So lately I’ve been waiting on some news. Some good news. I got that good news today. There’s a time and place to discuss it, but right now is not that time. Soon, though.

Anyway, I got good news today and for everyone that said prayers, thought good thoughts, or spoke 1-on-1 with Xenu on my behalf, please accept my thanks. It means a lot.

However, my waiting on news got me thinking about what UGA fans have been waiting on. Since I’ve been so slammed lately I haven’t had time to write another List, so I figured a List about what we, as die hard fans, have been yearning for would be kind of cool. If cool even exists anymore that is.



The Ten Things UGA Fans Have Been Waiting On:

10. A winning streak against Florida – Yeah, we’ve been waiting for this one for a while, but I think we’re on the cusp of it happening. Our team is young and NOBODY on the current roster knows what it’s like to have never beaten Florida. That’s a recipe for confidence, which is exactly what we have always needed going into the WLOCP. It’s almost unheard of to think this team has the talent to go 5-1 or 6-1 the next few years, but it DOES.

9. Main-stream media love – USC and LSU still have the market cornered on this, but our time is coming. We have recruited well over the past four or five years and it’s showing in spades. Already, the preseason polls are coming out and the Dawgs have some nice real estate near the top for sure. Now all we have to do is back it up with about a three or four game winning streak to start next year (including a defeat of Arizona St.) and we’ll start being mentioned with every other breath when the pundits choose to speak.

8. A dominant receiver – We’ve had Bulldogs who have stepped up and become playmakers such was Reggie Brown, Fred Gibson (his freshman year), Hines Ward, Sean Bailey, Mohammed Massaquoi, etc. but we have yet to have a receiver like a Calvin Johnson or Early Doucet. Our dominant running game has always hindered our ability to get a top-tier wide receiver…until now. A.J. Green and Tavarres King are just two of the new breed of wide receiver that is going to light it up for the Bulldogs in the near future. Also add Israel Troupe and Walter Hill to an already talented veteran group and you have a force to be reckoned with on the receiving end of the passes. Whether or not we will have one dominant guy that consistently demands double-coverage is yet to be seen, but I do know we’ll have a group of guys that can be dangerous at any time and it will bring fear and respect to what looks to be a very balanced offense.

7. Larry Munson’s next legendary call – This one may NEVER happen again, but it’s been nearly six years since the Michael Johnson vs. Auburn call and I think the fans are dying for some new stuff. Unfortunately, Munson is getting up there in age and his health isn’t wonderful. Our voice of the Bulldog Nation still has some of the fire left in him, but listening to him call games just isn’t quite what it used to be. However, I have faith that he’s got one or two more great calls left in him before it’s all said and done. My money says that one of those calls will be in the final seconds of our MNC victory.

6. A “Junkyard Dawg” Defense – Willie Martinez did a great job this past year and schemed beautifully for the Hawaii game. Now fans are just waiting for that to become the norm. It’ll be interesting to see if the sack-happy Dawg Defense is back next year, but if it is, I imagine that the Junkyard Dawg image will come right along with it. And remember, defense wins championships, kids.

5. Celebrity Endorsements – Every year a big to-do is made about some famous person’s love for a particular university. Will Ferrell is a huge USC fan. Matthew McConaughey is a big Longhorns fan. We broke the mold this year when Andre 3000 from Outkast showed up with a full crew at a home game this past year (was it OSU or Auburn? I can’t remember). Now I’m just waiting for some more celebrities to follow suit. So, Keira Knightley, dust off your UGA cap (or I can send you one) and be sure to sport it on the red carpet for all the Dawg fans to see.

4. A last-second heroic to win the big game – Not since Auburn 2002 have we had a last-minute play to really seal the victory in a crunch-time moment. Sure, Coutu’s kick against Vandy was nice, but the only thing it really saved us from was being humiliated. You could argue that it saved our season, and it probably did, but I’m talking about a last-minute-legends-are-made-of play that seals the deal to send us somewhere like the SEC Champ. or the MNC. With the talent we have coming back, and the brutal schedule we’re facing, I’d expect to see one of those come our way really soon.

3. Another Blackout – Yes, this is something that we’ve already seen twice in one year and I’m on the same bandwagon with everyone else that Blackouts should be held for special games/bowls only. However, it fires up the team and the fan base so greatly that the rumors are already circulating about next year’s Blackout game. Possible candidates include Florida (we are the home team), LSU (they wear white at home sometimes), and Tennessee (a dish best served cold). Personally, I think that if we go into Tennessee undefeated and the Vols are highly ranked and undefeated as well, then it will most likely be a night game and a perfect opportunity for a Blackout. The next option would be Florida IF we’re undefeated and eyeing an SEC and MNC shot. After that, I’d say that only a bowl game is likely because I don’t see us going into LSU wearing black jerseys. We won’t have the fan base there to feed off that energy, so it might end up being a paper tiger, no pun intended.

2. A Heisman contender/winner – After the years of recruiting well and having some truly remarkable players (Garrison Hearst, Hines Ward, pre-“thumb injury” Quincy Carter, David Pollack, etc.) we still have yet to have a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy. The Heisman to UGA fans is nearly as important as a MNC because we have the tendency to really harp on “legends” and “tradition.” I guarantee you that there are Dawg fans out there willing to see Herschel suit up one more time and have Dooley carry the clipboard around again for us for a little while. We would take Pollack and Ward back in a heartbeat for sure. We love our legends and hold them in a high standard, but it’s been a while since we’ve had that one remarkable person that has solidified his position in Bulldog lore. Thankfully, we have two guys who could be legitimate contenders should the time come. The only thing hindering Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno’s bids at Heismans would be 1) We don’t throw it enough and 2) We use a 2-back system to keep legs fresh. Can Knowshon get enough carries to be “the man?” Can Matt Stafford sling it around enough to get the statistics to warrant a Heisman run? No one knows right now, but my guess is that it’s tougher for one man to win the Heisman when his competition also plays in the same backfield.

1. A Mythical National Championship – We talk about the 1980 season like it happened yesterday. The pictures of Herschel going up top and Dooley being carried off the field are still prevalent in any conversation about our magical season. Hell, Buck Belue made a career out of being associated with that team and all he did was just hand the ball off. Since then we really have been a good-to-great team (sometimes downright crappy, though) and have yet to really reach that “elite” status. But fear not, Dawg fans, I think the time is coming. Granted, we’re ranked very high for 2008, and it would be great to reach the title game next year, but I really think our year is 2009. We’ll have senior leadership, a veteran OL, and the schedule that could possibly allow us to make a solid run at the title.


Well, there you have it. What are you guys waiting on?



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, The List, UGA Football