Montana to Appleby to Washington...??

According to this tweet from the Dan Patrick Show this morning...

Joe Montana said if Notre Dame didn't offer him a scholarship, he probably would have gone to @UGAAthletics
— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) January 29, 2015

...the famous Munson call may have begun with the legendary Joe Montana taking the snap, giving the ball to Richard Appleby on the end around, before it was hurled to Gene Washington for the touchdown in Jacksonville. All while Ray Goff held his helmet and watched from the sideline.

Montana signed with Notre Dame in 1974 when Ara Parseghian was coach. Freshmen weren't allowed to play back then. And by the time Montana was a sophomore Parseghian had retired, due to health reasons if I recall correctly. Hard to believe the Hall of Famer would have any regrets. Like, at all. But pretty cool to imagine what might have been.

Okay. That's enough nostalgia. You can all leave and go back to more present type day recruiting stories...

Trickeration at the WLOCP. (via Anti-Orange Page)

"Just putting on the G, to be honest."

I've mentioned my affection for Dash's exit interviews before. After yesterday's sour taste of things, I found his sit down with AJ McDonald quite refreshing. Someone who never got onto the field, yet still sees a lot of value in his time in Athens:

UGASports: How would you sum up your career with the Bulldogs?

McDonald: "It was great. I transferred in (from Appalachian State) and only played for three years but it was fun. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot of things, learned a lot from Coach Richt and made some of the best friends I'll have for a while."

UGASports: What was the best part of your career?

McDonald: "Just putting on the G, to be honest. Game Days was a lot of fun, Dawg Walk, the fans, the atmosphere, those were things I never experienced before."

Meanwhile, up on Rocky Top...

...crickets.

Less than a week before National Signing Day and Butch still hasn't replaced Bajakian.

"Hear it might be decided tomorrow…maybe not for another day or so," Roussel tweeted in response to a question regarding updates on the Tennessee search.

That "tomorrow" ain't Friday. It was actually yesterday. So rumors that the big time HillBilly donors aren't happy with Jones tapping Mike Debord as the new OC might be true. Can't say that I blame them as Debord's last bit of experience as a QB coach and OC was way back in the mid-80's...at Fort Hays State. (I'll save you some internetting and tell you that FHS is a Division II program in Kansas. Although for all I know back in 1986 it may have been a penitentiary.)

Then again, shouldn't Butch know who would be the best fit for his staff? Tennessee is a program with some momentum. Jones hasn't blown the doors off up yonder, but at least he's opened some of them back up and got the Vols back into post-season play. Nothing kills momentum for a program like a lackluster recruiting class. And I can't imagine many offensive players with stars by their names and on the UT radar feeling completely settled at not having an offensive coordinator.

No wonder Coach Jones sent a spy to Auburn last weekend.

Recruiting recruitniks to click

This was unfortunate. I believe the sports staff at ABH is above that. Not sure who was responsible for the "slideshow news story", but it made my skin crawl. Especially when I got to Ray Drew's picture. Talk about a guy that is all Georgia and doesn't deserve any bad press. And TJ Stripling? I was there in Boulder and watched him crumble like a six foot six inch twig right before my eyes when he was injured.

On one hand, sure, those players may not have lived up to the hype that surrounded them a few years ago. But, who's fault is that? In some cases it's the players. Especially the ones that shoot themselves in the foot. But mostly it's the fans and the media.

In many ways, I didn't live up to my collegiate potential. There are some parents and some professors and former UGA advisors that would wholeheartedly agree with that last sentence. But I finished it out and didn't have the displeasure of getting my picture in the local paper as part of a dishonorable slideshow.

Speaking of Ray Drew. Saw him standing outside Stegeman after the Lady Dogs' win against Vandy a couple weeks ago. He was talking to a couple of ladies, and smiling as usual. As we approached I told my daughters who he was. My youngest, perhaps misguided by the fact that he didn't seem as tall from a distance as he stood on the street and we approached on the sidewalk, said, "No it's not." As we passed I said "Best of luck Ray. And thanks!" He smiled wider and offered his appreciation.

I love that guy. The sky's the limit for him and I can see him making UGA nothing but proud in the years to come.

Humpday Hilarity - Justified and The Stranger

Second episode of the final season aired last night. I hope by now you've caught up to what is one of television's greatest series. This is the wife's favorite part thus far:

Little disappointed that's the best video the internet has. And for those of you into the show, how'd you like the addition of Sam Elliott last night? Mrs. Bernie said he's got fake teeth; looks like he's trying to hold some dentures in. I said no. You're just not used to seeing him without a mustache.

See?

The seasonal affective disorder in Athens meme

Yes. It's that time of year. The time of year that's so consistently depressive that you can set your calendar to it. The one that's so typically nerve-wracking that you can pre-schedule your therapy sessions. Its so much a part of the off season discussion that Estes is naturally compelled to include it on the laundry list:

Are there any more transfer concerns? 
It's pretty common to see players choose to move on after the season (and fall semester) in search of better opportunity at another program. Then another window for that opens at the end of spring practice (and spring semester). Could Georgia have some others leave the team? Sure, it's possible. Running back, wide receiver and the secondary still seem to be potential hot zones for those types of things, but you can't ever rule that out at any position.

Can everyone stay out of trouble? 
And sadly, there is this. OK, this is an annual topic for pretty much any college football program. There is a long time between the bowl game and the next season's opener, and there will surely be some off-the-field issues pop up during that time for the Bulldogs. If there is a difference this year, however, it is that Georgia's first two games are not against teams like Clemson and South Carolina. Instead, the Gamecocks dropped to the third game on the 2015 schedule behind a home date against Louisiana-Monroe and a week two game at Vanderbilt. It might be a bleak view to point this, but the start to this year's schedule could help Georgia when it comes to any possible suspensions.

Nothing says winter blues and spring discontent like attrition and police blotters. Hopefully some meaningful madness in March can hold our gaze through April Fools.

Hopefully.

In Texas, even the media egos are oversized.

Wow. Must be that time of the month....for message bored hits guys! What'd you think I meant?

Be sure and follow the link and read the entire exchange. After all, grown men acting like idiots is what recruiting coverage was founded upon.

Redefining "commitment"

Let's try a little exercise today, shall we?

When you settle in at home this evening, invite your wife or significant other over to sit with you on the sofa, look deeply into her eyes, and explain to her that you are around 70-80% committed to her. And that the only reason you're looking around is so that you can make sure you've made the right decision...for both of you.

Then let's all meet back here tomorrow (those of us still drawing breath) and see if we have a clearer idea of the full definition of the word commitment.

To those that get deep into this recruiting stuff, that's just picking nits. I know. Just hoping there are still people out there that see the absurdity of the "terminology" used. Then again, if the world were perfect, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt...Lady Diana and Prince Charles...Bill and Monica...The Everly Brothers....Kiffin and Orgeron...they'd all still be together.