These are rough times for the Hokie football program, and I can't deny my doubts about certain coaching decisions, the bowl-streak, and the Hoo-streak.
Rough times indeed. I most lament the divisiveness on this board, the best Hokie fan site I know. The best sports fan site, full stop, I know.
I see debates turn into actual arguments, belittling comments, and a wild misuse of downvotes that just makes petty and reductive what should be fun and instructive.
But I still have faith in the future. I've got a wife who, while she doesn't care a bit about football loves to make me football swag. Who won't watch the game herself, but laughs that our 5 month old boy who couldn't care less about big sister's cartoons is riveted to the TV when the game is on. Who only barely rolls her eyes that our daughter is hooked in part because the Hokies share her favorite color (I know, maroon isn't quite purple, but it's close enough for her).
It may not be the best time as a fan to be hung up on the W-L record.
But it couldn't be a better time to be a fan in the krak_t household.
What's your favorite fan thing?
Comments
Very nice sentiment... leg, but I challenge the notion that it couldn't be a better time to be a fan.
I have similar moments, my little girl couldn't care less about football, but she'll walk around the house saying H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES! all the time.
Every fandom everywhere with a nice message at the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRGxbQcunnU
Warning for those in a public place. There is some foul language in the video.
What did I just partially watch?
A guy being wrong about Ocarina of Time and a British guy trying to correct him.
It's literally "what if the music to Ocarina of Time had lyrics", though it's a good tale on fandoms and the internet in general. Disagreements turning into unhealthy arguments, name calling, threats, etc. only to end by reminding us we're all still fans and should use that fandom to unite despite our disagreements.
Majora's Mask is better. *DUCKS*
(I love both games, but disagree vehemently on several levels)
Don't make me get the God-Emperor's Holy Promethium out and start purging some heretic and xenos scum!!!
(If you're not sure, this is a WH40K reference to him being a H-Ork-ie so it's all in good fun!)
Ah the Adeptus Sororitas (Nuns with guns), surprised that Ordo Xenos wasn't the first one to spot this. This is coming from someone who's first army was actually Imperial Guard (saw the picture of the Ork painted with Hokie colors because someone was a Duke fan and paint it that way as a joke, which I thought it was awesome).
I made sure I *ducked* first before the holy promethium went by. I do love OoT a lot too, just mainly for personal reasons I love Majora's Mask more and it's not "it is popular I will go against popular stuff".
So I have to ask:
Beholder's Eye or Fun N Games? And my first army was 2E Blood Angels.
Fun N Games from Fall 2015 to Fall 2016 I was in the Corps of Cadets and didn't have any time or miniatures until my brother gave me my first army one Christmas, he knew I wanted to play IG from when he saw me play Dawn of War as IG (fluff reasons I played them since I know they are powerful in 8th edition now and try not to min/max stuff or use just all vehicles especially the way I made my regiment).
Ah, so you missed the good ol' days of the Eye. *pours one out* Tim, Bill and Collin are good guys, just a shame they were one of the casualties of the town's plans to extend the sidewalks downtown as well as the building of the traffic circle at the corner of Prices Fork and North Main.
Glad FNG changed ownership; I'm still miffed at Blake holding a pizza party the day Beholder's Eye closed. They're also now across the hall from where they were in University City Mall, where the mattress store used to be next to the Math Emporium.
This is a great time to be a fan. It's never been easier to get to see every game we play. It's never been easier to feel more connected to the program no matter how far away from it you actually live. Every fall Saturday, my son asks when the Hokies are playing today. And while he doesn't quite have the attention span to sit through a whole game, he'll frequently check in on the score to see if we're winning or losing. My daughter will curl up on the couch beside me. She's mostly looking at her phone, but she's there. And she'll randomly ask about a play we run, and I'll get to explain things like RPOs or the difference between man and zone coverage. For
twelveeleven days (fuck ECU), I get to be back in Blacksburg in my soul.For me it's spending at least one weekend every fall since 2005 going to see the Hokies play in Lane with my dad. It's always my favorite weekend of the year win or lose, driving up talking football and talking about life. Sometimes we hang around for Sunday and play a round of golf together in the Valley. It's a tradition that becomes more special with each passing year.
I was thinking something similar during the 2nd half on Saturday. I was pissed off because it looked like we were going to lose, but then it hit me that I was standing there in Lane with my dad and brother, and I realized we're not going to be able to do this forever. I was still pissed about the game but also aware that there will come a day when I wish I could go back to Blacksburg and watch Tech shit the bed one more time with my dad.
These thread additions are glorious. Legs for all!
Thanks for helping bring back Hokie fandom (well, part of it...) from the brink.
Amen! I will be in Blacksburg for Miami which will be my 76th consecutive home game - all of which I travelled to from Richmond. I have only missed 12 home games this millennium. I love Virginia Tech.
Living the dream, this guy.
Who knew that VT has their very own Marlin Man.
Well, One of the great things are the good surprises. HokieFireman made it to the tailgate for this game, and we found out our season tickets are adjacent to his season tickets.
That was a great surprise.
For me, this season has provided humility and allowed me to put things in perspective.
I've said every season since I graduated that there's a lot more important things in life to worry about / focus on, but every season minus this one I've found myself letting the outcome of the game determine my mood for the week for better or for worse.
I've been much more at peace internally. Not because I think everything is going to be great next season (although I think it may be) but because I've been able to better rationalize that in the grand scheme of things this is a funny little game played by 18 year-olds and there are SO many more important things in life. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to be a passionate fan like everyone else on here and root hard every week for my beloved team, but this season may have been what I needed personally as a fan.
Amen.
I didn't even realize it, but I 100% agree with this outlook. Seeing a lot of people so negative and calling for coaching changes/ or just flat out bitching about this teams' performance has really rubbed me the wrong way. For me it was after the loss to GT when I took a deep breath and came to the same conclusion that this could be a long year and I needed to adjust my current perception of the program or I was going to be miserable all year. As you said, I think we get better next year, but I'm now watching for growth in individual players and remaining optimistic about the future of the program. Fuente has proven he can turn programs around, and I haven't seen anything from him or the coaching staff that keeps me from believing he can do the same here.
For me it was two years of being on the field doing what I love as a musician while cheering for a team I've loved since childhood. After those two years, it became a weekend tradition with my parents for almost 20 years and now a weekend tradition with my mom the last 3-4 (at least when she hasn't had to work).
The roar of my brethren and sistren in the crowd when something good happens, and how you can hear it in every corner of Blacksburg (not to mention Skipper). I even heard it on Saturday, during the first half.
I even heard it on Saturday, during the first half.
*boom boom .... kshhhh*
no I actually did
haha it was supposed to be a compliment to what I thought was a witty implication about fans leaving in the 3rd quarter.
After talking to my wife about a coworker asking me how the game was (he didn't know the score. He is an App St fan), I was about to comment somewhere on here about the conclusion we came to.
We took our 3 yr old daughter with us for her second ever VT game. As you all know, it was band alumni day and Mom was in the MVs color guard. Our girl got to watch the marching band practice all morning and "march" into the stadium riding on Mom's back in a baby carrier. They even got some time on the jumbotron during said march. She laughed and cheered and played all day. She yelled H-O-K-I-E-S Hokies! all game long. She loved getting to use her "outdoor voice" for 4 straight hours.
We concluded that we would have rather had a happy child the whole day and a Hokies' loss, than to deal with a poorly behaved child during a Hokies win.
This is glorious! We all need to hear these stories as reminders. Great Stuff Mozart! Glad she had a great day - which she will remember for a very long time!
Perspective.
It'll get after ya.
This is the type of post that I would like to see go plaid.
Seldom do you see 2 hokies walk past each other in gear without hearing anything less than "Go Hokies" or "Hokie Hi". Outside a VERY rare "We Are", "O-H", or "Go Green", I don't think alumni of any other school feel the same compulsion and kinship that we have as Hokies.
That makes me proud
"Roll Tide"? "War Eagle"?
But I completely get your point. It feels like I inevitably see someone in Hokie gear in at least one airport I pass through whenever I'm flying anywhere.
I guarantee if you walk by me wearing Hokie gear, anywhere it isn't wildly inappropriate, I'm speaking up. Conversation often occurs. Don't exchange names, usually, but just a "hail fellow well met" kinda thing.
Absolutely! Had it happen in the halls here at work recently - a tour came through, they were all waiting in the hall on something, and one of the guys sees me in a VT shirt so we chatted for a minute. Gotta love it :D
So, I think I've said it before, I'm a Redskins fan and nothing compares to the last 25 years of that mess. However, I'm very much at peace because I know how the season is going to go before it even starts. It definitely makes a huge difference in the enjoyment level (win or lose) if you have 0 expectations going in. I find the enjoyment in just being a fan (win or lose). Now with the Hokies, I hold them much closer because they have been a much bigger part of my life, going to games, donating, just visiting, starting my college career there, etc etc. If you can envision Hokie football like the stock market and your contributions as a fan as being a 401K, then there will be highs and lows and booms and busts but if you ride it out for the long run you'll enjoy nice profits (memories and good times) that you will never regret and always make you smile. Don't lose sight of what is truly important, and that is the support of the team and university we all hold so near and dear.
My favorite fan things this year have been:
1) Tasting victory in Tallahassee. That was one sweet victory.
2) Having access to all but one of the games via either cable or streaming options.
3) Debating the future of VT football. Though I have a strong feeling we're going in the right direction, I do value the informed opinions expressed on this forum. ( I don't as much enjoy "the sky is falling opinions", but people do have the right to express those.)
4) I love hearing the stories about how VT fans treat other fans well when they come to visit Lane stadium.
5) I love hearing the stories about VT fans children's experiences when they come to visit Lane stadium.
That's Gold, Jerry!! Gold!!
I CAN EXPLAIN THESE FRUSTRATING LOSSES! I wanted to start a new forum but I don't have enough turkey legs. Anyway, here is how I see it:
ODU: CJF was not happy with the attitudes in practice so an embarrassing loss would change that and bring on added focus.
ND: Notre Dame is just very good.
GT: Awe shucks, GT was near the bottom of the Coastal so let them have a win. Won't affect the division and Paul Johnson is well liked by the coaching community. Plus, we may have lost a few more starters on D if we had put up 100% against that wacko cut blocking offense.
BC: We let BC win so they have a chance to beat Clemson next week and win the Atlantic side, therefore setting up a possible rematch with BC for the ACC Championship. We have a better chance of beating BC than Clemson.
I know this may be crazy, but crazy is how I cope sometimes. Let's see how things play out.
The greatest thing to me about being a fan is that you get to be just that...a real fan. You get to participate, feel the pain of a loss and the joy of a win. You know that a whole bunch of other people feel just like you do about something. It takes some buy-in for some, even some alumni that just weren't invested when students, but when you do join the ranks of fandom, you are rewarded in so many ways. Anticipation of that trip to see them play, fellowship with family and friends, many of which you might only see in the fall, a feeling that you are part of the pageantry if there, and a collective far flung fraternity (or sorority) of like minded folks if watching or listening from afar. For me, a lot is that even though I wasn't good at it the first time around, I came back and stuck with VT. If for no other reason than my times there from the Highty Tighties to my '75 graduation, VT is my school for support, for sports, for friends and for life.
There was a time when my week would live or die on how the Hokies played. I finally came to realize that it only affected me (and my wife) if I let it. Yes when times are good it's fun...this season has largely been unfun but my hope is when it turns around it'll be that much sweeter. I still enjoy seeing games, but it's just as important, or even more so to me nowadays to see and catch up with my friends tailgating. Frankly when my kids started playing sports, even biddy league, my interests changed substantially to what was really important. Make no mistake I've been a Hokie fan for 28 years now and always will be but hell in the end it's just a game.
krak_t COMES UP HUGE WITH THE THREAD OF THE SEASON.
For me, THIS is my favorite fan thing, this and GoKartMozart's story of a happy toddler.
I took my 5 year old stepson to only his 2nd game ever this past weekend.
To see him jump with excitement during enter sandman. To see him cheer and wave to the jets flying over after the national anthem. To see him chow on his pizza while we are down 14 in the 2nd half and looking up and smiling at me. To see him chanting H-O-K-I-E-S: HOKIES! (his favorite cheer) while walking back to the car, oblivious as to the fact we just lost another disappointing game. Makes everything worth it in being a fan.
He reminds me every day is a good day to be a Hokie.