Nashvillian for "Baller"

Kip made his way to Nashville this weekend for a bit of frivolity. We had a blast. I'm sure he'll tell you more about it, but if he doesn't, I will later. On a whim, I checked to see if the Lady Dawgs were going to be around the Nashville area, and sure enough they were today. So Kip and I ventured off to one of the more unique sports venues you'll ever see to enjoy the Georgia vs. Vanderbilt women's basketball game.



Memorial Gymnasium was the site for today's event. It was a little freaky being there, as this is where I started watching basketball as a kid. If you're not familiar with it, it is constructed in a very different way from most basketball arenas. The playing floor is elevated several feet from the sideline seats. Because of this, the teams sit behind opposite baselines, rather than on the sideline. The seating areas are only on the side and the ends, and there is a block wall (festively decorated, I might add) in the corners. Thusly, the seating areas are very deep and high to accomodate plenty of Dores fans (the team, not the legendary group fronted by Jim Morrison).


A shot of the sideline to our left. Note the mid-level balcony, way the hell away from the playing floor. When I went to the counter to purchase our tickets before the game, I watched the attendant double-take and notice that I was wearing Georgia colors. At this point, she moved her hands from a small stack of tickets to a laaaaaaaarge stack of tickets. Kip and I refused to be banished to the Siberia of women's basketball seating, and stealthily moved to the section with the rest of the Georgia fans. I know: We're out of control.


The significant Georgia contingent, and the gigantic corner wall of death by Dore to our right. The two nice ladies in the foreground started a brutal game of "Who Can Point Longer?" (from the early days of "The Price Is Right") early in the first half. This would end in tragedy.

One of the scoreboard sponsors brought about a revolution in my thinking about marketing.


Wow. Why didn't I think of this. A freaking sign company advertising on a sign. Brilliant. Also note the message board, as one of Vanderbilt's more popular football season ticket incentives is hawked. This could be related to their attendance difficulties.

The announcer was ridiculous. Besides randomly yelling "Yeah!" in the middle of promotions, and generally sounding as though he was caving to the 4th grade My Little Pony market, he overdid the artificial announcer enthusiasm to a nauseating degree.


Transcription of one portion of the starting lineup announcement. Nice.

Some things haven't changed at all.


Coach threatens to eat the limbs of one of the officials if they don't start callin' 'em both ways.


Whoops, my flash just happened to go off right in her face as she was releasing the ball. My bad (She missed the shot).

This one's kinda tough to see.


Bandy doing it's thing. [Note: This is their entire marching band*]


Wow... a cute sideline reporter that Brett decided to stare at rather than watch the game. There's a new one.

Unfortunately, Kip needed to get back to Atlanta by a decent hour. For some reason the seats did not clear out nearly as much as I thought they would with Georgia leading big late. Because of the impending threat of more snow (which is being realized right now), we had to violate my number one Rule of Sporting Events and leave before the game was over. Luckily, we were not missed, as Georgia went on to win handily, 83-61. The game was Vanderbilt's worst loss at home in eight years. I feel somewhat responsible.

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Notes: * - This is not true. Actually, it's only part of their Basketball Bandy, doing that thing like NATS and Auburn where they become mobile, spreading brassy joy to the cheap seats.