This column was originally published with The Red & Black on June 14, 2015 and can be found here.

Georgia Tech ruffled a few feathers around Athens this week when they revealed the rings that football players from the 2014 team would receive. The feature that fans found noteworthy was the emblem of the state of Georgia with the words “State Champs” nestled in the middle, a clear shot at Georgia and the Yellow Jackets’ 30-24 win over the Bulldogs last November.

Predictably, the picture hit message boards and raised questions about the motivation for Georgia Tech. Why take a shot at Georgia? Can they just act like they’ve been there before?

I have only one question about all of this: what’s the problem? In rivalries like this one, the saying “To the victors go the spoils” always applies. When you beat your rival, stating it on a ring is perfectly fine. It’s on the same level as taking pictures with a trophy.

College football has caused some fans to look through rose-colored glasses at rivalry games. What I mean is this: if my team celebrates in a certain fashion, it’s perfectly fine. However, if we lose and our rival does the same thing, it’s ridiculous and uncalled for. The Georgia faithful came unhinged when Georgia Tech players went to town on the hedges in Sanford Stadium, tearing off pieces to take as souvenirs. While the action isn’t exactly a landscaper’s dream, don’t you think Georgia players would rip the Ramblin’ Wreck apart if they had the chance?

It would also be different if the Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry hadn’t been so one-sided lately. Georgia Tech has not won consecutive games in the series since 1999 and 2000, which means most of the current players may not have even been in elementary school when it happened. When you pull off a win against your biggest rival for only the second time in the last seven years, why not commemorate it?

To compare the situation for the Bulldogs, look at Georgia’s struggles against Florida in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Bulldogs beat the Gators just twice from 1990 to 2004, leaving everyone on the Georgia side of the rivalry desperate for a victory. There certainly would have not been any sour grapes had Georgia mentioned one of those wins on a ring.

The anything-goes attitude is what makes series like Georgia-Georgia Tech so much fun to take part in as a fan. The lead up to the game has its taunting and bad bets, the game usually has great action and the end result is one fan base that is satisfied and one that is completely miserable. Getting to revel in a win is and always has been par for the course.

The Yellow Jackets beat the Bulldogs and have the rights to call themselves “State Champs”. Luckily for Georgia, that title is up for grabs come November.