Last time I checked, Coach Leach was paying the (Bleep'N) bills!!!

We all knew Mike Leach was no saint, but if you scour the annals of Texas Tech football history you'll certainly find that he never claimed to be. His firing smells of Ode de Toilet. Sure, he shouldn't have ordered the code red. But that wasn't the reason he was fired, it was just the last proverbial straw in a very political drink.

Fast forward a couple months and tensions are rising. Depositions. Mud-slinging. Records released. Innocent victims. All that and yet Coach Leach is reportedly casually walking through the Texas Tech student lounges signing autographs with one hand while sipping coffee from the other (h/t Senator). No cream. No sugar.

Yes, yesterday the locker room tapings below were released. After watching them my guess would be that they only help get Leach another head gig soon. His preachings may make some mommas bristle, but he was in his own damn locker room by gawd! Some of what he says may make others a little uncomfortable, but again, his team, his players, his program.

Judge for yourself, if you haven't already. And before you press play, these do come from a football locker room and not a frat house on North Avenue. Goshdarnit Pete! You are a a sonofagun. Since it's Saturday and most are not at work, I'll just add...NSFFR...Not Safe for Family Room.

First off, Coach Leach wants his players to channel their Christianity into a better defense.

Coach Leach is was paying the bills. This is a great speech evidently made after TTU barely beat a miserable Baylor team. Apparently Adam James was happy with just a win.

Sounds to me like a damn good football coach that made one mistake in an environment where he wasn't willing to play kissy face. But that's just my humble one. Feel free to add your own.

Trivial Update – It’s McThree’s Twitterverse…

…we’re just along for the ride. Here’s last night’s recap:

ThursdaysRTrivial is coming up right after this PSA: when hosting a twivia show from the road, pull over before you tweet. #safetyfirst

#ThursdaysRTrivial ep. 37 "Its raining McPhees" Welcome to the Twitter Twivia show that's high on the hog, pig and souieee. REPLY back your answer for a chance at a fabulous prize. You can't outhustle #Dawg senior Ricky McPhee, but you can guess his point total. When the Dawgs take on Arkansas tonight, how many points will McThree have?

And here were the tweets that made it in before the 10:00 tipoff.

Tweeter	Prediction	Prize
Tracy	9	see below
Exile	17	Gardner Webb snow shovel
Ally	13	McPhee shoelace
Alan	14	Ricky’s SAT score sheet
Morton	12	patented Ricky kick ass grimace
Paige	11	see below

So both Tracey and Paige were just one point from nailing it, kinda like that long range bomb from just inside the scorer’s table to end the first half. Hellz Yeh!! ThursdaysRTrivial has never been immune to controversy, perhaps dating back to BDBs original trivial amusings back in it’s infancy.

So no…I ain’t skeer’d.

It just so happens that I reneged on a promise a few weeks back to both of these ladies. Although I have no recollection, they both remember a tweet involving round trip airfare to Miami and tickets to the Super Bowl. So it’s time to come clean. They’ll both enjoy a ride in a jet plane to Miami late this afternoon to get an ice cream cone before re-boarding and flying to Nashville for tonight’s game where they’ll see even more McPhees raining down in the Music City. The only stipulation is that Paige gets to sit in first class since she had the more optimistic prediction for the Dawg senior.

Sorry Tracey. Times are tough in the surreal Twitterverse too. Have more faith in Ricky next time. : )

Enjoy it ladies. If you’d like to play along too Reader you can follow me here. And just for fun, how many assists will #10 have tonight? Closet to the stat sheet gets an extra bite of meatloaf.

Dawgs Go Hog Wild

Hoops star Trey Thompkins perhaps put it best: We matured as a team.

Quite simply…yes. Coach Fox’s crew were dominant from the start. They were relentless inside the paint and outrebounded the Hogs 45-28. As they continuously answered each Arkansas challenge, just one question remained. Could they finish a full 40 minutes?

Again, quite simply…yes.  Now comes the home town team Vanderbilt. We’ve beaten them twice this season; we just were gracious enough at the end of the February 25th game to give them a victory when they really needed one.

Although I’d much rather earn the W, I wouldn’t mind the Commodores returning the favor. Cuz if this Georgia team can make it ‘til Saturday’s tilts…well, anything could happen. Weekend games in a conference tourney typically bring teams that are playing tight, are already fat and content with their eyes on national regionals or are playing hungry.

The Dawgs need to stay hungry. The Music City can be a great place to eat.

Tune in tonight at 9:45 EST. If the SEC Network has yet to reach your local affiliate, try ESPN360. I don’t know if we can pull the upset, but I’m sure it’s gonna be an entertaining game. No one in NashVegas wants to play Georgia right now.

Go Dawgs!

Links that relate:

• Weiszer catches up with Tom Brennan
• also High Note in Music City
• Yesterday Hale updated post-season considerations
• Exile...one down
• Today's preview

Richard Samuel - from Pygmy Goat to Bonecrusher

I spent some time recently digging up some old videos of a former Cass High School RB/LB. If you're unfamiliar with who I'm referring to, you NEED to read this post from Streit at Bubba 'n Earl. One of my all-time favorites.

Ok, now that you're up to speed...Richard Samuel moving from offense to defense is one of the changes I'm most excited about this off-season. Of course the new DC is at the top and Logan Gray appears to be needed a little more now under center than at WR (which seemed impossible a few days ago). But Samuel's switch is full of intrigue and seems a decision of sound mind.

And I think this video shows exactly why it's a good decision...and also one that should've been made earlier. Dean Legge gives us about 2 minutes of footage from one game that is equally divided between offense and defense. Perhaps I'm just seeing what I want to, but at tailback I see a lot of what we saw the last two years from #22: good speed, full of reckless abandon and always seems a move and a half away from breaking a big one.

That and he runs himself out of his cleats a lot. But on the defensive side he's more instinctive, natural. He hits real, real hard (you'll wanna run it back to the 1:15 mark a couple times...Damn!). And looks good playing off the edge, which is where Grantham is test driving him to start the spring.

At this early stage you'd have to think the odds are against Samuel starting in September given the competition and the learning curve he's up against. Then again, Coach Richt gives him a compliment (from his backhand, but a compliment nonetheless) - 

I think he's about like the rest of the guys - they're all kind of lost because they're all learning it brand new....But that's one thing that will help Richard. If all these guys had experience at it, he might be farther behind. But he's about as lost as the rest of them. 

Fellow LB Marcus Dowtin has been an advocate of a defensive Samuel for quite a while - 

He's an athlete. He's strong, he's fast, and I think he'll be a great complement to me, and I can be a great complement to him out there. He's made out linebacker corps a lot more athletic and a lot faster.

In short, I think there's some big plays in this kid's future. And smart money is on his first being a bonecrushing hit in Columbia that separates the ball from Stephen Garcia's car-keying hands.

How fitting.


Some related links on Samuel:

• UGABlog thinks Samuel will shine
• Weiszer weighs in
• Hale's A Good Move

He's Wearing Spanks!

I successfully avoid don't get the pleasure of late night tv much. Maybe you already saw this. If not, it's at least worthy of 9 minutes of your lunch time. And it also proves that even in a little late night skit with Jimmy Kimmel, Ben Affleck couldn't act his way through a bowel movement.

Diamond Dawgs Dumped

.

Perno's Dawgs are playing like pups. Fresh off a whuppin' of epic proportions in Tallahassee, the losing streak is growing.

Make no mistake...Kennesaw State is no easy out. They beat us two years ago at home. And last night, they pounded us at Foley.

Kennesaw St                        11

Dawgs                            1 (one)

We knew this season would require Perno to get creative on the base paths and in the batters' box. We also knew the pitching would be it's usual question mark. But damn.

Today the same teams meet in Kennesaw. If you're nearby, first pitch is at 5pm. Be sure and bring your rally cap...and wear it early and often. It's gonna be that kind of season.

Related linkage:

• Red & Black coverage
• Kyle sees a circling pattern around the drain
• WUOG's Live Blog
• 2010 schedule
• KSU tix info

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2011 Recruiting Spotlight - Damian Swann

Specs

height - 6'0"
weight - 175
high school - Grady, Atlanta
40 time - 4.5
bench - 185*
squat - 315*
vertical - 31"*

* self reported

Quick Hits
Damian Swann is a superb athlete that plays all over the field. He projects at defensive back in college due to his great closing speed to the ball and ability to bring ball carriers to the turf. Although he's played mostly safety on the defensive side of the ball in HS, there's a good chance he ends up at corner after working on his footwork more. As Chad Simmons says, he has great potential and the athleticism to go a long way.

Swann's recruitment is obviously still wide open, but Georgia and Alabama appear to be the front runners among a long list of heavy weights. Personally, I like the tall, athletic corner, especially in run support and in goalline situations...and Swann fits the bill. He tallied 60 tackles his junior season for the Grey Knights and had six interceptions. Scout has him ranked as the #8 CB in the nation.

Video

Mett Arrested

Zach Mettenberger was arrested over the weekend. Per Hale:

Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger was arrested over the weekend in Remerton, Ga., on five charges including underage consumption, disorderly conduct and possession of a fake I.D.

Mettenberger was arrested at approximately 1:39 a.m. Sunday outside of a local restaurant called Flip Flops and was taken to the Lowndes County Jail.

Perhaps the greatest crime however would be getting caught publicly spending spring break outside of Valdosta. Have they built a beach down there without my catching wind of it?

This will be played up for a couple of days under a media spotlight. And although I would never condone breaking the law, the dude who writes this blawg (and I would venture to guess most who read it) have been guilty of doing one or two of the things Mett got caught with.

In the end, the kid from Oconee Co. may still be the starter come fall. But we can assume he won't live up to the last Georgia QB to get caught with beer. I mean Stafford was doing keg stands at Talladega. Not spending spring break at Flip-Flops outside of Valdosta.

Other readings on the matter:

• Times Free Press
• Schultz pens a fair piece
• a lamecock acts like their QB cured venereal disease or something
• Hale's blog has a little more info than the press release

Monday's Meatloaf - Hollywood Kicks off March Madness

Uh-oh...someone left this soapbox here unattended.

That sound you heard last night was the annual scripted emotional purge Hollywood has to go through in order to prove they're human. It's kinda like a constipated elephant getting an enema to release months of digested vegetation. Except this collection of massive egos will now go back to feeding on American ideals and half-caf lattes.

There are a number of conflicting variables that have helped dig the divide I have with all things glitz in GlamourTown. First and foremost, I'm married with children. And to be able to afford a night out to visit the local multiplex would require this little blog to actually start paying bills. BWAHAHAHA!


I'm also a pretty conservative American. And Hollywood is about as American as the Euro dollar. And it doesn't help that movie makers these days are more concerned with toying with the emotions of ticket buyers rather than actual entertainment...and facts. 

This year's big winner is the perfect example.The Hurt Locker had the potential to be a good film. Instead the screenwriter and the movie's producer decide to twist the truth for the love of the silver screen. They used our nation's military to gain access to first hand knowledge...only to alter images, personalities and realistic events so that their egos could be fed until over-gorged.

News sources will try and convince you that actual members of some thing called the Academy vote on films to determine winners. The truth is winners are chosen so that the award show and other propaganda can be sustained. The Hurt Locker was chosen. It was chosen despite the fact that it used and disparaged the very men and women trained to defend the soil on which that crapfest aired last night.

On Friday I gave a Redbox a dollar and on Saturday afternoon the wife and I watched this year's best picture. I didn't see many movies this past year, but if that was Hollywood's best...I can honestly say: I ain't missing much.  


Today's Ingredients

• Looking at the SEC by the numbers, Mark Inabinett of the Press-Register finds Georgia in a positive light. Our resident homer Loran Smith takes that handoff and runs with it.
• With everyone wondering who will be taking snaps this fall, Hale finds the backfield in very good shape and with high aspirations. He also adds a nice piece on Kris Durham, a senior leader at a position where his presence is needed.
• David Paschall sees the offensive line as a definite strength heading into the 2010 campaign. The Senator digests it and adds it to the gloom side of the ledger.
• Mike wags a finger at Jeff Schultz.
• As for former o-linemen, Vince Vance is preparing for his Pro Day in Athens. NCAA Fanhouse's Jim Henry tells us Vance is getting help from 7 time Pro Bowler Jackie Slater (h/t Cousin Walter).
• Unfortunately, another former Dawg was busted for using a performance enhancing substance.
• Fox's Hounds missed out on their last chance to gain a road win. Exhile and hoopdawg weigh in on the lackluster and lazy performance. I hope the Dawgs find some hunger before heading to NashVegas Thursday. Cuz Saturday they played as if it was Thanksgiving night.
• Perno's Diamond Dawgs fared even worse as they were swept in Tallahassee. I don't think the Seminoles even needed brooms. Home and home this week against Kennesaw State...hopefully the pitching gets well fast.
• Meanwhile, pitching was not a problem at all for the fourth ranked softball team as they no-hit Middle Tennessee yesterday heading into Wednesday's double-header against Florida.
• And the GymDawgs notched their biggest win on the mats this season by edging #3 UCLA Saturday.
• So all in all, I guess the women were the only ones who were Dawg enough this weekend.
• Lastly, Kit's Dawg-gone Blog turned five on Friday. Happy Birthday...or Anniversary....whatever. You get my point. Keep up the awesome work! Congrats!

To be quite honest, this jekyll and hyde act the mens' basketball team plays is really frustrating. All in all, this rebuilding season has been a resounding success. Coach Fox has proven that in future seasons Stegeman is not going to be a comfortable venue. But when the team loads their own bus, well...the intensity wanes, to put it lightly.

Luckily, as Daugman points out, help is on the way. The future remains bright. Coach Fox is still our Hardwood Hero. 

But that doesn't mean we can't hope for more...now.

I'm not one to pray for natural disasters. And it's been well-documented that tornados in downtown Atlanta are a rare occurrence. But if you're like me, you've been wondering exactly how prevalent they are in Nashville TN. Could the clouds align twice in as many years?

I truly don't know the answer. Maybe I have a reader who is a forecaster meteorologist weather predictor guesser. But the lamechickens helped us out by playing their way into the Kentucky side of the bracket. Maybe that can be the start of something good. I know my fingers are crossed.

Of course they were also crossed when it was announced that Planes, Trains and Automobiles wasn't even nominated for Best Picture. So take that for what it's worth. And then go have a Monday Reader.

Here's a napkin. You got a little on your chin there...


Bernie