An acquaintance who played football at UGA in the mid-80’s said that when he saw the Bulldogs take the field against Florida in Jacksonville last week, he knew the game was over before it ever started.

“The black helmets and black pants,” he fumed, “were gimmicks. You don’t win football games with gimmicks. You outplay the other team.” How right he was. In their new outfits, the Bulldogs committed eight penalties in the first half and four turnovers in the second half against the top-ranked Gators and lost 41-17. They could have worn snorkels for all the difference their uniforms made.

I seem to recall that legendary Hall of Fame Coach Vince Dooley eschewed gimmicks and won 201 football games at UGA by emphasizing fundamental football. Blocking. Tackling. Executing. Admittedly, it was not the most exciting football in the world, but as my son is fond of saying, “They don’t put asterisks after wins.” You don’t see a footnote declaring, “It was a win, but it was a dull win.” You win or you lose. Vince Dooley won a lot. And he won the right way.

I’m not sure that even the great Vince Dooley could prosper in today’s environment. It is a different ballgame today. It used to be about competition, sportsmanship and learning to persevere. Today, it is about money. Television ratings. BCS bowls. Getting to the NFL. It is not a game; it is a billion dollar business. It is about catching a pass or making a tackle and strutting around like it never happened before. Talking smack. Showing up the other side. It is entertainment. A TV reality show.

College football has changed more than I like, but one thing hasn’t changed. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. That means you have to play better than the other team. And that requires character and disci-pline and execution. The color of your helmet has nothing to do with it. It is what is inside the helmet that matters. I hope somebody at my alma mater has learned that lesson. No more gimmicks, please.