Dawg Nation,
First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this. My name is Michael Snell and I am one of this year's Battle Hymn Soloists, a tradition I've proudly been part of for 3 years - through the good, the bad, and the ugly that has defined Georgia Football in these last few seasons.
In recent seasons, students and fans alike have taken the initiative to organize unofficial "Blackouts," sporting the black half of the Red and Black in a spirited effort to express the pride we have in our team and university which unites the entire Bulldog Nation.
While I understand that some of our fans are superstitious of this "tradition," I believe it's important to recognize that correlation does not imply causation - our team doesn't win or lose because of the colors of fans' clothes. And, if anything, this show of spirit further ignites the game day atmosphere in Sanford Stadium.
In the media, Dawg fans never get the pleasure of hearing about how intimidating their stadium is - how difficult it is for an opposing away team to succeed in such an "electric" environment.
Our football team - the one that has fought to a 10-1 record thus far - represents us well as one of the top 3 teams in the nation. And we owe it to them to be one of the top 3 fan bases in the nation - to give them a game day environment as menacing as they are.
I don't know what the remainder of this season has in store, but any respectable Bulldog fan should know the stakes are high. And at this point in the season, anything can happen. This weekend, we expect our players to give it their all. It's time for our fans to do the same.
It's time to blackout. If our fans can pull together and proudly sport that menacing black, then I will too.
Happy Thanksgiving.