Setting The Georgia-Georgia Tech Rivalry Straight

I know the Dawgs (sorry for the misspelling Jacket fans) are preparing for Kentucky, not Georgia Tech, this weekend. But, I myself am already looking ahead to the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech game next weekend.

Why? Because for the first time this decade the Georgia-Georgia Tech game is the most anticipated game of the year--at least for me.

I live near Atlanta, and as a result of my location and my more often than not display of UGA paraphernalia I must deal with buzzing Georgia Tech fans on a daily basis.

This fall, however, I have dealt with way more buzzing than usual. When explaining this phenomenon to my father, who is a UGA grad and a longtime Bulldog, he told me that there are no worries.

He says, "Georgia Tech fans are like cicadas. They come out of the ground every seventeen years, make a lot of noise, and then die."

God forbid that the Tech fans actually die. A lot of my friends are Georgia Tech fans. But, it would be nice if the entire population could handle their success more appropriately.

You might think I'm just jealous. My Dawgs are 6-4, and for the past two seasons have not shown up for a big game. However, my gripe is within the fact that Tech fans have ruined the confines of a good rivalry, and for the first time in my fan-hood I feel it is finally time for some serious war when Georgia and Georgia Tech meet in Atlanta in two weeks.

You see Yellow Jackets, I do not write this in hate, but rather I urge you to heed my advice. Ya'll do not know how to handle success, and your recent spoiling of victories has created a giant army of Jackets against the Dawgs.

All of a sudden Tech fans finally have the confidence to rub Georgia's recent woes in our faces. More often than not, Tech fans are more concerned with what Georgia does on Saturday than who they play.

If I got to play Virginia and Duke back to back, I would probably be more concerned with other teams as well.

But my point is, there is an excessively annoying way at which Tech fans go about their ways. There is an excessively annoying way at which Tech fans treat Georgia fans.

Neither Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, LSU, or Tennessee fans do the same.

Maybe I hate all of those above teams mentioned, but I have always felt like I could have a completely civilized and logical conversation with a fan of those above mentioned SEC teams.

No Georgia fan can or will ever have a civilized conversation with a Tech fan. Because that Tech fan is either A) Oogling over their top 10 ranking so much that they forget what the word "bias" means, or B) Their team is terrible, therefore they do not even show up for the conversation.

They hide for a few years--just like cicadas.

I'm actually rather proud of Georgia Tech. I would be very pleased if they won a National Championship this year (if that opportunity came), because after all, I am from the metro area. They are the local college team.

And, for the last decade I usually have urged Georgia Tech to do well; To have that BCS type season. Why? Because for once the Georgia-Georgia Tech game would mean something.

After dealing with the vigorous conference schedule, by the time Georgia gets to those average Yellow Jackets at the end of the year there is a lull.

The Georgia-Georgia Tech game has been that afterthought amongst the highs of the regular season for Georgia since I can remember--until now.

So why is it that Tech fans for some reason hate the institution that is the University of Georgia so much? It's because they do not understand what UGA and Bulldogs, not Bulldogs, mean to a respective fan.

Why do you think Tech fans always poke fun at Georgia's academics? Why do they poke fun at the average Georgia fan's "hick" persona. Why do they say our mascot is ugly?

Well, Tech fans, why did I squish four of your mascots while I was doing yardwork the other day?

Do I go out of my way to make fun of Yellow Jackets as a stupid mascot? Nope. Because I know how to handle fan-hood. Georgia fans know how to handle fan-hood.  Tech fans do not.

Ever notice that when Georgia is in the top ten in the BCS and Tech is 5-5 that Georgia fans do not go out of their way to put down Tech fans. If a Georgia fan sees a Tech fan at the grocery and Tech is having a down year (usually), the Georgia fan will disregard to the tensions and likely not say something.

In contrast. I was at Publix the other day wearing my black Georgia jersey. All of a sudden I heard, "Why doesn't your coach worry about the game and not what uniform y'all are wearing."

Mind you, this Tech fan look like he came from the boonies. Classier people huh?

I almost wanted to say to the man, "Why did Paul Johnson break out navy blue jerseys in the Chik-fil-A bowl last year and get blanked by LSU?"

But, instead I did not. I just pretended to laugh and grabbed a pack of hot dog buns, because in the end I know Georgia will be back on top, and those Tech fans will crawl back in their holes.

Another argument that ALWAYS happens with Tech fans is this one:

Georgia fan- "We beat y'all seven years in a row"

Georgia Tech fan- "Oh there you go, stupid Dog fan always looking in the past"

**The same two people in 2002

Georgia fan- "We beat y'all 51-7, wow"

Georgia Tech fan- "So! We have 4 national titles, you have 2! Your institution is not as worthy."

If you are a Georgia fan and have not ever had that exact contradiction get splurged on you from a gold and navy clad dork, please say "I". **Chirps**

What Tech fans fail to realize is that they do not know how to handle success. They do not understand that on a regular year Georgia fans are more concerned with Tech winning rather than losing so that we can have a good game.

Georgia fans have bigger fish to fry; Florida, Alabama, Tennessee. We are in the SEC, the classier league; the league that understands football; the league that understands success; the league that understands the pageantry and the rivalry.

We as Georgia fans know that a good, clean, old fashioned rivalry means that the fans of the respective teams have a responsibility.

That responsibility is to keep the integrity and pageantry of that rivalry intact. For example, Georgia fans party with Florida fans in Jacksonville every year.

It's a big party. Sure, we might hate the other football team for what it's worth, but we keep a certain degree of peace amongst one another.

All SEC rivals keep this peace. Georgia and Auburn fans can enjoy a game together. Georgia and Tennessee fans can enjoy a Saturday tailgate.

Georgia and Florida fans throw a party in Jacksonville every year.

Yet, those pesky little Tech fans always like to sneak up on us and step on the backs of our shoes and disturb the peace of what College Football is all about.

So to all Yellow Jacket fans. Your team's success should be enjoyed, but try to leave the Dawg be, because in a few years when we beat you 34-10 or something like that, your recent obstruction of the rivalry's code will come back to sting you in the buttocks.