Dawg fans love new approach on defense
Let’s wind up the week with some notes and quotes worthy of comment. …
Todd Grantham and Scott Lakatos. (Athens Banner-Herald)
There’s no telling whether UGA fans will still be in love with the new defensive staff come the end of November, but Todd Grantham, Warren Belin and Scott Lakatos certainly seem to be saying and doing all the right things during spring practice.
We’ve already noted that the defensive backs being coached by Lakatos have talked about how different his teaching methods are from the way Willie Martinez did it. (And for many Dogs fans, that alone is good news.)
For fans long frustrated with the way Georgia’s secondary men rarely seemed to look back for the ball under Martinez, here’s a particularly sweet quote from Jordan Love in the Bulldogs Blog: “When the ball’s in the air, he teaches to get your head around and look for the ball. Last year we were playing hands to the receiver, and that’s an adjustment we’ve had to make.”
We pause for a chorus of amens.
Another thing that bothered a lot of fans under Martinez was the Dogs’ penchant for signing undersized cornerbacks, so I was pleased to see Tim Tucker quoting recruiting coordinator and defensive line holdover Rodney Garner as saying that in addition to having to recruit “different body types” for linebacker, defensive end and nose under Grantham’s 3-4 scheme, Georgia will be recruiting a different type of cornerback from now on. Grantham and Lakatos “like taller corners. So we want bigger corners, too.”
Meanwhile, Loran Smith says that while Lakatos may have coached in Connecticut and grown up in New Jersey, he has an appreciation for SEC-style football. “When you observe what is going on in football, you notice how big the game is in the Southeastern Conference,” Lakatos told Smith. “You always see that tradition and packed stands at every campus. It makes you appreciate how serious the game is to people in this part of the country.”
No wonder Lakatos says that “My son Cole couldn’t wait to put on his Georgia stuff and wear it to school. My family is excited about the Bulldogs.”
And Bulldogs fans are getting excited about Lakatos.
UP CLOSE WITH THE GYM DOGS
Kat Ding. (Georgiadogs.com)
Thanks to my brother Jon, who scored some terrific second-row seats in front of the vault at last Sunday’s regular-season closer at the Steg, I got a chance to watch Georgia’s Gym Dogs up close and came away impressed with what terrific athletes those young women are.
Currently ranked No. 4 in the nation and next due to compete March 27 at the SEC Championships in Jacksonville in their quest for a sixth consecutive national championship, the Gym Dogs are led by senior Courtney McCool, a former Olympian. But even for someone not that versed in college gymnastics it was easy to see who the star of the future is: sophomore Kat Ding, who took the individual honors in both the vault (9.925) and the bars (9.975) on Sunday.
MASCOT SCUTTLEBUTT
Uga VII. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
My friend Dan, who raises bulldogs, passes along this from one of his friends who talked with Sonny Seiler recently about the search for a replacement for Uga VII, who left no all-white offspring. He said two females have been bred using a brother of the departed mascot and they’re keeping their fingers crossed for an all-white male. But Seiler said all he really needs is a white head and legs. And I don’t think that would bother the fans too much. The all-white dogs have been a nice tradition at UGA, but it’s not really necessary since the sweater covers the rest of the body.
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102 comments Add your comment
Tdawg
March 21st, 2010
7:56 pm
Just as long as it’s not one of the Mississippi State half-breed varieties.
Vick=Dog killing Thug
March 21st, 2010
10:59 pm
I’m all for Russ…
$750K
March 21st, 2010
11:43 pm
$750 for some football coach when the education budget is being slashed. And all you loser Dawg fans think that is a great thing. At least you don’t have to worry about UGA ever being ranked in anything but foot-damn-ball.
Dawg In Florida
March 22nd, 2010
12:02 am
$750K…UGA has one of the top 50 business colleges in the nation. They are also ranked 58th overall by USNEWS for Best US Universities. They are consistently top ranked in Tennis, Gymnastics, Baseball, Golf and several other sports.
If you really have an issue with how much they are paying their coaches, why don’t you attack USC (Southern Cal) and there 1.2 million dollar DC. Check the other coaches salaries in the SEC and US overall. I have no problem with you posting…but at least try to have a solid foundation to your posts. Weak Sauce!
Go Dawgs!
Dawg In Florida
March 22nd, 2010
12:04 am
word correction…. I meant “their 1.2 million dollar DC.”
Ga Max
March 22nd, 2010
12:22 am
With Grantham and his 3-4 D, UGA’s D will lock down the SEC east, shut down florida’s spread and be in the SEC title game—mark it down. Florida lost their 4 best offensive players and has little talent coming back to worry about. Georgia’s deep and talented and will not be stopped. Ga 33 Fla 16! Dawgs win the East!!!!
Reality
March 22nd, 2010
1:25 am
Good grief. Dog fans excited about some pre-season bunk. How low can you go?
The men’s teams at uga have become an embarrassment. Football stinks. Basketball stinks. Looks like maybe tennis will be okay. Why are the lady dogs so much better than the men?
UGA should fold up the tent and just let the lady dogs play. Forget about men’s football and basketball – focus on sports that uga can win.
DawginLex
March 22nd, 2010
5:35 am
Who are you to tell us anything reality?
A Tech nerd?
90 wins in 9 years and 2 SEC titles and we should quit playing football?
You must be tired of losing to us so that’s why you want us to stop playing.
Hobnail Boot
March 22nd, 2010
6:57 am
Enter your comments here
AltamahaDawg
March 22nd, 2010
7:25 am
If it were Grantham verses Mad Cow disease, who would you take?
tim
March 22nd, 2010
8:22 am
UF will struggle this year to keep the point total in Jax under 50….you puppy aholes talk the same garbage every year; however, the mighty Gators will win the east, again…and Brantley will eat your feeble secondary alive..count on it.
Puff Piece
March 22nd, 2010
10:31 am
Who’s “in love” with the new coaching staff? I think this is going a bit too far, Bill.
And btw, I’m not impressed with your post including overviews of other weak articles posted by the AJC. Aren’t there any real stories to write about?
Bob Dylan
March 22nd, 2010
11:55 am
The whole world now smells the Dog fan’s defecation and urination in the bulding stairwells. mmmmmmm smells like 1980……GO DOGS….WOOF!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/how-not-to-have-a-tailgate.php
TROTTINGHOME
March 22nd, 2010
12:05 pm
Puff Piece ask’s the right question…Pleaseeeee, quit cutting and pasteing.
Forever?
March 22nd, 2010
12:17 pm
Any reason all future Bulldog mascots have to come from the Seilers? Do they have a birthright on owning all past, present, and future Georgia Bulldog mascots, and if so, where did that come from? How about auditions when the time comes to replace the mascot, now especially since the bloodline is broken? In any event, Go ‘Dawgs!
ARdawg
March 22nd, 2010
12:17 pm
Save me all the techniques and coaching hubbub. We’ll see it on the field and where it counts next year, in the game. Richt, believes in Grantham and Lakatos then, so do I. I’m just relieved we don’t have to suffer another year of Willie’s Pilsbury Defense. Any change from that will be an improvement. Footwork, checking the ball is all fine and good but as mentioned earlier upthread, stopping the other teams offenses would be a novel idea and a tremendous improvement over years past.
Happy Dawg
March 22nd, 2010
12:38 pm
Russ is the way to go! He’s 2-0! Grantham will but UGA back on top!
hartdawg
March 22nd, 2010
1:57 pm
as long as he nips at tigers and gators color is an after thought
tim
March 22nd, 2010
1:58 pm
hey Forever…if you knew anything at all about UGA’s football history with the Seiler family then you wouldn’t have posted your stupid comment…and I’m a Gator
All Cupcakes Conference
March 22nd, 2010
2:02 pm
“Two Navy fighter pilots have been grounded for their low flyover at a Georgia Tech football game in Atlanta in November”
To be fair, those weren’t fighter planes, that was Ealey and King shredding the “defense”. Hope this clarifies things a bit.
berry bulldawgs
March 22nd, 2010
3:04 pm
Now Bill King has joined all the AJC UGA Haters.
What’s the problem with Logan Gray, Bill?
Elite 11 QB, Rated #5 dual-threat QB, AJ Green says he’s standing out among the 3 QB’s in performance and leadership in practice, so what’s the deal?
Why undercut Coach Richt here?
PMC
March 22nd, 2010
3:22 pm
If you just watched the Connecticut secondary over the last few years I think you would be quite pleased to have Coach Lakatos.
This is an Anti-UGA Blog
March 22nd, 2010
3:55 pm
BiLL-
Good grief, you too? Why do you hate Richt so much?
Can we get a new blogger please AJC who supportS UGA?
Bill King has obviously lost his sense of encouragement for Coach Richt and hard working young men like Logan Gray.
CHill Dawg
March 22nd, 2010
5:47 pm
The people have spoken, we want Russ!!
chazzo
March 22nd, 2010
7:35 pm
deja vu
chazzo
March 22nd, 2010
7:35 pm
I vote for Russ.
Hello BuLLdaug
March 22nd, 2010
9:15 pm
When are you guys going to get a female dog mascot?
Riley Cooper
March 22nd, 2010
9:46 pm
I sure am going to miss Brandon Boykin.
3 QBs walk into a bar
March 22nd, 2010
10:57 pm
Any defense that involves tackling, forcing turnovers, and holding the opponent to fewer points than your own team is going to be popular.
3 QBs walk into a bar
March 22nd, 2010
10:58 pm
They’ll just paint Russ’s backside white again like they did last year. It may not be too good for Russ, but who cares, it looks good.
3 QBs walk into a bar
March 22nd, 2010
10:59 pm
I guess all the cheerleaders just have to have white faces and legs…but can you imagine the warts and pigmentation under those sweaters and skirts?
RussthePaintedMascot
March 22nd, 2010
11:00 pm
I am 2-0, but I don’t like having my a$$ painted. Besides, things may get pretty ugly on the field next year more rookie QBs and I don’t need the competition.
CropDusterClassof'83
March 22nd, 2010
11:03 pm
I love the Dawgs, hate the Bees, but even I have to give credit to the gold-balled fighter jocks who buzzed Grant Field so fast and so low last year that they were permanently grounded. Rumor has it they found a Wake Forest cheerleader’s megaphone in the turbines.
CropDusterClassof'83
March 22nd, 2010
11:07 pm
Forever has a point. It’s not exactly like the Sielors haven’t profited considerably by their mascot studding service. I don’t question their loyalty to UGA, I do question the exorbitant prices charged for personal appearances by a dog.
CropDusterClassof'83
March 22nd, 2010
11:09 pm
My apologies, it is “Seiler”.
Don't Paint Russ Again!!!!
March 22nd, 2010
11:12 pm
Just because the Seilers have provided past bulldog mascots (and made a lot of money because of it) is not really sufficient reason to keep using them. It appears their dogs don’t have a long lifespan, generally speaking, even for the short-lived bulldog breed. And after several decades their dogs have produced just one NC. Maybe open auditions is the way to go. If it’s good for QBs, it should be good enough for the mascots!
OpenAuditions for Mascot.
March 22nd, 2010
11:14 pm
Coeds need not apply. Please note, your head and legs must be white, or at least must be able to be painted white. The rest of you will be under a sweater, so who cares? We can’t guarantee a lot of wins next year, but there is never a shortage of whines.
OpenAuditions for Mascot.
March 22nd, 2010
11:15 pm
You have to pass a physical at the UGA Vet School before acceptance.
OpenAuditions for QB.
March 22nd, 2010
11:16 pm
You have to pass a physical at the UGA Vet School. And a sobriety test.
Richt=?Richtofen?
March 22nd, 2010
11:23 pm
New geneaological studies show a direct lineage between Baron von Richtofen, the Red Baron, and Mark Richt, the UGA HC. The similarities are amazing. The Baron wore a white scarf and painted his Fokker triplane a bright red. The Coach wears bright red sweaters and paints his mascots backside white. The Baron crashed and burned after 80 victories. Some speculate that the Coach started crasing and burning at about the same stage, after achieving 80 victories in 2008. Both were handsome, blond, aristocratic, and liked to wear women’s underwear in the colors of their opponents. OK, we’re not too sure about the Baron on that last point.
themissinglink
March 22nd, 2010
11:26 pm
how come we dunno hoo are quarterback is goin to be? mettleburger showed he can hold his likker (which is a lot better than lickin your holder) so jes make him number 1. being number 1 preseason dont mean too much around these parts apparently.
The blogger formerly known as King
March 22nd, 2010
11:32 pm
In Bill’s defense, he has been more than fair in evaluating Richt. It is good to be passionate and loyal and get your dander up in defense of your coach and your team, but the numbers don’t lie. Richt has a few more years to fulfill the potential, or to settle into the middle of the SEC pack. Of course, we are all hoping for the former, and we won’t tolerate the latter. We all want CMR to succeed (who out there is any better and also available?) but we have to acknowledge that the past two years were really disappointing.
The Lady Dogs in OT
March 22nd, 2010
11:38 pm
It’s a good thing I went to UGA and know that the coeds there are really quite attractive. Just watching the women’s basketball and gym teams would scare me off if I was a young recruit.
The Lady Dogs in OT
March 22nd, 2010
11:40 pm
OF course, some of the women athletes may have been turned down by the football team, so at least they’re getting an education.
BuLLdawg
March 23rd, 2010
3:46 am
ACC is so great in basketball, I thought ?
UGA Women won again in the NCAA Tournament to run our record to 25-8 on the season, while Georgia tek has been finished in basketball for some time now both in women’s and men’s basketball.
ACC Sweet 16 ? Duke is it in men’s basketball while The SEC has 2 teams the vols and Kentucky.
750 wins for Andy Landers, averaging over 24 wins a season, so this is an average season for him.
18 times Andy Landers has been in the Regional Semi-Finals. This year’s squad cannot shoot. But, they can play some defense.
UGA advances to play Stanford, another school Georgia tek is NOT.
While the nation ponders the thoughts of Georgia tek bragging they are better than all the teams remaining in The NCAA Tournament, the facts are that not only did UGA beat Georgia tek in football 30-24 but also beat Georgia tek in both men’s basketball 73-66 and women’s basketball 56-50.
So, while Georgia tek remains at home their seasons over, UGA advances.
UGA also beat Georgia tek in the classrooms this year with a higher APR than Georgia tek in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball, the Major Sports.
Assailed in the national press for your low academics, the worst in college basketball in the NCAA Tourney this season, Georgia tek also could not win in men’s basketball even with your 914 Academic Progress Rate, limited by the NCAA Probation to only 11 scholarships.
Sweet 16 for Georgia 18 times now for Andy Landers.
NCAA Tournament Action :
SEC 13-3
ACC 9-9
SEC Men 4-2
ACC Men 5-5
SEC Women 9-1
ACC Women 4-4
ACC has neither a winning record in NCAA Tourney Men
ACC has neither a winning record in NCAA Tourney Women
SEC has winning record in BOTH NCAA Tourney Men & Women.
SEC is kicking the butts of ACC in basketball, again.
Ga Max
March 23rd, 2010
10:16 am
Florida’s run is over. Tebow’s gone. Ga’s D will shut down the florida offense this year in jax and win that game easy. Dawgs back on top, starting in 2010—-mark it down!
Call It Like It Is
March 23rd, 2010
10:51 am
Ga Max, you must be on CRACK!
Gators win the East again in 2010 as your program as yet to do anything since 1980!
Enough Said!
258DAWG
March 23rd, 2010
11:50 am
whats wrong with getting a Victorian Bulldog (3/4 English – 1/4 American) going forward. I got an all white one that is a year an a half old, 85 lbs and looks exactly like UGA.
Plus it would speak highly of UGA playing their part of bettering the health of the breed.
just a thought, any comments?
UGA VIII
March 23rd, 2010
8:38 pm
I’m for Russ!!
GoDOGS1
March 24th, 2010
7:58 pm
The Lady Dogs in OT: Considering you are gay, why would you even care?