Welcome back, Nation.
The 2014 college football season is finally upon us. Can I get a “Go DAWGS!”? All spring and
summer I listen to folks talk about how they just can’t wait for football
season to come back around and how they just can’t wait to see those DAWGS
running loose again. Well, here we are.
Will this finally be the year our beloved Georgia Bulldogs
win a national championship? Well, we’ll
get to that.
This year, just like every year, the DAWGS will take the
field carrying their own hopes and dreams, as well as the hopes and dreams of a
nation…the DAWG Nation…on their shoulders.
The young men that wear the red and black have been working every day
since that last whistle blew to do what it takes to get the job done this time
around. Each and every one of them have
committed body and soul to the “G” in pursuit of that most elusive of
goals. Think about that as we point out
the lone trumpeter and listen to Munson call our DAWGS to field of battle one
more time.
But why do they do it?
Why do these young men, the coaches, staff, and the Redcoats and
cheerleaders too, why do they sacrifice so much? Certainly, everyone involved wants to win a
championship, but I know there’s more to it.
To make such an investment of time and effort (and remember there is
nothing more valuable than our time), there must be more.
They do it because it matters. I’m not simply talking about wins and
losses. There are well over one hundred
schools playing FBS level football and winning and losing matters to all of
them. If you don’t believe me, just ask
them. It matters to those actually
putting in the work on a completely different level. It matters because each person involved is
putting it all on the line to represent their family. It matters because of a sacred promise
they’ve made to their teammates, their brothers and sisters in the chaos, that
they will give it all they’ve got because a promise so sacred demands nothing
less. Certainly, they want to win for
themselves. Absolutely! But do not let it go unnoticed that it
matters because they feel the weight of representing everyone that came before
them, a university and an entire state.
It matters because they know they are representing you. They are sacrificing for you. They want to win for you.
So, will the 2014 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs win a
national championship on the gridiron?
Probably not. Can they? Most definitely! Do I hope that happens? Abso-damn-lutely! But let’s face it,
those odds are long and there are a lot of bounces of the ball that will have
to go Georgia’s
way for that to happen.
So, if you’re a “fan” that will be miserable and write the
entire season off as a waste of time if the DAWGS fail to claim a national title
in 2014, you’re probably not going to enjoy the back half of this year….and I
want to wish you lots of luck with that.
But, if you’re a true fan, a real supporter of the University of Georgia
and the people that represent it, I want to encourage you to enjoy every minute
of every game and appreciate the efforts of these young men, the coaches and
everyone involved with the program for the expression of a passion that is
visceral and real. As someone that loves
the University of Georgia,
what more can you ask of any representative of the DAWG Nation.
Glory, Glory!