Some (non) practice news

Mr. Nabulsi made up for being ushered out of the practice viewing area early by providing some premium content for his twitter followers last night. It was both news and entertainment for me. Perhaps for you as well.

Pruitt's scheme vs. his personnel

That's just one of the more interesting comments among some good nuggets in this Morning Show interview with ESPN's David Hale. (Remember him, right?) He has some first hand insight on what they saw out of Coach Pruitt in Tallahassee this past season in terms of scheme, player development, recruiting, and just about everything else you might want to know about your new defensive coordinator.

During some down time today, give it a listen.

Monday's Meatloaf - by a show of hands

Ok, I admit. I was morally and ethically outraged over Lester's roster management technique last week with Jeremy Hill's creative reinstatement. Almost as morally and ethically outraged as I was over the judge's decision to slap his wrist. But given some time to digest everything...I think Miles is once again proving to be one step ahead of the rest of us.

To illustrate, here's some ways in which I utilized this technique this past weekend

• "By a show of hands kids, who thinks Mommy needs to make strawberry shortcake every night?"
• "Hey y'all, by a show of hands, who thinks the youngest should pull my finger?"
• "Ok, ok. Let's vote on it. By a show of hands..." (looks around and realizes everyone else is upstairs, eats rest of the bag of Lay's Chicken n Waffles)

"I call em like I wanna see em Coach."

Anyway, so...those results were a mixed bag of opportunity, poor wordage, and absentee ballots. But this revolutionary idea could have serious wide-ranging benefits. Should When Pwnn Wagers calls an unsportsmanlike penalty after a Malcolm Mitchell go ahead touchdown over the Tigers September 28th, while Uncle Verne sells some Miller Lite to the television viewers Coach Richt can stroll to midfield, grab that sonofabitch's microphone and ask, "By a show of hands...was Malcolm being unsportsmanlike when he blew his momma a kiss?"

In Jacksonville, when that lonely gator fan wanders into the Georgia section and starts spouting off at the mouth with his football knowledge (post 1990) and refuses to use a napkin to wipe the nacho cheez wiz off his chin, you can just stand up straight and ask, "By a show of hands y'all, should we help this lonely reptile find a better seat?" Go gatuh! Bye!

And when a one loss SEC Champion trails Oregon and Ohio State in the final BCS standings despite the fact that everyone in the nation knows the Buckeyes are no better than the sixth best team in the nation, I'll just stroll onto the set of the selection show, grab the mic from Fowler, look into the camera and ask, "Show of hands out there America, who'd rather see an actual tackle football team rather than these tattooed Urbanites?"

/drops mic, glares at Mark May and heads to Pasadena

Today's Ingredients
- First off, congrats to friend of the blog David Hale...catching the lead story on the mothership's college football page.
- Kimberley has a nice look at freshman tight end Jordan Davis and his adjustment to Georgia's playbook.
- Tyler finds some comfort in some Auburn press notes. Yes, you read that right. Check it out.
- Speaking of GSB, Tyler let PWD out long enough to kill amateurism. Dead. Thanks guys.
- Meanwhile, in Athens, Weiszer reports that the defensive line is taking to Coach Wilson's way of things.
- Blutarsky asks, "Wherefore art thou Xzavier Ward?"
- In his continuing breakdown of the Capital One Bowl, Ching picks up on what was one of my favorite plays of the 2012 season.
- Ed Thomas looks at a few questions for the defense.
- Elsewhere, Run Home Jack finds Jadeveon Clowney sitting out of scrimmages.
- Remember Mizzou is an actual SEC opponent. And DavetheDawg treats them as such with this preview.
- And over at DudeYouCrazy, Brad attempts to justify an argument for a college football preseason.

Giggity!!

It's mid-August. And everyone you meet is happy. Everybody is undefeated and the sun is even shining on Charlie Weis' schematic advantage. Houston Nutt impressions are a dime a dozen.

Sure, there's a little tension. Most teams have a few games circled on the calendar that are causing some stress, even weeks ahead of time. But overall, the general consensus is that the pot of gold is still at the end of everybody's rainbows.

I even got a wave back from our neighborhood Tech fan this weekend. His gaze is usually fixed upon his shoelaces, but he met my greeting and gave me a smile. They're so cute in the summer sometimes aren't they?

Anyway, that's all about to change. I ran some numbers this weekend and it turns out that since 1996 when overtime was introduced, the first weekend that college football is available to fans inside of stadiums and on television sets, roughly half of the teams that play actually lose. Yes, 50% of teams will have a loss even before the second week of the season!

Here's hoping the Tiger tears are big. Have a great Monday Reader. Here's your fork.

Bernie

Monday's Meatloaf - Stars, Stripes woven in every generation

Float commemorating the
flag over Iwo Jima

I've recently experience a confluence of experiences, all intertwined and woven carefully into my own patriotic flag. I've always counted myself among those most appreciative of the sacrifices many have made, but so many more enjoy. The last few weeks have humbled me and helped me realize that appreciation can sometimes never be deep enough.


Took the family to see our local Memorial Day parade and was in awe of the number of people being remembered just in our sleepy town. Young, old, men, women...the posters just stretched on down the road. Each one carrying a name of someone who had stood up for the right for me to be there celebrating their life.


Next I received an email about Cody Green. His is the story that fills evening newscasts across the world really; a young boy stricken with an infection that his doctors just can't cure. The fight had been long and full of courage, but it was nearing an end. But not before a local Marine decided to honor the young man in a way that only a Marine could.


Today's Ingredients

• Terrible news out of Auburn yesterday. LHB has the police press conference addressing the murders.
• NCT looks at the conclusion of another great tennis season in Athens.
• With baseball season also in the rearview, Danny looks at the changes Perno announced in his staff last week.
• Blutarsky has an interesting perspective to look at Aaron Murray from in this post.
• Shaq Wiggins isn't just a UGA commit that is working hard at recruiting other top targets, he's also climbing up the charts. Kimberley takes a closer look at the Sandy Creek HS product.
• Corbindawg throws a pity party for bloggers in Iowa without Chick-Fil-A. Violins are optional.
• Speaking of midwesterners, Paschall welcomes Mizzou (and Texas A&M) to the "stingy SEC".
• Earlier last week Mr. Sanchez found a new website that's fun to click towards. You may want to take a pair of shades though.
• Remember that guy Hale? Well, cheez wiz! He might be joining the Big 12 too.
• An one programming note, our buddy Steve has some great new videos up and ready to look at. Now that I'm off the beach I'll post a look at the 2007 win in Jacksonville tomorrow and then use the other as this week's GATArchive. Stay tuned.

Lastly, I finished reading Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand. Sometimes I think I'm the only person in America that hadn't finished it, but in case you haven't Reader...it's a true story of sacrifice, an amazing series of events in the life of one Louis Zamperini, and an epic tale that brings to life the heroic era of the Greatest Generation. I won't relate the entire story obviously, but I will do two things: 1) suggest implore you to read it yourself, just as my wife did for me, and 2) provide you with this excerpt which is my favorite part:

Louie Zamperini (via)

That afternoon, an American navy man dug through his belongings and pulled out his most secret and precious possession. It was an American flag with a remarkable provenance. In 1941, just before Singapore had fallen to the Japanese, an American missionary woman had given it to a British POW. The POW had been loaded aboard a ship, which had sunk. Two days later, another British POW had rescued the flag from where it lay underwater and slipped it to the American navy man, who had carried it through the entire war, somehow hiding it from the Japanese, until this day. The POWs pulled down the Japanese flag and ran the Stars and Stripes up the pole over Rokuroshi. The men stood before it, hands up in salutes, tears running down their faces.

I can't save America from the hands of nations with ill intent. I can't fill a military uniform with an ounce of the courage and heart it takes to wear it. But I can help my kids understand the importance of honoring those who have, and those who still do.


Have a great Monday Reader.


Bernie

Prodigal Hale returns

the Great Hale...@Philled_In...Cheesesteak...the dude with the Coach Richt curse...


Whatever you want to call him, he's returned from his lavish, cheez-wizzy lifestyle up north to take in the SEC Championship game and hang out with the dudes at the DawgPost. When he left us he was impersonating Knowshon, now he's back to give his outside perspective on the big game.

If UGA keeps it close on Saturday, it'll be something of an upset. But it won't be half as surprising as how far they've come in the two years since I left.

Even if LSU loses, they're still the best team in the country. That's how good they've been in 2011, and that's a far cry from where they were when I last wrote about them.

Maybe they'd be here with new coaches, too. Alabama and Auburn certainly proved that model works.

But after spending the last 18 months surrounded by change, I can't help but find some comfort in knowing that Georgia and LSU stayed the course and were rewarded handsomely for their patience.

It's easy to look ahead and see where the grass appears greener -- or, in Les Miles' case, more flavorful -- but there’s a certain beauty in trusting in what you’ve already got. 

God I've missed that guy. Just hope his dreaded curse gets lost somewhere before baggage claim.

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BONUS - Fletcher says Hale's band is playing Wild Bill's tomorrow night...if you need a new drug.

Monday's Meatloaf - a Super Dad Gone Bad

What is it with dads and their crappy football sons? First we had Craig James defending his progeny while wielding his Bristol power a little too mightily, now we have Phil Simms criticizing Desmond Howard for calling a crappy SEC quarterback a spade.

Howard, striking yet another smile.

Hey Phil, this just in...you're son rolls reefer with greater accuracy than hitting wideouts on slant patterns. And evidently it's a family affair. So perhaps take a look at the family tree branches before wearing your ass over your shoulders. 


Here's the rundown: DaddySimms approaches Howard's area - “Hey Desmond, I saw the tape. You called my son the worst quarterback in the country.” Desmond responds - “I never called your son the worst quarterback in the country, I said that in the Tennessee-LSU game you will see three of the worst quarterbacks in the SEC.” This only incenses Simms more - “That’s bull—-, you don’t say that about anyone else.” To which the College Gameday "analyst" responds - “I just said it about two other guys and statistically, they were.”


What a fall from grace, once a Super Bowl champion and now defending his family no matter who's Heisman pose he's besmirching. I mean can't we all just take a moment and reflect on the fact that for once, Desmond Howard has put together a coherent thought in under 20 seconds that is both factual and statistically relevant? This doesn't happen everyday folks. Those who've watched Gameday know that Howard adds 99% more smiles than he does appropriate discourse to the discussion.


I can only imagine what Simms had to say to lil Coach Dooley back in the fall when his boy was replaced by a freshman. More importantly, I hope he never kissed Parcells with that mouth.




Today's Ingredients

Wynn gets a Super MVP hug

• The funniest part of the Super Bowl was seeing John Madden text on a blackberry the size of a deck of cards with sausage fingers ill-equipped for the purpose.
• Spoken from the heart...best commercial was the Teleflora one, even without getting to see "Kim's rack". It made me completely forget about Christina Aguilawhora butchering the national anthem.
• Former Dawg Jarius Wynn had a day not many will ever compete with, new baby boy hours before a Super Bowl win. Coach Richt might want to go ahead and start recruiting the 2029 Dream Team with Jarius "Super" Wynn, Jr.
• Speaking of this year's class, Fletcher Page compares and contrasts ($$) the members of it to the original Dream Team.
• Nice story over at The Grit Tree about Coach Richt and Valdosta High School's James Eunice, who passed away recently.
• Pending background checks, we've got a new offensive line coach in Friend. Martin van Dawgin thinks it's a solid hire.
• Big Muddy thinks we've found the missing link in John Jenkins.
• I agree completely that Big John will make an immediate impact, but on offense? Whoa whoa whoa! Hold it right there and listen to these two words: Charles Grant.
• Mike wraps up the success recruiting in south Georgia this year while Battle Hymn Notes summarizes the entire class.
• GenXDawg takes a look at Isaiah Crowell's goals while in Athens.
• The Lady Dawgs gave Coach Landers his 850th yesterday while expertly dispatching Bama.
• Hoop Dawgs analyzes the win over AwwBarn Saturday and takes a peak at the coming week. Meanwhile Daugman wonders if Price's performance might help with the recruitment of Jarmal Reid.
• And speaking of the hoops win, Exile is not pleased with the fan showing overall and wants it to improve in Tuesday night's important contest against Xavier.
• And lastly, Uga VIII's Big Bad Bruce was buried Saturday alongside his predecessors in a private ceremony in Sanford.

I suppose this next part has been coming for some time. I've just been delaying the inevitable. When the Great Hale left, I vowed to honor his legacy by referring to further fantastic feats in Georgia athletics coverage as a Haleian Effort.

I considered bestowing the first mention on myself after last Wednesday's coverage of signing day. I mean, my arm still has a cramp in it from holding up that 4.8 ounce iPhone during the Q & A. But seems a bit over the top and self congratulatory. So I just took myself out to lunch, even bought myself a beer. Kept it rather small scale, laid back.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeh, Fletcher Page travelled somewhere just south of Nova Scotia to cover the John Jenkins signing Saturday. He answered questions on Twitter, set up a video camera, recorded the event for all to see...and then made a U-turn, only to get re-routed and delayed north of the Mason Dixon line.

That's dedication my man! The video reached nearly 3000 live views. Clearly helping married male Georgia fans escape their weekend honey-dos for another 30 minutes or so. Impressive work. Solid effort. No, truly...a Haleian Effort.

Sounds to me like Legge may owe Page another steak from Chili's. But for the rest of you, it's meatloaf with a side of smashed taters. Here's your fork. Just leave the plate in the sink.

Bernie

The Exit Interview - David Hale Pulls a Knowshon

My first question to Hale after he announced he was leaving I thought was an easy one, can I conduct an exit interview? He answered no. However, I'm a persistent blogger and happen to have pictures of him wearing a Dallas Cowgirls' cheerleading costume while being sexually harassed by a group of overweight Redskins fans wearing pig noses.


So eventually he came around.

But he added a condition that it happen on the way back from his honeymoon. Thinking a writer for a Macon paper could probably only afford a honeymoon in Dahlonega...or perhaps Six Flags, I agreed. Turns out Hale and his bride were going to someplace called Bali. No, it's not that fitness place with the hot girls in the commercial. That's what I thought at first too. Unfortunately, I would need a round trip plane ticket to...Indonesia?!? 

That was more than what we had in the BDB petty cash. But I was determined to make this happen. So I dropped a few grand on a last minute ticket, flew out there, boarded the same return flight the Hale couple was on, removed some guy sitting next to him who shall remain Anonymous that was talking his ear off, ackowledged the bride who's bound to have a kid named Stacy cuz she's got it goin' on, ordered us all a High Life and peppered the yankee with hard hitters.


Mike Wallace...eat your clip-on microphone.

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First off, congrats on the nuptials and the new gig. Since you're an avid beer drinker and tv addict, which is the bigger accomplishment for you?

Well, I've duped employers before -- NASA is still trying to recover from my brief stint there -- so the new job is cool, but maybe not a top accomplishment. Getting married is huge for me. I'm getting uglier by the day, so convincing a cool chick to marry me for reasons that didn't involve her needing a green card was no easy task. But you left off my biggest accomplishment -- finishing my Pauley's beer card in just over a month while changing jobs and planning a wedding. Unfortunately I don't have health insurance for 90 days with my new gig, so that liver transplant is going to be a bigger problem than I'd planned on.

Well, sounds to me like all three are pretty big accomplishments. How does it feel to be leaving the greatest city on the planet and thousands of adoring fans of your blog just to embrace a bunch of fat guys with cheez wiz in their facial hair?

You say "cheez whiz in their facial hair" like that's a bad thing. I'd argue the cheez wiz is usually the most attractive thing about males in Philadelphia. It certainly worked for me when I was living there.

As for leaving Athens though, I think what I'll miss most is (answer withheld due to recent marriage). 

Gotcha. I understand. I'm still surprised the wife lets me go there so often without adult supervision. 


I heard Coach Searels was especially emotional when you broke the news of your departure to him. How'd that go?

He's already told me that if my first few stories on the Phillies beat don't go well, he'll be replacing me with Josh Davis. Then he made me do up-downs until I cried.

Yeh, I heard you finished a whopping two of them Nancy. Good job. And to clarify, this is the second time you've left the Dawg Nation correct? If we were to kidnap Mark Bradley and ship him off to the unnamed place where we keep Terrance Moore, would you consider coming back a third time to be an AllJackCrap columnist?

Dammit, Bernie. Now if Bradley goes missing, who do you think the first people the authorities are going to contact will be? And by "authorities," I mean Georgia Tech fans who miss the good press.

Can't help it. I'm all jacked up on Mountain Dew and ready to come at him like a spider-monkey. Just give me the sign....But until that day, what will you miss most about Butts-Mehre?

The Butts, mostly. Mehre? Not so much.

Who was your favorite player or coach to interview?

Oh man, there were a ton, really. You can't talk to Nick Williams without walking away with a smile on your face. Todd Grantham -- although I only got to cover him for a few months -- can make you want to run through  wall. No one was more interesting to interview than Jon Fabris -- and I mean that the same way I'd say, "No play was more interesting than a crucial fourth-quarter Georgia kickoff." Anything could happen, and even if it was a train wreck (which it usually was) it still made a good story. Among former players, guys like David Greene and Matt Stinchcomb have been tremendous resources for me, too. I could probably name about 50 more without much trouble, but if I had to pick one guy, it'd be Rennie Curran. He's genuine, thoughtful and always treats the people asking the questions with respect. That kid just gets it. Even if he ends up playing against the Eagles, I'll be rooting for him on Sundays… and that's about the biggest compliment I can give a guy.

Do you and Claude Felton exchange Christmas cards?

Nah, but each year on Herschel Walker's birthday, we get together, down a fifth of bourbon and play Scattergories until one of us passes out. It's a blast.

Yes...traditions are nice. Good for you two. Is it true Jeff Owens will be bunking with you and the bride in Philly?

It's going to be just like "You, Me and Dupree" except it'll actually be funny.

I thought that movie was hysterical...oh wait, no. I was thinking of the one with the weddings and Vince Vaughn. Seriously, your BulldogsBlog and more specifically your coverage of UGA Athletics has been as complete as many could ask for. Are you surprised by how many people kill time in their office cubicles reading your stuff?

I'm surprised they're reading my stuff, yeah. But I think the biggest advantage I've had as a blogger was the handful of years I spent after undergrad working as a low-level accountant. All I did was try to find ways to kill time during my work day, and I took a lot of that into consideration on how to build my blog. Reducing workplace productivity is a job I take very seriously.

You're kinda like 

Office CyberSpace. I get it. Ahh...ain't America grand? Except for anonymity. You've had some 

bad luck with an obnoxious commenter recently. What's more frustrating, being a Cubs fan or dealing with that Anonymous fella?

The commenter has only been annoying me for a few months now. The Cubs are in their second century of frustration. Oddly, however, I haven't ruled out the possibility that the crazy commenter is actually Carlos Zambrano.

That's funny. I thought he only typed in Spanish though.... Anyway, finish this analogy: Lane Kiffin is to Sports Journalism as Crack is to ______________.

Marion Barry's 1994 mayoral campaign? Both seem incongruous, but as it turns out, it's all part of the plan.

It always pays to party with one's constituents. You never know when you might need them again. 


Speaking of big stories, during your stay on the Georgia beat, what would you say has been the biggest story...that didn't involve the phrase red panties?

Well, there was the infamous night I spent at Toppers with Willie Martinez, Quincy Carter and the starting five of the 1976 women's hoops team… but that involved red panties, too, so never mind.

Biggest stories? I'd say probably Stafford and Moreno's decision and eventual first-round draft pick status and the firings of the defensive staff. And, of course, the basketball coaching search.

Best stories? My favorite stuff to write about was the stuff that wasn't really big news, but helped give some insight to who the players and coaches are and how much work they put into to being successful on Saturdays. I wrote a story about Michael Lemon's road to redemption at GMC that I'm very proud of. I really like the story I wrote about Marcus Washington balancing his family life and his football life. I wrote about the role Jeff Owens had on helping Geno Atkins' career, on the friendship between Bacarri Rambo and Nick Williams, on the personal difficulties guys like Caleb King have had to overcome… all that stuff was much more fun to write than the standard Xs and Os stuff. I the best writing is always about personalities, and in sports that often gets overlooked.

Very good. And Knowshon and Staff's decision to leave Athens early worked out pretty well for them. Guess the jury's still out on your early departure though. Maybe you shoulda done a Talledega kegstand while in Athens... 


One of my favorite things you added to your coverage was the Live Chats. But you also kept fans informed with Live Blogs during games, your Twitter updates, mail bags, video blogs and much more. What was your favorite way to interact with Georgia fans?

You mean other than responding to random anonymous comments from mentally unstable fans who have an unusual amount of free time? 

Actually, hands down the best part of this job has been the level of interaction I've had with readers on the blog during the past two years. When I first started, I said I wanted, ideally, for the blog to be an ongoing conversation with fans about Georgia football. I think for much of the time, it really was that. I got a lot of great story ideas from readers. I had some amazing feedback that was particularly well written and well informed that helped change my perspective on things. I had thousands of hilarious comments that made me laugh out loud. 

It's been fantastic having that level of interaction, and now that I'm leaving, I really do feel like I'm leaving behind dozens of friends -- even though I only know them by their screen names.

Bet that's pretty reminiscent of college in Syracuse. Anywho....so....bigger douchebag, your editor or Urban Meyer? You're on the way out, you can be honest.

Ah, my editor is great, actually. I worked for him in Albany, and he's the biggest reason I came back to work in Macon, too. Of course, he's also a Clemson fan, so we must pity him. 

They're good people, but way too pre-occupied with touching rocks. Back to the Live Chats, I think that's actually where I first discovered your stuff as I prepared for the CapOne Bowl. I was packing for the trip down and asked you if we were home or away since it determined my gameday attire. You didn't know. Care to answer that question now?

I'm gonna have to check with Claude Felton on that one and get back to ya...

Sure...you can get back to me. I wore away dress attire and so did the team. If this was wrong, I guess we have to go back and play it again. Maybe Staff can play all four quarters this time.... (bahdumbum!!) Hey! Ohhhh!....In the meantime, I emailed some people to see what they wanted me to ask you. The #1 response was - How much did he get paid by the Lost producers to write about it and continuously link to it?

I feel no need to explain the reasons for my writing about the show. You're just supposed to get to the ending, forget about all the time I wasted on loose ends all along, then be happy with a plot twist that involves all of us Bulldogs Blog readers meeting up in purgatory after we die.

Whoa...self-obsess much? I actually made that up. However, they would like to know Ginger or Marianne?...Downtown Taco Stand or the original?...CDs or 8 tracks? Oh, and mom sends her best wishes. 

Marianne, for sure. I actually think people's answer to that dictates most of their life choices.

Downtown Taco Stand, for sure, too. When my buddy Paul was covering UGA for the Albany paper, we'd go there every Tuesday after work, and without exception, there would be the two of us sitting at the bar and a room full of sorority girls drinking beer. Always a good environment. (hmmm...ever see Chris Hanson in there Skeez...??)

My dad has a '65 GTO with an 8-track player in it. It's pretty sweet.

And I thought you and my mom had stopped speaking ever since "The Incident." What gives?

Your dad came to me and said, Never tell anyone outside the family what you're thinking again. Then he took the cotton balls out of his mouth and we let it drop. It's what's best for the family. (Awkward silence for what seemed like the length of the Pacific Ocean...even more awkward fake laughter...all of Polynesia passes beneath us....more fake laughs...finally stewardess brings refills...)


Ok...let's get a glimpse of the personal side of David Hale. What book are you reading now?

Just finished "Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace. Now reading "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. And I'm filling out a Mad Libs. Any suggestions for a noun? I've already used "fart" three times (and twice more as a verb).

Ha!...you said fart. How 'bout S-E-X...or boobs...maybe even jorts...


Back on age level, who or what most inspired you to become a sports writer, beat guy, journalist dude?

I wish I had a good story for this, but it happened mostly because it was the only thing I didn't suck at doing that I could legally earn a paycheck for. That, and I thought being a sports writer would impress girls. It didn't.

Well it's paid off. Where do you keep that creepy bloodshot eyeball award thing?

It's in my closet next to my Tony Award, my poorly received sex tape, and the unsold copies of my autobiography: "These Press Box Hot Dogs Aren't Sitting Well: The David Hale Story."

Ummm...relish....Which brings us to the Lightning Round!! Do you find tinsel distracting?

Indeed. Which brings us to the airing of grievances: Bernie, my son tells me your company stinks! You couldn't smooth a silk sheet if you had a hot date with a babe… Ah, I lost my train of thought.

Touche'...what's your favorite thing to cook?

Hot Pockets.

Délicieux! Did you walk to school or carry your lunch?

I usually took the Porsche to school, then had lobster flown in from Halifax most days for lunch. It was a brutal upbringing.

Yet you survived. Speaking of beating the odds, it was in the Athens Banner-Herald while you honeymooned that you recently finished your beer card. What's your favorite brew?

Was this in the society pages or the police reports? Let's just say that after finishing No. 100, I have pictures of my wife standing on the bar in her wedding dress pouring shots into people's mouths directly from the bottle. It was classy. 


(mutters under breath...kids today,,,)

As for beers, I recommend the Holymackerel draft. 

Well...what a life you lead. We've heard of The Summer of George. With a wedding behind you and a new job ahead, this is kinda like The Summer of Hale. Will you be playing any Frolf in this Georgia humidity before you leave?

Right after I finish decomposing… err, decompressing.

So what's the end game for you? You win a Pulitzer for some hard-hitting piece about cheez wiz and its effects on Wal-Mart replica jerseys. You thank Bernie for his inspiration. The lights fade. What then for David Hale?

World domination. And I should probably start going to the gym more.

Yeh right. Whatevs, Lance Armstrong.


Ok...enough of that crap. Time for a real answer, one all Dawg fans want to know. When you started the blog you promised readers that you didn't root for Georgia, only for a good story. Now that you are returning to the great white north...will you find yourself on occasion barking like a Dawg?

I think covering a team is probably a lot like working in a sausage factory. You learn way too much about the process of how it's made to really enjoy sausage anymore, but at the end of the day, you still find yourself talking what the proper spices to use and how thick the casing should be and all kinds of other sausage-related minutiae because you've spent so long learning about making sausage. I can't say I'll leave here a huge Bulldogs fan, but I can say I'll still be tuning in for UGA games every Saturday that I can. And what's even better is now I can crack open a beer before the game and not have to worry about making a deadline.

Wow...Fabris really did a number on you didn't he? Don't cry Hale...There's no directional kicking in baseball!!! 

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At that point he became too emotional to carry on and other passengers were more than a little uncomfortable. The captain asked that we be cut off after we barricaded Carlos Zambrano in the bathroom. Shortly afterwards, the plane landed. We disembarked. And then David Hale did something amazing for a guy who'd recently finished his Pauley's beer card. He hurdled a defensive back row of seats at Terminal A24, then simply walked away slowly...as if rounding the bases after a deep shot to center...into the future...or maybe towards Baggage Claim I guess.

Well, thanks again for everything David. Stock up on White-out and Post-It notes before you clean out your desk. And please...PLEASE...try not to intersperse your Phillies coverage with updates on the most recent episode of The Bachelorette. Those maniacs will kill you…or worse, barf on you.