Dooley's Dawgs: 40 Years of Championship Athletics at the University of Georgia

by Vince Dooley

Book Overview

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563527278
• ISBN13: 9781563527272
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Longstreet Press
• Length: 217 Pages
• Weight: 2.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.8" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

The Finest Sports Book You Will Ever Read

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "Every institution is the lengthened shadow of one man." Whenever I visit the University of Georgia campus-six times a year for the home football games-and enter the mammoth stadium (fifth largest on-campus stadium in the nation), I translate Emerson's statement this way: "The highly successful athletic program at Georgia is the lengthened shadow of Vince Dooley." Really, the analogy could extend further, because the development of the athletic program paralleled the expansion of the University in enrollment, campus improvements, academic directions, and prestige, as well as the emergence of Athens, Georgia into the Classic City it claims to be. Vince Dooley's influence and direct involvement made these advances possible, too.Because he advocates team accomplishments more than individual heroism, Dooley-Georgia's Head Football Coach for twenty-five years, who retained his Director of Athletics title until June 30, 2004-might refute this claim. Still, those who have followed Georgia's progress during his four decades of leadership will agree that these achievements would not have happened without him.Co-author Loran Smith once captained UGA's track team, then became the longtime Executive Secretary of the Georgia Bulldog Club. In many ways, Smith serves as the Bulldogs' scribe, because Dooley's Dawgs is one of several books he has produced to chronicle "The Bulldog Nation." On game days, he's the radio host for the Bulldogs' Tailgate Show, and fans hear his post-game interviews. Additionally, his newspaper and magazine articles appeal to sports fans nationwide.I recommend Dooley's Dawgs as the finest sports book I have ever read. Bombarded as we are by news reports about college athletic scandals, you will be uplifted by the story of how discipline, fairness, integrity, respect for academics, and hard work turned Georgia football from an also-ran into national champions-and produced principled young men who became lifelong leaders.To Dooley and Smith's credit, the book does not gloss over the tough times. You'll read about criticisms of Dooley's conservative offense ("Georgia kicked off, then let the air out of the ball," an Athens sports writer charged), the frustration of mediocre seasons, and the highly controversial non-extension of Dooley's contract in 2003. I applaud the book's candor. Even readers who are unfamiliar with Georgia's tradition will enjoy Dooley's Dawgs. I give this book my highest recommendation.