Here’s a take from Bud Elliott, for what it’s worth.
Genuine question here…are your Saturdays a wash during the college football season? Do you have a hard and fast rule about not attending anything on a game day?
Honestly, fatherhood kind of changed my perspective on it…we would regularly attend birthday parties or events with the girls and just DVR it and go radio silent on the phones so we could watch it as a surprise later, or would, honestly, just tune in from time to time on the phone while doing something else.
Not that I don’t enjoy the game or game day, but it definitely got muted compared to younger life. Some things are still more important.
How’s about you?
There are things more important than college football on a fall Saturday. Honestly, on a Georgia away game Saturday, I don’t sit in front of the TV between noon and midnight. If you do, more power to you.
Being able to watch it on the phone has been a game changer. I watch a lot of games in the deer stand now. I used to have to make a decision as to whether I was going hunting or watching football. When Ingot into my forties hunting started winning out more often but now I can do both.
Agreed. I’ve learned to enjoy watching a game vs directional state girls school while bottom fishing in the gulf.
Now that the kids are grown, I do plan my Saturdays around our game. I can be convinced to attend something else, but it better be damn important.
What I HATE HATE HATE, is when we are blowing someone out and the announcers just shift from the game to whatever topic is important that week – CFP, Arch, NIL, etc. I still want to watch the game and know who that 6th string RB is on the play or who the walk-on linebacker is that made the tackle. If the camera angle doesn’t catch the number, too bad.
God, I got old fast…….
What’s Brittany doing with her life???
Or maybe Taylor Swift?
LOL, at least we knew that was tongue in cheek. I don’t remember the game, but McElroy went on and on for an entire fourth quarter about Deion/Shedeur Sanders or some other meaningless topic.
“Is she HERE?!?!”
Unless I absolutely had to miss a game, I plan Saturdays in the fall around football viewing with friends in town and chatting with Georgia friends while watching our game. Sundays are my days to everything else. Bud is crazy to ignore some of the games he says are fine to miss on those days, and I don’t find it genuine. He wants an argument to generate content. Also, Auburn sucks.
Its a weighing process:
How important is the game vs the competing event?
For example, I’ll be across the pond for the first two games this year and happy to watch them on the phone when I can. I also have plans to be in Fayetteville so I ain’t taking the 19th off.
On the other hand, if you choose to schedule a wedding on a big football Saturday: florida, auburn, alabama, tech, tn., any playoff game, etc…. I ain’t coming.
A wedding on the day we play directional U as a 42 point favorite? No problem.
As far as anyone else’s game? I can check the scores. I don’t need to watch anyone but the dawgs.
I used to block out majority of the Saturdays for college football. Petit LeMans was an exception.
However, with an expanded playoff, there is no need to watch other team’s games for the BCS or Top 4 greater picture. Also with Bobo back in town I don’t have faith UGA can win the big games to get a national title.
I don’t think I caught a noon kickpff that didn’t involve UGA until nerarly the 2nd qtr and often didn’t watch the 4th qtr in games that didn’t involve UGA.
I’ll also add I haven’t watched a national title game since UGA went to one.
I have an October wedding to attend this year. I might pull a Homer Simpson at church move and have the game on via air buds. Otherwise, I plan my Saturdays around CFB but get fishing, hunting or golfing done early. I hate to be inside during the Fall in GA. I am normally back home in time to catch the noon kickoffs, light the grill and crack open a beer.
I have a twelve +/- week block by which Saturdays are MINE! Not ashamed of it. Been like that for 50+ years! Youngest daughter is getting married to a NOLA attorney (huge LSU family) – both families told the couple the wedding will NOT occur in the fall. So we are doing May, 2027. I have six other days in the week to do whatever.
DVR is my best friend during CFB season. If not attending a game most games I watch now are recorded to FF commercials. Looking forward also to hopefully more SkyCast games being available.
Totally agree. IF one or more of my adult children are visiting and want to watch a game live, I will cave and do what they want, but listening to Kirk, Jesse, Reese, etc., plus commercials is just too annoying. SkyCast is the bomb.
I record all the games, so I’m not in a hurry to watch if I have something going on. A lot of times i watch and then pause for certain reasons. What chaps my butt is when my brother calls and the first thing he does is start telling me about the game. So when he calls, I hurriedly say ” I’m recording, don’t say anything. And then he proceeds to tell me about a specific play. Soooo, now I don’t answer. Problem solved.
I coach my kids youth football team, so that is my priority on Saturdays. We have UGA tickets so we will try and catch as many games as possible in person. If something else comes up like a kid’s birthday party or a trip we want to make we have occasionally recorded the game to watch later. Have to be careful though to stay out of spots where the game might be on tv. I have to watch it completely unaware of what has happened.
I gave up my insistence of watching every game live long ago once the kids were old enough to have weekend activities. And then I discovered the joy of recording the games and fast forwarding through all of the damned commercials. I also spent many a beautiful fall Saturday on my riding mower, cutting the lawn and listening to the game on the radio. These days, I’ll watch the game live if the timing works out. If not, I tell all my buddies to not text me, I ignore all media, and I watch the recorded game later in the day.
I’ve told this story before about a work friend of mine when I lived in Atlanta, whose daughter got engaged and wanted to have a fall wedding. He advised her to think about that, since it was college football season. She said, “Oh, Daddy, my friends love me and will be there.”
He replied, “Just humor, me and take a poll of your friends.”
She got married in the spring.
I enjoy watching a taped game or replays where I know what will happen or what part of a play that is key to the desired result of the play.
Depends on the game and when kickoff is. I don’t miss the Dawgs, usually. Nephew has a 4:30 wedding on the 5th so I’ll miss the better part of the Tenn St. game, but I’d be in a pickle if we were playing a meaningful game that day. But as far as other games, if I have something to do I can follow via internet or just watch when I’m home.
My daughter is as big a Dawg fan as I am, so I’m pretty sure there won’t be a fall wedding whenever the time comes for her.
I used to be much more adamant about keeping fall Saturdays open. Lately, I’ve begun planning other things if necessary.
Our daughter was born September 4. I learned early on (2nd birthday?) to volunteer to schedule her birthday party so the grandparents could be there. Labor Day was usually the weekend, so I’d plan the party for first thing Saturday morning at Chucky Cheese (they kick you out after two hours so no people lingering around until game time), or Sunday for “easier travel”.
CFB and the UGA Athletic Association ran me off. Also, Kirby winning that second ring 15-0 got me to stop chasing the dragon. To circle back, I decided not to be an ATM for institutions that hate my guts, especially the second my monies and attention dry up. Also when I see y’all share family, hunting and fishing stuff the FOMO of Bulldog games disappears. I don’t doubt for a second the passion of this community has waned (or nobody would be posting) but we’ve adjusted to a new landscape and watching on the phone, going radio silent and rewatching a recorded game can actually be more entertaining. I sat in Cura drinking Kentucky Mules after tailgating and during the Bama game and had an experience that sitting in the stands wouldn’t have been any better than and at a deep discount. I’m not get of my lawn guy but I can adapt to new things and new ways to enjoy the games.
As the distinguished Senator from the great state of UGA football uttered on numerous occasions, “cfb ain’t the same sport we know and love”…GO DAWGS!!
If I’m asked to be in a wedding I’m probably not going to turn it down over a Georgia football game, but the only time that has ever happened to me it was a boring opener so it wasn’t a big deal. Most people have enough sense to schedule on bye weeks or after the SECCG. I’ve skipped quite a few weddings, and made a few people angry, mostly close friends of significant others who just don’t get it. Which is fine, they don’t have to get it.
As my children get older I’m sure I’ll wind up making more concessions. Playoff expansion, conference expansion, and increased ticket prices have dulled the intensity of my commitment to a certain extent. Also being stuck in yet another Mike Bobo loop which severely limits Georgia’s ability to win national titles.
Whattaya’ mean “Have a life”?!?!?! College Football IS life!!!! Sheeesh! Sometimes I just wanna smack some of you guys!!!!!
THIS^^^^. Bunch of SLACKERS! If it’s a Bulldog Saturday I’m there to FIGHT.
Unless I’m golfing. Then DVR.
Dawg football is still a big deal at our house. Won’t go to but 3 games this year but will watch the others in on TV. Will admit some of the hoopla has faded but still enjoy. Don’t do watch parties. Still nice to be able to go to bathroom, get a drink without fighting a crowd or breaking the bank. Don’t miss the drive either. All this comes with age l guess! Still Love Them Dawgs!!
As my future years are likely less than my past years, I plan every fall to attend as many games in person as possible. But I don’t let it trump the rest of life’s important moments like family weddings, milestone birthdays, some funerals and hunting the rut. In those situations the DVR is just fine and I don’t mind if people spoil the event by talking about it since sometimes knowing the outcome can be easier on the old ticker! Go Dawgs, always and forever!
Now that we finally had the ‘comes around’ half of ‘what goes around comes around’, as I get a little older some games aren’t quite as important. It’s nice to take the Mrs. down the road to Charleston and get an enjoyable Saturday meal. In the low country October and November can be two of the nicest months of the year.
30 years ago my wife and I thought we were being smart and scheduled our wedding for a bye week. Didn’t think ahead enough to realize that we’d be on the honeymoon the following week, when a shitty 3-5 UGA beat #20 Auburn in the first 4-OT game. Luckily I managed to duck into a bar to catch the last OT and the win. I still blame Bobo, though…
The worst part about a bye week wedding is the anniversary date will often fall on a game week.
Yep. Had a kid working for me that is a huge Bama fan. He got married on an bye weekend and thought he was smart until I explained anniversaries to him.
Missed one home game from 1969 to 2010 (yes, started as a kid) and about 3 more through 2019. The frustrations of the 1 to 2 yearly pants shittings or general underachievement in Richt’s final 7-8 years came to a head with me after the 2010 Colorado debacle. Went fishing at the coast the next week and had a blast (of course we beat the shit outta Tennessee but oh well).
Didn’t participate in the 2020 Covid ticket lottery, gave up season tickets in ‘21 and have enjoyed watching games more on my terms ever since.
Going to games was a huge part of my entire life and enjoyed it thoroughly until Adams and crew proceeded to make it hard to enjoy.
Still set aside time to watch the Dawgs but also realize my dedication caused me to miss a lot over the years.
Now that my kids are grown, my Saturdays are for college football. I like watching almost any game. I watch all Georgia games I don’t attend. I no longer go to weddings on fall Saturdays. I just think that since me (and my wife and kids) enjoy it so much, I’ve earned the right to be pretty inflexible. DON”T MESS WITH ME ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAYS, unless you’r coming over to watch games in my room made just for that!
Transfer Portal and NIL $$$ have changed my whole perspective. Now, every game is recorded and then I let my sons in law tell me if it was worth watching or not.
I used to be the very definition of a rabid college football fan. We had season tickets and spent thousands of dollars tailgating on game weekends. But college football has become professional football. I’m all for the players getting paid but thanks to the incompetence of the NCAA what we have is a sport where the team with the most money can and does prosper. Throw in judges who keep providing extra years of eligibility and the whole situation sucks. When was the last time you even heard anyone mention satisfactory academic progress? I probably won’t bother to watch the first two games. I hate watching us bludgeon cupcakes. It’s not the least bit entertaining. And whatever happened to opening weekend marquee games? I’ll tell you what happened. The CFP does not reward teams that play a tough schedule. They claim to take strength of schedule into account but the rankings and pairings make a mockery of that. So, I’ll watch if I don’t have stuff to do with our grandchildren. But the season tickets were long ago released and I don’t find that I mind it that much if I miss a game. I grew up in a different time. I don’t find the current college football landscape to be all that attractive.
Having kids & sports tournaments every Saturday kind of made me have to adjust. There were many Saturdays when they were young that I had to tune in from the phone.
Two words—–bye weeks! Now when my children had their sports in the mix it was a different deal. I remember well experiencing the Verron Haynes/hobnail boot deal at a youth football field, listening with others on the radio. But since the kids have grown up, I’ve reverted to my early 20’s mode……all CFB all the time!
I have a very demanding job. Between that, the farm (don’t fertilize if you don’t want to mow, Got) an aging parent, and the myriad of other things that go with growing up and older that keep me insanely busy I need an annual break. Saturday afternoons are for the Dawgs and some peripheral SEC ball. I find the broadcast I want, fix some good snacks, chill some beers, maybe a cocktail. Then I spin up my machine and log in here for the gameday threads.
I’ve been doing it since I first found Bluto’s site. Yep, there’s a million things on the to-do list. But… for a few hours on a few Saturdays I’ll step off from the day to day and hang out with the Dawgs, and here.
It’s therapy.
…And Section HD over here has conditioned air. July and her salty friend August have been hard to get along with this year.