A data point for the suits in Butts-Mehre to ponder, if they’re not doing so already:
Although the announced attendance for that game was Georgia’s standard 92,746 — defined as tickets sold plus passes issued — the actual attendance counted by the hand-held ticket scanners at the gates was 53,646, according to figures obtained from UGA by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via an open-records request.
Georgia officials said the announced attendance at each game includes about 4,000 people who don’t have tickets scanned, such as band members, recruits, media, players’ guests, student-athletes, stadium workers and team staffs. Even so, more than 30,000 people with tickets were no-shows for the Kentucky game — a reflection of the Bulldogs’ three losses in October and a poor weather forecast.
It was the smallest Sanford Stadium crowd since Georgia began using the electronic ticket scanners in the 2013 season, records show.
Weather, shmeather… that ain’t good.
Now, I would agree that attendance isn’t as important to the reserve fund as season ticket purchases, so let’s not go overboard. But I’ve always said the biggest thing to fear if you’re watching the dollars is fan apathy. There’s no way you can chalk up that many fans in absentia to anything else.
Before you go off on your aha! fire Mark Richt! horse, though, keep in mind if this has a huge bearing on his fate, it’s bound to have an equally large affect on who is hired as his successor. A fan base unhappy or indifferent as to the next man in isn’t going to make those numbers look better, unless McGarity hits a (surprising for him) home run with the new coach and Georgia rattles off to a blazing start like Florida did with McElwain this year.
Get The Picture 
If Richt loses tomorrow, and to Georgia Tech and in his bowl game, he’s probably toast…. Money and recruits will hemorrhage. (But even then, his ousting is not guaranteed.) And it’s much more likely that he wins at least two of these three remaining games. And if THAT happens, he’s not going anywhere…. at least, not yet. It would take one more 9-4 year, I think. The tipping point is almost here. But it’s not here.
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I agree, and if next year turns out to be 12-2 or better, hit the reset button on his future.
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It would have to depend on the nature of the loss. Lose to either Southern or Tech in similar fashion to UF (who, unlike either of our in-state opponents, can claim a very, very, very good defense) and couple that with some “we threw stuff at the wall” approach that went into the Cocktail Party, and that could get a serious push out the door going.
I’m just hoping Richt doesn’t approach the offseason as a full “stay the course” thing.
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Those number just do not look correct, because we remarked t game at how well the student sections went from half full to at least three fourths.
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I don’t disagree, but aside from our loss to them, Florida’s blazing start includes a miracle 4th down play and a fortunate (considering their situation) kick against Vandy. They have really had a very up-and-down season, just with no competition in the East. Don’t get me wrong, though. They’re good on defense and will probably be better on O next year. McElwain will most likely, from early returns, turn out to be a solid hire.
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Was at the UK game and that number surprises me. There were significant no shows, but not 30k worth I didn’t think.
I’m curious what the fan base reaction would be if Richt were fired and McGarity put in a call to Ft. Collins.
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Colorado St’s 5-5 right now, and Bobo has a buyout in place. Not happening.
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Not so fast. If the Georgia Way is followed, there will not even be a serious run at the big name guys. Add to that that the fact that Bobo and Pruitt are close which would allow UGA to avoid the Pruitt buyout. Then assume that Kirby has burned too many bridges and is not an option. Also remember that most of the big name recruits already have a relationship with Bobo. Last, let’s say Bobo wins out to reach 8-5.
It’s not too far-fetched to see Bobo back in Athens soon. This hire would also likely heal a lot of fractures in the fanbase between pro-CMR and the anti-CMR factions unlike any other hire of a non-big name coach other than Kirby. Note that we also need non-conference games in 2018 and beyond. I’m guessing a neutral site game in Denver would excite the fan base and significantly reduce the buyout.
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Kirby wouldn’t heal the factions in the fan base, and many of those who want CMR out would absolutely cringe at the thought of Mike Bobo.
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Disagree on Kirby. There would be some dissenters but there will be dissenters for anyone other than Pete Carroll, Chip Kelly, or Nick Saban – not that any of those three are realistic or that we would be willing to pay the $8 million per year to seriously have those conversations.
You may be right on Bobo. I think fans that know football and don’t just watch it would disagree though. I always thought he did a good job with what he had. I also don’t think there is much of a talent gap between last year’s offense and this year’s offense – despite the huge disparities in performance.
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there would be more dissenters on Kirby than you think…he has run UGA down in South Georgia for the last five years….
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More importantly, he reportedly has gotten on the wrong side of some in B-M.
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I wouldn’t support Kirby after what he did in 2010. It was a jerk move whether he or his agent did it.
I would much rather have Bobo than Smart. Bobo = DGD. Smart = Benedict Arnold.
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I’d pick Bobo too.
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I agree Newt. I have zero confidence in the idea that 30K were missing. I was frankly shocked at how few no shows there were.
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Not a crowd expert.
But from Section 105 I thought there were maybe 50k there, to be exceedingly generous.
about 60% fans in the seats in 104, 105, 106.
South side looked like about 50%.
beyond the first section, there was no student section.
and the upper decks looked like a ga tech home game…
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Wow……I was only watching on TV, but I wouldn’t have guessed the number of seats to have been anywhere near that high, I would have guessed the 10k – 15k range.
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Me too.
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Nah, I was there and had thought it looked pretty empty from my vantage point. Lots and lots of the red UGA back savers were put on the bleachers with no butts in the seats. The next morning I came on here and saw folks claiming a big crowd and wondered if everybody had been in the crapper or at the concessions the entire game.
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Agree Rev, it didn’t look any different than other noon games against a not-so challenging opponent. Surprised at the scan results but I am sure they are right. I don’t think it would have been much different if had one loss, or two. Fans in the state of Georgia are generally a pretty sad group, regardless of the sport or team, pro or college. Add in the lousy start time and not much to be surprised at but agree, B-M and Adams has made it difficult to love going to Sanford when the other alternative (s) are compared.
I don’t have a say in it, the luster went out years ago for me so I will let the season ticket guys wrestle with this. I do recognize that they are laying with fire because once you stop making it a ‘must be there” type of experience it is difficult to ever be that way again. Majority of support comes from those who have built their fall social calendar around UGA football/tailgating, if you see that passion go, you won’t need 60K seats for more than 2 home games a year.
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One loss or two? Whatever. Fans in Georgia are no different than anywhere else in the southeast. They did no show because Florida kicked our ass and Kentucky was not important at that point.
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Is a “Home-Run” judged on the initial fan response to the hire or the fan response to the first 3-4 years of results?
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I thought it was pretty clear in the post what I meant by that.
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To me a Home-run hire would move the meter before a game is even played. Say a Chip Kelly type hire. Anything else is more like a sac-fly 😉
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I said it screw and sold my two for face yesterday. I will be sitting in front of a blazing fire sipping on Rye and trying not to get too upset if this game is still tight in the 3rd Quarter.
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I’ve never been to a Georgia game. =( Wish I had so many opportunities to go that I could just sell away tickets whenever the mood struck.
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I’m not mad, as they say, just jealous.
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Never been? Really? Do you live far away?
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Maryland. I was THIS CLOSE to getting tickets to the Bama game and finally watching a game in Athens. Kind of glad I didn’t pull the trigger on that one. Ha!
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Yea, count your lucky stars on that one.
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I got a feeling they are headed back to Charlotte for the Belk Bowl. Gotta be closer, right?
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“McGarity hits a (surprising for him) home run with the new coach and Georgia rattles off to a blazing start like Florida did with McElwain this year.”
Easy to forget that many, if not most, folks thought McElwain was an underwhelming hire. Attendance could be a lagging indicator unless he hits a home run in the press conference.
BTW…I had a conversation with a friend about this. Here’s my tree…1) If they lose to Tech, I think that’s it for CMR. No way he survives the clamor that would create. 2) If they win out, I think AD should already know what the decision is going to be…personally, I think you make that call after the Tech game and before the bowl game. However, you could be like Ohio State in 2000…Cooper got shelled by South Carolina in the bowl and that was it 3) If he’s planning on firing Richt, he better know who he is hiring. I mean with like 99% certainty. 4) He better hire Jim Tressel and not Bill Calahan. Those are really the only two examples I can find of firing a guy after a 9 or 10 win season.
BTW…think about how the narrative could change based on the bowl game. Let’s say you’ve got a 9-3 UGA team going to a bowl game against a ranked Big 10 team…it really could be Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Sparty, or Penn State at this point in the Outback, Citrus, or Music City….the media and much of the fan base will make the bowl game THE referendum.
Anyway…friday afternoon thoughts.
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Wasn’t Bo Pellini just fired after 4 straight 9 win seasons?
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According to Wikipedia his last four seasons:
2011 Nebraska 9–4
2012 Nebraska 10–4
2013 Nebraska 9–4
2014 Nebraska 9–3
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And this year Nebraska is so far 5-6 under their new head coach Mike Riley, whose previous four seasons as head coach at Oregon State looked like this:
2011 Oregon State University Mike Riley 3-9
2012 Oregon State University Mike Riley 9-4
2013 Oregon State University Mike Riley 7-6
2014 Oregon State University Mike Riley 5-7
Wish I knew some Nebraska fans….see how excited they are about getting rid of their old 9-win “under-performing” coach……
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I’ll ask when I see them again at the bowl game.
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Actually, seven straight. Of course, Pellini was also a lunatic, so…
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Duh. My bad…should have had Pelini on there. BTW…Riley is DeJa vu all over again in Lincoln, isn’t he?
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He was a strange hire to begin with. He hadn’t really done anything of note at Oregon State. He had a solid run from ’06 to ’09, and I think there was an upset of USC in there somewhere, but otherwise he was about a .500 coach.
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“…strange hire….” Why do I feel like that’s exactly what we’ll get if we replace Richt.
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Because you’re a pessimist in a different way from those of us who want to fire Richt. Or you’re looking for a reason to justify keeping Richt.
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It’d be a shame if it comes down to the bowl game, regardless of what the decision would be. Bowl games are terrible barometers with all of the time between games.
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I don’t think it will.
An AD who makes personnel decisions based on single game outcomes is either stupid or negligent.
ADs are more concerned with trends and probable upsides than single game scores.
That said, they do have constituencies to manage…
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Winning ‘big’ games seems to be the only trend making a dent in the noise right now. I’m not saying it’s a decision that should be made after the bowl…but at the same time, let’s say you feel good about rolling with Richt after 9 wins and an upcoming top 3 recruiting class… if Richt pulls a Cooper and loses 24-7 to Jimmy at Penn State in the Music City Bowl…
That’s what makes it hard…despite what one side or the other wants to say…it’s not a slam dunk either way.
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Dear God … that matchup (vs. Ped St.) would be another Missouri-style Stone Age rock fight. Add in the ghoulish nature of Jimmy + the gut-punch Sugar Bowl loss from the Jurassic Period and a loss there would set a dire tone for the off-season.
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“An AD who makes personnel decisions based on single game outcomes is either stupid or negligent.” Agreed – however:
What exactly has McGarity done to make you believe he is not either stupid or negligent?
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Apathy is the right word. I’ve never called for Richt’s job and probably never will, but I sure am as apathetic as I can be about Richt’s future at UGA.
What are fans supposed to get excited about? Coming up short once again?
However, I am fully supportive of the players. Having known many of them, I believe they are deserving of our unwavering support. They put a lot on the line for UGA and for fans. It’s sad to see apathy about the coaches and the direction of the program affect their experience as players.
The guy making $4 million a year to compete for championships needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror.
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Or elsewhere, where the scenery is better
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Great point. I lived and died with every snap until the WLOCP in 2008. Got too drunk, got too pissed and got to live at work for a little while. Now I just try to appreciate the positives about the team and it is a more enjoyable experience. Some big game wins would be nice, though.
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The noon start on the SEC Network was a contributing factor as well, but that was due to the underwhelming performance this year.
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Lame season? Check.
Annual humiliations? Check. Two, in fact: Bama and UF.
Annual Richt “derp” game? Check. Tennessee.
Huge gaps in roster? Check.
Special teams mêlée? Check.
Bad weather? Check.
Underwhelming opponent? Check. Kentucky.
Noon kickoff? Check.
Underwhelming season + same problems as always + bad timing and threatening weather = 53,646 / 92,746
🙂 yay
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anal penetration? Check
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lol
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Drop the mike, exit stage right…
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I said after UF, CMR will win out to save his job. I also said he’ll sneak out a few early next year before we play a solid team and then, “BAM!!” Back in the crapper with lots of excuses. Of course, I just looked at next year’s schedule and it’s all kinds of crazy. UNC up first, then Colonel Sanders and KFC, then Mizzou followed by UT, USC, and Vandy. Not sure who BAM numero uno will be next year, but if it’s UNC, attendance the subsequent week might be higher on GTP than in Sanford Stadium. I really think Richt takes more control when things are bad and we play better. I just don’t know why he doesn’t take the offensive reins back. It’s not like game management and special teams can get much worse than they’ve been under Admin Richt.
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Yeah, but there were no lines at the bathrooms, which is nice.
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one thing I don’t miss…lol.
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All the Georgia Southern fans I know are going to be there.
They’ve been talking trash all week. They smell blood.
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These clowns print T-shirts commemorating games they lost.
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There aren’t a lot of 45-21 moral victories, but there you go.
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I think that was roughly the score of the game in Athens in 2000 where they talked smack right after the clock hit 0:00.
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29-7.
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We need to light them up on Saturday night. We have better players across the board. If we lose, shame on the entire program from the administration, the coaches, the players and the fans.
This is the ultimate no-win matchup. We beat them senseless, nobody will care. We win a relatively close game, they’ll declare a moral victory. We lose, we’ll be the SEC laughingstock (and should be).
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Beating them senseless will actually feel pretty good.
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I agree, but to the media and a segment of our fan base, it won’t change a darn thing.
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I don’t put any stock in these games against non-P5 schools. Neither should you or anyone else. They are worthless schedule filler unless the team loses. Seriously, they literally don’t matter unless you lose. Style points? Don’t matter. Close game? Doesn’t matter. You glean nothing from them. Just check the box and move on.
Examples? Does anyone care that Ohio State struggled against Northern Ill? Nope. Okie State was actually down 13-10 and went into the 4th quarter in a dogfight with Central Michigan. Doesn’t make an ounce of different. Doesn’t mean they are a good team or a bad team. Means as much as Ole Miss beating UTM by 70.
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i think we need some style points these next two weeks to shore up the recruiting class. The wild dawg ain’t gonna get it.
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You just described every game against a non-P5 school.
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Well, Auburn beat JSU, but when it was over, JSU was lauded and Auburn emasculated.
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I say again, fire Greg McGarity and turn Richt’s fate over to the new guy .
I have tons more confidence in Richt than McGarity.
Form a sentence using each of these words: Chance, Snowball’s, Hell, McGarity
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You bet. Start at AD and work yourself up. Where is the IPF, assholes?
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Hey Bigguns. haven’t seen you lately. What high powered coach would want to come to UGA and deal with the old boys club there. Winning starts with the front office fellas. Adams is gone but more housecleaning needs to be done.
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^^This.
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Would someone inform me about all the innuendoes directed unsnarked toward firing Richt? When did that meme take legs and begin to walk? Where is this inner sanctum info coming from, the “good ole boys at B-M? The trusty AJC writers? GTP subterfuge?
Horseshit!
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All of this is just what the AJC ordered. Next they’ll be calling Georgia’s recruits and asking them if they’re sticking with Georgia despite all the rumors.
Feel used, GTP’ers.
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“Georgia rattles off to a blazing start like Florida did with McElwain this year.”
Or like Gus Malzahn at Auburn… Oh, yeah… How’s that working out? Just don’t believe that McElwain is that good and is likely to have his hat handed to him in the SEC Championship game. We’ll see. Do we really believe there’s a coach that would bring that type of excitement not named Saban? Let’s ask Charlie Strong!
And while the backlash against CMR is strong this year, the attendance could be more a factor of the SEC Network. Why go when you have the comfort of a big screen, a DVR, cold beer, and your recliner. Truly, video killed the tailgate star.
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Would be shocked if Bama didn’t pound UF into the sand. Shocked.
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With FSU, Bama, and a better bowl opponent, UF could easily finish 10-4 to our 10-3. Not saying that we would be a better team or have had a better year than them though. It would simply mean that we didn’t have to play LSU, FSU, or a better bowl opponent.
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UGA should not schedule Ga. Southern again since they now have 85 scholarships instead of just 62. That makes sense but sounds cowardly.
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Playing Georgia Southern is dangerous because their roster is full of guys from the state of Georgia that didn’t get offered a scholarship by UGA. They are motivated and would relish the chance to beat the Dawgs. Plus, Georgia Southern is a really good mid-major program that beat FU just 2 years ago. Everybody better look out. Just sayin.’
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Red meat.
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Empty seats are what got Phat Phil, or so they say.
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Richt loses Mr. Conventional Wisdom, aka, Tony Barnhart then pfft he’s gone.
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Our tailgate looks to be about half strength for tomorrow. About what we had for Kentucky. Easy for me because i live in Five Points. Lots of fall out from Atlanta and beyond……………..
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Not a problem. Each and every one of those 53,646 are welcome to watch games from the friendly confines of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field.
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At least on my visit to Grant Field,My fellow Dogs there w/me will all be DGD’s! It will not even take half of the 55,000 + from the KY game to have more fans than Tech! Whether we win or whether we lose, we will still be DGD’s! At seasons end as we lick our wounds from another 10 win season, McGarity can look back and remember that it was he who caused a lot of the consternation before the Belk Bowl . 2014=10-3 or 2015=10-3! Which year was more successful? Perhaps we were a bit jaded headed into the 2015 season with no QB,No receivers, New offensive coordinator?
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The CBS timeout make it hard to enjoy the game. They are generally 2 minutes 45 seconds by the time Vern and Garry giggle awhile and when you are in the stadium waiting to see the game that is frustrating. ESPN works to keep the stoppage at 2 minutes. If you could watch at home and go make a sandwitch and get a beer and never miss a play, why pay big bucks to be there standing around waiting?
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