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All writers sent their typewritten stories to their papers by Western Union except the Athens Banner Herald. When the game was over the Banner-Herald sports editor went to the offices on Hancock Ave. and wrote his game story, avoiding the cost of Western Union transmission.

There was a Western Union ticker in the old press box which provided updates on the weather and scores of other games around the country.

In those years, Georgia Tech was still a member of the Southeastern Conference and played Alabama in late November on the same weekend that Georgia always played Auburn.

In 1959, following Georgia’s sensational defeat of Auburn on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Fran Tarkenton to Bill Herron, the stadium went wild with celebration.

With the “other” game in Tuscaloosa being played in the Central time zone, the final score came in over the ticker about nightfall, revealing that Alabama, on the way to prominence under second year coach Bear Bryant, had come from behind to defeat Tech.

With the news, Magill jumped up on a bench and shouted, “doubleheader.”

One Saturday, I was summoned by the late Harry Mehre, who had coached at Georgia and Ole Miss but later became a columnist for the Atlanta Journal. “Listen! How nice that they still remember the old coach.” I was puzzled, so he gave me a hint. “Listen to them calling out my name, Coach Mehre.” Suddenly, I got the message. It was the Coca-Cola carriers, shouting, “Cokes here, Cokes here.”

There were no colorful stories about Claude Felton as it was with the remarkable Magill and the clever Mehre. But if you asked the celebrated writers and broadcasters about who was the best at media relations and accommodations, Felton’s name would likely come up. It would be the same if you polled his fellow Sports Information Directors across the country.

When it comes to the naming of things for people, no institution has ever been more on target than the University of Georgia by appropriately recognizing these two men. Both are the ultimate when it comes to “Damn Good Dawgs.”

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