Me either.
I like that he didn't say anyone else was, but I like more that he didn't blame our woes on the location. It helps to remember that UGA went 2-3 while Damon was a football player at Georgia from '88-92.
It's also nice that he acknowledged that Mark Richt isn't the only constituent on this issue. And that our fans wouldn't be raising so much hell about this issue if we hadn't been spanked 49-10.
PWD
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55 comments:
Hopefully Damon does the right thing and keeps the game in Jax but gets them to give us more money.
It's worth noting that 2-3 is still below .500. People please. Jacksonville is not the reason we are losing, but it's a factor. If Atlanta can pay more than Jacksonville, lets try and play there every year. If it's simply a money issue, let it be one. If you believe that UF would immediately balk at the move, it sure makes you wonder why we don't balk at playing in Jacksonville every year.
Bra,
Frat beach, SSI and JAX tailgating is way cooler than shitty ATL and the Dome.
Ask anybody.
Jax-Jax-Athens-Gainesville.
Repeat.
For those that feel this is an open and shut case, and more about excuse making, do you really think if we played UF home and home every year that we'd be 3-16 in the last 19? Even if we gave them every game in Gainesville, plus one, 0-10 away, we'd still have had to gone just 3-6 at home to equal the current futility. And you people want more of the same? Really? Because Erk said it wasn't an advantage? After he left UGA no less. Can you conjure up any more ridiculous argument than that? Really. The intellectual basis for the argument was a self-serving statement by a former assistant coach who was not tapped as Dooley's replacement.
And what is the fascination over sand and surf? Can you not vacation during the summer? Would it hurt anybody if we traveled not to Jacksonville but to our bowl game in greater numbers? I'd much rather go to Miami for a BCS championship game every blue moon than to Jacksonville every year. But NEWSFLASH: It ain't gonna ever happen so long as we are on the receiving end of a yearly whoring by a divisional opponent.
Let's try home and home or ATL only for a change and see how that suits everyone. Doing the same thing will only get us more of the same. To argue otherwise is just plain foolishness. Not a chance in hell we go 3-16 playing home and home every year. LOCATION MATTERS.
Atlanta should not be an option. Either Jacksonville or home and home. Nothing else.
Anon 2:54,
You do realize that we are exactly 3-6 at home vs Tennessee since 1989. Roughly the same period. So yeah. I do Not think we would have done better to play the gators in athens.
Barstool, are you really suggesting we work our schedule around the best places for our fans to get drunk? Then hell, let's move a game to Las Vegas.
And until I see otherwise, I'll think this is all a negotiation ploy. Just see these selected quotes...
"I’m going to sit back and listen to the city of Jacksonville and look at the pros and cons of everything involved.”"
"Georgia has had only “very minor” discussions with Jacksonville about games beyond 2010 and no negotiations with the Atlanta Sports Council, which wants the game in the Georgia Dome one year out of four."
Read, Jacksonville needs to pony up more cash "or else".
I have to agree with Mr Sanchez. This is a cash ploy. It's like Pete Carroll "interviewing." He's not taking that other job. He just wants a raise. Like it or not, Damon isn't pulling us out of Jacksonville unless Atlanta ponies up some considerable cash.
The sole purpose of moving the game in my mind is to give us the flexibility to schedule more marquis matchups with teams that aren't Chanticleers or in New Mexico.
I believe CMR also said, if we are gonna leave it in Jax, its gonna cost them.
And to barstool, yea, I am really worried about where all you partiers are gonna get wasted.
I could care less if Evans is an "excuse guy" or not. I just hope he is a "logic guy" or a "rational thinking guy" or a "doesn't have his head up his ass and is caught up with a five day bender in a crappy city guy" or a "common sense over tradition guy". If he is any of those, kiss Jacksonville good-bye.
I'm kinda interested in the Georgia Dome once in a while. I don't really like the home/home idea. If not the Dome, then leave it in Jax.
Hey Tri Guy,
If you could care less then care less, but please don't stop being a tremendous puss. If you don't like Jacksonville, then stay the hell in Atlanta.
Weaklings such as yourself like to mask their inferiority and fear in arguments wrapped in "common sense" and "logic". Your crowd would rather debate than fight the good fight and actually chance defeating the enemy.
He's something for you Alice - what happens when the game is moved to Atlanta and Florida wins the inaguaral dome party? What bullsh*t excuses and logic will you manufacture then?
Like Sen. Blutarsky said today. Richt doesn't know what pressure is until he gets that game moved out of Jax and then loses.
Exactly PWD.
You don't hear the "logic" crowd consider this. It's inconvenient for their their argument.
938anon
Yeah, I've never said I want the game in Atlanta. If you read back through anything I've ever posted, I've been pretty adamant that I want the series to go home and home.
If we go home and home and we lose the first home game, then I don't really see that as any type of sign sense I'm looking at a larger sample.
If we go home and home and after 19 years we have a 3-16 record, then I'll concede that I was wrong about what is best for the program.
Until then, I'll continue to believe that giving up a decided home field advantage every other year to our most hated divisional rival doesn't make sense and I kind of have the irrefutible evidence on my side: NO ONE IS LINING UP TO TAKE OUR PLACE IF WE LEAVE!!! I haven't heard UT or LSU say, "Man, if UGA goes home and home with UF, WE want some of that cocktail action!!" You know why? Because it's not in the best interest of their program.
UF got out of playing Miami every year because it was in their best interest. Auburn demanded its series with Bama go home and home. Rational self interest isn't an act of cowardice. But doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same result is an act of insanity or stupidity. Take your pick.
I don't think I remember Richt saying that we lost to Florida every year because we played them in Jax. I thought he was asked if Jax was neutral and he answered the question honestly. I think some of this might be taken a little out of context but I have to agree with Tri Guy here. We need to do what's best for the football program. I'm not convinced by the coaching excuse either. When Zook was the coach he couldn't win more than 8 games a year but he beat us 2 out of the 3 years he was there. Hell he's the reason why we don't have a 2002 NC trophy. You can't tell me that he was a better coach than Mark Richt.
Tri Guy > y'all
I hear a lot of you in the "Noooo they'll call us cowards!" crowd. So is the issue that Jacksonville is a crappy city and a poor venue not of importance here? Seriously, put aside your shame for a minute and look at this issue without the whole losing record in mind.
Tradition is great, but sometimes change is needed. Jacksonville isn't such a great tradition that it can't be moved. Changing locations would do more than just improve the quality of the experience for fans, it would bring more intensity to the game. As intense as the atmosphere usually is, imagine that in the Dome. Then you add in the complete superiority of Atlanta for hotels, nightlife and capacity to accommodate the fans with pre-game festivities (Congress Center and such), and it really isn't that hard to make the case that it should be moved.
Yar, Yar, Yar.....I ain't gonna be tucking mah tail and running from those gators. I believe in tradition and we just need to whoop them!!!
Versus
Every other year you are giving away a home game to your biggest rival who also is one of the most consistent winning programs since the early 90s. To willfully give away an advantage, no matter how small some believe it is, is idiotic. It is undeniable that not playing every other year at home, is the loss of a possible advantage.
The game will be in Jax for a while. This is just a ploy to get something more out of Jax...at least I think it is. I hope it is. It's been good enough since 1933, that's good enough for me.
Maybe Richt truly believe in global warming. :)
Apparently someone needs to point out the obvious.
It's not just that we're giving up a home game every other year. We're also avoiding going to The Swamp every other year.
We would do better in Gainesville in front of 90,000 Jort Wearers than in Jacksonville in front of 42,000?
Anon at 10:50,
Following that logic we should play every series at a neutral site.
Richt is 30-4 in opponents' stadiums. I like those odds...even against the Gators.
Jacksonville, Athens/Gainesville, Atlanta, is not really the relevant part of your sentence Paulie,...
"Richt doesn't know what pressure is until he gets that game moved out of Jax and then loses."
Just keep losing, I don't care where it's played, pressure will build. Every year, he's beaten at least 2 of 4 between Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, and Tech. If that changes, PRESSURE. If it doesn't change, depends on Kiffin and Chizik, but I would guess same as now, safe with complaints.
Allow me to refute Tri Guy once again:
1. Fails to address the fallout and incredible pressure to win if we move the game, on the basis that it benefits UGA, and lose.
2. Makes the ridiculous statement that it would take 19 years before he would admit whether or not he is wrong. 99.9% of all GA fans would consider moving the game a mistake if UGA lost the first two games. Or perhaps lose the first 3-5. There would be some serious "movers" remorse.
3. The notion that an SEC team is going to "speak out" during this discussion and proclaim "but we'll take Georgia's place in Jacksonville" is the most absurd, obtuse, and ridiculous statement I have ever heard regarding this subject. Like Les Miles is going to lobby for something that doesn't even EXIST.
4. I can't speak to FL vs. Miami. But to AU vs. AL - I'll reiterate the point that PWD has made several times which is AU wanted the game moved b/c Bham was the home field for Bama FOUR TIMES A YEAR. Jacksonville is NOT to UGA what Bham was to AU. Apples and Oranges my friend.
And you never heard of TX wanting to move the Red River game from Dallas when OK was taking them down every single solitary year. And does OK whine when TX wins the game? NO. They man up and bring the pain again the next year.
Stupidity, in this case, is defined as making rash decisions based on pure speculation that simply changing a venue will offer an advantage, terminate a disadvantage. There is no proof whatsoever. If UGA was looking for an advantage then Richt would play ALL games on the road given his road record. Based on that stat alone, keeping the game in Jacksonville makes perfect since.
Right?
PWD:
Correct me if I am wrong, but are we also 0-10 versus UT in Knoxville in the same period? Because I don't believe we are. If we played home and home, I don't see how we could possibly be both 0-10 on the road and 3-6 at home versus anyone.
I we move the game on the basis that it benefits UGA, if there is undue pressure, it's only because rationally there now exists a even playing field. If you want to argue that there is less pressure now, then you have to be willing to admit UF has an unfair advantage now, and playing against that advantage gives us a copout each year. You can't have it both ways.
Location is not the reason why we lose to Florida almost every year. The reason why we lose is because Florida is the more aggressive team. Florida has more speed, aggression, and they play to win. When we come to Jacksonville, we play slow, passive, and scared. When we were the more aggressive team, we stomped the Gators 42-30. Our guys need to take a page from Florida for this game so that we do not have a repeat of 2008.
Better figure something out soon.
Couple of more losses and Magill's going to start looking for previous ones to suddenly "not count" before they can tie the series record up.
Don't laugh. It's not like it'd be the first time he's done it.
What's with all the Dome love? Am I the only person who thinks the Georgia Dome is a terrible place for football? First, you tailgate for a while in an area that looks like Beirut, then you watch the game in a sterile, soulless bubble. Ugh. Football is supposed to be played outside.
the only advantage UF has is "mental". UGA sends what, 100k fans annually to a game where only 42k can actually get into the game! we make that town as "home" as athens is.
The only advantage UF has is they have kicked our a$$es for 20 years and that gives them a ridiculous advantage. Look at how we rolled Vandy every year...and until a few years ago, they were a foregone conclusion on our schedule--home coming for goodness sake! we are vandy to UF...they just believe they're winning this game...we're a foregone conclusion for them.
we just need to win 3 in a row to change this.........here's to this year starting a new trend!
The great advantage in the 90s, beyond just the talent/coaching factors was Spurrier's insistence on getting the open week. THAT was a huge advantage and has been somewhat proven out this decade as UGA has benefited from its couple of open dates this decade. The SEC should ensure that each year both teams have to play a SEC opponent the week before.
And, yes the problem is mental, but guys, you think we have a mental problem with losing, just wait until UGA manages to win two in a row. UGA fans have grown quite used to the loss. Florida fans went f'n crazy after both losses this decade. They lose two in a row, and Atlas wouldn't be carrying as much pressure as their head coach. Although they rightfully crow about their their MNCs, they definitely define themselves based on their recent domination of the Cocktail Party.
Richt simply needs to somehow get his team to play like they are capable of and not make the stupid mistakes they always make in Jacksonville. I refuse to believe that Florida is a consistently more talented team when the defining events of the game were not stupid UGA errors.
Oh, it would also help if, just for once, the refs actually call their secondary on all the crap they pull during a game. I have never seen a team get away with holding, pass interference, and push offs quite like the Gators- and it isn't just in games against UGA.
Good point 1:55. These "move the game" charlatans are so focused on losing that they fail to consider the consequences of actually winning 2 or 3 consecutively.
FL fans HATE losing to GA. Beat them a couple of times and you'll see GA fans come out of the damn woodwork for keeping the game in Jax. NOTHING is better than seeing gross, arrogant FL fans leave their "Gator Bowl" in disgust.
GA fans have simply forgotten how much fun it is to win on the banks of the St. Johns.
I vote to move the game base on economics. I would rather have a home and home so that the AA, School, and Athens all get an economic benefit every other year. Why send all of the money to Jax every year when the city of Athens could use it more. One more home game for GA could bring in more money than Jax could pay us.
I also agree that the location of the game doesn't matter to the outcome. But in terms of costs to the team, it costs more for us to travel then it does for UF. I think home and home is the best way to go.
SteveO,
the reason you "send" your greenbacks to Jacksonville, FL each year is because that's where the game has been played since
1933. It's been an incredibly unique venue and rivalry since then.
Sure, both schools would likely earn a bit more to have the game in their hometown, but considering that there is considerable expense to host this game, perhaps both schools would rather deposit the checks and leave the dirty work up to Jax.
As to it costing more for UGA to travel than it does FL.......if this is the logic we've resorted to using then I pity our fanbase. It's ALWAYS cost more for UGA to travel. Nothing new there guys.
SO, let's just cancel one of college football's most unique tradition b/c Athens and Gville would recieve a bit more revenue, and b/c it cost more for UGA to travel.
Great logic. Maybe you and Tri Guy should collaborate.
UGA adds LA-Lafayette to 2010 schedule.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/05/18/georgia_football_schedule.html
Oh boy, a hyphenated Louisiana school.
Keep the game in Jax, and this is the $hit we have to put up with.
We don't have to schedule the likes of Michigan, USC, or Texas every year, but this is abject garbage.
Damn, dude. There's still another non-conference spot to fill.
Chill out.
TyGyro,
Are you really that naive? If the game went home and home, we wouldn't get more quality non-conference games. We'd get fewer.
On even numbered years our home schedule would be Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech. Every fifth year, we'd also get either Bama or LSU on an even numbered year.
We're already playing ASU, Ok State and GT. That's two pre-season Top 10-15 teams. How many more top teams do you want to play?
Have you been listening to what Richt's been hinting at lately? He doesn't sound all that jacked to play any of these tough OCC games to me.
Anon @ 10:38 just owned most of you.
The guy that keeps ripping tri-guy and apparently beleives logic and reason belong to p-words is one anonymous d-bag. Holy crap, dude. You must be a first year law student...
Seriously you are spouting sure-fire d-baggery wrapped in argumentary conclusions that completely disregard any good points to the contrary. You better learn that you have to be able to win the battles when the other side has some bullets.
I guess that is all I really care to say. It isn't a cake walk either way.
Location matters in football, in sports, in war, etc. You can't deny that playing in Jacksonville is different than playing in Athens unless you deny the concept of home field advantage. But that is just the issue...they are different, not necessarily better.
I think there are great points all around...playing in Gainesville would suck, but I imagine winning there would feel just as good as winning on the St. Johns. Atlanta as a destination city is a really cool spot when promoters set up the park, the congress center, etc. with activities...but its a dome and not the beach. Does having 50% of your games in Atlanta or Athens mean a better winning % than 100% of your games in Jacksonville? What is tradition worth? How often do you have to celebrate the tradition in order to keep it? Every year, two years, four years? Some traditions suck and shouldn't be kept around just b/c they are traditions...clearly this isn't one of those, but just as clear is that tradition isn't just a blanket veto for any change.
Who really knows? I do know one thing. At the end of the day, the bottom line is that we have to beat the Gators.
If we leave Jax and they call us scared, what do they really have if we start whooping their a$$? Nothing. We were right for leaving and they can't suck it.
If we stay, what do we have if we keep losing? Nothing except a long drive home, a hotel bill, and the image of royal blue uniforms worn with clashing jean shorts chanting on the way down the ramps at the Gator Bowl.
Bottom line is the right answer is to win the game. The wrong answer is to lose the game. The rest is really just pointless details. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but really, who gives a rats' behind about going to Jax and losing? or going to Atl and losing?
Just win the game.
Amen PWD - Richt ain't jacked to play the tough(er) ooc games because they are, well, tougher. The DAWGS have plenty of schedule every year in the SEC without flying to Stillwater before hosting South Carolina. It all sounds great on paper, and it was great to go to ASU last year, but it's damn hard on the team. Furthermore, if you're in the SEC you don't have to play these games to make it to the MNC. You just have to win the SEC. Personally, I see no benefit, other than trying to be a "national" program and recruiting.
BTW - I have long championed (perhaps not on this blog) the notion of making spring practice and/or preseason practice all about Florida. I mean, focus on killing Florida. Make a big deal out of it. We've tried downplaying it, let's try focusing on beating their ass even if it means we aren't perfectly prepared for Oklahoma State.
I second the notion hereinabove that Florida fans might say beating Georgia is assumed and no big deal, but, believe me, they live for that W. Just like you live to beat Tech. They can't take it when they lose, just like you can't take losing to Tech. It's just one of those things. Just because it happens a lot, doesn't make it less enjoyable.
Even assuming that every Dawg fan, CMR and Damon agreed that Atl was the best place for the game, why would UF ever agree to leaving Jax to go up to Atlanta? They are doing well there and dont really need any recruiting benefits from playing in Atl because they are already in the state of FL
Irwin R. Fletcher FTW...
People like to argue that before the 90's Florida teams had talent, but lacked coaching. While that may be true, the same was true during the Zook experiment and he still beat us 2 out of 3 tries. The mental block is not something you can just coach out of a team; nor is it something a gimmicky celebration can cure in one year. Either the guys start buying into their abilities to win or we continue to lose and lose badly. I fully expect a down FL team to pull the upset and beat a well coached and talented GA team 9 times out of 10 as long as the game remains in Jax. It's not the fans the coaches or the players; it's the venue. 20 years of players, coaches and fans have proved that point. It's well past time for you tradition thumping homers to swallow your massive prides and think of what is best for the team and our university. The best thing for our national perception would be to start winning wherever that can occur. While no one can predict what will happen with a venue change, we can predict, with great certainty, what will happen if we continue to do the same things we've been doing. PWD or anyone supporting staying in Jax: I challenge you to give me one reason why you think staying will IMPROVE our chances of winning. It's time to see past the spectacle of the event and focus on the outcome. I for one am tired of having to tuck tail and make the long drive back to civilization every year. . . you should be too.
Anon 5:59,
It can't be all mental and all location. That's what's wrong with your argument. You're right it is mental. Moving won't fix the mental.
Why would Florida agree to ATL only? Who knows? Out of sheer arrogance, maybe. I don't know. Why do we agree to play in Jacksonville every year? Foolish pride?
So Paul, it's all mental? Really? Then UF should jump at the chance to play in ATL every year. It won't matter where they play us if they have the right mindset. Hell, let's play 'em in Gainesville every year and split the tickets. If we can just coach 'em up and work on our mental outlook anything is possible.
I'm really amazed at the panty waste talk from some of our younger fans. It's disgusting. By younger, I mean those who never saw Dooley coach a game. For the most part, they are the biggest bunch of surrender monkeys I've ever seen.
Some of us choose to live in the present. Sorry, but Dooley's long gone.
There's a clear generational divide on this issue, with the older fans wanting to keep their precious October boozefest in place and the younger crowd being more open to home and home or some other kind of arrangement. Very interesting.
Cue some "anon" trying to blow me up in 3, 2,....
Tri,
"anon" here. I actually agree with you. I'm 37 and the older guys know what it's like to win and lose. The younger guys only know what it's like to lose. Can't say I blame them. But they're wrong. They'll realize the error of their ways when we win a few.
And btw, since you're so down on "Anons", is your real name "Tri-Guy"? Man up and post your real name or STFU and stop being hypocritical.
There is nothing and I mean nothing like beating the Gators.
Beating them in Jax it just makes gloating that much sweeter.
Nothing like beating them in Jax...too bad none of us get to see it very often. Damn PTC dawg, I guess you don't give a crap if we continue to lose at a 3-16 clip as long as its done in Jax.
This whole thing is sortof like me saying to one of you gluttons for punishment, if you live in Athens,; Hey i will meet you in Atlanta and I am gonna kick your ass but before I kick it, everybody that is gonna come to the a** kicking can get drunk and party and hell we will all have so much fun you can come back every year and I will continue to beat your a** but it won't matter cause we will be wasted. HELL YEAH!! PARTY ON!!! Pretty soon we will have us a tradition.
How long before you would start crying about me coming to Athens on your turf. Maybe you could find an advantage at your house, like where the big stick is that you can pull out to whomp on my head.
See how stupid that sounds. Thats how some of you sound protecting the tradition. What are you gonna say in 10 years when we have mangaged to win 3 out of 10? Well, I sure like partying down here, lets give it a few more years. PWD would say we just got to get better players and better coaches and we can turn this thing around in Jax.
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