Lang Storey
My passion for sports dates back to my earliest memories. In fact, I would argue it preceded my ability to form coherent thoughts. Somewhere around age 2 or 3 I reckon. As I grew, so did my affinity for all things Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves.
My affinity for weddings? Maybe a little less so.
Let me be clear, I’m far from an expert when it comes to tying the knot. But I do get the opportunity to watch it happen every now and then.
This past weekend I attended what felt like my 30th wedding of the past two years. In reality, that figure probably looks more like a dozen. That number, I believe, proves far less a testament to my popularity, but rather has much more to do with being in my late 20s. My peers are indeed dropping like flies. These days, scrolling through instagram on a Sunday is more like flipping through a magazine titled Engagements Over the Weekend.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like weddings. Most of them at least. I love to see people enjoying life and achieving happiness. I hope to get married myself at some point in the coming years.
Sitting in the gallery last Saturday, I couldn’t help but think how this particular wedding was “one of the good ones.” Sure, the Braves were playing, but that’s unavoidable on a Saturday in the summer. Plus, I got to catch the first two innings back at the hotel before heading to the church. The 6-0 lead made missing the rest a little more bearable. What was most important was that this ceremony wasn’t unfolding on a Georgia football game day.
As a UGA alum, I’m obviously viewing this through a red and black lens, but similar comparisons can be made for just about any major university in the southeast. I’m a firm believer that filling the stands goes a long way in showing steadfast support for our team – no matter the opponent. After all, there are so few opportunities to pack Sanford Stadium to the gills. Each one is precious. There are 52 Saturdays in a year. The Dawgs get 6, maybe 7, home games each season. That leaves any engaged couple within the UGA alumni network with 40+ Saturdays to choose from. Take your pick of the litter, folks.
I know my line of thinking here is a bit extreme and wholly impractical, but bear with me.
Seems like a wedding on one of those 6 “no-no” days presents nothing other than a lose-lose scenario. On one hand, guests are stripped of one of the very limited chances they’ll have that year to be at a home game for their beloved school. On the other, the bride and groom will be deprived of having guests’ undivided attention on their big day. I’ve certainly been at weddings and wedding receptions that have taken place simultaneously with big games. Instead of showering the newlyweds with adoration, many wedding guests are huddled around a nearby TV or glued to their phones. That doesn’t seem fair to either party.
I’m not the boss of anybody. Just throwing out my two cents. I know fall weddings will press on and I know there will be some I need to be at because it’s important to me to be there for those I love.
But I also love the Dawgs. Very much. So to play it safe, I’ll be making sure that whenever I eventually tie the knot, it’ll be in the spring.
Lang Storey is the sports writer for The Northeast Georgian. Reach him at 706-778-4215 or lstorey@TheNortheastGeorgian.com.