Whitworth making excuses already?

[SilverBritches]

"I think this is a pure Georgia game," said LSU offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth. "I think this'll be a Georgia home game like the last time we played them there. We had a good crowd, but not near the numbers that'll be there."

"Whitworth said he'd like either see the winner of each year's SEC Championship get to host the following year's game near their home or rotate the game each year between stadiums in the Eastern or Western reaches of the conference landscape."

[JerryBeeds]

...rotate the game each year between stadiums in the Eastern or Western reaches of the conference landscape."

That's not a bad idea at all. The western division teams are at a marked disadvantage with the game being in Atlanta. I would like to see a rotation like that.

[Bongo]

That's not a bad idea at all. The western division teams are at a marked disadvantage with the game being in Atlanta. I would like to see a rotation like that.

I agree. Where would you host the game in the West though ?

[Spurrierismyhomeboy]

The first comment I agree with, since 70% of UGA fans live in or around the UGA area. The second paragraph is pretty dumb, keep it in Atlanta or move it to New Orleans when it returns to normal. No home stadiums!!!!

[nooneLT]

with the exception to athens, auburn is the closest school to atlanta. it's fine in atlanta imo.

[JerryBeeds]

I agree. Where would you host the game in the West though ?

The Superdome would've been my response, but mother nature screwed that up...

[GeauxTo]

Dawgs Play for SEC Title at 'Neutral' Site

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Georgia Bulldogs will climb aboard their buses Friday and head to an Atlanta-area hotel, just as they do before every home game.

The following day, they'll walk into the stadium through a cauldron of red-clad fans, just as they do between the hedges.

A neutral site? Hardly.

The 13th-ranked Bulldogs will clearly feel at home when they meet No. 3 LSU in Saturday's Southeastern Conference championship game at the Georgia Dome.

"I don't think neutral has anything to do with it," said Andrew Whitworth, the star of LSU's offensive line. "This is a pure Georgia game."

While the Tigers are the designated home team, they know that most of the fans _ two-thirds or more, if past games are any indication _ will be wearing red and black. Come on, the game is being played at the GEORGIA Dome, for crying out loud.

"It's a Georgia home game, just like it was the last time we played them there," Whitworth said. "It's going to be fun, it's going to be a challenge. That's what we look forward to."

The SEC held its first two championships at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., but the game moved to Atlanta's 70,000-seat indoor stadium in 1994 and has been there ever since. With a huge airport just 15 minutes away, plentiful hotel rooms within walking distance and a massive convention center right next door to the dome, the league has shown no inclination to consider another city for its signature event.

Atlanta had a true neutral feel for the first eight title games (even though it's closer and more convenient for fans of the Eastern Division winner). That all changed in 2002 when the Bulldogs reached the championship for the first time, transforming the Georgia Dome into Sanford Stadium West for a 30-3 rout of Arkansas.

Georgia (9-2) has kept up its winning ways, getting back to the championship game for the third time in four years. The dome-field advantage didn't have much impact in 2003, when LSU blew out the Bulldogs 34-13.

"We had a lot of Georgia fans there, but for some reason they weren't making any noise," said Ray Gant, a defensive lineman for the Bulldogs. "The LSU fans must have something in their water."

Indeed, most Georgia players said they barely noticed that significantly more fans were wearing red and black than gold and purple for the game two years ago. Maybe it was because LSU put together such a dominating performance on its way to claiming a share of the national championship. Maybe it was because the Tiger faithful were just a lot more raucous than their Bulldog counterparts.

Georgia safety Tra Battle is still trying to get the ringing out of his ears from playing at Tiger Stadium during the '03 regular season.

"If we were going against any other fans besides LSU fans, I think we would have an advantage," the junior said. "But when we went to LSU my freshman year, that was the most hostile environment I've ever been in my life. It was absolutely crazy. Even with the difference in the number of fans for this game, the LSU folks can hold their own. It probably equals out."

Georgia coach Mark Richt likes playing so close to home _ Atlanta is only about 75 miles from the school's campus _ but doesn't sense that the rest of the SEC believes the Bulldogs have an unfair advantage in the title game.

"We've got to win it a few times," Richt said. "If we lose every time, I don't think anyone will be worried about it."

While the schools receive an equal number of tickets, it's the remainder that tilts the crowd heavily in Georgia's favor. But LSU should have enough fans _ at least 20,000 _ to disrupt communications when the Bulldogs have the ball, according to Richt.

"If we make big plays, it's going to be loud on our behalf. If they make big plays, their fans are going to be loud," he said. "Our fans can be 10 times as loud, but it really doesn't matter after a certain point. You've just got to be loud enough to cause problems."

The Georgia Dome was a truly neutral locale when Florida and Tennessee dominated the East, with one school or the other claiming the title in the first decade of divisional play. But the balance of power has clearly shifted toward Athens, beginning with the school's 2002 championship _ its first SEC title since 1982.

"Nobody was even discussing this when we weren't in the game," Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley said. "Now that we're playing in the game every year, it's kind of an issue."

Whitworth is one of those who believes the championship game should move around. Every now and then, he would like LSU to have a chance to play a little closer to its campus, though Hurricane Katrina has eliminated any immediate talk of the game being moved to another logical city, New Orleans.

"They need to mix it up each year," Whitworth said. "Atlanta is a great place, of course. But why can't they mix it up? Let's give some other teams a chance to have the home-field advantage."

[cocky4ever]

Well, at least its not as bad as the ACC championship being played in Jacksonville. They were obviously expecting either Miami or FSU to play in every championship game.

[SilverBritches]

Geaux, thats actually not the article I got the quotes from.

[GeauxTo]

Geaux, thats actually not the article I got the quotes from.
I think this guy is a neutral AP reporter. It was a Georgia publication I believe. He probably heard the same remarks that your writer heard.

[SilverBritches]

Atlanta is the best place to have the game. I'm not just saying that because I live in Atlanta either. The game is an absolute blast and Atlanta puts on a great show. They have the SEC fanfare on Friday and Saturday. Both schools bands play at the Fanfare on Saturday. Hotels and restaurants all over the place. Awesome night life. It doesn't get much better than Atlanta for this game. The only downside is that tailgating isn't great at the Dome.

Not to mention that Atlanta is the center of the SEC.

I wonder what Whitworth thought about Oklahoma having to play LSU in the national championship 1 hour away from LSU's campus? I doubt he had any complaints then.

My question is, where would we play the game so it could be closer to the West schools if we were going to rotate? New Orleans is out of the question for tragic reasons. Legion Field is Birmingham isn't equipped to hold the game. SEC stadiums aren't a good idea. Memphis? I don't know much about that city.

[SilverBritches]

I think this guy is a neutral AP reporter. It was a Georgia publication I believe. He probably heard the same remarks that your writer heard.

Yeah, your probably right.

[Jordan]

Atlanta works great for the SECCG. When I think of the largest city in the "middle" of the South, I think immediately of Atlanta.

It would be hard to have it rotate, as there isn't another "neutral" stadium left in the South that would be a great site. The Coliseum in Nashville would be about the only other place I could think of. It's outdoors (i.e. weather-prone) and holds several thousand less than the Georgia Dome. Plus, it wouldn't do much, other than provide a place to alternate between. Sticking it up in Nashville just moves it closer to a couple of teams, and further north from a lot of other schools. I still think its best in the Dome.

The team with the worst advantage is definitely Arkansas, as that's one heck of a road trip from around the NW Arkansas area. I just made the drive up to my hometown in Alabama (2.5 hours from Atlanta) last week, and it took about 10 hours with just short stops. Probably around a 12 hour trip with few stops to make it all the way to Atlanta.

[GeauxTo]

Atlanta works great for the SECCG. When I think of the largest city in the "middle" of the South, I think immediately of Atlanta.

It would be hard to have it rotate, as there isn't another "neutral" stadium left in the South that would be a great site. The Coliseum in Nashville would be about the only other place I could think of. It's outdoors (i.e. weather-prone) and holds several thousand less than the Georgia Dome. Plus, it wouldn't do much, other than provide a place to alternate between. Sticking it up in Nashville just moves it closer to a couple of teams, and further north from a lot of other schools. I still think its best in the Dome.

The team with the worst advantage is definitely Arkansas, as that's one heck of a road trip from around the NW Arkansas area. I just made the drive up to my hometown in Alabama (2.5 hours from Atlanta) last week, and it took about 10 hours with just short stops. Probably around a 12 hour trip with few stops to make it all the way to Atlanta.
I like it in the Georgia Dome. The facility is excellent, as is the playing surface. It is central to all of the SEC. The officials there do a great job of making the SECCG a successful event.

Once New Orleans is back up-and-running, which may be five years, I would like to see us alternate between the two cities. New Orleans is (was) a great place to go because you can walk from every major hotel to the Super Dome and to the restaurants and to the French Quarter.

[Bayou Bengal]

Atlanta is the best place to have the game. I'm not just saying that because I live in Atlanta either. The game is an absolute blast and Atlanta puts on a great show. They have the SEC fanfare on Friday and Saturday. Both schools bands play at the Fanfare on Saturday. Hotels and restaurants all over the place. Awesome night life. It doesn't get much better than Atlanta for this game. The only downside is that tailgating isn't great at the Dome.

Not to mention that Atlanta is the center of the SEC.

When the Superdome is back in shape, New Orleans can host the SECCG with no problem. I've seen New Orleans host many Super Bowls and the Sugar Bowl's BCS Championship games. As the visitors have always said New Orleans is the best city to host a big game because everybody can stay within minutes of everything else. I remember after the Sugar Bowl in 2004, it was like a parade as everybody left the 'dome and started walking to the French Quarter after the game, which is where we had spent the days before the game.

I wonder what Whitworth thought about Oklahoma having to play LSU in the national championship 1 hour away from LSU's campus? I doubt he had any complaints then.

It's actually about ninety minutes away and I'm sure he thought it was great, I know as a fan I did!

My question is, where would we play the game so it could be closer to the West schools if we were going to rotate? New Orleans is out of the question for tragic reasons. Legion Field is Birmingham isn't equipped to hold the game. SEC stadiums aren't a good idea. Memphis? I don't know much about that city.

New Orleans is only out for this year and it's still the conference's best host city. And The Superdome is the only facility in the West that can host a big game. The areas of the city that are used for big events are the one's that will be back in shape by this spring if not earlier. Unfortunatly, it's the residential areas to the north side of town (nearest to Lake Pontchartrain) and the neighborhoods to the East (nearest to the Industrial Canal and out into St. Bernard Parish) that are the worst hit. But the French Quarter, Uptown, the Central Business District, the West Bank and Jefferson Parish are already open and returning to normalcy.

[GeauxTo]

But the French Quarter, Uptown, the Central Business District, the West Bank and Jefferson Parish are already open and returning to normalcy.
I pretty much agree with everything you've said, BB. However, I'm not so sure New Orleans will be back up enough in even a year. We were down there Sunday, drove down Carrolton to where it intersects with St. Charles Avenue, then continued on to Canal Street and then back to Baton Rouge. The economic and commercial activity, even on Canal Street is nil. Traffic lights are still inoperable at major intersections along Carrolton and St. Charles. Tulane and Loyola aren't back to business yet. Only a few restaurants have reopened; others are six months to a year away. Major CBD hotels are boarded and undergoing repairs. The LSU and Tulane Medical Schools and Charity Hospital will reopen in January, but just on a limited basis. The Dome rejuvenation will likely take a year. So, it'll be a while before New Orleans could host the SECCG, but, as we've both said, when New Orleans is ready, it should happen.

[Jordan]

But New Orleans is far from centrally located within the SEC. That would be the only gripe I can imagine hearing if/when the Superdome is back.

[WayzUp]

When the Superdome is back in shape, New Orleans can host the SECCG with no problem. I've seen New Orleans host many Super Bowls and the Sugar Bowl's BCS Championship games. As the visitors have always said New Orleans is the best city to host a big game because everybody can stay within minutes of everything else. I remember after the Sugar Bowl in 2004, it was like a parade as everybody left the 'dome and started walking to the French Quarter after the game, which is where we had spent the days before the game.

It's actually about ninety minutes away and I'm sure he thought it was great, I know as a fan I did!

New Orleans is only out for this year and it's still the conference's best host city. And The Superdome is the only facility in the West that can host a big game. ~snip~
The Superdome needs to be torn down as far as I'm concerned. Things went down in that building in the days following Katrina that I'm sure most of us will never fully comprehend or even want to. How many days was it that 10,000+ people were in there with no power, no flushable toilets (stop and think about that), 3 & 4 year-old kids getting gang-raped in bathrooms, people getting shot, beaten, killed....and who knows what else. I for one don't want to know...what I know already is enough. Tear it down and make it the symbolic starting point for rebuilding New Orleans, even if it isn't close to the first thing rebuilt.

You'll never be able to convince me that they can renovate that structure enough to make it suitable for anything more than a cautionary tale of what NOT to do in the wake of a natural disaster. Not to mention it being a huge reminder to thousands of what they had to go through in those horrifying days.

I'm not saying the city of New Orleans shouldn't be considered for the SECCG, just the Superdome. It needs to be torn down.

[Cianne]

But New Orleans is far from centrally located within the SEC. That would be the only gripe I can imagine hearing if/when the Superdome is back.

Well as people said, Atlanta isn't either regardless of preconceived notions about it. I wouldn't have a problem with rotating it every year (like the SEC Baseball Tourney needs to be) but the West doesn't have a venue that can support it and won't for atleast a couple years.

[ColonelKurtz]

Wahhhhhhhhh Wahhhhhhhhhh Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1: The SECCG is all about the MONEY!!! After the fiascos at Legionaire Diseased Field in Bammerham, it was necessary to achieve the grand design by locating the game in a venue where comfort, accessability, accomodations, and variety were readily available.

#2: There IS NO OTHER COMPLEX in the Southeast which matches the Georgia Dome/Georgia World Congress Center/Philips Arena and scant few in the entire World for that matter. If you've never seen it, then you will not understand just how perfect the setting is. No other City in the SE can match the proximity of hotel rooms, airport, or Interstate access not to mention the Marta trains. The GWCC possesses over 1 million square feet of space and accomodates functions in excess of 100,000 people easily and comfortably.

#3: There are more hotel rooms within a one half mile radius of the complex than can be filled by anything other than an Olympic's sized event. A walk of only a couple of blocks and you're there.

#4: New Orleans was a fantastic place to eat, but for variety, Atlanta offers the entire range of Global culinary selection within 15 minutes of the venue and more 4/5 star Internationally recognized resturants.

#5: If you want to go crawling, there are a great number of bars and music clubs offering whatever trips your trigger within 15 minutes of the venue.

The SEC Championship Game is at the most geographic, host friendly site available. Whining about the crowd is nothing more than sour grapes, the teams are both allocated equal numbers of tickets and the balance are available on the open market. If a larger number of Dawgs are there, then its because they were more willing to shell it out to go. I was last there in 2000 and the Aubies had 70% of the seats, though the Gators emptied most of them before the end of the 3rd quarter, lol!

[GeauxTo]

The Superdome needs to be torn down as far as I'm concerned. Things went down in that building in the days following Katrina that I'm sure most of us will never fully comprehend or even want to. How many days was it that 10,000+ people were in there with no power, no flushable toilets (stop and think about that), 3 & 4 year-old kids getting gang-raped in bathrooms, people getting shot, beaten, killed....and who knows what else.
Wayz, you were duped by the media. All of that is just so much media bull$hit. The people and things that you continually saw on the media represented less that 1% of New Orleans people, and most of those "atrocities" in the Dome were media fiction. Get wise, dude, bad news is the only news when it comes to ratings.

[WayzUp]

Wayz, you were duped by the media. All of that is just so much media bull$hit. The people and things that you continually saw on the media represented less that 1% of New Orleans people, and most of those "atrocities" in the Dome were media fiction. Get wise, dude, bad news is the only news when it comes to ratings.
You're telling me the numerous people, not reporters mind you-people that stayed in there, interviewed by any number of news outlets from CNN to Reuters to the AP are all lying about what they saw in there? I realize the media sensationalizes more than they ought to for ratings and what-not but usually, there's half-truths to every story and if even half of the stories I heard, saw and read about are true, that building needs to be officially condemned.

add: I'm not bashing the people of New Orleans...just the ones who turned animal and took advantage of the situation inside the dome and the convention center. If it's 1%, fine...1% of pre-Katrina New Orleans is still about 5000 people.

[uscrebel]

That's right. You want a neutral site, hold the game in Paris. They pretty much hate all Americans and would not cheer for one side over the other.

[Cianne]

The Superdome needs to be torn down as far as I'm concerned. Things went down in that building in the days following Katrina that I'm sure most of us will never fully comprehend or even want to. How many days was it that 10,000+ people were in there with no power, no flushable toilets (stop and think about that), 3 & 4 year-old kids getting gang-raped in bathrooms, people getting shot, beaten, killed....and who knows what else. I for one don't want to know...what I know already is enough. Tear it down and make it the symbolic starting point for rebuilding New Orleans, even if it isn't close to the first thing rebuilt.

The Superdome needs to be torn down because it was an aesthetic abomination inside and outside prior to Katrina. It looks like a squat nuclear reactor tower except instead of a nice grey concrete color, it was an oogly brownish something or other. The inside was just as bad with the multicolor seats to trick TV audiences into thinking the stadium was full as well as the general lack of any sort of creature comforts such as leg space.

[uscrebel]

The Superdome needs to be torn down because it was an aesthetic abomination inside and outside prior to Katrina. It looks like a squat nuclear reactor tower except instead of a nice grey concrete color, it was an oogly brownish something or other. The inside was just as bad with the multicolor seats to trick TV audiences into thinking the stadium was full as well as the general lack of any sort of creature comforts such as leg space.

You may not have noticed, but anything that is left outside in New Orleans for more than three days turns brown.
:cool: :cool:

[Cianne]

You may not have noticed, but anything that is left outside in New Orleans for more than three days turns brown.
:cool: :cool:

Touche....

[blues_cap]

i think memphis would be a great idea, mainly b/c i live there. it could be played in the liberty bowl and memphis is plenty big enough to hold the venue(hell, the stones are playing tomorrow night).

the only thing about atlanta is the dome so you are sure what you will get with the weather. this time in december is unpredictable at best in a lot of places. i would like to see it rotated and memphis is about as centrally located as anywhere else considering ark, ole miss, miss state, and alabama are all within decent driving distances(not sure about auburn).

[WayzUp]

i think memphis would be a great idea, mainly b/c i live there. it could be played in the liberty bowl and memphis is plenty big enough to hold the venue(hell, the stones are playing tomorrow night).

the only thing about atlanta is the dome so you are sure what you will get with the weather. this time in december is unpredictable at best in a lot of places. i would like to see it rotated and memphis is about as centrally located as anywhere else considering ark, ole miss, miss state, and alabama are all within decent driving distances(not sure about auburn).
I was thinking about Memphis myself but didn't (don't!) know what they have venue-wise to accomodate an SECCG.

How many does the Liberty Bowl hold?

[Cianne]

Oh god no. The Liberty Bowl is awful. There are very little concession stands and even fewer bathrooms. Parking is absolutely horrid as the stadium is just thrown into the middle of an agricutural fairground. There isn't even anything remotely near the stadium to host the family events.

But for you Wayz, the Liberty Bowl holds 62,380 on a good night. Memphis never sees that many so it's hard to tell.

[uscrebel]

Oh god no. The Liberty Bowl is awful. There are very little concession stands and even fewer bathrooms. Parking is absolutely horrid as the stadium is just thrown into the middle of an agricutural fairground. There isn't even anything remotely near the stadium to host the family events.

But for you Wayz, the Liberty Bowl holds 62,380 on a good night. Memphis never sees that many so it's hard to tell.

You mean the Liberty Hole?

[GeauxTo]

Oh god no. The Liberty Bowl is awful. There are very little concession stands and even fewer bathrooms. Parking is absolutely horrid as the stadium is just thrown into the middle of an agricutural fairground. There isn't even anything remotely near the stadium to host the family events.

But for you Wayz, the Liberty Bowl holds 62,380 on a good night. Memphis never sees that many so it's hard to tell.
But wouldn't Memphis be almost a home game for... oh... never mind.
:D

[uscrebel]

But wouldn't Memphis be almost a home game for... oh... never mind.
:D

Don't even think it. On the off chance that we ever made it there, I do not know of a single Rebel who feels at home in the LH.
:cool: :cool:

[BeeDee]

Don't even think it. On the off chance that we ever made it there, I do not know of a single Rebel who feels at home in the LH.
:cool: :cool:

Hell, I won't even go there when we play Tiger High. That place is a duuuuump.

[blues_cap]

Oh god no. The Liberty Bowl is awful. There are very little concession stands and even fewer bathrooms. Parking is absolutely horrid as the stadium is just thrown into the middle of an agricutural fairground. There isn't even anything remotely near the stadium to host the family events.

But for you Wayz, the Liberty Bowl holds 62,380 on a good night. Memphis never sees that many so it's hard to tell.

it isnt that bad. i went to the liberty bowl last year(louisville/boise, one helluva game) and it was fine. the parking is not bad b/c of the fact that the fairgrounds are right there, so there is plenty of space. downtown memphis is less than 15 minutes away and there is enough entertainment down there to hold one over for a night.

[SilverBritches]

Once New Orleans is back up-and-running, which may be five years, I would like to see us alternate between the two cities. New Orleans is (was) a great place to go because you can walk from every major hotel to the Super Dome and to the restaurants and to the French Quarter.

New Orleans already has the Sugar Bowl though. So most years, one of the teams in the SECCG will be going back to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. Thats one of the things the Sugar Bowl is worried about this year. Fans from out of town won't want to take a vacation to the same city twice in 3 weeks. It would hurt the revenue.

[SilverBritches]

Like Colonel already said, you aren't going to find a better all around place to host the game. It is awesome in ATL and needs to stay there.