I love them, but…

As I do every year on Saturday when UGA is playing at home I went to Athens today.

Athens is a lovely little place.  It is known by its byline, The Classic City.  Athens is home to the University of Georgia, The United States FIRST chartered state university, begun in 1789.

Sanford Stadium, opened on October 12, 1929.  It cost $360,000 to build and was beautiful from the first day. One of the distinctive attributes are the English Privet Hedges that circle the field.  It lends itself to the identification known to college football fans the world over, ‘between the hedges.’

Wikipedia instructs us that, ‘an early major force behind UGA athletics, the stadium’s namesake, Dr. Steadman Vincent Sanford, arrived at the university as an English instructor in 1903. He later became the faculty representative to the athletics committee and would eventually become president of the University and Chancellor of the entire University System of Georgia. In 1911, he moved the university’s football venue from its first location, Herty Field, to a location at the center of campus which was named Sanford Field in his honor.’

Today, though, despite the history, 92,746 of my closest friends and an almost guaranteed victory against Central Michigan University, I walked out of the stadium as I walked in… alone.  I left before the first quarter had barely gotten under way.

I love my Dawgs, but being there just did not seem right.  I’m just not into having fun again yet.  I will be, but not yet.  As I sat on my couch in my apartment this morning and looked at two great pictures my youngest daughter framed and gave me this week I just missed my dad again.  I can’t call him today. I can’t stop by.  I can’t get any spending money from him. (OK, that was supposed to be a joke.)

Two weeks ago today, he called me.  He said, “Phil, come over here, I want to talk to you.”  I did, he did, and that was the last time.  I will never forget that call, the subsequent talk and the feeling of love I walked away with.

I love the University of Georgia.  I love the Georgia Bulldogs.  I love visiting Sanford Stadium.  But, I love my dad more.  In fact, as soon as I hit publish on this blog I am going to go sit in his chair and watch the rest of the game.  We are winning 28-7 and it is halftime.

I hope you’re watching too, Dad, but I reckon you might still be busy catching up with some people you know.

Bye.

~ by phil underwood on 6 September, 2008.