The Steg in winter is now the place to be unless you have a fireplace, firewood and a TV in your den. Even if all of that is at your fingertips, you are missing something if you don’t find your way into Georgia’s aging basketball arena and become immersed into the environment that the soft- spoken Mike White has wrought.
The long season is far from over, and heartbreak could find its way into the mix. The ever-present fickleness of sports often brings about, but as a bearded Bulldog basketball aficionado said aloud with poignant enthusiasm in the VIP lounge which accommodates the most substantial UGA supporters, “We got us a basketball coach.”
kAm$62D@?65 @3D6CG6CD 8:G6 E96 4@249 9:89 >2C<D[ 2?5 A2DD:@?2E6 72?D 92G6 ;@:?65 :?] ~?6 E9:?8 23@FE 72?D — H9:=6 E96J >2J ?@E <?@H 2D >F49 2D E96J D@>6E:>6D E9:?< E96J 5@[ E96J 46CE2:?=J A:4< FA @? D6=7=6DD 2EE:EF56 2?5 C6566>:?8 9FDE=6 2?5 D64@?5 677@CE] %96J C64@8?:K6 4@>A6E:E@CD H9@ 92G6 962CE E92E :D 566A 2?5 23:5:?8]k^Am
kAm|:<6 (9:E6 92D 2 E62> E92E 4@?DE2?E=J 7:89ED 2?5 D4C2AD 7@C E96 32== 2?5 :D 2D F?D6=7:D9 2D x 42? C6>6>36C :? $E686>2?] tIA6CE=J FE:=:K:?8 E96 A@CE2=[ 96 92D =:E6C2==J 4@33=65 E@86E96C 2 E62> H9:49 36=:6G6D[ A=2JD F?D6=7:D9=J 2?5 :D 56G6=@A:?8 2 DE2?52C5 E92E D9@F=5 3C:?8 v6@C8:2 32D<6E32== 5:G:56?5D 7@C E96 7FEFC6] %96 “(9:E6 >2?EC2[” 9@H6G6C[ :D E@ 6?86?56C =@7EJ C6DF=ED 96C6 2?5 ?@H] v6E :?E@ E96 $tr %@FC?2>6?E[ >2<6 :E E@ E96 C68:@?2=D 2?5 @? E@ E96 3:8 52?46] %@ H:? 2 492>A:@?D9:A[ 7:CDE J@F >FDE E9:?< 3:8]k^Am
kAm%96 qF==5@8 4@249 C67=64ED 9F>:=:EJ[ :?E6?D:EJ 2?5 :?E6==64E] (:E9 9:> E96C6 :D 2? F?72:=:?8 F?56CD4@C:?8 @7 7F?52>6?E2=D] r6?EC2= E@ 9:D >@5FD @A6C2?5: :D E@ 8:G6 5676?D6 E96 9:896DE AC:@C:EJ]k^Am
kAm$@>6 @7 A=2J:?8 8@@5 5676?D6 :D 2EE:EF56[ H2?E:?8 E@ 36 8@@5 H96? E96 4@>A6E:E:@? 92D E96 32==] |2<6 E96 CF336C 3FC?] s676?D:G6 D2GGJ 567:?6D 492>A:@?D9:A E62>D]k^Am
kAm%9:D E62> H:== 86E :? J@FC 7246[ E9:D E62> H:== 8@ 27E6C =@@D6 32==D =:<6 2? @EE6C 5:G:?8 7@C 2 >FD<C2E] %96J >2<6 >:DE2<6D[ 92C5 ?@E E@ :? 962E65 4@>A6E:E:@?[ 3FE D@>6 @7 E96 A=6E9@C2 @7 >:D4F6D :D 2 C6DF=E @7 ECJ:?8 D@ 92C5] %96J 8@ 2== @FE E@ A@D:E:@? E96>D6=G6D E@ D4@C6 2 32D<6E[ >2<6 2 DE62= @? 5676?D6[ 3=@4< 2 D9@E[ 56=:G6C 2 E:>6=J 2DD:DE] $@>6 @7 E96:C 72FI A2D’ C6DF=E 7C@> 36:?8 E96 6A:E@>6 @7 “r92C=:6 wFDE=6]”k^Am
kAm%96 A24<65 9@FD6 D2H E92E 282:?DE {$& C646?E=J] v:G6 E96 72?D 4C65:E] %96J 5:5 E96:C A2CE] %96J 42>6[ 9@A:?8 E@ 36 6>@E:@?2==J 7F=7:==65 :? 2 3:8 4@?76C6?46 82>6] v2>6D =:<6 E92E H:== 3C:?8 E96> 324<] p82:?[ 2?5 282:?]k^Am
kAmv6@C8:2 >2J ?@E 92G6 E96 7:C6A@H6C 2?5 56AE9 E@ H:? 282:?DE E96 36DE E62>D :? E96 =628F6 2D :E H2D H96? E96J G:D:E65 #FAA pC6?2 :? {6I:?8E@? :? E96 =2DE 7@CE?:89E[ 3FE E96 {$& @FE:?8 3C:?8D 23@FE 4@?7:56?46 E92E E96J <?@H E96J 42? H:? 3:8 82>6D] u@C 2 |:<6 (9:E6 4@24965 E62> E@ H:? 2 3:8 82>6 :D 46CE2:?=J ?@E 2? 2?@>2=J] x 6?;@J H2E49:?8 E9:D >2? 5@ 9:D E9:?8 @? E96 4@FCE] w6 :D ?@E 8:G6? E@ 9:DEC:@?:4D] w6 92D 6=64EC:4 6?E9FD:2D> E92E 4@?7:C>D 96 92D 6?5FC:?8 4@>A6E:E:G6 A2DD:@?] %96 E62496C :? 9:> H2?ED 9:D E62>D E@ 4@?D6CG6 6?6C8J[ >2I:>:K6 677@CE[ A=2J F?56C 4@?EC@= 2?5 A=2J 5676?D6] %2<6 9:89 A6C46?E286 D9@ED[ 9FDE=6 @? 3@E9 6?5D @7 E96 4@FCE 2?5 A=2J 5676?D6]k^Am
kAmx? 9:D 7:CDE J62C :? pE96?D[ 96 C62=:K65 62C=J @? H92E ?66565 “7:I:?8]”k^Am
kAmxE H6?E 36J@?5 A6CD@??6=] qC:?8 23@FE 82>6 24E:@? 6?4C@249>6?E H:E9 E96 DEF56?ED] v6E E96> 4=@D6C E@ E96 D46?6 2?5 >2<6 E96> A2CE @7 :E] v6E E96> :?G@=G65[ :>A24E E96 6?G:C@?>6?E 2C@F?5 E96 G:D:E@C’D 36?49]k^Am
kAmw6 5@6D ?@E H2?E E96 4@?7:?6D @7 $E686>2? E@ 36 E96 =62DE 3:E 7C:6?5=J E@ 2?J@?6 H62C:?8 @AA@?6?ED’ 4@=@CD] %9:D :D ?@E E@ DF886DE 96 H@F=5 H2?E E96 2E>@DA96C6 E@ 36 9@DE:=6 H:E9 2?JE9:?8 56>62?:?8 2?5 F?DA@CED>2?=:<6 — 3FE >2<6 :E 2? F?4@>7@CE23=6 A=246 E@ A=2J :7 J@F 2C6 ?@E H62C:?8 C65 2?5 3=24<]k^Am
kAmpD 2 7@C>6C $tr A=2J6C 2?5 4@249[ 96 G:D:E65 $E686>2? >2?J E:>6D @G6C E96 J62CD] xE H2D 2 A=246 H:E9 2 36?:8? 2E>@DA96C6] %96C6 H2D ?@ 9@>6 4@FCE 25G2?E286] %92E 92D =@?8 366? 2 EC25:E:@? 96C6] (96? wF89 sFC92>[ E96 H:??:?86DE 4@249 :? v6@C8:2 32D<6E32== 9:DE@CJ[ 6IA=@C65 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ E2<6 @G6C :? pE96?D[ 96 925 E@ :?D:DE E92E 96 H@F=5 ?@E E2<6 E96 ;@3 :7 E96C6 H@F=5 ?@E 36 D62ED @? E96 7=@@C] w6 H2?E65 9:D 4@?DE:EF6?4J E@ 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 7CFDEC2E6 E96 @AA@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 $E68 ?@H :D D@ E:89E 2?5 4@KJ H:E9 23F?52?E[ 7=2D9:?8 ?6@? 2== 23@FE E96 3F:=5:?8[ 2 4C@H5 E92E :D @? E@A @7 E96 24E:@? H:E9 42A23:=:EJ E@ 42FD6 2 56276?:?8 5:? 2D :E 5:5 H:E9 a]b D64@?5D =67E :? E96 82>6 282:?DE {$&] |:<6 (9:E6[ 2? 6DA64:2= 4@249[ 92D 2? 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C H9@D6 7F== DFAA@CE 96 42? 4@F?E @?]k^Am
kAmw6 :D 2 E62496C H9@ :D 2=D@ 2 AC@>@E6C[ 2? :?5672E:823=6 H@C<6C[ 2 7:?6 C64CF:E6C 2?5 :D 3C:?8:?8 567:?:?8 >@>6?ED E@ v6@C8:2 32D<6E32==[ H9:49 E96 AC@8C2> 92D D@C6=J ?66565 7@C D@>6 E:>6]k^Am
Recommended for you
Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more.Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheer
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.