Weedwhacker wrap

Notes as we approach the I-Bowl:

• There was little fanfare as the Georgia Tech football team arrived in Shreveport Thursday, and in fact it turns out the bowl organizers were so unimpressed with their selection that they did not even bother to familiarize themselves with the school's color scheme:
  

  "Following a short bus ride to the team hotel, the Hilton downtown, the 6-6 Yellow Jackets were greeted with minimal fanfare...
  
  I-Bowl executive director Missy Setters and 2010 chairman Jim Hagan welcomed the team in a hotel lobby decorated in Georgia Tech pennants and laced in black and yellow."

  
  
• Apparently the relentlessly stubborn Coach Johnson is the first coach "in recent memory" to close I-Bowl practices to the public. Freaking I-Bowl practices. Perhaps Johnson is having a flashback to his Navy days when playing Air Force was actually a meaningful game.
  
  
• As you may know, the Georgia Tech Athletic Association last week extended its discounted ticket offer, previously scheduled to expire on the 12th, to Christmas day. How jolly of them. According to Associate AD Wayne Hogan, "The response from our fans for this special ticket offer has been very good," however the principles of free-market economics would suggest that they're doing this because no one wants to see two boring teams in a podunk bowl.
  
  
• To that end, the Associated Press has described GT's tactics as "[going] the full used car salesman route":
  

  "The game isn’t that far away and will feature the nation’s top two rushing teams, but fans have been unimpressed enough that the university extended the deal until Christmas in hopes of spurring sales.
  
  “With Christmas around the corner, tickets make for perfect gifts or stocking stuffers,” associate athletic director Wayne Hogan said in a school news release."

  What a classy reflection this savvy ploy is casting upon our great institution. Was there no way to arrange for free hot dogs and Cokes with the Shreveport folks to further sweeten the deal? Or how about a free $5 coupon off the purchase of your next Poulan™ Weed Eater™ brand electric or gas-powered trimmer?
  
  Way to put a marketable product on the field Coach Johnson!