That Voice in Sanford Stadium.... Brook Whitmire

Whenever the term "voice of the Dawgs" comes up, one instantly would hear "Run Lindsay"or "Hobnail Boot" in their head in the form of a raspy, dry, enthusiastic tone of Larry Munson. Some much younger Dawgs may even think of the deep, "edge of your seat" announcing of Scott Howard, the current radio voice of the Dawgs. But when I think about the current voice that is synonymous with UGA football, the Sanford Stadium public address announcer, Brook Whitmire, is the voice I dream about throughout the summer, waiting for it to welcome me home in the fall.

Few things get a true Dawg fan excited like the voice that comes over the Sanford Stadium speakers about 20 minutes before kickoff that declares "It's Saturday afternoon/night in Athens, and time to tee it up between the hedges". 

Whitmire is about to enter his 20th season as the public address announcer in Sanford, and has never missed a game since his calling up in 1992. I have not had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Whitmire, but please check out this interview from the Athens Banner Herald back in 2005 to get to know the man behind the voice better.

Only 36 days til kickoff!!!
Only 43 days til the (other) voice of God greets us as we file in with 92,746 of our best friends!!

GO DAWGS!!!!

A Lost Dawg in Hawaii.......

While I consistently sign the bottom of each blog entry with the number of days until kickoff, attempting to keep pace with my friends at Hedges to Hardwood, I have also kept a personal countdown in my head as well. That countdown has reached 1 (one), my friends! I am OFF TO HAWAII (Oahu to be exact) tomorrow!!! 

My brother, who has absolutely zero interest in sports, has taken up residency on the North Shore of Oahu, and works as a skydive instructor (where the hell did I go wrong?). Other than the lack of interest in sports (UGA football), I would love to live his life! Wake up, ride my bicycle past beautiful island mountains/volcanoes on the way to the airfield, board and jump out of airplanes while making money, and scuba/snorkel dive and kayak on my days off....... YES PLEASE!! Well, until I think hard, and realize that the southeastern US of A, specifically Georgia,  is indeed my place and my people.

I have never crossed the Mississippi River, and am VERY excited to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life.... in grand fashion.

I want to wish each of you a VERY happy summer, and I wish that each and every one of you are able to take a vacation  half as cool as I am about to take, in order to clear our minds and focus on the beautiful time of year which is about to grace us. I will be able to check in on Dawg news, but am vowing not to write during my journey.

I will be packing 7 UGA t-shirts, and 2 UGA hats to spread the love across the Hawaiian islands over the next 10 days. I hope to run into at least one or two fellow members of Dawg Nation, but hope the football team does not see this place until they reach Pro Bowl status in the NFL.......

Looking VERY forward to SEC Media Days in Hoover, AL when I return!!

60 days til' kickoff!!
GO DAWGS!!!

Auburn Billboards in Metro-Atlanta

The other morning, driving from Atlanta up I-85 northbound toward Lake Lanier to spend a day on the water, I noticed a repulsive sight hanging over my head, just north of the perimeter. A giant billboard, with the words "your future is clear" and a big picture of the BCS National Championship trophy. On the far right is the makeshift national championship logo which Auburn has created for itself.

I want to get angry at this, and want to feel it is a classless jab at the people and fans of Dawg Nation. However, if UGA were to have won last year's BCS, or win any in the near future, I would smile greatly at the thought of hanging a similar billboard right at the Opelika exit down I-85 south toward Montgomery. So all I can really do is bite my bottom lip when I see these ugly things, and keep in mind that when the day comes, payback will be oh so sweet! It also serves as a compliment to the state of Georgia, letting it be known that without being able to get recruits out of this great state, they would be nothing, since Alabama grown talent is quite pathetic in its own right.

Let's see how many of these billboards we see hanging anywhere after the mediocre, rebuilding, loss plagued year the Auburn football program has in store for them in 2011.

Enjoy it while it lasts War Tigers. Wins on your upcoming  schedule are not so "clear", and the odds of keeping that trophy on that billboard for more than a few years may be even more distorted.

GO DAWGS!!!!