RIP Damn Good Dawg June 28, 2008

Uga VI (”Uga V’s Whatchagot Loran”) 1999-2008

 

So I’m sitting here at Duke Medical Center waiting to meet with another doctor. Luckily they have free wi-fi so I was was taking advantage of the time to read up on all my daily Georgia news. I have a list of blogs and news sites that I check daily. Religiously.

Anyways, I clicked on the ajc first (I don’t know why I do this since they are always last on breaking UGA news) and then I looked at Rivals for a sec, then onto Scout. That’s where I saw it - Uga VI has passed away, just shy of his 10th birthday. Josh Kendall, who writes for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, posted the story on Scout as well this morning.

For those of you non-Dawg fan readers that visit my blog, you are sorely mistaken if you think this isn’t big news. It is very big, just ask Sports Illustrated, ESPN, the prestigious Downtown Athletic Club in NY, or even Clint Eastwood. Any and all Uga’s past, present, or future will always be big news - and not just to those of us who live and breathe all things Dawg.

I’ll be honest, the story stunned me for a moment. Its been a tough week already. Whether you’re a diehard Diamond Dawg fan like myself or not, every Bulldawg fan was heartsick over the miracle run to the College World Series that ended without the grand trophy. And Bulldawg Nation is none too pleased with Billy Humphrey’s recent visit to the pokey and consequently his well-deserved expulsion from the team. So seeing the headline that The Legendary Uga VI had passed was just more sad news on top of bad news.

Its sort of fitting when you think about it though. Of the six Uga’s, none have been more successful and more lauded than Uga VI. He was a winner in every sense of the word, owning more victories (87-27) than any other Uga, including the National Championship holders Uga I and Uga III. He has 2 SEC Championships, 3 BCS berths w/ 2 wins in the Sugar Bowl (2003 & 2008), and more wins over top 20 ranked opponents than any other Uga in history. Georgia athletics has 35 National Championships in a variety of sports. Nieteen of those came under Uga Vi’s tenure. How ’bout that Dawg! So, after his years of service to the fans who loved him and the great state of Georgia, it is no surprise that he’d choose to leave now. His passing just reminds us that despite a tough loss in the CWS, our title as the most succesful Athletic Department in all of Div 1 college sports this year is just the beginning of great things to come.

 

 

As much as he was a gentle giant and loved the attention from children & adults alike, he was a badass, make no mistake. Mr. Seiler once said he was affectionately called “The 4-Legged Beast.” Two seasons ago after I’d moved back to the states Dad, Rob & I had a picture taken with Uga before the South Carolina game. Now I’ve been around Uga’s all my life, but this one nearly scared the hell out of me! He was a monstrous 65 lbs and was especially ornery that morning. Bulldawg fan or not, I knew I’d draw back a nub if I got too close!

I could spend all day talking about Uga’s importance to The University of Georgia, his fixture in college football, his notorius status as the best college mascot, and his foray onto Hollywood’s big screen. But, beyond who he was to his fans and the public, he was one of many beloved family pets to the gracious Seiler family of Savannah, Georgia. It is astounding to think about all that family has sacrificed over the years (personally, professionally, physically, and monetarily) for Georgia. With a heavy heart and a spirit of sympathy: thank you to the Seiler family for giving us Uga. He was indeed a Damn Good Dawg.

 

 

I’d forgotten that Uga VI was named after Larry Munson’s partner in crime, Loran Smith. In typical Loran fashion, he wrote eloquently today about his namesake in the best tribute I’ve read.

All of Bulldawg Nation can’t wait to meet UgaVII this season and see how he extends the family legacy and winning traditions of Georgia. And, just my two cents Seiler family, but I really hope Uga VII is named for Larry Munson. Next to Uga, there’s not a better DGD.

 

Go Dawgs!

 

The Year of the Bulldawg June 11, 2008

 

Well, not quite, but if we win the MNC this season, we’ll certainly have a fantastic argument.

I hope all Dawg fans know that the University of Georgia is the only athletic program to have had:

1. a team play (not to mention win BIG) in a BCS Bowl
2. the Men’s Basketball Program in the NCAA Tournament
3. the Women’s Basketball Program in the NCAA Tournament
4. the Baseball Team compete in the College World Series 

And that list doesn’t include another National Title in Gymnastics, Equestrian National Title, Swim Team in the NCAA final top ten (Diving program as well), Softball Team competing in the Regional Playoffs, Women’s Tennis NCAA Tournament final top ten finish, and another National Title for the Men’s Tennis Program.

I’m sure I’m leaving something out here, but that’s all I can think of for now.

Unbelievable year. It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldawg!

 

Go Dawgs!

Random Game Day Humor September 26, 2007

It’s been four days and still the Bama game is on my mind. I need to be thinking about Ole Miss ridin’ into Athens looking for an upset. Hey, it’s possible people, they did a damn good job of exposing the gators; just sux for them that Tebow is the bionic man apparently. But seriously, after they got hosed at home last year on a bad call in the game against us, Orgeron will most definitely be seeking revenge. 

However, talk about the Rebels will have to wait ’til later. For now, there’s still unfinished business with Bama on my brain. There were a few random incidents from the Bama game that made me laugh, so I thought I’d pass ‘em along.

1. There was an incident with the Redcoats before the kickoff that I thought was absolutely hysterical. It’s also kinda rude and a little too in your face for my taste, but whatever. This is football, not a tea party. Anyways, Pat Forde wrote a great collumn about the game on Sunday. In it he talks about the ridiculousness of the flat-out cannonization of Saban in Tuscaloosa since his arrival. Indulge me, this is my favorite line:

“A win in this game and it really would have gotten crazy. The starry-eyed citizens of Sabanation might have commenced sacrificing virgins on the doorstep of the football offices”

Truer words were never spoken. Forde then counters by detailing the account of how UGA slowly began to let the air out of the balloon, starting with the Redcoat Band’s breach of etiquette.

“Even before the opening kickoff, Georgia was not properly reverential in one of the shrines of college football. Part of Alabama’s elaborate pregame celebrations of itself is a video presentation of great moments in the school’s gilded gridiron history, set to soaring music. It’s capped by a growling pronouncement from the patron saint of the program, Bear His Own Self. But in a burst of sacrilege, the Georgia band cranked up the school’s fight song just as Bear began his grumble, tuning him out. Intentional or not, it was a precursor of insouciance to come from the visitors in the silver britches.“

OH HELL YES!! I grilled my dad & brother, my only eye-witnesses, about this supposed dissing by the Redcoats, but unfortunately one was waiting in line for a nacho fix while the other was waiting in line for the john. They missed it. Ugh. I also attempted to pump my inside source of the Redcoats for info, to no avail. He’s too busy playing Halo 3. Ugh again. No matter, this story will be remembered because it exemplifies college football rivalry at it’s best. 

Nothing finer in the land…

2. By now everyone has seen the footage of Mikey Henderson’s first touchdown in OT. It was a thing of beauty - good enough to get nominated for ESPN’s Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Week. And you’ve probably read the articles where he talks about how painful it was to be on the bottom of that dogpile. Seriously, he’s 156 lbs soaking wet, and the first body that hits him is massive Chester “Big Cheese” Adams - all 335 lbs of him. Damn! Anyways, what you may not have seen yet is the after shot. I saw this pic on the ABH the other day and had to laugh.

 
I’m pretty sure Mikey doesn’t like this

Poor guy - first he gets crushed on the bottom of the dog pile, then he gets molested by his own teammate.

3. And finally, to further beat the dead horse that is Britney Spears… Enough has been said about Mike Patrick’s meltdown with Todd Blacklege the other night. I thought the whole thing was hysterical, especially Todd’s reaction to Mike’s pathetic excuse for commentary. Anyways, I saw this on the Dawgpost the other day. This one’s for you Mr. Patrick!

Photoshopped Britney: pre- trailer trash meltdown

That’s it for me. Hope you had a good laugh! I’m sure I’ll post something about Coach O & the Rebels in the next couple of days, so check back.

Go Dawgs!

Dawg Bytes September 14, 2007

I wish I had the time to blog about Georgia sports everyday, because I would if I could. There’s always a plethora of stuff to talk about, and I certainly am not shy about forming an opinion (don’t laugh!). But because my blog time is limited this term, it’s just easier to roll out some quick bits of info on the Dawgs that I find noteworthy. Maybe quick is the wrong word to use because this is pretty long. Oh well, here you go…

I. Linebacker Controversy?

I know I’m gonna get hammered for this, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Brandon Miller. I desperately want this guy to have a stellar year. I was so psyched watching him get GATA with OK State. But then came the lamecocks… Brandon had 1 solo tackle all night, 7 total in the first 2 games. Not good enough. 

Miller and Marcus Washington are just not getting it done; they’re nowhere near as fast as we need them to be. No way in hell our current LB corp will get us through the upcoming SEC schedule playing like they did on Saturday. And let me make it abundantly clear that I won’t hold our players completely responsible when we’ve got coaches like Jancek & Martinez who are “playing not to lose”, as Kit said. 

He’s not busy right now…let him play!

So, several sites are reporting that there may be a shake-up in the depth chart for this Saturday. It’s a great day to audition guys that want to work their asses off to stay on the field. Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble have been getting reps with the first team D this week, thank God. Quite frankly, I no longer give a crap who plays what position anymore. If Blake Barnes does a better job tackling than Miller or Washington then put him in damnit! Whatever it takes to stop the bleeding. Now.

II. Recruiting

I knew there were gonna be some recruiting prospects for both UGA and the lamecocks at last week’s game. Naturally, I was a little worried about how we fared based on the outcome. All for naught apparently.

Nick Williams, a 4-star Safety (Rivals), committed on Sunday after attending the game. Here’s what he had to say about his experience:

“The loss doesn’t hurt Georgia at all. Georgia is a good team and they will bounce back. This is football. Any team can win on any given day. Both schools played hard and Georgia came up a little short, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. I still like them a lot.”

TE commit Dwayne Allen and OG prospect Omoregie Uzzi both had really positive things to say about the program as well. Good to know one heartbreaking loss doesn’t tarnish one of the winningest programs in college football.

I still have my fingers crossed that CB Jeremy Brown will pick the Dawgs over AU, UF, and LSU. Honestly, I don’t think it’s a longshot. Ideally I’d love for Omeregie to join us as well as a stellar RB (per Kit) like Dontavious Jackson.

***Update: after the UF / UT game, Jeremy Brown committed to Florida. Damn.

And I read yesterday on Rivals where Akeem Hebron recommitted to UGA. I don’t think that was ever really in doubt, but it’s great to read that he’s taking care of his business at GMC and preparing to get back to Athens. We sure as hell need him, that’s for sure.

Btw, in case you’re interested, Scout has an update on all of our verbal commits. For a stretch there we had a few that backed out or were waivering. Let’s hope that trend has cooled.

III. Academics

I’m a huge fan of David Ching. I know he’s a busy journalist for the Ledger, so it really impresses me that he hosts his own blog giving daily, sometimes even multiple daily, updates on Georgia sports. I like that he’s not a UGA fan (he’s an Auburn fan in case you didn’t know) because his pieces are unbiased, but always respectful of the program. If you’re not reading him, then you’re not a serious Dawg fan. Sorry, but it’s true.

Anyways, he wrote a couple of articles this week based on the academic rigors of UGA football players. It was sort of a “day in the life” kind of thing. He followed freshman TE Bruce Figgins, local Columbus boy, throughout his day of mandatory tutoring sessions, classes, mentoring & academic counselor meetings. I had no idea their days are so jam packed: it starts at 7am with their academic responsibilities and ends after 7pm with pracitices and football meetings. I don’t know how they do it and still find time to piss off Athens cops, quite frankly.

Rankin Center: Paul Oliver didn’t spend enough time here 

Ching also writes about Thomas Brown’s quest to graduate this term by taking 21 freakin’ hours so that he can earn his degree and prepare for the draft in the spring. I’m taking 16 hours, a lab rotation, and I don’t work. No way I could do 21 hours and deal with the athletic requirements.

I was really impressed to read that UGA hired Wally Richardson, former Penn St. and Baltimore Ravens QB, as Academic Director of the freshmen football athletes. If anyone knows how to relate to these kids and help them achieve their academic & athletic goals, it’s Wally. My dad was a fan of Wally’s and I’ve often heard what a great man of character he is. Great hire for Georgia!

I like you better than Todd Blackledge

I’m a sucker for human interest stories concerning our players. I’ve always been more interested in the player than the playbook. Take a minute to read Ching’s articles; it’s good to see a student-athlete’s name printed in something other than the ACC jail blotter for scooter violations. And considering UGA has recently been hammered with criticism concerning poor athlete graduation rates in the late ’90s, it’s great to see such a turn-around. Love the Ching.

IV. Player News 

With Athens cops gunning for football players lately, I think it’s essential to spread the word & celebrate achievements of our players. I’m sure there are great stories about each of our players, and I’m gonna try to be more diligent in blogging about them. I especially want to find out more on the new mentor program CMR established for freshmen. In the meantime, here are 2 recent stories that are noteworthy, imo.

Kelin Johnson was just named to the Good Works Team, from the American Football Coaches Association, for his community service work. He does a lot of volunteer work with the team, but also mentors at the Boys and Girls Club as well as speaking with kids in Athens area schools. Outstanding!

Please heal fast!

Btw, Kelin is the 11th UGA player to be honored on the Good Works Team. This ties Nebraska for most all-time selections. Damn Good Dawgs!

Former Baseball Bulldog Clint Sammons (catcher) got called up to Atlanta from the Pearl, Mississippi Braves on Tuesday. I didn’t get to watch that game against the Mets on Tuesday, but apparently he was in uniform & wearing #18.

I love following Bulldog baseball, but I was living in Africa the years he started for Georgia & was limited in the game info I could get off the internet. I honestly don’t remember him, sorry. I should because he was a 3 year starter, helped the team get to the CWS in 2004, and was a 6th round pick for the Braves. Hopefully he will be a great fill-in for McCann.

V. Circle of Honor

I really hate that I won’t get to go to the Western Carolina game this weekend. I love to see Georgia dominate, which shouldn’t be a problem, but I also love Circle of Honor ceremonies. Georgia has always done such a great job of honoring past players and keeping them involved with the program and University. Hell, they even got Jake Scott to come out of hibernation.

Anyways, Georgia will be honoring 2 former All-American players this weekend. Ben Zambiasi (DT) and Royce Smith (OG) had stellar careers both on and off the field and deserve the recognition at Butts-Mehre. Btw, if you haven’t seen the exhibit, you need to make time to do so; it’s incredible. The Circle of Honor isn’t all about football though. Gymnast Hope “Perfect 10″ Spivey will also be honored.  Always nice to see a girl get in the mix.

L to r: Smith, Spivey, Zambiasi

I hope to God our current players get to know Zambiasi’s and Smith’s stats on the field… they need the inspiration right now.

VI. Georgia Girls

A couple of weeks ago Kirk Herbstreit issued his 7th annual Herbie Awards that covers the best players, fans, teams, and coaches in college football. There were several areas where UGA did not receive the love it so deserves imo, but I’ll save that for another time. However, Kirk was smart enough to  recognize the ladies of UGA as the prettiest coeds in the land. Damn right!

Seriously, click the link above - you won’t be sorry. The guy at the end is on the money…. and maybe a little bourbon.

One of the best things about being in Athens on gameday is seeing Georgia girls dressed to the nines to watch the Dawgs play between the hedges. I’ve always loved being one of those girls! I’m pretty sure I spent more than half the money I earned lifeguarding each summer on new gameday outfits for the fall. That’s because Georgia girls know UGA football is not just a game, it’s an event.

Unfortunately, not all fans think alike. Jean shorts? Uh, no. Trashy gameday attire is reserved specifically for Gator fans….

Jorts: official dress code of the University of Florida

Georgia girls are getting recognized outside of ESPN as well. Six UGA students were chosen to grace the cover of next month’s Playboy, Girls of the SEC edition. Dropping trou for a nudie mag is apparently something to brag about now. Five of the six girls actually showed up at Barnetts Newsstand to sign autographs, have their pictures taken (this time fully clothed), and meet their fans. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Their parents must be so proud.

I was called a sorostitute for simply being a ZTA, which still pisses me off btw. Yet these girls are now celebrities and making appearances at The Loft and on the Bulldog Morning Show all because they flashed their Ta-Tas for the whole world to see. I don’t get it.

VII. Hairy Dawg

Once again Hairy Dawg, the red-headed stepchild of Georgia mascots, has been selected to compete for the Capitol One All-America Mascot team. I’m sure you remember he was selected in 2003 and 2004 as well. I do, I voted every week both years…while in Nigeria. Don’t laugh, I was desperate for anything Georgia!

Anyways, I’ve always loved our mascots, including Spike and especially Uga. And, the Capitol One program is for a good cause. The winner receives $5000 for their school’s mascot program. I seriously doubt that covers the cost of the Powerade “Hairy” drinks just to stay hydrated, but whatever. Beggars can’t be choosers.

best…mascots…ever!

Vote here throughout the season. Seriously, do it - he’s already losing to Goldy Gopher from U of Minnesota. The winner will be announced at the Capitol One Bowl on January 1st, 2008. I’m praying we can make it to the Capitol One Bowl; After last year’s fiasco, I’m so done with the Peach-Fil-A.  

I told you it was gonna be a long post. Thanks for sticking with me. I hope some of this was a little newsworthy for you. For those heading to the game tomorrow, have a great time and think of me. I’ll be stuck in a lab at Clemson with one mean bitch who already can’t stand me. I know, I thought it would at least take her a couple of weeks to develop some hatred, but no such luck. At least I can run to my car and hear Munson on my lunch break! Have mercy on me y’all - call or text me with updates throughout the game…PLEASE!

Since this should be a cake-walk I’m hoping to hear about Matt, the lines, and special teams giving a stellar performance. But since CMR typically doesn’t run up the score on anybody, my prediction is gonna be safe. UGA 38  WCU 3

Go Dawgs!