Hanging Out With A College Football Legend, Plus Signing Books

As you may know OSG Sports is selling a book. It's on the right of your computer screen called 100 Things About The Georgia Bulldogs....

Saturday before Georgia faced and ultimately defeated in state rival Georgia Tech Brother Jon and myself signed copies of our book for those in the Bulldog Nation who purchased our book at the UGA Bookstore right next to Sanford Stadium. For Jon and I it was great to meet and great and personally thank Bulldog fans for purchasing our book which Bulldog fans did in mass quantities, the bookstore ran out of copies. The crowd was large but Jon and I knew our book wasn't that popular. The legend was sitting next to us.

Vince Dooley joined Jon and I signing our book and a variety of books the coach penned including one on gardening. You see Coach Dooley has a green thump as well.

After the introductory handshakes and catching up with Coach Dooley, someone informed coach that he's not on our top 10, he's actually #11 (and a chapter yours truly wrote.) Dooley gave us some good digs on that. All good natured though.

Bulldog fans who revere Coach Dooley had their chance to interact with the legendary coach, even if it was a less than a minute. All felt inclined to share the fondest memories of the Bulldogs and the classy Dooley took it all in and truly loved sharing those memories with the Bulldog nation.

By the way, Coach Dooley and my attention was divided between the fans and the TV to our left showing the Arkansas/LSU game. I'm not sure if Dooley had an interest in the game but for me born and bred in Arkansas I certainly did. Their was a reason I wore my lucky red sweater Saturday (See below). It worked out for both causes.

There was the young woman of college age who informed coach Dooley ever since she was three a poster of his likeness has hung in her room. That news surprised Dooley whose last season on the sidelines was 1988, well before this young Bulldog fan was born.

Perhaps the best moment was a older couple who found a poster of a "Vince Dooley Roast" over 20 years ago in an elevator. They had it framed and have been waiting for an opportunity to give it back to Dooley. Saturday at the UGA Bookstore that couple got that chance. Coach Dooley was very pleasantly surprised. I have a feeling that framed poster will hang in a prominent place in the Dooley household.

When we finished Vince Dooley asked Jon and I to sign separate copies of our book. Talk about putting me on the spot, my mind went blank. My first thought was he should be signing my copy (which I forgot.) I wrote a few lines thinking Coach Dooley for his time helping me with the book and what a honor it was to get to know him.

It was a great two hours at the UGA Bookstore. Keep buying the book.

Below is a brief clip of our book signing Saturday with Vince Dooley.

Dooley Bringing Football To Another Georgia School, Thinks He's In Manhattan...

((HT: AJC/Sugiura))

But will he add black and gold to his recently expanding wardrobe of orange, red, and black...???

Kennesaw State University, just north of Atlanta, has decided to start a football program by 2014

KSU President Daniel Papp said in the press conference announcing the venture that football will "increase and expand national recognition of the institution, highlight important work taking place on campus in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activities and service."

The Owls will play in the FCS ((or Division I-AA whichever floats your boat))...

They'll play in their current soccer-only facility on campus that is the home of the WPS Atlanta Beat franchise.

Vince Dooley has been a consultant on the project, and the university is going to follow Dooley's advice in the process all the way to its logical conclusion...

And, apparently, Dooley has Bill Snyder on the mind for his new coach...
((HT: AJC.com))