Smith: A devoted UGA friend will be missed

The University of Georgia never had a more excellent friend than John Francis McMullan. He was a devoted alumnus, passionate football fan, scholarly overachiever, and generous donor with a historical bent for family genealogy, the history of this state, and an unrestrained love of America.

Smith: Sonny Smart

RABUN GAP — Last weekend, the Presbyterian Church here was overflowing with mourners who came to pay respects to Clyde J.

Smith: Yawn, Las Vegas

Known as “Sin City,” Las Vegas is a popular destination throughout the year. Still, one observation by a non-gambler is that once you visit this famous desert metropolis a couple of times, that’s enough.

Smith: Bowl memories

The holiday bowls are no longer what they once were due to the evolution of the college football playoff system, but fortunately, they are present in the new 12-team format.That is good.

Smith: SEC has a new champion

Football, as we are often reminded, is a physical game. The old-timers, from Walter Camp to Fielding Yost to Knute Rockne, preached about it, including Frank Leahy, Bud Wilkinson, Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes, and Vince Dooley.

Smith: Bobby Garrard

After winning three Southeastern Conference championships and making six bowl trips, including the Rose Bowl and two visits to the Orange Bowl—the coming of the fifties was not a sound era for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Smith: Dawgs travel to Oxford

OXFORD, Miss.

Smith: Eyes of Texas

It was a relatively short flight of an hour and 45 minutes home from Austin for the Georgia football team last Saturday night.

Smith: Royal history in Texas

This metropolitan city is also the state capital of Texas, a music center like Athens, and the home of the Longhorns football team, which now competes in the Southeastern Conference.Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat, what would Darrell Royal, Dana X. Bible, Tom Landry, and Tommy Nobis think of that?

Smith: Dirty Dan makes most of opportunity

If you have spent time in Sanford Stadium lately, you have heard public address announcer Brooke Whitmire singing out Dirty Dan Jackson’s name quite often.Jackson is in his sixth season as a Bulldog defender in what is a classic example of “love of alma mater” getting priority the old-fashioned way.