This is something I’ve been pondering for a while as the Jacksonville debate continues on seemingly forever. How do I put my finger on what makes the Cocktail Party worth saving, purely from a fan’s perspective?
I think I know.
I wrote this a while back:
It’s community. It’s being part of a group of people who bind together, both face to face on a few special Saturdays every fall and by sharing something of themselves in a virtual sense the rest of the year, over a common passion. You know the pain and pleasure, the highs and lows that everyone feels, even if those sometimes are expressed very differently.
I’ve been lucky in both ways. I’ve celebrated the fall with a close group of friends for more than thirty years now. We’ve watched each other get older, seen our kids grow up, had our laughs and our share of tears. And on the blogging side of things, I’ve been the recipient of a steady stream of e-mails that start with something like “I’ve been a long time reader of your blog and wanted to share this with you”… and then they do. And I honestly marvel every time I see that how this shared experience matters.
For me, one of the unalloyed joys of the college football experience is its social value. While tailgating isn’t a totally alien experience with other sports, it’s certainly true that it doesn’t occur at anywhere near the same level that it does with this sport. There’s a uniqueness to that I cherish. If you want to know why I still cling to college football the way I do, warts and all, it’s in large part because of this shared sense of community.
The Georgia-Florida game ushers in the longest tailgate of the college football regular season. How many fans across the country can say they enjoy something like that? I don’t wish to be robbed of it. Move the game home-and-home and we lose a lot in that regard. Play the game in Atlanta? Have you ever tried to tailgate by MBS or the Dome? Good luck with accommodating 70,000 fans who want that.
Again, I know that my personal feelings mean absolutely zilch when it comes to the game’s fate. But if you want to know why I have so much emotionally invested in keeping one of college football’s jewels in its current setting, it’s this.
Get The Picture 
Couldn’t agree more, and I’ve missed it dearly for years as I’ve lived far away from GA. Going back this year to SSI and can’t wait. I hope we have a few decades more to make up for the years I’ve missed. Also, it’s special because it’s rare. The longhorns and sooners around these parts shouldn’t be the only ones who get to be part of something that cool.
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It is very short sighted. I think there are a couple of things that show that these guys don’t understand how to run the program even as a business.
The Cocktail Party is a tremendous asset as a tradition and national brand. As pointed out elsewhere, it will always be a 3:30 kickoff on national television, regardless of how we’re playing. That carries a lot of value by itself. But the goodwill associated with it is tremendous. It’s a nationally known game. It shows up on all of your “top rivalry” lists. It keeps Georgia nationally relevant regardless of how the team’s doing. When people in Montana think of things that identify the University of Georgia, they likely think of Uga, maybe Herschel, “between the hedges”, and the Cocktail Party. Teams all over the country would love to have that kind of “brand” if you want to look at it that way.
Again, from a business perspective, if for example you were to imagine someone making an asset purchase of Georgia football, there’s no way that the Cocktail Party wouldn’t be a part of that deal.
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Well said Senator
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Right on, Senator…btw you host the best blog I’ve ever found on the Intertubes.
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Gracias, brother.
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Agree……it’s unique, don’t mess with it. Can’t think of another rivalry like it (or close to it) other than “The Red River Rivalry”. Don’t fock with it….
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This game is the best of the neutral site rivalry games. It has the border war aspect of the Red River Shootout. While it doesn’t have the pageantry of Army-Navy, it has the tradition. It has the hate of the Iron Bowl (yes, the Iron Bowl used to be a neutral site game) for the 60 minutes of the game. It’s by far the biggest party of any rivalry game (the annual celebration of the repeal of Prohibition).
Keep the game in Jacksonville.
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Agree….other than the Iron Bowl thing (hate). I’ve been 3 or 4 times to that game back when they had it. Never seen so much hate in my life (field & stands/seats). But overall, the Jacksonville is the king of them all imo.
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Keep the game in Jacksonville. Really hoping all this move it talk is just pandering for a better deal.
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I have been to the Iron Bowl and WLOCP very different vibes to the game but both very intense. If the WLOCP moves home and home, it will take the game down a notch. The WLOCP is talked about in the off season and penciled in for 3:30 no matter how the teams are looking. How many games can say that?
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Are you saying the Iron Bowl was “taken down a notch” when it went home and home? Seriously?
Do you think Auburn ever regrets making that move?
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Was it taken down a notch nationally yes unless one is in the running for a national title, in state no
Auburn doesn’t regret it but Bama also played many home games at Legion Field and continued to play their home game at Legion Field after Auburn started playing their home games in Auburn.
Does UF play home games at the Gator Bowl?
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Your point about Bama and Legion Field is a big difference between the Iron Bowl and the Cocktail Party.
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The Iron Bowl at Legion Field is entirely distinguishable for the reason stated above: Alabama played all of it’s major home games at Legion Field during those days. There was nothing unique about it. I’m not even sure that tickets were split 50/50 or if they treated it as a home game for each team every other year.
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Yes. They do every other year.
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Exactly!
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Agree, exhibit A is the Iron Bowl. It was so much better when played in Birmingham. Now it’s just another rivalry SEC game. It lost its magic and Georgia/Florida will too if it’s moved.
If recruiting is such a big deal to Kirby (and personally I think that’s a lame excuse, doesn’t look like it’s hurt us one little bit so far) then we should get together with Florida, Texas and Oklahoma to try to get the NCAA to change the rule regarding prospects at these types of games.
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The Iron Bowl has always been just another rivalry game other than in the state of Alabama … even when it was played in Birmingham. Does it have a greater degree of intensity? Yep. Would CBS show it in the 3:30 slot if both teams were out of the West division race? Probably not. They have broadcast the Cocktail Party at 3:30 when both teams weren’t ranked.
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…and it was at 330 even when both teams weren’t expected to be ranked.
How many games do we know the kickoff time and channel when Spring Camp starts?
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The Iron Bowl “lost its magic”?
GTFOOH
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I was just wondering. Is there any kind of debate like this over the Texas/Oklahoma game?
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I live in the DFW area so when the Red River Rivalry kicks off it is a big deal around here. The game is still at the old Cotton Bowl (not at fancy over priced Jerry World) that sits smack dab in the middle of the State Fair that is going on at the same time. I don’t recall hearing either side threaten to do away with it.
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I’ve been out here 25+ years and I’ve never heard a peep about moving it, or how it’s unfair to one side or the other. I keep wanting to go see it one time. My wife is a Longhorn but she’s not into going to games. I’ve been to more LH games than she has.
Oh, and great summary of your thoughts, Senator. That perfectly captures how I feel, even though I only rarely go. It’s still a wonderful shared experience and I’ll feel sad when it’s gone.
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Clarification – I only rarely attend the Cocktail party now since I left the east coast. Before that, I went every year for probably 20 years. Last time I went was the Faton Bauta game, and before that was the glorious beatdown of Timmy Tears in 2007.
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To your point, one of the key components to tradition is the ability to repeat the practice, and is what differentiates The Masters from the other majors.. it’s played in the same course each year and while ANGC (or Mother Nature) will make changes to the course, it still conjures memories today of yesterday’s magical moments. The replay of Knowshon going over the top and the ensuing chaos captured from the aerial camera is one of the greatest shots ever displayed for a UGA fan. I’ve only been to a handful of games in Jacksonville but it’s way different than any other game, and from a tailgate experience, outclassed the games I’ve attended at MBS by a long shot. While I’d like to go to another WLCP, there isn’t an ounce of me that would like to attend a game in Gainesville.
With regards to the new OOC games that are scheduled, travel to see these games is much more interesting, for several reasons.
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On the “recruiting advantage” issue, as you, Senator, have pointed out our recruiting does not evidence us suffering a disadvantage, and I agree. I do have another thought. We have been having more recruiting success than UF, and going home and home gives UF another home “big game” recruiting opportunity every other year, too. If UF is trying to catch us, then why are we wanting to eliminate a big disadvantage the team chasing us has?
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The recruiting angle is all b.s. As a home & home, we CAN have recruits attend the game every other year. And the fact we just held a camp in Florida says there is incentive to get physically closer to those Florida recruits. I’d argue Jax is a recruiting gem we should use more effectively, and we’d be foolish to walk away from it.
I assume all the banter about Jax from the decision-makers is just hogwash to extract more money. I’d argue we should keep a lower profile. Bitch too loudly and we’re seen as Amazon HQ2 looking to extract money with no concern about the locals – and eventually the locals tire of making concessions. Quietly show the benefits we bring to the annual game, and we can reach mutual agreement on a reasonable increase.
Not to mention this game vies for the #1 telecast on CBS’s sec contract every year. Probably more money there than with the Jax reps.
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One more thought. Imagine if we walk away from this venue. The assumption is Jax simply foregoes a game around this time every year. But what if Jax & fu make an offer to scu or another school? It wouldn’t have the significance or history of UGA-fu, but it could still bring in some $$. A school like scu has little to lose and much to gain.
The point is, you don’t mess with a good thing. Sure, extract a few more bucks if you feel that can be done fairly easy. But once this golden goose of a series is gone its not as if it can put that genie back in the bottle.
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I realized the sense of community you speak of in the late 60s when I first showed up in Athens. Things were much smaller then (more fan friendly, too, I would argue) but it was clear that people were there as a literal family reunion. I once had a client from Massachusetts who could not understand why I did not like the Falcons more. They were professionals and, therefore, better athletes. I told him I don’t know anyone that goes to Falcons games, and he couldn’t understand it. Even today, as the robber barons go about trying to kill the golden goose, the one thing that may save it is the sense of family.
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I’m looking forward to taking my young daughter to her first cocktail party this year. At the rate this conversation is advancing, it seems that it’s only a matter of time before it’s moved. I hear the conversation from CKS about losing a recruiting weekend, and at first glance it would seem UGA is recruiting very well (top 3) annually. I did notice however there is still a talent discrepancy on Phil Steele’s All-SEC list and Bama doesn’t lose a home recruiting weekend each year. Kirby is focused on catching Bama (and that ain’t easy to do).
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As for the discrepancy with Bama, I think that has more to do with Kirby has only had 3 full recruiting cycles (his first class wasn’t a full recruiting cycle) and any given team has players who were recruited over 5 cycles (redshirts). So Kirby has 3 elite classes and 2 good ones, whereas Bama is working off of 5 elite ones. I believe this has way more to do with any areas we still lack behind them than any 1 particular recruiting weekend. And I expect it to fix itself over the next couple of years.
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If Kirby isn’t recruiting at the level he would like, the fact he can’t host recruits at the Florida game every other year isn’t the problem. I can’t ever recall a player choosing another school and saying “I would have gone to Georgia if I had been able to go to the Georgia/Florida game for a recruiting visit”. The whole recruiting reason needs to be put aside because it makes everyone who uses it sound incredibly stupid. The travel distance argument is just as asinine now that Georgia flies from Athens to Jacksonville. The team isn’t boarding a train or piling into a bus caravan for a six hour ride to Jacksonville on Friday.
The whole discussion is about money. McGoo and Kirby are playing a game trying to squeeze Jacksonville for more money. Anyone with half a brain knows it. All the other arguments are smoke screens to try and gain an advantage in negotiations. It is sad and another example of greed slowly destroying the traditions that make college football the great experience it has been for many years.
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I’d like to believe you (that it’s a money squeeze smoke screen) but I’m not sure why they would play such a hard bluff card to what amounts to about a 1.2% annual revenue bump from playing there. They’re never going to get Jax to move the needle so much / so quickly that it matters one way or the other whether or not we play there.
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My vote is to keep in Jax. However a good semi annual beat down of the gators in Athens would be a nice tailgate tradition as well
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Outstanding post, not just for what it captures about the Cocktail Party, but how it encapsulates so much of what the game is about.
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Home and home!
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Couldn’t agree more, especially re: tailgating in Atlanta. I’ve been to a few UGA and Falcons games at the Ga Dome, tailgating is a completely different animal there. They just don’t have the room for it. Leave the game in Jax, I think it’s worth the small recruiting disadvantage.
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Furthermore, it makes games like the 2017 edition taste just a little sweeter when half of the stadium drains like a blue and orange toilet by halftime. Heck, we were s̶n̶i̶d̶e̶l̶y̶ shouting the ‘Turd cheers in response to the band so they wouldn’t have to feel so completely awful. 😏
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We’ve just gotten old…………… 🙂 But SSI and JAX for the weekend still rank as one of my all time favorites. I play in the Gators Eat Boogers Invitational (this year will be 31st Edition) with basically the same group of friends from UGA. And tailgate with them on Saturday. But $$$$ will talk as usual.
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Worth repeating, Gainesville and the swamp are a dump.
The only thing cool about G’ville is Tom Petty.
I will put it this way, everyone reading this has probably been to a game in Columbia and probably not many of you have been to a game in G’ville…. so allow me to paint the picture – Columbia is like going to NYC for a visit compared to G’ville which is like going across the river to visit Jersey.
G’ville is a turd wrapped in turd. Anyone wanting to go there to watch a game has lost their damn mind.
I’d rather watch the game in Quincy or Hosford or Chipley
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Hey, Apalach,
How bout Two Egg??
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We had a beautiful, barely 4yr old stadium when we started playing in Jacksonville……if it wasn’t urgent in 1933 for President Sanford to host the game in his namesake stadium that still had that new car smell, i fail to see why it is now urgent to break an 86yr old tradition started by Sanford himself.
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Its not that it wasn’t “urgent”, it was that getting the teams together in Jacksonville by rail in the middle of the Depression was easier than trying to get the other team to Athens or Gainesville!
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“For me, one of the unalloyed joys of the college football experience is its social value”
socialist!
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It’s our Thanksgiving.
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As a fan, it’s the best game of the year to attend, hands down.
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I certainly hope all this posturing about Jacksonville is simply that. An effort to wring more money out of the city. Do we really think that if this game goes to home and home we can count on it being broadcast every year on CBS at 3:30? I think not. It will be just another game. If someone else is playing someone more interesting we suddenly become the 7:00 pm game. Or worse yet, the noon game. Georgia / Florida becomes pedestrian instead of special. Not particularly impressive to recruits either.
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I could be off on the money part, but doesnt playing in Jacksonville net UGA more than home and home?
And if so doesnt that make bluffing that you will take it to home and home if they dont pay more pretty silly?
If the game moves out of Jacksonville it doesnt seem like it would be going back to campus. It seems like it would just move to MBS.
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It’s not moving to MBS. Less seating means people have their tickets taken away. You can’t put temporary seating in a dome like they do in Jacksonville. If it leaves Jax, it’s going home and home.
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UF has zero interest in playing the game in Atlanta.
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Since when has what our rivals thought about scheduling mattered to GmcG?
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Since when has what our own fans thought about anything mattered to GmcG?
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I hope Georgia has zero interest in playing in Atlanta. Why leave Jacksonville, which allows for a great late October/early November long weekend trip, and go to a shit hole like Atlanta which offers pretty much nothing?
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I believe if the game leaves Jax, it’ll be for a straight home-and-home arrangement.
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Jacksonville offers more to visitors than Atlanta? The Duvall County Chamber of Commerce wants to talk to you.
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As a UGA fan I have zero interest in moving a game to Atlanta.
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Ballpark seems like UGA clears 3-4 million on a home and home. 6-7 million on Jacksonville and is getting 4million for the CFA kickoff game against someone like UVA.
Seems pretty obvious that CFA could offer 8 million over 2 years for the Cocktail party and I doubt either school turns it down.
Seems unlikely that UGA would turn down 4-5 million more every 2 years for that one game.
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Atlanta tried outbidding Jax a few years ago for the game and couldn’t make the numbers work.
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Do you think this is anything more than a power play for more money? I don’t but I’m not completely confident of it.
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That’s a good question. I feel about the same way you do.
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So the question is at what point is the money to “UGA to much to turn down? 3 mil a year 5 mil? And at what point would Jacksonville walk away?
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exactly. People act like UGA wouldnt be playing this game at the Orange Bowl in Sept if they guaranteed UGA 6million per year.
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Actually believe this is posturing to change the rule about hosting recruits at GA/FL. I expect Kirby will accept Jax with a change to the recruiting rule. Doubt he accepts staying in Jax with no change to the recruiting rule.
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It is worth going to the cocktail party for no other reason than to watch the crowds – I am just blown away every year by the pure unabashed carnival atmosphere. Since we smacked UF the last two years the crowd has been down a little but man what a show. – No way that happens in Athens or Gainesville.
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“shared sense of community” and “common passion”—very well stated, Sir! Not Munson-esque in style exactly, but perfectly stated and definitely helps everyone “Get the Picture”. Home and home is, well, just “common”.
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One other thing ,it is a recruiting vehicle for south ga and n fla.Does a Champ Bailey come to UGA if it’s home and home?who knows?He attended the game in Jax bc it was close to home.Best week of the year .Dont ever move it.
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