At least it wasn't a blunder of HillBilly sized proportions. And should be more easily corrected.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The changing landscape of Georgia's recruiting
The more things change the more they stay the same. Pennington says the recruiting trail in Georgia is about to get a lot more crowded now that Georgia State is moving to D-1 and Georgia Southern is all in as well, not to mention the fact that the SEC is watered down bigger. And Mr. SEC makes a strong comparison with the state of Florida which has more than triple the FBS schools than Georgia currently. It all begs the question:
The short answer is an obvious yes. Georgia is talent rich and has long had pilferers from across the borders. Add to that rival FBS programs from within and it only makes the task of recruiting the best and most talented tougher. Recruiting is partly about opportunity. Once Georgia Southern and Georgia State are in the same division as Tech and Georgia it makes for a more somewhat even playing field between the four programs.
But I would take it a step further, at least as a Georgia fan. I look at this short-term and long-term because while recruiting is about opportunity it's also about relationships. If all other things are considered equal by 5-star John Doe or even his brother Joe 3-star, he's going to choose the coaching staff he's most comfortable with as a player, person.
Mark Richt is a master at relationships. And he has one of the hottest recruiters in the country on his staff with Grantham. Couple that with the magic that Bobo and McClendon perform and they are going to do just fine.
So the truth is that this is more of a worry long-term than short-term. However, if this were happening a couple years ago I would be more worried in the now than the later. But something's changed in the coaching staff on the recruiting trail the last couple years. That "dream team" was just a low rent harbinger. There's a lot of energy in the staff and it's really translating to the top high schoolers in the state and beyond. And you can't dismiss the fact that Richt and his staff hold the tv exposure and conference prestige cards over its in state competitors, as well as the "down the road" card over anyone that comes overSteve Spurrier the pilferers.
In the end, the landscape is indeed changing. Georgia will have to change with it. Luckily it will be a much bigger adjustment for its competitors than it will for Richt's staff.
Should Georgia fans (and more specifically the coaches)
be concerned about this new competition for signatures?
The short answer is an obvious yes. Georgia is talent rich and has long had pilferers from across the borders. Add to that rival FBS programs from within and it only makes the task of recruiting the best and most talented tougher. Recruiting is partly about opportunity. Once Georgia Southern and Georgia State are in the same division as Tech and Georgia it makes for a more somewhat even playing field between the four programs. But I would take it a step further, at least as a Georgia fan. I look at this short-term and long-term because while recruiting is about opportunity it's also about relationships. If all other things are considered equal by 5-star John Doe or even his brother Joe 3-star, he's going to choose the coaching staff he's most comfortable with as a player, person.
Mark Richt is a master at relationships. And he has one of the hottest recruiters in the country on his staff with Grantham. Couple that with the magic that Bobo and McClendon perform and they are going to do just fine.
So the truth is that this is more of a worry long-term than short-term. However, if this were happening a couple years ago I would be more worried in the now than the later. But something's changed in the coaching staff on the recruiting trail the last couple years. That "dream team" was just a low rent harbinger. There's a lot of energy in the staff and it's really translating to the top high schoolers in the state and beyond. And you can't dismiss the fact that Richt and his staff hold the tv exposure and conference prestige cards over its in state competitors, as well as the "down the road" card over anyone that comes over
In the end, the landscape is indeed changing. Georgia will have to change with it. Luckily it will be a much bigger adjustment for its competitors than it will for Richt's staff.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
GATArchives: Herschel's jersey retired
We've all seen the pictures of the four legends; the only Georgia Bulldogs to ever have their jersey retired. Herschel alongside Theron Sapp, Charlie Trippi and Frank Sinkwich.
The day was September 2nd, 1985 and Georgia was hosting Alabama in a rare night game on Labor Day. At halftime an appreciative crowd welcomed #34 back for the prestigious honor of retiring the jersey. This is the only footage I've seen of the actual ceremony, hosted by Georgia legend Dan Magill.
via carlmilton
Too bad Davidson had to step in for that moment in the spotlight. Because that intro by Magill was legendary..."Number 34 the Goalline Stalker, Herschel Walker!" What a great night this must've been to be at Sanford. To have those four gentlemen on the field together has to put 9/2/85 as one of the Stadium's best moments.
Just for kicks, let's take a quick look at each Damn Good Dawg.
Frank Sinkwich - probably the one man that could argue against Walker for being Georgia's greatest player ever. Under Coach Butts, Sinkwich passed for 2,331 yards and rushed for 2,271 yards. His touchdown split was dead even at 30 rushing and 30 passing. All that in just three seasons. It's no wonder he was an All-America and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
Charlie Trippi - played alongside Sinkwich during the 1942 championship season and was named the Rose Bowl MVP retroactively in 1953. After fighting in WWII Trippi came back to UGA to play for two more seasons, earning the Maxwell Award in his senior season of 1946. A year later Trippi later became a professional legend as well for his performance in an icy NFL Championship Game in Chicago. For better traction he wore basketball shoes and gained over 200 yards total, 102 coming on punt returns. Trippi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.
Theron Sapp - the "Drought Breaker" was practically responsible for breaking Tech's 8 game winning streak in 1957 on his own. He recovered a fumble, then took nine handoffs culminating in a 1 yard plunge into the endzone. Georgia won 7-0. Although his career was plagued by injuries (including a broken vertebra his freshman year) he still garnered All-SEC honors in 1957 and 1958.
Herschel Walker - is the only player ever to finish in the top three of voting for the Heisman in every season of his college playing career. Walker gained over 5,000 yards rushing in just three seasons. While his freshman highlights were more dramatic, it's always been his sophomore season that impressed me the most. Herschel carried the ball a phenomenal 385 times that season, even as every team was keying on him. And he still gained nearly 1,900 yards and had 18 touchdowns.
The day was September 2nd, 1985 and Georgia was hosting Alabama in a rare night game on Labor Day. At halftime an appreciative crowd welcomed #34 back for the prestigious honor of retiring the jersey. This is the only footage I've seen of the actual ceremony, hosted by Georgia legend Dan Magill.
via carlmilton
Too bad Davidson had to step in for that moment in the spotlight. Because that intro by Magill was legendary..."Number 34 the Goalline Stalker, Herschel Walker!" What a great night this must've been to be at Sanford. To have those four gentlemen on the field together has to put 9/2/85 as one of the Stadium's best moments.
Just for kicks, let's take a quick look at each Damn Good Dawg.
Frank Sinkwich - probably the one man that could argue against Walker for being Georgia's greatest player ever. Under Coach Butts, Sinkwich passed for 2,331 yards and rushed for 2,271 yards. His touchdown split was dead even at 30 rushing and 30 passing. All that in just three seasons. It's no wonder he was an All-America and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
Charlie Trippi - played alongside Sinkwich during the 1942 championship season and was named the Rose Bowl MVP retroactively in 1953. After fighting in WWII Trippi came back to UGA to play for two more seasons, earning the Maxwell Award in his senior season of 1946. A year later Trippi later became a professional legend as well for his performance in an icy NFL Championship Game in Chicago. For better traction he wore basketball shoes and gained over 200 yards total, 102 coming on punt returns. Trippi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.
Theron Sapp - the "Drought Breaker" was practically responsible for breaking Tech's 8 game winning streak in 1957 on his own. He recovered a fumble, then took nine handoffs culminating in a 1 yard plunge into the endzone. Georgia won 7-0. Although his career was plagued by injuries (including a broken vertebra his freshman year) he still garnered All-SEC honors in 1957 and 1958.
Herschel Walker - is the only player ever to finish in the top three of voting for the Heisman in every season of his college playing career. Walker gained over 5,000 yards rushing in just three seasons. While his freshman highlights were more dramatic, it's always been his sophomore season that impressed me the most. Herschel carried the ball a phenomenal 385 times that season, even as every team was keying on him. And he still gained nearly 1,900 yards and had 18 touchdowns.
SEC Audibles - Mark Richt
Coach Richt reflects on the spring and discusses the upcoming season in a post spring teleconference. (btw...once again an Arkansas reporter hijacks the Q&A with a non Georgia question...AND a follow up. WTF?)
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
I told you so: the Tony Parker edition
Yeh, about that Tony Parker coming to Athens thing...I'm pretty sure the person that was most upset yesterday when they finally got around to an announcement over at Miller Grove, was my 10yo. By the time Parker's coach finished speaking she had earrings to match the heels and was absolutely giddy. Then things crashed all around her excitement.
Sad. But it would not have been a pretty picture.
So once again we all feel that lonesome left at the altar feeling. It hurts, but life moves on. We weren't the right fit for Tony Parker. We got to dance with the big boys for awhile but are walking to the parking lot by ourselves.
The one thing I would like to address are the people saying things like "Mark Fox's days are numbered now in Athens". I can see where you get there for sure. That was a high profile recruit from right down the road that we just very publicly swung and missed on. But the truth is that Fox isn't the problem, at least not in the larger scheme of things. I'm convinced he's a great coach that is only going to get better. An honest question for him is who did we miss on that we could've actually signed.
But I digress....
No, the fact is that whoever were to replace Mark Fox is going to be up against the same seemingly insurmountable hurdle that Fox is: a program that somehow survives in a big boy league on such little support. For a Georgia coach to succeed he's got to break into the AAU ranks with recruiting, especially around Atlanta. Big time. For the Georgia program to succeed there's some people that need to get out of the way and some that need to get into the seats.
And before we totally leave the I told you so meme...why are Dawg fans surprised about the Erk statue "news"? I gave you the heads up almost a year ago.
Sad. But it would not have been a pretty picture.
So once again we all feel that lonesome left at the altar feeling. It hurts, but life moves on. We weren't the right fit for Tony Parker. We got to dance with the big boys for awhile but are walking to the parking lot by ourselves.
The one thing I would like to address are the people saying things like "Mark Fox's days are numbered now in Athens". I can see where you get there for sure. That was a high profile recruit from right down the road that we just very publicly swung and missed on. But the truth is that Fox isn't the problem, at least not in the larger scheme of things. I'm convinced he's a great coach that is only going to get better. An honest question for him is who did we miss on that we could've actually signed.
But I digress....
No, the fact is that whoever were to replace Mark Fox is going to be up against the same seemingly insurmountable hurdle that Fox is: a program that somehow survives in a big boy league on such little support. For a Georgia coach to succeed he's got to break into the AAU ranks with recruiting, especially around Atlanta. Big time. For the Georgia program to succeed there's some people that need to get out of the way and some that need to get into the seats.
And before we totally leave the I told you so meme...why are Dawg fans surprised about the Erk statue "news"? I gave you the heads up almost a year ago.
SEC Tennis Championships - the videos
Coach Diaz has coached the teams that won 21 of Georgia's 34 SEC titles. Here he talks about the weekend's achievement, including the lineup changes he has used, the Dawgs' depth and the team's outlook moving forward.
Senior Ignacio Toboada gives his thoughts on being the 2012 SEC Men's Tennis Championship MVP.
Senior Ignacio Toboada gives his thoughts on being the 2012 SEC Men's Tennis Championship MVP.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Monday Meatloaf - one belt loop from being dressed to the nines
The bonny Lines therein thou sent me,
How to the nines they did content me. - William Hamilton
How to the nines they did content me. - William Hamilton
I took worship Saturday night at The Tabernacle. It turned into a journey that any Trucker fan would appreciate. There were no kickoff coverage problems. Penn Wagers didn't exist in this realm. And sure, Work might be up by two touchdowns deep in the fourth quarter right now, but for a few hours Saturday night I was 3 Dimes Down and endlessly one belt loop away from making Sunday night's news. To put it in terms we all can understand, it was like the 2006 victory on the Plains. Or maybe the 1997 in Jacksonville. There was highlight after highlight. My eyes couldn't absorb all the action and my ears failed to drink it all in. I found myself at the feet of one Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood had the keys to my musical soul.
 |
| The Living Bubba |
They told me "It ain't too late to take a deep breath and throw yourself into it with everything you got." So as we swam through Muscle Shoals we stopped to fill our coffee cups with whiskey, understanding that the morning would likely be a bitch with open arms. We went down so far into Gran Gran's Box of Spiders that even the Devil won't stay. Of course we met Mom...and Dad even though he was playing poker on a stump in the woods. Sheriff Pusser was there shutting down the stills and whores. Lucky for us cuz that rotgut moonshine had us sick to our stomachs. And of course Lucille had us frustrated and ready to go over the edge of Lookout Mountain. So we swore we'd never go back to Buttholeville.
Athens bound we ran into the dearly departed Gregory Dean Smalley who had another show to do. Living fast and drinking lots we stumbled into the 40 Watt without a political agenda or a message for the youth of America. But there was sound, lights, drums and guitars and so it came to pass. Uncle Frank's fifteen rocky acres may have been the hardest to traverse. But proud of the glory we stared down the shame and shouted at the top of our lungs - "LET THERE BE ROCK!!"
By the time we were done we had taken The Weight off Levon and we were somewhere outside of Zip City. I shouted "Hell no I ain't happy" because I was scared shitless of what was coming next. Sure enough, Hood laid his guitar down and John and Jay followed. Things wore down slowly to where it was just The Ezy-B and the congregation of characters who now understood that living in fear's just another way of dying before your time. Morgan's rhythmic beauty closed the door ever so slowly, effortlessly. Quietly, and with the electricity still buzzing in my ears, I finished what was left in my cup and joined the huddled masses streaming out of the hall.
The Rock Show was over, but there were angels in the trees on Luckie Street waiting on me.
Today's Ingredients
- Before I forget, tomorrow I'll have a livestream up for the SEC Spring Coaches' teleconferences. Starts at 10am. Richt comes on at 11:40am.
- In case you missed it, the men's tennis team took the SEC hardware from Starkville this weekend.
- From the track to the diamond, T Kyle King wraps up pretty much everything from the weekend in UGA Athletics.
- Travis takes on the massive task that is putting AJC readers in their place.
- Lady Sportswriter says Drew Butler is getting some help prior to the NFL Draft from a familiar person.
- The college career of Blair Walsh was full of ups and downs. The Senator weighs in on the lesson we should take from that.
- Dawg19 uploaded another classic this weekend. Better take a towel.
- And speaking of classics, we'll grab another video from "carlmilton" for tomorrow's GATArchive. You don't want to miss this one.
- Attention Leatherheads: new LHB writer Michael Booker finds Murray and Jarvis as two of the nation's top players.
- Lastly, via our old friend Hale's BookFace...good news for Coach MusChomp, bad news for jort wearing computer engineers.
And just when the struggling jort themed porn market was poised to take off. Damn.
Tony Parker Decision Day is here y'all. At 4pm we finally find out where he's going, and more specifically where he's not going. We've been down this road already, you and I. I still maintain the latter is Athens and the former I'll go out on a limb and say is a program with greater fanfare than Coach Fox's. Now, I'll admit that Georgia has a better shot at this than I first figured. As each calendar day is ripped off Fox's chances have improved. Mama likes us and that's always a good thing. But how could a kid with that much talent choose us over them? How in the world does that happen? Isn't there some NCAA bylaw that Coach K NEVER lose a kid to Stegeman Coliseum? UCLA has more trophies than we have donors in the seats on a Saturday night in February.
Yep, I'll stand by my original wager. I'll wear a dress if Parker says he'll play in Athens today. The picture will be up tomorrow should it happen. I'll gladly let my girls dress me up to the nines, heels and all, then snap some pictures while they giggle. They'll love it.
And I'll be giggling like a little schoolgirl myself, believe me. Unfortunately, it'll be UCLA...or Kansas...or Duke...or a year abroad learning basket weaving in Romania. We don't get Tony Parker today. No way. No how. But you can get a fork Reader. The meatloaf is ready. Dig in.
Bernie
Mens Tennis - SEC Champs!!
"I can't be anything but proud of the way we played," said Georgia head coach Manuel Diaz. "Our guys fought, but today Kentucky was the better team. It came down to the last match in a tiebreaker, and we just came up a little short. Kentucky deserved to win. They had to win the last two matches, and we only needed one, and they were just a little too good for us." [via]That was Coach Diaz on March 30th after Kentucky's Tom Jomby outlasted Ignacio "Nacho" Taboada in a "spirited" match to defeat Georgia 4-3. Fast forward to yesterday's SEC Final in Starkville and we found Jomby and Nacho pitted against each other again with even more at stake. With the score 3-1 and two other matches going on, all eyes focused on Taboada's match as it headed to a second set tiebreak. After winning the first set, the Dawgs just needed his point to clinch.
This time, the ending was rewritten.
“It means so much,” Taboada said. “I was trying not to think about last match too much. I thought about it a little bit in the last two points, but I just tried to play good points. It was a total team effort today. We played great doubles again. It was unbelievable. I am so happy for the guys. We are peaking at the right time.”NCAA Tournament seedings come out May 1st. As SEC Champion, host Georgia will get an automatic bid.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Crowell 2.0 leads the stable
I've counted myself among the many fans frustrated by the running game last season. And not all of that frustration can be laid at Isaiah Crowell's cleats. As difficult as it was to see him miss snaps at key moments and miss games due to "being loved" by Coach Richt, overall he had a pretty amazing freshman campaign. It's the what might have been that sticks in the craw. Probably for him as much as us. At least I hope so.
So we're a week removed from GDay and there's still just as many questions about the kid who led the team in rushing last season as there are about the position itself. On one hand Crowell and Co. didn't blow the doors off of the scrimmage, but I thought each guy who lined up looked good toting the ball.
In all seriousness, I don't know if I would've picked Crowell as the guy to beat coming out of April if you had asked me back in December or even early January. That sentiment is probably born out of that frustration mentioned earlier as much as anything. In the same breath, I'm glad this is the way it is though. All indications are that the two freshmen will add a ton of potential and talent to the position. The better Crowell performs, the better off we are, obviously.
It's too early to tell if the demons that haunted #1 last season have relented or just faded from the headlines temporarily. If Crowell 2.0 means the expectation can equal the talent...the sky could be the limit.
So we're a week removed from GDay and there's still just as many questions about the kid who led the team in rushing last season as there are about the position itself. On one hand Crowell and Co. didn't blow the doors off of the scrimmage, but I thought each guy who lined up looked good toting the ball.
- Crowell didn't get nearly the number of snaps I had hoped for. But he made enough cuts to show us that his ankle is fully healed. He's still one of the best I've seen in a while as far as getting to the edge quickly. Which makes him the guy to beat this August.
- Malcome may have impressed me the most, just from a rising from the ashes kind of scenario. He was all but done in Athens. Somehow decided to stay and had a great spring. And he took each handoff as if we were still
scrimmagingplaying the engiNerds back in November. Good, powerful runner. - Samuel showed he has also fully healed and took over inside the 20 on that early drive for the Black team. Just put the team on his back just as he did in Jacksonville a few months ago and drove us into the endzone.
In all seriousness, I don't know if I would've picked Crowell as the guy to beat coming out of April if you had asked me back in December or even early January. That sentiment is probably born out of that frustration mentioned earlier as much as anything. In the same breath, I'm glad this is the way it is though. All indications are that the two freshmen will add a ton of potential and talent to the position. The better Crowell performs, the better off we are, obviously.
It's too early to tell if the demons that haunted #1 last season have relented or just faded from the headlines temporarily. If Crowell 2.0 means the expectation can equal the talent...the sky could be the limit.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Special changes for special teams
The changes coming to the area of special teams for the 2012 season are both local and global. The NCAA has changed the kickoffs from the 30 yard line to the 35. For a Georgia team that ranked 88th in the country in kickoff coverage (23.1 yards a return) that should be welcome news.
But the air of change is blowing on the inside as well where Richt and staff emphasized drills for special teams during the spring.
But the air of change is blowing on the inside as well where Richt and staff emphasized drills for special teams during the spring.
“The goal in the spring for the special teams was to get a lot of guys involved and do a lot of drill work that will help us. First of all, evaluate, ‘Can a guy do what we’re going to ask him to do. Can he get off a block. Can he tackle in space? Can he protect a kick?’ ” coach Mark Richt said. “We were just wanting everybody to understand that everybody and anybody could end up on a special team — a starter, a second-teamer, whatever it is.”That may or may not just sound like coach speak to you. But Coach Olivadotti sounds as if there is more tweaking needed than whole scale changes.
“We were bad statistically, but within games we actually played good,” Olivadotti said. “What bad teams always say or I always say this to the players, ‘Whenever you’re talking about one or two plays that you want to take out, you didn’t play good.’ As a whole, you’ve got to look at that we obviously let two touchdowns get on you and we can’t have that.”Coupled with the continued focus on revamping the offensive line, and the arrival of two brand new freshman kickers, this will be something to keep an eye on in August.
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