Roots For: The Georgia Bulldogs (University of Georgia)
How did you become a Bulldogs fan? “It was a school that I would have gone to, had I gone to college. It was my plan to start late and then I just didn’t go. When we moved back to Georgia in 2007, our oldest daughter went to UGA, so that was a great excuse to become fans again. In the South, the football is just crazy there and it kind of rode back up in me. My other daughter went to Georgia Tech, which, in college sports, is a huge rivalry for Georgia. It was really fun because we kept urging [daughter] Savannah to go to Georgia Tech, but she goes, ‘Mom, I’m not picking a school just so you can have a house divided flag.’ And I was like, ‘Please, Savannah, please.’ So when Georgia and Georgia Tech would play each other, my husband [Linden Ashby, ex-Cameron et al] and Savannah would root for Georgia Tech, and [other daughter] Grace and I would be for Georgia.”
Is Linden as big of a sports enthusiast as you? “Yes, but God bless him, his team is the Miami Dolphins, which is a pro team that isn’t doing as well as my team, but he was right there with me with Georgia this year. Four years ago, maybe five, I was in Spain visiting a girlfriend and I was missing this football game between Georgia and Florida, and Linden mirrored it on the television to the iPad and I watched it while I was in Spain. So he gets it.”
We hear that among your co-stars, there are fans of rival college football teams. “The whole thing started with James Hyde [Jeremy] because one day he was wearing this giant sweatshirt, and I was like, ‘Are are you kidding me? Is he wearing an Ohio State sweatshirt?’ And then I found out Peter Bergman’s [Jack] son went to Michigan, and there’s a huge rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan, and they just played each other in the fall for the Big 10 Championship. So whoever lost that game had to wear the jersey of the other team to work, but I don’t think James has worn a Michigan jersey for Peter yet. I think it still might happen! Once James threw the gauntlet down, I was wearing my Georgia T-shirts every day because Georgia won the national championship last year, as well! So, I had to taunt them about that. We had high drama going on behind the scenes.”
So things can get a little tense at the workplace? “Not just at work. James and I were texting each other all during the Christmas break because Georgia and Ohio State were playing each other in the semifinals to get into the college football championship. Georgia played horribly and truth be told, Ohio State should have won the game, but Georgia did and James was great about it. For the college football championship, of course, I’m getting texts from him pretending to root for the other team against Georgia.”
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself as a fan? “Eleven! I do love my team. We live in a small community so you can hear people screaming and yelling during a game. When we first moved in, people were wondering what was going on on Saturday mornings over at the Ashby house, and now we always have our neighbors over to watch the games. We have a great time.”
You’ve mentioned sweatshirts and T-shirts; do you have any other gear? “Every Saturday during football season, I wear, while biking, my cycling jersey that has a G on it. I also have hats and I just bought so much stuff after Georgia won the national championship again; it’s finally trickling in. I don’t go as far as having flags on my car, but if I lived in Georgia, I just might.”
Who is your all-time favorite player from the team? “I would say Todd Gurley. He’s a running back who went on to be with the St. Louis Rams, so then it was very exciting when the St. Louis Rams became the Los Angeles Rams because he came with them. So it was a double dose of why I was a Rams fan because my all-time favorite player was playing with them.”
Who is your favorite current player? “Brock Bowers, who’s a tight end. I would have said Stetson Bennett, who was a quarterback because he has such an amazing story but he graduated and is not playing anymore. He was the backup quarterback who became the quarterback and then took them to two national championships. What a story about determination! It would make a great movie of the week.”
What has been your most heartbreaking moment as a fan? “Georgia and Alabama playing for the national championship four, maybe five years ago. Georgia was winning the national championship and then in the fourth quarter the whole thing fell apart.”
What was the most memorable game or moment that you saw in person? “The national championship that was just played at the SoFi Stadium on January 9th and I was there. It was fantastic!”
Is there anyone else in your cast who’s a Bulldog fan? “Melissa Ordway [Abby] is absolutely a fan. She has her girls dress up and they do cheers. And so is Michael Mealor [Kyle]. In fact, his dad was out here and went to a game.”
During the season, what percentage of games do you watch? “One hundred! I end up watching all of the games, even if I have to tape them.”
