Team identity - stuck in the shadows?

Read this post by Quinton yesterday and it rang true...as well as rung a bell for me. Back in January, I suggested that the Georgia Bulldogs are suffering from a 24/7 hangover. In short, we're a football team waiting for a Stafford or a Moreno to turn a loss into a win. 


That has to end.


Team identity can be a tricky thing, especially when you group a collection of dreamy teenagers together with a bunch of players facing their last couple seasons. Staff and Moreno have been gone nearly three years. Surely that hangover has worn off. Surely we're ready for another set of studs.

Richt says, "Now those guys are gone, these 'superstars' are gone. Now everybody is thinking, I have to pull my weight, my opportunity is coming. I've got to do my part. I think that's going to be real healthy for us." 

Hard not to wonder if Richt is rehashing old history. So the question this season becomes...do we fall in line behind another set of stars, waiting for them to win the game? Has Richt tweaked the staff and personnel enough to break us out of this rut? It's hard not to hope we can emerge from the shadows as a team in spite of its star players.

SEC MD- wrapup

SEC Media Day Two

I'm sure most of you have read and seen as much from yesterday as I have. So this'll be pretty short, but here are some thoughts.


Seat's hot, but feels pretty comfy
Richt and his band of merry men sure didn't sound anxious, on edge or cantankerous about a 6-7 season. Richt even threw the Muschamp Wednesday jab at UGA right back by saying he thinks the former Georgia defensive back has red and black "in his veins". From start to finish, Richt and his players sounded fresh and eager to begin.


What's more is they didn't skirt any issue and there was a noticeable lack of clichéish, general off season quote garbage. In other words, the exact opposite of 2009 when we faced a big out of conference game to start the season and had to listen to Cox and Owens spout on about team unity, better fundamentals.

The message seems to be - Yes, we had work to do and we're doing it. We're ready to play. Our opponents better be as well. Let's hope that tune doesn't change anytime soon.


First center to quarterback exchange was a fumble
Love the story about then freshman Ben Jones telling Aaron Murray's dad that the future Dawg QB's girlfriend was hot. To which Mr. Murray said, "Son, that's my daughter." Oops. How'd that turf taste Jones?


Malcolm Mitchell stock has no ceiling
I mentioned earlier I'm a lot less worried about our tailback position. The same is true for our receivers. I almost finished a post earlier this week about the receiving corps and who in the world would pick up the slack for AJ and Kris being gone. Then I listen to Kris himself on yesterday's Dawgcast and Aaron Murray talk about throwing to Mitchell in skeletons and I begin to wonder why I ever had a question.


If Mitchell is creating this much buzz before the coaches even hit the field with the team...well, damn. It may be that the hype back in February didn't fit the bill.


Dancing with Chizik
Chizik was uncomfortable. I don't think there was enough Right Guard in Hoover to combat his pit stains yesterday. I recall one interview where the first reporter asked something about one of his players and he uncomfortably stressed repeatedly how much he appreciated her asking the question.


That all being said, he didn't act as if the walls are caving in. And whether this all turns out to be what we expect or a witch hunt as the barners are claiming, somehow that could all be a backdrop to the 2011 season. Georgia doesn't have to play Arkansas, Bama or LSU...but Auburn can't avoid them.

No tailback worries here Dawg

I'll be honest, I'm getting less and less worried about going into the season's first game with only three scholarship tailbacks. Crowell came to UGA to fill the missing man formation, feed that Dawg the ball and let's find out what he's worth right out of the gate.


And according to this DawgPost video of Murray and Richt addressing the backfield attrition, they ain't sweatin' it none.

If the kid outta Carver hasn't picked up the blitz schemes by 9/3, let Figgins do the blocking back there. No Pac-Ten wannabe ever seen a fullback his size.

Aaron Murray's tape measure, part II

Evidently (and not surprisingly) this is gonna become a series. Aaron Murray's value is already through the roof, but it continues to climb.

Murray is one of the leaders of the offseason program. Even if that means he needs to go work with a teammate away from the football facility.

He was part of a group of players that sought out top tailback recruit Isaiah Crowell, working on offensive drills outside his dorm room in an effort to help him better learn the playbook.

“We’ve sat him down,” Murray said. “One of the first weeks here, me Ben (Jones), Christian (Robinson) and a couple of other guys went to his dorm, talked to him, ran him through some plays and said `Hey, we’re here for you no matter what. We’re going to push you and at the end we’re going to make sure you’re ready to go.’ He’s definitely taken that well and has been working hard.”

That's the last of a few important quotes from Murray. His leadership can't be confined to a C stitched into a jersey.

Last Another word on Nike's uniforms

Late each day I usually check my little blog's stats. I specifically like to see what/if any hits came from Twitter and Facebook. Google+ too, but that's still developing. Yesterday I posted something on the Nike uniforms with the headline "Nike Unis". In hindsight that was a little misleading. I probably should've titled it so that it didn't give the slightest implication of having a picture of them. The Dawg Nation is jonesin' for a sneak peek. Want proof? Glad you asked.


My post on Aron White's achievement got about one-tenth the hits from Twitter as the uniform post. One-tenth! And it also about doubled my last post to hit an all-time Twitterfeed high.

Nope, not this time.

Anyway, my point is really two-fold. To be fair I'll lead with Richt. He's helped create this frenzy over any variance in the normal uniform. It worked one and a half times (Hawaii to be fair, is barely worth a half). The other times have been disastrous. So now if there's even the faintest rumor that a costume change is coming we all get worked up to the point of hypertension.


Slow down Dawgs. This is a lot less about Richt catering to seniors wanting strike a pose in all black than it is about catering to the program's cash cow, Nike. They write the checks and now it's time for the Dawgs to climb onto a national stage and pay the shoe man. And while I understand why we all get bent out of shape, we also need to realize that the players are pretty geek'd up about it. It's pretty special for them and that's what it's all about.


And it could always be worse Reader. We could be cheering for a team in cream sickle orange that's still in the shadow of a great phat pumpkin. Besides, if what I'm hearing is correct (and I think it is) we're going to be pretty happy with the way they look. We'll win the warmups based on looks alone. It's up to what happens on Woodruff Field in the next few weeks that'll determine whether we win the actual game.


And that won't have anything to do with what color the jersey is.

SEC MD - Murray, Jones, Boykin & Coach Richt (UPDATED)

UPDATE - player is updated now with Boykin's interview as well.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Each interview is available on the player. Just hit play and select which one you want first from the right side. I'd definitely recommend Murray's...reflections on the 2010 record, Coach Richt, pressure...and being a better wife...lol. 


Boykin gave Murray some grief on Twitter about the better wives comment. They represented us well, regardless.

Boykin's individual interview isn't up at the time of this posting, but I would think they'd have it ready soon. I'll post it individually if necessary.

Nike Unis

Word on the street twitter is they're all black. Fans are convinced they're already bad luck. Players can hardly contain their enthusiasm...but they're not spilling the beans.


However, Coach Richt did let the media know today how he introduced the Nike uniforms for the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic to the team. Bulldawg Illustrated  has the sound from the interview here. Good listen.

h/t Hedges to Hardwood

Aron White nominated for AFCA's Good Works Team

Georgia tight end Aron White has been nominated for the Allstate AFCA
Good Works Team®, which recognizes players for their outstanding
community service work. Two 11-player Good Works Teams® will be
selected and announced in late September – one for the Football Bowl
Subdivision (Div. I-A) and the other for the NCAA Football
Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and NAIA.

White's off-field service includes being a Pet Zone volunteer, an
organization that saves dogs from euthanasia and puts them up for
adoption, visiting local children’s hospitals and delivers posters and
well wishes to the patients, and assisting with the construction of a
local home built by Habitat for Humanity.


Great hands on and off the field. Congrats to Aron!

Herschel says "This is Georgia!"

For the couple of you that haven't seen it yet....


Storied is the new 30 for 30 style documentary that debuts on ESPNU this Fall. It starts with none other than Herschel Walker. (h/t SDS)

September 7th at 8pm. 


I see that preview and remember one of the main reasons I became a Dawg fan as a kid. Once it's over I begin to wish we could use Herschel's last year of eligibility this season.


The ball wasn't heavy, and I doubt it is now.