Thursday March 28th, 2024 7:08AM

A chance for Georgia fans to shine

I went to my first Georgia football game Between the Hedges when I was 5 years old. It was the Georgia-Tulane game in 1969, which stunningly means I’ve been going to Georgia football games for 50 years.

Over those years, I’ve seen some of the most exciting games that have ever been played in Sanford Stadium. I’ve seen Herschel and Buck and Sony and Nick. It hasn’t always been good. I have also sat through every game of the Ray Goff and Jim Donnan eras.

On Saturday, however, I may be at the biggest game ever in Athens. You may have heard something about it. Notre Dame is coming to town.

I have two tickets to the game. I wish I had a hundred. I could give a healthy boost to my retirement account. Tickets are going for up to $1,200 on StubHub.

University officials say they expect 180,000 in Athens on Saturday. The stadium seats 93,000. That leaves more than 85,000 people in town who don’t have a ticket. They’re coming to town just to soak in the atmosphere of a Top 10 matchup. ESPN’s “GameDay” – and the circus it brings with it – are coming to town. We are conservatively estimating 75 to 100 people at our tailgate on Saturday.

Why is this such a big deal? First of all, it’s Notre Dame. South Bend, it seems, is the home office of college football. No program has the history and tradition of the Irish. 

Secondly, it’s a big deal to have a nonconference foe like Notre Dame at home. Sure, in the last 10 years or so, we’ve played Oklahoma State and Arizona State at home. But usually our nonconference opponents are the likes of Murray State and Austin Peay.

I expect a rowdy, raucous crowd Between the Hedges, and I think my Dawgs will win.

But there’s something else I’m actually looking forward to. Two years ago, tens of thousands of Georgia fans made the trek to South Bend for the first game of this series. It is one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve ever seen. Not only is the architecture stunning and the history deep, but the campus is full of open green space, beautifully manicured and kept.

We had our pictures made at “Touchdown Jesus,” on the side of the Hesburgh Library, which depicts Jesus with his hands above his head, as if signaling a touchdown. And at the iconic Gold Dome.

Notre Dame fans are justifiably proud of their university. From the moment we stepped on campus, fan after fan offered up a hearty “Welcome to South Bend,” usually followed by “Have you seen….” We were invited to eat and drink with the Irish tailgaters. Even after the Dawgs came from behind to win the game, the fans thanked us for coming to South Bend and wished us safe travels home.

If you’ve ever been on the road to an SEC game, you know that this behavior by Irish fans was a little surprised. I’ve been cussed at on campuses all over the Southeast. In Baton Rouge one year, we had bottles and cans thrown at us. If I ever go there again, I’m throwing them back.

I hope Georgia fans will return the favor this weekend and show our visitors some true Southern hospitality. If you’re going to the game, be early and be loud. 

But let’s make sure we show the Irish they’re not the only hospitable fan base.

© Copyright 2024 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.