No. 4 - Bulldawg Illustrated IV: UGA vs. Tennessee, 10/9/10

Win, Lose, Tie, or Polo?

No bow tie, and our Dawgs win. Coincidence? I guess it’s somewhat delusional to believe I have some degree of influence over the outcome of a football game… actually, it isn’t—this is the luxury of being a sports fan.

As you can see in the photo, I wore a polo for the game in lieu of my usual attire. My parents are moving from the lake to Ball Ground and needed help with packing—and wearing a tie was out of the question. I’m sure there are folks out there who think I’m nuts for wearing a bow tie to a college football game (especially those who reside north of the Mason-Dixon Line). Yes… it may be old-fashioned, conservative, or what have you… but it’s just who I am.

So here’s a little background on the guy who writes from the comfort of his couch while you cheer from an aluminum bench in Sanford (I would trade with you if I could). In between working as a stockbroker and a banker, I took a stab at being a haberdasher. I always wanted to work in the men’s clothing business, and as luck would have it, I was given an opportunity to do just that.

Working in the haberdashery business was a blast, but working at Miller Brothers Ltd.—for UGA grads who put a full bar in their shop—was even better. We watched just about every game in the shop, on a big leather couch in front of the fireplace, drinking Blanton’s from vintage Georgia glasses. And to top it off, Vince Dooley would occasionally stop by. For some, I’m sure it would be a little odd to watch a game in the company of men who look like they just stepped off an Ivy League campus circa early 1950s, but for me… well, let’s just say it was a good fit. Personally speaking, I think college football could use more tweed jackets, rep ties, and corduroys in the stands.

That being said, I might have to stick with the polo for the Vanderbilt game. One can’t argue with these statistics: Tie (1–4), Polo (1–0) — UNDEFEATED!

Now to the game. I love beating UT. I mean, I really love beating those guys. I work with a few Tennessee grads, and at the very least, I won’t have to listen to any nonsense from them for another 365 days. This is a big deal after losing to Lane Kiffin’s team last year.

I believe the P-44 to Haynes culminated in what was the biggest win over UT in two decades, but last weekend’s game is a close second. I understand both teams are not in the Top 25 and both are having a down year, but we played like a team when it mattered and literally killed Tennessee.

I’m hoping this was the shot in the arm we so desperately needed. I can’t see us losing to Vandy at home next weekend, so that should make us 3–4 before visiting UK. And I believe we’ll leave Lexington playing .500 ball… which leads to UF. Florida has the week off before we take them on… not good, but I think we have a chance.

The Gators haven’t lost two regular season games in a row since 1992—not counting the Zook era—both of which were to ranked teams (#14 Tennessee and #24 Mississippi State). There’s a chink in the armor… now Richt has a few weeks to figure out how to exploit it.

I’m getting ahead of myself… leave it to me and I’ll figure out a way we’ll be playing for the SEC Championship.

First things first—we have to beat Vandy at home.

I hope Sanford is packed and loud (lots of empty seats for a “sellout” UT game). I’ll be cheering from home, with Annabelle next to me, and keeping my fingers crossed for a Homecoming win!

But, bow tie or polo remains to be seen. The polo may be lucky, but I’m more of a bow tie kind of guy.

P.S. Annabelle learned how to do the Tomahawk Chop this weekend… one of those things a dad loves to see.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth in a periodic series of online journal entries from a suburban dad who, every weekend, longs to be in Athens—but more often than not ends up watching the game from home. He’s dressed in a red and black bow tie, bourbon in one hand, cigar in the other, seated beside his Auburn-grad wife and their daughter, who’s about to receive her first cheerleader uniform: half UGA, half AU, stitched right up the middle.