The Steady Erosion of UGA Athletics?

The final NACDA Learfield Sports Cup rankings came out Tuesday and the news isn't good for Dawg people.  For those that don't know, the cup (it was once the Sears Cup, but is now sponsored by something called Learfield Sports) is the award for the best overall athletic performance by an NCAA athletic department.  Each school's score is based on a system of point allocations.  Points are given to each athletic program based on how their athletic teams finish in NCAA championships.  Each program gets to take their top twenty performing teams, ten teams of each sex.  Stanford, who fields an enormous amount of D-1 teams, always wins because they can usually pick twenty really good teams from their diverse portfolio.  UGA, in comparison, has only 20 athletic teams and riding horses doesn't count in the standings.

Across the conference, however, the criteria are fairly equal.  LSU has 19 sports teams and UF has 20, but one is women's lacrosse, which they haven't ever gotten points for.  So, of the three SEC athletic programs which are consistently in the top 15 in the standings, all have the same number of sports, 19.  

For the first half of the previous decade, UGA and UF were always fighting it out for the best SEC athletic program.  From 1999 to 2005, these two schools were in a constant battle.  UF held on to the conference crown in successive years only once.  Other than those two years, it was an alternating honor between the two schools.  LSU was a consistent third.

Since 2004, however, check out the trends:

That's disturbing for UGA as it illustrates a consistent erosion in overall athletic competitiveness.  This year's finish sees us outside of the top 15 for the first time since 1997.  Meanwhile, LSU has been on the opposite trajectory, rising for its first back-to-back top 10 finish.

So, what's the problem?  Could it be Damon Evans, who assumed the reigns of the UGA athletic department on July 1, 2004?  Or is that just a coincidence?  Damon inherited Felton (the basketball program has garnered points only once during the decline), Andy Landers had his worst year in a long time last season, and it was an odd year for the baseball team.  Most of this year's differential with LSU can be accounted for by two sports: track and basketball.  Every other UGA team is within the general area of their 2004 performance (baseball was #3 in 2004, but we did get points this year).  When UF and LSU are putting every team they have in postseason, UGA is going to fade fast with a couple of misses.  That's just what happened this year.

Any year you finish in the top ten is a good year.  This year's big drop isn't necessarily Damon's fault, but it should be a warning.  UF and LSU are demanding and getting excellence from every program they field.  We should do the same.  I hate for UGA to be second in anything.  I hate third even more. 

Quinton

The Steady Erosion of UGA Athletics?

The final NACDA Learfield Sports Cup rankings came out Tuesday and the news isn't good for Dawg people.  For those that don't know, the cup (it was once the Sears Cup, but is now sponsored by something called Learfield Sports) is the award for the best overall athletic performance by an NCAA athletic department.  Each school's score is based on a system of point allocations.  Points are given to each athletic program based on how their athletic teams finish in NCAA championships.  Each program gets to take their top twenty performing teams, ten teams of each sex.  Stanford, who fields an enormous amount of D-1 teams, always wins because they can usually pick twenty really good teams from their diverse portfolio.  UGA, in comparison, has only 20 athletic teams and riding horses doesn't count in the standings.

Across the conference, however, the criteria are fairly equal.  LSU has 19 sports teams and UF has 20, but one is women's lacrosse, which they haven't ever gotten points for.  So, of the three SEC athletic programs which are consistently in the top 15 in the standings, all have the same number of sports, 19.  

For the first half of the previous decade, UGA and UF were always fighting it out for the best SEC athletic program.  From 1999 to 2005, these two schools were in a constant battle.  UF held on to the conference crown in successive years only once.  Other than those two years, it was an alternating honor between the two schools.  LSU was a consistent third.

Since 2004, however, check out the trends:

That's disturbing for UGA as it illustrates a consistent erosion in overall athletic competitiveness.  This year's finish sees us outside of the top 15 for the first time since 1997.  Meanwhile, LSU has been on the opposite trajectory, rising for its first back-to-back top 10 finish.

So, what's the problem?  Could it be Damon Evans, who assumed the reigns of the UGA athletic department on July 1, 2004?  Or is that just a coincidence?  Damon inherited Felton (the basketball program has garnered points only once during the decline), Andy Landers had his worst year in a long time last season, and it was an odd year for the baseball team.  Most of this year's differential with LSU can be accounted for by two sports: track and basketball.  Every other UGA team is within the general area of their 2004 performance (baseball was #3 in 2004, but we did get points this year).  When UF and LSU are putting every team they have in postseason, UGA is going to fade fast with a couple of misses.  That's just what happened this year.

Any year you finish in the top ten is a good year.  This year's big drop isn't necessarily Damon's fault, but it should be a warning.  UF and LSU are demanding and getting excellence from every program they field.  We should do the same.  I hate for UGA to be second in anything.  I hate third even more. 

Quinton

Dawgs Land Running Back

UGA landed its eighth commitment from the month of June today as Ken Malcome announced his intention to enroll at Georgia ($ premium). Malcome (6'0" and 212 lbs) is described as a power back ($) with scholarship offers from Florida, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. If we are landing kids that UF, Bama and OU are chasing, that's all I need to know about the kid's "rating."

He is attends the same high school as T.J. Stripling (6'6" 210 lb. four star DE).

PWD

Dawgs Land Running Back

UGA landed its eighth commitment from the month of June today as Ken Malcome announced his intention to enroll at Georgia ($ premium). Malcome (6'0" and 212 lbs) is described as a power back ($) with scholarship offers from Florida, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. If we are landing kids that UF, Bama and OU are chasing, that's all I need to know about the kid's "rating."

He is attends the same high school as T.J. Stripling (6'6" 210 lb. four star DE).

PWD

Defending Tech's Option

TheBirdDog is a Navy football blog that understands and follows Triple Option football as good or better than anyone.  This week, he did a write up of last year's UGA vs. GT game.  It's sort of an autopsy of what went wrong, and it looks at how difficult Johnson's triple option is to defend.

He starts by pointing out that the Triple Option as run by Paul Johnson isn't the Wishbone of the '70s and '80s, and that's relevant because he believes that Willie Martinez used some old Dave Wannstedt concepts for defending OU's option.  Wannstedt was the Miami defensive coordinator when the Canes beat Nebraska and Miami by a combined score of 71-33 from 1986-1988.  Martinez was a defensive graduate assistant on the '86 Miami team working for Wannstedt.

Wannstedt's Pitt team lost to Paul Johnson's Navy in 2007 by a score of 48-45.  In other words, the writer's point that defending Johnson's option is different than defending the Bone is a valid point.  Although, I don't think we were using the entire Wannstedt script verbatim.

The link above includes some play by play videos with diagrams that show what went wrong or right for UGA.  It also shows opportunities for Tech to improve in running their offense next year.  After reviewing his videos and reading his article, I still come up with the same opinion.  Willie's strategy wasn't fundamentally flawed to some unworkable level like many Dawg fans think.  Was it without blemish? Obviously not.

But, watch those videos and focus on our safeties instead of the ball carrier.  What you'll see is epic fail.  You'll see our safeties running into blocks aimed at other defenders.  You'll see shoulder brushing nudges instead of tackles.  Long runs followed by horse collar tackles resulting in add-on 15 yard penalities.  When Willie benched one of the starting safeties for Bryan Evans, Evans performed ok.  But we didn't have the healthy depth at safety to bench the other starter.

You're going to have a tough time convincing me that the same DB coach that instructed Jermaine Phillips, Terrell Bierra, Sean Jones, Thomas Davis and Greg Blue suddenly forgot how to coach safeties.  At some point, the player simply has to want to deliver.

And in their defense, you don't get better at tackling by not practicing tackling for 2 months.  If Richt is really committed to tackling to the ground this season instead of going "thud" all year, we should look more competent defending the option.  With healthy young players providing some depth at Safety, we can also pull our starters before they are in total meltdown mode. 

Will we defend the option like LSU did with a month to prepare?  I doubt it.  But we can look better.

Tech will improve offensively as well.  But our team's tackling was so bad from mid-season to Thanksgiving that the opportunity for improvement defending the run in any form is extremely high.

PWD

(ht - Nathan)

Defending Tech's Option

TheBirdDog is a Navy football blog that understands and follows Triple Option football as good or better than anyone.  This week, he did a write up of last year's UGA vs. GT game.  It's sort of an autopsy of what went wrong, and it looks at how difficult Johnson's triple option is to defend.

He starts by pointing out that the Triple Option as run by Paul Johnson isn't the Wishbone of the '70s and '80s, and that's relevant because he believes that Willie Martinez used some old Dave Wannstedt concepts for defending OU's option.  Wannstedt was the Miami defensive coordinator when the Canes beat Nebraska and Miami by a combined score of 71-33 from 1986-1988.  Martinez was a defensive graduate assistant on the '86 Miami team working for Wannstedt.

Wannstedt's Pitt team lost to Paul Johnson's Navy in 2007 by a score of 48-45.  In other words, the writer's point that defending Johnson's option is different than defending the Bone is a valid point.  Although, I don't think we were using the entire Wannstedt script verbatim.

The link above includes some play by play videos with diagrams that show what went wrong or right for UGA.  It also shows opportunities for Tech to improve in running their offense next year.  After reviewing his videos and reading his article, I still come up with the same opinion.  Willie's strategy wasn't fundamentally flawed to some unworkable level like many Dawg fans think.  Was it without blemish? Obviously not.

But, watch those videos and focus on our safeties instead of the ball carrier.  What you'll see is epic fail.  You'll see our safeties running into blocks aimed at other defenders.  You'll see shoulder brushing nudges instead of tackles.  Long runs followed by horse collar tackles resulting in add-on 15 yard penalities.  When Willie benched one of the starting safeties for Bryan Evans, Evans performed ok.  But we didn't have the healthy depth at safety to bench the other starter.

You're going to have a tough time convincing me that the same DB coach that instructed Jermaine Phillips, Terrell Bierra, Sean Jones, Thomas Davis and Greg Blue suddenly forgot how to coach safeties.  At some point, the player simply has to want to deliver.

And in their defense, you don't get better at tackling by not practicing tackling for 2 months.  If Richt is really committed to tackling to the ground this season instead of going "thud" all year, we should look more competent defending the option.  With healthy young players providing some depth at Safety, we can also pull our starters before they are in total meltdown mode. 

Will we defend the option like LSU did with a month to prepare?  I doubt it.  But we can look better.

Tech will improve offensively as well.  But our team's tackling was so bad from mid-season to Thanksgiving that the opportunity for improvement defending the run in any form is extremely high.

PWD

(ht - Nathan)

Dawg Fans Will Get Four Years to Ogle Ogletree

So, I told myself that I was done with recruiting this year, but since Paul is away, coverage falls to me.  UGA's recruiting efforts have picked up this month starting with Da'Rick Rogers and has now totaled six more recruits.  The latest is another headliner: Alec Ogletree of Newnan ($ subscription required $).  Rivals ranks him as the top safety in the country and the #29 player overall.  He's 6-3, 210 and runs a 4.55.  The commit was a bit surprising because Ogletree hadn't given many indications of where he was leaning.  Be glad he was tilted toward Athens.

Judging by this video, he can move and isn't shy at the point of contact.  (Warning: the video's music contains naughty words.  If you're sensitive, turn your speakers down, but don't close your eyes.)

It was the second commit in as many days.  Yesterday Treasure Coast, Florida linebacker Deon Rogers committed to the Dawgs.  Unlike Ogletree, Rogers had virtually no other BCS school offers, which has disturbed the recruitniks.  Hey, the coaches saw something and the kid is really fast (4.48).  He will need to add some weight to his current 197 pounds to play SEC football, but if he can keep that speed and tackle well, we can use him.

Others have cynically pointed out that Rogers may have gotten an offer because he is boys with Jeff Luc, another Treasure Coast linebacker with considerably more acclaim than Rogers.  As in the No. 8 player in the country.  Luc has appeared wide open so far, but it can't hurt that Rogers is already in the fold and can talk the Dawgs up to Luc for eight months.

Quinton

Dawg Fans Will Get Four Years to Ogle Ogletree

So, I told myself that I was done with recruiting this year, but since Paul is away, coverage falls to me.  UGA's recruiting efforts have picked up this month starting with Da'Rick Rogers and has now totaled six more recruits.  The latest is another headliner: Alec Ogletree of Newnan ($ subscription required $).  Rivals ranks him as the top safety in the country and the #29 player overall.  He's 6-3, 210 and runs a 4.55.  The commit was a bit surprising because Ogletree hadn't given many indications of where he was leaning.  Be glad he was tilted toward Athens.

Judging by this video, he can move and isn't shy at the point of contact.  (Warning: the video's music contains naughty words.  If you're sensitive, turn your speakers down, but don't close your eyes.)

It was the second commit in as many days.  Yesterday Treasure Coast, Florida linebacker Deon Rogers committed to the Dawgs.  Unlike Ogletree, Rogers had virtually no other BCS school offers, which has disturbed the recruitniks.  Hey, the coaches saw something and the kid is really fast (4.48).  He will need to add some weight to his current 197 pounds to play SEC football, but if he can keep that speed and tackle well, we can use him.

Others have cynically pointed out that Rogers may have gotten an offer because he is boys with Jeff Luc, another Treasure Coast linebacker with considerably more acclaim than Rogers.  As in the No. 8 player in the country.  Luc has appeared wide open so far, but it can't hurt that Rogers is already in the fold and can talk the Dawgs up to Luc for eight months.

Quinton

Leaving on a Jet Plane

All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go.

You can't imagine how ready I am to blow off the next few days at work, here, at home, etc. Don't worry, I won't be hiking the Appalachian Trail, visiting my Argentina mistress, or paying my respects to Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett or Ed McMahon.

Although anyone my age and up should provide a moment of silence for that red one piece of Farrah's. And frankly, I think I'd get more street cred than I'd know what to do with if I had a mistress from Argentina or really any old country. But clearly, I digress.

I'm out. If Quinton or Dawgnoxious post, great. If not, there's always the rest of the tubes.

BTW -- Why did airlines do away with these uniforms? In my humble opinion, they are the very model of professionalism and commerce.

PWD

Leaving on a Jet Plane

All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go.

You can't imagine how ready I am to blow off the next few days at work, here, at home, etc. Don't worry, I won't be hiking the Appalachian Trail, visiting my Argentina mistress, or paying my respects to Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett or Ed McMahon.

Although anyone my age and up should provide a moment of silence for that red one piece of Farrah's. And frankly, I think I'd get more street cred than I'd know what to do with if I had a mistress from Argentina or really any old country. But clearly, I digress.

I'm out. If Quinton or Dawgnoxious post, great. If not, there's always the rest of the tubes.

BTW -- Why did airlines do away with these uniforms? In my humble opinion, they are the very model of professionalism and commerce.

PWD

Recruit Profile: Demetre Baker

Baker is the explosive, power hitting, undersized (waistline wise) four star linebacker from Jacksonville who committed to Georgia recently. The Florida Times-Union named him Boys Athlete of the Year.

The article talks about his plans to add 10-15 pounds before this coming football season. That would put him his 6'0" frame at 210-215 pounds. In other words, it's reasonable that he would be at least 220 pounds by the 2010 season.

The article also talks about his accomplishments including:
-- 4A State Champ - Shot Put (I think he's the two time champ)
-- 4A State Runner-Up - Discus
-- All Conference - Weightlifting Team
-- Times-Union's All-First Coast boys track and field athlete of the year

When I picture a championship caliber shot putter or discus thrower, I envision a guy shaped like Reese Hoffa. Not a guy like Baker. He's an impressive kid physically, and the Florida paper says his academics are in great shape.

PWD

ht - OldDog

Recruit Profile: Demetre Baker

Baker is the explosive, power hitting, undersized (waistline wise) four star linebacker from Jacksonville who committed to Georgia recently. The Florida Times-Union named him Boys Athlete of the Year.

The article talks about his plans to add 10-15 pounds before this coming football season. That would put him his 6'0" frame at 210-215 pounds. In other words, it's reasonable that he would be at least 220 pounds by the 2010 season.

The article also talks about his accomplishments including:
-- 4A State Champ - Shot Put (I think he's the two time champ)
-- 4A State Runner-Up - Discus
-- All Conference - Weightlifting Team
-- Times-Union's All-First Coast boys track and field athlete of the year

When I picture a championship caliber shot putter or discus thrower, I envision a guy shaped like Reese Hoffa. Not a guy like Baker. He's an impressive kid physically, and the Florida paper says his academics are in great shape.

PWD

ht - OldDog

Perno Talks Draft and Scholarships

Coach Perno talked about the impact of the MLB draft on the incoming baseball class today with 960 the Ref.  The short version is that he thinks stud C/1B Miles Head is likely to sign a pro deal instead of come to UGA, but he's probably the only guy we'll lose.  

Perno also discusses the new scholarship rules for baseball and his anger at the NCAA for telling them not only how much he can give but how he can give it.  I won't bore you with the details, but dividing 11.7 scholarships between an entire college baseball team is difficult.  It's more difficult with rules about how much of a scholarship you may allocate to players.  Perno might need a finance professor and a team of lawyers to field a team.

It's worth a listen.

Quinton

Perno Talks Draft and Scholarships

Coach Perno talked about the impact of the MLB draft on the incoming baseball class today with 960 the Ref.  The short version is that he thinks stud C/1B Miles Head is likely to sign a pro deal instead of come to UGA, but he's probably the only guy we'll lose.  

Perno also discusses the new scholarship rules for baseball and his anger at the NCAA for telling them not only how much he can give but how he can give it.  I won't bore you with the details, but dividing 11.7 scholarships between an entire college baseball team is difficult.  It's more difficult with rules about how much of a scholarship you may allocate to players.  Perno might need a finance professor and a team of lawyers to field a team.

It's worth a listen.

Quinton

Kickoff Time for UGA at Arkansas Announced

The kickoff times for the first three games of the 2009 Georgia Bulldog season have been announced.  The latest addition is the 7:45 pm (eastern time) ESPN or ESPN2 kickoff vs. Arkansas.  The other announced and confirmed times are:

UGA at Oklahoma State - 3:30 pm ABC
UGA vs. South Carolina - 7:00 pm ESPN2
UGA at Arkansas - 7:45 pm on ESPN/ESPN2 (TBD)

The other expected but unconfirmed start times are:

UGA vs. Florida - 3:30 pm CBS*
UGA at Georgia Tech - 3:30 ABC (I expect this)

We probably won't hear about the Week 4 home game against Arizona State until after the Oklahoma State game.  If we win in Stillwater, our ASU match-up might make the CBS slot at 3:30 pm.  If we lose, it should be a later game on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

See Also:
-- Jim's TV Projections - Anti-Orange Page


PWD
Georgia Sports Blog

*A CBS executive said publicly a few months ago that the next 15 UGA vs. UF games would air at 3:30.  They just haven't confirmed this particular season's game.

Kickoff Time for UGA at Arkansas Announced

The kickoff times for the first three games of the 2009 Georgia Bulldog season have been announced.  The latest addition is the 7:45 pm (eastern time) ESPN or ESPN2 kickoff vs. Arkansas.  The other announced and confirmed times are:

UGA at Oklahoma State - 3:30 pm ABC
UGA vs. South Carolina - 7:00 pm ESPN2
UGA at Arkansas - 7:45 pm on ESPN/ESPN2 (TBD)

The other expected but unconfirmed start times are:

UGA vs. Florida - 3:30 pm CBS*
UGA at Georgia Tech - 3:30 ABC (I expect this)

We probably won't hear about the Week 4 home game against Arizona State until after the Oklahoma State game.  If we win in Stillwater, our ASU match-up might make the CBS slot at 3:30 pm.  If we lose, it should be a later game on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

See Also:
-- Jim's TV Projections - Anti-Orange Page


PWD
Georgia Sports Blog

*A CBS executive said publicly a few months ago that the next 15 UGA vs. UF games would air at 3:30.  They just haven't confirmed this particular season's game.

Things I Learned to Hate in 2008-2009

Every year my hate meter fluctuates somewhat.  Not on hating the truly repellent things, like the University of Florida, Dennis Felton's "offense," or temperance.  No, the fluctuating hate is at the margins and often temporary, but it is still a quality vitriol.  Here are a few things I can't forgive for their actions last year. 

1. Alabama. - Some of you have always hated Alabama and will hate them forever.  I didn't really mind them too much until last year because we had beaten them in thrilling fashion during the Richt era and they were sometimes good for a crucial win over Florida or Tennessee when the East standings were tight.  This year's game set up perfectly for us: home night game, blackout, Bama showered bulletin board material at us, UF lost that afternoon, national television audience, USC lost earlier in the week, #1 was back in our grasp.  It had the feeling of a coronation in pregame warm-ups.  Then, this happened.  Total despair.  You won't endear yourself to me ever again, Bammers.  On a related note ...
2. Being #1 Before the End of a Season. - Georgia doesn't do well as #1, unless they are hitting forehands, riding horses, or doing somersaults.  Need proof?  Football started the season at #1 and produced one of the most disappointing seasons we are likely to ever produce.  Baseball was #1 before, and briefly during, the conference slate.  They ended the year with a 3-12 streak and didn't host a regional, which appeared to be a lock half way through the year.  Even the golf team, ranked #1 for almost all of the year, almost choked away a spot for match play day before falling in the final four.  If we are never #1 during a season ever again, I'm OK.  I'll wait until the end of the season for that ranking.
3. Rain - It makes the grass grow, sure, but rain really screwed us this year.  First, with the SEC Baseball Tournament title in sight, the SEC umps marched Alex McRee to the mound under heavy rain in Hoover and no hope of a break in the weather.  McRee gave up seven runs in the top of the first with water pouring off the bill of his cap.  Then, the umps called a four hour delay and we resumed play down 7-0 without McRee.  In the improved climate, LSU waltzed through the game and eventually took the title.  We were still trying to dry off.  It wasn't just baseball, though.  In the NCAA tennis quarterfinals, the Dawgs had just finished taking the doubles point from Texas when a long line of Texas thunderstorms soaked College Station and delayed play until the next morning.  Texas came out regrouped and ready.  The Horns got four singles courts in route to a 4-2 win, ending the season for UGA. 

Honorable mentions include: timeouts, Jeff Dantzler's designated driver, the Rally Rat, knee instability, and the inferno stadium bathrooms at Arizona State.

Any others that I should have listed?

Quinton

Things I Learned to Hate in 2008-2009

Every year my hate meter fluctuates somewhat.  Not on hating the truly repellent things, like the University of Florida, Dennis Felton's "offense," or temperance.  No, the fluctuating hate is at the margins and often temporary, but it is still a quality vitriol.  Here are a few things I can't forgive for their actions last year. 

1. Alabama. - Some of you have always hated Alabama and will hate them forever.  I didn't really mind them too much until last year because we had beaten them in thrilling fashion during the Richt era and they were sometimes good for a crucial win over Florida or Tennessee when the East standings were tight.  This year's game set up perfectly for us: home night game, blackout, Bama showered bulletin board material at us, UF lost that afternoon, national television audience, USC lost earlier in the week, #1 was back in our grasp.  It had the feeling of a coronation in pregame warm-ups.  Then, this happened.  Total despair.  You won't endear yourself to me ever again, Bammers.  On a related note ...
2. Being #1 Before the End of a Season. - Georgia doesn't do well as #1, unless they are hitting forehands, riding horses, or doing somersaults.  Need proof?  Football started the season at #1 and produced one of the most disappointing seasons we are likely to ever produce.  Baseball was #1 before, and briefly during, the conference slate.  They ended the year with a 3-12 streak and didn't host a regional, which appeared to be a lock half way through the year.  Even the golf team, ranked #1 for almost all of the year, almost choked away a spot for match play day before falling in the final four.  If we are never #1 during a season ever again, I'm OK.  I'll wait until the end of the season for that ranking.
3. Rain - It makes the grass grow, sure, but rain really screwed us this year.  First, with the SEC Baseball Tournament title in sight, the SEC umps marched Alex McRee to the mound under heavy rain in Hoover and no hope of a break in the weather.  McRee gave up seven runs in the top of the first with water pouring off the bill of his cap.  Then, the umps called a four hour delay and we resumed play down 7-0 without McRee.  In the improved climate, LSU waltzed through the game and eventually took the title.  We were still trying to dry off.  It wasn't just baseball, though.  In the NCAA tennis quarterfinals, the Dawgs had just finished taking the doubles point from Texas when a long line of Texas thunderstorms soaked College Station and delayed play until the next morning.  Texas came out regrouped and ready.  The Horns got four singles courts in route to a 4-2 win, ending the season for UGA. 

Honorable mentions include: timeouts, Jeff Dantzler's designated driver, the Rally Rat, knee instability, and the inferno stadium bathrooms at Arizona State.

Any others that I should have listed?

Quinton

Of Julio, AJ and Josey Wales

For lunch today, we're serving up a few links of interest.

• RollBamaRoll gets into a discussion of why / how Julio Jones' hype has by-passed AJ Green's hype.
  
  He makes a series of good points, but I think the most relevant two are (A) Knowshon shining star sucked the oxygen out of the room for many other players on the team (B) Bama simply had a better season. Did you know that AJ scored 8 TDs last year to Julio's 4?
  
  
• The Mobile Press Register goes preseason prediction surfing and points out the obvious...the Gators are pretty much the unanimous preseason SEC Champs. Realistically, how could they not be? The return of Jean Shorts Jesus and 22 of 22 players on the defensive two deep. Without sarcasm filled hyperbole, I think they do have a legitimate chance to field one of the greatest teams in college football history.
  
  Will they have the '92 Bama defense? No. Will they have the '04 Southern Cal offense? Probably not. But they are ridiculously loaded and experienced. The biggest obstacles facing the Gators in '09 are:
  1. Hubris - Arrogance and overconfidence could trip them up.
  2. Injuries - If The Tebow should get injured, they're totally and completely screwed.
  
  
• Blutarsky looks at the recruiting practices of the Miami Hurricanes. This story falls under the heading of "I don't believe I'd have admitted that."
  
  
• And lastly, Rex Robinson makes a bizarre comparison. He asks if the Bulldogs are "mad dawg mean." He talks about watching Josey Wales with the team before the '77 Bama game. He says:

  "...It’s at this point Josie spoke these now famous words:
  
  Sometimes when your backed into a corner, you gotta get mean; I mean plum mad dog mean!
  
  Well we as Dawgs, let out a yell in agreement with that sentiment. It was great!

  I agree with Rex. The program needs to get meaner, but really...I don't know that using the '77 team as a benchmark for anything is the best call. That team went 5-6 and lost to Bama the next day 18-10. Just saying. It helps to be good, too.
  

PWD

Of Julio, AJ and Josey Wales

For lunch today, we're serving up a few links of interest.

• RollBamaRoll gets into a discussion of why / how Julio Jones' hype has by-passed AJ Green's hype.
  
  He makes a series of good points, but I think the most relevant two are (A) Knowshon shining star sucked the oxygen out of the room for many other players on the team (B) Bama simply had a better season. Did you know that AJ scored 8 TDs last year to Julio's 4?
  
  
• The Mobile Press Register goes preseason prediction surfing and points out the obvious...the Gators are pretty much the unanimous preseason SEC Champs. Realistically, how could they not be? The return of Jean Shorts Jesus and 22 of 22 players on the defensive two deep. Without sarcasm filled hyperbole, I think they do have a legitimate chance to field one of the greatest teams in college football history.
  
  Will they have the '92 Bama defense? No. Will they have the '04 Southern Cal offense? Probably not. But they are ridiculously loaded and experienced. The biggest obstacles facing the Gators in '09 are:
  1. Hubris - Arrogance and overconfidence could trip them up.
  2. Injuries - If The Tebow should get injured, they're totally and completely screwed.
  
  
• Blutarsky looks at the recruiting practices of the Miami Hurricanes. This story falls under the heading of "I don't believe I'd have admitted that."
  
  
• And lastly, Rex Robinson makes a bizarre comparison. He asks if the Bulldogs are "mad dawg mean." He talks about watching Josey Wales with the team before the '77 Bama game. He says:

  "...It’s at this point Josie spoke these now famous words:
  
  Sometimes when your backed into a corner, you gotta get mean; I mean plum mad dog mean!
  
  Well we as Dawgs, let out a yell in agreement with that sentiment. It was great!

  I agree with Rex. The program needs to get meaner, but really...I don't know that using the '77 team as a benchmark for anything is the best call. That team went 5-6 and lost to Bama the next day 18-10. Just saying. It helps to be good, too.
  

PWD

Dawgs focusing on Tech and Florida

This is a good thing.

PWD

Dawgs focusing on Tech and Florida

This is a good thing.

PWD

You want personality?

Apparently, it was Warm and Fuzzy Week in the DawgNation. Lots of good human interest stories ran. Here's a recap:

• Katharyn Richt - She's going back to school to become a nurse. You know what I don't like about her? Nothing. Best First Lady ever.
  
  
• Marcus Washington - David Hale talks fatherhood with Marcus Washington. He has a Part II or Deleted Scenes for the story on his blog.
  
  
• DeMarcus Dobbs - The Macon paper talked with Dobbs about the need to put more pressure on QBs, and the staggering stat that our back-up DE was tied for #2 in interceptions.
  
  
• Howard and Zeier - It's official. They're the permanent football radio guys. The issue going forward will be naming the sideline and pre-game voices for football and the basketball voices. I'm guessing that Loren retires, and a guy like Buck Belue gets the sideline gig. Howard will obviously keep the basketball play by play job, but it'll be interesting to see who gets the basketball color analyst job. No inside knowledge here, but I wouldn't bet on Dantzler keeping that gig.
  

PWD

You want personality?

Apparently, it was Warm and Fuzzy Week in the DawgNation. Lots of good human interest stories ran. Here's a recap:

• Katharyn Richt - She's going back to school to become a nurse. You know what I don't like about her? Nothing. Best First Lady ever.
  
  
• Marcus Washington - David Hale talks fatherhood with Marcus Washington. He has a Part II or Deleted Scenes for the story on his blog.
  
  
• DeMarcus Dobbs - The Macon paper talked with Dobbs about the need to put more pressure on QBs, and the staggering stat that our back-up DE was tied for #2 in interceptions.
  
  
• Howard and Zeier - It's official. They're the permanent football radio guys. The issue going forward will be naming the sideline and pre-game voices for football and the basketball voices. I'm guessing that Loren retires, and a guy like Buck Belue gets the sideline gig. Howard will obviously keep the basketball play by play job, but it'll be interesting to see who gets the basketball color analyst job. No inside knowledge here, but I wouldn't bet on Dantzler keeping that gig.
  

PWD

Pictures from the Georgia Theatre Fire (Part 2)

All of these were taken by Doc Eldridge, president of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. Used with permission.






When you look at these, you really get an appreciation for our firemen.

PWD

Pictures from the Georgia Theatre Fire (Part 2)

All of these were taken by Doc Eldridge, president of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. Used with permission.






When you look at these, you really get an appreciation for our firemen.

PWD

Pictures from the Georgia Theatre Fire (Part 1)

All of these were taken by Doc Eldridge, president of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. Used with permission.











PWD

Pictures from the Georgia Theatre Fire (Part 1)

All of these were taken by Doc Eldridge, president of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. Used with permission.











PWD

Georgia Theatre "Engulfed in Flames"

Image: TheClassicCity.com

At approximately 7:00 am, Athens music landmark The Georgia Theatre caught on fire. As of 8:00 am there were 4 ladder trucks on the scene according to the AJC. As of roughly 9:00 am, the front facade, which is the most identifiable part of the venue, was still intact.

Update: Banner Herald image of the front of the building. That part looks good. Although, the roof is clearly gone.

I talked to Bryan Harris who was on the scene earlier, and he said it looked like the blaze wasn't spreading to other buildings. If they have good insurance, my guess is they'll come back better than ever.

The Fire from what looks like Broad at Milledge (Image: Chris' Camera Phone)

My thoughts are with the owners, but more so the firemen this morning. As Sully told me this morning, "if you have a pile of wood soaking in alcohol every night for decades (i.e. the floor of the Georgia Theatre), it's going to be pretty flammable."

If you see updated articles, feel free to post them below. Or if you want to discuss your best memories from the theatre. For me...the best concert I ever saw there was Paul Westerberg during the 14 Songs Tour. I also remember watching some of the Braves vs. Pirates games there in the '91 NLCS, and it was just total insanity in there during those games.

What's your best memory?

PWD

Georgia Theatre "Engulfed in Flames"

Image: TheClassicCity.com

At approximately 7:00 am, Athens music landmark The Georgia Theatre caught on fire. As of 8:00 am there were 4 ladder trucks on the scene according to the AJC. As of roughly 9:00 am, the front facade, which is the most identifiable part of the venue, was still intact.

Update: Banner Herald image of the front of the building. That part looks good. Although, the roof is clearly gone.

I talked to Bryan Harris who was on the scene earlier, and he said it looked like the blaze wasn't spreading to other buildings. If they have good insurance, my guess is they'll come back better than ever.

The Fire from what looks like Broad at Milledge (Image: Chris' Camera Phone)

My thoughts are with the owners, but more so the firemen this morning. As Sully told me this morning, "if you have a pile of wood soaking in alcohol every night for decades (i.e. the floor of the Georgia Theatre), it's going to be pretty flammable."

If you see updated articles, feel free to post them below. Or if you want to discuss your best memories from the theatre. For me...the best concert I ever saw there was Paul Westerberg during the 14 Songs Tour. I also remember watching some of the Braves vs. Pirates games there in the '91 NLCS, and it was just total insanity in there during those games.

What's your best memory?

PWD

Dawgly Headlines

Where to begin on a slow morning?

• Let's start with Kyle King launching a one man mission to have Erk Russell nominated for the college football Hall of Fame. Given that Kyle is now a member of the National Football Foundation, this isn't an unreasonable start to the process.
  
  
• Georgia inked an 8 year $92.8 million marketing and media rights deal with ISP Sports. Marc Weiszer wrote the only piece I've seen that really explains what the deal means to the fans. Here's the part that interested me:
  
  
  "Georgia will have a new media department of six to eight people that will ramp up the Bulldogs' Internet offerings at a redesigned georgiadogs.com. They will be employed by ISP.

  Fans "will see more robust content to be delivered via non-traditional mechanisms, whether that be through the Web or wireless and handheld devices. ... and mediums that schools are just starting to reach into the realm of," said Alan Thomas, Georgia's associate athletic director for external affairs."
  

• RollBamaRoll has the best photo caption dealing with Bill Curry's return to Tuscaloosa in 2010 as Georgia State Coach. That game will be the biggest mismatch since Mike Tyson fought Robin Givens. As my buddy TheHootersWhisperer points out, "BillCurryFliesCoach.com" is available as a great GSU blog name.
  
  
  
• The 2010-2014 men's and women's SEC basketball tournament sites have been announced. The Georgia Dome will host two of the next five for the men, and the Gwinnett Arena will host three of the next five for the women.
  
  
• The Dawgs helped out at Camp Sunshine recently. Here are some great pics of our players working and playing with the kids.
  
  
• And according to the photo on AJC.com/sports page, it appears that Evil Dick from Big Brother 8 has a younger sibling, and he is now the GM of the Falcons.

PWD

Dawgly Headlines

Where to begin on a slow morning?

• Let's start with Kyle King launching a one man mission to have Erk Russell nominated for the college football Hall of Fame. Given that Kyle is now a member of the National Football Foundation, this isn't an unreasonable start to the process.
  
  
• Georgia inked an 8 year $92.8 million marketing and media rights deal with ISP Sports. Marc Weiszer wrote the only piece I've seen that really explains what the deal means to the fans. Here's the part that interested me:
  
  
  "Georgia will have a new media department of six to eight people that will ramp up the Bulldogs' Internet offerings at a redesigned georgiadogs.com. They will be employed by ISP.

  Fans "will see more robust content to be delivered via non-traditional mechanisms, whether that be through the Web or wireless and handheld devices. ... and mediums that schools are just starting to reach into the realm of," said Alan Thomas, Georgia's associate athletic director for external affairs."
  

• RollBamaRoll has the best photo caption dealing with Bill Curry's return to Tuscaloosa in 2010 as Georgia State Coach. That game will be the biggest mismatch since Mike Tyson fought Robin Givens. As my buddy TheHootersWhisperer points out, "BillCurryFliesCoach.com" is available as a great GSU blog name.
  
  
  
• The 2010-2014 men's and women's SEC basketball tournament sites have been announced. The Georgia Dome will host two of the next five for the men, and the Gwinnett Arena will host three of the next five for the women.
  
  
• The Dawgs helped out at Camp Sunshine recently. Here are some great pics of our players working and playing with the kids.
  
  
• And according to the photo on AJC.com/sports page, it appears that Evil Dick from Big Brother 8 has a younger sibling, and he is now the GM of the Falcons.

PWD

Are You Experienced?

David Hale gets all charts and graphy in today's post about the returning experience in the SEC. Phil Steele would be proud of him; although, I'm sure the Man of Steele would suggest a smaller font size and removing the excessive white space.

One of his best points relates to examining offensive stats without recognizing the changes in offensive line. His point being the offensive line at UGA should improve enough to support an overall increase in production at UGA. While a team like Ole Miss may miss a beat without bruisers like Michael Oher securing Snead in a snuggly, womb-like cocoon of safety.

It's good reading. And while I'm on the topic of returning starters, I have to say I agree with a comment Buck Belue made a few weeks ago about Joe Cox. He's not Matthew Stafford, but right now I'd take him as the third best returning QB in the SEC. Most years....that's good enough.

PWD

Are You Experienced?

David Hale gets all charts and graphy in today's post about the returning experience in the SEC. Phil Steele would be proud of him; although, I'm sure the Man of Steele would suggest a smaller font size and removing the excessive white space.

One of his best points relates to examining offensive stats without recognizing the changes in offensive line. His point being the offensive line at UGA should improve enough to support an overall increase in production at UGA. While a team like Ole Miss may miss a beat without bruisers like Michael Oher securing Snead in a snuggly, womb-like cocoon of safety.

It's good reading. And while I'm on the topic of returning starters, I have to say I agree with a comment Buck Belue made a few weeks ago about Joe Cox. He's not Matthew Stafford, but right now I'd take him as the third best returning QB in the SEC. Most years....that's good enough.

PWD

More on Yesterday's Recruiting Commitments

Yesterday, the Bulldogs landed two more commitments from Michael Bennett (6'3" 185 lb WR with 4.55 speed) and Demetre Baker (6'0" 200 lb LB). Both articles premium $.

Bennett is a consensus three star wide receiver by both recruiting services while Baker is 4 stars from Scout.com, and he's not yet ranked by Rivals.com. Baker, a Jacksonville product, made his recruiting videos available to the various services about two months ago so he's just now getting reviewed by Rivals. The UGASports.com guys said they expected that he'd be in the four star range. I've said before that the star system doesn't do much for me, but they do make a reasonable frame of reference for guys like me that follow recruiting at an arm's length.

One of the UGASports.com guys suggested that comparing Bennett to Kris Durham (I guess because he's white) isn't fair. They offered a comparison to Massaquoi based on the way he looks attacking the ball in the air. I don't know if he's got the wheels of Mo Mass, but it's a nice comparison.

As for Baker, I don't issue a lot of gushing praise on recruits. Hell, I don't even discuss every commitment. But this kid's video is ridiculous. He's an explosive hitter who will embed his face mask into his opponent's liver. Baker is a player that Coach Van Gorder would describe as "arriving at the ball carrier with bad intentions." In the video he tackles a little high, but that's coachable. What isn't coachable is the natural explosion this kid shows and the eagerness to knock the hell out of someone. He's roughly the same size as Odell Thurman coming out of high school.

Good week for Richt and crew. Four of eight kids from the State of Florida. (Most of the above links are premium content)

See Also (free articles):
-- Georgia adds 2 commitments - ABH
-- Bennett commits to Dawgs - AJC
-- Bennett commits to UGA - ESPN
-- Border crossing. Four leave state for UGA - Orlando Sentinel
-- Bennett and Baker join Georgia - Chattanooga Free Press
-- The Afterglow of Benedict - AJC

PWD

More on Yesterday's Recruiting Commitments

Yesterday, the Bulldogs landed two more commitments from Michael Bennett (6'3" 185 lb WR with 4.55 speed) and Demetre Baker (6'0" 200 lb LB). Both articles premium $.

Bennett is a consensus three star wide receiver by both recruiting services while Baker is 4 stars from Scout.com, and he's not yet ranked by Rivals.com. Baker, a Jacksonville product, made his recruiting videos available to the various services about two months ago so he's just now getting reviewed by Rivals. The UGASports.com guys said they expected that he'd be in the four star range. I've said before that the star system doesn't do much for me, but they do make a reasonable frame of reference for guys like me that follow recruiting at an arm's length.

One of the UGASports.com guys suggested that comparing Bennett to Kris Durham (I guess because he's white) isn't fair. They offered a comparison to Massaquoi based on the way he looks attacking the ball in the air. I don't know if he's got the wheels of Mo Mass, but it's a nice comparison.

As for Baker, I don't issue a lot of gushing praise on recruits. Hell, I don't even discuss every commitment. But this kid's video is ridiculous. He's an explosive hitter who will embed his face mask into his opponent's liver. Baker is a player that Coach Van Gorder would describe as "arriving at the ball carrier with bad intentions." In the video he tackles a little high, but that's coachable. What isn't coachable is the natural explosion this kid shows and the eagerness to knock the hell out of someone. He's roughly the same size as Odell Thurman coming out of high school.

Good week for Richt and crew. Four of eight kids from the State of Florida. (Most of the above links are premium content)

See Also (free articles):
-- Georgia adds 2 commitments - ABH
-- Bennett commits to Dawgs - AJC
-- Bennett commits to UGA - ESPN
-- Border crossing. Four leave state for UGA - Orlando Sentinel
-- Bennett and Baker join Georgia - Chattanooga Free Press
-- The Afterglow of Benedict - AJC

PWD

Tailgating with the Vol Navy in Knoxville?

I personally think the Vol Navy is one of the cooler and more underrated traditions in the SEC, and I'd like to get a closer look at that signature Knoxville experience.

In the past, I think that I've seen Dawg fans with boats docked at Neyland Stadium alongside the Volunteer Navy. So my question is...how do I tailgate with some of you guys? I'll bring the bourbon/beer, and I'd be happy to document your boat's awesomeness on the blog for the rest of the SEC to behold, admire and/or covet.

Shoot me an email if you're interested in talking:
decaturdawg (at] hotmail (dot] com

Heck...if you're a good natured Vol Fan looking to show off your boat pregame, I'd like to talk with you, too. Especially if you're the owner of one of the larger boats.

PWD

Tailgating with the Vol Navy in Knoxville?

I personally think the Vol Navy is one of the cooler and more underrated traditions in the SEC, and I'd like to get a closer look at that signature Knoxville experience.

In the past, I think that I've seen Dawg fans with boats docked at Neyland Stadium alongside the Volunteer Navy. So my question is...how do I tailgate with some of you guys? I'll bring the bourbon/beer, and I'd be happy to document your boat's awesomeness on the blog for the rest of the SEC to behold, admire and/or covet.

Shoot me an email if you're interested in talking:
decaturdawg (at] hotmail (dot] com

Heck...if you're a good natured Vol Fan looking to show off your boat pregame, I'd like to talk with you, too. Especially if you're the owner of one of the larger boats.

PWD

If SEC Coaches were out of work....

John Adams of the Knoxville News looks at alternative, fictional career paths for current SEC Coaches if they had to go looking for work in other fields. Some of the answers are dead on...like Richt:

Mark Richt - The Georgia coach's calm demeanor would serve him well as a doctor. If you were diagnosed with a terminal illness, it would be better to get the news from Richt than any other football coach in the SEC (unless, of course, you would rather hear Nick Saban scream, "You're outta here").

The Lane Kiffin suggestion of "golf instructor" is dead on. Others are all over the map from funny (Les Miles and Dan Mullen) to head scratching (Spurrier as a judge?).

Nice lunch time read regardless.

PWD

If SEC Coaches were out of work....

John Adams of the Knoxville News looks at alternative, fictional career paths for current SEC Coaches if they had to go looking for work in other fields. Some of the answers are dead on...like Richt:

Mark Richt - The Georgia coach's calm demeanor would serve him well as a doctor. If you were diagnosed with a terminal illness, it would be better to get the news from Richt than any other football coach in the SEC (unless, of course, you would rather hear Nick Saban scream, "You're outta here").

The Lane Kiffin suggestion of "golf instructor" is dead on. Others are all over the map from funny (Les Miles and Dan Mullen) to head scratching (Spurrier as a judge?).

Nice lunch time read regardless.

PWD

A trip around the dial

Some headlines of note today:

-- The Banner-Herald provides more insight into the commitment of Brent Benedict (4 star OT) to UGA.

-- David Hale has an interview with incoming JUCO kicker Brandon Bogotay. The kid's story is going to be a pretty interesting one to follow given his relative newness to football.

-- Blutarsky looks at the OL maturity for 2009 compared to '07 and '06 in the context of Joe vs. Matthew.

-- Kyle King will appear on ESPN Radio out of Gainesville, FLA today at 9:25 am.

-- In baseball news, Trevor Holder signed with the Washington Nationals.

-- And in hoops news Jodie Meeks (UK) is staying in the draft.

-- And I also want to join David Hale and others saying that I will greatly miss DawgBone.net. The site was a tremendous asset to the growth of this blog. Hopefully, he comes back after some sort of sabbatical. Damn Good Dawg.

PWD

A trip around the dial

Some headlines of note today:

-- The Banner-Herald provides more insight into the commitment of Brent Benedict (4 star OT) to UGA.

-- David Hale has an interview with incoming JUCO kicker Brandon Bogotay. The kid's story is going to be a pretty interesting one to follow given his relative newness to football.

-- Blutarsky looks at the OL maturity for 2009 compared to '07 and '06 in the context of Joe vs. Matthew.

-- Kyle King will appear on ESPN Radio out of Gainesville, FLA today at 9:25 am.

-- In baseball news, Trevor Holder signed with the Washington Nationals.

-- And in hoops news Jodie Meeks (UK) is staying in the draft.

-- And I also want to join David Hale and others saying that I will greatly miss DawgBone.net. The site was a tremendous asset to the growth of this blog. Hopefully, he comes back after some sort of sabbatical. Damn Good Dawg.

PWD

Some recruiting nuggets

This and That on the recruiting front....

• Offensive Tackle Brent Benedict (6'6" 290 lbs) committed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs today ($ premium) according to Dean Legge of DawgPost.com. The Jacksonville star is listed by both Scout.com and Rivals.com as a four star prospect. He's the sixth commitment of the season so far with 4 of the 6 coming along the lines of scrimmage.

• I'm particularly excited about the athleticism in this class so far at defensive end. B.J. Butler's (4 star DE/Scout.com) high school coach lists him currently at 6'2" 255 lbs. He's most intriguing to me because he's athletic enough to play a little QB in high school ($). His background (not body type) reminds me of a thicker Boss Bailey coming out of high school. Boss came in at 6'3" 225 lbs after playing QB and Linebacker. I'm also pretty interested in seeing Jalen Fields (DE) on campus.
  

• On the uncommitted front, the player that most intrigues me is five star all-universe middle linebacker Jeff Luc (6'1" 250 lb / 4.57 40). By all reports ($), Luc had an awesome time ($) at the UGA camp, and it really opened his eyes to the opportunity in Athens. One of the weaknesses at Georgia the past few years has been the lack of a punishing, brutal hitter at the MIKE position. Rennie Curran plays with the sort of violence the UGA LB corps needs, but he's at the WILL. The last true connisseour of well crafted collissions at MLB was Odell Thurman (before coming a nut case) and Tony Gilbert. Luc is bigger than Odell and faster than Gilbert. Two of the easier ways to make Willie Martinez look smarter would be to add devastating edge rushers and a mauler at MIKE.*

Don't get me wrong, I'm intrigued by many other kids in state and beyond, but Luc...he's a kid that could transform the style of play and bring the violence back up to '02 and '03 levels.

PWD
Georgia Sports Blog

$ = Premium Content
* = Sorry to the DawgVenter I popped off to last week about Luc. He's a bad dude.

Some recruiting nuggets

This and That on the recruiting front....

• Offensive Tackle Brent Benedict (6'6" 290 lbs) committed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs today ($ premium) according to Dean Legge of DawgPost.com. The Jacksonville star is listed by both Scout.com and Rivals.com as a four star prospect. He's the sixth commitment of the season so far with 4 of the 6 coming along the lines of scrimmage.

• I'm particularly excited about the athleticism in this class so far at defensive end. B.J. Butler's (4 star DE/Scout.com) high school coach lists him currently at 6'2" 255 lbs. He's most intriguing to me because he's athletic enough to play a little QB in high school ($). His background (not body type) reminds me of a thicker Boss Bailey coming out of high school. Boss came in at 6'3" 225 lbs after playing QB and Linebacker. I'm also pretty interested in seeing Jalen Fields (DE) on campus.
  

• On the uncommitted front, the player that most intrigues me is five star all-universe middle linebacker Jeff Luc (6'1" 250 lb / 4.57 40). By all reports ($), Luc had an awesome time ($) at the UGA camp, and it really opened his eyes to the opportunity in Athens. One of the weaknesses at Georgia the past few years has been the lack of a punishing, brutal hitter at the MIKE position. Rennie Curran plays with the sort of violence the UGA LB corps needs, but he's at the WILL. The last true connisseour of well crafted collissions at MLB was Odell Thurman (before coming a nut case) and Tony Gilbert. Luc is bigger than Odell and faster than Gilbert. Two of the easier ways to make Willie Martinez look smarter would be to add devastating edge rushers and a mauler at MIKE.*

Don't get me wrong, I'm intrigued by many other kids in state and beyond, but Luc...he's a kid that could transform the style of play and bring the violence back up to '02 and '03 levels.

PWD
Georgia Sports Blog

$ = Premium Content
* = Sorry to the DawgVenter I popped off to last week about Luc. He's a bad dude.

Boise State's Indignation?

Boise State's Supreme Ruler
The little guys are once again demanding greater access into the BCS National Title Game. Last week, Boise State's president Bob Kustra talked about the inherent lack of fairness in the BCS system for non-power conference schools (ht - fanblogs). Here's the money quote:

"...you would think that when Boise State opens its football season against the University of Oregon on September 3, the dream of a national championship would beat in the heart of every player, coach, alumnus and fan. Instead, there will only be a faint pulse thanks to the constraints placed upon us by the BCS. An estimated 6,000 student-athletes play for football teams that have no realistic chance of competing in a BCS bowl, given the hurdles placed in the path of the non-BCS conferences and teams."

My retort back in April to this sort of rhertoric was "Shouldn't Cinderella have to Earn her place?" I don't care if Boise State does go undefeated this season. They still shouldn't get a shot at the National Title in 2009. If you only play one BCS opponent, that's not enough. No where near enough.

Boise St. Home Schedule:
Oregon
Miami (Ohio)
UC-Davis
San Jose State
Idaho
Nevada
New Mexico State

Boise State Away Schedule:
at Fresno State
at Bowling Green
at Tulsa
at Hawaii
at Louisiana Tech
at Utah State

They had the scheduling flexibility to add another quality opponent, but they elected to play UC-Davis (Div I-AA) instead. It's not like playing UC-Davis in front of 20,000 fans in Boise would be worth more financially than playing a BCS team on the road. So it wasn't a financial issue.

It's unlikely that Boise will play more than two teams next year that would be ranked in the Top 40, but Kustra thinks they deserve a shot at the big banana if they beat Oregon?

If I were to run 30 meters at the Olympics and then lay down on the track, I wouldn't be eligible for the Olympic Gold in the 100 meter dash. That's basically what Boise's schedule is. It's an attempt to declare greatness for an incomplete body of work.

Utah had a strong case for upward mobility last year. They beat Oregon State, TCU and BYU, and they played Michigan (it's not the Utes fault that UM stunk). All three of those teams were legitimate Top 25-30 caliber opponents. Utah was nothing like the sham Hawaii team from 2007. Were they good enough to hang with Florida or Oklahoma? I seriously doubt it. But at least they had an argument.

There's an argument from Boise that playing more tough competition makes it to difficult to make a BCS Bowl Game like the Fiesta Bowl. My argument...if you can't beat three BCS teams (or their equivalent Top 25 mid-majors), then what right do you have to the big BCS payouts? Much less the National Title Game?

PWD

Boise State's Indignation?

Boise State's Supreme Ruler
The little guys are once again demanding greater access into the BCS National Title Game. Last week, Boise State's president Bob Kustra talked about the inherent lack of fairness in the BCS system for non-power conference schools (ht - fanblogs). Here's the money quote:

"...you would think that when Boise State opens its football season against the University of Oregon on September 3, the dream of a national championship would beat in the heart of every player, coach, alumnus and fan. Instead, there will only be a faint pulse thanks to the constraints placed upon us by the BCS. An estimated 6,000 student-athletes play for football teams that have no realistic chance of competing in a BCS bowl, given the hurdles placed in the path of the non-BCS conferences and teams."

My retort back in April to this sort of rhertoric was "Shouldn't Cinderella have to Earn her place?" I don't care if Boise State does go undefeated this season. They still shouldn't get a shot at the National Title in 2009. If you only play one BCS opponent, that's not enough. No where near enough.

Boise St. Home Schedule:
Oregon
Miami (Ohio)
UC-Davis
San Jose State
Idaho
Nevada
New Mexico State

Boise State Away Schedule:
at Fresno State
at Bowling Green
at Tulsa
at Hawaii
at Louisiana Tech
at Utah State

They had the scheduling flexibility to add another quality opponent, but they elected to play UC-Davis (Div I-AA) instead. It's not like playing UC-Davis in front of 20,000 fans in Boise would be worth more financially than playing a BCS team on the road. So it wasn't a financial issue.

It's unlikely that Boise will play more than two teams next year that would be ranked in the Top 40, but Kustra thinks they deserve a shot at the big banana if they beat Oregon?

If I were to run 30 meters at the Olympics and then lay down on the track, I wouldn't be eligible for the Olympic Gold in the 100 meter dash. That's basically what Boise's schedule is. It's an attempt to declare greatness for an incomplete body of work.

Utah had a strong case for upward mobility last year. They beat Oregon State, TCU and BYU, and they played Michigan (it's not the Utes fault that UM stunk). All three of those teams were legitimate Top 25-30 caliber opponents. Utah was nothing like the sham Hawaii team from 2007. Were they good enough to hang with Florida or Oklahoma? I seriously doubt it. But at least they had an argument.

There's an argument from Boise that playing more tough competition makes it to difficult to make a BCS Bowl Game like the Fiesta Bowl. My argument...if you can't beat three BCS teams (or their equivalent Top 25 mid-majors), then what right do you have to the big BCS payouts? Much less the National Title Game?

PWD

NIKE Rennie Curran #35 Replica Jerseys

Nike Georgia Bulldogs #35 Red Replica Football Jersey
Nike has the new UGA football player jerseys available in our store. Some player numbers are available in red, black and/or white. So far, they've stocked #8 AJ Green happens to wear (red, black and white), #35 Rennie Curran (red), #4 Caleb King (red and white), #22 Richard Samuel (black) and #7 Orson Charles* (red). As always the player names aren't on the back of the jerseys.

You can also make your own NIKE replica jersey with the number and name of your choice on the back in white or red via the store. However, sizes are a bit more limited currently in those two options.

PWD


*yeah...I know. It was meant to be a Stafford jersey, but the name's not on the back. So now, it's an Orson Charles jersey. ;-)