And now, for your viewing pleasure, salty tears from the Hive

In the wake of another tough loss, Stingtalk has actually been a little disappointing, as the locals there seem to be tearing into each other as much as anything else.  Fortunately the Hive has stepped up and cranked out some comedy gold with a couple of threads you’ll enjoy reading.

First, if you can’t blame your own team’s failings for the loss, blame the officials“I believe if we got any one of those calls, Tech wins.”  Well, maybe three or four…

This one’s even better:  “I hate to say it but it’s clear – We need to drop to Division II”.  What makes this one really great isn’t just that the original poster gets his divisions mixed up, but that one of the people chastising him for his attitude actually goes there with this:

CPJ has done a great job keeping us in these games with UGA.  The gap everyone refers to is regarding talent….not coaching.  We have the better coaches no question about it.  If CPJ had the talent of the 09 team each year, then we would win and compete for championships more often than not.  Unfortunately the win against UGA and the 09 shoulda coulda woulda, CPJ had the talent from arguably the best recruiting class we have ever had and that was with a FEW academic exceptions if I am not mistaken.

Trust me (or look at most draft boards), if GT and UGA would swap coaches, then we would lose 51-7 each and every year.

Johnson’s 1-5 against Richt, with the last three games in the series including two double-digit losses and a blown 20-point lead.  But it has nothing to do with coaching.  At least he’s not blaming this loss on the refs.

Those of you who want to see this series come to an end should be ashamed of yourselves.

68 Comments

Filed under Georgia Tech Football

68 responses to “And now, for your viewing pleasure, salty tears from the Hive

  1. Dawg in Beaumont

    It’s a guilty pleasure of mine to venture over to their boards after our annual win against them. I’m not proud of it, but it is an early December tradition for me.

    Slightly tangential, but does anybody else think Paul Johnson looks like a perfect blend between Michael Cera and Richard Nixon? Take a look. Either way, long may CPJ run!

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    • JN

      It’s not a tradition for me, but I’m in the same boat, somewhat. One of my favorite things about a win over the Tech is reading their boards afterwards. Pure comedy gold.

      But as the Senator alluded, I too was very surprised. Even after the last two drummings they were still able to come up with legitimate excuses (in their minds) as to why they lost. This year, though, they’re eating their own. Sucks for us.

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    • Auburn WR

      Maybe it’s the way he hangs his head in defeat, but there is a certain George Michael Bluth-like quality to CPJ. Cue the annual Charlie Brown music!

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  2. Boz

    Here’s the thing about coaching that so many seem to miss – x’s & o’s are a big part if the job, but so is recruiting. If you can’t connect with high school kids and their families, and you can’t sell them your vision, then you’re gonna have a tough time bringing them in to your program. Saying he’s a better coach doesn’t contemplate the entire scope of the coaches job.

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  3. TennesseeDawg

    Not to mention the usual tired Tech excuse about their academics being so stringent that they can’t recruit top talent. Stanford, Northwestern and Duke find this amusing.

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    • gastr1

      HEY HEY! DON’Y YOU KNOW THAT THOSE ARE LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOLS WITH SOFT MAJORS TO DUMP THEIR ATHLETES INTO??–
      Regge Ball

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  4. Dante

    I don’t see how any Tech fan could look at the last play of that game and think their coach has any damn idea what he’s doing. We couldn’t stop the run to save our lives. Why the hell is he putting the whole game on the shoulders of his passing attack that on a season-best day racked up about 230 yards?

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    • Maybe stuffing Godhigh for a three-yard loss on the previous play had something to do with that.

      Tech averaged 4.5 yards per rush Saturday. It was fourth-and-five at the six yard line. You do the math.

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    • tbia

      Yes and no. Bitch at Grantham all you want, but he won that chess match on 4th down. They ran the slant which had worked well all day, but he dropped Ramik into the passing lane, which worked.

      I think Johnson calls a good game, but on that play he got predictable and it cost him.

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      • Dante

        Your comment about predictability got me looking at the play-by-play. Tech ran for a loss 6 times in the game. 5 of those losses were immediately followed by a pass play. Makes sense as to why Grantham didn’t completely sell out on run.

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    • gastr1

      “We couldn’t stop the run to save our lives”–
      Did you watch the game, even? Did you see how they stopped running the option because every time they went wide we shut it down?

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    • Bulldawg Bill

      You beat Tech by forcing them(or making them feel that they have to) throw the ball. Once that happens, you gottem’!

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  5. uglydawg

    What I really, really want to see is GT play Ga.Southern. Maybe in a bowl game? Please let it happen and soon.

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    • Dawg in Beaumont

      Happens next September. I hope Southern smokes them.

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      • Probably won’t happen. But I’ll sure get a kick out of the Tech defensive players complaining about cut blocks.

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      • JonDawg

        I also believe GS will *upset* GT. I was saying the same thing the year we played both, back to back, and GS scored more points, and had the same amount of rushing yardage (on 9 less carries) than GT. I honestly believe GS would give them a game. GT got killed by MTSU on the ground last year, and since their defense, who is not nearly as good as UFs… I’m gonna go ahead and say GS 40- GT 24

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  6. Bulldog Joe

    Weren’t most of the starters on Tech’s 2009 team recruited by Chan Gailey?

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  7. Careful Brad

    My favorite from stingtalk is the CPJ to USC thread. The OP says he has a guy close to the USC program and they really like Johnson. Part of the reason he cites that USC might want him is because he was punctual to events at the Sun Bowl last year.
    http://www.stingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75894

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  8. Irishdawg

    These people are certifiably delusional. What calls went against Tech? The Bennett fumble? Oh wait. The defensive holding that negated an interception? Oh wait again. Try actually watching the game that is being played, you whiny fuckwits.

    What in Johnson’s career makes anyone with a functioning frontal lobe think he’ sa better coach than Mark Richt? Maybe it was that loss to Middle Tennessee State last year.

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    • Normaltown Mike

      I was thinking about the Floyd holding that negated the INT too.

      The broadcast showed Floyd reach his hand out but not even touch the guy. If there was a replay that showed a hold, I missed it.

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      • JonDawg

        It may have been called against Floyd, but from our seats in The Joke, it transpired right in front of us, and before the ball hit the ground I told my buddy it was a good call. I’m not sure why the refs said Floyd’s number, but if you watch the replay again, look at where the ball is going, and notice how its really overthrown, even for a RB? Our guy that was covering him looked like he held up the intended receiver quite a bit. Silly move, b/c the safety read it correctly and was there waiting on the pass. Glad we got the win though, after the 18 minutes that that last pass hung in air, I lost the last bit of what was left of my voice. What an awesome comeback!

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  9. Brandon

    The real ace in the whole for any GT apologist is to blame the academic standards of “the Hill”. Since I know of no apples to apples source of statistics on this issue it appears to be the real standby that they can go to. Nevermind that we graduate more players our school is easier. Stanford, Duke, and Notre Dame apparently recruit “thugs” who can’t get in to GT.

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    • Careful Brad

      Yes, you have to love “the Hill” excuse. One of their boards had something that said none of their players would start for us but none of our players would make it one year at tech. I think they need to make their official colors white and comedy gold.

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  10. Dawg in Beaumont

    As a UGA fan it is easy to just view Johnson as a failure vs. UGA, but his overall numbers are starting to get pretty terrible against any major conference team. Before we pulled the upset vs. them in 2009 he was riding high (upset UGA in 2008, was rolling into Clean Old Fashioned Hate at home with a 10-1 team). Since that game kicked off he has the following record if you eliminate wins vs. FCS teams: 23-26

    1-2 to close out 2009
    5-7 in 2010
    6-5 in 2011
    6-7 in 2012
    5-5 in 2013

    While I am throwing out wins over FCS teams in that, it does count any win against a BCS conference team (there are quite a few Wake Forest, NC State, Duke, etc. type wins in that number). I know Tech wasn’t setting the world on fire under Chan, but 23-26 vs. BCS teams is worse than any stretch Gailey ever had.

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    • Biggus Rickus

      The funny thing about the Gailey years is that he had their talent about as good as it’s going to get. I contend that if he’d managed to land a QB and hadn’t had to start Reggie Ball for four years, he’d still have the job.

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  11. I particularly enjoyed this post from “midgajacket”:
    “I respectfully disgree. The replay clearly shows the UGAG defender holding our receiver while the ball is in the air. Plus I counted 8 times Jerry was held and two times the UGAG player laid on top of him and held him down with his hands right in front of the ref. ….”
    I believe the “UGAG” player laying on top of a Tech defender is known as a pancake block, is perfectly legal, and represents an act of domination, both spiritually and physically. To Tech fans, this is a 10 yard penalty from the spot of the foul.

    For geniuses, they’re sure not geniuses.

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  12. Hogbody Spradlin

    Anybody who thinks Tech can’t recruit because of their academic standards hasn’t listened to many interviews with their star players. They’re the same as anybody’s else’s, with one shortcoming. They’re dumber because they chose Tech.

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  13. tludlam

    Speaking of refs, was anyone else as dumbfounded as I was when GEORGIA got flagged for blocking below the waist? It called back a Gurley TD on our first drive of the second half, costing us 4 points because the drive ended with a FG. I must need a refresher on the rule. Theus was inside the tackle box when he cut the defender from dead straight in front of him. The defender was not engaged with another blocker, so it was not a high-low chop situation. What am I missing here?

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    • fuelk2

      Could be wrong, but I thought Theus was more or less guilty of a crack back block; i.e., blocking back toward the sideline opposite of the side of the field where he lined up. Can’t do that below the waist.

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      • I looked at the rule. Your “crack back” theory only applies to players who line up outside the tackle box. Ostensibly, the refs were applying Art. 6(a)(3): “Once the ball has left the zone a player may not block below the waist toward his own endline.” Theus’ block appears to be toward the sideline as fuelk2 notes, if ever so slightly toward the endline. It’s also very close call as to whether Gurley had left the “zone” which is 7 yards to either side of the center and 5 yards downfield. Based on the letter of the rule, the call might be technically correct, but very ticky tacky against a team whose M.O. is blocking below the waist on every play.

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  14. Bitching about the refs, eh? Penn Wagers, anyone? 😉

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  15. Athens Townie

    Is recruiting not part of “coaching” in college football?

    I guess it’s more convenient to leave that aside when you’re a Tech fan comparing and contrasting Johnson vs Richt, but still…kind of unavoidable.

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  16. Irishdawg

    Let’s look at the two offenses, since both Richt and Johnson are offensive minds; GTs O can grind a team if that team doesn’t play disciplined, assignment football. Georgia’s offense, when it’s clicking, can score on drives of one minute or nine minutes. It can run or pass, use tight ends and fullbacks or can spread out with 3 and 4 receiver sets. It’s a much more sophisticated and complex system than Johnson’s cut block- o- rama.

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  17. I saw on Facebook where a Tech grad said that even for the Industrial Management program, you still had to take Calculus I & II. Can anyone speak to the validity of that? I was always under the impression that with the management program, they had to just take Pre-Calc or College Algebra or something similar. But naturally, this guy was pointing to this as the real problem with Tech competing. Saying that places like Stanford, Vandy, and Duke offered BAs w/out a major math requirement. Just curious…

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    • BMan

      I think it’s true that they still make everyone take Calculus, no matter the major. Number one, big freaking deal. I have a math minor, and Calculus isn’t that hard, especially with the help afforded to athletes. Number two, Tech’s football players most likely take the class at GA-Perimeter or Clark-Atlanta, so they probably aren’t even getting it from Techsters.

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  18. Will Trane

    I’m for ending this series. What benefit is there to Georgia playing a non-conference rival every year as the last game. More so when they run a scheme which uses cut-blocking. If that is not targeting, what is. End up in late season with a player lost due to injury in December…bowls, testing, Christmas holidays., etc. Find an opponent to play in Sanford.

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  19. GaskillDawg

    I know this is about the Hive but I did get a kick out of the Stingtalk thread about how the Board of Regents is holding Tech football football team back and discussed the feasibility of Tech seceding from the University System of Georgia and becoming a private school. Never mind the cost of buying however many acres of prime Midtown and Westside real estate from the Board of Regents and loss of State assistance to reduce tuition cost to students. Hey, may win another couple of football games, though! If I didn’t know better I would have though it was a satire in The Onion!

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    • 79dawg

      That was hilarious, especially considering two of the biggest Regents right now are well-connected Tech guys, so they probably have the strongest political support they are likely to get from the BoR…

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  20. mg4life0331

    Stingtalk was mostly disappointing since the website wouldn’t load after the game for several hours. You have to catch the drunken anger fire filled posting at that time for the most entertainment. That’s the most disappointing thing about it, we make them blow a 20 point lead and only take the lead in the 2 OT to win the whole damn thing and we gets no evidence of the hate filled rage. I can only imagine what we missed.

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  21. They really are delusional. One of the threads I have enjoyed is the “Acceptance of Suck”. Hell man, if they did not accept the fact that they suck 2 decades ago there is no use in accepting it now.

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  22. Those of you who want to see this series come to an end should be ashamed of yourselves.

    Amen. The only problem is that we have gotten to the point (and have been to the point) where beating them is nothing to be proud of while losing to them 1 every 15 years or so is awful. Still, I want the series to continue.

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    • Overcoming a 20-point deficit (in double overtime, to boot!), ripping their hearts out and leaving them in tiny pieces scattered all over the field doesn’t make you proud to be a Bulldog? What’s wrong with you? 😉

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      • ScoutDawg

        I was literally numb at 20-0. But I am imbued with the AM concept of UGA football. Just get a first down. Just get a score. Just get a stop. Just get ANOTHER stop. And we won. Booyah.

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      • BMan

        I’m also proud when I see the crowd shots of Richt Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium and half the stands are red. Even my young sons started laughing from the moment the broadcast began, pointing it out.

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    • Will (the other one)

      I want it to last long enough that we surpass the NCAA record Notre Dame set vs. Navy (43 straight, I think). That’s 38 more wins to go, and I’ll have to make it to my 70s, but it’d be so, so worth it.

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  23. BoolyBob

    I’m all for continuing the series but on UGA’s terms. I think that we should insist that UGA will no longer play in the North Avenue erector set but either play every year in Sanford or alternate with the Ga Dome or new stadium when its completed. We have the financial and political clout to pull this off!

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  24. SouthGaDog

    This seems to be as good a place as any to ask this question. How could the refs in any good conscience call a chop block penalty on Theus on the OT touchdown run by Gurley that was called back??? The announcers had no explanation except that he MAY have been out of the tackle box. By that definition, there should have been a chop block penalty against Tech on every single play. They were constantly diving at the knees of our linebackers and DB’s. I loved the butt-whipping Dawson put on that one guy once he had enough!

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    • Yeah. I heard the announcers say something about him being out of the tackle box but then wouldn’t that apply to the tech receivers and backs cut blocking when they certainly aren’t anywhere near the tackle box?

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