What’s Red, Black & Green All Over?
I don’t know, but it’s worth $1,000 and a four game suspension apparently. Georgia’s AJ Green has been suspended for three additional games, pending a UGA appeal for selling a game worn jersey to someone technically considered an agent.
The Dawg Nation is beside their collective selves, which is understandable. What I don’t understand is why they consider AJ a victim. He knew the rule and he broke the rule. If you think the rule sucks fine, but don’t place victim status on him.
AJ was and is dead wrong. I have no love for the NCAA, but just as in any real world working relationship, there is the “BOSS” and the “employee”. The NCAA controls the activities and the amateur status of athletes under scholarship at their member institutions.
Unlike other decision makers, the NCAA has chosen to up the ante in order to nip this type of thing in the bud. Four games is harsh, but harsh was what was called for, I guess.
As a Georgia fan, I am convinced that we have plenty of offensive weapons to survive the early slate of games. Our defense is the question and many of those questions have already been answered in a near shut out of Louisiana Lafayette.
The Dawgs will survive this nightmare. I believe it to my core.
College Football and Social Media
There are quite a few Georgia Bulldogs who jumped in the deep end of social media in 2009. From Facebook to Twitter, and probably some Myspace thrown in for good measure, being “social” with friends we don’t know has become all the rage. Although, I can see some positive aspects to this phenomenon, the negatives keep piling up in my mind’s eye.
Going back to last year when I jumped in the pool myself, it was interesting to connect with so many Dawg fans of all ages. As a former player, it was fun and a little bit of an ego boost to be perfectly honest. I can’t even imagine how crazy it could get for a present day player….wait, yes I can.
I have followed Jeff Owens and Mike Moore from the beginning of the 2009 season. I added Darryl Gamble, Tavarres King, Neland Ball, Bacarri Rambo, Drew Butler and AJ Green. Along the way I picked up on some players from other teams as well. I’m going to hold off on their names, you’ll understand shortly.
On the surface one would think it would be great to follow and understand the day to day routine of a college football player. At times it was true, but there were other times it was disappointing. When the season did not go according to plan, it gave over zealous fans the ammo they needed to criticize some players. It was ugly.
One in particular was Jeff Owens, who tweeted early and often about his daily grind, never missing an opportunity to let his followers know when he got his grub on. Jeff received some some serious heat after the Florida game, I believe it was. In addition, none other than David Pollack was relentless in in the fall, telling #95 to try a salad from time to time. Sometimes brutal, sometimes funny, but #47 was really just trying to help I think.
This has been a bad week for college players and social media. Elijay Fields of the Pitt Panthers was dismissed for pictures he posted on Twitter (click and also see picture below). If thats not enough, try Oregon’s Jamere Holland, upset because he thought,(mistakenly) that one of his boys had been kicked off the team for a DUI. He let loose on Facebook and now he’s the goner(click).
Like I mentioned earlier, I have been following some players from other schools besides Georgia and I have seen Tweets about partying, getting high and even one guy watching his room mate having sex in the room. It’s crazy. It’s like these kids think the only ones reading it are their friends and or team mates.
Another example is the fan pressure exerted on Facebook pages during recruiting season. Da’Rick Rogers was supposedly bombarded by Georgia and Tennessee fans. Now Rogers and Baccari Rambo have had a verbal sparring match online. It seems to have subsided for now, but I have a feeling it’s not over(click).
All in all, as a fan I think social media is cool. It gives you an unequaled access to players and their thoughts day to day. But the abuses are so numerous, if I were a coach, I would want my players to steer clear. I think any player willing to risk exposing himself to the fringe that exists out there, better be thicked skinned, because people will put you on blast in a hurry. And by all means watch the “Twitpics” and keep your mouth shut!
My own personal time on Twitter and Facebook has been dwindling because of having to devote more time to my business, but I feel sure when the season gets here, I will be among those barking…
Gooo #Dawgs!
A Special Teams Dream
The limitations placed on coaching staffs by the NCAA may preclude a special teams guru. You can only have your head coach, 9 assistants and two GA’s on the field at any given time . I have no knowledge of Coach Richt’s plans, but here is the present breakdown
- Mark Richt(HC)
- Mike Bobo(OC/QB)
- Stacey Searels(OL)
- Tony Ball(WR)
- John Lilly(TE)
- Bryan McClendon(RB)
- Todd Grantham(DC/LB)
- Rodney Garner(DL)
- Scott Lakatos(DB)
- Outside Backers or Special Teams?
It seems to me that it would be difficult for Coach Grantham to coach the outside backers/defensive ends because of the vast differences in their responsibilities from the inside backers. I do like Grantham’s decision to coach LB’s because he said during practice he will get valuable time with the D-Line(Inside Drills) and the DB’s(Pass Skeleton). It just seems like he could spread thin during fundamental periods with inside and outside backer skill-sets being so different.
The most important issue regarding special teams is not if there is one man doing it all or not. It’s the special teams philosophy and time spent implementing said philosophy that really matters. It would still work with coaches sharing special teams responsibilities if the philosophies and personnel choices are more sound. That was where Georgia struggled most.
All I know is this, every time I hear Todd Grantham talk, I get all tingly inside. This is going to be fun to watch, no matter what.
Go Dawgs!
There will be NO ORANGE!
I think most Georgia Bulldog fans understand the sentiment. I want Clemson to beat the brakes off Georgia Tech tonight. Yesterday, I stated I might go as far as wearing orange in support of the Tigers. Nix that. There will be no incarnation of the Great Pumpkin, nor will there be any purple as I have already gone through my Barney phase. I will soon be assuming the position in front of the TV.
To sum up my day, C’mon Bearcats!…Go ‘Zona!…
Roll Tide!…Go Tigers!…Hook ‘em Horns!
and Oh yeah, Go Dawgs!
NCAA + Good Decision =WTH?
You have probably heard about the Clemson Tigers potentially being punished for illegal lingerie. My boy Bernie puts his two cents in as only Bernie can. I wanted to add mine as well, because many don’t understand what the hub bub is about. The NCAA has just this morning overturned the punishment that the ACC had imposed. There is no doubt that in the big picture, the fact that Clemson could have lost two practices was a bit much, but I do understand the issue.
Seems the Tigers were wearing their padded girdles under their shorts at practice. That’s a very common thing these days as it affords an added level of protection against minor injuries during contact drills. I think you would be amazed how much contact there really is, even in shells(shorts and helmets). Heck even basketball players are wearing these girdles.
A few years ago a company called McDavid came out with what they call a hex pad girdle. It comes with hip, tail and thigh pads sewn in the girdle permanently. They are worn under football pants and offer the same protection with added comfort. I have sold a ton of them in recent years. I wish we had worn them back in the day.
NCAA rules prohibit full contact the first few practices. Teams must go out in shorts and helmets. The next step is usually shoulder pads. The advent of this new girdle, allows full contact drills and are very common, for lineman especially. They might just “thud” with running backs, but not take them to the ground. The only thing missing is knee pads, but you know what college and pro players think of knee pads. Not much.
It’s just another small example of trying to gain a few full speed reps to get ahead. Not a huge deal. But hey…rules are rules!
NCAA Football Players, Gridiron Gods or Serfs on Turf?
Some of you may know this, most will not. It is possible to play the video game NCAA Football as the Georgia 1980 National Champions. All the jersey numbers coincide with the correct players of that year, even the kicker. Now the fact that the kicker, #5, is portrayed as black, well that’s a whole other thing but, go ahead check it out, it’s true. If NCAA Football survives the “BOMB”, history will recount that I was indeed UGA’s best black kicker ever. Awesome!
Now, do you remember Sam Keller? You would have to be a pretty big football fan to remember him. He played at Arizona State a few years ago, then transferred to Nebraska. I just read some interesting news about the former college quarterback as he is filing a class action suit against the manufacturer of the game, EA Sports and the NCAA for profiting on college players likenesses. Sam recounts how initially it was fun to play NCAA Football as himself back in 2005 when he was still at Arizona State. Now he sings a different tune.
“We signed a paper at the beginning of college saying we couldn’t benefit from our name,” said Keller, who is now 24 and living in Scottsdale, Ariz. “So why was the N.C.A.A. turning a blind eye to this and allowing EA Sports to take our likenesses and make big bucks off it?”
I think he has a legitimate point.Back in 1977 when I signed my letter of intent, it was a different world. College football was not the huge money producing machine that it is today. There were no huge television contracts, no video games with our likenesses in them. The football program was not a multi-million dollar cash cow as it is today. Even so, things transpired(1980) that the university and others are profiting from to this day.
Now AD’s, football coaches and university presidents know full well how much money is to be made and they are constantly looking for bigger and better ways to “sell” their programs. UGA is among the countries most profitable athletic departments. This year’s overall athletic budget at Georgia is projected to be $84.8 million. Plus UGA just signed away their multi-media marketing rights for football and basketball for the next eight years for over $92 million.
At this juncture, 18 year olds are expected to sign away rights to “products” they will help create. It’s almost like a hungry musician desperate to sign that first record contract. They are vulnerable. I know it’s hard to imagine a pampered blue chip prospect as vulnerable but when compared to the adults in the transaction, they are.
Many will proclaim that the exchange of an opportunity for a college education is more than an equitable trade-off for the money being generated by these athletes. I think many changes need to be made, like a monthly stipend for players, but that’s another blog for another day.
Tell me what you really think!