Falling Back to 1991

Despite what carols and the Worldwide Leader would have you believe, Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year. It might be for 7 year olds but sports fans don’t have the same presents to open. Sure the NBA season “officially starts” with their Christmas day games, but we all know the NBA season is by far the most meaningless in sports. If you’re lucky, the Aloha Bowl might kickoff Christmas night but Hawaii is not as fun to watch as it was when June Jones was the coach and Southern Miss has fallen on hard times since Larry Fedora moved to North Carolina.

I learned Fall was the most wonderful time of the year when I was 13 years old. It was 1991 and I was in Athens for a rare night game against a highly ranked Clemson Tiger team. ESPN was set to nationally broadcast the game, which was still a big deal back then because the TV contracts we see now were twenty years away. There was lots of excitement about the game that night, not just because of the potential TV audience, but also because it was not the typical 1:00 PM kickoff. Additionally it had been announced that a freshman by the name of Eric Zeier was going to be the starting QB. On top of all of this, the UGA/Clemson match-ups of the 1980’s were still fresh in many fans minds. The combination of all of these factors made for an electric fall day in the Classic City.

On top of all of that, my dad had sprung for a hotel room at the Holiday Inn in Athens. This was unheard of at the time. Typically, we would drive up from Savannah on the morning of the games and would either drive home after the games or stay at my Aunt’s house in Athens before sneaking out at god-awful early hours on Sunday morning. Now, we could come up on Friday. Enjoy all day Saturday and not have to worry about going anywhere after the game before getting up at the same god-awful early hour on Sunday.

Apart from the magnitude of the football game we were in Athens to attend, the always horrendous Atlanta Braves had captured my imagination by finally being good. They were in the final weekend of their Worst to First season and played a day game that could clinch their first division title in a decade. It was my first memory of a pennant race. All I remember is that my dad and I didn’t believe and every day after the Braves won again, we looked at each other, shook our heads, and talked about how they would find a way to blow it.

They never did. So on that fateful day, if the Braves won and the Dodgers lost, then the lowly Atlanta 9 would complete a remarkable season with a trip to the play-offs. We broke our self-imposed football only rules and watched every pitch that afternoon and the Braves found a way to win again. After the game, the stadium didn’t empty. On the big screen at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, they broadcast the end of the Dodgers game. The team didn’t leave the field, the fans didn’t leave the stands, and we didn’t leave our TVs. When the Dodgers lost a cheer went up, not only in our hotel room at the Holiday Inn, but across campus. Every person at their tailgates had been watching or listening to the same thing and everyone erupted at the same time. After going to Braves games all my life and never getting anything in return (in the win column, at least), I finally knew what it was like to cheer for a winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBP-KxewS8k

Under the lights that night, it was magical. The UGA “Blackout” game against Auburn in 2007 was the only other time I remember the stadium being as electric. I had goosebumps. Prior to kickoff, the PA announcer reminded everyone of the Braves success. The band played the Tomahawk Chop theme music and I chopped along with 86,000 others.

In a 3-3 game, late in the 1^st quarter, Clemson had the ball on around their own 35 yard line. They ran a toss to the left and a gaping hole in the UGA defense led what appeared to be an easy long TD run. I could feel my heart sink as the Clemson player dashed toward the endzone. However, a couple of UGA players had not given up on the play. Mike Jones ran down the Clemson running back and stripped him from behind in a play. George Wynn recovered for Georgia and my dad and I went nuts. Georgia went on to win against #6 Clemson 27-12. It was Clemson’s only loss that year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk2cEEiy3oA

As the stadium emptied, I walked with my old man with a big grin on my face. Georgia would go on to have a solid 9-3 campaign. The Braves would go to the World Series and lose in devastating fashion to the Minnesota Twins in a game 7 masterpiece. But at that point in my life I had no idea that Kent Hrbek would pull Ron Gant off of first, that Chuck Knoblauch would deke Lonnie Smith, or that Jack Morris would beat John Smoltz in Game 7. All I knew was that day had been the single greatest sports day of my life. I realized that Fall was special. The thrill of a pennant race combined with newness of football season made for no other time of the year.

My dad and I walked back to the Holiday Inn. Other members of the family, Mark and Lowell, disappeared into the Classic City to celebrate while doing the Tomahawk Chop and screaming that it was “Great to be a Georgia Bulldog.” I’ve looked forward to this time of year more than any other every day since.