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

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

PWD

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

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.

PWD

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)

PWD

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

PWD

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

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

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)

PWD

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

Light Day of Posting

Work calls.

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

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

PWD

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

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

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

PWD

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.)

Video: G-Day Second Half Highlights

ht - Spence