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.
Something You May Have Missed at G-Day
The RACC. Below you will see the coolest thing since the Ice Age. The RACC folks were set up in the Tate Center Parking lot so you may have missed them. If you have ever wrestled with your standard tent canopy to tailgate, you’ll understand the genesis of the idea. Chris Troxel said, “there has to be a better way” and now there is. Partner Paul Jankowski has designed a better mousetrap and you can be the benefactor. Go to www.raccstore.com. This week they will be at Auburn’s spring game, then The Steeplechase on the 24th and The Taste of Marietta with me on the 25th. Come see us!
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!
Dawg Food For Thought
The recent controversy related to the last minute “change of heart” by a few commits, has had me thinking. I know, I know, I’m trying not to hurt myself. That’s why it has taken this long to put it in a post. A fairly common theme has been, “well if a kid doesn’t want to be a Dawg, we don’t want him”. I have even echoed that sentiment myself, but here’s the rub(click).
While the Nance family influence on one defector, Da’Rick Rogers was primary, I’m not convinced that the Tennessee staff didn’t have another ace in the hole. Charlie Baggett was named to the new staff in Knoxville on January 18th, just in time to become a factor in the Rogers Saga (click). Baggett had been an NFL assistant for 11 years and has coached the likes of Cris Carter, Randy Moss, Andre Rison, Plaxico Burress, Muhsin Muhammad, Derrick Mason, and Chris Chambers. Wow.
Now here is Tony Ball’s bio from www.georgiadogs.com
Ball is credited with coaching some of the school’s(Virginia Tech) greatest receivers including Ernest Wilford (2002-03), the school’s all-time receptions leader, the first player in school history to post two 50-catch seasons, and a fourth round choice in the 2004 NFL draft. In addition, Ball coached Andre Davis, one of the Virginia Tech’s top three receivers in career catches, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions. Davis was a 2002 second round NFL selection of the Cleveland Browns.
Okay, you tell me which seems more impressive to a young, 5-star athlete who wants to play in the NFL someday. Hell, even if that’s not in the forefront of a recruits mind, a coach can plant that seed and make it grow.
As a old school Georgia fan and former player, I don’t think the letters N-F-L should carry the weight they do in “college” recruiting, but that’s the reality. Our hiring of Todd Grantham is in the same vein, so why do we rip a kid to shreds when we as a program are not always fostering a true “Red and Black” allegiance? We’re playing the same game. Sometimes we will win and sometimes we will lose.
But by all means, as the kids say, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game”.
What do you think?
The “Calm” Before the Storm
It is 12:01 PM as I sit down to knock out this post. As I write, there are a couple of hundred coaches having lunch in Middle Georgia. An annual event sponsored by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association started last night with a dinner for Region and State Champion Head Coaches. It is usually a BBQ dinner, with some brothers from Wilkes County hauling their smoker over and I swear it’s some of the best I’ve ever had.
Today’s luncheon is when these best of the best high school coaches get to interact with most of the Southeast’s college football staffs. It’s a surreal mix, with Mark Richt, Paul Johnson and Nick Saban and their staffs all occupying the same space. Add FSU, Clemson, Auburn and all the smaller schools of Georgia i.e. Georgia Southern, Valdosta State, Lagrange and Shorter and all on the day before THE DAY. Very strange. It’s like a heavy-weight fight with the combatants sitting down for a beer while the score cards are tallied.
It just doesn’t compute, but it’s been happening for years.
T-Minus Two Weeks and Counting
Signing Day is two weeks away and basically a free for all has ensued in SEC recruiting. Many fans are pulling their hair out. Between Alabama’s championship, Urban Meyer’s intermittent “health” issues, Lame Kiffin leaving Tennessee in the lurch, Derek Dooley trying to save the day, Georgia finally naming their DC, this two week home stretch promises to be one for the ages.
Remember the tag-line for the MTV show”Diary”,
You think you know, but you have no idea…
Hey, did you think two days ago, that Chan Gailey would be a head coach in the NFL this year? SEE? There is no alternative universe aka Bizarro World. We LIVE in the Bizarro world.
That’s why I’m concerned about commits like Da’Rick Rogers taking visits with his buddy Nash Nance to Tennessee and possibly Florida. The Gators have continued to clean up with commitment after commitment, with Urban Meyer’s future “up in the air”. How can that be? That is some “leave of absence” he’s got going on.
I am very concerned about Derek Dooley. He’s young and looks even younger. He’s a great communicator. He’s going to be a pain in our collective buttocks.
Then there is National Champion, Alabama. Winning will create additional recruiting momentum and they will be formidable for the forseeable future. I remember how 1980 led to some the most loaded teams UGA has ever seen.
Just now is new Georgia DC Todd Grantham able to hit the road. He has some catching up to do. New Defensive Backs Scott Lakatos apparently arrives in Athens today and hits the road tomorrow. On the surface it seems Coach Richt and company have kept our commits intact. The lone exception was a mutual parting it seems.
The roller coaster is leaving the platform, are you buckled in? Let’s see if you can ride this “Scream Machine” with no hands…
Go Dawgs!
AP Lazy Picking All-SEC
The Georgia Bulldogs had three 1st team All-SEC members announced by the AP today. WR AJ Green, LB Rennie Curran and P Drew Butler were easy choices as they were statistically superior compared to other players. By statistically superior, I mean “most” or “highest”. AJ was second in yards per game recieving(83.4). Rennie led the league in tackles(122) and Drew far outdistanced the other punters in gross average by over five yards(48.8). Net punting was a little closer. So far so good.
Kickers as you know are different, all the way down to how you judge who had a better season or career. Obviously the AP voters chose Leigh Tiffin over Blair Walsh because Tiffin had 29 field goals and Blair only made 19. Forget the fact that Tiffin had eleven more attempts than Blair. Forget the fact that Tiffin actually had misses of 36, 39, 43, and 49 yards and three missed PAT’s. He also had a long kick of 50 yards. Forget that Blair on the other hand missed one kick of 32 and one of 55 yards, period. He did not miss a PAT(37-37). He was 4-5 from over 50 yards with a 50, 51, 52 and a long of 53 yards.
Blair also had 17 touchbacks on 67 KO’s(25%). Tiffin had 13 on 89 KO’s(15%). There is no easy and quick way to know how many of these kick-offs were deep attempts, so I’ll just leave it at face value. Georgia fans know Blair was not allowed to kick deep at times, so his numbers could have been even better.
To make a long story a little shorter, Blair got hosed. I’m sure he knows it, and numbers don’t lie. He should have been 1st team.
Tiffin had better not win the Groza Award. That should probably go to Kai Forbath of UCLA, who is 26-29 on field goals. All three of his misses are from over 50 yards. Not bad.
Congratulations Blair on an All-American type year, much less All-SEC.
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!
Peach State Pigskin
This week in Peach State Pigball was mostly a positive affair. Two out of the three active programs won. But we are in November and this is when seasons can turn on a dime.
Georgia took care of business against FCS opponent Tennessee Tech, winning 38-0. No homecoming nightmares this year. Hopefully this game will be enough of a confidence builder to catapult the Dawgs to a strong finish. They will need it against Auburn this week. The Tigers have been up and down this year but have a strong running game with Ben Tate and company. This series, the oldest in the south, is always unpredictable. Auburn kept my Georgia team’s from winning the SEC in 1978 and 1979.
I hate Auburn.
Georgia Tech outlasted Wake Forest to win in overtime 30-27. Wake had a late possession in regulation to win but was unable to get in field goal range. After that I felt sure the Jackets had things well in hand. This week Tech goes to Durham to play before the throngs in Wallace Wade Stadium, all 35,000 strong. Duke is certainly improving at 5-4, but Tech should roll.
No one under 13 will be admitted without a parent.
I have it on good authority, Tech hates Auburn too.
Georgia Southern was bitten by some Samford Bulldogs last week. Coach Hatcher’s Eagles are now 4-5 and now have homecoming this week against traditional rival Furman. Who did the scheduling? Furman is struggling also and comes into this week’s game having lost three in a row including a 63-31 spanking at the hands of Auburn last week.
Now they hate Auburn…
I caught up with Coach Bill Curry of Georgia State on Twitter today. “Recruits and families come tonight to see the magic of creating a new football program. Academics, campus life, staff relationships all important”!
Coach Curry doesn’t hate anybody, but he likes Auburn the least!
Throwback Thursday, Tiger Style!
Thirty years ago Georgia played Auburn in Athens with a chance to go to the Sugar Bowl. That same crazy year we talked about last week with the awful homecoming game versus Virginia, yet we still had a chance win the SEC. A win against Auburn and we would be tied with Alabama. Since the Crimson Tide had won a title more recently, the Dawgs could go to the Sugar Bowl and represent the SEC, but it was not to be. For the second year in a row, the Tigers would derail the Dawgs.
Today’s post is more personal though. This game meant something special for other reasons. My focus was on trying to help us win but, I also had a personal challenge with Auburn’s kicker, Jorge(pronounced George) Portela. As Auburn’s kicker Jorge had made All-SEC in 1977 and had become the target of my obsessive desire to be considered better than Jorge.
I know that probably sounds weird, but as a kicker, how else do you measure yourself besides statistics and against other kickers. There is no direct physical confrontation like an offensive and defensive lineman might have. As a freshman, I looked at Jorge as the standard to shoot for.
In the summer of 1978 I found a picture of Jorge and kept it in my wallet. Each day I imagined what Jorge was doing that day, and I did more. If it rained, I thought that Jorge might take the day off and I kicked anyway. This degree of focus and desire helped me become the best kicker I could be. I made All-SEC in 1978, 1979 and 1980. I was an All-American in 1980. Jorge Portela is a huge reason why.
Back to the 1979 game. Jorge and I had both kicked for three years, and we were tied going in to the Auburn game with an SEC record 35 field goals. I had my senior to go still, but I wanted to win the three year battle too. Jorge finished the year with 38 FG’s….I finished with 40.
I have not talked to Jorge since 1982, but I owe him a lot for setting a standard that pushed me to be my best.
Thanks Jorge…
SEC Flagged for Illegal Man On Field
The Florida Gators beat the Georgia Bulldogs in tackle football Saturday. I had hoped for a better showing, but I’m not the least bit shocked we lost. What I am shocked about is the fact that apparently it’s okay to attempt to injure your opponent in today’s SEC with impunity. I expected Urban Meyer to react with minimal objections, but Mike Slive’s office should be ashamed….again.
As you may know, Brandon Spikes, LB for Florida was caught on video holding Georgia running back Washaun Ealey down and purposely attempt to gouge him in the eyes. The punishment? Sit down for the first half against Vanderbilt, and don’t do it again, okay? I saw some Gator blogs today that stated if…IF Spikes did this intentionally, it was bad. Except the prick that does EDSBS…who thought it was great. Screw him.
The Southeastern Conference is now a wild west show, where anything goes. I know you are familiar with the officiating, but this is a safety issue. If nothing else, player safety should be job one in Birmingham, but it’s not. Don’t worry, I can still say what I want. Let them try and reprimand or suspend me!
Now, players can do whatever they want up to and including purposely injure another player without any real repercussions.
The main lesson here? Don’t get caught next time. Great job Mr. Slive!
Walker vs. Tebow
Tim Tebow just tied Herschel Walker’s SEC Career record for rushing touchdowns. There is a very good chance he will break the record this Saturday against the Dawgs. I am frustrated because this is one of those times when the numbers just don’t add up. Having seen Herschel up close and personal in 1980 and obviously watching him as a spectator after that, all I can say is this.
I know Herschel Walker.
Herschel Walker was a teammate of mine.
And you Mr. Tebow, are no Herschel Walker!
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a Tim Tebow hater. I respect him as a player and as a young man. He can’t stop the ever expanding circle of man crushes and PDA’s shown towards him every single day on ESPN. Now, he is one of the best to ever play college football. But there can only be one best, and that is Herschel Walker. Until someone surpasses his rushing total in the same number of carries or games played, the rest will have to sit down and vie for number two.
Now, I’m not going to enumerate the statistics of Tim Tebow. If you have not heard them a thousand times, you must be new to our fair planet. Welcome. I hope you come in peace. I have always had a problem with all the hoopla surrounding the rushing touchdowns piled up by Tim Tebow. I bet his average TD run is no more than 4-5 yards. That is hardly spectacular, particularly when it’s basically all Florida tries to do in that situation. Over and over until it works.
Tim Tebow’s skill set is truly unique.
But uniqueness does not automatically equal greatness.
Urban Meyer coming to Florida provided the exact scenario that Tim Tebow needed. It was the perfect storm. It allowed him to thrive. If he had chosen Alabama instead he might have been successful to some extent, but nothing close to his production at Florida. No Percy Harvin, no Louis Murphy, no Brandon Jacobs, no Chris Rainey, no Jeff Demps. These guys have provided the home-runs and other extra base hits. Tim is the pinch hitter that come in when it’s close. Now he does deliver…but then so does Pizza Hut.
Jacksonville, Home Sweet Home!
Well, it seems the “powers that be” have chosen to keep the Georgia -Florida Game in Jacksonville for now. Damon Evans made the announcement today that UGA will play UF in Jax for at least 6 more years. President Michael Adams said he was in full support of Evans’ decision. Okay, we’ll go with that.
Earlier this year, the WLOCP became a divisive issue for Georgia fans. Strong opinions supporting a home and home or even an occasional Atlanta game in the Georgia Dome seemed to gather some momentum. I think this issue was pretty clearly divided between Old School Dawgs and the Bark Nouveau.
I understand the young fans have pretty much never seen Georgia beat Florida. Does the fact that we were once something like 44-20 versus Florida not tell you something? All but a very few games were played in Jacksonville. We are STILL 47-38-2 in the now lop-sided “rivalry”.
Having been 3-1 against the lowly lizards myself, I don’t think, I know that geography has nothing to do with it. He who shall remain class-less brought Florida up from the abyss and after a slight “bump in the road” with Ron Zook, the Gators program has obviously been light years ahead of not just the SEC, but the entire college football world. Maybe not this year. Based on the games so far.
I believe Alabama wins this year’s SEC Championship.
Coach Mark Richt has brought the Georgia program to it’s highest level to date. There are now other hills to climb. Time will tell if he can do it with his present staff.
The SEC just keeps getting better and better.
Georgia’s Biggest Rivals, Real or Imagined?
The pundits are always talking about how competitive SEC football is and how much natural rivalries play into the weekly grind. In looking at the new UGA Media Guide, I noticed some interesting tidbits. Some folks have handed it to the Dawgs, some series are competitve and some we dominate more than I realized.
Alabama has an eleven game lead in a series that until recently was very on again off again. In the olds days we rotated those teams that are now mostly SEC Western Division teams, except Auburn and Ole Miss who we played every year.
This is our record against our traditional rivals:
Alabama 25-36 -4
Auburn - 51- 53-8
Clemson-41-17-4(ACC)
Florida -47-38-2
Georgia Tech -59-37-5
Kentucky -49-11-2
LSU -12-14-1
Mississippi -30-12-1
Mississippi State -16-5-0
South Carolina - 45-14-2
Tennessee -16-20-2
Vanderbilt - 49-18-2
What jumped out at me and maybe you too is that as tough as the South Carolina series seems, it’s on par with our record against Vanderbilt. That blew me away. It’s the same way with Clemson, Kentucky and for many years Florida also. Games like this week with South Carolina always seem close, but we do dominate the Gamecocks.
The Dawgs have some work to do this week to beat South Carolina, but they can do it.
Go Dawgs!
Bulldogs find Strength in Numbers
It starts very early for some athletes, getting attached to a certain number. I was talking to a friend whose daughter, a middle school basketball player, wears the #10. For the first time she will have to give it up because she is lowly 6th grader and a 7th grader has #10. As crazy as it sounds some athletes equate their continued success to the ability to maintain their favorite jersey number. Chip Towers writes about this phenomenon and the part it plays in recruiting blue chip football players. A few years ago, Ernie Sims of Tallahassee Lincoln HS, Florida State and now the Detroit Lions; wanted his #34….hahahahaha…hit the bricks bro…we ain’t un-retiring nuttin! He was a great linebacker, but that scenario bordered on the ridiculous.
I remember wanting the #5 because no kicker had worn it so I could possibly stand out if I worked hard. Then the next two guys after me wore it(some guy named Butler and Steve Crumbley). Twelve years of #5, so much for that idea. This issue takes some twists and turns though. I have noticed guys over the years, like Garrison Hearst, who also wore MY number and very well, just so you know. When Garrison played in the NFL, he could not wear a single digit number because of NFL rules…so he went with 23…2+3=5…ahhh see what I mean? You know Herschel wore 43 in high school 34 in college. Eric Zeier wore #15 at Marietta HS and #10 at Georgia. Am I reading more into it than I should? Maybe, maybe not.
Herschel might have been a Walter Payton fan, but I have seen these little quirky number changes many times over the years. You may have even heard of pro athletes paying new team mates mega bucks for their jersey numbers. It happens more than you think.
Now here come the freshman of 2009, and some wanting a certain number. Branden Smith wanted Number 1 and Orson Charles a very talented TE from Tampa wanted number 7. Did he commit before or after Matthew Stafford was drafted, hmm. It wouldn’t be such a big deal to me but what it does is leave the kickers with whatever is left over. A kicker wearing a number in the 80′s or 90′s is one thing….but 57? Holy crap!
Well as long as there is a Georgia Bulldogs…folks will know who number 57 was…
or will the next two guys wear it too.
Do you know of any other examples of the numbers game?
SEC Media Days…Character vs.Characters
SEC Media Days have come and gone without incident. I am very, very disappointed. There were no jabs verbal or otherwise, and I have been waiting for this for weeks and pfht! Nothing! Now I must say I am very relieved to hear that Tim Tebow is still a virgin. I’m not sure how that matter’s in the football world unless it can be proven it aids in his training regimen, i.e. overall conditioning and strong passing arm.
What inspired this missive is something else I just read attributed to the Big Bird, the King of Snipe, Darth Visor himself. In an article about Lane Kiffin, Steve Spurrier is quoted as saying when your program is not winning maybe you should keep your mouth shut. He went on to say:
Does that mean if some how the planets aligned and South Carolina won an SEC Championship, that it’s okay for him to morph back into the appendage of his youth? That could be dubbed as a type of moral relativism. I’ll be humble while I suck, but if I’m ever great again watch out brother the gloves come off!
I’m not sure Lane Kiffin needs that kind of mentoring coach, but thanks!
Once again, I am thankful to have a coach who is seldom involved in negative news of any type. This is because he chooses to be a man of character, rather than attempt to maintain a character.
Mark Richt and Tim Tebow are both men of faith.
How can we love one and hate the other?
Just sayin’…
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.
Top SEC Destinations Away from Home
I saw it being discussed on The Vent yesterday. Someone had come out with a list of top stadiums in the SEC. Everyone loves the home cooking but when you do travel, where do you enjoy going most. Is it really the stadium? Is it the people? Is it the food? Let us know what SEC destinations you prefer.
This not a bashfest…just point out where you do enjoy traveling and watching football in the best conference in America. Leave a comment and vote to your right. Let your voice be heard! This is your chance to be heard by several people at least! Thanks
Georgia and South Carolina, Enemies of the State No More
This weekend I will be taking a trip. Say a little prayer as I will be traveling to Columbia, SC to participate in the George Rogers Foundation Golf Tournament. I will be utterly surrounded by Gamecocks and Tigers with various and sundry Seminoles, Sooners, Panthers and others. It’s my second trip into enemy territory, having played two years ago and cancelling last year because of some minor surgery.
George Rogers and I go way back. Of course we played against each other for four years of college ball, but we met during the recruiting process. We first met at the University of Alabama, then seemed to run into each other everywhere we went. During those days we both made the 1980 Playboy All American Team and the Walter Camp Team as well. Check out the Playboy Offense below.
He’s a great guy with a booming laugh. He’s had his share of troubles, but has more than recovered from those days; he’s triumphed. His foundation benefits minority kids of South Carolina. Not just those that go to the University of South Carolina, but any university inSouth Carolina. Because George won the 1980 Heisman Trophy, he invites some of the other winners to come as well. Tony Dorsett, Billy Sims, Gino Toretta and Jason White were all in attendance in 2007. Hugh Green, one of the best defensive players in NCAA history was also there.
It’s a great time for a great cause, but when you say your prayers, remember this Old Dawg and pray for a safe return from across enemy lines.
SEC Football Fan…Take a Sabbatical from the Fanatical
Sports fans are great, sometimes. Well some of them are great, sometimes. Well, a few are great; some are fickle, some need professional help. No seriously. Fanatical is defined as being possessed with or motivated by excessive, irrational zeal. Last summer, I tried to participate. I actually got down in the trenches of fandom; but the message boards were not for me. There are way too many people whose whole lives revolve entirely around college football. I totally believe in supporting your team, going to games, the tailgating experience; the great feeling of knowing that these are my people and I am theirs.
I don’t even mind the guys who are ORD, that’s a newly discovered syndrome, first diagnosed by yours truly, Dr Robinson. It stands for Obsessive Recruiting Disorder. You may know a few of these. They stay on Rivals.com or Scout.com for hours on end. Correction, one browser is open to Rivals, one to Scout. The worst cases I have seen, include putting the latest poster of Jamie Newberg, the Recruiting Guru on your wall. I hear he has a Swimsuit Calendar coming in 2010. Now that is scary.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with supporting your school/team with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; that sounds rather Biblical. What I can’t get my arms around, is when that love of the game morphs into something else, something ugly. I have a new word for you.
Fannibilism
It’s when you are so out of control, you can’t be happy ripping the opponents players to shreds, you turn on your own as well. THAT is sick, and I’m not even joking. I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the way, our values got turned upside down. At least in the past, you might go after the other guy , on the other team, but you took care of and supported the ones in your “family” (team).
Let me clarify, before I go any further. I believe you can criticize an action(playing football), without attacking the player himself. Let me give you the perfect example. A couple of weeks ago the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers were engaged in the Eastern Conference Finals series, a sports writer, appearing on the TV show, “Rome is Burning”, stated that Mo Williams, a Cleveland guard was, “DUMB AS MY SHOE”. Is that insightful sports commentary? No, it’s a personal attack; but at least he was attacking an adult, a professional. There are way too many “fans” who take it upon themselves to attacks kids as well.
Remember those now famous words, “Talk to me! I’m a man! I’m 40!
Coach Mike Gundy took alot of heat for that tirade, but I admire him for it. A reporter had crossed the line and coach put him on blast. I really hope this blog never becomes a place to bash kids, whatever colors they wear on Saturdays. Hey, I almost got sucked into it last week. I posted a short blog about Janoris Jenkins, the UF cornerback that was arrested and tased. That post was up about 15-20 minutes, then I had to take it down. I “detest” Florida, not their kids. Hey, I coached one of their kids, the punter, Chas Henry. You can say what you want, but Tim Tebow is a great kid and is definitely a great football player. He can’t help it if the guys at ESPN have man-crushes on him.
Athletic excellence does not preclude human emotions. Hmm, human. As in human beings, with strengths, weaknesses, and issues, just like the rest of us. Why is that so hard to understand?
Tennessee Fans, Is it just me or…
Have the University of Tennessee faithful been quieter than usual? Of course their new coach has said plenty, more than enough for most SEC fans. It just seems that the few Tennessee people I do interact with, are(to quote Elmer Fudd) vewy, vewy quiet. It’s a beautiful thing! I do try and keep my exposure to the hillbilly bunch to a minimum, but I used to work with one that had an excuse for any and every thing that happened in obKnoxville. Luckily I left that company, so much of what Coach Kiffin has uttered came after my departure. It’s hard to figure how anyone in that position could say the wrong thing so often. Seems like the taste of shoe leather would get old, but maybe not.
Kiffin has thrown out everything from accusations of cheating of other SEC coaches to tweaking Mark Richt about UGA’s recruiting in the State of Georgia. He’s seemingly trying to “tick off ” as many people as possible. Some goal. Why add fuel to the opposition’s competitive fire when you’re the Head Coach of a dieing ember. Heck, worry about your guys, or at least the ones who stay. If the trend continues, they will be filming WaterBoy 2 in Big Orange Country this fall. Bobby Boucher’s mother confirmed that they had been contacted.
Mrs. Boucher commented, “Dat Coitch Kibben is da Debil”!
And this week…From ajc.com…(Maxie)
Sometimes tweeting ain’t worth the twouble.
When Troup junior defensive end J.C. Copeland committed to Tennessee Tuesday, a comment appeared on coach Lane Kiffin’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. It read simply, “I was so excited to hear that J.C. Copeland committed to play for the Vols today!”
Unfortunately, the assistant who posted that to Kiffin’s accounts committed a minor recruiting violation by doing so, and Tennessee is going to report itself to the NCAA.
It’s a small thing, until you pile it on top of everything else. That’s why it’s good to keep a low profile, because “things happen”. But when you as the leader of the program are repeatedly the reason for the embarassment, you can’t point fingers, although he is likely to try.
Tennessee is attempting to nip this in the bud, realizing their Coach IS relatively young and inexperienced at this level.
A part of the on-going program was captured in the picture below.
Tell me what you really think!