A Weekend to Remember
As I mentioned last Thursday, the 1980 National Championship Bulldogs had a 30 year reunion this weekend. It’s always amazing to see this group of ultimate winners, and continue to learn what made this team tick. I wish I could have videotaped several of the after dinner conversations that went in the wee hours Saturday morning, but alas I was ill prepared.
Hugh Nall was able to attend his first reunion ever because he had always been coaching on the collegiate level somewhere at each of the other three reunions. Since he no longer coaches, but runs a trucking company in Albany, he had time and it was great to be with him again. I had seen Hugh at coaches clinics and the like, but this was the first time I had been around him for a prolonged period.
The coolest thing for me personally was something David Chandley of all people had for me. You may know David as the weather guy on Channel 2 in Atlanta. Well in 1980, David was a freshman student trainer at Georgia. I was talking to a couple of people Friday night and could see David out of the corner of my eye, like he was waiting for me to finish so we could talk.
He explained that as a student trainer you don’t get much love. He said from time to time, you might go ahead and “keep some stuff”. He said he had a box of “stuff” in his basement for nearly 30 years and just a couple of years ago realized he had something I might want.
I have had numerous people ask me over the years, if I had my old jersey or my old helmet. I never even considered taking either of those items because equipment manager Howard Beavers was a crotchety old cuss that had me thoroughly intimidated. I would not even think to ask much less just keep a jersey.
Well Friday night after 30 years, I received my old jersey. Better late than never!
Thanks David! You da man!
1980, Brothers are Brothers
It started out innocently enough. The captain of the 1980 Georgia Bulldogs Frank Ros, emailed an updated itinerary for the 30 year reunion this weekend. This is an “official” reunion weekend when many Bulldog Lettermen will be out in force. It’s a great fraternity to be a part of.
Frank’s email hit my Blackberry at 10:19 AM
What has transpired since is nothing less than comedy gold. The abuse and trash talk back and forth is an instantaneous trip back 30 years to a time when a group of young men went all the way from being just players, past becoming a team all the way to a brotherhood.
Being a blood brother is a powerful thing. Becoming a brother by choice is even more so. You may have heard the notion that an adopted child is supremely loved because it is chosen. A group of adopted brothers can achieve greatness.
Of course, being brothers has many facets and this team runs the gambit. Just like any family, there are good, bad, and ugly(Creamons) elements to it.
But we will always be family.
Go Dawgs!
National Camp Series Event
I have been asked to run another camp for Michael Husted of National Camp Series. The event will be held at Roswell High School on December 4th, 2010.
We will test participants in field goals, kick-offs, punting and also long snapping. Grades 9-12 are welcome.
In Todd We Trust
Georgia Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham has become an instant celebrity for his overtime antics Saturday. In case you have just gotten back from your honeymoon in Fiji and don’t know what I’m referring to, Coach Grantham communicated his sincere desire to Florida’s Chas Henry that Chas would just go ahead and swallow his mouthpiece.
This BEFORE his game winning kick attempt.
Of course Chas chose not to comply and actually kicked his best kick in his month of being a college place-kicker. It just goes to show you, you can’t miss them all. The 37 yarder in overtime spelled doom for a Georgia team that had shot itself in the foot over and over and over.
The now infamous choke sign displayed by CTG is being both lambasted and lauded. I just wanted to take a second to share my viewpoint, as if anyone really cares.
My first reaction is that really no coach should be engaging another team’s players. Our players should have been doing that, and they probably were. Coach Grantham could have and should have implored his troops to convey the message to Henry. But in my humble opinion, he should not have jumped in himself.
Now, that being said…
I absolutely love Todd Grantham’s fire. I love his aggressive style. I actually love the sentiment conveyed by the choke sign. We need that attitude, especially against Florida. If he stays for long, we need all our guys buying in to the notion that we are not scared of anybody, especially Florida.
I bet if you asked him, CTG would say he was ready for a rematch RIGHT NOW. Any time, any day, any place. Jacksonville, Gainesville, Athens, Atlanta….. or even in the middle of the freakin’ Okefenokee Swamp! AND I bet we win the best two out of three. As I said earlier this week, we beat ourselves Saturday.
We need CTG to stay in Athens long enough to recruit and/or convert enough players that believe in Todd and his gospel of winning football. Did you ever see NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN? The “bad guy” in the movie played by Javier Bardem was one of the scariest characters ever, and now that I think about it, he was a perfect combination of CMR and CTG.
Cool and calm(Richt), but lethal and heartless(Grantham)…I’m telling you, if given the chance, this could be a combination for the ages. But the team has to reach critical mass of buy-in.
Everybody loves to win, but not everybody refuses to lose.
Can You Break Your Own Heart?
The Georgia Bulldog’s loss at the hands of the Florida Gators was especially difficult. There have been many years in the past 21 that the Gators beat us. This was NOT one of those games. We beat ourselves…again.
Sure Urban Meyer had some wrinkles and/or tweaks, but those did not win this game. Aaron Murray unfortunately picked the wrong time to struggle. There were early opportunities in this game that we did not take advantage of. I am very proud that Aaron did come back and make some plays late in the game to get us in to overtime.
But we should have never been in overtime.
This Georgia team is not great. They could still be a good team, but they have to learn to not beat themselves. I was very out-spoken on-line yesterday and used some strong language in the face of fan’s gloom and doom attitudes when we were down 21-7. Florida was not beating us then, nor did they ultimately truly beat us in OT.
We beat ourselves.
The three game winning streak was not nearly as dominant as it may have seemed. The Vanderbilt game was a very solid game overall, but the Tennessee and Kentucky games were won because of our playing with more intensity and being in position to take advantage of the other team’s miscues. Those same gift wrapped opportunities went unopened yesterday and it made all the difference.
I’m sure many people, including Coach Richt will say, give Florida credit, because that’s the classy thing to do. So let’s do that. I give Corch Meyers credit for the fast paced offensive game plan. It thwarted the early pressure that the Dawgs were putting on Brantley. It also forced Todd Grantham to make some substitutions he normally might not make, including an entire series with number two’s in the front seven I believe. I give Corch credit for a third “QB” in the mix with Brantley and Burton. I give Corch credit for a lot of things, but his true genius lies in his willingness to sacrifice for his team.
Urban Meyer sacrificed his integrity for the good of the team.
His decision to reinstate Chris Rainey after what was universally considered a heinous crime(click), was a new low, even for Corch. It actually gave us an unobstructed view into the depths of his soul. Not that it’s that deep. Chris Rainey’s impact on this game was immeasurable, but let’s measure it anyway. 84 yards on 16 carries…5.3 avg…1 TD. 2 receptions…9 yards…6 KO returns…148 yards…24.7 avg. That pretty dang good, but Rainey’s real impact was that Georgia’s defense could not focus on Trey Burton who truly ran wild gaining 110 yards and scoring two TD’s .
Let’s call it the “AJ effect”.
Having that one additional option has an exponential impact across the board. When I looked at the TV screen and I saw Trey Burton in the shotgun, with Demps to his left and Rainey to his right? I thought, “Holy crap”.
Even so, we were in a position to win by forcing an overtime, a first in this series. Many people questioned Coach Mike Bobo’s play-calling all game. I admit, I had flashbacks to the infamous Georgia Tech philosophy with Calvin Johnson, but I’m not sure if it was a Bobo thing or a Murray thing. The third option was suggested by a friend last night. We’ll call him “Coach Pain in the Arse”. His thought was that Murray was under so much duress(my word, not his), that he didn’t have time to find all his options, including AJ Green. I countered with AJ needs to be your first option most of the time.
We’re not going to have AJ much longer, we better get all the juice out of him we can.
I actually believe CMB gave us chances throughout the day. Many early opportunities went for naught because of Aaron’s struggles, but make no mistake, the plays were there. All in all, I was proud that this year, unlike so many in the past, we fought our asses off. We fought the adversity and we fought the Gators, toe to toe.
It just so happened that their “toe” got the last chance.
Beware the Gator Kicking Game
In case you didn’t know, the Georgia Bulldogs have perhaps the best over-all special teams in all of college football. The Ray Guy winner in Drew Butler, a Lou Groza finalist in Blair Walsh and perhaps the best kick-off returner in Georgia history in Brandon Boykin. That’s all well and good but that’s just part of the equation this weekend. A lot of people have wondered about whether Florida might tweak their offense or defense in their bye week. The easiest thing to do is put in some wrinkles in special teams. But why would they do that?
The Florida Gators kickers have been struggling. Caleb Sturgis, the PK who had missed several games because of a back injury was going to try and come back for the Georgia game. He aggravated the injury Wednesday and punter Chas Henry will continue to placekick. Henry started out okay versus Alabama, but has struggled since.
The news you may not have heard is that the freshman kicker that had been kicking off, Brad Phillips pulled a hamstring last week. That means Chas Henry might kick off as well. I have not worked with him in four years but I will be shocked if he is a super strong kick-off man at this point. Florida may employ the pooch kick at times to keep Boykin at bay. The fact that Chas may do all the kicking changes his weekday preparation, his pre-game warm-up and in game preparation.
Here’s the other thing.
Chas Henry was a high school quarterback at East Paulding HS and has shown the ability to both run and throw for first downs on fake punts. I would not be surprised if UF did not try to pull out the stops on special teams tomorrow. A part of “Urban Renewal” was Corch relinquishing the special teams. Having the off week is plenty of time for him to assume control once again.
The one thing that they have not done with Chas is a fake field goal. Beware!
So, in review, beware the short KO….fake punts and/or FG’s…and punt blocks as well.
Players Need To Use Their…Wait.
The date of October 17, 2010 may go down as a red letter day in the NFL. Hits that were construed as head to head and illegal and a comment by former head-hunter Rodney Harrison, may bring some new rules for NFL defenders. Harrison said Monday night that the only thing that impacted his actions on the field was when he was suspended for it.
On Tuesday the 19th, a series of fines from $75, 000.00 for James Harrison to $50, 000.00 for Brandon Meriwether and Dunta Robinson, rocked the football world. Many players and former players ranted that at least one of the hits(Robinson) was totally legal, Harrison’s was marginal and Meriwether’s was the most agregious.
I just saw Steve Young say that the motivation for this is the NFL not wanting to see a death on the field. BULL. The more accurate view came from none other than Doug Stewart of 790 the Zone today. He said the NFL has to feign concern for it’s players to protect themselves from future claims of liability for the long term effects of concussions and other injuries. I totally agree with that assessment.
This year had seen a sharp rise in the diagnosis of concussed players and those players being held out of practice and games. This development has occurred because of scientific evidence that football causes brain injury(click here). Not just concussions, but just the repeated banging in ordinary play over time can cause serious damage in many players(click here). Another interesting show I saw back in the summer was HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel where they feel they have identified a connection with concussions and ALS(Lou Gehrig’s Disease(click here).
For the first time, NFL and even college teams are taking extra precautions that they would not have taken even a year ago. That is because of the ever-increasing numbers of former players crippled and/or experiencing various levels of dementia. The worst case I have witnessed is former Colts Tight End John Mackey(click here), whose personal struggle brought about the 88 Plan, named after his jersey number. The 88 Plan provides up to $88,000.00 per year in nursing home care and up to $50,000.00 for adult day care for former NFL players(click here). This plan was not implemented until 2007.
The NFL has been slow to truly protect players and/or take care of the ones already damaged. This week’s actions further prove that even when they do act, it has a hollow ring to it.
Blair Walsh Sets Georgia Record
Georgia fans are feeling a little better after a Bulldog blowout for Homecoming. Vanderbilt was no match for a resurgent Georgia team that continued their air assault, but found a decent ground attack as well. Washaun Ealey played his best game of the year, but I am focusing on my man Blair Walsh for today.
Blair broke the Georgia record for consecutive PAT’s held by Brandon Coutu at 114 in a row. Blair now has 115 and a season and a half to go. I thought I would let you know what he is up against in terms of the SEC record. The list is below:
- John Becksvoort- Tennessee (161) 1991-1994
- Van Tiffin-Alabama (135) 1983-1986
- Michael Proctor-Alabama (130) 1992-1995
- Damon Duval-Auburn (125) 1999-2002
- Jonathan Nichols-Ole Miss (117) 2001-2004
- Blair Walsh- Georgia (115) 2008-present
If Georgia’s offense continues to improve, Blair could be in second place before the season is over. I wish him well.
Dirty Dawgs?
I read the other day that some Tennessee players were quoted as saying the Georgia offensive line was dirty. I can’t find the article now to link to it, sorry. Anyhoo, I don’t want our guys to be dirty, but just to play hard and be tougher. Football can be a nasty game played by even nastier men, when it’s done right. Some people had questioned if the Dawgs were tough at all. Sounds like they are on the right track.
And look at which pot is calling the kettle black! lol
Bruuuuuuuuuce!
He’s Big! He’s Bad! He’s Bruuuuuuuce! But you can call him Uga VIII. The grandson of Uga VI and a fitting mascot to lead the Dawgs. See that big bad Dawg to the left. I can’t wait to hear the chorus of Bruuuuuuuuuuuce when Uga VIII enters Sanford Stadium!
Another Damn Good Dawg! Thanks to the Seilers!
Mark Richt Can’t Win
Mark Richt announced today that Caleb King will be suspended for the next two games for his Monday morning arrest for failure to appear in court. Fan reaction ranged from “not strong enough” to “way too harsh”. Let me be the first to say, “It’s perfect”! You may ask why? Well, I’m glad you asked. Let me explain.
First, let me go back to when Washaun Ealey was in a bit of a pinch(click here). Washaun was guilty of the hit and run of a parked car while driving with a suspended license. The discussion on Atlanta sports talk radio was varied. My boys Buck and Ole Kincade couldn’t come to a meeting of the minds.
Surprise! Surprise!
While John Kincade wanted heads to roll, Buck kept saying Coach Mark Richt had to be consistent in his choice of punishment. I actually disagreed with both. My take on this growing issue of mostly irresponsible behavior with some downright appalling criminal behavior is this. The only type of consistency I want to see is the heat consistently turned up on these players until they get the message. To me, that’s what happened today.
As I stated yesterday, an expulsion from the team would have been too harsh. A one game suspension for similar offenses had not yet worked had it? It reminds me of when my two sons were coming along. Neither were bad kids but we had the occasional issue to resolve. My philosophy was to find where their pain was. If it was a couple of smacks on the backside, fine. If it was taking the Nintendo away, great, but I was committed to finding what hurt the most and worked the best.
For most players, that means playing time.
Once again, I believe that CMR has pressed the right button, the perfect balance. The heat has been turned up, but we haven’t lost our player. It’s not just a different verse of the same old song. It’s a new song. He is definitely on a roll in the last eight days.
I hope he can keep it up.
Irresponsible vs. Criminal
The Georgia Bulldog fans who were experiencing the relative joy of a much needed victory Saturday got derailed by the news that RB Caleb King was behind bars this morning. There were rumblings over the weekend that something might be going on with Caleb, but today’s happenings were different.
It seems Caleb got a speeding ticket in Walton County back in the summer. He failed to either pay the ticket or show up for his court date. A bench warrant was issued and when Caleb went to help a brother out, literally, he was arrested. His brother Brandon had been stopped early this morning and was driving without a valid driver’s license. The vehicle in question belongs to team mate Brandon Woods. Although Woods went along to pick up his vehicle, Caleb was going to be the one driving it home. I’m not sure why that would be, but it prompted the ACC police to check both Woods and Caleb’s licenses and that’s when the warrant for failure to appear was discovered.
Many people both in and outside the Dawg Nation are outraged that yet another player has been arrested. I understand that completely, but unless Caleb has done other things that we don’t even know about, this particular transgression does not rise to the level of him getting kicked off the team. It’s irresponsible, not criminal.
I see fans refer to these players as men, just because they are 18-22 years old. How does a number translate into true maturity and responsibility? The young people that make up any team are not only diverse racially and socio-economically, but in maturity as well.
Mark Richt can only do so much. He lives his life openly, as an example of what these players could and maybe should consider for themselves. Many will follow a similar path based on the comments I see from players I follow on Twitter, but not all of them will, obviously.
I had a conversation with one of my old team mates Saturday before the game. Neither of us could imagine how difficult it must be to even attempt to keep track of all these guys. It was tough enough when we were all under one roof at McWhorter Hall. When the NCAA did away with athletic dorms, the intent was for athletes to have a more well rounded college experience. That would be great if it were not for the fact that the expectations are so much greater for the athlete than the regular student.
We had curfews and a coach(Kasay) that lived on the same property and although stuff happened from time to time, it can in no way compare to living at another dorm or especially off campus in an apartment or house. I don’t know how they do it.
The bottom line is Caleb was irresponsible in this matter, but in no way deserves the consequences of an offense where he could have endangered lives like a DUI. Again, I say this with no real knowledge of any other extentuating circumstances or prior offenses.
Somewhere along the way, there has been a disconnect between the Athletic Department and the surrounding law enforcement agencies. There is obviously no attempt to handle things discreetly and still have consequences. How many people in Walton County with knowledge of this situation watched Caleb King and the Dawgs all year long and no attempt was made to resolve the issue. It’s not like Caleb is some secretive figure that no one knows where to find him. There knew how to find him.
Resurrection Day
The Georgia Bulldogs did not walk, they ran out of their tomb yesterday. Led on to the field by their Head Coach for the first time ever, the Dawgs responded with an energy not seen in Sanford Stadium in quite a while. It was great to see.
Mark Richt seemingly pressed all the right buttons(Click here), from tougher practices to getting off the bus dressed and ready to play, to the aforementioned run through the Redcoats, it was a great game for the Dawgs. There were many great calls on Saturday, but the best may have been Honorary Captain Boss Bailey’s pre-game speech. It sounds like Boss’s passion for Georgia Football shone through in a way some of the player’s had never, ever seen.(Click here)
Awesome!
If there was a theme for this game it’s “Where preparation met opportunity”. Tennessee did plenty to help the Dawgs Saturday, but the fact that we were in position to take advantage makes all the difference.
Aaron Murray continues to lead the way, distributing the ball 17 times to 7 different receivers. That’s a very important development. It’s only going to create problems for defenses down the road. We do however need to be able to run more effectively and not expect Aaron to carry so much of that load. We don’t need him hit as often as he’s being hit.
He’s a tough nut though!
Now it’s time to turn the page. Vanderbilt is next and I hope the CMR magic continues. Thanks to Bernie and Nama for the tickets and for the other offers to help an old Dawg see this great game! We’ll see you in Athens sometime soon.
A.J. always looks good, even wearing orange!
Righting This Ship
If the USS Bulldog is to right itself, it will be a process. This is a rather large vessel, not some Sea-Doo that can turn on a dime. It didn’t get to this shallow water with growing concern of running aground, overnight. This ship seemingly went off course several years ago and will not be righted in one or two games.
You may say that nothing less than a Georgia victory will show that we are on the right course again. Wes Durham on 790theZone has repeatedly said that this will be the most important 60 minutes of the Mark Richt Era. I don’t disagree, but all I want to see is if the hard right turn that Coach Richt took this week. If the days of practicing in full pads, with an intensity that has been so seldom seen in any Georgia team in recent memory, is evident tomorrow, I’ll be satisfied.
I want to see these guys respond. Whether to the balls to the wall practices or the fact that Coach Richt will be leading the team on to the field for the first time ever.
I hope he doesn’t pull a hammy!
I want to win tomorrow, but more than anything, I want a recognize a mid-course correction and a team that behaves like a Georgia team should. I want Derek Dooley and every stinking piece of orange in Sanford Stadium to rue the day that they ever come back to OUR HOUSE!
Make it so, Coach Richt! Make it so!
Dawg-Gone Blog Podcast
Professor Kit Kitchens invited me to join him this week on the Dawg-Gone Blog Podcast. If you are interested, by all means check it out. CLICK HERE!
Need 2 to Stand in the Gap
If you have read much of Roughing the Kicker, you may know I only get over to Athens a few times a year to watch a game. I have fallen in to the routine of watching all the games I can possibly watch on any given Saturday. Tonight, I asked Mrs. RTK if she wanted to go to Athens and see the Tennessee game. Without hesitation she said YES!
That wouldn’t be that big a deal, but you see, she’s a yankee from Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree from Central Michigan(yes we went to that BIG DAWG beat down) and loves all thing Michigan…Big Blue, Sparty and of course, the Chippewas.
It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with the Classic City and UGA. She even looks for teaching positions in the greater Athens area, but I have really digressed.
I want to go to Athens this weekend because of the threat of no-shows. I want to “stand in the gap” as it were. The idea of standing in the gap is a biblical concept.
Because the Lord God did not find anyone to “stand in the gap,” to intercede for the land, He was requited to pour out the judgment due its disobedience.
Ezekiel 22:30-31
Now, I know it’s a stretch, but I want to encourage all of you that have considered NOT showing up as a means of protest, to reconsider. Abandoning this group of young men is beneath you as a true Dawg fan. They need us more now than ever.
But, if you can’t go for any other reason, I need two tickets for my wife and I. Sunday is her birthday and it will be part of her present. I want to see this thing turned around, not burned to the ground.
Email me at rexrobinson5@gmail.com.
Go Dawgs!
Get RACC’d
After months of anticipation and many sleepless nights, I recieved my new Georgia RACC yesterday. Sales have been steadily growing for the start-up Atlanta company with orders primarily for Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson and Georgia RACC’s. I did see a Florida State RACC as well while I was at the worldwide HQ in Marietta. See picture below and click here to learn more.
Here I am with RACC partner Paul Jankowski and my Georgia RACC! Go Dawgs!
Partner Chris Troxel acted as the photographer…thanks guys!
Henry to Kick vs. Bama
Florida’s Chas Henry has earned the reputation as one of the best punters in the country. As a Ray Guy finalist last year, he has seldom allowed any return yards in 3+ years as the Gators punter. Now he is being called upon to kick field goals tonight versus the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
The starting placekicker Caleb Sturgis has been attempting to play with a back injury for weeks. Just this week, an MRI revealed a cracked vertebra and slipped disc. The injury apparently happened while lifting weights.
I spoke to Chas’s dad by phone this morning and he confirmed that Chas was kicking field goals and extra points and a walk-on freshman was kicking off for Florida tonight. This could prove to be a huge development because it changes everything for Henry. From weekly practice routines to pre-game and in-game preparation,
One positive is that Chas, who also is the holder when Sturgis kicks, feels very confident in his freshman holder. I hope Chas does well. I met Chas when he was a junior at East Paulding HS near Atlanta and I helped him prepare for the combine where he was discovered and ultimately offered by Florida.
To be perfectly honest, I hope Chas kicks four field goals and no extra points, if you know what I mean.
Alabama 24 Florida 12
A Few Good Fans
“Hey Fan, we live in a world that has footballs, and those balls have to be kicked and passed by men with heart. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Dawgvent?
I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for another coach and you curse the Dawgs. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that losing to Mississppi State, while tragic, didn’t cost lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.
You don’t want the truth because, deep down in places you don’t talk about at tailgates, you want me on that sideline, you need me on that sideline.
We say things like Go Dawgs and Finish The Drill. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent pursuing a dream. You use them as a punchline.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a fan who rises and sleeps under the banner of the very success that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said “thank you” and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a helmet and hit somebody. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.”
Coach Mark Richt
Been There, Done That…Got The Ring
Any true Georgia Bulldog fan is hurting today. A third SEC loss and a 1-3 record is uncharted territory for Mark Richt and his staff. It is painful to watch because at times I think I am experiencing an acid flashback, and I never did drugs. The flashbacks I have are from 1977 and 1979, the years when turnovers were not just for breakfast anymore, but were available pretty much 24/7.
I was critical of Coach Mark Richt at times last year. Some of my comments were ill-timed and worded less than perfectly. Eloquence goes on vacation too, sometimes. I came in to this season cautiously optimistic, but not overly so. But now, we are at a new low for this regime. CMR knows it. His staff knows it and I’m sure the players know it. So feel free to NOT rip the players a new one on Twitter and/or Facebook. It might make you feel better, but you’re not helping solve the problem, believe me.
Being a part of a mediocre or worse team like ’77 and ’79 sticks with you as a player as it should. I think of it just as much as I do 1980, because without the adversity of those earlier seasons, the desire to overcome and never, ever feel THAT feeling again, would not be possible.
They don’t call it the “agony of defeat” for nothing.
Now, here’s the deal. This is a different scenario than 2007 when CMR ignited a team through perceived gimmickry. The “celebration” and “the blackout” worked as a short term “patch”, but was not a long term solution to whatever is ailing the program. I’m not claiming to know what that is, but obviously something is amiss.
I’m not going to get into things like play-calling because the loss to Mississippi State was not about play-calling. The passes to Washaun Ealey that ended in a fumble and touchdown to Chris Durham were both great play calls because they took advantage of MSU’s aggressiveness and hurt them with it. It just so happened that an un-necceasary holding penalty killed that TD.
Georgia fans have continually taken shots at the coaching staff in recent years, and sometimes it’s been understandable. Now is not that time, in my opinion. One of the things I uttered last season that got me in hot water was that the coaches were not in complete control. Well, that is a two edged sword. There comes a time when pride and resolve has to come to the fore and the players decide themselves that they will not be denied. That kind of effort will be evident. When I watch other games on TV, the difference if obvious to me. From how we tackle to how our running backs run the ball.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have told young athletes that if you are waiting for your coach to make you great, then greatness is not your destiny.
Greatness comes from inside each player. It cannot be imposed, it is exposed.
I pray that the seeds are now being planted for future greatness. The PLAYERS must decide, with their effort, their focus and their priorities in life. There is nothing wrong with having a good time in college, but it has to be with the big picture in mind.
That “big picture” should include the “TEAM me” ideal.
Go Dawgs and GATA!
NOW!
That’s The Fact Jack!
The incomparable Georgia Bulldog artist Jack Davis has a made a much needed proclamation in his latest print. In support of the 2010 Dawgs, he boldly states that “It ain’t over yet”!
I agree!
Goooo Dawgs!
When Dreams Die
Kenny McKinley is dead. I watched Kenny play quarterback at South Cobb HS when I coached at Marietta. We all marveled at his athleticism against some pretty good Blue Devil athletes. I enjoyed his career at South Carolina as well, except when he hurt the Dawgs as a standout wide receiver for the Gamecocks.
Kenny was a fifth round draft choice of the Denver Broncos and had been dealing with injuries for the last two seasons. He was on Injured reserve when he apparently took his own life. I have no idea why Kenny saw this as his only option, but maybe he saw his football career coming to an end.
I can honestly say that I know the utter frustration when a dream seems to be dieing. It does not mean that the dreamer has to die as well. I am praying that his will be an isolated decision that is not seen as an alternative for any other athletes, young or old. Sometimes a love for the game goes unrequited.
Sad but true.
Tell me what you really think!