Moving to a new location
AJC blogs are moving to a new technical platform. So check out Terence Moore’s new blog home and bookmark it.
Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > September > 24
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Enough with the ‘blackout’, ok?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This “blackout” thing has gotten out of control for Georgia football. I mean, didn’t coach Mark Richt have the Bulldog Nation do this last season?
Yep. Twice.
First, the Bulldogs exchanged their traditional red jerseys for black ones during a home game last November against Auburn. Then they switched to black jerseys again during their trip to the Sugar Bowl against Hawaii.
Enough, already. If you do this kind of thing too much (like three times in a span of nine games for Georgia), you dilute the effectiveness of it all. You also get your opponent rather peeved. That’s because you’re basically saying that you’re REALLY out to get that opponent.
Even so, Richt has instructed those into barking to wear black on Saturday night at Sanford Stadium for the nationally televised game between his No. 3-ranked team and No. 8 Alabama.
Just guessing: Despite the shrugging this week from Nick Saban during his news conference, the Alabama head coach and master motivator likely has spent the last few days telling his players often about Georgia’s upcoming “blackout.”
“I don’t think you do it too much, but our fans really enjoyed it (and) our players certainly enjoyed it (last year),” Richt said earlier in the week. “I thought of the outstanding success as far as the fans buying into the request of the seniors (to wear black) and the fans just having a ball with it. I would think they would get excited about the blackout again.”
Yeah, those inside the Bulldog Nation are excited about it, and they’ll remain that way regarding these “blackouts” as long as Georgia keeps winning them. The Bulldogs were 2-0 in “blackouts” last season, because those games were fresh back then.
Now those games are on the verge of joining Notre Dame’s green jersey in the stale category.
In case you didn’t know, Notre Dame made this jersey-switching fashionable. In 1977, when Fighting Irish coach Dan Devine was searching for a way to end Southern Cal’s dominance over Notre Dame, he surprised his team with a switch from their traditional blue jerseys to green ones before the opening kickoff. Notre Dame eventually cruised to a 30-point victory.
It’s just that several of Devine’s successors at Notre Dame began using green jerseys for a slew of games instead of for special ones — you know, with years in between.
The results? Often not good. Here are a couple of examples: While clad in those green jerseys, the Irish lost by 17 points to Colorado in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl, and they dropped a 35-28 decision to Georgia Tech in the 1999 Gator Bowl.
Georgia in black is about another “blackout” or so away from becoming Notre Dame in green, and that’s not good.
Permalink | Comments (349) | Post your comment | Categories: UGA/SEC
Services »
