RED ALERT: ALL UGA ATHLETES PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROAD TONIGHT!!!

Someone tell Darrius Swain to stay at home tonight

Athens Banner Herald Reports:

Fair warning - officers from the Athens-Clarke and University of Georgia police departments will be conducting road checks at undisclosed locations in the county today.

Officers at the road checks will be looking primarily for drunken-drivers and people not using seatbelts or proper child restraints, police said.

Since we still haven't filled the position for Assistant Athletic Director and Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles Liaison, we need to keep our dipshit drivers away from the highways and biways of Athens tonight.

$5 bucks says we get a suspended license charge today.

Iron Chef Turducken was the one that tipped me off on this one.

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FINALLY!!! 'NIQUE IS IN THE HALL OF FAME

Congrats to Dominique Wilkins. The Human Highlight Film becomes the first UGA basketball player to be nominated to the NBA Hall of Fame.



This is the biggest thing to happen to a men's UGA hoops player since...well...since we beat Jordan and UNC in 1983 to advance to the Final Four.


Image courtesy of DawgCandy.com

GATA Nique! I found this story via a link from ColonelUga on DawgChat



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Longhorn Blog Asks 3 Questions About UGA

The guys over at BurntOrangeNation interviewed three Georgia bloggers (DawgSports.com, I'mARealist and me) for our thoughts on the Dawgs heading towards 2006. My answers to the questions are below. To check out the answers from the other two bloggers, check out BurntOrangeNation's interview.

BON: We've got a hell of an interesting, and closely-scrutinized, quarterback battle brewing here in Austin, but we're not the only ones. Who do you like to emerge as the main man behind center for the Dawgs next fall?

Georgia Sports: Joe Tereshinski III will probably start the first game because he knows the system, but it's going to be almost impossible for him to hold off Matt Stafford all season. Physically he reminds me of a young Brett Favre. Broad shoulders, rocket arm, release points from every imaginable angle, ability to scramble a bit and a stone cold gunslinger. Besides, Tereshinski is too much a pain to spell and the drink named in his honor is a total jinx so I'm hoping Stafford takes the job. Videos of Stafford here. I still can't believe Mack Brown let Stafford sneak out of Texas.


Richt will have the QBs ready to play. Regardless of who it is.

BON: What other spring positional battle is most critical to the Dawgs this year?

Georgia Sports: First, I love Richt. He walks on water, heels the sick, taught me to make love to woman and scold a child. But, he recruits Offensive Tackles like they are some sort of trendy fad. Like the Pet Rock, lava lamps or eating veggies. OTs? Who needs 'em. This year we return a 5th year senior at OT who has played brilliantly at times and played like a short bus rider at other times. We return another senior who has never started a game and has never really played well as a backup. There is only 1 scholarship OT on campus to back them up. We have two elite freshmen that will come in if they qualify. Who knows. To describe me as concerned about OT would be a gross understatement. Otherwise, we look really solid across the board. Some depth issues at DL, but nothing terminal. QB is important, but with Richt on board the QB thing will be fine no matter who wins the job.


I love our front line DL, but depth scares me a bit.

BON: What is Mark Richt's greatest strength as a coach? His greatest weakness?

Georgia Sports: His strengths are his ability to hire and recruit people who want to work hard and do what it takes to win. Realistically, everyone WANTS to win, but most folks have no idea of the amount of work that it takes to actually get it done. And when they find out how much work is required, most folks aren't interested. Richt builds teams, builds leaders and gets them all pointed in the right direction. That alone is worth its weight in gold. His weakness is his offensive playcalling. It's scattershot.


Richt works the refs

BON: Fearless Prediction: ____ will be the biggest challenger to Georgia in the SEC East, and _____ will be the biggest flop.

Georgia Sports: The Gators are loaded in the East. They should win the division. I don't think anyone will flop like UT did last year, but I'm expecting another 7 win season for the Gamecocks. Is it a flop if Spurrier never gets them above 8 wins?

Thanks to Peter Bean of BurntOrangeNation for taking the time to get our thoughts!

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(all the photos on this page are by Jim Hipple)

Inside Look at Snake Oil Salesmen

Supreme Unction: Inside Look at the Art of the Recruiter Snake Oil Salesman

In part one of our off-season series illuminating controversial college football issues, AaronFullen (Georgia Sports Blog guest reporter) takes an in-depth look at the life and times of the modern snake oil salesman. Joining us for an interview in panel format are three giants in the industry: Phil Fulmer, Tommy Tuberville and Urban Meyer.

GSB: Gentlemen, thank you for joining us. Coach Fulmer, let’s start with you. It’s been called an elixir, a health tonic and a flowery euphemism for a big bag of unmarked bills. Phil, what is “Snake Oil?”

Fulmer: It’s all of that and more, really. It cures rashes, shingles, diphtheria and other common ailments. It gives you pep and improves your disposition. Heck, with enough snake oil, you can ensure that South Florida studs with questionable academic credentials and no interest in Tennessee can be in Knoxville in the Fall. It’s powerful stuff.



GSB: Indeed. Coach Tuberville, how did you get your start in the snake oil business?

Tuberville: That’s a pretty good story. Just like in a respectable business, in this business you have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. In the snake oil business, starting at the bottom means going out into the field, catching the snakes and milking them for their magical oil.

GSB: So, you caught snakes and milked them?

Tuberville: I was the best. You see, the key to catching a snake is finding the snake. Because God blessed me with certain anatomical “advantages,” I could hear a snake breathing at a range of two and a half miles. My bosses used to say I could hear what a snake was thinking.


“God blessed me with certain anatomical “advantages.”

GSB: Coach Meyer, you’re a relative newcomer to the snake oil business but are widely considered one of the industry’s rising stars. Talk about the marketing aspects of the business.

Meyer: Sure. To succeed in this business you have to be the top 1% of the top 1%. For instance, a few weeks back, I told the press that our running backs were awful and that we’d find a way to play without one this season. Some might see those remarks as the ravings of a MAC coach in over his head. But it’s all marketing. The day after that story was printed, I sent a case of snake oil and a reprint of the article to the top fifteen high school running backs in America.


Fulmer's mentor

GSB: Coach Tuberville, last year, you recruited a wide receiver from Georgia who was convicted of being an accessory to felony robbery and discharging a firearm in a crowded place. He spent his senior year under house arrest with a monitoring bracelet on his ankle. How do you get a kid like that past the administration and into your university?

Tuberville: Simple. We’ve all had times when our wedding rings get a little too tight around the finger. But use a little soap and water, and that sucker slides right off. The same principle holds true with a dab of snake oil and an ankle bracelet.


They don't just GIVE these away. You have to earn them.

GSB: Coach Fulmer, a final question about your program: It seems you have players convicted of assault every day. You allegedly had a booster pay Tee Martin, and you turned in Alabama to get immunity. You allegedly accept recruits with fake diplomas and your players don’t attend class. There are well-compensated street agents running around Miami and you lost to Vanderbilt last year. How do you explain your continued employment in the snake oil business?

Fulmer: Even the best salesman has a bad quarter every now and then. But when you’re not moving enough product, heads have to roll. The key is having plausible deniability.

GSB: In this case, plausible deniability is Randy Sanders?

Fulmer: I’ve heard him called that, yes.


Plausible deniability in action

GSB: We’ll wrap up with a question for Coach Meyer. Coach, you’ve talked about needing to get the top 1% of the top 1% of recruits to really succeed in recruiting snake oil. If you have 25 scholarships to give out, how many kids do you need to evaluate to make the percentages work?


Urban Meyer works the crowd at a medicine show.

Meyer: Look, man. I’m no math wizard; I’m a snake oil salesman. It’s a whole bunch of kids.

GSB: So how do you know when you’ve found a “point-zero-one-percenter?”

Meyer: It’s the intangibles, really. For instance, we have a kid coming in this fall who put his fist through a car window about a week ago in Tampa. We have another kid coming in who has been banned from participating in high school athletics in the state of Virginia. I’ve met with and sold snake oil to a lot of high school football players and their families, but I’ve never sold snake oil to a kid that was banned by a state before. How does that even happen? Clearly, we knew we had to have him. He’s a one-in-a-thousand or one in twenty-five thousand or whatever kind of kid.


“Meyer is awarded Salesman of the Year”

GSB: How’s his marksmanship? Does he have experience handling assault rifles?

Meyer: You can’t really know that kind of thing about a kid until he gets to Gainesville. He’s shown he has all the tools.

The Georgia Sports Blog wishes to thank our panel of snake oil salesmen for their time. Shower time.

By AaronFullen

Westerberg and Stinson Reunite - 2 New 'Mats Songs Coming

I'm not very good, but I get practice by myself.

99% of you reading this don't care, but I do.

Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars have reunited to produce two new songs in an effort to promote a Greatest Hits Album. Frankly, the news of the reunion album got more press than most of their actual albums, but that's neither here nor there.

The album hits stores on June 13th. At this point a tour is unlikely. The news starts with (of course) the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune. For the other 90+ articles, check Google News.

Not that you asked, but there are few matches more puzzling than Tommy Stinson being a part of Guns N Roses for the past 8 years or whatever. I actually saw an article that said "GnR Bass player reunites with old band." Well....that's one way to look at it. (shaking head)

Paul Westerdawg
Georgia Sports Blog / Mats Fan

Coaches head to Morgantown to Learn WVU's Offense

"Ohio State, Southern Miss, Ohio, Memphis and Eastern Michigan are here. Even the little guys mill the hallways of the Puskar Center -- Findlay College, Delaware State and Morehead State want to be good, too. They've all come with notebooks and pens stuffed in oversized bags slung over their shoulders.

They are scattered in a room tucked down a short hallway. Some fidget. Others recline. There is food, but the coaches in rumpled sweatsuits watching cut-ups of the 2005 West Virginia Mountaineers aren't eating. Why are they here? "They beat Georgia," pipes a voice in the dark."

This article from the Sporting News talks about how Rich Rodriguez is the it coach. It talks about how the teams listed above are among the many wanting to learn how a smaller team can dismantle a defense like Georgia's. I'm not sure when Rodriguez diagrams the play where you convince the other team's defensive coordinator to only put 6 in the box, not watch any film or practice half ass for 2 weeks. But that's a big key to the blowout. (I'm not bitter. Ok, I am.)

One interesting thing that I like about this article...Rodriguez calls coaches that he has played that he thinks he won't play again soon, and he asks them what it was like to play his WVU team. He's looking for weaknesses and strengths in his own game. He has spent time on the phone with Richt discussing it. Smart move.

The telling passage in the article is here:

It's quiet. Then, it happens: Mountaineers quarterback Pat White stops, starts and goes -- really fast and really far. Amazing. "I can teach my guy to make the first read," a coach mumbles, "but I can't teach him to do that."

BINGO! Scheme is important, and theirs clearly caused us problems. However, if Pat White wasn't one of the two fastest QBs that UGA has played in the past 25 years (Matt Jones being the other) those plays don't work.


Big time wheels.

I like Rodriguez, but I would have preferred to see what that game would've looked like with a more logical / non-suck scheme from our end. (Ht to JimfromDuluth on DawgRun for finding the article)

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Rabbit Poop, Tailgating and What Not

BurntOrangeNation has made us aware of the rabbit poop problem in Lubbock. I wonder what the Go Raiders! Guy would say about this? Probably something like...."The Big 12's Jackrabbits tried to screw us, but we won anyway."

The Realist turns in a commentary on the tailgating situation. He makes a series of good points almost all of which I agree with.


From The MZone's Fark Gurus

The MZone (profanity abundant) documents Michigan's run to glory(sic) as they go for their second NIT title in the past three years. Brian weighs in on the topic as well. Too bad for Michigan that Crash Davis is standing in their way.

The MZone crew also looks at killer calls from refs. Mayor Kyle locks into this thread with comments about Al Ford vs. Jasper Sanks.

Oh, and Keith Brooking comes out of the closet. Mora said, "Keith Brooking's come to me a couple times and said, 'Can you put a big [butt] in front of me?'" (hat tip to cookdawg from DawgPost.com)

And from Bulldawg Land, the Athens Paper has an article about the early enrollee freshman class including Stafford and Asher Allen. While the Macon Telegraph has a good football round-up article. While Richt talks QBs with the AJC.

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Bobo Talks QBs: Thomasville Times

TheDawgfather over at DawgRun.com pointed this article out. It's a solid interview with Bobo where he talks about the strengths of all four QBs who are in the hunt for the starting job at Georgia.

Bobo manages to chat up their strengths without tipping his hand as to who is leading or performing better than the others. Good read.

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Baby Name Protocol for the Bulldog Nation

DawgSports.com explores why every child should be named Herschel that was born after 1980. As an alternative, he discusses why children should be named Erk:

"As I mentioned recently, all newborn babies look like Erk Russell: chubby, wrinkled, and bald. Therefore, I suggested a compromise [to my wife]: we'd only name the boy after Erk if he looked like Erk at birth. I still couldn't sell her on the idea."

The above article follows on the heels of Mayor Kyle's hysterical look at marriage as he wanders through Warren St. John's Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, Gameday Wedding Protocol, and the TV show "Mad About You."

Both funny reads.

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Infamous Moments in UGA History: Nov. 4, 1893

This UGA football team ran into the 19th Century Version of Bill Brasky

On Nov. 4, 1893, UGA and GT played their first game against each other in Athens. On that day, Leonard Wood ran wild over the Georgia players in route to a big Tech blowout win. The Atlanta Journal reported the following in the next day's paper:

Nov. 5, 1893: "The University of Georgia was defeated...but it was not by the Technical School that they were beaten. They team that opposed them was a heterogeneous collection of Atlanta residents -- a United States Army surgeon, a medical student, a lawyer, and an insurance agent among them, with here and there a student from Georgia's School of Technology thrown in to give the mixture a Technological flavor. Wood is believed to be Captain Leonard Wood of the US Army."

In fact, Tech's star player was Captain Leonard Wood. John F. Stegeman wrote in his book "The Ghosts of Herty Field" (1966):

"Thirty-three years old, fair-haired and blue-eyed, [Leonard Wood] was a man amidst boys.

During the game, Wood was "struck just over his right eye opening a gash about three inches long across his forehead. In a few moments he was bleeding freely. That...didn't bother Wood one minute. He would just reach up his hand, wipe his bleeding brow and then plaster the face of some Georgia player with a handful of blood...He seemed to delight in grabbing two Georgia boys and bumping their heads together. He just ran roughshod over everybody in front of him."

After graduating Harvard, "Wood had volunteered for Army duty with the provision that he be sent where the action was. The Army took him at his word and sent him to the Arizona-Mexico border to the infantry command that was then in pursuit of Geronimo and the fugitive Apaches. Wood was largely instrumental in the final capture of Geronimo and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor."

In other words, SEVEN YEARS after capturing Geronimo, Tech snuck one of the great American badasses of the 19th Century into Athens to use as a hellfire halfback RINGER against the 18 year old kids from Georgia.


Geronimo seen here before Wood as his 5,000 buddies caught him

Five years after the game, Wood commanded the First Volunteer Cavalry in the Spanish-American War. His group was known as The Rough Riders, and his second in command was a man whose face is now on Mount Rushmore. Nine years after the game, Wood was named Governor General of Cuba. He later served in the same capacity in the Philippines. He retired as a Major General.

Why Tech? Well, he was stationed at Fort McPherson in 1893, got bored and went over to GT to play football. He ended up teaching their boys the game. But in true Tech fashion of playing with ineligible men, he put on a Tech colors and started himself in the game.

Nov. 4, 1893: A moment which set into motion a Georgia Tech tradition of lying and cheating that has become the cornerstone of the Georgia Tech program.


Lest the Techies get all in a tizzy about such a Giant being a Tech man....no he was a Harvard man. He was just in town and wanted to play some football.

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Mike Davis has to be shaking his head

His entire argument at Indiana was that they needed an Indiana man. So they didn't seriously consider Steve Alford, and they look to have hired OU's Kelvin Sampson.

I don't get it.

What an odd choice. They hired the guy that Davis beat in the Tourney a few years back to get to the title game in Atlanta. I wonder if Davis lands at UAB.

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Is Dave Odom Basketball's Crash Davis?

During Bull Durham, Annie Savoy finds out that Crash Davis is on the verge of breaking the record for most career minor league home runs. Crash won't let her tell The Sporting News about it because "it's sort of a dubious honor."

Dave Odom stands two wins away from his third NIT Championship, and on the verge of being the first coach to win back to back NIT Championships since that tourney lost relevance about 50-60 years ago. A dubious honor in its own right. On Tuesday night he'll lead South Carolina against Louisville in Madison Square Garden with this bizarre piece of history in play. It's the "other" final four. Winner faces Old Dominion or Michigan.

In recognition of this special moment, the Georgia Sports Blog is proud to present you with Dave Odom's legendary monologue titled "What I Believe."

"Well, I believe in the excuse...the Chicken Curse ...the Feather... the small of a man's neck... the Chuck Taylor two handed jump shot...Geritol... cheap beer... that the college career of Tim Duncan was self-indulgent overrated crap and his failures weren't my fault... I believe Lou Holtz acted like a crazy old coot (and I would know). I believe there ought to be a Constitutional amendment outlawing Steve Spurrier getting more money or better parking than me. I believe in the sweet jump shot, soft core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, runs into March Sadness (aka the N.I.T.) that last three weeks. Goodnight." -- Dave Odom

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Best Spring Practice Report I've Seen So Far

Dean Legge of DawgPost.com has a recap of Spring Practice at the half way point. It's a subscriber article, and it's outstanding.

If you're over there, check out Josh Kendall's free article on the Lady Dawgs Heartbreaking loss to Uconn. Landers, who often delivers classic one liners when given the chance, said the following about his technical foul:

“I felt like I needed to have a voice,” he said. “There’s only so much I can say. There are people at the back of the room, NCAA people with guns, but something had to be said I thought on our behalf. I don’t think I needed a technical, but I needed a voice and if I had to take the T to have the voice, so be it. You have to stick up for your kids.”

GATA.


NCAA Press Conference Police

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Don't Forget to Order Your Season Tickets

Renewable Season Ticket Order Forms are Due around April 1. Don't forget to renew! You can buy online at Georgiadogs.com.

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3 Game Football Series with Cincy Cancelled

Back in late November, it was leaked that UGA was set to play a three game series with Cincy in 2008, 2011 and 2014. That series has been cancelled.

A proposed three game-series between Georgia and Cincinnati has been scrapped. "My scheduling philosophy is that if we're going to play teams like that, they have a Midwest flavor," Cincinnati athletic director Mike Thomas told the Cincinnati Post, citing Michigan and Ohio State as such schools.

This means we still have 1 opening for 2007 (Season Opener) and 1 opening for 2008 and 2011. I'm really expecting a 1 game deal with a Top 15-30 team arranged by ESPN for the home opener in '07. Not sure what this means for 2008 because our schedule is already ridiculously hard that year with LSU (Road), Bama (Home), and Arizona State (road) added to our normal slate of SEC East + Auburn.


The real tragedy here is all the lost chances to make Loni Anderson references.

In other news, check DawgBone.net for all today's spring practice stories. They've got your links covered.

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I thought Gators wore jean shorts?

Leave it to the Gators to make us wish they'd wear jean shorts.


Hat Tip: SI On Campus

Spring Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Georgia Sports Blog continues its Spring Practice look around the country by venturing beyond the SEC to look at other top ranked preseason programs. Today, we spend some time with the guys at Buckeye Commentary talking about Ohio State. As always the photos and captions are from Westerdawg.

PWD: Many of the pre-pre-season pubs have you guys in the Top 3-5. How realistic is it that OSU will finish that high?

-Buckeye Commentary (BC): I believe it’s a pretty accurate assessment. It’s important to note the keyword in the question is “finish.” Our schedule is strong especially early on with road trips to Texas and Iowa, but we have Penn State and Michigan at home. Factor in our Michigan and Bowl Game success under Coach Tressel, it’s very possible we could find ourselves in the Top 5 at season’s end.


Replacing Hawk & Co. will be no easy chore.

With OSU success always seems to start with the defense. Yet, it looks like you lose more front line talent on defense than any other elite team in the country. How does Tressel keep the defense rolling in '06?

- BC: The defense will be a work in progress. We have lost a lot of defensive talent – potentially 3 first rounders - and there are several holes to fill. Coach Tressel will give almost complete control to second year defensive coordinator, Jim Heacock. Fortunately for Ohio State and Heacock, 8 players return who have starting experience.

The front four, in particular, should be very good with DT’s Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson returning. Former starter at DE, Jay Richardson is also back hoping to break out in his senior campaign as well. I see the key to this defense being how we adjust to losing our back 7. Expectations will have to be curtailed when you lose players like AJ Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, Ashton Youboty, Donte Whitner, but the young players waiting for their shot are supremely talented. If they take root quickly, this defense, by the end of the year, could be extremely good once again.


Although, if you're going to replace Hawk, doing it with Animal's son makes it easier.

In the Notre Dame and Michigan games, it looked like you guys finally started to open the offense up. What sort of offense should we expect from the Buckeyes in 2006?

- BC: Our offense will be very similar to what you saw versus Michigan and Notre Dame. Because our defense isn’t as strong, Coach Tressel will keep the throttle open to compensate. One of the big positives is there will be no QB controversy. The flip-flopping of QB’s the nation saw in the Texas game will not happen this year. Troy Smith, who is 13-2 as a starter, finished 4th in the nation in passing efficiency and the QB job is his alone. We will continue to feature 1 Back and Shotgun sets. Gone, for now, are the days we line up mostly in I-Formation. Antonio Pittman returns to anchor the RB duties and many feel true frosh Chris Wells will serve as a very good complement to Pittman’s running style.


Ginn Jr. in action

Ted Ginn, Jr. is back and looks to become a more complete WR. Ask most Buckeye fans and they’ll tell you Santonio Holmes was our go to guy last year as he was the most polished WR in the Big Ten 10. Ginn has focused this off-season on becoming stronger and faster (amazingly) so he can tap into his full potential. Defenses will continue to game plan against Ted, but they run the risk of being beat by any number of weapons this offense possesses.

In all, a total of 9 starters return from an offensive unit that averaged 33 points and 425 yards. I look for those numbers to increase as Troy becomes even more comfortable running the offense and Antonio continues to blossom as a RB. But, make no mistake, we’ll still play ball control and field position when we have a sizeable lead. Defenses will still get a healthy dose of the ground game and QB draws.


Ohio State's offense gives Tressel the O-Face

What is the off-season story that the mainstream media hasn't written yet about Ohio State? What should they be writing about?

- BC: For me, there are two stories/angles that are being missed. The first I touched on already and that is the number of players returning on the defensive side of the ball that have some starting experience. And, in most cases, the “starting experience” consists of more than just one game.

Some examples: Brandon Mitchell used to be the starting safety in 2003 before Nate Salley came on strong. Malcolm Jenkins was basically a starter from mid-season onward last year as a true frosh. LB Mike D’Andrea used to start in the middle before a knee injury. I’ve already touched on Pitcock, Patterson and Richardson above. There’s no question we’ll have some growing pains but a lot of talented players return who have played significant minutes.

The other story that really hasn’t been documented enough is the emergence of RB, Antonio Pittman. I’m convinced he put up the quietest 1350 rushing yards in Ohio State history. Outside of Columbus, he gets very little publicity and most only know him from his game clinching TD run vs. Notre Dame. Antonio Pittman is one of the best backs in the country and he’ll be running behind a veteran offensive line.


At least Vince won't be there for the return trip to Austin

What are you looking for / hoping to see addressed this Spring?

- BC: After enjoying several years of wonderful field goal kicking, we now must find and break in a brand new place-kicker. There are several candidates and my hope is that someone commands the job before spring practice wraps up.

I am also looking for one of our young defensive ends to enter the defensive line rotation. Of our players last year, we lacked a devastating speed rusher. I think we may find one among Vernon Gholston, Robert Rose or Doug Worthington.

- - - - - - -
Big thanks to the crew at Buckeye Commentary for their thoughts on the upcoming season.

Note: Spring previews for Tech, Tennessee, Florida, West Virginia and Texas are also available. More on the horizon.

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Lady Dawgs Lose Heartbreaker to Uconn

This season was possibly the best coaching job of Andy's career. He lost 4 girls preseason (2-3 are WNBA caliber). All were post players, and all were lost for the season. He played almost the entire season with only 6 girls getting meaningful minutes. If he went to 7 girls, it was because one of his posts was in massive foul trouble.

Last night, we were just 1 player short of advancing as the Lady Dawgs lost their Sweet 16 game by a score of 77-75 to Uconn in Bridgeport, CT.

Best of luck to the Lady Dawgs next season.

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Finebaum Interviews Yoculan / Gym Dogs Win SEC

First off, the Gym Dogs won the SEC...again....the 6th time and 7 years. Congrats to the Gym Dogs.

That's all well and good, but if you want a real comedy check Suzanne's interview with Finebaum before the tourney last week (if that link doesn't work go here). She talks about her personal rivalry with Sarah Patterson at Alabama. Paraphrase:

Paul Finebaum: It always seems like Sarah Patterson comes off as the goodie two shoes and you're the evil one. In wrestling terms you're the masked woman, and she's Shirley Temple.

Suzanne: The media started some of it. I'm definitely more spontaneous than Sarah. Even in press conferences, she's more calculated, protective and careful, and I'm more spontaneous.

Sometimes I'll stick my foot in my mouth, but I say what I feel. If I think my team is unbeatable or whatever, I'll usually say so. There have been some times where we've beaten them and she has said things about equipment, the bars, or judging or whatever.

Whatever, winners make adjustments. So we go back and forth alot, and I probably fuel the fire more with my comments. She's able to keep her Shirley Temple persona, but if you listen to who says what a lot of it starts in Alabama.

I don't mind being the Darth Vader team of the SEC. In fact, 10 years ago we made the decision to just embrace that Darth Vader image, and we wear black everywhere we go on the road. We're an aggressive, confident team. That's our style. That's my style. I like enthusiasm. I like excitement. We've won a lot of championships because of that.

I don't believe in failure. I'd rather go out on a limb now and have it break once and a while than to never go out there. That's just my approach. It's offensive to some people, but it wins for Georgia. So I recruit athletes who can embrace going for it.

We're like Steve Spurrier vs. Georgia. No one in Georgia likes Spurrier because he beats us a lot. (PWD: Inferring that no one in Bama likes them b/c they never beat Georgia anymore).

Sarah is more of a southern lady than I am. She does and says the right thing, and has better manners than I do. But that's not my style. I say what I think.

I respect her. She's had the same challenges at Bama that I have had at UGA.

I don't use nouns when I can use verbs. I don't call my team "underachievers." I say that they are "underachieving." I don't call Sarah Patterson a "loser," I said "don't gripe about losing." I don't hate anything but cauliflower and turnips.

I have never had a girl transfer away from Georgia in my entire career. What other coach in any sport at any school can say that?

The entire interview is a blast. Honestly, I could do without Suzanne's off the field antics related to Don Leebern, but I really do get a kick out of the Steve Spurrier personality. I enjoy the smack talk, and I think it has added tremendous interest to women's gymnastics in college. She has made the rivalry with Bama what it is. It's fun, and she's having a blast with it. Plus, she's one helluva a coach.

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Orson on UGA's TailgateGate

Orson Swindle at EDSBS takes a look at UGA's tailgate problems. Also knowns as Mike Adams related problems.

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QB Battle Starts to Take Shape Today

Big Shoes To Fill

The Dawgs will have their first true scrimmage of spring today. The coaches will see how Joe T, Cox, Barnes and Stafford react to game time situations. It'll be interesting to see if we get any sort of depth chart changes after this. I think there are only 3 scrimmages so today is a huge deal. For more on the story:

AJC story
ABH story
DawgPost.com story
UGASports.com's story

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Anti-Gonzaga Site

Some Washington Husky fans were having fun with the Zags and their cheeseball star's early cry baby exit from the tourney.

Good stuff.


Morrison baby pic

Sugar Bowl Gains New Title Sponsor

AllState Insurance has signed on as the new title sponsor for the Sugar Bowl. I pointed out an article last week showing that the Sugar Bowl was having serious problems. However, this sponsorship goes a long, long way towards stabilizing the bowl for the future.

It's an interesting move given the backlash towards property/causalty insurance firms post-Katrina. For more on the backlash, try the "Third Battle of New Orleans" blog.

pwd

Adams to Tailgaters: Drop Dead

Don't say you weren't warned. Mike Adams, the most severe irritant in Athens since fire ants, further antagonizes the public with a power grab that could only end with him planning your tailgate menu by 2008. (Don't worry, Adams probably won't steal your alcohol, but only because he soaks the State of Georgia for his)

[Photo: Unelected, ineffective and unbeloved President. How the hell did he get this job anyway? Oh, yeah--this guy.]

Under the subterfuge of controlling fan behavior, The Beloved Leader has issued a fiat outlawing parking on sidewalks on gameday. What does parking on sidewalks have to do with preventing overserved football fans? How much alcohol is really being consumed on campus prior 7:00AM?

As I've speculated previously, this has nothing to do with curbing alcohol consumption. Fan misbehavior is a stalking horse for implementing tailgating changes that Adams has always wanted. His sycophantic lapdog Jimmy "Clancy Wiggum" Williamson is only so happy to carry water for Adams in this regard.

What can be done? In all reality, not much. Until Adams' annuity matures (I believe in 2007), we're stuck with this metaphorical canker sore.

[Photo: Adams announces that tailgating menus must be submitted for approval to the Beloved Leader's Commission on Tailgating no later than 72 hours before kickoff]

Dawgnoxious,
Bureau Chief
Mike Adams Corruption Division

Dennis Dodd gives UGA much love

Dennis Dodd has his pre-season Top 25 poll up and ready for complaining. SEC schools report in at:

#2 LSU
#4 Auburn
#9 Florida
#10 Georgia

He also lists Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina as teams to watch. I think UGA may be a little high at #10, but I love his justification:

10. Georgia: Maybe the Dawgs are overvalued here in the top 10 but we have faith in Mark Richt. D.J. Shockley sat around for four years. That was an upset in itself. Then he had a spectacular senior season. We have faith that Joe (Three Sticks) Tereshinski III or freshman Matthew Stafford will be able to get it done this year. This is a fantastic staff that continually is able to rebuild.
It's still early but ... how can you not pencil this team in for nine wins based on history alone?

Some thoughts on the other SEC teams:
AU - Auburn plays nine (that's right 9) games in the state of Alabama next year. Their home schedule includes Washington State, LSU, Florida, Georgia and Arkansas. Their only sigificant road game is Tuscaloosa where they haven't lost since around 1893. They won't finish at #4 given they play three other Top 10 teams, but they should have a very strong team.

LSU - #2 seems a bit high for a team with serious questions around their QB and DLine. That said, Miles has tons of post-Saban talent to work with. Road games against Auburn, Tennessee and Florida doesn't scream Fiesta Bowl trip to me...especially not with Les Miles as coach. You take away the ass kicking of Miami in the Peach last year, and this rating would be dramatically lower.


Meyer is nobody's friend. If Meyer were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and ass. - Garth Algar

Gators - I think they may be a bit underrated here, but not much. They are my favorite to win the East this year. Mostly because they get Spurrier at home, Georgia has holes to fill everywhere and the Vols aren't back on top yet. I could see the SEC East champ with a 6-2 record this year.


Richt finally gets props from CFN

Also - CFN has their rankings of top SEC coaches. Their content is generally fairly worthless, but they do issue a mea culpa to Richt from last year. They have him and Spurrier at co-#1s.

pwd

What can Brown do for you?

Spring has sprung -- unless you pay attention to weather.com which is reporting 40 degree temps here at the Georgia Sports Blog World Headquarters. With Spring practice in full gear, the papers are full of news about progress, weights and possible transfers.

The Athens paper has news of Michael Brown's possible transfer to UGA. If he's transferring because he's homesick or doesn't like Meyer, then great. If his motivation is anything else, he won't be happy at any program. I'd love to have him if he's coming to work. We're desperate for DTs and OTs that can play. Same story also talks about Stafford's weight. The AJC also jumps in with an article on Brown's possible transfer.

The ABH also has a story on Brandon Miller's progress. DawgPost.com has a similar story on Miller.

For more links to Spring Pract