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December 2, 2007

Hard to Imagine the Sugar Bowl as a Letdown

Georgia is headed to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl on January 1. Our opponent is the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, undefeated champions of the WAC, master of the "gimmick" June Jones offense, and universally viewed as a lose-lose proposition for any BCS opponent.

I know you're mad. I know you have a right to be mad. We were again close enough to smell a BCS championship, but will have to watch someone else win it. But, please folks, let's get a bit of perspective here. When Vandy was driving for what appeared to be a game winning score back in October, did anyone think we would be going to the Sugar Bowl? Those of you who call this a letdown should remember that moment. I acknowledge it is difficult, but it's true.

Another moment to remember is this:
This is what happens when a gimmick offense meets an overconfident SEC team in the Sugar Bowl. It was a nightmare and it could happen again if we take Hawaii for granted. Related, also see: Exhibit B.

Not going to the national championship game hurts. It is illogical and arbitrary. Once you lose, however, you are subject microchips and voter fancies, not consistent logic. The Sugar Bowl, hell any BCS bowl is not a letdown. They don't come along every year and they should be appreciated. I've seen some fans talking about not going to the Sugar Bowl in protest over the BCS slight. I urge you to ignore such notions. Go to New Orleans. Buy tickets from UGA. Bring your friends. A good traveling reputation is valuable for a college football team. It might help us out later when we need a favor.

Quinton

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lose-Lose. Yipee.

Anonymous said...

i hope espn is happy

Anonymous said...

We've paid our dues and deserved the favor NOW!

Paige said...

I'm really trying here. I tried not to get too excited about our chances, but it's been so long it was hard not to smell it and want it beyond all other things. I'm really not all that upset with the Sugar Bowl or even Hawaii. I mean heck, even if the don't play huge teams how easy is it to go undefeated in college football? Really? Something has to be said about doing that. I wish I could go to the game and I too urge all fans to forget about boycotting the game. Our boys need us and we should be there for them. They've given us an amazing season. We need to be there and be loud. Our boys need to come out angry and ready to play. I urge them not to underestimate Hawaii like I think some fans are doing.

GOOOOOO DAWGS!!!!!!

Paige said...

OH, and having said all that........I freakin' refuse to watch the championship game at all. I've never missed watching one that I can remember. Even when the hated Gators of Vols played. I will miss this one.

Will said...

Other than WVA-OU (and that's only if White is healthy), all the BCS games could be blowouts.
LSU should blowout an Ohio ST. U
USC should destroy the Zooks
VT should destroy Kansas.

and UGA should annihilate Hawai'i...if we get pressure and don't confuse Brennan with Ainge.

Anonymous said...

PWD--- I AM FULLY BEHIND THE DAWGS, i wanted the NATTY but hey, BCS is damn good too, can you post something on the easiest way to get tickets for as cheap as possible?

Anonymous said...

By the way, to all you boycotting fans...can I have your tickets?

Anonymous said...

I agree. There should NOT be a boycott of the game. Our recruits are still keeping an eye on how the UGA fans react to everything. I think CMR was right in voicing his opinion on the topic and I long to see someone concur with his words. We need the Dawgs to throttle the Hawaiians to show we are legit. Yeah, that last line sounded great, but it is a little bit of a lose/lose situation. Other than that, I'm tired of ESPN and the BCS. It's 'bout time for a playoff. I hate to say it. But it truly is.

Getting screwed out of the Rose Bowl is ridiculous too.

S.A.W.B. said...

I believe I've seen this somewhere before...oh, wait, I have

/the fix is in...

Anonymous said...

I think the team is pretty pissed off right now. Maybe not so much because of our "lot" in the whole BCS mix, but perhaps, upon reflection, the woulda, shoulda,coulda's that happened against SCar and UT. We are a young team with enough Senior leadership to remind those, who were not there, about our early efforts against WVU in '05 and what will happen if you underestimate an opponent.

Has Hawaii ever played in New Orleans? Ever played against SEC speed? No. We have every advantage and I think a massive chip on our shoulders. Let's just get over the disappointment of today and realize that, come January 1, a brand new era of Georgia Football is about to begin.

The future is bright.

C. Paul said...

It is not a letdown.

We're in the Sugar Bowl playing an undefeated team that is looking for respect.

Let's see what we learned from WVU and beat Hawaii LIKE A FU**** DRUM.

That's how you show everyone they made an unwise choice.

Go Dawgs!!

Anonymous said...

No doubt about it- Georgia was shafted. ESPN did a terrible job announcing the bowls.They did not even mention Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. They had a long drawn out discussion on all the other bowl games and about the worthiness of those teams playing in those bowls. We had to wait through all those discussions. And even through the announcement of the National Championship game. Finally, they threw up on the screen a list of all the bowl games and then we got to see our team's name in print for the Sugar Bowl- I still don't think they have discussed our team and this Bowl game. So, I feel we were shafted by the BCS and now even by ESPN!
But let's be true fans! Our team has been shafted enough, don't let these guys feel shafted from us! They deserve much better!!

Anonymous said...

Finally, an hour after the announcement- ESPN is talking about the DAWGS.

Jimbo Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I'm excited about the Sugar Bowl and I'll be there to support the team.

But I'm not watching another minute of ESPN or the Rose Bowl (starting when this interview with Richt ends).

Go Dawgs, GATA

Anonymous said...

And to anon 9:08, FOX was the same way. They had an in-depth discussion about every other team (even Hawaii and Illi-freakin-nois). But after announcing UGA to the Sugar, they went straight to the title game.

Anonymous said...

A buddy of mine made this point--weren't the talking heads on the worldwide leader campaigning for Michigan to go the natty title game last year because they were "the 2nd best team in America" (overlooking the fact that they didn't win their conference title because, after all it isn't a rule). Now those same people said we shouldn't go this year because we didn't win the sec title.

That being said, I'm looking forward to go down to the sugar bowl. After all, you can't spell sugar without UGA

Jmac said...

My beef ain't with the title game (Oklahoma, in all honesty, is the most deserving), but rather the fact that we're got a ridiculous system that put a No. 13, three-loss team in the Rose Bowl over us ... all so both the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl can preserve their tradition, sacrificing the quality of the game in the process.

Think about ... aside from your loyalties to Georgia, do any of the BCS matchups sound compelling? I mean, Oklahoma-West Virginia sounds like it might be a decent game, but if the Mountineers play like they did on Saturday night, the Sooners should roll.

My beef is with the system and the conference tie-ins. They're outdated and, quite frankly, prejudiced against success. All Illinois had to do was shoot for 9-3 and they get to the Rose Bowl. How is this fair?

I've talked boycott, and perhaps that's wrong of me. I'm not ready to commit to it yet ... but, for me, it's seriously hard to get motivated about this game. I imagine I'll feel differently in a few days, but it's hard right now.

Chris said...

Well, the best thing you can do when you don't have 2 clear cut best teams in the country is have no good matchups.

UGA/USC- best possible BCS match.
Won't see it because it would take ratings away from the national championship.

Oh well, we better run the score up on the fightin' hula girl bobble dolls.

Anonymous said...

Tickets: Order them if you are the nervous type, but I will bet you can show up and buy them for less than face. We (the dawgs) will show, but I don't think Hawai'i has 22,000 in the stands for a home game. I'll be surprised if they travel.

Tie-ins: jmac and others act like this is just a tradition. The BCS has changed some things, but these are actually contractually set up as part of the rules. And in the past, it's been good for us on occasion. from a strictly bidness standpoint, it makes sense for the Rose to have a PAC-10 tie-in, and the Sugar to have an SEC tie-in, etc. I don't get the Big 10 thing except for tradition, but us going to the Sugar has more to do with LSU going to the MNC than it does with the Rose wanting to honor tradition. When the Sugar lost its tie in to the MNC they got to pick another SEC team. If they don't pick us, we can't go to a BCS bowl, period, because a conference can only have two teams in the BCS. And they arguably could have picked UT. SO, it's not all bad, imo.

Anonymous said...

I must agree with the notion that the viewing public is really hurt by the poor decisions made by those who selected these pitiful matchups.

Nevermind Herbstreet making things clear on ESPN that he did not support the idea of UGA playing in the NC game.."this is purely my assignment" he says. Yea, then why can we get no highlight or mention when the bowl is announced?

The real true dissapointment that we could not match up the HOT teams of USC and UGA so that (as it is done in the SEC) we could settle things on the field.

Too bad we can not see LSU and OK in the title game..winner of the big 12 and SEC. NO VT, you lost to LSU on the field, second week, remember? No, Big east WVU, you lost to win your confrence, remember? No, if you don't play a championship game you are not on the same level as those confrences that do.

GIVE ME A BREAK.

SEC STILL PUTS 75% of their teams in a Bowl! Again! Same as last year. The only three that did not go are Vandy, Ole Miss, and the ole ball coach. Those three are still better programs than most of the elegible teams.

AND do recall... we won 2/3 of the bowl games we played last year, despite Tenn choking against Penn.

THE H@LL with herbstreet. The H@LL with the BCS. The H@LL with ESPN.

GO DAWGS.

GEORGIA JACK WROTE THIS POST>

Holla said...

The truth is we CAN'T boycott anything, no matter how inclined you might be. For one, we love it too much to boycott it. This feeds the power of the system, of course, but it's true. The GOP doesn't have to worry about pleasing the more conservative folks, b/c where else are they gonna go anyway? (Oh wait, bad example?)

For two, a boycott punishes the wrong people.

I'm pumped about the Sugar. I want to see 63-17. But if they come out flat-footed fat and happy like against the 'Neers two years ago, so help me...

Anonymous said...

IT IS A LETDOWN. Not the bowl, but the choice of opponent. I'm not upset about UGA not getting in the title game, but to be that close and then through no fault of their own get stuck with a no-win game against Hawaii is one of the worst things that could happen. If UGA doesn't hold Hawaii to under 20 and at the same time UGA doesn't win by 20 it will be considered a loss. F$%^! Unlike other top bcs games UGA's game will start starts with this scoreline in the mids of all the d-bags in the national media. UGA -20 Hawaii 0. What a wonderful reward for a team that has the longest win streak amongst top 10 since mid-October.

JasonC said...

anon 11:30,
You are wrong about this 20-point stuff. Yes, the game sets up like a lose-lose situation, but to say we have to win something like 38-17 for it to be legit is crap.
I doubt there is a team in the BCS that would rather play Hawaii, because as creampuff as their schedule was, they are a threat on offense to any team out there.

Anonymous said...

the major argument is that the bcs was not consistent ohio state backed into the championship game, the dawgs didn't. lsu "earned" there way into the championship game and oklahoma was conviently looked over. i think it should of either been lsu v. ou or uga v. ohio any other combination contradicts the bcs original standing before this week they were so sure wva was going to win over pitt that this controversy wouldnt have happened... glad it did cause things are going to get intersting...... dawgs got screwed! or okalhoma did!

Anonymous said...

I strongly support a boycott of the Sugar Bowl. Those who say it will reflect poorly on UGA may be right, BUT what has showing up like we do gotten us? We certainly didn't get the benefit of the doubt, or even FAIR treatment. Instead we got screwed, so we either boycott (and thereby at least earn the royal screwing we got) or show up, and send the message that we are cotnent to be screwed, naturally inviting it again in the near future.

What harm in protesting this time? Are they going to pass us over for the NC game? Already did it. Are they going to pass us over for the Rose? Did that too.

Basically there is no risk to boycotting and expressing our displeasure with the travesty that is the BCS and this matchup in particular since we are already being punished with a lose-lose proposition in the sugar bowl.

Personally I think the Sugar did get hosed a bit by being stuck with Hawaii (and I can't figure out why it is the sugar that hawaii got dumped upon), but whoever did that to the sugar is taking advantage of UGA by expecting us to sell the stadium out, to travel and to fill those seats and hotel rooms. We know Hawaii can't fill them, largely due to the travel and the extreme expense of flying from hawaii to New Orleans (byway of at least one layover if not two), and augmented by a small state and small fan base. But to expect me to reward the bowl and spend my money for a poor matchup after the way the BCS treated Georgia this year? No wasy they get that from me. I for one will stay home, and while I will root for the dawgs and will surely keep a close eye on the game, it will be the radio broadcvast or internet this year. Not even the TV network is going to get a rating from me for this one. I only wish that the Dawgs would have spoken with some of the other bowls outside the BCS when this became obvious yesterday so that we could have rejected the sugar bowl in favor of another bowl.

Anonymous said...

Well put, Quinton. Looking through the comments and judging from the phone calls, I worry that we are now notre dame fans. We are in the SUGAR Bowl.

When we lost to SC and Tennessee, we left it to others to decide. The best thing we can do is make the only undefeated team lose and show those that did decide that they might have gotten it wrong.

Random bitching does nothing for us but paints us as crybabies, something I prefer to leave to coaches from other schools.

Anonymous said...

Colin Cowherd hit the nail on the head - Georgia better quit complaining because the last few teams to do that got trounced in their bowl games. Time to move on and get pumped for the sugar

Anonymous said...

BCS=BULL CRAP SERIES

How can Flippin' LSU deserve another shot at the Championship! They had their chance twice and what did they do lose! I think two teams who didn't have a shot and blow it should play for the title. Cough(Georgia vs Oklahoma)Cough!
This sucks!
Oh well, It's time to welcome Colt Brennan and his Rainbow Warriors(GAY) to the mainland!
Go Dawgs!!!

Anonymous said...

I hope OSU can find it in their over-rated little hearts to beat hell out of LSU and UM stands TT on his head. Of course the cheeseheads will stomp UT.

How did I turn into a post-season Big 10 fan? I am a Georgia fan and I wish nothing except despair and humiliation for all of my SEC brethren, especially those that wear orange (even faggy shades of pastel orange).

Anonymous said...

Prediction:

Hawaii 48
Georgia 24

Georgia cries about refs. and BCS, and everyone else they can think of

Anonymous said...

WHILE I DO FEEL THE PAIN, THE DAWGS STILL DESERVE OUR SUPPORT,
AND SINCE WE'RE GOING TO BE THERE, LET US REMEMBER...
YOU CAN'T SPELL SUGAR WITHOUT UGA!!!
GO DAWGS, SIC'EM!!!

Anonymous said...

Amazing. This whole dialogue is amazing.

Last I saw, the average (average) SAT score for the UGA football team was 770. Combined. I'm not sure any of 'em can spell "sic 'em".

'Course, I'm not at all sure the situation in Hawai'i is any different.

But I do have a solution.

An Act of Congress.

Telling the NFL to pay for its own goddam minor leagues.

And give the universities back to the real students.

Anonymous said...

really? national championship? u think u've been slighted by the BCS??? hello!!! 10 & TWO!!!!! u people better buckle up - it's gonna be a bumpy ride for ya!

 
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