This is a breaking story regarding new Tailgate Rules for Georgia Football games...particularly North Campus...but the big news is:
- 1. Tailgating on North Campus will only begin 4 hours before kickoff. There are also extensive restrictions on what can be brought on North Campus including a ban of:
- Tents
Kegs
Generators
Televisions
Amplified music
Grills or cookers of any type
Tables larger than 4 ft. long
Household furniture (folding chairs not included)
2. A ban on pull behind trailers and cookers for all campus parking lots. Yes, Dawgnoxious, this totally and completely screws us.
PWD
71 comments:
And a big hi-ho hat tip to the blogosphere, who bitched and complained about it enough to take a situation (trash after games) that has been constant for as long as I've known Georgia football and managed to turn it into a substantial enough issue to get these new rules in place.
what the law school tailgate involves:
Tent, Kegs, Generators, and music.
Yeah Spencer,
Blame the bloggers for warning you that this would happen. Warning you that Adams would jump all over this type of opportunity to limit tailgating more broadly.
Yes. It's the bloggers' fault that our fans left *multiple tons* of garbage and a bonus dose of human excrement there and left it looking like a war zone.
I have tailgated on campus for 20 years and it was NOT always like this.
But sure. Blame me for the ban. That's logical.
PWD
Fire PWD.
Paul, I love this blog and don't want to piss you off cause you and everyone else here is great.
But if you knew the admins were going to jump all over an opportunity to limit tailgating, why was this blog so prominent in advocating reductions on tailgating in North Campus (particularly pay to tailgate and even suggested a total ban)? We had this debate then and I stand by what I said then and now.
So a couple of points:
1. Again, love this blog and hate to disagree with you because you're usually spot on.
2. You, personally, as a tailgater, are not to blame. I'm sure you run the model tailgate and one day I'd love to check it out. If everyone was like you, there would be no problems.
3. You, as a blogger, may not have made the administration do this, but to claim you didn't play a role in getting everyone excited about this and drawing attention to it is simply irresponsible and not based in reality. This may be the preeminent UGA blog and has thousands of readers. You advocated for banning tailgating on North Campus and posted inflammatory photos of North Campus. You say you knew the administration would jump on an opportunity were there enough press/outrage. Are you to blame? No. Are you completely unrelated to what's happened? No.
I know we're going to disagree. But you took a stance and the administration agreed with you.
Honestly, what is wrong with a picnic lunch - a blanket, fried chicken and potato salad and sweet tea and/or lemonade? Now you can show up to the Dawg Walk and the game on time, and not be so blitzed that you don't know when to yell and cheer or not. Serves y'all whippersnappers right, imo.
I'm with PWD. I've been tailgating on campus for almost as long as I've been alive, and it's never been as bad as it's been the last 5+ years. Not even close. It's laziness and apathy on the part of some of the tailgaters that's attributed to this problem. And, it's not just North Campus, although North Campus has been the worst by far. These regulations are going to become more restrictive if folks don't start taking some personal responsibility for their tailgates. It would also help to hold your neighbors responsible when they leave a mess.
Damn, this isn't rocket science.
This played out exactly how Adams wanted it to. He wants to ban as much tailgating as possible but he needs a reason (to avoid backlash). He did next to nothing about the trash situation.
It's also interesting that this was conveniently released after the donation deadline, so as not to discourage anyone from donating.
Spencer,
I absolutely wanted improvements in North Campus tailgating because the mess was unacceptable. Since the people tailgating there didn't decide to be the ones to make those improvements (which was the sensible and preferred outcome), Adams made the changes.
Did he over reach? Of course, he did. I told you that would happen.
Dear Pres. Adams,
Good luck enforcing all of that.
UGA Law Alum
Do not kid yourself for one minute, the students ARE NOT THE ONLY CULPRITS. I have seen MANY older fans walk leave their areas a complete mess.
Are students part of the problem? Yes, but there is NO way you can blame this on them. The students and faculty are the only ones who have to deal with this problem after the day of the game, i.e. trash still on campus, messed up grass/campus.
I am an alum that is far enough removed from being a student to not just take their side.
But if it makes you feel better by blaming the group that you're not in so be it.
Yet your outrage is not directed towards him at all?
We agree the trash was bad. We agree something needed to be done about it. Your solution was advocating up to a total ban on North Campus tailgating while you had complete knowledge Adams would get as close to that as possible. And once he did it you continue to have no outrage towards him or the administration. Instead all the blame goes to the tailgaters, whom you refer to as A$$holes.
Seems to me like you seem pretty content with the over-reach. If that's the case, wish you'd just say publicly you agree with Adams on it.
@ Rad: I'm wondering if this influx of trash doesn't have more to do with the success of the football program and some of Georgia's "finest" wanted to get a piece of the action. I know plenty of people from growing up who didn't give a rip about UGA, didn't GO to UGA, and probably couldn't find Athens on a map who have somehow become the world's largest UGA fans in recent years.
From there you get folks who really don't care much for the city or the campus and simply want to use it for the atmosphere and the good time with little concern about the effects of their partying.
Ben
If Adams thinks there won't be a backlash, he may be mistaken.
Releasing the "rules" this early gives people plenty of time to plan an "if we all show up 5 hours early, with kegs and tents, etc. what are they going to do?"
My outrage related to the part that screws ME is present.
My outrage at the part that screws the complete idiots who absolutely trashed North Campus does not exist. And the ones surrounding them that didn't pressure the others into cleaning their mess also doesn't exist. We pressure the folks around us when they slob up.
Did he over reach on North Campus? Yes. But those people had the chance to clean it themselves and they refused.
You behave like a child, you get treated like a child.
I still don't know why they didn't ban Styrofoam Coolers. That was a no brainer.
@Will
they have cops already that enforce the no set up before 7 am rule.
cops will enforce this. they will win in that sense.
all this is going to do is just move the party. It's a shame that they've canceled tailgating in the best part of campus. This was our "Grove"
You guys that are somehow 'outraged' that these new rules are being passed and looking for someone else to blame are ridiculous.
As if there is some sort of entitlement to drink, crap, trash, etc. etc. on university grounds just because there is a game being held that day....you are now going to try and act indignant and put your blame on someone else?
You want to know who will enforce the rules? The cops, that's who.
I hope they arrest every sorry a$$wipe that tries to break these ordinances b/c I'd be 100:1 that many of those same sorry a$$wipes were the ones who thought rules didn't apply to them before.
If you want to tailgate and crap all over the place...well, I guess that is what private property is for. Enjoy the parking lot of the old K-Mart or wherever else is desperate enough to rent you the space...
As far as 'it has always been like this'...the answer is hell no it hasn't. It wasn't like that from 2001-2004, I can guarantee you that. Hell..North Campus wasn't close to full on most gamedays.
You can b*tch and moan all you want...but trying to blame the 'bloggers' for the restrictions is just stupid. Get your head out of your a$$.
Looks like the price for season-long off-campus parking spots just went up....
Don't blame this on PWD, he only has been pointing out the obvious end result we were headed to and trying to raise awareness in hopes of people taking personal action.
This whole thing has been festering for a long time as on campus parking availability shrinks year after year and enforcement for petty things by the campus and Athens police escalated and forced people to concentrate more onto north campus.
I'm sure the continued movement towards later starting game times could also be cited as a major factor.
I, like a couple of others commenting here, have been tailgating in Athens for 30-odd years, and there's no doubt the numbers of people tailgating on north campus has risen in staggering numbers, particularly in the last 5 or so years. I'll also say that the attitude of people towards the campus as a source of pride and taking some personal resonsibility seems to mirror what's going on in a lot of other places - "it's not my fault", "someone else will take care of it for me", etc.
Like some of the decisions made in our government, the actions and attitudes of a realtively small number sometimes impact everyone who stood by passively. In this case that probably applies in both directions. The 10% guilty ingored the risks, and Adams & Co. moved closer to what they eventually desire.
It'll be interesting to see if this impacts that pay-tailgating service they allowed last year.
That service provided power, tv, satellite tent and chairs on North Campus ... Betcha it will still exist.
BTW, I tailgated on North Campus for the better part of a decade. Watched kids grow up, attnd UGA and get married during that span. The last several years have been awful (trash, drunkeness, public urunation, etc.) and we've stopped going ... For me and my family, we lost tailgating on North Campus years ago.
I know one group of people who are absolutely jumping with joy are the downtown bar owners. I would bet that a significant portion of the North Campus tailgaters will move the party downtown. All aboard the train to the Nowhere Bar.
Spencer,
STFU.
All - UGA's North Campus is one of the more beautiful tailgating spots in all of college football. The crowd that f*cked up that unique experience is the same one that used to party near the "white house" in the mid-90's. We used to have huge RV's park there until some douchebag flushed the toilet and let the piss and feces run all over the place. They may have been the world's dumbest MF'er, Carry Chastain (d*ckhead who didn't attend UGA b/c he could only gain admission to VSU - idiot)
Anyway, it's not the same people, but the same crowd that screwed this up too. PWD simply posted about this as a warning to us all - clean up your sh*t or admin will lower the boom. No one listened, boom lowered.
So a Big F YOU to every spoiled, selfish alum and student who contributed to this outcome. You deserve a kick in the nuts, or teeth.
Especially you Chastain aka Tonto. Twit.
Paul, why on earth were you even so mad about this in the first place? Tailgating has existed forever and people have left trash. Works the same way at every concert, sporting event, show you have ever been to. Thats why we have janitors and a maintenance crew hired by the University. Its cleaned up within hours the next day, no big deal... seriously now.
Let's stop trying to defend the indefensible. North Campus was a complete disaster week after week despite many warnings on the big screen by Chuck Dowdle pregame, in addition to every media outlet available (including this fine blog).
The vast majority of tailgates are responsible fans who have been doing it for years. They abide by the rules, they pick up their trash, and they have a good time. Those on North Campus were not able to do steps 1 or 2. No matter whose fault it was - students, alumni, non-affiliated ticket holders - it was a disgrace that deserved administrative action.
Some may be punished who were not offenders. It happens. You knew it was coming, so it really shouldn't be a shock. Personally, I think it was the right thing to do. If you are going to act like an animal, you're going to get put in your place.
Not surprised. I predicted it would come to this after the Auburn game in 2005.
Seen it coming for a long time. Its embarrasing at how trashed the campus is after gameday. Next up Adams will probably divvy up North Campus into 10x15 lots and charge a fee to tailgate in those areas. I think Auburn already does something like this. Lots of $$$ to be had that would go straight to UGA & not the Athletic Dept.....
Agree that we lost North Campus a while back. However, these will be as easy to enforce as underage drinking is in Athens.
This undoubtedly, goes on the tailgaters that leave trash every which way.
My crew tailgates over at Myers and only once have we left a cooler behind, and that was because some random girl came over sat down on it and peed on it. That is the definition of class. But even then, we moved the cooler to sit next to our bags of trash so it would be easy pickup.
It seems to me this has been going downhill because there has been less and less open space to tailgate on over the years, which has really picked up in the last ten years.
The "Family Friendly Zones" have still effectively killed tailgating on the Pharm Quad, even though the zone is not there anymore. The lack of proximity parking to areas where tailgating is allowed. The increase in buildings and parking lots where grassy areas used to exist (I am looking at you East Campus Village) has surely all contributed to the sardine effect of tailgating.
Now, all these North Campus folks are just going to move somewhere else. Most likely the Myers Quad...and the problems will just be moved to the new locations and be amplified even more.
This is all on people whose mommies never made them take the trash out, but certainly the growth and course of parking/tailgating rules the administration has enacted over the years has contributing effects.
I've tailgated on N. Campus for about 10 years, and my group has never left a speck of trash at our spot. Sucks.
That being said, these circumstances are no reason to make light of the tragic death of James Evans, Sr.
"Not surprised. I predicted it would come to this after the Auburn game in 2005."
I should also allude to Anon 1:35, I was there from 01-05 and it was never bad until that Auburn night game. The place was disgusting and I just chalked it up to being a night game and a really huge match up. But as the years have gone on, and the games take place at day/night big/small, NC looks the same as it did that cool night in 2005. My friend and I walked DT after the game and saw ppl having keg throwing competitions on NC. I mean, who just leaves keg shells laying around? (I asked, the ppl throwing didn't own/rent them)
The great consternation over the trash dealt most directly with the irreparable harm being done to beautiful North Campus. I’d like to point out now as I did then that this is a total fabrication. Have you guys been to North campus lately…and I mean any time since December after the last home game? There’s grass growing, the trees are fine, and you can’t tell a single person was there pouring beer all over the place four months ago. There are simply zero deleterious effects to the trash over the long term. The immediate unsightliness of the situation aside, the collective Bulldog Nation made WAY too big a deal out of this. The trash was gone by Sunday. The place still looks great. Y’all should have relaxed then and I blame you all as much as or more so than the slobs who left the place in temporary ruin. Paul, you and the AJC publically baited Adams to do this. You advocated for it…and if you really believed that your advocacy had no effect, or that the solution from Adams wouldn’t result in unintended consequences for you, then you’re more foolish than I thought.
You, my friend, are Ralph Nader, and this blog is unsafe at any speed. You saw young people and you saw trash and you couldn’t rationally analyze the circumstances to see that 1) the situation was inconsequential, and 2) that the solution would be far worse than the problem. Nader didn’t pull the figurative trigger on the death of the Corvair, but his bleeding heart foolishly incited the rage of the populous which provided the impetus for such a decision. Your blog did the same. You can blame the ubiquitous students and young people all you want (they are most decidedly slobs and also shoulder the blame for our current state), but your inability to live and let be helped drive the administration to the tipping point. Now a spectacular tail-gaiting scene is history and all of UGA is on the fast track to being a giant alcohol free family friendly zone. Great work to all!
Everyone needs to make sure they understand that this was not only caused by students. Alumni, young and old had a hand in this problem too, but I will admit more students are to blame. I've seen more than a few "classy" alumni in my time on North Campus. The best part of this whole deal is now south campus is going to look worse than north campus ever did.
Winston has a point... but either way, this sucks.
I'm pretty sure the university is making enough money off the football program to pay for extra trash cans, mid-day trash removal, and a few officers to enforce the rule that everyone picks up their own trash. This was a knee jerk reaction that won't solve the problem. Instead, the party moves elsewhere (along with the trash since it was never really addressed), and everyone is unhappy.
Thanks Michael Adams. By the way... I think it's pretty crooked that they made this announcement after the donation period ended.
Winston has a point... but either way, this sucks.
I'm pretty sure the university is making enough money off the football program to pay for extra trash cans, mid-day trash removal, and a few officers to enforce the rule that everyone picks up their own trash. This was a knee jerk reaction that won't solve the problem. Instead, the party moves elsewhere (along with the trash since it was never really addressed), and everyone is unhappy.
Thanks Michael Adams. By the way... I think it's pretty crooked that they made this announcement after the donation period ended.
How exactly do they justify banning pull-behind trailers and cookers for all campus lots? Other than just because Adams feels he can get away with it? Adams would be happiest if he could get rid of all games after 1 PM, all tailgating (that wasn't fundraising related, or tied to his own personal hobnobbing,) and definitely any cocktails. Though I do wonder what's being served in his Skybox.
meh, I don't tailgate there.
Winston,
North Campus belongs to every student that ever graduated from the UGA. If I see that the place is getting trashed then I will speak up and ask them to stop. I don't see the slobbery as an innocent by-product of the game. I see it as laziness and apathy - both of which I detest.
Turning the other cheek wasn't an option here. Having pride in arguably the most beautiful tailgaiting spot in America is not something to be ashamed of, and calling out the lazy, spoiled slobs is my right - and they certainly deserved it.
To blame PWD or the AJC for this decision is like blaming America for 9-11. The Arabs may not have liked out presence in Iraq, but it's not our fault they resorted to terrorism.
Why not pull an Auburn and lease the spaces?....generate some revenue and add a measure of accountability as you could have some mechanism to trace the offenders. Also some enforcement centered around the "urban campers" that descend upon campus in the search for aluminum during the game would have alleviated some of the problem. Any way you slice it..a sad day.
I think it's hilarious that anybody would suggest that Adams would have anything to do with this blog considering the beatings he gets here.
I'm sure Adams' SS monitors it regularly...
JaxDawg,
First off, stay classy... you really drive home your point about how clean-cut and socially responsible you are when you tell me to STFU.
Second, I get your point. Really. I don't like litter or garbage. And I love North Campus. And I hate terrorists. 9-11 was real bad. And I don't think it's your or Paul's fault. And I like puppies and support our troops.
But y'all are so damn mad at the students and some nebulous crowd of messy tailgaters and I don't hear any of that rage being directed towards Adams, who has to be at least somewhat at fault too. Just recognize that this is the administration (over)reacting to a sense of collective outrage fueled by the pics posted on the AJC and re-posted on this blog.
Wouldn't it be something if Paul and his well-deserved reputation and influence were to advocate some sort of unified front against Adams and the administration? Instead all y'all have done is raise a collective middle finger at the students and in doing so validate Adams' position.
God Bless America. Go Dawgs.
I just don't understand why the fans can't tell people to pick their trash up. If they blow you off then pick up the trash and remember who they are so the next time they tailgate you can have a very personal polite one on one conversation about littering. If you don't see them again then good riddance.
I mean what are people going to do start a fight over you telling them to pick up their own trash. Honestly, are so afraid of other people that we can't say to them, "hey pick up your trash because you are not going to trash my university."
All this talk about putting officers and other people to police the North Campus and other tailgate areas is ridiculous. This would have never happened if people who have simply said to the other person, "pick up your trash you stupid hillbilly." or "stop peeing on the wall of that building you pervert." Not really that mean but you get the picture.
If you don't like it when I tell you to pick up your trash then don't come. I will make it my personal mission to make sure the people around me will pick up their trash by being proactive and talking to them when they arrive and before they pack up to leave, even if that means that I am the last one to leave.
If you leave your trash I will take your picture and discuss your personal hygiene habits the next time we tailgate.
Peace.
JaxDawg,
Winston and Spencer both make valid points.
The trash on North Campus was never an issue until multiple blogs on the internet started making an issue out of it. The majority of folks didn't even know it was a problem to begin with until the past couple of years here. So, no, it's not fair to blame the bloggers for littering, that lays at the feet of the slobs who leave it there. But the massive overreaction very much got its start with the internet blogosphere.
I was a student at UGA from 04-08. North Campus was a mess every Saturday night during football season. Monday morning, I'll be damned if you could find a single shred of trash anywhere.
The simple truth is, walking and standing on the ground around the oaks is far more damaging to the "environment" on North Campus, as it causes damages to the roots, than does the trash. But nobody cares about that. No, just the trash which is but a temporary blight that most people would have never even seen had the blogosphere not gone apeshit over it.
Thank You, Paul for being one of the few to recognize that we as fans caused this, not Adams
Our campus has been torn apart by our own fans who are to fing lazy to pick up their own trash
It's become an actual national joke
Spencer-
+1000 points; I have a sneaking suspicion that you are entirely too rational and sane to be a Dawg fan.
Seriously? Calling out PWD and the rest of the bloggers as the fuse that lit this dumpster fire? How about when the RED AND FREAKING BLACK runs a front page spread, and movies on their website, of the mountains of destruction and waste left behind on Sunday morning after a game? This was not that hard to see coming, and the general blogosphere was trying to get to folks to get them to wake up and clean up. They didn't, so, here we are.
Personally, I tailgate downtown, just off campus, in a privately owned lot. I cut down north campus by the Arch to get to the stadium on gamedays. The tailgate outside of the Law School is constantly teetering on the edge of being out of control, as are the folks by the Old College building, though to a lesser degree. Herty Field tends to be in decent shape, for whatever reason, but that front area from the Arch to the Library is generally a warzone.
Why does it always have to be one person, or one group of people, who has to take the entire blame? The only thing i gathered out of the bitchfest taking place in these comments is that EVERYONE is culpable to some degree for what happened today. The decision has been made, and now its up to all of us to live with it, instead of just wasting time arguing amongst ourselves.
Anyway, I'd rather have an SEC Championship and no tailgating on North Campus than an 8-5 season with all the tailgating I can handle.
What the hell has been the deal with this huge attack on tailgating across the country in the last few years? You want to talk about bailouts. Health care. Education. Financial Regulation. I say to you, give me tailgating, or give me death!
Words cannot describe how much I hate that haughty, arrogant, dickhurt piece of shit Michael Adams.
Between this and the stunt he, Errol Davis and few other college presidents are pulling with the budget situation in Georgia absolutely enrages me.
Kiss my ass you piece of scum
Team Westerdawg.
But here's my question, why spell the alternative word for a donkey as "A$$". An eight year old would know what you're the intended word is.
Just curious.
hey PWD -- what's up w/ Doug's blog? You have to be invited to read Hey Jenny Slater now?
Knuckleheads aside for their treatment of North Campus, the announcement timing just solidifies the reason that Michael Adams is not respected and is a total jerk. Had I known this by FEB 15 I would have adjusted my donation. Mikee has slapped those alumni who do care in the teeth, but only after he has our money in his pocket. Scumbag!!!!
Aladawg
I am one of the few that thinks this is wonderful. From fall 05 until May 09, all of campus was destroyed by these "fans" who let their false sense of entitlement take control instead of just cleaning up their trash.
If you blame adams, you are an idiot. What choice did he have? This situation has been getting worse and worse, ever since that Auburn game in 05.
Maybe now, the fans will actually show up in the stadium ON TIME and be loud when the team needs them. Our fans valued alcohol more than they valued football... plain and simple. Maybe now things will be put in perspective
I don't care if it was cleaned up by Sundays and caused no long-term harm to grass, trees, and buildings. The trash caused real harm to my enjoyment of game days and the Universty's reputation. I've been tailgating around various parts of campus since I was a toddler -- some 40+ years -- and it was shockingly worse the last few years.
I'm stunned that people think it's the University's job to clean up after them and that some have had the nerve to complain about insufficient trash receptacles. IF YOU BROUGHT IT HERE, YOU CAN TAKE IT AWAY. That's what we've done my entire life, whether it was back when I was a kid with my folks or when I was a crazy, drunk-assed young alum, or now that I'm a crazy, drunk-assed 43 year old alum.
This spolied sense of entitlement that lets people think it's ok to be an absolute prick with their garbage is unacceptable. Grow the f--k up and take responsibility. It's not like it's some horrifying laborious chore to haul your own trash away. If we could do it when we were sloppy drunk fratboys, I know anybody can do it. It's a ridiculous discussion.
Everybody needs to remember 2 things:
1) You can still tailgate on NC and drink there. So you can't bring a keg, tent, or grill. So what? Bring a cooler full of beer and liquor and another one full of chips, dip, boiled pnuts and pimento cheese sandwiches. There, you're good to go. Do you really have to watch College GameDay while you tailgate? Are your friends and loved ones that boring that you have to listen to Strokey McDroopy-eye and Pretty Boy Herbie blab on about Urban Meyer? Tailgating is supposed to be simple and easy, but lately it's been turned into the sequel to "Old School": The return of Frank the Tank. Everybody wants to party harder than the next group and have bigger and better tailgate accessories than the next.
And, yeah, #2) The reason you're there is for a FOOTBALL GAME! I realize that an increasing amount of people in Athens each year could care less about the game and would rather hang out on campus and get hammered all day and night. But, the reason for tailgating is to get ready for the game.
Dear Spencer and Winston:
thanks a ton. Stupid,selfish, spoiled assholes like you, who trash the place at will, then bitch and whine when anyone asks you NOT to keep trashing it, and now blame everyone BUT yourselves for the ban, are exactly why the ban is now here.
Dont blame Mike Adams; while HE's an asshole, too, for a variety of reasons, he is unfortunately dead on this time. You selfish punks were warned and warned and warned. You wouldnt listen. Now, you're reaping what you have sown.
Oh, and Spencer: just because it's been going on "as long as you can remember" doesn't mean it was always that way. It wasnt that way 20 years ago. It wasnt that way 15 years ago. Punks like you are the only reason this is happening. Thanks a ton. Instead of alibing and blaming PWD (what a freaking JOKE), take some responsibility for once in your spoiled ass life.
Oh, and Winston -- "your inability to live and let be helped"? Nader analogies? Every single word of your comment is utter drooling nonsense, including "and" and "the."
Wait, WE raised our collective middle finger? WE did?!?!
Make no mistake, Spencer, it was you and your filthy-ass all-money-and-no-class rabble up on North Campus who were first with the middle-finger-raising. You trashed the place, numerous people said, "This looks awful, you really need to start cleaning your stuff up," and y'all replied, "Screw you, we're gonna keep on doing what we've been doing."
For you to act like PWD bears any complicity in this is astonishing. Seriously, you think he was out of line in calling North Campus a pigsty? And do you really think Adams needed the bloggers and the AJC to call attention to a situation right in the most prominent part of campus? You act like the NC tailgaters could've kept this whole thing under wraps if only the nosy bloggers hadn't gotten involved (like some sort of Scooby-Doo villain: "I would've gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!").
Take some responsibility and own up to the fact that the NC tailgaters were complete slobs, to the point where Adams would've eventually dropped the hammer on them even if bloggers like PWD had never uttered word one about it. For the record, I loathe Adams as much as anyone who has ever set foot on campus, but I'm hard-pressed to find anything to criticize about this decision. You had the wild party, and now you don't want to deal with the consequences.
Let the migration begin to South Campus.
Well said NCT, well said....this 47 year old agrees with you...
GATA!!
AppleDawg,
You're a fool.
So blame me all you want, and blame Winston, but the truth is that blaming some random folks who you have no clue about their tailgating styles really adds to my argument - you're just scapegoating and not seeing the forest through the trees.
I know you want to believe that HeyJennySlater and this blog have no influence and that all you do is type words into the ether for a few shits and giggles. But people from Georgia to California to overseas read y'alls blogs and they've become the primary source of information about UGA football along with the AJC. That's a cold hard fact. And when said blogs post stories with pics taken at 6AM after a night game and then advocate for a total ban on North Campus, it has an effect. Am I saying this alleviates culpability for North Campus being trashed? HELL NO. Do I want to find ways to see North Campus not look like a dump after a game? HELL YES. I was proud to see some of the greek organizations trying to make a difference and I think after the South Carolina game things got a little better this last year. I, like a lot of you, chipped in and tried to improve the situation too. But leaving a pristine campus after a tailgate is a tough thing to do. And giving Adams (the Great Satan) an opening is never a good idea, in my opinion. It'd be one thing if the blogs posted pics and said, "what a shame" but instead they advocated for this. And now they're pissed about it?
I probably can't change your mind. So pretend the blogs played no role in shaping public opinion. Get mad at me and not Adams. Fuck it, blame all UGA's problems on me. I told Bryan Evans to focus on his hair and not coverage skills. Willie Martinez didn't suck as a DC, it was my fault (and my rich-ass slob friends). We convinced him the soft-zone was better than a blitz on third and long. And we fucking love directional kicking and it's here to stay. Logan will get a 6th year and he'll fair catch, dammit. We hired Ray Goff and we think Quincy played a pretty good game against South Carolina.
Doug, you, Paul, and anyone else from the blogosphere are welcome to drink out of my cooler next year when tailgating gets ramped up. I'll have trash bags too.
Go Dawgs.
Doug,
As a longtime reader of your blogs and actually someone who met you several times (through R+B connections) back in college and loved your articles, I think you're jumping the gun here. Usually being called "filthy-ass all-money-and-no-class rabble" would be enough to make me have a few choice words back at you, but I'll try and do the unthinkable and keep this civil. Maybe you could try to do the same. If that's a problem, let me know.
And just because I think the AJC, the red-and-black, and this blog over-reacted to the tailgating mess doesn't mean I was taking a shit on the North Campus lawn and wiping with oak leaves while drinking a case of Natty Lite and dumping shredded cooler bits everywhere. I actually like to think I cleaned up my mess. Have I left a beer can or two on North Campus over the years? Yes. So have you all, and as you've gotten older you've gotten better about it, just like I have. There's no underclass here of people that are out to trash the place. Lots of people tailgate and there is just not enough places for them to put their stuff when they go to the game, and it becomes a dump. I, like the rest of you, badly want this to improve. But I sure as hell am not going to stick my thumb up my ass and agree with Michael Adams by scapegoating students and "slobs" when most people and the school have culpability for making the trash problem so bad. And amazingly, other than blaming students and now me (I'm typing this in my gold plated office where I throw trash of all sorts on the floor and have assistants pick it up), nobody is talking about the fact that the massive tailgates near the Library are political tailgates and other sponsored tailgates run by large organizations. The school itself rents out services to those massive tailgates with Old School-esque Stereo City sound systems. The place gets packed and trashed. But it's a lot easier to blame "students" and blame some unknown class of "slobs" (that apparently you're putting me in now too) than to really think about all the causes of the problems.
How they didn't ban Styrofoam and glass bottles is beyond me. I guess preventing people from watching Gameday was just the top priority.
Spencer and Winston solidify the old saying - "Don't ever argue with an idiot. They'll only pull you down to their level and win every time".
You stepford wives can trash your homes if you want and your maids can clean it for you, just stay the hell away from North Campus.
Oh, and F*ck Florida.
I agree with Adams.. I hate it when other vehicles follow me too closely on the road! Restrict tailgators!
I think Spencer's main points are:
(1) When the images and video of the trash on NC went viral, outrage ensued. These images went viral because of the age we live in. Ie, blogs post them and discuss them and reprimand the fans. Obviously this has an effect on public perception, and it affects the school's image. Mr. Adams would obviously take notice. To think that the widespread attention given to this issue via blogs had no affect on public perception and the school's attention is naive.
(2) Mr. Adams is overreacting to some degree. Why not direct some outrage at him, as opposed to the "nebulous" (good word, Spencer) group of tailgaters? As opposed to saying, "I warned you that he would react this way!" Does that make his decision any more justified or less deserving of outrage?
It's ok to be angry at the sloppy fans. But we should also be pissed at Adams for his overreaction.
Love the blog, love the Dawgs, and love the USA!
I really don't have a problem with this. Fans, alums, etc. -- we're all guests of the University. Just because you spent four years at UGA or didn't but chose to drape yourself in UGA merchandise, doesn't give you a lifetime pass to come take a giant crap on the campus six Saturdays a year. That it finally took Adams being Adams to make that point clear is a shame, but not a surprise.
Frankly (and I'm saying this as a confirmed tippler), our fanbase places way too high of a premium on drunkenness as a component of the gameday experience. I'm not blaming booze, but the thread that connects excessive drinking to slobbishness, public urination, etc., ain't a mile long. And I've never really understood turning a tailgate (a social, extroverted experience) into a home theater (which is more antisocial and introverted, letting Corse and Herbstreit be the life of the party).
In some ways this reminds me of the fraternity situation that began festering before the '96 Olympics. It was "govern yourselves or be governed." Adams is a dick, but he's a predictable dick, so you'd have to be an idiot to think "being governed" meant anything less than Draconian. The frats couldn't get their act together and so they were shut down during the Olympics, forced to accept alcohol free housing, and several eventually got relocated. The North Campus folks had the frats' example as a data point about how Adams responds to inertia, and they continued to blow it.
Wow....This is quite the hot-topic. This is my first time posting on your site Paul so please be gentle with me.
While I see validity in everyone's points, I tend to agree more with Spencer because he is not the one resorting to blanket statements about "slobs," "filthy-ass all-money-and-no-class rabble," or, my personal favorite, "punks like you"--rather, he tends to make logical points throughout his multiple arguments, as opposed to juvenile name-calling.
It didn't seem crazy to me that there was a lot of trash. What did seem crazy was that pictures were taken of the aftermath and said pictures were THEN treated as if that trash was never picked up. That's simply ridiculous. 99.9% of the time the trash is picked up within 24 hours and well in time for classed on Monday.
Let me explain the simple math of it: When you have X amount of people drinking & consuming Y amount of food & beverages (with Y almost ALWAYS being much greater than X)--than you will have Z (X x Y) AKA a $hit load of trash on North Campus!
Another point of simple math. Those of you who say "I've been tailgating for 20-30+ years and it wasn't always like this"---Uhhhh, yeah. Great point. You know what also wasn't always "like this?"--Sanford Stadium.
SANFORD STADIUM SEATING CAPACITY BY YEAR:
1964: 43,621
1967: 59,000
1981: 82,122
1991: 85,434
1994: 86,520
2003: 92,058
2004: 92,746
Future (with East Stadium Expansion): 101,766+
Hmmmm. So since 1964 our little stadium has increased seating by 213%--I wonder if the amount of people tailgating and the amount of trash left behind has gone up during that time too?
What's funny to me is that I believe we're having more and more folks come tailgate and support our beloved Dawgs--that's not a bad thing right? Generally this means more $$$ for the university (ticket revenue, merchandise/licensing etc.) and therefore more $$$ to pay for the increase in cleanup personnel associated with the increase in trash.
Let's take a look at the biggest college football stadiums (neutral site fields excluded):
1. Penn State - 107,282
2. Michigan - 106,201
3. Ohio St. - 102,329
4. Texas - 100,119
5. Tennessee - 100,011
6. USC (Trojans) - 93,607
7. Georgia - 92,746
8. UCLA - 92,542
9. LSU - 92,400
10. Alabama - 92,138
11. Florida - 88,548
With the exception of our Dawgs and UCLA, EVERY TEAM ON THAT LIST HAS WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1980 (It killed me to type that sentence).
All of those 9 schools also get a huge amount of press coverage. I'm guessing it's for 2 reasons (which are certainly not mutually exclusive):
1. They're winning (and winning crystal football trophies at that).
2. They have IMMENSE fan support (in large part because they win) and thus put butts in seats.
Now, look as Georgia vs. UCLA. UCLA sucks. They don't win (only National Championship was in 1954), RARELY sell out their home games and are vastly overshadowed by USC.
Now look at Georgia. We win AND sell out ALL of our home games but we haven't won it all since 1980--yet we somehow remain relevant to the media. While we're not as covered as the 9 other schools listed, we are certainly MUCH more covered in the media than UCLA.
I'd love to find out what the trash situation is at those other 9 successful schools. I'm willing to bet in ain't pretty.
Maybe we should aspire to be UCLA--no sell-out crowds and a lackluster football program with a clean tailgating experience.
Personally, I'll take the trash with the winning & success and increase in revenues to clean it all up by Monday morning.
I also like what Lawrence said on David Hale's blog:
"Lawrence writes: Why not lease sections of the area to non-profit, civic groups. They could then rent out space then use the money in their communities. These groups would be responsible for policing and cleaning up their ares. Thus, the best of two worlds A) generate revenue for both the University and civic groups and II.) have a specific, responsible party for each area."
Sounds good to me...now, can we please get back to actually talking about what's happening on the field?
This is unacceptable to me as a fan. No TV's, generators or grills?! WTF!?
I get then need to crack down, but to turn UGA sports into an experience like Arizona State or Vandy is bordering on ridiculous.
How do these rules relate to the problem? Trash is trash--it accumulates whether you have a TV and generator. These rules are just asinine.
From a tree hugger's stand point, would you rather have a keg (Which someone has a $100 deposit on and therefore vested interest to return) and 20 cups, or 250 cans and bottles. And how do the tents address the problem? Typical bureaucratic overreaction and misguided response.
It will be interesting to see the impact after the change in rule.
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