Butler ain't afraid to use "Dawgs"

[Tech77]

Is Virginia Tech referred to as "Vah Tech" ? Is Georgia Tech referred to as "Gah Tech"?

Actually, yes, I have heard that quite a bit.

[Tech77]

I don't believe "Ele A Tech" was Dooley. And I hate it as much as you do. Using "Lah Tech" was definitely Dooley. I respectfully disagree with you on "Lah Tech".

When he became president in the 80s, Dan Reneau began sending memos to Keith Prince, who was the SID at the time, to correct TV media members - local, regional, and national - who would call Tech "Lah Tech" on the air. He wanted them to use "Tech".

Two national media members in particular laughed at this. John Saunders and Tim Brando, both doing games for ESPN. Brando told Keith "outside of a 90-mile radius of Ruston, you're known coast to coast as "Lah Tech". Do you not know what that does for you? Embrace it".

Beginning in the mid-90s I spent more than 250 weeks traveling for my job throughout the country over a 10-year stretch. "Lah Tech" is how Tech is known everywhere outside of north Louisiana. Nationally, even casual sports fans use that term. It was also surprising to me how differently Tech was viewed outside of Louisiana.

From a distance Dooley saw the same thing I saw in my travels. When he became AD he told Reneau that schools would kill for that type of national branding - "Lah Tech" and the T logo. We did embrace it. And we were much better off for it.

The alternative is to have no national brand and just be irrelevant.

I thought it was. I know he was all for it. There was a Tech student (right before the new branding was adopted) who posted on our board and was taking a sports marketing class taught by "Precious." The student reported to us that DD was telling the class that this (LaTech) would be the best and quickest way for us to get our name out there and recognizable.

[The Historian]

Actually, yes, I have heard that quite a bit.

Correct. "Vah Tech" is used frequently.

[The Historian]

I thought it was. I know he was all for it. There was a Tech student (right before the new branding was adopted) who posted on our board and was taking a sports marketing class taught by "Precious." The student reported to us that DD was telling the class that this (LaTech) would be the best and quickest way for us to get our name out there and recognizable.

Dooley talked about the use of "Lah Tech" at alumni functions and in private meetings. He would use "Lah Tech". I never, ever heard him use "El A Tech".

[Houston Techsan]

I still don't see the need in putting the La Tech across our logo which we have used for almost fifty years now. A few years back I was at an Astros game in my state T cap and some strangers sitting close by recognized the logo and school. I guess there are people out there who are geographically challenged who wouldn't recognize the shape of their own state much less Louisiana, Texas, Florida or California. Some others are not quite so recognizable. Texas Tech just has the double T's but I wouldn't think anyone would confuse them with Tennessee Tech.

[PawDawg]

I still don't see the need in putting the La Tech across our logo which we have used for almost fifty years now..

That was the fail in Dooley's marketing effort. The LA (postal abbreviation) was take by our millennial marketing department instead of La (with the Lah sound) It has been pointed out many times that the LA....TECH logo was overkill and not necessary to identify us.

[The Historian]

That was the fail in Dooley's marketing effort. The LA (postal abbreviation) was take by our millennial marketing department instead of La (with the Lah sound) It has been pointed out many times that the LA....TECH logo was overkill and not necessary to identify us.

This

[SpaceDawg]

I still don't see the need in putting the La Tech across our logo which we have used for almost fifty years now.

I agree. It bothers me when I see college logo thumbnails on various media outlets. The State-T alone is easily recognizable. Now, the La-StateT-ech logo can minuscule the logo to an almost unrecognizable form.

Example: http://www.espn.com/college-football...-golden-eagles

You can't even recognize our logo on the left side.

[PawDawg]

All we ever needed

[CARTEK]

...that says it all!

[Tech77]

Dooley talked about the use of "Lah Tech" at alumni functions and in private meetings. He would use "Lah Tech". I never, ever heard him use "El A Tech".

Yeah, ok, I agree with you. I did not understand what you were saying. Dooley wanted LaTech. Like Maddawg said, some of our marketing people then took that and made it El-A Tech.

[HogDawg]

A side note:
I've been in the Toledo area for three days...just about in the middle from Columbus to Ann Arbor. I've had fun talking rivalry with the locals. Some Buckeyes. Some are Woverines. HOWEVER, when several of them saw my LATech logo and State-T on my jacket, they told me "I've always thought that was a cool logo."...unsolicited.
One of them said' "My mom loves Terry Bradshaw and Phil Robertson, too."

I've been telling some of our own naysayers this for years. Some just don't know what's good for 'em.

[techdawg28]

General response to everything said so far:

Just for informational purposes: Before coming to Tech, most of my life I heard it just called "Tech." On occasion I heard "ell ay Tech," but I never heard "lah tech" until about my senior year of HS, and it was only from one teacher who may have been from out of state. But since I've been here, I've only heard "lah Tech" and now "ell ay Tech" sounds weird and wrong. And for the record, I've heard "Vah Tech" and "V Tech" for Virginia Tech along with "VT" and "VPI."

I understand why we couldn't just call ourselves "Tech" officially because it could easily cause confusion. For example, when I was in NO for the NO Bowl, I saw someone mention Tech on an anonymous social media app. A random person commented something like "a fellow yellow jacket?" Took me a minute before I realized he thought we were talking about Georgia Tech. If you listen to people from Texas, when they say "Tech" they mean Texas Tech, and I assume it's just that way everywhere. So we can't just be "Tech" nationally.

Personally, I don't mind the State-T with La Tech across it, but at the same time that's been in use as long as I've been here, so I don't know Tech without it. I never saw the old court in the TAC before the current one which has that symbol on it. As for the white T, I honestly think the blue state and red T look the best. Maybe it's just because I didn't get used to the white T after many years of seeing it, but it just looks better to me without the white. Unpopular opinion, I know, but I think other students agree. At least the friend I talk about sports with the most does. I'm going to ask some others which they prefer.

It sounds like in many cases some of you guys just got used to certain things being certain ways and don't want it to change. I 100%, totally understand that and by no means am I ever going to criticize anyone for that. I value tradition as much as anyone. But as someone with fresh eyes who hasn't gotten used to certain things, I think many of the changes have been mostly positive. Would we have been fine without them? Yes, most likely. But to the new generation, many of these changes look better, and let's face it: it's the new generation that we need to appeal to the most, since they are the potential new fans we need to attract.

[Houston Techsan]

The white T thing is just for the red football helmets. I believe most of us like the blue state-red T on a white or other contrasting background.

[PawDawg]

I honestly think the blue state and red T look the best. Maybe it's just because I didn't get used to the white T after many years of seeing it, but it just looks better to me without the white. Unpopular opinion, I know, but I think other students agree. At least the friend I talk about sports with the most does. I'm going to ask some others which they prefer.

.

The students who stay past third quarter or the ones who leave to watch the lsu game?

The issue with the white T is that NOBODY was complaining other than two over achievers who decided it needed to be changed.

The boss signed off on it, so he owns it.