Georgia
Kirby Smart on the idea of Georgia wearing alternate jerseys: ‘I just think that’s hokey pokey’
ATHENS — The last time Georgia hosted Mississippi State, the Georgia Bulldogs came out in black jerseys. Georgia won that day 31-24, which took place back during the 2020 COVID season.
But based on what head coach Kirby Smart said on Tuesday night, don’t expect Georgia to repeat its outfit.
“I don’t think that has one thing to do with the fan base,” Smart said. “I just think that’s hokey pokey. I mean, it’s great for recruiting, and we may do it sometime. I mean, I’m not anti-doing it, but that shouldn’t do anything for your atmosphere.”
Georgia last wore an alternate jersey in the 2021 Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati. Georgia wore an alternate jerseys three times during the 2020 season.
But Georgia hasn’t worn an alternate jersey since then. The Bulldogs do have recruits wear things such as black jerseys and white helmets while on recruiting visits, but since the start of the 2021 season, Georgia has worn its traditional uniforms for home and road games.
“Some of the best places I’ve played, great atmosphere,” Smart said. “They never change their uniform, they’re traditionalist. If it takes changing the uniform to get people fired up, then I’m at the wrong place.”
There have been plenty of discussions around the game day atmosphere at Georgia following comments made by Smart this weekend, where Smart voiced his disappointment with the fan base.
Smart has stood by the comments that he made and stresses that Sanford Staidum is not some lingering issue but rather a recent problem.
“I said earlier last time about, we had coaches play here last year, said it was the greatest atmosphere they had ever been in,” Smart said. “And so for somebody to say that from outside, it’s not like it’s all wrong. It’s really relative to what time the game is and who the game is. But we can’t afford to do that. You know what I mean? We can’t do that.”
Part of Smart’s frustrations likely stems from the lack of juice in a rivalry game like Auburn. This weekend’s game could have a similar vibe as the Bulldogs are a 34-point favorite against Mississippi State.
But with recent upsets in college football and a spirited Tuesday practice that Smart praised as one of the best, he’s not worried about his team playing flat.
“We don’t rely on the motivation of others,” Smart said. “I got a great analogy. Somebody sent me and said, ‘if they’re doing a Netflix documentary on you this week, who would you want to watch it? And would they approve? Would you send it to your parents? Would you send it to an NFL team if they did a Netflix documentary on your performance and your pride, and how you practiced this week?’
“And I was shocked, they must all thought the Netflix documentary was on them today, because they practiced as good as they have ever done. So just give them a little attention, and they eat it up.”
Georgia’s game against Mississippi State is set for a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff on the SEC Network.
Kirby Smart shoots down any idea of alternate uniforms for motivation
As temperatures rise across Georgia, cooling costs are also expected to climb this summer. The Georgia Public Service Commission is set to hear one of Georgia Power’s proposed agreements aimed at saving customers money on their power bills.
Georgia Power says its proposed agreements could save the typical customer about $4 a month if approved by the commission.
The proposals involve two separate cases before the PSC. One focuses on fuel costs used to operate power plants, while the second deals with storm recovery costs tied to Hurricane Helene.
Georgia Power and the PSC’s Public Interest Advocacy Staff recently reached agreements in both cases. If approved, the company says the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month could save about $4.04 per month or nearly $50 per year beginning in June.
The proposal comes as a new national report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate projects cooling costs could rise about 8.5% nationwide this year. The report says hotter temperatures and increased energy demand are helping drive costs higher.
Reliable Heating and Air said it is already seeing an increase in service calls across metro Atlanta as more people start using their air conditioning systems.
HVAC experts said homeowners should watch for warning signs, including strange noises, weak airflow, homes cooling slowly or higher-than-normal power bills.
“Biggest mistake they make is not getting a system maintenance,” said Joshua Kelly with Reliable Heating and Air. “A lot of people feel like, ‘Oh no, I don’t have to get maintenance,’ but you most definitely do.”
Experts recommend changing air filters regularly, scheduling maintenance checks, keeping thermostats between 74 and 77 degrees on hot days and addressing airflow problems early.
Resources for Georgia families needing help with cooling costs:
- Georgia LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) — Helps eligible low-income households pay heating and cooling bills and may assist during energy emergencies.
- United Way 211 — Connects families with local resources, including utility assistance programs, emergency financial help and community services.
- Partnership for Community Action — Offers utility assistance, energy support programs and other services for eligible families in metro Atlanta.
- Local Community Action Agencies — Many agencies across Georgia provide emergency utility assistance, payment support and additional family resources during extreme heat and high energy demand periods.
ATLANTA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University Hospital are monitoring two Georgia residents following a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that resulted in three deaths.
Atlanta hospital monitoring
What we know:
A couple returned to Georgia last week and was moved Monday to Emory University Hospital for specialized monitoring. One of the passengers showed mild symptoms of the virus but has since tested negative. Both individuals were passengers on the MV Hondius, a ship where the Andes variant of hantavirus was identified.
The CDC confirmed the patients are being kept in a biocontainment unit designed for highly infectious diseases. Doctors at Emory said one individual is receiving treatment while the other is being monitored, though they emphasize there is no risk to the general public.
Monitoring and travel status
What we don’t know:
Health officials have not confirmed if the passengers will be cleared to leave the hospital or return home before a 42-day period is over. While one test was negative, authorities have not said how many additional tests or how much more observation time is needed before the couple is fully cleared. The exact names and ages of the Georgia residents have not been released due to privacy concerns.
Cruise ship outbreak
The backstory:
The outbreak began in April on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius during a voyage from Argentina. Nine cases have been confirmed and three people died after the virus spread, likely through human-to-human transmission of the Andes strain. This specific strain is known for causing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a severe respiratory illness.
Low public risk
Big picture view:
While the Andes variant is serious, the CDC and World Health Organization assess the risk to the general public as low. The virus typically spreads through close contact with bodily fluids or respiration rather than everyday social contact. Federal and state health departments are using established protocols to manage the repatriation and monitoring of the 18 Americans who were on the ship.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Kevyn Stewart, who attended a news conference with the CDC and Emory University Hospital, as well as official statements from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the World Health Organization.
Georgia and Florida State appear to be honoring their word in that they will end up playing each other.
According to Brett McMurphy of On3, Florida State athletic director Mike Alford has said Georgia and Florida State will play at a neutral site game in 2028.
While Georgia has not yet commented on the news, Alford also revealed that there are seven possible neutral venues they are eyeing for the game.
Those venues are Atlanta, Nashville, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Charlotte and New Orleans.
With the exception of Orlando, Georgia has some history — or a future game — with all of the possible venues.
Below, we rank the possible venues from Georgia’s perspective as to where the game could be played.
Georgia-Florida State possible neutral site games
- Atlanta: The most obvious choice from a Georgia perspective. The Bulldogs have consistently played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including neutral site games against North Carolina, Oregon, Clemson and Georgia Tech. The 2028 game was set to be a Georgia home game, so making the short trip to Atlanta could be a reasonable consolation.
- Charlotte: Of the non-Atlanta options, this one is the closest to Athens. Georgia has history in this venue, as it beat Clemson to open the 2021 season in the venue. This option may not be high on Florida State’s list of preferences for the game.
- New Orleans: Georgia does not have a great recent history in this building, as its last two seasons have ended in the Caesars Superdome. One thing worth noting is that this game will be played early in the season, possibly in Week 0. New Orleans, Atlanta and Nashville are the only stadiums with Dome options, which could be beneficial with the heat.
- Nashville: What makes Nashville’s inclusion on this list interesting is that the Tennessee Titans will have opened up their new stadium in 2027, giving Nashville a state-of-the-art facility. This stadium will also be enclosed, providing shelter against the heat. Working against this selection is that Georgia is already scheduled to make one trip to Vanderbilt in 2028, as Georgia faces Vanderbilt in Nashville that season.
- Orlando: In terms of possible stadiums, Orlando is at the bottom. Georgia also already has one neutral site game scheduled to be played in Florida in 2028, as the Bulldogs will take on Florida in Jacksonville, Florida. Maybe a possible weekend at Disney could excite some fans about this possible venue.
- Miami: The last time these two met was in Miami, with Georgia rolling to a 63-3 win. Florida State has played Miami on an annual basis as it is one of the biggest games in the conference. Florida State has played at Miami in even years, which would be the case in 2028.
- Tampa: Georgia will make a trip to Tampa in 2027, when the Bulldogs take on the rival Florida Gators in their annual rivalry game. SEC media days will be in Tampa in 2026.
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