ESPN hates UGA! No, wait! ESPN loves UGA! (Ah, clarity)
Don't fret, Dog-lovers. ESPN says you've got the edge in coaching. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
There are times when fans of every college team seem to believe ESPN is Out To Get Them. Tennessee backers have long held this to be true, insisting that the Worldwide Leader’s blather was the reason Charles Woodson won the 1997 Heisman Trophy over Peyton Manning. Georgia supporters, still recalling how Kirk Herbstreit dismissed the Bulldogs’ case for inclusion in the 2007 BCS title game, aren’t above such suspicion, either.
Not to rain on anybody’s conspiracy parade, but it could just be that the Worldwide Leader’s problem is that it employs every pundit in the world. When you have so much being said/written by so many different voices/scribes, you’re bound to tick off everybody at some juncture. This weeks offers an schizo case study.
Georgia’s game with South Carolina will be aired by ESPN, which knows no bounds when hyping itself. There has been so much written about the game on ESPN.com — and hey, it’s only Thursday! — as to boggle the mind. Here we cite specifics:
- KC Joyner, an ESPN Insider, has labeled Georgia “a flawed and overrated squad” that does not belong in the nation’s top five. (All these links require registration.) His reasons: The defense is lousy, the special teams are worse and the Bulldogs are flagged for too many penalties.
- Rod Gilmore, an Insider who also does commentary on broadcasts, calls Georgia one of three teams — West Virginia and Notre Dame being the others — who are “false kings.” He rips just-returned-from-suspension defenders Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo for their play against Tennessee, writing that they “took poor pursuit angles or were slow to recognize and diagnose plays.” Whoa, Nellie!
Those were the first two Georgia-based assessments posted on ESPN Insider this week, and they were enough to induce a Red & Black lather. (Speaking figuratively. I’ve never seen lather come in such bold hues.) But wait!
- The Scouts Inc. analysis — it’s compiled by Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl, and it’s detailed — on ESPN Insider picks Georgia to beat South Carolina 28-25. Its gives Georgia the advantage at quarterback (about whom more later), wide receivers, offensive line, linebackers, defensive backs — and coach! In related news, Steve Spurrier is seeking to have Scouts Inc. fired.
- Phil Steele, whose idiosyncratic yearbook Georgia fans enjoy and quote ad nauseum when he picks Georgia to do well, picks Georgia to beat South Carolina in his weekly post for ESPN Insider. (Here we pause to wonder: With everyone in creation seemingly an Insider, who’s left Outside?)
- Brock Huard, a former quarterback turned — you guessed it — an ESPN Insider, calls Aaron Murray the SEC’s best quarterback and writes that Murray’s long-sought “marquee win … should be coming Saturday night.”
It’s entirely possible that I’ve missed something on ESPN.com this week, but those five entries should suffice. Moral of our story: ESPN is large, and it contains multitudes. And if you happen to hate some point of view the Worldwide Leader espouses, wait 10 minutes and a differing take will rumble past.
Update: On cue, here’s another. In his Man Vs. Machine Upset Picks, Insider Will Harris – I assume he’s the Man in question – has South Carolina winning 28-20. I’m not sure how that’s an upset, seeing as how the Gamecocks opened as a favorite. (Though the betting line has narrowed considerably, which means pro-Georgia money is pouring in.)
By Mark Bradley
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266 comments Add your comment
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:00 pm
No, my guess is they don’t practice at all…
Considering how horrible they are that might be true.
Crap
October 4th, 2012
3:01 pm
GTBobbed: Beating VT and Miami wouldn’t have been as big as you guys made it out to be. Apparently beating MTSU would’ve been.
CHDawg
October 4th, 2012
3:02 pm
And to think…you could have been BobDawg!
DOGS
October 4th, 2012
3:02 pm
The Bees and Georgia State….
now that would be a war….
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:02 pm
You have to admire the gall of the poor garbage can scavengers that come on these boards and try their best to diss the Dawgs
I appreciate the admiration. You seem like a nice guy.
David
October 4th, 2012
3:03 pm
Mark, excellent use of Walt Whitman in a sports column! I had never realized WW had anything in common with ESPN until today. Nicely done.
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:04 pm
GTBobbed: Beating VT and Miami wouldn’t have been as big as you guys made it out to be. Apparently beating MTSU would’ve been.
We lost to all three, so who cares?
CHDawg
October 4th, 2012
3:05 pm
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua>>Dumb and disrespectful nonsense, but man, I love that screen name!!
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:05 pm
GTBob, Devry college isn’t a better option
Well, I guess its a good thing I didn’t go there either then.
Paddy
October 4th, 2012
3:05 pm
I do belive we will win a very close game Sat. Am I the only UGA fan waiting for our nose tackles to make plays? I am not talking sacks or behind the line tackles. Just stuffing the run for our linebackers to finish off the plays for little or no gain. Maybe even make a tackle or two. Just saying, they weigh in at 535 lbs per don’t they?
Crap
October 4th, 2012
3:05 pm
GTBobbed: PLEASE help us understand why you could’ve possibly considered UGA. We are glad you didn’t, BTW. You must be retired and have nothing to fill the void; lots of time spent trolling. Or you’re stealing your employer’s time.
Paddy
October 4th, 2012
3:07 pm
Just win the game!
Steve
October 4th, 2012
3:09 pm
People, there is no reason to respond here on out to little GTBob. As you have seen, he really does have no life. All he does is finds UGA blogs and makes comments on your comments. Just stop responding to him. This is what happens when a person has nobody in their life. They look to the internet and blogs of teams they hate for entertainment. Anything you say will be wrong and everything he says will be right. He is a moron. Ignore him.
Fred-D
October 4th, 2012
3:10 pm
If you don’t like what these “insiders & experts” are saying, then change the channel or close the web page. Usually, a person’s opinion doesn’t change. If I was a betting man (which I’m not), I bet that anyone who feels tha UGA can’t win the big one will say “I told you so “if UGA lose, or they will say “what did you expect, it’s only South Carolina” if the dawgs win. So I say just enjoy the game and see what the “insiders” have to say after a UGA victory.
SC in GA
October 4th, 2012
3:11 pm
Paddy, I agree with you about the close game. I believe SC wins, but finally a voice of reason
SC in GA
October 4th, 2012
3:15 pm
If GA does beat SC on sat, and that’s a BIG if, then GA should have something to get excited about.
This aint your mommas or daddys SC anymore folks, regardless of who says what about them.
SC is legit, they are very good, and GA will earn their win, if they get one.
jeffrey d
October 4th, 2012
3:19 pm
Every college football fan thinks that everybody in the media is against their team. The media doesn’t see things through the rosey colored glasses that some fans see their team through.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 4th, 2012
3:21 pm
GT Bob
With the limited practice times yes and I watched one of Techs games and the sports announcer who was an ex NFL player said the same thing I did about Techs defense having to practice against that
Sorry but hey keep living the dream you can continue hiring D coordinators and we can continue beating Tech every year which is fine by me
Weyman C. Wannamaker Jr. (A Great American)
October 4th, 2012
3:22 pm
Nice to see that Bobby Valentine has been sent packing from Bean Town.
NCDawg
October 4th, 2012
3:22 pm
I have been wondering the same thing Paddy. I think our NG play has been sub par for most of the season. Sure their job is to soak up blockers but they can stop a runner every once in while too. They’re supposed to draw double teams so the MLB’s can make plays but it is hard to make plays when 360 lbs is being dumped in your lap. Maybe this week they stand up and make SC pay for all the abuse they’ve been taking.
Heisenberg
October 4th, 2012
3:22 pm
Lou Holtz and all those other “insiders” are not the prognosticators to pay any attention to. The only one that matters is Lee Corso on gameday and which mascot hat he puts on.
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:23 pm
All he does is finds UGA blogs and makes comments on your comments. Just stop responding to him.
You respond to me more than most people and then get mad at others for responding to me. That is strange.
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:28 pm
With the limited practice times yes and I watched one of Techs games and the sports announcer who was an ex NFL player said the same thing I did about Techs defense having to practice against that
Sorry but you and the announcer are wrong. Our defense does not practice against the option offense every week. Even small podunk schools like ours have scout teams.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 4th, 2012
3:30 pm
UGA beats SC by 2 TD’s
So long as Richt and Bobo dont go conservative
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 4th, 2012
3:32 pm
GT Bob
Yea me and the announcer are wrong and thats why Tech has had 2 D coordinators that have shown they cant stop nothing
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 4th, 2012
3:33 pm
Maybe by the 4th D coordinator firing Tech fans will get a clue
Steve
October 4th, 2012
3:35 pm
Flat Tire, like I said, you will always be wrong with that little kid. Give up. You could tell him the sky is blue and he would argue.
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:38 pm
Yea me and the announcer are wrong and thats why Tech has had 2 D coordinators that have shown they cant stop nothing
No, you are wrong because it is common knowledge that Ga Tech’s offense and defense practice against scout teams. Actually, most teams in the country do. Its kind of strange that you haven’t heard of this concept before.
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:39 pm
Flat Tire, like I said, you will always be wrong with that little kid. Give up. You could tell him the sky is blue and he would argue.
So you are also going to claim that Ga Tech does not use scout teams and the defense only practices against the option offense every week?
CHDawg
October 4th, 2012
3:44 pm
SC has come a long way, and they are a top ten team and perfectly capable of beating anybody, so congrats to all the garnet and black crowd. We are having a great and exciting year. The haters are frustrated and down to saying we aren’t a legit top 5 team (that is a good sign), and we are on our way to the land of Lizard’s Thicket and the WillieB for a big weekend of top ten football. This is what college football is all about! Let’s go ahead and win while we are there, btw! GTBob will be home going over his SAT scores again and playing with his slide rule, and posting why Georgia isn’t as good as we thought. It could be much worse!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 4th, 2012
3:45 pm
GT Bob
Most good teams in the country practice with their 1st and 2nd string teams
Joey
October 4th, 2012
3:45 pm
So GTBob, you telling me PJ has a whole scout-team-offense full of Pro-set Offense players on your team?
Come on, PJ recruits players that fit HIS offense.
JDW
October 4th, 2012
3:45 pm
I don’t know if they like us or not, but since 2007 I don’t like them. I don’t visit their website, I don’t watch their commercials, I don’t watch any of their shows save the actual game or event in question and then I mute the commercials or flip channels.
Fact is the 2007 Georgia and 2011 Alabama scenario are EXACTLY the same and they came down on opposite sides and cost us a MNC…does anyone really believe Ohio State would have fared any better than Hawaii that year.
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
3:54 pm
Come on, PJ recruits players that fit HIS offense.
Of course he does, and there is a group of players that are walkons or red shirt freshman who spend most of their week on the scout team helping to prepare the offensive and defensive units for the teams they will play that weekend. It is mind blowing that UGA fans seem to have no idea that scout teams exist.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 4th, 2012
3:54 pm
People ESPN has designed itself to become what the Liberal media has become
and that is a means to tell you how you should vote because you the people are too stupid
So therefore what we say is smart, rational and how it should be
Chris Snow
October 4th, 2012
3:56 pm
We need Jarvis and Tree (as well as everyone on the defense) to step up in a big way. The talent is there on both offense and defense, we just need to execute, keep the mental errors at a minimum, and we will be talking about a victory on Sunday.
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
4:00 pm
So GTBob, you telling me PJ has a whole scout-team-offense full of Pro-set Offense players on your team?
Yes, I am telling you that. It is not hard for a group of walkons and red shirt freshman to simulate a pro style offense for scout team purposes.
Gman 84
October 4th, 2012
4:01 pm
If UGA wins it will be because USCjr is a disappointment. If UGA loses get raedy for the hype machine to go overboard on USCjr
GTBob
October 4th, 2012
4:02 pm
Most good teams in the country practice with their 1st and 2nd string teams
Just to be sure, are you making the statement right now that UGA never uses scout teams?
GA in VA
October 4th, 2012
4:04 pm
SC in GA
All I have is facts to go on as well and they say that USCe has not beaten UGA 3 years in a row….why would this year be any different? UGA 34-17
Mike S.
October 4th, 2012
4:09 pm
I think the biggest reason UGA fans hate ESPN is for 2007. Then you listen to ESPN jumping on the Bama bandwagon last year when they not only didnt win their division (like UGA in 2007), but they already lost to LSU (unlike UGA in 2007), and their schedule was not as good as Oklahoma St. since they missed playing SC and UGA out of the East (unlike UGA in 2007 who played a tough schedule). Both were considered hot teams no one wanted to play. ESPN dismissed UGA without even a second thought.
Mike S.
October 4th, 2012
4:10 pm
2007 is the biggest reason. ESPN dismissing UGA without a second thought, then jumping on Bama’s bandwagon last year. Bama didnt have a division title either, lost to LSU already (unlike UGA in 07), and didnt play all that tough a schedule (only Arkansas and Penn St. past LSU).
The Auditor
October 4th, 2012
4:11 pm
I’ve said this before, but GTBob is going to continue to invalidate any UGA opponent until they are beaten. That way, he feels shielded from having “I told you so” thrown on him every week. Win-win mindset isn’t it Bob? You’ll have to let me know how it is watching your lowly team get trounced from the couch while I’m in Columbia watching MY SCHOOL (in person) being featured on College Gameday. Guess I see why you have such a defensive/reflecting personality now
Dum-Bass
October 4th, 2012
4:12 pm
I wonder if ESPiNosa, who plays for the Washington Gnats will sign on with ESPN when his playing days are over. Looks like a perfect fit for some crazy reason!
Mike S.
October 4th, 2012
4:12 pm
Overall, ESPN has a power program bias and always will. They do the same in every sport, its just CFB is the only one where media hype can actually win you a pass into the championship. They’ve already been jumping all over FSU’s bandwagon and claiming Bama to be hands down the best team in the league even though they havent really played anyone good yet.
Bone
October 4th, 2012
4:13 pm
ESPN is changing their name to NESP, for North East Sports Programming, since the only thing they talk about is anything out of the northeast corner of the country. Possible they talk about something (one time) in Chicago, LA or even Dallas, but quickly move back to the northeast corner for sports before the directors and producers fire them on the spot. There is more coverage on a 2-2 New England team and a 1-3 Jets team than a 4-0 Falcons team.
Big Earl
October 4th, 2012
4:13 pm
GTBob is like a baby that wants something (i.e. a football team worth cheering for) but he can’t have it (i.e. Tech is horrible…I mean really horrible) so he sits in the middle of the floor (our UGA blog) bawling his little eyes out. Everyone who acknowledges the crying baby (i.e. those who respond to his moronic blogs) simply makes the behavior of the child worse. If everyone would just ignore him (i.e. don’t respond to his moronic blogs), then he would quit crying (i.e. stop blogging on the UGA blog) and behave (i.e. go away).
typical L E G H U M P E R F A N
October 4th, 2012
4:14 pm
ESPN hates JAWJA!! Lou Holtz hates us, Herbreit hates us, Corso hates us, Fowler hates us, Reece Davis hates us, Jesse Palmer hates us (although he loved playing us), Mark May and Spurrier hates us (well maybe these 2 are actually true), even the SEC officials hate us.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 4th, 2012
4:17 pm
GT Bob
No bobby Im not saying UGA doesnt use its scout team
Mike S.
October 4th, 2012
4:18 pm
@GT-Bob – im sure UGA does use scout teams to some degree. Tech, however, doesnt recruit anyone but option players on offense. Who does Tech have that can simulate an Aaron Murray or Taj Boyd even remotely? Or run routes like Sammy Watkins? I dont know how any DC at Tech is going to be able to prepare his players playing against option guys doing their best to simulate pro-style or spread players.