Seems Like Yesterday: Atlanta 1996

Tonight we extinguished the flame at the Rio Olympics.

I'll never be able to see an Olympic flame again without thinking of the only one I've ever seen in person: Atlanta 1996. Growing up in Atlanta (and attending the University of Georgia at the time), we saw the flame endlessly from the time we were awarded the Games in 1990 until the closing ceremonies in 1996.

I only saw it in person once, as it made its way past the Dekalb County jail on Memorial Drive in Decatur. My Mom worked there at the time so I drove down from Snellville and we joined thousands on the sidewalks cheering as the torch continued its year-long journey to Centennial Olympic Stadium. We had watched it travel across the U.S. and, in that moment, it was finally "here".

You have to have lived in Atlanta during the run-up to the 1996 Games to understand what we felt at that moment. A city that lay in ashes just more than a century before, and that spent the few decades prior gaining a reputation as the place where sports dreams go to die, was suddenly going to be the global capital of dreams.

The fact that we even had the Games was a miracle in itself. The assumption at the time was that Athens, Greece, which hosted the first Games in 1896, was a lock to host the Centennial Games. It was such a foregone conclusion that I honestly don't remember paying much attention to Atlanta's bid prior to the announcement.  I was sitting in Coach Mudd's biology class at South Gwinnett High School when it happened. Usually when a teacher stops class to turn on a TV something bad is happening, but not this time. The sports-minded among us stared at the screen. The rest talked amongst themselves. But when International Olympic Committee chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch (who later became a villian in Atlanta, but we'll get to that) said those magic words, "To the city of...Atlanta", we all jumped up and down just like the thousands that turned out at Underground Atlanta to watch the announcement that morning.

The next six years saw our city subjected to international scrutiny on a daily basis. It seemed that pretty much everyone outside the 404 area code wanted the sentimental choice, Athens, to host in 1996 and, therefore, every move Atlanta made was going to be done under a microscope. Any slight misstep would result in every journalist (I use the term loosely) from Milan to Minsk questioning the decision to place the Games in Georgia.

Meanwhile, those of us living through the process leading up the Games were delighted at the transformation of our metropolis. The Olympic rings were everywhere you looked. Venues replaced blighted areas. Centennial Park transformed one of the ugliest parts of the city into one of the best. Each day something new and shiny came into our lives.

The only bittersweet part of the Games for me, personally, was that part of the plan was to transform the Olympic Stadium into a new home for the Braves. That meant the end of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (which hosted baseball during the '96 Games). While Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium will never go down in baseball annals with the likes of Wrigley or Fenway, it was where I first experienced live baseball. It was where I went to games with my family. For many it was a concrete donut. For me it was a cathedral. I also defy anyone to show me a better baseball atmosphere than Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium provided in the early '90s.

At some point during my junior year at the University of Georgia, I was walking through the Tate Student Center and noticed an ad seeking students to work the Olympics. I signed up immediately and it will always be one of the best decisions I made in my life. A few months later I found myself at Hartsfield International Airport officially checking in as an employee of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG). Had I known I was going to have to pose for a picture that I would keep forever, I probably wouldn't have worn a hat all day.

In a bit of foreshadowing, I was assigned to work for Atlanta Olympic Broadcasting. My official title was "runner", but basically my job was to drive foreign journalists from their hotels to the venues and back. I was the Olympic version of an Uber driver. BMW was an Olympic partner so I spent the summer of 1996 tooling around the ATL in any variety of mint condition beamers. I was also assigned the overnight shift, meaning once we got all the journos to their hotels at night, we didn't have a whole heck of a lot to do until around 5am when rides to the early events were necessary. I never drove anyone famous, but I did learn that Japanese journalists were very polite (and GREAT tippers) and British and French journalists were just the worst. If one more person from East Something-something-shire tried to tell me a faster route to a place I'd been going to my whole life I may have aimed that beamer at a brick wall. I almost went to London in 2012 just to return the favor.

But I digress. 

During that time we got to explore a lot of Atlanta at night. I learned a lot of card games (which I've since forgotten) and made a lot of late night runs to the Taco Bell on Howell Mill and the Burger King on Northside. Our "office" was a trailer in the parking lot of the old Omni coliseum. We played football in the parking lot. We went to what was then Jocks & Jills (now Dantanna's) in CNN Center after work most mornings where everyone else's breakfast became our happy hour. I made friends with whom I am still in contact to this day.

My most memorable ride was one I don't really remember. I have no idea where we went or who was in the car. All I know is that on my way back I exited the downtown connector onto Williams Street to head back to the office. When I took the left onto Marietta Street I was immediately met by an officer screaming "Turn around! Turn around!" I rolled down my window to explain that I worked for ACOG and was on the way back to work. I'll never forget his next words: "Turn around and keep driving until someone tells you to stop". I drove for a few miles before our supervisor came across the radio and told us to go to a Holiday Inn a few miles outside of downtown. They had opened their lobby to us and that's where we spent the rest of that night...watching live coverage of the bombing at Centennial Park. I had no idea that I was a few hundred yards away when it happened. The reaction among us employees was one of rage. Honestly I'm still angry about it. How dare this fool put a black mark on something we worked so hard for for so many years? We spent that night in that Holiday Inn lobby. To ACOG's credit, the Games went on as scheduled the next morning. We spent the next two nights under a tent in a parking lot that is now occupied by the Georgia World Congress Center annex while officials secured the area around the Park.

I'm still angry.

I'll never forget the final night of those Games. It wasn't the final night for us. We worked a few days after the Games ended taking the cars we'd driven to lots around the metro area to be sold or moved on to whatever their future held. But that final night we became looters, of sorts. The official instructions we got upon arriving at work that night were "You are not supposed to take any of the official Olympic paraphernalia for personal use". One of us then asked what would happen if we did, indeed, acquire a few personal souvenirs and the response was essentially a shoulder shrug.

So we set out.

To this day I am the proud owner of the Coca-Cola table that served as the security guard's resting spot to get into our office lot below the Omni. It now sits on my balcony. I protect it from the sun with a table cloth.

From the first night I reported for work I had my eye on an Atlanta Olympic Broadcasting clock that hung in our office. On the final night, our boss gave it to me. It still works and I still hang it in the living room during the Summer Olympics.

I still have the official Olympic shirt I wore to work and, yes, it still fits just fine.

I also still have plenty of Olympic pins from those Games, as my Mom was a voracious trader at the time and gave them to me for Christmas a couple of years ago.

My most prized possession? I have a large portion of the Olympic bunting that surrounded Sanford Stadium in Athens during the soccer tournament. It still sits in my parents' basement awaiting its permanent home as wallpaper for my future game room. How did I get it? That's another story for another day...

My most random possession? A police barricade bearing the words "New Orleans Police Department". Atlanta security borrowed barricades from surrounding departments for the Games. I have no idea why we took it other than the fact that we were Falcons fans and wanted to take something from much-hated New Orleans. It remained in my parents' basement for years but I noticed it was gone the last time I was down there. I hope it's serving someone well!

In the end, I still glow with pride when I think about those Games. I think we got a raw deal from the international community, many of whom wanted the Games in Athens. I've read the critiques of those Games and can truthfully tell you those were not the Games I experienced. I was on the ground for the Atlanta Olympics and I never met a single person that wasn't having the time of their lives.

Meanwhile, Mr. Samaranch refused to bestow his customary "greatest games ever" designation on our Games during the closing ceremonies, instead calling them "most exceptional". But where I was, even the stuffiest of journalists admitted that we created a party that hasn't been duplicated until, possibly, Rio. Most of the criticism was based on "over-commercialization", which the International Olympic Committee itself has embraced in subsequent Games.

The Atlanta Games were iconic. We had possibly the most memorable torch lighting of all time (though, even as an Atlantan, I'm partial to Barcelona in '92). We had Kerri Strug. We had Michael Johnson in gold shoes. We had soccer Between The Hedges (which were removed for the Games).

We also had a plan for AFTER the Olympics, unlike many host cities. Don't believe me? Click here.

Unfortunately our efforts to open the Games to everyone left us vulnerable to attack. But that attack has led to heightened security at subsequent Games. And the open-air, carnival atmosphere remains. In many ways Atlanta changed the Games forever and for the better, whether we get credit or not.

I still dream of seeing Atlanta host another Olympics. I certainly don't think it's impossible. And for those who think it is...I would say I've heard it all before back in 1990.

I'm still angry.

Thanks, Chuck

"I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes
And make it go away"

-- U2, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday"

Who did you emulate growing up? 

Did you want to dunk on Jordan? Go deep off of Smoltz? Catch the winning pass from Montana? 

I grew up watching Chuck Moore on 11Alive's morning show while I was getting ready to catch the bus to go to elementary school. Ten years later I found myself sitting next to him on the anchor desk.

It still makes me nervous...

I was a year out of college doing sports for a tiny CBS station in Toccoa, Georgia. Chuck had recently "retired" as the long-time morning show co-anchor at WXIA in Atlanta. I put the quotes around the word "retired" because he only retired in the sense that he and his wife wanted to spend more time at their lake house near Hartwell and less time dealing with the hustle and bustle of Atlanta. But he clearly still loved what he was doing and, because one of his long-time friends from WXIA had also recently "retired" to run our little dog-and-pony show in Toccoa, Chuck agreed to work part-time (at first) as our new co-anchor. 

Our news team at WNEG was a collection of kids with varying degrees of experience. In retrospect, it was an amazing cast: Jennifer Cathey, Paul Rea, Scott Hartman, Kim Schumacher, Michael Carvell, Jason Maderer and so many more.  

But when we learned Chuck was joining our team there was a collective thought of "Holy smokes, we're like a real TV station now!"

And we were.

He brought experience and professionalism that we couldn't have gotten anywhere else. Most of us assumed he was just going to show up, read the news and go home. 

Au contraire. 

While Atlanta had "news crews", we didn't have "photographers".  We barely had "cameras".

I'll never forget him taking one of those cameras out behind the station and working with it to learn how to shoot a story. I've encountered millenials that walked off of a college campus five minutes prior recoiling at the thought of picking up a camera.  Here was a guy with 30 years owning a major market now remaking himself in a new environment. 

It's an example I'll never forget.

I'll also never forget his way of mentoring me without me actually realizing I was being mentored. During one of our first shows together, I introduced a "package"...which is fancy TV-talk for a reporter's previously-recorded story. As soon as the story rolled, Chuck looked at me and said something to the effect of "Are you in a hurry?"

"No," I replied.

"Seemed like you were in a hurry to dismiss the viewer" he said.

  

He was referring to the fact that, as soon as I introduced the story, I looked off-camera to watch it as if the audience didn't matter.  

To this day, when I throw to a reporter's story on tape, I hear a silent one-count in my head before I look to the monitor.  

Thanks, Chuck. And I mean that sincerely.

He was also an avid golfer.  That was one of the main reasons he and his wife decided to retire in Northeast Georgia. 

It's also what brought him to our tiny little station. He told me one of his life's dreams was to play Augusta National. 

Two months after picking up my life and moving to Augusta I learned I would be playing Chuck's dream course for the first time.

As I put my tee in that hallowed ground I chose to make one phone call.

I called Chuck.  

Tonight I'm so glad I did.

What I Learned At Spring Training

It's been a while since I've written one of these. And what better time to start again than Spring Training? It's the time when everything begins anew and anything is possible.

As I do every year, I spent the better part of this week in Florida following the Braves at Spring Training. If you love baseball, you don't need to put Spring Training on your bucket list...you need to put it on your "every year no matter what else is going on" list. I went for the first time in 2008 because I happened to be in the Orlando area and I will never miss another.

Spring Training is the closest adults can come to reliving Spring Break: One hundred percent fun with zero responsibilities. I'm not rubbing it in, I'm trying to inspire you to go. Or don't. The more people that show up the harder it is to get tickets. You know what? Stay home. Home is good.

Anyway, this post is pretty esoteric. If you're not a die-hard Braves fan you should probably stop reading now. For the rest of you, I thought I'd list a few things I learned in Lake Buena Vista this week as we get ready for that holiest of days: Opening Day.

While I make my living in the news business, I was anything but a reporter this week. So I didn't have access to the locker room, nor did I get any insight from players, coaches or officials. I did take several selfies with various points of interest in the background. My point is, this is a fan's perspective, but not just any fan. No one has followed this team closer for the last 30 years than I have. If I need to I'll show you every scorecard from the 1991 Worst To First season to prove it. While my colleagues in the press box can provide the inside scoop, they can't give you the feel from the cheap (and not-so-cheap) seats.

Here are 5 Things I Learned At Spring Training:

1) The Need For Speed - I remember going to Spring Training last year and being very impressed with the Braves new "small ball" approach. I thought Eric Young, Jr. was going to be a breakout player. I was wrong, but the team was much more entertaining than watching the Uptons stir up a gale force wind every night the year before. Don't forget the Braves were only 6 games out in late July last year before Jason Grilli got hurt and management used that as an excuse to pull the rug out from under the team...and us. This year's lineup is like last year's on steroids. Okay, bad analogy in baseball. But what I mean is this lineup has the chance to be a LOT of fun to watch. There's a lot of speed and Fredi Gonzalez is not afraid to use it. When someone reaches base, it's not a matter of if, but when they will be running. That approach created a number of runs during my stay. When a walk usually ends up on second, almost every base hit is an RBI. Most preseason periodicals I've read say some variation of "there's nothing in this lineup other than Freddie Freeman". These people are morons. This lineup is fun and you will enjoy watching it.  My only concern is third base. Adonis Garcia did homer while I was there, but didn't do much else. I was hoping Gordon Beckham would recapture his UGA magic, but he was less than spectacular. This could be a glaring weakness in an otherwise solid starting eight.

2) Pitching and Moaning - Here's where the preseason pundits seem to be dead on. The pitching is miserable. This was the team's downfall last year. The Braves simply could not hold a lead...and they couldn't during my week at Spring Training either. And it wasn't low-level rookies giving up all the runs. Setup man Jim Johnson got tattooed more often than a sorority girl on spring break. One of my sleeper picks to have a big year, Jhoulys Chacin, gave up a run in every inning I watched him pitch. And I'm pretty sure somewhere Manny Banuelos is still trying to get out of the first inning of Saturday's game. Now, this is a small sample size, but it does feed the fear that this pitching staff has issues. The one bright spot was Julio Teheran. He was dominant during my stay. But after him I have very large worries about the rotation. Like I said, I like the lineup, but I don't like it enough to believe it can score nine runs a night to win.

3) Fight For Your Right To Inciarte - Meet your new favorite player: Ender Inciarte. He only played two games during my trip, but it was enough to let me know you're going to enjoy watching him play every day. The Braves' haul from the Shelby Miller deal has been well-documented, but Inciarte may prove it to be even better than expected. He can flat-out go get it in center field. I honestly think he might be better defensively than Andruw Jones. Granted, I was never much of an Andruw fan, but you get the point. He will make an immeasurable difference at the top of the lineup. He appears disciplined and aggressive at the same time. And he can fly. I really liked Cameron Maybin, but I will readily admit Inciarte is a huge upgrade with All-Star potential. The Gold Glove should be his to lose this season. And speaking of that Miller trade...

4) Everybody Loves Dansby - No one had bigger rock-star status at this Braves camp than shortstop Dansby Swanson. If everything works out as planned, I predict this guy will be the face of the franchise over the next decade, not Freddie Freeman. Part of it is, well, his actual face. Pretty much every female fan in eyesight was on the edge of her seat every time he came to the plate...and it wasn't because there were runners on base. Secondly, he's really good. There's a reason he was the number one pick in the draft last summer. He made a handful of Andrelton Simmons-type plays while I was in Florida and actually appeared ahead of schedule at the plate. But what makes him different than every other player in camp (with the possible exception of Jeff Francoeur), is that he really, truly loves the Braves and the city of Atlanta. He is living his dream. Atlanta pro sports needs that. If you haven't read his thoughts on this subject, you need to. I'm glad I went to Florida when I did this year, because he was sent to the minor league camp the day after I left (along with Ozzie Albies and Mallex Smith, who were also fun to watch). But I sincerely hope he's in Atlanta at some point this season because, frankly, I can't wait.

5) Everybody Hates Disney -  The Braves' complex at the ESPN (formerly called Disney's) Wide World Of Sports used to be the crown jewel of Spring Training baseball. When the place opened, the Braves were its biggest draw. But now it's home to every amateur baseball, lacrosse, cheerleading, tennis and/or lawn darts competition for which ESPN can find room on its schedule. What that means for you, the Braves fan, is having to fight your way through traffic that will remind you of I-285 at 5:00 on a Friday and then thousands of people Braveheart-style just to get to the front gate of Champions Stadium. It also means paying two-to-three times as much for a ticket as you would at Turner Field for a game that ACTUALLY COUNTS. That's because Disney sets all of the prices, not the Braves. And it's one of the main reasons the Braves want out once their lease is done in 2017. Unfortunately they're having some trouble finding a new home, which means we may be stuck at Disney longer than any of us hoped. Another reason they want to move is location. Once the Astros leave Kissimmee for West Palm Beach after this spring, the Braves will have just one opponent within an hour's drive (the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland...45 minutes away). The Braves want to move closer to the Tampa area where the Blue Jays, Phillies, Yankees and Tigers would all be right next door, or possibly back down to South Florida where there is a cluster of teams as well. For the fan, this is a huge consideration. You want the Braves as close to as many teams as possible so you can see as many stadiums and games as possible during your trip.  This week we saw the Braves play in Lakeland and Kissimmee in addition to Disney. But after this year that won't be possible. This team and its fans can't get away from Disney fast enough.  I will say one thing in Disney's defense: Parking for games is free. It's the only free parking I've encountered at pretty much any sporting event I've ever attended above the high school level. It's a nice touch, but considering the price of everything else at the complex Disney should actually pay YOU to park.

Bonus Observation - Bucket hats are everything at Spring Training.

As for what I think will happen with the Braves this season, I'll save that for a couple of weeks. I have to have SOMETHING to write about. I will say this, I don't think it's going to be AS bad as the experts think.

Of course, the experts think it's going to be pretty bad.

Thanks For The Memories, Coach Richt

Thanks for the memory
Of coming to Athens from the 'Noles,
and taking us to those Sugar Bowls.

Of hobnailed boots in Tennessee
and taking back the SEC.

Of overtime in Alabama
and finally getting us to Atlanta.

Of Greene to Haynes
and Johnson on the Plains.

Thanks for the memory
Of Gurley, Musa and Knowshon
and so many others now long gone.

Of Pollack, Stafford, Greene and Green
and all the rest in between.

Of the night we blacked Auburn out
and being what a Bulldog is all about.

Of D-Po's strip against the 'Cocks
and the scoop and score on Rocky Top.

Thanks for the memory
Of 2005 versus LSU
and 13 out of 15 over Big Blue.

Of end zone dances in Jacksonville
and teaching us all to "Finish The Drill".

Of late nights down on Bourbon Street
and reminding the Big Dawg how to eat.

Of turning boys into men,
and wrecking Tech again and again.

For 15 years of making us proud.
One more time we say aloud...

We thank you...so much.

A Tale Of Two Tragedies

This is not about me. It's not about journalism or TV.

That said, it was difficult to read the news tonight. Many have written about the events of the day from a journalistic perspective more eloquently than I can. I would read this and this.

I can't imagine going to work to do my job, thinking of my future...the family, the friends, the weddings, the trips, the tailgate parties. The list goes on and on.

And then it happens. Innocent life taken in an instant.

When I sat down to write this, I was going to talk about the two journalists savagely murdered on live television by a deranged former colleague. Then came word of the murder of Officer Henry Nelson in Sunset, Louisiana.

There is a saying that goes, "There are three types of people who run toward disaster and not away from it: Police, Firefighters and Reporters". The difference is that officers and firefighters assume, from the time they wake up, that their lives are at risk. Reporters make no assumption.

Yes, there are the correspondents that cover war zones and the risks that come with it. But, on a local level, while we acknowledge that there are risks that accompany the job, we believe we will return at the end of the night to the safety of our homes. I have to imagine police officers and firefighters leave home with a different thought process, that they may never see that home again.

In fact, on many occasions local law enforcement will advise a reporter and/or photographer that they shouldn't go into a certain area without escort. There is an immeasurable comfort that comes from that escort. We know we are safe. They have no such guarantee.

I'm not sure how other businesses work, but TV news is an incredibly esoteric profession. The degrees of separation are always miniscule. The General Manager of the station where this happened, the one you've seen on TV all day? I had a job interview with him a couple of years ago. Not at his current station, but a different one. He offered me the job. I declined. My heart bled for him today. He showed tremendous grace under fire. One of my current colleagues worked with Alison Parker and, at last count, I have three friends who once worked with the shooter.

I know for a fact that the community of Law Enforcement and Firefighters exist in much the same way. When Deputy J.D. Paugh of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Officer Scott Richardson of Aiken Public Safety and Aiken Public Safety Corporal Sandy Rogers were killed in the line of duty, there were many tears shed in our newsroom from those who had interacted with them on a regular basis.

They were our friends.

I do think there is one thing that all of these jobs have in common. On a much, much, much (I cannot emphasize enough the word "MUCH") less important scale, I remember how I first learned about how to deal with covering things that made you uncomfortable. As a graduate and fan of the University of Georgia, I learned early on in my career how to be unbiased about your subject. I would cover losses that, as a fan, would have devastated me. But, as a reporter, you go into what can best be described as "a zone". You have a job to do. You do it. To extrapolate that, think of the surgeon saving his friend's life, the firefighter carrying his pal out of an inferno or the Officer keeping his friend alive. Again, this is not to equate any or all of these professions. It's simply meant to acknowledge that, in the heat of battle, we all go into a place that allows us to do our jobs to the best of our ability.

I can't tell you how many times I covered games that involved crushing Georgia losses. I remember being too busy to be sad. Running to get video of the other team celebrating, getting inte

rviews on the field, racing to feed the story back to the station. Not until hours later, when most fans were already asleep, did I get to sit on my couch and think, "Damn, that sucks."

But, in and odd way, it's inoculating. You have something to distract you from what is actually happening. I couldn't help but think of that as I watched the family, friends and coworkers of Alison Parker and Adam Ward on various TV news shows today. I've seen them all stand in front of multiple cameras and talk about their fallen friends. But I wonder what will happen when they get back home...and sit on their couch. I wonder what will happen when they have to deal with this as people and not journalists.

From a personal standpoint I can say this. For someone who talks about death on TV on a daily basis, I may be the world's worst at actually dealing with it. I can't comprehend what the WDBJ community is going through tonight. I can't fathom what the Sunset, Louisiana Police Department is going through tonight.

I could look at you through a camera lens and talk about it all day long.

But I'm glad you're not on my couch tonight.

A Fan's Guide To The SEC: Best (Surprising) To Least (Even More Surprising)

Two weeks from now millions of us will once again take part in one of the greatest rituals mankind has developed over the course of its existence. We will wake well before dawn, load the tents, chairs, coolers, grills and satellite TVs into our cars, trucks and SUVs and make the trek to various campuses to begin the best four months on the Gregorian calendar.

Over the years I've had the good fortune to experience the tailgate and game day culture at almost every outpost of the Southeastern Conference, also known as God's Conference. While there are certainly great places to watch football outside the SEC (every college football fan should see a game in Boulder, Colorado once in their life, for example, and I hear great things about Seattle and Madison), I am a firm believer that, top to bottom, the SEC offers the best college football experience in the land.

With that in mind, I got to thinking about the great, and not-so-great, times I've had in SEC country. So, as a public service, I've decided to rank the SEC road trips from Best to Least, rather than West to East. The top two might surprise you, as might the cellar dweller. The point is basically to give us something else to argue about as we count down the seconds to the glorious return of the one thing that somehow divides us and unites us all at the same time: college football.




Tent City: Our little slice of heaven in Athens

In the interest of full disclosure, yes I am a graduate and lifelong fan of the University of Georgia. However I also spent a good part of my professional life covering UGA before I got out of the business of being unbiased about sports. So I will attempt to assess Athens from a neutral perspective. I'm sure you'll let me know if you disagree.

So, without further ado, SEC road trips...from Best to Least:

All smiles in Nashville, as usual

1) Nashville, TN (Vanderbilt University) -- Vanderbilt is just adorable. You just want to pinch its little cheeks and pat it on the head. For the visiting SEC school, Vanderbilt is like winning the lottery at Disneyland...on Christmas Day. Yes, it is possible to lose in Nashville, but I've never witnessed it in person so it's not unlike Bigfoot. It is rare for an SEC school to travel to face a conference opponent and be virtually assured of winning, but that's usually the case at Vanderbilt. For this reason, the fans are exceptionally polite. They seem to attend games in the same way the rest of us might leisurely browse a weekend market. Y'know...just something to pass the time on a nice Saturday afternoon. Even though Vandy possesses the smallest stadium in the SEC tickets are unbelievably easy to come by. One time I simply walked up and bought them at the window. That's right...a stadium ticket window in the SEC, open and functioning, on game day. Usually if you are the visitor there are as many of you as there are Commodore fans, so it becomes a virtual home away from home. After the game, you don't have to worry about traffic but you do have to worry about how to fit everything into the remaining hours of the evening because Nashville is the closest thing the Southeast has to Las Vegas. Tailgating with no trash talk, watching your team win and spending an evening or two on Music Row make this the best road trip in the SEC.

Victory formation in Columbia, MO

2) Columbia, MO (University of Missouri) -- There are two Columbias in the SEC and the one that joined three years ago is light years ahead of the one that joined 23 years ago. I should preface my thoughts on this particular Columbia by saying they might be dated by this point. My first, and thus far only, trip to Columbia, Missouri was the second game of Missouri's first season in the SEC. They seemed almost giddy to welcome us into their culture. As soon as we rolled into town an older gentleman, dressed in Mizzou garb from head to toe, flagged us down and said, "if you want to tailgate with Georgia fans, there are a lot of them parked in that lot just ahead on the right." Now, in most SEC towns, that means you are being directed to the local landfill. But when we rounded the curve...there it was: A sea of Red and Black. We were home. The campus is beautiful and walkable. The stadium is small by SEC standards, but nice. The atmosphere is great. The fans were excited but not obnoxious. Columbia is also situated exactly halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City. The proximity to two major cities make the entertainment options endless for the visitor. We stayed in KC to hit a Royals game at the beginning of our trip and then ended it at Arrowhead Stadium watching the Falcons destroy the Chiefs. Since we stayed in Kansas City, I don't have much in the way advice about the town of Columbia itself (though I CAN tell you Kansas City might be the most underrated metropolis in America). Columbia looked nice and clean as we drove through. Since then, Mizzou has won the SEC East twice so things may have changed, but this was one of the most pleasant places I've ever watched a game.  Extra Credit: Missouri is the alma mater of my broadcasting hero, Skip Caray.


Making a new friend in Oxford

3) Oxford, MS (University of Mississippi) -- The rest of the nation found out last season what those of us in the SEC have known for years. When College GameDay made its maiden voyage to The Grove in Oxford last year, it was the first time the show was as much about the tailgate scene as the game itself. The announcers wore tuxedos, the unequaled Sam Ponder toured the various tents and, at one point, there was a butler on set. The fact that Katy Perry was on my screen sealed the deal. The classic interaction between her and Lee Corso may have been the show's finest hour. It also perfectly encapsulated game day in Oxford. It's just fun. From the chandeliers to the fine china to the "Hotty Toddy Potties" (as the Port-O-Lets are labeled) to the various farm animals that take up residence at tailgates (we had our picture taken with a goat in an Ole Miss sweater), it's all just perfect. But they take their football seriously as well. The "Walk of Champions" is quite a spectacle as the Rebels march through the tailgates into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The stadium itself isn't my favorite. I hate stadiums that are divided so you can't walk from one side to the other. I like to explore when I'm in new surroundings, especially once the game is out of hand. The other drawback is Oxford itself. Its tiny. Not like Starkville tiny, but tiny. We stayed in nearby Tunica at the casinos that, to my understanding, have since closed. So my next trip I guess we'll headquarter in Memphis. I can think of worse things.



Ten years and counting...

4) Athens, GA (University of Georgia) -- I know, I know. I'm going to keep this brief because I know every non-Georgia fan out there is going to think this is biased anyway. But, quite simply, there is no better fusion of stadium, campus and town than Athens. You can tailgate, walk to the game and then walk to the downtown repeatedly recognized as one of the best college towns in America without moving your car. And that's another thing. You don't SEE cars on Saturday in Athens. No one tailgates at their car. Everyone drops their stuff off and then hides their vehicle somewhere else. It creates an almost Rockwellian picture of what fall Saturdays should be. Whenever fans of other schools find out I'm a Georgia fan they look at me like I just bonded out of jail. "Every Georgia fan I've met is so obnoxious," they'll say. Every school has their loudmouths, but I'm not sure what Georgia fans they're meeting. First, most Georgia fans are harder on their own team than anyone else. It comes from growing up listening to the great Larry Munson and Vince Dooley constantly convince us we had little to no shot, no matter who we were playing. Second, I've tailgated in the same spot for more than a decade. That spot is right next to Myers Quad, which is the epicenter of student tailgating. It's where College GameDay and SEC Nation set up when they visit Athens. In all that time I've never seen anything get out of hand. The worst thing I've seen is what tailgaters did to North Campus after the Auburn "Blackout" game in 2007, but that is not the norm. Speaking of students, when I was in school they had a habit of celebrating big moments by throwing full cups of...um...we'll say Coke...into the air. Of course, that means someone somewhere was going to get drenched. But I sat in the student section again for a big game a couple of years ago. I was actually impressed with how much better behaved they were than what I remembered.  Sanford Stadium itself is, without question, one of the top five on-campus college football venues in America, nestled perfectly into the middle of campus as if it grew there organically. Even most of Georgia's rivals acknowledge that. Athens isn't perfect. I don't have words to describe post-game traffic. And if you want to stay in town on a game night you better know somebody or take out a loan. There are only a handful of decent hotels and they fill up for game days in, like, April. But for a pure college football experience I'll put Athens up against anyone anywhere. Bring it. Now...if you plan on wearing the other team's colors out downtown after midnight...you're on your own.

Okay, that wasn't brief. But it's as brief as I can be when talking about the University of Georgia.

I'm not in this pic, but this was my view in 2002

5) Auburn, AL (Auburn University) -- Okay, on THIS one I may be biased. Some of my greatest experiences as a visiting fan have occurred in the Loveliest Village on The Plains. (For you Auburn fans reading...thankfully I did not make the trip for the "Prayer At Jordan-Hare". But I was there for the 38-0 drubbing in 2012, Greene-To-Johnson to win the East in 2002 and the four-overtime thriller in '96). I've been to Auburn as a visitor five times. I plan to make it six this November. Only once have I left on the wrong side of the scoreboard. That was in 2004 when Auburn went undefeated but failed to make it into the BCS Championship Game. I grew up in Columbus, GA where the fan base is divided almost equally between Georgia and Auburn fans despite the fact that Auburn is 30 minutes away and Athens is nearly four hours. Until I moved to Atlanta as a teenager this game was THE game on the calendar. The same way Georgia fans in Augusta look forward to South Carolina or those in Chattanooga look forward to Tennessee. That said, and maybe it's because I was a kid, the rivalry between Georgia and Auburn always seemed to be a bit more cordial than most. Maybe it's because Pat Dye played for us and coached them and Vince Dooley played for them and coached us. Maybe it's because of how close the rivalry has been...or that it's the oldest in the Deep South. Whatever it is, there's always seemed to be a mutual respect. And the games are usually barn burners. Jordan-Hare is a great place to watch a game. The War Eagle's flight into the stadium to welcome the Tigers onto the field is something every college football fan should see in person, as long as he doesn't fly into a window. It's proximity to I-85 makes it easy to get into and out of. They even have hedges. You can never go wrong with hedges. The only bad thing that ever happened to me in Auburn was after that 2002 game. We decided to visit a local establishment to celebrate. Auburn fans threw peanuts at us. Not a shower of them, mind you. Like one every two minutes hoping we wouldn't catch on. That's it. If the worst thing that happens to you in an opposing team's town is being hit with a couple of legumes...you've had a good trip.

Really looking forward to seeing this in person

6) College Station, TX (Texas A&M University) -- As I mentioned above, I have experienced MOST of the game day locations in the SEC. College Station, due to Texas A&M's recent entry into the league, is among the four that I have not had the pleasure of seeing first hand. Two of those four I'm relying on second hand accounts. College Station and Fayetteville I'm going strictly on hearsay. So here is what I hear they say about College Station: They kiss girls after every touchdown. Sold. They also have "Yell Practice" the night before every game and don't get me STARTED on my love for Reveille. All make the "12th Man" concept what it is. Texas A&M earns the Number 6 spot on this list sight unseen because all of that sounds phenomenal and, while I haven't experienced it in person, you can bet I will when Georgia makes its first trip to College Station. I have a feeling Texas A&M will move up after I do.

Celebrating a third straight win in Knoxville

7) Knoxville, TN (University of Tennessee) -- Along with Auburn, I've been to Knoxville more than any other SEC destination outside of Athens. Ironically one of the only UGA games I've missed in Knoxville in the last two decades may be the most memorable. I put Knoxville right in the middle of this list because it's like something out of a Dickens novel: The best of times and the worst of times. The tailgating atmosphere may be the most unique in the SEC. It's one of only two college stadiums in the nation where you can drive your boat right up to the stadium and tailgate (the Tennessee River runs right next to Neyland Stadium). It provides for great views and great times. The problem is, once you're done tailgating, you have to go inside Neyland Stadium which, for my money, is the second-worst in the SEC. Vol fans love to talk about the 100K+ seating capacity. You know why they can fit that many people in there? Because if you weigh more than 200 pounds (which I do not), you probably need to buy two seats. And no matter how many you buy you'll never see them anyway because the only way they can shoehorn everyone in there is for everyone to stand up and face to the side like you're in a police lineup. You're either going to get REAL familiar with the person next to you or you're going to get a crick in your neck. Also, if you happen to trip on your way down the stairs, you may not stop rolling until you reach midfield. The stadium itself is just a dump. If there were two buildings in the U.S.A. I believe should be imploded, both are on this list starting with Neyland Stadium. It's an aesthetic nightmare. From the outside you can see every part that has been added over the years without any concern for making it match what existed before. It looks like a cross between a quilt and Pripyat. My last trip the antique plumbing finally gave way and there was a beautiful waterfall of who-knows-what cascading from various holes in the stadium's façade. But, yeah...no the river is nice.

Sums up my trip to Death Valley in 2008

8) Baton Rouge, LA (Louisiana State University) -- LSU routinely ranks at or near the top of every national organization's "Best Tailgate" list every year and I have to say...I don't get it. Maybe it's the sheer volume of it. It's row upon row of people tailgating next to their cars in parking lots right next to the stadium. That's not college. That's the NFL. Which makes sense since most of the organizations creating these rankings are based in the Northeast and are very NFL-centric. Don't get me wrong. The food is phenomenal and unique to Louisiana and there is no more rabid fan base in all of sports. But I just expected more. Maybe my expectations were too high. The crowd was very esoteric. Most campuses you'll walk by in the other team's colors and be booed, spit on (we'll get to that) or offered a sample of the local cuisine. In Baton Rouge it was as if we were invisible. We walked from our car to the stadium without any interaction with the home team fans. The stadium is cool and Mike the Tiger is a spectacle to behold. Death Valley is every bit as loud as advertised, though I didn't find it particularly deafening...and I was on the field for the game. That said, my one trip there kicked off at 2:30pm local time. I hear night games are a completely different animal and I have no reason not to believe that. One distinct advantage of the LSU road trip:  You can stay in New Orleans. Despite my unending, fire-breathing hatred of the Saints and everything they stand for, there are worse places to spend the night before and of a college football game than Bourbon Street.

No actual pic of my trip to UF because cameras hadn't been invented

9) Gainesville, FL (University of Florida) -- "But wait," you say, "Florida and Georgia play in Jacksonville every year. How can you rank Gainesville?" Well, as fate would have it, what is now known as EverBank Field in Jacksonville was being built while I was in college. So, for the first time in decades, Georgia and Florida played a home-and-home series. Unfortunately for those of us wearing Red and Black, it happened to occur as Georgia was suffering through its worst few years of the past half-century and Florida was starting to click on all cylinders under Steve Spurrier. So I made the trip to Gainesville knowing full well Georgia was going to get annihilated, but also knowing it may be my only chance to go in my lifetime, at least if the city of Jacksonville has anything to say about it. Here's what I remember: It was miserable. The game, yes, but mostly the weather. It was about 90 degrees on the first weekend of November with about 95% humidity. It was one of those days when you're wetter when you get out of the shower than you were when you were actually IN the shower. The rain held off until around halftime, when it unleashed a fury of Amazonian proportions. The façade of the stadium was attractive, and you've probably seen it in the background when College GameDay sets up shop there. But it proved to be kind of like a Halloween mask. The rest of "The Swamp" was unremarkable. Nothing really stood out good or bad. The band playing the music from "Jaws" leading into "Go Gators!" was a crowd-pleaser. But the coolest thing about Ben Hill Griffin Stadium may be its accessibility on non-game days. During the week...and even during the overnight hours...students can run the stadium steps or simply take a selfie. Quite frankly, that's how it should be. It's part of the campus and part of your school. You shouldn't be limited to enjoying it seven Saturdays a year. There was ample room around the stadium for tailgating and it's a short walk to the nightlife scene. So if you like sitting in a sauna fully clothed, then taking a shower fully clothed...Gainesville may be for you.

Another partial sellout in Lexington

10) Lexington, KY (University of Kentucky) -- True story: I was conceived in Kentucky and, were it not for a change in my Dad's career path during the ensuing nine months, I may have grown up with an affinity for Big Blue. But I didn't. I'm yet to experience a football game in Lexington, but I have a few longtime tailgate companions who have. I DID venture to the Bluegrass State to watch UGA play basketball at Rupp Arena, which may be the more authentic UK experience. Regardless of the sport, Lexington is unimpressive for a visiting college fan. Commonwealth Stadium is small and off-campus. Rupp Arena is also off-campus. I was so excited about seeing this "legendary arena of college basketball", but it was basically a smaller version of the old Omni in Atlanta. Imagine any run-of-the-mill Civic Center in Anytown, U.S.A and that's Rupp Arena...unless you bleed Blue. Even worse, they roll up the sidewalks in Lexington at 1am local time. There were nights in Athens when I didn't go OUT until 1am local time. I have no idea how this passes for acceptable in a college town in the 21st century. Among the positives are the proximity to horse tracks, the milder weather and the cheap hotels because it's a larger city. It also has that Vandy thing going for it. I'm told most of the FOOTBALL fans assume they are going to lose so they just want you to enjoy your trip. Basketball....not so much.

In lieu of cowbell, my friend only has this

11) Starkville, MS (Mississippi State University) -- This is another campus which I am yet to visit, but I do have several friends who have been there on the visitor's side so I asked for their opinions.  The consensus is this: Not a bad place to watch a game, but not a good one either. Over the years Starkville has earned the nickname "Stark Vegas". It's basically like calling Manhattan, Kansas "The Little Apple". It's not meant as a compliment. Starkville is not exactly the most exotic locale in the SEC, or in Mississippi or anywhere else in the solar system. My friends reported that most tailgaters didn't show up until around 2pm for a 7pm game. That's blasphemy. My friends wanted one souvenir and one souvenir only to take home from their Starkville trip...the trademark cowbell. So they went to the main campus bookstore hours before kickoff and....the bookstore was out of cowbells. Really, Mississippi State??? Get it together. That's like Gainesville running out of denim. Do you and do it right.

I think this is Razorback Stadium, but not sure since I haven't been there

12) Fayetteville, AR (University of Arkansas) -- This concludes our tour of the few campuses I have not been to. But it's Arkansas. And it's not even Little Rock, Arkansas. I will say every time I think of Arkansas I hear the refrain in my head of a very well-hydrated tailgate friend of mine screaming "I love the DAWGS, and I HATE THE HAWGS" over and over before a game in Athens a few years back. I can't imagine there's much else to say about Fayetteville, yet it still has to be better than...

Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina

13) Columbia, SC (University of South Carolina) -- You ever stand at the counter of a McDonald's, look over at the fry machine and think "Man, that's the life"? All those fries, packed in tightly under a heat lamp? That's what it feels like watching a game at Williams-Brice Stadium. All they need is a drone to pass overhead at halftime dropping salt all over us. This place is dreadful. Remember when I said there were two buildings in the U.S. that I would implode? This is the other one. It's ugly, it's hard to navigate, it's hotter than the surface of the sun, the line to get in is inexplicably long, then when you get in you fight even longer lines.  It sits in the middle of what can best be described as an industrial park without the industry. I'm told South Carolina has a beautiful campus, but you wouldn't know it because it's miles away from the stadium and hidden behind an equally unattractive downtown. But the worst part about a game at Williams-Brice Stadium is the fans. Not once..NOT ONCE have I walked into the stadium with my ticket, gone to my seat and found it waiting for me. Instead, no matter the section, I always find so-and-so's drunken friend who got separated from his group and decided to set up fort in my seats. "Be cool, man...just be cool," the garnet-and-black-clad fans will beg. So, not wanting to be "that guy", you end up sharing what are supposed to be two seats with four people. Their fans are maybe the cockiest in the SEC, no pun intended, and there may be no fan base with less of a reason to BE cocky. They're like that friend that will argue and argue until you get too tired to argue any more and then they claim they won. And don't get me started on the artificial noise. Between "Sandstorm" and the rooster crow they get more decibels out of less accomplishment than any other school in America.  But Columbia, SC is STILL not the least attractive place to visit in the SEC. Nope, that title belongs to the undisputed champion...

Tuscaloosa...before things got weird

14) Tuscaloosa, AL (University of Alabama) -- Here's the problem with Alabama fans: Most of them who read this will take what I'm about to write as a compliment. Alabama fans possess a particular kind of crazy that would make Lindsay Lohan blush. There's a reason stuff like this happens in Alabama and not anywhere else. Wanna do your own little experiment at home? Try this: Ask any Alabama fan their opinion of 'Bama fan Harvey Updyke's poisoning of the legendary oaks at Toomer's Corner in Auburn. Never, not once, will you get the appropriate response of "He's crazy. He was out of line and wrong and I denounce his actions." I know multiple Alabama fans, and they've all had the same answer. They'll look at you with a wry smile and paraphrase Mr. Updyke's own explanation that he had "too much Bama in him". If you have that much ANYTHING in you, please do society a favor and check yourself into the nearest facility that has a full inventory of mind and mood altering drugs. Georgia only plays in Tuscaloosa once every ten years or so, so I've only been there twice. I've experienced a loss and a win. After the loss, when Georgia blew a nine point lead in the fourth, I returned to my car to find my Georgia flags ripped out of my windows with a note that read "Roll Tide". Unfortunately there was not a check attached to that note to cover the cost of the damage to my vehicle. But as bad as that was, it didn't compare to the horror of WINNING at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In 2006 Georgia walked off against Alabama in overtime. When the game ended our experience began. Immediately, drunken angry Alabama fans started blocking our access to the exits. I should point out that we were incredibly docile the entire game until the very end when, as any fan would upon winning in overtime, we did a little jumping and a little hugging. I was hit with what can best be described as a makeshift cardboard Yellow Hammer, then challenged to a fist fight in the concourse. I have to imagine that's Alabama-ese for "hope you enjoyed your trip, please drive home safely." After we finally exited the stadium our walk back to our car through countless Alabama tailgates was met with multiple things being thrown at us, some of them liquid, none of which I care to know the origin. It reminded me of Clarice Starling's first interaction with Multiple Miggs in The Silence Of The Lambs. Positives? Pretty campus, nice town, good tailgate scene (before the game, at least) and great tradition. I like the ladies clad in houndstooth skirts and hats. I like the fact that Bear Bryant's voice still bellows from the speakers when the Crimson Tide takes the field, much like Larry Munson's in Athens. They even have a weirdish video that makes it appear as though Coach Bryant is speaking from beyond the grave. I couldn't hear it because the UGA band was playing during that part of the pregame.

Maybe that's why they threw stuff at us.

And The Winner Is...

Full disclosure:  I've never accurately predicted who will win much of anything. And, for the record, neither has anyone else.  There's a reason Vegas has all those lavish hotels. They're not paying for them with SPLOST funds.

For the last two years, I've picked Matt Kuchar to win the Masters. It pains me to pick Matt Kuchar.  Don't get me wrong...I love the guy. This year I am covering my 16th Masters, and there is no one more genuine or engaging on the PGA Tour than Matt Kuchar. Unlike many athletes, Kuchar will have a conversation with you in an interview rather than spitting out soundbytes and looking off into the distance for someone, anyone to come save him.

But, in my personal life, I'm a graduate of the University of Georgia...and Matt went to Georgia Tech. We don't play nice together. For all of Bubba Watson's..ummmm...eccentricities, it's filled me with pride two of the last three falls to watch him wear his Green Jacket to midfield during a UGA football game at Sanford Stadium to be recognized for winning the Masters. I have no desire to see a Green Jacket ever darken the door of Bobby Dodd Stadium. Well, at least not again...

Both times I've picked Kuchar he has given me (and, I suppose more importantly, himself) hope going into the final round.  In 2013 he finished tied for eight and last year he finished in a tie for 5th. But, inevitably, my pick doomed him. So this year, as an act of public service to Matt and all of his fans, I will NOT pick Matt Kuchar. You can thank me on Sunday.

So who am I going to pick? First, let me eliminate a few of the usual suspects.

I expect Tiger Woods to play better than most anyone else expects him to play. His entire story still blows my mind. I believe the fall of Tiger Woods is the number one sports story of the last decade, if not more. We are going on six years since he's been the Tiger Woods many of us remember. This year's tournament marks ten years since his historic chip at 16 and last win at Augusta. Do you know what that means?  It means the 10 year olds at Augusta National this week view Tiger the same way I viewed Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski and Dr. J whe

n I was 10. People kept telling me how great they were, but I had no physical evidence because most of it occurred when I was still in my parents' planning stages.  Yes, the patrons still flock to him. The question I've been most asked this week is still, "Is Tiger out here?".  But you know what? Second on that list is Ben Crenshaw...and Ben Crenshaw hasn't been competitive at Augusta since his last win 20 years ago.

I'm wondering how much of the attention toward Tiger this week is a nostalgia act. Even his latest commercial supports that narrative (even though it's an amazing ad). How many Dads are dragging their kids to see Tiger when junior would rather see Rory or Rickie or the Drive, Chip and Putt Finals?  Tiger is only seven years younger than Jack Nicklaus was when Nicklaus shocked the world in 1986. I remember as a kid thinking Jack was "so old" then. Do I think Tiger has another Green Jacket in his future? Yes. Some people just play well here (see also: Palmer, Nicklaus, Mickelson, Watson) and some people just have horrible luck here (Miller, Els, Norman).

Tiger will surprise, but he won't win this year.

Rory McIllory? Jordan Spieth? Dustin Johnson? I think each will win one or more Masters in their career, but I also think each brings certain baggage into this year's tournament that will keep them from donning the Green Jacket on Sunday.

No, my pick this year is a player who has never won a major, much less a Masters. What he did do was finish T-8 in his Masters debut last year. He followed that up with a tie for 9th in his first U.S. Open in 13 years and a tie for 7th in his second PGA Championship. WHAT major pressure?

He's also already a two-time winner this year on the PGA Tour. He ranks second on Tour in putting average and first in "Birdie Conversion Rate".  That last one is how they measure what you do once you get to the green. You know what's really important at Augusta National? 

But, maybe most importantly, my pick is 36 years old. There was probably a time in his life where he thought a Green Jacket was the most important thing in the world. At 36 you know that's not true. At 36 you've been to the puppet show and seen the strings. At 36 you have the resolve to play the back nine on Sunday and not let your emotions get the best of you.

My pick is being hailed as a "dark horse" by many, but I think he is the outright favorite no matter what Las Vegas says.

My pick to win the 2015 Masters is....Jimmy Walker.

I apologize in advance, Jimmy.