George "Junebug" Law versus Auburn

                 George "Junebug" Law versus Auburn

As my friends know my father’s recreation when I was growing up was not hunting  or fishing.  It was football.  All football had his interest but In particular Georgia Bulldog football.  Our family friends enjoyed going with him just to see  his enthusiasm for it.  Our station wagon and a picnic were loaded with family and friends for every Georgia home game.

 When I was dating Kay, before we were married,  she asked what did my family do for fun when I was growing up?  I told her we went to football games.   She said her family went too but with all his girls her father got tired of frequent Coke and bathroom trips by the girls  and they just went to a few.

I told her falls for me growing up were Friday night  Gainesville High games, we went to Georgia games home and a lot away, we got Falcon tickets on Sunday but we gave them up as we  missed watching several pro games at 1:00 and 4:00.  We then would watch the college coaches’ shows on Sunday night on the channel 17 – Tennessee and Bill Battle, Auburn and Shug Jordan, Alabama and Bear Bryant, and Georgia and Vince Dooley.

I remember coming home from 5^th grade football practice and discovering this new thing called Monday Night Football as Joe Namath and the Jets were playing the Cleveland Browns.    Later that week I would have a youth league or a Jr. High game.  Friday started the cycle all over.  Yea, we liked watching football.

On this beautiful fall day as Georgia travels down to play Auburn to win the 2012 Eastern Conference of the SEC  I recall fondly recall two of my father’s great football trips to Auburn.

#1 November 13^th 1982- (The “Sugar is Falling Out Of The Sky” game) Dawgs at Auburn to clinch the SEC and maintain their number one ranking.  Some remember Georgia DB’s Jeff Sanchez and Ronnie Harris breaking up Auburn QBs Randy Campbell’s last second pass to secure the win in a match up including UGA’s Hershel Walker and Auburn’s Bo Jackson.

My father, myself and two friends left early that Saturday.  My mother,giving us orders on this men's trip this time,  told my father to stop at McDonalds in town.  I suggested other plans but Daddy went Momma’s way.

It was 7:30 a.m.  We were the only five customers in the restaurant.  It took 30 minutes to get our food.  The food was up and placed on past the counter under the heat lamps.  This did not phase or affect the McDonalds employees as they walked past our food and seemed oblivious in serving us our paid for and cooling biscuits.  After another five minutes my pacing father grabbed his leg and put his heal on the counter and was going to go “over the top” of the counter like Herschel on the goal line and get our breakfast.  I screeched

 “Daddy No”.  It flashed in my mind that this is how folks get shot on the news as police just happen to walk in seeing strange situations.  I pulled him off the counter and slowly if not surely we got our meals.  Odd start ended good.  As Georgia announcer Larry Munson said after the victory “Sugar is falling from the sky.”   It was a great trip even if it takes 30 minutes to get a biscuit at an empty McDonalds.

#2 November 15^th 1986 (Between The Hoses Game) Unranked Georgia at 5th ranked Auburn.  It’s a night game.  We stop on the way to Auburn in Newnan Georgia at Sprayberry’s Barbecue for an early supper.   We get to the game all bundled up.  65 Georgia Bulldogs run out on the field.  Daddy like a mathematical savant says number 14

James Jackson (Georgia’s starting quarterback) is not out there.     I thought no way.  You just cannot scan the field that fast and know that.  He was right on the money.  The radio announcer confirmed th Jackson had not traveled with the Bulldog team due to a death in his family.  Gainesville’s Cris Carpenter punted the Tigers (War Eagles, Plainsmen whatever) deep all night.  Georgia QB Wayne Johnson led the upset.  A few Georgia fans stormed the field after the game and the Auburn security turned on the sprinkler system to douse the jubilant Georgia fans.  One sprinkler was somehow turned on the stands where most Georgia fans sat.   This came to be known game “Between The Hoses” a play on Georgia’s home stadium Sanford Stadium where the Dawgs play “Between The Hedges.”

My Dad was glowing the whole trip home.  We arrived home at his house at  4 a.m.

We cut the TV on  ESPN who was replaying the now famed Hose game.

It delights me still to remember my nearly 60 year old father giggle with glee as he said, like he needed my permission “Do you think we could watch it again?”  I said “Momma’s  asleep and I won’t tell.”   He loved a win over Auburn, especially at their place. We watched it and still managed to get to church.

Thank you Lord for giving me a a great Daddy.

Go Dawgs, beat Auburn.