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How Dare You!

Jimmy... Finch... the only logical next step: Arthur's Basement 

TGCD

Songs for the tailgate CD will be taken on PPB up until Sunday.

The Rundown

• Most of you know I'm back on Twitter @JimmyHughes416. I hadn't originally planned on tweeting anything but I also hadn't anticipated people finding me. Therefore, I'll probably be tweeting a little more now. It won't be quite like old times but, then again, it might. Who the hell really knows, right?

• Tonight's the 25th Anniversary of SummerSlam. That means Vinnie Mac has been getting people's asses for 25 straight summers and he'll probably be around for another 25 more.

• I hate to hype an event or in this case a weekend because they rarely live up to the expectations. However, to say I'm excited about Labor Day weekend would be a gross understatement. Living up here makes me appreciate my returns home that much more. I'm actually taking Friday off to get down to Savannah as early as possible. Who wouldn't want to rush down there for this lineup:

Friday 

BC game at Effingham (potential halftime radio interview). It's house, or in this case apartment, divided for another fellow blog contributor. Here's to you Mrs. Robinson and Harry Miles.

Saturday 

Georgia's return to glory kicks off at 12:30 on the island of O'Tybee. Still haven't ironed out pregame tailgating festivities but I have a few ideas. I'm sure post game will consist of Sting Ray's, Bernie's, and the Quarter. The possibilities, as usual when you spend a day/night on Tybee, are endless. Hopefully, Fred Anderson is off duty on 9/1/2012. 

Sunday 

The Swingin' Medallions are playing on the pier. A summer Sunday evening concert on the beach, with no work the next day, and Double Shot blaring across the island is the very definition of Sunday Funday. 

If this weekend doesn't scream Top 5 then you don't have a pulse. NO EEYORE's ALLOWED!

You know who you are...

• Prediction for Georgia's 2012 season: 11-1. Not sure where that one loss comes but it won't matter because we'll beat the hell out of Alabama in the Dome on December 1st. That will shut those idiots up.

Still not sure about this guy...

... but I know he's better than this guy.

Sidenote: Blogger's new formatting is a pain in the ass.

Things I like to do

WSAV


WTOC

Didn't know how good we had it....

Taken from a post 5 years ago tomorrow.  What to do with a vacant week, in August, in Athens.

…sit around all day in anticipation of The Home Team on 960, only to be disappointed when a certain co-host completely ruins the show for me?
…go for as many scenic drives down Milledge Avenue as possible once Fall Rush begins?
…hang out with underage football players at the trendiest of downtown bars?
…go to Blind Pig way too many times?
…or just bide my time until my first chance to be the third wheel when Rick and Donnie hit the town?

CFB Broadcasters

ESPN has announced its booth assignments for college football coverage.  For the most part, no significant changes.  I dont think there will ever be a combo as good as Franklin-Gottfried.  Nessler and Blackledge are by far my current favorite. 

With the new assignments also came the announcement that Joe Tessitore and Matt Millen will be doing the Missouri game.  Millen was with Sean McDonough, who is one of my all time favorites,  and will be about the same with Tessitore, not good but a lot better than he was a GM.   Tessitore filled in for somebody for the LSU-Florida game two years ago and I thought he was really good.  He has been on the call for a bunch of crazy games including Baylor-TCU, Iowa State-Oklahoma State, and Baylor-Oklahoma. He had this to say about Georgia-Mizzou:

"I think we could have one of my crazy ones in Week 2," said Tessitore. "Based on the atmosphere [in Columbia, Mo.], knowing the kind of offenses on the field, I think Week 2 could be one of those classics."

Jessica Mendoza appears to be on the sideline and she does a good job with softball. 

None of this really matters other than CBS appears to be letting Verne broadcast until he dies.  There is no questioning the greatesness of his voice or past calls.  But there is a problem when he doesn't have a clue which team is on offense.  There is no doubt that CBS holds the distinction of best production, song, matchups, etc. in CFB TV. The problem is Lundquist and Danielson are equivilent to T-Roy and Snow.

In other news, Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham are back together so thats fantastic. Spielman will ruin McDonough. Pam Ward being gone was previously known but it'll be wierd not hearing her do Purdue-Northwestern at Noon.  Beth Mowins and Joey Galloway are probably scheduled for a bunch of SEC games and Holly Rowe is still the Queen.  The Thursday night game loses James and picks up Pollack so that might be the best to come of all of this.

Friday Haiku

50 Shades of Grey- Just do not get it, much like- Aiken in Macon.

McCray > Minor > hammels > Aimar > Dudash (sp?)

Who is still NOW?

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2007

Who's Now Second Round

Mallard Bracket
1:Willie James Huff Funky Chicken Ala Rackba
8: Schiv

12:Joey Waldrop
13: Danny Bunger

6: Lil Natch
3: Bill Curley

10: Leighton Maher
2: Coach Carl

Betsy Daniell Bracket1: Joey Bunger
9: Michael Peaches Kobleur

5: Mrs. Artlisa Alston
4: Terrance Hennessey

6: Amanda Schwarz
3: Fred Anderson

7: Bad Santa Ryan Gibson
10: Malagros

David Pollack Bracket1: Scotty Too Hotty Shelton
8: Brendan Gillins

5: Damon
4: David Tootle

11: Colonel Owens
3: Lamar Owens

7: Dixieland Sweet Tea
2: Donna Youngblood

Donnie Bell Bracket1: Mark Beasley
9: Vincent Kennedy McMahon

12: Ghost of Rick
4: Zack Troughton

11: Paul Webber
3: Ric Flair

10: Wayne Munch
2: Tommy Cannon

SEC Storied

National Basketball League

*UPDATE- Whoopsie Daisy. Last Night was the NBA Draft lottery, not the draft. New Orleans won the lottery. It looks like I will have to wait until June 28th :( If you're an NBA basketball fan, than this time of the year is very exciting for you. For me however, it's a very nerve-racking Experience. Of course, what I'm referring to is the NBA draft that's taking place tonight.

My window for being drafted continues to get smaller. This year I've taken a different approach. Wish me luck.

Perns

In honor of Coach Perno and his impending termination, here are the top 5 moments of the all or nothing  Perno era:

5.  Joey Side and Super-regional win over South Carolina in 2006.

4. 2011 SEC Tournament Run
        Dantzler's Call

3. Johnathan Wyatt's Super regional HR vs. Tech



2. Felmy and Jacobs back to back and Startup closes to complete comeback vs. Clemson in '04 Regional.



1. 2008

Straight From DJ Marty's Mouth! OHHHH YEEEAAAA

Recently on Facebook, DJ Marty has been on a roll. In response to his own comment...

"I wish Jesus would take a ride with me to Washington and make the whole world a better place by creating a sinkhole for these no good lying theiving people to disappear in and put the statue of Liberty on top of their sorry asses and then put the Whitehouse on top of the UN so Americans won't have to Support their crap anymore"!!!!" Me and Jesus driving the KARMA BUS... And then America can go back to being a Christain Nation with a president that loves America; not a flyboy dictator whose aim is to destroy the American way of life"!!!!" Imagine"

I literally could not make that up.

Summer

Summer is almost here and the "Summer of Fun" seems like it was years ago.  Back then, I don't think anyone would have predicted this blog would be fading at this point or that Collins would be housing half of its contributors.  I have high hopes going into the Summer with the newly formed Jerry Mouse.  I have been through 6 cliques since last Summer and all of their failures were absolutely faults of other people, not mine. I feel as if my new one has the makings of a successful and long term run similar to 434, Broccoli Boat, and Gruesome Twosome.  I will honestly admit that it has been tougher than I expected to find the same magic that the Dawg Duo once had.  If he was as good as he once was there is no doubt  the Dawg Duo would be as strong as ever.

The Summer has its staples in Beach Bum, July 3rd, and a trip to Jacksonville.  In defense of those that won't or can't make those, I realize those people are doing important things and their schedule is pretty full.  However, Jerry Mouse will be there in some capacity and we hope all other cliques will make an effort to make some of it.  If not, then make a trip to Firehouse.

Braves, Gnats, Golf, Dawgs softball, and TYB.  It's a good time of year if you let it be.  And as a Jerry Mouse member once said, "Toast in the new south, this one is for history".

MURRAY!!!

The best thing about March is, of course, St. Patrick's Day. The worst part? Shane's birthday. It is the one day of the year where we must acknowledge Shane's wit, athletic prowess, intelligence, determination, and ability to drink more than any of us during the daytime.

Murray has been a rival of mine since middle school: St. Michael's vs. St. Peter's/ Tybee Island vs. Pond Island. We've had memorable debates on topics ranging from politics to intramural sports. In aspects of life where there is a clear winner, I've enjoyed around a .900 winning percentage against him in one-on-one basketball games. Unfortunately, I've had to witness him hit 8 3 pointers in a high school team and be the captain/leader of one of the best basketball teams in Benedictine history.

The days of riding bikes to the Quarter on weeknights are gone. Shane's moved on from Stingray's, and I'm done with the Sandcastle, at least for now. Playing with the Drain at JCB and at the Tybee Gym has been put on hold, and I'm not sure when or if it'll happen again. I constantly feel like there's not enough time in the day, and I'm not selling 401k's while getting my Master's(in something real) in a town away from my family, girlfriend, and buddies.

Shane's the wittiest guy I've ever met. He finds the good in everyone, and has an astounding amount of culture for someone raised so close to the county's largest dump. He'll be wildly successful in the business world, but that's fine because much of his money will be donated to BC and spent on drinks for us.

I don't hang out with Shane nearly as much as I used to. He was the best teammate I had at BC, and I'll always use him as an example to the boys on my team. If Shane moved to Hong Kong (flat income tax) tomorrow and stayed for 10 years, I know we'd meet up for a drink sometime when he came back and be best friends.

Happy Birthday, Shane.

I'm Back, Baby

So I clearly failed my pledge to start blogging again this year. Work and other responsibilities got in the way. But anyway...

After approximately 1,400 days living in an undisclosed location in the rural Southeastern United States, I'm pleased to announce my impending return to the SAV. Thing are a little overwhelming right now, so I believe my thoughts would be best expressed by the following YouTube cavalcade:

Birthday Haiku

BC and Tybee,
B Street, ranch, and the Bulldogs-
Here's to you, PLowe.

Friday Haiku

Birthday Bash tonight.
No one knows what will happen
Maybe a Bear-fight.

Happy Birthday, JJ

1: NOLA
2: Baseball vs. Wayne County
3: Tuscaloosa Trip (One and Done, Baby)
4: Basketball vs. Bradwell
5: Rumble in Doraville

A little over 4 years ago, we were rocking and rolling together on Bourbon Street. Some 10 years ago, I was watching Jack pitch the best high school baseball game I had ever seen: a complete game against Wayne County in which he would allow only 1 run. (If Burnsed doesn't pop up with guys on 2nd and 3rd with less than 2 hours, we win the game). About 4 years and 4 months ago, we were walking across Garden City, I mean, Tuscaloosa- to find the best pork chops ever and a thrilling "One and Done, Baby" victory over the Fighting Fenders. About 10 years ago, Jack was starting at PG against Bradwell Institute and would lead us to our first region win in 3 years. Regrettably, it was also about 10 years ago that I was bloodying Jack's nose in the Hilton in Doraville.

Jack is a top 5 guy. He's a top 5 friend. Jacks's probably been there for 90% of my top 55 memories. We've discussed, listed, and voted on an absurd amount of top 5's. I am 100% confident that Jack will be one of the top 5 coaches of all time at BC. I've never played with or coached alongside a smarter guy or a guy with more game-sense. I have no idea what he'll coach or when he will be a head coach, but I can guarantee you he'll be highly successful. There's no one I'd rather have coach my child than Jack.

There are, of course, plenty of great coaches who I wouldn't want to hang out. There are people who have been there for some of my best memories that I'd rather not see again. Jack has been "doing things right for 27 years". I met Jack my freshman year of high school (3 years after his apparent peak) and he's been the same guy ever since. He loves Georgia, BC, Lindsey, SVA, Hilliard's, Tybee, St. Patrick's Day, Beach Bum Parade, Slugfest, Church's Chicken, pink ties, and Pink-God-Almighty's. He is a gifted singer, broadcaster, and disc jockey.

I will not attempt to list all of the prestigious groups Jack is a part of; God knows there are a ton. I'm just glad he and his friend Shane let me start hanging out with them in high school. I consider myself lucky to be one of Jack's better friends now. 27 years from now I know that Jack and I will be still be talking about BC, doing top 5's, and making trips to Athens, Tybee, and Tuscaloosa. Here's to hoping that the next 27 are even better than the first 27.

Happy Birthday, Jack

Happy Birthday, Bear

Bear is a new addition. When I was a senior at BC, he was a sophomore. During high school and college, I'd see him from time to time at the Islands Y blocking Shane's shot or getting bullied by Mike Moore. I always thought he was a good guy; we just never hung out.

When I got to Southern, I began to hang out with Tyler a lot. Tyler lived with Jr. (Bear's brother) so I started to spend more and more time with Bear. It didn't take long to figure out that Bear loved the same things we all did: BC, Georgia, Athens, Savannah, and Tybee. It wasn't long before Bear and I made frequent trips up to Athens, down to Tybee, and to the gem of Statesboro, Chow Time Buffet.

Bear is one persistent mammal. He lacks the mental capacity to understand how a box jellyfish or two might have drifted into the Atlantic. He fails to understand that an offensive lineman with no previous knee problems wears a brace to prevent a torn ACL. But two things Bear does extremely well are get loud and never give up. At least one of these traits has allowed him to find a very nice human being to date. 7 or so years of waiting is nothing for Bears.

I know a lot of guys who went to BC, love Athens, and have done their own great deeds on Tybee. So what is it exactly that has allowed Bear into the most prestigious clique? In the 3 years I've been friends with Bear, I've learned that he will be there for the fun times, the scary times, the crazy times, and the bad times. He passes out from time to time, and you don't want to be around when he hibernates, but he's there when you need him.

Bear is surprisingly witty when it comes to social media and awkward situations. He loves BC as much as any of us. He's never one to give lame excuses when it comes to hanging out or doing whatever. He's a good guy and one of the most loyal friends I have. The guy goes through nicknames like Rick goes through girlfriends, and he takes it all in stride.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan

Friday Haiku

Butt-hurt is the word.
Congrats to Fender and Boone.
March will be here soon.

The Burr

Am I the only person who didn't know about this? Via Doctor Saturday, it appears that there was a 1984 movie about the life of Bear Bryant – starring Gary Busey.

THIS IS A REAL THING THAT HAPPENED.

THERE IS A SCENE IN WHICH HE WRESTLES A BEAR. THE TOP COMMENT ON THE YOUTUBE PAGE IS LOL AUBURN SUCKS.



All I have to add is that, as EDSBS always says, reality will always manage to trump anything you could come up with in your wildest dreams.

It's Not UGA's Fault You're An Idiot

There's some kind of big game tomorrow night in the "Chocolate City." You'll never see me in anything purple, EVER, but rest assure I'll be pulling hard for the Bayou Bengals. It's not that I hate Alabama. To be honest, the Tide have always been kind of an afterthought. As a Georgia fan, they're not exactly one of our bigger rivals (playing them twice every 8 years or so) so they don't garner the hatred of a South Carolina, Florida, or Tech. Hell I probably harbor more ill will towards Georgia Southern than Alabama (ok probably not).

However, the past few months have confirmed a theory which I've thought to be true for quite some time now. I realize this post will make me sound like an elitist asshole but hey it's 2012 and Only in America is in the midst of a Resurrection. We must be prepared to do what is necessary. Lines will be crossed. Nothing is off limits. After all, it's not "Only in the Communist Russia" as Barstool would sometimes lead readers to believe. Anyways, back to the point. Disclaimer: this is NOT a general statement as it is directed towards the bottom 1%. Very few kids, if any, grow up in Georgia wanting to attend the University of Alabama. In most cases they want to go the the state's flagship school: The University of Georgia. As with many things in life, we don't always get our first choice so we are forced to settle for "the next best thing." No shame there as it happens to the best of us. I couldn't get Ashley Foster, Heather Tiernney, or Cass Bass so I settled for Becca Barrow but that's another horror story for another time.

Option 1 didn't work out for me but she married young enough

so there's still hope after the divorce... PMA BABAY *Single Pistol*

So you have these kids who don't get accepted to UGA and then the University of Alabama comes calling like a soup kitchen because, well, they'll let anybody into school in Tuscaloosa. This is the point where some people begin to change their tune, saying they never even wanted to go to UGA, they don't like UGA, and Alabama is soooo much better. The inferiority complex is quite sad really because they have to constantly reassure themselves they're not losers. They begin showing signs similar to that of a jilted lover, a person scorned by UGA, and for whatever reason take up a personal vendetta against the University. Remember, this is the same University they had previously cheered for and admired the first 18 years of their life. People like GARRETT SULLIVAN feel butthurt (I'm sure that's a regular occurrence) because UGA said: YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Thus they play the victim role which they feel gives them a free pass to bash the school for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Now I've never been one to stand back while somebody rips on my schools or anything associated with me for that matter. That could be UGA, BC, St. Patrick's Day, south Georgia, hell even St. James (SJS is the best- go BINGO yourself Sheehan). While I have responded directly through Twitter, which resulted in the loss of a follower, I feel that Monday night's game provides the opportune time to expose this traveshamockery and end the discussion once and for all. Even if they lose Alabama may very well claim their 42nd national championship tomorrow night, at least according to Bama historians. We will undoubtedly have to hear about it for awhile from Alabama fans. Just remember it's all a jealous facade and that diploma from The University of Georgia gives you the last laugh! GO DAWGS!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough talk of d-bags. Let's end this post on a high note (I'm getting pretty good at this Photoshop thing)...

Hollywood's hottest couple, Ric Starr and Ms. Willingham,

pose on the red carpet

(I kid LW, I kid;)

Let's See How Long This Lasts...

I don't know if it's the new year or what, but tonight I felt compelled to write something on the blog. It seems like this place has been dying a slow death for a while now, and Twitter is a big reason for that, but it was really only early last year that the post count started doing a nosedive.

I'm not pulling a Barstool (obligatory shot at another blog member) or anything by demanding that everyone start posting here again. To be honest, I don't really give a damn what any of you do (unnecessary shot at everyone while I'm at it). But for some reason, I just decided to come back.

As someone who claims to be attempting to make a living as some kind of writer, it's probably a good idea to actually write some non-work stuff on occasion -- even if it's at a place that's going to get us all fired one day. I don't have anything specific to talk about tonight, but I had to get the ball rolling somehow.

This is starting to feel like a livejournal entry from 2003 about now, so I'll wrap up with a top five for old time's sake. Hopefully I don't get banned before I can make another post.

Top Five Songs of 2011

State Champion -- The Basement
Dum Dum Girls -- Coming Down
Wilco -- Born Alone
Drive-By Truckers -- Mercy Buckets
Lydia Loveless -- Crazy

Early front-runner for 2012: Justin Townes Earle -- Am I That Lonely Tonight?

New Year's Resolutions

The "Bad Boys" are back in town...

Well another year has come and gone. We've all had the ups and the downs but we're all still here so I consider 2011 a WIN. As far as 2012 goes, who the hell knows what's going to happen. 2011 turned out nothing like I thought it would and that's for better and worse. I haven't come up with any 2012 resolutions yet and personally I think they are kind of stupid. Besides, being in Athens tonight, I would expect to break whatever resolutions I set forth by 12:02 AM at the latest.

I will say this this though, while I think NYE is a bit overrated, I love the thought of a clean slate and a chance to start over, even if it comes every year. I'm a big believer in 2nd chances (unless you cheat on me then your lying ass gets kicked to the curb). God knows I've made mistakes but with each new year brings new hope. I'll cut out the sappy shit right there but you get the point.

Slic vs Dick for NYE supremacy

All of that said, as YOUR World's Champion, I am issuing a challenge to a one Mr. Dick Clark. He thinks he has the preeminent Rockin' NYE Party up there in the Big Apple but Dick you've met your match this year my friend. Slic's Rockin' NYE Party comes to you live and in living color this year from Athens, Ga, "Sin city of the South" as I like to call it, for the first time ever. We may not have a ball drop (hiohhh?), or the bright lights, or the big city but when it comes to quality over quantity I'll take the Horsemen every time and twice on Sunday. Walk that long and illustrious aisle Dick, through the blood sweat, and the tears, and let's see who throws the better bash! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Tale of the Tape (Neither list complete)

Dick's Rockin' NYE Party

Ryan Seacrest

Glamorous Fergie

Pitbull

Lady Gaga

Slic's Rockin' NYE Party

Last Resort

Firehouse

Bourbon Street

General Beauregard's

Magnolias

Bourbon Street (yes twice)

TJ's Sports Grill

Little Italy

I'll leave you with Eddie Murphy from Trading Places. If you haven't seen this movie you're pretty much an idiot.

What are some your resolutions or plans for 2012?

Happy Holidays from OIA (and the Johnson's)

No words necessary.

Friday Haiku

Another weekend-
Still control own destiny.
Keep on rolling, guys.

#1 Out of 337

As JJBA says, "some people never make it to the mountaintop."

Richt Flair takes the top spot. Suck it PWD!

MURRAY!!!

Keep up the good work, Aaron. It's not your fault.

Quote of the Week

I'll preface the quote by saying I like Christian Robinson. He's undersized but plays hard. Seems pretty smart and like it or not is one of the more reliable guys on our defense right now.

From Emerson:

"Robinson said overall he still feels okay about the performance of the defense, pointing out that Boise State didn't have many plays of 20-plus yards."

That was always Van Gorder's mindset.

And, every single line of Emerson's recap of today's presser is depressing. I might read a little much into certain things but three or four things in there says a lot about where the program is as a whole.

Words of the Week

Pee on Pius!

Murf the Smurf!

Boo

Ken Malcome won't light it up come Saturday, but he sure does on Twitter:

"If NFL didn't exist... would dere be college players?"
"I'm on so far as I'm concern u on"
"cuz ball out me and India gon support you"
"my fone bill high up some early dis morning I'm piss"
"It's lonely at da in watever u do so take care of yoself"
"My ears ain't fa gave wat I heard yet u sat in my living room tellin lies dont put trust in a stranger even if offered some special"
"I was neva popular in elementary skool... I was da crazy quiet kid eating paste in da back of da class"

Reminder

Week 1 Picks

A Whale of a Season

Georgia is in for a BIG 2011!!

Sep. 3 Boise State W
Sep. 10 South Carolina W
Sep. 17 Coastal Carolina W
Sep. 24 at Ole Miss W
Oct. 1 Miss. State L
Oct. 8 at Tennessee W
Oct. 15 at Vanderbilt W
Oct. 29 Florida W
Nov. 5 New Mexico St. W
Nov. 12 Auburn W
Nov. 19 Kentucky W
Nov. 26 at Georgia Tech W

SEC Championship: vs Alabama L
Record 12-2 with a Sugar Bowl Victory

I'll let Holland or Mouse start the conference predictions/Heisman thread on PPB. Thanks. See ya:)



Tech fans do not rike a the rhales (also some mag 7 in here)

Two Weeks In

As most of you know, two weeks ago today , I moved to Atlanta. So far the transition has gone rather smoothly. I haven't had much time to eat at many good restaurants or get drunk at any bars. That will change this weekend.

This is my apartment.


This is my school.


Last week, I was miserable and wondering if I made a good decision. I've since gotten more comfortable and am now basically begging for visitors. That's an open invite, doors always open.

Moving on, BC plays 25 miles down the street from me. Kickoff in a little over an hour.

Other "news": Lenny Dykstra is in the news ago. This time for, as TMZ puts it, "whipping out his dong"

Almost Forgot How To Log-in

For no particular reason whatsoever, I have recently decided to begin blogging again.

After nearly 3 quarters of a year's hiatus, I will pick up exactly where I left off... at some point later in the week. Currently, I am running on fumes and I'm stealing the neighbors Internet, so unfortunately, I must keep this short. For now, I'll simply leave you with this gem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pkFYqilPAg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Damn We Used To Be Good

Return to glory starts 9-3-2011

ESPN Gets It Right For Once

The soccer flop...

Not to be confused with the infamous "Flair Flop..."

The difference, Flair gets up and #WINS, #16times. Woooooo!!! Go USA!

Friday Haiku

Yes, the time has come-
Slic, bad boys and the horsemen.
Gonna have some fun.

Top 5 Sports Moments

5: 04 defeats 03 in 3 on 3 football.

Since the days of Holland's front yard in Kensington Park, Jack and Rick never lost a 3 on 3 football game. Jack's brilliant offensive mind with Rick's genuis on the defensive side made them impossible to stop. For years Rick, Jack, and Andrew conquered all suitors. With Andrew's multiple injuries, they turned to Shane who could run all day, cover, and catch passes.

For years, Schiv mixed and matched teams, but all fell short. FInally, in December of 2009, he turned to Plowe and myself. Plowe ran and matched up physically with Schwarz- something that had never been done before. (Big night before, Foran). Schivera chunked it around. I pushed and yelled a lot- manipulating a few rules. The specifics are a little hazy, but we came out on top in which looks to be the last 3 on 3 football tourney.


4: Jones, Bell, Jackson defeat Cannon, Gray, Summerlin
Junior year Franky and I wanted to be on the same 3 on 3 team. He chose Deejay as our 3rd member. The overwhelming favorites to win were the Coaches and Brady's team. When Brady's team knocked off the coaches in the semis, around 90% of the school- the faculty, the staff, the student body, and the other coaches- felt they had already won the championship and the money. We knew that wasn't the case. It did surprise me that as we started to pull away, a lot of the guys in the stands began to root for us. In a game that was never really close, we finished the drill with a score of 32-19. I remember going to Sawyer's with them Brady, Bryan, and Keenan afterwards. No hard feelings. The better team had just won.


3: BC defeats Effingham 2003
Freshman year I played football. I think we had 9 games. I played in 3 or 4 of them. Junior summer, Coach Brackett convinced me to play senior year. It was the best decision I ever made. We went 4-6 and lost to Savannah High, but I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. Highlights included a 27-0 demolition of Calvary and an overtime win over Effingham. I caught a td pass with under a minute left to send the game to OT. Definitely one of the best moments of my life.

2: St. Michael's defeats BSS in SPAL JV B League Championship
I almost put this number 1. Plowe still talks about this season every weekend. To put it in perspective, we had two guys go on to play high school sports- Plowe and myself. Some of our key contributors included Vernie, Whitaker, Tim Smith, and J Alstad. BSS had athletes: B Mell, Josh Dean, Shearouse, Walden, McCarthy, Nolan, Keenan, and Ian Paige who had hit puberty at the age of 8. Anyways, that year we beat St. Peter's 3 times, St James 5th grade 3 times, and BSS 3 times. BSS was far and away the best team in our league. I still don't know how we won it all. St. Michael's Gym- the Shark Tank- will never rock again quite like it did for that championship game.


1: BC defeats SHS 2004
Plowe talks about the BSS SMS games every weekend. I talk about this game a lot more. Hinchey had 27 rebounds. Mike Hill went for double digits. We held Casey to single digits, and Luke only had one basket. They hammered us by 50 earlier in the season, and we would only finish the season with 7 wins- but I'd argue this one game was the greatest upset in the history of BC sports. I'll never forget meeting at half-court before the game with Coach Cannon and Coach Jordan. I won't forget the lights being off by the time we got out the locker room. Still not sure how long it had been since BC had won at SHS, and we'll see how long it takes to happen again.

Ouch

Disclaimer: I have absolutely nothing against Trey Thompkins. He's a Dawg so I wish him luck. This is just too funny to ignore.

Jay Bilas on Thompkins' body fat percentage during ESPN's NBA Draft coverage...

"It's pretty good if you're a sea lion."

Ouch indeed. (Artwork courtesy of GFS IV)

Birthday Haiku

Happy birthday, Schiv-
Cadets, Crider- a wild man.
Glad you are my friend.

Friday Haiku

Big birthday weekend-
Golf, Collins, and halfrubber,
Hangover part two?

USA!!!

Irwin Blitzer (John Candy) in Cool Runnings: "Those guys have earned the right to walk into that stadium and wave their nation's flag. That's the single greatest honor an athlete can ever have."

Question: Is waving your nation's flag and competing against other nations still the greatest honor an athlete can have? Has this ever been the case?

Lebron has caught a lot of hell lately; he deserves it. 1: He has a tattoo that says "KING" 2: He said they'd win multiple championships before they won a single ring. 3: He had a show to announce where he would play. 4: He continually backtracks off of stupid statements. 5: He needs a brush.

My question is what's worse: doing these 5 things, or turning down a chance to represent your country?

In the summer of 2008 I stayed up pretty late a few nights to watch Kobe, Dwight Howard, Lebron, D Wade, and Carmelo "redeem" USA basketball from the "nightmare" team of 2004 captained by Iverson and Duncan. As much as I hate Duncan and Iverson, they devoted their offseason in the midst of declining careers to represent their country. Hell, Iverson wanted to play again in 2008 but wasnt invited.

Last summer, the World Cup caught fire in the United States (until mighty Ghana knocked us out). Of course, not watching made you anti-American, but that's for another time (wonder how many of these people watched basketball and luging with the same resolve in 2008). Anyways, say what you want about Donovan and Altidore, but they go out as underdogs, knowing many of their fellow countrymen root against them and they bust their asses- the effort and emotion they put into it is unquestioned. Correct me if I'm wrong Schiv, but with the exception of jackasses like De Rossa who play for other countries, when USA Soccer comes calling, people don't turn it down.

Here's a list of some NBA guys who refused to represent their country in the Olympics at some point in their careers: Shaq, Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Vince Carter, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Richard Hamilton, Rashard Lewis, Jared Sullinger, Kendrick Perkins, and Tayshaun Prince.

Here's a list of MLB players who wanted no part of representing their country in the World Baseball Classic: John Danks, John Lackey, Tim Lincecum, and Joe Mauer. I understand the World Baseball Classic is new and not that important but these are all young, well-liked guys, and they wouldn't play for USA.

So along with trying to portray Lebron in a little bit of a positive light, has the greatest honor for an athlete ever been to compete for one's country? If so, why do so many guys turn it down? You'll never convince me of a good reason not to play for your country. If you're injured, they won't want you.

Refusing to play for your country is worse than any "Decision" or stupid tweet one can have.

If Lebron turns down Coach K in a few years, I'll hate him too.

Blazers Baseball

Baseball With the Blazers, 2011 from Bethesda Academy on Vimeo.

Enjoy. 2 days.

1: BC 40 SHS 37

BC vs SHS @ Ron Love Athletic Center Jan 2004

In lower classifications, an off night against a more talented opponent usually results in a double digit loss. Hell, Calvary beats teams by 20, even 30 some nights. Earlier in the season Savannah High beat us by 50 at Benedictine. Up 40 with 2 minutes to go, they kept the press on. Losing like this builds character. It prepares you for the real world. If you weren't smart enough to go to Harvard, you still compete against Harvard grads in the job market. BC should play the best to prepare our young men for the real world. If you don't give great effort, are missing players, and don't come to play, you deserve to lose by 50. We learned a lot about ourselves that night.

Fast forward 5 weeks. Franky and Mike Hill are back. We are much more competitive taking Bradwell and Glynn to overtime. Guys begin to buy in and believe we might knock off one of the big boys. In no way am I saying we expected to win that Tuesday in January. But we knew we were going to compete and we were there to play.

Hinchey played his ass off. I will be forever indebted to him for his effort that night. A 6'0 doctor's son who played in SPAL stood toe to toe against a frontline with a 7 footer and a team with a total of 6 college basketball players. Mike Hill hit some big shots and Barker played solid D on a guy who was just a sophomore but was already their best player. That player was Casey Mitchell. I think there were 20 cadets there: 10 basketball players and 10 fans.

We did the unthinkable. Im still not sure when the last time BC won at SHS before we did, and I don't know how long it will be until it happens again. What I do know is that you remember games like these forever. Cannon shook each one of our hand's after that game, and they turned out the gym lights before we could exit the gym. I wouldn't have it any other way.


BOYS' ROUNDUP
Region 3-AAAAA
Benedictine 40, Savannah High 37

Benedictine posted its first Class AAAAA (A) win by stunning Savannah High 40-37 at the Ron Love Athletic Center.
The Cadets (3-11 overall, 1-6 subregion) made 7 of 10 free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory. Donnie Bell and Michael Hill led BC with 12 points each.
Savannah High (11-5, 6-2) was led by Kevin Parker with 11 points. The Blue Jackets fall out of a three-way tie for first place in the subregion with the loss, a game behind Groves and Glynn Academy.
BC (40)
Hinchey 1, Barker 7, Jackson 8, Donnie Bell 12, Michael Hill 12.
SHS (37)
Kevin Parker 11, Mitchell 7, Smith 6, Brown 10, Tambon 2.
Halftime—SHS, 14-12. Records — Savannah High 11-5 overall, 6-2 Class AAAAA (A); Benedictine 3-11, 1-6

2: BC v. Windsor 2003

BC vs. Windsor @ Cannon Court Dec. 2003

Losing to Windsor in the region playoffs my junior year still haunts me. We had beaten them 3 times that year, all double digit wins, and they ended our season in a shocker at Groves. We played too tentatively and tried to force it down low all game. Windsor was young and athletic- it was their time. The would go on to knock off Wayne and make the state playoffs that year. After the game, they ran around shouting next year is here. I've never felt worse after a sporting event in my life. I doubt I ever would. 18-8 in 3AAAAA is outstanding, but we underachieved. We should have been playing as SSU for the region championship.

The class of 2003 was full of talent. We lost our dominate post player in Brady. We lost our shooting wing, Keenan. Our captain, best shooter, and best defensive player took his talents to GSU intramurals (where he would average 30). Bryan and Matthew were athletic guards who could defend and slash- both were gone. Jermaine's physical presence would be missed. Most of all, the momentum from the previous two years was gone. Worse, Franky was ineligible and Mike Hill was taking a 3 month vacation to start the season.

On the other hand, Windsor had lost nothing. Eron Riley was a year older and stronger. Eric Scott was the 2nd best guard in the city. Mack and Bell were outstanding guards. Our starting lineup was Barker, Hinchey, Lorenzo, Bell and Scott. No Franky, no Mike Hill. No Brady, Shane, Keenan, BG, Matty, or Jermaine. Still, we pulled one out of our asses. Windsor still ended BC's only serious hopes of a region championship the year before, but this game wasn't bad payback.

Donnie Bell led all scorers with 22 points as Benedictine battled past Windsor Forest Friday night.
Eron Riley led Windsor Forest with 13 points. BC is 2-3, while Windsor is 4-2.
WINDSOR FOREST (41)
Eron Riley 13, Scott 8, Bell 7, Lewis 4, Moore 4, Mack 3, Jones 2.
BENEDICTINE (45)
Donnie Bell 22, Hinchey 8, McDonald 6, Scott 4, Barker 3.
Halftime—BC, 24-14. Records—WF 4-2, BC 2-3

BC 61 SHS 50

3: BC vs SHS @ Cannon Court 2003.

After knocking off Savannah High during the summer and losing a hard-fought game to them earlier in the season at Ron Love, the tables were set for a showdown. This was our big chance. We had to beat Savannah High, and we did. The atmosphere at this game will never be duplicated; GHSA rules were altered because of it.

Cannon had been tossed the previous Saturday in a devastating loss at Beach. Kieffer coached us to victory. New had the noodles. Schwarz had the dolls. I still get chills thinking about this game. We controlled the game from the tip. By the 4th quarter, I'd wager 4 out of 5 people in that gym were waiting on us to blow it. But this was our game and we held on. Brady put an exclamation point on this game with a dunk. I'll always respect Thomas Crawford for his actions after the game. The walk back to the locker-room was amazing.

Benedictine 61, Savannah High 50

Brady Cannon scored 19 points to lead Benedictine to a 61-50 Region 3-AAAAA (A) win Tuesday against Savannah High. Three other Cadets cracked the double-digit mark. Keenan Summerlin, Donnie Bell and Bryan Gray scored 14, 13 and 12, respectively.

Savannah High was led in scoring by Thomas Crawford with 14 points. Blue Jacket teammate Michael Wingster chipped in with 13 points.

BENEDICTINE (61)

Brady Cannon 19, Donnie Bell 13, Keenan Summerlin 14, Bryan Gray 12, Jackson 4.

SAVANNAH HIGH (50)

Thomas Crawford 14, Michael Wingster 13, Sandes 8, Brown 5, Tambon 4, Jones 2, Washington 2, Deridder 2.

Halftime -- Benedictine, 26-17. Records -- Benedictine 11-6, 4-3 Region 3-AAAAA (A).

Posted January 15, 2003

Game 4: BC v Camden 2002

I figured I better go ahead and do all of them. Maybe this well get us some Friday traffic. If nothing else, it will give us something to discuss this weekend. Keep in mind, these are the most memorable games to me, not the most important or anything.

4: BC vs. Camden @ Cannon Court 2002.

Backstory:

The previous year we finished 7-17, but we had everyone back except Owens and Holland. The absence of Holland would hurt, but that's for another post. Anyways, we came into the season hoping to have a winning record, and there were whispers of us being as good as the Koncul/Williams team. It was a tumultuous offseason: we had beaten SHS in a summer league game, Brady suffered a collapsed lung, Walden hospitalized me in his one day tryout, and Dotson and Franky duked it out a week before the start of the season.

Significance:

The atmosphere for this first game of the season was electric. Unfortunately, we fell behind by more than 10 in the first half. During half time, the conversation consisted of, let's get our shit together, or everyone is going to think we suck again. The day before the game, Cannon put in a half court in bounds play. We got into that situation, and we executed it flawlessly. We would go 3-0 in the Joe Greene Tournament.

Benedictine 63, Camden Co. 61

Camden County led 15-5 after a quarter and by 12 points at halftime, but BC came back and won when senior forward Brady Cannon converted a layup with 20 second remaining in the Joe Greene Tournament. BC's comeback was headed by Cannon and post player Donnie Bell, who scored 12 of his game-high 17 in the latter minutes of the third quarter and the fourth quarter.

CAMDEN CO. (61)

Charles Williams 10, Johnson 9, Holloway 9, Massey 9, Emerson 8, Small 6, Green 6, James 2.

BENEDICTINE (63)

Donnie Bell 17, Brady Cannon 13, Frankie Jackson 12, Keenan Summerlin 10, Murray 8, Gray 3.

Halftime--Camden Co., 35-23. Records--BC 1-0; Camden Co. 0-1.

Posted November 28, 200

Top 5 Basketball Fridays

For the next 5 Fridays, there will be no Friday Haiku. Instead, I am going to recount the most memorable 5 basketball games played while I was at Benedictine.

5: Benedictine v. Bradwell @ Cannon Court

Why it was significant:

It was the first region win for Benedictine in over 2 years. The previous year Benedictine went winless in region play. The core of Pierce, T West, Logan Sevier, Richard Polote, and Lamar Owens made it a habit to compete in the toughest basketball region in the state and even defeated Johnson in a non-region game. The 02/03 squad saw Owens take a backseat to guards Holland, Jackson, and Dotson. Gray, Summerli, and Murray grew into dangerous wings while Bell and Cannon learned to work together down low.

The atmosphere at this game was unbelievable. It set the stage for next year, and more than anything it proved that our group of sophomores and juniors was already better than the previous year's seniors. This was a stepping stone game. We took our lumps throughout this year, but knowing we could beat- not be competitive against- the big boys made us hungry, and we worked our asses off the following Summer for good reason.

Here's the story from the SMN,

Bell, Cannon ignite Benedictine to upset against Bradwell

Donnie Bell's 12 points and Brady Cannon's 10 sparked Benedictine to a 43-38 upset win against Bradwell Institute in a Region 3-AAAAA (A) boys' high school basketball contest.

BC (6-12, 1-6) recorded its first sub-region win of the season. Keenan Summerlin added nine points for the Cadets.

Romeo Montez led Bradwell (13-6, 7-4) with nine points.

BRADWELL INSTITUTE (37)

Montez 9, Nelson 8, Milton 4, Clay 4, Thomason 4, Green 2, Gillespie 2.

BENEDICTINE (43)

Donnie Bell 12, Brady Cannon 10, Summerlin 9, Owens 5, Jackson 4, Gray 2. Dotson 1.

Halftime--BC, 17-11. Records--BC 6-12, 1-6 Region 3-AAAAA (A); Bradwell 13-6, 7-4.

Posted January 19, 2002

15 Seconds of Fame

Well Ric Starr made his television debut earlier this evening in TNT's Franklin and Bash. I just watched it for a second time and was able to grab some screenshots with my phone but I don't think they do me justice. I'm much more photogenic on television. I will say for such a small role my performance was award show worthy. Nobody's ever played a tailor like that in cinematic history. Not to mention this was less than 2 months after my car accident, which is a made for TV movie in and of itself. Anyways, in case you missed it, or thought I was lying, here you go:

Look at that TV hair...

Congrats, Bryan

Great times in Bourbon.

Perfect place for a party-

Have a good one, Schiv.

Hell of a Way to Start

According to several reports, CMR told the crowd at the Greenville Bulldog Club gathering tonight that the South Carolina game will be a night game on ESPN. Based on his deep religious faith, I would not expect CMR to lie. If this is indeed true, it is shaping up to be a great start to the season (provided we win): 2 primetime nationally televised games against highly ranked teams. This is a great chance to become relevant again (which is sad considering these are games against Boise St. and Carolina). CMR, one piece of advice: don't piss the bed.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Twilight weekend was fun. Friday night was more fun than Saturday night. The new bartender at Bourbon St. is without a doubt the love of my life. The moment I saw her I immediately put her in my top 3 (of course I was somewhat inebriated at the time). I think I made some pretty good headway (hiii ohhhhh?) and I'm pretty sure I was on top of my game but you would have to ask Pmac because my memory is still a little fuzzy. I will say this, when I came back Saturday night and saw her she had a big smile on her face. Any who, I don't expect to see her again to until the football season so I hope she stays a B. St. I don't know how old she is either so she could be around a few years. One of these days I may even catch her name. I also told Chrissssss if Whiskey Bent wanted a war we would sure as hell give them one. I was serious. He thought that was hilarious and said they could kiss his ass. I wish I could go into more detail about this past weekend but unfortunately I cannot. I'd throw it in the W column though for sure. Believe me when I tell ya, this ole boy's still got it.

Not the best picture but you get the point. Winning.

I'll never take the first amendment for granted again. In a related note, I will be off Twitter for awhile:(

Apparently not.

Sylvester Stallone needs to make a sequel to "The Expendables" based on SEAL Team 6 and the kick ass job they did killing that rat bastard raghead OBL.

Hollywood's SEAL Team 6

Georgia runningbacks coach Bryan McClendon received a $110,000 raise. That bumps his salary up from $90,000 to $200,000 a year. Apparently this was done because he was being swayed by other schools. Regardless, I hope a lot of that is due to his recruiting abilities because our runningbacks aren't worth a s***. I don't necessarily blame McClendon for that. I knew CK4 was going to be a bust the minute he set foot on campus. I had hope for Ealey until last year's South Carolina game but now I just assume lump him in with King. Basically, I don't see why he should get a big raise when the position he coaches is one of the bigger disappointments on the team. I have nothing against McClendon, just to be clear.

A huge raise, for this performance? Really?

Sorry Mouse but the Hawks are ruining sports talk radio in Atlanta so I need them to just go ahead and lose these next 4 games. Ok thanks.

I want you to choke. You know how to choke. Make it happen Joe.

The first leg of the Triple Crown is upon us: The 137th Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs. The odds on favorite at this point is Dialed In at 3:1. I'll make a Wednesday lean towards Twice The Appeal (25:1). On Saturday I'll probably just pick whatever horse is in Gate 4. I remember we once discussed everybody chipping in and buying a horse to race in the Derby. The names of the horses kind of suck this year. If you had a horse what would you name it?

Mint Juleps for everyone. Hooray!