Some binoculars and then a microscope

While it takes the former to even begin to see the next season, we can use the latter to examine some themes, issues and points of interest. I like to call that process...March.

As I mentioned the other day, I've been compiling a list of things to put under the microscope this off season. Most are just general bullets that may flesh out a bit during spring practices. As you glance over the list, understand that I'm not ranking them in any way. Just separating out some storylines between the end of the 2013 season and the one that is upon us in....182 days.

• offensive line - we did well in recruiting here this year. But I'd still like to go back and look at what we have as a follow up to this and this.
• coaching changes - expectations, both tempered as well as unleashed!!!!!1
• where's quayvon - started out with a bang then disappeared, wtf?
• In Hutson we trust
• Coach Richt's affordable healthcare act - we can't have a worse season injury-wise, can we?
• defensive backs - reasonable expectations for improvement
• the schedule

God. I miss football y'all. 

Ray Drew rolls tide

Social media can be fun you know?

(btw - I purposely set it to mute out of sensitivity to any Bama coworkers you may have in the next cubicle. To listen just click the upper left corner of the video.)

An offseason antidote?

Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I've been researching and developing the concepts around what I'm sure would be the DawgNation's worst podcast out there. I've said it many times, but it bears repeating - as fans of the red and black, we're lucky to have great media guys, numerous blogs and several podcasts out there. The internet footprint for UGA fandom has an even greater presence when you add in active social media members. Even the ones that are a little too active...

But one thing I've noticed is that the podcast feeds mostly go into hibernation this time of year. I really enjoy podcasts. Like many of you I'm sure, I've got several feeds - UGA related as well as other topics of the non-college football variety - loaded into an nifty app on my phone so that I can choose one of them instead of crappy Atlanta radio and the sports talk idiots. So an idea I've had is to develop a podcast specific to off season topics and discussion.

What I have at this point is a general framework for it and some creative ideas for it. What I don't know is if there is enough interest. Of course, blog traffic goes way down in February, April, May and June. The reason behind that is obvious. I would assume podcast feeding goes down as well. And while I certainly don't mind talking to myself (as my lovely wife and daughters will confirm), I'd prefer not to invest the time if there's not much interest.

So would a poorly produced, short (around 20 minutes or so), once a week podcast that centers around both specific and general off season topics be something of interest to your ears? As opposed to canned "classic rock" or chronic updates to the Mellish Meter?

Seriously, lemme know your thoughts. I entertained the idea of just putting up a poll. But I'm really more interested in actual and usable qualitative feedback. And for those of you who don't listen to podcasts or even care what they are in the least yet still hung around for this entire post, I'll have a list of off-season topics posted tomorrow that I plan to address here on the blog in the coming weeks/months.

Is this thing on?

Conley's officially a force to be reckoned with

Looking forward to this movie release as much if not more than GDay.

CLICK HERE

Looking back at a Damn Good Dawg reunion

Saw that 1980Dawgs had uploaded this one last week. Just got around to watching it the other night. Enjoy.

Hey, anytime Nat Hudson can get some air time for throwing the greatest block in Georgia football history, it's more than worth sharing. I just love stuff like that.

A little longer in the tooth, sure. But forever and always some Damn Good Dawgs!

Humpday Hilarity - Rapper's Delight

Hopefully you've seen this already. If so, it's certainly worth another glance. And I had to put it here in honor of my dudes Nama, the Wrangler and the one and only Perald.

Is McGarity down with OPP?

Yeh you know me. This went over like a ton of bricks.

“If you need to get people revved up for a big third-down play, you can do that,” McGarity said. “You could always do it with your band, but now you can do it any way you want to. You still have to stop once the quarterback gets over the ball, gets under the center or in the shotgun.”

McGarity said the SEC has relaxed its rules on playing music over the stadium sound system that should give Georgia the same kind of environment during the game as the Bulldogs saw in last year’s season-opener at ACC member Clemson.

Because the ACC knows all about pumping up the jam. (via)

“They were able to do things in the ACC that we were not in the SEC,” McGarity said. “The rules have changed now for 2014 where we’re able to utilize songs and music up until the point when the quarterback gets over the ball. That’s a big change in the in-game atmosphere.”

A few questions/points here:

1. Couldn't the band play right up until the snap of the ball anyway?
2. Is ACC attendance going up? And if so, is it really because of this shit?
3. Are the students going to come in droves to hear some Eminem blaring over the PA when we play Charleston Southern?
4. Tennessee did a lot of this last season. Mrs. Bernie and I left with headaches from over exposure to piped in music noise. Yes, when music is blared into a stadium it's not only fake juice, its also just simply noise.
5. And for everyone so excited with this news, recalling how electric the stadium was with Knowshon and Co. dancing to the beats in 2007...again, what's it going to sound like when we're losing by 20? Or when we're up by 30 in the third quarter over Cupcake State?

Oh that's right. Y'all won't be in the stadium then.

We didn't need canned music to beat LSU in that historically frenzied game back in October. We needed big plays. When those came the fans rose to their feet and lifted their voices because the contest on the field motivated them to do so. If you're excited about this and actually think it will improve attendance, come back next February when we can talk about the addition of pony rides and Chuck Dowdle hosting karoake halftimes!

Jeebus. Let the Redcoats play. And get the hell off my lawn.

There are worse things in life than redshirting in Athens GA

Young Mr. Park knows his place.

"Everybody comes in to play, but I'm just going to come in and do what I have to do to get better," Park said this week in his first meeting with reporters in Athens. "If I redshirt, that's great. If I get the No. 2 spot, that's great, but redshirting doesn't seem like a bad idea."

Georgia's tradition of redshirting quarterbacks under coach Mark Richt began with D.J. Shockley in 2001 and continued with Joe Tereshinski ('02), Blake Barnes ('04) and Joe Cox ('05). The streak was snapped in 2006, when heralded prospect Matthew Stafford enrolled early and won the starting job midway through his freshman year.

Redshirting resumed with Logan Gray in 2007 and Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger two years later. 

via 247Sports

Paschall goes on to point out that the only quarterback to not redshirt his first season other than Stafford was none other than Hutson Mason. Of course that was due the extreme circumstances of Logan Gray waving goodbye and Mett's transfer.

Back to Park, here's the head coach's early assessment:

"I'm not sure you would design an entire offense around a lot of QB runs for him and making that the mainstay, but he can do it," Richt said. "He's a pretty athletic guy, and he will definitely keep people honest with some of the QB runs. He can also create by making people miss.

"He's got some strength about him, but he'll get stronger, obviously. He's got a lot of great habits, and we think he's going to be good."

This may be a post for another day. But the quarterback position in Athens is seemingly going through a transition period. And that's not just a statement about a fifth year senior in Murray moving on. We might see "business as usual" with Mason this spring and likely the fall as well. But with a guy like Bauta and Park, there's going to be some emphasis on running the football from that position.

That's something I thought Bobo should've done more with Murray, at least early in his career. With the depth appearing to be restored to the way Richt likes it, I can't help but think the reins are about to be turned loose.

Woerner's induction

Busy weekend, so I'm late with my own accolades. But suffice it to say I grew up pretending to be this guy in my own backyard. I heard his name on the radio a lot thanks to the greatest voice in Georgia Bulldogs history. And I'm as proud to honor him with the banner at the top as I am to remind my IPTAYing dad just how big of a Tiger killer #19 was.

Former University of Georgia All-America defensive back Scott Woerner was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night in Macon at the organizations annual induction banquet held at the City Auditorium.....

In 1980, he almost singlehandedly led Georgia to victory over Clemson in a hard-fought 20-16 win in Sanford Stadium. Sports Illustrated named his as the nation's Defensive Player of the Week following his performance which included a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown in the game's early minutes. He followed later in the first half with a 98-yard interception return to the Clemson two-yard-line which stopped a Tiger scoring threat and also set up a Buck Belue 1-yard run giving the Bulldogs a 14-10 halftime lead.

By season's end, Woerner had intercepted five passes and made 47 tackles in helping lead Georgia to an undefeated, untied season and the consensus 1980 national championship. In the Sugar Bowl win over Notre Dame, Woerner capped his career with a key end zone breakup and an interception to seal the victory.

For my money, when it comes to defensive backs, there's Woerner and then Champ and Hoage. Everyone else is just trying to rise to the top.

Congrats Mr. Woerner! Hope your students give you a fistbump for me. Go Dawgs!