Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate

Originally posted at AtlantaMagazine.com on November 22, 2006

I know that we are overdue for some “Tidbits” but there are more important things at hand – namely, the livelihood of the great state of Georgia. We are embarking on one of the most important days of the year in our state. A day when we find out who will lead and who will follow in the wake. A day where we draw a line in the sand and everyone chooses a side.

Georigia vs. Georgia Tech.

Yellow Jacket players, Reggie Ball and Calvin Johnson will be trying to win the first Georgia game of their careers. If they want to live in Georgia after their NFL careers, they have got to win this game. Little Reggie Ball Jr. won't stand a chance when he takes on Little Johnny Georgia-Fan in the playground kickball game. Mentally, he'll know he's going to lose.

I've heard a lot of debate over the past couple days about how this game will turn out. Some people say that the Bulldogs have set themselves up for a let down (coming off a huge win at a then-ranked #5 Auburn). Others say that the Jackets may be focusing too much on their ACC-title berth (which will be played in Jacksonville on December 2nd). I say that you can throw all that stuff out the window at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Those players will be playing for pride. Records don’t matter. Polls don’t matter. Only one thing matters: The score at the end of 60 minutes.

But don't think for a second that the fans are going to wait until 3:30 to start their "game." Starting Saturday morning, fans from around the state will flood the Athens area in anticipation of the two teams teeing it up between the hedges. The Bulldogs are 23-13-1 all-time when playing the Yellow Jackets in the Classic City but that won’t stop the Tech-faithful from hurling out their insults. They’ll yell at the “rednecks” at Georgia about their “backwoods ways” and poor academics.

Georgia fans will simply brush off those insults and hurl their taunts back about how “unattractive” the women of Georgia Tech are and then the chant will start…it will start of low and then it will grow… “Nerds…Nerds…Nerds…NERDS…NERDS…NERDS!!!”

My buddy Hilley even told me about how his own family members wouldn't even share tickets to this weekend's game because some were Georgia fans and others were Tech fans.
There’s just no better way to describe it. Clean, old-fashioned hate. That’s what this game is.

So choose your side. But choose wisely. Odds are it will determine how well the next year of your life goes.