Winnersville turns out for ESPN's TitleTown cameras

July 10, 2008 09:46 am

— VALDOSTA — Winnersville showed its stuff Wednesday, as the countless trophies, banners, flags and plaques were brought out to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium for ESPN to showcase our town.
ESPN filmed Valdosta for its TitleTown USA segment, which will be aired on the July 16 SportsCenter at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The network started filming at 6 p.m., more than six hours after fans started tailgating around Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
The filming lasted four hours, in both rainy and sunny conditions, but the end product was one ESPN was proud of.
“I thought it went great,” ESPN producer Malinda Adams said. “The crowd hung in there with us as long as they could, and I thought it went great. We couldn’t ask for any more. It rained, then the sun came out, and it was a rainbow, as far as I’m concerned.”
While ESPN was proud of the way the shoot went, they were also thrilled with the reception the people of Valdosta gave the network.
Coming towards the stadium, signs and banners lined the streets welcoming ESPN to Winnersville, and boasting that Valdosta should be TitleTown. Tailgating tents lined the streets near Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, as several hundred fans were cooking out and commiserating hours before the doors to the stadium opened at five minutes until 4 p.m.
“When I drove up, I was totally shocked,” said former Valdosta State and Atlanta Falcons star Jessie Tuggle, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who drove down for the event. “I just got here, and driving through the stadium, it looks like a ball game was going to be here. All that just to be on ESPN for a few minutes speaks volumes about how much people love this city.”
That love for the city of Valdosta and its athletics was evident to ESPN, as they diligently set up the stage and TitleTown desk for the shoot, along with two cameras and a 20-foot jib camera while fans were busy outside the gates.
When fans started rolling in, the crew was shocked that such a small town suddenly became so big.
“I’m overwhelmed,” ESPN reporter Wendi Nix said. “It’s such a privilege to be here, and be in a place that has so much pride in who they are and what they do. It’s nice to see there is still a place like this.”
A little after 6 p.m., Valdosta Touchdown Club member Monty Long, Valdosta Mayor John Fretti and Adams pumped up the crowd, before Nix took the stage in front of an estimated 5,000 people in the home stands of Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
ESPN’s camera crew took several takes of a crazed crowd of Valdosta State, Valdosta, Lowndes and other area fans screaming as if the TitleTown vote depended on it.
The cheers came from three different schools all merging for one shot, and making up one TitleTown.
“I think it proves what the Valdosta athletic community has been showing for generations, that we have, and always will have, spirit of competition and the love of the game,” Mayor Fretti said.
Support was shown by all. Valdosta High opened its stadium for the event, VSU fans showed up in perhaps the highest volume, Tuggle drove down from Atlanta for the taping and former Lowndes High standout Randall Godfrey gave his time to appear on ESPN.
“We deserve to be recognized as TitleTown USA,” Godfrey said. “We have the winningest high school (football program) in America, and if you look at the state of Georgia, and its high school football, its right here in Lowndes County. We have to get recognized. I don’t think this is going on anywhere else in the nation. I think we deserve it.”
Nix filmed intro and outro pieces for SportsCenter for the first segment, then interviewed Godfrey for the second.
The audio on the conversation couldn’t be heard over the loud speaker, but Godfrey made his case for Valdosta as TitleTown.
On air or not, everyone in attendance had cause for Valdosta to receive the honor.
“I think the thing that makes it more special is the community,” Tuggle said. “If ESPN is looking for something different, and they want it to be about the whole community, people will say ‘Hey man, that small town of Valdosta, they have won an awful lot of championships.’”
Indeed, it was about the championships. ESPN then filmed a third segment to air on ESPN Classic, while the network shows Valdosta State’s 2004 and 2007 national championships on July 16. The crew wrapped up with shots of trophies won by Valdosta, VSU, Lowndes, along with the TitleTown trophy.
While the filming complete, the community outpouring is not finished. Valdosta State will host a screening of the Valdosta SportsCenter next Wednesday. VSU is bringing in at least one 15-by-20 foot screen to the P.E. Complex to show the TitleTown broadcast. Fans can watch the 2004 VSU national championship game at 2 p.m., followed by the 2007 national championship at 4 p.m., and finally the airing of Valdosta’s debut on SportsCenter at 6 p.m.
While Valdosta is currently Winnersville, if it truly wants to be TitleTown, it needs to be voted in by the people. Online voting begins July 24, and will last through the 26th, with people being allowed to vote as often as possible.
“I think Valdosta has a really good chance to be TitleTown,” Adams said. “It’s up to Valdosta, because they have to get out and vote July 24-26. They have to be hitting the online vote.”

Photos

Paul Leavy/The Valdosta Daily Times