My personal 'G' spot

Yep.....this is my personal 'G' spot.
Athens Georgia.
I love to be in Athens during football season, and the good folk over there love me, as well. The welcome signs are all around.
Not only is Athens a great atmosphere for football during the fall, everyone here really shows me some love by wearing my initial somewhere on their clothing (or body).
Yep, everywhere you look, someone is wearing a big capital 'G' on their hat, shirts, pants, shoes, and painted on their faces (I bet a few good lookin' babydolls have a 'G' on their unmentionables).


When I first walked into Sanford Stadium for the annual battle between the Bulldogs and Volunteers on Saturday, I noticed that thousands of people were trying to save me a seat. Look at all the stadium seats with my initials on them. Bless their hearts, they were even trying to show me which section of the stadium to sit in (pssst, they were all marked with a 'G').


Then I entered the media work room where my initials greeted me on the door and on the carpet. Boy, they really go the extra mile to make me feel at home, don't they?


A 'G' on they trash can. OOOhhhh Kaayyyy......


Every napkin I used was personalized.


Students painted their bodys with my initials on them.


Even this cute lil' ol' doggie had a 'G' on his sweater.


Members of the color guard had my initials painted on their cute little faces!


And the drum corps were playing that 'G' note.


Cute baby dolls love the Dawgs, 'G', and McCain.


More cute baby dolls painted 'specially for me....


Just look at all the fans that I got!!!!
Thats why I like Athens during football season.
I feel 'G'reatly appreciated in these parts.


See, I ain't the only one up to nonsense, this past Saturday. Whats with the 'stach?


It seemed to be only drum corps members wit' 'staches.


If he had a couple more days notice, he coulda had a real one.


Didja ever wonder what equipment managers did before the game? They put jersey's on shoulder pads and talk about how many beers they drank the night before.


Some people come for the exciting crossword puzzle competition.


And before I go, an image inside the media workroom taken just before lunch.


I know it don't go with the theme, but for some reason I kinda like this image.
I was shooting from the back of the endzone, laying on the ground, when Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry(14) intercepted the pass from Georgia's Michael Moore(82) in the endzone and returned it 54 yards. I just like the way Moore has fallen to the ground with Berry returning the ball in the background.
It's my image taken in my 'G' spot.

Later dudes and dudettes.........

If you're gonna do it anyway........

you might as well do it in front of me.
That's what the inhabitants of our turn 2 tower were talking about this weekend as we were shooting the AMP ENERGY 500 at Talladega SuperSpeedway yesterday.
I had to start off with this image of the sun setting over Talladega SuperSpeedway Friday. I thought it was pretty cool.


It got really crowded on Saturday and Sunday. Everyone wanted to capture the 'BIG UN' like I did twice during the ARCA event Friday afternoon, so we had lots of impatient shooters visit us the rest of the weekend.
Just remember......sometimes you get the doughnut, sometimes you get the hole!
Friday, I got the whole box of doughnuts, Saturday, I got the holes.


As you know by now, Junior crashed during practice on Friday and he had to use his back-up car for the race. One of the promotions that AMP Energy was running for this event, you could have been one of 73,000 lucky people to have your name on Juniors car. Now I know what the big deal was with him going to his back-up car. Look at all the names!!!!


At Talladega, you know they're gonna have the 'BIG UN', and it can happen anywhere, anytime.
I captured this one on lap 13.


Ken Butler III was involved in the lap 13 wreck and came to a stop almost in front of the tower we were on before the fire extinguished itself.


Ken Butler III exits his toasted racecar.


After that, about halfway through the race, the 99 car got airborne going down the backstretch. WOW!!!!! Three money shots in the first half of the ARCA race with lots more racing to go this weekend.


On Saturday, the 10 getting sideways was the only excitement (on the racetrack) that we saw. There was other interesting things going on in the grandstands that I can't post in this blog. Really!!!!!


See how boring it was on the track...... who wants to see a pack of trucks?


Sunday started off with a patriotic showing by a couple of good ol' boys. Thanks Guys...


I heart 48
He heart 88
We are still married

ain't that sweet?



After a disappointing Saturday, we were hoping if they were gonna do it, that it would happen in front of us. We went from three photographers on Friday, to eleven, at one point, on Sunday. Our turn 2 tower was full with photographers wanting to capture the 'BIG UN'. Oh, they tried several times. All we were getting was a few crumbs like a blown tire on the 33 car mid-way through the race.


And I caught it hitting the 55 car of Michael Waltrip.


My brain starts to wander in my thick ol' noggin' when the race gets boring. Our picture editor, Mr. Bazemore, always tells me to keep that Getty shit to myself. Sometimes you have to try and make your own doughnuts.


Just another case of my 'inner Getty' coming out.


And again........ here come my Getty


Then Denny Hamlin blows a tire and hits the wall going in to turn 2 and his car stays against the wall before coming to a stop directly in front of our tower. The safety workers ran up to his car and realized he was hurt. I shot this image as they were putting Hamlin on the gurney to take him to the ambulance. Hamlin was hospitilized overnight for observation, and released early today.
They decided to give the doughnuts to others, but they did break off some crumbs for us to nibble on.
This image of Hamlin has been published today in the Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, Anchorage Daily News, News Observer from the Raliegh/Durham/Cary N.C. area, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle, and USA Today.
I've had better weekends, image wise, but i've had lots worse, also.

Protect This House

That's what I've been doing for the last few weeks. Trying to 'Protect This House'.
I know I promised I wouldn't go this long between post again, and to be fair, it's not as long as the last break, but I've had some things going on in my life that has caused me not to post here.
Oh, don't get me wrong, nothing hugely major, but I have been a little distracted lately.
I had a milestone birthday that I wanted to post images from, but the ones that have the increminating images, for some odd reason, will not let me have them. I believe they will be used at some point in the future for some kind of blackmail event(since I did kinda refuse to be the photographer at one of the couples wedding. I didn't really refuse, I just told her if it had racecars, footballs, baseballs, or basketballs, I would shoot it).
Another reason, I have just started a new job. I have not been looking too hard, but it found me anyway. I think it's gonna turn out alright. At least I hope so.

OK, well let's get on wit' it.
It's September. Remember when I told you this was my favorite time of the year.
Football. Last night after the Auburn and LSU game, Marvin, one of my co-shooters with USPresswire spelled football with 4 OOOO's. Fooootball. Like in Bobby Bouche' in 'The Waterboy'. I think he was trying to get to his inner cajun or something.
Oh well, here goes the update from the last couple of weeks.


Ben Tate scores a touchdown in the second quarter against LSU.


Auburn quarterback Chris Todd sacked late in the game.


A young Auburn fan is disappointed following her teams loss to LSU.


Before every game, the raptor center at Auburn University has a rehabilitated eagle that flies during pre-game. This is the bald eagle that flew before last night's game.


Last week, I shot the Western Kentucky vs Alabama game in Tuscalooser. Here Jessica Parker Wilson goes under center.


A Goode hurdle.


That's all we need. Cheerleaders that worship football stars.


Shake dat thang.......



Like the old ZZ Top song.....'She's got legs.........


Every time Alabama would score down on this end of the field, these Air Force ROTC cadets would step out and take as many shots as they could. Now, don't that make them real sports photographers?


Last Friday night, I shot #3 Handley vs #5 Lincoln.
Lincoln won.


I used to go to school with coach Howard. He was a few grades behind me, but we were civil.


The week before that, I shot Lincoln at Heflin.


I also shot Pinson Valley at Oxford the same night. Here, Oxford quarterback Judd Edwards looses the ball.


Oxford 'Black Death' defense.


This past Friday night, I traveled to Gadsden to shoot Oxford vs Gadsden.
This just goes to show you, you don't have to play football to have a pre-game ritual.


Another example.


TNT!!!!!!!!!


TNT goes Ka-BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!


Oxford 'Black Death' defense. I like the way his head is turned, all cock-eyed like he got hit hard.


Judd Edwards gets facemasked.


Ty Martin makes a catch.


Have you ever seen a hundred yards?