Who is TECH- an argument over semantics

[rtnorthrup]

On the front page, the headline read Women Whallop Tech. Now for me, when I see the term Tech referring to an ACC school, it will always be Georgia Tech. That is because when I was at Duke, Virginia Tech was not an ACC member. But, Va Tech has now been in the league long enough that many people referrence them as Tech.

The term Tech as a descriptive noun worked when there was only one Tech in the conference. Now I find the term confusing. Maybe I'm just getting old and find lots of things confusing.

[BlueDevilinNYC]

"Tech" will always be Georgia Tech. "Va Tech" is Virginia Tech (they came second, so they get the second choice of nickname, plus "Ga Tech" just sounds weird, imo).

[Matches]

Tech = Georgia Tech
State = Wuffies

Apologies to VaTech and FSU, but they got here first.

It's funny living in Charlotte sometimes people will refer to "Carolina" and mean USC. Delusional, almost.

[roywhite]

Tech = Georgia Tech
State = Wuffies

Apologies to VaTech and FSU, but they got here first.

It's funny living in Charlotte sometimes people will refer to "Carolina" and mean USC. Delusional, almost.

yep, gotta go with the old shorthand for conference members:
Duke
Carolina
Wake
State (NC State)
Tech (Georgia Tech)
Clemson
Virginia
Maryland

and newcomers get the left-overs
Va Tech
Florida State or FSU
BC

[Bob Green]

There should be no confusion seeing as Tech is Tech and VPI is VPI.

[Dev11]

yep, gotta go with the old shorthand for conference members:
Duke
Carolina
Wake
State (NC State)
Tech (Georgia Tech)
Clemson
Virginia
Maryland

and newcomers get the left-overs
Va Tech
Florida State or FSU
BC

Virginia or UVA?

Agree, though, on State. It confuses me when I see other schools' uniforms that simply say "State" on them (Michigan State being the biggest offender). Doesn't everybody know that basketball outside of the ACC is just silly?

[roywhite]

Virginia or UVA?

Agree, though, on State. It confuses me when I see other schools' uniforms that simply say "State" on them (Michigan State being the biggest offender). Doesn't everybody know that basketball outside of the ACC is just silly?

I'll agree with your UVA point and the list should be amended.

[Jim3k]

There should be no confusion seeing as Tech is Tech and VPI is VPI.

Old school folks say, "Exactly."

[Jderf]

An argument over semantics? On DBR!? You must be joking.

And yeah, Tech is Georgia Tech. I have a friend from Roanoke (VA) who I have to constantly remind of the fact that he's always talking about the wrong team.

[SupaDave]

There should be no confusion seeing as Tech is Tech and VPI is VPI.

To further Bob's point, Georgia Tech's full name is the Georgia Institute of Technology and has been known as Georgia Tech since basically it's inception. Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech's sister school for those of you that don't know, began with a very different name structure.

The evolution of the school's programs led to an 1896 name change to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. The "Agricultural and Mechanical College" portion of the name was popularly omitted almost immediately, and the name was officially changed to Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1944 (wiki).

And of course, Georgia Tech is a far greater school so of course it's get to be known as THE Tech.

Supa "I'm quite biased anyway b/c I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer" Dave

[JNort]

Tech = Georgia Tech
State = Wuffies

Apologies to VaTech and FSU, but they got here first.

It's funny living in Charlotte sometimes people will refer to "Carolina" and mean USC. Delusional, almost.

And while we are on it, to me USC mean University of Southern California. The gamecocks are just South Carolina to me

[SupaDave]

And while we are on it, to me USC mean University of Southern California. The gamecocks are just South Carolina to me

Or like their hats used to say - COCKS!

[TruBlu]

Or like their hats used to say - COCKS!

Treading into dangerous waters here. ;)

[matt1]

Tech: Georgia Tech
State: NC State

[wk2109]

Or you could be like Stephon Marbury and call it "Georgia Tech University."

[MCFinARL]

An argument over semantics? On DBR!? You must be joking.

And yeah, Tech is Georgia Tech. I have a friend from Roanoke (VA) who I have to constantly remind of the fact that he's always talking about the wrong team.

I think this hits the nail on the head--there is a regional influence going on here. Those of us who live in Virginia are somewhat accustomed to referring to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as "Tech," [or, if we have been around awhile, as noted above, VPI] which makes sense from a Virginia-centric perspective if not from an ACC-centric one.

[noworries]

I think this hits the nail on the head--there is a regional influence going on here. Those of us who live in Virginia are somewhat accustomed to referring to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as "Tech," [or, if we have been around awhile, as noted above, VPI] which makes sense from a Virginia-centric perspective if not from an ACC-centric one.

To me, Tech refers to VT as I have family in Virginia and went to undergrad/grad at different schools in VA. Either way go devils tonight

[throatybeard]

No offense to anyone, but this whole discussion is ignorant, insofar as we're not talking about semantics, but rather pragmatics.

Semantics is the study of meaning; pragmatics is the study of how extralinguistic reality shapes meaning, and that's what we're looking at here.

This is why "Tech" is confusing. Not only are there two Techs in the league, but the newer one is closer geographically to the Triangle schools, and has more alums there (I think), which balances GT's [rather suspect] originality claim, given that they started out in the SEC.

The absurdity of arguing for some inherent claim on GT's part is demonstrated by simply pulling the zoom lens out to Texas Tech, Cal Tech, MIT, and Louisiana Tech, some more sporting than others.

Ultimately, the debate is silly. It's all completely dependent on social and geographical contexts, and from a Duke perspective, both GT and VT are approximately "the same distance" when you weigh all the pragmatic contexts. But let's be clear: these are pragmatic contexts, not semantic ones.

[Reilly]

... Not only are there two Techs in the league, but the newer one is closer geographically to the Triangle schools, and has more alums there (I think), which balances GT's [rather suspect] originality claim, given that they started out in the SEC....

VT and GT were in the Southern Conference together in 1922; Duke was the new one, joining in 1928.

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/acc/virginia_tech/index.php

[pamtar]

There's a great moment in Ray Robinson's Rockne of Notre Dame when he describes Rockne taking his team down to play Georgia Tech in the 1920s. This was the heart of Ku Klux Klan country — and the Klan, of course, hated Catholics as much as they hated blacks and Jews. In the locker room before the game, Rockne gave his usual passionate speech about pride and dedication, then suddenly lowered his voice. Robinson writes:

Arriving at this climax, Rockne slowly removed a crumpled telegraph from his pocket. In silence he stared at the words on the missive. Then he began to read aloud: "PLEASE WIN THIS GAME FOR MY DADDY. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HIM."
"It's from Billy," Rockne said, referring to his beloved 6-year-old son, the team's unofficial mascot. "He's very ill and is in the hospital." When Rockne finished, some of the players, Robinson writes, "began to cry, while others jumped up from their perches and swore they would annihilate Tech just for Billy. Indeed, that's exactly what they proceeded to do."

Pulled this off a grantland article (http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8854036/malcolm-gladwell-chuck-klosterman-manti-teo) on the Manti Te'o thread. Apparently people from the state of Indiana referred to GT as 'Tech' as early as the 1920's. Throaty's geographical context argument may not hold up;)

[JNort]

But let's be clear: these are pragmatic contexts, not semantic ones.

I could not care less tbh at least not in a basketball forum.

[mkirsh]

Didn't Georgia Tech settle this argument last night with their road jerseys that just said "TECH"?

[94duke]

I found a couple of pics...

http://www.clutchtimestore.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Georgia-Tech-Derrick-Favors-White-Retro-09-10.jpg

http://www.hokiesports.com/SIPhotos/images/mbasketball/Delaney_M_11MB_va_0488S.jpg

[mbwalker]

http://www.hokiesports.com/SIPhotos/images/mbasketball/Delaney_M_11MB_va_0488S.jpg

I don't think that's a current Va Tech uniform. Delaney (#23) graduated a couple of years ago. The current uniform either says "Virginia Tech" or "Hokies", depending on which version is being worn.

But I think it's interesting that in that pic Delaney's uniform says VPI and the ball says VT.

[SupaDave]

I don't think that's a current Va Tech uniform. Delaney (#23) graduated a couple of years ago. The current uniform either says "Virginia Tech" or "Hokies", depending on which version is being worn.

But I think it's interesting that in that pic Delaney's uniform says VPI and the ball says VT.

That pic is actually from a Feb. 13, 2011 game in which Virginia Tech did indeed wear "throwback" uniforms...