We’re now under 50 days until college football is back in action! I can hardly express how excited I am to watch another season of the game, as if my life depended on it.
If you’re in the same boat, anticipating this sport of mayhem and emotions, you know that it’s more than “just a game.” It’s a place where we can escape the outside world for a few hours, crack open a cold drink, and connect with our closest friends.
For us football fans, there will always be those games that break our hearts and make us want to throw the TV out the window (but that’s ridiculous because it’s not that deep!). Regardless, we always find ourselves up for another weekend of tailgating, watching on the couch, or cheering in the stadium.
I’m telling you, college football is special because there’s so much emotion behind it. I’ve now grown to love baseball, too, but it can never top my joy for the unpredictable fall games.
Like many of us here, I am a diehard fan of UGA football and will watch every game I can when it’s on TV. I’ve had the privilege of growing up, spending many Saturdays in Athens with my dad, who never fails to get as hyped about the season as I do.
My love for the Dawgs and football season started feeling more special when I went off to college because that’s when we earned our back-to-back national championships. Every game I attended after that felt more exciting and joyful because I knew my team would put up a good fight.
But the moment the Dawgs ended that 40-year national championship drought, man, that holds such a special place in my heart. It’s one of those good memories where you can recall exactly where you were and what you were doing when it happened.
For me, it was my first year, and I was sitting on my bean bag chair in my tiny dorm, trying not to yell because the walls were so thin. In the moment Kelee Ringo scored that pick-six to conquer Alabama, I just about lost it and jumped off the chair, squealing as loud as I could.
I dreamt of watching a moment like that one for so long, and it turned out much crazier than I expected. It was a little heartbreaking that I couldn’t watch it with my dad, but it was still a moment I will cherish forever.
I can’t pinpoint the time I fell in love with football, but I know for a fact that it all started with those hot fall afternoons in Sanford Stadium. It started with my dad, who is so kind, compassionate, and loving, and desired to create lifelong memories with his young children.
Everything that ties into my love for sports and connecting with others undoubtedly led to where I am today as a full-time journalist. I’ve had the honor of capturing such action through writing and photography, and I get to share the incredible stories of the people I meet.
It’s amusing to me, being a girl who is so passionate about a game that I will never participate in and have no desire to do so. Growing up, I didn’t have friends who shared the same interest in the sport, and I felt isolated because I couldn’t share that connection with them.
But now that I do this job for a living, I embrace every opportunity I can to capture sports to the best of my ability. It’s so hard to put this joy into words because it’s not “just a game” but so much more.
As a lifelong loyal fan of the Dawgs, I’ve watched the program through many excellent (and absolutely awful) seasons. But nothing in this world could ever make me hate them, even if they tick me off from time to time.
With the way things have looked over the past few years, I have a good feeling that the Dawgs will make this season one worth remembering. Kirby Smart has built this program from the ground up, and we have waited so many years to experience the return of this dynasty.
Here’s to a big season ahead in a sport that’s so much more than just a game. And thank you, Dad, for introducing me to one of the greatest joys of my life. Let’s run it back for another natty!