Vol's #1 Receiver?

I just happen to be combing the Rivals.com national board and came across an interesting thread of posts on the front page entitled: "Tennessee Receiver Kenny O'Neal." Upon further reading some people think Kenny maybe the Vol's go to guy this season. His attitude and character issues are also brought up and from what several people say it seems he has grown up a lot in the past year or so. Many of the posters seem to think the world of his potential. However they also knock him for his pass catching ability or lack thereof. All and all it's nice to see. I hope he scores a lot of touchdowns this year, as long as they're not against CWM's soft zone defense October 6th on the banks of the Tennessee River. God I can't wait. I have a good feeling about that one based on what happened this past season.

Here's the link to the thread:
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=2150&tid=
95427752&mid=95427752&sid=1144&style=2

The Price is not Right

As all of you know Georgia's baseball team was significantly bad this year. However, tonight marked the one year anniversary of the 2006 Athens Regional Championship game in which the Bulldogs defeated Florida State. I hope that some of you were able to catch the 2007 Nashville Regional Championship game between Michigan and Vanderbilt on CSS. Though I was rooting for Vandy, the game reassured my belief that meaningful baseball is hard to beat. The game was full of tremendous plays from both teams. Vandy scored twice in the bottom half of the 8th to tie the game at 3. The game would go into extra innings after Michigan's second baseman made a diving catch for the 2nd out of the 9th to halt a great scoring chance for the Dores. In the top of the 10th with 1 out, a seldom used pinch-hitter for Michigan took a 3-1 fastball over the fence for his second career home run and a 4-3 lead. The home run came off of National Player of the year David Price who was making his first relief appearance of the year. With one out and the bases empty in the bottom of the 10th, Michigan's right fielder made a home run saving catch off the bat of Vanderbilt's Pedro Alvarez that secured the lead and help save the game for Michigan. Sorry for summarizing the game but I thought it was one of the finer baseball games I have ever seen. Georgia not being in the tourney takes a lot of the fun out of it for me. Some don't like aluminum bats, two-way players, the DH, diminishing the regular season, or baseball in February. But the brackets, cross-sectional match ups, passion, effort, strategy, and do or die scenarios are unmatched and makes College Baseball in June great.

Greatest Ejection Ever

Lou Piniella was pretty impressive in getting tossed from today's Braves-Cubs game, but the manager of the Mississippi Braves was able to do him one better. This is miles ahead of any ejection I've ever seen, including last year's classic Asheville Tourists clip.

Obviously, this was all planned in advance and he was just waiting for a bad call, but does this happen to remind anyone else of the time Georgia Costanza tried to get fired by the Yankees?

Here's the link: http://broadband.espn.go.com/ivp/splash2?id=2891243

Last Time I Checked This Is America

Now I'm not real into politics and I don't follow this stuff too closely but I do have a problem with the "We have a candidate" post. I don't have a problem with Fred Thompson or the Republican party or anything like that. Hell I like Fred Thompson. He's been in good movies like "The Hunt for Red October," "Die Hard 2," "Days of Thunder," and my personal favorite, "Necessary Roughness" (Yes Don I like movies). My concern has nothing to do with any of this. I'm concerned about "Only in AMERICA" turning into Communist Russia or Nazi Germany. I know McCarthy may be the blog's owner but I think if this blog is going to "endorse a candidate" then we should take it to a vote (hell we do polls for everything else) to see who will represent the blog in the upcoming Presidential election. Fred Thompson, not Anderson, will probably still win and I'll probably vote for him but for one person to say that this is our guy, whether we like it or not, on a blog with so many opinionated people is wrong and an infringement upon our rights as AMERICANS. I figured when Rocky knocked out Drago that Cuba would be the only remaining remnants of communism. However, I fear if the people on this blog are not allowed to voice their opinions on this issue (like we do on everything else), no matter how ridiculous or extreme these views may be, that this blog will have to be renamed "Only in Russia." If this is the case, being the patriotic person I am, I would have to leave the blog and move onto greener, less restricting pastures. Let's keep the Stars and Stripes flying high and proud on "Only in AMERICA."

Kicking Off '07 With Two Evening Games

I know McCarthy just posted something about the South Carolina game being at night but now both that game and the Oklahoma State game are set in terms of kick-off times. According to the AJC:

"Georgia's first two football games this fall will be broadcast by ESPN2, the school announced Wednesday.

The Bulldogs' opener against Oklahoma State, on Sept. 1 in Athens, will kick off at 6:45 p.m.

A week later, Georgia will host Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks in a game that starts at 5:45 p.m.

Georgia is 13-2 all-time in games televised by ESPN2.

Georgia's Oct. 6 game at Tennessee is expected to be a part of a nationally-televised doubleheader shown on CBS starting at 3:30 p.m. The other game of that doubleheader is expected to be Florida at LSU."

This is good for tailgating- so good it deserves a WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't Sleep

So Jen bought McCarthy a couple of those energy drinks called "Cocaine." This drink was supposed to be taken off of store shelves about a month ago. It's motto on the can simply reads "the legal alternative." Anywho, he had a sip of one and decided it taste like shit so he let me have the other one. For really no reason at all I decided to drink it around 8:30 last night (as in around nine hours ago). Yes it does taste like shit and I don't recommend it (stick with the Rockstars) but I drank it all and here I am typing this post at 5:33 a.m. eastern standard time. I've been up for 21 hours since I had to get up at 8:30 yesterday morning for a job interview. Honestly I'm not really that tired right now either and could probably make it for the full 24 hours. I've seen 3 episodes of Sportscenter already and because I switched to TBS around 1:00 a.m. I've seen "Panic Room"- twice. Why didn't I change the channel you ask. Well I was occupied. Disclaimer: this in no way means I'm becoming a computer geek like you find at Tech or a an artsy fag like you would find at SCAD or the Arts Academy. Looking online today to see when NCAA 2008 was coming out I went to the EA Sports website and they had this template where you can create your own cover for the game (since that bitch Zabransky's on this year's cover and that's a load of shit). So I looked around and saw what some other fans created and decided to give it a shot. In honor of Georgia's trip to Knoxville this season, plus interlocking looks tough when SOME people do it, here's what I came up with:

It might be a little hard to see here but to get a clearer shot of the photo I used, here's the link:
http://onlineathens.com/wallpapers/2005football/800/images/100805-AUG04-UgaTenn.jpg

I'm Sorry

I just wanted to take this time to tell all of our readers that my latests comments about Schivera and tennis were inappropriate. Also, I wanted to let everyone know that we still should treat him fairly and be his friends although he isn't paying most of us. He still is a fun person to hang around for Christ sake. Lastly, we should also not make fun of Bryan for liking "games" like tennis and soccer. Although, they aren't "manly" or even fun to watch, he likes them and thats all that really matters. With this being said I sincerely and honestly think you should consider my heart felt apology. Thank you for your time.

More Ticket Changes

The athletic association voted to make a major change regarding student ticket distribution at the University of Georgia yesterday. The new policy, apparently beginning next year, requires students to take a full 12 hours in order to be eligible to receive the full season ticket package. Priority is still determined by total number of hours taken.

So who does this actually have an effect upon? It looks like it's just fifth, sixth, and seventh year students who are just hanging on for football tickets, as well as the incoming freshman who should receive the left over tickets.

I think it's a solid move overall, but it would help me out a lot more if they would do this for road game tickets as well.

Awesome Web Site for a Rainy Day

This website has almost every movie, and tv show for free without having to download anything. I'm not sure if its legal but thats not for me to worry about.
http://www3.alluc.org/alluc/

2006-2007

A generic look at the past school year:

Like any other year there were highs and lows, good and bad, and things that will be remembered for a very long time. Undoubtedly the lasting image will be the unfortunate events that took place at Virginia Tech. Most of the world will recall the deaths of Saddam and Anna Nicole Smith. Around these parts it was the passing of legend "Mr. Mac" and Kevin Brophy. BC experienced turmoil unlike anything in our lifetime. St. Patrick's Day officially turned into Mardi Gras. The University of Georgia adopted new tailgating policies that did a lot and ADPi made national news for basically acting like they always do.

Blogs became really popular all of a sudden. OIA, BMBS, PFB, and BCG provided a platform for harassment, news, particular pictures, mockery and Joe T v. The Specimen. TP was named man of the year despite a valiant attempt by one person stuffing the ballot box. Both Patricks walked away with Picks titles that brought about significant rewards.

Athens was normal in respect to construction, Idiots downtown, and the perception that there are no sports at Georgia other than football. General B's gradually took a backseat to Bourbon Street and Boar's Head regained the title of best bar despite the tremendous effort from Hedge's. Blind Pig almost vanished to our group after being a constant for 2 years.

BC retained the Gold Star. BC's basketball team ended a 10+ year streak. The Cross country team was amongst the best in the state. The wrestling and baseball programs continue to thrive highlighted by a win over the Cavs, and the golf team is having one of their best years in recent memory and try to make history on Monday. Georgia's football team showed why the program is among the top 10 in the country. 9-4 is just not acceptable anymore. The season finished with a flurry and the skill position players on both sides of the ball makes the future look bright. As much fun as the last 3 football games were, the first half of the SEC basketball slate was one of the most exciting times for me as a Georgia student. The combination of a horrible 2 year stretch, a roster of players that were lovable, and the common cause for Brophy made January enjoyable. Though the season ended well short of what everyone had hoped for, the basketball program was revitalized and most important relevant again. Georgia seems to always flourish in the spring and 2007 has been no different. Outside of a baseball team who fizzled early after a CWS appearance, 1 National Championship has been captured in 3-peat fashion and there are 4 teams with legitimate shots at adding to that total. In Atlanta, the Braves' remarkable run came to an end. I don't think we will ever see anything like that in any sport ever again.

I know a lot was left out and I ask for your thoughts on the year.

Finally, Top 5 memories of the past 9 months:

T5. "Glamorous" on repeat as Rick takes a short nap
T5. Party with Bad Santa
4. Reardon's reaction to Rick during pre-game festivities for Georgia vs. Tennessee
3. Maher v. Bell & Bruce/Shelton v. Pig
2. Steve Newman beats Arkansas and the accompanying Scott Howard call
1. September 15- Marlins @ Braves

As some of our close friends from the past 3-4 years move on to bigger and better things, I'd like to quote Mr. Lance McElroy: " Its been real, its been fun, and for the most part its be real fun."

The 133rd Running...

Since we seem to make picks for everything else on this blog, I figured this would be a good time for all of us to choose our horses for tomorrow's Kentucky Derby.

The horses and odds can be found here: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2007/derby_contenders

I've got Any Given Saturday, because the name makes me think of college football. Leave your choices in the comments and be sure to stop by our place for the viewing party and an honest attempt at making mint juleps. See you there.

Fight of the Century/ Boxing's Last Stand

Tomorrow night, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, two of the greatest fighters in boxing history will square off in what is being billed as the "Fight of the Century" by some and "Boxing's Last Stand" by others. Now I'm not the biggest boxing fan but I do like boxing and I like the big fights and, with this Oscar De Hoya-Floyd Mayweather matchup, it doesn't get much bigger than tomorrow night. What I think is interesting though, is that many people are saying if this fight tanks that the UFC will overtake boxing. Now I remember watching old UFC tapes in Mr. Graham's classroom, I watched the first couple of seasons of the Ultimate Fighter (UFC's reality show), and I still watch the UFC's "Fight Night Live" when it comes on Spike. UFC's popularity has no doubt risen in the past few years and it's kind of fun to watch although I like boxing better because they don't go to ground for five minutes and wrestle around. However to say the UFC is going to supplant a sport that produced Sports Illustrated's Greatest Athlete of All Time as well as ESPN's Sports Century Top Athlete in Muhammed Ali, as well as multiple other superstars like George Foreman, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Evander Holyfield, Marvin Haggler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr., the two names fighting tomorrow night, St. Peter's own Al "the Quiet Storm" Seeger, and my personal favorite the "Itallion Stallion" Rocky Balboa, is ridiculous. I just don't see it happening. Boxing has survived two World Wars, the Great Depression, the emergence of pro football, and countless other things. Sure the UFC is quickly gaining momentum and boxing is going through quite a bit of a lull but when it comes down to it boxing is just like most of its participants, it's a survivor. I'll keep watching the UFC and I'll keep watching boxing but for my money, I'll take a big time boxing match over a big time UFC fight any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
My Prediction: Mayweather by a decision (Vegas judges have not been kind to Oscar)

Here's the tale of the tape for Saturday night's fight:
Date/Time: Saturday May 5th at 9:00 PM ET
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada/ MGM Grand Garden Arena
12 Rounds for the WBC Super-Welterweight Championship

Oscar De La-Hoya/ Floyd Mayweather
"Golden Boy" NICKNAME "Pretty Boy"
Los Angeles, CA. HOMETOWN Las Vegas, NV.
34 AGE 30
5'11 HEIGHT 5'8 and 3/4"
154 Ilbs. WEIGHT 154 Ilbs.
72" REACH 72"
38-4 (30 KO's) RECORD 37-0 (24 KO's)
Mayorga- TKO in 6th NOTABLE WINS Baldomir- W in 12
Vargas- TKO in 11th / Judah- W in 12
Gatti- TKO in 5th / Gatti- TKO in 6th
Quartey- W in 12 / Castillo- W in 12
Whitaker- W in 12 / Corrales- TKO in 10

NASCAR, Hot Shot QBs, and Spooning

Well, a certain person's favorite quarterback is about to hit the big time.

It's only a matter of time before these Facebook pictures of Matthew Stafford doing a little tailgating at Talladega with his "back-up" Joe Cox hit Deadspin and become known the world over (HT: Georgia Sports Blog and DeepSouthSports.net). Facebook is powerful, powerful thing.





Disclaimer: These are already out in the open, so I don't feel like there is any reason not to post them. I (and hopefully everyone here) know this is not a big deal at all, but please understand that someone will blow this whole thing out of proportion, so just be ready when it comes.

The Champ Includes #34 In His Promo

There's not really a whole lot of point to this video. I just put it on here because Slic Ric mentions Herschel Walker and Dale Murphy. Plus this will help get the MS story away from the top of our blog because it's at the top of just about every other blog and sports board.

Ridiculously Early Schedule Assessment

Yesterday afternoon's trip to beautiful Thomson, Georgia for the BC region playoff game (which the Cadets won 6-2 to lock up a state playoff berth) gave me the opportunity to see one of the state's most well-known high school football stadiums: The Brickyard. And even though it was only May 1, I couldn't help but wonder if I would get a chance to see the Cadets play the Bulldogs there in the fall.

So when I got home last night, I thought I'd take a look at the way the BC and Georgia football schedules matched up this year. Here's what I found:

Date	Georgia	Benedictine
Aug. 30-Sept. 2	Oklahoma St.	Windsor Forest
Sept.7-8	SouthCarolina	Jenkins
Sept. 14-15	Western Carolina	Groves
Sept. 21-22	at Alabama	Off
Sept. 28-29	Ole Miss	Butler
Oct. 5-6	at Tennessee	at Thomson
Oct. 12-13	at Vanderbilt	at Hephzibah
Oct. 19-20	Off	South Effingham
Oct. 26-27	Florida	at Richmond Hill
Nov. 3	Troy	Liberty
Nov. 9-10	Auburn	at Burke

So the way I see it, if the University ticket office works its usual magic on everyone who currently goes to Georgia, the schedules actually work out pretty well. But even then, Alabama comes during a BC off week. Thomson can happen if no one goes to Knoxville, and I doubt anyone will go to Vandy, so Hephzibah could work as well. South Effingham, which is homecoming, also falls on the Georgia bye week, so making three BC games in 2007 is reasonable (including a possible trip to Tuscaloosa).

I know it's early, and a lot will depend on the road ticket situation, but what are your thoughts? Did I go wrong somewhere with this?

He Was Just Off Millen's Big Board

According to today's AJC, Reggie Ball will join Tech teammate Calvin Johnson in Detroit for minicamp Thursday as a non-roster invitee. Ball hopes to make an NFL roster as a wide receiver or kick returner.

I do hear there's a pretty good market these days for midget wideouts who run 4.8 40's.


Side note: David Greene ran a 4.74 at the 2005 combine, so I guess the Seahawks don't need to worry about replacing Darrell Jackson after all.

It's Not Sixteen Titles, But Still Pretty Good

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Suzanne Yoculan and the Georgia Gym Dogs, on behalf of America (or at least the Southeast), for what they did this weekend. Not only did they win their third (!) consecutive national title, but they also prevented Florida from winning yet another championship in the process.

Had the Gators secured yet another national title on Friday night, we surely would've heard all about it on Sportscenter: "Hey, did you hear Florida won ANOTHER championship over the weekend? Are you sure Ohio State didn't make the Super Six? LOLOL" But the Gym Dogs won't get any national publicity of note, even as they continue to dominate their sport in a way few programs have ever done. Three straight national championships without any seniors competing at any of the final meets. Unbelievable.

The Passing of a Legend

For those who attended St. James School or are a member of the parish, this will take on significant meaning. Bobby "Mr. Mac" McBride passed away on Sunday in Savannah. Mr. Mac dedicated much of his time to St. James School and athletics for more than 30 years. He coached generations of St. James students in every sport, including some members of this blog as well as many of our family members. He was involved in almost every aspect of the parish but was most known for his tireless efforts with the student-athletes. The football field at St. James is named in his honor, a scholarship fund is in his name, and the City of Savannah presented him with the honor of Coach Bobby McBride Day. Many would say he has been the most beloved and significant figure at SJS since the doors to the school opened. He will be sorely missed by many and our thoughts and prayers are with Bryan and the entire McBride family.

" It's the name of the game."

If you want to see Donnie hit the ground (before he got in a fight)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-ZHPq11Wes

Favorite Pitch, Best Swing

As Georgia's baseball team flounders, BC is coming on strong. The baseball team started slow and has faced injuries throughout the year. Yesterday, the Cadets handed Calvary Day School their 2nd loss of the year taking the contest 3-0. This coming just a week after a 12-2 victory over region leading South Effingham. The good play has put BC back in the playoff picture. With a win against Burke County this Friday, the Cadets will qualify for the region playoffs and a chance to advance to the state playoffs.

The Golf team will compete at the Region tournament today. BC has had a great year to this point including team victories at the City Championship, Savannah Christian Invitational, and numerous head-to-head matches.

The tennis team travels to Lagrange tomorrow to compete in the 1st round of the State tournament after finishing 3rd in Region 3-AAA and a 2nd place finish at the Coastal Empire Tournament.

The region track qualifying meet is Friday and BC has seen a revitalization of sorts from the track team. With a solid 4x100 team, good distance running, and good performances in the jumping events, the track team has found some measurable success.

Bell v. Maher

I said it would happen, and it happened. Leighton and I decided to take the next step in our relationship. We had a fight, a real fight. And even though he's an awful fighter, I think we'll be fine. So what's the big deal? Doesn't Leighton get in fights every weekend? I think he does, but I would like to discuss and break down the dynamics of Bell v. Maher

Point A: On this very blog, I did predict a fight between Leighton and myself. So I went down there looking for a fight right? In actuality, I realized that there were many people there who I'd had past issues with so I decided to play it cool and not be the kid who got in 4 separate fights. I said absolutely nothing to Leighton all night until I said, " Yall are out; Yall are out; It's the rules. Rules are rules." Then he came at me. And it wasn't much of a fight. But that was just the beginning.

B: Well it's his house so I shouldn't screw with him in the first place.

1: I didn't screw with him.

2: He had people over and made them pay to drink and be in Beerfest. Without our participation and money, there'd be no beerfest.

C: Everyone turned into a bunch of little girls. It's a stupid little wrestling match and as soon as we got off the ground then it should have been over and done with. If I had really wanted to knock his ass out, I would have done so. If he would have really wanted to get maybe one shot in, then he could have endured the beating and surely brushed my face with one hit. Neither of us really wanted to fight; he just felt like he had to.

D: From what I gather, everyone who lives with Leighton is known for having bad tempers. You'd think they'd be better fighters if they got in so many fights. But it's obvious that they'll only fight when they must; John Patton is the most hostile guy I've ever come across. He def deserved Chad's assault. What am I getting at here? It's obvious that these guys are out to prove that they are just badasses. Of course, they aren't. I've seen one play basketball, one try to fight me, and one yell at his girlfriend; they are all women. So while I might have predicted a fight between myself and Leighton, it was HIM who was and always is looking for a fight. Before too long, he'll find one with someone who can fight and wants to fight, and that'll be the last time he ever goes out looking for fights.

E: I was kind of pissed at Leighton's roommates for taking his side, when, in my mind, they were just ignoring the facts and the sensible way of looking at it. Shane chose to look at it from both sides. And I got pissed and walked to P Lowe's about 3am without a shirt on. I'm special. But really I guess I was just pissed because, believe it or not, after 7 hours of drinking, people overreacted and took sides.

F: If there would not have been a Bell v. Maher, there would have been a Maher v. someone.

THE week in review

Monday

One sad individual takes the lives of over 30 people at Virginia Tech. The best thing that I've heard or read about the entire situation was written by the Southern Discomfort guy in one of our campus newspapers.

Tuesday

I did not end up at Topper's with Charlie.

Wednesday

Me and Larry run into the Ryan Gibson at Little Italy. That place has good, big pieces of pizza for not a lot of money. They also have cheap pitchers of beer. I think a slice of hamburger with a pitcher of Bud Light was only $6.66.

Thursday

I made the drive to the Boro by myself. Shane, P Lowe, and myself had a relaxing night at Dingus McGee's. There's another one in Seattle.

Friday

I decided to go home Friday so I could have a relaxing night in my own bed. Things went a little different. It started about 3 when I rode by Stingray's and saw Gibson having brunch. After pounding drinks and winning 50 bucks at Bingo, I ventured to see Schivera, his hand breaking friend, and the lady of my dreams. This is where it gets fuzzy. I think it went well with her. I woke up naked and with her number in my phone. Problem is that I wet my pants, and my mom hates me now. Oh well, I guess Schiv can have MJ. If it would have worked out, then I guess she wouldn't have been my "dream girl" anymore. AWWWWWWWWWWWW

Saturday

Beerfest!!! Basically, our team of P Lowe, Rooks, and O'Hayer sucked and we were out as soon as a team could possibly be out. I got to see some cool guys and gals that I usually don't get to see, so it was really cool. I can't believe Shelton's team of himself, Stephen Bruce, A Sauers, and P Sauers did not win. Shit, they might have, I don't know. It went about as expected. And oh yeah me and Leighton got in a little fight.

Home Stretch

As the semester comes to a close, its a little disappointing to see the Georgia baseball team having such a down year. One of the best programs at the University for the past 4 years will not be providing any heroic performances in Atlanta or late inning comebacks in Athens during the month of June. As bad as Georgia has been for most of the year I had not heard any giving up from coach Perno, until tonight. In his post game interview after the loss to Tech, Coach Perno admitted that the team might just be too young to compete and many of the younger players will get more playing time the rest of the season in hopes of developing for next year. What was more surprising was a statement he made about the program as a whole. Siting the 2005 recruiting class as "significantly poor," he believes the program is in a rebuilding stage and might take a while to get back to where he wants to be. I see this team having a lot of potential for next year but the comments from Perno really are discouraging.

Though the baseball team will basically have to win about 10 of their last 15 SEC games to make the SEC Tournament, they would still have to win the tourney to get into the NCAA's. However, other things to look forward to include:

May 4th, David Price of Vanderbilt will pitch against Georgia in Athens. There's a great chance he will find himself on a Major League roster by the end of the year.

BC plays Calvary in baseball on Monday for those in Savannah.

Athens twilight rolls into town. Always a good time.

May 5th- Kentucky Derby.

Two of the top 5 days of the year come back-to-back. May 17th and 18th.

Tennis Team will win the National Championship, Suns win the NBA, and Vaughn Taylor wins The Players.

To Tiftarea and JD, beautiful people with a draw and allure that makes this time of year that much better!

The Build Up!

As some of you probably know this weekend is shaping up to be out of control. Of course what I am refering to is Beerfest two brought to you exclusively by Mussolini Maher himself.

Just to emphasis the extent of what we are expecting, late last week I received a phone call from a Jeremy Thompson in Atlanta of whom I havent spoken to since around Christmas asking if what he heard was correct. I confirmed his queries and requested that he get a four member team ready for the weekend. On top of that, I haven't gone to a class since last Tuesday without inviting at least one person to stop by on Saturday. Whether or not they show is a different question, but shit who cares.

Things to look for on saturday:
- Anywhere between 80 to 150 people including probably around 5-10 with badges, handcuffs and guns (they might show up late)
- 8-12 kegs
- 2-6 fights, probably one being between donnie in leighton, kyle and leighton, and leighton and stephanie.

"Barton: Navy's ex-QB gets blindsided"

http://savannahnow.com/node/231191

The Savannah Morning News editorial page had a good opinion piece on the Lamar Owens situation a while back, so you may have seen it already. But it's new to me.

Some excerpts:

"Where does a young man go to recover his reputation? If anyone has a clue, call Lamar Owens at the U.S. Naval Academy.

His future is riding on it."

"The jury found Owens guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer, but declined to impose any punishment for it. That's the military justice system's equivalent of a wrist slap.

It said Owens did wrong - and there's no question he did - but that his mistake shouldn't cost him his career.

And that seemed fair. Even the higher ups at the Naval Sea System Command, which oversees the Washington Navy Yard where Owens had been assigned to administrative duty, agreed.

But then Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt, the Naval Academy's superintendent, delivered a blind-side tackle last week."

"Let's hope Savannah's two congressmen, Jack Kingston and John Barrow, join in.

Owens and his family back home in Savannah paid a steep price when the young man was accused of rape. He shouldn't keep paying for a crime that a jury said he didn't commit. But if that's the Navy's way, then two words apply: Go. Army."

The Week in Review

Yeah, so the whole Friday Haiku idea was a BUST. I've now decided to make Sunday the day of the week to discuss the events of the past week related to my life. But for old times sake; please enjoy this one last Haiku:

Big porch on Friday

But Gibson saw more ponies

Beerfest this weekend.

Au revoir( goodbye in French) Haikus...

And now for the new feature...

1: Thank God the Masters ended a week ago. Apparently, Zack Johnson was the least bad golfer in the field. It's obvious that the play of golf is at an all-time low considering that no one broke par. Somewhere, there must be one big ass refrigerator with a lot of pictures in it.

2: Ryan Gibson might be the funniest person to ever walk this earth. I highly recommend befriending him on Facebook and checking out his pictures along with the unique captions produced by the man himself.

3: I am registered for 3 HACE classes next fall. That shit better be a good idea.

4: We are about 5 weeks away from The Beach Bum Parade. I hope that at least half the people on this blog are able to attend. I know Athens has bars, parking lots with about 100 gallons of bleach water, and Stevie B's, but please consider what Beach Bum brings: cold beer, an ocean, a beach, free hamburgers and hot dogs, wet girls, and bars. I know that we, as a group, have had our problems on this day, but it would be stupid for anyone not to attend. Any excuse for missing The Beach Bum Parade is a bad one. Remember: no one is FORCED to drive on that day and Fred is a fire inspector now.

5: October Sky, Rudy, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Patch Adams, and Borat are my top 5 movies of all time. I came to this realization yesterday while watch October Sky and drinking.

6: I thought my beerfest team would include Troughton and Pat Bunger, but now P Lowe tells me it's him, Rooks, me and someone else. If any of yall are heading to the Boro this weekend, we should get a team together, " The Mussolini Hooches".

7: City Bar is one of my top 3 bars in Athens along with GB's and Allgood.

8: If we would have played a BC baseball game on Jackie Robinson Day, would Bunger have worn 42?

9: Shane did not publish a joke this week because HE IS A JOKE.

10: I gurantee that there will be a Bell v. Maher Saturday April 21st.

Joke of the Week

Why does Helen Keller masturbate with only one hand?
-because she moans with the other.

What a Week

WrestleMania is the greatest spectacle in sports entertainment and also signifies the beginning of undoubtedly the 2nd best week of the year. The disappointment of St. Patrick's Day being 12 months away is beginning to wear off, the weather is becoming ideal, and summer is right around the corner. No matter what you prefer or where you may be, it's a great week, not to mention its Holy Week.

Monday: Atlanta Braves Season Opener; NCAA Basketball National Championship Game
Tuesday: Clemson @ Georgia Baseball
Wednesday: Georgia @ Clemson Baseball
Thursday: First Round of The Masters ; Savannah Sand Gnats Home Opener
Friday: The Masters ; Braves Home Opener
Saturday: The Masters ; G-Day
Sunday: Masters Sunday

The Grandest Stage of Them All

Wrestlemania 23 is set to take place in Detroit at Ford Field in approximately three hours. It's the biggest event of the year in sports entertainment and it's the event the WWE bases its entire year around. It attracts attention from all over the globe and there's always a lot of celebrities in attendance. Words cannot truly describe the magnitude of a Wrestlemania so I'm just gonna include the final Wrestlemania 23 card and my predictions (and a video that I'm sure will make some people chuckle):
- WWE World Title Match: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
My prediction: HBK wins. I hate John Cena because he's an Eminem wannabe.
- WWE World Heavyweight Title Match: Batista vs. The Undertaker
My prediction: Taker's never lost at Wrestlemania and I don't think Batista is going to break his undefeated streak.
- Battle of the Billionaires: Umaga w/ Vince McMahon vs. Bobby Lashley w/ Donald Trump
My prediction: Lashley wins because there's no way Trump is going to get his head shaved. However that would be the ULTIMATE Vinnie Mac screwjob.
- Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Edge, Randy Orton, Finlay, Booker, CM Punk, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Kennedy
My prediction: Edge wins because he's the top heel at the moment and Orton's in the WWE doghouse with the steroid story in Sports Illustrated.
- ECW Originals vs. The New Breed - Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, RVD, Sandman vs. Matt Striker, Marcus cor Von, Kevin Thorn, Elijah Burke
My prediction: I have no idea who any of these people are except for RVD because I don't watch ECW but I'll take the New Breed because I'm not a big RVD fan either.
- WWE Women's Title Lumberjill Match: Melina vs. Ashley Massaro
My prediction: Don't really care but I think Ashley will win because she's getting a lot of attention now with her recent Playboy spread.
- Kane vs. The Great Khali
My prediction: Great Khali wins a terrible match because I read Kane is suppose to be taking some time off after Wrestlemania to heal up.
- WWE U.S. Title Match: Chris Benoit vs. MVP
My prediction: Benoit wins and the fact that MVP is a part of Wrestlemania and Flair and Carlito aren't makes me want to throw up.

Five Things I'd Pay Atleast $5 To See (Concerning College Basketball)

-Greg Oden's highschool picture in my grandfather's yearbook.
-'Joey' Noah struck by lightning
-Patrick Ewing (Sr) eating a banana
-Al Horford doing a quatro-front flip dunk (NBA Jam's style)
and lastly
-The Selection Committee realizing their mistake putting UGA in the NCAA tournament championship as long as they bring back Joey Waldrop to have the a match-up for the ages...Waldrop v. Oden

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.