Dear faithful and loyal readers who follow my writing even though I don't deserve it,
You guys have literally brought me to tears at times with your support, and that's a good thing. I can't say enough how often I've sat back and just been humbled when I get a nice compliment or a peer picks up an article I've written and thinks that it's worth sharing on their space of the internet. You would think that after six years of doing this, I'd get used to people, in large crowds or small, reading what I write. I can gladly say that I haven't yet, and I don't intend on it any time soon.
So, I hope you'll be excited for me and with me when I announce that as of today, I'm now an author at Dawg Sports. Now, Dawg Sports needs no introduction, because they are one of the preeminent blogs on University of Georgia Athletics. Not only that, but Kyle, who as you know is a co-host to The Dawg-gone Podcast, is good people. MaconDawg, who is also an author over there, is a fantastic read anytime, and those two guys are not only bringing me on, but a slew of other guys as well.
Why is Dawg Sports going from two authors to almost 10 overnight? Because Kyle is seeing the trend that I think all us bloggers are seeing in regards to the online aspect of the Bulldog Nation. That trend is not nearly a trend as much as it is a total change in how Dawg fans interact. Although you may not notice, we all talk to one another. We all respect each others' work, and especially in the case of some of the new staff Kyle is bringing on to help with Dawg Sports, it's not just the writers, but commenters who are adding to the experience. What Kyle is doing is creating a community where not only will us writers absolutely do everything we can to hit you with some of the best Dawg content on the web, but also do it in a way that invites the reader to interact at a high level. The work that Kyle and MaconDawg (along with others who have contributed along the way) speaks for itself, but man, I'm excited about this.
But it's you, said faithful and loyal readers, that have followed me from the old site to a (then) fledgling site called Bleacher Report, back to the old site, then to The Examiner, then back to the old site, then to Beyond the Trestle, and now to this new site. It hasn't just been you that have followed and supported me, but my peers in the blogging community as well, along with guys like those at The Dawgbone. They have updated my links without fail so that when you justifiably visit their site, you have a path back here.
So I want this transition to be as easy on you guys as possible, so here's a short list of things you need to know:
1. We're still working on the logistics of the move, but there will be some cross-posting, especially the podcast, on both sites. It will remain the Dawg-gone Podcast and it's still very much my podcast. Kyle has been totally clear with me that it's the way he wants it to be and that's the way I want it to be as well.
2. There will still be content posted here. I'll also post links to my articles on Dawg Sports over here so that you guys can see my stuff. As mentioned earlier, I've had a LOT of moves and when it doesn't work out, it's a big hassle to start everything back up. Now, I'm not saying this won't work out, because I believe this is going to be a home run, but just in case, I don't want to close up shop on this site just yet. This is uncharted territory for both Kyle and myself, so we're playing this all by ear.
3. I'm not sure what to do with the Twitter handle of The Dawg-gone Blog, but I'm not going to lose my personal handle any time soon. So, as always, you can find me at Ludakit on Twitter. I'll also be working under the author name of Ludakit on Dawg Sports, because that's how I roll.
4. Lastly, I have to take a second to tell you how excited it is to be joining SBNation. Over the years, they have figured out the power of the fan blog, have identified who the superstars are and snatched them up. Guys like those at Dawg Sports, EDSBS, And The Valley Shook, Shakin the Southland, Black Heart Gold Pants, Team Speed Kills, etc. have all solidified themselves as some of the premier blogs in the nation. It's exciting to be a part of a group like THAT.
So, thank you guys for putting up with another move --- again. My ultimate goal though is to constantly grow in doing this because it is a passion of mine. Another move, is worth it in the end. I was too excited at the opportunity to delay it.
Again, I hope you'll move with me once more. I'm just as ready to unpack all these boxes as you are.
Until next time kids (at Dawg Sports).
Be safe.
P.S. -- Olivia Wilde is still the site girl here and will STILL get ample FaceTime (that sounds so dirty) at Dawg Sports. She's absolutely coming with us, so never fear.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Tea Leaves
Yesterday marked the second scrimmage for the football team ($$$) (here's the AJC article if you want the free version) and we got what we should expect out of those kinds of things. There were no injuries to speak of, at least no new injuries, and it looks like the Offense fared a tad bit better against the Defense than they did the last time they scrimmaged. Other than that, here are some other tidbits from yesterday:
- Jakar Hamilton, who's missed nearly all of fall with what was thought to be a hamstring issue, is lost for the year after it was discovered he had a broken ankle. He will most likely redshirt and will be a fifth year senior next year.
- Isaiah Crowell and Richard Samuel saw no action in the scrimmage. One thing that I noticed was Richt's comment about Crowell was that he should definitely be ready by gameday. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but perhaps his groin issue is worse than originally thought? Being ready by gameday should be a no-brainer if it wasn't the big deal like everyone said.
- Rambo is still in some sort of jail in regards to the media and apparently playing time. Word is that he's been rotating out of his starting spot more and more and it looks like Sanders Commings will be the benefactor in the end. With Jakar Hamilton now out, Commings is probably a lock to stay at Safety, particularly with Branden Smith having a great fall. So, you're starting two until we hear a peep from Rambo should be Sanders Commings and Shawn Williams. I'd love to know what's going on with Rambo, but if the UGA coaches are avoiding the issue for whatever reason, then it's probably for the best.
- In better news, another word is that Alec Ogletree is going to show people this season how much of a natural fit he is at Linebacker. If I'm being honest, the guy is a natural football player and so the coaches made, in my opinion, an EXCELLENT call to put him there. I know the lion's share of the attention goes to Jarvis Jones and John Jenkins, but by season's end, my guess is that we are going to be downright giddy to know we have one more year of Alec Ogletree on the field.
- Some odd stats came out of the Wide Receivers today, with Troupe, Wooten and Mitchell all getting some decent yardage. I'm not sure if the other guys' stats were held back on purpose, but it's good to see the second group of pass catchers get a little bit of love on the field. Maybe we're not as razor thin with depth as we once thought?
- Finally, Orson Charles was cleared by the NCAA after being named in the Miami Death Machine that's going on down in South Beach. I never worried about this for a second, truthfully. From everything I've heard, Orson isn't that kind of guy and since he didn't sign with Miami, he never had the opportunity to be. Quickly about Miami, though; why is everyone so sure Miami's going to burn for this? You do realize we're talking about the NCAA, right? I don't care what the evidence says...WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NCAA.
Other than those nuggets, there wasn't much to expound upon. As long as we have somewhat healthy bodies and guys are progressing, I'm pleased. All that said, I know we need the practice time, but if I could go "toe meets leather" today, I would. I'm way too ready for football to start.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Dawg Gone Podcast Show 21
Hello again kids. We've got a LONG one on tap for you today (insert obligatory). As I say in the episode, I'm going to be on a short vacation next week, so there will be no show. So, in an effort to quench your Dawgly Thirst, there's almost TWO HOURS of stuff for you guys to listen to in this episode.
Now, I would never give you guys two hours of me talking. You'd never come back. So, here's our own "Dream Team" for this episode:
Gentry Estes -- Writer for Dawgs247.com.
Verron Haynes -- You know who he is, but if you don't (how dare you), here's a hint. By the way, NICEST. GUY. EVER. I can't wait to have him back and feel free to reach out to him via his website to see how you can help with The Verron Haynes Foundation.
T. Kyle King -- The Mariano Rivera of closing a show drops knowledge bombs on your brain stem (as he always does).
Finally, before I give you guys the link, the last show not only broke, but shattered, the previous record which had been the show after the Auburn game. I say this in the episode, but it's worth repeating here, we're either doing something right for you guys to help us grow, or we're doing something so drastically wrong that you're telling your friends so that y'all can laugh at us. Either way, thank you for listening, subscribing and passing along word about the show and the blog. I appreciate it more than you guys know.
Ok, on to the linkage:
Now, I would never give you guys two hours of me talking. You'd never come back. So, here's our own "Dream Team" for this episode:
Gentry Estes -- Writer for Dawgs247.com.
Verron Haynes -- You know who he is, but if you don't (how dare you), here's a hint. By the way, NICEST. GUY. EVER. I can't wait to have him back and feel free to reach out to him via his website to see how you can help with The Verron Haynes Foundation.
T. Kyle King -- The Mariano Rivera of closing a show drops knowledge bombs on your brain stem (as he always does).
Finally, before I give you guys the link, the last show not only broke, but shattered, the previous record which had been the show after the Auburn game. I say this in the episode, but it's worth repeating here, we're either doing something right for you guys to help us grow, or we're doing something so drastically wrong that you're telling your friends so that y'all can laugh at us. Either way, thank you for listening, subscribing and passing along word about the show and the blog. I appreciate it more than you guys know.
Ok, on to the linkage:
You can listen to/download the podcast on iTunes here.
You can listen to/download the podcast in MP3 format here.
You can email me about the podcast or blog in general here.
You can also stream the podcast in flash format at the bottom of the page.
One more thing, Resident Site Girl Olivia Wilde is still searching for a team to root for this college football season (at least in my mind, that's what she's doing). Make sure you contact her and tell her how we'd love to see her in Red & Black.
See? It's a great look for her. The dress that is...perverts.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
SEC Expansion Gets Giggity
Am I the only one not buying into all this Texas A&M to the SEC hype? I'm not saying that it's not going to happen, because I think ultimately it will. However, when you read things like this, it makes one realize that A&M is doing a lot more of the counting chickens than waiting for them to hatch. It's a pretty dangerous game that they're playing because noticeably absent from this conversation is anyone in an official capacity from the SEC, namely Commissioner Mike Slive.
My guess is, and I tweeted about this yesterday, that Slive is waiting for the whole plan of action to be formed before he goes and extends the formal invite to A&M. It's a given that A&M is the first piece of the puzzle, but they are certainly not the end game. If the SEC invites them, it'll try to achieve balance in the conference by either going to 14 or 16 teams. That means they're going to want to make sure they have a short list of candidates that should be no brainers to want to join. This list would include some teams from the ACC, and then teams from the Big East should the ACC ones all turn them down.
One thing I would suggest you won't see is FSU, Miami, Georgia Tech or Clemson on any list in joining. Tallahassee radio is saying that talk of the Seminoles to the SEC is heating up, but I think that's all speculation. I've heard that Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee have all decided that they'll vote together to keep their in-state rivals from joining. It kind of sucks because I think Clemson is a natural fit for expansion and the SEC, but I can understand the desire not to have your in-state rival now claim that they are an SEC team, which will help them in recruiting against you. Make no mistake, if any of those teams mentioned above join the SEC, they will take recruits away from the four SEC teams I mentioned above.
So, who becomes numbers 14 through 16? Word is names include Virginia Tech (I've read they're the SEC's first choice), NC State, North Carolina (unlikely in my opinion as they don't care as much about football and probably don't want to leave the prestige of ACC Basketball), Louisville, South Florida, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Yes, you read that correctly. Not only would the SEC take A&M, but it might also take other Big 12 (10) schools, essentially killing the conference and forcing Texas and their pompous attitude that started all this, into being Independent.
Now, this post is already long enough, but if the SEC does add A&M for 2012 and then no other teams until 2013, then the SEC West is the only one affected. If they add two teams, the East & West both get new teams, but whether those new teams are also the new ones to the conference depends on where those teams are located. If both are geographically west, then Auburn jumps to the SEC East and those two western teams go to the SEC West. If you add A&M and then an ACC team, then each division gets its own team and you go forward from there.
Ideally, whether you add two or four teams, you want to add an even number from the Big 12 and the ACC. That way you make the divisions as even as possible and don't screw too much up with traditional SEC East/West rivalries like Auburn/Georgia, Tennessee/Alabama and LSU/Florida. If you don't overload the West with western Big 12 teams, then Auburn doesn't have to slide over and the same goes for overloading the East with eastern ACC teams.
Ultimately, if you're an SEC expansion fan, you want to root for the conference to expand to 16 teams, include A&M, Oklahoma (or Oklahoma State), Virginia Tech and NC State. If that happens, revenue increases greatly, the best conference in the nation becomes the first super conference in the nation and no one is drastically hurt in their traditional recruiting grounds.
Sorry for the long post, but I had a lot a wanted to get out about this.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
My guess is, and I tweeted about this yesterday, that Slive is waiting for the whole plan of action to be formed before he goes and extends the formal invite to A&M. It's a given that A&M is the first piece of the puzzle, but they are certainly not the end game. If the SEC invites them, it'll try to achieve balance in the conference by either going to 14 or 16 teams. That means they're going to want to make sure they have a short list of candidates that should be no brainers to want to join. This list would include some teams from the ACC, and then teams from the Big East should the ACC ones all turn them down.
One thing I would suggest you won't see is FSU, Miami, Georgia Tech or Clemson on any list in joining. Tallahassee radio is saying that talk of the Seminoles to the SEC is heating up, but I think that's all speculation. I've heard that Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee have all decided that they'll vote together to keep their in-state rivals from joining. It kind of sucks because I think Clemson is a natural fit for expansion and the SEC, but I can understand the desire not to have your in-state rival now claim that they are an SEC team, which will help them in recruiting against you. Make no mistake, if any of those teams mentioned above join the SEC, they will take recruits away from the four SEC teams I mentioned above.
So, who becomes numbers 14 through 16? Word is names include Virginia Tech (I've read they're the SEC's first choice), NC State, North Carolina (unlikely in my opinion as they don't care as much about football and probably don't want to leave the prestige of ACC Basketball), Louisville, South Florida, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Yes, you read that correctly. Not only would the SEC take A&M, but it might also take other Big 12 (10) schools, essentially killing the conference and forcing Texas and their pompous attitude that started all this, into being Independent.
Now, this post is already long enough, but if the SEC does add A&M for 2012 and then no other teams until 2013, then the SEC West is the only one affected. If they add two teams, the East & West both get new teams, but whether those new teams are also the new ones to the conference depends on where those teams are located. If both are geographically west, then Auburn jumps to the SEC East and those two western teams go to the SEC West. If you add A&M and then an ACC team, then each division gets its own team and you go forward from there.
Ideally, whether you add two or four teams, you want to add an even number from the Big 12 and the ACC. That way you make the divisions as even as possible and don't screw too much up with traditional SEC East/West rivalries like Auburn/Georgia, Tennessee/Alabama and LSU/Florida. If you don't overload the West with western Big 12 teams, then Auburn doesn't have to slide over and the same goes for overloading the East with eastern ACC teams.
Ultimately, if you're an SEC expansion fan, you want to root for the conference to expand to 16 teams, include A&M, Oklahoma (or Oklahoma State), Virginia Tech and NC State. If that happens, revenue increases greatly, the best conference in the nation becomes the first super conference in the nation and no one is drastically hurt in their traditional recruiting grounds.
Sorry for the long post, but I had a lot a wanted to get out about this.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Where the Wilde Things Are
Hey kids. You'll remember about two weeks ago, I put out a contest where I wanted folks to answer a couple of questions for a copy of the Maple Street Press Bulldogs Kickoff 2011. Within that small set of questions was a request for folks to name their best choice for a new Site Girl for the blog.
You're welcome.
I'd say it was a close race, but it wasn't. Apparently Ms. Olivia Wilde is quite popular with the men and women folk alike. As Kerri described her, "I'm a girl, I'm married (to a man) but that is hotness right there."
To give you guys some background on Olivia (she's the Site Girl so we're moving to a first-name basis), here are a few facts:
- She has duel citizenship in the US and Ireland.
- Her parents have hung out with Mick Jagger.
- She's very charitable, as you can find out through her work with Artists for Peace and Justice, which supports communities in Haiti.
- She's a total liberal, which usually wouldn't fly here, but she's educated about her opinions. Meaning she's not liberal because it's the cool thing to do. She's convicted. Convicted is sexy. (However, CONVICTS are not sexy, FYI.)
- She's most widely known as "Thirteen" on House, but this blog has been a fan of hers since she was "Club Girl" on The O.C. We called her Club Girl because we really didn't care what her name was, but it was Alex, for what it's worth.
- She is a bit of an internet legend for being this geeky, hipster hottie with a good sense of humor.
- She loves independent music, although she thinks that the artists she likes were much better before you heard of them.
- Finally, she has no college affiliation that I could find, so the campaign begins now to turn her into a Dawg fan.
So there you have it. Although Olivia essentially won in a landslide, I would like to extend an honorable mention to "Pippa's Butt." The PB was also suggested by Kerri, who was very much on her game for recommending choices for Site Girls. Other suggestions by contestants were for Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Jessica Alba and Emmanuel Chriqui (Sloan from Entourage).
Finally, I'd like to give a special sendoff to Keira Knightley. She's been a fantastic Site Girl since the original site began and our love for her is immense. She'll always be our first and they can't take that away from us.
You're welcome. Again.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Dawg-gone Podcast Show 20
Hello again kids! I say it a whole bunch in the podcast, but I'm really excited to bring this one to you. We've got T. Kyle King with Dawgsports.com on and he absolutely gets me fired up for football season with a great discussion on UGA's defense, the Dream Team's lack of headlines, and why the butt is the most important muscle on the field.
I won't bore you with a longer post than necessary, but one thing pointed out over Twitter by my buddy Jason was that maybe some of you guys would like to submit some questions for Kyle, myself and anyone else we might have on the show. So, please, I encourage you to use the email link below to ask me anything for an upcoming show and I'll make sure we address it.
So, in keeping the promise of keeping this post short, let's get right to the links.
I won't bore you with a longer post than necessary, but one thing pointed out over Twitter by my buddy Jason was that maybe some of you guys would like to submit some questions for Kyle, myself and anyone else we might have on the show. So, please, I encourage you to use the email link below to ask me anything for an upcoming show and I'll make sure we address it.
So, in keeping the promise of keeping this post short, let's get right to the links.
You can listen to/download the podcast on iTunes here.
You can listen to/download the podcast in MP3 format here.
You can email me about the podcast or blog in general here.
You can also stream the podcast in flash format at the bottom of the page.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Letters to Boise State
Hello again, kids. I've had some things rattle around in my head that I needed to get out regarding the Boise State game, and I figured that it'd be best to just put them down in a series I'd like to call "Letters to Boise State."
Fair warning, they may be cheesy, long, and there may be multiple ones. Truth be told, they may all say the same thing, but if I don't get them out, it'll drive me crazy. It's like someone gave me this little idea through Inception, but not at all like what I just said. Make sense? It's OK. I don't get it, either.
Dear Boise State,
Hi. We haven't met and we never will. The reason is because although I may meet a few of you leading up to September 3rd, I won't meet all of you and this letter is to everyone. So, try as you might to find me and set me straight in what I'm about to say, just know that very few of you will actually do it.
I have a problem with you, BS. I hope you don't mind me referring to you as "BS" for this letter. Surely you trust that the shortened version of your name isn't some kind of suggestive play on initials on my part. I'd venture to say NO ONE thinks of "Bull Sh*t" when they see BS in this post. They're thinking "Boise State...that's the team we play in September." Yep. That's it.
The reason I'm writing you today is because I saw this piece detailing your strengths heading into 2011 by your one team blog "One Bronco Nation Under God." While I agree with OBNUG that you're a good team, there's no point in me going further than that. If you want me to break it down clearly for you, you're high off your collective asses if you think that there are no weaknesses on your team.
Let's just take a look at what College Football News says about your team. I picked them out randomly because Pete Fiutak puts a positive spin on BS and there's some nice statistics for me to pull from there as well. I figured if I can find flaws in a positive article, then the flaws do indeed exist.
Fiutak swears up and down that it's time for America to believe BS is a good team and I think he is exactly right. In fact, us Georgia folks could learn a thing or two about respecting what your coach has done with the talent he has on hand. If there's a better coach in America that puts guys in the places they need to be in order to be successful, then I'd love to have him pointed out to me.
However, it's the ON PAPER stuff that's killing me. Let's take a look at your Offensive Line. It's projected as a strength, but you have ONE guy tipping the scale at 300 lbs. ONE. Just as a point of reference, we run a 3-4, meaning we'd have to put two linebackers on the line to go hat-for-hat with yours. If we did that, we'd still outweigh the line by 23 lbs. That may not seem like much difference, but remember, there are two LINEBACKERS that go into that equation. If you'd like another point of reference, every single one of our front three guys outweigh the man they'll be going against. The Nose Tackle (whether it be Jenkins or Geathers) will at least outweigh anyone on your line by 50 lbs.
Let's look at the other trench. The combined weight across our Offensive Line outweighs your front four plus your heaviest linebacker (Senior Byron Hout...a very good player) by 312 lbs. If you want to look at it another way, you could add your biggest offensive lineman at 300 lbs. and still be short.
The size difference between us and you guys is ridiculous. Now, I know that you're going to scream about scheme for a second, so let me go ahead and address that, too. Our goal is to play grind it out football with you. We don't want to get tricky. We have full confidence that if we go hat-on-hat with you, that we'll beat you. Why? Because Volvos don't beat Mack Trucks. They just survive the crash. We know that being smaller means being faster. What we're hoping on is that we're quick enough to get hands on you, because if THAT happens, you're be getting out of our way, whether you like it or not.
Didn't you also lose your two best Wide Receivers in the offseason? Yep. You did.
You're still a very good team, though. You have a great QB and everyone raves about your scheme, but they forget how good you are at running the ball. You're pretty decent at it. You do have an athletic, albeit smaller, Offensive Line. That works for you, and that's great. You have a quick, swarming Defense that's been really good the past few years at getting after the opposing teams QB.
You also hang half a hundred on everyone you play because of two reasons (and they're counterproductive to one another). The first reason states that you have to blow them out because if you don't, you won't get the respect nationally from people who don't watch football at 11:00 PM on Friday nights. The second reason you put up 50+ on everyone is because the teams you normally play suck. That's why one loss (Hi Nevada!) drops you from Champ to Chump. But let's not talk about schedules, because that has no bearing on this game, right? Right.
I'm sure I'll get more writing in later about this, BS, in the coming days as you talk more smack over and over again. You're getting mighty confident for a team that still hangs its hat on beating Oklahoma. You do know that was five years ago, right? The unfortunate thing is you can't seem to remember when we beat you like you stole something six years ago. Here's the video. My favorite part? Go to about 3:00...
And don't give me that crap that "Oh that was Dan Hawkins! We have ChrisPeterson Petersen (H/T to commenter DVac for pointing that out) now!" Well just "blahbiggityblahblah." You should thank your lucky stars for Dan Hawkins. If he hadn't built BS up to begin with, you'd never be where you are now.
See, BS, we HAVE to beat you. We're doing it for ourselves, but also for the SEC. You think you'd be Alabama? Florida? LSU? Arkansas? Maybe even Tennessee? I don't know if you could. So it ain't about you. It's about us having to do it so no one else tells us that we should have. Losing to you is like getting a curable STD. It doesn't matter if the antibiotics took it away, you still got it at some point and you'll always be labeled that way. It's WAY worse to lose to you than it is to beat you. We get nothing for beating you. No one gives you a high five when you didn't sleep with the girl that had an STD. Why? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SLEEP WITH A GIRL WHO HAS AN STD.
You're an STD. A big potato STD. Poterpes. Spudmydia. I don't care what you call it. That's what you are and that's what you have. Even if we lose to you and run the table, you can bathe in AJAX and not take off the stench of the loss.
We'll communicate more in the coming weeks, but for right now, just remember one thing. You're the girl with the STD and we don't want to sleep with you.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Fair warning, they may be cheesy, long, and there may be multiple ones. Truth be told, they may all say the same thing, but if I don't get them out, it'll drive me crazy. It's like someone gave me this little idea through Inception, but not at all like what I just said. Make sense? It's OK. I don't get it, either.
Dear Boise State,
Hi. We haven't met and we never will. The reason is because although I may meet a few of you leading up to September 3rd, I won't meet all of you and this letter is to everyone. So, try as you might to find me and set me straight in what I'm about to say, just know that very few of you will actually do it.
I have a problem with you, BS. I hope you don't mind me referring to you as "BS" for this letter. Surely you trust that the shortened version of your name isn't some kind of suggestive play on initials on my part. I'd venture to say NO ONE thinks of "Bull Sh*t" when they see BS in this post. They're thinking "Boise State...that's the team we play in September." Yep. That's it.
The reason I'm writing you today is because I saw this piece detailing your strengths heading into 2011 by your one team blog "One Bronco Nation Under God." While I agree with OBNUG that you're a good team, there's no point in me going further than that. If you want me to break it down clearly for you, you're high off your collective asses if you think that there are no weaknesses on your team.
Let's just take a look at what College Football News says about your team. I picked them out randomly because Pete Fiutak puts a positive spin on BS and there's some nice statistics for me to pull from there as well. I figured if I can find flaws in a positive article, then the flaws do indeed exist.
Fiutak swears up and down that it's time for America to believe BS is a good team and I think he is exactly right. In fact, us Georgia folks could learn a thing or two about respecting what your coach has done with the talent he has on hand. If there's a better coach in America that puts guys in the places they need to be in order to be successful, then I'd love to have him pointed out to me.
However, it's the ON PAPER stuff that's killing me. Let's take a look at your Offensive Line. It's projected as a strength, but you have ONE guy tipping the scale at 300 lbs. ONE. Just as a point of reference, we run a 3-4, meaning we'd have to put two linebackers on the line to go hat-for-hat with yours. If we did that, we'd still outweigh the line by 23 lbs. That may not seem like much difference, but remember, there are two LINEBACKERS that go into that equation. If you'd like another point of reference, every single one of our front three guys outweigh the man they'll be going against. The Nose Tackle (whether it be Jenkins or Geathers) will at least outweigh anyone on your line by 50 lbs.
Let's look at the other trench. The combined weight across our Offensive Line outweighs your front four plus your heaviest linebacker (Senior Byron Hout...a very good player) by 312 lbs. If you want to look at it another way, you could add your biggest offensive lineman at 300 lbs. and still be short.
The size difference between us and you guys is ridiculous. Now, I know that you're going to scream about scheme for a second, so let me go ahead and address that, too. Our goal is to play grind it out football with you. We don't want to get tricky. We have full confidence that if we go hat-on-hat with you, that we'll beat you. Why? Because Volvos don't beat Mack Trucks. They just survive the crash. We know that being smaller means being faster. What we're hoping on is that we're quick enough to get hands on you, because if THAT happens, you're be getting out of our way, whether you like it or not.
Didn't you also lose your two best Wide Receivers in the offseason? Yep. You did.
You're still a very good team, though. You have a great QB and everyone raves about your scheme, but they forget how good you are at running the ball. You're pretty decent at it. You do have an athletic, albeit smaller, Offensive Line. That works for you, and that's great. You have a quick, swarming Defense that's been really good the past few years at getting after the opposing teams QB.
You also hang half a hundred on everyone you play because of two reasons (and they're counterproductive to one another). The first reason states that you have to blow them out because if you don't, you won't get the respect nationally from people who don't watch football at 11:00 PM on Friday nights. The second reason you put up 50+ on everyone is because the teams you normally play suck. That's why one loss (Hi Nevada!) drops you from Champ to Chump. But let's not talk about schedules, because that has no bearing on this game, right? Right.
I'm sure I'll get more writing in later about this, BS, in the coming days as you talk more smack over and over again. You're getting mighty confident for a team that still hangs its hat on beating Oklahoma. You do know that was five years ago, right? The unfortunate thing is you can't seem to remember when we beat you like you stole something six years ago. Here's the video. My favorite part? Go to about 3:00...
And don't give me that crap that "Oh that was Dan Hawkins! We have Chris
See, BS, we HAVE to beat you. We're doing it for ourselves, but also for the SEC. You think you'd be Alabama? Florida? LSU? Arkansas? Maybe even Tennessee? I don't know if you could. So it ain't about you. It's about us having to do it so no one else tells us that we should have. Losing to you is like getting a curable STD. It doesn't matter if the antibiotics took it away, you still got it at some point and you'll always be labeled that way. It's WAY worse to lose to you than it is to beat you. We get nothing for beating you. No one gives you a high five when you didn't sleep with the girl that had an STD. Why? BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SLEEP WITH A GIRL WHO HAS AN STD.
You're an STD. A big potato STD. Poterpes. Spudmydia. I don't care what you call it. That's what you are and that's what you have. Even if we lose to you and run the table, you can bathe in AJAX and not take off the stench of the loss.
We'll communicate more in the coming weeks, but for right now, just remember one thing. You're the girl with the STD and we don't want to sleep with you.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Dawg-gone Podcast Show #19
Hello again kids. Flying solo for Show #19. I went and did some work over the weekend and totally forgot it was Monday and time to record, so I asked The Mayor a little too late for him to work it into his schedule. Never fear, though, T. Kyle's going to join me again soon and hopefully as early as next week. Although, my fiancé's cat decided to make her presence known a couple of times while I was recording, so when you hear her in the background, don't be surprised.
No earth-shattering news in this episode. I just decided to talk a little bit about practice starting, my thoughts on what the offense could possibly look like this year, why I think we'll be better-than-good in the WR corps (even though I have no idea who "Marlon Byrd" is) and I gave some other sites (and podcasts!) some love that I think you should read/listen to because during this time of year, there is no such thing as "too much information."
Oh, and I close the show this time around with the updated Kayne West's "Stronger" with calls from 2010. I already posted about this tune earlier in July, but I really just like the tune and I like that it's been updated. So, enjoy that as well.
You can listen to/download the podcast on iTunes here.
You can listen to/download the podcast in MP3 format here.
You can email me about the podcast or blog in general here.
You can also stream the podcast in flash format at the bottom of the page.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Contest Results
Hello again, kids. First, I want to thank everyone for submitting to the contest to win a free issue of the Maple Street Press Bulldogs Kickoff 2011 Issue. In the end, my warm heart couldn't decide on just one, so we have two winners.
Those people are Chris H. from Las Vegas, Nevada and Kerri L. from New York (the city AND state). Here are some of their answers that put them over the top (I've shortened them some to give you the gist of it):
1. Mark Richt will lead this team to "X" victories this year.
Chris: Mark Richt will lead this team to 10 victories this year. I realize we have some big questions, however as I look over the schedule I really feel like we have a good chance in every game.
Kerri: 11-3 (lose SEC champ game, win a bowl game) (Editor's Note: Kerri's big on brevity).
2. We will lose to "X."
Chris: We will lose to "Florida" and "Boise State". You know how much it kills me to type that?! My faith in big opening games just isn't there which is why I worry about the Boise game. Florida... A little piece of me dies as I watch our Dawgs give the games away. If I always doubt a victory here it hurts a little less.
Kerri: Boise, Mississippi State, SEC West Champ* (*I'm going with Mississippi State because if we lose to the Gaytors again, even with the bye week, I may not make it through another season.)
3. The new site girl for the Dawg-gone Blog should be "X" because...
Chris: While I am not her biggest fan, she seems to be in just about everything coming out of Hollywood lately. Apparently people like her. (Editor's Note: LOGIC!)
Kerri: Torn between Pippa's butt (Editor's Note: emphasis added) and Olivia Wilde. If I have to choose one, I go for Olivia Wilde because of this:http://extratv.warnerbros.com/images/news/0727/olivia-wilde2.jpg I'm a girl, I'm married (to a man) but that is hotness right there.
So there you have it, kids. Now you see why I had to have two winners. Both made extremely valid points, and Kerri got a late surge by adding in Pippa's butt. Well played, madam.
Oh, and while I'm talking about that, Ms. Wilde is very active on the Twittah's so I'm going to let this Cowboys & Aliens thing settle down a bit and then reach out to her to see if she'd like to have a college team for which to root. We'll see how that goes and if it results in me staying 500 yards away from stuff.
Copies will be going out to each of them in the next week (though I may hand deliver mine to Chris because I'll be out in Vegas in late August). Congrats to them both, thank you guys for participating, thanks to everyone else who participated and thanks to you all for reading!
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Those people are Chris H. from Las Vegas, Nevada and Kerri L. from New York (the city AND state). Here are some of their answers that put them over the top (I've shortened them some to give you the gist of it):
1. Mark Richt will lead this team to "X" victories this year.
Chris: Mark Richt will lead this team to 10 victories this year. I realize we have some big questions, however as I look over the schedule I really feel like we have a good chance in every game.
Kerri: 11-3 (lose SEC champ game, win a bowl game) (Editor's Note: Kerri's big on brevity).
2. We will lose to "X."
Chris: We will lose to "Florida" and "Boise State". You know how much it kills me to type that?! My faith in big opening games just isn't there which is why I worry about the Boise game. Florida... A little piece of me dies as I watch our Dawgs give the games away. If I always doubt a victory here it hurts a little less.
Kerri: Boise, Mississippi State, SEC West Champ* (*I'm going with Mississippi State because if we lose to the Gaytors again, even with the bye week, I may not make it through another season.)
3. The new site girl for the Dawg-gone Blog should be "X" because...
Chris: While I am not her biggest fan, she seems to be in just about everything coming out of Hollywood lately. Apparently people like her. (Editor's Note: LOGIC!)
Kerri: Torn between Pippa's butt (Editor's Note: emphasis added) and Olivia Wilde. If I have to choose one, I go for Olivia Wilde because of this:http://extratv.warnerbros.com/images/news/0727/olivia-wilde2.jpg I'm a girl, I'm married (to a man) but that is hotness right there.
So there you have it, kids. Now you see why I had to have two winners. Both made extremely valid points, and Kerri got a late surge by adding in Pippa's butt. Well played, madam.
Oh, and while I'm talking about that, Ms. Wilde is very active on the Twittah's so I'm going to let this Cowboys & Aliens thing settle down a bit and then reach out to her to see if she'd like to have a college team for which to root. We'll see how that goes and if it results in me staying 500 yards away from stuff.
Copies will be going out to each of them in the next week (though I may hand deliver mine to Chris because I'll be out in Vegas in late August). Congrats to them both, thank you guys for participating, thanks to everyone else who participated and thanks to you all for reading!
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
A Contest for the Calm Before the Storm
I was going to announce this on my personal Twitter account for my 8,000 tweet yesterday, but I got a small virus and that took precedence over doing any kind of contest. However, that's hopefully been fixed and so we can continue.
You guys might remember that not too long ago, I announced my participation in the Dawgs Kickoff 2011 Issue published by Maple Street Press. The Mayor T. Kyle King headed up the project and after I received my advanced copy, I realized what an EXCELLENT job he did in getting great writers to contribute fantastic articles.
The Bulldogs Issue for the MSP is a relatively new thing and I am of the mindset that if you've been a regular reader of Athlon, Lindys or otherwise, you'll enjoy this magazine. It has a distinct Georgia bias without ignoring the facts of what this team faces in 2011.
So how do you get a copy? Well, if you want to go pick up your own, you can go to any Barnes & Noble, Target or Wal-Mart newsstand. They should have copies there. If they don't, ask them to order some, or you can go to the Maple Street Press site and order your own.
But that's not why you're here. You're here to WIN a copy that I'll pay for and have mailed to you. I don't want to make this a random drawing or anything, so you will have to dig into your Bulldog conscious to win. I want you to email me at dawggoneblog [at] gmail [dot] com your answers to these questions:
1. Mark Richt will lead this team to "X" victories this year.
2. We will lose to "X" (may be more than one X).
3. The new site girl for the Dawg-gone Blog should be "X" because...
It doesn't have to be terribly long. I'd prefer it not to be, actually. Just keep it creative. It's going to allow me to keep a good pulse on what my readers are thinking and I'll reward the winner with the magazine issue and republish their post here. I'm not sure I'll make their suggestion the new site girl, but she will definitely be under consideration. I'd love to keep Keira around, but it's time for change.
Looking forward to the answers. You have until Friday morning. I should announce the winner Friday evening and order the magazine Monday.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
You guys might remember that not too long ago, I announced my participation in the Dawgs Kickoff 2011 Issue published by Maple Street Press. The Mayor T. Kyle King headed up the project and after I received my advanced copy, I realized what an EXCELLENT job he did in getting great writers to contribute fantastic articles.
The Bulldogs Issue for the MSP is a relatively new thing and I am of the mindset that if you've been a regular reader of Athlon, Lindys or otherwise, you'll enjoy this magazine. It has a distinct Georgia bias without ignoring the facts of what this team faces in 2011.
So how do you get a copy? Well, if you want to go pick up your own, you can go to any Barnes & Noble, Target or Wal-Mart newsstand. They should have copies there. If they don't, ask them to order some, or you can go to the Maple Street Press site and order your own.
But that's not why you're here. You're here to WIN a copy that I'll pay for and have mailed to you. I don't want to make this a random drawing or anything, so you will have to dig into your Bulldog conscious to win. I want you to email me at dawggoneblog [at] gmail [dot] com your answers to these questions:
1. Mark Richt will lead this team to "X" victories this year.
2. We will lose to "X" (may be more than one X).
3. The new site girl for the Dawg-gone Blog should be "X" because...
It doesn't have to be terribly long. I'd prefer it not to be, actually. Just keep it creative. It's going to allow me to keep a good pulse on what my readers are thinking and I'll reward the winner with the magazine issue and republish their post here. I'm not sure I'll make their suggestion the new site girl, but she will definitely be under consideration. I'd love to keep Keira around, but it's time for change.
Looking forward to the answers. You have until Friday morning. I should announce the winner Friday evening and order the magazine Monday.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Slive puts NCAA on notice
By now, you've undoubtedly heard about the statement SEC Commissioner Mike Slive made at the beginning of SEC Media Days. The long-short of it is Slive wants to raise academic requirements and create a system that gives the student athlete multiyear scholarships, and opens up their options instead of hindering nearly every aspect of their personal life.
I agree with a lot of what Slive said today. It seems to be a very proactive move that should win rave reviews from the same media (and B1G Ten officials) that take so much pleasure in blasting the SEC for oversigning, low academic requirements, etc. Slive dropped a PR bomb on the journalists in attendance and, as of this moment, many are still trying to wrap their head around all the information.
What may go under the radar though, is how Slive basically put the NCAA on notice. He mentioned NCAA president Mark Emmert by name many times but his tone was never one of the SEC being a part of the NCAA as much as it was the SEC flexing its muscle to the NCAA. Slive knows that the SEC is its own brand and he knows he's the head of the ruler of NCAA football. What he said today to the NCAA was "We're going to work on our house, but you have to work on yours. If not, we're changing neighborhoods." He never mentioned ever leaving the NCAA or even hinted at it, but the tone was clear and his frustration was noticeable.
Slive is not a dumb man. He knows that the NCAA has spent so much time shooting himself in its own foot that IF (and that's a big if) the SEC wanted to jump ship and create its own amateur sports league, it would probably have two or three conferences join as well. Remember, the NCAA didn't craft that SEC Television contract with ESPN. The NCAA didn't draw up the specifics of the CBS one, either. The SEC has the power, and it'll have the money for the next decade. The ball is firmly in their court.
Kudos to Slive to standing up to the boys in Indianapolis. Talking about change is the first step in getting it started.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
I agree with a lot of what Slive said today. It seems to be a very proactive move that should win rave reviews from the same media (and B1G Ten officials) that take so much pleasure in blasting the SEC for oversigning, low academic requirements, etc. Slive dropped a PR bomb on the journalists in attendance and, as of this moment, many are still trying to wrap their head around all the information.
What may go under the radar though, is how Slive basically put the NCAA on notice. He mentioned NCAA president Mark Emmert by name many times but his tone was never one of the SEC being a part of the NCAA as much as it was the SEC flexing its muscle to the NCAA. Slive knows that the SEC is its own brand and he knows he's the head of the ruler of NCAA football. What he said today to the NCAA was "We're going to work on our house, but you have to work on yours. If not, we're changing neighborhoods." He never mentioned ever leaving the NCAA or even hinted at it, but the tone was clear and his frustration was noticeable.
Slive is not a dumb man. He knows that the NCAA has spent so much time shooting himself in its own foot that IF (and that's a big if) the SEC wanted to jump ship and create its own amateur sports league, it would probably have two or three conferences join as well. Remember, the NCAA didn't craft that SEC Television contract with ESPN. The NCAA didn't draw up the specifics of the CBS one, either. The SEC has the power, and it'll have the money for the next decade. The ball is firmly in their court.
Kudos to Slive to standing up to the boys in Indianapolis. Talking about change is the first step in getting it started.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Backfield to the future
In a somewhat surprising move, Richard Samuel has been moved back to Running Back. The move was announced this afternoon by Mark Richt, who released a statement. Samuel also released a statement confirming the move, adding he was "ready to do anything to help the team win."
Reading between the lines, I think the Samuel move was mainly due to blocking ability. Since no one's seem Boo Malcolme play, you can only assume that his blocking MAY not be where it needs to be yet. The same goes for Isaiah Crowell. There's no doubt that if you can't pick up a blitz, Mark Richt will not play you. Period.
Dawg fans need to support Samuel in this. I don't personally like the move because it happened to Kiante Tripp and we all saw how that worked out for him. I just don't want Samuel to become the victim of a lot of shifting. He's as athletically talented as anyone on the team, but we also needed another tailback. It's just a move that if it pans out, great, but if it doesn't, it's a shame.
Like everything else right now, I'll just throw my support to it and hope it all shakes out in the fall. There's a reason why I'm not paid to make these decisions and others are.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Dawgaholics Anonymous
I've always been against anonymous commenting. Usually it leads to people shooting out inflammatory remarks and open ended statements that fail to make a solid point. In my opinion, anonymous commenters are what Bob Costas (and Buck Belue) should consider "goons with a keyboard" rather than solid, detailed bloggers who make more valid points than either of those ever could.
Anyway, I'm dedicating an entire post to this one anonymous commenter who left a message on my latest Brent Benedict post. Not because it was ridiculously stupid like some of them tend to be, but because it's by far the BEST anonymous comment I've ever received. Read about it in its entirety after the jump.
...
Anyway, I'm dedicating an entire post to this one anonymous commenter who left a message on my latest Brent Benedict post. Not because it was ridiculously stupid like some of them tend to be, but because it's by far the BEST anonymous comment I've ever received. Read about it in its entirety after the jump.
...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Benedict comes clean...sort of.
A little while ago, Brent Benedict "confirmed" to Chip Towers that he left the UGA program mainly due to a difference in Strength and Conditioning philosophies between where he thought he was in his recovery versus what JT2 wanted out of him. Here's an excerpt:
Benedict had his chance(s). We stuck by him when no one else would and we wanted progression, whereas, legitimately or not, we couldn't get it from him. It made sense to move on and I'm glad that Benedict found a home in a place where he wouldn't have to go up against this team. In my opinion, everyone wins.
Look, I didn't like Benedict leaving just as much as anyone did, but that's where we're at. This season is going to be defined not by the hole the players put us in as much as the hand we're dealt. Benedict leaving was a personal choice because we went too hard in the weight room (the horror). King left because he couldn't cut it in the classroom. Ealey left because he couldn't cut it anywhere, from being responsible to buying in. I'm not saying it's addition by subtraction, but if we're going to begin a new culture at Georgia, it's got to start with eliminating the old culture, right?
I know I'm a Richt apologist, but I tend to believe that when a man has delivered some of the best UGA teams we've seen in the past 40 years, he deserves a little bit of the benefit of the doubt. Those '02, '03, '05 and '07 teams were flat loaded with playmakers. That doesn't happen if SOMEONE doesn't know what they're doing. Should Richt have acted sooner in regards to firing Martinez? Probably. However, how many people right now would accept Grantham as the next guy to be the head coach of this program? My guess is that it's pretty high. If that's the case, shouldn't we as a fan base give Richt a little bit of the benefit of the doubt for hiring Grantham in the first place? So, shouldn't he deserve one more go-round?
My thought is let's ride this train and see where it takes us. It could lead to change or it could lead to championships. The only way we're going to know is to buy a ticket and take the bumps in the road as they come. We don't know the destination, but when we get to the final stop, we'll find out if this was worth it or not. Until then, let's just ride this thing out.
That's just my two cents. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't lie to you, buttercup, would I?
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
So where does this leave the saga? Well Benedict is going to Virginia Tech, so in my mind, the saga is dead. It seems as if the split was indeed mutual, he didn't end up at Florida and I'd bet $100 that says Richt called Beamer and told him to take a chance on the kid if he wanted to be patient. Why? Well, that's the kind of guy Richt is and it also opened up a scholarship in an area where patience wasn't a virtue.Q: I understand this mainly had to do with not seeing eye-to-eye with new strength and conditioning coach Joe Tereshinki about training techniques with respect to your injury. I know he’s employing some old-school philosophies with a lot of lower-body work. Is that what this was about?A: “Coach Tereshinski came in and he has his own philosophy and he and the coaching staff believe that it’s going to work and there’s no reason not to believe that. So, there were a few things going on and I wasn’t able to resolve that (emphasis added). Of course I hope Georgia does well, extremely well. I’ve told all my buddies back there I wish them the best of luck and I really believe it will be successful.”
Benedict had his chance(s). We stuck by him when no one else would and we wanted progression, whereas, legitimately or not, we couldn't get it from him. It made sense to move on and I'm glad that Benedict found a home in a place where he wouldn't have to go up against this team. In my opinion, everyone wins.
Look, I didn't like Benedict leaving just as much as anyone did, but that's where we're at. This season is going to be defined not by the hole the players put us in as much as the hand we're dealt. Benedict leaving was a personal choice because we went too hard in the weight room (the horror). King left because he couldn't cut it in the classroom. Ealey left because he couldn't cut it anywhere, from being responsible to buying in. I'm not saying it's addition by subtraction, but if we're going to begin a new culture at Georgia, it's got to start with eliminating the old culture, right?
I know I'm a Richt apologist, but I tend to believe that when a man has delivered some of the best UGA teams we've seen in the past 40 years, he deserves a little bit of the benefit of the doubt. Those '02, '03, '05 and '07 teams were flat loaded with playmakers. That doesn't happen if SOMEONE doesn't know what they're doing. Should Richt have acted sooner in regards to firing Martinez? Probably. However, how many people right now would accept Grantham as the next guy to be the head coach of this program? My guess is that it's pretty high. If that's the case, shouldn't we as a fan base give Richt a little bit of the benefit of the doubt for hiring Grantham in the first place? So, shouldn't he deserve one more go-round?
My thought is let's ride this train and see where it takes us. It could lead to change or it could lead to championships. The only way we're going to know is to buy a ticket and take the bumps in the road as they come. We don't know the destination, but when we get to the final stop, we'll find out if this was worth it or not. Until then, let's just ride this thing out.
That's just my two cents. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't lie to you, buttercup, would I?
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
I Must Break You
I'm not a person to slam someone else's work, in the sense of saying that they're a bad writer. In my opinion, even bad writing is still writing and putting something out there for others to critique, so just doing the exercise deserves a certain amount of respect.
That being said, nothing infuriates me more than a baseless article that forms a controversial opinion, which spends more time tossing out red herrings (it's a term. click the link if you don't know what it is...it'll make all this easier to understand), than backing up their opinion.
Take example this article from Chuck Oliver's site. Now, I could go on and on about how, in my opinion, Tony Barnhart runs journalistic circles around Chuck Oliver, but that's another post for another day. Let me just put it like this, I'd rather spend an entire day talking to Wes Durham about the Georgia Tech schedule than to spend an hour listening to Chuck Oliver promote himself as "King College Football."
Anyway, Chuck Oliver didn't write the article to which I'm referring. A fellow named Will Newton did. Now, I don't know anything about Newton, other than he's of the mindset that Georgia Tech will be good this year (although everything points to them struggling to be bowl eligible). Then again, I'm a UGA apologist, so I'm biased. He does mention that he was in Athens for six years, but from the way he writes, he sounds like he's totally against Georgia succeeding in anything.
The main problem I have with articles like this though, is the incessant "making news where there isn't" syndrome that seems to be growing among those who want Richt out. There's no doubt Richt is on the hot seat, but instead of giving him the final chance to right the ship that HE DESERVES, it seems many want to keep kicking the man while he's down. For example, in another one of Newton's articles, he suggests that Richt is too nice of a guy to get the job done. Something that I think it's ridiculously stupid and The Good Senator echoes my statement.
The real key to making me think you're full of hot air though, is (after mentioning names like Akeem Hebron, Darius Dewberry and Kade Weston) to have sentences like the following:
Plus, the added shot he took at Isaiah Crowell is a nice kick in the bag. Let's make sure not to cite any sources, or even allude to how you heard that one. Even if I do play devil's advocate and say it's true, I like hearing it. Yes, I like hearing stuff like that. It means he's getting broken by the upperclassmen. I had a friend explain to me one time how Phillip Fulmer was wildly successful at building recruits up and then breaking them once they got on campus. If Crowell's getting broken, I'm fine with that. Just don't get injured.
Look, Caleb King had his moments where he was an excellent player (think of in 2009 against LSU when he played with a broken jaw), and times where he made me throw things (Colorado 2010). The end all be all, though, is that he could not get it done in the classroom. It was said when he was found ineligible for the Liberty Bowl that he would have a VERY hard time getting back on track for the fall. But he was given EVERY opportunity to succeed. The blame falls squarely on him.
UGA has had plenty of misses, but they've had plenty of hits as well. Let's look at Thomas Davis, Tony Taylor, Kris Durham, Musa Smith, Ben Jones, Greg Blue, Sean Jones, Rennie Curran, Kenarious Gates and many others. Notice that I didn't just name heyday players as well. There are plenty of guys throughout Richt's time at the helm that have thrived while wearing the Red and Black. What it all boils down to is improved strength and conditioning, and those steps have been taken to rectify the problem. To give Newton credit, he pointed that out but that was another red herring in the bigger scheme of somehow placing the King situation on Richt. It's all very reminiscent of the Adam Krohn Gainesville Times article that linked the Columbus-Carver recruits' stealing of UGA players' property to Richt recruiting guys with questionable character. I'd link to it, but the newspaper site is down and I can't get it to pull up. Sorry.
One thing that I think is interesting to note is that there's no mention of Paul Oliver in this article. To me, there's a much better connection to King's story than Oliver's. Both were expected to contribute heavily in their final seasons as players, but after not getting it done in the classroom, both went on to enter into the supplemental draft. King's in much worse shape than Oliver was as a draft pick, but the stories are very closely related.
The point is that I'm tired of the far-reaching ways to expose failures in the UGA program. There is ONE failure right now and that is the inability to win close games. You fix that one, and you're going to Atlanta. It doesn't get easier than that. Yes, there are plenty of issues right now in the UGA program, but can we just take a second to stop making news and allow it to happen? We're less than two months away from kickoff.
So save your hit-job articles for the end of the season when you'll either be vindicated or vilified. Until then, you look just like every other person who is trying to get a rise out of a fan base that really just wants a time machine and BC Powder.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
That being said, nothing infuriates me more than a baseless article that forms a controversial opinion, which spends more time tossing out red herrings (it's a term. click the link if you don't know what it is...it'll make all this easier to understand), than backing up their opinion.
Take example this article from Chuck Oliver's site. Now, I could go on and on about how, in my opinion, Tony Barnhart runs journalistic circles around Chuck Oliver, but that's another post for another day. Let me just put it like this, I'd rather spend an entire day talking to Wes Durham about the Georgia Tech schedule than to spend an hour listening to Chuck Oliver promote himself as "King College Football."
Anyway, Chuck Oliver didn't write the article to which I'm referring. A fellow named Will Newton did. Now, I don't know anything about Newton, other than he's of the mindset that Georgia Tech will be good this year (although everything points to them struggling to be bowl eligible). Then again, I'm a UGA apologist, so I'm biased. He does mention that he was in Athens for six years, but from the way he writes, he sounds like he's totally against Georgia succeeding in anything.
The main problem I have with articles like this though, is the incessant "making news where there isn't" syndrome that seems to be growing among those who want Richt out. There's no doubt Richt is on the hot seat, but instead of giving him the final chance to right the ship that HE DESERVES, it seems many want to keep kicking the man while he's down. For example, in another one of Newton's articles, he suggests that Richt is too nice of a guy to get the job done. Something that I think it's ridiculously stupid and The Good Senator echoes my statement.
The real key to making me think you're full of hot air though, is (after mentioning names like Akeem Hebron, Darius Dewberry and Kade Weston) to have sentences like the following:
"I’m sure somewhere Paul Johnson is wishing he could have had a crack at developing some of those players. "Because THAT'S what Paul Johnson does. I'm sure somewhere inside of Paul Johnson's own mind, he thinks he could've developed them better, but there's no evidence to suggest that, AT ALL. Chan Gailey did a better job of developing players than Paul Johnson has. Let that one bake your noodle a bit. Also, let's point out that those names were all players on the defensive side of the ball, with two of them having been coached by John Jancek, and we all know how that turned out.
Plus, the added shot he took at Isaiah Crowell is a nice kick in the bag. Let's make sure not to cite any sources, or even allude to how you heard that one. Even if I do play devil's advocate and say it's true, I like hearing it. Yes, I like hearing stuff like that. It means he's getting broken by the upperclassmen. I had a friend explain to me one time how Phillip Fulmer was wildly successful at building recruits up and then breaking them once they got on campus. If Crowell's getting broken, I'm fine with that. Just don't get injured.
Look, Caleb King had his moments where he was an excellent player (think of in 2009 against LSU when he played with a broken jaw), and times where he made me throw things (Colorado 2010). The end all be all, though, is that he could not get it done in the classroom. It was said when he was found ineligible for the Liberty Bowl that he would have a VERY hard time getting back on track for the fall. But he was given EVERY opportunity to succeed. The blame falls squarely on him.
UGA has had plenty of misses, but they've had plenty of hits as well. Let's look at Thomas Davis, Tony Taylor, Kris Durham, Musa Smith, Ben Jones, Greg Blue, Sean Jones, Rennie Curran, Kenarious Gates and many others. Notice that I didn't just name heyday players as well. There are plenty of guys throughout Richt's time at the helm that have thrived while wearing the Red and Black. What it all boils down to is improved strength and conditioning, and those steps have been taken to rectify the problem. To give Newton credit, he pointed that out but that was another red herring in the bigger scheme of somehow placing the King situation on Richt. It's all very reminiscent of the Adam Krohn Gainesville Times article that linked the Columbus-Carver recruits' stealing of UGA players' property to Richt recruiting guys with questionable character. I'd link to it, but the newspaper site is down and I can't get it to pull up. Sorry.
One thing that I think is interesting to note is that there's no mention of Paul Oliver in this article. To me, there's a much better connection to King's story than Oliver's. Both were expected to contribute heavily in their final seasons as players, but after not getting it done in the classroom, both went on to enter into the supplemental draft. King's in much worse shape than Oliver was as a draft pick, but the stories are very closely related.
The point is that I'm tired of the far-reaching ways to expose failures in the UGA program. There is ONE failure right now and that is the inability to win close games. You fix that one, and you're going to Atlanta. It doesn't get easier than that. Yes, there are plenty of issues right now in the UGA program, but can we just take a second to stop making news and allow it to happen? We're less than two months away from kickoff.
So save your hit-job articles for the end of the season when you'll either be vindicated or vilified. Until then, you look just like every other person who is trying to get a rise out of a fan base that really just wants a time machine and BC Powder.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Friday, July 8, 2011
The high price of low grades
Undoubtedly, you've heard the news that Caleb King, UGA's "starting" RB for 2011, is academically ineligible and his career at Georgia is most likely over. If he were a redshirt freshman or sophomore, maybe he takes a year and gets things back on track, but as a senior, it just doesn't make any sense for him to stick around.
So what does that mean? Well, the reviews are mixed. Some say that it's something that most within the know had a feeling was coming. Others say that it's a kick in the bag, and even others say that it wouldn't matter because Isaiah Crowell was going to be the guy from the moment he stepped on campus. I say it's a little bit of all three...
So what does that mean? Well, the reviews are mixed. Some say that it's something that most within the know had a feeling was coming. Others say that it's a kick in the bag, and even others say that it wouldn't matter because Isaiah Crowell was going to be the guy from the moment he stepped on campus. I say it's a little bit of all three...
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A Couple Site Additions
Hey guys. Nothing major happened yesterday and I'm hoping the same goes for today because I've been working in the afternoons/evenings trying to spruce up the site a little bit and make it easier to read and navigate.
First, on the left, I've added the old Podbean Jukebox that was on the first site years ago. It looks rough I know, but it was popular on the old site, so I figured it could find a place here, warts and all. The buttons are a little cut off due to sidebar width restrictions, but you can see the play button, the next button, and part of the volume button. To hear a song, just scroll down the list (it will do this automatically as you move your mouse down) and click on it. I set it specifically not to play automatically on the site, but if you have that problem, please let me know. Also, the Jukebox is in Flash so sorry to everyone who can't see it on a mobile device or tablet. Find me a better Jukebox and I'll change it.
Secondly, to go in conjunction with the new Jukebox, I created a new Gameday Mix to coincide with its launch. It seems that "Stronger" by Kanye West is one of the more popular mixes, so I really just updated it with calls from 2010 by Scott Howard. In a surprising twist, it's called "Stronger 2010." Shocking, I know. Also, it's the first song on the Jukebox. I like the way it turned out, but I'm still trying to figure out volume levels in GarageBand. If you guys have trouble hearing the music along with the calls, let me know and I'll play with it some more. Either way, it's a new Mix and that's always good to have...especially since the first "Stronger" was very outdated. UPDATE: I messed with the mix some and brought Scott Howard down and the music back up. It was too stark of a contrast. You can listen to the new version below and it's been updated in the Jukebox as well.
Finally, I've figured out how to put a "Read More" button onto the site, so that the main page can be more condensed for you. It was right in front of my face, but since I'm unable to read, I couldn't find it to save my life. Thankfully, the long national nightmare is over and you can enjoy shorter posts on the main page and have the choice to click to read more. Of course, that doesn't apply to this post, because I needed to introduce it before I did it. To celebrate, I have a special surprise for you after the jump.
First, on the left, I've added the old Podbean Jukebox that was on the first site years ago. It looks rough I know, but it was popular on the old site, so I figured it could find a place here, warts and all. The buttons are a little cut off due to sidebar width restrictions, but you can see the play button, the next button, and part of the volume button. To hear a song, just scroll down the list (it will do this automatically as you move your mouse down) and click on it. I set it specifically not to play automatically on the site, but if you have that problem, please let me know. Also, the Jukebox is in Flash so sorry to everyone who can't see it on a mobile device or tablet. Find me a better Jukebox and I'll change it.
Secondly, to go in conjunction with the new Jukebox, I created a new Gameday Mix to coincide with its launch. It seems that "Stronger" by Kanye West is one of the more popular mixes, so I really just updated it with calls from 2010 by Scott Howard. In a surprising twist, it's called "Stronger 2010." Shocking, I know. Also, it's the first song on the Jukebox. I like the way it turned out, but I'm still trying to figure out volume levels in GarageBand. If you guys have trouble hearing the music along with the calls, let me know and I'll play with it some more. Either way, it's a new Mix and that's always good to have...especially since the first "Stronger" was very outdated. UPDATE: I messed with the mix some and brought Scott Howard down and the music back up. It was too stark of a contrast. You can listen to the new version below and it's been updated in the Jukebox as well.
Finally, I've figured out how to put a "Read More" button onto the site, so that the main page can be more condensed for you. It was right in front of my face, but since I'm unable to read, I couldn't find it to save my life. Thankfully, the long national nightmare is over and you can enjoy shorter posts on the main page and have the choice to click to read more. Of course, that doesn't apply to this post, because I needed to introduce it before I did it. To celebrate, I have a special surprise for you after the jump.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Flying coach from Eugene to Indianapolis
Chip Kelly, the head coach of the Oregon Ducks football team, has recently found himself in a little bit of a precarious position. If you're reading this blog, you probably already know that, but just to give you a brief background on the whole thing, let's just say that Oregon paid for a recruiting service that did less scouting than it did flat out delivering guys to play for them. The Yahoo! report that began all this basically pointed out how this recruiting service, called CSS and ran by a man named Willie Lyles, was influential in the signing of a recruit to Oregon.
So Chip Kelly finds himself in a mess because this recruiting service he bought was blatantly purchased to influence recruits. Oregon requested no written information from Lyles until they were already in hot water, while LSU and Cal both received written information and about $19k-20k less than Oregon paid. In a nutshell, Oregon did wrong, they know it and the NCAA is going to hit them with sanctions...we assume.
So Chip Kelly finds himself in a mess because this recruiting service he bought was blatantly purchased to influence recruits. Oregon requested no written information from Lyles until they were already in hot water, while LSU and Cal both received written information and about $19k-20k less than Oregon paid. In a nutshell, Oregon did wrong, they know it and the NCAA is going to hit them with sanctions...we assume.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
UGA/Boise State Details Revealed
I sent this out over Twitter a littler earlier, but SicEmDawgs.com has a great post today about the upcoming UGA/Boise State game, including some contract details and a seating chart. I'll hit a few of the high points that I found interesting, but the entire post is worth your time to read.
My first reaction was to the seating chart and the amount of tickets possessed by the Dawgs. First, I don't expect all 53k UGA fans to hold on to the tickets they purchased. It'll be a big payday for anyone willing to part with their ticket, but I do expect any UGA fan that sells their ticket will most likely sell it to another UGA fan who didn't have the chance to purchase one. So, any tickets that Georgia fans sell will ultimately be a wash in the plus/minus category for numbers of fans we have in the Dome.
On the flip side, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see lots of Boise State fans let their seats go. I know that the number of tickets Boise has isn't very large in general, but even with reduced numbers, it'll be a LONG drive for any Boise fan, and I can't think there has to be a ton of them that live within the confines of the Southeast.
In the end-all-be-all, I fully expect about 57k UGA fans in the Dome, with the rest being Boise fans and casual football fans looking to see a big game. If all of those Dawg fans show up ready to make noise, it will be a very big plus in helping the team pull out a victory.
Secondly, I was just as surprised as The Good Senator was by seeing that upon approval of both schools, beer could possibly be served until halftime. I also agree with him, though, that I highly doubt it will actually happen. If it does, it'll be a big plus for Dawg fans as well since it's always good to have the home crowd liquidly lubricated for a big game. Why do you think LSU doesn't lose at night in Tiger Stadium?
Finally, using SEC officials is something that, as a Georgia fan, makes gives me "concerned relief." I say that because we are not always known for getting the best calls in games (warning, the video is loud), but it's such a marquee game for the SEC that I have to think the Refs may give us a little help here and there. With as much disdain for the SEC as there is out there, I can only imagine that it's a good thing we're not at the mercy of B1G Ten or Pac-12 officials, but if Penn Wagers takes the field as the head Ref, how much better off are we, really?
All that being said, I'd like to get the Ref below on the payroll for the Boise game, USC game, or both. It's obvious he has a disdain for Garcia and doesn't mind laying a hit. If Kellen Moore decides he wants to scramble, this guy maintains his gap, squares up, and drives through the hit. Good form.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
My first reaction was to the seating chart and the amount of tickets possessed by the Dawgs. First, I don't expect all 53k UGA fans to hold on to the tickets they purchased. It'll be a big payday for anyone willing to part with their ticket, but I do expect any UGA fan that sells their ticket will most likely sell it to another UGA fan who didn't have the chance to purchase one. So, any tickets that Georgia fans sell will ultimately be a wash in the plus/minus category for numbers of fans we have in the Dome.
On the flip side, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see lots of Boise State fans let their seats go. I know that the number of tickets Boise has isn't very large in general, but even with reduced numbers, it'll be a LONG drive for any Boise fan, and I can't think there has to be a ton of them that live within the confines of the Southeast.
In the end-all-be-all, I fully expect about 57k UGA fans in the Dome, with the rest being Boise fans and casual football fans looking to see a big game. If all of those Dawg fans show up ready to make noise, it will be a very big plus in helping the team pull out a victory.
Secondly, I was just as surprised as The Good Senator was by seeing that upon approval of both schools, beer could possibly be served until halftime. I also agree with him, though, that I highly doubt it will actually happen. If it does, it'll be a big plus for Dawg fans as well since it's always good to have the home crowd liquidly lubricated for a big game. Why do you think LSU doesn't lose at night in Tiger Stadium?
Finally, using SEC officials is something that, as a Georgia fan, makes gives me "concerned relief." I say that because we are not always known for getting the best calls in games (warning, the video is loud), but it's such a marquee game for the SEC that I have to think the Refs may give us a little help here and there. With as much disdain for the SEC as there is out there, I can only imagine that it's a good thing we're not at the mercy of B1G Ten or Pac-12 officials, but if Penn Wagers takes the field as the head Ref, how much better off are we, really?
All that being said, I'd like to get the Ref below on the payroll for the Boise game, USC game, or both. It's obvious he has a disdain for Garcia and doesn't mind laying a hit. If Kellen Moore decides he wants to scramble, this guy maintains his gap, squares up, and drives through the hit. Good form.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Friday, July 1, 2011
The science (and frustration) of not knowing...
If you read message board chatter like I do, you know that it's always a delicate mix of those who know, those who kind of know and those who don't know anything. In fact, it's always possible that those who know could quickly become those who don't know in a matter of minutes. it just all depends on, well, what you know.
In the six years I've been writing about Georgia Football, I've always found myself working with mere crumbs of inside knowledge. In fact, my sources are the ones who have sources. Going one step further, I take the pulse of the Bulldog Nation through the blogs that I read (on the right) and the message board(s) that I visit (on the right). That's not to say I rip off the information I talk about, it's just that I'm not breaking news and I'm totally comfortable with that. It's nice being the guy who prefers commentary above scooping, particularly since I'm a heavy procrastinator.
When I say I take the pulse of the Bulldog Nation, that's exactly what I'm talking about. It's just a gauge to see if I'm in the majority or minority on any given issue. There's usually little information to talk about (thankfully this offseason has produced no police blotter storylines *knocks feverishly on wood*), and so we all kind of chime in on the same stuff. I typically find myself in the majority on most views, with a little bit more optimism than some. However, I like reading stuff that I agree with and I love reading stuff that I disagree with. It challenges my views and makes me an all-around better college football and UGA fan, at least in my opinion.
So why all that explaining and so little getting-to-the-point? It's because my point is that lately, I'm frustrated knowing that we all pretty much feel the same way. It's frustrating because there are DOZENS of UGA bloggers or twitterers (myself included) and you know how many of us know with a certain degree of accuracy what's going to happen this year?
ZERO.
If you encounter a UGA fan that knows for a fact (or with at least 90% confidence) that we're going to win 10 games or lose six, he or she is lying directly to your face. That person is blowing so much sunshine or smoke up your butt that you will either fart rainbows or signal an American Indian what you ate for dinner last night. There used to be a science to this from 2002-2005. UGA was always going to have a stout Defense, QB play was going to be consistent and we were going to milk the clock like it had an udder.
Since 2005, there's no formula. From Willie's maddening Sobakawa Soft Zone to Bobo's Quest for Balance in Running and Going Through the Air, we as fans have been stuck in this perpetual shrugging of shoulders when asked what we really think is going to happen to our team that upcoming season. Honestly, how many of you out there felt like the lightning in a bottle that existed in 2007 would even last until 2008? After the first arrest you should've known something was up. Speaking of 2007, everyone wants to look at the Florida game as our turning point. That's a load of crap. We were a forced fumble and a game-winning kick at Vanderbilt away from having a season that defied the logic of losing to them in 2006.
You'll notice that the title of this post mentions the science before the frustration. We haven't even spoken about the science. You know why? It doesn't exist. You want a formula to what a normal UGA fan thinks? Here it is:
Two parts "optimism"
One part "show me on the field"
Three parts "we're working harder in the weightroom this offseason than we have in years"
One part "why are our players on twitter?"
Half part "thank God we have the bye week before Florida"
Half part "...but we can't seem to win below the state line"
One part "when will we have a new Uga?"
One part "Michael Adams sucks"
Boom. UGA fans in a nutshell (again, myself included). How can anyone come up with a level-headed analysis with all that going on? The answer: You can't.
That's the problem right now. From The Good Senator to Tyler Dawgden at the Georgia Sports Blog and everywhere in between, there's this constant state of knowing what to fix, but not sure if the coaches are going to fix it, and it's MADDENING. Mackie thinks we'll beat Boise State but lose to South Carolina? Why? Because in his words:
September 3rd is the date to remember, folks. It's a bigger game than I can put into words. Well, at least words that will do it justice. It's bigger than a day. It's an event. It is the time we'll find out whether 2011 is closer to 2002 than 2010.
Before that...we'll your guess is good as mine.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
In the six years I've been writing about Georgia Football, I've always found myself working with mere crumbs of inside knowledge. In fact, my sources are the ones who have sources. Going one step further, I take the pulse of the Bulldog Nation through the blogs that I read (on the right) and the message board(s) that I visit (on the right). That's not to say I rip off the information I talk about, it's just that I'm not breaking news and I'm totally comfortable with that. It's nice being the guy who prefers commentary above scooping, particularly since I'm a heavy procrastinator.
When I say I take the pulse of the Bulldog Nation, that's exactly what I'm talking about. It's just a gauge to see if I'm in the majority or minority on any given issue. There's usually little information to talk about (thankfully this offseason has produced no police blotter storylines *knocks feverishly on wood*), and so we all kind of chime in on the same stuff. I typically find myself in the majority on most views, with a little bit more optimism than some. However, I like reading stuff that I agree with and I love reading stuff that I disagree with. It challenges my views and makes me an all-around better college football and UGA fan, at least in my opinion.
So why all that explaining and so little getting-to-the-point? It's because my point is that lately, I'm frustrated knowing that we all pretty much feel the same way. It's frustrating because there are DOZENS of UGA bloggers or twitterers (myself included) and you know how many of us know with a certain degree of accuracy what's going to happen this year?
ZERO.
If you encounter a UGA fan that knows for a fact (or with at least 90% confidence) that we're going to win 10 games or lose six, he or she is lying directly to your face. That person is blowing so much sunshine or smoke up your butt that you will either fart rainbows or signal an American Indian what you ate for dinner last night. There used to be a science to this from 2002-2005. UGA was always going to have a stout Defense, QB play was going to be consistent and we were going to milk the clock like it had an udder.
Since 2005, there's no formula. From Willie's maddening Sobakawa Soft Zone to Bobo's Quest for Balance in Running and Going Through the Air, we as fans have been stuck in this perpetual shrugging of shoulders when asked what we really think is going to happen to our team that upcoming season. Honestly, how many of you out there felt like the lightning in a bottle that existed in 2007 would even last until 2008? After the first arrest you should've known something was up. Speaking of 2007, everyone wants to look at the Florida game as our turning point. That's a load of crap. We were a forced fumble and a game-winning kick at Vanderbilt away from having a season that defied the logic of losing to them in 2006.
You'll notice that the title of this post mentions the science before the frustration. We haven't even spoken about the science. You know why? It doesn't exist. You want a formula to what a normal UGA fan thinks? Here it is:
Two parts "optimism"
One part "show me on the field"
Three parts "we're working harder in the weightroom this offseason than we have in years"
One part "why are our players on twitter?"
Half part "thank God we have the bye week before Florida"
Half part "...but we can't seem to win below the state line"
One part "when will we have a new Uga?"
One part "Michael Adams sucks"
Boom. UGA fans in a nutshell (again, myself included). How can anyone come up with a level-headed analysis with all that going on? The answer: You can't.
That's the problem right now. From The Good Senator to Tyler Dawgden at the Georgia Sports Blog and everywhere in between, there's this constant state of knowing what to fix, but not sure if the coaches are going to fix it, and it's MADDENING. Mackie thinks we'll beat Boise State but lose to South Carolina? Why? Because in his words:
"until I see them play September 3rd I have no idea how this team looks."Amen.
September 3rd is the date to remember, folks. It's a bigger game than I can put into words. Well, at least words that will do it justice. It's bigger than a day. It's an event. It is the time we'll find out whether 2011 is closer to 2002 than 2010.
Before that...we'll your guess is good as mine.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A few changes coming...
I just want to give you guys a heads up that as much as I like this template, its lack of seeing comments without clicking into the post, being able to share posts easily, linking to other bloggers in a blog roll (which is very important to me) and other basic functions are dragging this thing down. Until I can figure it out, I'd rather have a drivable car than one that looks pretty on cinderblocks.
So, if the site looks a little different multiple times in the next few days, don't worry, you're still in the right place. I wanted to get everything locked down before I started writing, but I had things I wanted to write about more than I had a need to let the dust settle.
As always, any feedback is welcome on this redesigned site and any new redesigns coming up in the future. You can always reach me here.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
So, if the site looks a little different multiple times in the next few days, don't worry, you're still in the right place. I wanted to get everything locked down before I started writing, but I had things I wanted to write about more than I had a need to let the dust settle.
As always, any feedback is welcome on this redesigned site and any new redesigns coming up in the future. You can always reach me here.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Dawg-gone Podcast Show #18
With apologies to professional journalists or podcasters, I knocked the dust off the microphone and recorded a solo offering of the DGP last night for you guys.
Hopefully, the next time I record an episode, I'll have the Good Mayor T. Kyle King with me. If that happens, I can promise a much more credible show than this one. However, you do get the added bonus of me accidentally saying "Reggie Bush's Hymen," which is a treat in and of itself.
Topics covered include talking a little more in depth about the Jarvis Jones/KCP Scenario, the Brent Benedict conundrum and a quick plug for the Georgia Bulldogs 2011 Maple Street Press Annual. Also, I go on a nice rant about the NCAA, for all you haters out there.
You can listen to/download the podcast on iTunes here.
You can listen to/download the podcast in MP3 format here.
You can email me about the podcast or blog in general here.
You can also stream the podcast in flash format at the bottom of the page.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Monday, June 27, 2011
How big is Benedict's transfer?
Yesterday, UGA announced that Brent Benedict was leaving the program for "personal reasons." It had been speculated that said personal reasons were injury related, but rumors were also floating around that his decision was also based upon his attitude.
ECDawg, who writes over at Leather Helmet Blog, stated in a post today that he'd heard Benedict's decision was a little bit of both scenarios. Benedict felt he was physically unable to do some of the summer workouts with CES (who was hired to help with conditioning), and UGA thought he was either ready to workout or needed to take a medical hardship. Benedict decided that it was best for him to move to another school, sit out the necessary year to help repair his knee (which was injured two years ago) and then get playing time.
ECDawg also makes the excellent point that Benedict had not been practicing 100% with the team and wasn't expected to play this year, regardless of whether or not he was wearing a "G" on his helmet. So, his transfer really doesn't mean anything in regards to UGA's season in 2011. It just creates depth issues for later on this season should his knee be ready ahead of time, and creates serious depth issues for 2012.
Not everyone agrees with ECDawg that Benedict wouldn't have played this season, but everyone is in agreement that Benedict wasn't feeling like he was ready. It's a pretty simple truth that no one's playing if they don't want to play, and it was evident that Benedict was fearful of his knee. I can't say I blame him, because it happens with every player who has blown out his knee. Physically they may be ready, but mentally, it's very tough to make that comeback. It happens to a lot of players, so you can't blame Benedict in the slightest over what happened.
There's a bottom line here and that is UGA cannot afford any injuries on the Offensive Line. Not only that, but how does Richt tell his Line to hit hard, hit often and hit through pain when you're so thin that you can't afford to lose a guy to injury? Belue made this point and as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. This kind of fear towards physicality is what got this team in bad shape a few years ago. Now, whether we like it or not, the dichotomy is back again.
If you're tall, fat and physical, Coach Will Friend would like to have a word.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
ECDawg, who writes over at Leather Helmet Blog, stated in a post today that he'd heard Benedict's decision was a little bit of both scenarios. Benedict felt he was physically unable to do some of the summer workouts with CES (who was hired to help with conditioning), and UGA thought he was either ready to workout or needed to take a medical hardship. Benedict decided that it was best for him to move to another school, sit out the necessary year to help repair his knee (which was injured two years ago) and then get playing time.
ECDawg also makes the excellent point that Benedict had not been practicing 100% with the team and wasn't expected to play this year, regardless of whether or not he was wearing a "G" on his helmet. So, his transfer really doesn't mean anything in regards to UGA's season in 2011. It just creates depth issues for later on this season should his knee be ready ahead of time, and creates serious depth issues for 2012.
Not everyone agrees with ECDawg that Benedict wouldn't have played this season, but everyone is in agreement that Benedict wasn't feeling like he was ready. It's a pretty simple truth that no one's playing if they don't want to play, and it was evident that Benedict was fearful of his knee. I can't say I blame him, because it happens with every player who has blown out his knee. Physically they may be ready, but mentally, it's very tough to make that comeback. It happens to a lot of players, so you can't blame Benedict in the slightest over what happened.
There's a bottom line here and that is UGA cannot afford any injuries on the Offensive Line. Not only that, but how does Richt tell his Line to hit hard, hit often and hit through pain when you're so thin that you can't afford to lose a guy to injury? Belue made this point and as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. This kind of fear towards physicality is what got this team in bad shape a few years ago. Now, whether we like it or not, the dichotomy is back again.
If you're tall, fat and physical, Coach Will Friend would like to have a word.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Corruption in Columbus...Georgia
This UGA offseason went from relatively quiet to a small fever pitch in a bit of a hurry. No, nothing earth-shattering has happened, really, but two quick bits of news in a 24 hour period do seem to have people talking.
First, let's tackle the Jarvis Jones & Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP) debacle that's going on:
I tweeted yesterday on my personal account that there was an Auburn-esque type situation brewing in Columbus. Was it a little dramatic? Some could have seen it that way, but I don't. I used that language because this is a prime opportunity for both KCP and Jones to say that they had no idea about these benefits and let the NCAA handle it from there. Obviously, nothing came of the Newton saga than one day of ineligibility, and since then, the whole situation is just passed down info that sounds something like this:
Anyway, this is a really interesting situation. At this moment, Jones is only dealing with roughly $800+ dollars in extra benefits, which doesn't put him in terrible shape, as that amount of money can be repaid and I wouldn't see any need for extra time than 2-3 games. KCP is in about the same situation right now, as his extra benefits for his mom's cell phone only totaled about $280. However, it doesn't help his situation that he hung up the phone on the police when they talked to him and asked him to meet in person. Legally though, it's not too bad of an issue.
Personally, at worst I think KCP loses 6-10 games. That'd be the very worst case scenario I see right now. It honestly may be about five games total, as a similar situation from another AAU program was discovered that paid a player about $4100 and he is only serving six games, including one Big 12 tournament game from last year.
What UGA fans need to remember is that if nothing new is discovered, there's no need to worry about severe suspensions for each. However, there's never anything good about the NCAA sniffing anywhere around your program. Remember, it wasn't like AJ's jersey scandal was discovered by the NCAA until they went and asked him about a report that he'd been to an agent-sponsored party. They dug around in that and found out about the jersey. He was home free until that moment.
So what'd we learn here today folks? The moral of the story is that AAU is a cesspool and you never give the NCAA any information willingly.
I'll comment on the Brent Benedict matter in another post shortly.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
First, let's tackle the Jarvis Jones & Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP) debacle that's going on:
I tweeted yesterday on my personal account that there was an Auburn-esque type situation brewing in Columbus. Was it a little dramatic? Some could have seen it that way, but I don't. I used that language because this is a prime opportunity for both KCP and Jones to say that they had no idea about these benefits and let the NCAA handle it from there. Obviously, nothing came of the Newton saga than one day of ineligibility, and since then, the whole situation is just passed down info that sounds something like this:
"You just wait. On (insert future date within a two-week timeframe), the court documents will be unsealed and (insert random rich Auburn booster name) will take the stand and the NCAA will (obligatory NCAA "hammer" remark) on the program. They'll forfeit everything and will be sent back to (random historical reference that eludes to the Stone Age)."
Anyway, this is a really interesting situation. At this moment, Jones is only dealing with roughly $800+ dollars in extra benefits, which doesn't put him in terrible shape, as that amount of money can be repaid and I wouldn't see any need for extra time than 2-3 games. KCP is in about the same situation right now, as his extra benefits for his mom's cell phone only totaled about $280. However, it doesn't help his situation that he hung up the phone on the police when they talked to him and asked him to meet in person. Legally though, it's not too bad of an issue.
Personally, at worst I think KCP loses 6-10 games. That'd be the very worst case scenario I see right now. It honestly may be about five games total, as a similar situation from another AAU program was discovered that paid a player about $4100 and he is only serving six games, including one Big 12 tournament game from last year.
What UGA fans need to remember is that if nothing new is discovered, there's no need to worry about severe suspensions for each. However, there's never anything good about the NCAA sniffing anywhere around your program. Remember, it wasn't like AJ's jersey scandal was discovered by the NCAA until they went and asked him about a report that he'd been to an agent-sponsored party. They dug around in that and found out about the jersey. He was home free until that moment.
So what'd we learn here today folks? The moral of the story is that AAU is a cesspool and you never give the NCAA any information willingly.
I'll comment on the Brent Benedict matter in another post shortly.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Dawg Poets Society
I've been sitting on this news for a while now, but since the ever-wise Good Mayor T. Kyle King posted it up on his site, I can tell you guys that for the first time since ever, I will actually become a published writer. The book is the Maple Street Press Annual and it was headed up this year by the aforementioned Mayor.
You should do two things:
1) Pre-Order the book right now because it's only $9.99 (plus shipping), and really, you can't even get a gut load of Krystals after a bender for less than $10. I mean that's a STEAL, especially for a preseason magazine that covers everything from the on-paper tangibles to the intangibles that make up this 2011 team, season and rivalries.
2) Pay no attention to the other writers that contributed to this book. Why? Because they're all WAY better than I am and I feel totally inadequate being put with that group. We all know how well Kyle does his thing, but that list is a FANTASTIC one, full of eloquent writers, with southern flare and good humor. Seriously, this Annual is going to be great and I'm so very thrilled to be a part of it, no matter how intimidated I am.
But seriously, please do Kyle, the other writers and myself a big favor by snagging yourself a copy. You won't be disappointed.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
You should do two things:
1) Pre-Order the book right now because it's only $9.99 (plus shipping), and really, you can't even get a gut load of Krystals after a bender for less than $10. I mean that's a STEAL, especially for a preseason magazine that covers everything from the on-paper tangibles to the intangibles that make up this 2011 team, season and rivalries.
2) Pay no attention to the other writers that contributed to this book. Why? Because they're all WAY better than I am and I feel totally inadequate being put with that group. We all know how well Kyle does his thing, but that list is a FANTASTIC one, full of eloquent writers, with southern flare and good humor. Seriously, this Annual is going to be great and I'm so very thrilled to be a part of it, no matter how intimidated I am.
But seriously, please do Kyle, the other writers and myself a big favor by snagging yourself a copy. You won't be disappointed.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Welcome to the new site!
There are a long list of reasons why my readers (you guys) should never trust me when I say that I'm not intending on putting them through yet another change of address. Those reasons are completely justified as you have read me at the original Dawg-gone Blog, Bleacher Report shortly after it was launched, The Examiner and then Beyond The Trestle.
However, there is only one reason why this current space would cease to be what it is at this very moment. That reason is money.
You see, if I ever find a way to make an extra bit of green out of this hobby, then so be it. Right now, the only chance that exists in that area is if Clay Travis decides he wants me to write for him. Needless to say, that's a long shot of epic proportions, even if it'd be totally cool.
So, please bookmark this new site. At the very least, I'll be posting the podcast here, as I'm sure that even if I did get a paying gig writing for someone else, they wouldn't approve of the blatant homerism I show in the podcast, and I have no intent on changing that anytime soon.
Thanks so much to all of you for sticking with me, not only through this change, but the previous ones as well. I'm going to try and make this all as painless as possible.
Until next time kids.
Be safe.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Working on Commenting
If anyone knows how I can create a "comment" button on posts without having to click and go directly to the post, please let me know. That one's got my brain steaming a little bit.
Other than that, I'm working on getting a "Share" button added to posts as well, so people can email, Facebok, Tweet, etc. the posts that they read.
It's a work in progress, so bear with me. I didn't build this template, but I love its design. It's just that since I didn't build it, I don't know how the bricks are placed. Once I figure that out, hopefully some things will come together.
Other than that, I'm working on getting a "Share" button added to posts as well, so people can email, Facebok, Tweet, etc. the posts that they read.
It's a work in progress, so bear with me. I didn't build this template, but I love its design. It's just that since I didn't build it, I don't know how the bricks are placed. Once I figure that out, hopefully some things will come together.
Monday, June 20, 2011
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