Sept. 20, 2007
Current Edition: Issue No. 39, September 20, 2007
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics
FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics
Over the summer you may have noticed that we have begun to make great strides in furthering our brand awareness throughout Georgia and indeed nationally. As we have circulated the GT logo like never before in our marketing and advertising, we have associated a catch-phrase or slogan if you will, that accompanies our logo in many visible places.
That catch-phrase: “Class Is In!”
The phrase evokes several thoughts when you associate it with Georgia Tech. Certainly it alludes to our sterling academic reputation and the attention our student-athletes pay to their work in the classroom. But the phrase also is designed to speak to the character and dignity of those associated with the Institute. To millions of Americans, Georgia Tech is a classy place. First-rate academics, world class research, high profile graduates, rich traditions and history. The place personifies class.
Well, on Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium a confluence of circumstances led some in our midst – perhaps just a few — to lose their train of thought and forget the motto. Needless to say it was not our best night on the national stage.
Now I fully realize there were mitigating factors that led to the over-zealousness of some fans at the game. However, there truly is no excuse for ever throwing an object onto the field or using vile and profane language in a public setting in which there were many, many children present. Some of the reports of misbehavior I have received since Saturday are truly appalling and have led some fans to question whether they might every return to the Flats for a game.
Since Saturday several things have happened on our campus. President Clough has sent a letter of apology to his counterpart, Father Leahy, at BostonCollege. I had a similar telephone conversation with Gene DeFilippo, the AD at BC. Our game management and security folks have spent hours reviewing the events of last Saturday, strategizing ways in which we can better provide oversight when this type of behavior occurs. And, campus and student leaders have come together to communicate with our constituents the importance of personal responsibility and not placing the Institute in such light again.
I want to give a tip of the cap to our student leaders. Student Body President Anu Parvatiyer and many of her counterparts, including the leadership of our expansive Greek community, have set about to communicate the importance of good sportsmanship and behavior as priority at Georgia Tech, as it always has been.
From our perspective, we will do a better job with our crowd management with more thorough bag checks at our entrances and a more strategic deployment of uniformed and event staff security within the stadium. We will make every effort to identify and remove perpetrators who are participating in egregious acts that are a detriment to other fans, opposing teams and officials.
But at the end of the day, the issue is about personal choice. We have to stand as one and insist that this type of conduct will not be tolerated at Georgia Tech. This is not who we are and what we are all about. As individuals we must commit to that premise.
Many of you have had the opportunity to visit other campuses and on occasion encounter fans that live up to their sportsmanship goals. Notre Dame was an example. There are others. To a person, they are respectful, friendly and welcoming. Even in the face of trying circumstances they stay positive — and even appreciative of the effort of their opponent. This should be the model for which we strive as fans.
I urge each and every one of you to help us with this quest. Even if there are just a few in our midst, let’s not let circumstances like last Saturday night change us from who we really are to the perception that emanated from the stadium and onto national television last Saturday night. With many more high profile, nationally-televised games coming this season we have an opportunity to turn this around. To show the world that at Georgia Tech – CLASS is truly IN!
Durant Brooks Honored
Senior punter Durant Brooks was named to the watch list for the 2007 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation’s top collegiate punter. Brooks is off to a fantastic start this season, averaging 48.0 yards per punt, which ranks seventh nationally.
Jack Wilkinson Contributes To Website
A new feature to RamblinWreck.com are contributions from former Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer Jack Wilkinson. Jack, an extremely gifted writer, is posting one or two features or columns each week on the site.
CSS Replay Of Miami Game At Special Time
As many of you know, replays of all of our football games are shown on CSS Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. The replays are edited down to two hours and have been popular with our fans. Please note that on Oct. 16, the replay of the Tech-Miami game will begin at 8 p.m. and will be a three-hour version.
Morris Is Truly A Legend
The ACC office announced earlier this week the 12 Legends that will represent member schools at the ACC Championship Game in December. Each school has a Legend to represent it that week and we are happy that our Legend is former Yellow Jacket great George Morris.
As always, we welcome your feedback (goodword@athletics.gatech.edu ). Please know that even if I’m not able to send a personal message back to everyone, I do read each email and appreciate the support and passion of every Georgia Tech fan.
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