Rest In Peace Uga VII.

Sad news this morning. Uga VII, the mascot of the University of Georgia, died yesterday. He was only 4 years old. I am not a big Georgia fan, but one of my favorite writers, Lewis Grizzard was. One of my favorite stories of his involved Uga and two of his characters, Bubba and Earl. This is transcribed from Lewis Grizzard's Greatest Hits.

“Got to tell the dog story. There’s somebody left who hasn’t heard the dog story.

We are playing Auburn. Sanford Stadium. National Television. Winner wins the Southeastern Conference; goes to the Sugar Bowl.

85,000 people jammed into Sanford Stadium. National television audience. This game is on the Armed Service Network. People in Switzerland are seeing this ballgame. Going everywhere.

The band cranks up “Glory, Glory to Ole Georgia” and our team comes running out. 85,000 stand as one.

We are led by our gallant mascot, Uga-U-G-A. What a dog! What a gorgeous dog. What a symbol of ferocity. But UGA ain’t real smart. Uga did not realize he was at a football game. Nor did he realize he was on national television, and was going into living rooms the width and breadth of this great nation.

And there, in front of all them people, he began to lick himself where dogs occasionally want to lick themselves, OK?

We don’t have to get any more graphic than that.

Bubba an’ Earl sittin’ on the fifty.

Bubba sees the dog, punches Earl and said, ‘Earl, look at that dog. Dad-gum, I wish I could do that.’

Earl said, ‘ Bubba, that dog’ll bite you!’”