ATHENS – Help is on the way for Georgia’s beleaguered football team.
New mascot Uga VIII is scheduled to make his long-awaited debut at the Oct. 16 homecoming game against Vanderbilt in Sanford Stadium, Sonny Seiler told the AJC today. Seiler, of Savannah, owns the line of white English bulldogs that have served as Georgia’s mascot since 1956.
Seiler said the plan is to hold a “collaring” ceremony for Uga VIII before kickoff of the Vanderbilt game. He said UGA President Michael Adams, athletic director Greg McGarity, Seiler family members and interim mascot “Russ” will participate in the ceremony.
Seiler said he could not provide details about Uga VIII until next week, when he said the university will issue a news release and distribute a photograph. The photo will be taken in Savannah later this week, he said.
Seiler did offer a couple of hints today, saying Uga VIII is a “big” dog and a direct descendant of Uga VI.
Seiler previously had said there were several candidates to be Uga VIII but that all were too young to assume the role at the start of the season.
Uga VII died unexpectedly on Nov. 19, 2009, of heart-related causes.
Russ, UGA VII’s 5-year-old half-brother, has been serving as fill-in mascot while the Seiler family identified and readied the next Uga. Russ was said to be too old to be considered for the role of Uga VIII.
Georgia has a record of 3-4 with Russ as its mascot — 2-0 at the end of last season and 1-4 so far this season.
230 comments Add your comment
The Temporary Mascot formerly known as Russ
October 5th, 2010
6:45 pm
I hope the cheerleaders will adopt me and let me stay with them on the sidelines. If they want to stand over me and do their cheers I am okay with that. He He.
Nacho Daddy
October 5th, 2010
6:48 pm
…make the dog the O.C. ( one bark for pass , two for run )
Still@theBAR
October 5th, 2010
6:53 pm
Russ you are a Dirty lil dawg ain’t you? Do you need a spanking? I think the Gym Dawgs would love to have you as a Mascot. Now those girls are CHAMPIONS in the REAL. Plus thay have cute butts in leotards.
Still@theBAR
October 5th, 2010
6:54 pm
Nacho
Make him the DC too. Pee if Blitz and Poop if cover 2.
Gordon
October 5th, 2010
7:04 pm
I will miss the posts of “Russ, the Temporary Mascot”. Consistently entertaining. Well done, sir (or madam).
Still@theBAR
October 5th, 2010
7:10 pm
I just read a post that says RICHT is on his 3rd Uga and 1 Russ. PETA better look in to Richt. He is killing Ugas almost as fast as he is losing SEC games.
Bullocks
October 5th, 2010
7:52 pm
Sanjeev:
Thank you.
I now know what I am. An English bulldog!
Ron Mexico
October 5th, 2010
8:06 pm
I can’t believe a writer was paid to cover a story on this.
Still@theBAR
October 5th, 2010
8:09 pm
Ron Mexico do you want him to cover your Dog killing and VD peoblems? Well Ron you are hurt and on the sidelines. I guess you are getting old and can’t be what you oncer were.
RollTide
October 5th, 2010
8:26 pm
I guess a new mascot will give them something to cheer about. That and a new coach seem to be all they want for Christmas!!! LOL
Wreckmaniac
October 5th, 2010
8:59 pm
All dawg players and coaches should have to stick their noses in the new UGA’s _________ !
bill
October 5th, 2010
9:13 pm
If only he could play offensive tackle…
KimZ'sPackage
October 5th, 2010
9:29 pm
He (UGA VIII) is so fat and low to the ground that he could trip the other teams D players better than the current Dawg linemen can block them.
BAMA FAN #2
October 5th, 2010
9:46 pm
As Donald Trump said RUSS YOU ARE FIRED!!!
superDawg
October 5th, 2010
9:53 pm
5150poaj RUSS is 1-0 over tek.
superDawg
October 5th, 2010
9:54 pm
Wreck they should rub his nuts.
Bama Jack
October 5th, 2010
10:07 pm
I think I speak for the entire world of college sports when I say…
lol.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 5th, 2010
10:08 pm
Enter your comments hereSome interesting numbers. Notice that the ACC school %numbers compare in African students but the ACC schools numbers drop in the White students. That means most ACC school accept more MINORITIES than SEC schools. WOW that was not what I would have ever thought.
Diversity—————-black%——————–white%————————-
VT 4 72
Ark 5 82
BC 6 65
UGA 6 81
UK 6 86
GT 7 66
WF 7 82
Clemson 8 81
Miami 8 44
UVa 8 63
NCSU 9 78
Auburn 9 85
UT 9 84
Vandy 9 63
Duke 10 55
UF 10 64
LSU 10 79
FSU 11 72
UNC 11 71
Bama 12 82
Maryland 13 57
USC 13 71
Miss 14 79
Miss St 14 79
Vandy and Florida need to be in the ACC and Clemson and Va Tech need to be in the SEC.
Pitbull
October 5th, 2010
10:14 pm
Yes. I agree! The curse is lifted! The new UGA will be one of the best EVER! The dawgs of old will return. A mean nasty bunch of Ga redneck farm boys. They chew tobacco and spit FIRE! Whomever dares walk on the field against them will tremble at their approach!
McLovin
October 5th, 2010
10:24 pm
Can we all move on from what has been accomplished in the past-this is a job about what have u done lately. Past records are just that-past records. Everyome wants to throw out Richts record at UGA. If he keeps losing, that record will not look as appealing as it once was. All want to know, what is Richt going to do about the play calling, lack of discipline, and the D. He waited too long to rid us of WM so what makes you think he will be Johnny on the spot to try and correct these things. No way should a program regress this much ten years into a tenure as Richt’s. What makes you think he can fix it anyway?
South Ga Girl
October 5th, 2010
10:29 pm
I will miss Russ, the Temporary Mascot. Please keep blogging with your new name. You are by far the best poster on these pitiful ajc blogs.
Bulldawg Richie
October 5th, 2010
10:40 pm
That’s been the problem all along. UGA needed a permanent mascote instead of a fill-in. Our luck will change with UGA VII.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 5th, 2010
10:46 pm
YES, the MASCOT is the PROBLEM and the Athens Cops, and LAWS, and Leeburn selling the Devils juice all over Athans, and the fact most UGA fans never went to UGA, and the Fake Bolnde die is frying all the UGA girls brains, and and and and and and and. I forgot BOBO SUCKS.
Stacy Searles
October 5th, 2010
10:47 pm
Russ – I know you have eligibility — can you sustain a block for 2 or more seconds…Can you at least stand in the way of a defender…You’re hired!
I can get anyone to whiff a block, right Davis?
chickenman
October 5th, 2010
11:16 pm
yaa!! Gooo DawgS SIC EM
Mudcatjoe
October 5th, 2010
11:30 pm
Hilarious!! Dawgs are trying to give tickets away to lure fans to the games!! Gonna be a lot of orange in the stands Saturday.
georgiagirl
October 6th, 2010
1:12 am
Everyday all the back stabbing fans, that once love the coach and team now put a knife in their back. Still a fan no matter what GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Y’ALL ARE JUST SICKEN
georgiagirl
October 6th, 2010
1:14 am
This fan along with a lot of others would love those tickets everyone of the bandwagon fans are giving away. So there will still be a lot of red and black in the stands.
georgiagirl
October 6th, 2010
1:19 am
5150 P.O.A.D The Nut House is right sown the road from Macon, Ga I am sure they will take you and give some much need help. Because you are just a FOOL AND NUT CASE.
georgiagirl
October 6th, 2010
1:23 am
And ROLLTIDE until the past two years your a@@es where in the same position Georgia is in now so shut up you had your bad years and they may come again because the Bear his not replaceable.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 6th, 2010
1:27 am
TY georgiagirl but they sent me home with some good meds and called it a done deal. I guess that is the new Obama Care for you.
georgiagirl
October 6th, 2010
1:30 am
Yea your are a done deal.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 6th, 2010
1:35 am
GAgirl do you remember all the boys that you SPENT drunk Time with at UGA? You were calle the REAL DONE DEAL by the Phi Kaps if I remember. I was drunk too.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 6th, 2010
1:36 am
Enjoy the game and be safe. on the roads.
BoWeevil
October 6th, 2010
3:50 am
Let’s hand him the ball in the game next week, then. He cannot possibly be too young to not be able to run the football better than anyone on this team.
BoWeevil
October 6th, 2010
3:52 am
Meanwhile, over on the flats, Georgia tek has found a replacement YELLOW jacket for the one who got SQUASHED 30-24.
UGA Friend
October 6th, 2010
5:46 am
Russ…..I love doggies like you and will miss you because you took over when times were not so good and did not quit on this team. Its a shame that your were fired. The powers that be will feel badly when they realize what a mistake they have made. Good Luck to UGA VIII ….he/she will need it.
Uga VIII to be announced prior to Vanderbilt Game
October 6th, 2010
7:01 am
[...] prior to Georgia’s homecoming game against Vanderbilt on Saturday, October 16, 2010, the AJC has [...]
Dogs Smell
October 6th, 2010
7:06 am
Why Not just change the mascot to the Georgia kitties? As we all know they tend to cry louder when in a fight and always end up running with their tail between their legs. Everytime they crap the field they try like crazy to cover it up but the stinch never goes away. If they could talk they would tell you how a great and powerful cat their great great great grand kitty was. At kick of the fans can just Meow because we all know the fans are just a bunch of kitties anyway !
Anyone have anything to add?
yogi2
October 6th, 2010
7:22 am
Rumor has it that Russ ate Roach Richt’s Red panties
yogi2
October 6th, 2010
7:24 am
I thought Georgia had a new mascot, BOZO ( Bobo) the clown
No Offense....
October 6th, 2010
8:15 am
Keep the defibrillator handy, cause I have heard this one is fatter and more inbread than any of the others.
King Gator
October 6th, 2010
8:19 am
here’s to hoping UGA VII doesn’t become UGA 1-7 …. go Gators!
JaxGator
October 6th, 2010
8:23 am
I am really going to miss “Russ, The Temporary Mascot”. Russ is the first person (dog) to come out of Athens with a great sense of humor, wit, and intelligence since Lewis Grizzard. Russ, you have deserved much better than having to be the mascot for such a team of losers. Don’t ever feel that this horrible season was your fault; you didn’t insist on keeping Richt as the HC.
If you could take being painted green, I would love to have you at the swamp;
then you would have the class and respect that you deserve.
DawginLex
October 6th, 2010
8:26 am
you would put a pair of jorts on him and make him frow his hair long into a mullet. Real class there
DawginLex
October 6th, 2010
8:26 am
grow, not frow although frow does kinda fit………..
UGA the 8th I am
October 6th, 2010
8:34 am
Off with their heads those clowns in Athens…….
Dr. Phil
October 6th, 2010
9:11 am
Russ, I feel your pain. You are a victim of another Stalinesque purge, like all of those vice presidents, deans, coaches and well, athletic directors that disappeared overnight to be replaced by members of the GA Legislature and former Alabama bootleggers and bottled-water salesmen. Maybe you should consider an attorney for the psychological and emotional damage you suffered in the butt painting. You can’t help it if you are biracial and forced to “pass” as a white bulldog. Biracial is cool these days, but it seems that the University President is stuck in the 50’s in spite of his politically-correct posturing. I guess that you are the “sacrificial lamb” so to speak for the athletic department’s ineptitude. There is a downside here to your disappearing. Just ask a Cubbies’ fan.
UGAVII
October 6th, 2010
9:16 am
Hopefully he will join me soon here in the afterworld.
The pain of losing to Idaho State and Vanderbilt will probably push the poor pup over the edge.
No more mascots till things change, we can`t stand it anymore.
Berzerk8dawg
October 6th, 2010
9:18 am
Save Russ, Save the Cheerleader, Save our Season?