I don't know why but I expected the question to be around whether we should consider discontinung this new tradition. So I will go ahead and ask that question. Is the #25 something we should continue?
Part of me kind of feels that if the bowl streak ends we need to end the #25 jersey tradition as well. Especially as the current players move further away from Beamers tenure and weren't even recruited by him.
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I think if we were 7-4 or 8-3 nobody would be making any takes like this. I don't think you're being irrational for suggesting it, but I do think losing like we have been causes us to search for potential issues in just about every part of the status quo. Every tradition feels silly when you are playing the way they are, but if we turn things around I feel like we will see a lot less these posts questioning so many relatively low impact parts of the program.
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I think we should continue it until Beamer eventually passes, and have the season after/during that be one last hurrah for number 25 before it's never worn again.
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Frank Beamer, Enter Sandman, the Lunch Pail, leaving everything you have on the field against UVA and Bud Foster are now parts of Hokieness that transcend a bad game, bad season or bad string of seasons. Change what is wrong not what is right.
I'd like to think that if I work hard enough at something for 20+ years I might be remembered when I'm done.
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It's something unique to Virginia Tech, and something that even casual viewers/non-VT fans will recognize when commentators discuss it. It's not some fleeting fad like turnover jewelry or something, which everyone seems to be doing.
Above all, the players still take great pride in it. We need all the motivation we can get at this point.
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The hash mark at the 32 yard line should have something represented on or around it. UNC paints the sideline hash for the 22 blue. No reason we couldn't do orange or maroon at the sideline for the 32.
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Or maybe remove the 32 yard hash marks as a gesture of remembrance. That would definitely stand out and be fitting for the 32 that was removed too early from this place.
Edit: if it proves to be too difficult and teams/refs complain then just do it for one home game and designate that game like we do the military appreciation game. Could be the game we wear all black unis or something
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The only change I would make is to open it up for the most deserving player on the entire team, and make it a bigger honor than we currently do. Yes, Beamer cut his teeth as a Special Teams coach, but lets not marginalize him as just a ST guru. He was an excellent coach overall, and as such this honor should be a teamwide one, and not just for Special Teams. Add a jersey patch or helmet logo to anyone who has previously worn it, with some kind of indication on how many times that person wore it.
And absolutely, before next year, make the Lunch Pail recipient a bigger deal than it currently is. Announce it and publicize who possesses it before every game. Put some kind of official recognition on the uniform of the current Lunch Pail holder.
You don't just abandon successful traditions because the team is subpar. You embrace and lean on them and allow the traditions to be part of what pulls you up onto your feet to take that next step to where you want to be. Plus, with the #25 jersey tradition, we have an easy merchandising option to continue to sell jerseys to fans with actual meaning while still abiding by the NCAA policies of not profiting off current player likenesses.
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Agree with the lunchpail. I don't think it's been mentioned on TV this year at all really....probably for good reason later in the season....hopefully Bud has locked it up. But should be unlocked after the UVA game.
Regardless.....they should announce who on the defense is carrying the lunch pail that week and into the stadium.
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I agree on lunch pail. It should be a bigger deal.
Disagree on #25 being open to whole team. It isn't just a reflection of Beamer coaching ST but the philosophy of playing starters on ST that revolutionized the game and put VT on the map blocking all those kicks. That's the history and how #25 is awarded now honors Beamer and how he changed the game. That makes it special and different than any player of the week award. I hope it never changes.
Strongly disagree on patches and helmet stickers.
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Agreed on all points. Patches and stickers are reserved for academic achievement...like graduating. The 25 can live on as a jersey just like everyone else (and like aTm's #12.)
And if we EVER do helmet stickers I'm done. Just. No.
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Starters on special teams was truly unique for a Div 1-A (that's what FBS used to be called) football team. In fact, having the HC coach it directly was also unusual. That IS part of VT Football history and the legacy Beamer left behind.
With respect to stickers and patches... Part of wearing a uniform is being... well uniform. I think it looks tacky when you see helmets covered in stickers. It's almost juvenile looking. I feel like there is something more intimidating about the uniform look of the helmets (yes, I get it face masks and visors can be different).
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Like others have said, agree about the lunch pail and disagree about #25. However, it seems like it would be fair to come up with a similar type of tradition for the offense, so there's one for each of the three units.
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One rotating number for special teams is enough. They are called special teams! People flip when we do different colors. Trying to follow 3 different people in a new number each week would be too much for many to handle. Doing the #25 13 or 14 or 15 times a year, I'm good with leaving it at that.
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What I mean is, the Special Teams Player of the Week gets the #25 jersey, and the Defensive Player of the week gets the Lunch Pail. I would be on board with giving the Lunch Pail more public recognition to match the #25 jersey, and to add another similar thing for the offense, so each of the three units has something.
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The defense has the lunch pail. Keep #25 for special teams. Figure out what to give offense for good play, I mean we have to figure out what good offensive play looks like first.
I think hokie tracks on the helmet to show off how many lunchpails, #25, or what ever offense award you've earned.
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The one change I would make is that we don't see it every week. A player has to make a big play on special teams the week before to wear it the following week. If no one makes a big play, then it sits on the shelf. Kind of like the turnover chain at Miami except cooler.
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I don't want to go quite that far, but it shouldn't be guaranteed, kind of like how you had to earn your black shirt at Nebraska. Just because you started didnt mean you were a blackshirt. But if Special Teams is atrosicious on week then dont give it out. But playing hard and doing good things on ST should earn it. Even with out a block or TD.
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Not sure why you would want to get rid of something that could be a program defining tradition, of which VT has few. Storied programs have storied traditions that endure in good times and bad.
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I would just like to point out how much it sucks to change the numbers on NCAA 14, half the time i forget what the original number was so I moved the player to special teams and just said he won it every week.
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Stop for what and mentioning Beamer is pub for the VT program. What other history besides Beamer does VT have. Just because team not great doesn't mean u stop motivating
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Maybe a Commonwealth Cup emblem in silver until we get to 50. Then for 51 there is one gold cup and one silver cup at the one yard line. Then for 101, two gold cups and one silver cup. I won't live to 101 so someone else can worry past that.
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Comments
I think I saw on Instagram that Ricky Walker got it
I don't know why but I expected the question to be around whether we should consider discontinung this new tradition. So I will go ahead and ask that question. Is the #25 something we should continue?
Part of me kind of feels that if the bowl streak ends we need to end the #25 jersey tradition as well. Especially as the current players move further away from Beamers tenure and weren't even recruited by him.
No.
While I do think we need to somehow move away from mentioning Beamer in every telecast, I do want to see the 25 jersey continue.
I think if we were 7-4 or 8-3 nobody would be making any takes like this. I don't think you're being irrational for suggesting it, but I do think losing like we have been causes us to search for potential issues in just about every part of the status quo. Every tradition feels silly when you are playing the way they are, but if we turn things around I feel like we will see a lot less these posts questioning so many relatively low impact parts of the program.
I have no problem honoring one player a week for extraordinary contribution or effort.
Even during a season like this one.
I don't know why you'd give that up.
I think we should continue it until Beamer eventually passes, and have the season after/during that be one last hurrah for number 25 before it's never worn again.
NEVER EVER GET RID OF THE #25
Frank Beamer, Enter Sandman, the Lunch Pail, leaving everything you have on the field against UVA and Bud Foster are now parts of Hokieness that transcend a bad game, bad season or bad string of seasons. Change what is wrong not what is right.
I'd like to think that if I work hard enough at something for 20+ years I might be remembered when I'm done.
It's something unique to Virginia Tech, and something that even casual viewers/non-VT fans will recognize when commentators discuss it. It's not some fleeting fad like turnover jewelry or something, which everyone seems to be doing.
Above all, the players still take great pride in it. We need all the motivation we can get at this point.
I always thought they should do something similar but with the number 32. More about the school, less about Beamer, specifically.
The hash mark at the 32 yard line should have something represented on or around it. UNC paints the sideline hash for the 22 blue. No reason we couldn't do orange or maroon at the sideline for the 32.
Fantastic idea
I had a thought the season after the shooting that they should be black.
Or maybe remove the 32 yard hash marks as a gesture of remembrance. That would definitely stand out and be fitting for the 32 that was removed too early from this place.
Edit: if it proves to be too difficult and teams/refs complain then just do it for one home game and designate that game like we do the military appreciation game. Could be the game we wear all black unis or something
The only change I would make is to open it up for the most deserving player on the entire team, and make it a bigger honor than we currently do. Yes, Beamer cut his teeth as a Special Teams coach, but lets not marginalize him as just a ST guru. He was an excellent coach overall, and as such this honor should be a teamwide one, and not just for Special Teams. Add a jersey patch or helmet logo to anyone who has previously worn it, with some kind of indication on how many times that person wore it.
And absolutely, before next year, make the Lunch Pail recipient a bigger deal than it currently is. Announce it and publicize who possesses it before every game. Put some kind of official recognition on the uniform of the current Lunch Pail holder.
You don't just abandon successful traditions because the team is subpar. You embrace and lean on them and allow the traditions to be part of what pulls you up onto your feet to take that next step to where you want to be. Plus, with the #25 jersey tradition, we have an easy merchandising option to continue to sell jerseys to fans with actual meaning while still abiding by the NCAA policies of not profiting off current player likenesses.
so kinda like what buzz did with the graduates on the basketball team? I really like this idea. phone in to the hokie club and send this to the tops!
Agree with the lunchpail. I don't think it's been mentioned on TV this year at all really....probably for good reason later in the season....hopefully Bud has locked it up. But should be unlocked after the UVA game.
Regardless.....they should announce who on the defense is carrying the lunch pail that week and into the stadium.
I agree on lunch pail. It should be a bigger deal.
Disagree on #25 being open to whole team. It isn't just a reflection of Beamer coaching ST but the philosophy of playing starters on ST that revolutionized the game and put VT on the map blocking all those kicks. That's the history and how #25 is awarded now honors Beamer and how he changed the game. That makes it special and different than any player of the week award. I hope it never changes.
Strongly disagree on patches and helmet stickers.
Agreed on all points. Patches and stickers are reserved for academic achievement...like graduating. The 25 can live on as a jersey just like everyone else (and like aTm's #12.)
And if we EVER do helmet stickers I'm done. Just. No.
If we ever do, the only thing I'd accept would be Hokie tracks.
I'm 100% on board with this.
Starters on special teams was truly unique for a Div 1-A (that's what FBS used to be called) football team. In fact, having the HC coach it directly was also unusual. That IS part of VT Football history and the legacy Beamer left behind.
With respect to stickers and patches... Part of wearing a uniform is being... well uniform. I think it looks tacky when you see helmets covered in stickers. It's almost juvenile looking. I feel like there is something more intimidating about the uniform look of the helmets (yes, I get it face masks and visors can be different).
Like others have said, agree about the lunch pail and disagree about #25. However, it seems like it would be fair to come up with a similar type of tradition for the offense, so there's one for each of the three units.
One rotating number for special teams is enough. They are called special teams! People flip when we do different colors. Trying to follow 3 different people in a new number each week would be too much for many to handle. Doing the #25 13 or 14 or 15 times a year, I'm good with leaving it at that.
What I mean is, the Special Teams Player of the Week gets the #25 jersey, and the Defensive Player of the week gets the Lunch Pail. I would be on board with giving the Lunch Pail more public recognition to match the #25 jersey, and to add another similar thing for the offense, so each of the three units has something.
The defense has the lunch pail. Keep #25 for special teams. Figure out what to give offense for good play, I mean we have to figure out what good offensive play looks like first.
I think hokie tracks on the helmet to show off how many lunchpails, #25, or what ever offense award you've earned.
I thought that no one earned the number after ODU, and that it should've been withheld the following week.
Bradburn wore it the week after ODU.
The one change I would make is that we don't see it every week. A player has to make a big play on special teams the week before to wear it the following week. If no one makes a big play, then it sits on the shelf. Kind of like the turnover chain at Miami except cooler.
I don't want to go quite that far, but it shouldn't be guaranteed, kind of like how you had to earn your black shirt at Nebraska. Just because you started didnt mean you were a blackshirt. But if Special Teams is atrosicious on week then dont give it out. But playing hard and doing good things on ST should earn it. Even with out a block or TD.
Not sure why you would want to get rid of something that could be a program defining tradition, of which VT has few. Storied programs have storied traditions that endure in good times and bad.
I would just like to point out how much it sucks to change the numbers on NCAA 14, half the time i forget what the original number was so I moved the player to special teams and just said he won it every week.
Stop for what and mentioning Beamer is pub for the VT program. What other history besides Beamer does VT have. Just because team not great doesn't mean u stop motivating
Personally I think we should commemorate the 15 yard lines.......15 in a row!!!!
A marker on the yard line that aligns with the streak. I like it. What to do when we get to 50? Seems a worthwhile ponderance.
2 marks.
So the 51st year will be at the 50th and 1st or 25 and 26.
Maybe a Commonwealth Cup emblem in silver until we get to 50. Then for 51 there is one gold cup and one silver cup at the one yard line. Then for 101, two gold cups and one silver cup. I won't live to 101 so someone else can worry past that.