ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia’s Warren Ericson entered the second-floor studio where the Bulldogs’ conduct their post-practice interviews rocking an Atlanta Braves’ jersey.
“What’s going on y’all?” said the junior guard from Suwanee. “Just wanted to do a little quick representation.”
With that, Ericson spun around to reveal Freddie Freeman’s name and No. 5 on the back of the jersey.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Ericson cracked.
The symbiotic relationship between the Bulldogs and Atlanta’s baseball team is real. No sooner had the Braves captured their first World Series championship in 26 years on Tuesday night than calls of “you’re next Georgia Bulldogs” began on social media. Could it be just a coincidence that Georgia’s football team was declared No. 1 in the land by the College Football Playoff selection committee simultaneous to the first pitch of Game 6 being delivered in Houston.
Native Atlantans have long claimed that the city has been cursed for the last couple of decades. How else to explain the dearth of championships by the professional franchises and the inglorious ways that their teams blew opportunities when they presented themselves. The Braves’ victory came in the same city where the Falcons’ once blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl
It has been every bit as excruciating for the state university’s football team, if not more. Georgia hasn’t won a national championship in that sport for 41 years. And when the Bulldogs last had a shot, there dreams died to Alabama on second-and-26 in overtime -- at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, of course.
But the Bulldogs have been the nation’s consensus No. 1 team for four weeks running now and have won their eight games by an average margin of 22.9 points. They are trending for getting another shot this year.
That should be even more likely now that the curse has been broken by the Braves, right?
“It certainly seems there has been an Atlanta sports curse, but I think last night got it back on the right track,” said Ericson, who prepped at North Gwinnett High School. “That was fun to watch. It was really cool for the state of Georgia and Atlanta in general.”
Wide receiver Jaylen Johnson agreed.
“I feel like the curse was broken,” said the junior from Duluth. “I used to be a baseball player. It definitely had me missing the baseball field a little bit.”
There definitely is mutual respect – if not cross-marketing – between the two entities. First thing Wednesday morning, Georgia coach Kirby Smart tweeted out an invitation to the Braves’ mascot “Blooper,” “and any other Braves” to come to Saturday’s game against Missouri at Sanford Stadium.
Blooper has accepted. It’s not yet known if any actual Braves players will come.
But there are UGA fans among them, too. Even though Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson attended Vanderbilt on a baseball scholarship, the Kennesaw native said this week he loves Georgia football.
Georgia football certainly loves the Braves back.
Asked how many players are Braves’ fans, Johnson said, “Definitely all the guys from Georgia, but even those who aren’t. When you’re at Georgia, you kind of convert to the Braves and Falcons because of the influence they have.”
Smart said there are lessons to be drawn from the Braves’ accomplishment. Smart alluded to them overcoming a slew of injuries throughout the season and into the World Series.
The Bulldogs, who are still missing their starting quarterback and star receiver, can relate.
“We try to (share) the message of perseverance,” Smart said. “Baseball is a really long season, a lot of games. Our sport is a little different in the number of games, but the physicality is certainly there in ours. A lot of our guys are Braves fans. I know they follow them.”
From there, Smart immediately launched into his refrain that all his team’s focus this week is on preparing for Missouri. The Bulldogs are a 37.5-point favorite Saturday.
Ericson must’ve been paying attention to his. He kept on the unbuttoned Braves jersey only for a few seconds, tossing it to the side to reveal a red Georgia polo shirt underneath. Told by a UGA staffer he could keep it on if he liked, Ericson declined.
“That’s all right,” he said, tapping the G on his chest. “I’m repping the Dogs now.”
And then he did.
