On furloughs, hoops and an injured center
Athens – Another interesting day on the Dogs beat.
I went to the Tate Student Center – great building, by the way – to hear Michael Adams present his “campus budget update” to faculty, staff and students. The UGA president outlined the state’s and school’s dire budgetary challenges, revealed the six dates UGA employees will take unpaid furlough days (Oct. 30, Nov. 25, Dec. 24, Jan. 4, March 8 and April 30), and said afterward the Athletic Association will be a full participant in the furloughs. Details here.
From an athletics perspective – this is, after all, a sports blog – the bottom line is:
– Six unpaid days off for all Athletic Association employees, including coaches.
– Some flexibility on when those days are taken, so the coaches can coach and the necessary support staff can provide support when the teams are playing or practicing, then take alternative days off within the same calendar month.
– Six days in which the Athletic Association offices will basically shut down.
And this will be an interesting situation to watch: Workaholic coaches are going to be ordered not to work on their furlough days.
Adams was clear on that last point, saying: “By Regents’ policy, furloughed employees are not to report to work or do work on behalf of UGA on furloughed days.” Asked later if he can imagine offensive-line coach Stacy Searels taking a day off in mid-season, tackle Clint Boling said with a laugh: “I wish. But I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
Of course, in the interest of context, we should note that the impact on athletics is a tiny, tiny piece of the budget/furlough story.
“The University of Georgia has gone through some really tough challenges in the last 220-plus years or so,” Adams said near the end of his address in the Tate theater. “We’ve survived wars and plague and pestilence and all sorts of things, and we will get through this. We’ll come out, I believe, leaner and cleaner. I hope we are not leaner and meaner.
“But with the exception of the post-World War I Great Depression, this is clearly one of those economic times you will look back and talk to your children and grandchildren about. . . . I am certain that, a year or two years or five years from now, we will look back at this as a serious bump in the road but one we survived and managed and learned from.”
A couple of other things of note from yesterday:
– The men’s basketball schedule is finally set. (Full schedule here.) Mark Fox’s first season as the Dogs’ coach will be a test, to say the least.
There are five non-SEC games against teams from power conferences, only one of those in Stegeman Coliseum (Jan. 5 vs. Georgia Tech). The others are: vs. Illinois (Big Ten) at Gwinnett Arena, vs. St. John’s (Big East) in New York’s Madison Square Garden, at Virginia Tech (ACC) and at Missouri (Big 12).
Plus, there are home game against Rick Majerus-coached St. Louis of the Atlantic 10 (Dec. 2) and against Pepperdine (Dec. 30).
The SEC schedule opens on Jan. 9 at Kentucky, which, as you know, also has a new coach (John Calipari).
– And finally, at football practice, Chris Davis was working at center with Ben Jones sidelined by the ankle injury sustained the day before. Still not known how long Jones will be out. More here.
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74 comments Add your comment
shane#1
August 21st, 2009
5:00 pm
I guess Obama stopped all the Dung Beetle research. That man will be the ruin of this nation, first the F-22, and now the Dung Beetle! Hey Burdell, have you done your annual enrollment at Tech yet? BTW, biofuels? I would think that Dung Beetles would be experts in the field.
Voice of Reason
August 21st, 2009
5:52 pm
Yeah Shane, I think he diverted all of those funds into researching why pig poop stinks and other need to know questions by Barack Obama.
AltamahaDawg
August 21st, 2009
5:53 pm
ACORN is heading up the Dung Beetles now. They want to include them in the 2010 census.
Cuz
August 21st, 2009
6:20 pm
I hear the Scarab beetles want to be registered also.
One of my fraternity brothers is working on biofuels at UGA Burdell. Nick Chammoun. Great all around guy.
Lilly Munster and Edith Bunker
August 21st, 2009
6:30 pm
Its Herman Archieeeeeeeee time!
ACORN dawg
August 21st, 2009
6:43 pm
I’m entitled to see the dawgs defense give up a lot of points this year!
shane#1
August 21st, 2009
9:57 pm
Easy Guys, according to PETA, a Dung Beetle is a cat, is a dog, is a child, is a Tech fan.
Big time?? Not
August 22nd, 2009
7:22 am
Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes
Sad Richards
August 22nd, 2009
8:58 am
Looks like the dawgs are getting close to start the 7 – 5 football season. Stay tuned for more injuries, fumbles and excuses……. BTW I Told You So!
dUMb dAwG
August 22nd, 2009
9:04 am
i tHOuGhT mR oBAma wAS pREsiDeNt. wHo iS mR aDAm?
AltamahaDawg
August 22nd, 2009
9:05 am
Shane, don’t be silly, tech fans don’t have feelings.
And you certainly couldn’t study thier mating habit.
dUMb dAwG
August 22nd, 2009
9:08 am
i rEmeMBeR nOW! mR aDaM wAS oUR 2Nd pREsIdeNt aFter GeOrgE W. bOth aRE dEAD liKE oUR dEFeNcE.
UGA goes green..
August 22nd, 2009
10:43 am
They are conservationist. The turn off the scoreboard immediately after a loss!
They are for sustainable energy and will install a giant wind turbine over sanford (of course to capture all that hot barking).
They recycle. It’s either a rebuilding year or injuries. Same every year.
They are local. They seldom travel past Nashville (until this year-which is a mistake lol)
shane#1
August 22nd, 2009
10:47 am
Alt, there you go again, habit is a nuns attire, you left the s off habits! On a more serious note, it seems that the NCAA went into that Florida courtroom with their usual overbearing attitude and the judge would have none of it. He ordered the NCAA to cease all threats against FSU and produce the “secret” documents within two days. The judge called the NCAA “an iron fist in a velvet glove”. The NCAA went as far as making a thinly veiled threat against FSU from the stand. A little unsought advice for the NCAA, don’t take on Pappa Bobby in the court of public opinion. Bobby has that “aw shucks” folksy grandpa act down pat. He has been playing that role for years! That sound you hear is Dale Brown, Bobby Knight, and the Tark laughing up their sleeves.
Charles Bishop, Ph.D.
August 23rd, 2009
6:28 am
I really don’t understand this ‘furlough’ consternation–anyone who has ever been in business knows that you are committed to an outcome…you just get the job done. I have never taken all of my vacation, certainly not ’sick day’ as some feel like they are entitled to–is it not just cutting your pay for six days?
Why in the world would the Regents dictate the specific days? Sounds like over-control and meddling to me. This makes you wonder how much time this debate took in their agenda to resolve which days people could not work. I am glad that they are focusing on the important issues.
It is tough times for all–just call it like it is and leave it up to the individuals. There are other things to take care of.
Mark Richt and his staff,if they want to work… should be applauded–being ordered to stay away on specific days–just absurd.
Charles Bishop, Ph.D. —ex UGA faculty…who left academia because of issues like this and the fact that I could not stand to attend another ‘faculty meeting’.
Cuz
August 23rd, 2009
9:46 am
Preach on Brother Charles.
shane#1
August 23rd, 2009
12:59 pm
This is my take on the running back situation at UGA. I was reading about Murray’s older brother, a walk on safety at UGA. The elder Murray quit baseball after knocking around in the Brewer’s farm system. He said that he no longer had a passion for baseball and without the passion one can’t take the grind of the minor leagues. I started thinking about Caleb King. I wonder if he still has the drive to make himself the starting tb for the Dawgs. Caleb is probably the most gifted of the backs in Athens, at least right now. He is the best blocker and an excellent reciever coming out of the backfield. But it seems that he may be third on the depth chart, behind a natural lb and a guy that’s “too small”. When Ealey catches on to the offense, Caleb could be looking at fourth string. IF he wants to start for UGA he had better redouble his efforts and become the leader he should be, as the Dawgs most experenced tailback.
AltamahaDawg
August 23rd, 2009
4:16 pm
shane, not sure where you are reading in that he is lacking drive right now.
shane#1
August 23rd, 2009
5:42 pm
Alt, hopefully King has the drive. However, he failed to cement his hold on the starting spot in spring practice or the off season when he was the only healthy tailback with real game experence. I think Samuel is big, strong, fast, smart, and hungry. Thomas has been told all his life that he is too small. He has a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. King is a very talented back, but if he wants to start he had better show some of that hunger. Samuel and Thomas are hungry, that’s for dam sure.
Denver Dog
August 24th, 2009
12:22 am
Get of of Caleb King’s case. He has an injury, a pulled hamstiring, which if it is not properly treated, it will not get well. I think that he has proven himself worthy of whatever role he is given. He was # 1 when he got hurt. The others are good too! Do not be surprised to see King take the role back. Then again, do not be suprised if he doesn’t.
The others are good and talented too! It wasn’t that long ago that we had Brown, Lumpkin and Ware, and they all started and they all were good. They all made pro teams. Just remember that.
I like the way the little guy carries and hustles. If he keeps that up, he will get his share of reps, and for a young man going to a top notch school, in the best conference in the country, that is not too bad.
I’m sure these young men have TEAM on thier minds, and that will be better for us in the long run. No pun intended.
BS Patrol
August 24th, 2009
1:51 am
Caleb King is just another bust in a long line of wash out RB’s at ga. Want to see some running backs? Go to a Tech game. The only RB ga has ever had that anyone would even recognize would be Herschel & that guy who played for Denver.
You doggie fans have used the word “talent” so much it is completely worn out. When are you going to do something with all this “talent”?
AltamahaDawg
August 24th, 2009
7:11 am
Why do you say he failed to hold his spot? Every report I saw from spring till now was that he was the #1 guy till he hurt his hammy.
It’s actualy working out pretty well, I think. Caleb’s not thrilled to be hurt, but putting pressure on the other guys is a good thing. Frankly I am glad to see that nobody can blow the other guys away, because we know they all should be good enough to start if needed. I’m betting they are holding him out a bit longer than completely required to get the other guys in, and feel comfortable with him already.
Every word from the coaches since last year has been how much drive and hunger Caleb has been showing. Just not sure why that is in doubt.
DawginLex
August 24th, 2009
10:06 am
Herschel and Knowshon the only RB’s any good at UGA?
WOW
Musa Smith
Rodney Hampton
Tim Worley
Lars Tate
Keith Henderson
Garrison Hearst
Thomas Brown
Kregg Lumpkin
Just to name a few. The haters are really amazingly dumb with the stuff they post as fact.
BS patrol you do have the correct internet blog handle.
AltamahaDawg
August 24th, 2009
12:36 pm
BS, write those down and see if your husband recognizes any of them.