As he exits UGA, Adams should rename stadium for Dooley
Vince D. and Mike A., good buddies of long standing, share a hearty laugh. (AP photo)
Michael Adams is set to leave the University of Georgia in June 2013, which would mean he’ll have outlasted Vince Dooley by nine years. In the overheated summer of 2003, it wasn’t clear who would lose (or win, depending on your slant) the race to be last out the door.
At an institution of higher education, there was little edifying about their bitter struggle. Dooley, the athletic director, wanted to stay a little longer. Adams, who could never give a compelling reason as to why Georgia needed a new AD, wanted this one gone. Two smart and powerful men were reduced to bickering over half-years.
Dooley loyalists rallied, and such was their outrage that it seemed possible the president would be forced out before Dooley. But Adams managed to hold his job, mostly because he was, as a college president, delivering the goods. Dooley left quietly on June 30, 2004, to be succeeded by Damon Evans, and the bizarre saga reached its end.
Dooley lost his job but claimed overwhelming victory in the court of public opinion. He stamped himself as the wronged party, and when he gave the nod for his supporters to cool it — the 2003 summer convocation of the Bulldog Club of Greater Atlanta had been an embarrassment of pro-Vince overkill — he came away as statesmanlike. In the years since, Dooley has taken solace in having weakened his nemesis on campus and off. (If not for the memory of the Dooley feud, Adams might have received greater consideration to succeed Myles Brand as NCAA president.)
To say that the two men hated one another would not be overstating. Dooley considered Adams a meddler and a hothead, and Adams resented Dooley for trying to use a moment of presidential weakness — the AD asked for a contract extension not long after Adams had run off football coach Jim Donnan — as personal leverage. To suggest that either man has forgotten, much less forgiven, is a stretch.
Asked by colleague Chip Towers for a reaction to Adams’ announced departure, Dooley offered this beautifully meager kiss-off: “First of all, I commend President Adams on his retirement, his service and his contributions to the University of Georgia. I do believe it is time for a change and I look forward to the Bulldog Nation uniting under new leadership in the near future.”
Note that commendation for Adams’ “retirement” came two spots ahead of any note of his “contributions.” Note also that “time for a change” came in Sentence No. 2.
Dooley has always taken pains to note that Adams’ doctorate is in political communication, as if the only game the president had ever mastered was one that valued style over substance. But here’s where Dr. Adams can spring the ultimate bit of political jiu-jitsu: As a parting gift, he can name the football stadium after his adversary.
There were those of us who believed that should have happened a decade ago, but there was no way Adams would grant that favor at a time when Dooley’s forces were trying to get him fired. But now it’s 2012, and there could be no gesture more statesmanlike that this.
The school did affix Dooley’s name to the facilities on the southwest corner of campus in 2008, but that was thin gruel: It involved little more than transporting a statue someone had already made and holding a dedication ceremony on the morning Georgia played Tech. (Further indignity: Tech won the game.) Asked back then about naming the stadium for Dooley, Adams sniffed that the stadium “already has a name.”
But few Bulldogs fans would recoil at the notion of Sanford Stadium becoming Sanford-Dooley Stadium. (I’m of the opinion that “Dooley-Sanford Stadium” would sound funny. But maybe that’s just me.) It would be the right way to honor the greatest figure in the school’s athletic history, and it would be the right political move for a president who hasn’t always been seen as presidential.
Honoring his enemy would be a way for Adams to show that, this once if not always, he’s capable of being the bigger man. It would enhance Dooley’s legacy, but it would burnish Adams’ more. If this president left today, he’d be known as the guy who was right on academics but wrong in his handling of a popular AD. If he leaves after renaming the stadium for that AD, he’d become the guy who, in his final act, was wise enough to admit he’d gotten one big thing wrong.
That would, as even Dooley would be forced to admit, be one heck of an exit line.
By Mark Bradley
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529 comments Add your comment
Larry
May 4th, 2012
8:44 pm
OH, HELL NO! Dooley is a low class bum! Do not do this ridiculous thing. His ego may crave it; but he does not deserve it!
GoNow
May 4th, 2012
8:47 pm
adams hates dooley to the core–no way he will rename the stadium—leave that to the next president–hopefully, he will be an alum who supports the football team.
onion
May 4th, 2012
9:01 pm
Here’s what I don’t get. Dooley left the program in a downward spiral then hired Ray Goff who he refused to fire even as other programs in the east were rising to national prominence and it took GA 20 years to catch up. For that reason alone Dooley got what he deserved. Adams saw that fact as well. Dooley was more of the problem that a solution. Please people stop gawking over Dooley like he’s the 2nd coming. He was forced out for good reason. BTW I don’t agree with puttng his name anywhere near the stadium
Twin D
May 4th, 2012
10:13 pm
If Dooley is the standard by which you name a stadium, UGA needs to reassess their entire program. The guy won once…because of Herschel Walker. If that’s deserving of a stadium, Alabama needs to name the capital after Nick Saban and the state after Bear Bryant.
Rondo Slade
May 4th, 2012
10:27 pm
I am just glad Adams will be gone, soon. What a power hungry jerk! Some will argue that he made the University of Georgia an inrtitution that the State can be proud of. Others will say that he turned the University into an institution that most Georgia students cannot hope to win admission to. I think the second view is more correct. It is a shame when so many of Georgia’s most well-rounded students cannot even dream of attending the state’s best public university.
Joe 12-Pack
May 4th, 2012
10:37 pm
Let’s get real. Vince Dooley’s only real success came when Hershel Walker was in the lineup. Outside of those three years, Dooley was merely good – not great.
Without Herschel, there would’ve been no 1980 National Championship, no SEC championship from 1980 to 1982 and only 3 SEC championships in Vince’s 25 years.
If anything, name the stadium after Herschel.
I dropped my fried twinkie
May 4th, 2012
10:38 pm
Rondo Slade in what world do you think it has ever been the case that……. many of Georgia’s most well-rounded students could attend UGa or that UGa is the state’s best public university?
Used to be it was the Legacy children that got the first shot even over smarter students. UGA has always been the White Girls College of Georgia. HOPE has at least narrowed the Diversity gap some.
Dawgs88
May 4th, 2012
10:44 pm
Sanford-Dooley? Are you kidding me? The last thing this country needs is another stadium with a dumb name. Don’t get me wrong I’m a big fan of Vince Dooley, I’ve even met him several times. But the stadium needs to stay just Sanford Stadium. Had not been for Dr. Sanford. there would have been no place for Vince Dooley to coach the greatness that made him famous. Keep it Sanford Stadium only!!!
Dooley- Sanford Stadium
May 4th, 2012
10:48 pm
What a bunch of trolls. Dooley took a terrible Georgia program and turned it around. He had some pretty darned good years besides the HW era too. The AJC boards are populated by a bunch of jocksniffers from Alabama or Tech trolls who have to pretend to be someone else. Anybody else realize that Tech led the all time series before Dooley got here? Or how about his record against Florida?
Coastal Dog SSI
May 4th, 2012
10:48 pm
Dooley? You have to be kidding. Leave it Sanford Stadium. Give Vince a statue and put under it ‘three yards and a cloud of dust’.
ty
May 4th, 2012
11:15 pm
Ha! What would Dooley have been with out Erk and Herschel. The coach was Russell. He proved it by what he did at GA Southern. Nothing else can be said about the importance of Herschell. One national champion does not a stadium name change. He does not deserve the name on the stadium. He has a Statue.
athdog
May 4th, 2012
11:34 pm
Dooley won a nat’l title, nice. Six conference titles, nice. With any imagination, he would’ve won at least one more national title. I’m sorry, but coaching for a quarter century and winning six conference
crowns is ring of honor stuff, to be sure. Naming the stadium for him? Too much. Way too much.
Besides, let’s not minimize what Dr Sanford meant to the University.
superDawg
May 4th, 2012
11:48 pm
Vince Dooley deserves his place in UGA football history.I say build a concorse area entering the stadium under the bridge with a statue of Coach Dooley and call it the Dooley plaza.As far as the field goes call it Herschels play ground.NUFF SAID!
superDawg
May 4th, 2012
11:50 pm
and go DAWGS!!!
Snoop Dawg
May 4th, 2012
11:58 pm
This article is proof that Mark Bradley is either an idiot or an Auburn War Eagle.
WARTALONS
May 5th, 2012
12:13 am
GO AHEAD FOLKS. Name the field or the stadium after one of the better quarterbacks that AUBURN ever had. Why not. Auburn named their field after an ALL-SEC LINEMAN from UGA. WAR EAGLE-WOOF !! DOOLY- DYE grass anyone ????
Hines Word
May 5th, 2012
12:21 am
I say name the hedges after him since he is such an avid gardener.
Chris Rogers
May 5th, 2012
12:41 am
Mark . . . I’m a fellow Smyrnite and lifelong Dawg. The Stadium’s name is just fine. Love Vince as a great head coach and a better AD. He deserves an important statue, as does Herschel. Nothing else should change right now. Love that M Adams is out for good. No real contribution to UGA and very nice to never see him associated with the University again. He was in a very rising tide, and made many mistakes in managing a winning situation. He’ll be forgotten with a good hire.
Mister Pants
May 5th, 2012
12:48 am
Mr. Bradley,
If you really feel like patronizing your readers, why don’t you just call for the stadium to be named Sanford-Walker-Dooley-Dude in the Overalls with the Painted Head Stadium?
that is perfect
May 5th, 2012
12:49 am
naming their stadium the ‘CESSPOOL’ is out right genius.
fits cheating dooley to a G. what a t%rd he was and is.
why was he even on the same stage as roddy jones giving out a trophy for sportsmanship and achievement is beyond me.
how much did he pay for that honor?
that is perfect
May 5th, 2012
12:51 am
they could have a statue of vince giving herschel the reach around.
only question would be which herschel was he giving it too.
JimDawg
May 5th, 2012
1:03 am
If they’re going rename the stadium they should name it HERSCHEL WALKER STADIUM. He was responsible for it’s expansion and about 18% of Dooley’s wins. Dooley won 200 games in 25 years.
34 of them came when Herschel was there! If it hadn’t been for Herschel, Dooley would have been another Danny Ford.
bob
May 5th, 2012
1:49 am
Adams should just leave now, hes made the program languish for years now
get ur facts straight
May 5th, 2012
2:02 am
That’s an assinine suggestion from an ass reporter. Wally Butts made UGA football. Dooley only became nationally known because of Herschel.
I dropped my fried twinkie
May 5th, 2012
2:03 am
Put the name of a UGa coach that has Ba..z and won Championships on Sanford Stadium. Call it YOCULAN Stadium.
TrueDawg
May 5th, 2012
2:36 am
Do something more fitting! Find something that is draining UGA of millions and name it after Dooley! There was an article posted a few years ago about all that Dooley was and is getting from UGA. He should crawl back under a rock and take that crazy wife with him! I was hoping they would all move to Knoxville and never show their face in Athens again. He was an average coach at best and much less of a man. He should be embarassed it is being considered but we all know that won’t be the case!
guy
May 5th, 2012
3:19 am
Leave it as it is because Adams showed what he thought of Dooley and Dooley will always feel nothing for Adams anyway.Let’s move on to hopefully a brighter future.
32 Years and Counting
May 5th, 2012
4:05 am
Things of this nature is what makes UGA light years behind the Bama’s and LSU’s of the world. Dooley wins one title, ONE stinking title and now the stadium has to be renamed for him? I guess Auburn will rename their stadium after Gene Chizik in 2045.
This is crazy. This program is a joke, and I hope the new school president will have the balls to make UGA a winner.
There is absolutely NO REASON that LSU, BAMA or anyone else should be better than UGA in football. We have more funding, top notch facilities, better campus, and a state that has some of the best football talent in the nation every year. Bama or Louisiana doesn’t have near the talent Georgia has in football. We have too many resources on our side to not be as successful as these programs. We just need the right leadership. This program is a sleeping giant, but it will take the right person to turn things around.
wiliam briscoe
May 5th, 2012
5:32 am
Our stadium already has a name……leave it alone!!!!
Dawgvet
May 5th, 2012
6:23 am
Adams could also name on of the toilets in the stadium after Jim Donnan.
Just a thought
Let The Big Dawg Eat!
May 5th, 2012
7:11 am
Sic ‘em, Vince! Woof, woof, woof!
MaxK
May 5th, 2012
7:32 am
rename the university a more appropriate name: “The University of Football”
That’s all that matters in athens.
Dooley's Record
May 5th, 2012
7:35 am
Dooley’s legacy: national title talent at least 5-6 years
Result: 1 lucky title
No stadium naming required
Steve Lewis
May 5th, 2012
7:49 am
What about naming the press box for Larry Munson??? For gosh sakes, no one was a better face for the University than Munson. I am not even a Georgia fan but this is a no brainer in my opinion.
Atl Gamecock
May 5th, 2012
7:58 am
Mark does not believe all he writes – This is just another ploy to get you all stirred up and use the AJC social media outlets. But hey, a job well done at that! Meanwhile, South Carolina is waiting to take the EAST no matter what you name the stadium!!
GFJacket
May 5th, 2012
7:58 am
If you want to put a name on the stadium that really put UGA on the map of national prominence put Jan Kemp.
Rick
May 5th, 2012
8:00 am
That will never happen. Both Adams and Dooley are egotistical jerks. I was a member of the Rotary club with Dooley many years ago. He would not even respond to you if you spoke to him if you could not do anything for him. Just put the statue of him outside Sanford Stadium. That is enough.
FLA DAWG
May 5th, 2012
8:01 am
Great to read Bama fans have sunk to the lows of GT fans.
Snoopdawg
May 5th, 2012
8:04 am
Dooley already has more than he deserves: a house on LAke Burton. …but Unfortunately he has to share it with his caddy wife Barbara. I can’t figure out which of their overinflated heads is actually bigger.
Only thing for sure is that the reporter is in the Dooley payroll. AJC sports reporters don’t get paid much…
legionaire
May 5th, 2012
8:12 am
No to this idea. Dooley srewed over Erk Russell, who had stayed with UGA all those years being promised his time would come. We all know the outcome of the coach they replaced Dooley with. Also remember when Dooley wanted to run for Gov. and abandoned the program. No leave well enough alone.
aps
May 5th, 2012
8:12 am
Do what they do in Atlanta. Create a consultant group, listen to their suggestions, ignore them completely. Hence, The Maynard H. Jackson Jr./Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium.
FLA DAWG
May 5th, 2012
8:16 am
Dooley crushed ND into green dust in 1980.
Dooley owned Auburn, GT, SC, UF, UT.
Bama didn’t want anything to do with Dooley’s Dawgs.
Tommy
May 5th, 2012
8:21 am
Goodbye and good riddance to them both . Their silly, petty, egotistical feud has hurt UGA . Nothing should be named for either of them — they (and their spouses) just need to shut up and disappear–NOW, PLEASE!
Tommy
May 5th, 2012
8:32 am
One other thing, Dooley killed any chance for Erskine Russell to be Head Coach. Russell was a great man, a great coach and would have been terrific; all of his ex-players would agree.
Tom
May 5th, 2012
8:41 am
Leave it as Sanford Stadium.
Iceman
May 5th, 2012
8:44 am
No.
And that (name) Field at (name) Stadium is lame too.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
May 5th, 2012
8:44 am
JMO but the stadium issue is much about nothing as to the fact this president is going out the door. This could be a great thing for UGA if the BOT can make a solid hire. Alabama made some bad hires as president since the 80’s and that tends to melt over to the AD complex as well. The current president was a homerun for he understands academics is his cup of team but he knows successful sports programs bring good things to the campus as well! This could be huge with getting UGA. Best of luck for hiring the right mix. Please don’t hire some obnoxious and overbearing yankee.This country needs less Hivard and more Harley!
Peachtree John
May 5th, 2012
8:44 am
Adams has always had an ego the size of the State of Texas, and a personality the size of the state of Vermont. Brain? It’s hard to tell because his ego always gets in the way. And why should he be able to dictate any naming? Doesn’t he have a boss?
My suggestion: Name the garbage collection business after him. Better still: do as some Indian Tribes supposedly did when a warrior died in battle–delete his name from everything and never mention his name again.
LoyalDawg
May 5th, 2012
8:50 am
I agree with MB, but I would fear the events that would follow – pigs flying, hades would freeze over, locusts, plagues, democracy in Cuba, etc…………
Paddy
May 5th, 2012
9:13 am
Nebraska……..stay in your own yard. What you think about UGA football is meaningless!