly but close in game four. Game five against a Big East team we don't like very much. A tough, but surmountable conference slate, including GT away on a Thursday night. I feel much better now. Thanks bro.
Eh, '04 was my favorite season. I hope Im wrong, but I think the similarities will end there by the time the season is over.
NC State's defence was the best in the country in 04 going into that game. But then turning it around against west Virginia and the comeback in Atlanta, those were things I never would have seen coming after starting 2-2. Not to mention an outright ACC title. In my opinion those teams were so much different than the ones we've seen in recent years... But I still believe.
Go Hokies!
I didn't look that in-depth to it, but you're right. Great point. Hopefully we see that form. That team also had unproven running backs. The loss of Kendall will hurt, though.
Another parallel was the '04 team coming off of several mediocre seasons and a fan base questioning whether Bud Foster and Frank Beamer should be shown the door. Funny how short some peoples' memories are.
Bailing now is more in line with a LOLUVA fan. I work with a lot of them, I know... I know.... it's a tough job but someone has to do it. The best part of our loss to ECU was the "behind the shed spanking" LOLUVA got from Boise. They didn't dare mention ECU, I have them trained like that. *wink
They have been looking forward to basketball/baseball season since week 2. Regardless, we still have to beat LOLUVA, and even if we end up looking like a train wreck, I'll still be watching.
I think you hit a point here:
As much as I enjoy UVA getting beaten like a drum, that shouldn't be the best part of our football weekends, it should be the bow on top of a VT win. E.g., we whooped ECU by 5 TDs AND UVA got smoked! That scenario would have made for an awesome weekend.
Any way, my point about the post wasn't to say I've given up. I'm still a loyal Hokie, but I have zero expectations / hope for the remainder of the season, and without those its harder to make room in the schedule to watch and support.
This I agree with. What I was trying to say, and apparently failed saying is, aside from the fact that we both lost, the fact that they got whooped made our loss more bearable for me, especially at work. Any loss VT suffers is a bad weekend / day for me as a fan, but that doesn't mean I give up on my team. I'll be a devout fan win or lose. I'll pout for a day or two and then be right back to counting the days and hours until the next kick-off. That's just how I roll. :-)
Me:
To the OP:
True fans never quit on their team when they're down, pal.
I literally wait all damn year for Hokie football, so I'm still all in. I don't expect ACCCG...
But then again I'm not really sure what to expect.
Shit, we could win out (including the acccg) because the rest of the acc hasn't exactly impressed me yet...
Or....we could be at 5 wins headed into the last game of the year against the boohoos.
Done? No way. The regular season starts Saturday.
Is that you, Fancy Gap Frank?
(Sniff)
Absolutely not. If our defense is the worst thing about this team, I'm excited. Nobody is paying attention to every other team we play, they all have significant issues. Pitt lost Conner. NCSU has really played awful competition. Miami has a coaching/fan issue. Duke can't throw. BC is playing effectively without a QB. GT's luck may have run out. UNC is having a QB controversy. UVA has Virginia Fan.
We've got problems that can be fixed.
All those you mentioned can be fixed. Except for UVA's.
Virginia Tech football has always broken my heart in games we should have won but I still support the team. We still have the ACC schedule to battle through...
If anyone ever questions quitting on their team at any point during any season, I question your fanhood.
I probably should have clarified my question a bit. It wasn't a matter of fandom or supporting the team, it was a matter of maintaining high hopes for the team. I legitimately went in to the season with expectations to do well. Now, I wasn't expecting to win a national championship, but with the talent we had, the perceived progression of the players and staff, and the schedule there was at least a chance of something magical happening (not a good one, but a chance). With the loss last weekend and Bearmer's postgame comments it all translated for me to be another average season which we have (unfortunately) come to expect every year for the last few years. I'm still suffering from expectations of the last 15+ years, worsened moreso by being a student from '98-01 which, in restrospect, set the bar for my expectations extremely high.... and then there's the whole issue with the now non-existent placeholder for the national championship trophy which was promised and has yet to arrive, and looks like it will be at least one more year before those hopes can be realized...
So, when I asked my question, i probably should have asked "who has lost hope?" instead of "who is ready to give up on the season?"
(Not directed directly at you OP...but just throwing it out there...I'm a Hokie thru and thru. I'm in the for the LONG haul.)
In fairness to you, you asked who was done with THE SEASON, and a lot of people seemed to think you meant give up on the Hokies. As so many have said, I will never give up on the Hokies. But I have given up on 2015.
Let me put it this way, I'm still going to all the games I've made plans for and will still use the away games as a social gathering with other Hokies but I'm no longer scouring the internet for anything VT football news related nor am I keeping the VT twitter feed open on my phone at all times. The hype is lost but the season isn't... yet. Color me skeptical about where we go from here.
Edit: A good measuring stick would be, how do you feel now compared to how did you feel after last year's ECU meltdown? I think I felt worse last year because we had just blown out W&M, and knocked off the would-be champions in their own house. I was riding high at 2-0 with the composure we showed in the 'shoe that night. I firmly believed we had a shot to run the table. After losing to ECU, I don't think I even thought about football until the following Saturday. This year definitely stings, but we're missing several key players, including our QB. Expectations are the difference for me after this year's loss to ECU.
With how disappointed I currently am, and no matter how much I might try to tell myself I dont care, come Saturday afternoon (or Thursday evening), I will be glued to my tv ready to cheer on my team. I love my school. I am damn proud to say I attended and graduated from our fine institution. Some of my greatest memories along with friends that I will have the rest of my life are from my time at tech, and that bleeds into my love of our football program. Winning goes a long way, but its not the sole reason I closely follow our team. The biggest reason I wont ever give up on the Hokies is all the positive memories I carry with me from my time at Tech.
Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Not me, not with any real enthusiasm. More a sense of impending doom. I will watch, and I will chatter, but the excitement and anticipation is gone. I will watch the UVA game out of fear -- if we lose I don't want to hear about it from someone else. I will probably watch most of the other games, but not because I expect to see the Hokies play great football.
I think my choice of words on my second point was poor, because your second point is pretty close to how I approach our games as well. I watch so that I can go nuts when we do well, but I am just waiting for us to screw it up somehow. My overall point was that I will be there regardless. Also, at this point I am still not afraid of UVA. I havent seen anything to make me think otherwise.
Real fans stick with the team.
via GIPHY
I'm all in. And will always be all in. I've been at Virginia Tech since 2010 so I've seen the glorious Tyrod days to the days we now suffer through. I think it's going to be tough to be a Hokie football fan for a couple of years but it will never be tough to be a Hokie. In addition, football programs go through ruts, self-inflicted or otherwise. I mean, look at Tennessee. There are a crap ton of UT fans from my hometown and every year they are some of the most optimistic fans I've ever seen only to be let down year after year. And they are starting to go up hill quickly. So there's no reason to jump ship. And barring some massive PR issue(Penn State bad), there never will be a reason to jump ship.
How can you be done with the season if the season it just starting Saturday?
This is actually a pretty interesting question. Even though you still support the program, if you've concluded that things aren't gonna get better this year how much are you willing to put yourself through due to the last glimmer of hope that refuses to extinguish. Do you still come to home games, if you live far away? Do you still plan your weekend around the nooner on TV? Do you still post on message boards?
Its been some time since I have been able to get to a home game, which I'm not happy about, but it is what it is. Although I dont consider that I live that far away (NOVA, ~4+ hours drive time depending on traffic), i haven't been able to justify the investment of money and time to get to a game when my free time is already limited, and I can easily watch VT on TV because of the region i live in. I still generally plan my weekends around watching the game, but brushing off the honey-do list, extra credit work, household projects, etc. gets a lot harder to do when I expect to be let down by the outcome. And i think thats my issue - I've come to expect disappointment, and rather than make myself miserable over it I would rather disengage for my mental sanity, avoid depression, and save money by not having to buy a new TV on a regular basis.
You and I are in very similar situations, so I totally get what you're saying.
My world used to revolve around VT Football, now my world doesn't revolve around VT football. My world revolves around my children and my family, and VT football is a source of entertainment for me. As a father of two small children, the time I have to devote to "entertainment" in a given week is a small one, so I tend to spend it wisely on things that entertain me. If a VT football game is on and I don't have better things to do at that moment, I watch the VT football game. If I do have better things to do, I do those things. What constitutes a "better thing" is a sliding scale that moves with the quality of entertainment product that's on the field. There was a point on Saturday afternoon when I stopped being entertained by the VT Football game. I spent the remainder of the afternoon outside with my children and it was great.
Next week, If I'm home, I'll turn on the game at noon. 1PM at my house is Nap Time. Both the boys take a nap, and my wife and I usually do, too (because we have two boys under 5 who don't value sleeping past 6:45AM). Nap Time is valuable hours of free time - they might be spent napping, they might be spent watching the football game depending on how entertaining it is and how much I value that vs. taking a nap at that given moment.
I still love, root for, follow, and enjoy discussing the team. Anyone who is still active in online communities discussing a team after 3+ ~.500ish seasons is a far cry from any definition of a "Bandwagon Fan."
By the end of this comment, all I could think of was:
Duffman...always gets a leg...oh yeah!
Errrrrrrrr.... wait. You said the original question was an interesting one, but you did not respond to it. You upped the ante by asking three more (four actually but you used a period at the end of the first one and I am NOT a stickler on grammar.....). And my answers to all the questions is YES; because after all, if you want to be a Frenchman and give up in mid season, you went to the wrong school... we are Hokies.
Given up on the hype, but not the Hokies! It is hard to watch but lets be honest... we are all going to watch no matter what. Sometimes it is just good to see the Orange and Maroon on the football field!
Holy crap, you are packing it up after losing to ecu by 7? Good riddance I guess, we will move on without. Some of the reactions in this site have been pitiful.
Yay a thread where we can all come together and proclaim that we're better fans than others.
And no, I don't give up on the team. But I can also be upset with the program as a whole, and I feel like I'm right to be. Voicing that doesn't mean I won't be in Lane Saturday.
That's the thing as long as your are a fan you are no better, now if you stop watching, going to games or supporting the players/school,then are you actually a fan?
Depends on how you want to define 'fan'. Sure anyone can go out and buy a VT shirt and never watch a game. By many definitions (presumably most held on this thread) that person is not a fan. But they've made a purchase that (I assume) benefits the program in some way.
I know 'bandwagoners' and fair weather fans are frowned upon by the passionate communities in a fanbase, but those people support the team in their own way, and we'd be worse off without them honestly.
This is an excellent point. Bandwagon fans and fair weather fans alike have been to our advantage in the years we were becoming relevant. If we're exciting enough to attract the casual fan to VT football, we're doing something right. Let's do it again.
Thank you. I don't happen to be a bandwagon VT fan, but I am a bandwagon fan of many other things, and I see no need to apologize for that. And I don't consider myself inferior to the die-hard fans of those other things.
Despite being discontent with the last few seasons and especially last weekend's performance, I still tune in every week expecting us to win and cheering for us to win. To me, its about more than just football. The team is representing my alma mater, which I have a lot of pride in for more reasons than football. Winning or losing a football game doesn't change the fact that i'm still very proud to be a Hokie.
If anybody is "out" after 4 games/2 losses, I would question their fan hood.
Are you kidding?
You didn't have to ask me this question when I was in Junior High in the early 80's, and ERRRRYDAY I wore my Hokie swag to school someone always had to throw out a "CHOKIES!" cheer, and 5-6 was a good season.
So, you definitely don't have to ask me now.
I'm in. All in. There I said it.
I'm all in, and always will be.....I'm 47, and I've seen my share of extreme highs and the most horrific lows.......not just in VT football, but in life as well.......and in the grand scheme of things, were talking about a GAME played by kids, which I have no control over. I get the argument that some people make about the financial (and emotional) investment they make, and their desire for a better return on their investment, but for me...it's like going to the casino.....don't bring more money with you than you're willing to lose. I can always be all in for VT football (and all the other sports too), because in the end, even if we lose, there's always the next game or the next season....that's not always true in real life.....trust me.
I'm not remotely done with the 2015 team. I go to virtually every game (all 4 this season, every game last season, and 36 of 43 since the start of the 2012 season), which I mention because I feel you can pick-up a lot more about a team in person than you do on TV. I still am optimistic about this team in a way I have not been since 2011. Hard to say how that will translate in wins/losses (esp if injuries keep piling up), but I could tell 3 games into the 2012 season that we were not headed toward a good season. This is not the same kind of team. I'm not going to discredit our team after a loss to a decent team, on the road, in a heavy rain. If I'm right about this team, they will bounce back nicely this week. Let's see.
Blacksburg is expecting a heavy rain this weekend at kickoff.
god's crying at our injury situation...a lot
My freshman year was 1993. I've been through every season of the bowl streak. Seen the Hokies play awesome when they weren't expected to, seen them sh*t the bed too. I'll keep following, keep rooting, keep watching. If they are playing great, I'll watch intently. If they look like a bunch of uncoordinated, excited 5 year olds, I'll watch, but I'll probably flip back and forth to other games. And if I get a chance to make it to a game, I'll go. I'll keep wearing my Virginia Tech colors as I'm proud of my Alma Mater for a lot more reasons than the football team that is fielded.
As for keeping vs. losing hope - hope for what? That they'll win? I always hope for that. Do I pin the happiness in my heart on the backs of a bunch of college kids that are just as likely hungover from their prior night downtown as they are well rested and ready? Hell no! It's a game, played by kids.
It's fun when they do well, but it doesn't bug me too much when they don't.
As a survivor of the Kansas Orange Bowl, JMU, Boise, USC, The last UVA beat VT, Ernest Wilford's Drop, the BC rain game, Both Bamas, ECU in Charlotte, Georgia in the Peach Bowl, Auburn in the
PeachSugar Bowl, Syracuse (Mcnabb game), Temple on Homecoming, Aaron Rodgers looking all Godly, and Danny caught the F******g Ball, I am here to say I aint never done. They will drag out my deadbody before I call it quits.If they go 2-10. I'm still here. And I will be. I aint going back to college and I aint done with the Hokies. Ever.
I hate to be that guy, but wasn't the Auburn game the Sugar Bowl instead of the Peach?
yep, i was there...and while extremely intoxicated I can confirm with 90% confidence that I was in New Orleans, not Atlanta.
Corrected. I got a little riled up. Thanks!
Surrender? We will never surrender? UVa fans surrender. Imagine a pic of Winston Churchhill here.
Despite all hell breaking loose in Greenville last Saturday, our team didn't give up. I believe we'll be OK. We will be competitive.
Mind reader, are ya, Bluto? That's a good sign, a very good sign indeed.
This may be a good time for a community guidelines refresher.
http://www.thekeyplay.com/community-guidelines
/s
Whew. That was a close one.
I am still in because it is my school and the place I spent 4 glorious years, met my wife and long time friends, and still wish I could go back in time and live the rest of my life in those 4 years. I just bought 12 tickets to Battle of Bristol and possibly have an in on some tickets at UVa for when we visit the in-laws over Thanksgiving. If the season goes south then maybe I go to the game just to voice my disapproval to the coaches in person. The parallel to 2010 is very much real, but the week after JMU I made a $50 bet with my co-worker that we would still win the ACC and enjoyed every beer that $50 bought. So hand stays down along with my hopes for a ACC championship until this team can show me a reason to believe otherwise.
I'm in it from now until the day that I go on to another life. #VTFB4Life
I sweat, cry, laugh, yell and bleed maroon & orange. There is no giving up for me.
Nah I love football too much and will always watch, even if my team is sucking balls. This is actually the first time in a long time my pro team is seemingly better than my Hokies, so we will see how it goes. The way I look at is I am either drinking beer to celebrate or drown my sorrows, either way I win because I am drinking beer. Plus I am 8-1 in my 3 fantasy leagues so life is good...
I'm still in this bitch.
Who else you say?
Bailing when we suck and rejoicing when we succeed is Bama-ish. Ill hang on despite the torture. Besides, at this rate, season tickets will only cost like 50 bucks in a year or two.
hah! Not if Whit reaches into his wallet to get the next big thing to replace Beamer
I am still in, and will remain in, because I have finally learned to celebrate Hokie successes with euphoria without letting stumbles or shortcomings dampen my mood. For a while, the first loss of the season was crushing to me, because I started every season with dreams of a national championship. I was on campus when the infamous trophy case was installed, and it honestly felt like a crystal football was right around the corner. That was a hard dream to let die each season. Coupled with that was the growing angst of knowing that underperforming coaches were being kept in place because Frank took it personally when Kevin Rodgers left for the NFL. It's hard to stay in any relationship when the other party engages in self-destructive behavior. That's what the O'Cainspring era was. It eventually got to be too much. In 2012, I stepped away for a while. I followed the games instead of watched them religiously. The losses didn't hurt, because I expected them. I accepted that we weren't a very good football team. And in doing that, something kind of weird happened. It became fun again.
We weren't nearly as good as we had been when I first got into VT football. But I also wasn't expecting to contend for anything. I could enjoy watching the details. Wins felt awesome. They put a smile on my face. But I met losses with a shrug. One reason I've enjoyed the Loeffler era so much is because I'm enjoying all the little improvements I've seen along the way. Better passing tree design and improved blocking, etc. etc. Sure I wish we were getting 10-11 wins, but for once it feels like we're being better schematically. That's one reason I love this place so much. Shit shows that would have made me pissed off for days, now I can come here, read Mason and French, and understand what went wrong. When we aren't good, I can just accept that we aren't good, and hope for improvement.
Maybe my attitude is a cop out, but it doesn't feel like it. I'm able to savor the wins without the losses ruining my Saturday afternoons/Sundays.
I'm in. I'm more in than I've ever been. Saturday can't get here soon enough.
well said...leg for you bro....
This is almost exactly what I wanted to express. If you're entertainment is tied up unto raw numbers of success, you're going to be eternally disappointed and frustrated. It's rediculously hard to win a national championship, even for the top programs. If you all you care about is winning go cheer on Bama, and the Yankees, and the Lakers.
Personally, the question I ask is if cheering for the game created great experiences. Last year was one of my favorite as a fan because the OSU game and a UVA game were two of the best football related experiences I'd ever had. It doesn't matter that we were average, because in between the frustration, there was some really great times that you only get by following through thick and thin. If you're incensed by anything less than perfection, you really need to take a breather.
I've been a Hokie fan since the mid '80's. I've seen the proverbial good, the bad and the ugly. The highs and lows, the thick and thins. The sickness and health... 'til death do us part. #HOKIE4LIFE
P.S. If anyone thinks this era is bad, consider the end of the Dooley era/beginning of the Beamer era when we had a chance every year of losing to the likes of Richmond, VMI and William and Mary.
Nope. We're still a 9 win team. Don't pull out just yet. (#phrasing)
Surrender is not a Ranger word...
I had an army buddy who once told me Rangers don't retreat, they attack in the opposite direction...
And we're never lost, just misoriented.
I'm not a Ranger and that's my motto for when I'm driving in new places.
That's actually a Chesty Puller quote, isn't it? After the action at the Chosin Reservoir a journalist started to asked him about how difficult it was to retreat in good order under those circumstances. Chesty interrupted and said something along hte lines of "Wait a minute -- we didn't retreat. We discovered there were more of the enemy behind us than there were in front of us so we turned about-face and attacked in a different direction."
Would not surprise me if the Aren't Ready for Marines Yet stole that from one of the most manly men ever... :)
I've also seen a quote from him about Korea and being surronded that went something like this..."We're surrounded, good! Now we don't have to go find them we know exactly where they are"
"We can attack in any direction!"
No way! If I give up now I'll have to wait until next august which is 11(!) Months from now for another VT football game. I hate waiting during the summer so there is no way I can start waiting now! Lets put it this way I'm in my junior year at VT this year and this weekend will be the first football game that i will miss even a second of and that includes the Marshall Monsoon game, every freezing cold game, the Duke loss two years ago, Miami beating us on Thursday night when I was freezing and countless other sucky losses. Not being able to go to Lane stadium to watch the game this weekend is already making me sick and its not even Wednesday yet!
whether we were to go 14-0, 0-12 or any where in between, every Saturday (or Thursday or Friday night) I will be clad in orange and maroon watching the game, either on TV, or in the stands. Every year.
Go Hokies!
a lot can happen between now and bowl season. the ecu loss was ugly, but come Saturday I'll be hopeful for another Hokies win. the Hokies play only 13 (14?!??) times this year and I always look forward to each and every game.
I also just put a deposit down for my Battle for Bristol tickets. so I'm definitely still in. and also now looking for some binoculars.
An ECU loss is just bringing me back down to earth. It's like a hangover after a fun night of drinking. My season has gone like this:
Wohoo! The defense will be great!
[CJ dismissed]
Wohoo! The defense will be pretty good and the offense will be pretty good, too!
[Loss to OSU]
Wohoo! One-loss ACC champs here we come!
[Beat Furman]
Wohoo! I expected this and wasn't let down like that one time we played Boise and then someone else
[Beat Purdue]
Wohoo! No let downs this year!
[Lose to ECU and look bad doing it]
The f(ck? I hate everything, especially you. And you. And you. You're cool. And you. Later blood.
Agreed.
I've been a Browns fan for 30 years, even when they didn't have a team from 1996-98. I'll never quit my Hokies either. Never.
#JustOneBeforeIDie
But we just finished the exhibition games.
Let's just enjoy the ride this season. Things got off to a rocky start, we showed some promise and we got kicked in the nuts. It happens but at least our offense looks to have a pulse this season so that will be fun to watch at least. We got some young guys showing promise and we have things to be excited about. Obviously, there are things to be afraid of, we have shown issues that are likely to be exposed again, but we have also shown some big play potential and ability to score. At the very least, it looks like we will have lots of close games that win or loss will have moments of excitement. Believe me I am so ready to get back to winning 10 games even in a rebuilding year, and being a nationally respected program who runs through the Coastal like a hot knife through butter. But it's just football, and I love this team and will always love watching the Hokies, so I'm gonna enjoy the ride.
I'll just leave this here:
EDIT: relevant emphasis added
Those last two lines. That's what it's all about to me.
I regret that I have but one leg to give.
First and last post in this thread. I am never done with the Hokies. Football, basketball, etc. It doesn't matter. I will be there supporting my teams.
Remember that time we were a preseason Top 10 team and in Week 2 we lost to James f'n Madison?
This season we have scored 121 points combined over the previous 3 games. I'd argue this team, even in losing football, is more entertaining to watch than some teams that won the ACC over the last 10 years.
I know this isn't the point of your comment but I'd gladly take a team that wins every game 3-0 and makes the run to the championship over an Oregon that scores 50+ per game only to get man-handled as soon as they play a team with a real defense. As long as we keep winning, I'm happy which is probably why all the offensive production the last few weeks has left me feeling insatiable.
ehhhh idk about that one. Even though we lost to JMU that year, after that game, that team was pretty stellar to watch. Tyrod had some amazing comebacks and there were some very good games played that year; NC State, GT and FSU just to name a few.
I don't care if we're 0-11 going into the UVA game. I will always be all in and bleeding maroon and orange till the day I die.
After friday:
I, however, can't quit on my Hokies.
I was in Winston Salem last year defending the Hokies honor when we couldn't score a touchdown and I will be there next week with hope on my mind! I will never bail on Virginia Tech football. This is a long season. How our team reacts coming out of this week can determine a lot!
Sorry to the diehards, but I'm officially apathetic.
If 2-2 is only for diehards, I'm missing something. :)
You know what?
I want us to win a national championship.
I know it's hard. Only one team wins one every year. At this point, it's usually a repeat.
I love the hope, the ambition that comes along with a new season.
You know what I hate?
That the hope is usually dashed before September is done.
That's what kills me. My hope never lasts until November.
That's what kills me.
we need to start taking those exhibition games more seriously, then
As I said on the venting thread, there are no brakes on the hype train. The bridge might be out, but I'll ride this hype train in a glorious fireball to the depths of Shonash Ravine so they have to rename it APFOW Ravine.
I'll be right there with you. What are seat belts?
I don't know who "they" are, but I wouldn't hesitate to name something "AssPocketFullOWhiskey"... ravine, street, stadium, business venture; I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Im far from done!
Will be interesting to see people's thoughts after Pitt runs us on Saturday.
I always love the Hokies, but as the weather turns gorgeous here in Scottsdale I find it harder and harder to carve out time to watch a team that is just not prepared each week.
As for donations, I was always taught that you don't throw good money after bad.
WTF. It really does sound like you love the hokies.
I don't love them because I'm not content with the results on the field for a few seasons now?
This program is not going in the right direction right now. Denying it does not make someone "more" of a fan than someone else.
You state that the hokies WILL lose Saturday. You'd rather do other things than watch them. It's not worth your money. I hope you treat other things you love better.
The "more" of a fan thing is tired. I understand that there are differing levels of support. I understand that the support is stronger when winning. It just sounds to me like you kind of like the hokies instead of love them. But hey, enjoy the weather while it's fair, no harm in that.
I do treat things I love very well, like my young children for example.
And time with them will beat the Hokies every single damn time. Does that exclude me from also loving the Hokies?
Not sure why you feel the need to be so personally hostile, and resisting a downvote on you here just because you are pissing me off. The fair weather comment makes no sense. if that was the case, as I said I could have been gone 3 years ago.
The Hokies are a mid-level football program right now. Saying so does not diminish my support or love for them.
I know its hard to pay attention to all the games going on and your preseason suppositions aren't verified until midseason or so. But just to be clear, Pitt rushed for 127 yards against Akron and 55 yards against Iowa. They have benched Voytik and gone with the immobile Peterman. So Pitt may run all over us, but more likely, they won't.
And by the time we get to next week this may be different, but Jacoby Brissett has rushed 25 times so far for 65 yards. So Brissett may revert to running around a lot, but he hasn't so far this year.
At this point Bud has to have a plan B for if/when Pitt puts in Voytik and runs him ala Summers. Right?
It seems like the theme of the season is to get Bud to prepare for one offense and then throw another one at him.
Yeah, he's not an idiot. But keep in mind, new coaching staff from last year as well. Are they going to run counters with Voytik all day? Maybe, but I would be more sure of that if it was the same staff as last year.
I think any coaching staff is going to watch the OSU and ECU film and at least put in a package to do what they did. I'm not sure if they are going to do it all day, but Narduzzi would be foolish not to at least attempt it some.
You cannot be serious.
I've been a Hokie in my mind since I got that early acceptance letter in December 1981. I ain't ever quit and I ain't quitting b/c we stumbled against an ECU team that measures their entire season in one game against us. I still believe VT can win the Coastal and the ACC and will continue to do so until proven otherwise. Then I will believe that we can keep the bowl streak and the Commonwealth Cup streak alive until proven otherwise. And even if they go 2-12, I will have high hopes for next season to win the ACC and get into the playoffs.
So no, I will NEVER EVER give up on my Hokies.
And don't get me started on Frank Beamer critics, he is the Head Coach until he chooses to step down. I trust him that much because I know he is man of integrity, honor and commitment. So what if he doesn't always say the right soundbite, he is the only reason we are even spoiled enough to get upset about "mediocre" seasons.
Ut Prosim, Go Hokies!
I won't give up, I ain't turning into no LOLOUVA "fan". Oh no. Fuck that. However, I don't like how it appears the direction the program is headed. I believe Beamer and the squad CAN right the ship, but I feel they need to be pressured into it. Perhaps if we resurrected from the dead one or a few of Beamer's old coaches from when he went to Tech. Maybe THEN he'd listen and do something for real.
As much as the postgame comments annoyed me, I like seeing players such as Ford, JC, and Maddy apologize for their performance and promised that it won't happen again.
I have no idea how the season will play out, but I am, in no way giving up faith right now. The Wake game didn't stop me from losing my voice at the UVA game last year, and nor will this years ECU game (which quite honestly, was no where close to stinging as bad as the Wake loss.)
To each their own - if you want to do other things than watch Hokie football when they are struggling, that's fine. I can't be a fair-weather fan. This year my expectations like all of us has taken a few upper cuts but I just gotta support our boys. I have tickets for Pitt section 12, row GG, seats 1 & 2 and there is a good chance I won't go but I'll be jumping at home staying dry.
I will not stop watching the Hokies on tv and going to the games when I can. However I am not seeing 4 more wins on their schedule. Say goodbye to the bowl streak. As always when I'm in my pessimistic mood I hope I'm wrong.
Having graduated in '91 and experiencing the worst Beamer era years, I remember sitting in UVA-esque filled Lane Stadium (ok, maybe that's a bit harsh, but back then getting a seat was pretty fall-out-of-the-tailgate-and-decide-to-actually-go-into-the-stadium-on-a-drunken-whim easy). I cheered myself hoarse then for the team for just a single good play even while being down a touchdown or two or three. So, I can't see me ever being down on Hokie football. Disappointed that we haven't lived up to the pre-season best defense since 1999/functioning offense hype? A bit - I still get roped into that hype every year. But still all in.
think you might be my doppleganger.....that sounds exactly like how it worked for my group of buddies - 1986-1991