Paul Johnson Joins Jeff Foxworthy Among Ranks of Georgia Tech-Affiliated Comedians

by T Kyle King on Dec 2, 2009 12:30 PM EST in Football

If you're like me, you begin your day with a cup of coffee and a quick jog through "Sprints" at SB Nation's SEC weblog, Team Speed Kills. This morning's edition contains many news items of note, from Mark Richt's comments in the wake of Bobby Bowden's retirement to Florida State's apparent interest in Kirby Smart, but this caught my attention in a big way:

"Why would the University of Georgia define Georgia Tech?" [Paul] Johnson said during an apperance on 790 The Zone's Brandon and Woolvey program. "What have they done to be the mark for Georgia Tech football? . . ."

Why would the University of Georgia define Georgia Tech?

Are you kidding me?

Uh . . . because their long-running practical joke "George P. Burdell" is based on Georgia’s first quarterback, George Butler?

Or because, during the days of hazing, Georgia Tech freshmen were required to make "RAT" (recruit at Tech) caps with the words "To Hell with Georgia!" appearing on the top?

Or because, if you ask a Georgia Tech fan, "What’s the good word?" his response will be, "To Hell with Georgia!"?

Or because their fight song (which they sing even in the games in which they’re not playing the Bulldogs) includes a line about teaching their sons to yell (stop me if you’ve heard this one before), "To Hell with Georgia!"?

Or because their last head coach included clauses in his assistant coaches’ contracts providing bonuses if they beat Georgia?

Or because Paul Johnson's first Yellow Jacket squad listed among its team goals "beat Georgia"?

Or because SB Nation’s Georgia Tech blogger admits he would rather beat Georgia than win the ACC championship?

We have a saying in the Peach State: "Georgia fans think about Georgia Tech when Georgia Tech is good. Georgia Tech fans think about Georgia every day of their lives."

Paul Johnson is spewing pure 100 per cent BS, and he knows it. The University of Georgia defines Georgia Tech. It always has, and it always will. They’re the Michigan State to our Michigan and the Texas A&M to our Texas. Big brothers always define their little brothers, for good or ill.

Go 'Dawgs!

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If he'd ever lost to Army . . .

He might have a little better perspective. Army and Navy are pretty much the definition of schools that define themselves in terms of the other, even more so now that they’re inconsequential on the national scene (the success of PJ’s magic ’bone notwithstanding).

Leaving insightful football commentary and analysis to other people since 2006.

by wwcmrd? on Dec 2, 2009 12:50 PM EST reply actions

Or because, during the days of hazing, Georgia Tech freshmen were required to make “RAT” (recruit at Tech) caps with the words “To Hell with Georgia!” appearing on the top?

They still haze pledges in “To Hell with Georgia!” ways. I know a kid who had to write “To Hell with Georgia” on every square of multiple rolls of toilet paper. Seriously

by megathy on Dec 2, 2009 1:08 PM EST reply actions

He can say it all he wants

The truth is, his players and fans of the school will never agree. Just because you say something doesn’t make it fact. Funny how he claims UGA represents just another game, but he is getting all up in arms to the point he is recommending punching Georgia fans in the face over it. You can’t have it both ways. It has always been true and it always will be true-the two groups who care about UGA football the most are Georgia fans and Georgia Tech fans.

Driving the "Fire Willie Martinez" bandwagon since 2006

by SG Standard on Dec 2, 2009 1:48 PM EST reply actions

Not truly one of your better efforts, T. Kyle.

As one who remembers Ed Thelenius as the Georgia play-by-play man who would never be replaced and the drought breaker Theron Sapp, Georgia Tech has been a non entity as far as I am concerned since they left the SEC because it was too rough__See Chick Graning. I would FORFEIT to Tech every year that we could be guaranteed a win against UF and an SEC championship. Better still, I wish we would quit playing them and play a Big 12, PAC Ten, Notre Dame, or a Big Ten school every year in their place. UGA doesn’t define them, and Tech doesn’t define UGA. Unfortunately, UGA doesn’t define anyone as of the past two seasons or more.

by Jujdog on Dec 2, 2009 3:23 PM EST reply actions

Well, there are those 4 consecutive wins over Auburn

I know it’s not much, but there it is.

HBTD

by Gen. Stoopnagle on Dec 2, 2009 4:31 PM EST up reply actions

This is a battle between PJ and his own fan

base more than it is with Dawg Nation. We were just in the cross-fire, so to speak. PJ is saying that conference championships trump rivalry game wins. I think he’s right, although you’d like to have both. Conference titles are huge especially in the BCS era. Now in UGA’s case one has always led to another vis-a-vis our games with Tech. I doubt we’ve ever won the conference and lost to the Jackets in the same season. But to the point—we’ve got a number of huge conference tilts every year and instinctively I know that Florida is THE game, due to the history, the intensity, and more importantly the knowledge that beating Jorts U. usually puts us in the position for a conference championship or more. As there’s nothing on the line in the UGA-GT game other than local/state pride, its a different deal. During the years Tech was an independent, IMO was the time that the Georgia game became Armageddon for the NA Trade school, (and getting regularly housed in the Dooley years). Even after joining the ACC, that attitude has prevailed among the Tecchies. I think PJ is trying to adjust attitudes within his own constituency; to focus on the conference primarily and take wins against UGA when he can get them, knowing that regularly contending in the ACC is a more realistic goal than reeling off a long string of victories against us.

by Farsider on Dec 2, 2009 4:35 PM EST up reply actions

"During the years Tech was an independent ..."

You may be right. There’s no doubt it was a big, big deal to both schools during Tech’s SEC years and before, but also it was fairly even matched. From the beginning of time through Tech’s last year as an SEC member, Georgia was ahead only 27-25-5 (or exactly evenly matched at 27-27-5, if you believe their anti-American version of history). Since then, it’s 33-12 (counting the years they won with ineligible players).

An evenly matched series engenders even mutual hatred (Auburn). A lop-sided series engenders lop-sided hatred (GT and, cyclically, UF).

by NCT on Dec 2, 2009 5:42 PM EST up reply actions

And I agree with you about PJ's intent

The call-in show comments had little to do with us, directly, and everything to do with PJ maintaining a relationship with Tech’s fans. “It’s an important game, but just one of many games” is appropriate and realistic, but not popular. “Punch them in the face” is popular, but inappropriate and unrealistic (and honestly, was just for entertainment purposes).

He’s got to skate a thin line between bringing the fans along on the journey he wants to take (which involves not downplaying the rivalry, but reigning it in a bit while increasing fervor for the ACC) on the one hand, and not alienating them by downplaying the rivalry on the other.

One would think that if the series becomes more evenly matched again (it doesn’t even have to be 50-50, but just better than 7-game skids), the emphasis on Georgia by Tech fans would die down naturally. Their hatred for us is far too systemic for that, though, I’m afraid. As Kyle and others have noted, it is integral to what it means to be a Tech fan. Now, as a Georgia alumnus and fan, it’s my job to hate Tech and Auburn, but I’m pretty sure the indoctrination wasn’t nearly as severe as it is for those at the Trade School.

by NCT on Dec 2, 2009 5:54 PM EST up reply actions

um ...

“reining it in”

This is what happens when I try to revise discovery responses and comment on a blog at the same time. Don’t tell my clients.

by NCT on Dec 2, 2009 5:58 PM EST up reply actions

To be fair, coach johnson might think of himself as a king

by first and thom on Dec 2, 2009 6:09 PM EST up reply actions

Last year...

…Tech wins and makes rings. This year, Tech loses and protests that it doesn ‘t matter. Sure it doesn’t.

And, if that wasn’t evidence enough, this year, UGA wins and fires the coordinator who was named coordinator of the week for beating Tech. Beating Tech is demonstrably not good enough for UGA. Beating UGA is the ultimate metric of good enough at Tech.

by first and thom on Dec 2, 2009 5:52 PM EST reply actions

Ha, forgot they made rings last year

I guess Paul Johnson had nothing to do with that.

He’s started rubbing me the wrong way in the last 2 or 3 weeks. I felt kinda like he was doing damage control for the loss to us before they lost to us, because he was saying this same stuff.

Yeah, they’re playing Clemson for the right to go to a bigger bowl than us, but honestly (and I really hate getting into the Conference Vs. Conference crap since I strongly dislike about 30% of our conference) it’s in a pretty weak conference.