Monday's Meatloaf - Grantham, like a freight train...GONE!

So I sat down to type out this post yesterday afternoon and all of a sudden my phone blew up. Joe Schad sent out a tweet and suddenly it was Christmas morning anew. Only better. Tis better to give than receive, and boy did we give away a big one!

"They're gonna pay you how much to have
my hemorrhoids removed?"

Of course, we have the Mormons to thank. Well, the Mormons and Terry Saban. How is that? Well, BYU beat Texas back in September in such spectacular fashion that it started a whirlwind of Mack Brown out at Texas rumors. Then Mrs. Saban visits Austin and tells her husband "Hell no!" And then the Longhorns hire Louisville's Charlie Strong. And then Bobby Petrino gets on his knees, then his belly to slither back into his old gig. And then!....THEN! He does something completely irrational and professionally irresponsible.

No, worse than hiring a leggy volleyball player and propping her up on his Hog. He hires Todd Grantham. The guy that made Vad Lee into a four quarter Heisman candidate. The guy with the towel boy that couldn't stop the guy with our former defensive back under center. The guy with more dog houses for his players to sleep in than I've seen in sixteen years of marriage. The guy that had become a cancer within his own team room; to the point that when he contacted his bosses to let them know he was talking with Petrino, all they had to say was - "Welp. Ok." Then hung up and got back to their Words With Friends game.

"Buyout" can have triple the point value if played correctly. No, this ain't no temporary, typical, tearful goodbye.

I think it's important not to dismiss the positives of the last four years. In many ways, this last season's defensive regression greatly overshadows what were some good seasons where we saw renewed energy and enthusiasm on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, somewhere of late, Todd Grantham lost his fellow coaches on the staff. And then he lost his own players. And when that happens, some measure of change is necessary.

For Grantham, it was too easy to take the bump in pay and just leave. Don't blame him one bit. I'm happy for him and his family. I'm happy for Georgia fans. And most of all, I'm happy for the players.

Today's Ingredients
- Not a large serving today. But some very tasty portions in here. Grab a plate.
- Groo looks back at Grantham's tumultuous career and then forward at his departure's ramifications.
- LugnutDawg was as surprised as the rest of us with yesterday's news. But took some time to compile a list of names.
- Blutarsky adds some thoughts on the Grantham news as well.
- Greg looks at the rumor of Kentucky's DB coach leaving to join Richt's staff.
- Over at Georgia Sports Blog, PWD researches David Gibbs and Tyler adds his wish list for the DC candidacy.
- Good defense and making good at the charity stripe have Coach Fox's squad sitting atop the SEC. Here's Hoop Dawgs analysis on the 2-0 start.
- Lakatos leaving kind of reopened the wound of the secondary woes this past season. I thought this summarization of the personnel by DudeYouCrazy was spot on.
- "Well, bye." Marshall recaps the week that was in his weekly Sunday post.
- As season recaps go, I think Jack has the best perspective. Fun read. But is it weird that #4, and what ended as a loss to Auburn, is my favorite?

via "The Walking DET", artwork by Jeff Rich

- And oh yeh, Shaq Wiggins was arrested early this morning for speeding on a suspended license. So when Dorial Green-Beckham has his charges dismissed, we'll be atop the Fulmer Cup standings for sure!

To wrap this up, as we were settling into our off season hibernation spots, Jason and the rest his squad were shipping off as of last Wednesday on the USS Taylor. These are the guys that fly badass helicopters and specialize in anti-submarine warfare. They're stationed in Jacksonville and Jason is a big Dawgs fan. I know they'll be working their tails off (figuratively) in the Black Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Baltic Sea the next few months before heading back home this summer. To their friends and family, we wish great comfort in their absence.

And I know you'll join me in thanking them for their service abroad. Glad there are no required 4am ESPN game telecasts to watch the Dawgs like there were in Japan for the 2012 season. We're just thankful there are brave souls like y'all out there that really and truly Get After That Ass each day. So in the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, I'll end with this - "A good navy is not a provocation of war. It is the surest guarantee of peace."

The rest of you grab a mop and swab the deck. Y'all made a helluva Monday mess in here.

Bernie