No so fast, friends

Tailgating trash needs a true test before proclaiming policies a success

The first home football weekend following Trashgate has come and gone and what have we learned?

Well, not a whole heck of a lot.

Pleas from University President Michael Adams and his administration to keep our campus clean were met by student groups handing out trash and recycling bags and increased trash receptacles and recycling bins.

Before the past weekend can be proclaimed a success, let’s take a step back and think:

A) Georgia was playing Arizona State, a team from the Pacific-10, a team that gives no reason to really get riled up for. It was unranked and the game wasn’t even being televised on ESPN, but ESPNU, a channel not offered with basic cable.

B) It rained. A lot.

Fans from Arizona were shocked by how many people were tailgating, but honestly, let’s not kid ourselves, it wasn’t even half full.

You shouldn’t be able to see large patches of grass on North Campus on a Saturday in Athens. You are naive if you think the rain didn’t have an effect on tailgating.

The real confirmation of whether campus will stay clean will be this week, when No. 4 LSU comes to town. The Bayou Bengals travel in mass, and considering the potential conference implications this game could have, tailgating will be going strong, come hell or high water.

- Michael Fitzpatrick for the editorial board