Georgia Bulldogs
"UGA"
Ugamania isn’t reserved for Saturday football game at the University of
Georgia, it’s a year round happening. UGA VI assumed the school’s mascot
role on September 11 th, 1999 when he replaced his father UGA V in
pregame ceremonies at Sanford Stadium. With the long legacy of mascot
greatness that has been established at Georgia, UGA VI has big paws to
fill.
Before UGA V passed away on November 22, 1999, The solid, white English
Bulldog was heralded as the country’s best college mascot in 1997 by
Sports Illustrated and was featured on the magazine’s cover for the
issue rating America’s Top 50 jock schools.
UGA V showed he was much more than a cover boy when he made his big
screen debut in the Clint Eastwood directed film “Midnight in the Garden
of Good and Evil.” This 1997 film set in Savannah, Georgia, also boasted
the talents of former Dawg quarterback Buck Belue. UGA V expressed his
apparent knowledge of the heated Georgia-Auburn series, when his actions
following an Auburn touchdown had Bulldog fans cheering. This odd time
for exuberance resulted from UGA’s attempt to bite the Auburn player as
he ran through the end zone.
While howling with delight, Bulldog fans inundated Patricia Miklik, a
photographer for the Montgomery Advertiser, with more than 600 photo
requests for the photo that she took of the incident in 1996. Once
copies were released UGA’s snarling leap became quite a popular
Christmas present.
UGA VI, like all of his predecessors, is a white English Bulldog bred
through a line leading back to the original UGA born in 1955. The
Georgia mascots are all buried in the embankment near the south stands
at Sanford Stadium at a site that’s marked by memorials made from
Georgia marble.
Georgia fans can be seen all over the state of Georgia
wearing their
Georgia Bulldog Merchandise. Even at the Atlanta Gift Market held
every summer you can spot the Georgia fans a mile away.
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