Got this email from VT.
Students,
Just a reminder that your Hokie Football team will take on Marshall, Saturday at Noon in Lane Stadium so make sure to use your ticket and arrive early!
If you have friends (that are current students at Virginia Tech) that need a free student ticket to the game they can still get one. Student tickets for the game will be available Thursday and Friday from 9am-4pm (while supplies last). Tickets to the game will be handed out first come, first served at the Cassell Coliseum Ticket Office. Just bring your Hokie Passport for a ticket if you haven't already received one through the lottery or are a season ticket holder. Individuals that won a ticket in the lottery process are still guaranteed a ticket and will not be first come, first serve.
Go Hokies!
Basically the same email they sent out about the WCU game, just disappointing that it's happening again. It's also annoying because I overheard some dbags on the bus the other day saying they're only gonna buy tickets "to the good games" instead of buying season tickets. I wish there was a way to collude and force them to pay out the ass for tickets to good games since they chose not to get season tickets.
Comments
anyone choosing single game tickets should be forced to watch replays of dooley-era football
I was there for tailback-off-tackle-what's-a-pass-Dooley-era football. But we did get to see Cyrus Lawrence (way too much, actually) and Bruce Smith. And we camped out in Cassell for tickets, got there early, stayed the entire game, yelled until we were hoarse, and had a blast.
Cyrus was a beast! And, often forgotten when great Hokie backs are mentioned.
In other words, you watched real man football, not this sissy video game bubble screen spread nonsense.
I am so tired of the spread. If a team came out and ran power sweep with two split backs where either could get the ball, I'd have a heart attack from joy.
I like the spread.
As a formation, mind you. Less so as a philosophy.
DAMN RIGHT!
And last years team was one of the most unsuccessful of the last decade...funny that
You know what I'd love to see? A grassroots movement of sorts among the dedicated student fans. Wander around the Drillfield, up and down dorm halls, wherever, just asking everyone if they're going to the game. If they say no, ask why not. Share your favorite football memory. Remind them that it is free entertainment for crying out loud.
It sounds a bit kumbaya and all, but honestly I think the community aspect of home football is one of the greatest benefits. Sure, in my years at VT I was treated to (by and large) excellent teams (bookended by disappointing 2003 and 2012 teams, ironically enough), but my favorite part of going to the games was being there with everyone else - people I knew and people I didn't. I can't tell you how many times I high-fived or hugged complete strangers during the best moments of the games. I feel like that's missing. No one's going to respond to comments telling them they suck, but if they realize what they're missing out on, some of the best experiences in college, that may change some minds. Win or lose, I was always in those stands with 66,000 of my best friends - Hokie Nation. Everyone needs to remember what that's like, and if they've never experienced it, they need to learn.
My favorite memory is leaving bruises on my brother in laws shoulder/back after Danny Coale caught that pass against Nebraska.
AND, my daughter's first game was the Miami/Logan perfection game a year or two later (where his only incompletion was a dropped pass by David Wilson) and they played Enter Sandman 3 times. Since that's her favorite part of the game, worked out well. I miss Blacksburg.
Personally, I'd rather have people not show up at all than show up and either be completely oblivious to everything, leave early, etc, etc, etc. You don't get a ticket? That leaves one more for someone who might actually want one, has a higher probability of staying the whole time, and overall contributes to a better atmosphere. Students aren't buying tickets? Don't blame them, thank them. Then, we can get back to what Lane is revered for: being a place full of loud diehards.
You can't just ostracize these people... just have to come up with other things to do. It's the problem that's been dogging the program: stagnant, and complacency with what we have. There's "don't fix what's not broke", but I think to a point we've taken that too far.
A suggestion: start with everyone learning and singing the fight and victory songs. Great way to foster community, etc.
i think the aggies have awesome football tradition, this being the coolest part
My 8 year old daughter knows Tech Triumph. And sings with me when we get a touch down. Wonder how many of the students do. Here Students please learn
So it isn't "Tech Tech VPI" at the end?
Never was, never will be. Don't know how it started, but I wish marketing would put up a video like that or hand out pamphlets with the words so people would learn it. I always feel like I'm the only one in the section singing.
+1 and a thank you
It started in 1998, 1999, and 2000, at least as my guess. The incoming Freshman had those "Welcome gifts" that included some pencils/pens, sticky notes, and a VT cup. The VT cup had on it, words to the fight song that included "Tech, Tech, VPI" and not the CORRECT words. I don't know if they still hand out those things at the beginning of the year, because I'd hoped it would correct itself by now, but c'est la vie.
i've been thinking that i've seen it written as 'tech tech vpi' since it's come up on the boards. my wife was a freshman in 99 and so that may be where we got it because we both scream the shit out of it at games.
I've got one of those RHF cups in front of me right now.. 1996 or 1997 vintage. A lot of the lettering is worn off but it seems to say "#something# #something# VPI! So-la-Rex So-la-Rah! Polytech -Vir-gin-i-a!" across the top.
That's Old Hokie which does go "Tech Tech VPI". It's
Hokie, Hokie, Hokie Hi
Tech, Tech, VPI
Sol-a-rex, Sol-a-rah
Polytech, Vir-gin-ia
Ray, Rah, VPI
Team, Team, Team
The original was "Techs" instead of "Tech" and "Polytechs" instead of "Polytech" and there was no "Team, Team, Team" at the end.
That's what it is. That's why people think it's "Tech, Tech, VPI" at the end of the fight song. It's because of "Old Hokie"...duh...why didn't I think of that?
Old Hokie goes:
Hoki Hoki Hoki Hi! Tech, Tech, VPI. Solarex! Solarah! Polytech Vir-gin-i-a! Rae, Ri, VPI! Team, Team, Team!
Something that I think contributes to this is simply the demographics of our student fan base. We tend to tap geographic areas that contain some serious NFL fanbases (Skins, Ravens, Steelers). If the Tech team isn't exciting them they simply choose to care more about one of their "other" sports teams.
I am not justifying the degradation of the student enthusiasm. Nor am I saying that all Hokies who also have an NFL team are bad fans. I just know that I see plenty of examples of Hokies that don't really live and breathe Tech football.
We also don't really have a flashy talent on offense to hold the gaze of these "on the fence" fans.
I'm only a junior right now but I remember even back my freshman year (2011) how hard it was to get a lottery ticket, how amazing it felt to get that email. I knew plenty of people who spent up to $50 on one game when they didn't win the lottery to get into Lane. It was a big deal to be able to get a ticket, even for Appalachian State or Arkansas State. It's amazing how quickly things have changed, it's unbelievable that people (students and the ticket office alike) are just giving tickets away like it's nothing. One bad season shouldn't be able to change things this much.
Unfortunately it does. I've been going to games since I was born (1994), and while the defense shall always prosper as long as we have Bud, a lot of people just don't care about football. The student population has drastically shifted over the past decade to include (what I believe to be) a disgusting amount of international students. This combined with a lack luster season and a crappy offense leads to the end of a sellout streak. We can only get but so far in the ACC, one loss kicks us out of the NCG (so now what? Our ceiling is getting our asses kicked in the Orange Bowl).
I guess they don't ask for an application essay about diversity anymore. I don't take moral stands very often, but get over yourself dude.
The student population has shifted. The state has reduced funding. To attempt offset the difference the school admits more students from out of state and is more lax on admission standards with these students. I experienced this personally.
When I started in 2008 my total cost of attendance was ~26K, now it would be 34K? You instate guys are pretty lucky.
I'm not going to say it's disgusting, but he does have a point about international students. Generally speaking, they do not care about football (because it's not played in many countries outside of the US) and even if they do manage to go to games, they are not loud and passionate because (again, generally speaking) they are grad students who haven't bled O&M for four years. It's hard to just come in and immediately care that much about a team. At the Thursday night game two years ago, I actually got bugged to move over about 5-10 feet by some international students. They literally sat the entire game. In north end zone. Yeah.
Like I said, I have no problem with international students because it't no coincidence that their growing presence at VT has parallelled our school's rise in academic prestige. I can understand where vat3ch is coming from, though.
I upvoted this and I'll tell you why. Not because 'getting our asses kicked in the OB'. That statement is incorrect. Flat. Out. Wrong.
I see this in State College, too. There are a large number of students of Asian nationality (like, before college lived in China/Hong Kong/Korea, not just of Asian heritage). I've heard this is because the international rate charged for students is higher than even out of state students, and I've also heard foreign governments pay an extra amount to have a certain number of spaces available to their 'top' students, even before paying tuition. I can't confirm either of these claims.
However, PSU also has a large, large alumni base that is more than willing to travel. So the number of people that come back for games is very high, and this school is much more accessible to alumni than Blacksburg is to VT alums.
I do agree, however, that foreign students tend to care less about football at VT than even American students who didn't care about it beforehand. I wasn't a big college football fan before going to VT. Then I sat in the stands and saw Michael Vick. Boom. I was done.
By last year's count, Tech had 2,578 international students.
During my junior year (end of spring 04), there were 2,051.
Yeah, those extra 527 students are really leaving gaps in the student sections...
Easy there with the borderline racism, but not only has the international population gotten bigger but so has the school, up about 5,000 since '96. So even with this so called influx of foreign students there are plenty in school that grew up with football and that should not be an excuse.
*good point* *good point* *racism* *good point* *decent point* still = downvote. I know a good number of international students that have totally jumped on board the O&M train and I know plenty of Americans that couldn't care less about football. We still have a lot of growing to do as a program and fan base and because of that, we're not immune to bad seasons/economic downturns like a ND or Nebraska might be.
It was not just a bad season. It's a train wreck that a lot of people saw coming for years.
Its tough to explain and describe. I'm only a sophomore but the energy at games feels a lot different now then how it did a couple years ago when I visited. It has become obvious to me that for many students at Tech, football is more of a social event. If the team struggles, people won't be as excited/willing to go because it isn't really the "the cool thing to do." A lot of people just go to games to see and be seen. It's really a shame that it has come down to this.
you just hit the nail on the head. games have turned into social events. people come and jump to enter sandman, snap a few photos to show they were there, and leave after a quarter or 2 when they get disinterested cause they realize they can go talk/look at their phones somewhere else. but they can still say they went to the game
Hey stooodents! When did going to athletic events become such a chore?! Those undergrad years go by quicker than you can possibly imagine, so take full advantage of the perks while you still can.
WTF else is there to do when a game is going on? MAYBE the excuse of being hungover and sleeping at noon? IDK I just dont get it
What about getting laid?
Engineering school. You really think that's an issue?
I'd say a good portion of the engineers have this problem. And those that don't aren't really all that big of football fans anyway.
Yeah, not a whole lot of prospects in the WARE lab.
I always thought the 6 to 150 girl to guy ratio in my aero classes gave me a good chance.
What I knew some people to do is to stay in the room after one of the big auditorium classes in Hancock, McBride, etc and sit through a comm or food science class, those are usually about 2:1 the other direction of not better.
I transferred from engineering to interior design. My first class in design, I was the only male in a class of some 75 young ladies. I liked that a lot.
Everyone here has great hindsight now that they've been around football for a while. I wasn't a fan until my Freshman year when I got to see how electric Eddie Royal was on the kickoffs and passes. Getting to see Adibi and Hall crush opponents and Flowers make fools of the other team. If it wasn't for some of those big players/games especially being able to see a ranked Clemson come into Lane stadium and get punished it would of taken much longer to get into the game. It was easy to cheer for a team when you could put your faith in Tyrod, Macho, Evans, Williams, Wilson, and realize whenever these guys got the ball it could go to the house. We don't have these electric players anymore. It's a tougher team to cheer for. We need to win big games and make big plays to convert new fans, that's just the way it is. Everyone starts somewhere and it happens with players you can consistently count on.
Tougher team to cheer for? I'm pretty sure I can get behind this Defensive Line and the secondary. Can't you?
Absolutely, but it takes a deeper understanding of the game to appreciate it. Our D, as good as it has been, hasn't put up a lot of points like it did in the past. This isn't about me or you being in the stands. If I was still there I would absolutely be at the game. There just isn't anything going for the team this year to convert many students into die hard fans.
Pretty much this. Our most marketable player is hated by half the fan base. Not exactly enticing.
My freshman year was 2008. We lost to ECU in the season opener. Our first home game was Furman. We were down 3-0 at halftime. My first ever college football game. Three points. In 30 minutes of football. None of which were score by the Hokies. I think that team was just as hard to watch (if not harder) than last year's team. I'm still a fan, 5 years later, and intend to remain a fan for a while longer.
Before coming to Tech I hated college football. Now I love it more than any other televised sport. A school's athletic team, while seemingly insignificant, often serves as an extension of the community. Our football team is a symbol of the Virginia Tech/Blacksburg community, the same community where I spent some of the best years of my life. Like a previous poster said, this shouldn't be a chore for a students, but an opportunity to have fun supporting your school.
I blame the coachuphokies contest. Even though I have more votes than everyone combined, they didn't pick me.
I mean hey, I'd go to the game just to see my video played on the big screen and then watch my drunk ass run out of the tunnel wearing a horse on a treadmill shirt.
Ok so maybe that would only put like 4 more butts in seats (my fam), but I had to vent.
Maybe they thought it was done by a professional company because it was so good, so they DQed it?? Just think of it as it was too amazing that they didn't want to make everyone else feel bad.
Wow...that's some BS.
Hold up...you didn't win?!
So when I saw that you didn't win on the VT Athletics' fb page, I immediately commented "Welp, looks like BilldozerVT got hosed." I checked fb again a couple of hours later and they had deleted that comment. Those dicks.
Haha thanks. I appreciate it.
Sounds like Weaver reads TKP...haha
but seriously you got hosed. I thought the people were supposed to decide?
BTW, the person that "won" is the SGA Hokie Effect Director. So I'm saying that it was a fix and calling shenanigans.
I decided to go ahead and ask:
So what you're saying is that it was in fact fixed.
This makes me ashamed to be a Hokie and affiliated with this athletic department. Why even have the contest if you were just going to chose whoever you wanted anyway? This honestly disgusts me. So much so that I'm not even going to make a Weaver meme about it. What a stupid thing to mislead/lie about. This might be the most un-Ut Prosim move I've ever seen.
Sounds like the vote was legit and a few top ones were submitted to the athletic department, then they chose. I was about to think that they sent the people who made the videos to the athletic department, but that didn't sound right. Since BillDozer didn't win, I at least hope VTPhreak was the winner. Quality should count for something.
Nope, the winner was a student who is the SGA Hokie Effect Director. In other words, he's a name that many people probably know at the University so they picked him over a higher quality entry such as BillDozer.
And it's much cheaper to have a current student win (read: no travel costs) than having the People's Champ BiilDozerVT win. Weaver is a cheap ass.
Wow, really VT? You pick the SGA Hokie Effect Director? Could you be any more blatant about this? Yeesh...
I don't have a Twitter account so I can't do this. But I propose that everyone tweets at Matthew Sams and asks him why Billdozer didn't win even though he clearly had more votes.
Tweet, Snapchat, Facebook, and whatever else the hell you kids use today, him. If I had any of these I'd be in.
I don't remember Captain Hindsight calling shenanigans in those episodes.
This is a terrible video
That was the stupidest god damn thing I've ever seen. That's what won? What a freaking joke!
He's channeling his inner John Madden with the "we just have to score more points than the other team" line. It really is a disgrace that this won.
Right. This video is terrible.
This won? Wow, how "convenient" that he had access to Lane Stadium and the tunnel. It was rigged from the start.
I think it needed more of him walking away at the end
I haven't seen your video, I'm just assuming it's better than that. Mainly because it can't be worse.
I submitted a 30 second remix of the 2013 trailer:
I has asked if it had to be an actual pep talk or if highlights could be used and he responded with:
New GIF idea for any animation wiz - this kid turning away and walking down the tunnel, then James Gayle annihilating him from the blind side.
I think there was enough walking away. It just should have happened at the beginning.
How'd you know how many votes you had?
each video had a counter below it. I think he had 70, another had about the same, and another was a late entry with 0. I had about 180.
So what probably happened was that they took the entries (which it sounds like there were 4), let everybody vote on who they liked, and then tossed it all out the window, am I right?
And so what if they're giving away free tickets? It gives the people who are curious/marginally interested a reason to go.
I am starting to question how hard you polytech but, i digress. The tickets are basically free anyway
I polytech very hard, I'm just saying that at least they're giving the tickets away so more people will come. Maybe some of those people will end up getting into tech football and buy tickets next year. I'm not saying it's perfect, but at least the ticket office is doing something for the time being.
I can vouch for this
09 Brah, I know you polytech. On another note, did i use "i digress" correctly?
Yes, yes you did. Turkey leg for your troubles.
This is bullshit. If I can wake my ass up at 6, sweat my balls off in wool uniforms, have to stay sober, and STILL stand and yell the whole time, then non-cadets can get off their dead asses, down some bourbon, and watch some goddamn football.
Never tell your problems to anyone - 20% don't care and the other 80% are glad you have them.
Only in this case there are close to 1000 others in the same boat and many more who have done it before and can empathize. I felt I always lost a couple pounds of sweat from football games we had to wear Dress A. As well as rain games, the raincoat was useless. Got soaked all the way through during the 07 BC game and 09 Miami game but still had a blast.
I'm not spouting problems. I'm spouting facts. I choose to do all of those things. The point is, there is NO EXCUSEfor this subpar fanhood. Up by 50 or down by 50, you stay the whole time and yell your damn head off. Whether the team was 0-12 or 14-0 last year, those stands should be packed. Anything less is shameful.
And they choose to leave at halftime when we're up by 30 points on a team that won two games in the last two years. Not everyone is a rabid football fan and a rabid Hokie fan. Honestly I would find it discouraging to be a new fan who is getting tore a new one because they left at halftime because the game was boring because it was put away in the first quarter.
Saw it my freshman year, hall mate came back from a Thursday night game early because he was getting sick and when the others came back after the game they gave him a hard time. Granted it was the '07 BC game, but everyone has different reasons for leaving or not having the same energy from start to finish. If you forced everyone to stay all 4 quarters no matter what, then the stadium would be much more empty on game day.
I remember us going through a good deal of Scotch after the game, at Foxridge I'm certain that staved off a brutal cold.
Also, every passer-by was offered a swig. It was that kind of night
You are whining about something you chose to do. Maybe you should quit.
excuse me while I step on my soapbox for a moment...
if I had let the 0-16 loss to Cincinnati that I witnessed as a student discourage me, resulting in an 0-2 start, I would have missed our first victory ever over Miami the following week.
And kicking Texas' ass would have not felt as sweet when I was down there in NOLA later that year. I worked 2 jobs over Christmas break to pay for that trip and we slept 8 in a room.
ok my old timer moment is done.
YES! Freshman year, first VT game experience ever was an ESPN Thursday night game, sitting in the SEZ bleachers, afraid that the old wooden planks would crack and we'd all die when BC was on offense, and it was all for not because we ran out of time.
Then the Cincy game, our last ever shutout I believe, in the rain, miserable.
But then... the rest is history.
I remember the BC game and the Cincy rain...miserable.
to be fair guys I've seen missing seats in the nosebleeds south endzone for YEARS, could they be giving away tickets because those alums refuse to buy tickets for the season?
Trust me I'm as angry as the next guy about all of this but lets take it with a grain of salt before we bash the ENTIRE student fan base (I being a student feel I'm a very good fan and havent missed a game since 07)
I'm a student here and I will definitely say that the student body's passion about sports has fallen off. I don't know whether it's Tech's growing prestige as a university or what but we seem to be attracting a lot more people who are UVAish. I was in North for the WCU game and 1) it wasn't close to full and 2) I couldn't believe how many people were dressed up for the game like it was a social. IT'S A FOOTBALL GAME FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. Then of course South looked like it was deserted and then you still have the idiots who spend the entire game throwing paper airplanes instead of watching the game. It's pathetic really. I mean we had the leading scorer in the country last year in Erick Green and Cassell was still half empty every game. I don't know why but the student body just doesn't seem to care as much about sports anymore.
I will agree with you here apparently a ton of fraternities/sororities got seats in the north endzone this year and I have no idea how this happened but yeah a lot of them unfortunately leave at half time
It's embarrassing enough they send out these emails to students, but just as bad is that you can go on the blacksburg group page on facebook and the majority of the post on there are students trying to sell their tickets.
And I completely agree on the "attracting a lot more people who are UVAish." I think the times are almost gone as far as students being able to make fun of UVA when most of them look like they wish they could have got in there. It's nice to see the university grow in size and prestige but you would think the same Virginia Tech mentality would still be there.
I agree on point one, not on point two...i thought north was full for wcu, we have to kick a ton of people out of our section, and the east student section was definitely full....now tons left super early, but the students definitely showed up for the start
From what I understand most of the north endzone is Greek. Explains the dressing up. (No offense to Greeks).
Admittedly, sometimes I dress up a little too much for games, but I'm telling you what- I'd have to be pulled and forced (not even then) to the leave the stadium before a game was over. You can tailgate or go sit in your dorm the other 365 days a year. C'mon students!
Ladies can never dress up too much for a game. Men on the other hand...definitely can!
Blue jeans and a hoodie/shirtless 4th quarters by god its a tradition for us and were gonna keep it thar way cold or not
I'll never know how those dudes at the '07 Miami game pulled that off for the whole game, guess it was some of that Wild Turkey "liquid warmth."
beer coat my good friend beer coat, and a lot of it, the thursday night game against fsu was pretty rough too
A little perspective -
People who became fans of Tech football in 1993 have never known a losing season. In my opinion, some of those Tech fans have been spoiled by success, particularly over the last eight years where we've posted 10+ wins every season. Students who were freshman last year don't know anything about Tech football except the 7-6 record last season - could they be the majority of student no-shows this year?
Since CFB took over the program twenty-six years ago, we've had a total of four losing seasons - 1987, 1988, 1991, and the 2-8-1 debacle of 1992. At the end of the 1992 season, CFB fired a number of assistant coaches and hired new guys, sparking the 20 year streak of winning records at Tech.
The 7-6 winning record last year was the worst winning record since 1997 when the team posted a 7-5 final tally. Once again, CFB has taken action to correct the problems on the offensive side of the ball, perhaps a couple of years too late, and has fired some assistants and hired new ones with fresh ideas. We may not see the results we want to see this year on the offensive side of the ball, but I'm betting we become VERY competitive over the next couple of years.
More perspective -
I first became a fan of Tech football in 1967. From 1967 until CFB arrived in 1987, Tech had a total of four head coaches - Claiborne, Coffey, Sharpe, and Dooley. Their combined W-L record over twenty years was 120-97-4, with a TOTAL of 12 winning seasons. Let me tell you, that was dismal stretch of Tech football, particularly the ten years between 1967 and 1977 (56-60-3).
Claiborne was let go because his offense was FAR worse than anything we've seen under CFB, even though he had this superb gunslinger sitting on the bench by the name of Don Strock. Coffey had one winning season when Strock was a senior, and he was fired, too. Sharpe had some off-the-field issues that resulted in his dismissal after a four-year stretch. Dooley was actually a good coach, compiling seven winning seasons out of nine, but the NCAA caught him with more scholarships on the roster than was allowed by the rules.
really appreciate your perspective and loyalty. I don't think you meant it that way, but I have heard the 1993 reference before about that first generation of Bowl Streak fans, and I would like to share my perspective on that briefly.
1993 happened to be my first year in college, prior to that I was not even a college football fan. But I grew-up with the program as it itself grew up in the college football ranks, and I quickly fell in love with it. In all honestly I feel roughly the same way about Hokie Football that I did about my childhood dog. It hurts to lose, and I would never abandon my team for a losing season.
I will not speak for recent additions to the fanbase, but what you said about last year's class might have merit. The Cincinnati post I made earlier, the stadium had only 35,000 in attendance that day.
This again... When we start winning consistently, this will no longer be an issue. And also, the argument that "well you can get drunk any other day of the year" is just dumb. Have you ever been to center street on gameday? Partying at that level comes around 5 times a year and then never again after you graduate. Just sayin.
it's not just the students. the fanbase at large has a ton of negativity in it, and has for years. a lot of people have a 'if you're not first you're last' mentality. i'm not a season ticket holder but i tend to go to 3 or 4 games a year. not being a season ticket holder means i sit all over the stadium for different games and some of the shit i hear people say makes me wonder why they're even there. i'm a huge nerd and vt football is my hobby so i dont really think much of it when folks who donate to the school know less about the team than i do, but some of the shit talking about beamer and pretty much every aspect of the program blows my mind sometimes.
we're coming off a bad year after several years of a plateau. there's not a ton of sizzle around the program right now. like somebody says above, start winning again and they'll pack back into lane. until then, i'd love to be offered free tickets so maybe people should stop complaining about that and control what they can, their own passion on gameday.
A lot of that criticism is justified though. Football teams are supposed to win and teams that had success are expected to win more. I wouldn't say it is "if your not first, you're last" it's more along the lines of "if the stove is hot and burns, don't touch it a second, third, fourth, and fifth time." It's not as if the problems with the program in recent years has been sporadic. It was a systemic failure that was never corrected. Last year was the boiling point and the problem has at least been seriously looked at, but it's a few years too late and the fan.
My entire four years, while amazingly fun and exciting, was extremely frustrating at times. Committing the same mistakes year in and year out. Almost every game I would here older alumni and students calling for offensive changes back in '08. I know last year people in my hometown with season tickets weren't going to renew if nothing changed within the program.
All we have to do is keep winning. The diehards will always be there and the bandwagoners will come back.
Winning cures a load of ills.
I started going to football games in 1992 and haven't missed many since. It baffles me that students now don't want to make the ten minute walk to the stadium when I drive down from nova every game. Its been five years since I graduated and I still miss that ten minute commute.
But seriously, crowd needs to improve.
I need to put my two sense in...I went to my first VT football game as a freshman in '06. I went to every home game from then until I graduated in Dec '10. I even went to about 3 more games the following season, traveling all the way from PA. Now, as a first semester grad student, I was really excited to go the WCU game. It sucked. The fans are not fans at all; the game was not that entertaining. I honestly wanted to leave after the 1st quarter, BUT I didn't, because I was there to cheer on my team. I stayed until the clock read 0:00.
I recently overheard one of my fellow grad student male classmate talk about the Marshall game, saying that if it was raining he wasn't going to go. I nearly had a heart attack and I said something about how I was real fan and would go watch it in the rain. The majority of the students really are pathetic.
Maybe I need to start grad school, and show them how it's done.
I'm another student that cared nothing for college football until I came to Tech back in '11. But after I went to the first game that year, I was hooked and have been ever since. I haven't missed a game since I've been here (I know, only 2 years going on 3 but still) and I've stayed for each and every second yelling my head off. From the high of beating Miami in '11 to the low of the late pick against FSU last year. From the blowouts against the teams like WCU to the hold-your-breath-gimme-this-one-stick-it-in games like the GT opener. I was disgusted with how empty north was after halftime against WCU. That being said, it's not just the students that aren't coming. I know, it's a 5 minute walk and the tickets are (except for us season ticket holders) free so there isn't really much excuse but it's not all their fault that Lane was as empty as it was.
With all do respect to everybody who went to the game last Saturday (ahem our first real home game)... It's WCU.. I've watched every game since 97' and been to almost 60-70 percent of those home game, 6 bowl games, and 3 neutral games, maybe 10 away games. I am a senior at tech now and I'll tell u that most of my friends who appreciate good football and dont have season tickets(going to go 3 home games this year, because of deer season) don't wanna pay to watch us play WCU. Point being that...I think u will see myself and other more passionate fans come out this sat for the Marshall game. It's the catamounts guys, I understand the recent doom and gloom attitude because we didn't sell out.. the schedule sux and to be honest with you I watched the game comfortably in my home with two TV's watching other football games at the same time, with my Cody Grimm jersey on and wild turkey in arms reach. It's the catamounts guys.. I think when u get to acc play there will be more support, sure u can call out the entire va tech student section after one game... But I don't agree with it. And some of u are arguing a shift in trend of the type of hokies that come out to games, which it may well be a shift, but I have to wonder if u can see through the o&m glasses, that even "true" fans aren't pleased with recent year? It's obviously showing.. With attendance to bowl games and the amount of alumni buying season tickets. All I'm saying the problem is mostly the home schedule, it's kind of sort of the teams nationally relevance, acc relevance ( which I think we have some, but others disagree) , and the lack of a dynamic player (a game changer if u will) even though our d is nasty and what a top 5 d in the nation, it's not sexy to most people who don't know football. That's def one thing that bothers me is the lack of football knowledge displayed at games by some fans. I love being a hokie and have 4 hokie alums in my family and know u guys do to, but I'm not throwing one of the most passionate football student bodies under the bus, because they didn't show up for the catamounts. Saturday will be better fan base showing, and then it will be back to normal for unc and Pitt.. Trust me. Steps off soap box.. Sorry just my opinion
"Start coming to the football games.....or else"
-Sam Rogers
This should be the HokieSPA splash page.
I might get downvoted for an opinion here, but I need to say this.
Weve had this conversation on this site a million times now. We all need to get over ourselves a bit. We all love Hokie football. I will go to every game I possibly can, no matter what, so long as its physically possible for me to be there, I will go. I will stay all game long and cheer and not be able to talk for days afterwards. I wont throw paper airplanes or ever sit down. I will shake my keys on third down and do everything that a good football fan should do.
But we have to stop this mentality that everyone that goes to VT has to be a football fan. Believe it or not, most people arent like us here at TKP. They could care less about our defensive domination, or offensive scheming. If most people at VT read a French article their heads would explode from confusion. Going to a football game is a commitment, it basically dictates your whole day. Like it or not, some people dont want to go to a game on their one day off the entire week (my Sundays were nuts in terms of scheduling so maybe Im speaking for myself but Saturdays were my one day every week to do what I wanted to do and not what I had to do).
I wish we would have a packed house every week. I wish students would stay for the whole game and all that other stuff. But call it fair-weather fans or whatever, but people want to see a winning football team. After a disappointing season last year and a start this year that isnt all that impressive (our SOS sucks other than Bama), I cant say I blame students who arent big football fans for not showing up to see WCU or Marshall.
Im also not blaming anyone on here for being disappointed in our fan support. Im frustrated too. But we really need to step off our high horse on a treadmill and stop acting like were so much better than someone else who isnt going to the game. I mean would you go to the party that you really didnt want to in the first place just because some random people were basically insulting you for not being there in the first place?
If we want to get people interested in coming to games the lets give them a reason to show up. If you know people who arent planning on going tell them about what theyre missing, invite them to a tailgate and let them sit with you at the game. Heck, someone could even start writing articles on TKP geared toward new football fans and people who are new to VT. Lets face it French can get pretty complicated pretty quickly, even I cant understand what hes saying sometimes.
Football games should be fun, so lets stop worrying about what other people are doing and instead focus on what we want to be doing, which is drinking bourbon and being a great football fan.
I will upvote this until the cows come home:
That is epic
If you are current student and NOT going to a game with 100% chance of rain, you are missing out big time. The A&M game in the hurricane is still one of my fondest memories. You just can't beat being soaked, freezing your ass off, and standing and yelling with 66k of your closest friends.
Miaimi 2009 is still my favorite home game I've ever attended.
It was a beautiful Virginia Tech win. The defense forced a fumble that set up a score, INT that set up another and special teams blocked a punt for another score. Our offense wasn't the prettiest that day, but Tyrod did his thing and the defense came out mean and let Miami have nothing. To me that was Hokie football that day.
I had a soccer game that day. Missed almost the entire game and had to play in rain that was just as bad as it was in Blacksburg. My friends decided to play a trick on me and tell me the score was Miami 24 VT 3. I was beyond pissed, then I got home and saw the final 6 minutes. LOL and Da U being back.
True story...I turned blue that game...I alternated between screaming and reeling in pain because my muscles were contracting so much due to being cold and wet.
My friend is pissed that he missed that game because his mother didn't want him driving in a hurricane to get there.
The positives of not selling out.
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/virginia-tech-donates-20000-in-tickets-f...
I've been going to VT football games since my parents first took me as a baby. I grew up cheering with my dad and learning all the details of football. I take every opportunity I can to go to the games and when I'm there I scream, never sit down and rattle my extra-large key chain on 3rd down. Lane stadium in a way is like coming home for me. Miami 2009 was one of the best memories I've had of VT football because it was my first game back home from being deployed... it's right up there with freezing my butt off during UVA 2004 with the crazy wind and blowing snow. Nothing is sweeter than seeing our Hokies crush an opponent at home. I know we may have had a down year last year but I was there when we sucked all the time. I love VT and I love Hokie Football. I get that not everyone feels the way I do but I am baffled that students are not going crazy to pick up tickets and get to a game. I know each time I was in the desert I would have done anything to be home in Lane screaming my head off and routing our team on! Go Hokies!!!
They didnt listen. The stadium sounds quiet and North is a disgrace. If I didnt have a test Monday Id be hoarse for several days with a cold from the rain
Hey, there was one point in the 4th when North was the only section making any noise, I heard it distinctly coming from that end. Half of the students that come to the games still care.
Hopefully the end of this game will convince some of the rest of them to stay the entire game next time. But, after today, I think I'm more disappointed in the alumni, even those on the East side.
Or maybe it was just because of the rain. Or because of Marshall. We'll find out for sure in 2 weeks.