Sanford Stadium noise: a new era

Your average blogger won't admit when he's wrong. But as I've proven time and time again, I'm not your run of the mill typist. So....Reader....I was wrong. The music Saturday was timely and helped get the stadium energized for big moments. The first half left a lot to be deserved, but that wasn't the stadium staff's fault by any means.

I guess I had two real reasons to be opposed to the idea of playing canned music through the PA in Sanford. One was because I felt it would elbow out the sound the Redcoats provide. I'm old school and those guys and gals are a big part of the experience for me at each home game and an even larger one on the road (when they're allowed to travel). But the truth is that the music played over the speakers against Clemson was very well balanced with the Redcoats. In other words, for us older fans, I don't think it minimized the traditions and experience we've come to love about our home games in Athens GA.

The other reason I was opposed to this shift in practice was due in large part to my experience in Knoxville last October. The music was just too damn loud. It didn't add anything to the game except noise. We left with headaches. But this past Saturday night the music was a part of the game, a part of the experience. Again, it was timely and appropriate and not just something being blared into your ear drums. 

#hyperlapse American. Marine. Dawg. RIP Coach Magill. #Dawgs @ Sanford Stadium http://t.co/gp7luhkYRq
— Bernie (@BernieDawg) August 30, 2014

Perhaps that is in part due to the improvements in the sound system. But it's also because Sanford is miles ahead of that shithole of an erector set called Neyland.

Other changes that were noticeable:

• Cell phone signal was vastly improved. I didn't take a poll of any other fans that use something other than AT&T, but I had become used to losing 90% battery power just by trying to send a text as I enter the stadium. On Saturday I always had LTE signal on my phone and left the stadium with more than enough battery to send out awesome tweets while the wife drove my drunk ass home.
• Karaoke Cam?!? Oh, hell yes! You mean I get a whole commercial intermission to play air guitar, scream at the top of my lungs and embarrass the hell out of my kids? 
• The TVs in the concession lines are no longer from a 1970s lab in the Psychology building. They're still a little small, but you can actually see the action and it might even be in HD. Seriously, once I refilled my bottomless stadium cup (which is still Sanford's best added feature since indoor plumbing was installed on October 12th, 1929) I actually stopped in my tracks to watch Pruitt's defense complete another three and out.

Other things not as awesome:

• Entering the stadium took a while. I usually get to the stadium in enough time to get settled and take in the pregame. I guess lots of people were trying to do the same this time as we were honoring the Greatest Bulldog of Them All. 
• The bathrooms are the same as they've been for quite some time.
• The cotton candy dudes were scarce. (throwing that one in there in case the kids read this one)
• Someone said there's a place to buy a sammich from Sonny's. If true, that's a blasphemy.
• They didn't play "Devil Went Down to Georgia" on Karaoke Cam. But there's time. There's time.

Enough from me yelling at people to get off my lawn. How was your experience?

*Bonus points awarded if you can pick out the sentence that Mrs. Bernie helped me finish.*

How far are we from Tennessee's game of musical chairs?

Yesterday, Tyler pointed out the strife between Univ. of Tennessee Athletics and the "Pride of the Southland Band". Although there are many details involved, the basics of the argument center on how much the actual band is used as opposed to a more modern NFL type approach of using prepared, "canned" music blasted through their PA system. It's worth keeping an eye on how this plays out because it could have an impact on decisions UGA makes in the future.

And I'm not painting our own gameday experience into an orange checkerboard endzone here. But having experienced the difference recently, and having read the details at the heart of this disagreement, I can see the potential for a similar controversy at Sanford one day.

Because it all comes down to money. Always. Well, money and a splash of tradition and another splash of emotion. Once the emotions die down in Knoxville I would suspect a decision on the gameday music selection to center on the traditions that they have in place and the money they have on hand. Tennessee used a very generous portion of piped in music and noise last Saturday. As we sat in the sun and the water supply literally ran dry, the speakers positioned directly across the stadium continuously blasted unrelenting noise and harsh non-traditional music into our ears. It became more than obnoxious and very difficult to bear. A lot like Columbia actually, but less dying chicken noises.

And before you say to yourself, "Good, that's the way visitors to Sanford should feel while watching their team play our Dawgs!", understand that there were a lot more Tennessee fans enduring the same conditions than Georgia fans. Which is why we should pay such close attention to the side the Vol alumni take in this rift between the marching band and the athletic department.

It's also worth pointing out that the financial situation is much different at Tennessee, something Tyler alludes to. While new AD Dave Hart is struggling to overcome the poor financial and personnel decisions made by his predecessor, Georgia enjoys operating in the black. Well into it...to the point that alumni and fans have actively wondered why more money isn't being spent on facilities and coaching contracts. But as Tyler also points out, more and more athletic directors are going to be looking at how many empty seats there are each Saturday and what changes can be made to the overall experience to get people past the gates. Sometimes that can be seen as the new Sanford Stadium refillable stadium cups and updated menu options at concession stands. Other times it might be showing highlights of other games on the videoboard instead of more sponsored messages followed by listed scores from around the nation. In short, as close to your own living room experience as possible.

Having the Redcoats there to play the music my ears have grown accustomed to the last couple decades is something that I have taken for granted. I'll go ahead and admit that. Now that I can see change swirling in the air I feel even older, more stuck in my ways. If Tennessee decides it's cost effective to reduce the amount of live music and performances in favor of cued canned music at the touch of a button...well, it won't impact me until my next trip to Knoxville.

But meanwhile in Athens there is a watchful eye to what is going on around the rest of the nation and more specifically the SEC. The Redcoats are given an operating budget each year and have to make decisions based on costs of producing their end of the gameday experience (from the Dawg Walk to pregame to halftime to the post game celebrating), how many nights are spent at away games, how many members can attend each road game and which ones will have a fully functional band playing Glory, Glory. Make no mistake, I want the band to be heard loud and clear on the road, something I missed greatly last weekend in Knoxville as we only took the smallest of representative Redcoats. But I also want a well defined and stated presence at home, where we've spent years cultivating a deep rooted, tradition rich experience that I think resonates with alumni, students and fans of all ages.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm glad Mr. Sisk was honored at halftime in Neyland for his $16 million donation to fight tooth decay in eastern Tennessee. That's a noble cause. But of course I would've rather heard the Redcoats play while I sat there miserably hot and dying of thirst. But at what cost could we have expanded to a larger version of the Redcoats? The entire band? As an alumni at a certain cutoff point in the Hartman Fund, are you willing to give up your seat and try your luck at market value for your away tickets? These are all decisions that we entrust our Athletic Director and band directors to make. I hope they can continue to work in unison, with great respect to what the vast majority of fans want both on the road and especially in Sanford Stadium.

Make no mistake that this eventual decision that UT faces will take place within its own athletic department. But I'll be ready to voice my opinion here in Georgia when the day of opportunity arises. After all, I already have a record for exercising my rights and announcing my distaste for mimicking amateurish North Avenue traditions in my beloved Sanford Stadium.

Glory, Glory to ol' Georgia!

"Nobody does it like Georgia!"

Field's eye view

This is just awesome.

University of Georgia Drumline Point of View from Kyle Krafka on Vimeo.

Hail to Georgia!

The Redcoats are asking for our help. As of today you have 14 days to practice and get the lyrics down. Not too much to ask.

And if I get called in from the bench...cheer your ass off.

Videos, pics from the Flats

Some pics and videos I took yesterday. Not surprisingly, Dawg fans represented well on the road and the Redcoats kicked some ass.


Missed most of what they played, but according to Brian it is the Tech band's tradition to scurry around the stadium and sneak up on opposing fans and play a tune at them. Nerds.

Beginning of the 4th quarter.

After the game Aron White took the honor of leading the band.

I'll try and have some more posted later. Lastly, here's the team bus passing the Bernie mobile heading east on 316...as State Champions.

(Soggy) Sunday Thoughts

I'm still digesting the play on the field and I'm really tired. So I'll have some more thoughts on the actual game (a 20-17 squeaker just as I said it would be) in tomorrow's meatloaf. But here's some initial impressions and some commentary on what was the rain-soaked event.

• It was just a weird day in Athens, period.
• Due to a fundraiser yesterday morning, didn't pull into town until about 2:00. I guess the late kick coupled with the impending weather made most tailgaters tardy for the party.
• Got to meet Exhile. Talk about a Damn Good Dawg! The guy was in town for his third game of the season. And he lives in Illinois. I think I've finally met someone who loves Athens even more than I do....well, maybe.
• I was deserted by all of my posse. Right down to my own wife. So I spent a lot of time walking around. Got to get some VIP treatment at the Coke tent and saw the Dawg Walk for the first time this season.
• Then the rains hit. Holy crap! Sanford was one big bowl of rainwater. Hords of fans just congregating...waiting to be able to get to their seats safely.
• Rain lasted in earnest through the first quarter. Then we were all just cold and very wet.
• The Redcoats didn't even do their regular halftime show; they just played the music from the stands. I'll put my favorite Redcoat on the spot: Alan...is there a precedent for this? I can't think of another time this has been done. And I've been to plenty of rain soaked games.
• I'm not bashing the decision. Afterall, this may be the only game in history where Sanford has absorbed (or tried to) roughly 20 inches of rain in a week and a half. But it was weird. Just weird.
• On the other hand the baton twirler (majorette..??) rocked the house. I can't find a YouTube for it yet. But you can bet your soggy bottom it'll be a hit soon. If you weren't there, she lit the ends of three batons until they were well ablaze (it wasn't raining at this point) and put on quite a show. And it was nice that she moved her act around the stadium.
• About the only person who had a better night than her was AJ himself.
• And isn't it about time the hype for AJ for Heisman began in earnest? Seriously, if 2 years ago the kid has a brain fart and chooses the chickens over the Dawgs...we lose that game easily. About the only thing he could do at this point that would surprise me is to play the tuba at halftime.
• Even when the referees completely rob him of a second TD, he doesn't get discouraged. Just goes out does another couple of heroics.
• As much man coverage as they put on our offense, really surprised AJ didn't have an even bigger day. The soggy conditions and what was clearly a step backwards for Cox hurt the offensive production. We should've been able to attack ASU more through the air.
• But what hurt the offense most, was the lack of a playmaker in the running game. Bobo clearly didn't want to get to razzledazzle with the play-calling given the conditions. And ASU does have a very good d-line. But we've got to make some holes for the ball carrier. And that ball carrier has to make a play. Preferably one that ends with him handing the ball to the referree..you know, instead of to a defender.
• Wooten the ball catcher. Awesome.
• And it's a good thing ASU doesn't have receivers who can catch in the rain.
• Justin Houston is obviously a force to be reckoned with.
• The defense will take some more criticism. But once again they win the game for us.
• Probably my biggest gripe with the defense was that most of ASUs ground yardage came from the same damn play. Poor tackling. Bad adjustments.
• But until the offense learns to protect the effin' ball, Martinez should feel no heat. We can be critical as I was here. But the truth lies in the way in which we value possessing the football. Minus a couple of bad throws and a horrendous fumble, ASU doesn't get into the endzone last night.
• Tackle, protect, possess a firm grasp. Key ingredients to a W.
• Otherwise, we can expect to have more nights like the past three. Just with more Ls.

See ya tomorrow. I'm off to church, then hopefully a nap.

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory...

Last week's discussion topic on favorite Kool-Aid laced game memories was such a hit, the BDB promotions department has decided to renew for a few more episodes.

From circumventing the Arch as an undergrad to the dulcet sounds of Big Machine in Red and Black as we trample along the railroad track on gameday, there are quite a few traditions we soak ourselves into as Dawg fans.

Personally, this is a close-up of my favorite:

Great goodness...chill bumps. Katy Wilson of Lawrenceville ladies and gents. Kudos to that young lady from my own neck of the woods. Well done!

Now, I've also been known to harass vehicles that pass near the tailgate with one of those House Divided license plates...Are you kiddin?!? Pick a Side!! But that's more of a gameday hobby. 

There are numerous traditions that get me ready for kickoff, but by the time I hear that trumpet in the Southwest corner....my heart is pumping hard enough to produce a place kick that would rival Rex Robinson's in Lexington, or a homerun that would measure up to Beckham's in Omaha, or perhaps even the fortitude to strap on a hobnail boot. 

At away games it's always hearing the band play Glory, Glory in an opposing stadium that stirs the emotions deep. There's just something about the Battlehymn. 

So it's no wonder that the solo that leads into the video montage is my favorite tradition. What's yours? Is it one of the many gameday rituals we buy into for the good of our team? Do your legs dangle awkwardly as you hang from the rope underneath the Chapel bell? Or is it something as mundane as taking a nap on North Campus while you wait on the Orbit bus? 

Yawn! Phone lines are open Dawg fans. Bring it if ya got it...

Arizona State reheated

.........ponderings from Mill Avenue.

I have consulted with TiVo to fill in the ......ahem!.......gaps of my recollections from the desert. 

First things first: for those Dawg fans who were stuck east of the grand canyon, you would be very proud of your fellow Dawg lovers who made the trip.  By 2pm on gameday, the local bars and eating establishments were readily admitting that they were not expecting 20,000 college football fans clad in red and black. I personally would never frequent an establishment like Hooters.........., but rumor has it they had brought in a total of 3 staff members to handle the Saturday afternoon pregame business. We chose a local establishment called "the Library" as we were looking for somewhere we could read up on the history and lore of Camelback mountain. Instead we found thirsty customers drinking beer that was warm because the cold supply had been consumed by the big machine in red and black that had come down the tracks.

Can you imagine the restaurants and waterin' holes in and around Broad St surviving with such a casual attitude towards the religion that is College Football?

Certainly there is a different attitude towards Saturday pigskin once you get...well...outside of the SEC. The businesses in Phoenix/Tempe and specifically in and around Mill Avenue close to Sun Devil Stadium are likely still counting their profits. What's more is there are thousands, yes ....... thousands of Dawg fans looking for a place to sell the remaining ASU season tickets they own. So if you are planning a trip out west around Thanksgiving..... the mighty UCLA Bruins invade the House of Heat!! 

The atmosphere for the game was special. I try to get to at least one away game a year and seeing one this far from Sanford was truly unique. National television, the view and the weather made it even more unique (not to mention being in the same stadium as Kirk Herbstreit's hair, I've never seen a UGA quarterback who gets highlights, must be a Big Ten thing). ASU fans were almost wholly clad in gold....I guess you call that a gold out! I told several of them how exceptional the Pac 10 was and they smiled back. So they have a sense of humor. 

Back to business, the game on the actual field was not as close as I predicted of course. Although the game was never really in doubt, the Dawgs never stepped on the Sun Devils throat. I think we can all agree that we were the superior team from the start. We had greater size, speed and athleticism. You can't really hear it on the broadcast, but there was a collective gasp when Knowshon "soared" into the endzone. The O line adjustments seemed to help against a good (not great, but good) defensive front. And the defensive line clearly has missed the talent of Kade Weston. It was good to get him back on a regular basis. 

That being said, there was still a lot of carelessness. Untimely timeouts, a couple dropped passes and PENALTIES!!! When I think of teams who are heavily penalized I think of teams I grew up really not liking. Miami comes to mind. I don't know about you, but I'm really uncomfortable with us being ranked so low nationally in penalties. What's more is we will NOT survive against the Bamas, the LSUs and the Gators giving up that many (free) yards. I know a lot of the calls have been questionable....but still...?? What do you think?

Before the taste of this most recent victory gets too stale, let's give some shout outs. The first goes to the Redcoat Band. They do a great job in Sanford of course. But there's something special about hearing our tunemakers on the road. Glory Glory! And to get to sit so close to the redcoats on Saturday reminded me of the days sitting in the student section. The second goes to AJ Green. I imagine nights like Saturday were why he chose UGA so early, but it's also why Dawg fans were so glad he chose us over the team we beat in Columbia, among others. 

A BIG Fat Tire Hater shout out to Ann McElroy. A woman not just brave enough to go on a guys weekend in the desert, but to survive it so gracefully.....remarkable! ......and thanks for Tylenol Saturday morning.....   ;  )

And I would be remiss if I did not give a special thanks to the voice of the Bulldogs, Larry Munson. I guess we knew this day was coming. Your voice and "get the picture" will be missed. 

Special Honorary Trivia Question: What was the name of the play that made Munson's Hobnail Boot call so famous? First correct comment wins.....

Bernie