Behind the Hedges: Big Money and Power Politics at the University of Georgia


As the tomboy of the family, she found a role model in her father. Yoculan said she spent much of her time with her father, playing baseball, fishing, and going hiking. This title began with the rivalry that has evolved between the Gym Dogs and the Alabama gymnastics team and their head coach, Sarah Patterson. What she wants is definitely what she is going to work hard to get. Known as a coach not afraid to speak her mind, Yoculan has been wrapped in controversy.

Yoculan has received a significant amount of negative press regarding her personal life. Of interest to the media is her seven year relationship and engagement with still married Don Leebern, member of the Georgia Board of Regents. When asked about the coverage of her personal life, Yoculan felt strongly about the situation. Despite the negative media coverage and harsh feelings from some fans, Yoculan tries to remain a good role model and leader for her athletes.

Now her dream is to encourage her athletes and help them to aim high, and believe in themselves. The season wraps up the final season with Yoculan as head coach. The book, written by Richard Whitt, discusses a scandal that occurred a few years ago involving several head administrators of the university, the athletic department, and the Board of Regents. According to the book, her personal relationship with Leebern caused strife with past athletic director Vince Dooley. Despite the bitter struggles, Yoculan stays true to her team.

A journey back 'between the hedges'

I live and die red and black. This is my loyalty, to the University of Georgia and I will always do everything I can do to support this university and the gymnastics program here. After the ten minute interview, Yoculan heads to practice.

See a Problem?

The gymnasts, coaches, and even news crews gather throughout the gym. Pauley employs an estimated seven or eight sets of gas-powered trimmers and weed eaters with various lengths and sizes of blades, an arsenal that enables his team to complete the job in about two hours.

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But with the added challenge of a level cut, it's two hours of incredibly hard, focused, draining work. The end result is the familiar, box-shaped hedge, 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide, which has not only framed the Bulldogs' games in an aesthetically pleasing, historic perspective for eight decades now, but also served a practical purpose. The hedges and the little-known metal fence embedded therein have proved enormously effective at crowd control; only once in the stadium's history have fans stormed the field and torn down the goalposts.

As a result, many schools around the country have copied the idea, Pauley says, but the Georgia hedges tradition is not transferable. But despite their status as campus icons, the hedges endure a considerable amount of punishment each fall. Television camera crews regularly drape the hedges with cables and signs, which Pauley and his staff dutifully remove.

Pauley winces every time a player crashes into the hedges, but he understands -- a Western Carolina punter in the early '90s, Pauley was nearly flung into the hedges by Georgia blockers during a Garrison Hearst return. Possums, birds and insects can damage the hedges, as can another kind of natural predator: Pauley's staff recently caught one inebriated enemy rooter from a school that shall remain nameless attempting to, uh, irrigate the hedges. In , Georgia Tech fans celebrated their first win over Georgia since by tearing off pieces of the hedges and putting them in their mouths, much like players from the Pac and Big Ten do upon clinching a Rose Bowl berth.

And Georgia fans sometimes just can't help themselves when they encounter the legendary hedges in person. It's no surprise, then, that privet Ligustrum is, in Athens at least, a protected species. The field and the hedges are guarded by a state-of-the-art camera surveillance system, and intruders, be they innocuous, intoxicated college kids or would-be vandals, are greeted with a loud, ear-splitting alarm that sends them scrambling for the nearest exit. Pauley routinely finds evidence of these invasions, from a pair of Crocs to miscellaneous articles of clothing, most of which are torn or shredded, proof that the hedges assisted by the hidden chain-link fence can hold their own.

Yet, as a necessary precaution against any possible thefts, plant sickness or destruction, Pauley grows and maintains replacement hedges at an undisclosed location in case of an emergency.

About This Item

For the historic Georgia hedges, after all, no level of security is sufficient, no amount of care too much, no expense too great. A tradition that, in entering its ninth decade, is both figuratively and literally still growing. Writer and college football historian John D. Lukacs is a consultant to "College GameDay.

Behind the Hedges: Big Money and Power Politics at the University of Georgia

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A mental coach, marriage and more: W Richard Whitt focuses his investigative lens on recent goings-on at the University of Georgia, and in so doing writes a bigger story concerning a sea change in how America supports its institutions of higher education. Hardcover , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Behind the Hedges , please sign up.

Lists with This Book. Nov 20, Anna George rated it it was ok. The president of UGA is a total sleaze ball lacking any sort of ethical compass. I was so surprised I have to say, my reaction to the whole book was, "Eh. And if people don't think that our entire educational system is politicized, then they've been living under a rock for the past 40 years.

As for the book, I found it very repetitive--would have worked much better as Spoiler Alert! As for the book, I found it very repetitive--would have worked much better as a seven-part series for the AJC than as a full length book. I feel more jaded for having read this. Jul 27, Teresa Raetz rated it liked it. This is one of the most depressing books I've read. Nov 08, Robert rated it liked it.

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But with the added challenge of a level cut, it's two hours of incredibly hard, focused, draining work. Richard Whitt focuses his investigative lens on recent goings-on at the University of Georgia, and in so doing writes a bigger story concerning a sea change in how America supports its institutions of higher education. She is dressed in a white and black Nike jumpsuit with every blond hair in place and her make-up done to perfection. Privet Ligustrum is indeed a weed, and an invasive one at that. The stadium dedication was no doubt a stressful occasion for Martin, the game's primary promoter. Dooley is not spreading a nasty rumor started by Florida or Georgia Tech fans.

It was an okay read. There is some repetition of facts, but the author wants to hammer home what a louse Mike Adams is.

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It is eye opening to see what power money can buy. John rated it really liked it Mar 04, Jess rated it really liked it Jun 12, Adam Handwerger rated it really liked it Jan 03, Payton rated it it was amazing Mar 09, Elise rated it it was ok Sep 24, Mmills rated it liked it Sep 15,

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