February 28, 2009
Searels and Others Get Bump in Pay
The ABH has the details on the compensation adjustments to keep the staff in place.
February 27, 2009
It must be the off season
It's the down time between Signing Day and Spring Practice that actually frustrates me the most. Sure, the time between G-Day and Game 1 is longer, but it's full of mini-milestones like:
With that in mind, Track 'em Tigers and DawgSports.com have a genuinely interesting discussion going. They are basically asking, should Auburn and UT swap SEC Divisions? As a UGA fan, I'd prefer that structure.
When you look at it as laid out by those two sites it makes sense for the fans of every SEC school with the exception of Kentucky. Big Blue fans value the yearly series with Kentucky....despite the results.
Give it a read. What do you think?
PWD
- May - Athlons, Lindys, etc come out. Spring Bulldog Road Show rumors
- June - Deadest month, but it's closer to kickoff than now.
- July - Summer Bulldog Road Show rumors. SEC Media Days.
- August - Freshmen Report. Fall camp.
With that in mind, Track 'em Tigers and DawgSports.com have a genuinely interesting discussion going. They are basically asking, should Auburn and UT swap SEC Divisions? As a UGA fan, I'd prefer that structure.
When you look at it as laid out by those two sites it makes sense for the fans of every SEC school with the exception of Kentucky. Big Blue fans value the yearly series with Kentucky....despite the results.
Give it a read. What do you think?
PWD
March 7th....get your balls and go
Your baseballs and your basketballs that is. The men's basketball team will end the regular season on Saturday, March 7th vs. South Carolina in Athens. The game has been moved to 2:00 pm to accommodate television. The baseball game against Quinnipiac starts at 3:00 pm.
Yes, you'll miss the first 3-4 innings for the second half of the basketball game. Yes, Quinnipiac for all we know could be a fictitious team like the Washington Generals. Agreed. But, the baseball game is 99.9999% guaranteed to wash the frustration of the basketball game off you. And weather.com is predicting a high of 70 degrees with only a 30% chance of showers.
I'm there.
Yes, you'll miss the first 3-4 innings for the second half of the basketball game. Yes, Quinnipiac for all we know could be a fictitious team like the Washington Generals. Agreed. But, the baseball game is 99.9999% guaranteed to wash the frustration of the basketball game off you. And weather.com is predicting a high of 70 degrees with only a 30% chance of showers.
I'm there.
February 26, 2009
Arkansas Game Travel Info (Part I)
Georgia has only played Arkansas in Fayetteville three times in 11 games* so there's obviously a large chunk of UGA fans who've never made the trip for this one. (image: Arkansas-Cafe)
We face the Razorbacks in Week 3 of the 2009 season, and I personally think it's one of the more underrated venues in the SEC. Since its massive $110 million renovation in 2001, Donald W. Reynolds Stadium is one of the best looking facilities in the SEC.
I'm especially partial to the hospitality of their fans who went out of their way not to beat my ass when I drunkenly and relentlessly informed them of our overwhelming awesomeness following the 38-7 game in 2000. God Bless Doe's. But I digress.
Fayetteville is truly the far end of the realm. Chicago is only two miles further from Athens than Fayetteville, and Minneapolis is closer to Fayetteville than Athens. In other words, don't drive.
Preface: If you need tickets to the UGA at Arkansas game, you can pick them up here on Stubhub.
Airports to Consider:
Arkansas Northwest Regional (XNA) -- Located about 45 minutes northwest of Fayetteville. Delta flies direct here from Atlanta. The fares are usually not cheap, and the planes are small. This place is basically Air Walmart. There are business traveler type hotels available in Springdale and Bentonville. Hotels for the game in Fayetteville are harder to find. I'm going this route.
Fort Smith, AR (FSM) -- Located about 1 hour south of Fayetteville. I think that Delta (via partners) has one direct flight in and out of Atlanta per day. They have one stop flights throughout the day. Again, the planes are pretty small, and the flights aren't cheap. Both FSM and XNA are generally good options for redeeming Sky Miles.
Tulsa, OK (TUL) -- Tulsa's airport is about 2 hours from Fayetteville. If memory serves, the flights are cheaper than the above options. I flew into Tulsa for the 2004 game. The drive is boring, but it's painless.
Branson, MO (SGF) -- The Springfield-Branson Airport is a little under 2.5 hours from Fayetteville. If you're staying in Springdale or Bentonville, it's not that bad. The only appeal for flying into SGF is that it's the closest airport serviced by AirTran. If you're looking to use AirTran Rewards, this is your best option.
Little Rock (LIT) -- Little Rock is about 3 hours from Fayetteville. If I recall correctly, the drive up I-540 through the Ozarks was really scenic, but it's still 3 hours.
Memphis (MEM) -- Memphis is roughly 4.5 long hours from Fayetteville. However, it's consistently one of the cheapest towns to fly from Atlanta. I want to emphasize that there is nothing visually stimulating about the drive from Memphis to Little Rock. It's hideous. Dallas is further than Memphis if you were wondering.
Fort Smith, AR (FSM) -- Located about 1 hour south of Fayetteville. I think that Delta (via partners) has one direct flight in and out of Atlanta per day. They have one stop flights throughout the day. Again, the planes are pretty small, and the flights aren't cheap. Both FSM and XNA are generally good options for redeeming Sky Miles.
Tulsa, OK (TUL) -- Tulsa's airport is about 2 hours from Fayetteville. If memory serves, the flights are cheaper than the above options. I flew into Tulsa for the 2004 game. The drive is boring, but it's painless.
Branson, MO (SGF) -- The Springfield-Branson Airport is a little under 2.5 hours from Fayetteville. If you're staying in Springdale or Bentonville, it's not that bad. The only appeal for flying into SGF is that it's the closest airport serviced by AirTran. If you're looking to use AirTran Rewards, this is your best option.
Little Rock (LIT) -- Little Rock is about 3 hours from Fayetteville. If I recall correctly, the drive up I-540 through the Ozarks was really scenic, but it's still 3 hours.
Memphis (MEM) -- Memphis is roughly 4.5 long hours from Fayetteville. However, it's consistently one of the cheapest towns to fly from Atlanta. I want to emphasize that there is nothing visually stimulating about the drive from Memphis to Little Rock. It's hideous. Dallas is further than Memphis if you were wondering.
Hope that helps. Any of you guys going?
See Also:
-- Tickets: UGA at Arkansas
-- Arkansas fans are nuts in a good way - DeadSpin
PWD
*We've played them in Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis and Shreveport, but not Little Rock.
Pups Lead Diamond Dawgs to the Desert
The Diamond Dawgs are off to a good start. The team swept both Youngstown State and Presbyterian, neither of whom will be heading to Omaha anytime soon. Both teams are winless in this very young season. But, the Dawgs did what you're supposed to against inferior competition, as they pounded them into a bloody heap. In the two opening series, the Dawgs scored 60 runs to the opposition's 15 (only 7 were earned).Leading the way in more ways than one was freshman lead off man Johnathan Taylor, the SEC Freshman of the Week. He was 8-for-10 in the Youngstown series with and .867 OBP, 5 RBIs and 5 runs scored. He's been as good as a lead off man can be, getting on base, stealing a base or two (actually he's 4-5), and scoring runs. Taylor is not alone, though. Fellow freshmen May, Hyams, Davidson, and Cone have impressive numbers, too. Plus, the veterans are doing their fair share as well. Bryce Massanari, Joey Lewis and Rich Poythress have big power numbers, too (25 RBIs, 5 HRs).
The weakness, so far, has been middle infield defense. Hyams and Demperio have five errors between them and Demperio's led to Youngstown's only major offensive outburst of the series, a six run sixth on Sunday. Perno was not pleased about it in his weekly podcast.
The competition amps up this weekend. The Dawgs travel west to face Arizona, who is 4-1. The Wildcats aren't ranked, but are a historic college baseball power. The freshmen have shown they can perfom at Foley. This weekend they get to show if they can keep up their bulging numbers away from Athens.
Quinton
Dawgs Beat Vandy
Georgia got its second SEC win of the season by beating Vandy 61-57 last night at home. The win moves Georgia into 11th place in the SEC and gives Arkansas sole possession of last place. On Sunday, the Dawgs travel to Fayetteville with the goal of keeping the Hawgs in last place.
UGA is almost certainly going to be the 6E Seed in the SEC Tourney; however, their first round opponent is far from set in stone. Auburn, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are in a three way jumble for 2-4th place in the SEC West. We get the 3W seed on Thursday at 3:15 pm in Tampa. If we win, we get the 3:15 pm game on Friday as well vs. the 2E seeded team.
PWD
UGA is almost certainly going to be the 6E Seed in the SEC Tourney; however, their first round opponent is far from set in stone. Auburn, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are in a three way jumble for 2-4th place in the SEC West. We get the 3W seed on Thursday at 3:15 pm in Tampa. If we win, we get the 3:15 pm game on Friday as well vs. the 2E seeded team.
PWD
February 25, 2009
You know you're old when...
..guys younger than you are named "legends" by the SEC. Per Georgiadogs.com:
There have been guys almost my age like Litterial Green who have been picked for this honor. But Anderson if the first guy younger than me. Damn. This is the kind of thing where I expect to see Vern Fleming or Willie Anderson.
I am old. Guys younger than me are honored legends? Geez.
/shaking head
PWD
Two-time All-SEC forward Shandon Anderson will represent the University of Georgia as part of the 2009 class of the Chick-fil-A SEC Basketball Legends. This group, which includes one ex-player or coach from each of the 12 member institutions, will be honored at the SEC Tournament March 12-15 in Tampa, Fla.
There have been guys almost my age like Litterial Green who have been picked for this honor. But Anderson if the first guy younger than me. Damn. This is the kind of thing where I expect to see Vern Fleming or Willie Anderson.
I am old. Guys younger than me are honored legends? Geez.
/shaking head
PWD
Quick Fulmer Cup Update
The latest Fulmer Cup update involves UGA not being on the board. I'm sure the Athens-Clarke County PD's Scooter Outlaw and Jay Walker Prevention Divisions, which include more than 100 officers, is as shocked as you are by this news. They've pledged to re-triple their efforts to bring justice to the lawless streets of Athens.
Speaking of cops. I tend to lay off the children of coaches given my track record on the topic (don't ask...it involved me making a dumb joke that went over like a pregnant high jumper). However, this one looks harmless enough.
Apparently, Florida defensive line coach Dan McCarney's daughter was arrested at a house party in Iowa and dropped the classic, " Do you know who my dad is?" (between alleged attempts to kick the cops):
First off, I'm shocked the Big 10 cops could handle her SEC speed to even lay a hand on her. Second, as 81Dog told me, "If she pulled that in Georgia, she could be charged with felony obstruction of an officer (1-5 years), terroristic threats (1-5), and probably disorderly conduct (misdemeanor)."
So...FYI to Urban's kid over at Tech...Don't go dropping "My daddy coaches the Gators" in the Peach State.
PWD
Speaking of cops. I tend to lay off the children of coaches given my track record on the topic (don't ask...it involved me making a dumb joke that went over like a pregnant high jumper). However, this one looks harmless enough.
Apparently, Florida defensive line coach Dan McCarney's daughter was arrested at a house party in Iowa and dropped the classic, " Do you know who my dad is?" (between alleged attempts to kick the cops):
Jillian McCarney told the officer she "guaranteed all her charges will be 'dropped' because her name is 'McCarney'" and they have "a lot of money," according to police.
First off, I'm shocked the Big 10 cops could handle her SEC speed to even lay a hand on her. Second, as 81Dog told me, "If she pulled that in Georgia, she could be charged with felony obstruction of an officer (1-5 years), terroristic threats (1-5), and probably disorderly conduct (misdemeanor)."
So...FYI to Urban's kid over at Tech...Don't go dropping "My daddy coaches the Gators" in the Peach State.
PWD
Oklahoma State Game Travel Info (Part I)
Dawgs sack Ok State (Image: Hipple)
I'll have more on this later, but I wanted to give a couple of quick nuggets related to the Oklahoma State game.
A few days ago, Damon Evans told DawgPost.com that he had no interest in playing the Oklahoma State game on Thursday night. This probably squashes the last of that rumor. I'd wager that Damon's preference to avoid Thursday night games is less of an issue than the "T. Boone Factor." I seriously doubt that Boone Pickens spent $165 million to renovate Oklahoma State's new stadium just to have the grand opening on a Thursday Night.
With that in mind, the first travel advisory involves air travel. As I'm sure you know by now, there are no commercial airports in Stillwater. I've seen commenters on this site discuss flying into Dallas or Kansas City. Those folks need to crack out a map and see what a very bad call that would be.
PREFACE: Tickets to the game are available on stubhub for UGA at Oklahoma State. Some pretty decent deals are available given that face is $100.
The three closest towns with commerical airports to Stillwater are:
Oklahoma City (OKC) - 65 miles
Tulsa (TUL) - 64 miles
Wichita, KS (ICT) - 131 miles
Dallas is 272 miles away and Kansas City is 320 miles away according to the Stillwater Convention and Visitors Bureau. Delta serves all three airports and AirTran serves Wichita. Both airlines fly direct from Atlanta.Tulsa (TUL) - 64 miles
Wichita, KS (ICT) - 131 miles
Tulsa used to be a city that you could fly into via 1 stop for under $250, but I haven't seen that fare available in a very long time. Lately, direct flights into OKC or TUL airports from Atlanta have been running $300-425 round trip. Flights to Wichita have consistently been about half that. The standard Delta best deal to ITC is $230. Airtran matches that Delta deal and occasionally has web specials for as low as $150 round trip.
As for hotel accommodations, we'll cover that later. I know that I'm staying at a Fairfield Inn about 1 mile from the stadium, and I know the Hampton Inn next door is booked. Beyond that, I don't know much. Hope this helps.
See Also:
-- Tickets: UGA at Oklahoma State
-- AJC Travel Info for 2009 UGA Schedule
-- Cowboy Gameday
-- Stillwater CVB
PWD
February 24, 2009
Real Life Calls
It's business time, but not in the good Flight of the Conchords kind of way. More in the emails flying all over the place creating unexpectedly large amounts of new work for me kind of way.
Check DawgBone.net for headlines today.
PWD
Check DawgBone.net for headlines today.
PWD
February 23, 2009
The Guided Tour
Join Vince Vance and Tavarres King on a tour of the UGA locker room. Darryl Gamble makes an appearance in black tie, which we assume is how all the players dress for class. You'll also note that the team already has Okie State on the bulletin board.
Quinton
More on the Leadership Issue
The Georgia Defense (Image: Hipple)
It's been talked about quite a bit lately, and it'll be talked about endlessly until Game 1. Leadership -- the development of it - is THE point of emphasis right now. David Hale has two articles up on the topic. The first appeared in Sunday's Macon Telegraph. The second appears on his blog.
My concerns for next year are (in order):
- Defensive End - The entire defensive system is built around getting a consistent pass rush from the front four. We only have four healthy DEs active for spring practice.
- Leadership - Starting with Richt. Someone has to decide that playing an epic fail half of football once a month isn't acceptable. That half assed tackling isn't acceptable, and that shenanigans aren't acceptable. And then the team leaders have to make it so. The off season workouts sound promising.
- Running Backs - The bulk of the mid-range and down-field passing game at Georgia is built around play action. The short stuff is mostly slants and screens, but everything else is built around play action. We can't run the offense that Richt and Bobo want to run without a serious running game. The offensive line should be lights out. But do we have the running backs?
- Defensive Back Experience - You're going to laugh because of the way that our CBs not named Asher performed last year. But this worries me much less than you'd think. The other three are much bigger concerns.
February 20, 2009
Kwame Geathers Signs with UGA
According to DawgPost.com's headline, the Bulldogs picked up a huge commitment this afternoon as Kwame Geathers inked his letter of intent (premium article) to play football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Geathers will start his playing career at defensive tackle for the Dawgs. Geathers is a space eater at 6'5" and 320 pounds with good strength and quickness.
He's listed as a 3 star offensive tackle by Rivals.com, but he's listed as a four star defensive tackle by Scout.com. If he's like his brothers and uncle, you can expect him to carry a tremendous amount of muscle on that frame. Maybe he'll bring his Uncle Jumpy's forklift to Athens.
Geathers adds much needed beef at the defensive tackle position because UGA hadn't seem to recruit enough high school defensive tackles in the past three recruiting classes (# of DTs per class).
DTs who will be on scholarship for 2010 include:
DT recruiting for the upcoming 2010 class is still an urgent area of need. However, it's not nearly as scary as it would've been without Geathers.
PWD
He's listed as a 3 star offensive tackle by Rivals.com, but he's listed as a four star defensive tackle by Scout.com. If he's like his brothers and uncle, you can expect him to carry a tremendous amount of muscle on that frame. Maybe he'll bring his Uncle Jumpy's forklift to Athens.
Geathers adds much needed beef at the defensive tackle position because UGA hadn't seem to recruit enough high school defensive tackles in the past three recruiting classes (# of DTs per class).
2009 - 3 (including Geathers)
2008 - 1
2007 - 0 (1 JUCO who has now graduated)
2006 - 3 (two haven't contributed yet)
2008 - 1
2007 - 0 (1 JUCO who has now graduated)
2006 - 3 (two haven't contributed yet)
DTs who will be on scholarship for 2010 include:
Jr - 1
So - 1 (two from '09 class will likely redshirt)
RFr - 2
Sr - 2 (non-factors to date)
So - 1 (two from '09 class will likely redshirt)
RFr - 2
Sr - 2 (non-factors to date)
DT recruiting for the upcoming 2010 class is still an urgent area of need. However, it's not nearly as scary as it would've been without Geathers.
PWD
February 19, 2009
Surprise: Hartman Fund Donations Down
The always UGA-friendly AJC reports a news item everyone knew was coming: Hartman Fund donations are lower than last year. We speculated as much last week. According to the AJC story, donations were down 11% and totaled just over $23 million. Damon says these are more in line with 2007 levels than last year's record haul of $26.3 million. Then again, '07 contributions yielded a Sugar Bowl victory. Last year's gob of moolah bought us befuddlement and pain. (In fairness, there were a couple of good moments.)
For you first time buyers, cutoff scores won't be figured until April. Season ticket turnover is expected to be around 2 to 3%. Order forms will be dispatched to the Bulldog Nation in early March. Good luck.
Quinton
For you first time buyers, cutoff scores won't be figured until April. Season ticket turnover is expected to be around 2 to 3%. Order forms will be dispatched to the Bulldog Nation in early March. Good luck.
Quinton
Commitment and Ethics
The two themes of the articles for the day seem to be commitment and ethics.
Richt starts things off with a recruiting conversation where he talks about the meaning of commitment to him in recruiting. Also on the topic of commitment, the ABH talks about the change of culture surrounding the off season workouts. The players sound more committed to investing the work into becoming champions.
On the ethics front, Damon Evans says, "We don't need to cheat." He talked with David Hale about the ethics of the SEC and the war of words among coaches (read: Kiffin's non-sense). Hale's blog includes even more information about the interview with Damon.
See Also:
-- UGA Notebook - Macon Telegraph
PWD
Richt starts things off with a recruiting conversation where he talks about the meaning of commitment to him in recruiting. Also on the topic of commitment, the ABH talks about the change of culture surrounding the off season workouts. The players sound more committed to investing the work into becoming champions.
On the ethics front, Damon Evans says, "We don't need to cheat." He talked with David Hale about the ethics of the SEC and the war of words among coaches (read: Kiffin's non-sense). Hale's blog includes even more information about the interview with Damon.
See Also:
-- UGA Notebook - Macon Telegraph
PWD
About 12 minutes of good basketball
Like my dad says....Felton's teams stopped playing the last eight minutes of a game. Pete Hermann's teams don't start the first eight minutes (UF excluded). Hard to disagree.
Georgia started the Auburn game by going 2 of 18 from the field, and they didn't score their third field goal until 15 minutes into the second half. At point, we were down by more than four touchdowns.
Result was a UGA loss to Auburn.
Conversely, they played lights out for about 12 minutes in the second half to narrow a 29 point Auburn lead down to 6 points before the wheels fell back off. If you're looking for optimism going into next year, you'll find it in these 10-15 minute bursts of competence, the Florida game and the Virginia Tech game. Oh...and you'll find it in better substitution patterns, more consistent defense and fewer turnovers that will hopefully come with better ball and player movement.
Last night was ugly.
See Also:
-- Big win proves insignificant - ABH
PWD
Georgia started the Auburn game by going 2 of 18 from the field, and they didn't score their third field goal until 15 minutes into the second half. At point, we were down by more than four touchdowns.
Result was a UGA loss to Auburn.
Conversely, they played lights out for about 12 minutes in the second half to narrow a 29 point Auburn lead down to 6 points before the wheels fell back off. If you're looking for optimism going into next year, you'll find it in these 10-15 minute bursts of competence, the Florida game and the Virginia Tech game. Oh...and you'll find it in better substitution patterns, more consistent defense and fewer turnovers that will hopefully come with better ball and player movement.
Last night was ugly.
See Also:
-- Big win proves insignificant - ABH
PWD
February 18, 2009
Great Missed Free Throws
These paint fumes are making my eyes water. It must be that. Couldn't be that I'm sniffling at my desk with my door shut after reading a story about two missed free throws. I must be allergic to something. Sniff.
PWD
-- Gesture Supports Grieving Opponent - ESPN
-- Story goes National -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle (Illinois)
-- Sportsmanship's Shining Moment -- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
-- The Thank You Letter -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle
-- Story goes National -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle (Illinois)
-- Sportsmanship's Shining Moment -- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
-- The Thank You Letter -- DeKalb Daily Chronicle
PWD
Friday is for Freshmen
This weekend's opening baseball series against Youngstown State will be a freshman showcase. The Diamond Dawgs signed a stellar recruiting class this past year and the opening day lineup will reflect that success. Coach David Perno said five freshmen should start Friday night in a recent interview with AM 960 The Ref. (Image: The Red & Black)Colby May will start at third as expected. Levi Hyams gets the nod at second, although Perno said veterans Thoms and Starr will start the weekend's other two games. The outfield will start three freshmen: Johnathan Taylor in left, Zach Cone in center, and Chase Davidson in right. Wow. Perno raved about Zach Cone in the interview, but hinted that Matt Cerione will likely take over in center when he comes off suspension.
This is the most starting freshman in a Perno lineup. Some might argue that this lineup is cause for concern. After all, playing freshmen in a game where experience counts can be a losing proposition. Plus, a freshman is just physically weaker and less developed than a junior. I would counter that you need the type of youth and talent these freshmen represent, but it needs to be mixed with veterans like Holder, Poythress, and Massanari. LSU played a lot of talented freshmen last year and were on the brink of a mediocre season. But their young team woke up and won 23 straight games, including the SEC Tournament. So, is this cause for concern or celebration?
Also, for your bat connoisseurs, Anthony Dasher at UGASports.com reports that the Dawgs have been authorized to use Easton composite bats this year, defying their exclusive Nike contract. No more equipment excuses.
Quinton
February 17, 2009
Carl Johnson: Top 1% of 1%
The University of Florida's Carl Johnson was arrested for violating a sexual violence restraining order. His former girlfriend had him arrested after he was stalking her when she got off a campus bus. I don't blame her. The last person I would want to follow me off a bus is a 6-6, 330 pound offensive guard with a "sexual violence restraining order" on him. That's the stuff of nightmares. (Image: orlandosentinel.com)If you think Carl just might have forgotten where he was and is really an innocent college guy, check out the Orlando Sentinel's write up on the allegations that girlfriend makes against Big Carl. She says Carl would "shake me, bite me and hit me" during "play fights." That doesn't sound like a play fight. It sounds like a real fight. She also says Carl's goal in life was to "shoot and kill someone." Those are the mild charges, by the way.
Let this be a lesson, Bulldogs. Gators do things well. When they play fight, they will do anything to play win. They don't just steal your laptop. They steal it and throw it out the window. They don't just steal anyone's credit card. They steal dead people's credit cards. They are intense. They are winners. Georgia players, however, are not. All they can do is violate traffic laws without the proper licensure and cause massive outcries from the AJC and ESPN.
The former Parade All-American should be looking to transfer real quick.
Quinton
Lunch Leftovers: Linebackers and more
Rennie Curran (Image; Hipple)
Cleaning out the .... "Why haven't I linked to this yet?" pile.
David Hale has been all over the linebackers the past few days. On Sunday he talked about leadership and new faces in the Macon paper. His blog provided a video interview with Rennie Curran, and he did a player by player discussion yesterday.
Quasi related to linebackers, there's a couple of human interest stories that ran yesterday. The first discusses Randall Godfrey (former LB) and his return to college after 12 years in the NFL.
Totally unrelated to linebackers, but "where are they now" related....the Tallahassee paper caught up with Tony Milton. Milton was the forgotten homeless running back that Richt found in 2001. He's best known for the game clinching run against UT in 2002, and the bone crushing pass block vs. Kentucky in '02. Today, he's working on a pro golf career.
PWD
Georgia Athletics to post another $20 million excess
Proposed New Butts-Mehre AccessoryWith the global financial markets wildly out of whack and unemployment on the rise, Americans are cutting back across the board. This is most certainly the "rainy day" that our grandparents warned us to save for. Apparently the Athletic Department has one big ass umbrella, as our cash reserves will exceed $60 million at the end of this fiscal year according to the Athens Banner Herald. (Image: A Cool Friday)
That's almost enough cash on hand to go an entire year without selling a single ticket. If you're a Hartman Donor, the above link is a must read.
My Reaction:
- According to the article, the Athletic Department is giving back $2 million per year to the University for academic endeavors. Given the AD's financial position and the struggling financials of the University, that's a no brainer politically and fiscally.
- How in the world does the Butts-Mehre Expansion cost $40 million? A year ago it was projected to cost $34 million. I thought the price of construction projects had fallen over the past year as vendors became more desperate for work? (Note: That facility will be a big time boost in recruiting. Particularly the rehabilitation areas for injured players. More on that later.)
- I like that we have enough cash on hand to go a year without selling tickets. In this economy, that beats the pants off the finances of most athletic departments. It means we can invest when everyone else is cutting back. Damon needs to leverage our strength to pull an Old Man Potter:
"Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? Because we're panicky and he's not. That's why. He's picking up some bargains." - George Bailey
Too bad we can't (legally) use some of that money to buy some kick ass pass rushing defensive ends. Or illicit payola style kickbacks for bloggers. - How on earth did our debt ever get to $200 million. Holy crap. I'm glad to see it's back down to $100 million or so. But damn, how did it ever get so far ahead of profit?
- All of these financial projections are before ESPN/CBS's incremental new $10+ million per year clears in roughly June '10. Once we start getting that additional financial boost, we need to (A) stroke a big ass check for Stegeman renovations (B) work the debt off a lot faster and (C) start giving a lot more than $2 million to academics.
HOWEVER, I would not be supportive of price hikes in any sport given the broader economy and our overall financial position. None are planned that I'm aware of. Just saying.
By the way -- compare all of this to our academic giving. The NACUBO giving report for 2008 is out (warning large boring PDF), and UGA Academics continue to show unimpressive endowment growth*. Even counting the Arch Foundation giving, we continue to slip behind our academic peers financially. (ht - Inside the Sprawl)
Your reaction?
See Also:
-- Tech's bang for the buck - Get the Picture
PWD
* He said endowment. Chuckle.
February 16, 2009
SEC Schedules through 2019 at a Glance
ESPN's Chris Low published this list of future SEC non-conference opponents last week, but I missed it. It's visually a little misleading because you glance based on the length of the lists. That said, here are some initial thoughts:
- Florida has done virtually nothing with the 12th game. Since 1992, Georgia and Florida used the scheduling complexities surrounding the Cocktail Party + In State Non-conference Rivalries (GT and FSU) as an excuse to avoid additional non-conference games of note. When the 12 game schedule was implemented in an experimental and later permanent fashion, Georgia embraced it with current and future games against Clemson (2 series), Colorado, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Louisville and Oregon. Florida fans are getting one series with Miami and the games split between 2008 and 2013. Weak sauce.
- South Carolina's got a storng start on the 12 game schedule utilization by booking a series with both UNC and NC State. However, their announced OCC games other than Clemson look pretty weak starting in 2010.
- Kentucky's non-conference schedule is embarrassing. Aside from playing an imploding Louisville program, they have booked no one of note for the next decade. Their long standing series with Indiana isn't even on the books. I'm not suggesting that UK should start scheduling Ohio State, but what's wrong with booking Cincy when their campuses are only separated by 90 or so minutes? Heck, Memphis and Southern Miss would be an upgrade over Sun Belt teams and multiple Div I-AA squads like last year.
- Congrats to Ole Miss. After booking a series with both Missouri and Wake, they have games against Clemson, Texas and others on the books. Rumors out of Atlanta say that Ole Miss wants to cancel ttheir series with Tech. South of Oxford (both geographically and socioeconomically), you have Mississippi State who looks to be applying for conditional Conference USA membership with their slate of craptacular games.
- And as always no one has more sizzle in their non-conference schedule than Tennessee. They don't have the baggage of a yearly non-conference rivalry like UF, UGA, and SC so they have more flexibility. They leverage that flexibility nicely to book Oklahoma, Ohio State, Nebraska, etc type games on a regular basis.
PWD
(Image: AJ Green. By Jim Hipple)
National Indoors Update
There's not much good news from Chicago. The women's tennis team lost to #1 Northwestern 4-1 in today's final. The doubles point could have gone either way, but Northwestern really handled us on the singles courts. Only freshman ace Chelsey Gullickson was able to win a court. The girls still have a star-studded, young lineup and the future looks bright.
It was a similar story for the guys. The doubles point was decided in a tie breaker and the Dawgs couldn't get enough singles courts to overcome the deficit. Hunt and Garrapiz were winning, but Josh Varela lost 7-5 in the third set. The 'Hoos took the national indoor championship, 4-1. Considering the losses of Flores and Helgeson from last year, this was a superb performance by Manny Diaz and the team. Before the year, Diaz said this team wouldn't be as good as the last two consecutive national championship teams. To finish as runner-up this wekend was a pleasant surprise.
The upcoming outdoor season should be fun if the tennis teams continue to play at this high level. The girls just need to gain experience. The guys need to figure out the right mix on courts four, five ,and six. These courts were key to the 2007 championship. The guys didn't win court four once in Chicago.
Quinton
Things Furman Bisher Doesn't Understand
That list apparently includes email, letters, the internet and the telephone. To be fair, Bear Bryant and Wally Butts could've told you that he didn't know how to work a phone...at least not a party line. But I digress.Apparently, Bisher is unfamiliar with those methods of communication and research given that he didn't use any of them to ask Damon Evans, "Why are you using a search firm to hire a basketball coach?" Instead, he wrote a long article stating that UGA shouldn't use a search firm, and "I have no idea how a search firm operates." His entire premise being that Bobby Knight is right there. Why do you need a firm to hire a guy that's just sitting right there.
If he really wanted to understand why we were using a search firm, he could've read his own newspaper. Last week Damon Evans outlined why he was using a firm stating:
Evans was asked why UGA chose to hire the search firm.Or he could've read my site. Or this very thoughtful piece on Parker's web site that explains why search firms are used.
“They’re very reputable in the business,” he said. “They have a strong reputation for the amount of detail they put into the process, how they develop their searches, the people they’ve place, their background checks. They’re able to assist institutions in making a high number of high-level contacts in a short amount of time. And the manner and discretion with which they handle the process is very important.”
Or frankly, he could have just come right and said that he doesn't think Damon Evans is qualified to be athletic director at Georgia. Why hint around it? Just come right out and say, "If he doesn't hire Bobby Knight like I suggested, he's not qualified to be athletic director."
By the way, Furman Bisher is currently 90 years old so it makes sense that he wouldn't find any objection to Bobby Knight turning 69 before the start of next season.
How old is Bisher? His landmark interview of Shoeless Joe Jackson took place 16 years before Bobby Knight became the head coach at Army.
- - - - -- -
Update: As LadyQ points out on a hoops message board. It would probably help Bisher to know that his beloved Georgia Tech used the same search firm to hire Paul Johnson.
PWD
(ht - jimfromduluth)
Nice Weekend, Dawgs
It's been a struggle lately. The end of football season left most of us feeling unsatisfied and two months of hapless basketball only made those feelings worse. But, this past weekend should make you feel a little better. Not only did the basketball team get a completely unexpected and inspiring win over the Gators, but Georgia's other teams performed well, too.
The gymnastics team, men's tennis team, and women's tennis team all won and all remain undefeated. The tennis teams both advanced to the ITA indoor national championship finals. Jamie Hunt (left) upset Stanford's Bradley Klahn, a top 10 player, to lead the men. The guys will play UVA at 1:00 PM today for the title. The girls get #1 Northwestern at noon. They upset #2 Cal to get to the finals. You can follow the men's final here and the women's final here. (Image: georgiadogs.com)The #20 softball team won the Red & Black Showcase by bludgeoning the hand-picked competition. They didn't give up a run the entire weekend and scored at least 8 runs in every game. We'll see if they can keep this up when real competition arrives.
Plus, a promising baseball season starts Friday, when Youngstown State visits Foley Field. Maybe the weather is breaking for Georgia. If this weekend is any indication, it should be an exciting spring.
Quinton
February 15, 2009
Basketball Coaching Search Update
I was asked on Friday if Georgia could seriously land a coach like Sean Miller (Xavier), Jeff Capel (Oklahoma) or some of the other big names that have rattled around the edges of the process. My answer was "Yes. In a coaching search vacuum, Georgia could land a guy like Miller." (Image: Miller)As I've said before, the problem is the other jobs that might open up. Here's an update on some of those situations:
- Arizona - The Wildcats are now riding a 7 game winning streak, and they are only two losses out of first place. Can Coach Pennell win enough to get the "interim" label off his door? I doubt it, but it's getting progressively more interesting to watch.
- Maryland - The Terps have won 3 of their last 4 games. If Williams wins the games his team should win, he'll stick around. As I said last week, that helps us in the Capel sweepstakes.
- NC State - Sidney Lowe is very much on the hot seat; however, his victory over GT on Saturday gives NCSU a winning streak of 3 of their last 4. The Wolfpack has enough winnable games on the back end of the schedule to get to 8-8 in the ACC. That would probably be enough to keep him in place.
- Pitt - Jamie Dixon is a hot commodity to fill a job like the Arizona gig if it should open. Sean Miller of Xavier would be their top candidate to replace Dixon.
- Missouri - If Coach Mike Anderson were to move to Alabama, that would open a slot here. Anderson is a Birmingham native, a former UAB Coach and former ARK assistant. He's the hottest name in Tuscaloosa right now. UNLV Coach Lon Kruger is a former KSU player and coach, and he coached at Illinois. He might be a great fit here due to ties to the region to replace Anderson. Kruger is one of the rumored candidates in Athens. (image: Anderson)
- Notre Dame - The Irish lost seven games in a row until thrashing #7 Louisville earlier in the week. In Coach Mike Brey's defense his team's losing streak consisted of games against teams currently ranked #7, 22, 1, 12, 4 and 6. He should win enough to keep his job given the strong results the prior two years. However, would Mike Brey start to look around now that the natives are restless? You would think Sean Miller at Xavier would be a top candidate in South Bend given that he currently coaches at a private, catholic school one state over. Brey was almost hired in Athens instead of Harrick. He would be a great candidate for our job.
- St. Johns - It's very likely that the St. Johns job will open up. They lack the financial clout to compete with UGA for a coach.
- DePaul - Looks to be on the express ramp to firing Coach Jerry Wainwright. He's currently 51-65 overall and 20-42 in the Big East. Another school that UGA can outspend.
- Texas Tech - Pat Knight has lost 6 of his last 7 games, and his overall record is 12-13. It looks like they'll struggle to do better than 14-18. How long will the Red Raiders put up with a guy that was essentially dumped on them by his daddy?
- Alabama - Obviously. Still rumored to be very interested in Mike Anderson at Missouri. He's currently 21-4 in Missouri.
Did I miss any other openings? I could list Tech, but they are either too broke or too pig headed to fire Hewitt and eat his $7.1 million buyout.
See Also:
-- Secrecy key to search - ABH
-- Firms simplify search - ABH
PWD
Dawgs Topple the Gators
Earlier in the week, I suggested that "Georgia's players need a locker room brawl, a night with the girls from the ice capades, trust falls, or something to bust this slump." Turns out what they really needed was a pep talk from Coach Richt and Terrence Woodbury eating an entire box of Wheaties.
Georgia played with passion, protected the basketball reasonably well, and turned quality looks at the basket into points. The Gators probably took UGA lightly on the defensive end, but there is very little in the box score that shows the Gators offense struggling. Georgia beat Donovan & Company despite UF only turning the ball over five times and shooting the ball 42% from the three point line.
A Confession:
I'm sad to say I didn't attend this one. Judging by the attendance on TV, not many of you reading this are in a position to throw stones at me. It's the first time in years that I missed an SEC home game in which I didn't have a legit conflict. And I'll have to live with that. On the bright side, it was the first time I had seen Stegeman on my HDTV. The court area shows great in HD.
I'm proud of the team for playing hard and representing UGA with dignity. They needed a game like this.
See Also:
-- Richt provides inspiration - ABH
-- Dogs end 11 game losing streak - AJC
-- No Love for Gators - DawgPost
-- News and Notes - Hale
PWD
Georgia played with passion, protected the basketball reasonably well, and turned quality looks at the basket into points. The Gators probably took UGA lightly on the defensive end, but there is very little in the box score that shows the Gators offense struggling. Georgia beat Donovan & Company despite UF only turning the ball over five times and shooting the ball 42% from the three point line.
A Confession:
I'm sad to say I didn't attend this one. Judging by the attendance on TV, not many of you reading this are in a position to throw stones at me. It's the first time in years that I missed an SEC home game in which I didn't have a legit conflict. And I'll have to live with that. On the bright side, it was the first time I had seen Stegeman on my HDTV. The court area shows great in HD.
I'm proud of the team for playing hard and representing UGA with dignity. They needed a game like this.
See Also:
-- Richt provides inspiration - ABH
-- Dogs end 11 game losing streak - AJC
-- No Love for Gators - DawgPost
-- News and Notes - Hale
PWD
February 14, 2009
Fashion and Rule Changes
The NCAA is considering numerous rule adjustments with the biggest being a modification of punishment related to celebrations DURING a play. Per Sportsline.com:
The other rule change that interested me would allow for both teams to wear their colored "home" jerseys assuming both teams and their conference approve. Normally, one team wears white (usually thehomevisiting team except LSU and sometimes GT) and the other team wears their colored jersey.
Obviously, this isn't something that would work when UGA plays Bama, Arkansas or probably South Carolina. However, it would work for the Florida, UT and Auburn games. The increase in household penetration of HDTVs makes more vivid, splashy use of on field color more impactful. I definitely thought it looked slick when USC andUSCUCLA played with the blue and red unis both on the field this year.
PWD
(geez. I was on fire with the typos, huh?)
Currently, "taunting, baiting or ridiculing an opponent verbally" is considered a dead-ball foul. Penalty yardage is assessed on the next kickoff. If the rule is changed, penalty yardage would be marked off from the spot of the foul and the touchdown would be nullified.The move wouldn't have any bearing on things like the UGA vs. UF '07 Celebration. It would have an impact on showboat dives into the end zone or Deion Sanders-esque high step down the sideline.
The other rule change that interested me would allow for both teams to wear their colored "home" jerseys assuming both teams and their conference approve. Normally, one team wears white (usually the
Obviously, this isn't something that would work when UGA plays Bama, Arkansas or probably South Carolina. However, it would work for the Florida, UT and Auburn games. The increase in household penetration of HDTVs makes more vivid, splashy use of on field color more impactful. I definitely thought it looked slick when USC and
PWD
(geez. I was on fire with the typos, huh?)
February 13, 2009
Regrets. I've had a few....
Then again, too few to mention. Gene Chizik offers no such hedge:
Speaking of which, Blutarsky has the latest on Kiffin's dumb comments fest. Who lies about firing their driver? What battle does that help him win? What a goof.
Speaking of bloggers, Jeff Owens has new interviews with Joe Cox and Marcus Washington up on his site. His progress with the blog has gotten the attention of David Ching over at the ABH who says Owens will talk your ear off about his site if you let him. All of my friends are nodding in empathy towards Jeff's pals.
PWD
"I believed if you worked hard and did things right the opportunity would come to me. And in 23 years, I've never made a bad decision. I've never failed in this position."These new guys sure are considerate to bloggers and their need for off season content.
Speaking of which, Blutarsky has the latest on Kiffin's dumb comments fest. Who lies about firing their driver? What battle does that help him win? What a goof.
Speaking of bloggers, Jeff Owens has new interviews with Joe Cox and Marcus Washington up on his site. His progress with the blog has gotten the attention of David Ching over at the ABH who says Owens will talk your ear off about his site if you let him. All of my friends are nodding in empathy towards Jeff's pals.
PWD
February 12, 2009
Winless is now on the Table
Dennis Felton's second team was the least talented hoops squad I have ever witnessed in 20 years of watching SEC basketball. Given that the roster had almost twice as many walkons as scholarship athletes, it's a reasonable assumption to say they may have been the least talented basketball team in the entire history of the SEC.
That group won two SEC games.
That's why I thought it was almost impossible for another SEC team to ever go winless in conference play. Until last night. Last night's Georgia Bulldog basketball team gave up the fight, and were mauled by a bored Tennessee team by 31 points. They had 18 field goals and 23 turnovers. In the first half, they had twice as many turnovers as FGs.
Winless is certainly a scenario that's now on the table. The Chattanooga paper says the last SEC team to go winless was the 1953-1954 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. How long ago was that? I'm pretty sure that Vince Dooley was a point guard for the Auburn team that hung at least one of those losses on Tech.
Said a different way...Tech's O-Fer was roughly 20 years prior to desegregation.
Georgia's players need a locker room brawl, a night with the girls from the ice capades, trust falls, or something to bust this slump. They have to find it in themselves to not quit on each other and these coaches. The stigma of an o-fer won't make finding a job easier for the assistants, and these are hard working guys with families.
Dig deep guys. Don't embarrass yourselves further. You're not this talentless. This isn't a coaching thing any more. This is way beyond that. This is player thing.
PWD
That group won two SEC games.
That's why I thought it was almost impossible for another SEC team to ever go winless in conference play. Until last night. Last night's Georgia Bulldog basketball team gave up the fight, and were mauled by a bored Tennessee team by 31 points. They had 18 field goals and 23 turnovers. In the first half, they had twice as many turnovers as FGs.
Winless is certainly a scenario that's now on the table. The Chattanooga paper says the last SEC team to go winless was the 1953-1954 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. How long ago was that? I'm pretty sure that Vince Dooley was a point guard for the Auburn team that hung at least one of those losses on Tech.
Said a different way...Tech's O-Fer was roughly 20 years prior to desegregation.
Georgia's players need a locker room brawl, a night with the girls from the ice capades, trust falls, or something to bust this slump. They have to find it in themselves to not quit on each other and these coaches. The stigma of an o-fer won't make finding a job easier for the assistants, and these are hard working guys with families.
Dig deep guys. Don't embarrass yourselves further. You're not this talentless. This isn't a coaching thing any more. This is way beyond that. This is player thing.
PWD
February 11, 2009
Dan Parker to Run UGA's Basketball Search
The AJC reports that Georgia will use Parker Executive Search to manage the placement of a new basketball coach in Athens. Parker Executive Search specializes in collegiate athletics and other higher education searches. They placed Tubby at Minnesota, Gillespie at Kentucky and Pelphrey at Arkansas among many, many other recent searches.About a year ago Rivals.com talked to Parker about their search process and why companies...especially universities...need a search firm. It's a good read. It boils down to a question of expertise, relationships and speed.
Expertise
Look at the badly mangled searches of the past two years. Michigan's torturous search for a football coach was highlighted by the inability to land Les Miles because their AD was too busy yachting. Arkansas was humiliated publicly when Dana Altman rejected them at the altar (which is why ARK turned to Parker). And Auburn barely even had a process for their search that resulted in Chizik being hired. If Dan Parker is running a search, he gets a confirmed YES before things go public. And you don't change your mind and embarrass Parker, or you're not going to be involved in any more of his searches.
Relationships and Speed
Parker has managed dozens of searches over the past few years. His firm's relationships with agents and prior converations means that he knows who is really willing to relocate and to what parts of the country. Who is restless. What the "going rate" really is for coaches at different levels.
If you don't have that preexisting knowledge, you're starting from scratch on your search. And you might miss a quality candidate or limit your pool to only coaches that you know from prior connections.
Best of All
Dan Parker, president of the firm, is a Dawg. He has two degrees from Georgia, and his Atlanta-based firm is loaded with UGA grads. Our people are running our search.
Overall
I suspected about a year ago that Parker would be used for this process. We've used his firm in the past. If we hadn't announced a relationship with a search firm....Parker in particular....I would be very nervous. This is a good thing.
See Also:
-- Early deficits are the reason for the 10 game losing streak - AJC
-- Hermmann on Leslie and Price's benching last game - ABH
-- No Mass Exodus Expected by Players - AJC
PWD
February 10, 2009
Jeff Owens on Student-Athletes
As I pointed out last week, Jeff Owens (UGA defensive tackle) is putting together a pretty solid blog. Today's article is about stereotypes facing college athletes. He specifically looks at the "dumb jock" label, and he compares it to what he faces at UGA in terms of course load, requirements and time commitment. Good article.
If you missed his "What it means to wear the G" article last week, you need to get with it.
PWD
If you missed his "What it means to wear the G" article last week, you need to get with it.
PWD
2009 SEC Football TV Predictions
God Bless Night Games
JimFromDuluth has put together his self proclaimed way too early TV forecast. His projections for kickoff times for Georgia Bulldog football games (home games in caps):
- Sept. 5 - Oklahoma St. 3:30 ABC
Sept. 12 - S. CAROLINA 7:45 ESPN
Sept. 19 - Arkansas 7:00 ESPN2
Sept. 26 - ARIZONA ST 7:00 ESPN2
Oct. 3 - LSU 3:30 CBS
Oct. 10 - Tennessee 12:00 ESPN
Oct. 17 - Vandy 12:30 ESPN-R
Oct. 31 - Florida (JAX) 3:30 CBS
Nov. 7 - TENN. TECH 1:00
Nov. 14 - AUBURN 7:45 ESPN
Nov. 21 - KENTUCKY 12:30 ESPN-R
Nov. 28 - Ga. Tech 3:30 ABC
He didn't just put this together for UGA games in a vacuum. He actually went week by week across the entire SEC schedule. The tricky part is guessing what ESPN will do with their extra inventory of games in terms of time slots.
PWD
You Owe Damon Money, Slaves
The financial version of mat drills for the UGA season ticket holder is at hand. If you want to keep your season football tickets, the Hartman Fund donation deadline is Sunday. Per ticket contribution levels are the same as last year. What will not be the same as last year is the preposterous demand for tickets. Based on national economic conditions and the soul-crushing malaise of Bulldog Nation, I'd bet that you won't need a ten grand contribution as a new season ticket holder.
This might even be a good year to try to move up if you're not happy with your seats. Although, that last statement is a relative one. If you are comparing any year with last year, one's chances of moving up are better. I'd still expect a hard time. As much as I would selfishly enjoy moving from my seats to the fifty, a ten and three season won't clear out the prime seats. Enjoy the pain of writing your check!
Quinton
February 9, 2009
Sportsline.com Rips Into Lane Kiffin
This is about as brutal and personal a beating that a media columnist can deliver.
That said....I agree with pretty much everything he says.
See Also:
-- Kiffin's Mouth Earns Him a Penalty - ESPN.com
-- Blutarsky's full Lane Kiffin is a Dumbass coverage - Get the Picture
PWD
"Kiffin's a dope. Tennessee hasn't gotten the memo yet, but it will. The SEC doesn't lie. Coach a few years in that league, and you are what you are. If you're a great coach, you'll win games and maybe even a conference or national championship. If you're an average coach, you'll hang around a few years before getting the boot. And if you're an idiot, well, you're screwed.The writer is Gregg Doyel of CBS Sportsline. Doyel is a graduate of the University of Florida. Personally, I think if you're going to compare Kiffin to Urban Meyer in such a brutal fashion, you should go ahead and disclose your alumni status so that people can decide for themselves whether or not they think you're unfairly biased.
Kiffin's screwed. This episode proves it."
That said....I agree with pretty much everything he says.
See Also:
-- Kiffin's Mouth Earns Him a Penalty - ESPN.com
-- Blutarsky's full Lane Kiffin is a Dumbass coverage - Get the Picture
PWD
February 8, 2009
Three Basketball Teams We Need to Start Winning
Wanted: More Players Like This
Georgia's ability to land a high-caliber basketball coach will be heavily impacted by the other job openings this off season. We've got an exceptional recruiting base, a rumored big budget for staff and rapidly improving facilities to sell. But we don't have much of a tradition.
Maryland, Arizona and Kentucky have all those assets and more, and they are clearly more attractive jobs than Georgia. All three have coaches on the hot seat, and we need all three to start winning games.
- Maryland - Gary Williams' squad is currently 14-8 overall and 3-5 in the ACC. They face Georgia Tech at 7:30 pm today on FSN. Looking at their schedule 17 or 18 wins is about the best they can pull. Getting to 19 wins and a deep ACC run may save Williams who has already been given a vote of confidence from his AD. Losing to GT today would be career threatening. Why We Might Care: Jeff Capel of Oklahoma is rumored to be our top choice to replace Felton. As a former Duke player and assistant, this ACC job might be attractive to Capel.
- Arizona - The Wildcats are 16-5 overall / 6-5 in PAC-10 play. Arizona is on a five game winning streak behind Interim Coach Russ Pennell. Pennell became coach after Lute Olson's abrupt retirement in October. However it looks unlikely that even a nice long winning streak will remove the interim label from Pennell. After beating the Ducks on Saturday, he stated that he only has 5 of 6 weeks left on the job. They look like a 19 to 21 win team on the Bubble. Why We Might Care: Jamie Dixon (Pitt) is a rumored candidate for the 'Zona job. He is from California, attended TCU, and he has spent about 15 of the last 20 years coaching west of the Mississippi. If Dixon were to go to 'Zona, Pitt would likely turn to Sean Miller (Xavier) to replace him. Miller is a Pitt alum, and he's rumored to be extremely high on Damon's wish list in Athens.
- Kentucky - The Mildcats are 16-7 overall / 5-3 in the SEC. They are riding a horrifying three game losing streak that includes losses to Ole Miss and Mississippi State. If the Gators beat the Cats in Rupp on Tuesday Night, things are going to come totally unglued up in Big Blue land. Their RPI currently sits at 74. Going 9-7 in the SEC isn't going to be enough to get them into the NCAAs without a big SEC Tourney run. They have to beat the Gators. The question is...what's the disaster scenario that makes UK punt on Billy G and his enormous contract? Why we might care: Isn't it obvious? UK stands above us in the coach shopping pecking order.
More importantly, he's a mirror image of Felton scheme-wise. He's just better at coaching and recruiting to that scheme. He's also 0-4 in the NCAA Tourney over his 20 year career as a head coach. I certainly hope we can do better than that. The Charleston papers think he'll be a candidate at Maryland.
Bottom line....Go Maryland. Beat Tech. (not that I wouldn't have felt that way anyway)
Oh...and a fourth team that needs to win some games...that would be the Georgia Bulldogs. It would be nice not to pull an O-fer and scare off any candidates.
PWD
February 7, 2009
Stacy Searels Named Running Game Coordinator
Coach Searels and Coach Bobo confirmed that Searels has been named running game coordinator for the Georgia Bulldog offensive. The Chattanooga Times-Free Press got the story. Both Searels and Bobo said that nothing will change in terms of responsibilities or how they work together.
When Auburn came after Searels, I thought this is how UGA might sweeten the deal to keep him here. Smart move by Richt as I'm sure it gives him more flexibility in terms of compensation adjustments in the future.
Bobo and Searels are quoted liberally in the article.
PWD
When Auburn came after Searels, I thought this is how UGA might sweeten the deal to keep him here. Smart move by Richt as I'm sure it gives him more flexibility in terms of compensation adjustments in the future.
Bobo and Searels are quoted liberally in the article.
PWD
February 6, 2009
What it Means to Wear the "G" by Jeff Owens
Jeff Owens at the '05 UT Game (Image: Georgiadogs.com)
Jeff Owens, UGA's fifth year senior starting defensive tackle, has started a new blog called "The Real Deal," and one of his first posts is an article called "What Does It Mean to Wear the G?" It's a spectacular. Here's a highlight:
At first I did not understand what it meant; I did not know that I was not just playing for myself but for all the men that have ever worn the “G”. I tell the guys everyday that what we do here reflects on the whole program. Georgia football is bigger than any one player on the team. I asked some of my teams this same question, “what does it mean to wear the ‘G’?” Rod Battle said “playing for the ‘G’ is like competing for the United States in the Olympics. It’s my home state, a place where I’ll be forever connected to. Plus I have all the extended family members I have grown to love here."He goes on to talk about what playing for the "G" has meant to him personally. But to cut and paste that would be to spoil it.
Damn Good Dawg.
PWD
Quick thoughts on the recruiting class....
Just random stream of consciousness thoughts (Image: Hipple):
- Balance - I love the balance of the class so far. Nine on offense and nine on defense. We're short one defensive end and probably one more offensive tackle, and losing Toby Jackson really hurt. Otherwise, it's a good need filling group.
- Finally a 3rd Team OLine - I believe Richt said that we'll have 17 offensive linemen on scholarship when we enter camp, and only one of them is a senior. I'm skeptical that all 17 will be around in '09 as that group is ripe for some attrition regarding existing players. The three kids we signed all look like contributors. Will we see some OL move to DT? The only rumored name is Justin Anderson, and why would we move a 1st or 2nd team OL to 2nd or 3rd team DT?
- The LB Situation - I don't really understand what went down with Jarvis Jones' recruitment. It looks to me that we offered Gilliard, Moody and Vasser before Jones, and then we just sort of bumbled all over the Jones pursuit with apparent discussions of tight end and defensive end play? Moody is rumored to have some academic ground to make up, and the other two....well...we were the first to pursue them lights out whereas we were late to go after Jones...a guy every other super power wanted badly. Are our coaches right? Or was the rest of the world correct? Time will tell.
- Loving the WR Corp - I think of Marlon Brown as one of those tall Southern Cal-type wide receivers like
Steve SmithDeWayne Jarrett or a thinner Mike Williams, and I'd compare Wooten to a "street legal" version of Percy Harvin.....or a faster version of Damien Gary. Match those guys up with Tavarres King (a little slower than Terrence Edwards with possibly better hands) and obviously AJ Green, and you've got a show stopping WR corp for the future. Maybe a sprinkle of Branden Smith for good measure? - Where are the DTs? - In the last three recruiting classes, we've only signed three high school defensive tackles -- Tyson, Lott and Jones. That's no where near enough. The single biggest priority for the 2010 recruiting class will need to be DTs. We'll need to sign 3-4 of them out of HS and possibly a JUCO, too. Jeff Whitaker is probably the most important recruit in next year's class because of the depth issue.
- The Ones that Got Away - Most of the in-state kids that fans freak out about not signing rarely bite us in the butt over the past 10 years or so. Yes, there are exceptions like Calvin Johnson, but it's not the kids we chase and lose that really kill us. It's the kid that we never seriously pursue that brutalize us. I'm thinking of guys like Ronnie Brown, Marcus McNeil and Duke Robinson. That's why I worry less about losing Greg Reid than other folks do. Well...that and he hasn't qualified, yet.
Who do you think is the most underrated player in the group?
See Also:
-- Early guesses at playing time - AJC
-- Signing Day Leftovers - ABH
PWD
Bobby Knight circus moves to Tuscaloosa
Apparently, Bobby Knight doesn't want the UGA job. He wants any job. Knight's latest move was apparently to have the same intermediary that contacted Furman Bisher of the AJC reach out to Paul Finebaum of the Mobile Press-Register. The article is almost a cut and paste in regards to Knight's interest in the Bama job.
He's interested. He doesn't want to interview. He just wants an offer, and he would accept. And he sees a huge opportunity at [insert school name here].
To be blunt about it, he's like a creepy older guy chasing women far too young for him with obvious self-esteem issues (See: UGA and Bama). All in hopes that they won't realize they can do better than him.
Auburn...you're next as it looks like Jeff Lebo is really beginning to feel the heat on The Plains.
PWD
He's interested. He doesn't want to interview. He just wants an offer, and he would accept. And he sees a huge opportunity at [insert school name here].
To be blunt about it, he's like a creepy older guy chasing women far too young for him with obvious self-esteem issues (See: UGA and Bama). All in hopes that they won't realize they can do better than him.
Auburn...you're next as it looks like Jeff Lebo is really beginning to feel the heat on The Plains.
PWD
2009 Georgia Baseball Preview
In 2008, the Diamond Dawgs were only a few innings of quality relief work away from a national title. That title was eventually taken by a thumbless bandit and another pack of Bulldogs in Omaha, providing a bitter dessert to a gluttonous feast of Bulldog baseball. The end of the CWS was also the end to two of the most storied careers in Georgia baseball history. Gordon Beckham and Joshua Fields have left for much greener pastures, as both were drafted in the first round of last year's MLB draft and signed big pro deals.
So what's in store for 2009? If the trends hold up, it will be a lean year. The Dawgs have been consistently inconsistent in recent years: Omaha in even number years, no postseason play in odd numbered years. There are two reasons to think that trend will end, the return of Friday night starter Trevor Holder and the best recruiting class in Georgia baseball history.
The pitching staff will start with a proven commodity in Holder. He's an SEC veteran who was named second team All-SEC last year. The Saturday starter is likely to be Alex McRee who was a solid reliever last season. McRee looked unhittable at times last year in relief, but his longest outing was 4 and a third. He'll need to translate his stuff over to a starting role, but if he can, the Dawgs have two nasty starters. It's a good thing because the Sunday starter is a big question mark. Some think Justin Grimm will be the guy, but Grimm looked unsettled during appearances against real teams last year. Freshmen Cecil Tanner and Michael Palazzone will get looks for Sunday starts as well. The bullpen will be anchored by Dean Weaver. Weaver was a good set up guy last year for Fields and should be a solid closer in 2009. Justin Earls and Will Harvil will be the other keys to the bullpen.
The Dawgs return some big bats from last year, too. 1B Rich Poythress and C Bryce Massanari are the two biggest bats in the lineup and both were named preseason All-American. OF Matt Cerione (who will serve a six game suspension at the start of the season for booze) and OF Lyle Allen return. They could be joined by a freshman in the outfield. Zach Cone and Chase Davidson will get their chances to start. The infield will be revamped from last year, as former second bagger Michael Demperio will start at short. Demperio won't hit like Beckham, but should field as well, if not better. David Thoms and Miles Starr will share second until someone distances themselves from the other. Freshman Colby May is penciled in at third and will have to attempt replace Ryan Peisel's steady bat. May's off to a good start with three hits in the last weekend's scrimmage.
So, what's the outlook? The preseason polls think a lot of this year's team: No. 4 in Collegiate Baseball, No. 5 in NCBWA, No. 14 in Baseball America, No. 9 in Rivals.com's poll. And, we know preseason polls are always reliable, right? I think we're more likely in the teens than the top 10 right now. This team, however, has the potential to make a return trip to Omaha and break the odd year streak of mediocrity, but it has to have some breaks go its way. Alex McRee has to be solid and some freshman have to hit. Relying on freshman is a scary proposition, but this class appears to be living up to the hype already.
There is good reason to be hopeful. Talented freshman mixed with veteran leadership is a solid mix for conference title contention. No matter what, it should be an interesting year. The season starts on the 20th against Youngstown State at Foley Field.
Quinton
February 5, 2009
Richt on Signing Day
This was shot by the Banner Herald before he got Marlon Brown's signature.
Update: Speaking of great video. Lane Kiffin called Urban Meyer a cheater, and it was documented on video. As "UGAPharrell" said on DawgPost's message board, "I smell another Urban Meyer book coming."
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Update: Speaking of great video. Lane Kiffin called Urban Meyer a cheater, and it was documented on video. As "UGAPharrell" said on DawgPost's message board, "I smell another Urban Meyer book coming."
PWD
Posting Today
Didn't get back from Athens last night til close to 2 am. Will be working without ability to post for most of day.
February 4, 2009
Signing Day
Keep up with all of that over at Georgiadogs.com. I'm not going to post much during the day, but I'll have some thoughts on the class late tonight. I'm traveling to the b-ball game tonight, and I'll post very late after.
Go Dawgs.
Go Dawgs.
Evans: "I think we have to awake the sleeping giant."
The AJC's Jeff Schultz interviewed Damon Evans about the Georgia Basketball coaching search. Damon talked about his plan, his passion for hoops, the need for a quality coach and an end to excuses for losing (Image: Stegeman Coliseum after the next renovation. Click to enlarge).
“I’ve been thinking about building Georgia basketball for a long, long time — ever since I first got here,” he said. “We’ve had a few good stints, but that’s not enough. I’m looking at things from a business standpoint. When you stand back, you ask: What is not living up to its potential? What can give us more visibility and create more excitement on campus? Basketball hasn’t allowed us to do that.”Schultz framed the article around the fact that this is Damon's first major hire. That's a fact not at all lost on Damon.
“Not to discount any of the hires we’ve made here,” Evans said Tuesday, “but I understand the magnitude of this.”It's a helluva interview. Being able to articulate a vision for what success looks like AND having the financial power to make it happen are two things our hoops program has lacked to date. This is a very encouraging article.
PWD
February 3, 2009
Hoops Search News for UGA and Bama
Since we're likely competing with each other in this search, I'll do some quick links from both of us. First off, let's get the latest Bobby Knight stuff out of the way.
Essentially, Knight is leveraging ESPN and his connections to land a job here. It's like a political campaign at this point with Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale and Brent Musburger acting as surrogates for him on the talk shows and media circuit. Also, Anthony Dasher says that Knight may try to work his way into the process via the Georgia Governor's Office. It's a high pressure, heavy handed tactic, and I can't imagine it'll sit well with those involved in the UGA search.
Mark Bradley says the rumor makes no sense to him, and he points out that the last elite player to suit up for Knight was Calbert Cheaney at Indiana...in 1993. If you think Bobby Knight can still recruit, I encourage you to conduct a test. Have your wife watch this clip and this clip (warning: profanity). Then ask her if she'd let her kid play for that guy.
Update: DoubleTNation (a Texas Tech Blog) says this about Knight at UGA rumors:
Separately, Hugh Durham shared his thoughts on the UGA job with Chip Towers of the AJC. He talks about our facilities, our recruiting base, and the Bobby Knight rumors.
To our west, the Bama folks are looking at two names right now -- Mike Anderson (Missouri) and Anthony Grant (VCU). Anderson is a Birmingham native with Arkansas assistant coaching ties and UAB head coaching experience. I can't imagine a better fit for them. He's not backing away from rumors around the UA job. Grant is more cautious.
It's going to be a long 45 or so days til we both get our guys lined up.
(To Clarify a Point Above: I don't care if Knight cusses or if he's a jerk. My point was that he's not a great recruiter, and he hasn't been a great -- or even good -- recruiter in a long time. I would simply suggest that his antics are the thing that keeps mothers from letting their kids sign with him. That's the only reason for posting the video. I don't care if he uses "dirty" words.)
PWD
Essentially, Knight is leveraging ESPN and his connections to land a job here. It's like a political campaign at this point with Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale and Brent Musburger acting as surrogates for him on the talk shows and media circuit. Also, Anthony Dasher says that Knight may try to work his way into the process via the Georgia Governor's Office. It's a high pressure, heavy handed tactic, and I can't imagine it'll sit well with those involved in the UGA search.
Mark Bradley says the rumor makes no sense to him, and he points out that the last elite player to suit up for Knight was Calbert Cheaney at Indiana...in 1993. If you think Bobby Knight can still recruit, I encourage you to conduct a test. Have your wife watch this clip and this clip (warning: profanity). Then ask her if she'd let her kid play for that guy.
Update: DoubleTNation (a Texas Tech Blog) says this about Knight at UGA rumors:
"I said it yesterday and I'll say it again, Bob Knight is done recruiting, so if you want a guy who is just going to coach and that's it, then [Robert Montgomery Knight] is your guy. I don't think that Georgia has so much talent that this is the case, and there's a strong possibility that [Knight] will make the team better, but I'm pretty sure that most elite athletes just don't want to play for him anymore."Regardless, I don't think that it's going to happen unless it's literally shoved down Damon and Adams' throat.
Separately, Hugh Durham shared his thoughts on the UGA job with Chip Towers of the AJC. He talks about our facilities, our recruiting base, and the Bobby Knight rumors.
To our west, the Bama folks are looking at two names right now -- Mike Anderson (Missouri) and Anthony Grant (VCU). Anderson is a Birmingham native with Arkansas assistant coaching ties and UAB head coaching experience. I can't imagine a better fit for them. He's not backing away from rumors around the UA job. Grant is more cautious.
It's going to be a long 45 or so days til we both get our guys lined up.
(To Clarify a Point Above: I don't care if Knight cusses or if he's a jerk. My point was that he's not a great recruiter, and he hasn't been a great -- or even good -- recruiter in a long time. I would simply suggest that his antics are the thing that keeps mothers from letting their kids sign with him. That's the only reason for posting the video. I don't care if he uses "dirty" words.)
PWD
Quick football headlines
A few tidbits around the dial:
- South Carolina has finally implemented a seat licensing donation program similar to our Hartman Fund. Unfortunately for them, one booster is going to court because of the initiative. He apparently bought a lifetime membership to the Gamecock Club that includes a $100,000 life insurance policy donation to the school in exchange for not having to pay this sort of fee. SC is welching on his deal. This is all part of the broader clownish management of the SC Athletic Department. When I read about the way they are run from a fiscal standpoint and compare it to what Damon is doing in Athens...it's like comparing the Boston Celtics to the Washington Generals. (ht - FanBlogs)
- Dr. Saturday looks at the merits of potentially dangerous animal mascots. The footage of Ralphie running nuts in Boulder is comedy. Two years ago, there was a great bogus rumor going around that Bama was going to bring in a live elephant for their games. I checked with someone who has some level of expertise on the subject of elephant management. He informed me that once an elephant decides to wreck your stuff, it's not going to be stopped. You just have to wait until the rampage is over....or he flies away.
- Blutarsky has a quick thought on GT's recruiting. They ended their relationship with a commited prospect after he visited Auburn. That's not overly interesting, but as the Senator points out the "Whys" behind this story are intriguing as it relates to the triple option.
February 2, 2009
If you're getting recruiting news from me...
...then you're making a mistake. lol. I really don't "cover it" until it's a done deal because others are much better at it. However, we are entering the home stretch right now. In my incredibly unreliable opinion based on reading tea leaves, we'll close with Greg Reid and Orson Charles, and I give us a 50-50 shot with Marlon Brown. As for the others:
If you're not that into recruiting (and if so...you likely don't read college football blogs), Mark Weiszer has some position change and injury updates on his blog.
See Also:
-- Richt saving Knowshon's jersey for Reid - AJC
-- Drama builds for Reid - DawgPost
-- Brown's visit to UT went well - VolQuest
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- Starling (S) - I'll believe we pull a kid out of Lincoln High School in Tallahassee when I see it. The Noles OWN that school.
- Geathers (DT) - Their family has been unpredictable with all three boys. It's pretty obvious at this point that no one has any idea what they'll do. In fact, it's not clear that we'll still have scholarship openings for Geathers when he makes his decision about a week after signing day. We could get him, but I wouldn't count on it.
- Jarvis Jones (LB) - It seems like we've been in second place for his entire recruitment. Why would that change now? I don't see it, but I'd be thrilled to be wrong.
If you're not that into recruiting (and if so...you likely don't read college football blogs), Mark Weiszer has some position change and injury updates on his blog.
See Also:
-- Richt saving Knowshon's jersey for Reid - AJC
-- Drama builds for Reid - DawgPost
-- Brown's visit to UT went well - VolQuest
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Hopefully...the last links on the Knight stuff
I think it's important to remember that no one associated with UGA started these absurd Bobby Knight rumors. It was entirely the creation of an 89 year old columnist who as Blutarsky correctly points out has never had UGA's best interests at heart. (Image: Fangini)
Roger Clarkson at the ABH points out the very reasonable and accurate reasons why this will never happen.
I continue to be shocked by the number of UGA fans who are raising their voices to say this is a good idea. Their reaction reminds me of the country bumpkin girl who marries the first guy that makes her laugh. Just because he's into you doesn't mean you have to get married.
If we're going to pay the kind of money that I'm hearing we will pay, we can find someone that will bring even more "relevance" and "excitement" to the program. And as Clarkson says, we can probably find someone who has won a conference title more recently than 1993 or been to the Sweet 16 more than once since 1995.
We could certainly do worse, but we could do a helluva lot better, too. BTW -- Clarkson is right. This won't happen. The only reason I'm still writing about it is because it's the elephant in the room du jour.
One more reason it won't happen? As the Mobile Press Register points out, Knight won't contact us. We only get to work within his process and rules. We're the ones with the $1.2-$1.8 million rumored pursue strings. He's the one making much, much less at ESPN. Why can't he pick up the phone and show us he's serious?
See Also:
-- UGA players would be fine with it - AJC
-- For Pete's sake - Hale
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