Fans should stay off the Double T
by Pablo M
on Sep 16, 2008 12:33 AM CDT
There was one thing that bothered me about the full stadium on Saturday. It was the fans who should be allowed on the grass seating area but not on the white Circle and definately not on the Double T
After the fans had thinned in the grass seats, the Double T showed Damage.
I for one remember my youthful days as a kid sitting in those grass seats. I also remember that as far back as I can remember that the Double T was off limits to anyone standing or sitting on it.
Even last year, the Tech police and the Stadium Staff kept people off the Double T. So why this year?
Why is the the Stadium staff and University allowing a very Visable Symbol of the University being trashed and giving access to what will in the future some Student from Texas or A&M who will do some really serious public damage to the Double T.
If you want history, it was Texas A&M students who were sitting in a sold out game back in the early days who took a hammer to the Double T during the game and stole part of the Double T which they displayed in a case and still may display in a case back in College Station. The following year, A&M killed our Mascot buy painting our horse in A&M colors suffocating it.
To me, it is irresponsible for the Stadium or any University staffers to allow anyone in the grass area to be on the Double T. All they have to do is get one of the 2 dozen police and Staffers leaning on the wall above the Grass seats to actually tell the people to get off the Double T.
I am hoping when the University does the North Endzone expansion that it does not do away with the grass seats. I would like to take my son one day and have him experience a couple of games from those seats. For a Kid, its a great experience but for myself I perfer homeside between the 40s.
But it will piss a person like me off who is an exsaddle Tramp if the Double T gets messed with again by the likes of A&M or Texas or in one of other sold out games. Believe me I liked the fact that the stadium was full of people and you could not find any empty sections like in days past. It was nice to see a sea of RED in the Stadium along with a full grass seating.
But all aside, people need to stay off the Double T. Its disrespectful and it will lead to problems which this university has already suffered for being lax on stadium security.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Double-T Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Double-T Nation's writers or editors.
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Agreed
I totally agree with you on this Pablo. I was in the student section, and i looked over and saw people sitting on it and standing on the double T. I thought maybe they were freshman, the same people who walk on the grass at memorial circle. But i guess noone ever told them to get off. It wouldn’t be difficult for the stadium to have 1 person guard it. I think they have individuals that guard the grass when noones on it anyways. So just move them down to the Double T.
by RedRaider621 on Sep 16, 2008 9:53 AM CDT 0 recs
that stay off the grass at memorial circle thing is aggie-like. same as the double-t bench for upper classmen.
now, i can see reasons for keeping people off the north endzone TT. If the grass is destroyed by the fans and it can’t be repainted for the next game easily, that would be a good reason. Otherwise, let it be.
by kayakyakr on
Sep 16, 2008 8:41 PM CDT
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kayakyakr
I have no problems with people being on the grass. Its been a very long tradition for families to be there. If students want to be there also no big deal.
However, the platform and the TT in the North Endzone needs to have people stay off of it. Like you pointed out, its not easy to repair something like that over a weeks time or even a 2 weeks time.
The fact that we have had in the past fans detroy the TT and have done it on purpose is enough to warrant it to be protected. If the university can waist 6 protectors for the goal posts at the end of the game they can have one or two protect the TT in the north endzone without getting in the way of legit fans who are there for excitement of the game!
The issue as you pointed out is damage prevention and time it takes to repair such damage.
My question is why is the university even allowing minor damage to happen which waists money? In my book, who cares if the damage can be repaired in a day or a month. It still costs money to repair. It does not matter if the cost is $400 a week or $3600 or even more to fix a major damage. The fact is that it costs money to fix. Its also a very visable item.
Would any university person allow the president’s office to recieve damage week in and week out? Its not as silly as it seems. The truth is that you can not have a public symbol be trashed and damaged then expect people like myself not to be upset because it has happened before.
All it takes is having a person tell the people to stay off the full circle of the TT in the North Endzone. There is no justification for allowing it to be damaged especially when it has a history of being targeted for damage and used by another schools fans as an item to be damaged.
Thus its irresponsible to allow anyone to be on the North endzone TT. The grass seating has been reduced by slightly more than half its original size. Its still a place that some people prefer.
I would love to take my son one day to sit there and experience the thrill of the seats there where you get thave some real interaction with the players.
But there is no need to close off the grass seats. The grass seating has always been overflow for the general seating. No reason to change that.
Since the A&M incident, the university had no problem assigning an employee to keep people off the double in the North endzone. I see no reason not to have at least one or two assigned to keep people off the TT. I see it as another tradition that should be preserved.
After all, some traditions are worth keeping.
by Pablo M on
Sep 16, 2008 9:24 PM CDT
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oh, don’t get me wrong, if sitting there is damaging the circle, I think they should either keep people off of it, or find a surface that won’t be damaged. I never actually sat on that side, i’m ashamed to admit, which is why I ride the fence on the actual damage caused.
by kayakyakr on
Sep 17, 2008 8:33 AM CDT
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Not too concerned
I understand your concern, but it is after all just concrete and paint. And, you’d be taking away a lot of overflow area for students if you made the double T off limits (which this area is opened ONLY for students, there is no such thing as a general admin ticket). Opposing fans aren’t allowed there just like they’re not allowed in other student sections. I’m not sure why aggie students were in that area back when that vandalism occured. Also, we now have Saddle Tramps in that area working the field goal net, and security watching from above. I think it’s much safer now than it used to be.
What can people do to concrete and paint that can’t be easily and cheaply repaired (more damage is done by students tearing up bleachers in my opinion – have you seen the cost of metals lately?). A little concrete patch and paint if/when something happens is much better than turning students away from the games for lack of seating. I like seeing that double T there, but we are increasing enrollment without increasing the capacity of student seating, and this area is the last place to put students, all of whom pay a fee to get into these games. We either take away seats from ticket-holders, or leave that area for overflow use.
by djollie111 on Sep 17, 2008 2:05 PM CDT 0 recs
Attending as far back as 70
I remember it being roped off and not roped off over the years. Doesn’t matter to me, it ain’t sacred like a grave or holy relic.
by FOR Raider on Sep 17, 2008 4:25 PM CDT 0 recs
interesting
Can you find me links to both of these incidents to confirm these happenings?
When we play Tech, I want to include this information.
by Beergut on Sep 18, 2008 12:53 AM CDT 0 recs
forgot the quote
If you want history, it was Texas A&M students who were sitting in a sold out game back in the early days who took a hammer to the Double T during the game and stole part of the Double T which they displayed in a case and still may display in a case back in College Station. The following year, A&M killed our Mascot buy painting our horse in A&M colors suffocating it.
by Beergut on
Sep 18, 2008 12:53 AM CDT
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Here's Your Link
The death of Double T hasn’t been the only time a beloved Masked Rider mount was injured. Tech Beauty was one the best-known mascots and was born on campus and owned by the university.
In1963, before Tech played Texas A&M, Tech Beauty was stolen and couldn’t be found before the game. Charcoal Cody, also a Masked Rider horse for years, was the stand-in for Tech Beauty, and the mare was finally discovered on the Sunday after the game. For three days she had been hobbled and locked in a shed near of Idalou, without food or water. The letters AMC (possibly meaning A&M College) had been sprayed on her side with aluminum paint. Some reports state that her mane had been haphazardly clipped as well. The mare died the following spring due to complications during foaling.
by 2001Raider on
Sep 18, 2008 6:36 AM CDT
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Beergut
Visit your own musuem and you will see part of the TT in the corner display case.
There used to me a news clipping of the horse incident there as well. But Its something that you can get easily enough from your own university. I know of several incidents that were reverse attacks. Such as the famous spray painting of a major statue in college station in Tech colors. It took them almost a year to get the paint off from my understanding.
But I am not going to get into what A&M did or did not do many years ago. Its enough to know that A&M by their actions over the years justifies the reputation of dumb as an Aggie.
by Pablo M on Sep 18, 2008 1:12 AM CDT 0 recs
put an electric fence around it. seriously though, its sad that we need this discussion. it should be understood by all Tech fans to stay off of it. It’s just common courtesy.
by mdpttu on Sep 20, 2008 6:02 AM CDT 0 recs
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