Dawg Free Agent Open Thread (News and Rumors)

As of right now the rumors are:
-- Nick Jones - Seattle
-- Tony Taylor - Atlanta
-- Danny Ware - Tennessee
-- Jarvis Jackson - Tennessee
-- Danny Verdun-Wheeler - Chicago

I'm in meetings all day. If you see the official announcements on free agent signings, please post 'em in the comments. Thanks.

PWD

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Falcons drafting Georgia Players

Martrez Milner is headed to ATL (Image: Jim Hipple)

There was a lively discussion yesterday on the DawgRun message board about the Falcons' historical lack of drafting Georgia Bulldogs. The Falcons of yore under the Smith Family were totally inept on draft day and all other days frankly. They blew shot after shot at taking Georgia players that would've dramatically upgraded the franchise (See: Rodney Hampton and Hines Ward as the most glaring examples).

But the Blank/McKay team seems to be doing a better job of looking towards Athens in the draft and free agency. Over the past few years, they've picked up Shockley (7th Round), Martez Milner (4th Round), Fred Gibson (FA 2007), Terrence Edwards (FA 2003), Josh Mallard (FA 2006), Steve Herndon (FA 2004), and I think one more. Additionally, they are rumored to have signed Tony Taylor to a free agent deal Sunday night. While they still aren't the Pittsburgh Steelers (to say the least), they're making progress.

I'm not a Falcons fan or apologist. I'd rather them not suck because it makes Sunday's more interesting. Beyond that, I'd like them to draft more Bulldogs. If they do great. If not, whatever as long as the team gets better. Other than WR drafting, McKay is pretty solid on draft day. Unlike his predecessors.

Regardless, Moosefish took an interesting look at the Falcons' last few drafts under McKay. He looked at the available Bulldogs at each pick of the draft vs. needs of the team. If you've got a minute, check it out.

See Also:
-- Shockley and Milner Reunited - Columbus-Ledger
-- Worth the Wait for Milner - AJC
-- Photo: Martrez beats the Buffs - ABH

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Oklahoma State vs. Nebraska Highlights

If you're wondering where all the Oklahoma State hype comes from, check out the highlights from their game vs. the Cornhuskers last year. Down 16-0 in the first half, the Pokes came back to win 41-29. Their offense is no joke.

It'll be interesting to see how our defense matches up with these guys given our youth at defensive end and outside linebacker.

See Also:
-- OSU vs. UN Recap and more video - ESPN.com

PWD

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Championship Apparel for Gymnastics, Tennis and Golf

Logo for Official Championship T-Shirts

If you're looking for the Official T-Shirts from the Georgia Bulldog Gymnastic Team's Back-to-Back-to-Back National Titles, you can pick them up at the Football Fanatics store via our affiliate site.

The store also has the official SEC Championship t-shirts for the 2007 Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis and Women's Golf teams. The logos for those shirts is below.


SEC Championship Logos

Support your favorite blogger (or me) and buy shirts from the store. Additionally, the store has a pretty big Spring Sale going on right now. Check out the site's front page for more details.

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Gym Dawgs Win Third Straight National Title

Image: georgiadogs.com

The Gym Dawgs won their 8th National Title at the Super Six in Salt Lake City. The team had faced a series of late season injuries and started the title meet with a big stumble.

Then the domination began. Congrats to the Gym Dawgs winners of five of the past 10 championships.

See Also:
-- Local Coverage of Championship Meet - Salt Lake Tribune
-- ThreePeat for Dawgs - OnlineAthens
-- UGA Wins Gymnastics Title - SI.com
-- Gym Dawgs Win Again -- AJC
-- No One Even Close - DawgSports.com
-- Photo Gallery From the Meet - Onlineathens
-- Finebaum Interviews Yoculan - GSB (March '06)

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Wildly Off Topic: Twenty Years Ago in Music

So, I'm getting older. Now, I'm not suggesting that this is breaking news. We all are. But it's an issue that has recently come to my attention as I've been ripping CDs for my iPod. I happened to notice some copyright dates.

Did you realized that U2's "Joshua Tree" debuted 20 years ago last month? GnR's "Appetite for Destruction" and The Replacements "Pleased to Meet Me" both debuted in July of the same year. For my money, those three albums are the very early round draft picks in the "What would you listen to while stranded on a deserted island" conversation.

And it's been 20 years since they debuted. Damn. Just Damn.

See Also:
-- Albums from 1987 -- Wikipedia

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Hebron arrested again

David Ching, Columbus-Ledger reporter, says Akeem Hebron was cuffed and stuffed for underage possession of booze last night. Thank heavens we have Chief Wiggum to keep our young men save from the evil fire water.

When I was in school ('90-'94) many bars would serve you without a fake ID. Even if you were so babyfaced that you could still land a free baseball bat on kid's night at Fulton County Stadium (trust me on this one). The idea of a football player getting pinched for enjoying a cold brew in a scenario not involving fistacuffs, public nekkidness or Dean Wormer's daughter was way beyond reality.

If our football players can't enjoy a refreshing cocktail, the terrorists have already won.

PWD

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Dawgly Headlines: The NFL Draft, The Hoops and The Lotion

Around the Dawgosphere to start your morning.

-- Richt gets incredibly candid and spiritual with the Thomasville Times. He basically says that God talked him into making Mike Bobo the offensive coordinator. I doubt that Richt was the only one praying that he'd stop calling the plays. A guy sitting near me in Sanford Stadium has called CMR "Field Goal Jesus" for years.

-- David Ching and Josh Kendall have both written articles discussing Danny Ware's decision to go pro early. Kendall talks with him about the chip on his shoulder, and Ching talks about the risk that Ware is taking. Personally, there were times when I thought Ware looked like he might become a dominant SEC back, but at other times he looked like he couldn't find a hole with mapquest and OnStar. Ultimately, the fumbles were his enemy. Not the depth chart.

-- Dennis Felton is pursuing a 7 foot Romanian kid living in North Carolina for the 2008 class. His name is Catalin Baciu, and Scout.com lists him as a 4 star type player. Baciu is being recruited by Notre Dame, NC State, Wake, Clemson and VT among others. His none to flattering photo on rivals.com (on the right) reminds me of the quote: "It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again." (ht - begger)

-- The AJC talks with Dan Inman about his NFL draft chances. During the interview, he was penalized for a holding the reporter.

-- Earlier in the week, David Ching posted some more draft tidbits on Dawg players.

-- The Gym Dawgs advanced to the NCAA Super Six finals. Just as importantly, they beat the Gators to get there. See...we can beat them at something this year.

-- Lastly, Danny Verdun-Wheeler spoke to Wilkes County students about the importance of education and staying in school. While we're talking about photos....does he remind you of Donovan McNabb in that pic? Or is it just me?

That should get your morning started.

PWD

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Brace Yourself: OSU is Coming

To get you ready for the OK State vs. UGA season opener, I could prepare an exhaustive look at their offense, defense and special teams. I could break down stats, interview experts and suggest problems with match-ups at various positions.

Or...I could just post videos of drunk Oklahoma State fans making asses of themselves. Hmmm...that's not a tough call. We're going with the drunks.

No one can tell me that I don't know my audience.

See Also:
-- OKSU Fan Don't Give a Damn - EDSBS
-- Sing Whatever You Want - DeadSpin (enjoy the comments)

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Hoops Recruiting: Signees from the State of Georgia

The 2007 recruiting class is almost closed out. Justin Young, recruiting guru for Rivals.com, put together a rough list of high school kids signed to play basketball in college. I organized his list by high majors (BCS conferences), mid-majors and low majors. I didnt include the JUCOs, NAIAs and kids that signed to play other sports. (Source: Rivals.com)

As you can see, the state produces more than enough talent to make Georgia a winner on a consistent basis. However, we aren't yet landing our "fair share" of that talent. Especially the top end players like Hickson, Lawal, Allen, Hillman, Adams, etc. Felton is making progress (Exhibit A: Jeremey Price), but we're not there yet. When/if we crack this problem, there's no ceiling on the program.

High Majors:

*Chris Barnes, Riverdale -- Georgia
*Jeremy Price, Columbia -- Georgia
*Zac Swansey, Dunwoody -- Georgia
Chris Allen, Meadowcreek -- Michigan State
Gani Lawal, Norcross -- Georgia Tech
J.J. Hickson, Wheeler - NC State
Jordan DeMercy, Norcross -- Florida State
Lance Storrs, Columbia -- Georgia Tech
Marshon Brooks , Tucker -- Providence
Martavius Adams, Wilkinson County -- Oklahoma State
Senario Hillman, Wilkinson County -- Alabama
Terrell Bell, Stone Mountain -- Virginia Tech
Tony Neysmith, Norcross -- Oklahoma
Trevor Gaskins, Chattahoochee -- Ole Miss
Zach Graham, Peachtree Ridge -- Ole Miss

Note: The Bulldogs landed 3 of the 15 kids who signed with big time programs in state. GT only signed two this year, but they signed a 4 star PG from Memphis to round out their class.

Mid-Majors:

B.J. Frazier, Stephenson -- Western Kentucky
Dante Harvey, Columbia -- Toledo
Jamar Moore, Thomasville -- South Alabama
Jihad Ali, M.L. King -- Georgia State (soft)
Kevin Anderson, Peachtree Ridge -- Richmond
Ladaris Hall, Thomasville -- South Alabama
Phillip Brown, Eagle--s Landing Christian -- Air Force
Trey Lang, Wheeler - UMass

Low Majors:

Adam Demuyakor, North Gwinnett -- Harvard
Adrian Williams, Wheeler -- Brown
Andrew Goudelock, Stone Mountain -- College of Charleston
Bassy Inameti, Peachtree Ridge -- Tennessee Tech
Brian Mills, Chapel Hill -- Mercer
Bryson Barnes, Westlake -- Furman
Charles Corbin, Griffin -- Winthrop
Connor Nolte, Milton -- Furman
DeAndre Washington, McEachern -- Valdosta State
Dontrell Taylor, Wilkinson County -- Tennessee State
Isaac Butts, Georgia Military -- Appalachian State
Jamarco Warren, Gainesville -- Charleston Southern
Jon Pack, East Paulding -- Coastal Carolina
Ladaris Green, Savannah Beach -- Kennesaw State
Lyndon Jordan , Winder-Barrow -- Fairfield
Mark Veazy, Meadowcreek -- Navy
Matt Clark, Evans -- The Citadel
Rashad Castleberry , Washington County -- Albany State
Richie Gordon, Lakeside-Dekalb -- Western Carolina
Rod Mitchell, Columbus Carver -- Savannah State
Steven Sargent, Whitewater -- VMI
Tovi Bailey, Villa Rica -- Charleston Southern
Trevor Welcher, Richmond Academy -- Delaware State

Note: The difference between mid-majors and low majors is entirely of my own creation in the lists above, but it really doesn't have any relevance on the issue either way.

PWD

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Light Day of Posting

Work calls.

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Some quick Dawgly Links

Image: Georgiadogs.com

To enable your lunch time surfing:
-- Dawgs Top Jackets 10-7 - DawgSports.com
-- Dawgs top Jackets in Baseball - GwinnettDaileyPost
-- Isreal Troupe on Baseball vs. Football - WALB.com
-- Billy Humphrey leaving his mark on Athens - Athens Exchange

If you missed last night's Georgia vs. Georgia Tech baseball game, you missed a great time. Perfect weather and perfect outcome.

Couple of observations from the Baseball Game:
-- Danny Hall and Andy Landers should start a support group for coaches that drive their programs to the highest levels but are completely incapable of beating their rivals when it really matters. Hall can't beat Georgia if anyone is watching/caring or if the season is on the line. Landers can't beat Summit on days that end in "Y."

-- Danny Hall must be paid by the hour. He coached slow ball, and he drug the game kicking and screaming into a torcherously slow pace.

-- Children's Hospital of Atlanta runs a great event, but they really need to work on a few logistical kinks in the system. The line to get into the stadium was entirely too long. Two more screening/ticket checking stations would've helped hundreds (if not thousands) get into the game on time. I realize that more overhead/workers cuts into the fundraising, but a better game experience encourages more people to invite their friends next year.

pwd

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Hoops Recruiting Update

D.J. Kennedy - Pennslyvania
Kennedy is a Rivals.com Top 150 player, and he's one the few guys that fit that description still unsigned for the 2007 class. According to Rivals.com, Georgia now leads for the shooter. He is listed as one of the Top 5-10 players in his homestate of Pa. He's visiting St. John's right now.

Pettigrew - Kentucky
For whatever reason, we seem to be out of it for Pettigrew. I'm not sure how a 6'5" low post player fits into what we're trying to do anyway. He's down to WKU and Xavier.

Toney McCray - Texas
McCray is a guy that sort of flew below the recruiting radar because of a health problem. He was thought to have a heart problem, and he was asked to sit out his junior year. McCray was later given a clean bill of health, and he was cleared to play his senior year. The 6'6" 180 lb swing man from the Houston area chose Nebraska over UGA last night. I only mention him because he's the first b-ball recruit that I've heard in my lifetime to EVER complement our facilities. That in and of itself is newsworthy.

ht - dawgvent hoops board

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UGA vs. GT at Turner Field Tonight -- MARTA Update

It's highly unlikely that MARTA will be running the "Braves" shuttle bus from Underground / Five Points tonight. You're going to want to drive down, or you'll have to walk from the Georgia State rail station (E1). The walk from Georgia State isn't bad, but it's not ideal.

Game Preview -- AJC

PWD

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Damon's Sensible Approach to an Indoor Practice Facility

My least favorite drawing

Long time readers of the blog know that I'm vehemently opposed to the construction of an indoor practice facility for football. I'm pleased to say that Damon Evans and Mark Richt appear to now be on the same page regarding the limited functional use of such a facility.

Instead, they are moving forward with plans to expand Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall in a move that will "give the the football team a bigger weight room, more space for the team to watch videos, a bigger training room and office space, Evans said. It also will mean a larger meeting room for special events. The large meeting room in Butts-Mehre is too small for some events, Evans told the paper."

According to the paper the final shift away from the practice facility came after touring other campuses and talking with their AD offices:

UGA officials have talked about building an indoor practice facility for years, but when UGA administrators toured other universities that have such indoor facilities, they found that the schools' football teams rarely used the expensive buildings (emphasis added). Instead, the biggest user seemed to be the schools' track teams, said UGA athletic director Damon Evans.

My historical reasons for opposing the practice facility were pretty straight forward:
1. We don't play indoors. So what if it's raining. It rains in Sanford Stadium. It rains in Neyland Stadium and it rains in All-Tel Stadium. It's called Football. Get used to it.

2. We don't need it for recruiting. We already recruit at the Top 10 level, and the best recruiting university in the SEC over the past 15 years (Florida) doesn't have one either. It ain't holding Urban Meyer back.

When Meyer hears a recruit say such-and-such school has a facility, “I’ll make a comment like so-and-so needs an indoor facility; we don’t,” he said. “It’s not a priority.” (Source: DawgPost.com)

3. Risk of getting soft. I worry that teams with IPF facilities use them even when it isn't a hurricane. "But coach, it's so hot. Let's practice inside."

4. Cost. What was being discussed wasn't a functional facility to avoid the rain. It was a $10-40 million football palace.

5. Existing Debt. We already have $100 million in long term debt.

6. The weather simply isn't that shitty here. There are maybe 5 days a year when we'd really need it. This appears to be the reason that broke the deal for Damon.


It'll be bigger in the back. Just like I like 'em.

The Good News:
The expansion of Butts-Mehre combined with other recent improvements will STILL give Richt the world class locker rooms, weight rooms, meeting rooms, and training facilities he needs to stay at the top of the facilities arms race. We're not spending more. We're spending smarter.

Besides -- The new dorms are our nuclear weapon in the recruiting arms race anyway.

It's a good move by Damon. He pays for the new facility in cash. Richt gets better stuff, and we (as contributors) don't get saddled with more debt. It's a win for everyone.

See Also:
-- UGA to Expand Butts-Mehre Building - ABH
-- Damon happy. Wants More - AJC
-- Richt softens stance on IPF - DawgPost (May 2006)
-- Indoor Practice facilities are a Bad Idea - GSB (Dec. 2005)

PWD

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Ohio State Tribute to VT at Spring Game

I already showed the Penn State student section tribute earlier today. In another tribute, the Buckeyes added a VT logo to their helmets for their Spring game. Read more about the gesture and the OSU Spring Game at BuckeyeCommentary.com or The Ozone. MZone has more commentary and photos on their Big 10 rivals.


See Also
-- Tributes to VT - SI.com
-- Honoring VT -- CSTV

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Cool Gesture from Penn St. Students

They formed the VT logo in the student section during the Spring Game. Very classy. (Ht - Toon Dawg)

The Penn State student section normally forms an "S". As a point of comparison, a big game in Happy Valley looks like this:


PSU vs. OSU (White Out Game...I think)

PWD

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Michael Lemon Fund Update

From Georgiadogs.com:
The University of Georgia Athletic Association is accepting donations on behalf of UGA football player Michael Lemon and his younger brother, Marquez (15), who suffered the loss of their mother.

Due to NCAA rules, the Athletic Association is required to adhere to strict guidelines in the disbursement of funds for the actual and necessary expenses that have resulted from the tragic death of the young men's mother, Phaba Lemon of Lizella, Ga.

Individuals interested in making a donation should make checks payable to the University of Georgia Athletic Association with "The Lemon Support Fund" notated on the memo line. Contributions should be forwarded to:

University of Georgia Athletic Association
c/o Eric Baumgartner
P.O. Box 1472
Athens, GA 30603

Any questions related to the fund or NCAA rules related to the matter should be directed to Eric Baumgartner, UGA Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance (ebaumgartner@sports.uga.edu or 706-542-9103). Proceeds are not tax deductible.

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2007 Football Season: Off Week Travel Suggestions

So...12 regular season football games in 13 weeks isn't enough for you? You're looking to see some football beyond the UGA schedule? Well..it just so happens that the Georgia Bulldogs have the week of Oct. 20th off this season. You can either:

A. Take 2 weeks off for the Cocktail Party this year
B. Spend time with your wife, children, mistress, etc.
C. Visit a college football game at another location

If you're interested in Option C, your choices are below. The list was compiled from information available at LSUFootball.net. My recommendations are based on the quality of the match-up, the venue / road trip and the cost:

Southern Cal at Notre Dame
-- Positives: Watch a game in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. If you fly into Chicago, the airfare is cheap.

-- Negatives: Extraordinarily expensive ticket. Scarce hotel rooms. High probability of a blowout. The Emu. Women rumored to look more like the catholic school girl on the right than what you were hoping for.

Auburn at LSU
-- Positives: Should be one of the top 2 or 3 SEC games of the year. Stay in New Orleans and eat ridiculously well. Airfare is cheap from Atlanta and Birmingham.

-- Negatives: Georgia is going to play at LSU in 2008. Do you really want to go there back to back years? The drive sucks.

Miami at Florida State
-- Positives: Classic rivalry played at mid-season. Easy / cheap trip south. Watching Patrick Nix's Miami Offense score 7 to 10 points whether they need 'em or not. Cowgirls.

-- Negatives: Tallahassee isn't exactly a tourist destination. Syphilis.

Texas A&M at Nebraska
-- Positives: One of college football's great venues. The Tunnel Walk. The two teams have only played seven times in the past 35 years.

-- Negatives: It's generally a $500 ticket to fly non-stop from Atlanta to Omaha. You would have to commit to this trip soon. What the hell does someone do for fun in Lincoln? Seriously.

Oregon at Washington
-- Positives: One of the most scenic venues in sports with the stadium overlooking the water. The seafood in Seattle is incredible. Airfare can be landed for $350 for non-stop flights from ATL to SEA.

-- Negatives: You would probably want to leave Thursday so that you wouldn't feel like you spent your whole trip on a plane. 11 total hours in a plane. It's unlikely to be a great game. This would just be an excuse to go to Seattle. Frankly, if you just want a vacation, see the next option.

Colorado State at UNLV
-- Positives: Vegas baby. Vegas.

-- Negatives: Odds of actually making the game are slim and none. Plus, you know...the whole dead hooker thing.

Michigan State at Ohio State
-- Positives: The Horseshoe. You can finally see what Big 10 action is all about. Plus, Michigan State has a knack for giving these guys fits.

-- Negatives: You can finally see what what Big 10 action is all about.

Tennessee at Alabama
-- Positives: It will be a complete and total nut house when Saban, Inc. plays Fulmer in Tuscaloosa. Depending on how ESPN uses its wild card, this could be a night game. There's no NASCAR race that weekend so traffic should be manageable. Unlike UGA's last visit to T-town in 2002.

-- Negatives: Georgia plays Bama on Sept. 22nd. You were just there a month ago!

Not on the List:
Michigan, Texas, Penn State, and Virginia are all on the road that week. I'd be interested in catching games at any of those venues. Actually, I've been to PSU for a game, but I'd go back for some sort of OSU or Michigan level showdown.

As for Me:
Personally, I'm contemplating the FSU/Miami or USC/ND games.

PWD

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Dick Bestwick on the Future of UGA Hoops

Dick Bestwick is the former associate athletic director under Dooley that lead the search to replace Ron Jirsa...until that process was hi-jacked by Mike Adams. He was recently interviewed by the AJC in discussing the true upside of the Georgia Basketball program.

He follows that interview up with an editorial piece in today's Athens Banner Herald. In it, he talks about the next steps for the program, and he generally supports the direction things are heading.

It's a good read; however, I disagree with the title. It's currently titled "On the Road to Respectability." Personally, I think we're already at respectable. I'd like to shoot about 10 miles higher than "respectable." But he may not have chosen the headline.

See Also:
-- Bestwick's Letter to the Editor - ABH
-- Other Bestwick editorials - ABH
-- Bestwick talks hoops with Moore - AJC
-- Dick Bestwick's Bio - Wikipedia

PWD

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NFL Mock Drafts -- The Falcons First Round Pick?

Levi Brown (Penn State)

We're one week out, and I took a look at some of the top free mainstream media mock drafts (meaning: other than Kiper's premium site). The "gurus" have the following players projected for the Falcons with the #8 slot as of April 20th.
-- LaRon Landry, S (LSU) - SI.com, NFL.com B, NBC and ESPN SportsNation
-- Levi Brown, OT (PSU) - Yahoo
-- Amobi Okoye, DL (Lville) - Sportsline A
-- Alan Branch, DT (Michigan) - NFL.com A
-- Gaines Adams - DE (Clemson) - Sportsline B

Personally, I'm hoping for Levi Brown. I think the miracle trade to land Calvin Johnson is sort of a pipe dream given how badly the Tampa Bay Bucs need a WR. We would have to outbid them to get into the Top 3. Kiper thinks the Falcons still have a shot. I'd like to be wrong.

The Falcons haven't had a franchise offensive tackle like Brown in 10+ years. It would be nice to see what Ron Mexico could do with some decent pass protection.


Donde es el protection? (El pun es muy intended)
As for the Landry pick, I don't get it. Generally, there are only about two safeties taken in the first round. History has shown that you can get high quality Safeties, Running Backs, Offensive Guards and Centers in Round 2 and 3. If you're drafting a Safety with a Top 10 pick, he needs to be a Roy Williams or Sean Taylor type impact player. I've never thought of Landry in those terms.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with the pick. Ideally, Charles Johnson would slip to the 2nd Round for them. But that's asking a lot.

See Also:
-- Falcons Eye Landry - AJC
-- The #8 Pick in History -- AJC
-- Web's Largest Mock Draft Database (list) -- HailRedskins.com
-- AOL's Main NFL Fanhouse - Fanhouse
-- Mock Draft: Animals for our Personal Zoo - Kissing Suzy Kolber (warning: profanity)
-- Quien Es Mas Macho: Brady Quinn or Sanjaya Malakar - Kissing Suzy Kolber (warning: profanity)

PWD

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Real Men of Genius MP3 Collection

Urgent Goof Off Alert:
The FunTimesGuide has links to 66 of the best Real Men of Genius Commercials from Bud Light. (ht - ugankeith via dawgpost).


The list is compiled based on the site publisher's opinion. My personal favorite from the list might be Mr. Dishonest Cable TV Hooker Upper.

PWD

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Felton making last minute push for Mr. Basketball in Kentucky

The recruits are over there.

Kentucky Mr. Basketball Steffphon Pettigrew may get an in-home visit from Dennis Felton on Sunday. If the visit goes well, the Dawgs might get a serious look from Pettigrew. He recently eliminated UK from his search. It's coming down to Xavier, Western Kentucky or maybe UGA for the blue grass native according to the Louisville Courier. (ht - Levin) Pettigrew led the state in scoring at 33.6 points a game and was second in rebounding at 13.3. The Dawgs need a stone cold scorer.

We're also a finalist for D.J. Kennedy of Pa. He's one of the Top 5-10 players in Pennslyvania according to various newspapers in the area. Rivals.com lists Kennedy as one of the Top 150 prospects in the nation. His other offers include St. John's, Marquette, Penn State, Xavier and some other mid-majors. (Ht - Daugman) Kennedy apparently visited Athens this week.

Both seniors are being considered for the 2007 Spring signing period that's in progress right now.

Update -- This article says that Pettigrew hasn't gotten more interest from the big schools because he's a low post playing 6'5" guy. Odd.

PWD

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Quincy's Fall from Grace

I have no sympathy for the guy. Primarily because he sicked his former high school coach on us who called Georgia a "big redneck school" when blaming Quincy's "problems" on Georgia.

But if you're interested in where our infamous ex-#17 is at these days....here you go.

PWD

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Brannan Southerland Photo

I don't think I ever posted this picture. It was taken by Jim Hipple during the Mississippi State game (I think). The ball was behind Southerland, and he one armed it to set up a score.


Image: Jim Hipple. Click to enlarge.

Update: yeah, I posted this after all. In fact, here's several photos from that game where Brannon blew up.

PWD

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If Chan Gailey owned a Ferrari

(Image: GoldenTornado.net)

In honor of the upcoming NFL Draft, I thought it was important to take a step back and reflect on the amazing gifts of Calvin Johnson. Johnson, the consensus top player entering the Draft, has measureables off the charts at 6'5", 235 lbs and a 4.39 40 yard dash. Here's a guy bigger than many NFL linebackers, faster than almost every NFL cornerback and with ridiculous body control.

Yet, at Georgia Tech he only broke 1,000 yards receiving once -- during a 14 game season that saw him compile 25% of his stats in the final two games. Football historians will judge Chan Gailey's lack of use of Johnson and continued use of Reggie Ball with harsh tones.

If Chan Gailey owned a Ferrari, he'd have the engine removed and replaced with a sewing machine. If he built a state of the art wine cellar, he'd fill it with Thunderbird and Night Train. If he bought a mansion in Jackson Hole, he's sleep in a FEMA trailer. If Heidi Klum threw herself at him, he'd jump out of her way.

It boggles the mind that they could've had such a great weapon, and use him so sparingly.

PWD

(BTW -- That's not to take away from what Paul Oliver and Demario Minter did to Calvin in those last two UGA vs. GT games. They played some fierce defense *and* Gailey/Ball didn't/couldn't get him the ball.)

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Video: G-Day Second Half Highlights

ht - Spence

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Thoughts and Prayers go out to the Virginia Tech Family

Nothing this blog could say that would be appropriate or sufficient except to say our thoughts and prayers are with the Hokie Nation.

PWD

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Video: Coach Richt at Valdosta TD Club (Part 3)

ht - puprock2975 via youtube

pwd

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Video: Coach Richt at Valdosta TD Club (Part 2)

ht - puprock2975 via youtube

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Video: Coach Richt at Valdosta TD Club (Part 1)

I didn't post this to youtube. I'm just linking.

PWD

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Get Your Bulldog News Here

Bad ass new feature from Blogger.com. I can now incorporate keyword searchable, real-time* headline news tracking into the blog. Look over to the right in Red where it says "Bulldog Headlines."

It takes a few seconds to load, but you'll see headlines for "Georgia Bulldogs." You can also click "Mark Richt", "Damon Evans," etc to get other headlines about those topics instantly.

I don't like the current location of the headline reader or the color scheme. But try it for a while and let me know what you think about it.

I imagine being able to do some cool topical searches such as "SEC Media Days" or "Oklahoma State Cowboys" as the season draws closer. I hope you like the enhancement. Ideally, I'll move to a 3 column template, and we'll find a better home for this feature.

PWD

*At least, I think it's real-time.

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Video: G-Day Second Quarter Highlights

Second Quarter Highlights:

When I see the second half highlights, I'll post them.

PWD

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Video: G-Day First Quarter Highlights

Hat Tip - JarrodCone on DawgPost for turning me on to these clips from the Georgia Bulldog spring football game.

First Quarter Highlights:


PWD

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Must See TV: Drive on Fox (heading to Rome)

The race heads to Rome

Off topic, but endulge me. I just watched Fox TV's new show "Drive," and the show is dramatically better than its endless, barrage of previews. It's CannonBall Run meets Lost...only they're racing hoopty pickup trucks, a Ford Taurus, mini-vans, etc. And sadly Lonnie Anderson's breasts aren't in it.

The premise is pretty straight forward. An illegal, underground road race for $32 million. Only, most of the participants are playing against their will. Reviews have said it has elements of North by Northwest, Magnolia, The Game, Cannonball Run, Lost, and/or Mad Max. I don't agree with about half of those comparisons so far, but it's a helluva a solid lead into the Jack Bauer Power Hour on its regular time slot of Monday Nights.

Good stunt work, special effects and action. Sure....it requires a massive suspension of disbelief, but it's entertaining enough to get that from me.

Give it a chance tomorrow at 8:00 pm EST. Monday nights with How I met Your Mother (CBS), Heroes (NBC), 24 (Fox) and Drive (Fox) are reasons #1-4 for why you need a dual-channel DVR/Tivo. Besides, they're headed to Rome, Georgia on Monday night's episode.

See Also:
-- Drive official Site - Fox
-- Drive Fan Site - Warning Spoilers
-- Drive Stunts - HowStuffWorks

We now return to your bulldog blog already in progress.

PWD

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Spurrier Asks for the Conferderate Flag to Come Down

Gamecock tailgaters outside of Williams-Brice Stadium

Last week at a civic awards ceremony Spurrier, unprompted, suggested that it was finally time for the Confederate Battle Flag to come down from its current place in the front of the State Capital. Spurrier's stance on this is the same as that of Tommy Bowden, Lou Holtz, Dave Odom and virtually every other college head coach in the state of South Carolina.

After the Spring Football game on Saturday, Spurrier went further with his thoughts, and he maintained a realistic/pragmatic tone.

“It would make us a more progressive, better state, I think, if the flag was removed. But I’m not going to go on any big campaign to have it removed. That’s not my position,” Spurrier said in an interview with The State. “But if anyone were to ask me, that would certainly be my position.

“I’m not trying to be a politician. I just gave my opinion,” Spurrier said. “I did mention that if our team wins big and wins the conference championship, then I’ll have a bigger voice. That’s just the way life is. If we stumble-bumble around, no one gives a dang what I say.

“If I want to make a change to hopefully make this state better, we need to win big.”

Spurrier's comments re-energized some in the anti-flag movement including The State's Brad Warthen. On his blog Warethen made a comment that I firmly believe. He points out that National Pressure, NCAA Pressure and particularly NAACP pressure will not bring the flag down."

...as I've written before, and mark this, the flag will never come down in reaction to a NATIONAL interest group that promotes the advancement of a segment of society defined by skin color -- any skin color. That just won't happen. Nor should it. South Carolina has to decide to do this thing itself because it wants to, because it has grown to the point that it can put such things behind it. Otherwise, nothing is accomplished.

PWD Note: I'm a former resident of Columbia, Charleston and Summerville. I spent five or six formative years living in the Palmetto State. I'm not ashamed of my southern heritage nor am I ashamed of the confederate flag. I outlined my position on the SC flag flap last year saying essentially that I'd remove it rather than sacrifice a competitive advantage in sports. And if SC citizens are willing to lose that advantage, then that's their right.

It's just a fascinating story to me as a Southerner and a sports fan. As a Dawg, I kinda hope they keep it up forever. Can't hurt our recruiting.

See Also:
-- Dixie in the Grove (Video from Ole Miss) -- GSB

PWD

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College Football Around the Southeast

Let's look at recent college football headlines across the Southeast. Obviously, we'll start with the Georgia Bulldogs.

• Willie Martinez is searching for more playing time for Reshad Jones. The article also talks about Richt working to rebuild Kris Durham's confidence (AJC). Reshad looks to have the ball hawking skills of a Sean Jones with the hitting of at least a Kentrell Curry. That's a whale of a combo....if he can learn the mental part of the game. (Jones Image: Football Huddle 3.0 by BeastieDawg)
  
  
• The AJC's Chip Towers fesses up. He says that he initially believed that Mike Bobo becoming offensive coordinator was nothing more than a token/symbolic move by Richt. However, he talks about that clearly not being the case. Bobo is his own man. I have to admit that I felt the same was as Towers initially. I'm glad that it looks like I was wrong.


• Recruiting continues to blow doors. We have four of the Top 100 Rivals.com recruits commited already, and we have a great shot at two more from Georgia (Harmon and Butler).
  
  
• Virginia Tech has launched a research project focused on studying brain injuries caused by violent football collisions. They are installing accelerometers and wireless transmitters to record impact forces during VT practices and games. They hope the data will lead to equipment improvements for different positions. Obviously, they also want to know when someone's marbles have been knocked loose during a game. Groo also has a great take on it.
  
  
• The Gamecocks had a lopsided Spring Game with the defense outplaying the first team offense in a big way. Spurrier expressed his frustration with Blake Mitchell's performance (13-39, 150 yards, 2 INTs and 1 TD). He also wasn't thrilled with the Coot's OL saying, "We’re in dire straits (on) the offensive line right now. We’re not very good. It’s as simple as that." But the SC defense, which returns 10 starters, is promising. My worry about the UGA vs. SC game is pretty simple. Their front 7 looks hells bells, and our front 5 may start 2 FR offensive line. If our OL holds up, we're going to make it six in a row vs. the Chickens.
  
  
  Nix calls for the Spike (Image: Anti-Orange Page)
  
  
• In case you missed it last week, Miami Hurricane Offensive Coordinator Patrick Nix extended his legacy of making defenses look amazing. The Canes' spring game was a 7-0 affair. If you're playing the Canes this year, first one to 20 wins. - pwd

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This Wedding Didn't Suck

I'm not really one for weddings. Ocassionally good Dawgs get married and it's a little more bearable than they might otherwise be. I've seen some Dawg Nation unions: I've seen Hairy Dawg show up at a reception; I've seen all shapes and sizes of Bulldog grooms' cakes; I've seen little bulldogs dressed as bride and groom on top of the wedding cake; I've heard Glory Glory Dixieland as the recessional.

But THIS tops anything I've ever seen or heard. If I had been invited to this wedding, I would have snuck in a flask of Maker's Mark just from force of habit. (audio only)

Click here to listen to 'Larry-Munson-Wedding'

See Also:
-- Munson Will Narrate Your Life -- EDSBS

Go Dawgs!!


Dawgnoxious
Society Page Editor,
Georgia Sports Blog

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Georgia State to Launch Football Program?

Reeves happily considering a fullback dive. (Image: AJC)
What in the blue hell are the Georgia State people smoking? Ga. State announced yesterday that they have hired Dan Reeves to consult with the school on the feasibility and approach to launching a football program.

As Dawgnoxious said upon hearing the news:

Tech is going to hate to be the second best team in Atlanta. I thought GSU should focus on basketball like Georgetown but I guess they think they know better.

Tech can't consistently fill at 55k seat stadium to watch Div I / ACC football. And now, the Atlanta community is going to embrace Div I-AA football played in the 80k seat cavernous Georgia Dome?

Per the AP: Georgia State, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, would become the eighth member of the conference to play football on the Division I-AA level. The Panthers are at least three years away from fielding a team, which would initially play home games in the Georgia Dome.

If you take the aspirational long view, you could say that an urban commuter school with little to no student affinity to the program should invest in football to create a sense of community around the institution. That was certainly the view that Alabama's President Denny took shortly after taking the job in 1912, and it worked for them athletically and academically. (Although there was nothing Urban or Commuter about Tuscaloosa in 1912)

But what is the modern model for proven success to an urban commuter school? USF, UAB, FAU and UCF? Hardly.

It'll be interesting to see what sort of reaction the business and sports community give Reeves and the Ga. State program in the coming months.

PWD

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Ranking Chan Gailey against his peers

The GT Sports Blog looked behind Gailey's basic win/loss record to compare his W/L record to those of his peers. Here is how they defined the ranking:

I finally finished comparing Chan Gailey's record against quality opponents versus similar BCS coaches. Let's refresh our memories on the criteria:

1. Head coach must have finished 5 seasons
2. We are taking the last 3 seasons
3. Quality opponent = BCS school with a winning record that season

The Chan Wagon rolls in at 21 of 36 with a record of 9-14 over the last three years against BCS teams with a winning record.

Richt appears at 10th with a 13-8 record. Others of note: Tuberville (3rd) and Fulmer (13th).

Interesting way of looking at the data. I guess the rationale for not looking at the full five year period would be..."Over the past three years, he's working with a roster of mostly his own guys."

Any surprises to you on the list?

See Also:
-- Ranking Gailey -- GTSports Blog
-- Longest Tenured Coaches without a BCS Appearance - GSB

PWD

(Image: AJC)

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Offensive Line: Not so muddy now

David Ching talks about the Dawg's offensive line today in the Columbus Ledger. The article mentions that the starting five of Adams, Haverkamp, Velasco, Davis and Sturdivant played every first string snap together from Spring Break through G-Day. That's probably the first time in Richt's tenure the same starting 5 OL practiced together for two solid weeks.

The stability and health of these guys is increasing my comfort level, but I'd still love to see Vance make a big push for playing time. The idea of starting two freshman offensive line against South Carolina's defense, which I think returns its entire front seven, isn't comforting.

PWD

(Image: Mr. Velasco. Football Huddle 3.0 / BeastieDawg)

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Old School Video: Archie Manning vs. UT

"The Mule Game" 1969 Tennessee at Ole Miss. One of the SEC's all-time legends destroys the Vols. Ole Miss entered the game 21 point underdogs, and they won 38-0. I'm linking to this because...well...it's the offseason. Plus, how many times have you had the chance to see 7 minutes of footage on Archie Manning? It's not exactly ground breaking, and it's certainly not his best work. But watching UT get blown out is always good times.

PWD

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Two Gator Farks

Look, I hate the Gators just like you do. But I do appreciate belittling smack talk. You SEC homers that pulled for the Gators (freak shows), will enjoy this.

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Feedback Needed: SEC and College Football Podcasts?

I'm doing more traveling for work lately, and I'm looking for something to listen to while stuck on airplanes and in airports. Does anyone have any recommendations for high quality college football podcasts. Particularly UGA or SEC focused?

I've subscribed to these so far, but I haven't listened to any of them yet:

-- Georgia Podcast Network - The Cover Two
-- The DawgCast
-- UGA Sports Live - UGAsports.com

Also, any other quality comedy podcast (audio or video) recommendations? I'm already signed with The Onion News, Comedy Central's Standup, and President Bush's Fake Weekly Address.

Thanks for the help.

PWD

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Bloggerpalooza '07: a good review

Doug at HeyJennySlater and Kyle at DawgSports.com hosted Bloggerpalooza '07 on North Campus. Both men have their reviews up. Personally, I'm partial to Doug's review in which he describes meeting yours truly.

7. Paul Westerdawg is a mountain of a man. I'd never met him in person before, and only talked on the phone with him once or twice; unlike me and Kyle, he scrupulously maintains his anonymity on his blog, so neither of us knew what to expect when he showed up. But the dude is like seven feet tall, 350 pounds if he's an ounce, and showed up gnawing on a turkey leg the size of one of Lou Ferrigno's biceps. Right before we packed up and headed over to the game, he filled a Big Gulp cup full of Maker's Mark and shotgunned it. I asked him, "How much Coke was in that cup?" and he replied, all confused like, "Coke?"

You can't beat that for good press. Thanks for the invite fellas.

PWD

(Note: Bloggerpalooza was the gathering of the 12,643 UGA bloggers for the G-Day game. Well, not all 12,000 actually showed up. But a bunch did.)

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More Pics from G-Day

Image: Beastie Dawg
Football Huddle 3.0 has a great collection of photos from G-Day. The shot of Moreno above is one of my favorites. Check 'em out if you get a chance.

PWD

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Another take on SEC TV Projections

JimFromDuluth always does a great job with his TV projections for the SEC. I don't agree with all of them, but I'd wager he's pretty close.

PWD

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Hoops: SEC vs. Big East Challenge

I forgot to post this Friday. The SEC and Big East have finalized the long rumored Hoops Challenge between the two conferences. From SECSports.com:

Four different teams from each conference will be selected to participate for the next four years and the format will feature doubleheaders played at two off-campus sites.

The December 2007 double headers will take place in Birmingham and Philadelphia.

Dec. 5th - Birmingham
WVU vs. Auburn at 7:00 pm on ESPN2
Georgetown vs. Alabama at 9:30 pm on ESPN

Dec. 6th - Philly
South Carolina vs. Providence at 7:00 pm on ESPN2
LSU vs. Villanova at 9:30 pm on ESPN

Teams invited to participate in the Big East/SEC Invitational are chosen by ESPN in consultation with the conferences and are based on geographic and competitive criteria.

If the series is 4 years * 4 games, hopefully that means every SEC team will get to participate in the event at least once. You'd think UF, UK and UT would get first dibs on a second game, but I'd like to think the love will be shared. Given that Auburn is participating (and they blow), it looks like UGA will get to participate.

It will be interesting to see which six cities get the other spots in the eight neutral site rotation. You would think the Meadowlands, Madison Square Garden, Chicago's United Center, Atlanta's Philips Arena, Nashville's Gaylord Center, and Indianapolis would be at the top of their wish list. This is one of those moments were geography and TV markets could work to our favor. We'll see.

See Also:
-- SEC vs. Big East in Hoops - AL.com
-- Suggested Matchups for Big East/SEC Challenge - GSB (April 2006)

PWD

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UGA vs. UT Kickoff Time Rumors

Later starts require more "equipment" (Image: BusinessWeek)

Back in January, I put together an ultra early look at our 2007 season projected kickoff times. In Sunday's AJC, Tony Barnhart discussed his Top 5 Season Openers. He also mentioned that CBS is working with the SEC to schedule some unusual double headers.

Normally, CBS schedules 2 double headers per year. The first is generally the week of UT vs. UF. That game gets the primetime night slot and another powerhouse game like AU vs. LSU gets the 3:30 slot. The second double header game is generally a noon start and a 3:30 slot later in the season.

Many people thought Oct. 6th (UGA vs. UT and UF vs. LSU) would be one of the double header weekends. However, it was assumed that this would be the 3:30 + noon setup. Thus, putting UGA vs. UT at risk for a noon kickoff or forcing ESPN to use a wildcard to televise the game at night. Well, Barnhart's info suggests that Georgia vs. Tennessee would be the 3:30 pm kickoff while UF/LSU would be a primetime start.

The good news: The night game scenario on the road is avoided as Vol fans will have four fewer hours to get liquored up for our tangle in Richt-Neyland stadium. Plus, the noon game requires spending the night in Knoxville whereas the 3:30 start lets you go in Navy Seal style. In and Out. In other news, most of my predictions are lining up pretty soundly.

PWD

ht - Jim From Duluth

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Basketball Nuts and Bolts Strategy

The blogosphere has produced some very descriptive, educational material lately on various basketball strategies. If your looking to know more about motion offenses, moving without the ball, the 1-3-1 defense or inbounds passing, we've got links for you.

Triple Threat Basketball is a blog written by a high school hoops coach on the west coast. Most of the links below come from his site.

Triple Threat broke down his notes on Paul Hewitt's motion offense after attending one of Hewitt's camps. Prior to our beat down in Atlanta this year, I frankly never thought of Hewitt as having much motion in his offense. But he used his long wings effectively on back cuts and baseline work to thrash the Dawgs.


Freeing up a guy like Newman? (Image: Triple Threat)
Here, he talks about the intangible of communication (Scroll past the Gator stuff). He also diagrams a nice play to get an open look for a 3 point shooting big man (see above). The diagramed play could've worked for Georgia prior to Newman's departure.

More interestingly, he talks about 4 cuts to make without the basketball and a great inbound play that Davidson used in the Tourney. He later continues on the topic of motion offenses with 5 Motion Offense Principals.

On the defensive side of the ball, Brian Cook of MGoBlog talks about Beilein's 1-3-1 Zone. Beilein (new UM coach/former WVU coach) is to 1-3-1 what Boehiem is to 2-3 zone. Brian's information is much more conversational than the Triple Threat content above.

Felton used quite a bit of 1-3-1. MGoBlog talks about the pluses and minuses of the system. (Image: MgoBlog)

Anyway...if you're interested in hoops scheme. Those make great interesting.

PWD
HT - GT Sports Blog for the Triple Threat links.

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G-Day Recap

Image: Georgiadogs.com

Some articles from Gday:

-- Moreno and Stafford lead the way - DawgPost.com
-- Offense dominates G-Day - UGASports.com
-- That's That - David Ching
-- Defense is a work in progress - UGAsports.com
-- Photos from G-Day - Georgiadogs.com
-- Offense Clicks. Defense Disappoints - AJC
-- Three things we learned - AJC
-- Hines Ward returns to Athens - AJC (5 star read)

My thoughts on G-Day:
I've probably attended 9 or 10 G-Day Games since '91, and I've seen maybe three entertaining games. Not that you asked, but the best was '91 when Zeier / McDuffie's debuted.

Don't get me wrong. Sitting in Sanford Stadium on a pretty day and barking is always good times, but watching the Spring Game is a straight up freak show. Every great play on offense is a busted play on defense. So watching it is incredibly frustrating.

I liked that Brandon Miller made some plays, the WRs caught basically everything thrown near them, and Moreno/Lumpkin looked very stout. I also loved that the first team offensive line had no problem with the first team defense. All encouraging signs.

However, our defense was totally and completely gashed. The level of tackling, pass coverage and pressure on the QBs wasn't anywhere remotely near acceptable. That's a problem that lead Martinez to say he was considering throwing out his entire depth chart after the game.

The good news...we don't play Oklahoma State for several months. Most years, we have no offense in this game. It's just a different thing to worry about this year. Nothing more. Nothing less.

PWD

I will say that if Mikey Henderson had a blog, it would be called "Everyday Should Be G-Day." (only kidding)

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Top 6 Gator Players are Leaving School

The rest of the SEC just issued a collective "whew." In a move that was mostly expected, four Florida Gator juniors declared for the NBA draft today. Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford and Joakim Noah are all going pro. Additionally, Chris Richard and Lee Humphrey are seniors. The good news for UF, as everyone outside of Kentucky expected, Donovan is staying in Gainesville.

The Gators are losing:

• 68 points/game (UF averaged 79.8)
  
• 30 reb/game (UF averaged 37.6)
  
• 12.8 assists/game (UF averaged 15.4)
  
• 170 of 194 blocked shots
  
• 233 of 266 steals
  
• 6,431 of around 8,200 game minutes

Depending on who else goes pro in the SEC, it looks like the Vols are the favorites in the SEC next year.

See Also:
-- Gator Stats - ESPN
-- Gator perspective - SwampBall.com
-- Donovan's Diss Sends Cats Into Frenzy - Pat Forde
-- Barnes withdraws from UK Search. Cats turn to Gillespie - ESPN

PWD

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While I'm cleaning up my "draft" folder

I heard about the Transformers Movie (opens July 4th) from my brother a while back. My reaction was "Are you kidding me? Someone was that desperate for a movie idea? What sort of Georgia Tech grad would fork over $10 to see such a pile of poo? My indignation and condescension were both boisterous and overbearing.

Then I saw the teaser trailer and the follow-up trailer. Complete. Opinion. 180.


Here's a movie by Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg that showcases everything right with American Cinema. A movie that shows signs Man Law level awesomenesses. To wit, it contains:

Guns
Chicks
Fire trucks
Robots
Stuff that blows up
Stuff that almost blows up
Lots of loud noises and shiny objects

Yeah. So I'm definitely going to see it. But that's not why I posted this. I posted this because Optimus Prime has been selected by the Newspapers Association of America (NAA) to endorse their campaign to get people to read more newspapers. A combo so random and ironic as to justify comment on a very slow news day like this one.



Obviously....I've got nothing today. Clearly. Just totally nothing.

PWD

ht - Brian at MGoBlog and Notes from a Teacher.

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Finally some good press for my drug of choice

Wildly off topic, but I noticed that Caffeine is finally getting some good press. Science studies are tying caffeine consumption with reduced risk of diabetes, Parkinson's, colon cancer and other ailments. Although, I'm sure that the sugar in regular Coke sort of offsets the caffeine advantags for diabetics. Given my high level of caffeine intake, this is better news than I was expecting.

See Also:
-- Top Caffeine Fixes - Yahoo
-- Health Benefits of Coffee -- WebMD

PWD

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Pesky thing called "real world"

Work calls today. It'll be another light day.

Check DawgBone.net for spring practice reports.

PWD

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Dana Altman heading back to Creighton

Broyles had botched another one. More on this saga later. It'll be a light morning of posting. Maybe something at lunch. All your Altman links can be found here at Razor Bloggers. See also: "What's Next for UA Players."

PWD

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Hoops Coaching Moves

The coaching rumor mill will really heat up now that Billy Donovan's Gators have finished their season. Personally, I think he's about to use the Wildcats like a $2 whore.

The Gators have the cash to match anything UK offers, and they will. It's simply a question of who UK calls next. I would love to be wrong, but I don't see it.

(Image: Dana Altman. Although, if I was lying would you really know any better?)

Other Coaching News:

-- Iowa to hire Butler's Coach - ESPN
-- Stan Heath named USF Coach - The Morning News
-- Dana Altman named Arkansas Coach- USAToday
-- Calipari: "I was never offered Hogs job" - GoMemphis
-- WVU's Coach Tops Michigan's List - ESPN

Imagine USF's glee in introducing Heath...(My Free Press Conference Quote Suggestion) "Our new coach has been to the tournament 3 of the past 6 years. He has an Elite 8 apperance, and his NCAA career record is 3-3. He was rebuilding the Arkansas program from shambles in spite of working for Frank Broyles, and he finished the SEC season in the finals of the conference tourney." For USF, this is a home run.

Compare that to Arkansas' press conference (hypothetically): "Our new coach has 2 NCAA tourney wins in 18 years. He was a failure at Kansas State, but he won big in a conference that could very well be co-ed for all you know. However, he is.....white...and stuff." Obviously, they're focusing on his 20 wins per year for the past 9 years. Did we mention that it's probably a co-ed league?

Personally, I think Iowa and USF upgraded while Arkansas treads water....at best.

See Also
-- Florida to win an Oscar this year - DeadSpin
-- UM Blog Thinks WVU's Beilein is already in Route -- MgoBlog

PWD

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