Perception is a beyotch.

Georgia’s athletic department may not be working as hard as we’d like to achieve excellence on the field, but nobody there is sleeping on working the refs.

That’s where I believe there is a disconnect between what we do here at DawgNation and what UGA would have us do. We’re too negative, they say. We don’t draw enough attention to what the Bulldogs are doing well.

For instance, the folks at UGA have been on me for a while to draw some positive attention to the fact that the Bulldogs finished 15th as a program in the in the Learfield NACDA Directors’ Cup standings for the 2016-17 academic year. They feel that hasn’t been put that in proper context.

… Here at DawgNation, we’ve been accused by UGA – and a few fans, here and there– of being too negative. But it’s my contention that we’re merely reflecting the negative sentiment that’s already out there. We hear about it in our email inboxes and read in comments sections here and on other fan sites.

McGarity can “First Word” the subject to death, but in another year of football mediocrity, the vast majority of Georgia’s fan base isn’t going to get pumped about a top 15 finish in the Directors’ Cup standings.  More significantly, you can’t have it both ways, fellas.  If you count on the fan base’s apathy regarding any program that isn’t football — and you do — then don’t start whining when we don’t get excited about anything outside of football.

The irony of it all is McGarity was brought here seven years ago from Florida – where he served in a No. 2 role for 18 years – for the express purpose of seeing that Georgia closed the gap on the Gators. Instead it has only widened.

Even more importantly, consider that what generates fan enthusiasm isn’t the media pushing Greg McGarity’s spin on Georgia athletics.  It’s results on the field, pure and simple.  Butts-Mehre, get your priorities straight, and maybe you won’t have to worry about what Chip Towers writes.