WILL GEORGIA WIN THE 2014 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP?

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!

WTF?!?!? You CANNOT let this slide!

Look, I'm not sayin'....I'm just sayin'. If someone punches your brother in the face, are you just gonna stand there and watch???? I fully understand that these photos might be misleading. We don't know where he is looking. We don't know if his eyes are even open. HOWEVER, the following photos seem to clearly show that DAWGS center Ben Jones has a front row, unobstructed view of LSU defensive lineman Rahim Alem as he LAUNCHES himself at Caleb King, clearly leading with the crown of his helmet with a seemingly fully realized intent to use his headgear as a weapon! I do not remember a single DAWGS player coming to King's aid after the play (full disclosure: I will have to check the tape on my DVR later). Simply stated....WTF!!!! That just cannot be acceptable. We all know that if an opposing player is a bit too rough with a teammate of yours, it is absolutely acceptable behavior for you to come to his aid. Hell, it's almost mandatory! ESPECIALLY when it comes to offensive linemen and a running back or quarterback! A football team truly is like a family. A band of brothers. At least, the ones worth a flip are. There is absolutely no way that Alem should have been allowed to get away with this action without some sort of retaliation. I'm not saying there should have been a fight or that Alem should have been targeted, but someone should have been immediately in his face to let him know that, uh, stuff just won't fly.

Alem's hit certainly had the desired effect. It was made public after the game that King suffered a broken jaw (almost definitely on the play in question) and a concussion. And by the way, HUGE KUDOS to the kid for playing the majority of the rest of the game. This hit is ABSOLUTELY, to the letter of the rule, what the helmet-to-helmet penalty is supposed to punish. THERE WAS NO FLAG. If the game doesn't provide justice, shouldn't someone.

Again, I cannot say definitively whether Jones actually saw this frame-by-frame the way we can see it now, but regardless...I say it's a safe bet that someone saw it...and they should have been Category 4 PISSED! This reaction, in my opinion, is absolutely justified by the laws of brotherhood, team and pride in defense of all that the Georgia "G" on the side of that helmet stands for.

This type of action CANNOT be allowed to go unchallenged and I certainly hope it was just a situation of circumstance that prevented the DAWGS from taking care of their own. For Caleb's sake, I certainly hope so. I would love to know what y'all think.

GO DAWGS!!!