By: Charles Skipper

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2021 sports seasons for fans in the state of Georgia were rewarding, memorable and will be talked about for eternity whenever fans reminisce about their teams’ successful campaigns.

The past year’s champions in Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Football and the National Football League were either from Georgia or had strong ties to the state.

The Atlanta Braves won the World Series to become champions of Major League Baseball. The Georgia Bulldogs won the National Championship Game to bring back the trophy to the Classic City. The Los Angeles Rams are not from the state of Georgia obviously, but they were led by former Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Stafford.

One title in a major sport for a state or city’s faithful following is an achievement in itself but for a group of fans in Georgia that follow all 3 of these teams it was a year that saw unparalleled success.

These teams not only won it all this year but they broke droughts that lasted decades and accomplished one feat that had never been done before.

Braves teams won 14 division championships in a row starting in 1991 but could only muster one World Series crown in 1995 to show for all that regular season success.

The Braves finished on top of the Eastern Division at season’s end to win their fourth consecutive division championship. To say the team struggled in the early going is being nice. The fact that the team did not reach the .500 mark until August 5th illustrates that point.

Savvy front office moves by Alex Anthopoulos at or near the trading deadline brought the pieces to the team that provided the extra spark and firepower to propel them to their first World Series trophy in 26 years.

The 2021 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs Football team brought an even longer drought to a close. Georgia fans have not celebrated a National Championship since the Herschel Walker led squad gained victory over Notre Dame on New Years Day 1981 to bring the prize back to the Empire State of the South.

The Dawgs were undefeated all season until they ran into nemesis Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Georgia was fortunate enough to get another shot at the Crimson Tide in the playoffs. Georgia beat them in the rematch to become winners of the Championship game and become the Top Dawg in College Football.

The immortal Run Lindsey Run play in the historic Gator Bowl, the Junkyard Dog defense and the season long heroics of Herschel Walker are memories forever associated with the 1980 team.

There were memorable plays and circumstances that will be linked to the 2021 Red and Black also. The interception by Kelee Ringo to seal the victory in Indianapolis will be etched in the minds of fans forever.

Great plays were made throughout the year but the hot topic that surrounded the team for most of the season was whom the quarterback should be.

Highly touted, USC transfer J.T. Daniels started the season opener at Clemson but went down early in the year with an injury and that opened the door for Pierce County graduate and former walk on Stetson Bennett to get on the field and he never came off.

Daniels became the modern-day version of Wally Pipp and the Mailman became a folk hero.

We cannot forget the two Brunswick local members of the team who played major roles also. Starting right tackle Warren McClendon and placekicker Jake Podlesny gave solid and consistent performances all year long and represented the Golden Isles in style.

The Los Angeles Rams was special to fans because Matthew Stafford became the first former Bulldogs quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

Fran Tarkenton and Zeke Bratkowski are the only other two former Georgia players with an opportunity to claim that honor. Stafford made history by winning but former Georgia standouts Sony Michel and Leonard Floyd will be sporting a ring also, which adds further pride to Dawg Nation.

Our state’s sports fans may never see results from their teams like this again but 2021 will always be a year that left fans in the Peach State feeling warm and fuzzy.