How could game day in Athens be improved?
Would the Dawg Walk be even greater if more fans could experience it? (AJC staff)
Game-day traditions are a big part of college football. Even though fans of rival schools like to trade trash talk about each others’ traditions, there’s an overall appeal to the colorful spectacle and sometimes heart-pumping excitement of the various rituals. You don’t have to be a fan of Ohio State to appreciate their band’s dotting of the “i” or the many quirky traditions of Texas A&M.
The Sporting News’ Dave Curtis and Matt Hayes have each listed their top 10 game-day traditions, and UGA mascot Uga placed high on Hayes’ list, coming in at No. 2 behind the Saturday night atmosphere at Death Valley in Baton Rouge.
I must admit, I never really thought of Uga as a game-day tradition — more like a 365-days-a-year tradition — but I can see how a visitor to Sanford Stadium would come away most impressed with what many outside the Bulldog Nation consider the best mascot in college football.
We discussed UGA game-day traditions last summer, and I noted out of the many things I get a kick out of on fall Saturdays in Athens — from the kids waving at the team buses rolling by on Lumpkin to the ringing of the chapel bell after a win — my particular favorites are the Dogs walking toward the east end zone while the Redcoats play “Krypton Fanfare” during the warm-ups, and, most of all, the spine-tingling solo from the trumpeter in the southwest corner of the upper level stands before kickoff.
At the time, I asked in a poll what your favorite game-day tradition was, and the solo trumpeter finished first, with 49 percent of the votes, followed by the Larry Munson pre-game video, the team’s Dawg Walk, ringing the chapel bell and the Krypton Fanfare.
Ah, yes. Just thinking about all of that has me hankering for September.
Of course, that doesn’t mean some game-day traditions in Athens couldn’t stand some tweaking.
The one that immediately comes to mind is tailgating, which has become an increasingly troubled proposition in recent years and stands to get even hairier, pardon the pun, this season with the severe limitations on when and how and with what fans can set up on the North Campus quads. It’s unfortunate, but the pig sty that fans were turning the campus into pretty much has quashed attempts to have a tailgating atmosphere along the lines of the Grove at Ole Miss. I’m not sure what the solution is there, but I have a feeling making folks pay to tailgate in the quads might be where we’re headed.
And as I noted last year, the problematic physical layout and very limited sight lines of the Dawg Walk in the Tate Center parking lot keep it from being a must for many fans. I realize the coaches probably wouldn’t be too thrilled about a lengthy walk for the team on its way to the stadium, but if there was a way to have the Dawg Walk wind through a more open area of the campus than that rather cramped parking lot, I’m sure many more fans would enjoy the chance to see the players up close before a game.
Got any ideas along those lines or concerning improving tailgating? Or are there any other game-day traditions you think could be improved? Anything new you’d like to see established as a tradition in Athens? Is there something you’d like the Redcoats to add to their game routine? Feel free to share your ideas. …
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282 comments Add your comment
savannadawg
May 26th, 2010
11:02 pm
1. The dang band needs to get alot more fired up. It’s like they are tired of playing the same old stuff. 2. Lets hope someone with music and lyrical talent can get us a new song soon, that will just be special for this year. And then hopfully we can get a contest going for a new song each year following. 3. It’s impossible, but I wish the tradition of the tracks were back and the football team entered the stadium in front of all those crazies. 4. The Munson thing is in the past. I loved Larry but he chose too retire. We have to find someone else to call the games.
Michael Adams
May 26th, 2010
11:34 pm
You could just give me all of your money directly.
G8TR
May 27th, 2010
12:19 am
Mike T. says “We have won 47 times. Gators only won 39 times.” You’re right. At the current rate, it will take the Gators eight more years to even this series. Please Keep Coach Richt as long as possible.
Jackson
May 27th, 2010
12:24 am
I like talking about a better transistion into the 4th quarter. Lots of ideas but I think AC/DC’s thunderstruck would get my vote by playing just the intro, have the cheerleaders lead screaming thunder and when the jam comes you might get a reaction. Having said that, tradition doesn’t come from fans and alumni, it comes from the students. If they are not behind the newest idea it will fizzle… I mean, I really wonder why some fans even come to the game sometime….
RED DOG 77
May 27th, 2010
1:34 am
UGA Traditions to start now! #1 Take Tim Tebow’s picture down ! #2 Recruit and sign all top Georgia prospects ! # 3 Fire Michael Adams ! #3 Beat the living dog crap out of Florida ! #4 Win the SEC East, the SEC, and the National Championship ! #5 Move all the old “blue bloods, like me to the end-zones, and fill the stadium with high energy young folks ! #6 Did I mention taking down Tim Tebow’s picture, and firing Michael Adams ?
hugedawgfan
May 27th, 2010
1:41 am
Virginia Tech’s entrance in Blacksburg is by far the best. Not a Hokie at all but it fired me up. Don’t need to copy them but maybe get a similar song and have the entire team swarm in. Would get my heart pumping.
U R Right
May 27th, 2010
3:04 am
Really, playing DIXIE and waving the Rebel Flag? Poll the players first.
Dawg Daily 27May: Leather Helmet Blog
May 27th, 2010
4:04 am
[...] Improve game day in Athens? No penalties, butt-kicking D, merciless O-line blocking: The one that immediately comes to mind is tailgating, which has become an increasingly troubled proposition in recent years and stands to get even hairier, pardon the pun, this season with the severe limitations on when and how and with what fans can set up on the North Campus quads. It's unfortunate, but the pig sty that fans were turning the campus into pretty much has quashed attempts to have a tailgating atmosphere along the lines of the Grove at Ole Miss. I'm not sure what the solution is there, but I have a feeling making folks pay to tailgate in the quads might be where we're headed. [...]
Dallasdawg
May 27th, 2010
4:23 am
Listen to ohio state`s hang on snuppy hang on ! then convert this to hang on UGA hang on! for the 3 and 4th quarter with band playing and crowd singing !!
BuLLdawg
May 27th, 2010
5:06 am
AltamahaDawg
May 26th, 2010 7:21 pm
“No, we “all” don’t Boo. Only the classless few.”
.
.
Yes, we all did. There was not anyone who did not boo the play calls. On this blog right here, we all came in here afterward and discussed it.
You are so out of it that former players and former coaches are not allowed to speak up that we really aren’t happy being 10-10 over the last 4 years in a row now against just SEC East opponents and especially not happy that HALF of those losses, 5, are to SEC East teams not even ranked in the Top 25 Final AP Poll.
When the entire Sanford Stadium crowd ALL boo the play calls, that is what needs to get fixed; and, by the way it is NOT fixed by the head coach trying to do their jobs and his too. It is fixed by admitting that our offensive coaching staff sucks – especially the FAVORITES played on offense and the play calls.
We have LOST to 8 of 11 Top 10 Final AP Poll teams we have played in Coach Richt Era
We have LOST to 8 more teams not ranked in the Top 25 Final AP Poll in Coach Richt Era
What is wrong is not that someone says that is B.S.
What is wrong is making excuses for it, accepting it, and denying former players to speak out on it too.
76-Dawg
May 27th, 2010
6:20 am
Enter your comments here
old gold
May 27th, 2010
6:42 am
……….Nesbitt for Heisman……….
bo
May 27th, 2010
7:02 am
I don’t give a crap about the band palying Dixie or any other so called southern tradition that caught on in the 1950’s. if you want pure red neck, go to Ga Southern or somethng
Georgiadawg70
May 27th, 2010
7:11 am
Thirty percent of the people who tailgate don’t go to the game. They just make like miserabel for those of use who do and pay dearly to do so. Get rid of these dead beats and they will be more room for everyone else.
barneyb
May 27th, 2010
7:13 am
Word to savannadawg:
The Redcoats work their A$$es off for about 10 straight hours on game day! They give it their all the entire time, which not one of us can honestly say we do. So go suck an egg. You have no idea what your are talking about! As a past Redcoat with a present Redcoat child, I know of which I speak! You are an idiot!
ugaalum81
May 27th, 2010
7:14 am
What is it with savannadawg? What a moron…..to say anything about the Redcoats not working hard is just ignorant!
savannadawg is just stuck on stupid….
Georgiadawg70
May 27th, 2010
7:16 am
Barney, I agree with you, there are times when the Band works harder than they team. Go Redcoats. Whenever I see a band member after the game I always tell them how much I enjoyed the music. Everyone should.
Wallis the dog
May 27th, 2010
7:22 am
1. We never have enough trashcans. No wonder you see trash scattered about–there’s no place to put it.
2. Play Dixie. Fire Adams.
boohoo
May 27th, 2010
7:24 am
I know, Lets rid uga of football altogether since uga is not known to be a football school and stick too its primary sports such as Gymnastics , Tennis, Golf. As hard as this might be for some of you to accept, it really would be the best thing for uga. Then maybe cmr can go back to the state of FL AND BE SUCCESSFUL and win championships, ten yrs two sec chmps only, come on guys plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Still PATHETIC BANDWAGON FANS THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE.
Georgiadawg70
May 27th, 2010
7:26 am
We have enough cans, the problem is we have too much trash. If you know what I mean. If we tried to play Dixie the democrats would pass a lay denying all federal funding to any school that does so.
boohoo
May 27th, 2010
7:30 am
HEY WALLIS , how bout dump all the trash between the beloved hedges in sanford stadium, its all the same anyway
King Gator
May 27th, 2010
7:34 am
No changes necessary, we like the way it is right now. 17-3 – Go Gators!
Georgiadawg70
May 27th, 2010
7:35 am
Boo, go back to Auburn where you can eat all the chitlins and dip all the snuff you want and leave us alone
Georgiadawg70
May 27th, 2010
7:37 am
And King Gator, go back to Florida so you can be with all the New Yokers and foreigners and half breeds that have taken over the state and leave us alone.
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
May 27th, 2010
7:48 am
41-17.
King Gator
May 27th, 2010
7:49 am
How surprising, Georgiadawg70 wants to hear dixie and is a racist loser… not the typical Dawg fan, but close enough. Go Gators!
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
May 27th, 2010
7:53 am
Don’t forget the great Athens game day tradition–what? 4 tons of trash left on the ground? Class.
DL
May 27th, 2010
8:10 am
It funny that all of the UGA fans want to change the intro to the 4th quarter, since that’s the time most of them are leaving.
PDawg
May 27th, 2010
8:11 am
Just read every entry here and I would say we have a lot of problems!
AltamahaDawg
May 27th, 2010
8:15 am
I realize that your proudest 2 moments being a Georgia fan involved you booing somebody. You damn sure brag about it enough. That’s fine. I don’t that that really surprises anybody in here. But an awful lot of people are smart enough to realize that Booing is about as good of a plan to actually cause some cource of action to change as whinning in a sport blog. It’s all just self gratifying BS. I was at that game and NO, 90K fans did not boo. You LIE. Some of us appreciate the effort from our players and realize that since THEY are the ones standing on the field at the time, Booing might not be the smartest thing to do. “oh players, its not you, don’t worry. You guys just keep up the good work and let our booing your coaches provide additional motivation to defeat the opponents”………..yea that’ll work. Forget about how ill-mannered it is, its just so obviously counter-productive. I’m sure at haltime the player were all rallying around that. “lets go get after it, and dedicate this next half to those brave fans out there, who arent afraid to act like immature yokels for the good of the program!”
And it was just booing “the call”? really? As if somehow the coaches will retro-actively change how they saw that set of circumstances? Uh-huh.
Boo somebody and brag about how that makes you a real man of action…..brilliant!
savannadawg
May 27th, 2010
8:25 am
“Lose Yourself” entrance by Eminem.
savannadawg
May 27th, 2010
8:25 am
Enter your comments here
James T. Kirk
May 27th, 2010
8:27 am
It can be improved by moving it to a classy, real city. But then again, the mutt fans don’t want to drive an hour into town just to watch their puppies lose as usual
those games meant nothing to tech
May 27th, 2010
8:35 am
the real question is……..Will Teck give their football players brand new Batons for their next year’s spring game….thats the rumor at Bobby Dodd field
duh
May 27th, 2010
8:41 am
Just win stupid!
Gen Neyland
May 27th, 2010
8:42 am
AltDawg : WARNING. You’ve been drawn into the BuLLdawg vortex. Trying to make sense with the senseless reminds me of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Never have I read someone whose basis for an arguement begins and ends with any one year’s AP Final Poll. I mean, he goes from justifying booing to AP Polls. Ahh, the Logic of One…or what am I missing..?
How2fish
May 27th, 2010
8:54 am
James T. Kirk your not old enough little man to remember when UGA lost consistently to the Bugs…now cower in your dorm room quietly you don’t want to give yourself away to the bad men lurking about..be safe my friend! And we should work playing “Georgia” into game day somehow its not the state song for nothing!
U R Right
May 27th, 2010
8:55 am
Ok here is a compromise. You guys can play Dixie, if we also play a song call Kill Whitie. Just to even it out. I mean if we are going to forget plolitical coorectness we might as well be fair about it.
AltamahaDawg
May 27th, 2010
8:57 am
Not to mention the complete jibberish about some former player.
Although I have to admit that I am considering BOOING my kid’s class at the graduation, because I want to send a clear message to the assistant principal that I think a homework assigment from one of thier teachers, the day before spring break last year, wasn’t challanging enough.
AltamahaDawg
May 27th, 2010
8:59 am
is there a song called “whitie pays my bills”?
U R Right
May 27th, 2010
9:08 am
Is there a song called respecting other people’s feelings and not playing or requesting a song that obviously has a different connotation to the majority of the athletes that you are there to “support”. No matter what it may mean to you.
It’s like when you get into an argument with your wife, you may not agree or understand why she is upset but ultimately because she is upset you back down.
Michael Adams
May 27th, 2010
9:19 am
Game Day in Athens will be much improved by my latest requirement concerning the new tailgating rules for the 2010 football season. No grills, No coolers, No tents, No TV’s, No yelling, No Screaming. Pack it in; pack it out with: http://www.collegelunchboxes.com/
CONFEDERATE DAWG
May 27th, 2010
9:19 am
ME TOO BOB, MORE DIXIE!
AND BEAT THE GAYTORS
CONFEDERATE DAWG
May 27th, 2010
9:22 am
U R RIGHT? KEEP IN MIND DIXIE WAS WRITTEN BY A BLACK PERSON WHILE IN NEW YORK. IS WAVING THE AMERICAN FLAG OK? B/C THEY HAD SLAVES LONGER THAN THE SOUTH EVER DID. DONT BE AFRAID TO LEARN A LILL OUTSIDE THE HISTORY CHANNEL.
ONELOVE GA
NC Dawg
May 27th, 2010
9:28 am
one thing that would be great to do, but probably impossible to accomplish is more and better parking.
DoubleDownDawgFan
May 27th, 2010
9:30 am
Does the band know any David Allen Coe songs?
AltamahaDawg
May 27th, 2010
9:33 am
Oh, I thought we were playing a game. Was that too much, I did I take it too far? My bad.
Realistic Dawg
May 27th, 2010
9:33 am
They could increase the tailgating experience by not sucking so much.
CONFEDERATE DAWG
May 27th, 2010
9:40 am
ITS FUNNY EVERYONE IS SO QUICK TO PROTEST OR YAP ABOUT FREE SPEECH BUT A FLAG IS SUCH AN ISSUE. THE FLAG OPPOSED THE YANKEES. IF THE KKK AND NAACP WANA MAKE IT SOMETHING ELSE THEN THATS THEM. IM SURE YOU HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY READ THE LYRICS OF DIXIE BUT IN NO WAY DOES IT TALK ABOUT KILLIN ANYONE OR ALLUDE TO KILLIN ANYONE. BEING ANTI WHITE OR PRO BLACK IS BEING RASCIST. I SUPPORT THE SOUTH! STOP HANGIN SLAVERY AND HATE ON THE SOUTH AND SKIPPIN OVER YANKS THAT BROUGHT EM HERE TO SELL AND AFRICANS THAT SOLD EM TO YANKS.
AltamahaDawg
May 27th, 2010
9:42 am
……and my wife is articulate enough to explain why she is upset, and I am man enough to agree or disagree, and humble enough to admit if I was wrong. That one time.
Although its also possible that she can be upset and its not a matter of who is right or wrong. Sometimes we both are right. She just didn’t like it. Or that the real reason that she upset had nothing actually to do with me. Kind of like the case with a song called “Dixie”.