Bernie's Blog...A Challenge To All UGA Fans

With the season about to kick off it's high time for the fans to take notice on how much they matter. Unfortunately UGA fans come up short at times in supporting their team when at home. Yes, Dawg fans pack Sanford Stadium, but it's what they do after they take their seats that needs to change...

Last year there was a significant attitude change with Georgia coach Mark Richt. He instilled passion and energy to a team of young Dawgs that needed an emotional kick in the rear. This year the adjustment needs to come from a few more people…namely the 92,000 or so fans who wear red & black inside Sanford Stadium. And just to clear the air, I am one of those 92,000.

This hurts me to write but at some times Sanford Stadium seems more timid and mellow than a house of horrors for Bulldog opponents. I’ve been to Neyland, Williams-Brice and have heard enough about the Swamp to know that the Bulldog Nation falls way behind in creating that home-field advantage truly needed. UGA may finish first in the SEC East, but right now their fans are ranked fourth in supporting the home team from start to finish. The fair-weather fans who walk into the house that Dooley & Hershel built, must turn into all-weather fans.

Georgia fans at times seem to wait for good things to happen then cheer, rather than trying to create noise and passion on their own. I would classify the crowd as loud and enthusiastic – not hostile and intimidating as the other fan bases listed above. I’m not saying that all of those who cheer for the Dawgs are timid, but at times it seems like the fans need to be awakened by a great play rather than be loud and hostile from the start. There’s only really been three or four times where I couldn’t hear myself think in Sanford Stadium and that needs to change starting this Saturday.

It’s time for the Bulldog Nation to show up and not just support the Dawgs, but truly make Sanford Stadium a place that NOBODY wants to play. Put it this way, a 12:00 pm start at Neyland Stadium was more intimidating than any Georgia game I’ve ever been to.

Last year I sat in the alumni section and at times I was embarrassed. People would chit-chat and socialize. There’s a time for that and it’s called tailgating. During key defensive series fans would sit on their hands rather than stand up and blow out their vocal chords to support Willy Martinez’s defense. Frankly, I’m sick of this and I am sending this challenge to ALL in the Bulldog Nation who read this and ask that you pass this fellow Bulldogs who will be at the game Saturday. UGA has the #1 team in the nation that’s primed and ready to win it all. We need to support our top-ranked team with a top-flight fan base that makes any game “between the hedges” a miserable day or night for those teams who visit Athens. And that needs to start way before the first touchdown, interception or sack by the Dawgs.

I expect this challenge to be met on Saturday afternoon.

Agree? Disagree? Think I’m nuts? Let me know right here.