by Rex Robinson

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A Kicker’s Tale

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The Georgia Bulldogs play Kentucky this week. Okay, I was just making sure you knew. There  seems to be a million other things on the Dawg Nation’s mind. So let’s focus people! My focus is on my favorite player at UK, Lones Seiber, the placekicker.   I actually know Lones, having worked with him at a football camp in Wurzburg, Germany in the summer of 2004. You can usually tell a strong kicker pretty quickly and Lones was head and shoulders above the other guys in attendance. Lones had never played football but he kicked a 57 yard FG that week and this was before his junior year of high school at Wiesbaden, Germany. He came back home to Tennessee and played his senior year at Knoxville High.

It appeared he was going to fulfill his dream of playing for Tennessee and he actually had committed.  UT also offered Daniel Lincoln in the same year. Lones said see ya!  He quickly recommitted to UK and has kicked since his freshman year a somewhat up and down career so far. He still stands to leave as Kentucky’s leading scorer.

In 2007, Lones had an opportunity to make history. You may remember him having a last second field goal attempt against Tennessee. If Lones makes it, not only is he personally triumphant against the now hated Vols, but Kentucky has not beaten Tennessee in 40 some odd years.  Most important to Dawg fans, a Kentucky win means Georgia goes to the SEC championship game and surely beats LSU and plays for the National Championship.

The kick was blocked.

Hmm, maybe he’s not my favorite UK player after all.

11/18/2009 | Categories: SPORTS | Tags: , , | 1 Comment »

This Bud’s For You

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Tennessee Titan’s owner Bud Adams has been fined $250,000 by the NFL for openly expressing himself after the game with Buffalo Sunday. His post game celebration included the dirtiest of birds and Roger Goodell, who had just left the owner’s box to go down to the field was not amused.

Adams, who is 86 years old, apparently has not heard of the advances in cell phone photography and other video options. Adams was heard mumbling, you tube? What’s a you tube?

11/17/2009 | Categories: FUNNY PAPERS, SPORTS | Tags: , , | 3 Comments »

Kiffin Under the Gun Dismisses Players

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Lane Kiffin might be a miserable person to hang around with but I am more and more impressed with him as a coach almost every day. Today it was announced he would not suspend but permanently dismiss Nu’Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards from the team. These two were the hold up men in an attempted armed robbery last week.  Janzen Jackson was apparently the lookout man. Final disposition of his status on the team is still to come. The interesting thing is the “wildboys” stunt last recruiting season and the “punking” of the team panders to a kid on the edge, and has nothing to do with attracting character kids.

In honor of this latest development, Tennessee designed a new helmet to finish the year with. It will be a reminder to all who see it, that guns don’t rob people, people rob people.

On a Voluntary basis…

11/16/2009 | Categories: SPORTS | Tags: , | 5 Comments »

The Dreaded O-fer

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For the first time in most of our lifetimes, there is a graduating class from Auburn that never beat Georgia. The 31-24 beating of the Tigers was satisfying on many levels. The Dawgs continue to pull together after a disappointing first half of the season.  It will still be looked upon as a season to forget for many Dawg fans, but the seniors at Auburn will take this to their graves.

I can remember developing a real deep seated passion(hatred) over a four year period against the likes of Clemson(2-2), South Carolina(2-2) and Auburn(1-2-1). Those career records in parenthesis were bad enough, but to go 0-4 against a  rival would be the recipe for a lifetime of what ifs and coulda woulda shouldas. A real nightmare.

See Georgia Tech.

I am not gloating or making fun of these young men. I am just telling you like it is. They will forever be remembered as a group that never beat Georgia. Even other Auburn people will remind them, when it suits them. That just the way it is.

11/16/2009 | Categories: SPORTS | Tags: , , | 3 Comments »

CWM Ain’t Going Anywhere…

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Some Georgia fans hope for it, wish for it, even pray for it, but Willie Martinez will be on the Georgia sidelines in 2010. The defensive woes familiar to Dawg fans in recent years and especially 2009 might point to CWM, but CMR does not.

Mark Richt points in other directions, like youth, injuries and execution. He’d be right on those points, but how do you ignore the trends that have the Georgia faithful so faithless? You will have to ask Coach Mark Richt that question and believe me he will be asked.

One thing I can say is there aren’t many crucibles as hot as the high profile Division I football program like the University of Georgia. When the world wants to pull a team and/or staff apart like Dawg fans have this year, that team and staff either splinter and self destruct or they forge a stronger bond and survive.

Which do you think has happened?

Based on the last four games and especially the Auburn victory, I would say they have survived the tidal wave of criticism and are now riding it like Kelly Slater . I am convinced that Willie Martinez will return as Georgia’s DC because at the end of the Auburn game when things were in hand with a minute to go, Mark Richt and Willie Martinez embraced.  The joy and relief evident was powerful.  If I could read minds, I would guess they were saying WE did it. We DID it.

They have kept this team together. They have gotten better as the season has progressed. The staff may need some tweaking, but CWM is here for a while longer, I’m convinced of it. What say you?

11/16/2009 | Categories: SPORTS | Tags: , , | 40 Comments »

Spread the Love Folks

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The Georgia Bulldogs’ 31-24 win over Auburn was a very pleasant surprise. Particularly after spotting the Tigers 14 points on the first two possessions. It was looking bad for the good guys, but then A.J. Green got hurt. Wait, did I say that right? Like it was a positive thing? I would never wish that on anyone. I hope A.J. heals up quickly, we need him, but to persevere and win without him was huge to me.

Early in the season A.J. was our team, making catch after miraculous catch. To progress to a point where we can beat a pretty good Auburn team without him is immeasurable. The growth of our O-line and running backs is gratifying to see. The young receivers like Israel Troupe having their chance and making the most of it. Tavares King could be an awesome compliment to A.J. Green in the future.

I have to also say that the defense came to play. The Auburn no-huddle offense and what I bet were scripted plays really put us on our heels. The third possession seemed to stop the hemorrhaging and whether it was swagger or something else, it was fun to watch. Even though there could have been more, the two interceptions were a delightful change of pace as well.

Blair Walsh continued to impress with his sixth career field goal over 50 yards, with four this season. This kick moved him into a four-way tie for second place in career field goals over 50 yards. Alan Leavitt, The Blogger himself and Brandon Coutu also had six. If he continues to have the opportunities and stays healthy, obviously he is on pace to break a very special record held by Kevin Butler(11). The younger Butler(Drew) had a disappointing night, only punting for a 47.4 average on 5 punts. His season average plummets to 49.0. I guess being on the Ray Guy watch list went to his head. Just kidding folks.

I tell you, Dawg fans have been super critical of the coaching staff, sometimes for good reason. My belief is when they  pull things together you should acknowledge that as well. The sign of good coaching is when a player and/or team gets better over time. This team has gotten better the last four games, the Florida game notwithstanding. They may win out, which I would not have predicted 48 hours ago.

Randall Cobb of Kentucky gave us fits last year and Tech is a well oiled machine, but shtuff happens, as we have seen all too often this year. Maybe we can make some shtuff happen and make someone choke on their Thanksgiving leftovers. You know who I’m talking about!

auburnfootball1

11/15/2009 | Categories: SPORTS | Tags: , , , , | 7 Comments »

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