Sound off on Stafford’s legacy, mix-and-match uniforms, spring stupidity
Do you consider Matthew Stafford a Damn Good Dawg or just a talented guy who spent three years in Athens? (Associated Press)
As the NFL teams take their pick of the best of the nation’s college football players again, Dogs fans’ thoughts naturally turn to a year ago and UGA’s $41 million man, Matthew Stafford, going first in the draft.
Yes, a year ago the considered opinion of the NFL brain trust was that Mark Richt’s program had produced the nation’s best quarterback, which pleased most fans in red and black. And yet Stafford doesn’t seem to hold much of a special place in the hearts of a lot of folks in the Bulldog Nation.
My son was commenting the other night on the frequency with which you see Georgia fans taking shots at Stafford, who clearly isn’t viewed with anything like the affection folks have for SEC championship winners David Greene and D.J. Shockley or even earlier quarterbacks like Eric Zeier who, like Stafford, failed to bring a conference title to Athens.
Maybe, he suggested, some Georgia fans see Stafford as getting more out of UGA than UGA got out of him. Oh, they’ll cheer for him to do well in the NFL, but he’s not beloved as you might expect a No. 1 draft pick to be.
I’ve said it here before: Stafford and Knowshon Moreno probably were the most talented quarterback-tailback tandem UGA has ever had, but I’m not sure they’ll ever enter the pantheon of Bulldog immortals because they left school early without achieving what the Bulldog Nation expected of them.
So how do you feel about Stafford a year later? If he becomes a big success in the NFL (which might require getting traded), do you think that will add some glow to his UGA legacy?
SEEING RED, BLACK AND WHITE …
Talking to the Lake Country Bulldog Club this week, Richt was asked about the possibility of another Blackout and Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald reports he first took an applause poll of the fans in attendance (more seemed against a Blackout) and then said, “What I’m thinking is if the seniors really want one, we might do it, but they’re going to have to earn maybe making it to Atlanta or beyond to get a Blackout,” Richt said.
Which sounds like an entirely reasonable response, the key being if they earn it.
Do you ever want to see those black helmets again? (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
But Richt went beyond that and raised the possibility of black jerseys (or, gulp, helmets) just becoming another rotating part of the Dogs’ uniform wardrobe, much like black uniforms have for other UGA teams, including basketball.
“What I’m thinking about doing, and it won’t happen this year,” Richt said, is “it wouldn’t be a bad idea if we have red, black, white jerseys and maybe a red helmet or maybe another color helmet, I don’t know, black helmet. And then just say this is part of what we do and then maybe make them match. Not to save them for any one special game. … I think just winning games is the most important thing.”
Well, he’s right about the winning, but I think perhaps he’s on to something with demystifying the black jersey by taking it out of the “special” category. And after all those years of watching that clip of Herschel run over Bill Bates, I’m sure I’m not the only fan who’d get a kick out of seeing the red britches again. (Though definitely not with red jerseys and helmets.)
I also liked the black britches a few years back with white jerseys and red helmets, but not with red jerseys. And the black helmet? I’m not so sure about the black helmet, which I doubt would have won over many fans even if the Dogs had somehow managed to upset the Gators last year while wearing it.
What do you think? Would you favor the Dogs mixing it up a bit in their uniforms, or would you prefer to stick with the tried and true standard uniform of red helmets, silver britches, red tops at home and white jerseys on the road?
TALK ABOUT BAD TIMING …
Two thoughts on Trent Dittmer’s arrest this week in Athens for public intoxication:
First, if you consider the home page of a newspaper’s Web site to be the digital equivalent of the printed paper’s front page, it’s amazing to me that anything to do with a walk-on backup punter who’s never likely to grace the field in a game could be considered front page news, even an arrest.
And second, we all know that college students are prone to do stupid things from time to time, especially related to drinking. But how clueless does a young man have to be to go out and get drunk, get in an altercation and get arrested the same week one of his team’s quaterbacks has been publicly humiliated and kicked off the team for an alcohol-related incident?
Sounds like it’s time for one of those team meetings.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
314 comments Add your comment
heeldawg
April 22nd, 2010
4:49 pm
Walker, Greene, Pollack and Shockley are beloved because they were warriors who brought it on every play and players who led their teams to titles. Staff and Knowshon were like that in 2007, which is why great things were predicted for 2008. Unfortunately, the defense was subpar that year,and there was poor leadership on the 2008 team, which led to an underwhelming performance on the field. Stafford and Moreno, for all of their talent, seemed to lack to chip-on-the-shoulder fire of 2007. They almost seemed to be going through the motions at times, biding their time until the NFL came calling. Losing to an inferior Tech team was the capper on that disappointment of a year. I think that Stafford and Moreno will always be respected for their ability, but they will never hold the stature of the aforementioned foursome because of their failure to lead when it was their turn to do so.
38 Yardline Dawg
April 22nd, 2010
4:51 pm
Oh yeah, looks like it’s time to celebrate our last national championship again…three decades ago. Should I remind everyone what the Gators and Tides of the world do to celebrate their most recent championships? (Read: Win another one the next year!)
Vandy beat us!
April 22nd, 2010
5:06 pm
Still talking 2007 huh? Ha Ha, got the Gators that year but it really didn’t do much for you other then some pride and the Dawgs giving them some extra motivation that will last for decades.
Asylum13
April 22nd, 2010
5:25 pm
Just keep the Black jerseys, red helmet and silver britches combo.
macrotech
April 22nd, 2010
5:35 pm
Stafford and Moreno were beast for uga. Had they had one of uga’s defenses of old and a healthy O line…..uga would have had some real shots at winning another NC. What they were able to accomplish in light of the circumstances of their time in athens…..PRETTY impressive!
LifelongDawg
April 22nd, 2010
5:41 pm
Nothing wrong with black helmets as long as they’re properly co-ordinated with the rest of the uniform. Black pantas, white jerseys, and black helmets are OK now and again. Black helmets with the silver britches and white jerseys are fine every now and then. I wouldn’t try a different combo and I’d keep it to a game or so a year. Tradition never graduates, though, so stick to it in the main…
cindy Hendrix
April 22nd, 2010
6:04 pm
I say leave the uniforms the way they are maybe on special games or bowl games lets change it up a liitle bit. I liked stafford he scared me though sometimes with some of the throws he made wish he would stayed. If the pros wanted him that bad then if he had stayed the money would have still been there maybe more. Zeier played on a team that did not have as many talented players he played his heart out & never gave up a tough stong QB smart too like stafford. Stayed to finish school & to work on his arm he said it was not ready for the pros & despite the team he played not having the most talent he never gave up & really liked his teammates & coach Goff also he was the 1st QB to really air it out Dooley liked to run the ball not throw. as always very often EZ also set several records & beat them Greene finally beat his record it took a long time though & EZ is back at UGA in the radio booth with SH so glad he is back! wish stafford all the best in the pros. As Always GATA & GO DAWGS SIC EM WOOF WOOF!!!!! Cindy
AltamahaDawg
April 22nd, 2010
6:33 pm
Bill, I tried to find something I didn’t agree with in this edition but I cannot.
I hope we have a RED OUT before finally pulling the plug on making the uni’s an event. After that as somebody said, red, black, white and silver are pretty hard to mess up, and I’d be ok with mixing it up every now and then. Did not like the look of the black helmets though. Sport team helmets are a signature, a symbol. Leave em be. Jersey’s are open to fashion interpretation.
Red
April 22nd, 2010
6:38 pm
Stafford’s legacy is that of a bug on the windshield of the Tim Tebow era
messin with sasquatch
April 22nd, 2010
6:47 pm
trent and zack are in a car. who is driving?
messin with sasquatch
April 22nd, 2010
6:48 pm
stafford is trapped in a hockey town.
Dawg 3/20
April 22nd, 2010
8:12 pm
2007 :
South Carolina 16 UGA 13
Matt Staffords legacy
GaDawg
April 22nd, 2010
8:21 pm
Dittimer is out of touch with reality; send his a$$ packin’ This kid hasn”t got a clue!!!
GaDawg
April 22nd, 2010
8:47 pm
Coach Richt,
As far as the mix and match uniforms go:
you won’t do it!; YOU WON’T DO IT!!; YOU WILL NOT DO IT!!!;
I DARE YOU TO DO IT!! I DOUBLE DAWG DARE YOU TO DO IT!!!
WOW,!! CAN YOU IMAGINE THE PROBABILITY OF CONFUSION
THIS COULD CREATE FOR THE DEFENSIVE TEAM?????????
HAHAHAHAHAHA YOU WON’T DO IT COACH!!!! YOU WON’T!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Junkyard Blonde
April 22nd, 2010
9:26 pm
Even as everyone sang Matt Stafford’s praises, I felt he never really bled Red and Black. He bled dollar sign green. He merely chose UGA b/c the program offered him what he needed as a stepping stone to the NFL. To “live on” in the hearts of the Bulldog Nation you have to show some loyalty which was never seen from Stafford.
Frank Lane
April 22nd, 2010
9:36 pm
Greenie and Shockley and Hershel and Pollack gave Georgia more than they received.
Stafford and Moreno should have stayed another year and maybe they would be revered. Hershel left early but not until after a national title.
You get what you give in life.
Frank Lane
April 22nd, 2010
9:40 pm
Excellent response, Heeldawg.
I don't think that you understand that
April 22nd, 2010
10:16 pm
some of you morons who hate the Black Helmets are still wearing your 1960’s polyster red pants to games. If we had won, wearing the Black Helmets, they would have been great. Just win, and it makes no difference what you wear.
DawginLex
April 22nd, 2010
10:34 pm
Stafford’s ok in my book. He was a gunslinger on a team that had a poor defense. Put him on a team with a Van Gorder D and he would have won a SEC title.
He would be more highly thought of if he had stayed for his senior year. He was probably smart to go ahead and leave since WM stayed. A redshirt year would have put him on this year’s team with a veteran OL and a new DC. What might have been.
DawginLex
April 22nd, 2010
10:37 pm
Florida’s national titles:
1996-A joke that they were allowed to rematch with FSU after getting slapped in the season finale.
2006 and 2008-Tim Tebow
Florida will never win another one without Tebow. Write it down. you heard it here first.
NO TEBOW=NO TITLE
Debose
April 22nd, 2010
11:17 pm
30 years and counting…………..
UGASlobberknocker
April 23rd, 2010
7:18 am
Red jerseys, Red helments, silver britches. Period.
Pls lets dont go back to the Jim Donnon days where every week we were wearing white pants or black pants, or some other convoluted combination. There was no value placed on tradition..that is BS..lets just put on the traditional uniform and play.
I dont see Alabama announcing a Cream Out. Does Texas ever come out in Orange pants.? No. Because that type of thing is a gimmick left for the college football nobodys…the great coaches know it.
Paddy
April 23rd, 2010
7:20 am
Silver pants and red helmets, then do what ever else the players want on occasion.
hirsutedawg
April 23rd, 2010
8:23 am
Red helmets with one white stripe. Red jerseys at home, white jerseys on the road. Silver britches. As God meant it to be. Period. The End.
Snellville Dawg
April 23rd, 2010
8:26 am
Had Stafford and Moreno had a decent defense, like Greene and Shockley both had in the 02 and 05 seasons, they would have won a championship. We wouldn’t have given up 35 to UT in 07, 49 to UF in 08, or 45 to Tech in 08. Not their fault that they can score 30 on Bama and still lose.
I’m proud of them either way. They can’t make a team great, only the offense.
Djawjuh
April 23rd, 2010
8:28 am
I really don’t give a damn about arguing whether Stafford/Moreno loved Georgia, deserted us, etc. I’m concerned about winning the SEC (we enter our fifth season without having won the East) and then the BCS championship. What’s that? We need to focus on those goals even though they are distant now. Who knows?
Maybe I’m wrong but I find CMR to be one of the most enigmatic coaches ever. Here he gets his butt kicked in over a four year period and he’s talking about uniforms? You could fool me but I thought that winning was the primary concern, not fashion. And the reality is that I would love to see us wear Oregon-like uniforms only if we are in championship games. I want to win.
Now let’s get back to winning football. I hope we win this fall but I’m not optimistic. CMR doesn’t have it as a HC competing with the likes of Saban and Meyer. Deal with it because it’s the truth. You delusional people are still talking about what? The first five years? Our great “leader” persisted with CWM as DC for another year after five games in 2008 where the D gave up 30 points or more. Do you know what other business that would have tolerated such mediocrity?
This is the weakness of CMR. I think most anyone would have canned Willie after such a pathetic showing on D. But we shouldn’t forget that the vaunted offense of Stafford and Moreno were shut out against Bama for the first half. Florida picked Stafford to death on the way to a romp. Oh, you have to have the D but IMO it has always been CMR’s offense where there’s the trouble. And please Lord, tell CMR to be HC not OC although I think he feels the heat and believes he can contribute by overseeing his choice for OC, Mike Bobo. Ugh! Bobo is a young coach and is out of his league as OC. CMR is going to try and force that one too. It’s his nature. Look at the record. It leaves me breathless. Lest you forget, he took Fabris back after he went to Oklahoma. And he couldn’t control Fabris with those directional kicks. And CMR was the HC. What does that tell you? He’s a weak guy stuck in the mud. But Damon’s got him by the cajones now because Damon stepped up with the bucks and got the man Richt wanted. Now what’s the excuse? That’s what Damon is going to ask too.
I don’t know any of these people personally so I have no animus. I just see the results.
CMR’s record is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He had a great first five years and a horrific four years. At best he has two years if things don’t improve dramatically.
We’re an also ran with the likes of Saban and Meyer. People can talk about them all they want. I’d take either one over CMR in a New York minute! CMR’s destiny is a ministry somewhere and I don’t say that sarcastically. It seems to me that is his real love. Soon he will have enough money to follow his heart. I wish him God’s speed when that day comes.
Prove me wrong CMR. The field is yours.
And now the excuse will be a rookie QB running the show. Last year it was Joe Cox who our coaches said would be “fine.” They lied to us because Joe was far from fine. Valiant but not fine.
And pray tell, who is the backup? Logan Gray ain’t in the hunt. So if Aaron gets hurt, we’re in a heapa trouble. And if it’s Logan, we’re in a heapa trouble.
If we set to achieve mediocrity, we’ve succeeded beyond our wildest dreams!
FREEDOM DAWG
April 23rd, 2010
8:55 am
DON’T MESS WITH THE UNIFORMS. MAKE WINNING OR LOSING THE ONLY VARIABLE. PERIOD.
DIGGITYDAWG
April 23rd, 2010
10:08 am
Junkyard Dawg, your son is right on. Stafford never gave his heart and soul to UGA. UGA was a finishing school for him…prepping him for the NFL. As for the uniforms…there should be no change. Teams with long lasting tradition don’t change their unis. Think Ala, Mich, SCal, TN, OSU, Penn St, et al. The only reason to follow Richt’s suggestion is for the increased jersey sale revenues. If UGA is gonna do that they should just wear all black with a big Nike swoosh on their helmet.
beans
April 23rd, 2010
10:09 am
Do not mess with the uniforms. Does Richt not remember how much he endeared the fanbase by removing the black stripes from the helmet?
GaDawg
April 23rd, 2010
10:10 am
I appreciate the job that Stafford did for us; however, I would like to submit a little bit of information that you might not be aware of. For the past fifty one years, every SEC championship team that UGA has fielded was led by a Quarterback who was a Georgia native:
1959- Fran Tarkenton
1966- Kirby Moore
1968- Mike Cavan
1976- Ray Goff, Matt Robinson, Tony Flanagan
1980 & 1981- Buck Belue
1982- John Lastinger
2002- David Greene
2005- DJ Shockley
All Georgia natives; All SEC Champions.
information researched by Bryan Rodgers
G
April 23rd, 2010
10:12 am
Instead of the black helmet, which I’m not too excited about, I’m for a throwback silver helmet with maybe a red stripe down the center and a black face mask. This would be great for away games with the white jerseys and it would match the silver “britches” perfectly.
Reality Check
April 23rd, 2010
10:24 am
The black helmets had nothing to do with why you lost last year in Jax.
The red helmets will have nothing to do with why you’re going to lose in Jax this year.
Coaching and talent has everything to do with it.
Sanford Drive
April 23rd, 2010
10:25 am
Red helmets. Red jersey. Silver pants. PERIOD.
I wish Richt would stop giving our opponents another thing to laugh at.
King Gator
April 23rd, 2010
10:49 am
How about an “Orange Out”. All of the players can come straight from picking up trash on the side of the highway to the game and not even have to change colors.
DirtyDawg
April 23rd, 2010
10:50 am
I’m sorry, and while young Mr. Tebow may have many superior personal qualities, I’m so damned tired of hearing him talk – more aptly stated ‘run-on’ without stopping – I could scream. What is it with him? Is he in such a hurry to get it all out before he forgets what he wants to say that he can’t stop? Has he been around too may of those ‘fire and brimstone’ preachers, you know the one’s that make a noise like Monica Seles when they take a breath? St. Timothy is gonna have a hard time out in Denver with that thin air…he better figure out how to ’slow down’ that jabber when he’s being interviewed – or promising how hard he’s gonna work the next time – or he’ll run entirely out of oxygen and keel over right there on TV.
King Gator
April 23rd, 2010
10:51 am
Florida’s national titles:
1996-A joke that they were allowed to rematch with FSU after getting slapped in the season finale.
2006 and 2008-Tim Tebow
Florida will never win another one without Tebow. Write it down. you heard it here first.
NO TEBOW=NO TITLE
**********************************
No Herschel = No Dawg Nation Championship!
meh
April 23rd, 2010
12:18 pm
I think if the black helmets had a white face mask on them instead of the red they’d look better. I still prefer the red helmets though. I think red britches would be cool on the road with the white jerseys. Maybe the black helmets(white facemask) with the white jerseys and silver britches.
bigdawg
April 23rd, 2010
12:36 pm
black helmets, black jerseys, and black pants for the GT game
FULL BLACKOUT
GaDawg
April 23rd, 2010
1:29 pm
My SERIOUS thoughts on mix and match uniforms.
THE RED BRITCHES – were used from the first road game of 1978 through the first road game of 1980. That is why Herschel was wearing them when he ran over UT’s Bill Bates in his freshman debut. Before that time, Georgia was still using WHITE britches for both home, and road games. The red britches were used to add some color to the road uniform. So until the team starts wearing WHITE britches again at home, I guess the red britches are out, except for an occasional “through back” uniform scenario. The same thing goes for the black ROAD britches.
THE SILVER BRITCHES – Coach Dooley reintroduced the silver britches at the first home game of 1980 the week after Herschel debuted against UT in Knoxville. They have been used for both home and road games since that time. I have no problem with that as long as they have the metallic sheen finish. Those are what I call “REAL” silver britches. The flat gray/ khaki britches look like dingy white practice pants. If they are going to wear silver britches, wear SILVER britches! If not, go back to the white britches at home and the red ones on the road.
THE BLACK JERSEY – So, the black jersey got its cherry picked. Well guess what? So did the red one and the white one as well. The only thing that will make the team invincible is the player inside the uniform. The black jersey and red helmet is the best combination of school colors the team has ever worn for a home game. When it is combined with REAL silver britches, it is a great looking uniform. It should not be abandoned, but should be used at least once a year. How about Senior Day since it was the seniors of 2007 who inspired its emergence?
THE HELMET – Throughout its history, Georgia has never worn black helmets until the Florida game of 2009. Personally, I did NOT like them. If Coach Richt felt that a change was needed, he should have used silver with the oval black “G” with, or without, a single WHITE stripe. That, at least, would have been a return to an old tradition. I was in Sanford Stadium during the old silver helmet / silver britches days. I didn’t care for them then, and I would rather not see them today because “silver” is not a school color. If there is any one component of the uniform that should never be changed, it is the current style red helmet. When Coach Dooley gave us that helmet, he gave us an identity that we never had. With that helmet, the entire Bulldog Nation of that day experienced a, somewhat supernatural, collective sense of impending greatness. While wearing it, the team reached the very pinnacle of success and they will again. Any change to that helmet, creates nothing more than a cheap imitation that compromises our identity and adversely affects any “mojo” associated with it. In college football, the team’s helmet is the most recognizable element of the uniform, and its identity is a testimony to the school’s tradition.
MATCHING UNIFORMS – On the field all players should be dressed out the same. As far as the team wearing either all black, or all red uniforms I vote NEVER!
2_dawgs
April 23rd, 2010
1:38 pm
black helmets? way too much like the Falcons!
blackouts and uniforms don’t win games; determined players do.
drunk and disorderly? send ‘em packing. its college ball.
Ferndolin
April 23rd, 2010
3:44 pm
I’m only luke warm in my respect for Stafford. I agree, he got more out of UGA than UGA got out of him.
As far as uniform colors, I’m a traditionalist. Stick with what works and what represents the image of UGA. I conjure up silver and red at home and silver (or white) and white on the road. Leave the helmets alone. “GO YOU SILVER BRITCHES”!
laurenzomac
April 23rd, 2010
4:29 pm
Stafford did get more out of UGA than UGA got out of him – he grew up. He takes responsibility for his new team’s success. When he popped his shoulder out last season for the Detroit Lions, he bypassed the team doctor after getting it fixed, coaches, etc and went back to lead Detroit. He started at UGA as a marginal leader at best. Towards the end of his tenure there, he was the undisputed leader.
bill h
April 23rd, 2010
6:23 pm
Bill,
These unbelievably childish blogs, that empower the lunatic fringe, were not around and/or fully up to the sickening speed of today’s blogs when so many of the players to whom your son may be comparing to Stafford vis a vis him taking more shots than them. So, it is not a very fair comparison in general and none of the others was a #1 NFL pick. These members of the lunatic fringe so empowered by your very blog, and other blogs as well, are a very weak source on which to base a coherent debate about any person or thing.
jerkin
April 23rd, 2010
9:49 pm
black helmets black jerseys black pants…raw
CHOKE ! THE OFFICAL DRINK OF THE GEORGIA BULLDAWGS
April 23rd, 2010
11:14 pm
Time to break out the pink helmets!
Noodle Arm Stafford
April 23rd, 2010
11:21 pm
Stafford never won anything at UGA. David Greene another UGA flop that never ever took 1 snap in the NFL, David could not make the practice squad.I hear Greene is better at selling insurance than playing football! Shockey just always standing around holding a clip board, handing out Gatorade on the sideline. Eric last time I saw him he was crying face down in the mud, after UF beat UGLY.
Noodle Arm Stafford
April 23rd, 2010
11:26 pm
all black……….look like grambling…Gators beat georgia silly again.
Fred Samford
April 23rd, 2010
11:28 pm
G stands for gay you dummy!
Whiznot
April 24th, 2010
8:54 am
Make ‘em play nekkid coated with bacon grease but paint one butt cheek red and the other black.
77DAWG
April 24th, 2010
12:51 pm
Techie, a great coach in Korea, Mr. Win Some Soon can coach your team. It’s doesn’t need much to coach (mostly oriental) engineering students to play the nerd ball.