Tête-à-Tête-Tête

Well tomorrow night is the big night. The bulldogs versus the bloodhounds. Orange and Red all poured into a big bowl in Athens, Ga. A war between the states fought in the confederacy.

My mind drifts back to 1980. I was just a 22 year old boy so in love with a 20 year old girl that I missed the entire championship season. Well, I didn’t miss it entirely. I still had access to a radio.

Listen

I have always loved the comment that Bill Bates had concerning the play that he was such a big part of. He said, “I was not the only guy Herschel Walker ever ran over. I just happened to be the first one.”

A little later in the game it got even better.

Listen

An icon was made that night. It was the beginning of the glory years. Oh, to be 22 again and relive it.

Fast forward to 2001. A tired old man leans devastated over the kitchen counter. His Dawgs had taken a 20-17 lead in the ballgame only to see it disappear with 44 seconds to go. Down 24-20. No hope. Our hearts had been broken. No way to drive down the field with the time we had remaining. The wind blew lonely through the yellow leaves outside and the tired old man just waited for the inevitable. But then………………..

Listen 

Oh there is a God! And He loved me that afternoon. And I was bathed in all that is good and righteous.

Tomorrow is a new day. Things don’t look good for my Dawgs. An underdog in our own stadium. Our field goal kicker out with an injury. Our starting quarterback as rusty as an old barn nail. Forced to rely once again on our defense.

But win or lose the game remains. For three hours I will be face down on the living room floor laughing and crying and cursing and asking forgiveness for cursing.

And the woman that took the 1980 Championship year away from me will say as she says at least one time every weekend in the fall

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GROW UP!

Never I hope. Never.