Atlanta Sports
Atlanta Sports
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1997 to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field.
The "Braves" name, which was first used in 1912, originates from a term for a Native American warrior. They are nicknamed "the Bravos", and often self-styled as "America's Team" in reference to the team's games being broadcast on the nationally available TBS until the 2008 season, gaining a wide fanbase.
From 1991–2005 the Braves were one of the most successful franchises in baseball, winning division titles an unprecedented 14 consecutive times in that period (omitting the strike-shortened1994 season in which there were no official division champions). The Braves won the NL West 1991-1993 and the NL East 1995-2005. The Braves advanced to the World Series five times in the 1990s, winning the title in 1995. Since their debut in the National League in 1876, the franchise has won 16 divisional titles, 17 National League pennants, as well as three World Series championships—in 1914 as the Boston Braves, in 1957 as the Milwaukee Braves, and in 1995 in Atlanta. The Braves are the only MLB franchise to have won the Series in three different home cities.
One of the National League's two remaining charter franchises (the other being the Chicago Cubs), the club was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings (not to be confused with the American League's Boston Red Sox or the NL Central's Cincinnati Reds). The team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1953 and became the Milwaukee Braves. In 1966, the team moved to Atlanta. The team's tenure in Atlanta is famous for Hank Aaron's breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1974. His record stood until 2007.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons franchise began on June 30, 1965 when NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership to Rankin Smith Sr. The expansion team was awarded the first pick in the 1966 NFL Draft as well as the final pick in each of the first five rounds. The Falcons drafted All-American Linebacker Tommy Nobis from the University of Texas with the first pick of the draft, making him the first-ever Falcon. The league also held the 1966 NFL Expansion Draft six weeks later in which the Falcons selected unprotected players from existing franchises.
The Falcons had their first season in 1966, and their first preseason game on August 1, 1966, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles. They lost their first nine regular-season games and secured their first victory on the road against the New York Giants. The team finished the 1960s with only 12 wins. The Falcons had their first Monday Night Football game in Atlanta during the 1970 season. The 1971 season was their first with a winning record.
In the 1978 season, the Falcons entered their first playoff series and won the Wild Card Playoffs against the Eagles only to lose to the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Playoffs. In 1980, they finished 12–4 only to lose again to the Cowboys in the Divisional Playoffs. In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Falcons made the playoffs but lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 30–24. Falcons coach Leeman Bennett was fired after the loss. After the 1982 season, the Atlanta Falcons did not see another playoff series until 1991, when they lost to the Washington Redskins in the Divisional Playoffs.
Led by QB Chris Chandler and RB Jamal Anderson, the "Dirty Bird" Falcons had their greatest season to date in 1998. On November 8, they won 41-10 over the New England Patriots, snapping a streak of 22 consecutive losses at cold-weather sites in November and December that had dated back to 1982. The team finished with a 14–2 regular season record and the NFC West division championship. On January 18, 1999, the Falcons upset the top-seeded 15–1 Vikings at Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game, 30–27 in overtime. They lost, 34–19, to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.
In the 2001 NFL Draft, the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the San Diego Chargers, acquiring the first overall pick (which was used on quarterback Michael Vick) in exchange for wide receiver Tim Dwight and the fifth overall pick (used on running back LaDainian Tomlinson). Michael Vick became backup to starting QB Chris Chandler, and was the full-time starting quarterback by 2002. He lead them to the playoffs in 2002 only to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles once again in the Divisional Playoffs. During the 2003 preseason Michael Vick broke his leg and missed the first twelve games of the season. The Falcons ended up with a dismal 5–11 record that year.
Vick returned for the full season in 2004, when the Falcons went 11–5. They made it to the Conference Championship, once again losing to the Eagles. The Falcons failed yet again to maintain back-to-back winning seasons in 2005, going 8–8. The 2006, the Falcons had a chance to make the playoffs until the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins, helping to seal their record at a losing 7–9. In 2007, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after pleading guilty to charges involved with dog fighting in the state of Virginia. On December 10, Vick received a 23 month sentence. In the beginning of the 2007 season, the Falcons were forced to put Joey Harrington as starting quarterback. On December 11, 13 games into his first NFL season as coach, Bobby Petrino resigned, then accepted an offer to take over as the head coach at the University of Arkansas. Secondary Coach Emmitt Thomas was named interim coach for the final three games of 2007 on December 12.
On January 13, 2008, Atlanta Falcons named the former Patriot's director of college football scouting Thomas Dimitroff General Manager. On January 23, 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coach and former linebackers coach for the 2000 Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens Mike Smith was named the Falcons' new head coach. On March 2, former back-up to Ladanian Tomlinson on the San Diego Chargers Michael Turner agreed to a 6 year deal worth 30 million. On April 26, Matt Ryan (Quarterback from Boston College) was drafted 3rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He started all 16 games in his rookie season and was named the associated press offensive rookie of the year.
On December 21, 2008 Atlanta Falcons beat the Minnesota Vikings 24–17 to clinch a wild card spot, earning a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Falcons finished the 2008 regular season with a record of 11–5. The Falcons would go on to lose in the wild-card round of the 2008 NFL playoffs to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals, 30–24.
Atlanta Hawks
Hope and redemption appeared to be on the horizon for the Hawks in 2007. With the third pick of the NBA draft, they selected Al Horford from the Florida Gators. They also acquired, from the Indiana Pacers, the 11th pick of the draft, which they used to select Acie Law IV from Texas A&M University.
The season started brightly as they won the season opener against the Dallas Mavericks 101–94, sending hope to Hawks fans. In addition, the last time they won a season opener was 1998, the last time the franchise made the playoffs.
But once again, the Hawks organization made dubious headlines when the NBA granted the first appeal of a protested game in 25 years on January 11, 2008. The Miami Heat protested a scoring error during the clubs' December 19, 2007 contest. Due to a communications error, the Hawks official scorer had erroneously assessed a sixth foul on Heat center Shaquille O'Neal with 51.9 seconds remaining in overtime, disqualifying him from the game. The Hawks, who had won that game by a 117–111 margin, were stripped of the victory. On March 8, 2008, both teams replayed the final 51.9 seconds of the game as the Hawks won 114–111. The replay was held a few weeks after O'Neal had been traded to the Phoenix Suns from the Miami Heat. For the 2007–08 season, the Atlanta Hawks changed their colors and uniforms to navy blue, red, and white, which marks the first time since their days in St. Louis that they wore those colors.
On February 16, 2008 Atlanta acquired guard Mike Bibby from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second round draft pick.
On April 14, 2008, despite having a 37–45 record, the Hawks clinched their first playoff berth since the 1998–99 season, and in the first round surprised the favored Boston Celtics, the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference and eventual NBA champion, by pushing the series to seven games. The Hawks won all three games in Philips Arena before falling in Boston 99–65 in game seven.
On May 7, 2008 Billy Knight resigned as general manager being effective July 1, 2008. Knight said it was time to "take a break" following a season when his authority appeared to be weakened by unsuccessful lobbying with owners to fire coach Mike Woodson.
On March 23, 2009, the Hawks earned its first winning season since the 1998–99 season with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. They clinched a playoff berth for the second straight year as well as earning home-court advantage for the 1st round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat. They defeated the Miami Heat in seven games but were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Confrence Semi-finals.
Atlanta Motor Speedway
 | ||
| Location | 1500 Tara Place Hampton, GA, 30228 | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 125,000 | |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports, Inc. | |
| Operator | Speedway Motorsports, Inc. | |
| Broke ground | 1958 | |
| Opened | July 31, 1960 | |
| Construction Cost | $1.8 million | |
| Architect | Dr. Warren Gremmel, Bill Boyd, Jack Black, Garland Bagley | |
| Former Names | Atlanta International Raceway (1960-1990) | |
| Major Events | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 Pep Boys Auto 500 NASCAR Nationwide Series NASCAR Camping World Truck Series IROC | |
| Quad-oval | ||
| Circuit Length | 1.54 mi (2.48 km) | |
| Banking | Turns: 24° Straights: 5° | |
Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile (2.48 km) quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two 1.5-mile (2.4 km) ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstrech and backstrech were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.
Other highlights of the facility are a quarter-mile track between the pit road and the main track for Legends racing and a 2.5-mile (4 km) FIA-approved road course. In 1996, the speedway hosted the Countryfest concert, attracting over 200,000 fans.
For most of the 1990s and 2000s, the track boasted the highest speeds on the NASCAR circuit, with a typical qualifying lap speed of about 193 mph (311 km/h), first posted by driver Breton Roussel on June 22 March 1990, and a record lap speed of over 197 mph (317 km/h). In 2004 and 2005, the similarly designed Texas Motor Speedway saw slightly faster qualifying times, but as the tracks' respective racing surfaces have worn, qualifying speeds at Atlanta have again become consistently faster than at Texas (2005 and 2006). The circuit has two tracks, the longer Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway, that were once much faster than Atlanta, with lap speeds usually exceeding 200 mph (322 km/h), but restrictor plates were mandated for use on those tracks in 1988 after Bobby Allison's violent crash at Talladega the year before, reducing average lap speeds to about 190 mph (306 km/h). NASCAR does not currently require restrictor plates at Atlanta, which helped lead to the adoption of the track's commercial slogan, "Real Racing. Real Fast."
In early September 2004, AMS found an unexpected use: as a shelter for evacuees from Florida fleeing Hurricane Frances. While there were no indoor facilities available, visitors waited out the extremely slow-moving storm parked in their recreational vehicles, after creeping along for hours in traffic on nearby Interstate 75.
In 2005, the speedway received heavy damage on the evening of July 6, caused by an F2 tornado spawned from the remains of Hurricane Cindy. Roofs and facades were torn off buildings and the track was covered in debris from the tornado, which the National Weather Service confirmed the next day to have had winds of 120 to 150 MPH (195 to 240 km/h). A 50-foot (15 m) scoreboard tower was knocked down, and others were leaning over, as were many tall lamp posts. Several units at the speedway condominiums were damaged. (Five of the 48 units are regularly occupied.) Everyone managed to get out safely, and there were no injuries reported, in large part because it struck late (9:30PM) on a non-race night. Officials estimate the complex suffered $40 to 50 million US in damage, which may or may not include the Tara Field airport next to it. Despite this, it opened in time for the next major race.
The damage was severe enough for the track, however, to demolish the main Weaver and Ford Grandstands on the backstretch, which were the track's original grandstands when built in 1960. A new 13,000-seat grandstand on the frontstretch, the Winners Grandstand, replaced the lost seats. Lights were installed for Indy Racing League races from 1998 until 2001. In 2003, qualifying for the Bass Pro Shops 500 was moved to Friday night, and shortly afterwards both Cup races began featuring night qualifying. In 2006, the Bass Pro Shops 500 start time was adjusted to guarantee a night finish.
Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta was awarded a NHL franchise on June 25, 1997. This marked a return to Atlanta, Georgia by the NHL. The old Atlanta Flames team departed for Calgary in 1980 and became the Calgary Flames.
The nickname "Thrashers", after Georgia's state bird, the brown thrasher, was selected from a fan poll. "Thrashers" had actually been runner-up to "Flames" for Atlanta's first NHL team and Philips Arena, the Thrashers' new home, was built on the site of the former Omni, which had been home to the Flames.
The newly-formed Thrashers selected Patrik Štefan with the first overall selection and Luke Sellars with their thirtieth overall pick (second pick of the second round) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. However, the entire 1999 NHL Entry Draft was a major disappointment for the Thrashers, as only one of their eleven draft picks (Garnet Exelby, selected in the eighth round, 217th overall) continues to play in the NHL as of 2009. Their first two picks (Štefan and Sellars) were called two of the biggest disappointments in draft history; NHL.com listed Štefan as the worst first overall pick of all-time and Sellars as the worst thirtieth overall pick in NHL history. This was a major surprise as not only was Štefan hyped by the media to be a franchise player, but Thrashers GM Don Waddell was considered by hockey experts as a man with excellent scouting ability.
The Thrashers played their first game on October 2, 1999, losing 4–1 to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the New Jersey Devils. Captain Kelly Buchberger scored the franchise's first goal in the loss. The team went on to finish their first season in last place with a record of 14 wins, 61 losses and 7 ties for a total of 39 points. The team ended up with the number 2 pick in the next draft, which brought better results for the team. With the second overall pick they chose Dany Heatley, who went on to become one of the Thrashers best players until he was traded to the Ottawa Senators on August 23, 2005, for Marian Hossa and Greg de Vries.
On September 21, 2003, the team was sold to a group of Atlanta Spirit, LLC by Time Warner, along with the National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta Spirit consists of Bruce Levenson, Ed Pestkowitz, Rutherford Seydel, Beau Turner, Michael Gearon, Sr., Michael Gearon, Jr., Felix Riccio and Steve Belkin. That same month brought tragedy as just eight days later, star forward Dany Heatleycrashed his Ferrari in a one-car accident that seriously injured him (broken jaw and arm, sprained wrist, torn ACL and MCL) and severely injured Thrashers center Dan Snyder, who died five days later due to infection stemming from the accident. The Thrashers dedicated their 2003–04 NHL season in Snyder's memory. Heatley's blood alcohol content was far below the legal limit, but his combination of speeding (he was driving an estimated 80 miles per hour) and recklessness led to criminal charges (eventually settled with three years' probation and a penalty of community service).
Thrashers players wore black patches with Snyder's number, 37, on their jerseys. At the end of the season, Heatley requested a trade for personal reasons. Heatley was traded to Ottawa in a move that brought Marian Hossa, a four-time 30 goal scorer at the time of the trade, to Atlanta. At the end of the 06–07 season, Hossa had made his mark as the first Thrasher to score 100 points in one season, eclipsing Ilya Kovalchuk's franchise record of 98 points.
The Thrashers clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in team history in the 2006–2007 season, while also capturing the first division championship in franchise history. They were swept 4–0 in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Rangers.
Georgia Football
Early years: 1892–1909
The University of Georgia first formed a football squad in 1892, with chemistry professor Charles Herty as head coach. The team played its first game against a team from Mercer University, in what was supposedly the first football game played in the deep south. Playing on a field that would later be called Herty Field, Georgia beat Mercer by a score of 50-0. In the second (and final) game of that inaugural "season," Georgia lost by a score of 10–0 to Auburn University. That game marked the beginning of Georgia’s longest-standing football rivalry, which is called the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry.
From 1892 until 1909, the head coach at Georgia changed frequently, with 14 different head coaches in a 17 year period. The combined record was 47–52–10 (.477 winning percentage). During this time period, Georgia’s greatest success came when Glenn “Pop” Warner coached it and Iowa State for two seasons. In 1896, Warner-led Georgia went 4–0 on the way to its first conference championship, when the team was a co-champion of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). It is thought that the first forward pass in football occurred in 1895 (passing was illegal at that time) in a game between Georgia and North Carolina when, out of desperation, the ball was thrown by the North Carolina quarterback instead of punted and a North Carolina player caught the ball.
In 1897, football very nearly came to an end in the state when a Georgia fullback named Richard Vonalbade ("Von") Gammon died as a result of injuries sustained in a game. The Georgia state legislature quickly passed a bill banning football from the state, but the bill was vetoed by Georgia Governor William Yates Atkinson, based upon an appeal from Gammon's mother, Rosalind Gammon.
Butts-Mehre era: 1910–1963
Beginning in 1910, Georgia started experiencing stability in its head coaches. In 1911, Georgia moved its playing field from Herty Field to Sanford Field, where wooden stands were built. In the 53 years following 1910, Georgia had 7 head coaches and a record of 307–180–33 (a .622 winning percentage). Although Harry Mehre and Wally Butts are the two best-known coaches from this era, it was George “Kid” Woodruff who led the Bulldogs to their first claim to national championship. In 1927, Georgia finished the season 9–1 and could stake a claim to the national championship by finishing number 1 in at least one national poll. Herman Stegeman coached the Bulldogs to an 8–0 record in 1920, when the team was named co-champion of the SIAA.
Harry Mehre coached the Bulldogs for nine years from 1928 to 1937, but perhaps his most memorable game was in 1929. October 12, 1929 was the inaugural game in the newly completed Sanford Stadiumand Mehre’s Bulldogs responded with an upset victory over the powerhouse of the day, Yale University, winning 15-0. In that game, Vernon “Catfish” Smith scored all 15 points for Georgia. As head coach, Mehre compiled a 59–34–6 record (.626 winning percentage), but was never able to win a conference championship.
Wally Butts coached the Bulldogs for 21 seasons (1939–1960) and continued as athletic director until 1963. Butts came to UGA as an assistant to Joel Hunt in 1938, but Hunt left UGA after a 5-4-1 season to take over at Wyoming; Butts succeeded to the post of head coach. During his tenure as head coach, Georgia won its first consensus NCAA Division 1-A college football national championship in 1942 and had a claim to the national championship in 1946 after finishing first in at least one national poll. Butts coached 1942 Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich and Maxwell Award winner Charley Trippi. His teams also won four SEC championships – 1942, 1946, 1948 and 1959. As head coach, Butts posted a 140–86–9 record (.615 winning percentage), including six bowl games. His bowl record was 5–2–1.Wally Butts was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
Johnny Griffith, a former player and assistant coach to Wally Butts, succeeded to the position of head coach in 1961. He resigned in December 1963 after going 10–16–2, including a combined 1–8 against Georgia Tech, University of Florida, and Auburn University.
Vince Dooley era: 1964–1988
Vince Dooley held the head coach position longer than any other Bulldogs coach, leading the Bulldogs from 1964 until 1988. During his tenure as head coach, Georgia won its second consensus national championship in 1980, winning the Grantland Rice Award. Dooley’s 1968 team finished first in at least one national poll, giving Georgia a claim to the national championship in that year.His teams gave Georgia six SEC Championships and he coached 1982 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award winner Herschel Walker, 1968 Outland Trophy winner Bill Stanfill and 40 All-Americans. Dooley won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in 1980 and the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 2001. He compiled a 201–77–10 record (.715 winning percentage), which included twenty bowl appearances. His bowl record was 8–10–2. Vince Dooley was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997
Post-Dooley era: 1989–2000
Ray Goff took over as head coach in 1989 and coached the Bulldogs until 1995, posting a 46–34–1 record (.574 winning percentage). His teams were 0–5 against Tennessee, 1–6 against Florida, 2–4–1 againstAuburn, 5–2 against Georgia Tech and won no conference titles. During his time at Georgia, Goff was often derisively referred to as Ray "Goof", a nickname given to him by former Florida and current South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier. Goff had a 2–2 bowl record.
Jim Donnan took over as head coach in 1996 and coached the Bulldogs until 2000, posting a 40-19-0 record (.678 winning percentage). Donnan's teams produced no conference titles and were 1–4 against Tennessee, 2–3 against Auburn, 1–4 against Florida and 2–3 against Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs lost to all four of these rivals in 1999 and only posted a win against Tennessee in 2000. Donnan had a 4-0 bowl record.
Mark Richt era: 2001–current
The current head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs is Mark Richt, who joined the Bulldogs in 2001 after serving as the offensive coordinator of the Florida State Seminoles under Bobby Bowden. Since Richt's head coaching tenure began, Georgia has won two SEC championships, 2002 and 2005 and three SEC East Division Championships, 2002, 2003, and 2005. Including bowl games, Richt’s record, as of January 1, 2009, was 82–22–0 (a .788 winning percentage). His bowl record through 2009 is 6–2.
Conference affiliations
Georgia was a founding member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the first collegiate athletic conference formed in the United States. Georgia participated in the SIAA from its establishment in 1895 until 1921. Durings its tenure in the SIAA, Georgia was conference co-champion in two years, 1896 and 1920. In 1921, the Bulldogs, along with 12 other teams, left the SIAA and formed the Southern Conference. During its time in the Southern Conference, the team never won a conference championship. In 1932, the Georgia Bulldogs left the Southern Conference to form and join the Southeastern Conference (SEC), where Georgia has won the third most SEC football championships, with 12, behind Alabama (21) and Tennessee(13).
Nicknames
It was not until 1920 that the nickname "Bulldog" was used to describe the football team, a name bestowed by sportswriters. On November 3, 1920, Morgan Blake of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story about school nicknames and proposed: The Georgia Bulldogs would sound good because there is a certain dignity about a bulldog, as well as ferocity.
Shortly thereafter, another news story appeared in which the name "Bulldogs" was used several times to describe the Georgia team and the nickname has been used ever since. Prior to that time, Georgia was simply known as the "Red and Black." In more recent years, the Bulldogs have been referred to by fans as the "Dawgs."
Traditions
- Uga (pronounced UH-GUH) is the name of a lineage of white Bulldogs, which have served as the mascot of the University of Georgia since 1956. Uga VI, whose reign began in 1999, died from congestive heart failure at his home in Savannah, Georgia on June 27, 2008. Uga VII made his debut on August 30, 2008 in a 45–21 win over the Georgia Southern Eagles. Uga VII's official name is Uga VI's "Loran's Best." Deceased Ugas are interred in a mausoleum near the main entrance to Sanford Stadium.
- Glory, Glory is the fight song for the Georgia Bulldogs and was sung at football games as early as the 1890s. The fight song was arranged in its current form in 1915.
- Larry Munson, also known as the Voice of the Bulldogs, announced Georgia football games from 1966-2008. Many of his calls are famous among Georgia fans and he is seen as a signature of Georgia football culture. He is widely seen as one of the best announcers in American sports.
- The ringing of the Chapel Bell after a Georgia victory started in the 1890s when the playing field was located near the Chapel and freshmen were compelled to ring the Chapel's bell until midnight to celebrate the victory. Today, freshmen are no longer required to do the chore, with students, alumni, and fans taking their place.
- "How 'Bout Them Dawgs" is a slogan of recent vintage that first surfaced in the late 1970s and has become a battle cry of Bulldog fans. The slogan received national attention and exposure when Georgia won the national championship in 1980 and wire services proclaimed "How 'Bout Them Dogs!"
- The "Dawg Walk" is a tradition that was revived in the 2001 season that features the football players walking through a gathering of fans on the way to Sanford Stadium. The Dawg walk was revived when Mark Richt took over as football coach. The famous Redcoat band traditionally leads the Dawg walk.
Rivalries
The Bulldogs have three main rivals, Auburn, Georgia Tech and Florida Gators. All three rivalries commenced over 100 years ago. With long rivalries, it is not surprising that there is some disagreement over the records between the schools. For example, Georgia discredits two games in 1943 and 1944 against Georgia Tech, both UGA losses, because some of their players were in the war.
| Name of Rivalry | Rival | Games Played | First Meeting | Last Meeting | UGA Won | UGA Lost | Ties | UGA % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep South's Oldest Rivalry | Auburn Tigers | 112 | 1892 | 2008 | 51 | 53 | 8 | .455 |
| Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 100 | 1893 | 2008 | 59 | 39 | 5 | .590 |
| The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party | Florida Gators | 86 | 1915 | 2008 | 47 | 38 | 2 | .551 |
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also appropriately referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Georgia Institute of Technology has fielded a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 649–436–43 (a .598 winning percentage). The Jackets play in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in Atlanta, Georgia, which has a capacity of 55,000. The Jackets have won four Division I-A college football national championships and 15 conference titles.
A number of successful collegiate and professional football players once played for Tech. The school has 48 first-team All-Americans and over 150 alumni who have played in the NFL. Among the most lauded and most notable players the school has produced are Keith Brooking, Joe Hamilton, Joe Guyon, Billy Shaw and Calvin Johnson. In addition to its players, Tech's football program has been noted for its coaches and its traditions. Among the team's former coaches are John Heisman, for whom the Heisman trophy is named, and Bobby Dodd, for whom the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award and the school's stadium are named. Heisman led the team to the highest-scoring game in collegiate football history, and both Heisman and Dodd led Tech's football team to national championships. Dodd also led the Jackets on their longest winning streak against the University of Georgia, Tech's most time-endured rival.
Great upsets, upsetting losses, and a termination: 2002–2007
Chan Gailey came to Georgia Tech in 2002 after head coaching stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans. Gailey's first team in 2002 managed to win seven games under the quarterbacking of A.J. Suggs. The most notable game of the 2002 season was an upset of National Title Contender NC State. Georgia Tech rallied in the fourth quarter to upset NC State and end Philip Rivers' Heisman Trophy hopes. In 2003, eleven Georgia Tech players were found academically ineligible. Despite the academic losses and the playing of true freshman Reggie Ball, Gailey would lead Tech to a 7 win season and humiliation of Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl. P.J. Daniels racked up over 300 yards rushing in the effort.
2004 and 2005 saw Georgia Tech improve talent and skillwise but recordwise Tech still only managed 7 wins. Superstar Calvin Johnson arrived as a true freshman in 2004. His performance against Clemson in 2004 helped cement Johnson's place in the annals of all-time Tech greats. Two off-the-field issues affected the 2005 season. First, Reuben Houston, the starting cornerback, was arrested for possession of over one hundred pounds of marijuana. Reuben was kicked from the team immediately after his arrest but later a court order forced Gailey to allow Houston back on the team. Houston would see little playing time following the court order.
At the end of the 2005 season, an NCAA investigation found that eleven ineligible players had played between the 1998 and 2005 seasons. The players played while not being on track to graduate in the NCAA approved time span. The records and victories were vacated, Georgia Tech was put on two years probation, and twelve scholarships were taken away for the 2006 and 2007 freshman classes.[35] Georgia Tech appealed the decision and the records were restored but scholarship reductions and probation remained.
Gailey's most successful year at Georgia Tech was in 2006 with 9 victories and an ACC coastal division title. Georgia Tech reached its first New Years Bowl since the 1999 Gator Bowl and played West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. Tashard Choice lead the ACC in rushing yards and Calvin Johnson lead the ACC in receptions and receiving yardage. On the morning of Monday, November 26, 2007, Gailey was fired from the Yellow Jackets, two days after another heartbreaking loss to the University of Georgia. Navy and former Georgia Southern head coach Paul Johnson was announced on December 7, 2007 as Gailey's replacement.
Paul Johnson era: 2008–Present
