Thanks to my sports-reporting colleague, Lance McCurley of the Lake Oconee News, I attended my first-ever college football game last Saturday in Athens.
Okay, technically, I had witnessed a few minutes of live college gridiron play before. In November of 2009, I watched UGA hang on to a 30-24 lead for the win over Georgia Tech, but that episode involved too much beer, a very bold friend and sneaking into Bobby Dodd Stadium with barely five minutes left in the game.
So it probably shouldn’t count. But this time I visited Sanford Stadium as a legit, accredited member of the media, taking my assigned seat among the heavyweights from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and the AJC, among many, many others. Together, we filled maybe 200-plus seats in the press box high above the south side of Dooley Field. I even met Loran Smith, who contributes a weekly column to The Eatonton Messenger and has a lifelong Bulldogs pedigree that’s second to none. Nice man.
My day started, though, meeting Lance shortly after 10 a.m. at his house in southeast Athens. We quickly got things together and by 10:30 we were on our way to prepare for that afternoon’s 3:30 p.m game time.
Fortunately, as a 7.5-year UGA undergrad (it’s a long story), Lance well knows his way around The Classic City, so we were soon parked and headed toward the stadium.
It was about that time I think I recognized Lance’s place in the pecking order of Bulldogs media royalty. Based on how far we walked I’d place him firmly in the knave or scallywag camp.
Anyway, after seeing the original location of UGA’s football field, the Chapel “victory” bell tower, the million-dollar staircase, and the library where Lance claimed he “studied” while looking out a sixth-floor window toward the stadium (he was there nearly eight years, remember), we finally reached our purpose--a well-organized, well-stocked “tailgate” party, hard against the stadium’s northern exterior beside the student entry gates.
By this time it was almost noon and we settled in to swap stories of Bulldogs games past, present and future. Well, Lance and our hosts did the swapping, I just listened and learned, or at least I tried to among what seemed like hundreds of provocatively clad young coeds. Who knew a football game would incite such a flesh-baring fashion show? I must be getting old.
Eventually, by two o’clock we said our goodbyes, picked up our cameras and laptops and headed for the press gate. Once there it was smooth sailing, very organized and very easy. I really think I could’ve handled it alone without much problem, but it did help to have a veteran of the routine like Lance guide the way.
And I have to commend the entire UGA staff and student helpers; every single one we encountered was pleasant and professional in their roles--even the security guy who abruptly put an end to my pre-game photography, claiming I didn’t have the proper credential. Seriously, I didn’t know. No one had questioned it at two previous security stops, but it really didn’t matter. I was ready to bow out and head up to my press perch, anyway.
Once there, again I just watched and learned. I know enough about football to understand the game’s scoring and premise, but not nearly well enough to discuss its nuances. And beyond the center and the quarterback, and okay the kicker, too, I probably couldn’t identify many players of any specific positions. Seriously, to me, a Nickelback is just a questionable Canadian rock band, so I wasn’t about to weigh in with my press room neighbors on what the cornerback or nose tackle did on the previous play.
Regardless, Sanford Stadium presents an impressive sight. It appeared to be a sold-out crowd for Saturday’s game against Auburn, which would mean 92,746 college football fans were on hand, many of them rabid. That it was a bright, sunshiny day certainly helped, too, as the stands were awash in UGA red, contrasting very nicely with the perfectly manicured green of real cynodon dactylon, better known as Tifton 419 bermudagrass, growing between the manicured hedges of Dooley Field.
After a somewhat slow start for both teams, the Dogs assumed control with two touchdowns in the second quarter, then countered a Tigers field goal with another TD in the third. Georgia racked up another trio of touchdowns in the final stanza, while Auburn added one more inconsequential score to reach the 42-10 final that sent DawgNation home feeling satisfied.
And me too. It was a great, entertaining and illuminating experience and one I absolutely hope to enjoy again soon.
Lance, call me.