In preparation for the SUC vs. Auburn game this weekend, Ron Morris, from http://www.thestate.com/, has compiled his top 12 most intimidating SEC stadiums based on his experience and opinion from attending games at each stadium. While he freely admits his ranking are subjective, I'm not sure I agree with his placement of Sanford Stadium at number 6 on the list, but I do think that UGA has slipped in its intensity for home games.
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| #1 stadium in the SEC for intimidation |
So Dawg fans, what do you think? Has the expectation of winning reduced the intensity of the crowds? Have the short comings this year turned passion and volume from the fans on 4th and 1 situations into anger and dejected silence? Do people care too much about tailgating and not enough about their impact on the game-time atmosphere? Has UGA gone from being known for having the most obnoxious fans to the most obnoxious scoreboard?
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| Has Sanford lost its mojo? |
15 comments:
Has Sanford ever been particularly intimidating? It's not built straight up like Neyland, and it's not right on top of the field like Tiger Stadium and Ben-Hill Griffith. Add to that the number of disappointments in Sanford since I've been attending games (1989). While it can be loud the impending sense of doom among some fans and the more open design of the stadium probably makes it quieter than a lot of other stadiums.
It's also possible that a South Carolina would think it's less intimidating because it's the only stadium of an elite conference team where they've had any success.
You may have hit the nail on the head. I think fans have expected to win for so long now, that any sense of a loss deflates the crowd. Anything short of spectacular plays or blowouts leaves the crowd dreading the walk back to the car.
Having followed both Dawgs and my Tigers, and attending games in multiple stadiums, I can see one clear argument for having Auburn #1. While the bowl may make it loud, Auburn fans know that we can lose the game at any moment, only to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at the last second. So many times we have experienced heart-attack symptoms watching games at Jordan-Hare, and the intensity in those games is thick and heavy in the air every Saturday. This sense of impending collapse only fuels the crowd, bringing a sense of urgency to every play. I think some stadiums and teams have lost this.
I remember before the Arkansas game, the Facebook invite called for a "Loud-Out". That's pretty said when you have to beg people to be loud. When the team finally came alive with the comeback in the 4th quarter the fans got into it and I would put the sound at that moment up there with any SEC stadium. The problem is, our fans don't know how to sustain that a whole game like they do elsewhere.
Pretty sad when folks want to get into the game and the ole timers feel entitled to sit the entire game and bitch about play calling and people standing up. If you want to sit and be quiet then take your lazy butt home and watch it on your 50" HDTV!
I love Georgia and I feel that Sanford Stadium is almost hallowed ground, but I've never thought it to be "deafening" with its crowd noise. I've also been to Baton Rouge, Auburn and Tuscaloosa, and those places seem to be more "alive" than we are at Sanford. Maybe it's the open end at the bridge, I don't know. Something during the game has to get Bulldog fans going, not just the experience of the game itself. I'm not sure if visiting teams feel that 'Between the Hedges' is intimidating anymore.(?)
What is it that Sanford is missing? What can bring the spark to ignite the stadium and the crowd?
I think there is places that are a bit louder more consitantly(sp?) but I have also been to AU, UT, and Clemson when our team shut their fans up real quick and so I didn't get what all the hype was for. At its best (AU game 2007) Sanford is one of the best, unfortuantly it is not at its best as often as it should. I think the fans need to step up and give the team a boost of energy instead of waiting for the team to give them the energy.
More bourbon and more concentrated student seating
Decrease the minimum donation so more than just rich alumni can afford tickets. At Alabama they do a lottery every year and season tickets are $85 a game. No ridiculous donation.
There is a massive difference between the noise in the student section and the alumni section.
I've never been to a place of Sanford's magnitude with older alumni that seem disinterested in getting loud and cheering(unless they're complaining).
It also doesn't help that it takes nearly the entire 1st quarter for the stadium to fill up.
SC fans can count 17 to 6. BTW FWIW, Morris is hated in SC and not a SC homer whatsoever.
The problem with Sanford Stadium is fans wait for the team to do something to get them excited instead of being loud on their own and helping the team create momentum. When you travel to Auburn, Tennessee, LSU or Bama (and others) the crowd immediately tries to make it difficult for the visiting team by being loud EVERY down when the visiting team is on offense. Georgia crowds sometimes get loud on 3rd down or try when they see the opposing QB try to audible but by the time the noise picks up it is too late because the audible has already been communicated.
Obviously there are execeptions to this like Auburn 2007 and even Bama in 2008 when they whipped us. I was proud of Georgia fans that day for staying in the game an d loud even while the Dogs got pimp slapped in the first half. Unfortunately games like these are not the norm.
I have always thought Auburn fans were loud at home and did a great job. LSU is obviously a great home field atmosphere as well.
Most obnoxious video board?
You've obviously never been to a game at Tech... woooooow.
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