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That being said, I think it’s pretty clear at this point that the “Sea of Orange” has been a failure in terms of “creating a better fan atmosphere” at Scott Stadium. The final two seasons of Al Groh’s tenure have been decisive proof that. Fans are dispirited. Many season ticket holders stopped coming to games. And a majority of the “new” traditions created by the athletic department — including the idiocy of raising a flag before every game with a slogan (“The Power of Orange!”) that sounds like the school is announcing a new bathroom cleaner — are positively terrible. This certainly isn’t to say that people should stop wearing orange t-shirts to the games if they want. But it does make that insistent “UVA’s team is failing because of ties and sundresses” mantra ring fairly hollow.

Mr. Riddick does a pretty good job of shooting down most of Hung Vu’s arguments, so it seems unnecessary to repeat them here, although the assertion from another poster that ties and sundresses “hurts recruiting” is flat out ridiculous — otherwise you wouldn’t see any good high school players heading off to UGA, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama, or Ole Miss. George Welsh also didn’t seem to have a lot of problems in that department during his winning seasons in the 1990′s either.

Ultimately, there’s no question that “guys in ties, girls in pearls” is a pretty long-standing tradition at Scott Stadium, like many other southern schools. Look at the student section of Auburn, and you’ll see a pool of white button downs and striped ties and bow ties in the stands. Check out a Georgia Tech game on TV, and the camera will inevitably pan across the sundresses worn by female students and yellow oxfords and ties worn by a lot of the guys. Nobody worries about it. And there’s not much of a “debate” to speak of. The students cheer just as loudly in ties as they do in hoodies and t-shirts. Their main focus is the team winning its games. Not being the fan police and worrying about whether a fellow student is sporting a tie.

However, what I don’t understand is why everything at UVA — thanks to the Sea of Orange crew — has to be a case of “you’re either with the orange t-shirt crowd or the tie/sundress crowd.” If you want to go traditional and wear a tie, do it. If you’d rather throw on a t-shirt or a UVA hoodie, that’s cool — there’s no set rule in place (although I sometimes think that people arguing for seeing female students/alumni in frumpy t-shirts instead of sundresses are out of their minds). Why not mess around with both traditions? Mix it up a little? What if the frats, first years and male students taking a date to the game wore button downs and ties in nods to tradition, but other students/alumni just went in t-shirts, or wore a UVA tie with their t-shirt or body-paint?

Ultimately, this isn’t a huge issue. But I think we have to stop being so worried about what Colin Cowherd says or which insults the Virginia Tech Hokies, the latter of which are basically going to hate us anyway, are throwing in our direction and figuratively spit in their eye. Ties and sundresses seem to drive them nuts. For that reason alone, it’s worth keeping ‘em around.

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Second, I REALLY hated that dress up crap at UVA, and the “orange fever” is the only thing I liked from the groh era. I’m a wahoo alum, and even I think it is a little uppity. Then maybe because my voice is coming from someone that is not part of the “frat” order. The only ones that liked that crap were fraternity brothers and sorority and sorority sisters, and continue to be the only ones that want to hold on to that tradition. Frankly, it was embarrassing, and I don’t feel like it showed any school pride, but just something remnant of the good ol’ boys southern culture. I may not have a lot of salient facts or what not to back up my statements, but it is my opinion and one that others I know agree with.

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It tends to be the segment of UVa who came from prep schools who perpetuate the elitist attitudes (and of course the followers and poseurs). A lot of my friends went to Tech, so I never understood this deep seated desire to feel superior. Most UVa students do not walk around with this attitude.

I’d bet that those kinds of attitudes are abating over time (hopefully at least).

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FYI, the explicit definition of “douchebaggery” is a variable blend of over-the-top New Jerseyness (spike hair and spray-tan) and elitist-popcollar-pastel-plaid sweatervestery. There’s plenty to bitch about in Blacksburg, but this particular issue is uniquely at home on “The Grounds” at “The University”.

And let me clarify: I have no real complaint with a sweater vest or a tie or whatever. That’s a joke, mostly. Its the snobbery that is often wrapped in a sweater vest that is at issue.

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http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/15/concerned-witnesses-before-hitching-morgan-harrington-caused-worry/

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Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RidU6ILUQNE

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zKxcXfKYgY&feature=related

The townies are better fans than the students and that’s pathetic.

The final argument against shirts and ties is that it hurts recruiting. In general, athletic black people don’t want a bunch WASPs and people at the extreme of white culture cheering them on. Honestly, who in their right mind would want to play for a bunch of stuck up rich kids wearing suits? In fact, recruits would rather have rednecks cheering for them (and so they choose Tech). The exception, of course, is Tiki Barber types. Good luck finding 70 Tiki Barbers to fill the roster. Please realize that the student section at scott stadium is a huge turnoff to recruits (as is the UVa culture in general).

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