The Old Me's Dead and Gone, Dead and Gone

No photos with (attempted) witty subheads today, folks. No links. No arguing about the relative postseason outlook for our Baby Hawks.

Today we simply honor - not mourn - the loss of the two best offensive players at the University of Georgia in my lifetime.

Hundreds of thoughts race through the head of the Dawg fan today. Why did they leave? Is our program not enticing enough to bring back a top-draft-pick quarterback for a fourth year the way USC and [cringe] Tennessee have done in recent years? Who the hell is Joe Cox?

Your boy Joe Friday and I have been lamenting all day. It seriously feels like a terrible break-up. One where you knew the end was coming, but you held out hope until the very end, kicking and scratching your way into the last desperate gasp of a conversation. But no matter what you feel or say, it's over. They believe they've found something better, and if you really love them you'll be happy for them.

I'm not at that stage yet. I'm looking at the 2009 College Football season as not only an opportunity to root on a healthy, lowered-expectations (which is where I always prefer we begin) but still very talented Bulldog team, but also to root against the Stafford legacy. Which is to say that if Joe Cox pulls one out of his sphincter and wins an SEC title, there will be scarce a little boy with tears falling on his still-bright scarcely-washed Stafford jersey. Stafford will be some poor schmo getting pummeled into the ground - and a 3-win season - and the Bulldogs will be a team again.

Look I'm not wishing these boys any ill will whatsoever. But the mentality has got to be: Thanks for coming. There's a lot worse things I would do for $30 millie than leave behind an additional year of eligibility to play at a school. Many of them make me ashamed. And I understand football's a rough, contact sport. You could get injured. I can't blame them for moving on, and we should do the same.

There are two moments in my sports fan history where I have felt so crestfallen I nearly cried. The first was the 2002 Georgia-Florida game, which I was forced to watch with my Father the Florida Fan. Alone. I took a long walk after that game, but in the end only a few half-assed tears came out. The other is today, but I find solace in the fact that...wait a second what the fuck do I find solace in? This is TERRIBLE!!

There simply hasn't been enough time for me to look at this in a positive light just yet. Perhaps that this is the first Aaron Murray tag? I just don't know, as I sit here and shake my head, how I'll get the feeling of wasted potential out of my head. There are worse things than your favorite football team losing it's two best (not to mention 3 of it's top 5 with Southerland and MoMass gone) players. Like finding out you have herpes or something. Just think, there's a Bulldog fan out there somewhere who found that out today. Poor bastard.

So happy trails from Runaround Sue's, Knowshon and Mathew. You provided some great memories and even greater hope for a future that turned out to disappoint, but for a while at least you were a few Damn Good Dawgs. Here's to hoping we won't be missing you for too long, as we usher in and re-invite the true mentality of the Georgia fan back into our hearts: rooting for a team of individuals thankful to be playing in the Red and Black, rather than a few superstars you hope will carry us.

Cox, try not to shit yourself the first time you find yourself in the middle of 92,000+, will ya?