A couple of thoughts:
- I'm not going to be one of those people who say 'that couldn't have happened.' Clearly, it can. If you've ever done a road trip, it can happen. I've had all of those things happen to me (not in one weekend) during my travels, usually at Tech, South Carolina and in Jacksonville. I'm sure some or all of it did happen.
- Overall, the Auburn game really brings out the worst in UGA fans. I had some unpleasant interactions with UGA fans over parking/tailgate things. Even when I tried to make nice, the particular fan I had interacted with was a jackass. Such is life.
- I saw plenty of Auburn folks about Saturday, and way too many in my section. None of them looked spat upon, were called bad names, or were physically threatened. There was some mutual back and forth at times, but that was it.
- I made exactly one negative comment to an Auburn fan, and it was about the person that gave them their tickets. I felt bad about that and apologized for my comment (while the game was still close).
- If you participated in the behavior described, or didn't stop your friends or others from that behavior, shame on you. If you spit on anyone, you need to go to jail for the night. And no, spitting on Auburn people doesn't make it ok.
- This is the type of thing that makes the UGA administration hate night games.
I'm truly sorry the Auburn fan had a bad time and feels this way. I didn't go to Auburn for 25 years because of getting hosed down in my first trip there. I'm sorry I missed some good times by my stand. While I got some pretty salty comments last year, especially after the game, it was nothing I wouldn't expect. Getting spit on is something I wouldn't expect.
So from one Dawg fan to the writer of the letter, a promise: if I ever see someone doing that to a visiting fan, I'll step up, just as I would have on Saturday if I'd seen it being done to you. UGA has an equal number of crappy fans as many, many other schools. It is shameful that we do, but we do.
TD
12 comments:
Heard Foley wants someone with HC experience. Here are some thoughts:
D. Dooley. Already has lots of Orange
T. Tuberville. Ditto on the Ornge.
Baby Bowden. Nuff said
Petrino will be calling. he sould listen.
I don't doubt that the Reddit user in question and his party experienced some of the negative treatment that he describes. I absolutely refuse to believe, though, that he was spat upon "at least 20 times" (according to him) by just random fans unless he was being a jackass in some way.
I have, on rare occasions, seen UGA fans say demeaning or stupid things to opposing fans. Literally every single time I have witnessed those things, though, someone has stepped in and told the UGA fan to cut that shit out. (A couple of times it was myself, but the majority of the time it was someone else.)
And in 30 years of coming to Georgia games, I have seen an opposing fan repeatedly receive abusive treatment during a game exactly twice. Both times, the opposing fan had been acting like an ass when his team was leading. And both times, the opposing fan in question seemed incredulous that some "celebrating rednecks" would lash back out at him after he'd been an ass when his team had the lead. (Also, both times the offending parties were eventually called off by their peers around them.)
I don't condone the mistreatment of opposing fans when they come to Athens; on the contrary, I strongly denounce it. Every fanbase has a few morons that come to the game and make everyone's life miserable, though, and those idiots don't represent the fanbase at large. Also, I simply cannot bring myself to believe that this fan was being treated so poorly without having in some way instigated some of the incident himself.
Whats the saying? If you run into one asshole, he's probably just an asshole.,, but If you run into 20 assholes, then the asshole is probably you.
I'm not condoning what this fan reports. If it happened it is truly awful. But also...southern hospitality with Auburn ended the day they defended Nick Fairley's dirty play.
My adult son and I make the trip to Athens for a game once a year. 3 years ago it was the Auburn game. Since he is of age, we enjoy the downtown nightlife the Friday before and the Saturday after. We saw Auburn fans in all their regalia walking down the street and in the bars. I didn't see anyone bother them in any way. We sat in section 133. There were Auburn fans in the row behind us. Good natured banter, but nothing malicious. There were Auburn fans in the lines for the rest room and concession stand, again, some fun back and forth but nothing you wouldn't say to the random Auburn fan at work. When LSU came to town, they had tailgates set up on North campus. They seemed to be having a grea time without anyone bothering them. Same thing at the Missouri game last year - my son and I had our pictures taken with some Mizzou fans before the game. No one bothered them. I'm not at nearly as many games as most of you, but I have never seen anything thrown or anyone spat upon. Not saying it didn't happen, just I have never seen it.
I can believe having a bad experience with one or two fans, but 20? Like Joe says, if you're having that many problems with people you don't know, you're probably the problem.
Well, Tyler, we 've been to all road games this year and almost every year. We were treated like crap cursed at , splattered by unintentional spit, both before during and after the Florida and Game chicken games. We don't write letters because where students and alchohol mix bad things do happen and if you are going to go on the road it will happen to you. We lived in and will retire in Alabama and have many Auburn friends (Not as many Bama fans). We have been hosed there, we have watched Nick Fairley be dirty and watched Auburn fans applaud it. We have watched Auburn recruit and sign thugs convicted of crimes(even those that plead out) so I don't condone any one spitting, but I also don't have sympathy for a crybaby publishing letters like this. Man up! all schools have good fans and all have bad ones. Have you listened to "Tammy" on Finebaum. Maybe the letter was from her using a pen name!
Tyler, Take a look at the play clock on the TO. I think we were saved by that. The TO happened because we were about to get a delay of game. Now, the good part was that we re-thought the decision and made a good one playing to "WIN".
Pyke had many blocks like that. The offensive line continues to gain confidence and is really daunting. David Andrews value to this team is inestimable. The inside linebacker play was awesome and the move putting Floyd at the star spot were examples of what Jeremy Pruitt is accomplishing!
At that range, I think we'd have taken the 5 yards rather than use a TO.
Bingo.
My problem with this guys letter was its lack of specifics. What I mean by that is not what each culprit looked like etc, but just "we were spat upon, people spilled drinks on us, etc."
Care to name what bar you went to where all these things happened? Bourbon Street? Shenanigans (Flannigans)? Boars Head? Outside Georgia Theater?
Were you walking down Lumpkin or Broad street? Maybe Baxter?
To me he sounded like a milquetoast pantywaist from Atlanta who probably didn't get into UGA. I've met a lot of butt-hurt Georgians who didn't get in at other SEC schools (LSU big time).
I haven't been to a game since 2006-I know bad alum-and it was during the Tennessee game we were up and then blew it by giving up 50+. Oh and guess what? I almost brought a UT fan to tears that game! After he was rude to my friend and his gf, I sat there and ridiculed the little punk (he was small-like 5'5 150 probably) and he sat there and he didn't like it, but he took it. With the utmost sincerity I doubt whatever this guy wrote actually happened, I've seen plenty of things across our conference, but I've never seen us, or anyone affiliated with us act like that on campus.
The guy who wrote that piece from Auburn was a punk or a liar or probably both.
Tyler, I agree with that thought; however in the emotion of the moment you see the play clock at 1 or 2 and you almost instinctively call timeout. At that point is where I think Richt and perhaps Bobo upstairs said to themselves "Wait a minute, are we playing to win this thing? Are we not confident that our studs can make a yard? Let's go for it." Thus I stand by my statement that I think we were "saved" by the play clock in that situation.
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