Georgia coach Kirby Smart opened his Monday press session with a few kind words for longtime sportswriter Murray Poole. Poole has been covering UGA for 54 years.
Smart presented Poole with a red No. 54 Georgia jersey to honor those years on the Georgia beat.
But then he addressed some other words he shared after that big 21-14 win at Auburn. Those came before he updated the injury front and the challenge this week with Texas A&M coming to Sanford Stadium.
Not for the University of Georgia. Not for his program. Not for Smart.
Smart said, in part due to his wife Mary Beth’s urging, that the look he presented with his “How ’bout those f-in ‘Dawgs” comment from his Auburn press session wasn’t the best look.
“Before I get started and move on, I would like to apologize for something I said after the game Saturday night,” Smart said. “That is not indicative of who I want to be or what I stand for.”
He said his better half pointed that out to him. Clearly.
“You know you messed up when you get home to your wife and she’s more upset that — you won the game — but she’s more upset at something you said and that’s not what I represent and that’s not the kind of behavior I want to have.”
Smart said he will need to do a better job of controlling his emotions going forward.
“I regret that part of it,” Smart said. “I’m the one who represents this organization and I want to do that in the right way.”