I scoured the intertubes this weekend for SEC scheduling stories, so I admit I clicked on this Mike Griffith story (“SEC Commissioner drops hints on future league scheduling”) in the faint hope of coming across something relevant. Such was not the case, but I was rewarded with this delightful non sequitur:
Georgia’s rivalry with Florida ranks as the most celebrated with Bulldogs’ fans and is the most likely rivalry to be protected regardless of the format.
There have been several well-documented discussions of Georgia bringing its designated home game with Florida back to Athens as early as 2025. [Emphasis added.]
I don’t know what the source of Griffith’s obsessive displeasure with Jacksonville is, but at this point it’s pretty obvious the dude can’t quit it.
Get The Picture 
With it being Mike Griffith, my guess is that Jacksonville is too close to where Stetson Bennett IV was born and raised.
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For him it seems personal. Personally I wish he would STFU. Leave the game where it is.
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I’m with you Scuba!
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If you haven’t heard a good rumor by lunchtime, start one….
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At least it doesn’t contain the word “Topper’s”.
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He wants to move it because there’s no Toppers In Jacksonville.
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That makes sense. They would love to keep us abreast of all patronage.
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I see what you did there.
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Post of the day!
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Well, that’s what you get for clicking on a Mike Griffith byline.
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You don’t see the irony?
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Clickbait king. I’ve heard this guy on Finebaum – he’s awful. He talks too fast, much of what he says is clearly to appease the host and he is usually wrong. I’ve actually unsubscribed after reading this. He runs a poll of who you would like to drop and South Carolina wins it walking away -well ‘no shit’ genius. He calls it a rivalry game. It is if your South Carolina. Dawg fans could care less.
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Mr. Griffith, show us on the doll where Jacksonville hurt you.
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LOL.
Tell us, as we sit here and look around the room together, do you see Jacksonville ?
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Griffith should know, he’s the (only?) one “documenting” these discussions.
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That horse will be at the glue factory before Griffith stops beating it.
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He may be beating a dead horse or the wrong drum.
In any event, I have no allegiance to Jacksonville and a home and home is good for me, if that is what Kirby wants
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Kirby wants it moved. Period.
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The thing is Kirby hasn’t made a coherent argument to the fan base for moving it. Period.
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No decisions Kirby makes are for the fans it’s players 1st via recruiting & winning, no matter the venue. Florida is a has been program dying on the vine. would love to trade out a road game to Gainesville for Austin TX any day of the week.
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This mentality is exactly why I’ll be a “natty or bust” fan when he gets his way on this. He seems to think Jacksonville is the only thing that keeps us from winning it every year.
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But, we ARE winning it every year ee.
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If they dont pick up the option years of 24 and 25 the WLOCP is done. We will know in June. So 120 days from now will tell the tale.
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There us a difference between a “cogent argument ” and a “persuasive argument. ” I understand and respect that you and many others are not persuaded by Smart’s argument for moving to home and home. While I have no strong feelings either way I am in favor of leaving it in Jacksonville, so I don’t come to argue the point about moving or staying.
I recognize that there are a lot of members of the fan base on this blog who are persuaded Smart’s argument and I also respect their conclusions. I think it doesn’t help anything to say that because I am not persuaded by an argument then nobody should be.
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He has said it’s about recruiting. His argument makes no sense in the context of recruiting. Talk about the data, Kirby, if you want to convince us that home and home is in our collective best interest. He has made neither a cogent nor persuasive argument in this case.
If I’m going to break one of the biggest traditions in the sport, I better have the data and the facts on my side.
It’s unreasonable to hold him to a natty or bust standard, but that’s exactly where I’m going if he gets his way. He has made the stance that this is the only thing that keeps us from being the most dominant program in the sport.
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By the way, those who believe the game should move generally fall into 3 camps:
1) Kirby wants it, so I want it.
2) Jacksonville sucks because we never won down there when I was a student.
3) South Georgia people need to get over it. Athens businesses deserve the tax money.
As someone who went to the game every year from 1987-2000 (except 1994), I experienced pretty much the worst of the Cocktail Party. I don’t go any more, but I will probably try to get tickets this year if I know it’s going to be the last one.
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Athens businesses deserve the money.
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For what it’s worth, when the schedule goes to 9 games, the Jacksonville trip will get us out of years where we have 5 true SEC road games.
Plus Jax is awesome and I have no interest on a trip to Gainesville.
My .02
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Yep. It makes sense if/when we go to 9 SEC games.
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The only positive about Hogtown is a stop for gas and a quick meal on the way to somewhere in Florida you actually want to visit.
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I try to find alternative news sources than Dawgnation because of Griffith.
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Y’all better get used to it. Game will likely be a home and home by 2027. Kirby wants it and TPTB are lining up to give it to him.
The rumors that Jax is looking at major renovations or a new stadium for the Jags in that time frame aren’t quieting that rumbling either.
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We don’t have to get used to it, we can find other things to do.
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Exactly. Once the game isn’t at a neutral site, I’m not sure I care about it as much as I do now. Believe me I’ll want to beat them at every opportunity, but is the game any different from any of the other rivalries at that point?
I still don’t see Oklahoma clamoring for an end to the Red River Shootout. Why should Kirby be clamoring for it? His recruiting argument is still nothing but garbage.
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agreed an no matter how much Smart wins it doesn’t give him authority to destroy traditions like this.
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That’s the part of this that I’m not sure he gets. He admits that he grew up as not that big of a CFB fan and going directly to coaching didn’t really change that. He’s never been in the parking lot tailgating. He gets football between the white lines (and I’m glad he does), but he doesn’t understand what happens outside the bubble.
It’s the main reason I’ll become a championship or bust guy when he gets his way on this topic. He believes this is the only thing standing between us and total domination of the sport. He will not be measured by making the expanded playoff or even winning the SEC. He will be measured by winning the natty and nothing else.
Someone he trusts needs to sit down with him and tell him this directly. You mess with this? You own the consequences.
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If it happens at best I’ll be a casual fan. Given how I have reacted to various other sports and given the transfer portal, playoff and scheduling changes Smart does not have control over, I will most likely walk away. I half way kept up with the Super Bowl last night over dinner at my parent’s house, went home at the half and didn’t turn it back on. I’m not watching the Daytona 500. I watch much fewer races in other series. I’m just not sure how much I’ll care about his legacy after the tradition is destroyed. It is amazing how little you can care about something once you shut the door accepting it isn’t what it was. I could also use less time on the couch.
I used to serve on a volunteer team at church with Smart’s brother in law and scenarios run through my head to mention this. However, I don’t serve on that team anymore and it isn’t his brother in law’s problem. I wouldn’t want to be bothered for something my brother in law did.
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I watched the national championship game again instead of the Super Bowl last night. I checked the final score before I went to bed in case someone asked on a call today.
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“It is amazing how little you can care about something once you shut the door accepting it isn’t what it was.”
Damn Otto1980, that’s a profound statement. I’m still amazed at some things I considered essential that I now simply don’t miss.
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That’s how I felt when I got sober 30 years ago. What a fucking waste of time. It dawned on me when me and Mo went to see the Who at Lakewood and I was stunned how good music was when I was straight.
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Couple drinks helps me loosen up and enjoy my jam. But I don’t enjoy getting stinkn’ drunk anymore. That was stress relief from running quarries. I got out of that habit once I was responsible for the explosive business.
I don’t miss work.
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Smart doesn’t sit down and talk with folks like me but he does sit down and talk directly with folks who give big contributions. I will bet that some of them want the game to stay in Jacksonville and have had the conversation you referenced.
I have no idea how many big money guys who talk directly to Smart want the game moved, however.
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I imagine there is a significant overlap between membership in the Magill Society and those who want the game in Jacksonville. Once again, all of the deep pockets on the coast who believe the Florida game is their game will be pissed.
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Oklahoma & Texas gave up their traditions for cash. Our game with Florida will still be a premium tv ratings game no matter where it’s played.
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Given the direction Florida is trending, it wouldn’t surprise me to see this as a noon game or 730 SEC Network game if it goes home and home.
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The higher ups have no problem destroying tradition.
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Exactly, on this particular topic I don’t care what Kirby wants. And it has not hurt our recruiting one iota, so that argument is BS.
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Not sure how the Jags’ stadium plans affect any of this unless they are planning a full season of road games. If the Jags can play in the stadium during whatever work is being done, the Cocktail Party can be played as well.
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LOL, Jags will play all “home” games overseas for the full season, realize how much extra cash they are getting, and then Shad will promptly tell Jax they are permanently moving to London right as the reno is finished, so sue me in London!
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That travel on a regular basis would be a bitch. Can you imagine playing a west coast game on a Sunday or Monday night and having to be back in London for a Sunday game the next week?
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Not clicking on anything AJC.
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I’ve landed on this too
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The bad thing is that READING Griffith’s articles are less offensive than LISTENING to Griffith on Finebaum. Damn is he an obnoxious ass!
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There hasn’t been an original thought at the AJC since the last column Lewis Grizzard wrote.
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Lewis, Larry, Vince and Erk will be spinning in their graves if/when Kirby gets his way on this.
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If Mike Griffith hates the Cocktail Party that tells me that Jeremy Pruitt hates the Cocktail Party. Because he seems to be the source of any of Griffith’s information or opinions.
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FTMF
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Someone please send that fool back where he came from. The day Emerson left was the day the AJC died.
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This^^
We sent Michigan packing, we sent tosu packing, why can’t we send this carpet bagging MF back where he came from.
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Oklahoma & Texas gave up their traditions for cash. Our game with Florida will still be a premium tv ratings game no matter where it’s played.
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Huh? They are still planning to play in Dallas last I heard. Oklahoma is giving up Bedlam because OSU has made it clear they aren’t going to play them after they leave. Texas is going to get their game with Texas A&M back on their terms.
Neither of them are really giving up a single thing to move to the SEC. In the case of Texas in particular, they are getting some of the traditions they lost over the last 30 years.
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Nothing is cemented regarding traditions & “rivalries”. What makes sense is fairness in recruiting. Currently Texas & Ok are the only 2 teams that can host recruits at a neutral venue. Either we keep our neutral site in Jax and get to host recruits too or it all blows up. We shall see.
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We provide tickets to the game. We can’t host (that’s an SEC rule – it may be an NCAA rule). We’re now doing exactly what OU and Texas do.
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I don’t believe that’s accurate. I believe that the “home” team in Red River gets to actually host recruits each year. The “away” team technically can still give tickets to recruits but can’t host.
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What does “host” mean? Interaction before/after the game or paying for travel, etc.?
The Big 12 rules must allow this. The SEC will either change the rule or Texas and Oklahoma will do the exact same thing we do.
I’m guessing Little Nicky and other coaches aren’t going to give Texas and Oklahoma the status quo or allow UGA/UF to have the same privileges.
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They can have contact is my understanding, but remember that part of Dallas is, politely speaking, not in great shape. That’s why the games have been at 11 am for many years and the team bus straight home. There may be a Friday night event in Dallas for recruits for the host team each year, but that’s it.
I think that’s ultimately Kirby’s issue too, that even if hosting was allowed, it’s complicated in another city, too brief and not as fun as being on campus.
As I’ve said numerous times though, I don’t care about that. Let the kids watch the game and absorb the moment. The feeling at the start of that game is unique and wonderful. You have 6 other games to play with them on campus. And Kirby seems to be doing quite well recruiting right now.
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Agree with all of that.
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Also, there is an NCAA rule forbidding payments to recruits for travel to neutral site games over 30 miles from home. I’m just not aware of any rule forbidding contact before, during or after those games.
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That’s what I thought. It’s more that Kirby wants the Florida game for official visits. That’s the reason I refuse to be a recruiting extra for the Handbags’ first visit to Sanford when it happens.
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I was there in 1995 and it wasn’t even close to feeling the same.
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That day sucked … I was there, too. I prefer to remember the Braves that night.
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They (tx/ou) will have to abide by sec rules once they are in, regardless of what they did in the big 12.
Personally I’d like the home team to be able to host recruits.
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This isn’t enough for Kirby. He wants to be able to conduct official visits in Athens on the Florida game weekend.
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Kirby’s playing those mind games and y’all are falling for it.
“Doing the mind guerilla” as John Lennon called it.
Kirby is a genuine genius and Mike Griffith is his fuckn useful idiot.
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