Major Event #1: UGA vs South Carolina

On September 10, 2011, I attended the Dawg’s 2nd football game of the season, 1st game in Sanford Stadium, when they played the South Carolina Gamecocks. This game was not my first UGA game, but it was the first game I have been to at Sanford Stadium. I had gone to Atlanta a week prior to watch the Dawgs play in the Georgia Dome. Anyway, so I had no clue as to how anything was supposed to run. I didn’t know how the traffic was supposed to flow, when the gates were supposed to open, who to tailgate with, etc. The good thing is, though, I know a few upperclassmen here, so they took the time to tell me how Saturdays in Athens run. I was told by a friend that because I live at the Rogers Road apartments, there was no need for me to move my car, which was a relief to me. He also told me that I wouldn’t be able to drive from my apartment to get a parking spot closer to the stadium. I assume I would have to pay to park somewhere closer, so I have decided to walk everywhere on game days. I found out on Facebook that the gates open an hour and a half before the scheduled game time, so that was critical information that I needed to begin planning my day.

I have a friend here who invited me to his tailgate, which took place in the River Mill apartment complex parking lot. He and his friends were playing a game of cornhole when I arrived, and they needed one more player, so I joined in. After a game of cornhole, we began grilling the food that my friend had brought. This food included hamburger patties, duck, and dove. The hamburger patties were somewhat old, but slapping a piece of cheese on top made them taste scrumptious! Not only did I have 2 cheeseburgers, but I also had a block of duck stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese and a small thing of dove, two items that I have never previously eaten before. Both the duck and the dove were wrapped in bacon, giving them a sweet twist! Once we were done eating, we decided to head on over to the stadium.

Once we arrived at Sanford Stadium, we had to find the right gate, which if I was by myself, I would not have found. There were not many advertisements that I remember seeing when I walked through the gates, but once in the stands, there were many advertisements shown on the Jumbo-Tron. Although compared to a professional sporting event, there were relatively few ads. Being at the game in person, it didn’t really hit me that this game was that big, but I had my family and friends texting me non-stop during the game asking if I was there and that they were watching on ESPN, which made me realize this was the real deal. It always seems like the media pumps the game up more than it should be, with the commercials, game preview, etc. But in person, it’s just kids playing the game they love. This game felt more amateur than the UGA vs Boise State game, primarily because it was being played in an NFL setting.

Although the end result did not work out for the Dawgs, the game was one of the most exciting games I have ever seen in person, and was just an overall great first experience at Sanford Stadium! The Dawgs played much better against USC than BSU, which bodes well for future games. I’m excited to see how this year turns out!