Monday's Laborious and Somewhat Sour Meatloaf

Happy Labor Day to you and yours Reader. Some big bites today, so we're using the everyday china in lieu of of styrofoam. You just can't get ready for Chickumbia with disposable goods.

courtesy David Manning

You know how when you pour a tall glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day? The ice crackles a bit as the brewed sugary goodness cascades over the cubes and fills the glass from the bottom to the top. A full 16 ounces of liquid refreshment that is just as eager to satisfy you and you are eager to gulp!

That's the feeling coming away from Saturday's effort. The entire team seemed eager to thrill, played with an ardent desire to do bodily harm and refused to remove their cleat from a lesser opponent's throat lest the cleat marks fade away too soon.

And as satisfying as that was, there's still a sour taste. Yes, this tea was left out too long and soured a touch. AJ Green's stats are nil. His silver britches were practice shorts. As much as I want to bark from my rooftop, I can't get past this. I'm sour myself. Bitter.

And in times like these I always find it wise to focus on that which we can control. I've seen some people refer to AJ as suspended. He was lumped into a category with Tavarres King and Washaun Ealey by numerous people who wear red and black. They even made such an egregious error on the post game call in show.

Some California fruits and nuts entertainment site and the NCAA have done enough to sully AJs good name. Let's not add to that within our own ranks.

Today's Ingredients

courtesy David Manning

• Lotssa reactions to Saturday, let's start with Cousin Walter over at Football on the Brain who saw some things he didn't see last year.
• Exile runs down the good, the bad...but runs short on the ugly.
• Lucid Idiocy wonders who holds the NCAA accountable for their actions. You beat guys...y'all been doing that, right? Cuz we have.
• Herschel Blogger was just as unimpressed as I was in Tebow 2.0.
• Former Dawg Ben Dukes enjoyed the taste, but is ready for SEC football.
• Aaron Murray's goal was to have fun, and he did on Saturday.
• Forget cocks, Spurrier has Grantham envy. 
• Carvell says Hutson Mason and USC (the other one) are changing GAs rep for QB talent.
• New to the Dawg beat, Gentry Estes runs down the eligibility uncertainties in the SEC opener.
• No, I didn't chuckle at the post-game caller who criticized Grantham for the post defensive lapse (notice, singular...) tirade. But you can count me among those in this category.
• "I saw guys running to the ball, I saw guys playing physical. I think overall it was a solid performance." My...what Rennie Curran coulda done under Coach Grantham.
• I didn't expect Drew Butler to actually get better in the off season. But he may have done just that. As Hamp explained to me, it's like a howitzer. A perfect, LONG shot off the foot that is always on target. Here's his other impressions from Saturday.
• In regards to Murray Saturday, perhaps the Senator put it best: Murray is going to have to think about what Ellis Johnson will throw at him, but it’s not as if he didn’t give Johnson a few things to think about from yesterday’s game, either.  He’s got a live arm, even if it isn’t Staffordesque, and he’s mobile enough that South Carolina is going to have to stay focused on containment with its pass rush...
• Simmons catches up with Carver's Isaiah Crowell after a dramatic win Friday night over Buford.
• Raise your hand if you're surprised Les Miles could be outcoached by Butch Davis who couldn't even fill his own three deep? No one?....no one? Me either. Always good to get a W, even if you have to steal it I guess.
• Lastly, really...what's the difference in me buying a 6pack of PBR tallboys Saturday morning at 6:30am and 7:01am? With all these early kicks, the only person I feel more sorry for than myself was the little check out girl at Kroger that has to explain this silly GA law over and over again on Saturday mornings.

If there's a silver-britched lining to the NCAA/AJ mess, it's that he should be cleared in time for Saturday's SEC opener. And if so, I'm sure he'll be especially hungry for catches, yards and points.

On a happier note, it was really nice to get back to Athens this weekend. I hope you were able to as well Reader. And as a result, I'd like to give some tailgate shout-outs to wrap-up this end of the main course.


First of all, Nama. The only thing he does better than tailgating is vlawg'n. He'll have video evidence of how badly my cornholin' training camp was later this week. Chuck...for kicking Cord out of his car...otherwise I wouldn't have been subjected to a 45 minute TCU-OSU preview at 7am. Awesome.


Donna from Dacula. Yet another great Cedar Shoals graduate. Chuck from Milledgeville and the Wrangler for having a great Dawg tailor. Cohen, for his great taste in beer and his mom for her quick hands. Cord for the duck sausage...if that ain't cajun, I don't know what is. And Tanner and the Wrangler for the cornhole lessons. I can't remember the last time y'all lost.


For the rest of you, it's chicken week. Shove a beer can up it's ass nether region and let's GATA!




Bernie