Dawg fans should take a moment to celebrate

Brother-in-law Steve Bryant welcomes Greg McGarity back home Friday as McGarity's sister Peggy looks on. (David Tulis / Associated Press)

There’s always plenty to worry about when you’re a Dawg fan.

The SEC wars lie ahead and Mark Richt’s 2010 Dawgs have a lot of potential, but also a lot of question marks. We saw early last season how the loss of a starter on the offensive line can get the running game out of sync, so we’re all crossing our fingers that Cordy Glenn’s bout of mono doesn’t leave a chink in that wall protecting young Aaron Murray and opening holes for Washaun Ealey and Caleb King.

Elsewhere in Athens, Mark Fox’s basketball team lost a signee this week who didn’t qualify academically, and while it’s not a major blow, it won’t help as Fox tries to live up to growing expectations for his second season in Athens.

And looking ahead, the baseball program is coming off its worst season in ages and David Perno is finding out just how quickly folks can forget about a trip to the College World Series final. Jay Clark already had the uneviable job of replacing a legend and the Gym Dogs didn’t make things any easier for him by missing out on the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years. Talk about pressure.

But before the new seasons get under way, let’s stop, take a deep breath, and relish all the good vibes that were emanating from the Georgia Center in Athens Friday as UGA celebrated the long-overdue homecoming of Greg McGarity.

It was one of those moments when you could almost feel the Bulldog Nation coalescing.

Heck, folks are even saying nice things about Michael Adams, and what a terrific job he did of handling the whole Damon Evans affair and the quick hiring of the obvious right man for the job, despite his ties to the old Vince Dooley days.

As longtime swim coach Jack Bauerle put it Friday, “I don’t think our Bulldog Nation has been this galvanized since 1980 since we won a football championship.”

Take it from Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan: “Georgia has made a fantastic hire.”

So let’s put off the worrying for a while and take time to celebrate UGA’s first big win of the 2010-2011 school year.

Speaking of which, I’ll be on vacation next week, and at least part of that time I’ll be back where Greg and I both grew up.

As he said in Athens Friday, ‘It is indeed great to be home.”

Go Dogs!

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