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John Swofford's administrative staff is seind out the following form letter to fans frustrated about crazy bowl assignments. No specific mention about Georgia Tech since it was a response from GT fans, but that's what you get with a form letter:
We appreciate your feedback and your interest in ACC football.
It is important that you know that all bowl selections are made by the bowl committees. While the selections have an order to them, this order does not always reflect the finish of those teams during the season.
Although the bowls have a financial responsibility to their communities, it will continue to be the goal of the Conference to have the selections reflect, as much as possible, what has competitively happened during the regular season.
This year’s selections, in some instances, did not meet that objective and while those selections may have met the bowl’s objectives, we will be having extensive conversations with our bowl partners before next year when new contractual arrangements go into effect.
The ACC began the year with six bowl tie-ins but was able to secure two additional tie-ins for this season (both beginning relationships a year earlier than scheduled with the Music City Bowl and the Emerald Bowl). Each of our eight bowl eligible teams did get a bowl bid.
Since our bowl partners are responsible for the selections, I encourage you to share your thoughts and feedback with them as you have with us.
Thank you again for your interest in and support of the twelve-member institutions with the Atlantic Coast Conference.
John D. Swofford
Commissioner
UPDATE
Well, here's an article with a bunch of "fight-back" quotes from our "man" Dave Braine:
"If I'm complaining about us, how do you think [BC athletic director] Gene DeFilippo feels right now?" Braine said. "If he were still in the Big East, where would he be? He'd be in the Gator Bowl."
Braine concedes that while Virginia was concentrating on the Music City Bowl, Georgia Tech had its attention divided.
"Up till [Virginia] Tech lost Saturday night, we were locked into the Peach Bowl," Braine said.
"The Peach Bowl and Gator Bowl both like Georgia Tech because we draw very well in both those places, obviously."
If Virginia Tech had beaten 14-point underdog Florida State in the ACC championship game, Miami would have gone to the Gator Bowl and Georgia Tech to the Peach.
Through all this, Mr.Braine wants us to know he knows how the bowl racquet works:
Braine, who is in his ninth year as Georgia Tech athletic director, was the Hokies' athletic director for 10 years before that. He knows how the system works.
"This is my 14th straight bowl," he said. "Believe me, I do."
Yeah, well, with all due respect, it's not helping.............