UGA season will start without a new Uga (UPDATED)
Georgia will open the football season with a new quarterback, a new defense — but no new Uga.
Sonny Seiler, owner of the English bulldogs that have served as Georgia’s mascot since 1956, has informed UGA President Michael Adams and athletics director Damon Evans that the next Uga won’t be ready for action by the start of the football season.
That means Russ, the 5-year-old half-brother of the late Uga VII, will continue to fill in as the Bulldogs’ mascot for the Sept. 4 opener and at least one or two more games, if not longer.
“We’ll be fine. Russ will do his job,” Evans said today. “We’re fortunate to have a family like the Seilers who take care of Uga and are always able to provide us with a good quality dog, and they will do so again this year.”
Seiler has identified several puppies — offpspring of the Uga VI line — as candidates to become Uga VIII, but none of them will be big enough by the start of the season. Puppies in a new litter due this month also might be considered.
“I think he wants to ease [the dog] into the season, like we do freshmen sometimes,” Adams said.
So, Russ’ reign will last a bit longer.
He took over after Uga VII died unexpectedly in November, serving as the Bulldogs’ mascot for an upset win at Georgia Tech and an Independence Bowl victory over Texas A&M. Seiler has said that Russ is too old to be considered for the position of Uga VIII; a younger dog is preferred to increase the chances of a long tenure.
The issue of the next Uga is no small matter in Bulldog Nation. In fact, Adams said with a laugh today, the UGA presidency is “one of the few gigs in the world where you’re always second place to a dog.”
Russ isn’t the first interim bulldog mascot in Georgia football history. The most famous was Otto, who filled in for four games in 1986 when his younger brother Uga IV was sidelined with a knee injury. Georgia went 3-1 with Otto as mascot. Uga IV and Otto then served as co-mascots as Georgia beat Georgia Tech in the 1986 regular-season finale.
Georgia opens the 2010 season at home against Louisiana-Lafayette, then has two difficult SEC games –- at South Carolina on Sept. 11 and vs. Arkansas in Athens on Sept. 18. You know that if the Bulldogs come through those games undefeated with Russ on the job, there will be a lot of barking from fans to keep him in place.
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134 comments Add your comment
Spank us Gators?
June 2nd, 2010
11:13 am
PETA-PEOPLE for the EATING of TASTY ANIMALS
The painter
June 2nd, 2010
11:14 am
Mr. Seiler has kindly kept me in business throughout this recession by buying up our entire supply of white spray paint.
Rocket City Jacket
June 2nd, 2010
11:14 am
To hell with uga!
BuLLdawg
June 2nd, 2010
11:19 am
Romedawg, please correct yourself. “upset win” never applies when we play Tech. We own them. Always have, always will
SEC links: League considering scrapping hoops divisions « MrSEC.com
June 2nd, 2010
11:22 am
[...] Georgia will start its season without a new Uga, reports Tim Tucker of the AJC. [...]
Don "Vito" Leeburn
June 2nd, 2010
11:45 am
Anyone who talks bad about UGA will sleep with the fishes.
cantondawg
June 2nd, 2010
12:23 pm
I’m really excited about this upcoming year. I think Grantham will do a great job on defense. I’m positive that our turnover ration will increase. I really like CSL and CWB also. I think our defense will be fundamentally sound and tackling will be much improved. In addition, i think we have the top receiving corp in the NCAA and the tandem of CK and WE should rank in the top 5 (Ingram and Richardson from AL are the top rb combo). I don’t know how you can look at the season and not be excited. Florida is down and we should have a real shot at beating them this year.
Vick=Dog killing thug
June 2nd, 2010
12:24 pm
UGA has to be the most beloved mascot in the land. I’m happy with Russ until the new UGA is old enough.
D Fence
June 2nd, 2010
12:27 pm
I hear Tech’s gonna start the season with a real live bee hive, honey and all. Just maybe then they will actually fill up their stadium with such circus acts.
Dawg Trainer
June 2nd, 2010
12:37 pm
“UGA has to be the most beloved mascot in the land. I’m happy with Russ until the new UGA is old enough.”
And Smokey will train Russ just like he trained UGA VI and UGA VII. Savannah ain’t too far of a drive…the Dawg Trainer will be glad to train that entire litter to tap dance to Rocky Top!
AltamahaDawg
June 2nd, 2010
12:46 pm
Yea, my doctor could have told him that 3 years ago. It took all this time to come up with this diagnosis? (or come up with this story, more likely).
how2fish
June 2nd, 2010
1:04 pm
Dawg Trainer best get to work keeping your players out of 7-11 ’s in the middle of the night..and you know why UGA is more beloved as a mascot than Smokey….cause he’s a Bull Dog !
Hunkerdown
June 2nd, 2010
2:14 pm
Nice resume Russ, beat those pesky bee’s. Russ for President!
From 11-3 to 14-0
June 2nd, 2010
3:18 pm
——————————
NESBITT for HEISMAN
——————————
DrewDawg
June 2nd, 2010
4:02 pm
Russ is Uga VIII! He had the two biggest wins of the season for UGA! @Tech and vs TAMU
Truth
June 2nd, 2010
5:17 pm
Who cares? The inbread ‘mascot’ for a meaningless team that cannot win its division and heads to Shreveport – really – who cares?
Vdawg
June 2nd, 2010
5:24 pm
Undisputed and Undefeated Champion- Russ!! Long live Russ!!
Vdawg
June 2nd, 2010
5:27 pm
Maybe.. the new UGA can learn how to ride a skateboard and lead the football team out to the field.
Diggity Dawg
June 2nd, 2010
6:46 pm
Don’t look now, Techmites, but starting this year, the Independence Bowl will match the third selection from the Mountain West Conference and the seventh selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Have fun, and make sure to go to the Superior Grill and Herbie K’s. (Real recommendations — every now and then you have to throw the Jackets a bone.)
Lisa
June 2nd, 2010
8:18 pm
I called peta on a man when he was found (later by the court) to have been intentionally starving his 15 year old bloodhound to death,who weighed by that time,35 lbs. The local law would do nothing to help this dog,tied out 24/7,dying,PETA stepped in and saved him.They intervine in alot of cruelty cases.They also work hard to make sure filthy factory slaughterhouses are held accountable AND CLEANED to protect your families health.They are the reason diseased animals can’t be put on your dinner table.As a meat eater and dog lover,I can appreciate them.Do some research before you TRY to sound cool bashing them.
PETA means People Eating Tasty Animals
June 2nd, 2010
8:55 pm
PETA……GFYS…..Hows that for using abbreviations?
PETA means People Eating Tasty Animals
June 2nd, 2010
8:56 pm
Lisa…..You can KMA, too.
gafan
June 2nd, 2010
9:22 pm
Lisa I appreciate your comments about PETA. There is always a middle ground even though everyone seems to prefer to be extremist about calling others extremist. Glad to hear about that dog being helped!
A third Georgia basketball player transferring | UGA sports blog
June 2nd, 2010
9:58 pm
[...] “We’ll be fine. Russ will do his job.” [...]
Bobby
June 2nd, 2010
10:05 pm
I just wanted to jump in here – it is almost impossible that UGA will wind up in Shreveport this coming year. Why, you ask? Because the game is no longer between SEC and Big 12 schools. For the next 4 years, it will be between ACC and Mountain West schools.
Which means, Tech fans, go ahead and book your tickets to Shreveport this year…At least it ain’t Boise!
DawginOH
June 2nd, 2010
10:12 pm
Sic ‘em, Russ! 2-0 and counting!
Big L
June 2nd, 2010
10:47 pm
Peta has planted bombs and resorted to violence to protest animal cruelty. Tjey are a pain to those who try to help animals. I hope they have better things to do than complain about a pampered dawg.
Matt the Brave
June 2nd, 2010
11:05 pm
Hey PETA, this ’stupid redneck’ has a master’s degree. Do you not realize that these dogs have a better life than you do? We used to take our pets to the same vet that takes care of the Uga’s. They have the top care, basically have nothing to do other than play and go to the games, and are loved universally (except apparently by you). I guess it must be nice to be able to care about something so seriously that you cannot see past the end of your nose.
GoldenDawg
June 3rd, 2010
2:16 am
gdawginkalamazoo I thought is was from pleasing Tebow?
Florida Dawg
June 3rd, 2010
7:34 am
I’m more concerned about the TEAM showing up in Jacksonville and beating Florida.
Uga or no Uga…Florida should be the focus.
gwadgib
June 3rd, 2010
7:54 am
Too bad Mike Adams thinks he is second place. I could think of a lot at UGA than I find more favor in.
kathy Travis
June 4th, 2010
2:52 am
Russ sure has my support–he BEAT TECH!! Go DAWGS!!
ugaexpert
June 4th, 2010
11:25 am
PETA if any one abuse’s dog’s it’s your and your low down sorry college
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July 26th, 2010
11:18 pm
[...] 14. Wondering when Georgia will bring out the new Uga? [...]