Mailbag 2/10

Class or classes that most impacted your life? - DressHerInWhiteAndGold

Ben: Oh man, this is a tough one. My journalism capstone was incredible, but I also really got a lot out of my Intro to Acting class I took on a whim my last semester.

Carter: MUSI 1008, 2008, 3008, and 4008. Better known as marching band. Oh, and I can’t forget MUSI 4802, the special topics course.

Also, Applied Combinatorics (MATH 3012) was a lot of fun, because after multiple semesters of dry multivariable calculus, it was extremely refreshing to take an applied math course to remind myself I did, in fact, enjoy math before calculus came along. I had a question asking how to calculate the total number of possible ACC football schedules for one exam.

Jake P.: It’s not necessarily been classes for me, it’s been teachers. One good example is my sixth grade math teacher, who pulled all the boys out of the class to go over a football play for our game later that day against the first period social studies class. He’s also the teacher that taught me how to be accountable for my own learning and to take responsibility within the classroom by yelling at me in front of everyone for making a 48 on a quiz (I promise I’m a better student now).

Jake: ME 2110 for the long hours and proving the power of hard work and determination and giving me two new friends in the process, HTS 2015 for doing more than any class before or since to make me not only a better writer and thinker (and therefore better at this job) but as an American sports history and sports fan, too, ME 3057 for learning how to truly use a coding language and write a lab report, ME 6103 for proving that even though I don’t love mechanical engineering for its traditional applications like design and thermodynamics and such, I sure do love what it can do in a comprehensive analytical framework, MATH 2551 (multi) and Physics 1 from freshman spring for teaching me the good and bad of choosing classes with your friends in them, and, finally, because I am nothing if not basic when it comes to study abroad, HTS 2084 for giving me a professor who was very involved and a great conversationalist, and for making me less of a stereotypical American abroad.

Nishant: For being actually fascinating: a special topics course about NASA policy and all of Dr. Salomone’s military history courses. And for growth through shared pain as we joined arms in the struggle to stay afloat: half the AE curriculum, with a special shout-out to aeroelasticity (WHY WAS THIS AN UNDERGRAD CLASS FOR SO LONG) and Dr. Mavris’s ASDL boot camp curriculum.

Power ranking of chicken tender/nugget dipping sauces - sportsfan4life2012

Ben: Zax Sauce is the best. After that, I’m a fan of ranch and ketchup/mayo mixed together. Cookout Sauce is also quality. Miss me with barbecue, honey mustard, and any other kind of dipping sauce.

Jake P.: It’s going to have to be:

1. Honey mustard (not the dressing kind, but actual honey mustard). McDonald’s is optimal.
2. Zax sauce
3. Barbecue sauce
4. Ranch

Jake: Chick fil a sauce, bootlegged in-and-out sauce (like ketchup + mayo + whatever else floats your boat), and Sriracha ranch are my top three.

How do our current NCAAT chances look? - SullyGT

Carter: As a rule, I don’t mix optimism and Georgia Tech men’s basketball. Women are in barring a Georgia Tech-style collapse, which, forget I said anything.

Jake P.: Let’s just say they would look a lot better if Pastner had held full-contact practices at the start of the season. Those first two losses against Georgia State and Mercer look horrible.

Jake: Katz has us in the first four. Lunardi (I believe) has us out. Seems like coin flip odds. Tonight’s game and the opportunity for a quad-1 win is absolutely massive. Would have been so much better to already have a UVA road win under our belt, but, well, guess there’s nothing to be done about that now. The Clemson road game Friday is a big one too. Sadly no giant student groups can head up there in a pandemic to invade their stadium unlike last year, so they’ll have to do it in a much less friendly environment than they closed the season in in 2020. Anyways, I think 6 of 9 down the stretch might do it.

Nishant: The women’s team looks to be in good shape. Carter speaks for me with regard to the men’s team.

How do you want this offense to evolve next season? - Anuj Bhyravabhotla

Ben: Personally, I would like to see Jeff Sims take a little more control of the game. Give him more decisions, whether it be more RPO stuff or whatever.

Carter: Evolution is a mystery, full of changes no one sees. Clock makes a fool of history. //guitar riff

Nishant: More vertical passing please. A regular-ish spring and fall camp for the young QB plus a seasoned transfer slot WR plus an improved OL should be a good formula for that... in theory.

Lets say the internet trolls win, and Collins is fired after 3 seasons of a 7 year contract in the midst of a rebuild and we have ruined our brand for probably forever. If that comes true, BECAUSE WE LOST TO THE CITADAL AND BEAT MIAMI, then who won be the coach you would want to bring in? Who could fix our dumpster fire? - Notwima13

Ben: I’m tired of coaches leaving after such a short time for a stupid reason (like being bad). Around here, we need a good coach that is going to last for a long time, so my solution? We get a coach that was around for a long time and was really successful. That’s right, we’re going to make a hologram of Bobby Dodd to be the new Georgia Tech coach!

Carter: Matt Campbell just tore up the Big 12 at Iowa State. He shouldn’t be too hard to hire from out there, right?

Jake P.: Maybe Urban Meyer will have to retire for the third time.

Jake: The internet trolls what now?

Nishant: We’re a nerd school. Lean into it. Twitch Coaches GT Football.

Hello Guys,

Hope all is well for you this week. I saw a man put a $30K bet on the coin flip of the super bowl being tails. That man lost $30K. I would imagine most of you are doing better than that at least.

So tied to that sad story, my question this week is a two parter:

1) What is the worst bet you have ever made (or dumbest if you feel it was still a successful outcome to a bet you should’ve lost)?

2) What is your favorite depiction of dragons in fiction (all fiction counts)?

You may wonder what those questions have to do with each other... and so do I. But the vodka speaks to me and I must follow its demands. For I now have the power to steal my neighbor’s fence, and it is the vodka who gives me that power! If he didn’t want his fence stolen why would he put it next to my yard? There’s a question for ya.

Well anyway, have a good rest of your week guys,

Sincerely,

Shenron (submitted via email)

Ben: 1. Any bet I have ever made on Georgia Tech. 2. I really like the dragons in Game of Thrones. No particular reason, but they definitely stand out to me.

As for the fences, I mean, let me know how it goes for you.

Jake P.: I bet on Georgia Tech Football with people at work every week. I think I might be 3-19 ATS.

Jake: The worst bet ever involving me was not placed by me. Instead, my friend bet my other friend I’d get 6-0’d in a tennis set. I won the first game 45-0. What an easy $100. As for dragons in fiction, I’m partial to Eragon. And as for fences, it’s probably there so you steal that instead of whatever is behind it.

Nishant: Worst bet probably has to be all the coins I lost playing the Celadon City and Goldenrod City slot machines to no avail. Favorite dragon is a tough choice between Kingdra, Tiki, and the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon.