Happy Hornets
The Hornets welcomed Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Chris Kaman to the squad.
They seem thrilled.
2011 Not a Good Year for Dawgs
No, it has not been a good year for Georgia, it has been a great year. On the brink of collapse and possible firing, Mark Richt has resurrected the Dawgs and put them on firm footing for the future. But let’s be real. As far as we’ve come in one year, we still have areas to continue to improve in before we can be counted as “back”.
As much as I hope for the best for Saturday’s game, my head tells me we are in for some trouble. The sheer numbers of LSU’s depth and talent across the board will be very difficult to overcome. But, I have always believed in “the heart” as an intangible that many times can trump talent. I’ve seen it, and I played on teams that overcame all obstacles and WON!
Here’s the reason for my post this day. As recently as the week after the Florida game, I met Georgia people calling for Mark Richt’s head. At that time it was because of the suspensions and the possible implementation of a true “empty backfield” formation(thanks Kerri)! I will bet there are certain Dawg fans that are secretly miserable right now because they wanted Mark Richt to be fired this year. They can just pucker up because he ain’t going anywhere.
These same “fans” will be up in arms if the Dawgs happen to not be ready for the likes of a NUMBER ONE, UNDEFEATED LSU. All it will prove to me is that we’ve come a long, long way, but have a ways to go to reach our ultimate goal, a National Championship. That’s not a bad thing to me, because certain members of the “Dream Team” need to transition(grow up) and do the little things to reach their full potential. Right now, a few are relying solely on their God-given abilities and have not developed the work ethic required to compete on a weekly basis in the SEC.
Here’s a crazy thought. A win on Saturday might delay that process. A loss and a reality check might be just the prescription for our “Dream Team” to win it all before they leave Athens.
1980 Dawgs -Revisited
From the website for 1980 Dawgs – The Inside Story of The National Championship Season™: A new documentary film produced in a 2 DVD, Collector’s Edition set. Contains over 3 1/2 hours of behind the scenes stories, including some never heard before and exciting game footage that fans will treasure. Over 25 Players and coaches relive the season with emotions that bring that special season back to life. more…
Riding The Storm Out
It’s hurricane season and Georgia Coach Mark Richt is in the center of a Bulldog maelstrom created by a few stormy seasons of underachievement. After an 0-2 start, the stuff has hit the fan more than at a Baboon’s Birthday Bash. As I said a few days ago, the South Carolina game gave me reason to be hopeful. When your star players make uncharacteristic blunders it takes the wind out of your sails pretty quickly.
But, one great thing I noticed in the Twittersphere was a comment by true freshman Jay Rome.
He made this comment Monday before practice. It sounded as if the team had made a positive impression on an impressionable young Rome, a member of this past year’s ‘Dream Team”. THAT is what we need. A group of upperclassmen showing the stars of the future how it’s to be done. No pouting and apparently NO hangover from Saturday’s loss.
This is as it should be.
Proud to Be A Georgia Bulldog?
Since I am nothing more than a Georgia Bulldog fan with a name you might recognize, I’m approaching this post as such. I’m a Georgia Bulldog fan and I’m proud of my team this day. Happy? Not really. Satisfied? No. But I’m proud to see a team that seems to care.
There have been games in recent years where I was not so sure. Now whether that is because of a love for Coach Mark Richt or just a team whose level of vigilance has reached a new level, it matters not to me. That focus that comes with caring put’s them in a position to win. Chuck Oliver of 680 the fan was saying yesterday that if Georgia fans were satisfied with just “good effort” and “not quitting”, that the program had indeed fallen.
I’m not satisfied, I’m encouraged. This program has fallen on hard times, but it is showing signs of life. A program that had been on life support is close to breathing on it’s own. It still needs intensive care, but all of you that want to “pull the plug”, just need to chill. If this Georgia team can build from here, we have a lot of reasons to believe we have turned a corner and can still make this a great year.
The future does indeed look bright.
Why So Cocky?
I know Georgia fans realize how competitive most South Carolina games are. They are usually low scoring affairs and very tightly contested. But the series record of 46-15-2 is very lopsided in Georgia’s favor. Hell, Vanderbilt has beaten the Dawgs more times(18) than South Cackalacky.
Really Maryland?
Just when we thought it could not get worse, it did. Last night Maryland pulled the ole switcheroo after pregame and came out in what can only be described as half medieval knight, half crash test dummy… uniforms and helmets. Pulled straight from some NFL Europe dung heap of polyester and plastic, and resurrected as straight fugly.
Herschel, The Actor?
Here’s a little scoop for Georgia Fans. Last week at the viewing of SEC Storied-Herschel, #34 told me that one of the latest additions to his ever burgeoning bucket list is acting. He has been in discussions with the people at Law and Order and they have agreed to have Herschel in an episode that would air early next year. Actual filming would be around November.
One of the sticking points was that the L&O writers wanted him to be a cop. Herschel said he didn’t want to do it unless he could be a bad guy. After some time passed, they called with the perfect role. A serial killer.
Things like this don’t always happen as soon as we think they will, if at all. Herschel told me several years before his first MMA fight that he was going to do a reality show pitting MMA fighters vs. Former Pro Athletes. I don’t think that ever materialized, but I’m looking forward to seeing this one.
Oh, you Herschel Walker!
Still Looking To Turn A Corner
Many Georgia Bulldog fans are licking their wounds today, while others lash out to inflict pain on whatever segment of the Dawg Nation they deem complicit in the losing effort Saturday night. Mark Richt, Mike Bobo, Nike? The list continues to grow. Boise State certainly lived up to their ranking as a Top 5 program, while Georgia flashed some real signs of hope but settled back in to some old, familiar bad habits.
I really don’t want to get in to all the details of the who, what and why. There are plenty of bloggers that will write about that today. I have many of them listed in my right side bar.
Check them out later.
The thing I have never been able to get my head around is how so many fans can build up a player, a team or a program IN THEIR OWN MIND, only to attack those same entities when it does not intially pan out.
Many of you still refuse to acknowledge that Boise State is a damn good TEAM. Really? I guess that doesn’t suit your purposes in running down a team and a coach that has yet to be given a real opportunity to show if they are an improved group. This week’s game versus South Carolina is another tough row to hoe.
That being said, sometime soon Coach Mark Richt and staff must turn a corner if they are to survive. I want them to survive, but they have to want it even more.
SEC Storied – Herschel
Dawg Fans will be glad to know, that next week on Wednesday, September 7th the first installment of a news series, SEC Storied will air. Our favorite son Herschel Walker is the first subject. I was fortunate enough to join Herschel and a contingent of my team mates at an advance showing last evening. Coach Vince Dooley and other members of his 1980 staff were there as well. The show will air on ESPNU and there were ESPN representatives as well as SEC Commissioner Mike Slive in attendance. This was a bigger deal than I had imagined.
The documentary was very well done, with many of the highlights we’ve all come to know and love and will never tire of. But, there were some new clips I had not seen and re-enactments of childhood scenes of trauma suffered at the hands of classmates. If you read Herschel’s book BREAKING FREE, you know some of those details. This trauma/abuse was the catalyst that brought about a certain rage that has fueled Herschel in almost everything he does. The struggle to feel ‘good enough” and find healthy outlets for his rage.
Football was that outlet for many years, but when his football career was over, problems arose.
I won’t reveal any more details and risk ruining the actual documentary for you. It is must see TV for any Dawg fan. Again, it airs next Wednesday at 8:00 PM on ESPNU.
Get After Them Aggressively?
I’m not sure if all Georgia Bulldog fans have seen the NIKE PRO COMBAT UNIFORMS promo, but it is very well done. No matter what you think about the unis themselves, the video link below gets me fired up for the game! One reason is their attempt to include the famous battle cry of GATA.
The fact that they say “Get After Them Aggressively” is understandable.
I think our guys know the deal. GATA!
All I Want This Season
I have no idea what the typical Georgia Bulldogs
fan wants this season. It could be an SEC East title, an outright SEC Championship and I’m sure there are some that want a new coach. My wish for this season is much simpler than all that.
I want my old Dawgs back!
I want old school, hard-nosed defense. I want consistent effort from both sides of the ball. I want to watch a game and know that it matters to each and every player that they are wearing red and black and most of all the “G”.
The bottom line is, at least show up!
780 minutes of football start this Saturday…that’s all they have. That’s 13 games for you Boise fans. If “Ole Lady Luck” graces us with her presence, maybe 14 games and a return to the Dome. THAT would be awesome, but I’m commited to not getting hung up on numbers of wins and/or titles. I just want to see something different. A team that cares less about swagger and more about focus. A team that never gives up in any situation. A team that pulls together and never apart…that’s right, I want a TEAM!
I want my old Dawgs back!
Do “Clothes” Really Make The Man?
Nike announced several weeks ago that both the Georgia Bulldogs and Boise State Broncos will wear Nike Pro Combat Uniforms in their September 3 contest. The uniforms were unveiled this week and it has sent some poor Dawg fans over the edge. Many think it’s a ploy like the Blackout jerseys of yesteryear or the “Grambling” experiment of 2009. It’s not. It’s an opportunity to be included in a fairly select group of programs Nike uses to promote their product in a big way.
Think of how many times NIKE PRO COMBAT JERSEYS/UNIFORMS has been uttered on radio/TV and written in print and online media, all for free. You can’t buy that kind of advertising at any price. This Chickfila Kickoff Classic has become such a huge game that Nike could not pass it up. The exposure for UGA in this game and the buzz surrounding the uniforms, should be construed as positive.
As far as the actual uniforms go, I like them okay. These uniforms should not over-shadow all the right moves Coach Mark Richt has made in his staff and in the Strength and Conditioning program. It’s about attitude. I fully expect this Georgia team to be much improved, especially on defense. That does not mean they are going to win every single game. Boise State will be an extremely tough game and win or lose, the uniforms will have nothing to do with it.
Now today, I see Maryland has unveiled a set of new uniforms from Under Armour. Check them out here to make yourself feel better about Georgia’s unis.
Chubb’s Patience Pays Off
Georgia Football fans will remember Aaron Chubb, the defensive end from the late 80′s. He played on some of Coach Dooley’s last teams. His son Brandon is a senior LB at Hillgrove High School and I just learned a little of his recruitment this past year.
Going in to the 2010 season, Brandon’s best offer had been from the University of Tennessee/Chattanooga. During the course of the year, the coaches, especially Head Coach Phil Ironside encouraged Brandon to remain patient and just keep playing. As the season went along, Hillgrove made a deep run into the playoffs, beating Stevenson and Camden County is successive weeks. Playing well against those types of teams helped Chubb’s stock rise, but still mostly Southern Conference teams were the only ones calling.
These were the only offers at the time because at 6′ tall, he’s not the proto-typical SEC/ACC linebacker. Just before Christmas, based again on play-off game film, Appalachian State entered the picture. App State has been one of the most successful programs on the “1-AA” level for several years, having beaten Michigan in 2008 and winning National Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007. This was a very positive development, but still Chubb waited to commit.
Well last week, a college coach visited Hillgrove HS to inquire about Brandon Chubb. It seems his program had lost a linebacker commitment to The University of Texas and now they were looking to replace him. The old domino effect. So now, when signing gets here on Wednesday, Brandon Chubb will be signing a Letter of Intent and will be attending Wake Forest University. Wow.
Good for you young man. All the best.
Nothing to Say
I am for the first time in my life, refusing requests to be interviewed for radio shows and/or fan podcasts. Not that the phone is ringing off the hook, but I have had a few requests. If you have been a reader of RTK, you have probably noticed the diminished flow of posts this season. I guess the only way to say it is this.
“If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.”
New Blood is Old School
Georgia Bulldog fans are out in force tonight, “discussing” the news that Dave Van Halanger is out as Strength and Conditioning coach at UGA and Joe Tereshinski is in. No, not the quarterback, his dad. Joe was an offensive lineman for the Dawgs in the mid-seventies. It was also announced that John Kasay would act as assistant S&C coach. No, not the kicker, his dad. Coach Kasay also played O-line for Coach Dooley back in the mid-sixties. This new blood is definitely old school.
I must say I was very surprised by the news. Most people realize that Coach Van is one of Coach Mark Richt’s closest friends. Now CVH will be working even more closely as his administrative assistant.
Reaction from Georgia Fans runs the gamut
from skeptical to what the hell?
Most fans expected an infusion of new blood. What Coach Mark Richt has done instead is withdraw what can only be described as “cord blood” to this football program. How many times has the DawgNation screamed for the days of Erk Russell. The old school approach to winning football. Hard work, toughness and a junkyard mentality.
Well here you go Dawg fans.
For the first time in recent history, we will have direct descendants of Coach Erk Russell. Men who played for and coached with the man synonymous with what we consider “Georgia Football”. We seem convinced that having each new Uga remain a direct descendant of the original mascots somehow significant. How much more so that “offspring” of our glory days have the opportunity to infuse these young Dawgs with old school work ethic.
This could work Dawg fans. It depends on the players and how much they buy in.
Go Dawgs!
I saw this look more than once while in Athens.
Whatever you think of my career at Georgia,
no man had a bigger impact on me than John Kasay.
Whether short or long term,
nothing but good things can come from his infusion of passion
into a seemingly anemic S & C program.
One of My Boys of Fall
I’m sitting here listening to Kenny Chesney backed by the Zac Brown Band playing THE BOYS OF FALL. Believe me, I’m not sitting here watching the CMA’s, I just knew they were playing. It prompted me to let you know about Joel Williams.
Joel was a punter that I coached at Marietta High School a few years back. He was a very solid punter, but not the greatest in the world, his talents were in the musical realm. I used to go watch him jam at blues bars around Atlanta when he was 16 years old. He was awesome.
Since I last saw Joel he come a long way and a lot has happened. He just happend to be a part of the Zac Brown Band for a time and played guitar on some of their most recent hits. But Joel has more important issues to concern himself with. He has aplastic anemia, an auto-immune disease that destroys bone marrow. He needs a bone marrow transplant.
This Saturday a group of his concerned Marietta “family” are having a fish fry to help raise money for Joel. Information is listed below. Come on by.
Saturday, November 13 · 2:00pm – 11:30pm
Two Monkeys Tavern
688 Whitlock Avenue
Marietta, Georgia 30064
or call 770-795-0944
Tell me what you really think!