Searels and Others Get Bump in Pay

The ABH has the details on the compensation adjustments to keep the staff in place.

Searels and Others Get Bump in Pay

The ABH has the details on the compensation adjustments to keep the staff in place.

It must be the off season

It's the down time between Signing Day and Spring Practice that actually frustrates me the most.  Sure, the time between G-Day and Game 1 is longer, but it's full of mini-milestones like:

• May - Athlons, Lindys, etc come out.  Spring Bulldog Road Show rumors
• June - Deadest month, but it's closer to kickoff than now.
  
• July - Summer Bulldog Road Show rumors. SEC Media Days.
• August - Freshmen Report. Fall camp.
  

It's this time of year that creates blog discussions around conference realignment, different playoff scenarios and player swap articles.  I'm not complaining. I'm just saying.  Tis the season.

With that in mind, Track 'em Tigers and DawgSports.com have a genuinely interesting discussion going.  They are basically asking, should Auburn and UT swap SEC Divisions? As a UGA fan, I'd prefer that structure.

When you look at it as laid out by those two sites it makes sense for the fans of every SEC school with the exception of Kentucky.  Big Blue fans value the yearly series with Kentucky....despite the results.

Give it a read.  What do you think?

PWD

It must be the off season

It's the down time between Signing Day and Spring Practice that actually frustrates me the most.  Sure, the time between G-Day and Game 1 is longer, but it's full of mini-milestones like:

• May - Athlons, Lindys, etc come out.  Spring Bulldog Road Show rumors
• June - Deadest month, but it's closer to kickoff than now.
  
• July - Summer Bulldog Road Show rumors. SEC Media Days.
• August - Freshmen Report. Fall camp.
  

It's this time of year that creates blog discussions around conference realignment, different playoff scenarios and player swap articles.  I'm not complaining. I'm just saying.  Tis the season.

With that in mind, Track 'em Tigers and DawgSports.com have a genuinely interesting discussion going.  They are basically asking, should Auburn and UT swap SEC Divisions? As a UGA fan, I'd prefer that structure.

When you look at it as laid out by those two sites it makes sense for the fans of every SEC school with the exception of Kentucky.  Big Blue fans value the yearly series with Kentucky....despite the results.

Give it a read.  What do you think?

PWD

March 7th....get your balls and go

Your baseballs and your basketballs that is.  The men's basketball team will end the regular season on Saturday, March 7th vs. South Carolina in Athens.  The game has been moved to 2:00 pm to accommodate television.  The baseball game against Quinnipiac starts at 3:00 pm.

Yes, you'll miss the first 3-4 innings for the second half of the basketball game.  Yes, Quinnipiac for all we know could be a fictitious team like the Washington Generals.  Agreed.  But, the baseball game is 99.9999% guaranteed to wash the frustration of the basketball game off you.  And weather.com is predicting a high of 70 degrees with only a 30% chance of showers.

I'm there.

March 7th....get your balls and go

Your baseballs and your basketballs that is.  The men's basketball team will end the regular season on Saturday, March 7th vs. South Carolina in Athens.  The game has been moved to 2:00 pm to accommodate television.  The baseball game against Quinnipiac starts at 3:00 pm.

Yes, you'll miss the first 3-4 innings for the second half of the basketball game.  Yes, Quinnipiac for all we know could be a fictitious team like the Washington Generals.  Agreed.  But, the baseball game is 99.9999% guaranteed to wash the frustration of the basketball game off you.  And weather.com is predicting a high of 70 degrees with only a 30% chance of showers.

I'm there.

Arkansas Game Travel Info (Part I)

Georgia has only played Arkansas in Fayetteville three times in 11 games* so there's obviously a large chunk of UGA fans who've never made the trip for this one. (image: Arkansas-Cafe)

We face the Razorbacks in Week 3 of the 2009 season, and I personally think it's one of the more underrated venues in the SEC. Since its massive $110 million renovation in 2001, Donald W. Reynolds Stadium is one of the best looking facilities in the SEC.

I'm especially partial to the hospitality of their fans who went out of their way not to beat my ass when I drunkenly and relentlessly informed them of our overwhelming awesomeness following the 38-7 game in 2000. God Bless Doe's. But I digress.

Fayetteville is truly the far end of the realm. Chicago is only two miles further from Athens than Fayetteville, and Minneapolis is closer to Fayetteville than Athens. In other words, don't drive.

Preface: If you need tickets to the UGA at Arkansas game, you can pick them up here on Stubhub.

Airports to Consider:

Arkansas Northwest Regional (XNA) -- Located about 45 minutes northwest of Fayetteville. Delta flies direct here from Atlanta. The fares are usually not cheap, and the planes are small. This place is basically Air Walmart. There are business traveler type hotels available in Springdale and Bentonville. Hotels for the game in Fayetteville are harder to find. I'm going this route.

Fort Smith, AR (FSM) -- Located about 1 hour south of Fayetteville. I think that Delta (via partners) has one direct flight in and out of Atlanta per day. They have one stop flights throughout the day. Again, the planes are pretty small, and the flights aren't cheap. Both FSM and XNA are generally good options for redeeming Sky Miles.

Tulsa, OK (TUL) -- Tulsa's airport is about 2 hours from Fayetteville. If memory serves, the flights are cheaper than the above options. I flew into Tulsa for the 2004 game. The drive is boring, but it's painless.

Branson, MO (SGF) -- The Springfield-Branson Airport is a little under 2.5 hours from Fayetteville. If you're staying in Springdale or Bentonville, it's not that bad. The only appeal for flying into SGF is that it's the closest airport serviced by AirTran. If you're looking to use AirTran Rewards, this is your best option.

Little Rock (LIT) -- Little Rock is about 3 hours from Fayetteville. If I recall correctly, the drive up I-540 through the Ozarks was really scenic, but it's still 3 hours.

Memphis (MEM) -- Memphis is roughly 4.5 long hours from Fayetteville. However, it's consistently one of the cheapest towns to fly from Atlanta. I want to emphasize that there is nothing visually stimulating about the drive from Memphis to Little Rock. It's hideous. Dallas is further than Memphis if you were wondering.

Hope that helps. Any of you guys going?

See Also:
-- Tickets: UGA at Arkansas
-- Arkansas fans are nuts in a good way - DeadSpin

PWD


*We've played them in Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis and Shreveport, but not Little Rock.

Arkansas Game Travel Info (Part I)

Georgia has only played Arkansas in Fayetteville three times in 11 games* so there's obviously a large chunk of UGA fans who've never made the trip for this one. (image: Arkansas-Cafe)

We face the Razorbacks in Week 3 of the 2009 season, and I personally think it's one of the more underrated venues in the SEC. Since its massive $110 million renovation in 2001, Donald W. Reynolds Stadium is one of the best looking facilities in the SEC.

I'm especially partial to the hospitality of their fans who went out of their way not to beat my ass when I drunkenly and relentlessly informed them of our overwhelming awesomeness following the 38-7 game in 2000. God Bless Doe's. But I digress.

Fayetteville is truly the far end of the realm. Chicago is only two miles further from Athens than Fayetteville, and Minneapolis is closer to Fayetteville than Athens. In other words, don't drive.

Preface: If you need tickets to the UGA at Arkansas game, you can pick them up here on Stubhub.

Airports to Consider:

Arkansas Northwest Regional (XNA) -- Located about 45 minutes northwest of Fayetteville. Delta flies direct here from Atlanta. The fares are usually not cheap, and the planes are small. This place is basically Air Walmart. There are business traveler type hotels available in Springdale and Bentonville. Hotels for the game in Fayetteville are harder to find. I'm going this route.

Fort Smith, AR (FSM) -- Located about 1 hour south of Fayetteville. I think that Delta (via partners) has one direct flight in and out of Atlanta per day. They have one stop flights throughout the day. Again, the planes are pretty small, and the flights aren't cheap. Both FSM and XNA are generally good options for redeeming Sky Miles.

Tulsa, OK (TUL) -- Tulsa's airport is about 2 hours from Fayetteville. If memory serves, the flights are cheaper than the above options. I flew into Tulsa for the 2004 game. The drive is boring, but it's painless.

Branson, MO (SGF) -- The Springfield-Branson Airport is a little under 2.5 hours from Fayetteville. If you're staying in Springdale or Bentonville, it's not that bad. The only appeal for flying into SGF is that it's the closest airport serviced by AirTran. If you're looking to use AirTran Rewards, this is your best option.

Little Rock (LIT) -- Little Rock is about 3 hours from Fayetteville. If I recall correctly, the drive up I-540 through the Ozarks was really scenic, but it's still 3 hours.

Memphis (MEM) -- Memphis is roughly 4.5 long hours from Fayetteville. However, it's consistently one of the cheapest towns to fly from Atlanta. I want to emphasize that there is nothing visually stimulating about the drive from Memphis to Little Rock. It's hideous. Dallas is further than Memphis if you were wondering.

Hope that helps. Any of you guys going?

See Also:
-- Tickets: UGA at Arkansas
-- Arkansas fans are nuts in a good way - DeadSpin

PWD


*We've played them in Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis and Shreveport, but not Little Rock.

Pups Lead Diamond Dawgs to the Desert

The Diamond Dawgs are off to a good start.  The team swept both Youngstown State and Presbyterian, neither of whom will be heading to Omaha anytime soon.  Both teams are winless in this very young season.  But, the Dawgs did what you're supposed to against inferior competition, as they pounded them into a bloody heap.  In the two opening series, the Dawgs scored 60 runs to the opposition's 15 (only 7 were earned).

Leading the way in more ways than one was freshman lead off man Johnathan Taylor, the SEC Freshman of the Week.  He was 8-for-10 in the Youngstown series with and .867 OBP, 5 RBIs and 5 runs scored.  He's been as good as a lead off man can be, getting on base, stealing a base or two (actually he's 4-5), and scoring runs.  Taylor is not alone, though.  Fellow freshmen May, Hyams, Davidson, and Cone have impressive numbers, too.  Plus, the veterans are doing their fair share as well.  Bryce Massanari, Joey Lewis and Rich Poythress have big power numbers, too (25 RBIs, 5 HRs).

The weakness, so far, has been middle infield defense.  Hyams and Demperio have five errors between them and Demperio's led to Youngstown's only major offensive outburst of the series, a six run sixth on Sunday.  Perno was not pleased about it in his weekly podcast.

The competition amps up this weekend.  The Dawgs travel west to face Arizona, who is 4-1.  The Wildcats aren't ranked, but are a historic college baseball power.  The freshmen have shown they can perfom at Foley.  This weekend they get to show if they can keep up their bulging numbers away from Athens.

Quinton

Pups Lead Diamond Dawgs to the Desert

The Diamond Dawgs are off to a good start.  The team swept both Youngstown State and Presbyterian, neither of whom will be heading to Omaha anytime soon.  Both teams are winless in this very young season.  But, the Dawgs did what you're supposed to against inferior competition, as they pounded them into a bloody heap.  In the two opening series, the Dawgs scored 60 runs to the opposition's 15 (only 7 were earned).

Leading the way in more ways than one was freshman lead off man Johnathan Taylor, the SEC Freshman of the Week.  He was 8-for-10 in the Youngstown series with and .867 OBP, 5 RBIs and 5 runs scored.  He's been as good as a lead off man can be, getting on base, stealing a base or two (actually he's 4-5), and scoring runs.  Taylor is not alone, though.  Fellow freshmen May, Hyams, Davidson, and Cone have impressive numbers, too.  Plus, the veterans are doing their fair share as well.  Bryce Massanari, Joey Lewis and Rich Poythress have big power numbers, too (25 RBIs, 5 HRs).

The weakness, so far, has been middle infield defense.  Hyams and Demperio have five errors between them and Demperio's led to Youngstown's only major offensive outburst of the series, a six run sixth on Sunday.  Perno was not pleased about it in his weekly podcast.

The competition amps up this weekend.  The Dawgs travel west to face Arizona, who is 4-1.  The Wildcats aren't ranked, but are a historic college baseball power.  The freshmen have shown they can perfom at Foley.  This weekend they get to show if they can keep up their bulging numbers away from Athens.

Quinton

Dawgs Beat Vandy

Georgia got its second SEC win of the season by beating Vandy 61-57 last night at home. The win moves Georgia into 11th place in the SEC and gives Arkansas sole possession of last place.  On Sunday, the Dawgs travel to Fayetteville with the goal of keeping the Hawgs in last place.

UGA is almost certainly going to be the 6E Seed in the SEC Tourney; however, their first round opponent is far from set in stone.  Auburn, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are in a three way jumble for 2-4th place in the SEC West.  We get the 3W seed on Thursday at 3:15 pm in Tampa.  If we win, we get the 3:15 pm game on Friday as well vs. the 2E seeded team.

PWD

Dawgs Beat Vandy

Georgia got its second SEC win of the season by beating Vandy 61-57 last night at home. The win moves Georgia into 11th place in the SEC and gives Arkansas sole possession of last place.  On Sunday, the Dawgs travel to Fayetteville with the goal of keeping the Hawgs in last place.

UGA is almost certainly going to be the 6E Seed in the SEC Tourney; however, their first round opponent is far from set in stone.  Auburn, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are in a three way jumble for 2-4th place in the SEC West.  We get the 3W seed on Thursday at 3:15 pm in Tampa.  If we win, we get the 3:15 pm game on Friday as well vs. the 2E seeded team.

PWD

You know you're old when...

..guys younger than you are named "legends" by the SEC.  Per Georgiadogs.com:

Two-time All-SEC forward Shandon Anderson will represent the University of Georgia as part of the 2009 class of the Chick-fil-A SEC Basketball Legends.  This group, which includes one ex-player or coach from each of the 12 member institutions, will be honored at the SEC Tournament March 12-15 in Tampa, Fla.

There have been guys almost my age like Litterial Green who have been picked for this honor.  But Anderson if the first guy younger than me.  Damn.  This is the kind of thing where I expect to see Vern Fleming or Willie Anderson.

I am old.  Guys younger than me are honored legends?  Geez.

/shaking head

PWD

You know you're old when...

..guys younger than you are named "legends" by the SEC.  Per Georgiadogs.com:

Two-time All-SEC forward Shandon Anderson will represent the University of Georgia as part of the 2009 class of the Chick-fil-A SEC Basketball Legends.  This group, which includes one ex-player or coach from each of the 12 member institutions, will be honored at the SEC Tournament March 12-15 in Tampa, Fla.

There have been guys almost my age like Litterial Green who have been picked for this honor.  But Anderson if the first guy younger than me.  Damn.  This is the kind of thing where I expect to see Vern Fleming or Willie Anderson.

I am old.  Guys younger than me are honored legends?  Geez.

/shaking head

PWD

Quick Fulmer Cup Update

The latest Fulmer Cup update involves UGA not being on the board.  I'm sure the Athens-Clarke County PD's Scooter Outlaw and Jay Walker Prevention Divisions, which include more than 100 officers, is as shocked as you are by this news.  They've pledged to re-triple their efforts to bring justice to the lawless streets of Athens.

Speaking of cops.  I tend to lay off the children of coaches given my track record on the topic (don't ask...it involved me making a dumb joke that went over like a pregnant high jumper).  However, this one looks harmless enough.

Apparently, Florida defensive line coach Dan McCarney's daughter was arrested at a house party in Iowa and dropped the classic, " Do you know who my dad is?" (between alleged attempts to kick the cops):

Jillian McCarney told the officer she "guaranteed all her charges will be 'dropped' because her name is 'McCarney'" and they have "a lot of money," according to police.

First off, I'm shocked the Big 10 cops could handle her SEC speed to even lay a hand on her.  Second, as 81Dog told me, "If she pulled that in Georgia, she could be charged with felony obstruction of an officer (1-5 years), terroristic threats (1-5), and probably disorderly conduct (misdemeanor)." 

So...FYI to Urban's kid over at Tech...Don't go dropping "My daddy coaches the Gators" in the Peach State.

PWD

Quick Fulmer Cup Update

The latest Fulmer Cup update involves UGA not being on the board.  I'm sure the Athens-Clarke County PD's Scooter Outlaw and Jay Walker Prevention Divisions, which include more than 100 officers, is as shocked as you are by this news.  They've pledged to re-triple their efforts to bring justice to the lawless streets of Athens.

Speaking of cops.  I tend to lay off the children of coaches given my track record on the topic (don't ask...it involved me making a dumb joke that went over like a pregnant high jumper).  However, this one looks harmless enough.

Apparently, Florida defensive line coach Dan McCarney's daughter was arrested at a house party in Iowa and dropped the classic, " Do you know who my dad is?" (between alleged attempts to kick the cops):

Jillian McCarney told the officer she "guaranteed all her charges will be 'dropped' because her name is 'McCarney'" and they have "a lot of money," according to police.

First off, I'm shocked the Big 10 cops could handle her SEC speed to even lay a hand on her.  Second, as 81Dog told me, "If she pulled that in Georgia, she could be charged with felony obstruction of an officer (1-5 years), terroristic threats (1-5), and probably disorderly conduct (misdemeanor)." 

So...FYI to Urban's kid over at Tech...Don't go dropping "My daddy coaches the Gators" in the Peach State.

PWD

Oklahoma State Game Travel Info (Part I)

Dawgs sack Ok State (Image: Hipple)
I'll have more on this later, but I wanted to give a couple of quick nuggets related to the Oklahoma State game.

A few days ago, Damon Evans told DawgPost.com that he had no interest in playing the Oklahoma State game on Thursday night. This probably squashes the last of that rumor. I'd wager that Damon's preference to avoid Thursday night games is less of an issue than the "T. Boone Factor." I seriously doubt that Boone Pickens spent $165 million to renovate Oklahoma State's new stadium just to have the grand opening on a Thursday Night.

With that in mind, the first travel advisory involves air travel. As I'm sure you know by now, there are no commercial airports in Stillwater. I've seen commenters on this site discuss flying into Dallas or Kansas City. Those folks need to crack out a map and see what a very bad call that would be.

PREFACE: Tickets to the game are available on stubhub for UGA at Oklahoma State. Some pretty decent deals are available given that face is $100.

The three closest towns with commerical airports to Stillwater are:

Oklahoma City (OKC) - 65 miles
Tulsa (TUL) - 64 miles
Wichita, KS (ICT) - 131 miles

Dallas is 272 miles away and Kansas City is 320 miles away according to the Stillwater Convention and Visitors Bureau. Delta serves all three airports and AirTran serves Wichita. Both airlines fly direct from Atlanta.

Tulsa used to be a city that you could fly into via 1 stop for under $250, but I haven't seen that fare available in a very long time. Lately, direct flights into OKC or TUL airports from Atlanta have been running $300-425 round trip. Flights to Wichita have consistently been about half that. The standard Delta best deal to ITC is $230. Airtran matches that Delta deal and occasionally has web specials for as low as $150 round trip.

As for hotel accommodations, we'll cover that later. I know that I'm staying at a Fairfield Inn about 1 mile from the stadium, and I know the Hampton Inn next door is booked. Beyond that, I don't know much. Hope this helps.

See Also:
-- Tickets: UGA at Oklahoma State
-- AJC Travel Info for 2009 UGA Schedule
-- Cowboy Gameday
-- Stillwater CVB

PWD

Oklahoma State Game Travel Info (Part I)

Dawgs sack Ok State (Image: Hipple)
I'll have more on this later, but I wanted to give a couple of quick nuggets related to the Oklahoma State game.

A few days ago, Damon Evans told DawgPost.com that he had no interest in playing the Oklahoma State game on Thursday night. This probably squashes the last of that rumor. I'd wager that Damon's preference to avoid Thursday night games is less of an issue than the "T. Boone Factor." I seriously doubt that Boone Pickens spent $165 million to renovate Oklahoma State's new stadium just to have the grand opening on a Thursday Night.

With that in mind, the first travel advisory involves air travel. As I'm sure you know by now, there are no commercial airports in Stillwater. I've seen commenters on this site discuss flying into Dallas or Kansas City. Those folks need to crack out a map and see what a very bad call that would be.

PREFACE: Tickets to the game are available on stubhub for UGA at Oklahoma State. Some pretty decent deals are available given that face is $100.

The three closest towns with commerical airports to Stillwater are:

Oklahoma City (OKC) - 65 miles
Tulsa (TUL) - 64 miles
Wichita, KS (ICT) - 131 miles

Dallas is 272 miles away and Kansas City is 320 miles away according to the Stillwater Convention and Visitors Bureau. Delta serves all three airports and AirTran serves Wichita. Both airlines fly direct from Atlanta.

Tulsa used to be a city that you could fly into via 1 stop for under $250, but I haven't seen that fare available in a very long time. Lately, direct flights into OKC or TUL airports from Atlanta have been running $300-425 round trip. Flights to Wichita have consistently been about half that. The standard Delta best deal to ITC is $230. Airtran matches that Delta deal and occasionally has web specials for as low as $150 round trip.

As for hotel accommodations, we'll cover that later. I know that I'm staying at a Fairfield Inn about 1 mile from the stadium, and I know the Hampton Inn next door is booked. Beyond that, I don't know much. Hope this helps.

See Also:
-- Tickets: UGA at Oklahoma State
-- AJC Travel Info for 2009 UGA Schedule
-- Cowboy Gameday
-- Stillwater CVB

PWD

Real Life Calls

It's business time, but not in the good Flight of the Conchords kind of way.  More in the emails flying all over the place creating unexpectedly large amounts of new work for me kind of way.

Check DawgBone.net for headlines today.

PWD

Real Life Calls

It's business time, but not in the good Flight of the Conchords kind of way.  More in the emails flying all over the place creating unexpectedly large amounts of new work for me kind of way.

Check DawgBone.net for headlines today.

PWD

The Guided Tour

Join Vince Vance and Tavarres King on a tour of the UGA locker room.  Darryl Gamble makes an appearance in black tie, which we assume is how all the players dress for class.  You'll also note that the team already has Okie State on the bulletin board.

Quinton

The Guided Tour

Join Vince Vance and Tavarres King on a tour of the UGA locker room.  Darryl Gamble makes an appearance in black tie, which we assume is how all the players dress for class.  You'll also note that the team already has Okie State on the bulletin board.

Quinton

More on the Leadership Issue

The Georgia Defense (Image: Hipple)
It's been talked about quite a bit lately, and it'll be talked about endlessly until Game 1. Leadership -- the development of it - is THE point of emphasis right now. David Hale has two articles up on the topic. The first appeared in Sunday's Macon Telegraph. The second appears on his blog.

My concerns for next year are (in order):

• Defensive End - The entire defensive system is built around getting a consistent pass rush from the front four. We only have four healthy DEs active for spring practice.
  
  
• Leadership - Starting with Richt. Someone has to decide that playing an epic fail half of football once a month isn't acceptable. That half assed tackling isn't acceptable, and that shenanigans aren't acceptable. And then the team leaders have to make it so. The off season workouts sound promising.
  
  
• Running Backs - The bulk of the mid-range and down-field passing game at Georgia is built around play action. The short stuff is mostly slants and screens, but everything else is built around play action. We can't run the offense that Richt and Bobo want to run without a serious running game. The offensive line should be lights out. But do we have the running backs?
  
  
• Defensive Back Experience - You're going to laugh because of the way that our CBs not named Asher performed last year. But this worries me much less than you'd think. The other three are much bigger concerns.

PWD

More on the Leadership Issue

The Georgia Defense (Image: Hipple)
It's been talked about quite a bit lately, and it'll be talked about endlessly until Game 1. Leadership -- the development of it - is THE point of emphasis right now. David Hale has two articles up on the topic. The first appeared in Sunday's Macon Telegraph. The second appears on his blog.

My concerns for next year are (in order):

• Defensive End - The entire defensive system is built around getting a consistent pass rush from the front four. We only have four healthy DEs active for spring practice.
  
  
• Leadership - Starting with Richt. Someone has to decide that playing an epic fail half of football once a month isn't acceptable. That half assed tackling isn't acceptable, and that shenanigans aren't acceptable. And then the team leaders have to make it so. The off season workouts sound promising.
  
  
• Running Backs - The bulk of the mid-range and down-field passing game at Georgia is built around play action. The short stuff is mostly slants and screens, but everything else is built around play action. We can't run the offense that Richt and Bobo want to run without a serious running game. The offensive line should be lights out. But do we have the running backs?
  
  
• Defensive Back Experience - You're going to laugh because of the way that our CBs not named Asher performed last year. But this worries me much less than you'd think. The other three are much bigger concerns.

PWD

Kwame Geathers Signs with UGA

According to DawgPost.com's headline, the Bulldogs picked up a huge commitment this afternoon as Kwame Geathers inked his letter of intent (premium article) to play football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Geathers will start his playing career at defensive tackle for the Dawgs. Geathers is a space eater at 6'5" and 320 pounds with good strength and quickness.

He's listed as a 3 star offensive tackle by Rivals.com, but he's listed as a four star defensive tackle by Scout.com. If he's like his brothers and uncle, you can expect him to carry a tremendous amount of muscle on that frame. Maybe he'll bring his Uncle Jumpy's forklift to Athens.

Geathers adds much needed beef at the defensive tackle position because UGA hadn't seem to recruit enough high school defensive tackles in the past three recruiting classes (# of DTs per class).

2009 - 3 (including Geathers)
2008 - 1
2007 - 0 (1 JUCO who has now graduated)
2006 - 3 (two haven't contributed yet)

DTs who will be on scholarship for 2010 include:

Jr - 1
So - 1 (two from '09 class will likely redshirt)
RFr - 2
Sr - 2 (non-factors to date)

DT recruiting for the upcoming 2010 class is still an urgent area of need. However, it's not nearly as scary as it would've been without Geathers.

PWD

Kwame Geathers Signs with UGA

According to DawgPost.com's headline, the Bulldogs picked up a huge commitment this afternoon as Kwame Geathers inked his letter of intent (premium article) to play football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Geathers will start his playing career at defensive tackle for the Dawgs. Geathers is a space eater at 6'5" and 320 pounds with good strength and quickness.

He's listed as a 3 star offensive tackle by Rivals.com, but he's listed as a four star defensive tackle by Scout.com. If he's like his brothers and uncle, you can expect him to carry a tremendous amount of muscle on that frame. Maybe he'll bring his Uncle Jumpy's forklift to Athens.

Geathers adds much needed beef at the defensive tackle position because UGA hadn't seem to recruit enough high school defensive tackles in the past three recruiting classes (# of DTs per class).

2009 - 3 (including Geathers)
2008 - 1
2007 - 0 (1 JUCO who has now graduated)
2006 - 3 (two haven't contributed yet)

DTs who will be on scholarship for 2010 include:

Jr - 1
So - 1 (two from '09 class will likely redshirt)
RFr - 2
Sr - 2 (non-factors to date)

DT recruiting for the upcoming 2010 class is still an urgent area of need. However, it's not nearly as scary as it would've been without Geathers.

PWD

Surprise: Hartman Fund Donations Down

The always UGA-friendly AJC reports a news item everyone knew was coming: Hartman Fund donations are lower than last year.  We speculated as much last week.  According to the AJC story, donations were down 11% and totaled just over $23 million.  Damon says these are more in line with 2007 levels than last year's record haul of $26.3 million.  Then again, '07 contributions yielded a Sugar Bowl victory.  Last year's gob of moolah bought us befuddlement and pain.  (In fairness, there were a couple of good moments.)

For you first time buyers, cutoff scores won't be figured until April.  Season ticket turnover is expected to be around 2 to 3%.  Order forms will be dispatched to the Bulldog Nation in early March.  Good luck.

Quinton

Surprise: Hartman Fund Donations Down

The always UGA-friendly AJC reports a news item everyone knew was coming: Hartman Fund donations are lower than last year.  We speculated as much last week.  According to the AJC story, donations were down 11% and totaled just over $23 million.  Damon says these are more in line with 2007 levels than last year's record haul of $26.3 million.  Then again, '07 contributions yielded a Sugar Bowl victory.  Last year's gob of moolah bought us befuddlement and pain.  (In fairness, there were a couple of good moments.)

For you first time buyers, cutoff scores won't be figured until April.  Season ticket turnover is expected to be around 2 to 3%.  Order forms will be dispatched to the Bulldog Nation in early March.  Good luck.

Quinton

Commitment and Ethics

The two themes of the articles for the day seem to be commitment and ethics.

Richt starts things off with a recruiting conversation where he talks about the meaning of commitment to him in recruiting. Also on the topic of commitment, the ABH talks about the change of culture surrounding the off season workouts. The players sound more committed to investing the work into becoming champions.

On the ethics front, Damon Evans says, "We don't need to cheat." He talked with David Hale about the ethics of the SEC and the war of words among coaches (read: Kiffin's non-sense). Hale's blog includes even more information about the interview with Damon.

See Also:
-- UGA Notebook - Macon Telegraph

PWD

Commitment and Ethics

The two themes of the articles for the day seem to be commitment and ethics.

Richt starts things off with a recruiting conversation where he talks about the meaning of commitment to him in recruiting. Also on the topic of commitment, the ABH talks about the change of culture surrounding the off season workouts. The players sound more committed to investing the work into becoming champions.

On the ethics front, Damon Evans says, "We don't need to cheat." He talked with David Hale about the ethics of the SEC and the war of words among coaches (read: Kiffin's non-sense). Hale's blog includes even more information about the interview with Damon.

See Also:
-- UGA Notebook - Macon Telegraph

PWD

About 12 minutes of good basketball

Like my dad says....Felton's teams stopped playing the last eight minutes of a game. Pete Hermann's teams don't start the first eight minutes (UF excluded). Hard to disagree.

Georgia started the Auburn game by going 2 of 18 from the field, and they didn't score their third field goal until 15 minutes into the second half. At point, we were down by more than four touchdowns.

Result was a UGA loss to Auburn.

Conversely, they played lights out for about 12 minutes in the second half to narrow a 29 point Auburn lead down to 6 points before the wheels fell back off. If you're looking for optimism going into next year, you'll find it in these 10-15 minute bursts of competence, the Florida game and the Virginia Tech game. Oh...and you'll find it in better substitution patterns, more consistent defense and fewer turnovers that will hopefully come with better ball and player movement.

Last night was ugly.

See Also:
-- Big win proves insignificant - ABH

PWD

About 12 minutes of good basketball

Like my dad says....Felton's teams stopped playing the last eight minutes of a game. Pete Hermann's teams don't start the first eight minutes (UF excluded). Hard to disagree.

Georgia started the Auburn game by going 2 of 18 from the field, and they didn't score their third field goal until 15 minutes into the second half. At point, we were down by more than four touchdowns.

Result was a UGA loss to Auburn.

Conversely, they played lights out for about 12 minutes in the second half to narrow a 29 point Auburn lead down to 6 points before the wheels fell back off. If you're looking for optimism going into next year, you'll find it in these 10-15 minute bursts of competence, the Florida game and the Virginia Tech game. Oh...and you'll find it in better substitution patterns, more consistent defense and fewer turnovers that will hopefully come with better ball and player movement.

Last night was ugly.

See Also:
-- Big win proves insignificant - ABH

PWD

Great Missed Free Throws

These paint fumes are making my eyes water. It must be that. Couldn't be that I'm sniffling at my desk with my door shut after reading a story about two missed free throws. I must be allergic to something. Sniff.

-- Gesture Supports Grieving Opponent - ESPN
-- Story goes National -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle (Illinois)
-- Sportsmanship's Shining Moment -- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
-- The Thank You Letter -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle

PWD

Great Missed Free Throws

These paint fumes are making my eyes water. It must be that. Couldn't be that I'm sniffling at my desk with my door shut after reading a story about two missed free throws. I must be allergic to something. Sniff.

-- Gesture Supports Grieving Opponent - ESPN
-- Story goes National -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle (Illinois)
-- Sportsmanship's Shining Moment -- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
-- The Thank You Letter -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle

PWD

Friday is for Freshmen

This weekend's opening baseball series against Youngstown State will be a freshman showcase.  The Diamond Dawgs signed a stellar recruiting class this past year and the opening day lineup will reflect that success.  Coach David Perno said five freshmen should start Friday night in a recent interview with AM 960 The Ref. (Image: The Red & Black)

Colby May will start at third as expected.  Levi Hyams gets the nod at second, although Perno said veterans Thoms and Starr will start the weekend's other two games.  The outfield will start three freshmen: Johnathan Taylor in left, Zach Cone in center, and Chase Davidson in right.  Wow.  Perno raved about Zach Cone in the interview, but hinted that Matt Cerione will likely take over in center when he comes off suspension.

This is the most starting freshman in a Perno lineup.   Some might argue that this lineup is cause for concern.  After all, playing freshmen in a game where experience counts can be a losing proposition.  Plus, a freshman is just physically weaker and less developed than a junior.  I would counter that you need the type of youth and talent these freshmen represent, but it needs to be mixed with veterans like Holder, Poythress, and Massanari.  LSU played a lot of talented freshmen last year and were on the brink of a mediocre season.  But their young team woke up and won 23 straight games, including the SEC Tournament.  So, is this cause for concern or celebration?

Also, for your bat connoisseurs, Anthony Dasher at UGASports.com reports that the Dawgs have been authorized to use Easton composite bats this year, defying their exclusive Nike contract.  No more equipment excuses.

Quinton

Friday is for Freshmen

This weekend's opening baseball series against Youngstown State will be a freshman showcase.  The Diamond Dawgs signed a stellar recruiting class this past year and the opening day lineup will reflect that success.  Coach David Perno said five freshmen should start Friday night in a recent interview with AM 960 The Ref. (Image: The Red & Black)

Colby May will start at third as expected.  Levi Hyams gets the nod at second, although Perno said veterans Thoms and Starr will start the weekend's other two games.  The outfield will start three freshmen: Johnathan Taylor in left, Zach Cone in center, and Chase Davidson in right.  Wow.  Perno raved about Zach Cone in the interview, but hinted that Matt Cerione will likely take over in center when he comes off suspension.

This is the most starting freshman in a Perno lineup.   Some might argue that this lineup is cause for concern.  After all, playing freshmen in a game where experience counts can be a losing proposition.  Plus, a freshman is just physically weaker and less developed than a junior.  I would counter that you need the type of youth and talent these freshmen represent, but it needs to be mixed with veterans like Holder, Poythress, and Massanari.  LSU played a lot of talented freshmen last year and were on the brink of a mediocre season.  But their young team woke up and won 23 straight games, including the SEC Tournament.  So, is this cause for concern or celebration?

Also, for your bat connoisseurs, Anthony Dasher at UGASports.com reports that the Dawgs have been authorized to use Easton composite bats this year, defying their exclusive Nike contract.  No more equipment excuses.

Quinton

Carl Johnson: Top 1% of 1%

The University of Florida's Carl Johnson was arrested for violating a sexual violence restraining order. His former girlfriend had him arrested after he was stalking her when she got off a campus bus. I don't blame her. The last person I would want to follow me off a bus is a 6-6, 330 pound offensive guard with a "sexual violence restraining order" on him. That's the stuff of nightmares. (Image: orlandosentinel.com)

If you think Carl just might have forgotten where he was and is really an innocent college guy, check out the Orlando Sentinel's write up on the allegations that girlfriend makes against Big Carl. She says Carl would "shake me, bite me and hit me" during "play fights." That doesn't sound like a play fight. It sounds like a real fight. She also says Carl's goal in life was to "shoot and kill someone." Those are the mild charges, by the way.

Let this be a lesson, Bulldogs. Gators do things well. When they play fight, they will do anything to play win. They don't just steal your laptop. They steal it and throw it out the window. They don't just steal anyone's credit card. They steal dead people's credit cards. They are intense. They are winners. Georgia players, however, are not. All they can do is violate traffic laws without the proper licensure and cause massive outcries from the AJC and ESPN.

The former Parade All-American should be looking to transfer real quick.

Quinton

Carl Johnson: Top 1% of 1%

The University of Florida's Carl Johnson was arrested for violating a sexual violence restraining order. His former girlfriend had him arrested after he was stalking her when she got off a campus bus. I don't blame her. The last person I would want to follow me off a bus is a 6-6, 330 pound offensive guard with a "sexual violence restraining order" on him. That's the stuff of nightmares. (Image: orlandosentinel.com)

If you think Carl just might have forgotten where he was and is really an innocent college guy, check out the Orlando Sentinel's write up on the allegations that girlfriend makes against Big Carl. She says Carl would "shake me, bite me and hit me" during "play fights." That doesn't sound like a play fight. It sounds like a real fight. She also says Carl's goal in life was to "shoot and kill someone." Those are the mild charges, by the way.

Let this be a lesson, Bulldogs. Gators do things well. When they play fight, they will do anything to play win. They don't just steal your laptop. They steal it and throw it out the window. They don't just steal anyone's credit card. They steal dead people's credit cards. They are intense. They are winners. Georgia players, however, are not. All they can do is violate traffic laws without the proper licensure and cause massive outcries from the AJC and ESPN.

The former Parade All-American should be looking to transfer real quick.

Quinton

Lunch Leftovers: Linebackers and more

Rennie Curran (Image; Hipple)
Cleaning out the .... "Why haven't I linked to this yet?" pile.

David Hale has been all over the linebackers the past few days. On Sunday he talked about leadership and new faces in the Macon paper. His blog provided a video interview with Rennie Curran, and he did a player by player discussion yesterday.

Quasi related to linebackers, there's a couple of human interest stories that ran yesterday. The first discusses Randall Godfrey (former LB) and his return to college after 12 years in the NFL.

Totally unrelated to linebackers, but "where are they now" related....the Tallahassee paper caught up with Tony Milton. Milton was the forgotten homeless running back that Richt found in 2001. He's best known for the game clinching run against UT in 2002, and the bone crushing pass block vs. Kentucky in '02. Today, he's working on a pro golf career.

PWD

Lunch Leftovers: Linebackers and more

Rennie Curran (Image; Hipple)
Cleaning out the .... "Why haven't I linked to this yet?" pile.

David Hale has been all over the linebackers the past few days. On Sunday he talked about leadership and new faces in the Macon paper. His blog provided a video interview with Rennie Curran, and he did a player by player discussion yesterday.

Quasi related to linebackers, there's a couple of human interest stories that ran yesterday. The first discusses Randall Godfrey (former LB) and his return to college after 12 years in the NFL.

Totally unrelated to linebackers, but "where are they now" related....the Tallahassee paper caught up with Tony Milton. Milton was the forgotten homeless running back that Richt found in 2001. He's best known for the game clinching run against UT in 2002, and the bone crushing pass block vs. Kentucky in '02. Today, he's working on a pro golf career.

PWD

Georgia Athletics to post another $20 million excess

Proposed New Butts-Mehre Accessory

With the global financial markets wildly out of whack and unemployment on the rise, Americans are cutting back across the board. This is most certainly the "rainy day" that our grandparents warned us to save for. Apparently the Athletic Department has one big ass umbrella, as our cash reserves will exceed $60 million at the end of this fiscal year according to the Athens Banner Herald. (Image: A Cool Friday)

That's almost enough cash on hand to go an entire year without selling a single ticket. If you're a Hartman Donor, the above link is a must read.

My Reaction:

• According to the article, the Athletic Department is giving back $2 million per year to the University for academic endeavors. Given the AD's financial position and the struggling financials of the University, that's a no brainer politically and fiscally.
  
  
• How in the world does the Butts-Mehre Expansion cost $40 million? A year ago it was projected to cost $34 million. I thought the price of construction projects had fallen over the past year as vendors became more desperate for work? (Note: That facility will be a big time boost in recruiting. Particularly the rehabilitation areas for injured players. More on that later.)
  
  
• I like that we have enough cash on hand to go a year without selling tickets. In this economy, that beats the pants off the finances of most athletic departments. It means we can invest when everyone else is cutting back. Damon needs to leverage our strength to pull an Old Man Potter:

  "Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? Because we're panicky and he's not. That's why. He's picking up some bargains." - George Bailey

  Too bad we can't (legally) use some of that money to buy some kick ass pass rushing defensive ends. Or illicit payola style kickbacks for bloggers.
  
  
• How on earth did our debt ever get to $200 million. Holy crap. I'm glad to see it's back down to $100 million or so. But damn, how did it ever get so far ahead of profit?
  
  
• All of these financial projections are before ESPN/CBS's incremental new $10+ million per year clears in roughly June '10. Once we start getting that additional financial boost, we need to (A) stroke a big ass check for Stegeman renovations (B) work the debt off a lot faster and (C) start giving a lot more than $2 million to academics.

I'm proud of Georgia's financial strength. I certainly prefer our situation where we control our financial destiny vs. Georgia Tech's situation where they can't fire an obviously incompetent basketball coach because his buyout is too large.

HOWEVER, I would not be supportive of price hikes in any sport given the broader economy and our overall financial position. None are planned that I'm aware of. Just saying.

By the way -- compare all of this to our academic giving. The NACUBO giving report for 2008 is out (warning large boring PDF), and UGA Academics continue to show unimpressive endowment growth*. Even counting the Arch Foundation giving, we continue to slip behind our academic peers financially. (ht - Inside the Sprawl)

Your reaction?

See Also:
-- Tech's bang for the buck - Get the Picture

PWD


* He said endowment. Chuckle.

Georgia Athletics to post another $20 million excess

Proposed New Butts-Mehre Accessory

With the global financial markets wildly out of whack and unemployment on the rise, Americans are cutting back across the board. This is most certainly the "rainy day" that our grandparents warned us to save for. Apparently the Athletic Department has one big ass umbrella, as our cash reserves will exceed $60 million at the end of this fiscal year according to the Athens Banner Herald. (Image: A Cool Friday)

That's almost enough cash on hand to go an entire year without selling a single ticket. If you're a Hartman Donor, the above link is a must read.

My Reaction:

• According to the article, the Athletic Department is giving back $2 million per year to the University for academic endeavors. Given the AD's financial position and the struggling financials of the University, that's a no brainer politically and fiscally.
  
  
• How in the world does the Butts-Mehre Expansion cost $40 million? A year ago it was projected to cost $34 million. I thought the price of construction projects had fallen over the past year as vendors became more desperate for work? (Note: That facility will be a big time boost in recruiting. Particularly the rehabilitation areas for injured players. More on that later.)
  
  
• I like that we have enough cash on hand to go a year without selling tickets. In this economy, that beats the pants off the finances of most athletic departments. It means we can invest when everyone else is cutting back. Damon needs to leverage our strength to pull an Old Man Potter:

  "Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? Because we're panicky and he's not. That's why. He's picking up some bargains." - George Bailey

  Too bad we can't (legally) use some of that money to buy some kick ass pass rushing defensive ends. Or illicit payola style kickbacks for bloggers.
  
  
• How on earth did our debt ever get to $200 million. Holy crap. I'm glad to see it's back down to $100 million or so. But damn, how did it ever get so far ahead of profit?
  
  
• All of these financial projections are before ESPN/CBS's incremental new $10+ million per year clears in roughly June '10. Once we start getting that additional financial boost, we need to (A) stroke a big ass check for Stegeman renovations (B) work the debt off a lot faster and (C) start giving a lot more than $2 million to academics.

I'm proud of Georgia's financial strength. I certainly prefer our situation where we control our financial destiny vs. Georgia Tech's situation where they can't fire an obviously incompetent basketball coach because his buyout is too large.

HOWEVER, I would not be supportive of price hikes in any sport given the broader economy and our overall financial position. None are planned that I'm aware of. Just saying.

By the way -- compare all of this to our academic giving. The NACUBO giving report for 2008 is out (warning large boring PDF), and UGA Academics continue to show unimpressive endowment growth*. Even counting the Arch Foundation giving, we continue to slip behind our academic peers financially. (ht - Inside the Sprawl)

Your reaction?

See Also:
-- Tech's bang for the buck - Get the Picture

PWD


* He said endowment. Chuckle.

SEC Schedules through 2019 at a Glance

ESPN's Chris Low published this list of future SEC non-conference opponents last week, but I missed it. It's visually a little misleading because you glance based on the length of the lists. That said, here are some initial thoughts:

• Florida has done virtually nothing with the 12th game. Since 1992, Georgia and Florida used the scheduling complexities surrounding the Cocktail Party + In State Non-conference Rivalries (GT and FSU) as an excuse to avoid additional non-conference games of note. When the 12 game schedule was implemented in an experimental and later permanent fashion, Georgia embraced it with current and future games against Clemson (2 series), Colorado, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Louisville and Oregon. Florida fans are getting one series with Miami and the games split between 2008 and 2013. Weak sauce.

• South Carolina's got a storng start on the 12 game schedule utilization by booking a series with both UNC and NC State. However, their announced OCC games other than Clemson look pretty weak starting in 2010.

• Kentucky's non-conference schedule is embarrassing. Aside from playing an imploding Louisville program, they have booked no one of note for the next decade. Their long standing series with Indiana isn't even on the books. I'm not suggesting that UK should start scheduling Ohio State, but what's wrong with booking Cincy when their campuses are only separated by 90 or so minutes? Heck, Memphis and Southern Miss would be an upgrade over Sun Belt teams and multiple Div I-AA squads like last year.

• Congrats to Ole Miss. After booking a series with both Missouri and Wake, they have games against Clemson, Texas and others on the books. Rumors out of Atlanta say that Ole Miss wants to cancel ttheir series with Tech. South of Oxford (both geographically and socioeconomically), you have Mississippi State who looks to be applying for conditional Conference USA membership with their slate of craptacular games.
  

• And as always no one has more sizzle in their non-conference schedule than Tennessee. They don't have the baggage of a yearly non-conference rivalry like UF, UGA, and SC so they have more flexibility. They leverage that flexibility nicely to book Oklahoma, Ohio State, Nebraska, etc type games on a regular basis.
  

Anything on the list jump off the page at you positively or negatively?

PWD


(Image: AJ Green. By Jim Hipple)

SEC Schedules through 2019 at a Glance

ESPN's Chris Low published this list of future SEC non-conference opponents last week, but I missed it. It's visually a little misleading because you glance based on the length of the lists. That said, here are some initial thoughts:

• Florida has done virtually nothing with the 12th game. Since 1992, Georgia and Florida used the scheduling complexities surrounding the Cocktail Party + In State Non-conference Rivalries (GT and FSU) as an excuse to avoid additional non-conference games of note. When the 12 game schedule was implemented in an experimental and later permanent fashion, Georgia embraced it with current and future games against Clemson (2 series), Colorado, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Louisville and Oregon. Florida fans are getting one series with Miami and the games split between 2008 and 2013. Weak sauce.

• South Carolina's got a storng start on the 12 game schedule utilization by booking a series with both UNC and NC State. However, their announced OCC games other than Clemson look pretty weak starting in 2010.

• Kentucky's non-conference schedule is embarrassing. Aside from playing an imploding Louisville program, they have booked no one of note for the next decade. Their long standing series with Indiana isn't even on the books. I'm not suggesting that UK should start scheduling Ohio State, but what's wrong with booking Cincy when their campuses are only separated by 90 or so minutes? Heck, Memphis and Southern Miss would be an upgrade over Sun Belt teams and multiple Div I-AA squads like last year.

• Congrats to Ole Miss. After booking a series with both Missouri and Wake, they have games against Clemson, Texas and others on the books. Rumors out of Atlanta say that Ole Miss wants to cancel ttheir series with Tech. South of Oxford (both geographically and socioeconomically), you have Mississippi State who looks to be applying for conditional Conference USA membership with their slate of craptacular games.
  

• And as always no one has more sizzle in their non-conference schedule than Tennessee. They don't have the baggage of a yearly non-conference rivalry like UF, UGA, and SC so they have more flexibility. They leverage that flexibility nicely to book Oklahoma, Ohio State, Nebraska, etc type games on a regular basis.
  

Anything on the list jump off the page at you positively or negatively?

PWD


(Image: AJ Green. By Jim Hipple)

National Indoors Update

There's not much good news from Chicago.  The women's tennis team lost to #1 Northwestern 4-1 in today's final.  The doubles point could have gone either way, but Northwestern really handled us on the singles courts.  Only freshman ace Chelsey Gullickson was able to win a court.  The girls still have a star-studded, young lineup and the future looks bright. 

It was a similar story for the guys.  The doubles point was decided in a tie breaker and the Dawgs couldn't get enough singles courts to overcome the deficit.  Hunt and Garrapiz were winning, but Josh Varela lost 7-5 in the third set.  The 'Hoos took the national indoor championship, 4-1.  Considering the losses of Flores and Helgeson from last year, this was a superb performance by Manny Diaz and the team.  Before the year, Diaz said this team wouldn't be as good as the last two consecutive national championship teams.  To finish as runner-up this wekend was a pleasant surprise.

The upcoming outdoor season should be fun if the tennis teams continue to play at this high level.  The girls just need to gain experience.  The guys need to figure out the right mix on courts four, five ,and six.  These courts were key to the 2007 championship.  The guys didn't win court four once in Chicago.

Quinton

National Indoors Update

There's not much good news from Chicago.  The women's tennis team lost to #1 Northwestern 4-1 in today's final.  The doubles point could have gone either way, but Northwestern really handled us on the singles courts.  Only freshman ace Chelsey Gullickson was able to win a court.  The girls still have a star-studded, young lineup and the future looks bright. 

It was a similar story for the guys.  The doubles point was decided in a tie breaker and the Dawgs couldn't get enough singles courts to overcome the deficit.  Hunt and Garrapiz were winning, but Josh Varela lost 7-5 in the third set.  The 'Hoos took the national indoor championship, 4-1.  Considering the losses of Flores and Helgeson from last year, this was a superb performance by Manny Diaz and the team.  Before the year, Diaz said this team wouldn't be as good as the last two consecutive national championship teams.  To finish as runner-up this wekend was a pleasant surprise.

The upcoming outdoor season should be fun if the tennis teams continue to play at this high level.  The girls just need to gain experience.  The guys need to figure out the right mix on courts four, five ,and six.  These courts were key to the 2007 championship.  The guys didn't win court four once in Chicago.

Quinton

Things Furman Bisher Doesn't Understand

That list apparently includes email, letters, the internet and the telephone. To be fair, Bear Bryant and Wally Butts could've told you that he didn't know how to work a phone...at least not a party line. But I digress.

Apparently, Bisher is unfamiliar with those methods of communication and research given that he didn't use any of them to ask Damon Evans, "Why are you using a search firm to hire a basketball coach?" Instead, he wrote a long article stating that UGA shouldn't use a search firm, and "I have no idea how a search firm operates." His entire premise being that Bobby Knight is right there. Why do you need a firm to hire a guy that's just sitting right there.

If he really wanted to understand why we were using a search firm, he could've read his own newspaper. Last week Damon Evans outlined why he was using a firm stating:

Evans was asked why UGA chose to hire the search firm.

“They’re very reputable in the business,” he said. “They have a strong reputation for the amount of detail they put into the process, how they develop their searches, the people they’ve place, their background checks. They’re able to assist institutions in making a high number of high-level contacts in a short amount of time. And the manner and discretion with which they handle the process is very important.”

Or he could've read my site. Or this very thoughtful piece on Parker's web site that explains why search firms are used.

Or frankly, he could have just come right and said that he doesn't think Damon Evans is qualified to be athletic director at Georgia. Why hint around it? Just come right out and say, "If he doesn't hire Bobby Knight like I suggested, he's not qualified to be athletic director."

By the way, Furman Bisher is currently 90 years old so it makes sense that he wouldn't find any objection to Bobby Knight turning 69 before the start of next season.

How old is Bisher? His landmark interview of Shoeless Joe Jackson took place 16 years before Bobby Knight became the head coach at Army.

- - - - -- -
Update: As LadyQ points out on a hoops message board. It would probably help Bisher to know that his beloved Georgia Tech used the same search firm to hire Paul Johnson.

PWD

(ht - jimfromduluth)

Things Furman Bisher Doesn't Understand

That list apparently includes email, letters, the internet and the telephone. To be fair, Bear Bryant and Wally Butts could've told you that he didn't know how to work a phone...at least not a party line. But I digress.

Apparently, Bisher is unfamiliar with those methods of communication and research given that he didn't use any of them to ask Damon Evans, "Why are you using a search firm to hire a basketball coach?" Instead, he wrote a long article stating that UGA shouldn't use a search firm, and "I have no idea how a search firm operates." His entire premise being that Bobby Knight is right there. Why do you need a firm to hire a guy that's just sitting right there.

If he really wanted to understand why we were using a search firm, he could've read his own newspaper. Last week Damon Evans outlined why he was using a firm stating:

Evans was asked why UGA chose to hire the search firm.

“They’re very reputable in the business,” he said. “They have a strong reputation for the amount of detail they put into the process, how they develop their searches, the people they’ve place, their background checks. They’re able to assist institutions in making a high number of high-level contacts in a short amount of time. And the manner and discretion with which they handle the process is very important.”

Or he could've read my site. Or this very thoughtful piece on Parker's web site that explains why search firms are used.

Or frankly, he could have just come right and said that he doesn't think Damon Evans is qualified to be athletic director at Georgia. Why hint around it? Just come right out and say, "If he doesn't hire Bobby Knight like I suggested, he's not qualified to be athletic director."

By the way, Furman Bisher is currently 90 years old so it makes sense that he wouldn't find any objection to Bobby Knight turning 69 before the start of next season.

How old is Bisher? His landmark interview of Shoeless Joe Jackson took place 16 years before Bobby Knight became the head coach at Army.

- - - - -- -
Update: As LadyQ points out on a hoops message board. It would probably help Bisher to know that his beloved Georgia Tech used the same search firm to hire Paul Johnson.

PWD

(ht - jimfromduluth)

Nice Weekend, Dawgs

It's been a struggle lately.  The end of football season left most of us feeling unsatisfied and two months of hapless basketball only made those feelings worse.  But, this past weekend should make you feel a little better.  Not only did the basketball team get a completely unexpected and inspiring win over the Gators, but Georgia's other teams performed well, too. 

The gymnastics team, men's tennis team, and women's tennis team all won and all remain undefeated.  The tennis teams both advanced to the ITA indoor national championship finals.  Jamie Hunt (left) upset Stanford's Bradley Klahn, a top 10 player, to lead the men.  The guys will play UVA at 1:00 PM today for the title.  The girls get #1 Northwestern at noon.  They upset #2 Cal to get to the finals.  You can follow the men's final here and the women's final here.  (Image: georgiadogs.com)

The #20 softball team won the Red & Black Showcase by bludgeoning the hand-picked competition.  They didn't give up a run the entire weekend and scored at least 8 runs in every game.  We'll see if they can keep this up when real competition arrives.

Plus, a promising baseball season starts Friday, when Youngstown State visits Foley Field.  Maybe the weather is breaking for Georgia.  If this weekend is any indication, it should be an exciting spring.

Quinton

Nice Weekend, Dawgs

It's been a struggle lately.  The end of football season left most of us feeling unsatisfied and two months of hapless basketball only made those feelings worse.  But, this past weekend should make you feel a little better.  Not only did the basketball team get a completely unexpected and inspiring win over the Gators, but Georgia's other teams performed well, too. 

The gymnastics team, men's tennis team, and women's tennis team all won and all remain undefeated.  The tennis teams both advanced to the ITA indoor national championship finals.  Jamie Hunt (left) upset Stanford's Bradley Klahn, a top 10 player, to lead the men.  The guys will play UVA at 1:00 PM today for the title.  The girls get #1 Northwestern at noon.  They upset #2 Cal to get to the finals.  You can follow the men's final here and the women's final here.  (Image: georgiadogs.com)

The #20 softball team won the Red & Black Showcase by bludgeoning the hand-picked competition.  They didn't give up a run the entire weekend and scored at least 8 runs in every game.  We'll see if they can keep this up when real competition arrives.

Plus, a promising baseball season starts Friday, when Youngstown State visits Foley Field.  Maybe the weather is breaking for Georgia.  If this weekend is any indication, it should be an exciting spring.

Quinton

Basketball Coaching Search Update

I was asked on Friday if Georgia could seriously land a coach like Sean Miller (Xavier), Jeff Capel (Oklahoma) or some of the other big names that have rattled around the edges of the process. My answer was "Yes. In a coaching search vacuum, Georgia could land a guy like Miller." (Image: Miller)

As I've said before, the problem is the other jobs that might open up. Here's an update on some of those situations:

• Arizona - The Wildcats are now riding a 7 game winning streak, and they are only two losses out of first place. Can Coach Pennell win enough to get the "interim" label off his door? I doubt it, but it's getting progressively more interesting to watch.
  
  
• Maryland - The Terps have won 3 of their last 4 games. If Williams wins the games his team should win, he'll stick around. As I said last week, that helps us in the Capel sweepstakes.
  
  
• NC State - Sidney Lowe is very much on the hot seat; however, his victory over GT on Saturday gives NCSU a winning streak of 3 of their last 4. The Wolfpack has enough winnable games on the back end of the schedule to get to 8-8 in the ACC. That would probably be enough to keep him in place.
  
  
• Pitt - Jamie Dixon is a hot commodity to fill a job like the Arizona gig if it should open. Sean Miller of Xavier would be their top candidate to replace Dixon.
  
  
  
• Missouri - If Coach Mike Anderson were to move to Alabama, that would open a slot here. Anderson is a Birmingham native, a former UAB Coach and former ARK assistant. He's the hottest name in Tuscaloosa right now. UNLV Coach Lon Kruger is a former KSU player and coach, and he coached at Illinois. He might be a great fit here due to ties to the region to replace Anderson. Kruger is one of the rumored candidates in Athens. (image: Anderson)
  
  
• Notre Dame - The Irish lost seven games in a row until thrashing #7 Louisville earlier in the week. In Coach Mike Brey's defense his team's losing streak consisted of games against teams currently ranked #7, 22, 1, 12, 4 and 6. He should win enough to keep his job given the strong results the prior two years. However, would Mike Brey start to look around now that the natives are restless? You would think Sean Miller at Xavier would be a top candidate in South Bend given that he currently coaches at a private, catholic school one state over. Brey was almost hired in Athens instead of Harrick. He would be a great candidate for our job.
  
  
• St. Johns - It's very likely that the St. Johns job will open up. They lack the financial clout to compete with UGA for a coach.
  
  
• DePaul - Looks to be on the express ramp to firing Coach Jerry Wainwright. He's currently 51-65 overall and 20-42 in the Big East. Another school that UGA can outspend.
  
  
• Texas Tech - Pat Knight has lost 6 of his last 7 games, and his overall record is 12-13. It looks like they'll struggle to do better than 14-18. How long will the Red Raiders put up with a guy that was essentially dumped on them by his daddy?
  
  
• Alabama - Obviously. Still rumored to be very interested in Mike Anderson at Missouri. He's currently 21-4 in Missouri.

So....can we get a guy like Miller? Yeah. But he's one of the prettiest girls in school right now. He can take any job he wants. That's probably one of the reasons why Damon Evans was rumored to have told boosters before the LSU game that the search looked promising, but we need to bear with him because it's not going to be easy. He was upbeat but realistic.

Did I miss any other openings? I could list Tech, but they are either too broke or too pig headed to fire Hewitt and eat his $7.1 million buyout.

See Also:
-- Secrecy key to search - ABH
-- Firms simplify search - ABH

PWD