GAME DAY EXPERIENCE
ATHENS, GEORGIA
CREATED BY DAN ZEALLEY
My Dearest College Football,
I want to write you to tell you just how much you mean to me. Until I met you, I didn’t understand what sports were. As a midwestern boy in my teens, I flirted around with the NFL, and NBA and even had a serious relationship with college basketball for a while. Baseball was my first true love. My friends told me “Baseball isn’t all that” and “You can do better than baseball”. I didn’t believe them. Sometimes love is blind.
Then came that fateful, beautiful fall day in that charming southern town. When I walked onto that campus and into that stadium and saw you, it was love at first sight. The sights, the sounds, and the smells! I have never seen grass so green and the sky so blue. Even though the team I was rooting for lost the game, I knew, at that moment, you were the sport for me. I have traveled from Dallas to South Bend to Florida to the Rose Bowl and places in between to see you because you have me under your spell. We have had some ups and downs in our relationship and you sure have broken my heart on more than one occasion. Sometimes it took me longer than others, but I forgave you and you always welcomed me back with open arms.
That southern town was Athens, Georgia. That team was the Georgia Bulldogs.
I love you College Football and I always will.
Athens, Georgia
Athens, the “Classic City”, is home to the University of Georgia. This vibrant college town is located in the rolling hills of northeast Georgia. Historic architecture, arts, and entertainment make Athens a popular tourist destination.
In 1801, John Millage named the area that surrounded what became the University of Georgia. Named after Athens, Greece, the Town of Athens was formed in 1806 and the Athens city charter was adopted in 1872. In 1991, the City of Athens unified with Clarke County to form the consolidated city-county, Athens-Clarke County.
The University of Georgia and the mill industry fueled the growth of Athens. The consolidated city-county 2020 census population was 127, 315, the sixth largest city in Georgia.
Athens City Hall
Historic Athens Welcome Center
Historic Athens Welcome Center
Historic Athens Welcome Center
Henry W Grady House
Some of the notable people from Athens include:
• Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry — R.E.M.
• Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson, and Ricky Wilson — The B-52s
• Kim Basinger — Film actress
• Fran Tarkenton — Hall of Fame quarterback
• Jeff Daniels — Actor, born in Athens
• Brian McCann — Former MLB player
• Brian Kemp — Governor of Georgia
• Laura Slade Wiggins — Actress
Taste of Athens…
We surveyed the best restaurants in Athens. The results are in. (143 votes):
1st Place The Place (34%)
We are a relaxed Southern eatery serving refined comfort cuisine to the Classic City. The Place’s menu is built upon a collection of family recipes, many of which have been passed down over the years and reworked to have a modern twist. Named after our grandfather’s car dealership where we spent much of our time growing up and lovingly dubbed “The Place,” we hope that this restaurant serves as a relaxed gathering place for students, their families, university faculty, and locals alike. Both graduates of The University of Georgia, we are thrilled to be back in Athens contributing to this town’s great culinary landscape.
Georgia Bulldogs Football
“How
Bout Them Dogs!”
Through the 2024 season:
• Overall Record: 892–432–54
• 892 wins ranks 9th nationally.
• Bowl record: 38–22–3
• 38 bowl wins and 63 bowl bids rank 2nd nationally.
• Home record: 387–107–9
First game: January 30, 1892, Georgia 50, Mercer 0
NFL Hall of Fame members:
• Charley Trippi — 1968
• Fran Tarkington — 1986
• Terrell Davis — 2017
• Champ Bailey — 2019
• Richard Seymour — 2022
National Champions — 1942, 1980, 2021, 2022, and counting
Heisman Trophy winners:
• Frank Sinkwich — 1942
• Herschel Walker — 1982
• 14 players in the College Hall of Fame
• 5 coaches in the College Hall of Fame
