Georgia ends spring — and needs a quiet summer
Like this photo, Mark Richt must stand in background when Isaiah Crowell and Georgia teammates head into summer. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
ATHENS — On the day spring football came to a close for Georgia, nobody got arrested, nobody got high, nobody claimed to make the mistake of eating brownies baked by Dolly Madison’s Bohemian, hippie sister and certainly no coach yelled, “Wooo! Pig Sooie!” while exchanging 4,300 text messages with the nation’s best-paid, smokin’ blonde, student-athlete development coordinator.
Relatively speaking, Saturday’s G-Day game was nirvana.
But the annual spring game contrasted the past few months. A reported seven players (at least) were suspended or drop-kicked out of Athens for assorted legal missteps or rules violations. Coach Mark Richt appropriately called Saturday, “good medicine.”
Or a needed cleansing.
To suggest the Georgia program has jumped the rails would be overstatement. But Richt and his players know how this sort of thing plays publicly, particularly going into the summer, when free time too often breeds problems. Hot days, cold beer, long nights … you know the formula.
“We’re well-aware of what can happen now,” quarterback Aaron Murray said. “There’s been some incidents that have occurred, and the guys don’t want that kind of attention. They don’t want the additional stress on coach Richt or on the team. There’s a negative image, and we want to get rid of it.”
Six players graced the cover of the spring guide. Only four of them made it to the scrimmage program cover Saturday. Bacarri Rambo and Alec Ogletree were cropped out for expected drug suspensions.
Three other players — Chris Sanders, Nick Marshall and Sanford Seay — were kicked off the team for their involvement in a theft. Sanders Commings was suspended two games following a charge for domestic violence. The other reported suspensions were marijuana-related (though not confirmed by the school): Ogletree (failed drug test, one game), Rambo (failed drug test, four games), Branden Smith (possession, one game).
Steve Spurrier isn’t one to miss an easy punch line. So when asked about the South Carolina-Georgia game being moved from the second week to the sixth, Spurrier swung away. “I sort of always liked playing them that second game because you could always count on them having two or three key players suspended,” he told ESPN.
Here’s the positive news for Richt: He learned something about the resolve of his players last season. The Dogs reeled off 10 consecutive wins following an 0-2 start. Most of those players return in 2012.
The opener against Buffalo isn’t an issue — Richt could plug holes with 10 kids pulled out of the cafeteria line at the Tate Center and still win that game. Game 2 at Missouri might be a little stickier.
What the Dogs’ can’t afford are any more storylines with the words “arrest” or “drug test” in them. This summer will show if the past few months have been some aberration. It also may determine where next season finishes on the average-to-special scale.
“I think I’ve got a good pulse of what’s going on internally, and I don’t sense there are team-related issues that are of major concern,” athletic director Greg McGarity said. “We’ve got some spots where we need tightening up, but that’s true with every program.”
But McGarity is aware of the perception.
“We’re getting beat up a lot — and maybe we can do some things where we don’t have to get beat up so much,” he said.
Elaborating: McGarity said Georgia may begin a practice of not announcing any disciplinary action of players, unless there’s a legal issue that would make it unavoidable.
“If you announce that somebody has violated team policy today, you have to read about it for five months before the first game,” McGarity said. “Do we need to put ourselves in that position?”
There’s only one flaw with that thinking: Almost everything leaks out at some point, and Georgia has a better chance to control the message with a formal announcement.
The bigger issue, though, is eliminating the problems altogether. We can debate all day whether problems among an athletic program exceed the general student population. But the reality is that nobody really cares about the average poultry-sciences major.
McGarity said he meets with Richt “frequently — enough to know where he stands on things.” He knows how this has worn on the coach.
“He feels good about the program, but like anyone he feels frustrated,” he said. “He hates to take time away when something pop up. It can be burdensome.”
There’s an easy answer: Just get 100 kids to promise, “I will not get into trouble.”
Also, maybe buy a lottery ticket.
By Jeff Schultz
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263 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
2:05 pm
Granitedawg….WHY? it is JEFF’s Blog and not a MUTT blog.
evil empire
April 15th, 2012
2:07 pm
just for granitedawg, i’ll post three straight posts that the typical dawg fan either thinks or posts…
Goofy Henderson
April 15th, 2012
2:09 pm
I don’t see us losing a game this season. Murrray is a solid Heisman winning QB.
Ralph from Emerson
April 15th, 2012
2:10 pm
The dawgs should be pre-season number #1 by the time the season starts. Coach Richt will lead us to a National Championship. Forget the first eleven seasons, this is the one we’ve been waiting for.
Willie Ramhurst
April 15th, 2012
2:15 pm
I can see us going on a big winning streak. We will have won the east 2 years in a row, we’ll handle LSU for a whole game this time, payback for that championship they stole from us in 2007, and beat USCw in the BCS championship. And IC will share the Heisman with Murray and JJones. Go Dawgs!
evil empire
April 15th, 2012
2:15 pm
better now…
This is so easy to splain
April 15th, 2012
2:58 pm
UGA recruits from the exact same High Schools that ALL big football schools recruit from and from the same towns, counties and from the same areas and usually, with the STAR rated kids, the same 4 or 5 or 3 star kids …………. WE ALL recruit them.
Beyond all of the “I hate UGA cause I love my GT Yellow Jackets” ( hiding as Bama fans or LSU and Florida fans, when Florida was good) and automatic knocks toward CMR being a Christian, it is all about UGA’s R-U-L-E-S that we adhere to. Period. Our guys must tow the line and other schools do not care if their kids smoke weed. Period.
Many schools view dope smoking as a personal, private life issue and unless the law is obviously broken with the local police, it stays hidden. This factoid is 100% of the UGA dope arrests.
Now ……………….let the UGA hate begin. Please, only legit college grads reply and not the chubby stay at home fat boys loving on CPJ and the mighty Jackets on Mom’s PC.
Go Dogs.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
3:00 pm
jeff please make them stop talking mean about Christ Richt and the greatest football team ever the Dwags.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
3:06 pm
how does a Granitedawg have such a thin skin? Granite seems more like red cotton undies.
evil empire
April 15th, 2012
3:10 pm
@This is so easy to splain
ding ding ding…. what is the worst post of the day so far….yours…congrats…the “legit college grads” comment put you over the top…you are quite the wordsmith…
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
3:15 pm
legit college grads? Damn there would be no UGa posters left on many of the UG stories.
evil empire
April 15th, 2012
3:19 pm
Enter your comments here
Jimmy Lee White, Bulldawg Fan
April 15th, 2012
3:26 pm
I just seen a commershel fer that movie they callin Iron Lady. I’ma thinkin they coulda got some hot chick like Jesica Simson or one of them ones from them girls gone wild videos to play Iron Man’s ole lady. Shore was disapoynten.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
3:51 pm
I wake up every day and look in the mirror at the reflection of a bitter loser. I don’t know what I would do without the ability to post inane nonsense over and over and over day after day after day. Roll Jackets!
evil empire
April 15th, 2012
4:01 pm
note to dawg fans….stupid is a stinky cologne….next rainstorm, go outside and see if you can wash some of that stupid off of yourself….
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
4:07 pm
WELL FAKE
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
3:51 pm
I wake up every day and look in the mirror at the reflection of a bitter loser. I don’t know what I would do without the ability to post inane nonsense over and over and over day after day after day. Roll Jackets!
Maybe if you didn’t steal other people’s names and actually did something with your life you might smile more. Being a crying whining UGa fans is all you have. So just be proud that you feel that makes you a winner when the dWags win.
ole yeller
April 15th, 2012
4:36 pm
Some the problems with the student atletic goes back to their home environment. Lets face it, Some of these guys come to UGA for reason other than to play football. Also lets face some are not choir
boys from the local church. They come to UGA to improve all aspect of thrir live. Some do better than others. But, at the end of the day the coaches can do just so much. There are others that need to step up in these young men life. You do get the picture… WE all need to help them.
Eldrick
April 15th, 2012
5:27 pm
I think Gtu needs to worry about not get caught cheating. The last ACC title was officially stripped by ruling of the NCAA.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
5:30 pm
Ole yeller…..WE gave them a Scholarship. WE moved them out of the BAD home/life situation to a small college town. WE have many of their hours occupied with school work and sports related activities. What MORE can WE do? At some point THEY have to step-up to the plate and take some personal responsibility to stay the hell out of trouble.
Please tell us what more should WE do to make these kids lives better? If they want to stay Punks there is noting short of handcuffing them to an adult WE can do.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
5:32 pm
Eldrick……what CHEATING did TECH do exactly?
Dawgbreath
April 15th, 2012
6:12 pm
Spurrier! He’s in our AD’s dome. Not to mention Richt’s.
Aaron Murray
April 15th, 2012
6:49 pm
That’s all good. Not saying you cannot have your opinion. The 4 losses were all 4 of the only good teams we played who made any top 25, the same as the year before – we lost to every team who made any top 25. Aaron Murray is winning Heisman : “There has not been a Marquis Win,” Aaron Murray admitted. # 72 nation Pass Completion Percentage, lost every game every year to every team made any top 25, abysmal off-field leadership, worse leadership on-field, never take 1 snap NFL in his life. Worse fumbles, sacks, interceptions, in worse moments vs all best opponents with nothing but heebie-jeebie Yips every opponent ever making any top 25 – with these as HIS HEISMAN MOMENTS, he plays a team game and isn’t to blame for his off-field or on-field poor judgements every year . Those are all his teammate’s fault. Now, if you cannot support him and brag about beating Georgia tek, then well – maybe your opinion is not all good. NC baby playing 1 of 12 regular season teams who made any top 25. My gracious Richt knows what the blazes he’s doing playing only Aaron Murray ever, running up stats vs those not ever made any top 25 and losing all the rest of the games. Support our program and Aaron Murray, or choose another team to be fan of. Welcome your opinion. Not saying you cannot offer your informed opinion with all my excuses. Yeah. You are.
Bobby P.
April 15th, 2012
7:01 pm
Aaron Murray….I hope you have a great tutor for English Comp because my three year old has better sentence structure than you.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
7:44 pm
Bobby P. he goes to a Special Education Conference college. Do you really think they actually get a degree that requires much more than breathing during classes?
Aaron Murray
April 15th, 2012
8:02 pm
See what I mean ? Nothing but Personal Flames, leaving still the point our 24 scholarship players not playing Mizzou given their scholarship by Richt for that specific pupose and having lost every game against every team made ant top 25. Is anyone to believe you are incapable of following that ? No. Being incapable of dealing with the point of this blog, as stated, you are reduced to you are a better person than I. Or compose your point on the topic of this blog better than I. No. Not that, either. Just my composition. And your come-back ? None, leaving only my concise point our recruits ain’t here and the ones Richt has remaining can’t beat any team, ever, who’ve made any top 25. Weren’t on the UGA Debate team, now were you ?
evil empire
April 15th, 2012
8:34 pm
i wish i had gone to college. i hear they get chicks at college. i have no life or friends, just my right hand and some powder and my uncle’s penthouse magazines
kingdaddy
April 15th, 2012
8:36 pm
Jeff
I really can’t remember a worse day on the blog. Didn’t see anything in the article that would lead to all the anti-Ga. bias. It wasn’t just your blog-site, several sites were effected. A lot of good Dog fans just gave up and left but the trolls stayed and trashed your site and others under multiple names. I guess they had fun at your blog, but I can’t remember a worse day on your blob…
Aaron Murray
April 15th, 2012
8:37 pm
I attck people on thes blogs to make up for my own problems.i steal the name of the uga qb for my handle because i am a loser and could never do anything like he does. im a big pu$$y who never got any.bama fans are jealous of me because they only bang relatives
Game Changer
April 15th, 2012
8:42 pm
Hope you people dont bitch when Aaron Murray cost us games to the better teams.
Aaron Murray
April 15th, 2012
9:10 pm
Not his fault the other QB better than him 11 times out of 27 games.
Aaron Murray
April 15th, 2012
9:14 pm
could have swore i was always taught that football was a team game
Game Changer
April 15th, 2012
9:47 pm
The QB handles the ball on every offensive play from scrimmage, the ball is how one scores, our QB sucks, team game, yea RIGHT!
Orange11
April 15th, 2012
10:16 pm
Murray is a guaranteed two losses to teams UGA should have beaten.
Aaron Murray
April 16th, 2012
2:35 am
Let me get this straight. Aaron Murray Heisman Trophy. #72 nationally pass completion percentage. Team sport. That about summarize your positions on this puny loser posing for photos last week in Key West ?
Aaron Murray
April 16th, 2012
2:58 am
24 Richt signed recruits attrition, not here.
Have not beat team made top 25 last year or year before last.
Have not beat S.E.C. Team who made winning S.E.C. Record starting Kentucky game 2007.
Have not beat team made top 10 since #9 Auburn in 2006.
Lost 7 games in a row to teams made top 10.
Lost 9 games in a row to teams made top 25.
24 scholarships signed by Richt supposed to play Mizzou, are just gone – attrition.
5 failed drug test last week, only 3 named so far.
QB wears glasses in bed, not to throw incompletions – along with his 56 sacks, 23 fumbles, 22 interceptions, 11 losses in 27 games.
And someone actually came to blog about needing Quiet Summer, and thinks this ain’t so good AD Greg McGarity thinks he should keep ALL THIS under wraps ?
Shocking.
Buzz2011
April 16th, 2012
5:49 am
Same ole Dawgs, just a different year.. They could win six games if they get some luck!!
John Garcia
April 16th, 2012
6:10 am
Spurrier could count on suspensions from UGA. We could count on Spurrier to NOT suspend his players until after the UGA game. How many times did he let Garcia violate the rules and let him back before kicking him off the team AFTER the UGA game. Hypocritical ole ball coach.
tell me again
April 16th, 2012
7:22 am
Quirky – McGarity was not the AD while Urban Crime was the coach – he was the asst. – if you want to peg responsibility on someone give it to the top man who was there. Foley – who is still there I believe.
kingdaddy
April 16th, 2012
7:57 am
Are the idiots gone yet???
Greg McGarity grows tired of getting punched. | Get The Picture
April 16th, 2012
8:09 am
[...] unabashed proponent of openness and transparency as I am, I can’t say I blame Greg McGarity for feeling like this: “I think I’ve got a good pulse of what’s going on internally, and I don’t sense there are [...]
Predictor
April 16th, 2012
8:19 am
I see 10 wins…
Buffalo – W
Missouri – L
Florida Atlantic – W
Vanderbilt – W
Tennessee – W
South Carolina – L
Kentucky – W
Florida – W
Ole Miss – W
Auburn – W
Georgia Southern – W
Georgia Tech – W
Babalu Skies
April 16th, 2012
8:26 am
It’s really sad that UGA alumni and fans have only their football team to take pride in. It’s even sadder that this pride depends on the performance of illiterate dummies who don’t even come close to meeting minimum academic requirements. 94% of UGA football players are what UGA calls “special admits,” which is just a euphemism for admitting bozos who can’t even read.
This sorry practice not only cheapens all UGA degrees (which are pretty worthless to begin with), but embarrasses the State of Georgia and its citizens. And Mark Richt is the one behind the atrocities at UGA.
So enjoy your victories, and be kind to your former players when you see them working menial jobs in custodial or sanitation services. Or pushing a shopping cart around, looking for a warm place to sleep at night. That’s your UGA reality.
kzoodawg
April 16th, 2012
8:26 am
Predictor, that looks about right.
Joey
April 16th, 2012
9:01 am
It’s obviously just stupid for the players to mess with illegal drugs, anytime, any place.
It’s equally stupid for UGA to do any testing for drugs, other than what the NCAA requires, ESPECIALLY right after spring break.
I wonder if members of UGA’s vollyball, softball, baseball, golf and tennis teams also get tested right after spring break?
Better question, did Bama, AU, SC, LSU, GA Tech all rush to test their football players after spring break?
Leave it to UGA to shoot itself in the foot like this . . .
DawginLex
April 16th, 2012
9:08 am
joey
Just to be clear, you are in favor of the following:
1.) rampant drug use among our student athletes
2.)no consequences for their actions
3.)no rules
4.)win at all costs
DawginLex
April 16th, 2012
9:10 am
Jeff
your blog would be a much better place if you would mirror the decisions of a couple of your fellow blog hosts and boot a certain person outta here
Joey
April 16th, 2012
9:15 am
Of course not.
I am in favor of competing in the SEC and NCAA, under the exact same rules the other members compete with.
No more or no fewer.
Game Changer
April 16th, 2012
9:16 am
dawginLex: could you please make your point on WHO and WHY you want certain people banned from posting: Give the name and reasons why?
DawginLex
April 16th, 2012
9:18 am
Nah, I will pass.
But I do support previous decisions that have been made.
Game Changer
April 16th, 2012
9:31 am
GA sports have ZERO leadership, from President Adams, AD McGarity, Mark Richt and many others. The Athletic Board of Directors should be ashame for allowing this mess to comtinue.
Yes, Michael Adams is a dictator but inside the four walls, YOU WOULD THINK AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MEN WOULD ACTUALLY GROW SOME BALLS AND SPEAK OUT!