One last notebook from SEC Media Days: A.J. on season, Spurrier on arrests, more
Back from Hoover, Ala., with some leftovers:
- Amazing, how quickly the subject changes in college athletics. When the SEC held its spring meetings in Destin, Fla., in early June, the dominant topic was conference expansion/realignment. Seven weeks later at Media Days, that subject was hardly broached, replaced by the new Hot Topic: the agent mess.
- And for that matter, I only heard two questions in Hoover about Damon Evans. The news cycle moves fast.
- One of my favorite moments of Media Days was hearing Derek Dooley praise his high school coach, Billy Henderson, from the stage. “Probably had as big an impact on my coaching style as anybody,” Dooley said. “Just an incredible way with people.” I had the good fortune of covering Henderson’s Clarke Central High School teams long ago, and it was nice to hear Dooley spreading the word about the greatness of his old coach.
- One more thing from Dooley on stage, talking this time about his dad Vince:
“The first couple of weeks on the job [at Tennessee], he’d call me and he’d say, ‘Do you know who so-and-so is?’
“I’d say, ‘No, I don’t know who that is.’
“‘What do you mean you don’t know who that is? He was all-conference [for Tennessee] in 1962!’
“I said, ‘Dad, I don’t even know who my defensive end is. Give me a chance.’
“He’s all-consumed Tennessee, but that’s how he does things. He gets so into it. He’s learning the geography of the state, the political history of the state, the great Civil War battles of the state, what’s the motto of the state, the history of winning, all the coaches, the records. That’s what he’s doing.”
- Here’s LSU All-American cornerback Patrick Peterson comparing preseason All-SEC wide receivers Julio Jones of Alabama and A.J. Green of Georgia, both of whom he faced last season: “They are the two most dynamic receivers I’ve ever seen. . . . Julio’s more stocky. He can put a block on you. A.J. is slender, fast. He goes up for balls like no other.”
- Georgia was picked by the SEC media to finish second in the East -– a lot closer to third than to first. “A lot of people are counting us out,” Green said. “I believe it’s good for us with a young quarterback just to fly under the radar. Really don’t put him in a lot of pressure that he has to do too much. I believe … we’re going to open a lot of eyes coming into September, going towards the end of the season.”
- You notice that Alabama had both of the first-team running backs on the media’s preseason-All SEC team? Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.
- South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier on the increasing number of arrests of college football players: “They’re more common now because players are getting arrested for everything that in the old days they did not get arrested for. I can sort of remember back in our day, if you were out and something happened, they would say, ‘Can you get home? We’ll drive you home.’ They did not go into the tank that night. But nowadays, as we all know, you go straight to jail if you’ve broken the law. There’s no room for error. Times are a little different than they were 25, 30 years ago.”
- Auburn linebacker Josh Bynes minced no words about players who are in trouble because of dealings with sports agents: “It’s up to the player to make the right decision, period. At the end of the day, if you take that risk as a player, you have to face the consequences.”
- Coaches have varying degrees of familiarity and comfort with social-media vehicles like Facebook and Twitter. Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino is among the not-so-familiar. He referred to someone’s “Facemask page.”
- Georgia punter Drew Butler: “It’s always good to be around the fans because they have stories about my dad, some that he probably doesn’t know that I know about him. It’s always good for blackmail.”
- And a happy birthday to Kevin Butler, College Football Hall of Famer and Drew’s dad, who is 48 today.
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116 comments Add your comment
northwinds
July 24th, 2010
9:46 pm
“Here’s LSU All-American cornerback Patrick Peterson comparing preseason All-SEC wide receivers Julio Jones of Alabama and A.J. Green of Georgia, both of whom he faced last season: “They are the two most dynamic receivers I’ve ever seen. . . . Julio’s more stocky. He can put a block on you. A.J. is slender, fast. He goes up for balls like no other.”
He’s comparing the two most over-hyped WRs in SEC history….they are both average at best.
dawggirl
July 24th, 2010
10:07 pm
BarStool, completely classless. Way to compare a football game with almost 3,000 people dying in a terrorist attack. Complete fail.
While I think we very well may lose a couple of games, I don’t feel nearly as worried about the season as some of our haters do. Last season, I was worried. Look at it this way, our turnover ratio will improve. Period. Let everyone keep saying and thinking how bad we’re going to be. More bulletin board material. Hell, tell us we’re going to be dead last and go 0-12. At this rate of how bad we supposedly are, maybe we’ll be the first team in history to have less than zero wins.
dansfae
July 24th, 2010
10:34 pm
Guys who put themselves in the position of being arrested, need to have their scholarships rescinded. They weren’t offered a ride. The school sent them home.
FromtheBARstool
July 24th, 2010
10:44 pm
They’re telling me this bar stool I’m sitting on is upside-down, but it suuuuuure feels right to me!
Dawg Whisperer
July 24th, 2010
11:21 pm
Kim Z… your comments are disgusting. You really need to grow up fast.
Real Dawg V
July 24th, 2010
11:31 pm
The dawgs will be the surprise team of the SEC this year–everyone’s counting UGA out. Look for GA to upset florida, which should be down and win the SEC east!!! Dawgs win 11 games—mark it down!
ViningsDawg
July 24th, 2010
11:41 pm
Josh Bynes of Auburn is exactly right. The players should know better, they are educated about this over and over.
Suckers are First
July 24th, 2010
11:59 pm
peteetong yall
Bill W.
July 25th, 2010
12:28 am
@TinaG ,
CMR has already won 2 SEC champs.
@northwinds ,
I hope you’re kidding with that statement about Jones & Green. You have probably the best CB in the SEC making that statement because he has covered both of them and who are you? You ever played against them? Both will be starting on Sundays in a year or two.
RED DOG 77
July 25th, 2010
12:36 am
THANK YOU…….dawggirl………imagine that, BarStool, comparing the single worst terrorist attack on American soil, or anywhere else for that matter to a dagum football game ?……..BarStool, I’m not sure about the first three letters in your name, but take them away and what you have is you ! a stool sample not even fit for the lab, just the toilet………you, young man, are sickening, but alas, I’m sure that is what gets you off……………..But once again, Thank you dawggirl, you are a fine American ! and a damn good DOG !…………….Best Regards, RED
RED DOG 77
July 25th, 2010
12:45 am
TinaG……….wrote : ” UGA willnever win the SEC while Mark Richt is head coach “……..Well Tina, my dear, coach Richt has already won two, and played for a third, he will get his third soon, in the meantime, might want to brush-up on your SEC facts…………and lose a little weight Tina, those jean shorts just don’t look right on you,………as big as you are……..Love, RED
RED DOG 77
July 25th, 2010
12:51 am
Someone just reminded me, in the South we don’t call a girl “big” , we simply refer to her as “stout”………………Sorry, Tina G………….RED
12-2
July 25th, 2010
12:52 am
Don’t come in here and post anything that doesn’t say that The Georgia Bulldogs are great.
We don’t need that in here.
tim
July 25th, 2010
2:44 am
Ya’ll can’t root against Derek Dooley. That makes me feel better. if he does well and isn’t a lightweight. we will be blessed Barbara Dooley is someone I would love to tailgate with. Was she as much fun when ya’ll had her?
12-2
July 25th, 2010
3:41 am
Yes, Barbara is a character. Everyone loves his mom.
Jesse James
July 25th, 2010
9:18 am
Mike Bianchi is a fool. Since Vandy doesn’t have an AD he feels that UCF should be in the SEC instead of Vandy. What a fool!!!!!!!!!
Bama Ramma
July 25th, 2010
9:25 am
Dooley will be a bust at UT—count on it. Getting a job due to daddy’s name isn’t going to cut it in the SEC. Dooley couldn’t even win at La Tech playing mediocre teams. UT will fire him in 3 years after a boatload of losses, including 3 blowouts to Bama. Title #14 in 2010—Tide’s on a Roll!!!!!!
I saw the Butler kick in Athens vs Clemson
July 25th, 2010
9:38 am
I witnessed the long field goal Butler kick vs Clemson in Athens and it was a shot. UGA won that day.
I also saw earlier, like in the mid 70s, the Alan Leavitt kick vs Tech in Athens. Wow. That game was real foggy and his kick was a long one and traveled through the clouds that were low hanging like smoke. I guess the ref saw it cross the goal posts toward the bridge.
I also saw Spike Jones’ record punt ( till about a year or two ago ) vs Auburn? or NC? that rolled and rolled and rolled for around 79 yards or something. Late 1960s that punt was. I was a senior in HS with one pretty date from home. Never forget that great Athens weekend. Sold me on UGA.
Go Dogs.
Tick, tock, tick tock
July 25th, 2010
9:50 am
No, I am not speaking of the croc after Captain Hook in Peter Pan but I am speaking of the clock ticking for both Nick the Trick and CUM. One will leave from his job soon ………….. very soon, due to the um, ah stress of it all and the other will leave to simply retire OR for another high profile job like Michigan or maybe SC in two years.
Nick is not a guy that wants to sit around the front porch and become a statute like some southern Civil War general ……….. no, he is either gone within one more NC to anotehr challenge or he retires.
CUM? Ocala Rehab,Inc will leave the light on.
Tick, tock, tick, tock. Folks ………… nothing lasts forever, Bear even left.
northwinds
July 25th, 2010
10:17 am
@Bill W who wrote:
“I hope you’re kidding with that statement about Jones & Green”
Here’s reality instead of hype:
A.J. Green: 53 catches; 808 yards; 6 touchdowns
Julio Jones: 43 catches; 596 yards; 4 touchdowns
Not exactly Hall of Fame or All-American numbers. I’ve seen lots of better receivers than these two the past couple of years.
How bout them BEES!!!
July 25th, 2010
11:08 am
Amen northwinds. They are all people want to talk about, but what about Demaryius Thomas: 46 catches, 1154yards, 8 touchdowns. That was in a run base offense, and a quarterback with a pass percentage of less than 50%. That’s a 25 yard per catch average, as compared to Green and Jones with a 15 and 13 yard per catch average respectively.
Aubie80
July 25th, 2010
11:12 am
Odel stole my bike and Reggie sold it on E-bay!!!!!!! Georgia tradition continues.
dawg nation
July 25th, 2010
11:17 am
KimZ,
Why are you on the blog and reading about UGA football if you hate it? lol! I said its great to be a Georgia Bulldog!!! ayyyyyyyyyyyy
Damon Evans
July 25th, 2010
12:05 pm
Too hot to fish, too hot for golf and too cold at home…….
joe joe
July 25th, 2010
12:09 pm
Nice classy comments by Patrick Peterson on Julio & AJ.
Unlike the unclassy Bama fans that admittedly started the internet rumor that Peterson was at the South Beach party.
Panties R Us:
July 25th, 2010
12:10 pm
Please give me back my panties before our opener against the loaded powerhouse of Louisiana Layfette! Please, Please, Please! I need them to wear to the game and root my almighty overated and underachieving criminal puppies between the smelly hedges. I just want to go home!
Panties R Us:
July 25th, 2010
12:12 pm
Nevermind! Just keep the panties and give them to the team. They are a bunch of panty watse anyway and can use them ………………….again!
dog2
July 25th, 2010
12:15 pm
Hey “how about them bees! Bay Bay drops the most important pass in his college carrer, and dogs beat ur fanny again. Bay bay couldnt hold Julio or Aj jock, Tech is a second rate program playing in a weak ACC. Bay Bay in SEC would be a nothing..NERD!
uncle kirk
July 25th, 2010
12:31 pm
Unlike you teckies, UGA actually throws to more than 1 receiver. Stats dont tell the story of how good a player is. If we played on stats, i guess Tech would have won last year. Ouch
Maybe since A.J. is overrated, Tech will man up on him next year.
Alor
July 25th, 2010
12:39 pm
Now that we’re in the off-season, wouldn’t this be the perfect time to take an in-depth look at UGA and have a serious discussion about the problems at UGA and why the arrest rate of players is the highest in the country? it’s common knowledge that UGA is a party school, but have any football players every actually graduated with a real degree? Jan Kemp exposed the school and the coaches almost three decades ago, but there is no sign that anything has improved; if anything, the arrest rate shows that things are getting more outrageous every year while the clueless Mark Richt has absolutely no control over his players. And then there is the infamous “red panties” incident that will haunt UGA for decades.
UGA has a lot bigger problem than hiring a new AD.
UGA has become a major embarrassment to all Georgians, and we want some answers starting now.
Borodawg
July 25th, 2010
12:41 pm
“…cornerback Patrick Peterson comparing Jones and Green…”; exactly how I’ve felt. But, I’ve also seen A.J. put some pretty good blocks on people.
One of the few times I’ve agreed with Darth Vizor. Actually, a little more these last few years since he’s been at S.C. He’s been somewhat humbled, I think. He even admits he’s had way less to “mouth off about” the last few years. With reporters acting like they do nowadays (EG asking D.Dooley if coaches congratulate him for not being like Kiffin; making a “story” out fairly insignificant happenings; reporting every little offense, etc etc), it’s no wonder there’s a perception that players are getting into trouble more than in the past. That and I agree that John Law don’t cut em any slack anymore; not in Athens-town anyway.
Awright Dawg fans…first we gotta beat La-La; then S.C. Don’t get to talkin’ ’bout beating anybody else just yet. We have a pretty tough sked coming up here this year. One game at a time. I mention La-La ’cause we do have to teak our 2nd and 3rd string substitutions; new D; new QB; etc. And, I think DawgNation will be disappointed if we allow La-La to score more than seven points. THEN, we have a tough, tough game with S.C. The Dawgs MUST having a very good rush attack this year; but that isn’t a proven commodity…yet. So, we’ll see right off the bat.
Goooo Dawgs! THWT!
Borodawg
July 25th, 2010
12:43 pm
“…tweak…our substitutions…”
Sorry
Alor
July 25th, 2010
12:50 pm
My goodness, the weekend is more than half gone, and there hasn’t been a single UGA player arrested yet.
They must all be sick and in the infirmary this weekend. That’s the only explanation that works.
Red panties, get ‘em now before KMart sells out of them. They’re a lot more expensive at Victoria’s Secret.
Jean P
July 25th, 2010
12:55 pm
My goodness, the weekend is more than half gone, and there hasn’t been a single UGA player arrested yet.
42 arrests and counting for the last three years. Should we include the DUIs for officials in the athletic department, or should they be counted separately? Maybe show the totals together like this: 42/2.
Red panties on my mind...
July 25th, 2010
1:02 pm
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
RED PANTIES ARE FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
northwinds
July 25th, 2010
1:07 pm
@dog2 who wrote: “Bay bay couldnt hold Julio or Aj jock, Tech is a second rate program playing in a weak ACC. Bay Bay in SEC would be a nothing..NERD!”
I was talking about really, really good receivers like Jordan Shipley or Golden Tate. Julio or A.J. should have taken notes from them while holding their jocks last year. And don’t give me that SEC hype….Jordan Shipley ran all over the Alabama cornerbacks with a true freshman throwing to him in a national championship game…..Julio had one (1) catch in the game.
DIT
July 25th, 2010
1:13 pm
northwinds – Just asking. Are you saying that AJ & Julio are not elite WR’s this coming year?
Jealousy
July 25th, 2010
1:31 pm
Alor,
You, my friend, are a pitiful excuse for a blogger. You have copied and pasted the same EXACT text on atleast 3 different topics and changed your alias each time!! The time has come for you to get off of Mommy’s computer and start playing with your Lincoln Logs. Anyone still mentioning red panties is a pervert and has never gotten any!!
Jealousy
July 25th, 2010
1:33 pm
Jean (or is it Pat?)….where are these numbers coming from? Quit making up numbers. I guess this goes to show that any idiot with a computer can make stuff up and have it “printed”. Folks, you can’t always believe what you read.
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
2:03 pm
Techies can’t find thier own Blog or Stadium!
Red Panties better than YELLOW Panties!
Green still hasn’t been to Miami!
HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS! SEC’EM!
northwinds
July 25th, 2010
3:18 pm
@DIT who wrote: “northwinds – Just asking. Are you saying that AJ & Julio are not elite WR’s this coming year?”
They may or may not be….I don’t annoint people as “elite” before they show it on the field. These are two of the most over-hyped WRs I have ever seen. Jordan Shipley had more receiving yards and TDs last year than Julio and Green combined (1485 to 1404 yards; 13 TDs to 10 TDs) yet most SEC people would ask “Jordan who, what team did he play for” LOL
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
3:55 pm
Northwinds..BLOW on this….the article is about SEC media days not the Big 12!
GO DAWGS!
Southside Drug Rep
July 25th, 2010
5:31 pm
I like red panties..especially the ones on the sorority gals getting out of their cars at the top of Baxter Hill.
northwinds
July 25th, 2010
5:43 pm
@Tuck Fech: Ok dude…how’s this…A.J. Green wasn’t even the best WR in the SEC last year, much less an “elite” national WR…..suck on that for awhile….and be sure to go hunting on the Florida/Georgia game weekend..LMAO.
BigGuy
July 25th, 2010
5:51 pm
Watch the pups cry all the way back to Athens. SCAR should have won last year (look at the stats) but they’ll give UGAY a nice beatdown this year. Our D is going to be better than last year and our O (w/ a little help from our O-LINE) will be better than last year.
SCAR isn’t more talented on the field but our coaching will win out.
PS. AJ Green is a solid college player. Sidney Rice is an All-Pro NFL Pro-bowler that has the same body type. The difference is that Sidney has a 45 inch vertical and AJ will never. I actually think that Alshon Jeffrey will outplay AJ this year. Let’s find out.
SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
July 25th, 2010
5:53 pm
It is wonderful to be in a conference where everyone loves their team, win or lose.
dawggirl
July 25th, 2010
6:33 pm
Ah yes, the Gator fans are whining because their receivers aren’t “receiving” as much coverage – on a UGA blog.
You might try looking a little closer to Gainesville next time. Try Mike Bianchi. I heard he loves the Gators.
harold
July 25th, 2010
7:04 pm
DOOLEY IS NUMBER 54 IN THE COUNTRY IN RECRUITING AT TENNESSEE. HE COULD GET FIRED NEXT YEAR!
dog2
July 25th, 2010
7:43 pm
sounds to me like northwinds should be a college football coach instead of a McDonalds french fry cooker, he seems to thing he know everything.. I bet he even likes OBAMA. I bet Julio and Aj could run their routes backwards againist this idiot.
dog2
July 25th, 2010
7:43 pm
thinks