On Saturday Young Swole and I bid farewell to Uga VI, the University of Georgia's English bulldog mascot, who died of heart failure at his home in Savannah. Let us all take a minute to pay our respects and look back on the career of this damn fine dawg:
- In 2007, Uga VI became the winningest mascot in UGA school history with a record of 87-27. The mark surpassed that of Uga IV, who ended his career with a record of 77-24-4.
- During Uga VI's reign, the Dawgs captured the 2002 and 2005 SEC championships.
- Georgia has been to a bowl game each of Uga VI's eight seasons as mascot, and won six of the bowl games in that span.
- Both a local and national celebrity, Uga VI was featured in Sports Illustrated, a 2001 Emmy-winning episode of Turner South's Liars and Legends, has been a part of a college football segment on NBC Nightly News, and was the special guest at a reception for the Georgia Congressmen in Washington D.C. in 2002.
Uga VI will be buried in a marble vault in the southwest corner of Sanford Stadium with his ancestors this week. His owner said Saturday that the dynasty's "lineage is secure" and a successor will be announced soon. In the meantime, let all the Bulldawg faithful rally behind the men who wear the red and black with two words--two simple words that express the sentiments of the entire Bulldawg Nation--GO DAWGS!
