Opinion

Llamas are infamous for spitting, but Dorsey Hill — of Lewis Grizzard fame — knows our Georgette is a kisser. (Dink Nesmith/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Llamas are infamous for spitting, but Dorsey Hill — of Lewis Grizzard fame — knows our Georgette is a kisser. (Dink Nesmith/The Oglethorpe Echo)

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Opinion Column: ‘Why do you have all those animals?’

Dink NeSmith
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
As I walked through the barnyard, the crunching beneath my boots sounded as if I were stepping on Frosted Flakes.  A hard frost had settled in while I was snoring.    And then a few days later, rain dripped off my nose because I had forgotten to grab my cap.
ABAC and two of its outstanding alumni were in the University System of Georgia Board of Regents’ spotlight on Sept. 8 at the Atlanta History Center. Rick and Sandy Bostelman share a few moments with (from left) Chancellor Sonny Perdue, Gov. Bri- an Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp. The Regents said, “Rick and Sandy Bostelman are outstanding alumni of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, who serve as role models for all of us.” (Submitted Photo)

ABAC and two of its outstanding alumni were in the University System of Georgia Board of Regents’ spotlight on Sept. 8 at the Atlanta History Center. Rick and Sandy Bostelman share a few moments with (from left) Chancellor Sonny Perdue, Gov. Bri- an Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp. The Regents said, “Rick and Sandy Bostelman are outstanding alumni of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, who serve as role models for all of us.” (Submitted Photo)

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Opinion Column: Board of Regents shines spotlight on Rick, Sandy

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, November 30, 2023
From the day they met at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), Sandy NeSmith and Rick Bostelman have been inseparable.    What started in Tifton in 1964 has stretched to 2023. And their love for each other just keeps getting stronger.   That’s what a brother would want for his sister.

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Editorial: Thanksgiving traditions

News Staff
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Thanksgiving is a cherished time to spend time with family and those closest to us. And we all have our favorite traditions, which often involve food and football.

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Thanksgiving: Savoring and making memories

Dink NeSmith
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Thanksgiving. How does this holiday resonate with you? For me, it’s savoring memories and making memories. As a skinny boy with buzz cut hair, I squirmed for 175 miles in the backseat of our family’s first new car.
There was plenty to cheer about in Sanford Stadium on Saturday. One of the loudest roars was for No. 19 Brock Bowers, the All-America tight end, who returned from the injured list to score a touchdown. Another was for Stetson Bennett IV, above. The former Heisman Trophy finalist stepped onto the field to hoist the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the best college football player whose career began as a walk-on. (Tony Walsh/UGA Athletics)

There was plenty to cheer about in Sanford Stadium on Saturday. One of the loudest roars was for No. 19 Brock Bowers, the All-America tight end, who returned from the injured list to score a touchdown. Another was for Stetson Bennett IV, above. The former Heisman Trophy finalist stepped onto the field to hoist the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the best college football player whose career began as a walk-on. (Tony Walsh/UGA Athletics)

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Opinion Column: Reflecting on 57 years in Sanford Stadium

Dink NeSmith
Friday, November 17, 2023
Kickoff was at 1 o’clock.   The Ole Miss Rebels were in town to play 34-year-old Vince Dooley’s Georgia Bulldogs.   And there I sat on Oct. 8, 1966, baking my buns on an aluminum bench in Sanford Stadium. The sweat beneath my starched Gant shirt and wool sport coat was trickling down my back.

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Opinion Column: Thumbs up and down

News Staff
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Thumbs for the week Opinions, opinions, opinions. Everyone has them. It’s the American Way, gifted by our forefathers through the First Amendment. Some opinions are razor-sharp — positive or negative. Others can be comical.  Again, it’s the American Way.
The NeSmiths drove to Holden Beach, North Carolina, to visit with Eddie and Carolyn Sweatt in 2019. Carolyn took this photo on their deck overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. From left are Eric NeSmith, Dink NeSmith, Eddie Sweatt and Alan NeSmith. (Submitted Photo)

The NeSmiths drove to Holden Beach, North Carolina, to visit with Eddie and Carolyn Sweatt in 2019. Carolyn took this photo on their deck overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. From left are Eric NeSmith, Dink NeSmith, Eddie Sweatt and Alan NeSmith. (Submitted Photo)

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Opinion Column: It’s an honor to ‘polish the apple’ of my mentor

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, November 9, 2023
More than 15 years ago, my friend asked if I would “polish his apple” when he was gone. Of course, I said yes. On Nov.1, Eddie Sweatt would have been 90.   For whatever success that I enjoy, I attribute lessons learned from Eddie and a host of other mentors.

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Opinion Column: Letter to our grandkids about the latest war

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Dear Wyatt, Hayes, William, Henry, Fenn, Bayard, Smith and Stella,   War. War. War.   Whether you’ve thought about it or not, each of you were born when America was at war, in either Iraq or Afghanistan. You may have seen the news coverage of our troops leaving Afghanistan in 2021.

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Editorial Opinion: Thumbs up and down

News Staff
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Seems like we were saying “Hello, October” yesterday and now, we are saying “Here comes November.” Maybe it’s the crisp mornings that are rushing us through fall.
Deion Sanders, otherwise known as Coach Prime, has electrified the college football landscape this fall with his personality and transformation of the Colorado Buffaloes. The former two-sport star, who played for the Falcons and Braves, has led a program that had one win last year to four this season. (Derek Marckel/cubuffs.com)

Deion Sanders, otherwise known as Coach Prime, has electrified the college football landscape this fall with his personality and transformation of the Colorado Buffaloes. The former two-sport star, who played for the Falcons and Braves, has led a program that had one win last year to four this season. (Derek Marckel/cubuffs.com)

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Opinion Column: Deion Sanders could sell milk to a cow

Dink NeSmith
Thursday, October 19, 2023
If there’s ever been a human marketing machine, Deion Sanders is one.   I believe Neon Deion, aka Coach Prime, could sell milk to a cow and hard-boiled eggs to a chicken.