UGA football was more ‘approachable’, then. I ate breakfast with Doc Ayers, Ken Cooper, and, occasionally, Erk Russell back then. They’d shuffle into Shoney’s on the ATL Highway and join the table of businessmen including my father. You’d bump into the players more often around town when prying eyes weren’t so keenly focused and cellphones were a myth.
College football was more regionally-based. A fun game was naming all the teams in the old Southwest Conference; all of whom were Texas-based except Arkansas. The PAC-10 was actually pretty good.
College football was less commercially polished. Leonard’s Losers was a local oddity. WRFC radio did all kinds of unique mash-up songs as pregame hype.
James Brown’s “Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs”
Larry Munson in his prime.
Keith Jackson in his prime.
Tearaway jerseys.
The Veer offense or its cousin, the Wishbone
The Cotton Bowl was played outside, in miserable weather, and meant something.
1:00PM kickoffs… like God intended.
Stomping Poss’ paper cups to make them pop.
Season openers starting after Labor Day
Black Spot-bilt cleats with white shoelaces
Homecoming week downtown when Greek orgs would decorate store windows
