Sometimes I am EMBARRASSED to be linked to the University of Georgia

On Saturday September 3rd, my buddies and geared up to go to the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome. We were fortunate enough to have a nice ride down to "The Dome" in a Lincoln Executive Town Car courtesy of Hennessy Transportation. On the way down our wonderful driver Hannah discussed her musical talents and passion for marching band and "classic rock" (Bon Jovi, INXS and Styx (She's a 90's baby)). She drove while we imbibed and reminisced on our days of planning tailgate parties and promotions with Avalanche Entertainment and 790 The Zone. We left Norcross at 3:04pm and arrived at 3:45pm and we stopped to get ice on the way! Talk about quick! My hopes were that the rest of the day would match the ride of the afternoon! But unfortunately my evening has 4 flat tires and bad brakes...

After hours of tailgating and watching other games we were ready to head on in to a game that I was already nervous about. But I did not expect what the evening had in store for me. Normally my season ticket seats are 3 rows off the field and on the aisle in Athens. But for some reason (because I am not a big $ donor, even though I buy ALL bowl tickets even the bad ones) I was in the roof! 3 rows for the top of the Georgia Dome! If this wasn't bad enough I had Billy Bob redneck sitting...no wait...STANDING behind me! (Keep in mind there was another row behind him) He is constantly shuffling and kicking me in the shoulder and right as I start to get used to this...a group of 4 walk up with 2 long haired dudes that look like 1980's wrestlers (one actually had on Stars & Stripes pants!) and decided they are too good to sit in their seats in the middle of the row. So instead they sit on the steps! Oh yeah...and we haven't even got to the National Anthem.



So once the game starts I try ignore the foot in my back and the couple who has taken all the space I have on the aisle side and are now constantly sucking face. I turned my focus to the game! GOOOOO DAWWWGGGSSSS! SIC' EM! As the ball kickoffs the 2011 UGA Football season! Then it all unravels....a false start on my season! The next 7 game minutes I am dealing with Billy Bob screaming "Run the *%cking route!" or "Richt you #$@cking suck!" and now as people are getting up out of their seats I am not just catching his foot in the back but also kicks in the elbows as people try to walk past the soft-core porn 80's Wrestler couple! My patience finally had worn thin when Billy Bob yelled "Run the *%cking route!" again and I yelled "HE DID! HIS ROUTE WAS FINE IT'S YOUR MOUTH THAT SUCKS!" and either he ignored me or didn't hear me (leaning toward ignored me since I'm kind of loud) because the next time he kicked me I looked up and he started apologizing. Then "bang" in the elbow again! As the red began to spread across my face and steam came out of my ears I decided it was time to leave at 9:49 in the first quarter.

I then waited and watched the rest of the quarter and the second quarter from the walkways of the Georgia Dome. Just to get away from the foolishness that has become college football. During this time the buddy that was sitting with me dozed off  in his seat  claiming the game was so boring! Finally I get him to come down and we decided that it was time to leave. We could no longer deal with the rednecks of the upper deck. So we walked over to Dantanna's  which is supposed to be a "Upscale Sports Restaurant"  but I guess they forget to tell some of their patrons!

The guy to my right in his red/white Seersucker pants and white Georgia Golf Polo and Croakie-d sunglasses (looking like he came from St. Simons) didn't get the "Upscale" memo as he's dropping every curse word you've ever heard (and some I hadn't) and I thought he may cry he was so emotional on every play! But then came the kicker....as we're sitting at a table minding our own business two guys in their late 40's walk up and sit down to start complaining about the game and the Vertically Challenged one screams at the top of his lungs "Prima #$@ing donna!Then keeps trying to get me and my friend to agree with him! Once that doesn't work he starts trying to get the entire patio to join in his chant of "Fire Mark Richt" and thankfully no one does! This was a grown man! Where is his tact and class? Have we as Georgia fans really sunk to this level of behavior?

I was raised a Georgia fan and my family taught me two things about Georgia football. 1) It was a CLASS ACT! Meaning you congratulate the opposing fan/team when they win and you keep your business in house.  Somewhere this philosophy has eroded  into cursing at the top of our lungs, questioning players and coaches and embarrassing yourself and everyone who is associated with the entire school. When did we forget our manners? When did we decide that dropping F-bombs and calling for a man to lose his job in public were acceptable? 2) It's JUST A GAME! A football game has no bearing on your life unless you play or coach. It doesn't change your earning potential, your ability to sleep or eat etc. and if it does...you may want to look into another profession or look in the mirror! The only time I get upset at Georgia losing a football game is when we get embarrassed (Examples: Tennessee 2009, Florida 2009) Being blown out is embarrassing to all parties involved players, coaches and fans because they all have to put up with the abuse from the outside world. For me...after about two hours I am over even an embarrassing loss.

Saturday night I was EMBARRASSED! I was embarrassed that our fan base has become convinced that the redneck song "What's That Coming Tracks" should be our theme song and that the majority should act as "Drunk Obnoxious Georgia Fans". I know that us season ticket holders can sometimes feel that we should have a say since we put in so much money each year, but the bottom line is WE DON'T HAVE A SAY! The fact that season ticket holders are in the roof of the Dome should tell you that. 

Coaching Changes Won’t Fix Georgia’s Woes

Being a lifelong Georgia fan and eight-year season ticket holder, I have come to realize that we have a fanbase that expects of SEC titles (not sure why). This season started no different, a win against University of Louisiana-Lafayette had the Georgia faithful solidifying this mentality. Then there was the downturn. Why? Is it Georgia’s lack of tackling? Is it A.J. Green’s four-game suspension? Yes. But is that it? No.

See, Georgia is lacking something that every team we’ve played since Week 2 has. It’s called leadership. It’s not coaching leadership, but on-field player leadership. This is evident in each of their four losses.

Example 1

Ealey fumbles in the red zone late against South Carolina, and they cave.

Example 2

Arkansas holds Georgia to a three-and-out late, desperately in need of a defensive stand and they cave.

Example 3

In Starkville the entire game showed a lack of leadership! There were at least three times in the fourth quarter a leader was needed, and Mississippi State found theirs as we continued to look for our way out of the proverbial Egypt with no Moses.

Example 4

Against Colorado the minute that AJ left the game, the demeanor changed. They then caved again in the third quarter giving up a touchdown the next drive! Then a field goal capped off a nine-minute drive! Still with a chance King fumbles, because no one steps up and gets these players together as a unit. No one makes the big play that changes everything.

You can put it on coaching as a lot of folks are trying to do, but if you ever played football you realize that both players and coaches win and lose games. The coaching has not changed in 10 years, and it doesn’t need to. The system works. But as a former football player, not only do coaches need to be leaders but so do players.

There is always a group of players that are the vocal leaders and the example leaders and right now we’re lacking both. I do think they are there, but I think they are all young. To freshman and sophomores who think “it’s not my turn," well, it is your turn, because we know the upperclassmen aren’t going to do it!

Coaches can’t make this happen, and they can’t recruit it. There are only a few Tim Tebows in a lifetime. Most leaders just “show up.” In my years as a player and former high school football coach, I can tell you leadership shows up in the most unexpected people at the most unexpected time.

My hopes as a Georgia football fan are that it shows up FAST before the redneck faithful actually get their way and Richt gets canned! True Georgia fans look at the body of work and realize this man has built a respectable program and one bad year isn’t enough to fire a two-time SEC champion!

By the way, there are only five schools with multiple SEC titles since 1990: Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. Yes, we’re the only one without a national title, but that is not enough to fire an incredible coach. How long was Vince Dooley at Georgia before he got a National Title? Sixteen years.

I can also tell you I know this view point won’t be well received. No one ever wants to come out and question kids. Coaches don’t do their call-in show calling out players and they don’t go to the media and say, “we ain’t got no leadership.” Great coaches (Richt) take the responsibility on themselves and they deflect any of that from their kids.

Lastly on the “firing” idea, other than it being just plain stupid, what basis do people have for this ridiculousness? Because they give money? Because they watch a game on TV? Because they are a 30-season ticket holder? That’s not enough reason for you to think your opinion on firing a coach should happen! Fire this crappy Athletic Director first! That’s another blog.