the Friday Misery once wore orange

 "I want to coach a team that opponents don't look forward to playing." - Danny Ford, Clempson head side line roamer 1978-1989

I understand the sentiment Coach Ford. But feel the opposite about Georgia vs Clemson. And I think Coach Smart feels the same as I do. Maybe Dabo too.

A tail as old as time

Long time readers may recall, I both grew up in Athens and am the product of a Clemson Tiger household. Yes, those two things can indeed both be true! Dear ol' dad took me to 100% more games at Lake Hartwell's version of Death Valley than he did at Sanford Stadium. I both had an orange windbreaker as a kid AND remember listening to Munson on the radio calling Georgia games while I raked leaves in the backyard.

Talk about a conflicted upbringing!

"Coach, that boy Herschel is gonna be a problem for us isn't he?"

And yet it all worked out in the end. Dad went on to get his doctorate from an actual school, UGA, and Georgia continued this rivalry by flat out dominating! Also, I ditched the orange windbreaker for a gray Member's Only jacket in middle school and started doing impressions of Michael Jackson on the side.

The '80s! What a time!

The point I'm failing to get to is...I love this game! My greatest prediction in this series came when I was walking into Sanford in 2002, called the folks on my flip phone, and predicted a 31-28 Georgia win. Thank you Billy Bennett! 

Speaking of Sanford, this game was the first one under lights 'tween the hedges. Forty two years ago ABC moved the game to Labor Day night, gave Vince Dooley $50k for temporary lights, which he parlayed into $250k for permanent ones. Dawgs won 13-7. And then won every other game until we lost to Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. Meanwhile, Clempson went undefeated, but got caught giving recruits extra cow patties and had to forgo a bowl game.

To be honest, it's not much of a rivalry, as Georgia leads the series 43-18-4. But they've played some epic games. And two of which I was sitting beside my IPTAY father in Death Valley. We watched that 2003 team dominate with Pollack, Greene, and Fab Fly Freddie Gibson. And we watched that 2013 team come so close in a 38-35 Clemson win. 

Picture that Dad's colleagues hung at his desk

Saturday it's time to Hunker Down and grab that kitty by the tail, again!

Pro-NUN-see-a-shuns

As we begin another college tackle football season, I again begin to appreciate how we can both hate a team, yet respect their pride in said team. In our family text threads, the perfect Fall Saturday is when Georgia wins, Clemson wins, and South Carolina loses. We can't stand the Gamecocks, but Lord A'mighty they HATE them.

And then there's little things too. Years ago, Dad and I had a nice Sunday at Augusta National (watching, not playing). We're walking out the gate and I pointed at Mike Tirico, who naturally was there to cover the little tournament they had going on. Dad had a long look of disgust, to which I asked why he didn't like the dude.

Turns out, Tirico pronounces "Clemson" in a way that is considered somewhere between a gross error and downright idiocy. He emphasizes the "s" as more of a "ZZZZ" if I recall correctly. Which is why I often type "Clemson" with a "p", because that's what I've heard since childhood.

Come on Tirico! How are you gonna make it in that business if you can't connect to a rural upstate South Carolina farming population. Jeesh.

Other adventures in pronunciations. en-dor As in Georgia fans enjoy indoor plumbing, now going on more than a century! Or how about, klown. Because our coach isn't named after one. And tra-dish-shuns. They touch a rock.

And we create HA-VOK! Go Dawgs!

Chubb didn't need a helmet in 2014

Quick housekeeping notes

Stapleton's White Horse will forever be my go to tune before a game. It was playing at our tailgate before we marched into the WLOCP last year...I lost my voice. Thanks to our youngest for the reminder!

And here's a link to the first episode of our podcast - 4th & 3 Dudes - in which Nama does his best to put a tent over a circus. 

In closing

I understand what Farmer Ford meant when he gave us that quote about the kind of team he wanted to build. But there's a real, tangible difference between opening up on national television against Clempson, as opposed to an Austin-Peay. Even at noon.

The players are tired at this point of lining up against their own teammates. They're hungry to hit someone in a different jersey. They want this game. Kirby wants this game.

I want this game. And I know you do too. It's been a long off season. About a week longer than we had gotten used to, am I right? Now let's bow our heads please...dear Lord, please allow our fellas to give Klubnik an awful nightmare tomorrow afternoon. And thanks for helping me get rid of that hideous windbreaker!

Amen. Go Dawgs!!