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March 31, 2009

The Search Continues

The flight tracking has started. Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com tracked a plane from Missouri to Memphis to Atlanta and back last night. The plane in question wasn't on the ground at Peachtree-DeKalb airport long enough for the passengers to really do much in Athens. They had time to eat dinner and get a tour of the practice facility.

It's interesting to note that the plane in question is not "Bulldog One" or whatever UGA calls its plane. Our guys are using third party equipment and flying into not as obvious airports to move more stealthy. Comedy.

(UPDATE: I normally ignore all the plane tracking stuff...except to make fun of it....and Dasher has screwed the pooch on that topic before during this coaching search. However, I have strong reason to believe that he had it locked this time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned it.)

Chip Towers and Dean Legge both wrote articles suggesting that things aren't looking very good right now because of the Memphis job opening. I agree that things are quiet, but that doesn't mean that things are going poorly. If we end up with Frank Haith, then yes. Things are crappy. If we end up with Leonard Hamilton, then that's better than what we had...but it doesn't make me run out to purchase season tickets.

(UPDATE 2: I'm not saying those are the guys we end up with. They were just names used for the purpose of making a point. Although, there were rumblings about Hamilton as a Plan B type guy yesterday. Regardless, it's not Knight.)

Overall, I agree with David Hale. Something will break very soon one way or the other.

Around the Horn:PWD

25 comments:

Squarebush said...

This whole plane tracking thing is comical. Dasher also said something about a plane going from Athens to Oklahoma sometime several weeks ago and that proved to be untrue if I remember correctly.

While the plane tracking does make for intriguing guessing and rumors, I think it should be (and hope it is) pretty low on everyone's list of valid items in the coaching search.

Anonymous said...

Haith or Hamilton would be HUGE disasters. I can't believe Evans would mishandle the search to such a degree - especially considering the fact that this is his first real decision as AD.

You can't have 3 months, a search firm and knowledge of the fact that other teams will be making coaching moves and come up with candidates like these.

Whoever it is, they better be prepared to be compared to Anthony Grant for the rest of their UGA career.

gooba said...

Let us remember this fiasco we are going through right now. Because If we don't get Anderson we'll be doing the exact same thing in 4 years.

MikeInValdosta said...

The Athens Banner Herald has put out a lot of really good sports writers of the years... I can assure, tail-number tracking was not covered in J-school and I hate to see our guys following the lead of Paul FineBUM's style of "journalism"

Anonymous said...

If we can't compete with the likes of Mizzou or Memphis for a coach then we should just go ahead and disband the program entirely FFS... bigger budget, more profitable dept, all that money spent on the practice facility, and the biggest recruiting hotbed in the country an hour away.

Damon best be bout to 'Make It Rain' up in the Classic City.

Larry Cromulent said...

Why do I not hear Sean Miller's name in any of this?

Crane said...

Anonymous 9:20
We're not the prettiest girl in the room; We are willing to put out however, and for some people that's enough.

Crane said...

The Commerical Appeal article's pictures look like a film strip on over the top acting.

Anonymous said...

Interestingly enough, that same plane flew back to Peachtree-Dekalb directly from Missouri overnight...let the comical rumor spreading continue!

StandupifyourUGA! said...

I'm a little thrown back by everyone's negativity around the program in general. It seems like the cool thing to do. I wish everyone would just attend one or two games a year and you will realize the potential with the assets we have. The facilities are not that bad. There are no more rodeos, lights and a/c were installed years ago. Everyone who harps on the gym, obviously has not attended a game in 20 odd some years. The only mistake I think Damon has made so far is talking up the hire. If he remained quiet and we got someone like Hamilton, then I think people might have been happy. But now the expectation is $2.5M worth of coach, I hope we do it, but if it does not happen I will be happy with someone new. Just as long as he does not run the high/low offensive set that Felton ran. (CAPEL!). Good Luck Damon, we hope you land the big bass....

MikeInValdosta said...

Larry, Sean Miller is not in our demographic.

Anonymous said...

It's time we look in the direction of Rutgers' women's program.

That nappy-headed Ho can coach!

Unknown said...

About the plane tracking stuff. I normally ignore it because it's so riddled with problems. And Dasher has most certainly screwed the pooch before on this front. Particularly, the OU story a few weeks ago.

This is different.

I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't know from my own source that he had it cold this time.

As for the plane returning late last night. It's a leased plane out of ATL. That's it's "home"

Unknown said...

Mike in Valdosta,

That's a cheap shot on the demographic line. Miller may be a candidate, but Xavier and UGA won't say. So how could we know.

PWD

Larry Cromulent said...

If a guy like Sean Miller was never a candidate for the UGA job, then I question the current leadership's ability to find a quality coach.

If Damon looked into things closer and decided against it, that's fine. But if he never even considered Miller, because of -- as Mike said -- "Demographics," then, um, we're doing it wrong. Again.

gooba said...

Fox 13 in Memphis reporting Memphis AD has received permission to talk to Anderson.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/033009_Kentucky_Rumors_Go_Into_Overtime

Anonymous said...

The UGA Plane is a twin prop plane that seats 5. It might as well have Rodney Garner's name on it because it just gets used for recruiting trips.

Which would impress someone more? A lear jet or a propeller plane bought in 1986?

Epps Aviation is out of PDK and that is probably all they could set up on short notice.

MikeInValdosta said...

PWD,

It wasn't meant as a cheap shot. I fully support it now, just as I did with Tubby. I think, all things being equal, I would prefer an African-American head coach at The University of Georgia. I would never support hiring a lesser qualified coach for any reason.

StandupifyourUGA! said...

Schlabach just scooped it on ESPN.com. UGA made offer to Anderson. Over $2M a year. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4029709

Anonymous said...

You guys are idiots. It was Gyro night at Downwind restaurant. That always packs them in....

No need to see the prax facility when you can get a Gyro and hang out at the Airport park in Chamblee for a few hours.

rbubp said...

Hale says we offered Anderson last night.

MikeInValdosta said...

I wonder how long he has to make a decision. No way Mizzou matches, but our offer is much less than Calipari was making at Memphis.

rbubp said...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4029709

MikeInValdosta said...

Market bounces on news of UGA offer ;-}

rbubp said...

:) !!!

 
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