Wednesday "Unscientific" Headers

Great article yesterday by Dean Legge on the unscience of recruiting. He bases the whole thing on a specific recruiting trip his mom tagged along on. The variables on the recruiting roads are a dime a dozen I'm sure. So the tendency to make things more difficult is common. How many of you have wives, sisters and mothers who would volunteer to sit beside Coach Garner or Bobo on Friday nights this fall?

• Don't know about you, but I'm diggin the new page turning version of the online Bulldawg Illustrated.
• I admit I've been slack this winter and spring in recognizing the sports who have produced Ws. But Groo catches us up on the post-season that is coming to Athens.
• I could watch old game intros all day long. And Kensingtondawg over at The Grit Tree has some good ones.
• Streit is pissed about a comparison between Georgia and Wisconsin football...then wonders as to the comparison's accuracy.
• Looks like Georgia State may get Bama backup QB Star Jackson. And while the Tide have no where near the depth issues at QB that Georgia has, Kim points out that losing a player is never convenient.
• Looks like the Big Televen is gonna take a few months to shop for that new belt.

So today's the day for Georgia's Mr. Basketball. At noon we'll know if it's NATS, Texas, Bama or the Dawgs. PWD updates the recruitment of Marcus Thornton, and in turn analyzes the absurd ACC rule that could cost the nerds. I don't see how he chooses Tech knowing he'd likely certainly ride the pine a year. But the fact that Hewitt got the last visit still makes me nervous.

I'm down to the quick on this one.

Sometimes it Pays to be a DumbA$$

An HBO report that will air tonight will reportedly confirm that USC is PRINTING DIÑEROS to pay ol' KiffyBaby. At $4 mil a year that's nearly 600K for each victory in Knutsville, and 333K for each career victory.

But my favorite part is this answer he gives to the loyalty question:

I never once told any of those players I'd be there forever. I never made the statement, ‘I'm coming here, This is my dream job, I'm never leaving.' I never made those statements.

Dumb kids. Get crunk.

Monday's Meatloaf - Peaches, Herb..and some Riuniti on Ice

I think I posed for more pictures this weekend than I did at my own wedding. So I now feel a strong kinship with the likes of Sean Connery, Mel Gibson...Uga.

Reunions can certainly help the cholesterol climb during the planning process. And sometimes the thought of seeing old friends after your beer gut is noticeably in it's second trimester and you've added some shades of gray to the do is enough to make a weekend of yard work look appealing.


But once you're there, you're home. Suddenly you're cerebral cortex is being flooded with memories you had either repressed for 2.5 decades or had simply let slip away into an area of gray matter where MTv actually plays music and no one carried around computers because they didn't fit inside a warehouse much less a car...or the palm of your hand.


I grew up in Athens First United Methodist and spent many hours there as a kid pretending I could sing and learning the art playing 9-ball on green velvet. While doing that I met some people who have evidently been as busy as I have since the mid 80s. Many thanks to the church's current staff for allowing us oldies to return to the scene of the crimes. The church itself has changed dramatically: a newer pool table now sits in a room where air hovered over a parking lot and the Youth Room has traded its old jukebox for a flat screen. I pressed a lot of buttons and never got it to play Otis Redding...oh well.


But the conversations and reminiscing really took me back to that dock of the bay. Now if I could just fit into that old Journey t-shirt.

Today's Ingredients

• Turns out me and my elderly cronies haven't been the only ones recalling past glory. Coach Richt has done some reminiscing as well, calling up the old P-44 Haynes to entertain the fans in Macon last week.
• Finebaum influenza is spreading. I understand the fact that Will Muschamp may very well be a head coach somewhere else other than Texas when the time comes. But to suggest it may be Georgia overlooks the fact that we have a coach, a darn good one. That being said, I'm not thrilled at the idea of having a former player in Gainesville either.
• Speaking of the Coach Richt/hotseat blather, Mike takes this piece by TFPs David Paschall and adds some 80 proof.
• And the more we hear from people close to Corch, the less it sounds like this return to the sideline will be a long one. Of course...his retirement was one of the shortest in history, besting Brett Favre by at least several weeks.
• I get Alumni Association emails frequently. I always read them, but rarely link them. But whenever there's a meeting at Gnat's Landing...well, that's meatloaf worthy right there. So for all you St. Simons readers, register here. If you can UPS me an order of fried pickles and a cold pitcher of PBR we'll call it even.
• It's this kind of post by The Senator that gets that smell of charcoal in my nose and the anticipation of hearing the Battle Hymn being played from the southwest corner.
• Couple of new commits to the class of '11: Sterling Bailey of East Hall and Justin Scott-Wesley of Mitchell County.
• Speaking of recruiting, if you watched that Extreme Home Makeover show last night you may have caught a glimpse of Kenarious Gates, a '10 signee. Dean Legge re-posted a nice article and video from back in early February on Greenville's newest Georgia Bulldog and his very special coach.
• The show also had a nice cameo by Hines Ward. So if you didn't catch it, go Hulu it. (corrected link)
• Looking better while getting swept doesn't exactly settle the stomach. The fact that the gaytorian reptiles had the brooms is just salt in the wound.
• PWD is crossing his fingers that Coach Fox may have caught a break in his quest to sign Marcus Thornton.
• The volleys certainly haven't been easy this season for the tennis team, but yesterday's dramatic come from behind win was just enough to ensure the Dawgs will be more than spectators on their home court in the round of 16.
• Looks like Prez Obama and my younger irresponsible brother have a slight lead over Hanoi Jane and KiffyBaby. Guess I'll leave that poll up for a couple more days to let the dust settle around that broken lamp.
• Lastly, whoever once told Ian Anderson that you can't be a flutist on a rock stage deserves a measure of gratitude for their short-sightedness. Because without their ignorance we never would have caught a whiff of locomotive breath.

After a weekend of giving thanks, I would be hard-pressed to not be moved to the core by Coach Jeremy Williams' story last night on Extreme Home Makeover. I consider myself a strong man, but if I were faced with a slow, debilitating death like the one ALS brings I would pray for half the strength that Coach Williams shows.


No, I'm not one to usually tune into shows like that. But when I heard it was in Georgia and that it featured the coach of one of CMRs signees I decided to tune in. After re-connecting with so many friends it was a fitting end to the weekend.


We're only on this spinning rock for a short time in the grand scheme of things. Some are here a shorter time than others. We should at least attempt to make good use of the time we have. Even if that means giving up a weekend to be reminded that I once was an awkward teen with no gray hair. And especially if it means reading less of Paul Finebaum.


I think yard work would be more beneficial than that. But now it's time to get reunited with that fork Reader. And if that doesn't fill you up, there's also some leftover cake from the Last Resort.


Here's your napkin. Go have a Monday.




Bernie

DoucheAnchors of the Day

This one comes in parts, cuz this guy has wrecked havoc in tv studios across the midwest. All with the allure of a childhood toy called a yo-yo.

Ladies and Gents...K-Strass!

I like the part when the doucheanchor says Do you want to continue where you're at? Cuz you've got all 8 yo-yos in there...actually you've got 7 now...

BWAHAHAHA!

I hope by now you realize the guy in the funky get-up who's pretending this is the first time he's tried his hand at being a YO-YOist isn't the actual douche in these clips. It's the targets of his pranks, the morning show news station personalities who hit the meter running high and don't let up until the next commercial break.

K-Strass is becoming a cult hero or sorts. You may have seen him on DeadSpin or YouTube. Despite the awkwardness of his attire and the lack of social grace in front of the camera, I can't help but admire the work that this weird dude has done to disrupt mid-westerners' mornings the last few weeks.

Like this one where K-Strass completely botches a new move and impales himself, twice. All while the goofy anchordouche smiles continuously, unsure of anything to say.

At least the anchor lady tries to regain control of the show. But her co-host can't shake that creepy grin.

Yes, the damage to morning show studios' integrity has been great, but give some credit to Sunrise 7 for at least admitting they got jobbed by a guy in shorts, suspenders and a yellow baseball cap.

But some major douche points for the anchor there at the end for the UF-Yo comment. You sir are a prime candidate for the next open mic night at the local Laugh Barn. We trust you haven't procreated.

Trivial Update - Time Capsule Quotations

#ThursdaysRTrivial ep 44 coming up right after this PSA: Only 113 days until we're saved. Please continue to display a modicum of patience.

#ThursdaysRTrivial episode 44 "Who Said THAT?!?" It's the Twitter Twivia Show that's a lot like a canned beer you leave on the coaster for 10 or so minutes: maybe a little warm but refreshing nonetheless... REPLY back your answer for a chance at a fabulous prize. Use the following quotations to determine who said them once upon a time...

"It's a dream come true for me to go to Georgia. I know that the relationship I have with Coach Richt and Coach Bobo means that I will have a great time down there." 

“It was the place I wanted to be, and I am very excited about being a Bulldog."

“I would probably come into Georgia and redshirt my first year. They’d like me to put more weight on, learn the offense and get stronger...I would bring a little different style. Most of the quarterback’s at Georgia are more drop back passers but I can do some other things.”

Recently, I was doing some historical reading about this QB out of Missouri that re-committed to the Dawgs this week. It was refreshing to read Gray's comments about the Georgia program and know that he still felt the same way nearly four years later, even though things hadn't played out on the field quite the way he wanted them to. Right then I decided it would be a great muse for the forty-fourth episode.

Of course, I expected this one to be fairly easy given Logan Gray's recent decision that made some headlines. I also expected TrT champion Ally to tweet in with not only the correct answer, but also some trash talk. Sure enough, as fast as Al Gore's interwebs would take it...her answer appeared in my Tweetdeck: Logan Gray. I'M BACK BABY!!!!!!

But just in front of her tweet was one from TNRLM, also a frequent TrT winner as well as blogger extraordinaire. His tweet knocked me out of my chair with laughter: I was gonna answer this, but will call "FAIR CATCH" instead.


Unfortunately, my little trivia show is out of petty cash this month so I can't afford Ken Nugent's retainer to sort through the legal nuances in this week's episode. But as always, there's plenty of swag to go around. So Ally and TNRLM will both get a Logan Gray autographed copy of CMRs post-spring depth chart (which may end up being the last of its kind) as well as a commemorative practice jersey that's half green and half white.

Add those to your trophy cases kids. And all you tweeps tune in next week when I spill more beer through my nostrils.

Casual Friday - Athens Reunited

I've got a reunion of sorts this weekend in Athenstown. The closer I get to driving east on 316 the easier I begin to breathe, the bluer the sky gets and the louder Paradise City blares in my ears. Yes, I (heart) Athens. But most of all I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar, yet older faces.

I'm pretty much booked solid through Sunday, but I've got a very special Douchebag of the Day coming tomorrow. But for now, roll your sleeves up and prop your feet up on the desk for a minute or two.

• Last week I gave you a very amateurish beer review. Only fair that I point you towards an expert this week. So check out Four Boys Beer Review to discover new and different beers.
• Is it safe to assume that we've seen the last of Logan Gray waving his hand in the air? I mean surely #6 put that on the table as something that had to be taken off of his duty list.
• Tiger has a pain in his neck. Tell Elin something she didn't already know.
• I think my favorite is Dude...you like built a raft? (h/t Dawgtoons)
• Pretty sure I'm gonna go back to Lookin at Lucky in the Preakness tomorrow. That or Rusty the horse. I hear he's been loading up on Beefarino.
• Spencer Hall's directions are pretty clear. So go cast your ballot. War Damn Bieber!
• If the Heisman voters strip Bush of his trophy and give it to Vince Young...will Pete Carroll have to give Mack Brown the MNC?....oh, wait...that's right..

Can Tarheels Steal Georgia's Mr. Basketball?

Michael Carvell of the AJC is reporting that Marcus Thornton has been contacted by Roy Williams. The State of Georgia's Mr. Basketball doesn't offer much more info than that, but had plenty to say about his trip to Athens recently.

From the sounds of it, UGA threw the entire package at Thornton during his visit. The coaches emphasized playing time and the triangle offense that makes stars super on the hardwood. AD Evans and President Adams also spoke with the Thornton family and emphasized academics to the honor student from Westlake.

Thornton says he plans to visit Hewitt on North Avenue before making his decision around his graduation date which is next week. He's choosing between Georgia, Tech, Alabama and Texas. 

If he sticks to his own deadline, I don't see how UNC could steal him. If he comes out in the next week and says he's delaying his decision, then Williams was able to get deeper into his ear than we thought.

Lindy's is Leaked

As you hopefully are aware, I can't stand pre-season polls. For every team that has been accurately predicted in August, there's a heap of lost souls that couldn't live up to their appointed glory.

But since they exist, I do casually glance through them. And as we await the Godfather's Phil Steele's Bible to hit the newsstands (next month I believe), we have the others. Lindy's preseason Top 25 was released leaked yesterday. Georgia's #21, which sounds about right.

More interesting to me is the preseason All-Americans. Georgia has 3: AJ Green (it's nice to see AJ get the bigger bone than Julio for once) and Drew Butler are 1st teamers and Blair Walsh is a 2nd teamer, behind that UCLA Forbath kid that's all-world. 

Those also sound about right to me as I can't think of anyone else on our roster that's among the top two at their position in the nation. Of course, by December we could certainly see the likes of Orson Charles...maybe Cordy Glenn or Ben Jones...Justin Houston...Bacarri Rambo...

Who else do you expect to see?

** Sidenote - if you're interested to see who's been the closest in their prognostications, check this out.

Good Academic Standing

No losses of scholarships are expected later this spring when the NCAA releases its annual APR report. This year's Academic Progress Report measures the graduation, retention and eligibility of the 2005/06 classes through the 2008/09 school years.

None of Georgia's 20 athletic teams fell below the 925 out of 1,000 score necessary to avoid possible penalties for poorly performing teams.

"We're in good shape with our APR numbers," Williams said.

The better news according to Senior Associate AD Carla Williams is that the graduation rates in Athens are trending upwards.  So we can expect to see even greater improvements.

Gray Stays

** UPDATED below **

Per a UGA release, Logan Gray has decided to remain in Athens.

All together...deep breath...

To be honest, I expected this...but have still spent the last couple weeks worrying and fretting. Sure, I haven't seen anything from Logan under center to give me great pause. But without him we are dangerously thin at a crucial position. And with him, should Murray end up the starter he will have earned it and not just been handed it due to lack of competition.

The caveat is that Gray hopes to get some work at WR. I'm curious to see how much time he gets there, both at Woodruff and at Sanford. For me, it brings up these questions:

• Is Gray staying to compete at QB with the additional possibility of earning WR snaps should he remain #2?
• If that's a yes as I assume, can Gray compete for both and still be prepared for either (especially QB)?
• Do we have enough bubble wrap for both of these positions to make it through the '10 season?

What did I miss?

Updated - Well, evidently I missed a plenty. Per Weiszer's Twitter CMR doesn't expect much of a QB competition and has all but given the starting job to Murray. Gray essentially becomes insurance. That's probably what it would've ended up being anyway I guess, but the fact that CMR would say this tells me that they're at least comfortable enough with Gray's skills at QB that they don't believe he would need much reps during practice.


Again, plastic bubble wrap. Craploads of it puhleeze...