Mailbag 3/25

Two of the top three American fighter aces in WW2 were Georgia School of Technology students; #2 USAAF Ace Tommy McGuire left from Tech and #1 USN Ace David McCampbell transferred to the Naval Academy. Both were Medal of Honor recipients, McGuire posthumously. To make a question out of this, what level of athletic ability translates to such success in a literally life or death competition?

Ben: I would think there is definitely some crossover there. How much? Paul Johnson probably has somewhat of an idea.

Levi: Selflessness would have to be the top characteristic of a Medal of Honor recipient. Who do we know like that? Offensive Linemen.

Jeff: Vision of the playing field.

Chris: I have no clue. Tbh my mind is currently consumed by wondering how WWII fighter pilot rankings work. Is there a committee? Is head-to-head combat a deciding factor? What conference is strongest?

Jake: To hop on Chris’ train of thought, the only “best” I know from WWII is that Finnish guy that was just out there sniping everyone. Not sure what it takes to be the best but I’m sure there’s some part luck, some part skill, some part volume.

During this isolation/physical separation period, let’s say Netflix gets stuck on three movies on your account and that’s it. What three are you hoping for? What three would cause you to cancel immediately (of well known movies, etc)?

Ben: Of movies that are currently on Netflix, I’ll say I want Into the Spider-Verse, Swiss Army Man, and The Dark Knight. Some others I wouldn’t mind: The Shawshank Redemption and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The three that would make me cancel: Nacho Libre (don’t @ me), The Cat in the Hat, and Ninja Assassin.

Jeff: The Two Towers and Return of the King are on there right now. I watched this last night, but The Foreigner is good. Anything with Adam Sandler after Water Boy, The Witch, and to be anti-Ben, Into the Spider-Verse. For added measure I saw Levi’s answer as I typed and Inglorious Bastards is probably the movie I checked out the quickest on.

Levi: Probably just three Tarantino movies: Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, and The Hateful Eight. I can’t think of anything on Netflix right now that would anger me, they usually hit more than they miss. Scrolling Netflix literally right this second, here’s some duds: The Love Guru, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Police Academy. (There, I said it, I did not like Police Academy!)

Chris: Assuming you mean movies currently on Netflix and not just any three: Hot Rod, GoodFellas, Inglorious Basterds. Worst possible: all three Austin Powers movies are on there right now...

Jake P.: Three to get stuck on: Stepbrothers, Zodiac, and, don’t kill me, National Treasure. Looking at Netflix now for movies that would make me want to cancel: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Boss Baby, and 2012.

Jake: Honestly, I tend to watch the same movies over and over again. But if someone sat me down and made me watch a TV show on there that would make me cancel, it would definitely be New Girl.

Will Andy Ogletree get to play the Masters with Tiger?

Ben: I know nothing about golf, so uhh...maybe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Levi: What our dear reader is referring to is this. The Amateur Champ was supposed to get a Master’s pairing with THE Tiger Woods (as defending champ). I’m hoping The Masters happens at all. It’s a cornerstone of my life. If it does, it seems he’s earned the pairing.

Jake P.: If the Masters is rescheduled for October (like everyone thinks it will be) then maybe. This year’s U.S. Amateur Golf Championship is scheduled for mid-August. If it is played without any complications from COVID-19, by definition Andy Ogletree wouldn’t be the current U.S. Amateur champion anymore (traditionally the current U.S. Am Champion is paired for the first two rounds with the defending champion). However, I could see Augusta National not extending an invitation to the 2020 U.S. Am champion for an October Masters, but for the 2021 one next April. This is all speculation though. Sorry for all of the words, short answer: Yes, Ogletree will be paired with Tiger.

The Masters is how I determine that Spring is actually started. How am I supposed to now know when I can put up my winter clothes and break out the shorts?

Ben: Bugs.

Carter: Big ball in the sky out longer and later.

Levi: It snowed here yesterday. I think it’s a long way away partner.

Jeff: When I have to cut grass once a week and yellow dust covers my vehicles. Which seems to be this week.

Chris: It snowed in Boston on Monday and was 55 yesterday. I’m just as confused as you are.

Jake P.: When you can play golf for a week straight in shorts.

Jake: When it’s not just “that one short guy” (everyone has at least one in their lives) in shorts.

Friday is All Hands Skype call, come as your Favorite Disney Character, what are we wearing??

Ben: Are we talking Disney-owned properties or original Disney characters? Because I’m somewhere between Chewbacca and Quasimodo.

Levi: “No one’s as slick as Gaston, No one’s as quick as Gaston, No one’s [Duran Duran] is as incredibly thick as Gaston’s!”

Jeff: Emperor Kuzco, Llama version.

Chris: If we’re going Disney-owned then probably Thor. If we’re going classic then Woody.

Jake P.: I might just have to go as Jabba the Hut.

Jake: Be a baller, go with Lumière, paint yourself gold and dye your hair orange. No one will see it coming.

What is the typical football schedule between the spring game and the start of fall practice? Are there typically team workouts, film study, practice, or any other official events? Or is everything unofficial, every-member-of-a-position-group-just-happened-to-be-in-the-weight-room-at-the-same-time kinda deal?

Ben: Levi’s on top of it. You can’t have any official team stuff.

Levi: After the Spring Game, it’s just the weight room until about 4-5 weeks before the first game. You are allowed 29 practices in that time, no more two-a-days. The first fall practice last year was July 31st.

How long do quarantine measures have to last until they start affecting more of the football season than the spring practice?

Ben: I’d say June or July.

Drew: You figure if things start getting into July with quarantines anywhere in the US people would start considering making changes to the football season, potentially by shortening it.

Levi: Drawing further, it seems there is a 45-minute test in the works. It’s rumored that games (and presumably practice) could continue with essential staff. It would suck but at least we’d get football.

Jeff: I’d venture to say if we got into late May and it didn't look like things were getting better it would only take a small cluster to make the dominos fall. No one wants to be the team/conference (except SEC) who didn't do enough.

Chris: I’d probably also say July. There’s a looooot of prep work that needs to be done for all of it to happen, and people are already losing time now.

Carter: Probably July; which, if we’re still doing this by then, you won’t be hearing from me, because they’ve put me in a straitjacket.

My birthday falls on 3/25. Can you answer me this? Which 5 past Legends of the Flats and/or Legends of the Thrillerdome can help me beat COVID-19? What special powers would these Tech legends deploy?

Ben: Well first of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! And I would recommend checking out the GTBob YouTube to check out your favorite Georgia Tech sports moments! My personal favorites to check out would be the 2014 Orange Bowl, The Kick and the Pick, 2019 Miami, 2016 georgia, 2014 Miami.

Levi: Legends of the Flats: Calvin Johnson, Power of Flight, Morgan Burnett, Thievery, Justin Thomas, Luck, Roman Reigns, Strength, Tashard Choice, Speed.

Jake: I like Levi’s list, but let’s add some basketball flair with Kenny Anderson, slyness, some old school football with Everett Strupper, resoluteness, and some baseball with Kyle McCann, strength. Then I’d take Scott Sisson, for never missin’, and (football player, engineer, army veteran, track and cross country coach, and dean of men) George Griffin for wisdom. There ya’ go. Five great traits in these times.