UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 03
Monday, December 3, 2007
Richt appeals to Bulldog Nation … again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You know a football program has come a long way when its fans are complaining about a Sugar Bowl bid.
Well, “complain” may be too strong a word. But certainly Georgia fans — and indeed a lot of players and coaches — weren’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of landing a Sugar Bowl matchup against Hawaii. I don’t think anybody would have had a problem with it if not for fellow SEC member LSU leapfrogging them in the BCS standings.
But that’s enough about that. I did two radio shows this morning and have done all the dissecting and critiquing of the BCS system the last three days I care to do for a while. It is what it is, as they say, and now it’s time to move on.
Which brings me to Coach Mark Richt and today’s topic (which will need to carry us through tomorrow as well). I’m sure a lot of you folks caught this already but Richt was very adamant during his acceptance remarks last night about imploring the Bulldog Nation to get behind Georgia and the Sugar Bowl. Specifically, he was hopeful that fans will travel to New Orleans in record numbers and “make a statement” to the nation and the bowl system that Georgia is a force to be reckoned with at the ticket booth as well as on the field.
I found this interesting on a couple of levels. One, this came AFTER Georgia had already presold its entire allotment of tickets plus 5,000 extra — 22,500 tickets in total. With Hawaii not likely to bring a big following all the way from the big island, Richt envisions Georgia fans taking over the Superdome. And, clearly, Richt sees big things in the Bulldogs’ future and he’s hoping that the Bulldogs start building some clout with the big bowls again.
“The presales [of tickets] were outstanding and I’m real thankful for that,” Richt said. “If we can make a great showing there at the Superdome I think it will serve notice for future bowl games. It’s very important for bowls to know that fans support the team and will come and spend the time and spend the money for a great bowl experience. I really wanted to encourage our bulldogv Nation to show up and get ready to don your black.”
That’s right. In case you missed that, Richt said the team is going to wear its black jerseys again and is hoping fans will “blackout” the Superdome the way they did Sanford Stadium for the Auburn game.
“We’re going to go ahead and wear our black,” Richt said. “We’re going to put our bowl patch on our black jerseys and we’re going to ask the Bulldog Nation to get excited about going to New Orleans and have a great time and try to blackout the Dome. Our guys, when I told them about that, got excited. Once the bowl game is over that jersey becomes part of their bowl game gift package. It’ll be a great memory for them and for the fans. Let’s see if we can relive a little bit of that excitement.”
All of which is well and good. But I’m wondering how Georgia fans will respond. Bowl trips, after all, are not cheap. I booked a flight and hotel room and rental car earlier today and, in genera, airfare is going to run you about $500 and a hotel at least $100 a night and up. I usually gauge such things off my brother, a UGA alum and as big a Dogs fan as there is, and he signed up for tickets to the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl but, at last check, is not interested in going to New Orleans.
What about you guys? Are you going to go? Are you excited about Georgia being in the Sugar Bowl? Are you excited about them playing Hawaii? Are you cool with the black jersey thing?
And here’s an absolute truth: Richt knows the Dogs will need to be fully focused on and completely excited for Hawaii or they could end up like Oklahoma against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl last year.
Said Richt of the undefeated Warriors: “Teams that are used to winning are hard to beat.”
I’ve got to head to Georgia’s basketball game a little later but I’ll be checking regularly. And thanks for all the good banter this week.
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