Photo by Ryan for Heisman blog
I don’t think all BC fans know what is at stake in Jacksonville. A SuperFan won’t catch a pass or make a tackle, but how BC fans support the school will have long-term ramifications on the program. If you can make it, BC needs you to be there and BC needs you to buy your ticket through the school. (If you buy through TicketMaster the school does not get credit for your appearance.) The temptation to “hold out for the Orange Bowl” is understandable. As I mentioned in my letter to current students, once you hit the real world funds and time become precious commodities. However, if BC fans don’t show up for this game we will confirm our poor travel reputation and will never be invited to a big bowl.
I’ve spoken to many of you of the years and heard “I would go to a bowl if BC ever got into a real one.” I understand. I’ve missed more Tire/San Fran/Motor City Bowls than I’ve made. This is different. This is a really big game. This is for the school’s first conference title. It is on a Saturday. It is on the East coast. There are numerous travel options and affordable hotels. Go to Jacksonville! If you wait for the Orange Bowl and we lose you’ll never have this chance again. This is our “bird in a hand…”
The reality is that if BC loses the ACC Championship Game we will fall to either the Champs Bowl or the Music City. But if 15,000 to 20,000 BC fans show up for the ACC Championship Game our athletic department will have proof that we are worthy for bigger and better bowls in the future.
I understand if you have real world obstacles. If you don’t have anything holding you back and can make it, you need to be there. The Orange Bowl is a long way away and far from a sure thing. This is for a championship. This is what we’ve longed for. This is the game and the moment. BC needs you!
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20 comments:
I understand the point you are making and it is a very valid one (school travel rep), but I think you are becoming a bit too preachy with this. There are many fans like myself that would love to go, and have been to multiple away games already this year. Believe it or not there is such a thing as lack of funds though. Also, please refrain from saying we will never do this again. We have been one game away the past two seasons as we were this year. I would hope we can continue to play competitive football and be a mainstay in the upper echelon of the ACC for years to come.
With that said, I will continue to love your blog, thanks!
Great post, Bill, and dead on. It's this simple-- if we don't show up for this game we can pretty much forget about ever going to a quality bowl game (unless we win the conference title).
A good showing at the Orange Bowl makes no difference in the eyes of the bowl decision-makers. It's expected. What the guys at places like the Peach, Champs, and Music City Bowl (and definitely the Gator) want to see is whether we'll show up for a non-BCS game in big numbers. Right now they believe we won't, and until we convince them otherwise by turning out for a "second tier" type of game-- such as the ACC Championship-- that perception is reality. This is our chance to change that perception or let it stick with us for the next 10-20 seasons.
Do we know if BC is sending the band? That really does make a huge difference (maybe not so much in MD)...
Getting a few, or several, thousand BC fans would be awesome, but having the band lead them on in For Boston, the Alma Mater and now, Shipping Up to Boston (#15!) would be key.
Go Eagles!
The band will be there.
Eagle BC 01, I feared sounding preachy but many people have told me they are saving their funds for the Orange Bowl. Hence the post.
By the way, just bought my plane flight from Phoenix. There will be at least four more Eagles in Jacksonville next weekend.
Hey Downtown Resident. Are you on of the fans that meets at the 16th St Bar. I was there a few weeks ago while visiting Phoenix for a long weekend. Too bad the FSA game didn't turn out the way we wanted, but it was good to meet the Phoenix fans.
Hey Downtown Resident. Are you on of the fans that meets at the 16th St Bar. I was there a few weeks ago while visiting Phoenix for a long weekend. Too bad the FSA game didn't turn out the way we wanted, but it was good to meet the Phoenix fans.
I am not in total agreement about the reputation as a travelling school. Not to sound like an old timer- but I went to all three bowls when Flutie played- they were all in horribly cold unseasonable weather by Southern standards (Orlando, Memphis and Dallas- 2 of 3 had snow at the game) and there were tons of people going. If the interest is there the fans will travel. No one wanted to go to those other bowls because they did not mean anything. I think the 'does not travel well' really started with a Catholic school playing on Christmas Day in that first Aloha Bowl. Who did the school think was going to travel to that?? After then is was one bad location after another. If there was at least the chance the weather would be nice people would probably go to more of these 'mid level bowls' but if the school continues to treat its fan base as poorly as it has the last few years with parking restrictions, asking for the Flynn Fund shakedown, clamping down on tailgating, etc- they will continue to suffer half hearted support at these bowls. (Plenty of people went to ND this year because of the game and the trip to Chicago) Jacksonville will be a tough sell if they do not beat Miami and even if they do because of all the bad press it got up here when the Pats were in the Super Bowl down there a few years ago. Outside of some golf- it was not high on anyones places to get back too soon. Hopefully we beat Miami- end the hex and go in strong to the ACC title game!
GO EAGLES!!
Help me out here eagle_atl. I thought #2 ACC and #2 SEC were automatically in the Peach Bowl? I'm sure hoping for Orange, but Peach aint half bad. But, am I wrong?
EagleDad - the ACC #2 doesn't mean the #2 team in the ACC...it means that it gets the 2nd choice of ACC teams. So the Peach will get to pick from the remaining ACC teams after the Orange gets the first pick. Gator gets the third pick and Champs gets the fourth pick. They aren't required to take the next best ACC team (just can't take a team that has 2 less division wins than a remaining ACC team). Likely the Champs Sports bowl if we don't win in Jax. (correct me if I'm wrong)
While I appreciate your enthusiasm for Boston College athletics, I cannot help but comment on the financial aspect of travel. I would love nothing more than to be able to travel both to the ACC Championship as well as the bowl game this year. However, just as Boston College's tuition has increased dramatically over the past four years, my financial aid has declined at the same rate. Sell my books? I purchased them for $400 and will be lucky to get $50 back at the end of the semester. So while adding this trip to my credit card might seem trivial relative to my $40,000 in loans, it is a burden I cannot take on at this point. Some students at BC have real financial burdens. Therefore, I counter to you alumni of Boston College: go to Jacksonville if you can afford it. And also, when you send in your donations, remember that athletics is not the only part of Boston College that will accept your money.
That being said, thanks to the great fans who will travel to the game December 1st. I will be cheering loudly in Boston. Eagle in Atl, your blog is one of my favorites.
Great photoshop work guys !
JAGSONVILLE !
JAGSONVILLE !
JAGSONVILLE !
There must be a cargo ship leaving Mass for Jacksonville that needs some labor. Get Ye Down There !
I'm flying down, with three others, out of Logan at 4:30 on Friday. We're on USAir connecting through Philidelphia. We only have a 40 minute layover (stay with me this story is going somewhere). . .
So I called USAir to figure out what the deal was if our flight was delayed out of Boston, and we missed the Phily flight. I was told: over 80% of the the Phily to Jax flight is coming from Boston, so they'll hold the plane.
So, hey, there's at least a plane full of us en route on Friday afternoon.
Needless to say, I agree with Bill completely and I don't think it sounds preachy at all. If you have the financial and/or life flexibility to go to this game, DO IT. I'm not one who thinks the program is at its peak--not by a long shot--but I also know that Florida State won't be down forever.
How many times will we have this opportunity? I'm not sure, but I don't think it's enough to say "I'll go next time."
See y'all in Jax!
East, yes I was at 16th Street, as I am every week with my girlfriend. Did we meet you?
Should it happen, people passing on Jax to wait for the Orange Bowl are going to be very disappointed when they're paying through the nose to some broker for tickets because they don't have season tix or kick in to the Flynn Fund. The allotment for the OB will be half what it is for Jacksonville, and all of those old rich bastards in DBS who are disguised as empty seats during the Army and Bowling Green games will be snatching those tix faster than you can say "whalepants."
If I could, I would order an aircraft carrier into South Boston, pick up as many students and fans as I could and drop you all off at the Navy base in Mayport, FL (aka JAX). But alas, I am not that high ranking and if I was, I would end up in Leavenworth faster than you could say "You can't handle the truth".
I hope that we have a good showing. As the lone BC guy on the carrier, I will try and fly the flag on the main mast.
GO EAGLES!
Bill, I know you don't want to sound preachy but I want you to know that I am a senior who agrees with you 100%. My roommates and I drove down to Clemson last weekend and although I'm completely broke until at least Christmas I just bought my plane ticket (along with 4 of my roommates)
Also FYI: when I bought my tickets just before 5pm today I asked how many student had purchased and was told over 100... not too bad considering they went on sale for us at 9am today but we need to do better
If you are a student and are reading this PLEASE COME!!! It will be so much fun and there will be lots of drinking and hot southern girls! See you there
I agree with this post 110%. I think it is our responsiblity to go to this game. Look putting $300 on a credit card this early in your life is not going to kill you. Just do it. When your 5 years out of school you will be happy you did. When I went to BC I never let lack of funds get in my way. Debt is not the end of the world. Do what you got to do but get to this game.
Also I would like to say that I think our reputation for traveling is getting better. I have been to three away games this year, Clemson and Maryland being two of them, and there were a ton of BC fans. So lets keep this trend going. I want to see a sea of Gold in Jacksonville. My roommate and I will be there and so will at least 20 of my class of '03 friends.
We're Shipping Down to J-Ville!!
GO EAGLES!!
While I do believe we will be back in Jax sometime in the Josh Haden/Justin Tuggle era, this is one of our last opportunities to watch #12 in a BC uniform. Quarterbacks like him don't come by very often, and I look forward to watching his final three games at BC.
I'll be on that 430 flight out of Boston that connects in Philly. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Jax.
Amen BC brother! We all have reasons we can't make it (mine are: I have a business to run, 3kids under 12, a wife, one kid who has a soccer tourney that weekend, etc) but you know what? I will be there!!!! (along with 2 fellow BC classmates)
Ask yourself, "When was the last time BC played for a championship?" (answer is actually last Sunday and the BC Men won the ACC soccer championship AND are seeded #1 in the NCAA tourney! But we're talkin' football)
Be in J'ville!!
Ever to excel.
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