It has now been a week since Georgia’s thrilling overtime win against Texas on Dec. 7 as the Bulldogs secured the title in the SEC Championship game. The buzz surrounding Kirby Smart’s somewhat controversial post-game interview with ESPN’s Laura Rutledge has also died down, but there’s no denying that the Georgie coach’s not-so-veiled shot at SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey remains on the minds of college football fans.
Rutledge played a role in the now-viral interview, as her telling facial expression after Smart’s jab at Sankey over the Bulldogs’ regular season schedule also turned heads. That same photo recently made it to the largest daily newspaper in the Southeast, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as writer Mark Bradley published an opinion piece about how Georgia “might have overachieved.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart looks on. Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
One particular fan on X, however, could not help but point out the face Rutledge made in the cover photo. In fact, they even suggested that whoever the sports editor of the AJC is should be fired for approving that supposedly unflattering image of the renowned college football sportscaster.
Rutledge caught wind of the post and the 36-year-old mom-of-two just had to react. Rutledge admitted that this was her own doing and said that the decision to publish the photo should not be deemed a fireable offense.
“No no! They are doing their jobs. I’m the one who made the face. Couldn’t help it in the moment ” she responded on X.
The camera caught Rutledge at the perfect moment here as she reacted to Smart calling out Sankey for sending the Bulldogs “on the road all year long.” The veteran reporter could not hide her honest reaction to the jab, especially with the commissioner standing just a few meters away.
What is clear, though, is that Rutledge has no issue with the photo whatsoever — even if some fans might think that this wasn’t the most flattering image of her out there. After all, Rutledge did indicate in her X bio that “i love bloopers,” and it would probably be safe to say that this one falls within that category.
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