Rewind: Mark Richt heads south on mission to Honduras
THE MONDAY REWIND:
We have officially entered the dog days of summer as Georgia’s football coaches are trying to squeeze in a little vacation before the grind of recruiting evaluations and preseason preparation cranks up in earnest the first of July.
Georgia coach Mark Richt is putting his words into action this week. (AP photo)
Georgia coach Mark Richt has, in fact, left the country. He and his wife Katharyn have embarked on a Christian mission to Honduras with the World Vision organization. You may recall my report late last month that Richt, after reading the World Vision book “The Hole in the Gospel,” decided to sell his $2 million Lake Hartwell property and use some of the proceeds to help the extremely impoverished. This trip is a result of that decision.
In the meantime, AJC reporter Steve Hummer is following the Richts on their five-day adventure to Central America. Hummer will be filing daily reports that you’ll be able to read here on AJC.com and he will chronicle the whole trip in a story that will run in the Sunday paper. So stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, the Georgia football team remains in full grind under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coordinator Joe Tereshenski Jr. Their voluntary workouts remain closed and Tereshinski is declining interviews until “sometime after July 4th.” But I happened to run into him over the weekend and I’ll just say he has been working the Bulldogs extremely hard and has some very positive reports about what they’ve been doing.
UGA golfers draw some notice
All eyes in golf have been on Rory McIlroy as the young Irishman annihilated the field in record-setting fashion at the U.S. Open. But some Georgia golfers were also making names for themselves this past weekend.
Recent UGA graduate Russell Henley made some new fans in the galleries at Congressional when he shot out to 4-under at one point on Saturday and made a run at low amateur on Sunday. He had some late struggles and wound up second among amateurs at 4-over, which tied for 42nd. But he pulled off some amazing shots and won the hearts of many golf fans in the process.
“Coming down the 18th, the sides were just filled with people and everybody stood up and clapped for me,” the 22-year-old amateur told John Boyette of the Augusta Chronicle. “It’s something I’ll remember for a long time. It was loud. Yeah, I hit some shots and had a decent tournament. But that was a beautiful moment.”
Also, former Bulldog and upstart pro Christo Greyling made the cut and got his dream pairing on Sunday as he played with Phil Mickelson. He finished in a tie for 68th at 13-over-par.
Meanwhile, UGA’s Bryden Macpherson won the British Amateur on Saturday and qualified for the British Open and The Masters in the process. He beat American Michael Stewart 3 & 2 in the 36-hole final.
Macpherson, a rising junior at Georgia, became only the second Australian to win a British Am. He joined Doug Bachli, who last did it in 1954.
“I can’t believe it just yet,” Macpherson said afterward. “It feels pretty good to bridge the gap of 57 years. I hope there are a few proud Aussies having a barbecue.”
Macpherson is the second Bulldog to win the British Am. Vinny Giles did it in 1975.
Big weekend for JT
Hope you got to see our coverage of Johnathan Taylor’s special weekend with the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers at Turner Field. The Bulldogs’ injured center fielder was recently drafted by the Rangers and joined fellow draftee/teammate Zach Cone and another Texas selection for an introductory news conference at the ballpark on Saturday.
Cone is, of course, the teammate with whom Taylor collided while trying to catch a line drive early this past season. Taylor ended up with a broken neck and — for now at least — confined to a wheelchair. But according to a column by Jeff Schultz and a story by AJC reporter Meghan Rose, Taylor fully intends to play baseball again. As Schultz wrote, he has truly become an inspiration for us all.
‘Slon’ called in as Bulldog Club chief
Mark Slonaker was named the new executive director of the Georgia Bulldog Club by AD Greg McGarity this past Friday. I’ve known “Slon,” as he’s known to pretty much everybody, since he was an assistant for former UGA basketball coach Hugh Durham in the 1980s. And this is an exciting move for him.
Slonaker returned to UGA, his alma mater, in 2008 to work in the development office after he was dismissed as Mercer’s head basketball coach. Since then he has been raising money for the university on the West Coast. But this gets him back fully involved with athletic department.
Georgia actually hasn’t had a full-time director of the Bulldog Club since Loran Smith retired several years ago. Dave Muia, most recently, handled the duties therein as a special alumni relations consultant for the AD the past couple of years. But the position has been reactivated and broadened in scope under McGarity.
“I’ll be doing a lot of fund raising and friend raising,” Slonaker told me. “What I want to do is, I want all the people who support Georgia athletics to look at the athletic program and see value in it in their eyes and want to be invested in it. Whether it be a season ticket holder or a naming opportunity or whatever it is, I want them to look at the University of Georgia and say ‘it’s worthwhile and I want to support it.’”
It’s a perfect fit for Slonaker, who has also served as color commentator on Georgia men’s basketball radio broadcasts the last two seasons. Slonaker has always been active in the administrative side of athletics, serving as a de facto assistant AD for Bobby Pope at Mercer and even teaching sports management as an adjunct professor.
“I always envisioned that I wouldn’t coach until I was 65-70,” Slon said. “I always thought by my mid to late 50s I’d move into athletic administration. I’ve always prepared myself for that.
Slonaker doesn’t officially start until July 11 but he’ll get to wear his new Bulldog Club hat on Thursday when he M.C.’s a UGA Day event in Denver.
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94 comments Add your comment
bornloser
June 20th, 2011
4:25 pm
This is why we lose!!!!!!!!!! We need a football coach not a preacher
ARdawg
June 20th, 2011
4:37 pm
I wish Richt would get on a mission to win some ballgames. *tongue in cheek*
AltamahaDawg
June 20th, 2011
4:39 pm
NOPE, 2004, Uga football has never better than when Richt USED to go on missionary trips, it was only when he was encouraged to give it up and be something Evans wanted him to be, that (coincidental??) the on field results started to drift.
The summers of 2001-2007 he went on missionary trips. Was that some big concern for you those years?????
You are grasping at straws on this one.
AltamahaDawg
June 20th, 2011
4:40 pm
But hey, you got tide roll to pat you on the back, well done.
AltamahaDawg
June 20th, 2011
4:47 pm
Indian Dawg, was just piling on making fun of jacket89. I see his post has been removed. Too bad, It was fun making up mis-named schools.
UGASlobberknocker
June 20th, 2011
4:50 pm
Does any other blogger here who was at UGA in the 70’s remember “calling Slonaker” from the student section at the basketball games? He was an end of the bench guy ,.at the end of another blowout loss, the students would chant his name as a way to request a playing appearance for him..
“Slonnnnn- a- kerrrrrr , we want Slonnnn a kerrrrr” If Durham (or Guthrie before that) put him in., the place would roar.
shane#1
June 20th, 2011
4:56 pm
Great report Chip. It is good to see that some people put others ahead of themselves in this age of four million dollar coaches that cheat and pampered athletes. A lot of golfers took home big paychecks Sunday, but no one had more fun than Henley, who didn’t get a dime. It was fun to see how much joy he got out of the game of golf. One thing bugs me about the Open. Why to so many talking heads and sports writers want to compare Rory to Tiger? It is like saying that the hot new college RB is the next Herschel or Bo, or that the young BBall star is the next MJ. Athletes like those guys come one to a box. Rory isn’t the next Tiger, he’s the first Rory.
Blackberry Cobbler
June 20th, 2011
5:09 pm
At-Home missions work vs. Foriegn missions– there’s a big difference. The United States is a country full of opportunity. With the proper family support and with an education and with the willingness to work hard, most folks in this country can succeed and control their own future. Folks in many impoverished foriegn countries lack even the opportunity. That’s why CMR and others doeing mission work spend time in foriegn countries– helping folks that have no opportunity and can’t help themselves.
John
June 20th, 2011
5:37 pm
Ephesians 4:1 indicates you should live a life worthy of your calling…I think CMR is doing just that.
jay
June 20th, 2011
5:37 pm
Mark Richt is exactly where he needs to be (and I admire him for it) if he wants to be a humanitarian.
COACH Richt should be in Athens preparing for Boise State. This goes to the root of the problem,
he needs to pick a profession.
fpice
June 20th, 2011
5:40 pm
The SEVEN LOSSES are not Mark Richt’s fault. Nothing is CMR’s fault. Mark Richt is a good man. He goes on missions.
Unfortunately, CMR is a disaster as a Coach. In EVERY way.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 20th, 2011
5:50 pm
Did anyone think that just maybe, these missionary trips for CMR might just be the way he gets rejuvenated in his life. Instead some of you can even find a way to criticize this man, when he is doing something 90% of you would not even do if you had the opportunity.
CMR is a good man and he does know how to coach UGA. The season starts in September. You will find out what he knows then. For you naysayers on here, spouting all this negative and useless crap, you will be eating your words.
George Stein
June 20th, 2011
6:00 pm
This Tech fan thinks what Richt is doing is terrific. We should follow his example.
We can only hope that Taylor walks again one day and leads a happy, successful, healthy life.
George Stein
June 20th, 2011
6:03 pm
What possibly could Richt be doing right now to get ready for Boise, Jay? The game is in 2 1/2 months. Teams usually have seven days to get ready. I’m sure your boys will be ready to play (as will Boise).
Snoop Dawg
June 20th, 2011
6:19 pm
Folks, I’m thinking that Altamaha Dawg is either Mark Richt, Water Girl, or Willie Martinez. Anyway, Altamaha Dawg is saying today that he is glad that Mark Richt is getting back to being what he really is. I actually agree with him. Obviously, Mark Richt aka Da Preacha Man, is a evangelistic missionary. He is spreading the gospel in Honduras, ministering to all those poor people down there. Never mind that in the State of Georgia there are literally millions of very poor and underpriveged people who need the same help.
The AD director, Greg McCavity, took most of Preacha Man’s administrative responsibilities away from him so that he could spend more time on the art of coaching. The Tan Man even announced that he would take advantage of this extra time to study the finer points of the game of football. I hope that he took all his books and homework with him to Honduras.
Look, we all need vacation time, right? Where do you think Nick Saban is this week? I’ll betcha that would be Tuscaloosa Alabama. What about Gene Cheezit? Er uh, that would be Auburn Alabama. Mullen’s in Starksville, Petrino’s in Arkansas, etc.
The difference between these coaches who have been cleaning Preacha Man’s clock and sending him online courses on graduate level football and Mr Richt is that these other guys live football. People do best what they like to do most. Preacha Man’s in Honduras being in touch with being who he really is–an evangelist missionary. Thanks for pointing that out Altamaha Dawg.
The question that the Bulldog Nation should ask itself is this: Do we want to pay three million dollars a year for someone who’s most comfortable being Da Preacha Man or do we prefer someone who lives and breathes football, settles for nothing less than championships, and is referred to as the Head Ball Coach.
WAKE UP FOLKS.
Boise in ATL
June 20th, 2011
6:19 pm
Guys – programs go in cycles – UGA went 10-3 – then 8-5 after losing Stafford and Moreno early. Last year was puzzling – but Richt made changes – as a good managers do. The OLINE has been very inconsistent – and note the a replacement was made. This is good news for UGA. Strength and Conditioning has also been changed – this is great news as many teams pulled away from UGA last year in the 4th Q. (S. Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Colorado, Florida, Auburn and UCF) UGA was in all of these games in the 4Q.
I think UGA is back up – this season will prove me right.
UGA will win 8 to 10 regular season games.
I think Boise will win a classic battle as this is our season – and the key to us is the time to prepare and play mid season from as a team. SC, MS ST and Florida are all 50/50 games.
The defense will be much improved – it’s the offense that will need to find itself due to the Oline and depth at RB. If the offense can get it together – then UGA will win the SEC EAST.
Love it here in ATL – it’s college football year round!!!! Who the heck needs hockey, the Hawks or the NFL for that matter. ATL rocks as the center of the college football universe. NEED….. MORE…….COLLEGE………..FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!
SickandTired
June 20th, 2011
6:28 pm
Hey Red Pants Dawg those coaches you inquired as to what they are doing, well, I imagine they are earning the 3 or 4 million dollars their respective universities are paying them to win football games. Richt seems to be more tuned to not oversigning (though it is within the rules, not winning games (which should be within his capability since he’s given every thing he’s asked for) and he’s the one coach in the SEC that year after year with his stellar example continues to lead the league in arrests, perhaps he should be downtown Athens spreading the word to his players…..Good Man he is, just not up to the task of Head Football Coach for the University of Georgia.
dandguru
June 20th, 2011
6:31 pm
mission trips dont win championships
Snoop Dawg
June 20th, 2011
6:37 pm
It ain’t Rocket Science, your drumbeat of Haters Haters Haters is getting old.
In reality, you’re just an enabler to incompetent coaching and a lousy football program at UGA.
I’m beginning to think that you are probably a friend or family of Mark Richt. Or… you could be Barbara Dooley.
Indian Dawg
June 20th, 2011
7:34 pm
@Altamaha Dawg
Ah yes, that was what I was kind of guessing, but I see both his and my posts were removed. I fail to see how GT not teaching common sense is offensive. It’s only the truth.
bad brad
June 20th, 2011
7:37 pm
Chip,
I appreciate what you have done for this column since you took over. Thanks.
Columbus
June 20th, 2011
7:45 pm
I heard from an insider that the new diet program, keeping them under a serious watchful eye with what they EAT, along with Joe T’s workouts, has added some serious! muscle and strength!. I mean dramatic effects. Also let’s praise the nutritionists hired and the decision to do so by the administration! They were from the Univ. of Florida I believe……So look for the guys to be doing much better this season at muscling the other team, being stronger and MUCH more physical this year. Next, get the guys back in one place to live to make sure they are not doing things they should not be like OVEReating and eating crap and not hanging out with the wrong folks at the wrong places and at the wrong times! So far, the team, coaches and everyone involved deserves recognition for staying clean this off-season and not getting into trouble. Thank you all….! This team is headed in the right direction. Go Richt. Go coaches. Go players. Go administration. We are on the rise and will be for the next 10 years! Win with Richt. Stick with him. He WILL get the job done and only get better. Just watch the next 5 years! Starting with this one it only gets better barring significant injuries.
Tide Roll is just jealous because UGA has been to the SEC Championship more than Bama the last 10 years, we have prettier girls, better state, better man as a coach, are on the rise, and he knows when Saban leaves for that “perfect fit” in the NFL when it comes around, he will be gone and Bama will suck again without the “best coach money can buy” remember Shula? Yep bout time for Saban to go. He’s taken about all the money in the entire state, so he’s good and try to soothe his ego by proving he can win in the NFL….or maybe Ohio State, or somewhere not so damn hot and sucky as Alabama! Inbreeders….
DawgG
June 20th, 2011
7:55 pm
Richt’s a good man. But, he’s paid millions to stay in athens and prepare for the season and not to fly around the world as a missionary. Does UGA pay all his travel expenses for mission trips? He better win big this year–if not he can become a full time missionary.
Roll Tide with Pride!!!!
June 20th, 2011
7:58 pm
Hey Columbus – Georgia’S umemployment is twice that of Alabma’s based on %.
Georgia’s deficit spending is twice that of Alabama’s as a % of budget.
Georgia is figuring out how to toll road it’s residence to death on roads that all ready exist.
Yeah – keep believing Georiga is the better State over Alabama.
Just like Richt is the better coach over Saban,
Dawgfan
June 20th, 2011
8:19 pm
Snoop Dawg, I’ll answer that question. The vast majority of Bulldog fans are not on this website and the vast majority support Coach Richt. We don’t have to win a National Championship, like Roll Tide, in order to support our program. Obviously Roll Tide’s son was an offensive lineman who didn’t get an offer from UGA and he can’t think of anything else. I’m glad Coach Richt gets some time off from a 24/7 job, and I’m glad he’s using it in a positive way. I’m sure Coach Saban is taking some time off and I hope he uses his time to get refreshed and come back and have a good season for Alabama. Same thing at Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina and all the rest. Everyone of these coaches are fine people and everyone of the programs are first class. And that absolutely includes Coach Richt and UGA.
Observer
June 20th, 2011
9:17 pm
Actions speak louder than words.
I observed everything I needed to see about Mark Richt’s character at the end of last year’s Auburn game. His entire bench ran out onto the field trying to get into a brawl, showing a complete lack of control by the head coach. Afterwards, Richt failed to discipline the players involved or apologize for their unsportsmanlike behavior.
THAT is the true indicator of Richt’s character. The rest is just Public Relations fluff.
Real Dawgs don't drink kool-aid or gaiterade.
June 20th, 2011
9:23 pm
I think CMR is a very good person and very nice and generous human being. When I read about all the his Christian and charitable endeavors abroad it kind of makes me feel sort of remorseful about how hard I have been on him and his staff at UGa. There’s no way or reason to hate the guy, but as a UGa fan since 1973, I just have a problem about the Dawgs inability to win big games these days. And as a Dawg living in Florida it is very difficult to endure all the losses to UF, because the arrogance of the Gators during their dominance of the series. We older Dawgs know in the good old days we dominated UF. In fact from 1970 through 1971 through 1989 UGa won 15 of those 20 contests. I remember watching most of those games and it was no big deal then because back in those days beating Florida was about the same as beating Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Ole Miss or Miss.St. The only thing special about beating UF back them was that UGa would take them behind the shed in their own back yard. The Gators were humble,quiet, and totally respectful of the Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs back then. The Gators save the brief Spurrier Heisman glory days of the mid-60s had virtually accomplished nothing in college football at that point and were yearly also-rans with no SEC championships until Spurrier returned in 1990. Now the Gators think they have more winning history and tradition than everyone combined in the SEC. I congratulate UF, but I tell the young Gators all the time, you guys have only begun a winning history the past 20 years out of almost 100 years of competition. Now those wins versus UF that we older Dawgs observed seem to mean so much more now than they did back then, but no one seems to remember the real Junkyard Dawg days and the Bad, Bad Leroy Brown days but us. We will cherish those memories and never forget those good times. Hard times don’t last always and in the future I will try very hard to refrain from bashing our current coaches at UGa. I will continue to critically analyze the Dawgs pro and con, because truly I would love to see them win big games like we used to. And I would love to see our BulldogNation unified and full of pride in support of the Dawgs the way it used to be. Losing has a way of causing division and strife and CMR & staff are under tremendous pressure this year to turn things around because it’s all come down to outcomes of these next twelve games. We must significantly improve in order for the staff to continue at Georgia. I hope CMR can find peace on this sabbatical and come back with the energy and strength to motivate the Dawgs to success this year. I may raise cane about the 2-8 record vs those hated, cold blooded blue and orange reptiles, but I can’t & won’t say anything bad about CMR’s Christian and charitable efforts off the field to help humanity. You have to separate on the field results and off the field charitable endeavors in order to avoid kool-aid drinking. I salute CMR & Go Dawgs !!!
redryder
June 20th, 2011
9:24 pm
For some folks, life seems to be all about football. Did you ever attend a class at UGA ?
sports
June 20th, 2011
9:27 pm
Are the recruiting dollars being spread around for recruits at The University of Auburn Penitentiary
Rhall55
June 20th, 2011
9:42 pm
Hopefully all the Coaches will not be on vacation this week!!! Shaq Roland, the top player in SC: WR, is supposed to be in Athens this week; if Tony Ball, Mike Bobo, etc are not there for this visit, they should be given their walking papers!!! It happned w/ Jessemen Dunker, one of the top OT in the country, visited Athens while all the Coaches (except John Lilly) were on vacation (where the heck was Will Friend, new OL Coach? How can you be on vacation when you just started your job); U BETTER WIN BABY!!! “You snooze, you lose”!!!1
Spurrier....Man's Best Friend
June 20th, 2011
9:53 pm
The Ole Ball Coach (Garbage My Friends) says he would pay players out of his own pocket.
Would he share some of his millions to those who don’t have a full college scholarship, or even barely something to eat or drink? I hardly doubt it! The Guy’s overrated and has no integrity whatsoever!
bitter 2012 ga. football recruit
June 20th, 2011
10:32 pm
vandy now pays better than tumer’s corn-ur—-2 pay for play teams—-whats a recruit to do—uh!!!!
—————————sorry coach rich–tt——-show me duh money!!!!!
"Dog Days" are NOT in effect now, maybe y'all were just playing on words and phrases....
June 20th, 2011
11:22 pm
“Dog days” are reserved for late in the summer….
RED DOG 77
June 21st, 2011
1:07 am
Mark Richt makes me proud to be a GEORGIA BULLDOG. He makes our university proud, and is a fine example to all he comes in contact with……………….Now to the Mr. “Tide Pride” dude that says Bama takes all they want from Georgia and leaves the rest for Auburn and Georgia………….Don’t forget sir, your “Tide” wasn’t worth a nickle up until just a few years ago………things change my elephant friend, so your wish to play Georgia in the SEC championship game……….might just be your worst nightmare…………Lets see here, we are what? 3 out of 4 in our most recent meeting with your “Tide”?……………GOOOOOOO DAAAAAWWWGS…….WOOF…….WOOF……..WOOF
Nub
June 21st, 2011
6:43 am
CMR is a dang fine dawg…… !!!!
» SEC: Storms stop CWS; Slive in the $1 million club John Clay’s Sidelines
June 21st, 2011
6:52 am
[...] Mark Richt embarks on mercy mission to Honduras [...]
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 21st, 2011
8:17 am
Snoop DAWG,
Your drumbeat of hiding behind a celebrities name to spout your continuous crap about CMR and the whole UGA team is way past old and stupid. You seem to think that you know everything there is to know about football and people in general. You are just a plain loser dude. You accuse everybody that gets tired of your continuous garbage of using other names, when you hide behind a rappers name and I have no doubt, are responsible for half of the half A**ed stupid comments under other names that come onto these blogs. If you don’t like what I type, ignore it moron. I am sure that 3/4ths of the people that care for UGA get tired of the same old crap from you as it is. Did you graduate from college? What school do you support? Instead of posting anything worthwhile, you try and criticize Altamaha, myself or anyone else that points out that you are an idiot. I don’t usually care what most folks say, because they are just talking about things a lot of us know little about, and that is what is actually going on with UGA and CMR. We don’t coach and we don’t play. You however, resort to personal attacks against others on this blog and you always mouth off about things you are unqualified to speak about when it comes to UGA and the team as a whole, much less, the people that do support UGA. If you don’t like them, stay off blogs concerning them. 99% of the people have read the same crap from you every time. I can not figure out whether you are just an immature person, or just maybe too ignorant to know any better. My advise to you is to worry about yourself, and leave others alone on these blogs.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 21st, 2011
8:24 am
Is a football coach, not allowed to take 10 days of vacation and do what he wants. Anybody in here work for an employer that doesn’t allow any vacation?
Dawg Tired
June 21st, 2011
10:09 am
Rather obvious that many folks have never been to a third world nation. The poverty in those countries will literally overwhelm you, especially when you see it for the very first time. It is simply beyond the typical American’s ability to imagine without first hand observation. The “poor” in Atlanta would almost be rich in those countries.
Dawg Tired
June 21st, 2011
10:12 am
Glad to see Snoop Dawg has his own priorities in order. (My tongue is in my cheek)
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 21st, 2011
10:33 am
Dawg Tired,
I don’t think a lot of folks have seen the poverty some of these third world nation have for sure.
When I was in Viet Nam, I could not believe the way those poor folks lived. I am sure their economy has improved since then, but the villagers probably still live foot to mouth in their society. I have seen first hand Central American poverty, and I have seen a lot of poverty in America as well. What CMR and his group are trying to do, is not only help them escape that poverty a little, but also learn about God and Christianity. America will win more allies working this way than any other way we could possibly try. Our Government could learn a lesson from folks like CMR and his group.
GO DAWGS
Snoop Dawg
June 21st, 2011
10:34 am
Dawg Tired, your head is in your arse, too…
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 21st, 2011
10:53 am
This from a person who speaks from his, Snoop Dawg.
Newman
June 21st, 2011
3:16 pm
Loran didn’t retire. He was “re-assigned.”