McGarity learned ‘art of scheduling’ well at Florida
Some thoughts coming out of the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors spring meeting at SSI …
You want early evidence that Georgia made a wise choice in calling Athens native Greg McGarity home from Florida as athletic director? Just look at the fact that following a losing 6-7 season and an absolutely dismal and dispiriting bowl showing by Mark Richt’s football team, Bulldog Club/Hartman Fund contributions actually increased $300,000 to $23 million this year.
A major factor in that apparently was McGarity’s decision to schedule the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game opener with Boise State. Anyone contributing at least $100 to the Hartman Fund was eligible to buy tickets to the Georgia Dome game and UGA fans snapped up all 53,000 that were available.
McGarity is a smart man.
DOING IT THE ‘FLORIDA WAY’
Speaking of which, McGarity announced that David Perno will be returning as UGA’s baseball coach, which is as it should be. Despite the tragic injury to Johnathan Taylor, the Diamond Dogs improved their SEC record to 16-14 this season. If it hadn’t been for losing too many of those midweek nonconference games, they’d be a lock for an NCAA tourney spot.
And that’s where McGarity will make a difference again. He rightly diagnosed Perno’s problem this season as over-scheduling, noting that SEC teams on average played three to five nonconference games against teams with a Top 25 RPI while Georgia played 17 such games this year. As he told our Chip Towers, “I hate to deal with could-haves and would-haves, but it speaks to what I call ‘the art of scheduling,’”
McGarity said “next year we need to have a schedule that is totally different,” with 37 or 38 home games instead of 28 like this year. As for those tough nonconference opponents, “We’ve got Tech; we’ve got Clemson; we’ve got UCLA. That’s enough.”
McGarity knows what he’s talking about. The University of Florida has perfected the art of devising a national championship schedule.
SAY WHAT?
Among the expenditures approved by the athletic board was $675,000 for a new sound system at Stegeman Coliseum. Talk about money well spent! The echo in the Steg is awful, especially at lesser-attended basketball games and graduation ceremonies. It’s long past time that problem was corrected.
WOOF!
Sonny Seiler was on hand for the St. Simons gathering and provided an update on the search for a new Uga mascot, saying he hasn’t yet found a pup who will “fit the bill” and anticipates stand-in Russ continuing to wear the red sweater for as much as two-thirds of the coming season before a new dog is introduced. Russ, as Seiler noted, is very popular with fans (despite the team’s less than stellar won-loss record during his tenure). Actually, I don’t see why Seiler doesn’t just let Russ serve the whole year and then unveil a new Uga at the beginning of the 2012 season.
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156 comments Add your comment
chiefdawg
May 27th, 2011
11:39 am
I gave more this year, hoping to finally get my seats changed. I figured that some people would not give this year because of the record, so my chances of better seating would increase.
DawginLex
May 27th, 2011
11:39 am
They dropped miami years ago.
FSU is going to throttle them this year.
The rest of their OOC schedule is a joke.
Joe Bob Thibodaux
May 27th, 2011
11:39 am
Put the whoop on Boise. S.E.C. is No. 1.
JBT
GTech
May 27th, 2011
11:40 am
UF plays FSU every year. They’ve been down recently, but that’s changing. And they throw in the Canes every few years. Doesn’t sound like UF always has an easy schedule to me.
DIT
May 27th, 2011
11:45 am
GTech – They are good games to have. However, those 2 teams have been down and are looking to turn it around. The main point is that UF has not beem out of state for a non-conference game in decades. That’s the knock on them. They are still a good team.
Send'em U hauls
May 27th, 2011
11:45 am
@ chiefdawg…… glad to know you got better seats for Mark Richts Farewell Tour.
DawginLex
May 27th, 2011
11:50 am
Send’em U hauls
May 27th, 2011
11:45 am
@ chiefdawg…… glad to know you got better seats for Mark Richts Farewell Tour.
Link Report this comment
***************************************************************
Don’t you just love nostradamus TROLLS?
I bet you won’t be back here posting after Richt has a comeback season and silences all the critics.
DIT
May 27th, 2011
11:52 am
I never knock any kind of rivalry., particularly when it’s in-state. Even FSU & Miami go out of state for non-conference games. It just makes it more interesting.
GTech
May 27th, 2011
11:52 am
DIT – they have the advantage of playing games like that in state without having to travel. I think even when those teams are down, the rivalry aspect makes it a tough game (like GT / UGA).
Ceasar
May 27th, 2011
11:53 am
With this year’s cupcake schedule, 12 wins is a must or else!!!!!!!!!!
jaglaw
May 27th, 2011
11:53 am
Sminingsgator,
I read the article. Very good point. Go dawgs.
Shawn
May 27th, 2011
11:53 am
Gotta let the cat out of the bag on this Muschamp style….I will personally guarantee the Dawgs win the season opener. Boise will be lucky to be within 2 td’s at the half and the Dawgs will pull away in the second half!
1eyedJack
May 27th, 2011
11:55 am
DRT, the Grandma Bandit was wearing a Georgia hat so she wouldn’t stick out and be easily identified. If she had been wearing a Georgia Tech hat she would have stuck out like a sore thumb and would have been I’d and caught within hours of the first robbery.
DIT
May 27th, 2011
11:56 am
Guys I would not be so overconfident against Boise. Yes, I think UGA has a good chance to win also, but it will be a tough game. With SC lurking the following weekend it will be tough not to think about that opener in the SEC more than Boise. This is where coaching will have to be stepped up!
One game at a time. They should be focused on no one but BOISE State right now.
1eyedJack
May 27th, 2011
11:57 am
” bet you won’t be back here posting after Richt has a comeback season and silences all the critics.”
Absolutely they will. Their posts are stupid and make no sense now and they will be stupid and make no sense then either.
1eyedJack
May 27th, 2011
12:00 pm
I believe Boise has 5 all-american types at QB, OL, DL (2), and DB.
Still, we’ll make tater tots out of ‘em.
1eyedJack
May 27th, 2011
12:01 pm
Worse than roaches.
DawginLex
May 27th, 2011
12:03 pm
I guess it was wishful thinking on my part that they would disappear…………
DIT
May 27th, 2011
12:05 pm
I hope your right 1eyedJack. I still think it will be close
Shawn
May 27th, 2011
12:08 pm
DIT, I think the reason they smoke Boise. I am almost scared to point out the lack of off the field issues. This time last year we had a dozen or so off field problems and a couple of guys kicked off the team. Those issues seem to be disappearing. Coach Joe T is working them out so hard they are puking then going to get some rest. They have a bit of a bug up their rears about last year and are anxious to take out a little of their frustrations on an over matched team from an underwhelming conference. Mark it down, UGA rolls in this one!
B-UGA
May 27th, 2011
12:10 pm
Hey Redneck Dawg….
McGairty scheduled Boise State in the dome this year so we can get an extra home game next year! We don’t travel to Arizona St, Louisville, or any other time zone! Way too much money & politics to change venue of GA/FL (although I’d love to see it happen). Sounds like he’s doing what he can. Another couple years & he’ll have it tweaked nicely.
I agree that Richt has some much needed work on winning at home! I’ve said for a couple of years now that we don’t really get the home field advantage. We come out FLAT at home! Need some Kick-A team leadership & motivation. Our fans need to work on getting loud at home too. Way too many 60+ year olds sitting on their hands, complaining about the heat, saying, hey sit down…I can’t see. For almost 100 thousand, it’s not a very loud stadium. Auburn, SC, & Kentucky hold less but IMO were louder in crowd noise.
If we can win the first two games…..we become a contender–maybe top ten (the glass is not half empty). If we beat North West BFE & Southern BFE the first two games……we stay unranked. It’s ok if you are a preseason top 10, but…..
The increase in giving……great DAWG fans & the upswing in economy for sure.
SC game is probably most important game of the year!!! Sic’ em on a chicken!!! FINISH!!! Gotta start winning the 4th quarter war.
Shawn
May 27th, 2011
12:10 pm
oops supposed to say”reason they smoke Boise is focus.”
B-UGA
May 27th, 2011
12:18 pm
I’m not a fan of making Russ a true UGA….he’s not all white. UGA should be an all white englsh bulldog…..now as far as breeding…..they need to introduce some new blood into the line….Way too much in breeding. IMO–has caused shorter lives in the most recent UGA’s. If you look at the UGA’s, the last 3 have only lived short lives & have developed major health issues.
DIT
May 27th, 2011
12:22 pm
Trust me Shawn; I want you to be right all the way. The summer is just beginning so I’m still holding my breath. If they can get through the summer without any incidences then that would be a huge step in the right direction in way of discipline.
Then we will see how the off season S & C panned out.
I’m one that wants to see CMR turn the boat around and be the coach for many years to come, but after the last 2 years he has his work cut out for him.
Buford Sowega
May 27th, 2011
12:24 pm
I agree with savannadawg–Let’s find a shelter rescue with some American or Pit in it. I think more of us could relate to that spirit instead of some canine aristocracy.
C from Marietta
May 27th, 2011
12:25 pm
Never fails. Some positive is written about UGA and out come the negative jerks.
goodnessgracious
May 27th, 2011
12:31 pm
sonny is loosing it, he needs to set a side his pride and take the offer from Mr woods. that pup would ad to lore of Georgia football
Delbert D.
May 27th, 2011
12:32 pm
One of McGarity’s big points when he took the job was not scheduling out of conference home and home games. So, he then schedules Clemson.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
May 27th, 2011
12:34 pm
Look big UGA guy here but you cannot use CMR away record as a validator of anything. What is that record the last 10 games, 15 games? CMR got that record fat of of Donnans recruits and the 2-3 years after the success he had with those players. Hince the issue at hand in whether or not RIcht needs to go. The record overall looks spectacular, but when digging deeper you see the cracks in it.
Shawn
May 27th, 2011
12:35 pm
DIT, CMR has made some mistakes for good reason in the last couple years. The rash of injuries in 2008 caused him to lighten up on hitting and practicing the years following which left our Dawgs soft and undisciplined. He has since seen the light and toughened up. The thing I have always liked about Richt is the ability to see his mistakes, man up, and make a change. His first year he called a run play on the goal line against AU with 10 seconds left. We ran out of time after not scoring and he came out after the game and apologized. He said he would learn from that mistake. I think he learns from them all and we should continue to allow him to. Sooner or later he will get over the hump. When he does I feel the championships will come in multiples. As for now, count on celebrating September the 3rd in a BIG WAY!
UGABugKiller
May 27th, 2011
12:37 pm
Let me preface what I’m about to say by telling you all that I am NOT a PeTA Freak. I loathe those people who’d rather a rabbit live than using it to find a cure for cancer.
With that out of the way, this NEEDS to be said:
When is UGA going to stop dealing with a man who had his AKC membership and accreditation REVOKED because of his breeding practices?
WHY did two very young dogs die years before their time?
Has anyone ever seen pictures of Uga I and Uga II? No? Here are links:
http://bit.ly/jGb0rL
http://bit.ly/jQB2gN
THOSE are what HEALTHY English Bulldogs look like when they are bred using AKC-approved methods.
THIS is what Uga VI looked like:
http://bit.ly/iyk8b9
Uga VI is what a Seiler-bred English Bulldog looks like. Bred down to the point where they are unrecognizable all for the glorious need to have a “perfect” white English Bulldog, who cares if the dog is suffering, if they can barely breathe, if they can barely stand on their stubby legs supporting their massive bodies heads, right?
Tell me folks… WHY is an institution like UGA involved with a man who the American Kennel Club refuses acknowledge as a breeder of healthy dogs?
It’s beyond time to stop worrying about “bloodlines” and “perfect whiteness.”
It’s beyond time to START worrying about healthy dogs and the damage this man is doing.
I don’t give a damn if the Sonny Seiler is “good people” or a “DGD,” the fact is, he’s no better than the pimp plastic surgeons who create walking monstrosities out of once beautiful women because they were in search of “perfection.”
It is BEYOND time for UGA to stop being in the Uga business with the Seilers, who, believe it or not, have profited quite handsomely from this arrangement (I know, shocked, right?).
This sick search for perfection by Seiler in his breeding has finally begun to produce it’s ultimate endgame for these dogs whom we all profess to love.
DEATH.
Enough is enough, people. Enough is enough.
Blackberry Cobbler
May 27th, 2011
12:38 pm
ALL chips are in.
This is CMR’s make or break year.
Fans know it, McGarity knows it, CMR knows it.
Win the East or pack up and move.
IMHO, this will be CMR’s last year. Defense should be better but thin at OL, receivers, and running unless Crowell is another Hershel.
Shawn
May 27th, 2011
12:38 pm
Low country thinks Donnan recruited for UGA right on into 2007. LOL, some people just talk without a clue!
barrow dog
May 27th, 2011
12:38 pm
2 THINGS: 1) RUSS should get a full year if not a lifetime as UGA
2) we don’t get that much of a home field advantage… too many “senior” alumni, and way too many drunks to stay in the game for 4 quarters. I’m all for a few snorts before and during the game, but you people really need to learn to pace yourselves
B-UGA
May 27th, 2011
12:39 pm
goodnessgracious— you are right. It’s an all white english bulldog that is beautiful & Mike Wood’s dogs are UGA bloodline (got my dog from him). Just needs to mature 6 more months. I think it’s a pride thing for Sonny. He’s gotten famous from from UGA….wants to be the sole decision maker in the process (he’s a lawer for goodness sake). If they find a great pup, he can be trained to be an UGA…Sonny makes it sound like the pup can only come from him. The University needs to start a search & just have him on the selection board. Sorry Sonny, but the truth hurts.
DIT
May 27th, 2011
12:39 pm
Good point Shawn! Let’s rock the Dome 9-3! Go Dawgs!
DIT
May 27th, 2011
12:41 pm
Shawn I usually just ignore the comments that have anything with Donnan. UGA has always recruited well. To say that Donnan had something to do with CMR good years are simply ludicris!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
May 27th, 2011
12:41 pm
Shawn,
Coach Richt enjoyed being able to Recruit off of the success he had with Donnans players. Fact! The issue was in the calibur of players recruited. Again, this is why were are at where we are today. You would rather it be because we didnt hit enough in 2008. Yeah, much more logical.
Edawg
May 27th, 2011
12:48 pm
McGarity is the man. I liked that hire from the get-go. A really solid AD who thinks critically about issues.
Edawg
May 27th, 2011
12:51 pm
@Delbert D.,
Clemson was already on the schedule for 2013-14 when McGarity was hired.
Buckeye
May 27th, 2011
12:51 pm
See you dogs in 2020/2021 if not before. Can’t wait.
Buckeye
May 27th, 2011
12:52 pm
For those of you that feel compelled to wax poetic about the Ray Small story, do your homework first and consider the source.
Coach Must-be-a-Chump
May 27th, 2011
12:53 pm
Redneck Dawg is really a yellow spined jacket! Go stare at your Paul Johnson poster more!
DawginLex
May 27th, 2011
12:53 pm
Donnan left a bad taste in a lot of mouths when he left. Richt brought a cleansing to the program and has won with integrity.
Not every coach who could have been hired would have duplicated Richt’s success. You think Glen Mason would have won as big? Nope. Donnan was smart enough to redshirt Greene. Richt trained him and coached him. We would have been running those stupid flanker reverses that lost yardage every time if Donnan had stayed.
The hobnail boot would have never happened.
The 2002 Auburn comeback would have never happened.
Give it up on the Donnan stuff. Richt has made his own way. Raised the bar and is a victim of his own success.
He now faces the biggest challenge yet.
I am pulling for him to get it done.
Dogz
May 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
I hate to break the news about the scheduling for this year, outside of Greg switching the Louisville for Boise State the rest of the schedule was set years ago and Greg had nothing to do with it. We will see his scheduleing in a few years which I think will bring a smile to most dog fans. And GT fan unless we drop your yellow terds off the schedule we know we have another win coming our way!
Edawg
May 27th, 2011
12:55 pm
Buckeye,
I’m looking forward to that series too. Gonna be a lot of Dawgs in Columbus and a lot of Buckeyes in Athens. Classic matchup.
AltamahaDawg
May 27th, 2011
12:56 pm
OH good, we can read all the comments confusing “in-breeding” with pure breeding, all over again for a few days. Do we seriously not know the difference in here? I’ll just say this…when you introduce a different mother (or father in some cases) from the outside every single time, you can’t get any more new blood than that.
He mentioned some weeks ago, they were looking at several different litters for this new one. How much more new blood do you need?
Richt`s Hammer
May 27th, 2011
1:00 pm
We will lose BIG to both Boise State and South Carolina, but who cares as long as my paycheck does not bounce? It won`t will it? I am building an orphanage in Bagdad with it.
DawginLex
May 27th, 2011
1:01 pm
Buckeye,
Any truth to the rumor that OSU is considering a move to the SEC since they cheat with the best of them including Bama and auburn?
Chip towers banned me again for troll fighting. Comments on his blogs are down 40% since he did it.
Edawg
May 27th, 2011
1:02 pm
Public Service Announcement:
We will probably see the Dawgs play in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic again at least once during the 5 season gap (2015-2019) between the Clemson and Ohio State series.