Georgia Notebook

Now that Georgia is 13-11 since the '08 Tech game, they are left to play spoiler as well as beat Tech. Both games are winnable. Tech has just as many problems as Georgia but beating Georgia is a season maker for the Jackets anytime it happens and thats why I like Tech as we stand 3 weeks out. A win against Auburn wouldn't be a season saver for the Dawgs but it would be a win over a quality opponent, something that hasn't happened in '10.

My game plan against Auburn would be to line up in 4 wides with Green, King, Durham, Wooten, and Charles rotating and throw the ball 50 times. Some would say you need to keep the ball away from Newton and control the clock. I'd rather have a track meet and see what happens. Auburn's secondary is poor and has a bunch of injury issues. The Tigers' D-line is solid and our run game, for multiple reasons, is pitiful. So why not scrap the whole run game, do what we've done best, and see if A.J. can have a game for the ages before hes gone..... Defensively, play a 3-5 with one safety who plays tight and man to man coverage on the outside. No matter what formation Auburn comes out in, send Houston every single down and spy War Cam with Gamble. Let the D-line play very conservative. If Newton throws for 400 yards then so be it. But try something out of the box and see what happens because every decent offense has put up huge numbers against us and Auburn will double those if we stick to our guns.

As far as Idaho State, Dantzler thinks this is easily the worst team Georgia football has played since at least WW II. Idaho State is 243rd in this weeks RealTimeRPI National Rankings and last in the Big Sky Conference. They are 1-7 after winning 1 game last year. Charles White might even get to play.

Basketball season unofficially starts Thursday. Stegeman renovations will continue through at least Thursday. I'm starting to figure out that Georgia likes to make it interesting when it comes to construction. The upgrades from the outside look good and probably should have been done a decade ago..... The last time the program had these type of expectatons was 2002-03. A very reasonable goal for a team that finished last in their division the previous season would be an NCAA birth. My expectations are an SEC East title and a win in the Tournament. They have the best 1-2 punch in the league and the best transfer. They have experience, depth, and a core group that is now entering their 3rd year together. The 2 guys that I feel can get Georgia to the upper tier of the SEC are Jeremy Price and Sherrard Brantley. Price has shown glimpses of being great but also has gone through spells where he did absolutely nothing. He's a big body that has gotten in shape and could be a force inside that Georgia would otherwise not have. Thompkins will play the 4 but Price is the more traditional low post guy who needs to produce. Brantley is the new McPhee. By no means does he need to shoot the ball as well as McPhee but he does need to be a consistent threat. The starting 5 doesn't have a pure shooter like Brantley and it will be huge if he can come off the bench, stretch the defense and bring some instant offense. Then theres freshman Marcus Thorton. He's been praised by his fellow teamates more than anyone in practice and if he's a player than Georgia could be scary good. The road is still a major hurdle and Georgia needs to get over that quickly if they want to be a true contender. Fox won't say it but this football season has done nothing but help the basketball program as a whole. That is if the basketball program can help itself.

Finally, McGarity is doing things. The firing of Anymouse's coach shows that he likes to do business. Firing a coach mid-season this soon after being hired is a sign that he is not cool with mediocrity, no matter what the sport. He has already taken a hard stance on the GA-FLA game staying in Jacksonville and has done and said all the right things. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Grantham has been called to ADGM's office for his embarrassing and juvenile display that might not even fly at T.A. Wright stadium. There's nothing wrong with being fiery and competetive but you can do that without being an idiot.

Same Old Song

Best Basketball Memory

My best basketball memory was from my Senior year in highschool when we played in the St. Pius X basketball tournament. We werent playing against 'ace' but we were playing against some other southern bumpkins. The way I remember is probably different than the way some people remember it but remembering details is for librarians and historians.

Nearing halftime, my best bud and fellow teammate Donnie III was jawing with some shmuck from Crackerton, Fl. I landed a clean shoulder blow on the douche as he was mid sentence telling D that he lo0ked like that fag that used to punk people. What should have been called an intentional foul was considered a "clean" play by the officials. This pissed off slackjaw.

Next time down the court, we were on offense so I hide in my corner waiting for an open three point shot. McFuckerstein got in my grill and before I could knock his lights out Donnie came and knocked the dude right in the chest. Donnie was not as fortunate (nor was he as good of a basketball player) as me and a foul was called. It ended up not mattering.

Can't remember how that game ended. I think we won. Who cares? Winning is important to some people.

A friendship that I know will last forever no matter what comes between people is way more important. Happy birthday, Donnie.

Do your Part

+

=

Name that Dawg, Apartment, and 1 past hard body champion.

Sticky was just waking up from his 2 quarter PGA nap in front of Michael Hyle

Sorry Barstool. I Was On the Phone With Your Roommate. If You Still Want to Talk You Can Call Me Now. I am No Longer Talking With JJBA.

Here is a picture of a Funny Looking Asian

Lock It Down

ODDS TO WIN THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP


October 23, 2010

20-1

Biggest game in Kentucky History?

Or at least of the last 20 years. Going into this weekend Kentucky has as much of a shot at the east title as anyone. I'll actually go ahead and say that if Kentucky beats Georgia, then goes on the road and beats Miss. State, they will play in the SEC championship. Kentucky would still have to beat Vandy and Tennessee, Carolina and Florida would have to lose. All those things are likely imo.

So as everyone talks about how Carolina must take advantage of this opportunity, I don't know if Kentucky will EVER have another shot like this season. Hopefully it won't happen for the Cats.

PMA In Vegas??!?!?

ODDS TO WIN THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP


Saturday, September 25, 2010 - UGA 1-2 (0-2 SEC)
100-1


Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - UGA 2-4 (1-3 SEC)
50-1

What's that Kris? 10 win season?

A Picture...

... is worth a thousand words.

Friday Haiku

Bad Boy Schwarz on Tybee Island: 4 July 2010

Rest in peace, Garret.

Go Dogs, Blazers, and Cadets.

Rushing Theta Chi?

Say it aint so, although I've received 3 separate texts telling me it is.

60 Minutes, Men

Yes Schiv, this is my second post of the day.

With most of us making the trip to Athens this weekend, I thought it'd be nice for all of us to meet up- just the guys- for at least a little bit. I know how busy and important we all have become, so I thought we could all meet up after the game Saturday around 9 at Firehouse. I figure that gives us all time to do the dinner thing, and it can serve as a nightcap for those who choose to call it an early night. Just an idea. I'll be there at 8:59.

Humpday Haiku

Goodbye New Orleans.

No more P-M-A for me.

God pray for BC.

Zinggggg!!!!

Now I don't follow recruiting too heavily and let's be honest, these 5 star recruits don't mean s*** if we can't coach them up but Isaiah Crowell had an interesting comment today. Crowell, a running back at Carver-Columbus, is a 5 star recruit and the #1 tailback prospect in the state. He mentioned he had narrowed down his choices to Alabama and Georgia but for the longest time it was believed Georgia had the lead because of more playing time. That is of course until this past weekend when he attended Bama's 31-6 clubbing of Florida in Tuscaloosa. He had a lot of good things to say about the visit but when asked about Georgia this is what he had to say:

“Well, they’re losing a lot of games and have a lot of people getting arrested,” Crowell said of Georgia. “There’s just a lot of things going wrong. I do want to play right away but I also want to be where it’s disciplined and they win championships.” (AJC.com)

Now if the kid doesn't want to play for Georgia that's fine but I can definitely see his point. I hope other recruits don't start bailing. Nice job Mark. WTF is going on in Athens nowadays?

We've Made It

10/5/10

Acceptance

To me, it's not so much the outcome as the fact that Colorado should never be in the game late against a respectable BCS conference team -- especially one that has reason to be motivated going in. Hold on to the ball, kick the field goal, and this is still a disappointment.

This game revealed two things: A.J. Green really is that good. Georgia really is that bad.

Good work Cubs

Magic number: 2

10 years ago tonight, BC recorded one of its greatest victories of all time. The Cadets defeated Camden County 9-7 on a last minute field goal in Kingsland. The game turned out to be for the region championship.

Camden coah Jeff Herron says that loss motivates him to this day. Since the defeat Camden has a record of 123-11, no region losses, 6 trips to the semi-finals, and 3 state Championships. They are currently ranked #6 in the USA TODAY National Prep Poll.

The 2000 BC team cemented itself as one of the better teams in school history going 9-1 in the regular season and winning the region championship.

Top 5 wins in my lifetime:

1. 1996 at #2 LaGrange 24-17

2. 2000 at Camden 9-7

3. 1996 vs. Northside 11-10 (OT)

4. 1994 at #5 Statesboro 21-7

5. 2005 at #5 South Effingham 7-0

He wasn't even the best player in the infield. 1 game and this would be a much happier post.

I'm sorry...

for the unending Georgia posts but I don't know what else to do.

Like someone said on Dawgpost, Ealey's performance and Spielman's comment on this play kind of sums up Georgia football right now:

A reason to Watch

Though I have little confidence in the program right now, I'm going to go in a different direction on this post.

- We can play loose with nothing to lose the rest of the way. 2007 shows we can go on a run when there is little to no hope. 2007 followed a 2006 season that was very similar to 2009.

-A.J. Green has to do a whole bunch to make up for what has occurred. Once again, I don't know if we win yesterday with him but we throw it to him on that last 3rd down and I like our chances. From Colorado on we will have the best player in every game.

- The coaches have to realize there is a problem. They will hear and see all the numbers and records that have been brought up in the last 24 hours. Though last year and Carolina should have been a wake up call, the Goff comparisons would really do it for me.

- The schedule from here on out looks great. Mississippi St. is more than losable though. Georgia can play with the nothing to lose mentality or go 180 degrees the other way and fold. Starkville will shed some light on that. A win and the schedule is not daunting with only 2 ranked teams.

- Murray is a gamer and will continue to get better. The offensive line can't play any worse. If nothing else the play of the O-line and secondary might force the coaches to try some guys they might otherwise have not. Might find some players.

- Finally, Florida is not a world beater and Carolina has a handful of losable games. Florida will lose to Bama and Georgia. Carolina will lose at least 2 but probably more. I'll be shocked if we only lose 1 more game the rest of the way. But contrary to what I said last week, we are not completely dead if we do find some magic.

The interesting thing to watch is the fan base. For the first time in a long time there will be some Georgia fans that pull against the Dawgs at times. Their theory will be the faster things get bad, the faster it will get better. There will be Georgia followers rooting for the opponent hoping for change at the top.

Georgia's Football Program

Women and children in the lifeboats first. More to follow later in the day. And yes it really is that bad:(

Play action

Blast from the past

Dobbs Needs To Improve Toughness? No Way!

David Ching has a nice little rundown of all the guys who redshirted this year in the Columbus Ledger-Inquirer today, with comments from the starters. A couple of highlights:

QUINTIN BANKS

Projected 2007 position: Safety

Height/Weight: 6-2/192

Teammate's comments: "Typical Georgia safety, I guess. The big-hitting safety that everybody says we're missing this year. He has learned the game extremely fast, the playbook. He can answer the questions that coach asks that most guys at that point don't usually know. He's learned the package extremely well." Georgia safety Tra Battle

DEMARCUS DOBBS

Projected 2007 position: Defensive end

Height/Weight: 6-2/270

Teammate's comments: "Great upside. A little quiet, needs to get more of a football mentality, a little more toughness. He has it, but he's a nice guy too, though. When he gets some of that jerk in him, then it's a wrap." Defensive tackle Ray Gant

RESHAD JONES

Projected 2007 position: Safety

Height/Weight: 6-2/188

Teammate's comments: "Reshad's just a natural athlete. Anytime the ball's in the air, he goes up to get it. He may not know the playbook and the scheme as well as (Quintin) Banks, but athletic-wise, he's with the best of us as far as covering and ball skills. He's just a natural at it, you can really tell." Georgia safety Tra Battle

KIANTE TRIPP

Projected 2007 position: Defensive end

Height/Weight: 6-6/272

Teammate's comments: "Perfect frame, perfect size. Big, strong, hard worker. He'll probably be an all-American before he leaves." ­ Defensive end Quentin Moses

Shock Value

A.J. Green Cost us an SEC East Championship!

UPDATE....

people not real happy with Bobo.

CMR Postgame

"Its not like we were playing the school for the blind, they are a great team..........I think we are starting to grow up as a team and thats a good thing."

- 9 of the 11 starters on offense have been in the program for 3 or more years. It would be 10 with A.J.

- 10 of the 11 starters on defense have been in the program for 3 or more years.

I hope they have enough time to grow before they graduate.

I will give him credit for this quote: "As of right now, our focus needs to be on winning a conference game."

Would've been a comeback for the ages and I would've had full confidence in Walsh to make anything inside of 55. However, Arkansas deserved to win the game with how they dominated the first 3 quarters. Get ready for the steady diet of our team never quit and blah blah blah.

JD on the call in show: "Georgia will be back, I just don't know when that will be."

Butler: "Whats a little disappointing to say is that there are some fundamental problems that don't seem to be getting fixed."

Last 3 SEC games:

Home loss to Kentucky

Road loss to Carolina

Home loss to Arkansas

In under 2 years Georgia has lost 10 games.

See yall in Starkville!

(Bump)

Also, here's a snippet from this week's "Gruff and Grump" article in Bulldawg Illustrated:

We ran the wildcat a couple of times. Or wild Dawg or whatever you chose to call it. Sloppy cat is more like it. The formation and idea is fine with us. We actually like it. Problem is it looks like we have practiced it for all of about six plays during the week.

We continue to wonder what happens in offensive practice. Do the running backs focus and work hard on fundamentals? We sure do fumble a lot. What about the tight ends. What is their story? Time to step up and be dominant like they can be.

Why do we need to call a time out four plays into the second half? And another four plays later? What did we talk about during half time? Four plays later and we can not line up correctly? Then, four plays later and we can not get the proper personnel on the field? (Editor’s note- the last paragraph is a retread from about twenty five games in Mark Richt’s career. Too many to note specifically). The Dawgs were faced with having to overcome a deficit with no timeouts and facing a very good rushing football team. All because of a keystone cops routine we practice several times every season. Coach Richt has been our coach for ten years. For ten years we have been doing this Mickey Mouse stuff. Man does it get old.

Must Win

September could be a fun month if Georgia wins Saturday. Losing would all but eliminate Georgia from anything important in a year where the window was as wide open as it could ever be in the east. Florida is not overwhelming. Tennessee is as bad as ever. Carolina has the toughest schedule. Don't sleep on Kentucky though, they probably have as much talent as ever. But the Dawgs have a manageable schedule with 10 starters back on offense! Need to take advantage.

Saturday was bad but not the end. Saturday at 4 could be the end. Georgia should get nothing but better as the season progresses but it might not mean a thing if we don't win Saturday. We can afford 1 more loss and still have thoughts of Atlanta. If that loss is Saturday, however, dreams are limited to Atlanta a month late.

The Bravos are not playing well but back in late April no one thought they would be anywhere in this realm. 18 games left and a game back in the east and 1 ahead in the wild card. Got to play better to have a chance and the 6 games with the Phils could be awesome. A wise man once said, there is nothing better than meaningful baseball.

*Also, JD thinks Branden Smith should be moved to offense. I heard a lot of people down on Smith after the game Saturday. Playing behind Cuff was an indication to me that he was not as far along as we thought he might be. Hes too explosive not to have the ball in his hands more. I'm not saying hes a bad CB, but I don't know if a permanent move to offense wouldn't be best for all parties.

Here's where we need to go

As his team raced onto the field, he gazed into the stands filled with screaming fans and wondered about the several thousand "cadets" from Texas A.&M. clustered in one end zone. They wear military uniforms and buzz cuts, holler in unison and stand at attention the entire game. "How come they get to pretend they are soldiers?" he asked. "The thing is, they aren't actually in the military. I ought to have Mike's Pirate School. The freshmen, all they get is the bandanna. When you're a senior, you get the sword and skull and crossbones. For homework, we'll work pirate maneuvers and stuff like that."

I'm of the opinion that yesterday could have been worse. Outside of Houston and Gamble I have never seen a Georgia front 7 look that overmatched. Not getting off blocks, arm tackling, and basically being physically dominated. On the other hand, our experienced and strength of the team O-Line was far from dominant. Yes, we were a non-fumble away from possibly being tied. Yes, we did not have arguably the best player in the country eligible. And yes, it was the first SEC game with a new QB and a new defense. But as Slic mentioned below, at some point you have to start winning again. Going back to the 2008 season Georgia has not beaten a "good" team outside of Tech. And as well as the ACC performed yesterday I don't know if being the best team in that conference makes you a "good" team. Losses happen, especially on the road in the SEC. However, its the big picture and the carry over from last year that makes this Carolina loss more aggrevating than any I can remember. Four thoughts fom players and coaches after yesterday's game helped in guiding my aggrevation.

Little Picture:

- Marcus Lattimore stating how Carolina knew they would have unbelievable success running the Zone Read if Georgia kept their DE's as wide as they were against ULL. Sitting with Denny, he picked up on our DE's rediculous width on the very 1st drive. Obviously we didn't feel as if we needed to adjust prior to Lattimore running for his 180th yard. What bothers me is that was such an easy and fundamental problem that Carolina basically based their entire offensive game plan around and never had to go away from it.

Big Picture:

- CMR stating that Lattiore is going to be a star not only on Saturday's but most likely Sunday's as well. The statement is not that rediculous because I was extremely impressed and without him Carolina probably doesn't win. However, the kid has played two college games and CMR wants to drive him to Canton. This is just more of what has become the CMR norm of deflecting attention away from our own deficiencies. A whole bunch of those yards were due to us missing 2 and 3 tackles or laying on the ground less than a second after the snap.

- A South Carolina Offensive Lineman being surprised by how quick they were able to wear down the Georgia front and how they seemed to be out of shape at times. The Georgia defense was on the field a whole bunch on a humid day. Most of that is their fault however for not getting off the field. Anyway, I'm going to bring up the S&CCDVH (thats a good one) subject again. He finally came under a little fire in the past year for the perceived lack of production from his department. From what I think because of certain things, this perception is not rediculous one bit. Not that this has any validity at all, but 2 different people who watched games all day yesterday both said it seemed as if Georgia looked small in a lot of positions compared to some other high profile teams. One saying, "it just doesn't look like we fill out our jerseys like they do." In person during pre-game Carolina looked a lot bigger. But maybe its just Under Armor.

- Spurrier commenting on how the 3 timeouts by Georgia early in the 3rd changed the outlook on the 2nd half. For some reason this as always been a problem for CMR teams. Even when Georgia has had greast teams we always seemed to find great ways to burn timeouts. Bobo, in reference to one of the timeouts, said that we really need to get the right personnel on the field. Very good point coach. Out of a timeout we came right back with the same formation (wildcat) and caught Carolina by surprise with a 2 yard run. Once in a while if a RB needs to ask the QB something there is no problem. Haveing to use 3 timeouts that wouldv'e been a little help down the stretch is. Unfortunately, same story, differnt chapter.

And Bobo has to like Vanilla ice cream. Fans have been voicing this opinion for a while now and its pretty hard to argue. He could have run the Wing-T with Stafford and Moreno and would have scored 50. Without those two guys, the play action pass on every single 3rd and long, when we haven't gained a yard all day between the tackles, just doesn't seem to be fooling them for some reason. I think the quick fix would be more designed pass plays to our FB's in the flats. Or just move back up to the box since that has something to do with anything.

If there was only one word I could use I'd have to go with soft. From the top down it seems present in one form or another.

On a happy note:

- Carrol Brown played at Delaney's in Columbia. If you are ever in the state capitol its not a bad place to visit.

- Delaney's is also the capitol of Poundtown.

- Speaking of Murray, he racked up a total of 2 points in the 2010 Mascot name challenge. You receive a College, give me the mascot. Not real hard. Alli had 14 points septubleing Murray, while Plowe won with 41.

- In a single thought, there was a link made between Doug, Jimmy, and Finch attack. Boy do we need a blog back.

WTF Happend in Columbia and Where to Go From Here

Let me preface this by saying I realize: the last time we lost to South Carolina we went to the Sugar Bowl and finished 2nd in the country; we are breaking in a new QB and defensive scheme; AJ green did not play; the SEC has gotten stronger; we cannot win every game; CMR has brought the Georgia program to an unprecedented level of success and prestige.

Having said that, here's what I know:

*Georgia is 10-11 in its last 21 games against the SEC East (if that doesn't scream mediocre I don't know what does)

*Georgia hasn't been to the SEC Championship since 2005 and I'll go out on a limb and say they are not getting back there this either. That will be 5 years. In that span, Florida has 2 National Championships, Alabama and LSU have 1. Realistically I think we should go once every 4 years at least. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Observations:

*Aaron Murray looked good he was just handcuffed by playcalling. I think he has a bright future.

*This is the most underachieving offensive line in Georgia history. There's about 10 guys with considerable experience and they've essentially been playing together the last 3 years. Things should've clicked by now. We shouldn't just see flashes of greatness. They got bullied by Carolina's front 7. It was embarrassing. WTF CSS?

*You can tell Florida and Alabama are bigger stronger and faster than Georgia just by doing the ole eyeball test.

*South Carolina's depth may suck and that's why they'll collapse at some point as usual but they've got playmakers all over the field. Georgia really doesn't. Or maybe they're not being put in position to make plays. Not sure.

*CTG seemed more toned down compared to last week. Rambo screws up in coverage and he jumps all over his ass last week. This week we miss 50 tackles and not really a peep. Did CMR have a talk with him about his sideline demeanor? Which brings me to another point, CSS. He used to considered the best o-line coach in the conference and mean SOB to boot. Now our o-line sucks. They look soft and I don't see the same intensity from him either. Has CMR worn this guy down or has he become comfortable with the Georgia "culture" or coaching?

*As bad as it seemed like we may have played yesterday we were still in the game and should've won. We lost 17-6 for Christ's sakes. We didn't get blown out and we should've been able to score 18 points on South Carolina regardless. The broken tackles are why Lattimore had so many yards and I think that's a result of a Willie hangover effect. CTG is trying to correct all that BS CWM taught them the last 4 years. It's gonna take time. Hell we had 5 sacks. Once again though Georgia settled for its moniker "Field Goal U." That Ealey fumble really hurt.

*CMR is in his 10th season and as great as he's been there's no doubt we are starting to see some negative trends. 10 years is a long time. Florida St. and Tennessee's programs suffered out of loyalty to head coaches with a successful track record who were clearly bottoming out. Everybody could see both teams withering away, being a mere shell of their former selves. Even the great CPC's juggernaut USC (the real USC for any South Carolina fans reading this and I believe I made that quite clear yesterday) program began to show some complacency in his latter years. It happens and it's understandable. Success breeds complacency which can lead to mediocrity. We have in no way come close to the level Tennessee and FSU have been on the last few years but with time who knows? Right now quite honestly I think Georgia is a little better than mediocre.

*Something tells me had Damon Evans not been fired another bad season would've resulted in CMR's departure but now McGarity has the unenviable task of assessing the direction of our football program and deciding what needs to be done.

*Now this obviously South Carolina has a leg up in the east but they still have to play Auburn and Alabama the next 2 weeks and they have to play Florida in the swamp at the end of the season so I still don't think they're going to win the East. In fact they will probably still end up with 4 losses somehow. Obviously this puts Georgia in the hole and they can really only afford one more SEC loss which sucks because every game looks tough from here on out.

*I watched some of the Arkansas-La-Monroe game and they didn't look great but I think it's because they've been looking ahead to Georgia since their bowl game last year. Thankfully their defense is nowhere near as good as South Carolina's so we should score but how many will we need to score is the question. If Georgia loses Saturday things get really interesting to say the least. Tennessee looked ok. They've got talent at some positions but no depth as well. I think if given the time Dooley will have that program turned around which is not good news for Georgia fans either.

This is not a post advocating the firing of CMR. I'm simply saying if this season heads the way it looks like it's heading, I think he should definitely be on the hot seat if he's not already. Maybe getting rid of Bobo's the answer. Maybe they just need new blood across the board to shake things up (excluding Grantham and Lakatos- I'm still a big fan of theirs). I don't know what this program needs but we consistently piss the bed in big games now and that's not good. In 2008 as the pre-season #1 team with the #1 NFL draft pick, one of the best runningbacks in Georgia history, and a future top draft pick in AJ Green, we lost arguably the 2 biggest games of season (Bama and Florida) by a combined score of 90-40. It wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't coupled with losses to teams we have ABSOLUTELY no reason losing to.

As a Georgia fan, don't just focus on yesterday, take the last few years into account. Are you satisfied? I can't say that I am. The rest of the league is getting better and I just can't help but think we have taken a step back in some regard. Maybe not a huge step back but one big enough to keep us in Chik-fil-a and outback bowls for awhile if something's not done. Are you ok with that level of success?

USC weekend Haiku

Dat a boy A.J.

Mitchell is ready to roll.

Thank God for Durham.

EDSBS take

Legge is reporting AJ will play

If he is just guessing then I'd like to hang out with him.

Update: The King is also reporting it. He supposedly broke it.

Happy Birthday, Bunger

Happy birthday, PBung. I hope you thoroughly enjoy the beauty of Tybee today. May you start the day/night at your favorite place, Hucapoos, then make it down front for the fireworks and some Wind Rose and maybe even back to the Quarter for some late night wings.

Top 5 Bunger edition:

1: I tell Murray all the time, the mind is like a parachute. Bunger definitely has an open mind. The guy has about 5 different groups of really good friends he rolls with. The hippies, the yuppies, the yankees, the young professionals, the people actually from Tybee: they all love him.

2: Bunger is undoubtedly one of the funniest people I've ever met; he can have an intelligent conversation about pretty much everything. More importantly, he's a good guy. Genuine seems like the appropriate word for it. He's a loyal friend to be sure.

3: He's never too busy or important. You can always count on PBung to answer his phone or invite you along for the ride if he's doing anything. Aside from school nights, he's ready to roll every night of the year.

4: After a year at SHS, he's shaping young minds over at Groves. My biggest class is 13 so I have no idea how he handles it. Big props though for doing something he loves. I'd love to come observe one of those classes one day.

5: The Tybee-Pool-Hop, the teeth sweating, "Welcome to America", Andrew Jackson, the Bunger Christmas party, Archie's incident at Dolphin Reef, Mudslinging, Croc-wrestling, and all those times with DJ Marty. Ohhhh yeah! I've had a lot of great memories with Bunger and I know that there are many more to come in the future.

Have a good one, dude.

Sincerely,

The guys at OIA

Watch Me Crank That RoboCop

Its Saturday in Athens Georgia!!!

Just a Reminder

For anyone who wants to participate, picks are up on PPB.

Lots of Posting Lately

I listen to records the way my friend Slic watches movies. Mr. Starr might not feel this way with his hobby, but a lot of times I have little moments when I wonder why I waste so much time doing it.

Then, maybe once a year, it all makes sense, and I feel compelled to write a blog post about it. This happened last summer with Those Darlins' debut. But the album I'm obsessing over right now is something like that times a billion.

So anyway, there's this band -- really, just some dude from Kentucky -- called State Champion. I heard their record Stale Champagne a few weeks ago and, I know I'm prone to hyperbole, but it's the best thing I've heard in about five years. Possibly much longer.

It's this sprawling, drunken country-rock record that's basically what I would have wanted my band to sound like if I'd ever had any musical talent. The whole thing sounds like it could fall apart at any second. So...I don't know. I just felt the need to talk about this in public somewhere.

There are only two songs from it on YouTube as far as I can tell. They're right here, if anyone cares.

“Bite the Dust”

“The Years”

Edit: More here. And here.

My tailgate CD recommendation: load up on the Lady Gaga singles and you can't go wrong.

Be a Part of History

This could be the year Georgia wins it all. So whether you plan on listening to the the 2010 Tailgate CD or not, you want to be a part of it. This year's CD will have a more current sound due to the multitude of current hits. So if you would like to nominate a song to go on the CD, anything you want, do so by this Thursday. Georgia has no chance of winning anything in 2011 with the losses that are going to occur. So the 2010 CD will go by the name of "All in for '10" and will debut in Columbia.

Cock Fans Suck

Surprisingly, some of college football's "most loyal" fans have seemed to give up hope on the brink of yet another pre-season SEC Championship. Cock fans just cannot seem to sell out the Georgia game on September 11th. This is always South Carolina's biggest SEC game and typically their second biggest game of the year behind Clemson. What gives Mitchell?

For those people thinking of going to Columbia for the game this year, you can still get tickets on Ticketmaster. I bought mine this morning.

One For The Thumb!

Question for the Blog

Your girlfriend is caught snuggling on the couch with her ex-boyfriend at 2:30 AM on a Friday morning after a night of going out with the bros. What would you do?

A Sad, Sad Day

Early this evening I was made aware that Fairmont Restaurant was closing its doors after 18 years of business. The owners cited they wanted to spend more time with their family.

This is a tremendous blow. As a customer on 200+ occasions they treated us like friends and they really did know our name. Was it great food? No. But it was pretty damn good if you didn't eat just the cold vegetables. The sense of familiarity and comfort is something you can't get at many places anymore and that will be sorely missed. Hilliard's will cushion the blow but never fill the void. Here's to you friend.

Any suggestions on non-Ryan's or Ms. Alston's Corral buffets?

Still Waiting

Summer Tour Comes to an End.

A near death experience couldn't stop me from seeing one of my favorite bands play at an awesome Venue in a pretty cool city...


Warning: Video is very wobbly (I took about 12 videos and this is probably the steadiest). Audio's pretty lousy too.



Myrtle Beach puts an end to my Summer tour which spanned over 5 states. Fall tour starts in 3 short weeks on September 11 in Columbia, SC Rick's town.

Top 5 Places Shane has Passed Out

5.) Mr. Graham's Biology Class
4.) The Plaza, Benedictine Military School (x5)
3.) The Dentist Offie
2.) Benny's Toilet
And now, as of last Wednesday...

1.) In the car while driving down President Street at 5:30 after work.

All the others could be explained away by needles, standing for extended periods, and drunkenness/inhaling a cigar. My doctor can't seem to figure #1 out. Surprisingly, I had blood taken last week and didn't pass out.

If you ask me, personally, I feel like the opposite of this


And, instead more like this



Its probably just the bodies natural reaction to my Summer Tour Schedule. I got to meet with the Doc again this week- I'll keep you posted.

14 More Years Til We're Legal...

Yesterday was the fourth Birthday of 'Only In America'. Happy Birthday.

Let us reminisce the simpler times.

Can't Stay Away

I'm back after a month with the computer in the shop. You probably didn't even notice.

Summer is a slow time for me, so without a computer at home I think I watched more TV in the last five weeks or so than I did the last two years combined. I'd like Shane and the Weazle to know that I watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia a few times, and it's actually even funnier than you made it sound. I saw the various incarnations of Law and Order for the first time, too, so that should be enough to get Donnie off my back for liking something that Shane enjoys.

I've also had a chance to spend some time with the new Phil Steele preview, and I feel the same way Jeff Dantzler did before 2007 or 2008 (can't remember which): “There's no reason to think Georgia can't win 'em all.”

Love this. Thanks for the heads up, Barstool.

Well, that's all I've got.

Song of the Day: Scott Lucas and the Married Men - Positively 4th Street

Congratulation Are In Order

First off Congrats to our dear friend Pl0we on winning the PGA Championship on Sunday. Must have been a hell of a turnaround Sunday morning, because I could have sworn I hung out with you on Saturday night...



And up next, Congrats to Barstool for being the highest person in the 2003 B.C. Saber. This is no easy task considering the young cadets he was bumping elbows with.

Image provided by Martin Kaymer

48% of the Braves payroll: Chipper Jones, Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami, and Nate McClouth. And Glaus is actually getting paid.

Isn't it Ironic...don't you think?

Just 'Cause I'm an Environmentalist Doesn't Mean I'm a Sissy, Motherf***er

Green Team from Will Ferrell

No Need to Worry...

Throughout the history of the blog, July has always been our slowest month. I did some digging and found that we average 14 and a quarter post throughout the month of July. We post around twice as much as that in almost all other months. The average post per month throughout the year is just under 28 and a half. I have a pimped out graph that shows all this info but have no clue how to import it onto the blog. Help?

Anyone got any suggestions for the lack of ACTIVITY?

I got my own theory's:

- This is Donnie's last month at his beach house so he wants to make the most of it.
- Barstool is in Asia.
- "Yes Dear" marathon's all summer long.
- Rick's 'adventure season' starts in September and he is winding down by year-end. This goes for Rick and Patrick, his (through the good and the bad) publicist.
- Summer months are when anonymity is at it's highest?



Moving on,

Saw this the other day. It makes me sick. No one forces you to go anywhere you don't want to go. Hank, from our grandfather blog, and I were talking about this the other day and we came to the conclusion that this is like forcing a restaurant to serve all types of food. Is there no such thing as PRIVATE property anymore? I think there are two types of people in the world; people that want to outlaw everything until the world is exactly how they want it to be (it scares me b/c I think barstool could fit in this group) and people that enjoy personal freedom.


Has anyone heard of getting iced? It's sweeping the nation. Apparently if someone gives you a Smirnoff ice you have to get down on one knee and chug it. You can 'ice block' by having your own handy, in which case the person doing the icing must chug both. The trick is to hide the Smirnoff Ice...


Careful Donnie, there is an award out for icing you. See here.

Time To Go To Work

$$ Dog Tracks This Eve'ning $$
$$ Free Money With Quinellas $$
$$ Who Is Coming With? $$

Savannahian goes for gold with USA triathlon team

Just as impressive was his 32 tackles against South Effingham in 2005.

Things

Last Saturday went to HHI for the first time ever. Although I wasn't technically invited I decided to go and bring a friend. JJH4 and I were dining companions in what was one appletini away from being my most awkward meal since the great UGA-Auburn dining fiasco of 2007. Had fun anyway. I think JJH did as well. Just asking him about how he would celebrate a walk home run in the college world series (hint: JJH showed his ding-dong).


I will be in Savannah for this entire weekend. After making a Rick-like tour of North GA and Alabama, it'll feel good to do nothing this weekend. Anyone down for Kevin Barry's on Saturday?? It's the 1/3 mark.


Anyone interested in seeing the Avett Brothers at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach the weekend of August 19 (they play Thursday, Friday and Saturday)?

Top Five Friday: Cavs Owner Is a Baby

1. I know I'm part of a small minority in that I don't think that going to the Heat makes LeBron James less of a man. I'll get to some of those arguments in a minute. But one thing we all should be able to agree on is that a lot of the ripping on the guy has gotten way out of hand.

Take the Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert. I thought a lot of his letter to Cleveland fans was pretty funny ("I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING' WINS ONE" That's good stuff.)

The parts about “shameful display(s) of selfishness and betrayal,” “cowardly betrayal(s)” and “heartless and callous action” were a little much. But then in an interview comes this: “He quit," Gilbert said. "Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar." Then there's some other stuff that's almost as bad.

“Not playing well” and “quitting” are two entirely different things. He didn't quit in the Boston series. He had a bad Game 5 and brought it in Game 6. I don't think Kobe Bryant quit in Game 7 of the finals when he went 6 for 24. He didn't play well, but in his case his teammates were good enough to make up the difference. But if the Lakers had lost, Kobe would have been a choker, right? This stuff just kills me.

I felt bad for Gilbert when LeBron made his decision last night, because he seemed to have tried really hard to build something around him. But I also couldn't feel too bad because he left Danny Ferry in charge of his roster for seven years, and Ferry never put a really good player alongside LeBron. Now, though, I can't feel for the guy at all. He needs to grow up. What a baby.

2. Shane is absolutely right to compare LeBron to Kevin Garnett in the comments of the last post. They're both great players who were victims of circumstance. The people running their teams were incompetent and they needed to get out in order to play for a title. If either player had been drafted by teams that knew what they were doing, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

3. Personally, I think this stuff about “winning on your own” is just silly. No one wins titles on their own. How many Hall of Famers did Larry Bird play with? How many did Magic Johnson play with? Scottie Pippen is one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived, so I guess Jordan wasn't that much of a man since he won titles with him. Maybe Kobe should have told the Lakers not to worry about trading for Pau Gasol, since it would be better for his legacy if he won “on his own.” And hey, Dwyane Wade should have told LeBron not to bother coming and making him look like less of a man, since he's so much better at winning and all.

4. Look, I know that James looks like a mercenary or something, but his circumstances are different than the ones these other guys faced. That's not an excuse for what he did; it's a reason. There's a difference. Also, the TV special was a horrendous p.r. decision. But as far as I can tell, it's the first misstep dude has made in seven years. One bad night doesn't make you A-Rod.

5. If nothing else, this has me excited about basketball in the middle of the summer. I might buy League Pass just to watch these guys every night.

Showdown Saturday

Two walk onto the beach, one walks off...

Evans:

- I give him credit for his delivery and words at the press conference. He seemed to speak as honest as possible and didn't read a bunch of agent driven garbage you normally get. His answer to who the girl was doesn't look promising. I don't believe he has a very good chance of keeping his job. Fair or not, the AD at every school will be held to a higher standard than anyone else in the department. Fletcher Page, who covers Georgia basketball, believes he should spend a year as GMC's AD. I thought that was pretty good.

- Schlabach said every reporter he talked to expected a resignation.

- Georgia finished 20th in the Director's Cup, worst since 1997. The department is making a lot of money but something other than softball should be competetive.

- Today's activities take CMR off any hot seat he may have been on. If Damon is kept on there is no way he could make that move. If a new AD comes in there is no way one of his first moves could be getting rid of the most liked man in the SEC. Georgia could go 2-10 this year and CMR is safe.

- Fox was the only coach to comment after the press conference. He probably knows he will be the next AD.

Other:

- ESPN and sports radio is covering the NBA free agent stuff more than GPB plays "Lets Get it Started." In no way am I the person to analyze Hawks pernonel moves. However, the move to sign Joe Johnson to a max deal does not seem real good. I know there are some Hawk fans on here who might be able to defend it but I don't see it. I watch the NBA for Charles Barkley. But to win a championship you must have an A-level player and Johnson seems to me to be a high B-level guy. Giving him the money and years that has been reported doesn't leave much for shopping. If Joe Johnson is going to be their best player for the near future I don't see the Hawks doing much more than they have in the last 2 seasons. There was my first and maybe last Hawks observation.

- If Stick and Fleming fight like Fleming says he wants to, this weekend might have potential!

Top Three Thursday

Only a couple of entries this week, since I had a lot to say on the first subject. Like Westerdawg, I've got nothing to add on Damon Evans. Just bad times.

1. Things are going to start off a little serious for a change today. If you're like me, and have been following this whole NFL brain injury thing the last year or so, you're probably wondering why Chris Henry having CTE isn't the biggest story in the country right now. I don't know why it isn't, either.

We knew that NFL veterans' brains were filled with this tissue that basically makes people the equivalent of “punch-drunk” boxers, leading to dementia, substance abuse and all kinds of terrible things. Now, we know of a guy who was a young, active player at a “glamour” position who had it.

Most of the analysis I've seen tries to link Henry's erratic behavior to CTE, but I'm more interested in how widespread this is, and what the long-term effects will be on athletes. I mean, the guy's only documented concussions came in high school. If this stuff starts developing in contact sports in high school, then God help us all. Dudes are getting bigger, stronger and faster, and the collisions are only going to get more violent at every level in the years to come, I would imagine.

Football is the best sport there is, but this kind of thing almost makes it hard to be a fan right now. I hope this isn't as alarming as it seems, that maybe a larger sample size of deceased players' brains will make it a little less scary. Plays like this one have a whole new meaning at this point.

2. On a lighter note, at least someone out there is happy to make light of concussions. And I should probably post this related clip while I'm at it. (“I have dubbed thee Herschel Walker Cuyler Them Dawgs Is Hell Don’t They”)

3. I think Barstool covered every song that mentions America for his playlist earlier this week. There's already one Springsteen song on there, I know, but the only suggestion I could think of would be good for the slow-dance portion of this weekend's festivities: