Friday, October 31, 2008

Enjoy Your Cocktails...

And Celebrate.





Cocktail for the weekend from Dawgsports.com:
And before the Cocktail Party kicks off, you should kick back with a Rum! Knowshon! Rum!. It's made with 1 and 1/2 ounces of light rum, 1/2 ounce of banana liquer, 1/2 ounce of Bacardi 151 and pineapple juice/orange juice to taste. As with most cocktail thursday concoctions, this one isn't brain surgery: Mix all the alcohol over ice, strain it into a glass and top it will the pineapple juice.** It's the potable equivalent of the toss sweep. You may have to run it a few times, but eventually you'll hit paydirt.

Go Dawgs!

Monday, October 20, 2008

The End of the World as GTU Knows It

Maybe it is because I have friends and family members who are GT fans, maybe it is because they just aren't as awful as Florida or Tennessee, maybe it is because the series has been so lopsided for 20 years now. Whatever it is, I consider UGA-GT to be a bit more of a friendly rivalry as compared to our contests with some of our SEC rivals. So, it is with great sympathy that I note a tragic day for GT students.

"What happened?" you ask. Did both girls withdraw? Does Tech have to forfeit yet another season of late-90s victories? No - it is worse. Brace yourself and take a deep breath....Zima has been discontinued.

A fitting spokesperson for the JacketNation

Actually, I thought it was taken off shelves sometime around 1997. I guess I don't venture to that end of the cold beer aisle too often. Either way, today is a day that will live in infamy for our North Avenue friends.

Zima, we mercifully never knew ye

I think we are all thinking the same thing: November 29th, Georgia-Georgia Tech game...early tailgate...cold morning...Reich....Das Boot....2 litres of something that tastes like Fresca mixed with Vodka. Preparations are underway to ensure an adequate supply is on-hand for both Reich and any passing Tech fans. In the meantime, if you see this guy:

Have a heart and get the little feller a wine cooler.

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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Untold stories of American History

Given the tumultuous times we are facing in our nation's history (and our offensive line) and the fact that we are on the eve of The Most Important Election Ever (or since 2004), we decided to take a break from tailgating this week and instead took in a history lesson at the home of P.G.T. Beauregard, a.k.a. General Beauregard.

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was born on January 1, 1832 in Watkinsville. The son of what was then called an "alesmith," he grew up learning the fine art of watering-down beer. After mixing his father's ale with waters from the sparkling Oconee River, he would sell his concoction to observers at local Native American lacrosse matches. Using a bizarre pricing strategy, the cost of a "kings-quart" of PGT's drink was based on the time left in the lacrosse match: one-pence for every period expired. Lacrosse fans delighted in the inexpensive refreshment, eventually calling PGT "The General" because of the way he dominated the Athens ale market. However, The General lamented that although his product was delicious at room temperature (no refrigeration was available at the time) it quickly became downright hot after exposure to the baking Northeast Georgia sun.

The General was hard at work designing an insulating wrap for his beverage when hostilities broke out at Fort Sumter. Thinking "The General" was an actual military-bestowed rank and not just a nickname, Jefferson Davis gave command of the Army of Northeast Georgia to PGT, now General Beuregard. After raising an army from students of the local university, Beauregard's first assignment was an attack on the army of Ohio State, camped near the Kentucky-Ohio border. Beauregard led his army northwards.

After reaching the Tennessee River on May 5th, Beauregard made a move considered highly controversial at the time, but now considered brilliant. He spotted the Army of Tennessee, clad in orange pantaloons, attempting to form a navy on the banks of the river. Beauregard ordered his troops to attack, and a quick rout of the Tennessee Volunteers ensued. Upon pinning General Davey Crockett against a bluff overlooking the river, Beauregard confronted the Tennesseean and told him, "formeth a hillbilly navy...you're doing it wrong." Beauregard imprisoned Crockett, and sent his coonskin cap back to Athens to be "hung storys above the University chapel." Crockett was disgraced, and newspapers opined that his prior military victories were due only to his recently-departed lieutenants.

Misguided observors from Ohio cheered, believing that the Georgians' victory would improve the Army of Ohio State's strength of schedule. However, Beauregard instead turned his army towards Nashville, vowing to surprise and destroy the self-proclaimed Commodores of the area "while they busieth themselves with trivialities at that Grand Old Opera."

Incensed at The General's attacks against supposed allies, Jefferson Davis ordered Beauregard back to Athens. Beauregard wrote in his journal, "that I should favor a hated neighbor for only his membership in the Confederate States of America is a folly, a gross misestimation of the true enemy... fight against the non-Southron armies should be pursued only once the bitter rivals of Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama are vanquished." Nevertheless, Beauregard returned home to Watkinsville. He married a seamstress who fashioned an "ale cozy" for him. The two moved to Clayton Street where they sold watered-down beer protected from the sun at seemingly give-away prices.

Letters found in 1929 in the basement of Beauregard's home reveal that he wrote to Tecumseh Sherman advising him to "sow the ground around Atlanta's North Avenue with salt, such that the land should never produce fruit." During the Spanish-American war, he offered Spain "an attack on Baton Rouge by an army of junkyard vikings, so that Roosevelt's forces may be distracted and you [Spain] may sieze New Orleans." Though thought treasonous in 1929, Beauregard's reputation shifted over the coming years to one of a great leader. In 1986, his home was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with President Reagan noting, "that Beauregard put aside the trivial differences between North and South, the United States and Spain, and instead worked to destory his neighboring states...is nothing less than inspirational."

The General's legacy lives on in Athens. UGA students call the ceremony of ringing the chapel bell after football victories "shaking the coonskin." In true PGT fashion, we enjoyed watching and napping to a lacrosse match between the Okalahoma and Texas tribes while drinking inexpensive beer. Only while leaving did we realize that the foundation that maintains the Beauregard home keeps the tradition of offering pitchers of Natural Lite priced to match whatever quarter is currently being shown on television. Refreshed, rested, and enlightened, we proceeded down to Sanford Stadium and watched "General Richt" recreate that historic moment, as he unleashed a fury on Phil "Coonskin Cap" Fulmer's Volunteer Hillbilly Navy. We left the game impressed with the Dawgs' 26-14 victory and filled with noble rage towards our neighbors of every direction. On the walk back to the car, we were reminded of Beauregard's famous deathbed words: "You know what? Florida sucks."

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Saturday, October 04, 2008

Reflections from the bye week

It took me a full week to collect my thoughts after the Alabama game. As I sit on the love seat and flip between the Purdue-Penn State game and the Boston College-NC State game, I realize not only what a couple of stinkers I am viewing (Why is Purdue having a "blackout" for a noon game?) but also that today is a beautiful day for football across the entire country. But alas, the Dawgs are taking a much needed break from action.

First, a recap of last week:

We lost the game. Badly. Worse than the final score indicated. However, maybe not as bad as the halftime score indicated. The Dawgs' weaknesses all reared their ugly heads at the same time, with penalties, poor pass rush, and and a-step-behind coverage all combining for an absolutely humiliating two quarters. A few things to remember - Alabama is a good team and they played very, very well. Our defense is based on making teams drive all the way down the field. When you don't get pressure on the QB and you help the other team with penalties, that strategy doesn't work, but those are problems that will be worked out with a week off and some experience from the next couple of games. Lastly, as Jim Donnan supposedly pointed out, Alabama would not be nearly as good if they lost Terrence Cody and Andre Smith, which is exactly what we experienced losing Jeff Owens and Trinton Sturdivant.

We will probably only face one more team this year with offensive and defensive lines that good, we are playing some very inexperienced guys on the line who will certainly improve as the season progresses, and Florida already has an SEC loss as well. I believe the old saying that you are never as good as you look after a win or as bad as you look after a loss, so I think the Dawgs still have a better shot than anyone of winning the SEC East. With losses coming to something like 12 of the top 10 teams, it was just a bad weekend to be playing football.

In the good news category, it was a great tailgate. Several of us ventured down to check out Game Day, we watched Ole Miss beat the Gators, we entertained a throng of strangers, we received a geography and sociology lesson on Metro Atlanta, we provided an example of responsible behavior for our younger tailgate neighbors, and we gave something like 50 hot dog buns to a poor, hungry, and lost college student. All in all, it was a good day that was capped with a delicious bratwurst at halftime, a great atmosphere and fantastic crowd during the second half, and the deepest slumber I've ever experienced on the ride home.

Though I lost all interest in football for about six days, I am absolutely ecstatic with the idea that we can relieve our frustrations on Tennessee.

A few pictures from the tailgate:

The Evil Empire sets up stage in Athens - click pic for closer view

Cookie Kwan gets hit on by Hairy Dawg

The first of many strangers to pass through our on-campus living room

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