What’s wrong with a little star treatment?
Mark Richt’s offseason mantra this year, that the star of the team is the team, has gotten a lot of discussion in recent months. We’ve heard how last year the Dogs bought into their preseason ranking too much and some players tended to expect stars Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno to pull off a miracle when things got tough.
To put that mind-set aside, Richt has stressed time and again that the 2009 team has no stars, despite the fact that it’s not true. A.J. Green is already a big-time star. Rennie Curran is the SEC’s best returning tackler. And some of the players returning from injuries, including Jeff Owens and Trinton Sturdivant, have star potential.
In any other season, the Athens Banner-Herald pointed out, some of these players’ faces would have adorned the UGA football media guide the same way other SEC schools promote their stars. Instead, Georgia went with mascot Uga VII and a mass of unidentified players on its media guide cover — the first time since 1992 that individual players haven’t been featured.
Perhaps as a result of this no-star approach, Green and Curran have been overshadowed by other schools’ players on some of the preseason All-SEC lists.
I understand what Richt is trying to accomplish with this no-star approach. But there’s something to be said, too, for striking a little fear in your opponents’ hearts. And letting some of your best players develop a bit of a swagger.
Plus, I’m not sure anyone, on the team or off, really believes all Dogs are created equal or that you can win in the SEC without stars.
Does this the-team-is-the-star business strike you as just a bit disingenuous? More spin than reality? A mind trick to distract the Dogs from the fact they’re missing the bulk of their scoring production from last season? A way to sidestep the blame for a poor job of preparing the team mentally last year?
Or is keeping the focus on the team as a whole how it should be in any season? Sort of a blue-collar, Junkyard Dogs mentality?
What do you think?
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79 comments Add your comment
biggerthanbigdawg
August 31st, 2009
7:25 am
TEAM….me It was true back in the day and it is still true now. When the team wins, the individual gets noticed for their statistics. How many 1,000 yd backs has Tech had that played on 3-8, 2-9 teams? More than they can count (without taking their shoes off) I would suppose.
smashmouth
August 31st, 2009
7:53 am
I like it… but, we’ll just have to find out on Saturday afternoon if it meant anything.
gbal
August 31st, 2009
7:54 am
Next subject please.
Peadawg
August 31st, 2009
7:59 am
Less than 1 week baby!!! Thanks for your blogS Mr. King. They have kept me sane through the spring and summer. I’ve gotten tired of golf, basketball, and baseball. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!!!!!!
mick
August 31st, 2009
8:23 am
http://www.ajc.com/sports/jackets-dogs-excel-in-the-classroom-127164.html.
Art? Psychology? Blahahhhahhah! McDonalds is waiting for you boys.
gbal
August 31st, 2009
8:27 am
BK –
You rant all summer about what a great TEAM attitude this group has Vs last year (which I agree with) and now you want to suggest that we should point out individual stars and give them publicity! You sound like B.Obama.
These kids know they will get their press once the season starts when they perform on the field…No need for you to try to stir something with assinine suggestions.
NCDawg
August 31st, 2009
8:29 am
Preseason awards mean nothing. Can’t wait till Saturday!
dawgfanatic24-7
August 31st, 2009
8:32 am
If the team focus is what helps them win the big games then I’m all for it.
Tim Tebow
August 31st, 2009
8:43 am
They wish they were me.
My awesomeness is awesome.
L-Dawg
August 31st, 2009
9:11 am
GLORY GLORY TO OLE’ GEORGIA!!!!
CHEERING > BOOING!!! PASSION RUNS DEEPER THAN HATE!!!!
GO DAWGS!!!!!
5 SHORT DAYS MY FRIENDS!!!!!
Diamond Dave
August 31st, 2009
9:19 am
Just block and tackle.
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
9:22 am
Just kick it into the endzone.
rduck
August 31st, 2009
9:30 am
I seem to remember the New England Patriots using the team 1ST montra to near perfection. Stars will shine on the field. Hype shines off it!
AltamahaDawg
August 31st, 2009
9:31 am
It should also serve as a reminder to the fans. I recall the outright demand to name Matthew Stafford as the solid #1 starter when he was but a highschool senior who came over for spring practice. Don’t make him earn anything, don’t make him learn anything, just watch a highlight video and insult anyone else who wasn’t convinced he was the best thing to ever walk through the door. It’s a team sport as it turns out.
JB
August 31st, 2009
9:43 am
Remember when comparing Cox to Stafford, Stafford was aloud to Check off at the line and chunk the ball at will. Cox will not have that much authority. It’ll be a much tighter controlled offense from Bobo and Richt.
reality check
August 31st, 2009
9:43 am
I believe Mark Richt knows what he is doing. Even if he does sometimes abandon the running game to our detriment. That last comment is just so Alt will know this is the real RC
Denver Dog
August 31st, 2009
9:43 am
Time for football folks, no more of this finger pointing, what ifs, coulda, shoulda, woulda. The questions now are not about who might, why not, but rather what did we do? So now what did we do to get ready for this season? It looks like alot right now, better team discipline, new recruits, new players, new attitude. Lets’ see how these get answered, and let the stars rise in the sky during and after the season, and not before the season.
GO DAWGS
Bamafan
August 31st, 2009
9:51 am
Good luck dawgs on a great season and please beat GT this season so M and the other odd balls tech fans will SHUT UP!!
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
9:54 am
reality, I always know which one is you. If it is any consolation, I do not think the other RC intentionaly stole your handle as has been done to me recently.
Team play, what a concept. Let’s just roll out the red and black attack in Stillwater.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt1io_Z2WOQ
Stillwater’s official City song.
PMC
August 31st, 2009
10:00 am
Just another method of teaching Unity. Trying to get everyone to play toegther as a cohesive unit. Basics. This team hasn’t had many off season issues. This team so far hasn’t had the two best linemen on the team go out with season ending injuries. This team…. is already a better football team than the one that left the field in January. Even without two skill position players.
georgiagirl
August 31st, 2009
10:09 am
ITS IS ABOUT THE TEAM. THEY WILL SHOW THEIR STAR PLAYERS. THE TEAM WANTED IT THIS WAY. STOP TRYING TO GET SOMETHING STARTED.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
toccoadawg
August 31st, 2009
10:12 am
Team first. One star isnt any good without the other 10 on the field. Dawgs have plenty of “stars” but without TEAM none of them are any good. CUZ nice link this morning.
toccoadawg
August 31st, 2009
10:16 am
What would we give to see CWM give the D head butts like the great Coach Erk Russel.
BigDawg
August 31st, 2009
10:20 am
Hey it could’a been worse. We could have taken the facetious approach and put Richt with Martinez on the cover! Instead we chose the middle ground of not choosing our stars or our duds.
superDawg
August 31st, 2009
10:41 am
It takes 11 to make a dozen wins that is.
Cuz
August 31st, 2009
10:42 am
toccoadawg, you may have something there. CWM doing headbutts on the sideline will appease two groups of fans. The one group that wants to see more intensity from Coach Willie. And the second group who will be delighted to see him carted off the field with a concussion. Put me in the former.
superDawg
August 31st, 2009
10:42 am
Are you in.
Nick
August 31st, 2009
10:43 am
The 1980 team started that way.
big dawg 89
August 31st, 2009
10:43 am
both…
we took the star approach last year and you saw the results..
so now lets see what happens this year..
Kendawg
August 31st, 2009
10:44 am
If the individuals perform well, as I expect A J Green to do, they will get plenty of recognition. We need to concentrate on winning the game first, then stardom will take care of itself.
D-Nice
August 31st, 2009
10:49 am
Altamaha is all over it. I dont care that he became the #1 pick because he never earned that on the field. I guess once he struggles we will blame the Detroit franchise instead of the fact that MS just is not that good of a QB. Yeah he has a so called great arm but so did Jeff George and we all know how that turned out. Stafford had a 1st round running back and 3 other backs who all are in the league but yet instead we blame the line. The line and receivers could not have been that bad since MM got drafted, AJ will be a 1st rounder, lineman got drafted, etc… See the trend. UGA has not had a lack of talent anywhere on the team but Stafford could not deliver because he was not all you said he was. Take a look at the body of work (all those picks and late throws).
J J Gunns
August 31st, 2009
10:53 am
I agree with rduck… Talent on the field will shine. If our “stars” truely deserve that title, they will prove it on the field. Nothing is awarded before the end of the season.
Go Dogs!
Dooley
August 31st, 2009
10:54 am
Enter your comments here
Just win
August 31st, 2009
10:56 am
JUST WIN!!!!!!! JUST WIN!!!!!
GoldenDawg
August 31st, 2009
11:01 am
By Richt stressing the “team as the star” theme so much, I wonder if there weren’t much deeper problems on last year’s team than the obvious scoreboard shortcomings spotlighted.
Given last year’s issues, Richt’s approach is fine for 2009, but I’ve wondered what it holds for the future. How will the staff better prepare the team next time we are highly ranked with high-profile players?
Pete
August 31st, 2009
11:12 am
I find it EXTREMELY amusing that Ok. State fans truly believe they’re going to smoke us. The reality is going to hit them very hard in just over 5 days. This is going to be a fun week!
That70sGAdawg
August 31st, 2009
11:17 am
I like it! Junkyard Dawgs are back Baby…
simon saints
August 31st, 2009
11:24 am
tickle pile and paul johnson’s house
Mr. Mang
August 31st, 2009
11:24 am
Wow. No St. Simons post. This article was probably posted while he was spanking the monkey to some anime in his mom’s basement.
richtfan
August 31st, 2009
11:30 am
walk softly and carry a big stick on the field. that’s all that matters.
ovadatop34
August 31st, 2009
11:31 am
I’ll buy it if Richt is selling. Something to think about: Senior QB, veteran line on both sides, deep at the skill positions and a linebacking crew that is second to no other team in the country. All of these have me scratching at the door to open the season. Watch the YAC this year…should be a huge improvement. Sic’Em!!
Saint Simons
August 31st, 2009
11:36 am
I like men. I like Mr. Mang. I like Mr. Mang’s wang.
Oledawg
August 31st, 2009
11:40 am
We HOPE the Junkyard Dawgs are back. Seems like a number of fans had a Stafford doubt while waiting on that great game that he was capable of producing. The interceptions outweighed that possibility. Review only the FU games to see Stafford won one and personally lost two of them. Last year’s loss was squarely on his neck. Hell, he was even gunshy during two plays and showed no confidence in the line. Injuries certainly affected the team adversely, but Staff had his own injury… His psyche.
Paddy
August 31st, 2009
11:48 am
It is a classic approach to take with 19,20 & 21 year old football players. I believe as a team they really like how CMR is managing them. Remember, there will be some players whom we never expected to make an impact this season do just that. It makes the term “team” finally mean something more than a hyped-up phrase. Everybody is on board. This big train is about to leave the station.
BIG DAWG
August 31st, 2009
12:02 pm
Go Joe!
Blindhawg
August 31st, 2009
12:11 pm
BIG TEAM/little me Works in all team sports.Do your job as a team mate and know your team mate will do his job and everything works out fine.
murfdawg
August 31st, 2009
12:16 pm
Altamahadawg,
Stafford was the best thing to walk in the door! In 2007 Stafford and Richt could have written their legacy for UGA football with a couple of breaks. The USC game, Richt turned the play calling over to Bobo and he did a terrible job and cost us the game(remember Moreno running the ball to the 8 and then he called 3 straight pass plays and kicked a fg.) Then Stafford got hot, we beat the mighty gators and Richt waited for a little luck. If Succop had made the fg against TN, we go to the SECCG. Then two weeks later if Hahnfelt from Vandy makes the fg instead of hitting the upright, we go to the SECCG. We were the hottest team in the country and I have no doubt we would have beaten LSU, who lost their last two games. Stafford did his part.
By the way, what qb could have won more games last year behind the patchwork ol and matador defense? Stafford was the best we have seen and there are $41 million reasons to think so.
Beatdown coming
August 31st, 2009
12:17 pm
Dawg fans relying on hope and luck. Never a good strategy. You don’t replace two NFL first rounders. Esp the number 1 qb taken without a major step down. Look at BC with Ryan. Dawgs are delusional and WAAAY overrated…score
OSU 37
Dawgs 17
Another loss to Ar kansas. 5 losses for the season. It’ll be nice to have a year where the rednecks are muted.
takedowndawg
August 31st, 2009
12:17 pm
I like these four young men’s demeanor. They just take care of business like all great, true athletes do. No pirouette in the endzone please or exessive celebration penalities. It’s the all about the team and nothing else. I believe these four will deliver big again this year.
m
August 31st, 2009
12:19 pm
Last year with all of your so called superstars Tech beat you.
This year with your no names Tech is going to beat you.
I wonder what silly thing y’all will try next year??
45-42…glad it STILL hurts so bad…and it is only the beginning.
jeffrey d
August 31st, 2009
12:21 pm
So by not putting AJ Green on the media guide, he won’t strike fear into opposing defenses? AJ Green is going to be so much worse because he doesn’t develop a “swagger” from being overhyped? Yeah okay.
jeffrey d
August 31st, 2009
12:24 pm
This is why I never post on this blog….it’s always “Georgia is the greatest team of all time and they have no faults” vs. “I hate Georgia because I went to another school.” Everyone argues the same points, nobody ever gets anywhere.
“We won 45-42.” “Oh yeah? Well we won 7 years in a row!”
“Dogs are overrated, as usual. WAR EAGLE!!!!” “What? Auburn sucks! We’re going to outscore opponents 587-3 this year!”
etc…
UnderDawgs
August 31st, 2009
12:34 pm
If uga was so good, they wouldn’t be a 6 point dawg to osu..a team they belittle.
even more surprising is the ok byu line. 22? they have byu ranked 20th and okla 3rd or 4th. so byu should be no where near 20th if they are 3+ td dawgs.
Stephen
August 31st, 2009
12:35 pm
Watching game film of Green and Curran should strike plenty of fear into opponents. Nobody needs to tell opposing teams that those two are stars. Personally, I love the new approach.
Hey M
August 31st, 2009
12:36 pm
What are your thoughts on this? LOL
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Altf0ExM0RCfnMIaa37ZgwQ5nYcB?slug=txchiefsgailey&prov=st&type=lgns
Sad Richards
August 31st, 2009
12:41 pm
I sure hope that the lousy “Finish the Drill” mantra is out the window. Its a a football game not a drill or practice.Whoever mentioned the stupid idea for clueless Willie to butt heads with the defensive players is an insult to Erk Russell and the the real junkyard defense of years past. This team has a lot to prove both offensively and defensively.I sure hope if this team can really prove something instead of the same ole song and dance routine.This team needs to be focused instead of players like Jeff Owens making silly Videos on players spitting watermelon seeds.Hope CMR has this team ready to play as soon as the game starts this weekend instead of getting behind early then finally waking up then coming up short. We shall see I guess.
What UGAG is overlooking
August 31st, 2009
12:57 pm
OSU has brought in a damn good def coord. The defense will be much improved. He’s ranked as one of the best in the country. No surpise, Willie is no where to be found.
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=981887
CaliDogg
August 31st, 2009
12:58 pm
What does it take to start on a first class football team in the Southeastern Conference?
There are no hacks out there on that field.
Truth is, the over-used and abused term “stars” usually merely denotes what we also (inappropriately) term “skill position” players (as if all positions don’t take skill to play them). Who are the stars? The center who calls the line signals, the left guard and tackle who trap a monster nose guard and spring a running back for a 40 yard touchdown, or the running back doing a back-flip in the end zone after the play?
It’s a trick question. And a trap. For a team.
Richt doesn’t always get it right, but he’s got this right.
41 38 49 38 45
August 31st, 2009
1:02 pm
Willie is found in these numbers!
maddawg
August 31st, 2009
1:03 pm
this is not only a good idea for this year but every year. there is one team in the nfl with that philosophy year in and year out. the new englend patriots. they broke the tradition in that 1st superbowl when the rams introduced the “stars” and then the rest of the team. they came out as “the new england patriots”! last time i checked they are still one of the top programs in the league.
GREAT MOVE CMR AND GO DAWGS, SIC EM, WOOF WOOF!!!!!!!!!
Prediction
August 31st, 2009
1:30 pm
By 5 pm Saturday, there will be lots of profanity around N Ga and lots of drunk depressed rednecks.
Halftime
OSU 27
UGA 7
T boone will be smiling at his investment
Jeff
August 31st, 2009
1:30 pm
Hopefully the TEAM learned how to tackle. That’s the nuts and bolts of it all. Tackle and we stomp tech…..having a QB that wasnt trying to impress the NFL and we are in the game with UF…..
Prediction
August 31st, 2009
1:31 pm
Cox will have 2 INT’s in the first half and dawg nation will be calling for his ouster.
Gratefuldawghead
August 31st, 2009
1:40 pm
HUNKER DOWN DAWGS!
Fools Gold
August 31st, 2009
1:53 pm
All of these predictions Ha! Here is a fact , Willie is still a defensive coordinator .Don’t really care who is on the front of magazines or media guides at this point of the season . The scoreboard, stats and style points are so important these days to reach that level of respect that the dawgs long for so much. Beat the teams like the dawgs should, always play hard and the rest should fall into place. If not then it will be another year of FOOLS GOLD!
how2fish
August 31st, 2009
1:55 pm
m please tell me if you did win last year over the “stars” and somehow you win over the “no names”…WTF were you and the Bugs doing the other 7 out of 8 years…trying to channel Bobby Dodd??? …loser Hell is coming and he is wearing Red and Black…
What
August 31st, 2009
2:36 pm
All that matters is the score at the end of the game – a W is a W regardless of if you have stars or a team concept – the team concept is great and as already stated – all the preseason hype and All SEC players etc don’t mean sh – - if you cannot produce on the field – let them be judged at the end of the season and not the beginning. All we have now is speculation – all you people that speculate and talk about “last year” are a bunch of loosers – last year is over – this is a new year a new team and hopefully the TEAM can win in OK and move on from there – good Luck dawgs! Play like you can and you will have a great year!
p.s. You also cannot judge how good a year a team will have based on preseason scrimmage and practice – most people know that you do not go “balls to the wall” in practice and I am sure OK will be a great game and the team that comes prepared to win will win – end of story – some of you are ready to write the dawgs off and some of you are ready to give them a NC – so answer this – why even play the game?
takedowndawg
August 31st, 2009
3:01 pm
prediction(Tech fan in drag), Have you turned 19 yet with your coke bottom glasses and still stuck with pimples. You wish the score would humilate the DAWGS. ” An imagination is a terrible thing to waste”, and you obviously not wasted yours!” Go DAWGS!!!!!!!!
takedowndawg
August 31st, 2009
3:02 pm
Enter your comments here
Prediction
August 31st, 2009
3:05 pm
Hey look at me takedowndawg. I’m so retarded that I don’t even know how to submit a blog entry. I hit it twice and look what happens. Enjoy a looooong season loooooza!
AltamahaDawg
August 31st, 2009
3:07 pm
Yea Murph, I watched those same games. That was hardly the point I was making.
Cedartown Bulldog
August 31st, 2009
3:26 pm
King, you use regativity in a stupid and meaningless way. Richt’s goal is to get the team to practice and focus better.He isn’t trying to start a commune,what a lame-assed take on things.
Willie Martinez..I hope this season works
August 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
This is the tale of the tape. No injuries this year.
For Willie to keep his job the following must happen:
If we don’t win at least 2 of these 4 games: Ok State, Florida, Georgia Tech or LSU
Or
We must have no more than 4 losses, by winning atleast 2 of the games above.
If we get any blowouts, where our offense is supporting the defense. Then the writing is on the wall.
Willie, I say it is a 2 bad seasons and done?
Please provide feedback.
Thanks
clickdawg44
August 31st, 2009
3:54 pm
t tech
takedowndawg
August 31st, 2009
4:15 pm
prediction, sorry about the double entry. Did not think that my blog transmitted. Seen others do the same thing regularly. I did notice that you did not DENY the under 19 , coke bottle glasses and pimples comment. I am sorry that I made these comments since you shared with us you birth condition. I do not like to insult those which are born disadvanged. By the way what was GT’s Forbes ranking this year? Or, do you not want to know. Let’s just say you didn’t fair very well. Check it out. Have a great year in the acc. We’ll be playing in the SEC!
Carl Spackler
August 31st, 2009
4:41 pm
Well you better hope that you have some stars, you better hope that you have some leaders, you better have people w/ attitude that they are the best, you better hope that you have some good ol’ boys willing to strap it on and bust heads for no notoriety other than the shear joy of getting down and dirty…any team should have, and need, any and all of these player types…It’s hard to believe that CMR played at the “U” in the early 80’s, sure wasn’t any stars on those teams…
“Mark Richt’s offseason mantra this year, that the star of the team is the team, has gotten a lot of discussion in recent months. We’ve heard how last year the Dogs bought into their preseason ranking too much and some players tended to expect stars Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno to pull off a miracle when things got tough.”
And how does something like this take place; well it’s called coaching…the best thing I can remember from CMR allow was the Fl game a few weeks back, black jersey’s, nasty attitude, and celebrating in the end zone (must have picked that up at the “U”…well this season, more than any other, you better have stars/leaders/special teamers/trench trolls/grunts that are willing to go out and punch them square in the mouth and set the tone for the rest of the season…
SagaciousSamDawg
August 31st, 2009
4:41 pm
It is far better to have a team that is considered to be great, than to be limited to having just a couple of players that are deemed great, especially considering the psychological effect. It is easy and quite understandable for superstars to become the least favorite players, especially when they aggrandize themselves in unseemly fashion. The best players that a coach could hope to have would be those who have lots of talent in addition to great leadership skills. From the limited media ink that has afforded me a meager opinion, it seems that Joe Cox, Clint Boiling, AJ Green, Rennie Curran, Jeff Owens, Gino Atkins and Prince Miller have set a very nice leadership tone for this team. And it appears to have many advantages over last year’s team leadership. It is far better to absain from conversation about superstars until the regular season and bowl games are over. Let the superstars be past players. The current roster should have no room for such monikers. I really like this idea that the star of the team is the team. It just seems to make the most sense and is most likely to produce winning results.
elephant slayer
August 31st, 2009
4:53 pm
Just play the game and see how the DAWGS shake out. IF the DAWGS take care of business as they should, plenty of recognition will be given by the media to the star players. If not, surely the coaches will suffer. It is a heck of a racket wouldn’t you say!
DamnGoodDawg
August 31st, 2009
8:19 pm
Produce. Then be a star.