Some Perspective . . . Please

The issue of playing Saturday's Georgia Tech - Miami game will likely get much clearer by lunchtime on Wednesday, according to a late update provided by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mike Knobler and also by The Macon Telegraph's Brian Murphy. A conference call is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday between all parties involved. But it is widely accepted that the University of Miami and the ACC will have a wide berth to make the majority of the decision, which is very fair, all things considered.


There appear to be three scenarios being considered:


1. Moving the game ahead by one day to Friday evening.
2. Rescheduling the game for Tech's current "bye" weekend of November 19, 2005, which would force Miami vs. Wake Forest to move to Saturday, November 12, 2005 and away from their currently scheduled nationally-televised date of Thursday, November 17.
3. Do nothing . . . and see what the weather does later in the week.


Living in the South and growing up on the coast of Georgia, I was taught that it is a no-brainer that you move, get out of the way and do not consider trying to do anything involving "out-racing" a tropical storm, especially a volatile event such as a Category 3 or 4 storm. Hurricane Hugo is a still-fresh memory for many in coastal Georgia and the South Carolina low-country, as it should be for all GT fans since the Tech-South Carolina game was also directly affected by that storm in the fall of 1989.


Proposal 1 is, therefore, something that I just don't think Tech should agree to . . . Why try to play "chicken" with a storm that can just as easily speed up as it could slow down? Is trying to get players, coaches and fans into a stadium on a Friday vs. Saturday that important? The University of Tennessee thought as much in late September when it was widely reported that they would refuse to go to play LSU in Baton Rouge (i.e. forfeit) on a Saturday or Sunday when the threat of Hurricane Rita was still possible and unknown as late as Thursday prior to the game. That storm was not even predicted to make direct contact with Louisiana at the time and Tennessee still knew not to put their players in harm's way. Logic prevailed and the game was ultimately scheduled for two nights later on Monday.


Proposal 3 is fine . . . this storm will likely make the weather predictors accurate once again, folks who now have become experts at getting these things 75-100% correct most every time. I predict that Tech won't even board a plane come Friday afternoon under this "wait-and-see" stance.


If a decision HAS to be made Wednesday, then make the decision to wait with the worst-case scenario being to reschedule for Saturday, November 19. It only further "inconveniences" Wake Forest and ESPN, but in the grand scheme of things, it is the only obvious call to be made.