Joke of the Week

Whats the difference between a blond and a Mosquito?
The mosquito stops sucking after you slap it.

Every Silver Lining...

Sorry about the Grateful Dead referance (I couldn't think of an applicable WSP quote) but it was neccesary in accurately portraiting my point. Although March is hands down the best month of the year this basketball season has shown me some disappointment. I would like to start of by saying that the reason sports are so great is the conversation that takes place as a result of incredible comebacks, jaw dropping dunks, and all around powerfull teams- UF may be the best alltime, Noah being the frontman. This basketball season, however, has been disappointing because I have spent most of my time watching the games with Leighton argueing that Notre Dame somehow got snubbed, with Brandon talking strategy about Duke, and with countless people mentioning that Greg Oden looks like wise Lebron (yeah we get it and it really wasnt funny the first time you brought it up).

Soooo lets keep this brief because I am lazy and don't want to write anymore but also because ya'll probably already stopped reading. I guess what I am trying to say is that I hate Brandon and the SEC is the best conference in basketball.

Happy Birthday Larry

These dont suck as Bad

Recently as most of our avid readers have probably noticed the joke of the week segment was discontinued due to popular demand. But screw it here is a couple funny jokes and if ya'll dont like these than screw you.

What is the opposite of Christopher Reeves? (oh yeah im going there)
- Christopher Walken

and

Whats the difference between an Arab women and a Catfish?
- One has whiskers and smells like shit while the other lives in the ocean.

Speedin' across the Intercoastal...

For those who think I'm making this stuff up, these are Donzi boats. The boat above is part of Donzi's ZR series. It's a Donzi 38ZR to be specific. With over 1,050 horsepower, this boat tops out at an amazing 91 mph. The 2005 June edition of the Robb Report (a report displaying the only the best in luxury lifestyles- something Ric Flair knows quite a lot about) named the Donzi 38ZR its "Best of the Best" pick in the powerboat category. A boat like this will run you about $350,000 brand new, but for those of us on a tight budget you can get a used Donzi 38ZR for a cheap $200,000. I won't get into to any other details but if you do have any questions, you can consult Donzi's official website at:

http://www.donzimarine.com/

And oh yeah, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Real World's Champion

It's A Great Day for the Irish

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Bulldogs vs. Bulldogs

It was just announced that Georgia will host Fresno State in the first round of the NIT Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Fresno went 22-9 this year, 10-6 in the WAC. They beat Creighton earlier in the year and lost to Stanford by just two points, so, even on the surface, this looks like a tough game. After a quick look at their roster, they remind me a of Auburn a little bit in that they don't have a lot of size, but they do have five players averaging double figures.

The draw could've been much worse, however. Fresno will be traveling across the country on pretty short notice, which should help. Not surprisingly, the home team's ability to motivate themselves will be the biggest key to this game.

Georgia's portion of the bracket looks like this:

1. Air Force
8. Austin Peay

4. Georgia
5. Fresno State

3. DePaul
6. Hofstra

2. Kansas State
7. Vermont

Brackets Are Out

The field has been announced, so we have four days to join the group and complete a bracket.

Here's the link, one last time:

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/group?entryIDFrom=14674&groupID=2128

Amazing Basketball Shot

Check this out!http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/88207/World_s_Most_Amazing_Basketball_Shot.html

Conference Tournament Pool Anyone?

Let's pick the ACC and SEC tournaments, too, while we're at it. Put your picks in the comments if you'd like to participate. Money will not exchange hands, though, for obvious reasons. This is all good, clean fun.

ACC Tournament Bracket: http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-baskbl/acc-mtournament-central-2007.html

SEC Tournament Bracket: http://www.secsports.com/doc_lib/bkc_2007_bracket.pdf

First game is noon on Thursday.

Pool Update

Link to the Tourney Challenge bracket pool is right here.

Join if you want in. One bracket per person.

Anybody > Georgia

The gymnastic team falling on Sunday was the only suitable way for this weekend to end. I believe that this was the most disappointing 3 day stretch for Georgia athletics since I have been a student. Baseball swept by USC. Basketball team must now pull off a miracle. Women's team looked like St. Peter's 1998 7th grade boys team. I'm now going to start tailgating for Tennis matches.

The loss which by far and away hurt the most was the men's basketball team against Tennessee. It was a must win, would have given the Dawgs a winning record in the conference and a good shot at the NCAA tournament. Now it will most likely take an SEC tournament title. I personally have enjoyed following this team and having a dog in the fight makes college basketball a lot more fun. Even though Georgia kept itself on the bubble until just a week before Selection Sunday, Georgia could never get a significant road win or win the games they weren't suppose to. Sure, we wanted Mercer to be a little better than he was for most of the year, but it was evident that he was a crucial part to the Georgia lineup. His loss and a mistake by Levi Stukes didn't make Georgia's chase for a tourney bid any easier. But the Dawgs went 3-6 in its final 9 SEC games and won only 3 games all season in which they entered as the underdog( Arkansas, Wake Forest, Gonzaga). There is no doubt that Georgia has come a long way in the past 3 years, but not to a level which is NCAA tournament worthy. If Georgia wins the SEC tournament though, it will go down as the greatest accomplishment in school history.

It is still very early in the college baseball season but getting swept at home 2 out of 3 series to start the season is not a good sign. They have been close in almost every loss but its starting to show that there are no more Felmy's, JJ's, or Side's. They can't score. Cerione went 1-13 against USC and circulating scouting reports are catching up with him. Beckham has great power but is not the best cleanup hitter. Wyatt and Piesel have been solid but have to do more somehow. The pitching is still good and the reason I remain somewhat optimistic. However, Fields has looked shaky in 3 of his outings and has already taken 2 losses. Earls is going to take Leaver's place as the # 3 starter putting Leaver in what has the potential to be the best bullpen in the SEC. But if we don't hit it will make the trips to Clemson and Atlanta rather pointless.

I still think the women will get a two seed but don't see them getting to the Elite 8. I know a lot of us were really high on this team going into the year and didn't even know what we would get out of the 3 Freshmen. They just struggle to score points on a consistent basis and really suffer when a team puts good pressure on the ball. If Chambers gets hot in the tournament they have a chance to get a little further than I think they can at this point in time.

Softball team: See Larry.

Tennis team is awesome and will win the school a National Championship.

The drive to New Orleans officially begins tomorrow.

And Henessee Tennessee tootles the flute and the music is somethin' grand A credit to old Ireland is MacNamara's band. 12 Days.

NCAA Tourney Pool

EDIT: I created a group on ESPN called Pure Football Baby (search for it and join if you want), so I guess we're going to have to go with the honor system on this one.

Fill out as many brackets as you want for their national thing, but only use one for our group.

Open Invitation

Senior Day Celebration. Saturday March 3, 11:15 am. St. Patrick's Day, Georgia, and Men at Work music. Spirits, reminisceing, and camaraderie. Go Dawgs!

Baseball vs. USC 2:00

Basketball vs. Tennessee 4:00

Tennessee at Georgia

This is the column (slightly modified) I chose not to try and get published this week. Sorry about the length.

There seems to be a bit of dissension among Georgia fans and college basketball “experts” over exactly what the Bulldogs need to do in order to lock up a spot in the Big Dance. Some think they have to win Saturday and win one game at the SEC Tournament, some think they need to win two in Atlanta, and others think they’ve got nothing to play for.



So aside from those who think Drexel and Georgia Tech are absolute locks, everyone agrees that Georgia must beat Tennessee on Saturday, or the season probably is over.

Now, call me naïve if you want, but I’m going to assume that the Dogs play with a full lineup on Saturday. Bliss will get a couple of days to rest what appears to be a pretty minor injury, Albert Jackson was fine the last time he dislocated his shoulder, and I just can’t see Levi Stukes watching from the bench on Senior Day.

As for the implications of this game, trying to keep your Tournament hopes alive against a team that has won six of its last seven, just beaten Florida, features the league’s leading scorer, and won its last road game in the SEC is obviously a tall order.

Now, this is obviously from a fan’s perspective, so maybe the players and coaches don’t even remember any of the things I’m about to mention, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t provide at least a little extra motivation.



On February 11, 2006, Tennessee came into Athens riding a six-game winning streak and had a ridiculous record (19-3, 8-2 SEC).

One Volunteer fan set the tone for the afternoon during the national anthem. Just before the end, the guy filled a silent Stegeman Coliseum with the loudest “Go Vols!” I’ve ever heard.

From that point on, the Tennessee Volunteers and their fans literally took over the Coliseum for the rest of the day. At times it seemed like there were more Tennessee fans than Georgia fans as the entire upper deck was filled to capacity. Chris Lofton hit nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points as the Vols held off a big comeback to win 83-78.

And how did Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl decide to celebrate this really-not-so-monumental victory?

By sending his players up into the stands, of course. In the other team’s arena.

I like Pearl, and the excitement he’s brought to the SEC East, but I haven’t forgotten that incident since the moment it happened. And I hope the Georgia players and coaches haven’t, either.

So everyone, do your part as a fan to make sure Tennessee doesn’t get the opportunity to do it again.

We fill the place up for the likes of Kentucky, LSU, and Florida, but we can’t do it for Mississippi State (another do-or-die game)? This is the season. I know Tennessee didn’t go to the Final Four last year like LSU and Florida did, and I know they don’t have the most wins all-time, like Kentucky does.

But they are all that stands between this Georgia team and history: the eighth NCAA bid for this school, ever.

So, if by some strange coincidence, someone reading this is a student who goes to the “big” games, but wants to sit this one out because it’s on TV, I’ve got one thing to say to you:

It’s time we, as fans, spent a little less time worrying about what’s written across the front of the visiting team’s jerseys, and spend a lot more time supporting the names on the backs of the home team’s jerseys.

Basketball Update

960 The Ref says Felton announced that Stukes will play on Saturday. More to come as I search for confirmation.

Edit: Confirmed. Here's the AJC's article about it.

Not to be all South Carolina or anything, but wasn't that a moral victory?

Georgia lost at Rupp Arena last night while using a seven-man rotation, which was to be expected (especially when the home team is shooting 72% on threes in the second half).

But it probably won't matter much if the Dogs can hold serve at home on Saturday against Tennessee, which would give them their first winning season in the SEC since '03-'04 and, I hope, first NCAA Tournament berth since '02-'03.

So what can we take out of Georgia's 107th all-time loss to Kentucky?

Well, with Levi Stukes suspended and Dave Bliss (hip) and Albert Jackson (shoulder) injured, they were forced to gut it out with just six scholarship players (walk-on Corey Butler also played significant minutes).

Terrance Woodbury played one of the best games of his career, Sundiata Gaines played all but about 20 seconds, and Steve Newman played 39 minutes.

This morning's post on the Georgia Sports Blog says it all, I think:

UK fans leaving the building heard the following announcement on the PA system...

"Attention Rupp Arena janitors:
Please bring mops to the court.
It's covered with Steve Newman's guts."

Looking at last night's performance, coupled with what he did last Saturday against Mississippi State, you've got to think Newman will really go out with a bang on Senior Day.

I make this post to set up my next post, where I plan to offer up some thoughts about Saturday's monumental game with Tennessee.

"Globetrotter"

Savannah State has made ESPN.com again, but it's for something good this time.

Noell Barnidge recently wrote an article profiling a Tiger basketball player, and it was picked up by columnist Pat Forde. He interviewed the guy for his weekly Forde Minutes.

Read the SavannahNow article. It's really good, one of the best things I've seen on there in a while.

RUTHLESS INTERROGATION

This is a special episode of Ruthless Interrogation -- not like the "very special episode of 'ER'" that NBC tries to pull over on the public approximately once a month -- but certainly something outside the norm.

Meet Joshua Obiajunwa (39), The Minutes' favorite player of the season. You'll see why shortly.

The Minutes recently read an extraordinary story by Noell Barnidge of the Savannah (Ga.) Morning News about the Savannah State senior forward who, in his spare time, cleans the school gym. He's also averaged 10.7 points and 8.0 rebounds for the resurgent Tigers, who under miracle-working coach Horace Broadnax (40) (a member of the 1984 NCAA champion Georgetown Hoyas) have gone 12-17 after records of 0-28 and 2-28 the previous two seasons.

Cleaning the gym has become his part-time job. When The Minutes caught up with the Nigeria native Monday, he was just coming into the arena to start sweeping in preparation for the women's game that night.

Forde Minutes: How did you get started cleaning the gym?

Joshua Obiajunwa: After the games, I stay around and shoot. The first time I did it, the floor was kind of dusty, so I decided to sweep it before I shoot. After I did it a couple times, a part-time job offer was made to me and I decided to take it.

FM: What was life like growing up in Nigeria?

JO: I have three brothers and three sisters, I'm the last in the family. Basically, growing up, we didn't have that much. You might not have everything you wanted, but everything you needed was given to you.

FM: How long have you been in the United States?

JO: This is my fourth year. Coming to the States was quite a struggle. Taking the [college entrance] exam, getting a visa, then coming over here and not knowing anyone, it's been quite a transition. The social life, the social trends, the academics, everything has been a transition.

FM: You've said you learned your work ethic from your mom, Jessy. What has she meant to you?

JO: What can I say? You can never say enough. I don't think there are enough words or actions to express what she has done for me. I hope someday to let her know. She sacrificed a lot for us.

FM: You played three years of Division II ball at Benedict College in South Carolina, and this is your only year of eligibility at Savannah State. How did you end up there?

JO: When I graduated from Benedict (with a 3.93 GPA in political science), I wanted to go straight to law school. Then I realized the timing wasn't right to go straight to law school. So a family friend said, 'You still have a year to play. Why don't you play your last year?' I decided to play, and luckily the word got around to coach Broadnax and everything worked out perfectly.

FM: How has Division I ball been?

JO: When you play against the best, the best in you comes out. When we played Louisville, it was amazing to see Rick Pitino. In Nigeria, I always watched his tapes on how to be a better basketball player.

FM: What happens now?

JO: Finishing my master's, that's the next thing on my agenda. (SSU athletic director Tony O'Neal told Obiajunwa over the weekend that the school will pay his way to complete his graduate degree. "You've earned that, kid," O'Neal told him.) Then I will get ready for the LSAT exam and law school.

But first, The Minutes' favorite player of 2006-07 had a gym to clean.