It was New Year's Day, 1981, and our Georgia Bulldogs, who were undefeated, were considered slight underdogs to lose the Sugar Bowl to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Though I was there for that upset win, 17-10, and most of the home and away games of that National Championship season of 1980 for UGA, I had not yet developed my later much deeper appreciation for the City of New Orleans, nor the French Quarter...and admittedly the charms of the Super Dome still escape me.
As most folks know, the etymology and root word which give us the phrase 'sports fan' stem from the word fanatic. Enjoying my 42nd season of UGA and SEC football, I have had plenty of experience with both. But by fan, I am not one of those who can memorize details of every game, season win/loss stats, the complete team roster, or full coaching staff. I wear the colors, attend a majority of the home season events, a few road games, love to tailgate, and consistently root for my team...even when we suck.
But Dawg Nation has been suffering a quite lengthy drought since 1981 while watching neighboring rivals in the ACC and SEC continue to add National Championship hardware to their mantles and trophy cases. Alabama, Florida, Clemson, and Auburn winning since Georgia is one thing, but it can be a bit harder to listen to catcalls from folks like our friends at that North Avenue trade school who took home a split title with Colorado in 1990.
So yes, our Dawgs are due. I am glad, among other things, that Coach Vince Dooley is still with us, both to be honored with the naming of Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium, and to see the program which Coach Kirby Smart and his team have now built out at UGA.
But a word of caution, fandom over-fueled by passion, bourbon, or another tailgate cordial or three of choice has driven many a fan over the edge into the land of poor choices, bad behavior, and even the occasional D.U.I. or worse. During my undergraduate years, I witnessed Auburn robbing Georgia at home, of another Sugar Bowl berth with a particularly dramatic last-minute victory. Then two middle-aged women a row beneath me, cheering on each respective team, began face-punching and yanking each others’ hair out. And of course, more instances of in-stadium puking than I can begin to count have occurred nearby, including a few times of my own...back in the day.
And while this national title match certainly matters, I am SICK of having to praise Alabama after each loss, but it is still nothing compared to the venom most Georgia fans felt for then Florida Coach Steve Spurrier and his Gators for much of the 1990s through 2001. And painfully again, during the recent SEC Championship game, Alabama was the clearly superior team playing on the field that day.
The Tide's sophomore and Heisman Award-winning quarterback, Bryce Young demonstrated some of the most impressive and wide-ranging skills I have seen in college ball since Cam Newton similarly helmed the Auburn Tigers team to a National Championship in 2010.
Notre Dame and the volunteers in South Bend, Indiana set a new benchmark for game day hospitality when UGA traveled there and won a couple of seasons ago. As I pack layers and brace for this championship game during an Indiana winter weekend, game day temps, are being forecast between 19-29 degrees (before wind chill). The Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, has a roof that can be opened, though I am reasonably sure it will be closed on game day. But tailgating in sub-freezing temps is not something this Georgia boy can solve with multiple layers of underwear and being over-served.
This has been one helluva football season for Georgia. A tip of the hat to Coach Smart, Stetson Bennett, and our entire team and coaching staff. I have a feeling Georgia fans charged by the blowout Orange Bowl win over Michigan State will enter that stadium the more spirited...but let's try and stay on the fan side of the line, versus the more spirits driven fanatics we have become on occasion, and let's return the hospitality and good behavior that we witnessed in Southbend to our hosts in their state capital city as well. May the best team who shows up on the field that bitterly cold day win, and either way things go, let us note the SEC continues to dominate this game. Belated Happy New Year and Go Dawgs!
