Mailbag 5/25

Bill Brockman: Really impressed with the golf team. Knowing little about it, I ask if the coach can influence a match during competition, or if recruiting and preparation are the limits of his powers.

Ben: I’m not sure either how much influence a coach has during a golf match, but I know caddies typically serve vital roles in advising golfers on what to do, so I would not be surprised to learn coaches serving a similar role within matches.

Logan: Not as familiar with golf coaches. Based on coaches in the pros I assume the majority of coaching takes place before the rounds start. Coach probably sets the player up with what they should focus on and helps with training, but after that things are on the golfer and the caddies (who are often players more familiar with the course or familiar with the personal style of the golfer).

DressHerInWhiteAndGold: Got some favorite Protest Songs for when the MAN has got you down?

Ben: So fun fact, Bob Dylan is a Nobel Laureate. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, making him the first musician and songwriter to win the award. One of my favorites from him is “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”

Logan: I lean more into the hard rock and metal scene... There aren’t really any direct protest songs I’m a fan of, but if you’re into that basically everything Rage Against the Machine puts out is a protest of something. I like “Prayer of the Refugee” by Rise Against and “One” by Metallica as my favorites.

WreckBran: With the recent permanent “rivals” added to Georgia Tech of Louisville and Wake Forest, which is the more likely to develop into an actual rivalry?

Ben: Wake Forest is the clear winner here. As a school, they are more comparable to Georgia Tech, and there’s some history there. For me personally, there’s also a little bit of jealousy with Dave Clawson, which also makes for some fun rivalry stuff! I don’t know much about the history between the two teams—if it would even warrant a deeper rivalry—but I know I’m still pissed about the 2006 ACC Championship. Looking at Louisville, it’s a tough team for me to hate if they don’t have a really easy-to-hate coach like Bobby Petrino or Brian Van Gorder.

Logan: I’ll disagree with Ben from the standpoint of Wake Forest being more likeable. Wake Forest tends to be more chill and respectful of teams, even when they’re kicking your butt. It’s hard for me to dislike a fanbase that isn’t overly proud. I feel like Louisville fans tend to be more uppity. The Cardinals seem to think highly of themselves no matter what game they are in. To be fair they have had some great seasons and great players as alumni, I just don’t get the swag right now. This might be a bit of a stretch, but I could see some frustration building between our fanbase and the Louisville one.

Partywaggin: I saw recently that Tech is ranked 35th in recruiting by 247, which is decent by Tech levels of the past few years. Do you think this is just a first-year head coach bump or something CBK can build on and get inside the top 30 consistently?

Ben: Yes, hopefully. There is definitely a first-year head coach bump, but if Brent Key can put together a solid couple of seasons, I firmly believe it can be possible to consistently recruit around 30 at Georgia Tech. You just gotta start winning some games first.

Logan: I’m not as confident on us staying high on the recruiting trend. I think it depends on what happens with the ACC and if we can win games. I think Key can keep things in the 30-45 range though, Georgia Tech has some good things going for it.