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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2006 > January > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWhere else but in Athens?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As the recruiting season enters the final stages, the UGA coaching staff no doubt has already made the case for the school’s facilities and playing opportunities in Coach Mark Richt’s championship-winning program. And, hopefully, they’ve also sold them on the education they can get at a public university whose academic standing continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
For many recruits, that may be enough. Those elite players capable of playing on Sundays after college probably are primarily concerned with how quickly they can start and whether the program will properly fine-tune and showcase their abilities. Others want to know their chances of playing time, and whether they can leave Georgia with a degree that will set them up for making a decent living after football.
The town in which a school is located might not be uppermost in a lot of recruits’ minds in picking where to play college ball — otherwise you wouldn’t see many kids considering spending three, four, five or even six years (with redshirts) in the desolate environs of places like Auburn, Ala., or Clemson, S.C.!
But for those savvy kids who realize there should be a lot more to their lives during college than just football, the Dawgs coaching staff hopefully is using the Athens Experience as a seal-the-deal selling point. And I’m not talking about the crowded downtown bar scene — though that’s no doubt an attraction (and one that, unfortunately, has proved too attractive for a few Dawgs over the years).
I’m talking more the kinds of things that lead so many UGA students, athletes or not, to wind up never leaving Athens, or trying their best to make their way back to it.
Besides being a beautiful, historic setting for a major university and having the best-looking women in the SEC, the Classic City is small enough to be easy to get around in (except on game days, when football players won’t be driving anyway), and yet is second only to Atlanta in this region when it comes to entertainment and cultural offerings. National magazines have named it one of the best places in the nation to go to school, in no small part because of its internationally known music scene — it gave birth to the B-52’s and still is home to acts like R.E.M., Widespread Panic and Drive-By Truckers. (And Atlanta, with its glittering offerings, is only a little over an hour away.)
The local politics can be maddening, but Athens has big-city sophistication combined with small-town charm. It’s a regional business and shopping hub and yet is mere minutes from rolling farmland, recreational lakes and gorgeous forests. (Heck, just a few blocks from the university is a beautiful hiking trail in parkland that used to be Fred Birchmore’s woods when I spent many a happy afternoon roaming there as a kid.)
And where else but in Athens’ Five Points can you enjoy the ridiculously cheap old-fashioned soda fountain treats dished up by Hal and the gang at Hodgson’s Pharmacy (where the UGA cheerleaders pay a good-luck visit to Coach Mike’s Corner before every home game), while next door rising-star chef Hugh Acheson is serving up his New Southern cuisine at Five & Ten, a restaurant so good that “metro” Atlanta claims it as one of its own!
And all this in a town that attracts some of the world’s best cyclists each year for a race through the streets of downtown, which also plays host to music, art and human rights festivals.
I like the way retired UGA history prof Emory Thomas, a nationally renowned Civil War scholar, summed up Athens recently in the local paper when he was talking about his time living on Hill Street:
“I could stand on my front porch and next door was Bill Berry, the drummer with R.E.M.; catty-corner across the street was Dean Rusk, the former secretary of state; and another neighbor was Velena Vego, the booking agent with the 40 Watt Club. I could see Vic Chesnutt’s house, the folk singer and composer, and I could see the apartment of Bill McFeely, who won a Pulitzer prize for a biography on Ulysses S. Grant.”
“If you can do all that,” Thomas said, “the place can’t be all bad.”
On the contrary, sounds like a great place to go to school — and play college football!
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Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By tiger
January 19, 2006 07:49 AM | Link to this
If by culture, you mean crime and rape, I couldn’t agree with you more. The only competition is at LSU when it comes to “culture”. Just off the LSU campus is the only SEC town that is more dangerous than Athens
By Bill King
January 19, 2006 08:05 AM | Link to this
The danger in Auburn is that you’ll kill yourself out of boredom.
By godawg
January 19, 2006 08:10 AM | Link to this
tiger,
I’d like to see statistics backing up your statement. I believe you about Baton Rogue but I gotta think that downtown Knoxville and Columbia gotta be right up there. Lexington and Nashville are no cow towns either.
By Mayretta Dawg
January 19, 2006 08:20 AM | Link to this
Tiger, if you’re an Aubie you are definitely grasping at straws. I want to see facts. Why don’t you go ahead and do a top to bottom crime report for the SEC instead of going by what you feel. Truth is, you’re just plain scared at what CMR is doing in Athens in building a Championship team. Thank you, come again!
By godawg
January 19, 2006 08:31 AM | Link to this
Au Contraire Bill,
There’s lots to do in Auburn, like hanging out on Tumor’s Corner and rolling the trees with pilfered t-paper. And in case you forgot, the thriving metropolis if Opelika is right next door. They gotta Cracker Barrel and everything there.
By War Eagle
January 19, 2006 08:35 AM | Link to this
Mayretta,not too worried about CMR building powerhouses, 24-6, 31-30, negative for the Dawgs last two years. UGA should reload for the BCS Championship every year with all their talent instead of BCS bowls. I am a Dawg fan except Auburn and was disappointed in UGA and Auburn bowl appearance this year.
By Steve Spurrier
January 19, 2006 09:17 AM | Link to this
yeah, I heard Stafford chose UGA for its hiking trails! All of you dawgs want to believe that Stafford picked UGAY because of Richt and some great tradition you claim to have. And that it must mean that all the big national recruits are looking at UGAY now. Truth is Stafford has a family connection to UGAY. His dad went to grad school in Athens, and his sister and/or girl friend (I’ll have to recheck on that) goes to UGA. Stafford is the biggest qb pick up since Quincy Carter, and we all know how that turned out.
By BIGNCDAWG
January 19, 2006 09:24 AM | Link to this
Bill, I grew up with Danny Birchmore, and Henry Fields was a good friend of mine. My family’s home was 2 blocks from five points. After a school day at Barrow I would serve as the baseball teams batboy. I also attended most of the tennis matches and some of the golf tournaments.
Athens was a great college town in those days and it is still a great college town. I was blessed to grow up there.
Unfortunatly I have not lived there in 35 years.
By Miranda
January 19, 2006 09:25 AM | Link to this
Bill, I lived on Hill Street, but the closest I got to having a famous neighbour was Frazier Moore, now with the Associated Press. Must have been living at the wrong end of the street!
By SunDawg
January 19, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this
Bill, I think the “hometown” feel of Athens and the sense of tradition at UGA are what keep people there or bring them back. After thirty years of exile in South Florida, I just purchased 30 acres of heaven within easy driving distance of Athens. I’m coming back! GO DAWGS
By BIGNCDAWG
January 19, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this
Good move sundawg. Any move away from fla. is a good move. I am jealous.
By Mayretta Dawg
January 19, 2006 09:55 AM | Link to this
War Eagle,
Yep, you guys have taken care of business the last couple years against the Dawgs but what matters is that UGA is yet again the SEC Champion. Losing to WVU was a little embarrassing but at least they were in the top 10 unlike Wisconsin, now that is an humiliating loss. I really hope the rumor wasn’t true that Tubberville let his players play all the time instead of practice for the Citrus. I would be one ticked off Auburn fan if I spent my hard earned money for a game the team wasn’t serious about. At least the Dawgs NEVER gave up in the Sugar Bowl and that has always been a characteristic of a Richt coached team.
By animaldr
January 19, 2006 11:41 AM | Link to this
Bill- great article. Makes me homesick, and I’m from Stone Mountain. But the nearly 10 years I called Athens home will always be etched in my memory.
I told my kids for years that my heart beat a little faster as we drove into town for games. Now my son is a soph. there and my daughter should follow next year. My son is starting to realize how special the town and college years really are.
Even with the growth that has taken place all around, the town keeps its charm.
GO DAWGS!
By # 12
January 19, 2006 11:54 AM | Link to this
One of the cultural highlights of Athens was John Daniels and his sidekick The Wild Welshman at WDOL. Anyone heard their whereabouts recently?
By pruss
January 19, 2006 12:07 PM | Link to this
I actually saw an interview the other night on channel 2 sports final with Matt Stafford. He is one big dude. I mean I am talking Jared Lorenzen big. I am sure that they will work some of that baby fat in to muscle but he will still be as big as an ox. Remember how hard Lorenzen was to sack - it took like 4 people to bring him down. Any way thats not the point of this post the point is Steve Spurrier’s post earlier was wrong. Stafford said that he liked MR and thats the reason he came to UGA. He said he went to a FSU camp in JR high and that he was set on FSU until MR moved to Athens then he became a dawg fan. That is straight from Stafford’s mouth. No family ties to UGA that he spoke of. I don’t know where you got your info Steve but its wrong.
By Ryan
January 19, 2006 01:43 PM | Link to this
With a great town comes great tradition. I’m still here in Athens its been nearly 7 years. I love it here and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Only time will tell. Great column Bill you brought up some really great facts. Michael Stipe used to be our neighboor-although he rarely was seen. But we knew he was there. He has lots of cameras outside his house…don’t go too close.
By rjh
January 19, 2006 02:27 PM | Link to this
don’t get me wrong, athens is a nice town, but most of the college towns in the south are the same way. the vibrant student bodies that inhabit them are what makes them all special.
By sj
January 19, 2006 02:42 PM | Link to this
Whatever happened to Allen’s in Normaltown off Prince Ave? In the late 60’s that used to be a reliable source of suds for underaged students.
By Tom
January 19, 2006 02:49 PM | Link to this
You kidding me?? I’d take a cold beer from the ESSO club in Clemson, or a lemonade from Toombs Drug in Auburn any day over that liberal hole a few miles up the road from the ATL they call Athens.
By Bill King
January 19, 2006 03:00 PM | Link to this
To follow up on a few of the comments: I was in Boy Scouts with Danny Birchmore (who many will remember as a tennis All-American at UGA) and grew up two blocks from his Happy Hollow home — on Hope Avenue. I’ve known several folks from Athens who spent two or three decades away and now have moved back. I’m jealous! But I make it over frequently since my folks still live there. Allen’s closed a couple of years ago. The owner has plans to sell the lot for redevelopment. One of my brothers and I took my son there a few nights before it closed. You can still buy Allen’s T-shirts at the P&M Army Store next door, however. Hmmmm. John Daniels and the Wild Welshman. I remember that pair. I think the Welshman ended up as an ink-stained wretch and Daniels’ fate was even worse. A lawyer. For the guvmint! His family must be so ashamed. Anyone who’d rather spend one minute in Clemson or Auburn over Athens deserves to spend an eternity in one or the other of them!
By Steve Spurrier
January 19, 2006 03:01 PM | Link to this
PRUSS- you are wrong! Do yourself a favor and get a subscription to Scout.com or Rivals. Click on Stafford and read his earlier interviews back when he was uncommited. Quote : “I went down to Athens to see my girlfriend and stopped by to talk to the coaches”. The article goes on to tell how his father went to UGA to get his masters degree. Sports Final interview was just a polite, tell them what they want to hear interview. Looked chuncky, and spoke pretty SLOW.
You are a perfect example of how ignorant UGA fans hype up a prospect. Quote: “He is one big dude. I mean I am talking Jared Lorenzen big.” YOU ARE AN IDIOT!!!!! Jared Lorenzen was 6’4 275. Stafford is 6’2 220. (Below average qb height with average weight) If you actually followed recruiting instead of listening to hype you would know these things. You UGAYers remind me of the SNL skit about Bill Brasky. Brasky goes 7 foot 5 and weighs 800 pounds!!!!! I sure Stafford will be that big in a few weeks!!!!!!! How big will the legend of Stafford get before you all are disapointed?
By sj
January 19, 2006 03:09 PM | Link to this
How is it that Auburn has 8 home games in 2006?
By CJ
January 19, 2006 03:50 PM | Link to this
Spurrier,
Go slither back to your hole.
By AD
January 19, 2006 04:20 PM | Link to this
Steve Spurrier (the poster) is just another Tech fan so ashamed of his own p** program that he has to come in here and show his ignorance.
By pruss
January 19, 2006 05:34 PM | Link to this
Rivals list him at 6’3”. http://www.wsbtv.com/sports/index.html here is the link to the interview. He clearly says that his parents went to FSU. He looks bigger than 220 in the video maybe its just me. So i guess your info was wrong Steve…..
By wes
January 19, 2006 05:43 PM | Link to this
I wish to comment on people talking poorly about living in Auburn/Opelika, Alabama. I am a UGA graduate, Med College of GA graduate, UAB graduate, and have lived in Auburn for the past 13 years. It is a wonderful place to live, raise a family, and practice medicine. I enjoyed being in Athens, but see no reason to consider Auburn as inferior.
By Bill King
January 19, 2006 06:10 PM | Link to this
I can think of one main reason Auburn is inferior. It’s in ALABAMA!
By War Eagle
January 19, 2006 08:25 PM | Link to this
wes, Small town atmosphere is the ticket at Auburn, after I graduated I wanted go back and live, never made it back. Enjoy my visits and you probably know my old high school buddy, Dr Bill Garrett, great guy. Her` s Dawg guy too.
By northwestDAWG
January 19, 2006 11:07 PM | Link to this
OOOOOOOOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOOO!!!!I thought I was down after the Sugar Bowl. I haven’t been in Athens for to many years and all this time I’ve said that when the day comes and I go back my 1st. stop would be Allen’s. My last blog for a couple of days as I’ll be in mourning. There went an era when they closed. Sad, better go buy a pitcher or 2 or 3or———————
By HawaiiDawg
January 19, 2006 11:40 PM | Link to this
Aloha Bill, good work. First in Athens 1969 as Freshman, straight out of small town southeast GA. UGA and Athens became the world. Great college town. Ending up owning a Bar with roomate. Bar was called The Doghouse. A great time was had by all. Parties and rooting for the Dawgs.Those days only a few, 5th Quarter, Allen’s, Last Resort, B&L Warehouse and Bubbas for Kegs.Some of you older dawgs will remember. I have no doubt that Athens helps in all recruiting. What a Town.Thanks for bringing back great memories.
By SCDog
January 19, 2006 11:50 PM | Link to this
I went to Georgia, and I’ve lived in Columbia the past seven years. I’ve also spent some time (more than a day or two at a time) in Gainesville, Knoxville, and Nashville, and Athens has by far the best college atmosphere. No not “small town” atmosphere, but a true college experience. I see the kids here in Columbia have to cross a major intersection just to get to class. Not to mention students who live on campus have to drive to a football game (where there’s no trees or grass by the way). Steve Spurrier (blogger) I hope to hear from you some time in mid September!
By hop
January 20, 2006 07:32 AM | Link to this
i grew up in athens during the 50’s when the town was much smaller but always very quaint!
back in those days, i played football at athens y before the home games at uga with a guy name kelly as our leader and coach. the varsity was across from the arch and downtown was a lively business district.
the dawgs were not very good back then, but we had ole athens high which won championships, with the likes of bobby towns, billy slaughter, dillard,james and the tarkenton boys!
we beat valdosta 40-20 in ‘55 and celebrated, as if the dawgs had won the sec which the finally did in ‘59, with tarkenton’s last minute pass to herron clinched the title over auburn.
it was a great place to grow up because there was so much activity for a kid like me to do.
as i grew older we used to hang out at harry’s in five points and do panty raids all hours of the night on campus!
they were fond memories that never grow old and especially hearing the chapel bell ring on saturday night after dawgs rolled!
there is a very good reason why they call athens the classic city because it truly is!!!!!!
By Bill King
January 20, 2006 08:06 AM | Link to this
I remember the Doghouse. And don’t forget T.K. Harty’s Saloon down at the Station! And Friday afternoons on the back patio at Hoagie’s.
By Rick
January 20, 2006 08:28 AM | Link to this
Does any one out there remember the Pancake Club on WUOG in the 70s? Their motto was “Building a Batter World.”
By Steve Spurrier
January 20, 2006 08:50 AM | Link to this
PRUSS- I hear Stafford is up to 8 foot today! I mean Shaq O’Neil big! I never said his parents didn’t go to FSU, but I did say his dad went to UGA for his masters. Make no mistake though, he is in Athens to follow his girlfriend. Chick over Richt. Also Rivals is not usually combine measured (height and weight are sent before Nike combine), I know this for a fact. Scout lists height and weight from combines, and is more accurate in this respect. My point is the Jared Lorenzen comment was way off the mark, and most likely due to the over hype of a “good” player. A more accurate comparison would be to say that he is a shorter version of John Elway. So quit relying on the AJC and Larry Munson to learn about recruits. You will only be dissapointed AGAIN. Nevermind, keep up the hype, its going to be fun to watch this one flop!
By gdawginkalamazoo
January 20, 2006 08:58 AM | Link to this
Anybody remember that hole in the wall place called Herbie’s? The Odessey.
Any how #12 I don’t remember a John Daniels, Jack I remember and his friend Jim Beam they also hung out with a Russian dude called Stoli. How about kudzu hill at Foley? Never been to Clemson, but I have been to Auburn and no wonder you are a hell of an engineering school, not much to do but study. Athens hands down. Damn you Bill King! Making me homesick dude.
By animaldr
January 20, 2006 10:03 AM | Link to this
Herbie’s- what a flash from the past. The only place you could get a shoe thrown at you with a burger or omelet at 3am! That guy was hilarious!
As long as we’re talking about old bars- I still miss The Boars Head a.k.a. The Hores Bed. Not to mention Papa Joe’s. Both walking distance from Milledge Ave.
I, like many who have commented above, almost cried at the closing of Allen’s.
I remember the Normaltown Barber Shop next to Allen’s. $4.50 Cut. I remember being asked, “Did you want that blocked or tapered in the back?”. Answer: “block please”. Reply: “Sorry son, you got tapered today!”
The Classic City indeed!
With not much to talk about in the football world you hit the mark on this article Bill!
GO DAWGS!
By War Eagle
January 20, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this
Hey Matthew, need to check your own armpit, it might SMELL from the thrashing you Dawgs got the last two years from Auburn. Please don`t come back with that 4th and 10 excuse, a win is a WIN.
By animaldr
January 20, 2006 10:41 AM | Link to this
War Eagle- I would not call this year a “thrashing”. But, a win is a win. And the year before was a thrashing. Y’all should not have done us that way.
In vet school we went to Auburn on several occ. The Alpha Psi (vet frat) over there knows how to throw a party!
GO DAWGS!
By athens born
January 20, 2006 10:47 AM | Link to this
Born there, grew up in 5 points, hitch hiked to town to the “Y” to play everything, worshipped (Kelly, as did all), practiced f’ball at AHS (didn’t do much playing with the stars mentioned above that we had - what a powerhouse of talent), went to UGA, moved 19 years ago. I miss it, had a wonderful youth, and as an adult, could identify with students and it kept me feeling young. My kids grew up there, went to UGA and one is still there. It truly is one of the really terrific places to live and play, and someday I hope to return while I’m still breathing! GO DAWGS!
By tiger
January 20, 2006 10:57 AM | Link to this
Mayretta Dawg, scared? Last time I checked your next win against Auburn will be your first in 3 years. I think the championship program you are afraid of is to the west. When we win the SEC, we don’t have to back into a championship and get humiliated by a 2nd rate Big East team. And you city sucks
By tiger
January 20, 2006 11:03 AM | Link to this
And another. Statistics? Read the paper. If Athens got rid of the football team, crime would drop by 50%
By gdawginkalamazoo
January 20, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this
tiger, Jealous! Why didn’t we play you guys in the SEC championship game? IF you were so great where was Auburn? We beat who we had to beat. There was no backing in. If another team can’t win the games it is suppose to win not our problem. Don’t run smack when you can’t beat lousy Big Ten team. At least when we had to play in the lower tiered bowls we could beat a big hen team. Going by just tiger confuses people I thought you might have been from Clemson. At least throw in an eagle or plainsman or whatever your mascot is this week.
By tiger
January 20, 2006 11:24 AM | Link to this
When a team loses and that is the only way you get in the championship, (beating Kentucky was a given) that is backing in? Big Ten v. Big East, you got to be kidding me. You had me until you tried to make that argument. Nice mascot smack, couldn’t agree with you more. Too much like Tech. Oh and another thing, you didn’t want us in the championship. Already had exposed your defense for what it was.
By HobNailBoot
January 20, 2006 11:28 AM | Link to this
Steve Spurrier - very catchy alias you’ve got there. How’s it hangin? Your point about keeping up with recruiting; I believe it is not so much the 4 and 5 star guys that rating services hype and drool over, but how many David Pollack, Thomas Davis, Jermain Phillips, L. Haynes, Nick Jones, Tim Jennings, Olandis Gary, Jermaine Wiggins, Trey Battle etc. types you can fill your roster with. You can waste your time and money with recruiting and rating services all you want to; but the bulk of your success is attributed to coaches and how they put the whole squad together. Will Stafford perform as well as David Greene (hardly rated at all out of high school)? Only time will tell. Mark Richt and his recruiting staff have had a knack for finding the players under the radar that go on to become very productive and sometimes evolve into leaders of the team. Don’t waste your time thinking you know all about recruiting just because you spend money on b******.
By gdawginkalamazoo
January 20, 2006 11:40 AM | Link to this
That was good crackback about the enema tiger. Didn’t answer my question though. Why weren’t we playing you in championship game? Yeah Big Hen v Big East. WVU would have whipped any Big Hen team. Their running backs would have run circles around Mr Irons (and he is pretty impressive). Why did you guys lay down against the cheesers? I was disappointed that we lost our game but at least we didn’t lay down and quit.
By gdawginkalamazoo
January 20, 2006 11:53 AM | Link to this
tiger, Oh and another thing, you didn’t want us in the championship. Already had exposed your defense for what it was. I am sorry I missed that answer? didn’t know we got to invite the opponents to the championship game. New rule to me. Nice one though. Richt ought to keep it in mind for next year.
By tiger
January 20, 2006 11:57 AM | Link to this
I think there is some rule about not humiliating a defense twice in one season so they wouldn’t let us play UGA again. (little known rule) Auburn did lay down, I think they were worn out from all the parties. I’m a little surprised Tubberville let that happen. Surely he could hear anyone come in late with those ears. Still last time I checked, the 3rd rated team was Penn State. Ohio State was #4. Big East had a total of 2 in the top 25
By tiger
January 20, 2006 11:58 AM | Link to this
The main reason we didn’t meet. LSU didn’t lose and let us back in
By tiger
January 20, 2006 12:05 PM | Link to this
judging from your out of conference schedule, if you did get to invite who ever you would obviously picked Ole Miss. Now that is funny coming from an Auburn person. crackback on my own smack
By Dawg
January 20, 2006 12:36 PM | Link to this
As a Dawg fan, I would like to tell Pruss to do some more research on our recruits before posting here. Stafford’s parents did go to FSU, but his father got his Master’s at UGA. Stafford’s sister goes to school at UGA, as well as Stafford’s “ex-girlfriend”.
As to you Spurrier, I’m not sure why people are making this comparison to J-Lo, because first and foremost, it’s an awful comparison and J-Lo isn’t even on the same level of Matt Stafford. You can sit there and hope he’s going to be a flop, but the truth of the matter is that Matt Stafford is an unbelievable talent. He didn’t win MVP honors at the Elite 11 QB camp this year for “hype”. He wasn’t called the best QB to come out of the Elite 11 camp in the last few years by numerous counselors because of “hype”. Once Stafford gets his time on the field, he will torture any and all SEC defenses that are in the way. You can take that to the bank.
By gdawginkalamazoo
January 20, 2006 12:36 PM | Link to this
tiger, we might have, didn’t know we had the option. Would have been a toss up between them and Miss. State. So it was not THAT obvious.
By gdawginkalamazoo
January 20, 2006 12:54 PM | Link to this
Hey let’s get back to the beautiful city of Athens. Bill had a great topic and here we go ruining it by talking about last year and next year. ATHENS Rules!
By D
January 20, 2006 01:02 PM | Link to this
TO ALL DAWGS FANS LETS JUST ENJOY ALL THESE WINNING SEASONS THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR IN FOOTBALL WHY GA.TECH KEEPS HAVING ALL THESE LOSING SEASONS GO DAWGS
By 98UGA alum
January 20, 2006 01:08 PM | Link to this
Athens is 2nd to none as far as university towns go that I’ve had the honor to visit. Oxford is very close with it’s history and beautiful campus and coeds but still not Athens. I now live in Charleston SC and I love it here because it has alot of the same amenities as Athens but if I had a 1/2 a chance to move back to Athens it would be an easy decision. Auburn and Clemson are identical other than Clemson having a lake. South Carolina is by the worst SEC town that I have ever been to. Not only are their fans rude (like their 3x national champs or something) but their campus is spread out all over that god-forsaken city.
By Bill King
January 20, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this
Allen’s may be gone, but Barnett’s Newsstand is forever (thank God)!
By War Eagle
January 20, 2006 02:33 PM | Link to this
animald, I park at the Alpha Psi frat house for Auburn home games.I take my Vet friend(Jim McKay)who attended UGA.We have a great time, those Vets are party animals. Last year when we beat UGA at Auburn, he got so drunk it turned into alcholic poison. Matthew Sttaford was a easy recruit for UGA, all kinds of connections…he will be a good one.
By War Eagle
January 20, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this
hop, we come from the same era. I played in the North-South All Star game(1956) with Willie Slaughter,late Mac Copeland, Bobby Towns, Sonny Dillard and the coach for the North was Wyman Creel, coach at Athens High school. Fran Tarkenton was our mangaer, he was just a junior. I played in the 14-13 game with Tarkenton throwing to Herron in the last 40 seconds for the win and the SEC Championship. It was really hot that day. I think they sold more coca cola than any previous game sale. Many memories, Pat Dye, Fran, Don Leeburn, Theron Sapp, Fred Brown. Coach Dooley chewed our butts after that game, little did he know where he was headed…
By Bill King
January 20, 2006 02:56 PM | Link to this
The Athens High coach of that era was Weyman Sellers.
By Steve Spurrier
January 20, 2006 03:15 PM | Link to this
HOBNAILBOOT- You don’t realize it, but you just backed up my point. Yes Stafford is a good qb, but when you hype him up, he is doomed to underacheive to the rediculous expectations. If Greene was in on this class he would beat out Stafford and people would be calling for Richt’s head. It was bad enough to listen to all the UGAYers when Greene was starting over Shockley. I agree with you that stars don’t matter. This past year all you would hear from UGAYers was JOE COX, JOE COX. 98% of those people had never seen him or even knew which hand he threw with. Most UGAYers go on word of mouth and rumors (ex: Pruss). I have said since September that Joe Cox will never start a game at UGAY. Major reason being Stafford, the other being that he is no better than Tereshinski. I based this on watching film on the recruiting services as well as the Shrine Bowl in which Cox was horrible. Stafford is far better than Cox. I was not impressed with Cox’s arm, although his stats were good, which has alot to do with playing at Indepence HS. UGAYers only know what they hear and then you get the snowball effect which leads to stories about him being built like Lorenzen. I will admit that Stafford is a talented kid, but like so many superstars that come to Athens, it will be impossible for him to live up to the hype.
DAWG - you do have since. I had also seen that Stafford’s sister and girlfriend went to UGA, but it had been so long I didn’t want to say unless I was sure. Anyway, most of those UGAYers are walking around with their chests poked out thinking that Stafford came to UGAY for its 90,000 fans on game day. I do think that Stafford is better than what I’ve been letting on. I’m just having fun with those who can’t back up their comments. You can, so I give you much respect.
By pruss
January 20, 2006 03:42 PM | Link to this
Steve - my main point was Stafford is a big guy. I saw him in the interview and he was much bigger than everyone else, granted on TV you can not get a good feel for how big someone really is. I apologize if I offended you by making that comparison to Lorenzen. Hell in my opinion I think Blake Barnes has the inside track on this QB race. Hes got good talent, been there two years knows his stuff. We shall see though. All of this recruting talk is crap anyway there are guys that dont ever live up their billing of a 5 star and there are guys who play much better after getting college coaching. Its all just a crapshoot on how a 18 year old kid will react to the whole experince. The main point I was trying to make was I did not know that Stafford was that big of a guy until I saw that interview.
By AFDAWG
January 20, 2006 03:43 PM | Link to this
To all those fans of schools not in Athens. Get off of the UGA blog! The topic is not Stafford (as excited as we are about him). The topic is about a cool college town that we all feel something for when we we pass through its limits. If you feel the same way about your particular school’s town, write about it on your blog. Also, WE WON THE CONFERENCE!! SHUT UP ABOUT LAST YEAR!!
By BIGNCDAWG
January 20, 2006 04:04 PM | Link to this
Bill I have enjoyed this post more than any other, especially because of your topic.
I know people are not that interested in my past history, but I graduated from Athens High in 62. I was a manager for the Athens High football team for 2 years and attended the Y for many years. Went with Kelly on the Mexco trip.
I think I was a few years ahead of you but I probably knew your family. During the 60’s you could probably find me at Allen’s on a couple of nights a week. Good times and great memories.
Thanks for your blog.
By BIGNCDAWG
January 20, 2006 04:06 PM | Link to this
GO DAWGS
By gdawginkalamazoo
January 20, 2006 04:36 PM | Link to this
Bill, love this topic and I almost forgot. If any of you who are blessed to still live in Athens and happen to drive by St. Mary’s hospital today say hi for me. I was born there a few decades ago today.
By Shane
January 20, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this
Did someone mention Columbia??? Yea I especially like the stadium area…hehehe
By Zach
January 20, 2006 08:12 PM | Link to this
Kinda funny because when you walk through the airport at Nashville, you hear “Welcome to Nashville: The ATHENS of the south” I have lived in both towns and Nashville definately takes the cake. Its not a co-ed romp town. You dont have to worry about eating dinner downtown at de palmas with your girlfriend and girls gone wild is right next door at Bourbon St. Bar. That doesnt happen in Nashville.
By War Eagle
January 20, 2006 08:13 PM | Link to this
Bill King, you are correct, got the name confused with late Lakside Coach and one of the winningest high school coach in GA history…W. Creel..sorry
By geechee
January 20, 2006 09:15 PM | Link to this
“HOBNAILBOOT- You don’t realize it, but you just backed up my point. Yes Stafford is a good qb, but when you hype him up, he is doomed to underacheive to the rediculous expectations.”
Spurrier that’s a huge pile of hogwash even for your BS self. Nobody on the planet is doomed to underachieve. Achieving comes from within. It is not something that someone can take away from you or “doom you toâ€?. Does “hyping the guy upâ€? help him at all, probably not; does it make his job harder, probably so. Can he handle the hype and keep it from interfering with his career; most think he can. We will know for sure fairly soon.
BTW, I see you did not major in spelling at UF.
By Bill King
January 20, 2006 09:37 PM | Link to this
Lakeside-Athens High was a major rivalry when I was in high school. In fact, probably our biggest rivalry. Besides Tucker. And Gainesville. And Valdosta. And cross-town Burney-Harris. Some great high school football played in those days. (AHS was the only non-Atlanta/DeKalb school in its region. All those other schools HATED coming over to Athens every other year to meet us at Death Valley.) Quite a few AHS quarterbacks wound up playing at UGA, including Fran Tarkenton, Paul Gilbert and Andy Johnson (who was my age). (And just about all of them started playing football at the Athens Y when they were about 5 years old under the legendary Coburn Kelly.) Andy’s first year at UGA, freshmen still couldn’t play on the varsity and you wouldn’t believe the number of folks who turned out, even on a weekday afternoon, to watch the frosh play. Some Athens businessmen closed their shops early downtown to go watch Andy. The opposing quarterback in the 1969 state championship (which ended in a tie between AHS and Valdosta) was Don Golden, who also signed with UGA. He ended up as a safety. The quarterback at AHS who had preceded Andy, David Allen, wound up being a star secondary man at Tennessee. But he saw the light and today he’s back in Athens as a doctor (and my Dad is one of his patients). Attending Athens High back in the ’60s was almost like being at UGA Jr., and a lot of us never even thought about attending college anywhere else but across town at “the University.” Whatever the coeds were wearing, that’s what our high school girls wore. And I guess you could say we had plenty of folks in training for the “party” side of UGA. Our fight song involved whiskey, rye and sobering up on “wood alcohol” (all to the tune of the Notre Dame fight song). As the closing lines went, “When we yell, we yell like hell, for the glory of ATHENS HIGH!”
By War Eagle
January 20, 2006 10:13 PM | Link to this
Bill King, I had friends who grew up in Athens most of them in the late fifties. I remember talk of Coburn Kelley. I played in several golf tounaments with Andy Johnson, very good golfer and football player.Coach Doc Ayers is a friend of mine who was a assistant with Coach Dooley for years. I visited him often and he loved Athens. We hung out at some bar near or in the Holiday Inn a few times. Valdosta, Athens, Gainsville, Dalton and Carrollton were the football towns during this era.
By Bill King
January 20, 2006 10:34 PM | Link to this
I went to school with Andy from 7th grade thru college but knew him best in junior high, particularly 7th grade, when we were in the same homeroom in a system where the same class stayed together and traveled to different teachers all day. A great athlete, but also a helluva nice guy. I see him at AHS Class of ‘70 reunions and it doesn’t look like he’s aged a day since college.
By HobNailBoot
January 21, 2006 12:14 AM | Link to this
Steve Spurrier; s’up? Watching your film on recruiting services has made you a Joe Cox expert huh? You were complimentary of David Green; but did you see the films of his senior year of high school? Go back and check those out - he had some awful games; didn’t look like he had a prayer of playing Division 1 football. You can’t know that Joe Cox won’t evolve as a college QB/leader just because of past events; it’s how the team around him responds to his brand of leadership is what matters - as with any QB.I’m not predicting anything for Joe Cox; I don’t care who plays QB. I just want all phases of the football team to be talented and well coached; and play as a team. I check on who the Dawgs sign every year; but I always tell people I’ll let them know in a couple of years how I feel about them. There is absolutely no way in hell I will religiously follow and track high schoolers by paying money to rating services.
I have never known anyone who has been to the University of Georgia who didn’t treasure the experience and love Athens. Most ex-students I know either still lives there or wouldn’t mind doing so.
By HawaiiDawg
January 21, 2006 12:54 AM | Link to this
War Eagle, the bar across from Holiday Inn was called the Rail up to Jan 1971. Then became know as The DogHouse. Owned by two cool kids, Ed and Allen (thats me) Cold beer and hot coeds. Athens and UGA were great in the 70s. Hope you enjoyed some good times there.
By godawg
January 21, 2006 08:45 AM | Link to this
Papa Joe’s on Baxter, drink beer amd shoot pool while your laundy runs next door, Poss’ on Baxter and Lakeview. TK’s, Somebody’s Pizza, John Mooney. Tyrone’s, Smoke’s Place, Zoo Night @ B&L, O’Malley’s, The Frog Pond Lounge (my bartending gig), Last Resort (Men at Work, The Swimming Pool Cues), Foxz, Allens (Normaltown Flyers), Little Bob’s in 5pts and Lance Yudy downtown, Bob Russo in the beginning, Ort, Rack of Spam…I could go on & on…