Diamond Dawg update

The Diamond Dawgs were stymied yesterday by Creighton's ace Dufek. We face Arkansas Little Rock today at 4pm. Here's how Kendall Rogers breaks down yesterday's play in the Corvallis Regional:

CORVALLIS REGIONAL

Host: Oregon State Where: Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. Super regional pairing: Winner of Nashville Regional The skinny: Creighton put together a very business-like performance in a 2-1 triumph over Georgia. Jonas Dufek was fantastic on the mound, while Scott Thornburg and Anthony Bemboom each finished the afternoon with a hit and an RBI ... Oregon State starting pitcher James Nygren allowed four runs in just 4 2/3 innings against Arkansas-Little Rock, but the bullpen rose to the occasion in a 7-4 comeback victory. Scott Schultz tossed 1 1/3 shutout innings, Matt Boyd tossed two shutout innings and Tony Bryant tossed one shutout frame. It's also worth noting OSU leadoff hitter Ryan Barnes went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Player of the day: P Jonas Dufek, Creighton -- The Bluejays had the tough chore of slowing down a Georgia offense that has potential to be very productive. Dufek, though, had little trouble with the Bulldogs. Dufek struck out 10 batters and allowed just a run on five hits in a complete game performance. What we learned: We said in our Corvallis Regional preview that Creighton could experience a wealth of success this weekend if it plays defense and pitches well as it has the entire season. The Bluejays did just that against Georgia and we'll see if that continues against Oregon State. We also learned the Beavers have a flare for the comeback. The Beavers were down 4-0 to UALR in the fifth inning, but responded with seven runs the final four at bats to take care of business. OSU put its hard-nosed attitude on display.

One thing's for sure, if Alex Wood pitches as well as Pallazone did yesterday we'll at least have a shot of extending the weekend action. We went down swinging a lot yesterday. Hopefully today we can make better contact.

Beer of the Week: 400 Pound Monkey

Left Hand Brewing Company is a solid brewery. I've liked it for awhile, but I've grown to love it since my trip to Boulder. I enjoy everything that comes from Fort Collins. This IPA (India Pale Ale) is no different.


Why does the world need another IPA? Well, this one is different. I've become a big fan of Jailhouse's Mugshot IPA. When I decided to make this BotW post on an India Pale Ale, the Mugshot was a distant second.


Look, in my mind you can't go wrong pouring me an IPA. I love em all. I'm a true hophead, the more hops the better. I haven't had one that I wouldn't drink again. But Left Hand's is different. It's unique and dares to challenge your hop crazed taste buds from the beginning.


If you've been to Colorado, you likely understand. They're a little bit different anyway. I thought Mrs. Bernie and I recycled until we went out there in October. Those people are militant about it. They like things fresh, clean and different. The 400 doesn't disappoint.


It's both smooth and piney. The hops are evident but the malts come through as you swallow and really round out the whole experience. Which is why I think this brew can both satisfy hopheads and other beer drinkers alike.


I can vouch for Left Hand's milk stout, Sawtooth and Chainsaw ales, Fade to Blacks (vol I and II), and Stranger. They're all good. But the 400 lb Monkey may be the most well-behaved of them all.


Enjoy.

Ok, I'll chime in...to pay or not to pay?

Lot of talk in the mainstream media and even more in the social media about paying players getting some type of compensation for their time at an institution that makes a lot of money while they play their hearts out wearing their team's colors. 


Thanks Steven Spurrier, but...in a word...No!


Look, I'm sorry colleges rake in dollars like oak leaves in October just from gate receipts on Fall Saturdays. I'm sorry the players that actually risk life and limb on the actual playing field see little to nothing of that money. Players want a piece of the pie that coaches and admins have been eating from. In way I don't blame them with some of the benjamins that are getting thrown around lately.


But without getting too political and philosophical...I'm not an entitlement person. And this is just an I'm entitled to... debate. The players make the plays that now get shown on both local and national television shows. They also put butts in the seats and create revenue from jersey sales.


But they're getting a free education. Isn't that still worth something nowadays?

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More readings on the topic:
- Seven coaches voted for and 5 against. (Chizik evidently thought it should be closer to $200K) 
- Current and former players support the head cock as well.
- Richt points out it would be more complicated than Spurrier suggested.
- NCAA prez Emmert agrees.
- ALSO...vote in the poll to the left. 

SEC Meetings: Will Muschamp

A Cock that has nine lives

Of course Stephen Garcia is back for his final season. We all knew this. But ESPNs Chris Low tells us that there are some that weren't so sure a couple months ago.

His most recent suspension came after he became disruptive and was asked to leave an SEC-mandated life skills/leadership seminar in April. Garcia admitted to Spurrier that he’d been drinking prior to the event while celebrating a teammate’s birthday.

At the time, there were several associated with the program who felt Spurrier might send Garcia packing for good, especially considering how much Spurrier has publicly lamented Garcia’s lack of commitment and flimsy work ethic the past two years.

Some thought Garcia might be done? Really? Spurrier's 28 year old quarterback could take a dump on Jesse Palmer's frosted tips and he'd still start the first game against East Carolina. He could call Danny Wuerffel a dumbass peckerwood to the ol' ball coach's face and he'd still be introduced as Carolina's starting QB 'tween the hedges September 10th.


I don't know who these several associated with the program are, but they need to wake the hell up. Steve Spurrier has some moobs and he's always ready to win at all costs.

SEC Meetings: Coach Richt

Interviews with Calipari and Mullen

SEC Meeting Livestream

UPDATE: no livestream today, but some interviews and additional footage should be available later on.

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ADDITION: sorry, should've mentioned the livestream should start at 2pm.

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Looks like we'll be able to watch the action in Destin live through the SEC Network video player. I'll try and come back later and embed it here, but in case I get hung up in real life here's the link to the player. 


Lots of interesting stuff going on down there. Come tune in if you get out of that afternoon conference call...or even if you don't.

the Corvallis bracket

The 2011 Baseball Championship brackets have been added to the NCAA website to where you can highlight each one and check times. (h/t UGA Diamond Dawgs)

Like Tyler Dawgden posted yesterday, this bracket is winnable. We'd certainly be less than optimistic if the Dawgs had gone to Dodgertown back in mid March and laid an egg. But they didn't. They can win on the road, they just haven't proven it to themselves and their fans consistently. Maybe that can come in the land of the beavers.


Working against us: our own worst luck, lack of depth on the mound and seemingly endless stretches where scoring a run is the equivalent of passing a kidney stone, just more painful.


Working for us: opponents are mediocre for this field, Pallazone has proven he can pitch Friday and Sunday and the fact that Vanderbilt will be all the way across the country.


As sick as I am of playing the Commodores at this point, let's hope we get a chance to worry about them some more next week.


Go Dawgs!

Auburn, aka the other shoe...??

I tried to find it last night, but somewhere a few months ago I read or heard someone say that there were two college football bombshells on the horizon. Both were expected to break before August and the person all but said one would mean the end for Tressel.

Abuurn fnas rcok!!!1

Good morning Mr. Dohrmann!

After reading the Sports Illustrated piece I don't think we discovered much we didn't already suspect was there. Most of the college football world believed this stuff would surface. The article merely serves as a wake up alarm for Gee and Smith. Or perhaps you're more familiar with their work as Dumb and Dumber.


Anyway, it's always nice to see a liar get caught. Tressel didn't resign so much as his "bosses" finally pulled their pants up and buckled their belts. Regardless the larger issue will be what happens to THE ohio state university's athletic program. And once that comes down we can really enjoy the taste of the cigar while we watch these legends and losers scramble for ammunitions. Thanks for your hard work Exile. 


So is Auburn the next big headline waiting out there? Are we waiting on another shoe to drop? I don't know. The smart money might be on YES, but the fact is they have better track record at cheating than buckeyes. Meaning, they been around the block a time or two. And when they pay players it ain't in tatts, Chrysler 300s and maryjane. It's cold hard cash that's been laundered and filtered. Tattoos might get your program to a Rose Bowl and an annual victory over a rival who's decades past their prime anyway. In Opelika it gets you a Natty Championship son!


And two dead trees.

Tressel Quits

If you can't stand the heat, take off the vest.

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has resigned, university sources told The Dispatch today.

Less than three months after President E. Gordon Gee and Athletic Director Gene Smith said they fully supported their embattled coach, mounting pressure, a pending NCAA disciplinary hearing and new revelations about the culture of the program forced the university to act on their once-revered coach, sources said.

At least he finally got that win over an SEC team before he bowed out gracefully got canned.

Monday's Memorial Day Meatloaf

We live a privileged life here. Everyday we are afforded the opportunity to take it all for granted. There are millions of people across the globe that wish and pray everyday that they had the men and women we do in our military.


But today there is no taking things for granted. Today we make good on the other days on the calendar when we weren't so outwardly appreciative. Today we look up to those who've fallen, who paid the ultimate price. We give thanks for those who serve and have served. 


I am no hero in our nation's collective eye. But there are many in my life who are, or were. My grandparents for instance, part of the greatest generation. They both served during WWII, my granddad as a mechanic supervisor and my grandmother as a WAC - Women's Army Corps. Granddad would peddle his bike through the British countryside whenever he got a 24 hour pass so he could see his bride. About 9 months later Grandmom was back in South Carolina giving birth to a dude I call Dad, three days before D-Day. And one June about 37 years later my granddad was in a Sears Roebuck outside of Fargo explaining to me just what dungarees are.


It seems a 12 year old southern boy can't pack for a trip that far north no more than his grits raised mother can. Without those who dedicated their lives to the campaigns of World War II, I wouldn't be able to share that memory with you. I've always appreciated that kind of dedication to ones country and a greater good, even if I've never duplicated it myself. 


And I surely appreciate all that peddling Granddad did on those 24 hour passes. God Bless our troops. Past. Present. Future.


Today's Ingredients

• The NCAA host sites have been announced for next weekend's regionals. Assuming the Dawgs are in, I think we end up in Clemson. Chasing Omaha disagrees.
• Newcomer to the Georgia Sports Blog Tyler thinks we've worked our way in too.
• Meanwhile, the Lady Dawgs of the Diamond fell to Baylor yesterday.
• GenXDawg offers us some motivation...We are Junkyard Dawgs!
• Remember that pantsless guy...what's his name? Oh yeh, Mackie. Well he chimes in to offer his Preamble to the 2011 season.
• In yesterday's episode of The Countdown 2011 Streit looks backwards and forwards at the rivalry with the HillBillys. (Warning: wear your hobnail boots)
• I guess Coach Richt and Coach PaJammies agree on two things: Historic Grant is a very comfortable place to play a tackle football game, and oversigning is bad.
• Ever since Dijana joined the DawgPost there have been a lot more exclusives. Coincidence, I think not. This weekend, she got a one on one with John Theus. ($$)
• In his daily recruiting update ecdawg has some video of Todd Gurley, a 6'1" 195lb athlete out of Tarboro, NC.
• Unless I've lost count, we've got about a week before Exile aims his swagger wagon south, for...ever. But in the mean time he agrees with Spurrier, Garcia's changed.
• LSU, summer renaissance...yeh, I get it.
• The SEC brass look like they're taking their cowbells to the SEC meetings again this year. (h/t Mr. SEC)
• Lastly, is it just me or will this be one of the more interesting conferences in Destin in a long while? 

More than anything I hope you and yours have a relaxing Memorial Day. Mine's already been spectacular. But before we part ways, lemme throw some red, white and blue stuff at you, like this cartoon reminder from Dad:

And some links courtesy of a damn fine Marine and also a damn good Dawg. Semper Fi and Glory, Glory Mac.

Taps played to a slideshow of touching military pictures. A reminder 

that freedom is never free.

While I finish my hotdog and you dip your toes in the pool..."Here rests in 

honored glory an American soldier, known but to God."

Lastly, another beautiful slideshow set against the backdrop of

the Marine Corps' National Museum. "All gave some, some gave all."

Now go turn those burgers Reader. And when your path crosses with a veteran, regardless of the day the calendar reads....give him or her thanks.

Bernie

Dawgs go 3-2 in Hoover, just enough

The Diamond Dawgs played tough in the SEC Tourney, right down to the last out. Now we wait to see what the NCAA does with us. Going 3-2 in Hoover makes us just eligible for a regional next weekend.

College Baseball Daily evaluates Perno's squad:

The Bulldogs (31-29), who have played the nation’s toughest rated schedule and own an RPI of No. 16, have won three in a row here to assure it will finish the tournament with the NCAA required record above .500. After falling to third-ranked Vanderbilt 10-0 on Wednesday where they managed just one hit, the Bulldogs have won three straight elimination games, beating Auburn, top-ranked South Carolina and now the Gators. 

We'll know more specifically in a day or two. I'm just glad to have baseball to watch next weekend. 


Go Dawgs!