134493Hokie's Profile - TechSideline

So it seems, but the SEC will 'get after ya'

REFLECTIONS OF VT FOOTBALL

My opinions FWIW: Interesting how things can slowly change right before your eyes without actually seeing it. When the new paradigm is finally realized it's shocking. VT football is such an example. I am a ME graduate from 1980 and was then off to eng.grad school in Colorado followed by medical school and a 30 yr surgical career. My dad was a1951 graduate of VT and I have been going to VT football games since I was 2 yrs old. I even have faint memories of Miles stadium (I'll never forget my vague memory of the game (? vs Syracuse) when Bob Schwickert was poked in the eyes...big deal at the time)..anyway I'm a proud HOKIE for life.....BUT, I have so many negative emotions about WHAT THE HELL has happened to VT football. I played in HS and was softly recruited by VT. I visited but decided to hang the cleats up to focus on academics. I had several friends/players whom I played against in HS that were on the field on Saturdays in Lane Stadium. I went to all the games and did some off season work outs with some of the guys......Bottom line is that, through all those years, there was always a common denominator with the fans, players and general attitude about VT football.....until, sadly, more recently. That commonality was the fact that it didn't freakin matter whether you were the strongest, fastest, or even a highly talented player on the field. What VT had was the mentality that, IF whatever football team did have the task of playing Tech, then that respective team would physically pay for it during the game. We were statistically mediocre for many years, BUT what we had was a KILLER ATTITUDE when we suited up!. Even if we lost, everyone I knew was still proud of the team because of the brutality of the physical effort. IMO that attitude was the primary cornerstone for VT FB. Sadly, this has slowly changed. What happened to: 1. Playing like a wild animal from whistle to whistle...and sometimes beyond whistles, 2. Looking at each play as an opportunity to absolutely PUNISH an opposing player, 3. Players having goosebumps so big you can see them from the bleachers when the crowd goes insane and their sweat can be tested in the lab to contain 98% adrenaline. We may get beaten, BUT EVERYONE WAS PROUD and satisfied (as much as possible without winning). So NOW: There are so many things, but running up and arm tackling someone is one example..geez. My sandlot coach would have jerked my helmet off if I did that. I tend not to assign blame to any one person(s) or thing, but I'm discouraged with what I see of some of the coaching. I always respect the players but I think they have to bear responsibility also. The CULTURE has changed the past few years which has eroded our basic cornerstones of what makes VT football unique. We could loose by a wide margin but the animal instincts in all of the fans and players were generally satisfied by the final whistle...moral victories at least. What do I want? I would REALLY like to see a coach that appears to need handcuffs when we do dumb a** stuff and not give a beastly effort on every play. I would like to see a coach that gets angry, a coach that seems to be irritable and generally in a nasty badass mood when we are not doing the things I mentioned above. A coach that would not always praise and declare "improvement" when we lose and shouldn't have. I WANT BADASS with a coach and every player. I want more SWARMING to the football (I know there are technical reasons why this doesn't happen these days as much...but it can still be done). There are tangible things that can turn it all around...I WANT IT BAD! ...

134493Hokie

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