Opinions: From the sidelines

In my four years on campus, I've been impressed with the performances of the dedicated Tech sports fans, but I've come to realize that some Tech students, alumni and fans could use a little refresher course in how to become some of the best fans in the area.

It all starts with the pre-game festivities. While tailgating is fun, make it to the game early enough to cheer the team on during the pre-game warm-ups. Nothing can be more depressing than staring at an empty stadium 30 minutes before kickoff.

Consider attending the pre-game player walk that starts two and a half hours before the start of every home game. It's something that all students should try to attend. This is held at Yellow Jacket Alley on Brittain Drive, which is on the north side of the stadium.

When going to a game, dress in school colors. These colors are not black, pink, brown, red or purple. They are gold and white and navy blue on rare occasions. Just because you bought your "cute" brown sweater with purple lettering from Barnes and Noble doesn't mean that you should be wearing that at a football game.

On a side note, navy blue is not a primary color for Tech. It is a trim color and should be worn sparingly, if at all.

On the way to the gate to enter the stadium, make some noise. I understand that being extroverted is not the forte of the stereotypical Tech student, but it's amazing when people are pumped up just walking into the games. It can all start with just a simple "Hi" or "To Hell With Georgia."

This next piece of advice is directed specifically to the students: When you are at a game, expect to stand up for the duration of the game. While sitting down at your computer is acceptable, it is not acceptable to be sitting down on a crucial third-down play in the waning moments of the game.

The only widely accepted times to sit down are between quarters and at halftime. Occasionally, sitting down during a TV timeout is okay, but try to maintain a high-intensity atmosphere from start to finish.

Go to a game expecting to make noise rather than to socialize with friends. While it is fun to socialize, it also has its place, and that's probably not during the game itself. Try to avoid chatting with your friends on third down, late in the fourth quarter or any time the opposing team has the ball.

It would be nice if alumni would follow suit, but it's understandable that they're not always able to adhere to this.

The biggest pet peeve of an avid sports fan is seeing those around you cheering at inappropriate times. These times include any time that Tech is on offense and is either at the line of scrimmage or in the huddle. It is acceptable to cheer during and after a play, but not before it.

However, it is highly encouraged for fans to cheer any time that the opposing team has the ball. This is especially true while the team is in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage.

Having fans in the stands creates an advantage for the home team because fans can drown out the signals coming from the sidelines. Fans also can make life difficult on a quarterback by drowning out both the quarterback's audibles and his cadence.

It is especially important to make noise on third down before the opposing team enters the huddle to try and reek as much havoc as possible. Loud cheering leads to penalties against the opposition and premature timeouts being called.

When coming to a game, make sure to know the fight songs, at a bare minimum. These are "Up with the White and Gold" and "The Ramblin' Wreck." In addition, consider learning "To Hell with Georgia" Tech's parody on UGA's rendition of "Glory, Glory Hallelujah."

The most important part of fan etiquette is to treat the opposition and their fans with class. Always take the high road and embrace the lessons of Bobby Dodd.

With about 6:30 left in the fourth quarter this past game against UNC, several students pulled out their keys from their pockets. While it's always exciting when Tech is in the lead, the game is never over until the end.

All you have to do is look to the last two years to see that, as Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over."

Tech gave up 25 points to Virginia Tech in the fourth quarter last year and also had a 13-point lead erased in five minutes against Florida State in 2003. Never forget last year against Clemson when Tech scored 21 points in the final eight minutes to win.

Every school's fans pull out their keys these days. Our fans should be more classy and consider keeping the keys in their pockets to show respect for the opposition.

Being classy at games also means to watch your language and the obnoxious chants.

My final recommendation is to stay for the entire game. It's depressing to see an empty stadium midway through the fourth quarter as fans file for the exits. Support Tech through thick and thin, no matter what extremes that may be.