I’m not athletic enough to tell the difference when swinging an Easton versus a Nike bat. However many top end baseball schools obviously prefer Easton. (As for the fact that UGA hit 96 HRs last year, I’ll give Damon that. However, I’ll also put forth the idea that Gordon Beckham was a unique talent and UGA had an incredible run. I’m not too worried about how Damon will handle Nike negotiations. He’s strong.
Chip, I appreciate how you filter through numerous links to include only the best — while still using your creative talents to originate salient stories and topics. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the blog, Chip. Do you think there will be a link to it on the AJC’s sports page? By the way , your picture at the top looks a lot like Hugh Downs (ha,ha)
Someone needs to step up, Jackson, Thomas, Ealey, King or Samuel. There is no time for a learning curve as we head strait into Stillwater for a game that will need a lot of offense and ball control. We can’t have that defense of ours on the field all day
if they learn to block we will be in fine shape at RB-i like what i saw of King as the season progressed-strong runner and fast-type a guy who can wear down a D
I had to move on from Easton versus Nike years ago. Now its Taylor made versus Calloway, but if bats are anything like drivers, it is a big deal in the hands of the player… even if 90% of it is half mental.
Do you have any inside info on why David Greene’s career never took off in the NFL? I know he was on a couple of different teams’ practice squad and was often the 3rd-string QB. Did he not get a fair shot at winning the back-ups job or did his game just not translate to the pros well? Is he still under contract with a team?
Chip,
First off, thanks for all you do for us Dawg fans.
The new site is awesome. It will definitely be a tremendous
upgrade. Now if you can find some button to push that keeps
the Yella Skeeters off the Dawg site and on to their own web
page, that would be priceless.
Chip, great blog man. Glad to see we are getting a little talk about one of UGA’s better teams last year, the National Runner Up – Diamond Dawgs. Anyway, when I last played high school ball about 10 years ago, Easton was the way to go. Today when I play in some of the amatuer leagues, Easton is still preferred vs Nike or TPX. Better grip and easier swing in my opinion and hope this helps some of the guys on the team out.
Just like Coach to think of others and hope that they are not bothered by his impact. He used to thank me for grabbing a bus when I was a supervisor and taking him, the coaches and the first string down to Sanford for an impromptu practice. Something like I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to help us out. If he only knew how wonderful it felt to sit in the middle of the stands at the fifty and watch the early eighties Dawgs push each other over the field for an hour or so. Some of my greatest college memories. He always said hello and asked how I was doing anytime I ran into him. Say what you want about his abilities as a head coach, he is a fine human being.
This instant posting should keep the morons from re-posting because the other site was slow, then again they are morons. Looks great Chip. Look me up for a beer at the TigerMasters in Augusta this April.
UGA got permission from the Packers to use the “G”. You must be color blind because the cap Chavez had on is the same color and all. But, who cares? I think Chip was having fun with it.
What is all this talk about Vince Dooley? I thought this was about Hugo Chavez wearing his UGA hat and going to Sanford stadium with CIA Panetta’s daughter. UGA has tried to clean up its act since Vince’s fortunate departure, and I sure was glad to see Tech help dedicate Vince’s statue at Samford and Sons stadium this year.
Hugo Chavez was asked if he had any comment after UGA signed Kwame Geathers. The President for Life and Venezuela’s number one Dawg fan is reported to have said, **”Que tal los perros!”**
Chip-Is this primarily your articles blogged here. So you will be around here for awhile? Last I read from you ,it was to be a short year. Give us the news again. I missed it. This is to be your baby? You have a few fans waiting on news of Orson Charles. Has he been to USC or Ok? If the AJC has decided to keep you on, then we can be a part of it for you. You have become the Larry King of UGA bloggers. Good luck!
I’m sure Coach Dooley feels real warm inside knowing that Hugo Chavez’s picture is heading an article about him. Nice job AJC. What’s next Hitler kicking off Yom Kippur holiday?
UGA hit 96 home runs last year? What in the hell is the excuse for blaming the bats! Almost 100 home runs and the bats are inferior? If they used Easton bats, how many home runs should everyone have expected? 150? 200? This BS about the bats is laughable. UGA was one game away from winning the CWS, and now are looking pathetic for finding excuses for why they didn’t win. Revolting.
“Coach” is a remarkable man! Devoted and loving husband and father, he and Barbara raised nice family, loves gardening, his efforts over long time at one place should be inspiration to young coaches. His recognition is because of focused effort, there were times we GA Dawgs know he could have cut and run for more money? prestige? his loylaty is special.
The “G” was ours first. We let Greenbay use it, because originally they were gonna put a slice of cheese on their helmet. Everyone thought that idea was cheesy.
[...] Conference champion Diamond Dogs opened their spring slate at Foley Field on Friday evening, armed with Easton bats, and produced 17 hits and 15 runs in their biggest opening day scoring outburst since 2000. No [...]
Wow, impressive. Youngstown State. Are they NAIA? A whopping 1 home run. BWHAHA. Nike is going to be furious. You better switch back to the Nike bats. Only 95 more home runs to go!!!!!!! 15 runs and only 1 home run. It must be the inferior Easton bats. Phil Knight will be calling Perno shortly. He definitely has some explaining to do.
You tech nerds should realize it was Spurius Carvilius Ruga from 440 BC would originally ripped off the use of the letter G. Anything after that is fair game. I’m surprised you dont have a social group devoted to pre-christian educators. Every Tuesday night right after the intrastate invidiousness support group?.
What’s the “Hello World” after your blogs. I thought that was part of this blog, Chip. We need update info on Charles(his schedule, etc.). How many other undeclared highschoolers do we have out there besides Brown?
GATORMAN 722: I can indeed count championships. I count every one a team claims in their official book of record. Do my numbers differ from yours regarding a team? If so, what team and what sport?
Chip
I think you should just count the total wins. The total wins per season that is how you have self proclaimed Georgia to be the best football team in the conference since 2000. Did you know that these quarterbacks have a record of 2 wins and 11 losses against Florida? Buck should have been on the list he has a championship.
Chip, I agree with you. I think you’ve got to go with Greene. NFL potential should have no bearing on how we evaluate a collegiate player’s career. There is not a UGA fan on the planet (myself included) who wouldn’t have rather had Tim Tebow instead of Matthew Stafford these last three years, and Tebow is considered a marginal NFL prospect.
Although I am not an UGA fan, I’m considered general sports fanatic. I just want to mention that Russ Pennell could be a great fit for the UGA Basketball Program. If you don’t know Russ Pennell, please read the article on rivals.com under college basketball.
1. Greene was one of the best game managers college football has ever seen, thats where the NCAA all time leader in wins as a QB comes from. Also a great team leader when it came to decision making on the field.
2. Stafford probably has the best passing skills UGA has ever seen.
3 ZEIER was to me the most complete QB, as far as passing and game management goes, only strike against him was his height. 50% of his incomplete passes were passes that were batted down at the line. couple inches taller and he’d probably still be playing.
4. as far as giving anything or everything he had to make a play or win a game, that goes to Tarkenton, who should have been on your list Chip!
In the modern era it HAS to be David Greene. He & Tarkenton had the inate ability to bring the team back, not only when they were behind, but when they NEEDED it.. It’s kinda like the Joe Montana factor. Not really flashy, but all they did was win. I think it’s Fran and Greene in a collegiate tie.
strongest arm goes to Stafford, but to call him the best QB in program history is pure hyperbole. To me the most important job the QB has is to get the ball to the playmakers so they can do something with it after the catch. Too many times throuout Stafford’s career did he throw balls where the receiver had room to run, but either slowed down to catch ball thrown behind him, or go down to his knees to make a catch. His lack of touch on the deep ball has been well documented on this blog as well. My vote for mythical title of best QB in UGA history goes to Greene.
This ought to be between Tarkenton & David Greene or drop the discussion, one. The others mentioned are good QBs but can’t match Tarkenton and Greene’s track records.
Trying to make an argument for Stafford here is ridiculous. Flip the question around and look at Boston College. If you argued for Matt Ryan, you’d be laughed out of the room and pelted with Flutie Flakes. There’s a difference between the best BC quarterback and the best NFL quarterback that played at BC. It’s the same thing with every other school.
Well, Matthew Stafford is not the best quarterback I ever saw at UGA. 18 fumbles and 33 interceptions to only 6 rushing touchdowns and only 51 touchdown passes in his 39 games of 987 passes and 141 rushes, speaks for itself.
Look, David Greene cannot throw the football. Trying to say David Greene is the Best Quarterback at Georgia when we have all these College Football Hall of Fame Quarterbacks who went on and Won Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterbacks is preposterous. David Greene also threw exactly the same 32 interceptions, and frankly his fumbles were even more of a fish out of water when he too tried to run the football 204 rushes for minus 258 yards and 1 less rushing touchdown of 5 than Stafford had. But, David Greene threw 1440 passes at UGA and 72 were touchdowns. But, if you recall his passes beyond 10 yards were all wounded ducks. How can that be the Best QB at UGA ever ?
Your list is that of a neophyte in this discussion. Frank Tarkenton was All America at UGA as QB. David Greene was not. Neither was Matthew Stafford. Not close. Eric Zeier was All America QB at UGA too. Zeke Bratkowski was All America QB at UGA and Won the NFL Championship Game on the Green Bay Packers. David Paddock was a All America QB at UGA. Johnny Rauch was All America QB at UGA and went on to be College Football Hall of Fame and Johnny Rauch said the Best QB at UGA when he was here was Charley Trippi. Johnny Rauch was Drafted in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft at Number 2. Charley Trippi was All America and played QB at UGA and he too went on to College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Charley Trippi also was the Number 1 Draft Pick in the First Round of the NFL Draft. He promptly won the NFL Championship Game Most Valuable Player in the Championship Game before it became known as the Super Bowl. Charley Trippi is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a QUARTERBACK. Look it up.
Charley Trippi was a great Quarterback.
Presumably, you know more than All America Votes, more than College Football Hall of Fame, and more than the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you are going to discuss who is the Best QB at UGA, then don’t limit the discussion to 2 guys who will never be in the discussion.
Wonderful new format Chip. I love it that the Tech Nerds who logged on with all of our own handles, no longer can do that. Not without setting up an account as each one of us, and even then everything they say is accountable to that name. Hopefully, the names are unique.
We’ll see if they are unique.
Won’t we ?
David Greene’s NFL career never got off the ground because his passes were not crisp. He never threw a pass in the NFL. Not 1.
Matthew Stafford will.
But, neither were All America Quarterbacks at Georgia who has a slew of better quarterbacks than both of them.
The Best UGA QB All-Time ? I liked Charley Trippi, Fran Tarkenton, Johnny Rauch, Zeke Bratkowski, Eric Zeier, Larry Rakestraw, Preston Jones, Bill Hartman, Quincy Carter, DJ Shockley, and Matt Robinson all of whom had better NFL careers than David Greene (and Matthew Stafford so far.)
Looks like Geathers signed with UGA on Friday. Didn’t see if this was reported or not, but we could use him on either side of the ball. Check Rivals for more info. Just need Charles to sign on now.
Well, speaking as an older guy whose 40 time is now approaching double digits, those times sound pretty good. All kidding aside, Moreno’s running style is all about his moves, not his blazing speed. Sort of like Emmitt Smith, and, if memory serves, Emmitt had a pretty darn good pro career. Knowshon will, too.
As for Stafford, I don’t think anyone thought of him as a scrambling quarterback, either before or after the combine. Stafford’s real value is his Big Gun. The questions about Stafford all relate to the targeting system behind the Big Gun. Time will tell.
Chip—-This is my first time posting on the new WordPress blog format. It’s much cleaner and a long-over-due improvement to the AJC sports blogs. Nevertheless, I do miss the ability to bold or italicize text.
Moreno passsing grade? Come on. He sucked @ss. Did you even watch it? He ran 4.62 and 4.71. That’s a joke. He dropped passes as well. He was a noshow just like he was in big games in college. The only thing he did well in was the 3 cone drill. I’m suprised he didn’t take himself out of the combine like he did in college all the time. Heck, Stafford ran a 4.8, about the same speed as noshow.
I’m sure that I am in the minority here, but frankly I don’t care what happens to these two guys. I don’t wish them ill, but they left UGA when they could play one more year and win some more games. I have more respect for Tebow for staying at UF than I do for Stafford. Stafford clearly came here with one purpose in mind and that was to make himself NFL-ready. Sorry I’m just old-fashioned and I think that you should finish what you start.
What can you say about Coach Dooley as a coach in one word? Legend.
As a person he is sincere, talented and loyal with a Christian spirit and faith that touches you if you ever have the honor of meeting him.
I have been a UGA fan since the 70’s, I bleed red and black and I feel blessed that we had him as our coach and now I feel more blessed to call him a friend. GO DAWGS!
Still not sure why either of them went pro. Pollack explained on their radio show that it’s not that hard to take out an insurance policy. They both could’ve benefited greatly from another year in college. Stafford would be the #1 pick next year too and wouldn’t have the weight of turning around the first 0-16 team in NFL history. Whatever.
Interesting YOshon’s 40 times were that “low”. I’d have forseen him between 4.56-4.62, etc. It’s also of note that Stafford’s 40 time was better than Sanchez, who’s held as the better “athlete”.
you are crazy: your an idiot. so moreno was a noshow in big games. against fla in his first start. 188 yards, 3 tds.back to back 1,000 yrd seasons with 3 freshmen on the line each time. next time when you have a thought, just let it go. you clearly know NOTHING about Football.
FalconUGAFan, you are horribly naive and misinformed. The Tebow comparison is ludicrous because Tim Tebow was not projected to go much higher than the 2nd round. Tim Tebow had a much easier decision than Matthew Stafford. He will benefit from sticking around. Matthew Stafford likely would not and had much to lose. And if you think Matthew Stafford is the only UGA player that comes to UGA with designs to make himself “NFL ready” you are in la la land. They all do. Every single last one of them. Which brings me to my next point, SO WHAT? Those of you questioning Stafford’s intelligence are probably the same one’s questioning his decision to leave early for $30 million in guaranteed money. I submit that you are the ones with the intelligence problem, not Stafford.
And if you don’t think having two NFL 1st rounders will up Georgia’s profile you are once again in la la land. Georgia can only benefit from this. It is a nice milestone for the program. You should be thrilled. You should hope that these guys go on to become NFL hall of famers because Georgia will only benefit from it. These guys did everything they could to help Georgia win football games and they owe you nothing. Quit your whining.
Sounds like most everyone likes the new format. Glad to hear that. . . .
Fair warning Redblood, but immaturity such as you’re displaying won’t be tolerated. . . .
Mark: They went pro because they’ll be multi-millionaires in about eight weeks. . . .
You are crazy: Actually I didn’t watch it. The only way I would is if I was assigned to cover it. I watched their highlights on the Internet and read about a half-dozen reports on them. Then I formed my own opinion, which is coming from the perch of objectivity. Do me this favor: Remember your comments and recite them back to us here exactly on draft day.
Outside the recievers and a few TEs, none of the 40-times were all that impressive. Knowshon showed up at 217 and did 25 reps; that’s the biggest thing. I don’t know why you would throw at the combine to receivers you aren’t familiar with. Quote from Maclin “I outran the throw”. Thats how he got hurt.
I think everyone whose feelings are still hurt need to get over it. We could have the number 1 pick at two skill positions and the number 3 fullback. Thats a pretty d#%n awesome backfield that we got to watch. Talent is in the cupboard; let’s root for our team and alumni. Just a shame they arent positions of need for the Falcons. Go Dawgs!
I never mentioned their intelligence. I simply think that they should finish with the team. I’m not talking about what is best for their draft spot. I’m talking about what they owe the team, not me. I’m not in la la land, because I do understand that is the ultimate goal for any ballplayer. It should be the ultimate goal (to be their best) for anyone in any profession. Really no need to insult people for their opinions is there? Take your anger out on someone else.
Tired of people….. Thank you, my sentiments exactly. Those kids represented UGA well. They will go on to represent UGA well in the NFL. Obviously they played well enough while AT UGA to go as first rounders in the draft. I would expect that kind of talent to come back when their futures are pretty much taken care of, whether or not they ever take a snap in the NFL. As a fan I don’t think they had anything else to prove in college. I am just thankful that we had two talented players to watch the past couple of years. Good luck to them.
We knew Knowshown was not a 4.4 guy, but those times were terrible. He slipped alot of spots in the 1st round with those times, unless he can run faster at the pro day.
FalconUGAfan, the rules say that you are eligible for the NFL draft 3 years after high school graduation. This is a very well known rule. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Mark Richt and the rest of the coaching staff were fully aware of this rule when they offered these guys a scholarship. I’m even going to take things a step further and say that their teammates were aware of this rule too. So what do they owe the team? I guess Stafford owes them $30 million because that is what he could potentially have given up if he came back. You are indeed in la la land.
I am not angry, just tired of people whining about Stafford and Moreno. Hence the name.
Tired take note of gdawginkalamazoo’s comments. He/she stated his opinion without bringing anyone else into the discussion. I happen to agree with alot that gdawg says. Well put.
Anyway, glad to hear they maintained their status and I wish them well.
How many of you out there are going to be offered a job paying $85 million? If you have a college degree, and will make more than Stafford and Moreno, your criticism of them not finishing school will be valid. If not, please go to the soccer mom’s webesite and whine about participation and box drinks. This blog is about big boy football and big boy business. see ya in April.
The reason people go to college is to get a job. Stafford and Moreno are going to have very good jobs and set for life. If they are talking about drafting you as the #1 pick then there are many reasons to come out. About 100 million reasons. Anyways I wish that they would have stayed at UGA for personal reasons, but I wish them the best in their NFL careers
i just know if i was either ot them i would not wait until next year to earn my 30 million. i’m sure if they were injured the people who are upset they left would not want to give them anything.
Yeah they could have stayed another year, it sure helped Quentin Moses didn’t it. Quentin was projected as a first rounder if he had gone after his great junior season. His senior season, teams stayed away from his side and Charles Johnson got the benefit and the accolades. Moses lost money staying an extra year. He wound up as a third round pick barely twenty spots above his teammate Johnson. I think the program will do fine without Stafford and Moreno, having them go in the top round will not hurt future recruiting either. Good luck guys, just keep your noses clean so you can earn the money to set the plans for the rest of your lives.
I would have loved to see them stay and bring a SEC championship to UGA. However, the lure of the NFL and big money took them. Can’t say as I blame them for that. I’d probably do the same thing. I just feel that one day when they look back on their careers they will be disappointed that they don’t have an SEC championship to cherish.
Chip, any word on a BB coach? Getting beat by three touchdowns by Ole Miss just made me wonder what was going on there? I imagine this will be something that carries over until the madness is over with next month.
The 40 yard dash time in shorts, running in a straight line with no tacklers going for you is the biggest waste of time and judge of how an NFL back is going to perform.
Anyone who has doubts that Moreno will not succeed based on his bad time in the 40 is going to be proven wrong. I hope Moreno goes to Denver or to San Diego, where he’ll be able to shine and show everyone he can be a 3 down back in the NFL for the next decade.
Between Stafford and Greene I’d have to go with Greene. He won more games, had better stats, won an SEC championship and brought us out of the Donnan era, but the most important factor for me was this: when he dropped back to pass I never had a doubt that he would do the right thing with the ball. I just never feared interceptions. When Stafford dropped back I’d hold my breath and cross my fingers. To me he just seemed a little too confident in his ability to thread the needle in single, double, or even triple coverage. They were both outstanding, but I still choose Greene.
You people who think 40 times are all that matters know absolutely nothing about football. Knowshon will be a top 20 pick (at worst) and his 40 time will have ZERO effect on that.
what “Buzz” about Stafford on the combine. Doesn’t one have to participate at the combine to have a true “Buzz” at the combine? If his “Gun” is the thing, let’s see it. Hate to say it, but Matthew Stafford strikes me as the bust in waiting. Once again, all the tools, yes, but all the signs are buyer beware. Lots of “Guns have come through.
This guy has proven over and over again he doesn’t have the “it” factor when it comes to winning the big games against good teams; FL, AL, SC, TN, (GT last year)…
Beats up on Hawaii, Kentucky, Georgia Southern, etc. etc.
But when the stakes are on the line…in the games his team needs…he folds more often than delivers. Contrary to his own self-assessment, There is NO, ZERO, NADA, NOTHIN, in a comparison of this guy to someone like Ryan or Flacco; Both 5th year SENIORS who chose to return to college, pass up draft, money, hype, money, popularity, money, avoid injury risk, money….etc. etc. All of which Mr. Stafford is all too “good” to bother with, (except for the money). Please.
Both Ryan and Flacco , both being high on QB draft radars also, chose to work out in ALL Combine drills….and chose also to work out in additional Pro Days.
I may be wrong…who knows, maybe this kid is the next Dan Marino, but all signs are pointing to this guy being the next Alex Smith. No, I’m sorry, Alex Smith is a pretty decent guy, I meant the next Ryan Leaf. NO way I draft this guy, even if I’m picking for Detroit, or the Chiefs. I go Sanchez. NFL qb’ing is all about guts and the will to win, sprinkled with a necessity of the physical capabilties.
Sanchez is showing the “it” factor that Stafford is so transparently trying to cover up.
you obviously didn’t watch it either because the official times for Moreno were 4.55 and 4.62. I watched all the drills on the nfl network live, so maybe you should check your information since you obviously watched it. He also put up 25 reps on the bench press, which was only three less then Sutherland who finished third overall for RB’s. He was a physical specimen out there, and while he didn’t blow anyone out of the water, he looked fine in all of his drills. I thought he looked good in the passing drills. We all knew he didn’t have blazing speed, and so did the nfl people.
It seems like most of the nfl people have Moreno as the #1 RB, even after the drills.
Why would Stafford throw? Peyton Manning told him to wait, which would be enough for me if I was in the same situation.
One minor point following up on the excellent post by Thomas Brown above.
Trippi is listed as a halfback-quarterback in his official HOF bio. He actually only played QB in the NFL for two years. Also, his one year as an AA in college (1946) was as a tailback, not a QB.
Trippi is one of the top 5 Dawgs of all time at any position, but he’s not the best QB we’ve ever had by a long shot.
How can anyone, ANYONE, in their right minds condemn someone for ponying up to the bar to accept millions of dollars? Be serious! As a UGA fan I certainly cannot help but wish them anything but the best.
Further, when you think about it, Stafford is really doing both UGA and the entire state a favor by waiting to display his wares at Pro Day rather than at the combine. Probably more than a little shakin’ going on in Athens with positive exposure in the national media. I wonder what kind of comments/ complaints we will get from the “Noise from Knoxville”? Surely LK can find something illegal in all the free publicity that UGA, CMR, and the Dawgs will garner from ESPN, FOX, SI, et al on Pro Day! Wonder if UT has a Pro day, and if so who will show up, or care, media wise?
NativeBird, Matt Ryan did NOT throw at the combine last year. He did exactly what Matthew Stafford is doing this year. He did all the running drills at the combine and then threw at Boston College’s pro day. You are totally clueless. I cannot believe that you wasted precious minutes of your life typing all of that inane garbage. You will never get those minutes back my clueless friend.
I believe Knowshon will run a better 40 at the Pro Day in Athens. He had an awkward starting stance and seemed to lose a couple of ticks just getting “out of the gate”. His times were 4.55 and 4.62 (as someone else noted above). I found it interesting that a lot of people ran a slower 40 than they were projected. Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy were expected to be in the low 4.3 range, possibly into the 4.2’s, but both were over 4.4 (still about 4.4 again faster than my time would be, if I could even make the whole 40 yards at all…). Stafford did show that he is a little more athletic than some gave him credit for. I appreciate his time at UGA, but tend to look back on it now as his own extended infommercial for the NFL. He and Knowshon both represented themseleves and the university well while they were there.
Native Bird do your homework. All the teams you say Stafford lost were also teams he won against. You also said Matt Ryan did all the drills at the combine. He did not. Seriously how about a little due diligence before you start spewing so much crap. You can’t and will not be taken seriously if you claim mistakes as fact. Now go back to your mothers basement and shut up.
As has already been said, Matt Ryan did not throw at the combine, neither did either of the Manning brothers. The top QB in the draft rarely throws at the combine. There is no reason for him to. As for Flacco and Ryan “passing up the draft”, that is absurd. No one was looking for those two to come out early. The Stafford hate is really getting ridiculous. The guy did the best he could with almost no protection from his OL and only one true #1 reciever in a three year period.
Come on folks….UGA used Stafford and Moreno to win alot of games. In turn, they used UGA to get to the NFL. That is a fair trade-off. As for the education, two points; 1) – Many players have returned to get their degrees after their careers ended (see article last week)…2) – Dennis Felton had his players trailing only Vandy in the SEC in acedemics but winning 50% of his games for 3 out of 4 years got him fired so obviously we don’t care about acedemics as much as we pretend…winning is the name of that game. College is supposed to help prepare you for the next step in your life. We’ve had alot of successful athletes so it would seem Richt & co. are doing their job. We were very good before these guys got here and we will be very good when they are gone. Good luck to Moreno and Stafford in that next step. Stafford to the Chiefs and Moreno to the Broncos sounds like a winner. Anything but the Lions…
I like Stafford to the Lions. He and Calvin Johnson could make for some exciting football. The lack of defense could make for a long season, however.
I don’t blame Matt or Knowshon for leaving early. Everyone in their right mind should. But that said… there have been top players (not just the Tebows) that have returned to the college scene. And if fans want to give Stafford and Moreno grief because of those examples, then so be it. The NFL isn’t for pansies. And I’m sure Staff and Moreno are more than capable of taking heat from a few fans loading off steam.
I’m happy for Staff and Moreno. It’s kind of ironic that Staff may actually get to play with Calvin Johnson, who should’ve been his teammate at UGA when Johnson picked Tech over UGA on signing day. Staff is the ONLY QB in college who is allowed to check off at the line, and when you add his NFL arm into the equation that makes him the top QB prospect in this draft bar-none. Moreno will be just fine and I’m looking forward to seeing him at the next level. I really enjoyed his time in Athens and if Caleb King, Richard Samuel, and co can give us what Moreno did GA will be just fine with everybody coming back on the oline. Staff could have stayed for his senior year but I can’t blame him for leaving a year early. He’s got 30 mil guranteed coming his way and I guess that will keep him satisfied as he plays for those perenial LOSERS in Detroit!!
NativeBird: Stafford didn’t play defense. In addition to beating all those teams during his career, you can’t blame him for some of the losses in which the offense put up some ‘winning’ numbers.
I can’t remember what player said it recently (I think in ‘07 when Richt’s sudden change in character become blog fodder); perhaps it was Jeff Owens. When asked this very question, his response was “I’ve never met a more intense man in my life!”
A lot of us don’t see Coach Richt in practice or in the lockerroom. He can be very intense.
I’ve had the opportunity to be at one practice and he turns it up at certain times when needed. Fabris is military out there and Willie can be pretty intense at times as well.
But for those that think he’s not intense enough, was Tom Landry intense? Tom Osborne?
Tom Osborne is a guy that Richt reminds me of. People criticized Osborne for not winning the big one for a long time but then when he did, he did it several times.
It IS all about the breaks. Georgia will get those breaks in due time ’cause Richt will always have us knocking on the door.
Great way to put it – “always knocking on the door”. Hard to knock success year in and year out. When you coach against a group of coaches like the ones in the SEC, it is not easy. UGA is consistent, just a break or a player away from a championship every year.
Yes, this was a blog I brought over from the old blog just in case more people wanted to weigh in on it. . . As I stated in the comments at the old address, it was really intended to be a discussion between Stafford and Greene. But I expanded it to include others in the headline and that created some intense debate, which we like. . . . The real rub on this is distinguishing between what they did in college and the pros. Tarkenton was awesome at Georgia but he split time with Charley Britt so his numbers don’t jump out at you. Conversely, Bratkowski put up great numbers but his teams weren’t very good. The same could be said to a lesser extend of Zeier. Anyway, it’s one of those great debates that will never be fully resolved. Rage on!
No one was asking if CMR was intense enough year before last when UGA finished second in the Country. Of course that was before 24 season ending injuries the following season.
I’m sorry, but the one area that is Mark Richt’s ultimate weakness and major hinderance is his management style. Richt manages his staff like it’s a family, instead of a business. Until he changes this fundamental approach, and starts managing like a CEO, who is only concerned with performance and results, and not like a friend, then UGA will always fall just a little short. Do you realize he has never fired a single coach during his entire tenure for job performance reasons? He’s only fired one coach during his entire 8+ season tenure, and that was for off the field transgressions.
There needs to be much more accountability on the coaching staff to get results. Martinez should be grateful he works for Richt and not Saban, Carrol, or Meyer, because those coaches wouldn’t tolerate his underperfromance and would of rightfully canned him. However, since WM is CMR best buddy from his college days, he gets a free pass. You can’t run any type of an elite organization or business in this manner, and Richt needs to realize this or he’ll always be a brides mate.
I have spoken to several former UGA players (both starters and subs) and they tell me that CMR and the staff have lost some intensity over the years. Richt is a leader in the CEO style. I think he relied on VanGorder to be the “fire starter”. Now, there are coaches who may get loud from time to time but do not carry the same weight or inspire the same way. I am sure you have seen it. There needs to be a certain amount of fear one has of a parent or coach and the UGA teams of late have no fear. Respect: Yes, Fear: No.
I think more intesity might be a good thing for both on field and off field performance.
I agree completely, Jeff. I always thought the complaint about his “intensity” was ridiculous. It’s obvious the guy can coach, we’re consistently a top program, and eventually the cards will fall into place. I have full faith in Mark Richt and our coaching staff.
Mark Richt is also 1 and 0 as a basketball coach – he sounded pretty intense before the Florida basketball game from what I read. Vince Dooley only won one national championship, and that was because of Herschel (and yet Herschel was at UGA for three years). Those that remember Goff (and to a lesser extent Donnan) will never have a problem with Coach Richt.
He looked pretty intense when he was dressing down his boys after GT scored 26 straight points in a matter of minutes in rout to a **45-42** victory to me.
The thing with Florida is that they have gotten the breaks, and LSU has too. But Florida will have Teabag just one more year. After that he’s gone either to the nfl or on a mission trip to do circumcisions in Central America. Tebow is a once every other decade type talent. The guys they have down there now to take his place are not even in the same stratosphere as him. This makes their offense much more pedestrian. Harvin is gone, and he was a major force offensively for them the last 3 years. You just don’t replace and reload when a talent like Harvin steps away. UGA will have its shot. You have to go through a season and run the table in the East first. Then you have to have some breaks nationally. You also have to minimize injuries (however that happens). All of these things have to happen together in order for the Dawgs to get where we all know they’re capable of going.
Based on the three 2008 losses suffered by the Dawgs, if I were a Dawg fan, I would be less concerned about the intensity of the UGA head coach than I would be about the following:
1. the intensity of the players, especially on defense;
2. on and off-the-field leadership by senior and junior players, which contributes to player discipline and intensity;
3. red-zone offensive play-calling;
4. defensive game-planning and half-time adjustments; and
5. pre-season coaching emphasis on fundamentals, like proper tackling technique.
Call me a crazy Gator, but I watched 7 out 12 of the Dawgs’ 2008 games, including the losses to Alabama, Florida and Tech. Richt is a very good head coach, but he would do well to ratchet up the pressure on his subordinates to perform, especially the coordinators. In this gator-eat-dog world of college football, you are only as good as your last game. They all count, even the losses. You can’t win them all and losing happens when you play with the big boys, but getting blown out, regardless of the competition, should not be acceptable to a top-10 coaching staff.
The injuries and the defense killed Georgia last year. I feel Willie is a good defensive mind but I think he’s one that would benefit being up in the skybox as opposed to the sidelines.
For a lot of people, if you don’t win the championship then you’re a failure. That speaks volumes of how said their lives are.
Richt has done a fantastic job for UGA and has changed the way he does things along the way.
Again….Bowden took a LONG time to win a title as did Osborne.
I’m a Richt supporter, but one thing he needs is the willingness to jump out on the teams that we should handle. From last year, that includes SC, ASU, UT, Vandy, KY, Michigan St. – all wins, but all closer than they needed to be. (Of course, we did jump out on the insects, only to have a total defensive intensity meltdown). My biggest regret from last season (besides the obvious) was not having the intensity of purpose to put teams away earlier so that players (mainly Joe Cox and the RBs) could get more work. The coaches had to know that Staff and Knowshon were gone. Sometimes being too nice a guy dulls the intensity. He needs to be willing to pound someone – not merely win.
richtfan & TommyP—-I don’t believe in “breaks,” at least not in the sense of waiting for them to happen. Luck and “breaks” are what happens when your team is doing everything it can and an opportunity presents itself, and your team steps up and seizes the opportunity. Most turnovers are not accidents; they are the result of a defense that plays with intensity, avoids stupid mistakes and makes the big plays. Most fumbles and interceptions are not “accidents”; they are the result of good defensive play. The vast majority of referee calls are correct to the objective observer, if not the partisan fans. Bad calls are like the lines painted on the field: unavoidable, and a great team learns to live with them.
For the most part, great teams make their own “breaks,” and how the team reacts to so-called “bad breaks” is often more important than the bad break itself.
I agree with Richtfan. Tebow is a special player, as much as I hate to admit that, with Harvin gone, that offense is going to be different and more ordinary next year. I don’t care what anyone says about that. When Tebow leaves after next year, I think that the Gators will come back down a few notches.
Look what Richt has done since he has been here. I used to work in the NFL and College Football for several years and anyone who understands football knows that it takes a lot of breaks/luck to win the big one. Let me ask you this, if USC were in the SEC instead of the Pac 10, do you honestly believe they would run the table every year in the SEC and from a National Championship stand point? I don’t think so. There will be a time that the ball bounces the DAWGS way, could be next year, who knows but I aint complaining a lot cause we are in a better place now than we were 8 years ago.
Why yes, yes he is. Record speaks for itself. Outstanding coach. His performance far exceeds any SEC coaching achievements of those who have posted, or who will post here today. Thanks for your time.
Richt needs to change something—I’m getting tired of losing to Florida almost every year, and then their fans rubbing it in the faces of UGA fans! I have to deal with their fans a lot down in Florida and it’s terrible, especially after they are winning all these titles. Richt needs to recruit some meaner, tougher players and change his coaching style to beat florida. And they need to drop these silly blackouts and penalties that do nothing to win games.
I have a suggestion for DawgsRule. Go up to Ben Jones and say that he isn’t mean enough. One condition: you can’t sue or press charges. We need him too bad. I think you’d find his answer…umm…enlightening.
You have a theory DawgsRule. The only way to find out if you are correct is to test it out. Please forward all photos and hospital records to Chip for later posting.
I like what Richt has done with Georgia’s program, but to answer the question: No. He’s a Mack Brown type. Actually, the perfect CEO head coach in my opinion. But that type of coach needs a Van Gorder or Muschamp type to bring intensity and passion to the sidelines. I think Richt has that on the offensive side with Searels, but not on the defensive side.
Atlanta Gator- I think the “breaks” most people are referring to has more to do with which teams win and which teams lose to propel a team into the NC game. Take LSU 2007. Sure, they only lost two games and beat Tennessee in the SEC championship, but they NEVER would have been in that NC game had West Virginia not lost to a Pitt team they never should have lost to. That was a break for them.
Why is it that three other SEC coaches, who have each been in the league less the CMR, have won 4 National Championships between them? I say two things:
1. Intensity
2. Assistant coaches
The team takes on the character of the head coach. Although we applaud CMR for being a good Christian man, he does not demonstrate the fire, the blazing eyes of his counterparts and hence, neighter does the team. CMR’s assistant coaches are weak. The obvious weak link is defensive coordinator, Coach Martinez. The defense lacks fire, spirit, they are not well prepared and look confused at times. But the most glaring problem for me, is, that our coaches get out coached during the game. We do not react to the changing situations and change in tactics by the other side like they do. This is why our tendancy is to start out hot, get a lead, and then stall and hold on ’till the end.
It is a difficult situation because the head coach wins 10/11 games per year. But we have yet to really challenge for the national championship (the number 2 was a fluke, there was no real chance). This is a Donnan situation all over again where this coach averages a couple more wins per year, but the result is still the same.
I really don’t get the comments that Richt doesn’t hold his staff accountable. First of all, how do you know? How does anyone know what is said in meeting and during the offseason? It’s actually fairly silly to suggest that any major head coach doesn’t hold his staff accountable. Just absolutely would not survive as a HC if not.
I have been both a boss and a subordinate to a few good and bad bosses, and I can tell you, holding somebody accountable does not mean publically chastising them, or just firing them. If a manager fired everyone who didn’t meet a perfect standard, WHO is he going to hold “accountable”? Somebody not there? Actually when you fire somebody, its more about holding yourself accountable. And I really don’t get the insinuation that Coach does things that be believes are not in the best interest of the program. How odd to suggest that he would knowingly endanger his job, his staff (all of whom are his good friends)and his family, over a “friend”.
Holding accountable means a serious discussion about an issue and an agreement as to what changes need to be made and who is responsible for making them. What would lead anyone to believe any less happens in Mark Richt’s office?
Figures the WEAK MINDED “Ramble On” would show up…another UGA football blog topic…UGA owns Ramble On’s simple mind…It never fails. Always comes in here and talks sh*t, insecurities and inferiority complex coming through. I get it, can’t help it…a TECH fan syndrome in general!
Still waiting on those CHICK-FIl-A bowl rings RAMBLE ON!
DawgGirl32—-I hear you and I appreciate what you’re typing. Nevertheless, when a team loses more than one game in a season, all the “breaks” in the world will not get that team into the BCS title game.
LSU making it to the BCS game in 2007, as a 2-loss SEC champion, was an aberration, and is not likely to happen again in my lifetime in the absence of a Division I playoff. In the 17 seasons of the Bowl Alliance, Bowl Coalition and Bowl Championship Series, only one 2-loss team made it to the Big Game.
Win the SEC East, win the SEC, then worry about “breaks.” From the team’s perspective, you can’t control which other teams lose on any given Saturday. You can only control how your own team coaches and plays. Go undefeated in the SEC, and it’s likely that no “breaks” will be needed.
just because he doesn’t rant and rave on the sidelines doesn’t mean he isn’t intense. People tend to forget Richt’s accomplishments. Look what he done @FSU and what he’s done here @UGA. He’s a great coach plain and simple. This is the most comfortable I’ve felt with a coach @UGA since the Dooley days. Keep it going CMR!!GO DAWGS!!!
I think Mark is a great coach! Georgia has always been on the brink of winning it all under his leadership. In the big games, we just seem to make a few bone head plays in certain situations. Last year that lost to South Carolina was huge and that was a game we should have won. If we win that game we play for the sec and a national championship. The year we lost to florida on a bunch of bubble screens and went 12-1, we shouold have competed for a national championshp. The year Shockley got hurt was our year, so this guy can get us close, we just need to get over the hump and I think we will.
You are exactly right. As the saying goes, “He has forgotten more about coaching than I will ever know”.
However, anyone watching the 2008 version of UGA might perceive a lack of intensity specifically on the D. Curran stands out on that side of the ball for a reason: he is a bright, hard driving, self motivated young man. It appeared that other players need that “kick in the pants” to get them going.
I have been a season ticket holder for 17 years. I had to live through Goff! I appreciate Coach Richt more than I can tell you. That does not negate the feeling that there is something amiss when there are blowouts 3 years in a row and multiple meltdowns from a team with tons of talent.
For Pete’s sake give the man a break. Intense enough, ask a player? He has given us an incredible ammount of wins in the few years he has been at UGA. As pointed out, St. Vincent won one MNC in all his years. I will give CMR a pass on the MNC. I like SEC Championships, those are won on the field, not on some computer rankings. Even with the loss of the two all-stars, I look for a pretty good year for the Dawgs. Of course that is predicated on the line’s staying healthy. It was amazing how they patched together the lines last year with duct tape and super glue. I think we will surprise some folks this year and it is nice not to be on the radar.
Florida post-Tebow may be alot like UGA post-Walker. The team may band together for an unexpected 2010 season and then slide a little before the next rising star knocks on the Urban Legend’s door. Then an uphill battle if the Legend does not leave for greener turf.
QuantumDawg I couldn’t disagree more. I think Richt’s style of family is awesome and more important that the corporate world model we have today. CMR is a man of integrity and sees the big picture. I wouldn’t trade him for any other coach in the entire country. Count your blessings.
Doug we have a great winning program that is solid and built for the long haul. We have a great HC and a great staff and a great team. Go DAWGS!
Chip, you are the man, good job again for a good piece of Georgia news, and how about them dawgs!! the race was incredible, and Lawrence will be a world champ and olympic gold medalist, he is unbelievable!! go dawgs!! and for the gaytors, be ready for a44 whopping for the next 4 years. go dawgs
When things are rolling good for the dawgs, Coach Ritch’s intensity is not a matter of interest; however, whenever there is adversity; his intensity is questioned; how unfair is this to Coach Ritch.
Georgia certainly doesn’t want a Bobby Knight type coach. Tech has a coach like that and his lack of control will eventually get him in trouble just like Bobby knight. Mark my words……
Maybe if CMR shaved his head, butted heads with the d-linemen and had blood and sweat running down his face before a game, he could satisfy some peoples definition of intensity. Game day intensity for a head coach and preparation intensity during the week are two different animals. The outside demands on a head coach on gameday are incredible.
Chip, maybe this fall, you can follow CMR 24/7 from Sunday night through Saturday at kickoff and tell us how intense he is all week. We only see three hours on the sidelines of his intensity. Vince Dooley was a general on Saturday and Mark Richt is a CEO.Calmness in the face of adversity is the mark of a leader. I’ll take Richt anyday.
I find it interesting that people think Richt should be more like a CEO. It just goes to show how the world works now. Everyone focuses on short-term results and says to heck with the long-term. CEOs today bend the rules, having made sure they have a generous golden parachute in place, and then walk away scot-free, leaving their organization in shambles with employees and shareholders to deal with the aftermath. We see coaches do the same thing (e.g., Harrick). Richt is an honest, hard-working, loyal, and talented coach, and has set UGA football up for long-term, sustainable success, as he has already demonstrated. UGA is lucky to have him, and should keep him as long as he’s willing to stay. Richt, unlike many others, will walk away from UGA one day as one of its greatest coaches. I think the longer he stays at UGA, the more likely it is that UGA will win championships.
One thing that Richt does not do is hold his players responsible for their bad behavior. His one-game suspensions are a joke. I have seen more than one player in Richt’s face, questioning his decisions. Richt has consistently recruited some of the best talent in the country and done less with that talent. Richt came very close to losing to Kentucky and Auburn last year because of penalties and players who continue to lollygag. Richt’s initial success at Georgia was due to some outstanding recruiting by Jim Donnan. Richt will continue to produce winning football teams and put many players in the NFL, but forget about national championships or even conference championships in the near future.
QuantumDawg is more right on than you’ll want to admit. All you have to do is look 200 miles north and see what Phil Fulmer’s loyalty and family atmosphere ultimately got him. Ten years of no SEC titles and shown the door.
Fulmer would never fire the underperformers on his staff because they were his buddies and he could play the stability card to recruits. He also was a less fiery coach like Richt and it showed in his teams.
Not saying these two are mirror images, but there are some similarities there that those of us in UT circles can easily recognize. Fulmer had great success early, like Richt, but tapered off to mediocre over the last few years. No guarantees that it’ll happen to Richt, but you can’t help but see some similarities.
Hey, Doug. Those 3 coaches you are talking about may have been in the league less than Richt, but they have been head coaches longer than Richt, although I think Urban Meyer only has 1 year or two edge on Richt there. Big difference there. Richt will be fine. He will eventually win a national title at UGA at some time as long as morons don’t run him off. He do think he needs to instill more intensity in his players, and slick Willie WILL be gone after next year if the defense does not improve.
Richt has plenty of fire but his staff may become complacent because they know he will not fire anyone. An assistant coach should not enjoy too high of a comfort level. Being overly secure may affect their job performance without them even realizing it.
Chip, you hit the nail on the head. Eventually the breaks will come Coach Richt’s way (certainly it helps to start knocking off Florida on a more consistent basis). Florida and LSU have won the last three national title despite losing a game. They got the breaks by teams losing in front of them late in the year. As long as Coach Richt keeps Georgia winning 10+ games a year (and hopefully beating Florida more consistently) the team will always be positioned to take advantage of the breaks when they come his way. Tom Osborne and Bobby Bowden fielded some pretty darn good teams, but it took both of them nearly 20 years to win national titles because they didn’t catch all the breaks until then. Same could be said about Joe Paterno. Does anyone honestly believe that the 1998 Tennessee team would have won the national champioship without Clint Stoerner fumbling the ball while trying to take a knee? Sure, it stinks as a Georgia fan to see your biggest rival getting the breaks, but as long as Coach Richt keeps the program in the position to get those breaks they will eventually come his way.
I think of all the things that Georgia needs to worry about, intensity is pretty far down on the list of priorities. Let’s first work on personal fouls, proper tackling, special team issues, red zone offense, red zone defense, and a FG kicker who can make it inside the ten. When we’ve overcome all of these issues, then we’ll worry about intensity.
Alta~Dawg—-If your point about Charlie Strong is that the Dawgs might have gone 9-4 with a defense composed of one previous starter and 10 freshman and sophomores coached by Strong, I will agree. Otherwise, your point requires some further explanation.
I think that Mark Richt is a fine coach and represents UGA well. Its obvious he has experimented with some motivating tactics and some of them worked and some didn’t. The only issue that I can see are the penalties. He has acknowledged that himself and appears to be working on fixing it. No intensity issues, IMHO which I’m sure he will be very interested in hearing.
I don’t know if I would call Fulmer loyal, considering the way he back stabbed Majors to get the job in the first place. But, yes, there are some comparisons. However, the main problem Fulmer had was his recruiting became incosistent. In the 1990’s Fulmer had top 5 recruiting classes every year. This decade, way too inconsistent. They follow a a top 10 class with #40 recruiting class. Not surprisingly, Tenn has not been as successful this decade.
Cuz—-Apocalyptic predictions are over-rated. Let’s see what happens this coming season first.
By all accounts, Tebow’s back-up, Brantley is pretty darn solid for Meyer’s offense. If Tebow is the perfect “10″ for Meyer’s version of the Spread, then Brantley is an “8.” Frankly, I would be more worried about an NFL exodus of the Gators’ star seniors and juniors on defense after the 2009 season.
Again, SI.com scoops the AJC right in the AJC’s “home” area.
First, those of us stunned that Dimitroff would allow a “great leader” like Lawyer Milloy get away without even trying to keep him have it all explained to us by a short blurb in Peter King’s MMQB column in which Peter King says it wasn’t a surprise because Milloy is a bit of a pain in the butt locker-room lawyer (kind of like Tiki Barber) who doesn’t mesh with Mike Smith’s all-for-one approach.
Yep, true story.
Now, SI.com is reporting that Mark Richt has informed Philip Simms (Phil Simms youngest son and top-rated QB in the 2010 recruiting class) that Zach Mettenberger will be moved to tight-end, opening up a slot for Philip Simms to come in and play at Georgia, who has offered him an early scholarship.
And the editors at the AJC wonder why they are losing money hand over fist.
I think in today’s world of values, when it comes to sports, respect is underrated. Coach Mark Richt in my opinion is a great coach who IS respected, unlike Meyers and a few others. Yes they may get the breaks but look at how they get them, by getting calls against UGA that are so obvious! After our celebration in the end zone, which I loved it, I think the officials were tougher on UGA and calling penalties that were ridiculous just to prove a point. CMR is great, he is poised on the field, I have never seen him panic and as far as intensity, I would not know because I do not play for him. That is something the players need to respond to, not us fans. We are here to support them no matter how good or bad of a season we may have had.
GO DAWGS, we will be back!!!!!
CMR is fine!! You guys have digressed! The problem is the MARTINEZ FACTOR!!!!! GET an intense Defensive coach WHO KNOWS HOW TO DEFEND against better than average teams and watch the Dawgs be a challenger for any title. FIRE MARTINEZ!!!
BugKiller: Richt shot down that rumor of Mettenberger to tight end two weeks ago. . . . And why would Georgia need another tight end when they already have four on scholarship, five if Orson Charles signs? . . .
MurfDawg: Tony Barnhart is on permanent vacation . . . from us. Actually I’m not sure whether he is going to resurrect “Mr. College Football” for us next fall and I’ll check on that. But he took early retirement from us last year.
If Coach Richt was a “CEO” and managed one of the most profitable companies in the industries and had an 80% close rate, believe me, he’d be highly compensated.
AG, my point was that ANY defensive Co-Ordinator is subject to disappointing thier fans, due to a number of reasons. I would consider CS having to break in a bunch of younguns a pretty good “excuse”. But he could have a full set of returning seniors and if he lost a large number of them to the point of “walking through” the practises, I’m guessing, it would affect his approval ratings just a tad. Obviously he is a fine coach, capable of getting his squad to play at championship caliber. Which makes 2007 the illustration of my point.
That’s fine if it’s a rumor, then someone might want to tell a top Georgia recruit to stop telling people Mark Richt told him that.
Recruiting is a very dirty business, and as upfront and moral as even Richt is, I don’t think there’s a college coach out there who wouldn’t sell his soul for the “next big thing.”
So if the recruit says the coach told him something, I’m sorry, but I’m more inclined to believe the kid.
Because coaches lie. Even those we couldn’t imagine doing so.
If Barhart is gone then take down the “Bad News…Florida’s Getting Started” post already. Or are we going to have to look at that for another full year just like “I spit the steak I was chewing when Vandy roughed the punter…”
Don’t know if the earlier post comparing Mark Richt to Tom Osborne was accurate, but I like it. I’ll never forget one of the all-time great coach comments Osborne made that year his Nebraska Cornhuskers demolished Florida in the NC game. Headed to the locker-room following a first half where Nebraska had beaten the snot out of Florida throughout the first 30 minutes – and led by thirty or more – a sideline babe stuck a mic in Osborne’s face and commented that his team seemed to be handling Florida’s offensive ’schemes’ pretty well (going into the game all you heard was the Evil Genius’ offensive formations and strategies)…all Osborne said was ‘It’s not about schemes, it’s about athletes.’…and walked away. That’s exactly what it has always been about – getting the right people and coaching ‘em up. If we keep doing that we’ll get our breaks and we’ll win our share and more. Remember, Mr. Tebow has been beaten by us and by others, and he will again – my money’s on us again this year.
By the way, if you haven’t seen the video of Georgia’s 4X400 relay win over Florida and the creme of the college crop (all of which were from the SEC), you need to. Young Mr. Lawrence, our freshman sensation, made up 10-15 meters on Florida’s Calvin Smith (Olympian and 400 meter champion) in the anchor leg and beat him by at least that many…thirty meters over 400 against a top runner…my God a freshman! (seems to me I’ve heard that before).
I don’t ever take any crap off anybody when it comes to the Dogs – not a Gator, not an ‘effin’ YellowJacket, nobody – and I damn sure ain’t gonna start this year.
AltamahaDawg, the question you should be asking yourself is if you are okay that Mark Richt the CEO is managing a company like Chik-Fil-A, while Urban Meyer is managing Microsoft, Nick Saban is managing Coca-Cola, and Les Miles is managing IBM.
The thing is, Mark Richt’s Chik-Fil-A makes money every year, put’s out a fairly reliable product, and is family friendly and wholesome.
But unlike Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and IBM, it’s regional and there really isn’t any chance to be more than it is.
And that’s what the guy said at the bottom of his answer to the question about Mark Richt having the “fire.”
There is going to come a point where Georgia has to decide whether being Chik-Fil-A is okay, or if we want to be Apple.
I happen to think Mark Richt can make Georgia like Apple.
But Mark Richt himself is holding his program back with his illogical and misplaced loyalty in people like Willie Martinez and our just-retired former wide-receivers coach.
Urban Meyer, Pete Carrol, Nick Saban, and Les Miles will not let emotion stand in the way of elevating their programs to the levels of an IBM, Coca-Cola, or Microsoft.
Unfortunately, Coach Richt seems to be very unwilling to make the necessary tough decisions to expand his brand beyond the region because of his emotional attatchments to the underperforming coaches on his staff.
You know, now that we see that Bobby Cox cannot take average and mediocre baseball teams and make them better, the shine has worn off of his “great” status. We see Bobby Cox for what he is: a push-button manager whose horrible decisions have led to some great teams flaming out in October.
With Richt refusing to dump his coaching dead-weight, we may start to see him for what he is: happy to be Chik-Fil-A, unwilling to make the hard decisions needed to become Apple.
6 10 win seasons
5 times finished in the top 10
2 times finished in the top 3
3 SEC Championship Appearances
2 SEC Titles
3 BCS Bowls
2 Sugar Bowl wins
27-4 on the road in the SEC over 8 seasons
82-22 record over 8 seasons – 79% winning percentage
No Probations
How long did it take Mack Brown to get his NC? Pete Carroll has one NC for all they hype and talent that has run through USC this decade. USC is generally considered one of the best pro teams in college football. IMO you have to build the program to win and win on a consistent basis. Richt has done that. He knows what it takes to win via his Miami days, FSU time and now leading the Dawgs. He has done it the right way too. No major embarrassments to the program. Great recruiting classes. Developes that talent for their NFL future. Don’t believe for one minute that he has been happy about a single one of the losses the past few seasons, lopsided or not. And yes it is about the breaks and the way the ball bounces sometimes. Regardless an L is an L. If you lose a game you can’t complain about the BCS selections or where your team ends up in the post season. Proud to have Richt as our coach, win or lose, the man has integrity and class unmatched by few in his profession.
This subject is ridiculous! Is this the best we could do at this time of the year? The proof is in the numbers. CMR has averaged 10 plus wins a season. I am getting very tired of all this complaining. We sound like a bunch of ungrateful teenagers. Geez!
Chik-Fil-A in a world (the SEC) of Coca-Cola, IBM, and Microsoft.
Chik-Fil-A is good, and I love Chik-Fil-A.
But is it going to be enough in the long-haul.
Coaches who win National Championships don’t “wait” to get the good bounces, “wait” for good luck.
They make their own good luck, they make their own good breaks.
Too long at Georgia, we’ve seen all of the teams we play get the good bounces, have the good luck. We don’t make any of it ourselves.
I blame Mark Richt for one thing: his stubborn refusal to hold under-performing coaches accountable and a willingness to blame his players for not performing without asking the question, “Who’s coaching the players.”
How long have our wide receivers underachieved as a unit in Richt’s regime? Who was the lone variable that never changed in that equation?
In four years under Willie Martinez, the defense has regressed EVERY YEAR! Who is the lone variable that hasn’t changed in this equation?
Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Les Miles have no qualms with firing under-performing coaches.
Coach Richt does. He downright refuses to do it. We had to hope and pray Miami would hire away Willie to give us a chance next year, but Miami looked at Willie’s body of work and said, “No way in hell, and we don’t care that he’s an alumni!”
People wanted to hire Coach Van Gorder away from us.
No one wants to hire Willie Martinez away from us.
That should tell ANYONE all they need to know about his performance as DC.
Coach Richt’s emotionality for his coaches is holding us back from becoming Apple. He seems quite happy with being Chik-Fil-A, otherwise, he’d make the tough decisions by removing emotion out of the equation, but he can’t do it.
Thomas Dimitroff is going to bring the Falcons a Super Bowl far sooner than the Dawgs will win a MNC under Mark Richt. Why? He refuses to let emotion to cloud his judgment.
I hate Urban Meyer, loathe Nick Saban, and grudgingly respect Les Miles. And I wish to hell that Mark Richt possessed a little of their ability to make the tough decisions it takes to push a football program over the edge.
But he just doesn’t have it in him.
And eventually, Damon Evans is going to have to decide whether being Chik-Fil-A is enough for him, or if he wants to be Apple.
Mark Richt is in danger of becoming irrelevant. You can’t consistently have top 10 recruiting classes and not win a NC. When UGA takes its place as 3rd in the SEC East behind UF and UT, the fans will start to call for a regime change.
I think Preacher Richt is plenty intense. Have you seen him in the Carpets of Dalton commercials? He is ready to bust on someone in those commercials. He is our man to match wits with meyer, saban and johnson for years to come and it makes me tingle inside knowing it!!! wuff wuff…lets get em dogs! wuff wuff wuff
The reason Richt gets questioned so much is he doesn’t win the big one despite outrecruiting everyone. Good coach? No doubt. Great coach? No way. Leave that to Meyer, Spurrier and Saban. Richt has had the athletes but hasn’t quite put it together.
Thanks Cuz, I hope your health troubles are behind you.
bugkiller, Chick-Fil-A has a location in Mishawaka, Indiana. Did you know that? Not quite the southeast but expanding farther north. Maybe we can get Coach Richt to put a location in Portage, Michigan near the mall there.
You’d think beating Florida would be important to a guy who played at Miami, coached at FSU, and now coaches at UGA. Nobody loves Mark Richt like the Florida Gators. That game isn’t even a rivalry. They own us. Period. I realize that we’re winning in the overall record, but let’s talk about what’s relevant — those wins in the 80s are no longer relevant. Beating Florida is the name of the game. If Richt can’t do it, we’ll always be second banana to Florida. In the East, we’ve got Urban Meyer who is basically a genius, Lane Kiffin who is cooking up God-knows-what, and Spurrier can pull something out of his hat at any given moment. I like CMR as a person, but sometimes I wonder if he’s not three steps behind everyone else. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a great 2009…but I won’t hold my breath.
I see you also buy the story line that the UF/UGA game is not an “away game” that should be counted. Count those and it is a little different won/loss percentage.
Yeah, I love the people who think it would be ‘more fair’ to move the GA/FLA game to Atlanta. We could play Florida on the friggin moon, and it wouldn’t change the fact that they are going to beat us.
There is a vast difference between ten-win seasons and a National Championship. One opinion expressed above regarding Richt is to the point. The basic question is not whether Richt is intense enough, or smart enough, or tall enough, for that matter. The basic question is whether Richt has desire enough to win a NC. More specifically, does he have the intestinal fortitude to fire those underperformers he has on his staff? At this point the question remains unanswered. There is no doubt that there were certain areas that needed vast improvement last season…i.e. special teams for instance. I am unaware that any staff changes were made. Somehow, I think that if their teams had underperformed last year to the same degree, Meyer and Saban may have made changes. Both have at least one NC to their credit. Spurrier, in his halcyon years, made changes. Chalk up a NC to him. Hopefully,for Georgia fans’ sake, Richt does have the “guts/desire”. Otherwise ten win seasons and the Citrus Bowl will be about the best they can hope for.
Mark Richt is a nice guy and a great person. His weakness as a coach is not intensity, but lack of discipline. His players don’t fear him. They know they can get by with anything on or off the field. It show up in the number of players arrested every year and the the stupid unnecessary penalties on the field. Whatever they do, they just get to sit out for a meaningless game. His player like him, but don’t respect him because they see him as weak. They are headed down hill in the SEC and nationally.
As has been stated before, where the intensity seems to lack is on the defensive side. I think we can all appreciate BVG a little better after his year with the Falcons. We havent bad a real big hitter since Greg Blue. Well, Rennie is close for his size. I just want our team to get out and hit some people. I don’t know if that is the athelete or the coach. Maybe it has been the focus on a more speedy finesse defense.
BugKiller and the rest of you, you guys are missing the point. Forget about this Chick-fil-A whatever comparison. First of all, you cannot control National Championships. Everybody knows that UGA should have been in the NC last year or at least in the Rose Bowl playing USC, which would have been a great game by the way. But that’s my point, UGA couldn’t control that situation. Always focus on what you can control.
The SEC is like the NFL, you win in the SEC, you’re a great coach, period. Second, consistantcy is the key to everything you do in life. How long did it take Bobby Bowden to win his first NC. The point is, how do you measure success, winning a NC or winning every year and give yourself a chance to win SEC titles. Anybody can win the lottory and end of up losing it all without balance and proper management but not everyone can manage there money well and build success consistantly.
OK, so he’s not the best coach in College Football or even the SEC but he wins. That’s all that matters. They hired the guy to win and beat UT, GT, and UF. WE may not do it every year but he gives UGA the best chance to win and help these kids in the real world. This is not about just sports and winning NC. Yes, it would be great to win one but focus on winning and keep improving on what it is being built rather than focusing on winning NC.
Say you get rid of the guy and bring someone else in here, then what? You’ve broken the trend and system of winning and being in the hunt every year. You guys are too caught up in the hype of winning national championships and all these great athletes that UGA bring in every year and you compare this coach with that coach.
there are 2 types of coaches you can choose from. One who curses his players and hopefully win national championships, or a coach who brings balance to a football program and prepares these kids for making tough decisions in the real world.
Mark Richt is the guy I want coaching my son. Teaching a college athlete about Balance in life, making quality and tough decisions, developing a relationship with God, staying focused and compete on the field is intensity in my book.
By “preparing them for the real world” I guess you mean how to go through the police department processing after arrest and how to get your bail posted?
Give me a break. Until he puts his foot down with some control over these thugs, it will be the same story each year.
Well, they owned the Pups for 15 years before Tebow and will own the Pups after Tebow leaves. Hell, Zook won 2 of 3 against Georgia and Richt.
Harvin? Don’t think he played in the SEC game against Alabama and they had no problems. Florida is loaded and will be that way for years.
Meyer did not have a Tebow like QB at Bowling Green when he won. He did not have a Tebow or Harvin at Utah when he ran the table. He is just head and shoulders over Richt and now that he has a loaded team and superior coaches, he will dominate the Leg Humpers for as long as he is there.
Run Forrest Run! Actually Forrest was scoring against Tennessee and not Georgia. Unless Georgia just happened to be wearing orange that day.
Mark Richt is a fine coach. Everyone has their own unique style and as long as CMR continues to be successful I don’t understand why the questions about his intensity. The only knock I see on CMR is his inability to beat the Gators. Florida is the odds on favorite to win the sec again and is absolutely loaded so its almost a certainty he will lose to UF this year as will most if not all of us. But if he loses to the gators for another year or 2 after Tebow leaves then I think his seat may be real, real hot at that point.
A man’s greatness is measured by the strength of his enemies and how in turn he responds to his greatest enemies.
You’re okay with Georgia being a regional program that wins the SEC every now and again, and that’s about it.
Florida, LSU, and Alabama are not okay with that. They are Microsoft, IBM, and Coca-Cola. They’re world-wide, baby. Their coaches are willing to do what it takes to keep their teams world-wide and winning Nat’l Championships.
Mark Richt is not willing to do what it takes. He is not willing to make tough decisions, but to have tough decisions made for him.
I guarantee, when Willie’s defenses fall flat AGAIN, and we get declining results from Willie for the fifth year in a row, Mark Richt will still defend the indefensible, and Damon Evans will either have to step in and make the hard decision for Mark Richt, or be okay with being Chik-Fil-A.
Being Chik-Fil-A was okay for the first 7 or 8 years of Richt because we were the Flowery Branch Cafe under Donnan and Goff.
But I refuse to accept that Chik-Fil-A is our ceiling as a program residing in the 3rd best state for high school football players, better than Texas even.
I want to be Apple, dammit. And the more I see from Richt, his inability to keep emotion out of decisions, his inability to fire underwhelming coaches, I’m seeing a coach who is never going to get our program over the hump.
I’m sick and tired of being Stew Mandel’s whipping dog. I’m tired of guys like Colin Cowherd and Rece Davis and Mark May and Chris Fowler denigrating our program on national television and radio.
I’m sick of unfulfilled promise.
I’m sick of settling for ten wins a year when so much more is expected.
There was a time when Coach Richt talked about “knocking the lid off.”
And he’ll never knock off this new lid if he’s content to keep giving underwhelming coaches like Willie Martinez around.
2-8 vs. Florida. And I’m sorry, but 1-2 vs. Ron Zook is INEXCUSABLE.
We won a title in 1980 with Dooley, who had an on-field persona much like Mark Richt. I don’t think UGA needs a coach that will make an a$$ of himself in public. We can leave that to the Dennis Green’s and the Mike Ditka’s of the coaching world.
SSI Gator- Isn’t the arrest thing coming from you a little pot calling the kettle black? I mean, UF’s had 4 players arrested in 10 months and all of them were on felony charges. Sure, Meyer kicked them off the team, and when Michael Lemon was arrested on felony charges, Mark Richt kicked him off the team. Other than that, our players are getting arrested for stupid things like *gasp* underage drinking and whatnot. Our “thugs” don’t steal computers, use a dead person’s credit card, and choke their girlfriends. Florida has their fair share of “thugs” too.
Save your breath. The UGA fans like Nice Guy and others don’t get it and they never will. They are convinced that since they will probably never see a NC under Richt that at least they have a coach that is a really swell person. It is like Patton said in WWII, “Hell, I don’t want these men to like me, I want them to fightg for me”.
All programs have the same type of problems. It just appears that you can almost set your watch to what happens at UGA each off season. If Richt is such a “great person and a role model” then he does not seem to get the message through to the players very well.
Actually with as few of healthy players as he ended the year with, He was more like the manager of a Holcolmb’s BBQ. And still giving Chik-Fil-A a pretty good run for the money.
So all program have the “same” problems. Your words. All includes UF, and goodness know the issue are well documented there as well. But it’s only unacceptable with a person like Richt coaching, and you don’t worry about the “same” from UF because your coach is……….? odd way to look at it.
Everyone saying UGA should have played in the NC game 2 years ago is delusional. Yes, they demolished Hawaii, but so what? A national champion team may lose a game, but NEVER get blown out the way UGA did against Tennessee that year.
Also, Florida has Tebow #2 coming in next year… His name is Trey Burton. Watch for him to take over after John Brantley…
National Championships at Georgia? Please don’t make me laugh. The only National Championships the Leg Humpers can win is in the preseason polls. They can’t even win the SEC East!
I hate to ask this question to all you naysayers, but if not Coach Richt right now at this time, then who? Name somebody out there with his record or better, that can recruit like he does, that is available today that will get us 10+ wins year in and year out. Name one prospect or more that you are absolutely certain will come in and do the job better. And remember they have to be available. And don’t say Charlie Wei$$ either.
Richt is a fine coach and a fine man. He may win it all one day, but he has to shed some of the dead weight on his staff and bring back some fiery assistants. Willie Martinez is a joke.
Well gdawginkalamazoo, you have to go find them, like Florida found Meyer. Like Alabama found Saban. All the Georgia fans said that Urban Meyer and his “gimmicky” offense would not work in the SEC. That the SEC was tougher than the schedule Utah played. Well look who is laughing now.
There are many coaches out there that are better than Richt given the resources Richt has who would come to Georgia if approached.
I agree with both of you that we all have our share of thugs and discipline problems. Fla. did have a few serious felonious types of bad apples. Bama had the same. Its very sad that Bama’s Jimmy Johns certainly could have made an nfl team and chose to throw it all away for some extra cash selling coke to students. Same thing with Bama freshman Jeremy Elders who is now serving hard time for robbing 2 students at gunpoint. And for what? $20 freaking dollars! Saban took over a pretty undisciplined program from Shula where there was an overall discipline and attitude problem. They were just like UGA in that most of the arrests were for stupid stuff like underage drinking, etc. No arrests so far in the past 6 months or so(knock on wood). But while I think most of the dawgs players arrests are for trivial stuff that almost all college kids do I think ssi gator has a point. 8 years into his program CMR shouldn’t be having 15 guys getting arrested over 2 years even if it is for small stuff like underage drinking. Shula’s bunch at Bama was the same way and then it turned serious with the 2 felonies by Johns and Elders that Saban had to clean up. Its like the broken window theory. It starts off with small things like underage drinking, etc. but then the sense of disorderliness kinda grows and eventually gets out of hand and more serious stuff follows. I don’t want to get onto Richt though because I respect and admire him. Its just that he should have a little better handle on the discipline problem 8 years into his tenure even if the arrests are for smaller stupid stuff that almost all kids do at college.
… who knew Richt would be good enough to win 10 games a year and be Chik-Fil-A?
Not many Dawg fans I knew in 2001.
But what you’re ignoring is the fact that Richt, because of his refusal to do away with underwhelming coaches who are in way over the heads, like Martinez, to make the tough, unemotional decisions needed to push his program over the edge and become a national or world-wide brand like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, or IBM, is not the guy to get us more than 10 wins a year and an SEC Championship every 5 years or so.
He’s not. Nothing he has done in Athens has given anyone any delusions that he is going to do more at Georgia than he already has done.
He had his chance this past year. He had the chance to send a message to all that he is willing to do what it takes to win the MNC. But instead, he defended the indefensible Willie Martinez and actually gave that guy, whose defenses have gotten WORSE every year for four years, a freaking raise!!!
So Richt told all of us that he is okay with being Chik-Fil-A, and he has no drive to be Microsoft, Coca-Cola, or IBM.
He doesn’t want to expand his brand. He wants to keep his coaching family together, no matter how bad some of his coaches are. He’s satisfied.
The question is, how much longer are YOU going to be satisfied?
How much longer is Damon Evans going to be satisfied?
No pun intended, but you have to start with getting his wife off the sidelines……. the past 10 national champions did not have a wife pouring gatoraid…. the players and the coaches can not be intense like growing boys and men do on the sidelines while a missionay’s wife is on the sidelines.. this is the first step…. second play all out aggresive football, that is what its about today… this needs to be displayed on offense and defense…… Richt has already had his oppty to win a National Championship at uga, from this point on it will never happen… Florida out coaches and plays them every year… Tech is getting better, and so are all the other teams. Bama, Fl State, and now Tenn are going to start taking more in state guys.. alonq with Tech, where it will just be to tough to make it to the next level.. so Dawg fans, status quo is what you get with the dawgs, it aint bad, but not worth season tickets….. when all stays the same.. Dawgs will lose at leat 4 games this year and the heat will be on…. Great article on the Torrance…. everyone needs to see the highlight video..
Actually, you really need to look no further than from where Richt hails from; Miami problems galore, FSU the grandfather of deny & lie. After eight years at UGA the pattern seems to be following more of a downward trend than improving.
Many people will nitpick every fault in a coach if he hasn’t won a national championship and will then see them as faultless when he does win one. There were people that probably nitpicked Vince Dooley until he won a national championship, a decade and a half after taking the UGA job.
Again, I will say Richt has had all his chances to win big a uga, now the sec has changed over in coaching, and it is much better with in the league… He is not consistant from game to game year to year game to game…. He has Dumbo calling plays and Mickey Mouse calling the defense…. and his wife whispering little somethings on the sideline.. Nice venture, but needs to go to the sky boxes…. because he can handle on campus off field problems and on field penalties reductions, winning a nc at uga will never happen….. again…… read my lips… 9 to 10 wins will be it……. season ticket holders.. and who could not coach at uga and win 7-9 games a year… he is making over 3 million smacks……. for third place….
Ray, you still didn’t name anybody? BTW, I wouldn’t want $uitca$e $aban anywhere near UGA’s program. So, can you name at least one coach out there? Available? That would do a better job.
Some of you folks are uninformed. No, let me just say that some of you are football ignorant. Intensity? I had the opportunity to play for one of the most intense individuals to coach at UGA, or any other level for that matter, Wayne McDuffie. If you venters don’t know who Wayne McDuffie was then you don’t know Georgia football or what the defintion of intensity is. UGA has several intense coaches. You don’t see it because all you are able to see is the games. You don’t get to see the practices or early morning off season workouts. The intensity is there, no doubt. Georgia’s OL coach is very intense. Reminds me of Coach McDuffie. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what’s vented here. If every coach on UGA’s staff was as intense as Wayne McDuffie, you “fans” would be shouting how inhumane they were. Keep up the great work, CMR!
The question is who is the best QB ever at UGA not who won the most games. The best physical talent was clearly Matt Stafford. David Greene & perhaps Eric Zeir were more accurate but arm, release, touch all go to Stafford. I would have liked to have seen DJ Shockley’s stats in he played 4 years.
Richt is enough of a CEO for Me. The family atmosphere at UGA is one reason they recruit well. I had a family type atmosphere in high school and I still bore people to death with stories about My coach. In Jr. college We had the CEO type head coach, and I just realized that I can’t remember his name! I guess I will have to dig out My old yearbook and look him up! Thanks for the links Chip. I am glad that something is being done to honor Stanfill, and Cleve has been a leader here in Albany for years. Both are fine people and deserve the honors. I was thinking about what was said earlier about lack of leadership on the field and how it related to this team. It seems that losing Thomas Brown, Kelin Johnson, Howard, and ‘Nando hurt that team more than anyone could foresee. Also, losing Owens to injury hurt in the leadership department as he was the most vocal of the D linemen and a senior. Knowshon tried to fire the team up earlier in the season, I can remember him getting in a lineman’s face that missed a block and let Stafford get creamed, and him firing up MO-Mass after the latter took a vicious hit from a DB. Later in the year Knowshon got quiet on the sidelines, at least, quiet for Knowshon. I think the beatings he took in the Bama and UF games affected him. It was like Moreno said, “screw it, I’m outta here!” I can’t really blame him, hits like the one he took from Spikes can end your NFL career before it starts.
bugkiller, you won’t get any arguments from me regarding Martinez. I can agree with you 100% there. Richt will have some choices to make if that D doesn’t pan out again. I will have to refer you to my debate with Ray,if not Richt then who? I really think his early success has a lot to do with the discontent from the fans now. Heck I have suffered through the years prior to his arrival so maybe I am a lot more appreciative and patient than most. Just like most of us and our jobs we learn something new everyday. Unfortunately for Richt, a decision or lack thereof, doesn’t last for one a day it can last an entire season. Don’t think for one minute that he isn’t aware of that.
Mark Richt is a nice guy. He does nit have the fire to be the coach of a National Championship team. But that is OK. Apparently the Leg Humper fans are happy with what he has achieved over 10 years. Florida and Alabama fans would not be.
The main things I look at: Compare the reaction of coach Richt celebrating 7 wins over Tech in the last 8 years. Hugging his players and coaches and talking about being thankful.
Now consider the reaction of Tech’s coach who turned and pointed to the stands and smarted off to the media.
I’ll take Richt any day of the week and twice on Sunday
The same storey each year is that he wins. 9,10, maybe 11 games. That’s all you can ask from the guy. Ask yourself a simple question, How do you measure success? A one time sensation or what you do over the long haul. These “thugs” as you call them are putting money into these universities every year. Millions of dollars so your little children one day can win a scholarship.
It’s interesting though that even though these “thugs” get in trouble, that CMR is still considered a great guy, interesting. That makes him more of a great coach, to have to deal with these “thugs” and still win. How many coaches do you know that have to deal with “thugs” and still win football games? I’m sure if a great guy like CMR felt that if UGA was bad for his family, he can go somewhere else and coach. But he accepts the challenge of dealing with these “thugs” and try to turn these kids life around if they are that bad.
After all, SSI Gator, isn’t that what going to college is all about, having the opportunity to turn your life around and make something of yourself. Stop Stereo-typing people and give them a chance.
Wow. Comparing programs to fast-food franchises and multi-national corporations. Impressive. Y’all have take the UGA blog to new heights. . . . In the meantime, I’m here anytime y’all need. Just hanging out . . . whistling.
YOU know NOTHING about Ga.FOOTBALL. Charlie Strong has been ONE of the BEST DC’s in college football.I have been a homer of the BULLDOGS for 50 years. I see you blog ALOT….but DON”T make MUCH cent (penny).
I have followed Ga. Football for 50 yerrs
I have an idea that Coach Richt is a different man in the locker room and on the practice field when things are not going to suit him than he is in public. There is a difference between “intense” and “focused.”
He could not have gone 82-22 in 8 seasons in the SEC without having it together really well. Has any other SEC team done as well over the past 8 years? Maybe Florida, but I honestly do not know and doubt any other teams than Florida have done so well.
Regarding the SEC, power shifts are occuring. Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina and Arkansas are on the way down. Kentucky and Vanderbilt are waivering.
The court is still out on Alabama. Are they the team that beat Georgia last year or the team that lost to Utah and Louisiana-Monroe?
Mississippi (with Houston Nutt) and Mississippi State (with the former Florida offensive coordinator as their new coach) are on the way up.
I see Georgia, Florida, and LSU as the SEC teams most likely to consistantly win over the next few years.
Hey, don’t get so defensive. If the fans are happy paying a coach $3 mil a year, watching the team under-perform with the talent they have and read about arrest after arrest each year, it is ok with me. Just saying that if the same things happen every year why should any one expect different results.
HOW do you explain insanity?? Think you can keep DOING (same coaches) the SAME thing and expect DIFFERENT results!! Have you guys been watching the SAME GEORGIA games??
WOW Percy Harvin won’t be at UF IN 09 so UF offense will be in shambles. No Mercy Percy in the SEC title game, did that stop UF from winning the SEC Championship game? Tebow gone after 09 season, Better get use to hearing The name…..BRANTLEY!
preacher richt some times does have a very stern, serious look on his face. mostly when he is squatting down on the sideline to take dump in his pants like he did against bama, UF and tech this year.
the outlook in athens is very bleak right now. they will always be a good team because of the program and the talent level they bring in but they are going to be the eternal bridesmaid in the east to florida for years to come and now have paul johnson to contend with every november.
richt was schooled in the fat bowden way. get superior athletes and let them overpower and out run lesser opponents with no discipline and not control. problem is you cant overpower and outrun the 5-6 teams that are equal or better to the dogs every year in their own conference.
Not getting defensive dude. It’s all good. You’re just voicing your opinion. Just making a point about stereo-typing people without giving them a chance to make something happen in there life. IF they get in trouble, then yes, they should be disciplined or even kick off the team if neccessary, but don’t call them “thugs” dude. these kids help pump millions of dollars into these universities so your great coaches who do win NC earn $4-$6 million a year. The Players get “Zero”. And then when they decide to go somewhere else they still get paid with these buyout clauses, but people still call the players “thugs” because they are trying to perform. Don’t jump CMR because the guy don’t curse his players to get them play harder and WIN NC. That’s my opinion. Hey, have a good one SSI Gator. Love your INTENSITY!!!
Altamaha Dawg,
No offense here…..if you read my beginning comment. I KNOW CMR is the RIGHT guy for UGA !!! We are a TOP five program…..BUT we don’t have the RIGHT coachs in the KEY positions.This is not brain surgery. It’s NICE to go 10 and 3…but WHO did we beat that was AHEAD of US in the FINAL ranking???? LOOK at how we LOST to BAMA,FLORIDA and TECH…..If someone would have told me that we would have SCORED 42 points on TECH and LOSE!!!!!We have TOP 10 classes but we can’t translate to BIG wins.
Please help explain.
Insanity to me is insisting that somebody (who doesnt know you) do something (that they are not) for reasons (that you don’t really understand), because you type it in a sports blog (that they don’t read). And getting mad when they don’t. Then expect the rest of us to accept an opinion we don’t share BY: repeating above steps. Insanity.
What does any of that have to do with Charlie Strong?
But as to your question, frankly I think we were very fortunete and it took a great effort by the staff to win 10 games last year. If somebody would have told us back in the summer who was going to be sitting on the trainers table all year, and we were being honest, most rational fans would have taken 10 wins on the spot.
Why are we even discussing this? The guy has been there 10 years and has not played in a single BCS Championship Game. With the talent he has had, 10 wins out of 13 games is not that difficult. Especially when you play Hawaii in the bowl game. He is suppose to be a QB coach. I did not see Stafford progress one bit this past year. Blame it on BooBoo if you want to but the guy at the top making 3 mil a year is the one responsible. He won the SEC East on down years and managed to blow it in 2007. The guy is a good coach, but never say the word Great when mentioning Mark Richt.
And yes, UGA has the overall record against Florida, but since 1950, UF has the overall. And that includes all of the Dooley years. Only Leg Humper fans give a rats cahooney about wins in the 20’s and 30’s.
What is with you and the injuries? Every team has them and the back-ups, that are also highly touted recruits, are expected to come in and play. So does that mean that the back-ups are not as good as advertised or that the coaches are not doing as good of a job with them as they should be?
I agree with your point. We all have our discipline issue kids and bad apples that we have to boot off the team. And yes you are right. After 8 years the numbers of arrests and disciplinary problems are supposed to go down and not up. I hope Richt gets control of the small discipline problems so that he doesn’t have to go through what we went through with Jimmy Johns and Elders.
gdawginkalamazoo,
I don’t know why you have to call him $uitcase $aban. Very classless to accuse someone’s coach of buying players or outright cheating. If you can prove your libelous charges then please do so. Otherwise your accusations are just as meritless and BS as Lane Kiffin accusing Meyer of cheating. So just STFU and don’t make charges you can’t prove.
On a lighter note, it takes enterprising minds to find ways to increase income in these challenging economic times. I think we can all learn a lesson from Vassalboro, Maine.
Vassalboro, Maine – Cup size has more than one meaning at a new central Maine coffeehouse. Servers are topless at the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop, which opened its doors Monday on a busy road in Vassalboro. A sign outside says, “Over 18 only.” Another says, “No cameras, no touching, cash only.” On Tuesday, two men sipped coffee at a booth while three topless waitresses and a bare-chested waiter stood nearby.
Tide, what? a little defensive there. I didn’t say anything about $aban paying players, that’s what the boosters are for silly. I called him $uitcase $aban because of his traveling nature (MSU, LSU, Miami, and soon to be Bama) and his demand for 4 mil a year. Nothing not true there. Flat out lying through your teeth is offensive (to some) and classless. Remember his statements before he left Miami? Lot of different ways he could have worded that and still have some respect from the fans. I also spell Charlie Wei$$ the same way. It just isn’t working out for him as well as it is for Nicky.
ssi let me respond as follows.. Since you are so familiar with the history of ALL teams and thier abilities to recover from injuries, how about name one team that lived up to its billing , with 2 dozen season ending injuries to many of its better players. How hard could it be, since they “all” have em. Name One, Ever? Then explain to me how UF lost 4 games last year. Did the coaches not do a very good job with those players then?
As far as backups, I think its pretty damn good to be able to win as many games at we did with back up. Not many teams could have. They are called back ups for a reason.
BTW all that was proven was that UGA could win more games than most of the country playing
[...] 24, 2009 · No Comments Chip Towers over at the AJC poses an interesting question in response to Pete Fiutak’s mailbag over at College Football News. Is Mark [...]
Another dumb mutt fan….Gators didn’t lose 4 games in 08….Gators won the BCS National Title In 08,something the mutts have not done in almost thirty years.
Intense? Define it. I hardly see how something like this guarantees the credibility and effectiveness of a coach. Irk Russell was intense and was a great coach. Coach Dooley was not as intense as Russell but was no less a good coach. There are more factors that make a man an effective coach but an emotional intensity is not necessarily one of them. Intensity usually reflects the emotional level and raw emotions do not always have good outcomes. I think that the “intensity” is overvalued. Give me a smart, respectable, steady, evenly tempered coach any day of the week instead of some hot dog.
On Topic, Richts instensity is fine. What we see on Fall Saturdays is not the entire week. In an interview he even stated that as a head coach he wanted to remain on an even keel in an effort to make better decisions and even more so as a play caller (back in the day).
Off topic: CWM does deserve criticism as the defensive numbers have declined over the last four years. Therefore, so does Richt as head coach. Bobo is a young play caller and OC. He still deserves a little time to develop. He has called some good games. He will get better. The problem for Richt is this, he needs to get into the D side of the ball more yet he has a young coordinator in Bobo that he needs to continue to develop. Regardless of what any of us would like or think, CWM has at least one more year. There are some good leaders in place (Jeff Owens, Curran) and that should help CWM. As a dawg fan I am pulling for CWM and Bobo.
Richt isn’t done winning and still has plenty of opportunities ahead of him. He just has to make the right moves with his coaches and players. Good luck to Richt and all of the dawgs.
Will we ever stop hearing this stupid question? Is Richt tough enough? Its his management style, its his way of doing thing. He’s too quiet. Ahhh! give me a break! I know one of the team trainers. He says you should see Richt when he gets cranked up at practice. He has no problem getting his message across whether it is to a player or an assistant coach! The guy’s a winner both on and more importantly off the field.
Who’s to say Richt isn’t intense?? Just because he doesn’t “look” intense giving interviews, such as the ‘Hat’ at LSU, Tricky Nicky or CUM over at Florida?? These guys look the part more than CMR does. This doesn’t mean he’s not intense during the week at practice. Besides, he is who he is. If he all of a sudden changes his coaching style(not withstanding the stunt at last year’s WLOCP), his players will see right through that.
Intense? I recall seeing CMR with that “What just happened” look when UGA played Bama, Florida, and GT. I bet we’ll see that “Look” about 6 or 7 times this year.
I would like to go back to this Charley Trippi part of this discussion and if we are going to discuss 1946, hasten to correct the impression that he was only a runner in 1946.
1946, Johnny Rauch stated for the world his quote he repeated when he was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. And that quote is that Johnny Rauch states for all comers that when he was at UGA, the Best Quarterback was Charley Trippi and not he, Johnny Rauch. I said that already but have to repeat because it was passed over. Johnny Rauch was taken 2nd overall in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. It would seem to me that if Johnny Rauch tells you Charley Trippi was the Best QB at UGA when he was there, that should not be followed by a post which states that Charley Trippi was NOT the QB at UGA. With all due respect, Charley Trippi absolutely played Quarterback at UGA and did so at a high level of success both in college and in the NFL.
1946 you say Charley Trippi did not play QB, yet, he threw the football in 1946 70 times for 622 yards passing including 5 touchdowns when recall again that if I was throwing the football in 1946 I would want to get the ball out to Charley Trippi.
The Most Outstanding Player in College Football 1946, Maxwell Award Winner, was Charley Trippi and this is because he was a great quarterback and a great runner.
Try it again please trying to pass off Charley Trippi as NOT a QB. 1946 you say sir, he rushed for 744 yards on 115 carries and threw the football for 622 yards on 70 passes. You cannot tell me or Johnny Rauch that Charley Trippi just ran the football in 1946 and was not in 1946 a QB at UGA.
1942 at UGA Charley Trippi threw for 567 yards on 58 passes. Charley also in 1942 ran the football for 672 yards. 1943, 1944, and half of 1945 Charley Trippi fought in World War II with my Dad. Charley returned to Georgia in 1945 mid-season, as did my Dad. Perhaps you know nothing of this Rivalry with Georgia Tech. But, while he was overseas defending this great nation with his Victory Medal in WWII, Georgia Tech played all their players except for Castleberry and also played every other person in Atlanta on the Georgia Tech campus whether they were students or not. Tech says they won the games 48 to Nothing and 44 to Nothing using players who were only stationed on Tech’s campus but who took no classes and were not students at Tech. All Charley Trippi did when he got back mid-1945 was THROW THE FOOTBALL FOR SEC RECORD 323 YARDS PASSING AGAINST GEORGIA TECH TO BEAT TECH 33 TO NOTHING.
Please do not come in here and try to tell me that Charley Trippi was not Quarterback or that he only played Quarterback in the NFL for only 2 years.
There have been numerous tremendous Quarterbacks at UGA. Mike Bobo’s senior season and Hines Ward were two more very special Quarterbacks along with Buck Belue. Maybe you were not there in JAX at the Gator Bowl when as the clock wound down, Buck Belue hit Lindsay Scott, Run Lindsay Run – who went on to play 4 years as receiver for the New Orleans Saints.
If you played QB at UGA, then by God Above, you were an UGA Quarterback with the title to this thread, UGA’s All-Time Best QB.
What you did in the Pros either adds to it, or detracts from the conversation of just how good a QB you in fact were.
All America Honors separates UGA’s All-Time Best Quarterbacks. Matthew Stafford nor David Greene were All-America Quarterbacks at UGA.
Please do not attempt to re-write history and pass off a NOT All America as The Best UGA Quarterback All-Time. Fran Tarkenton was All America Quarterback at UGA, and David Greene and Matthew Stafford weren’t. You can sit back and attempt re-writing it all you want. Modern Era. Talent. Won football games. Deep Pass. Matt Robinson’s Deep Pass was far better than Matthew Stafford’s.
Eric Zeier was All America Quarterback at UGA.
You cannot re-write that now and state that David Greene or Matthew Stafford is all we can discuss for UGA’s All-Time Best QB when neither ever were nor ever will be All America QBs at UGA. You do not know more than the All America Voters, which is why we have All America Voters. By the way, as when David Greene left and DJ Shockley came in, we will be better this year too with Matthew Stafford gone and Joe Cox coming in. And, that too is a test of the point that we must limit the discussion to just Matthew Stafford, David Greene and 1 other no one considers UGA’s All-Time Best QB either. Thank you very much.
CMR is a good coach and UGA is lucky to have him. The only drawback is his undying loyatly to his assistants who under-achieve with good talent. I personally feel like UGA won’t win a NC until CMR gets a DC who “gets it” because WM just doesn’t. He is too soft and doesn’t make ANY real adjustments on game day. I guess we can stomach Mike Bobo but WM has GOT TO GO!! Or at least move him to another position and bring in a REAL DC!!
Can not say about all years but last year the DOGS under achieved. Breaks here and there are excuses. When you have a school that is well supported and talented coaching is the difference. I believe he will all ways be a brides maid. Time will tell.
I’d like to see at least some tidbits of UGA football, if possible, during the off season. It’s a long time before football begins and I get bored with the other sports. So, as much football news as you can deliver would be appreciated. Football, football, football all the time. UGA baseball would be next as a worthy subject as it is usually under-reported by every newspaper.
By the way…why don’t you delete the insignificant bloggings of the GT fans? They are usually ridiculous and petty. I don’t read their blogs. Why would I? There’s nothing interesting about Georgia Tech. They are poor sports and their fans are the most obnoxious I’ve ever encountered!
I agree with Jon. As much as I love our baseball, golf, gymnastics, equestrian, etc. teams, my interest in reading about them wanes after awhile. Football will always move the meter.
Quantum Dawg. You are an idiot. I work for a company that if we were treated like family we would work even harder than we do now. I am so tired of people like you bashing our coaches. Go support another team.
Write an article about WHY Colleges should not be allowed to keep their tax-exempt status when they are making MILLIONS every year from sports and VERY LITTLE ever goes back to the academic departments
Robby—-In many instances, the “university” athletic departments are actually organized as non-profit corporations that are legally distinct from the universities that control them. The explanation of what non-profits can and cannot legally do is fairly lengthy and complicated, but, if you’re really curious, I suggest that you google “26 U.S.C. § 501″ (that’s Section 501 of Title 26 of the U.S. Code; Title 26 is also known as the Internal Revenue Code). Enjoy your light reading, but you may need a tax lawyer to explain the details to you because it reads like it was written by angry chimpanzees banging out a stimulus bill. Oops—-can I say that, Chip?
You could write something regarding the way college basketball is making a mockery of the student athlete concept. While admittedly, football is guilty of this as well to a lesser extent due mainly to NFL rules and the substantial difference in physicality, when top basketball recruits publicly announce that whatever school they sign with, they’re only staying for one year (cough cough ga. tech), how is the college any different from just being a developmental league? He’s basically a professional athlete already. I don’t have anything against people turning professional straight from high school because college isn’t for everyone and we all have the right to earn a (legal) living using our natural talents. However, schools who admit players who have documented their desire to leave after one season are diminishing the value of the education received by all the real students.
Chip, tell your editor that your peeps said to take a 3 week paid vacation to a place of your choice. Preferrably an all inclusive resort where you don’t have to worry about anything. Is that what you are looking for?
Geoffdawg, yeah I agree that rule stinks and fouls up the college ranks. I say that if the kid has the talent to go straight to the NBA then let him go. No sense in wasting a college scholarship on him if he is there only the one year. Give that to a kid that might need that education post basketball. I would prefer a the record we have now and get the kids a life if they don’t make it to the big time.
(to your question, Fletch, about why Techies are always on the UGA blog)
It’s the same reason that I enjoy watching Fox News. I love laughing at idiots.
Football could easily be a top priority here, but it would be like eating chicken every night of the week. As an enemy participant within, I’ll take whatever the host brings and will be happy to have the opportunity to play along if the topic or a respondent so moves me. I do like links to conference material, good and bad. There are some stories out there that will fuel most any fire…and may I say, Go Vols..?
I’d like to read mostly about football, but with the other sports mentioned too, especially the baseball team now that their season has started. College baseball is one of the most underrated sports in America in terms of excitement, especially in the South. The Dawgs made a great run last year & got a lot of people fired up, and they look like they might do the same this year, so I would love for the AJC to lead the way in covering them.
I think most of the interest is as follows (though I am sure several will disagree) and should be covered as such:
1. Football (a lot to cover with 85 scholarships, 24 positions, and all the supposed changes being made this offseason)
2. Basketball’s coaching search
3. All others as necessary. (Track, Baseball, Golf, etc.)
Honestly? For me? It’s football. I love my dawgs and I wish them well in all of their sports, but I don’t go around the internet looking for news on the golf team. I just don’t. This is not a knock on them. I guess I’m just a huge football fan but a small “sports” fan. I like to know if the other teams are doing well and if one of them makes it to a championship then you bet I’m tuned in. Life just kind of takes priority over how much attention I choose to put forth toward UGA sports. Football is the one exception. I eat, breath, sleep UGA football baby!
Chip, I’d have to say that as much as I love football I do like to hear about all the other sports as well. Living in Texas I don’t get a lot of coverage on the baseball, tennis, track, golf, etc. teams out here and usually have to find stuff on the AJC site. It’d be nice if you could briefly mention how they are doing every so often. How ’bout that womens’ gymnastics team? I haven’t heard anything on them recently.
BTW, I saw your reply to my post about David Greene the other day. Look forward to seeing what what he has to say to you about his NFL career so far…
What would I like to see Chip? I’d like to see REGISTRATION and accountability to be able to post on the blog. That would cut down on lots of the worthless stuff that appears here on saturday afternoons in the fall.
Like all good Dawgs, I enjoy any update I cand get on the football team. However, I always find it difficult to get info on the golf and tennis teams until the very end of the season. I would enjoy reading about those sports as well as baseball.
By the way, what a great career you have. You get to go from college town to college town watching top level athletes compete at all manner of sport. Although I’m sure you have to deal with your share of tool bags, what great work if you can get it!
Ok, I’ll give everyone a choice. Ray Goff/Jim Donnan. Both “intense” guys who shuffled assistants. 0 SEC Championships. Or, Mark Richt. Who has won 2 SEC Championships and finished in the top ten in the nation 5 or 6 times now. That’s what I thought!
Mr. Tebow’s continued references to his religion are beginning to make me believe that he really does…believe, that is. All too often athletes and other celebrities – including a recent POTUS – use it as a way to gin up sympathy and popularity, but I think this kid may, indeed, mean it. Of course he could benefit from studying that ‘Pride’ thing in the ‘Seven Deadlies’ and the hubris, bordering on narcissism, that it fosters…you know the gator chomp in the face of a defeated Oklahoma Sooner at the end of their game, or even the announced invitation to come see them (and in particular, him) beat UGA this next season. I suppose the only thing that will ultimately convince me of his religious sincerity will be when he looks skyward following next October’s game and says, ‘Father, why hast thou forsaken me?’…yeah, then I’ll really believe.
I egree with MGMT , more pictures of the gym dawgs and more articles about football. Also tell us how you can go about finding out about former dawgs…shouldn’t Andy Johnson, Jimmy Polous, and Glen Harrison have children playing football…if they had children…and what are the former stars doing these days…
Chip, I assume that you are the “beat” writer for UGA sports. If that be the case, I think that football should be first and foremost, but shouldn’t we be fed info with regard to other sports on occasion? I for one am interested in what is happening with the search for a roundball coach, and would like to hear more with regards to the baseball team, and some updates on the golf and tennis teams whom are constantly in the chase for NCAA championships. Seems as though UGA has a real star in track as well, and I think we should be kept abreast of that sport to some extent. In other words, make it a”sports blog”, not just a football blog!
Is there any chance that UGA is waiting until the Gopher’s season is over because they will be naming Tubby the new coach? I assume the potential for Knight at UGA is “dead in the water”. Any “noise”?
Chip, I forgot to mention, haven’t the “Lady Dogs” about played themselves out of the NCAA tourney? And, is Landers job in any way in jeapordy since they haven’t done much lately? Some updates on the “Gymdogs” would be nice to hear about as well!
BASEBALL, BASEBALL, BASEBALL. Everyone always wants to hear about football and so do I, but it is baseball season. How about some coverage. Y’all cover basketball, a team that can’t beat anybody. The Diamond Dawgs on the other hand came within one game of a National Championship last year, and it seems to only get covered in the post season or for a game against Tech. Last time I checked, baseball is still America’s Pastime
I would love to know if the coaches have given any thought to a 3-4 defensive alignment going into Spring practice. It seems that we have some very good interior lineman and linebackers, but we don’t have the protypical DE’s to play the 4-3 this year (and last year). My understanding is that we have several DE’s out as well for Spring so it will be hard to shuttle in and out two healthy quality DE’s at a time this Spring. Wouldn’t it make sense to switch to an alignment that calls for just one?
I’d like to see coverage of the main events for the other sports and something about football in each post, as we know it drives the car.
Also, the Diamond Dawgs should definitely be a threat this year. Even though they lost 2 1st round picks, UGA might have brought in the best freshman class in the country. The team is currently ranked about 6 or 7 in Baseball Americas Poll. Shame the Braves had to cut the exhibition games with the Dawgs and Jackets, I imagine that’s quite a thrill for the college kids.
This is Coach Y’s last year in Athens, and I have yet to see you interview her, or cover a meet. I know there are people here, the “316″ Georgia fans who never went to school and care only about football, and those guys and gals are great, and we appreciate their enthusiastic support and mostly their money, but for those of us who are students and alumni, we tend to care about everything Bulldog, and the truth is, Coach Y is the winningest Coach in UGA history, and you’re ignoring her final year.
I’d also love to know exactly what’s going on with the BB search.
I think it’d be a great idea for the football offseason if you do a “10 Questions With…” a football player section which ends each blog post, that way, you do keep the “316″ Football fans happy, and can still actually cover all of Georgia sports.
I really hope you do everything you can to cover the Diamond Dogs, the Gymdogs, and even the Tennis, Golf, and Swim and Dive teams, all of whom have won SEC Championships and even National Championships much more recently than the Football Team.
Unless the wheels are really off, I would prefer more pertinant stories than articles about wheterh CMR is tough enough or agressive enough or whatever enough.
The last thing UGA needs is a Blog to stir up issues and opinions about a good solid and proven head coach. CMR and the team need more support than opinions that question our teams or coaches ability to get the job done.
That’s a good point I-Dog makes about the 3-4 alignment. I haven’t really paid attention, but does anyone know other programs that run this scheme and consistently have success? I know that defensive battles are typically won or lost in the trenches so having an abundance of down linemen is preferable but it makes me wonder if we could’ve masked our DE woes a bit last season with this type of set up.
… to do something like that, the team would need a DC with some imagination and innovation.
Instead, we’re stuck with Willie Martinez because Coach Richt refuses to do what is necessary to push his program over the hump and win MNCs.
And I’m sorry, BH, but again, what exactly has Coach Richt “proven?”
He can win 10 games a year and maybe win the SEC every 5 years or so.
Yeah, that’s better than the guys who came before, but in today’s SEC of Meyer, Saban, and Miles, it’s nowhere near enough.
What he’s proven to me is that he cares more about keeping terrible coaches on his staff together for “unity” purposes rather than jetison his coaching deadweight to improve his program.
Again, our wide receivers have been underachievers for YEARS. Who was the variable that remained the same every year? Not the players.
Our defense has gotten worse, EVERY YEAR, for the last four years. Who has been the constant variable in each of those years? Not the players.
Our special teams has always seemed to be given short-shrift. They have never had their own coordinator under Richt, and they always seem to let us down when we need them the most. Who has been the constant variable with Special Teams under Richt? Again… NOT the players.
Meyer, Saban, and Miles have no qualms with firing underperforming, underwhelming, and over-their-heads coaches because those three want much more than to win 10 games a year and win the SEC every five years or so.
I really have come to like my analogy of successful companies to describe the differences between Richt and the three coaches in the SEC who do what it takes to win, even if it means firing coaches from their staffs who aren’t getting it done.
Richt is Chik-Fil-A. Chik-Fil-A is great, they make plenty of money, but they are what they are. They’re regional and they aren’t going national anytime soon, just like Richt.
Meyer, Saban, and Miles are Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and IBM. They’re willing to do anything and everything to continue to improve their brand recognition and hold onto their places as the best companies in the country and the world.
Richt holds himself back. Richt could be Apple. He had the chance to do the right thing and fire Martinez, but refused to do so. And it might be the thing that does him in in the end. Because like the guy from the college football website the other day said, one day soon, Georgia is going to have to ask itself if they’re happy being Chik-Fil-A, or do they really want to be Apple.
Well said Paul!
If any of you can do a better job then apply for it until then unless you are in his shoes or actually play for him you have no right to judge. As my post way earlier said, we should support them no matter what season they have, that is if you are a true fan and I bleed red and black. GO Dawgs I hope you all UGA haters eat the hedges next season.
And to anyone here (AlatamahaDawg) who likes to defend the indefensible Martinez…
… NO ONE BUT RICHT WANTS HIM.
Miami, where he is an alumni, looked at his body of work, saw the same things we’ve been saying all year, that his defenses have gotten WORSE every year as the players who BVG coached and taught have graduated and moved on, and said thanks but no thanks to Martinez.
NO ONE WANTS HIM.
Other schools and pro teams wanted BVG.
No one wants Martinez, accept Mark Richt, who obviously can’t put his emotions aside and fire his underperforming, underwhelming, and over-his-head best friend.
By the way, some “media outlets” are reporting that UGA representatives flew out to Oklahoma on the school plane as part of the basketball coaching search. I talked to senior associate AD Frank Crumley, who was sitting with Damon Evans at the time in his Butts-Mehre office, and he told me the school plane is indeed in Oklahoma — but it’s carrying Georgia football coaches, who are visiting with the OU coaches as part of a clinic. They did the same thing last year at Oregon State. . . . For future reference, Georgia wouldn’t hire Dan Parker Executive Search to conduct a discreet search then turn around and fly to a candidate’s campus on the school plane.
Please, in the future, do us the favor of excluding any Elane Kitten articles. He is a drama queen, only looking for attention, and he really isn’t worth your effort in writing. GO DAWGS!!
You probobly have nothing to do with it, but the poll question of the day is just plain stupid!
“Who would you like to see in Athens if Richt left?” Dumb on it’s own.
THEN our choices are Saban, Myer, Nutt, Spurrier and Miles?
Thursdays poll question:
If you lose your job in this economy, would you rather 1)lose your house and car or 2)have a sharp impliment deflate your eyeball and then not be able to pay your medical bills?
I am a football fanatic but more coverage of all the spring sports as well would be great. Baseball, track, tennis, golf, etc. Also, if there would be a way to better police the reader comments that would be appreciated. The trash talking/sour mouthing comments become absolutely disgusting (don’t know if there is a way for readers to selectively block some comments). If I want to hear trash talk and whining I will just watch FOX News. TKs.
Right on Time: I think Georgia’s reps will at least reach out to Tubby to gauge his interest. But I would think it’s a longer-than-long-shot. He makes $3.3 million per year and has a $13 million contract with a hefty buyout. I don’t think the Dogs are going to go down that road. . . . And, no, I don’t have anything to do with the poll question. And, yes, I agree with your assessment of this one.
I’d like to hear about off season conditioning. It seems like every other year our football team has major injury issues. A few years back we had a lot of O and D line recruits that never panned out because they ended up have chronic injuries (some with behavior issues). After that season CMR said they would revisit the process for evaluating players during the recruiting process. Have we revisited the conditioning program this off season? Are mat drills to rigorous? Why aren’t other teams plagued with injuries every other year like we are?
THROW US SOME UGA BASEBALL NUGGETS TO SATISFY US. THOSE BOYS ARE GOING TO BE SOLID THIS YEAR. SHOW THE LOVE NOW AND WHEN THEY WIN THE N.C. IN A YEAR YOU WON’T BE CONSIDERED A FAIR WEATHER REPORTER…
Not a chance… I will remain a voice of truth, crying in the wilderness, wearing sackcloth and living off of honeycomb and locusts.
If you all are happy with the status quo, as Coach Richt seems to be, what with his unwillingness to fire terrible coaches because they’re “family,” then I hope you realize that sooner than later, the status quo will begin to fall to 9 win seasons, instead of 10 win seasons, because Martinez will continue to drag this program down.
It’s what happened at FSU when the head coach there refused to fire his terrible Offensive Coordinator.
You think Richt would have been smart enough to learn from his mentor’s egregious mistakes.
you know athens, its football football football all the time BUT i would really like to hear more baseball stories. especially with the mediocre bravos down the road, i need a good team to root for.
No more basketball until he hire a coach. its too pathetic
Thanks Chip. I was not aware Tubby was so handsomely compensated. I can’t imagine matching the base, much less the buyout. In fact, that would qualify as reckless spending. Oh well, here’s hoping for the undiscovered genius.
Atlanta Jackets — I always appreciate a good GT supporter posting profound comments, especially those like you WHO CAN’T CORRECTLY SPELL THE PLAYER’S NAMES. Who is Nesbot? Impressive post Dude. Not smart enough to insult the Dawgnation. Why don’t you check the spelling of the GT QB’s last name.
What would it take to grow enthusiasm and strong support for UGA basketball? Obviously, Harrick had the stands filled toward the end of his run because the Dawgs were winning, but enthusiasm shouldn’t fall off the face of the Earth when the Dawgs are mediocre. (Right now, I understand to an extent because they are doing awful, but c’mon Dawgs fans! They might win a game or two more if you all gave them energy).
I think you should keep doing what you’re doing. I know it’s tough trying to keep us fed with football news in the offseason but you seem to find a way to make it happen and I appreciate it. The other sports are interesting but a VERY distant second. just keep us informed mostly with the football program because that is UGA’s money maker. The things that I am waiting to hear about are the academic situations of the new guys coming in and which RB’s stand out during Spring practice and win the most playing time.
Agree with Preston — the RB situation has everyone curious, as does the QB situation. We assume Cox will take over, but who knows? He could get yanked.
Orson Charles interests me also. Although, I think he should quit being a drama queen and choose.
Football, football, football. We want to know who the basketball coach is going to be. But, until they are relevant (or at least headed in the right direction) then that is all. Track: only the Lawrence kid. Baseball, sure some. But, don’t overdo it.
Hey guys. We’ll see how many of you are paying attention and navigating all the way down to the bottom of the blog. . . .
I’m over at the UGA football complex right now. At a little after 3 p.m., Joe Cox, A.J. Green, Aaron Murray, Makiri Pugh and Michael Moore will be available for interviews. A little later, Brandon Wheeling and Marcus Dowtin will be coming by.
So any specific questions you’d like me to ask? P.S. I ignore idiots.
Hey Chip, maybe a Q and A with Aaron Murray now that he’s officially a georgia student? Or maybe a Q and A with Kris Durham. His future at wideout was really looking bright before his injuries and A.J. Green’s emergence.
Hey Chip – you could ask AJ Green if he thinks he’s physically ready to handle the increased number of double teams he’s likely to face this season with the departure of Massaquoi.
I’d also like to know what Joe Cox personally thinks are his greatest strengths and weaknesses. That could provide some insight into the types of schemes we may see this Fall.
Keep it football for the majority then punch in other sports as championships get closer, ie, golf, gymnastics, baseball. Or the “here are a few links” is a welcomed addition that you can put the other sports under.
Ask AJ if he feels that he is under more pressure now that the other two of the titanic trio are gone.
Blog topics, start with a daily dose of football with other sports thrown in where warranted. And get a daily cheerleader pic with a Q and A discussing the advantages of the pro-style offense over the spread. Or some other important topic like why Willie Martinez doesn’t pronounce his name like we do in Augusta, it is pronounced Martnez, two syllables not three.
dangerranger6969 brings up a good point. Why don’t we play a home-and-home with FLA? I think we did one in the 90s, but before that, we were always playin in JAX. Why is that?
Not that it would matter, they would drill us either way.
Ask Joe Cox who is really going to stand out next year at WR other then AJ. I don’t believe Marlon Brown is just going to come in and knock all the other WR’s right off the depth chart. I know Moore is a good name to think about, but who else? Theres a lot of good recruits there that have paid their dues. Tony Wilson, Troup, Durham..ect.
Music City Dawg, We played a home and home series back when Spurrier was still at Florida because they were renovating the stadium where we play every year. The place had become a dump and UGA was close to pulling out of the deal and go to a permanent home and home but they put some money in the place and here we are playing them in the state of Florida every year.
Those interested in hearing from some things at UGA regarding the offseason can listen to my radio interview i had 2 weeks ago with Coach Van Halanger. I posted it to my church website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. here is the link.
The home and home was when Spurrier ran up the score on those porous (Joe Kines?) defenses we used to trot out on the field. I wouldn’t be against evening up the playing field but I think I would rather see it alternate to the Georgia Dome every other year. Playing it at a “neutral site” lends the game a larger sense of importance IMO.
OK, Aaron Murray was a no-show, which sucks because I was going to write him up for the morning paper. I’ll give you A.J. Green instead. Couple of things y’all asked for, then I have to get to writing. . . .
From A.J. Green, regarding double teams: “Yeah, I’m up for the challenge. I’m just going to have to work hard this spring, get better in the summer, get bigger. . . . The offense will be switching me around some, putting me off the ball, putting me in motion a lot and stuff like that. I think I’m going be all over the place this year, not just a ‘Z.’ I’m going to be the Y, the X, just everywhere.’
From Joe Cox, on greatest strengths and weaknesses: “I’d say my greatest strength is nothing physical, it’s my leadership abilities. I’ve said it before, that’s what I pride myself on, how I lead and how I conduct myself on and off the field. Weaknesses, really I could name just about anything. Not being a downfall, just being things I need to work on. You can always work on footwork, you can never learn an offense enough. Those are the things I’ve been trying to work on the most right now in the offseason.”
I’d like to know the offense and defense will look like compared to last year, especially in light of the exodus of Stafford, Allen, Massaquoi and Moreno.
OK, thanks for the info. So, how did the JAX tradition get started to begin with? I’m sure we’re still in it for money reasons, but I wonder how it got started?
Chip:
I’d really like to see a nice balance on all of the spring sports. There are so many great participants in those sports, with many of them pursuing advanced degrees in medicine, law etc. They’re also great characters with lots of stories about the matches and road trips. Plus, the tennis coaches are two of the best in the business and really great people.
Looking at it from a circulation/sales perspective, throughout my sports writing career stories on supposedly minor sports created a lot of buzz in rack sales and requests for extra copies of the paper.
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but feature stories and Q&As with former athletes are always popular. I enjoyed the recent pieces on Andre Hastings and Randall Godfrey y’all have written. Some writers and editors may look at stories like those as small town journalism, but in reality we’re all hooked on human interest stories. One of the best is right there in Athens, Brent Crimes. He played tennis at UGA and is an eye doctor … nice way to show that student-athletes can actually go on and earn great careers. Another one is Robert “Happy” Dicks, a linebacker from the 60s who is now an Athens neurosurgeon.
Chip, y’all do great work. Keep the great copy coming!
Why do the UGA corners continue to play pass defense with their back to the ball. I have seen it over and over, where a ball about hits them in the back of the head because they are not looking. Not only could they knock it down but have jsut as good of chance of an interception. CMR has said it is becasue once you turn around the receiver is gone..In my EXPERIENCE, it is obvious when the ball is released and it is still going to go where thrown and not change directions like a receiver. When you are at the bottom of the league in INT’s, maybe seeing the ball would help???
Since we’re making company analogies today, how about this one…
Bug Killer is like Hardee’s….fills up alot of space but really nothing there worth digesting (and makes some folks violently ill).
Get a life, pal. Richt’s not going anywhere and no matter how much you rant about his decisions, he ain’t listening. I’d call you a “glass half empty” guy but that would be a gigantic understatement.
I’d like to read about baseball, basketball, football. Whatever info is out there.
Regardless of what the topic is, the blogs are not interesting, no fun, when the AJC allows Tech and Gator fans to wreck the conversation with their juvenile comments. The same goes for the Tech blog — UGA fans should not be over there wrecking their blog either.
It’d be nice if all of these fans could grow up and have a decent blog for discussion but that’s never going to happen since most of the fan base is under 17yo. But until the AJC cleans things up, it’s always going to suck here for that reason.
And it’s too bad, really, because we could have a really good blog if it weren’t for this problem.
But if the AJC doesn’t want to work a little to have a good blog by monitoring the juveniles then switch to a blog format that forces registration with an ID and email address. This would keep people from constantly logging in and changing their name to bait and flame. Obviously it won’t eliminate the childishness in whole but it will control it more.
I would like to see an occasional feature story about ex Bulldogs a “where are they now kind of thing.” like what ever happ to Meat Cleaver Weaver? Pulpwood Smith? What is Rodney Hampton doing now? What about Cowboy Parrish and his sidekick (whose name escapes me now)?.
Chip you do a great job. Will you ever be back on 680 the fan? I always think you add a lot when you are on there.
Chip, these blogs are great. For me, like a lot of others, it’s football-24/7. The thing I like the most that you’ve been adding lately are the links. I love reading about any and all college football teams. On ESPN’s college football page, they have a blog section where you can click on links from local papers from EVERY D-1 Conference. Maybe i’m just weird, but I love clicking on a link to read about Miss. State’s offseason conditioning program via the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, or whatever the website’s name is. I wish they did the same for College basketball.
This blog is like the rest of blogs. How you folks put up with a 100 messages of nothing to read one message that is only half interesting? The one message from OLD Dawg commented on the reporters blog but the3 rest oif you… you just like seeing your name in print.
Would love to see a mix of coverage here. UGA has a lot of great spring sports athletes and it would be great to see a little bit about them too. Golf, baseball, track and field, even equestrian….
Dangit, UGA is my 3rd favorite team in the SEC. After reading today’s blog, I feel I’m in Group Session waiting for the master of crazy, BuLLdawg, to make his appearance. Speak to us ol’ DawgofBuLL…It’s after hours so now is your time. Rise up and fulfill your obligation to the masses…We await…and Go Vols
With all we read in the AJ-C about how great Georgia Tech Baseball is, I would like to see some print on Georgia Baseball. You could do some comparisons.
Frankly, I find the whole Jamar Hornsby saga disturbing on multiple levels. As for Hornsby himself, I hope he learned something from his felony theft charges that resulted from him stealing the credit card of a teammate’s dead girlfriend, and he turns his personal life around. It’s a shame that so many of these kids who are blessed with great athletic talent and a chance to make something of themselves also come from such shaky and ungrounded family situations that they are prone to making these sorts of amoral choices. For more on Ole Miss and Alabama recruiting Hornsby less than a year after Urban Meyer yanked his scholarship, here’s a link:
If Cox hopes to energize the dogs maybe he should accuse Tim Tebow of Cheating, Call out Julio Jones as a Mama’s boy, tell Brandon Spikes he’s a wuss and talk about singing Glory Glory after they beat UF this year…
I think Lane Kiffin can give him some pointers in “energizing” the dogs…
One off season story after another to feed mutt nation. The Orson Charles story has been on the front page on and off all week. The guy is a TE prospect. Wow. Is he going to keep UF from beating you by 39 points? How about keeping GT from laying 400+ yards rushing?
Wow, Green bigger and stronger, Cox the leader, on and on. This is why you losers get so jacked up about mutt FB only to be let down time and time again.
To POS Mutts, you realize your beloved Tebow could possibly leave FU with a 1-2 record vs UGA as a Starter. That would be priceless. Can’t you find a Gator forum to blab on?
That said, good to hear about the TEAM in Athens. I hope the Defense in Athens is reading this, because if they had showed up at all last year, this UGA team would be coming off a 12-1 season and a Sugar Bowl win.
Great to see Joe’s attitude. Looks to be a great leader and team player who knows his limits and is willing to do what is needed to win. Hope he does well this year. Congrats to the BB Dawgs last night. Hopefully they can at least spoil someone else’s season.
Atl Gator, indeed it is sad to see. How many chances do these kids get in life? Not many so they need to take advantage of it. Not only do I hate it for these kids I hate it even more for the kid who loses his scholarship because Nutt or Saban recruits a convicted felon to take his place. For every PacMan Jones out there is a Derek Jeter out there that uses his talents to do good in the world.
PTC Dawg Tebow could also leave with a 3-1 record vs. UGA and no matter what he will leave with more National titles than any UGA player has ever won in their whole history…that IS priceless.
The Dawgs definetly lacked vocal leadership in 08 so I hope that Cox or whomever it needs to be steps up and fills that role. He is right that we were flat at times last year and it really showed in the 3 losses we had. Tebow knows how to lead his team and energize them and we all know how the UF football team did in 08. Good luck to Joe and Co for 09.
Chip: what time do the dawgs start conditioning? I live in Knoxville and hear about what UT is doing during the off season. Kiffin has them hitting the drills at 5:30 AM so I was curious as to when Richt has them working out. Everyone up here thinks that Kiffin is the only coach with those ideas and that is what will make them winners in 09. It may do it but I believe every team is working hard during the off season to get better.
Great the haters are hitting it early this morning. Love to see that. Keep it up guys, it lets us know that the dawgs are still on your minds so much that you have to come on here and post the c r a p that you do. Be proud of your own program.
VERY GOOD ARTICLE. I have always pointed to our NEAR MISSES! All it takes is a little “luck” and we have a couple of titles. 2002, 2005, and 2007 were great teams that just didn’t catch all of the breaks. EVENTUALLY things will fall our way. CMR is the man that will lead us there!
POS Mutts, why so much animosity. You might need some therapy..you seem like you’re going to snap at any minute. If you don’t like us, why don’t you just not come to our blog?
[...] wore on.UGA: New quarterback Joe Cox wants the Bulldogs to change their attitude in 2009. “Everything was just kind of flat last season. I mean, not the whole season, just at times. We’re trying to change that this year. [...]
Chip, do we have any ideas on who will mirror Joe’s initiative on the defensive side? I am sure Owens and even Rennie–who is more quiet and lead by example guy.
It’s good to see a renewed passion for the game that makes college football so great. Even if it makes Florida fans all that more insufferable. But I can say I have not worn hightops since the 80’s in elementary school. I have never worn an A-shirt in public and definitely have never paired that with jean shorts, a gold chain, and a mullet.
I like what I am hearing about the diamond dogs so far. Maybe we can get back to Omaha.
Yeah, lets see where Cox is gonna energize the dawgs. Im sorry, but i dont care how long you been there and how mature you are, that doesn’t win games. Joe Cox will not be the starting QB come late October, early November. UGA is gonna come up short just like they do every year, because Richt has no disipline! They are at the top of the nation every year in penalties so I really don’t care if you had Stafford and Moreno back this year, UGA would finish around #6-10 like they do every year. To hell with Georgia, Go Tech!
As usual, another half-assed story by AJC followed up with a useless discussion forum afterward. There is no use whatsoever for the “comment” section after every other story on the sports pages. It is just the same sad losers who have NO LIFE whatsoever who troll these boards with NO VALUE at all to the story or the reading, etc. The saddest part of all is that most of them are not even UGA fans, rather just a bunch of misplaced rednecks or those with eyes too close together and teeth too far apart who made a wrong turn on the misinformation superhighway.
Tebowblowscox, I expect that to be the last we here of you then. If the site is really that bad, why would you waste your time here? I’m positive you aren’t a “loser with NO LIFE” that just trolls valueless boards/blogs. I’m sure there are other places out there on the web that you can go surf.
But if indeed someone is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read this site, send us a message and we’ll get the police right on it…
I hope all you Tech, UT, and Gator fans know that when you criticize Dawgs fans for blogging about their own team and getting excited for the upcoming season, on a UGA blog no less, it only make you look pathetic. Think about it….you are here too…. blogging on the same website…. about a team you supposedly dont even care about. What losers.
Tech fans want to be relevant so bad they can taste it. Dawg fans have moved on from “45-42″. It was actually not that hard becasue we remember that its been a long time since GT was any good. And I do think that CPJ will help to renew the rivalry but if you think that means that all the sudden GT’s program is anywhere near UGA’s, or that by winning by 3 points for the first time in 8 years places your accomplishments up their wish UGA’s you’re dreaming. The FACT is for the last decade GT has meant nothing in the CFB world…not even to UGA fans we’ve laughed at you for years now. We’re not laughing so much anymore after the “45-42″ but all that did was serve to humble (much needed in reality) a fan base. That still doesnt change the fact that GT still has a ways to go to be considered a top football program…UGA is already at that level and has been for years. Not USC, Texas, OK, UF level….but still a top10 football program.
UF fans have an inferiority complex so severe that if anyone says anything positive about any team other then the Gators, they feel compelled to lash out at our fans (anyone’s fans)…..we dont care what you think! It wouldnt matter if UGA had never beat UF in history, we would still root for the Dawgs and dont give two craps about your stinking swamp land school. It really is sad that you feel so threatened by people who enjoy something you dont. Get over it already we’re allowed to talk about our team in a posiitve light. We’re not going to include UF in every conversation about football. It shows what kind of a$$clowns you Gators fans can be.
Fletch, I really appreciate your concern but I’m fine, really. Laughing at you clowns trying to figure out what went wrong in ‘08 and where your team is or how you get your motivation back is just priceless.
Lets get this straight losers, you will NEVER, EVER see another long winning streak against Paul Johnson. You may pull out 2 or 3 in a row at some point but I doubt that. The sooner you realize this isn’t Chan Gailey’s team anymore the easier it will be to accept the pain.
Roddy Jones set a GT record for yards per carry against the pre-season #1 team with 16.5 yards per carry and 214 total. He’s our 3rd best RB. Now, we have another Dwyer clone with Anthony Allen suiting up in ‘09.
We’re no longer an automatic ‘W’ on your schedule. Don’t you ever forget that.
Yeah Tech really deserves better fans than the ones on this blog. No wonder they can’t fill up their stadium. Their fans are too busy being obsessed with UGA.
LOL @ the Techie tough talk. For your information POS Mutts, what went wrong with Georgia in 2008 is that our defense was horrible. That’s what went wrong. UGA fans are man enough to admit what went wrong. We don’t cry like little girls and make excuses like Tech fans. What went wrong with the Joke by Coke when it lost 3 of its final 6 games? What went wrong with the Joke by Coke when it got lit up for 400 yards passing by Stafford, who every Techie on earth claimed was “overrated” before the season started? What went wrong when the Joke by Coke got absolutely humiliated in its bowl game? What went wrong when your absolutely laughable defense gave up 80 points in its final two games? Are you man enough to answer these questions Techie? I don’t think you are. I think you only want to talk about “45-42″, beating FSU, and winning 9 games. I don’t think Tech fans have the cajones to embrace their team’s obvious weaknesses. They just want everyone to tell them how great they are and how they’ve arrived. If not, its go cry to mommy time. Tech fans are an absolute pathetic joke. You are dismissed.
Music City, he was another one of our top 11 QBs in the country. We have consistently recruited top-level QB talent. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think every QB Richt has recruited was a top 11 (from the camp.
In the SEC, we repeatedly see that upperclassmen at the QB position do well. The real fun will be next year with Logan and Aaron both bringing a similar running dimension versus the big arm of Mettenberger.
After reading the report on the average SAT score for Gator football players, i don’t think I could even be excited about their recent national titles if I was a fan. I know athletes get preferencial treament of acceptance, but being below Mississippi State on SATs is a joke.
I hear the school itself is pretty good for non-athletes though.
I like the fact that UGA is coming in this year under the radar. People can underestimate Cox all they want but this guy is a very good QB. Don’t you remember when he came in and won that game against Colorado a few years aga? I know Colorado was terrible that year but that was a do or die drive at the end of the game and Cox handled the pressure beautifully. And he wasn’t even playing regularly to get in a groove. I’m very excited to have a guy like that around this year to give Aaron and Zach some time to mature to the next level.
And as for the gator fan that dissed on the AJC for reporting often on the Orsen Charles situation…sounds like you’re just pissed because he took uf off his list. The reporters are doing their best to keep the UGA football fans fed with news about their favorite team so if you’re tired of it, find a uf blog (if there is one)!
Techies, try winning one bowl game some day and then get back to us. You once again humiliated yourselves on National TV and no, we couldn’t tell a whole lot of difference between an inept Johnson coached team and the previous inept Gailey coached teams. You win one game in 8 years by three points and you think you make it. Dream on.
cox brings a breathe of fresh air,as the dawgs finally have some leadership at qb .
this was certainly lacking last year and maybe, we will see a more focus and determined team in 2009.
Huh? I’ll answer your questions chump, all summed up by injuries and 16 out of 22 starters freshman or sophomores. That didn’t hurt us against your weak little a$$es, did it. Your defense full of 4 and 5* recruits.
No one beat us by 39 or had us down 31-0 at half. Your three most meaningful games of the year were blown.
1) It’s the lunch rush, shouldn’t you be at the drive-thru? I would imagine you will be reprimanded or even fired for missing time.
2) Better to let people wonder if you are a fool, rather than speak(or type) and confirm it to all of us.
3) When you use the term “us”, as in “That didn’t hurt us against your weak… and “We’re no longer a W on your schedule.” That implies that you played and/or are currently playing. You may be a player, I don’t know. I don’t care if you are, and I don’t really care if you contribute anything to the school or not. They are not your team, nor will they be. They care about nuclear engineering and computer programming. You are just like me, just a fan. I am a fan of the Dawgs. They have no clue who I am or that I once held season tickets, and that I still enjoy going to the game, they just want the money from tickets, jersey and merch sales and contributions. I happen to be ok with that.
POS Mutts- As a Georgia fan I think the core of your argument is right. Georgia Tech is no longer the Georgia Tech of old and I think they are only going to get better. They overachieved with Chan Gailey’s recruits on the roster and Paul Johnson is only going to make that better. Besides being a Georgia fan I am just a fan of football in general and the renewed rivalry makes for better football. I don’t see the point in any Georgia fan denying that.
As for the Cox/Gray debate I think it will be interesting to see where the coaching staff takes this thing. We’d all like to see Cox pull off something similar to the 05 season. The worse case scenario is something similar to 06 where we have a revolving door at QB and CMR can’t figure out who to play. If it becomes clear that Cox isn’t the guy then I think we should go with the youth movement (Gray and Murray) as soon as possible.
I don’t think the Orson Charles thing holds much signifigance right now. Aron White is plenty talented and we saw flashes of that last year. I think he’s our top option at TE ahead of Figgins.
The energy thing is a good sign, I think. It was obvious throughout Stafford’s tenure that he was the most talented QB we’ve had but he lacked the motivational talents of a Tim Tebow. Stafford had some big game theatrics but never had the intangibles that we needed to push us over the top.
POS Mutts, you’re exactly right. UGA did lose it’s 3 most significant games of the year. But I think I would be more worried about Tech losing by 35 to a 5 loss team in their bowl game.
General, see POS Mutts for eample. Now that is hatred even the name exudes hatred unless the POS is what his friends and parents called him growing up and it just stuck.
Vandy
Talk about an inferiority complex…I didn’t see one Gator fan lashing out at anyone on this blog before your post. UGA fans SHOULD get excited about their team before the start of a new season no doubt as should any fan of any team. But if you read the shots several take at UF here you will see why in the least a UF fan would stick up for their school. POS Mutts is a TECh fan if you didnt realize that. It sounds like you are threatened that we ACTUALLY enjoy something you don’t winning titles in modern times or being the better athletic program or being a higher rated Academic institution all of which UF is over UGA.
The inferiority complex has gotten so bad all you hear are jokes about fashion and hairstyles all of which apply just as much to the UGA fanbase as it does UF’s. I live in Atlanta and trust me you can throw a stone in any part of this state and hit a redneck UGA fan with Jean Shorts and a Mullet.
and TECH GUY
That report about UF’s SAT scores for players was a report done from 2002. Not one player on UF’s 2008 BCS title team had an SAT score that was apart of that report. Since Urban Meyer has been there only TWO players he recruited have failed to qualify whereas at almost every other SEC school the number is 3 times that in the same timeframe and even sometimes even in one given recruiting class. The Football team Average GPA and graduation rate has gone up at UF considerably since Meyer has gotten there as well.
There are still a few bad apples here and there but no school is immune to that ie. Marcus Houston, Odell Thurman, Maurice Clarett etc…
Chip- With this new format for the blogs are they fixing it where you can also submit your own headline/lead-in for your articles? Over the last few years that seems to be an issue that pops up from time to time.
Huh; really?? “We don’t cry like little girls and make excuses like Tech fans.” I am neither a ‘dawg’ or a tech fan…but I remember, distinctly, reading blogs after all three losses. UGA blogs on this paper, by the way. And these blogs were loaded with “cheating refs”, “bad calls”, “SEC officials have it in for us because of the endzone celebration last year”. Yeah…dawg fans ALWAYS man up and NEVER make excuses.
I personally find the Hornsby situation very disturbing.
I believe in offereing academically marginal kids if they can make minimum score standards – and work to get them an education so that they have an opportunity beyond football – as the odds are against them to make it in the NFL.
I also believe in second chances for young people that have made wrong or stupid decisions – depending on the crime or issue.
HOWEVER – the punishment needs to fit the crime. NO second chances for sexual assualt, rape, murder, stealing your deceased teammate’s dead girlfriends’s credit card and running charges on it for months on end.
Hornsby’s second chance should have been in prision rehab and whatever Jr college and local community school that he could get admitted – to hopefully prepare him for a productive life.
As a Alabama fan – I am embarrassed to see Coach Saban’s name associated with this animal – and even more embarrassed that an SEC school would admit him onto their campus.
I also need to point out that Hornsby will probably be an attorney one day – and maybe work for JOHN EDWARDS.
Blue: who is “we”? I don’t currently play for UGA. FYI, I was merely just pointing out the glass house in which most fringe college football fans live in. Not a comeback at all, not trying to “cut” anyone. Just a statement.
Kiffin….if you dont see the Gator fans’ trash talking then you are either not reading, a gator fan, or just an idiot. Hey you could be all three???
Second….of course there are rednecks all over the south including GA….I never claimed any different or said anything about jorts or mullets…besides even you can understand that those types of jokes are good natured, right?
As far as Tech’s fine academic institution….you will get no arguement from me, Tech is a good school. That does not mean that UGA students are idiots. That doesnt mean that UGA is a crappy school either. It’s not like Tech is that great anyways there are plenty of better schools. This is about football though….and you’ll have to excuse us UGA fans if we get a little annoyed by GT fans talking any trash about football considering they have been terrible for years. I know, I know….what about 45-42? OK you got us last year. You do deserve a little trash talk. But calling another fan base dumb wont make your team any better at football, now will it?
Lastly, GT has not won any more Championships then UGA in the “modern era” as you say. I’m not sure what you consider to be the “modern era” but 1980 and 1991 arent very far apart, and GT’s was only a half anyway.
Bama Stan, set us straight here for that 31-0 at the half is that your game versus us or the Sugar Bowl versus Utah? Actually a good post there. But can you tell us the difference between Ole Miss and those places that you named for his second chance? Also what’s the deal with Andre Smith? Any word from a Bama fan on what he is trying to accomplish at the combines? Seems like he has some bad advisors.
Haters are on every blog and every school has them in their fan base. Most true haters are people with nothing better to do than hate kids that are just trying to play some football and get an education. They are not worth wasting your time on so scroll past their posts. ‘Nuff said about that. Cox may turn out to be a good leader, which is the most important part of a QB’s job. Also, Jeff Owens, Washington, Sturdivant, and Curran have talked openly about trying to be better leaders and setting an example for the younger guys. I like to hear an OT, DT, and a MLB talk like that because you can’t be a strong football team without being strong up the middle. That is true for offense and defense.
There’s a couple of reasons beyond his personality that will aid Cox in his leadership role; the first and most obvious is that he’ll be a senior. I think most would agree that we saw with Stafford, talent alone don’t get it done. Maturity makes a huge difference.
The other reason is the fact that Cox has experienced being second fiddle with the vast majority of his game time being mop up duty. If and when some underclassman wide receiver complains that he’s not getting enough passes Cox will not only be able to understand the guy’s feelings but can also put him in his place, if necessary… Cox has paid the price to be where he is. I believe this was a big help to D.J. Shockley a few years ago. It won’t take “a few games to see what Cox can do” to earn the team’s respect… He’s earned it through attrition.
Isn’t it still true that Cox has never lost a game that he started in his whole life?
I don’t think Cox’s leadership abilities will have anything to do whether this team will win or not in 09. Can he throw a 15 yd out to the long side of the field where only his WR can catch it? Can he throw the fade to the back of the EZ from the 15 yd line where ONLY his WR can catch it?? Remember, UGA runs a pro style offense and the QB has to be able to make ALL of the throws in order to be successful. That means arm strength, accuracy, touch, and intelligence. I wonder how often he’ll be able to audible at the LOS early in the season? Leadership is overrated. If he can’t make the throws, the team won’t win. It’s that simple. We don’t need another Joe Tereshinski on this team.
Oh, and don’t tell me that Stafford could make all of the throws but he wasn’t very successful. He was very inconsistent, considering he had a gun of an arm. I don’t know how many times I threw crap at my TV as he overshot yet another bomb by a few yards at least. Stafford reminds me of Jeff George. Hopefully Cox will be more like David Greene, able to make all of the throws needed to win in this offense.
Atlanta Gator we all feel the same way. Any one who wants to turn his situation into a Gator bash best look in the mirror before speaking. No program with 85 kids is immune to a bad apple or two. And Meyer did get rid of him. It’s Nutt’s decision that I question, he knows what he is getting.
Wow! Is most everyone on here a two-year old? I am on here because I was interested in what Cox had to say as a football fan, not at a Florida fan. I read the AJC website because I used to live in Atlanta. And this is not a Georgia blog by the way, it is an AJC blog about football. I think Joe Cox is going to help Georgia be more competitive this year. You don’t have to be a great QB to help your team be great. But you have to have great players around you, and Cox has a lot of great players around him. I hope Cox and his teammates make the Georgia/Florida game more competitive this year. More fun that way. Even though Florida lost two years ago, the game was great to watch. And, by the way, Charles basically eliminated Florida because he does not have the academic records right now to get into Florida and the Florida coaches told him that, and his family knows that. If he signs with Georgia, he may be a non-qualifier there as well. He can get into USC, no problem. Probably Tennessee as well. Sign with Georgia and he has to get his assessment scores up and must improve his grades before the end of the school year. He would not have had the GPA to get into Florida from I have read down here in Tampa..he has not been a good student. Great guy. Wonderful guy. A great football player. Not a good student. So we will see what happens next. But basically he put off his decision because of his grades and qualifying issues. Georgia seems to take more risks on signing players that might not qualify than Florida does…that is not a put down…just a fact.
Joe C. certainly has more heart/fire than Stafford (sans the cannon arm). I think he’ll be a solid QB (barring injury). Hopefully the TB’s will be solid as well, as they’re the real offensive question mark. WR Corps, FB, TE & OL should all be good.
Hey My fellow mutts. how bout that Gamecock basketball team!!!! Well I think the gamecocks might spoil the big uga football party this year at the less intimidating sanford cow pasture. Can I hear the excuses now???? Oh moreno left early…. Our defensive coach is clueless. We have a new QB and RB… too many injuries.. bwah bwah bwah.. we are still stinging from the Tech loss. The dawgs were again lucky last year with a Gamecock fumble. UGa fans are still sick because their football team just cant put away those Gamecocks!!!!! You mutt fans better get your bottles Pepto ready when the mighty Gamecocks visit Athens!!!!
Why do we go back and forth with these Tech people. Just ignore them and they’ll quit coming on here. Tech is just another game for Georgia. Yeah, every once in a while we go to sleep on them and they beat us, then we get ticked off and kick their butts for a few years again until we get bored. It’s the pinnacle of the season for them. It ranks just a little above beating Georgia Southern for us. Embarrassing if we lose, but not very satisfying when we win. Ho hum.
And speaking of S. Carolina, we get them early in the season while they still think they have a chance to be something. We’re usually the first step in the tailspin for them, but every once in a while we let boredom get to us and they win. Ho double hum.
Joe Cox will be good for the Offense. Leadereship can not be overstated for a QB. He also needs some skill, but can overcome a lack of skill and talent by being a great leader. Example, David Green. He was a great leader with good, but not great talent. He didn’t have the strongest arm, he wasn’t the fastest, but he kept the offense on track with his leadership. His leadership was why D.J. Shockley didn’t see the field very much before his senior year. Shock, was the better athlete, with the better arm. However, Green had the leadership ability from the start and then made good decisions and thus never lost the starting job. Joe Cox will hopefully be a blend of Shock and Green providing leadership with more talent. Of course, Aaron Murray, Logan Gray and Zach Mettenberg may have something to say about who leads with the most talent. We have more to worry about with the D. Go Dawgs!
It’s amazing all you Non-dawg fans have nothing better to do than browse Dawg blogs? What’s up with that? shameless I think. I just might jump on Tech , Bama, and of Course FL blogs and raise heck.
but–then I’d be like them, Nah, I’m not a loser, Keep posting to our blogs you idiots, It just means we are popular and we’ve gotten under your skin–Otherwise you would not be posting here would you????
Why are Tech fans here? I’ll say it again – Tech = two 10 win seasons in over 50 years of playing ball / UGA = six ten win or more seasons out of the last seven years in the toughest conference in America…….it’s incredibly funny that when Tech does manage a win over UGA, they are so amazed by the feat that they have rings made to document the event because they know the price of gold may be too high the next time they do it again – so funny. And as for Tech getting better – there is a reason no one runs their offense anymore – see LSU bowl game – now that we know we will be looking at it every year, it will no longer be a novelty. Tech will only impress in the weak ACC…the NEW streak begins this year and it won’t even be close….UGA will romp. It is also beyond funny that a Tech fan would say something like, “UGA will always just be ranked in the top ten around 5 or 6″ What a laugher….UGA is the ONLY team since, I think 1986, that has made the top 25 EVERY YEAR without fail……nobody does it better, folks…..you Tech guys…you REALLY are sad.
[...] probably won’t have the same feel as the last time the two team’s played… in the championship game of last year’s SEC Tournament.UGA: The tip time for Georgia’s season finale with South Carolina has been moved to 2pm EST [...]
Andy Landers is now a Hall of Fame coach in both NCAA and state circles, and I truly appreciate the job he’s done at UGA. However, the past 5 or so years show that he’s lost his recruiting and coaching touch. I realize he signed what has been ranked a top 5 class for next year, and that’s a first for him in a long, long time. I just don’t expect him to do much with that group or to build on it by signing a great class the next year. Obviously, we and everyone else in the SEC have played second fiddle to Tennessee/Summit, but the sad reality is, several other programs in our conference have passed us by.
Good luck Chip, we shall endeavor to persevere without your guidance this weekend.
Just get this trainwreck called basketball season over, please.
Gotta agree about Coach Hugh, a decent man who did a good job season in and out at a football school. At least we kept Landers. Maybe he would be interested in coaching the men’s team? Nah, why ruin him.
I guess the big difference is that Joe Hamilton was seen as a stand up guy and put in charge of football players. Quincy has always had problems with Drugs and Alcohol and wasn’t even put in charge of some awful Dallas and Jets teams.
Please Dawg fans give my boy Quincy a break. Heck he was the best QB in the nation till that South Carolina game. We were gonna win the whole thing that year. Those damn chickens make me sick…..
Men’s Basketball in the SEC has seen a down year. When the Promemade begins, we’ll be fortunate to have 5 teams, 7 on the outside, to attend the Gala…and of those, I’ll wager whatever Quincy was smoking, none will see beyond the Sweet 16…
Tubby showed what you could do in Athens. We can’t help that Jirsa was a horrible hire. Harrick did a great job ON THE COURT and then Felton just never could get over the hump.
No administration should’ve stuck with the intense mediocrity that Durham brought to Athens.
The next hire by the Dawgs will show what a great job Georgia can be when the right guy is brought in. I have that much faith in Damon.
The surest subject for this crowd, Chip, is football recruitin’. This is a group of recruitin addicts. Its not about what UGA does on the field. Its about who they recruit.
If Hugh had been given more support from the administration with things like converting all those seats to matching red, adding the telescopic seating on endlines and sides and the jumbotron scoreboard who knows what he could have done. Never mind not rolling him over after the 1991 season. Hugh did what he did while recruiting to a barn. There’s not a thing wrong with Stegeman now.
“My ultimate goal is not to get a big hug from coach Meyer after a game, it’s when I stand before Jesus Christ and he has his arms out … and he says, ‘Timmy, you finished,’ ” Tebow said. Also, “Come see us beat Georgia again.” . . .
I use to think he was a humble person and role leader, but he just proved that he is full of himself. We will be back and don’t take it easy, as far as hits ,on Tebow next year. This year we went too easy. I love the Dawgs no matter what their season ends with……..GO DAWGS, sic ‘em!
Just for the record: Perno’s Pups won 11-5 on Friday and 12-5 last night!!!!
TommyP- you are correct, that we cannot help the Jirsa was terrible hire…. but then again, that was vintage Dooley, playing it cheap. You are right, Jirsa was terrible!!!!
I hope Damon makes the right hire. Not sure that the search agency that landed Pelfry for Arkansas and Felton for Georgia is the right agency. If so, I’m in the wrong business.
‘Breaks’ don’t happen. Teams that are focused and determined create their own breaks.
The dawgs had their break when they started off at the top of the pile. They earned that for their performance the previous season. What was required was that they have the drive and grit to hold on to it. The entire team failed. No excuses.
Lack of motivation starts and ends at the top. CMR failed to take advantage of a sweet shot at the title.
Georgia will have other shots but if they don’t do something with them, all that will be left to do is cry about Florida getting lucky… again.
The show was watchable because of Herschel and yes, he handled himself with class and dignity.There was one point where he said he got more Georgia fans involved in their enterprise that Dice and Rodman combined. That was priceless, since it was in New York city!
BTW, Natalie Gulbis and the Playmate are smoking hot, so that helped keep my interest.
Which Herschel was it that actually showed the class? Will he even remember this or will it be like when he won the Heisman?
Its easy for anyone to show class when your in the same room as Rodman and Dice Clay. Come on man report on something important instead of a old washed up running back that hasn’t been in a UGA uniform in 25 years.
Why is there no article or section for the Diamond Dawgs? Basketball has their own and they are God-awful. Perno’s team was in the national championship last year and is ranked 12 in the nation. I’m down here in south Georgia and the only place I can get info is on georgiadogs.com. Kinda makes me wonder if we need the AJC for anything if we can get news from other sources? No wonder newsprint is about to all go under…
UGA: Don’t know if you noticed but I wrote about six or seven other things besides “that washed up running back.” So just read on, or don’t read, whatever you wish. But clearly you’re not a Dogs fan if you don’t care to read about Herschel, so I’d suggest a more fitting handle.
Eric Zeier all the way! The only thing people say goes against him as being the all time best QB at UGA is that he didn’t win as many games. Well, if you look back, the teams he played with were some of the worst in Georgia’s history (I should know, I was a student there during this time)….except the 92/93 team where we went 10-2, losing to FL and TN by a total of 5 points. If Zeier had had this years’ team with those incredible receivers, he would have taken us to the National Championship!! He has my vote all the way! Best all-around QB Georgia has ever seen!
Dawg Fud: Because Bobo is so awesome, right? That’s what CMR is telling us. . . .
Dawggone-it: I don’t know what you mean about “section” for Georgia baseball, but we report the results every time they play a game. We’re not going to “staff” and write a story on all 60 or so of their games. As you know, the Internet helps tell us what people are clicking on and how much they’re reading and, despite what you might think, college baseball is NOT something that moves the needle. That said, Tim Tucker, Peter Cox and I will profile the best and/or most interesting players, preview the best series, cover the most important games and follow them all the way to the College World Series in the postseason like we always do. And you can always read about the him in the UGA blog, like this morning. . . .
I’m not sure how much snow we actually got up here in the Athens area but my yard here in Bogart had at least four or five inches. And it hasn’t been very quick to melt. What about where you live?
Hey, Chip, how bout some Love for the Gym Dogs?! We beat Florida this weekend, we scored our highest score in many years, and we are # 1 in the country. And, don’t forget, Coach Yoculan is going for her 110th National Championship! I was at the first half of the meet on Saturday. It was my first ever Gym Dogs meet, and it was very cool.
Chip, I will lend you my snowblower if you need it. Sun shining and 8 degrees here this morning (up to 18 or so now). But NO snow. We may see sun for three days straight this week before the rain/snow mixture kicks in Thursday.
I am writing to just say how impressed I, and my family, were w/the UGA baseball team and staff. Not talking about only the wins/sweep they put up on the U of AZ, but how they all played and demonstrated good sportsmanship and outstanding candor/kindness postgame. They, players and coaches, were very patient and willing to sign balls and talk w/fans. Understanding that they felt 2 hours ahead of everyone else cause of the time difference, they still had a smile and was such a pleasant experience.
Congrats to the Dawgs for the wins, and to the parents and coaches for developing such excellent young men. Living out here in AZ, it was awesome to see the Dawgs play in person. GOOO DAWGS!!!
All I was saying is that there are other things to report on that are going at UGA than a running back that hasn’t put on a UGA uniform in 25 years being on some stupid T.V. show with trump.
The only person that I would disagree with in your statement is Matt Ceroine. I just guessing you didn’t hear the f-bomb and the bit^h he dropped on national television last year during the NCCG.
BTW dog fans, Can’t wait to come to Athens to beat down your puppies and see my #1 team in nation show you how to real men play baseball. lol
Kidding on the second part, just looking forward to the series.
I guess everybody is snowed in or didn’t come into work. Hopefully we’ll have some more participation tomorrow. Let me know some subjects you’d like to discuss.
Chip, does Lawrence usually run the 400 in meets and the scheduling of the 200 and the 4 x 400 prevent him from participating in that event? I read the story you linked to and it doesn’t say anything about it. Can you find out for me? Thanks.
Doggie’s defense will be the difference this year, with a more-than-capable Cox firing accurate passes to some of the best receivers in the nation. Cox will be the man this year – the leader we need. How ironic, Cox beats the Cocks!GO DOGGIES!
I’m a die hard Gator and I really enjoy raggin on you puppies; however, I was at the Gator Bowl in 1980 when Buck and Lindsey broke my heart remembered watching Herschel thought in amazement–I’d never seen a better college football player. I listened to Larry Munson’s call when #34 ran over Bill Bates in his frosh debut, and was stupified watching him outrun 2 gamecocks DB’s between the hedges. Herschel is still the proto typical “best I’ve ever seen on a college football field,” but Tebow’s a close 2nd
Aw Shucks HUH??… If Boo BOO got a raise shouldnt Wille give his pay check back? I mean the Alabama game, Fla. and of course the biggest melt down in UGA history against a team with a mickey mouse offense that plays in the ACC with a bunch of underclassmen. I hope Boo Boo gets it going against those teams like Vandy and gamechickens. Its a total embarrassment for letting those teams hang around and eek out a win. No wonder the sports pundits respect UGA’s football program.
“Which Herschel was it that actually showed the class? Will he even remember this or will it be like when he won the Heisman?”
It doesn’t matter, because a pathetic trolling POS like yourself wouldn’t know class if it smacked you in the face. Even with his disorder, he’s accomplished 1000x what you ever will in your worthless life, so feel free to go play in traffic.
Nice to see Jancek choose to stay in Athens. I don’t know a lot about him but he seems to have a knack for getting very physical play out of speedy, yet generally undersized, linebackers.
Also nice to hear that Ben Watson is giving back and it’s probably a thrill for a kid who grew up in Massachusetts
UGA has won 14 out of the last 18, 23 out of last 31, 35 out of last 50…shall I continue (oh 7 out of last 8). Plus 3 of those wins in the last 50 years were “vacated”, so actually Tech’s record is even lousier than it appears (which is REALLY lousy).
Finally, the overall record is, 59-37-5…OUCH, now I understand why all of the Nerd Nation has such ____ envy when it comes to UGA!!
The argument that Coach Richt is a fool and attempting to destroy the program by keeping WM on his staff, despite anyone who thinks they know football insisting that he cannot, sort of goes out the window when several assistance, who DO KNOW something about football, decide to stay on his staff. Garner and Jancek would be the biggest fools in the world to stay and sabatage thier own careers, turning down what was surely better money, if they thought this defense was on some downward spiral. They have absolutely nothing to gain by staying under a coordinator that they didn’t feel confident with. These are the very position coaches who are at the core of the defense, and know more about what is going on inside the program than any “observer” could ever begin to understand.
At the very least, this so-called “weakness” of Mark Richt’s, treating his staff with more than a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, need to pacify some boosters attitude, has now saved 3 extremely valuable staff members this year alone.
Mark Richt must be a good person to work for!! Georgia is my 2nd favorite college team to follow and
Coach Richt runs a clean program and wins about ten games a year. I hope he wins a NC one day and beats the gators like a government mule!!
Chip, I realize not much can be done about the coaching situation until after the season, but what is, if any, the “talk” about who they might be looking at? I read what the fellow in Chattanooga had to say, and I think what was said is true- with all the talent around the State, a shame that Bball is not much better at UGA! Will the Adm. make a large commitment to see that it happens? I guess, time will tell!
Rabun Dawg: All I can say is I’m following the bb coaching search extremely closely and keeping tabs on what’s going on. My interest is only reporting what is factual, up to and including the actual hire. Everything else you’ve read to date, including Epps’ column, is pure speculation. I’ll have something coming out soon but the actual hire is not going to take place until the prospective coach has completed his ongoing season. I’ll just leave it at that.
Chip,
How are those new Easton bats doing for the Diamond Dawgs? Looks as if they worked pretty good in the desert last weekend. How about an interview with some of the players?
Alt- Remember several months ago with the blogs going ballistically antiloyal versus WM? Good posting to prove how far off and dead wrong those people were. Richt had already replied publically as to how they didn’t know football and some continued. Makes you realize how many anti-Dawgs are out there who blog when you are down in an attempt to get you to be negative about your own team. Sort’a like what’s happening nationally during this fiscal crisis….?
Good post Althama. I totaly agree. I’ve always been slower to turn coaches/assistant coaches into the scapegoat of bad games. It’s a shame a lot of the blogers don’t see that.
Ben Watson is a great guy for advice. He earned his Bachelor’s degree before his final year of eligibility. He chose to stick around, improve his draft status, and work towards a Master’s degree.
Chip- I know you have asked for hints from us on subjects to blog. How about the best play that a fan may consider to be the most exemplary of the bulldog spirit? Any sport or act. Mine would date back to an unseen and/or forgotten football play for most fans that involved two players, Varnado(?) and Lawhorn(e). I would love to read other fan’s reasoning as to why their “play” exemplifys the Dawg Spirit. Mine involves a Rhodes Scholar as well.
Chip,
New Mexico has 3 football players involved in academic cheating and the NCAA takes 5 scholarships for the next few years. Florida State has a number of athletes (including numerous football players) caught in academic cheating and nothing happens. Is the NCAA giving Bowden a break by not disciplining him in his last year of coaching? Why no penalties for a much more serious violation?
I think that UGA will hire Grant from VCU. I keep banging the drum for a west coast guy in Bennett from St. Mary’s. Epps mentioned Univ of Miami and Univ of Cinn coaches. We just need a really good recruiter, either the head coach or one of his assistants.
Everyone wants to compare richt to bowden with all loyalty crap…Look at what being nice does to you at the end of your career with old man bowden.Nothing but thugness.Being nice will get you steamrolled.Bowden is like the braves,only one national championship with all the talent in the world!!!!!I love uga but really want some of what florida has right now!!!!BEING NICE WILL NEVER GET YOU TO THE TOP!!!!!!!!!!GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
Epps’ article is outstanding! What a moment of journailsm brilliance! Why doesnt the AJC consider hiring this guy?
Obviously I agree with Epps in that Grant is the obvious choice for the head BBall Coach for UGA. He’s young, talented, a great recruiter, and proven winner. Knight would bring a lot of publicity, but ultimately I think it would turn almost all negative, and Knight will get frustrated and leave prematurely. That’s NOT what this program needs.
SEC fan, I believe that FSU handled their academic cheating situation in a “in house” manner that was acceptable to the NCAA. I’m not familiar with the NM situation at all so who knows? It was admirable that FSU handled their situation swiftly and dealt with the players the way they should have. They missed their bowl trip and many were kicked off the team. Maybe NM tried to hide their wrongdoings???
Oledawg, It’s never really been an issue about WM skills to me. I have my own opinions about it and other concur or disagree about the x’s and o’s, and that the whole business of sports banter. We should do this or that is fair game. Same for offensive playcalling. Anyone not actually responsible for doing it…..well thier opinion is as good any anyones, which isn’t much.
The annoying part about the constant “fire WM” gang is not that they don’t like him, or disagree with him philosophically, or even childishly profess hatred for the man, it that they mix thier arguments up, to the point it not even rational anymore.
You simply cannot understand a clear thinking person trying to make the case that: Mark Richt must evaluate everything the the same way I do. I have all the information that he does. He cannot possible know something that I don’t. And since that is a given, him not doing what I would do, is totally unexplainable other than he is knowingly trying to undermine his own football program.
(just for the record, I dont think Mark Richt ever said that folks don’t know anything about football. He did say if “some folks knew as much as they thought” and he was specifically adressing those that said we don’t “blitz” or don’t run the same philosophy as we use to under BVG. And he was giving examples of that just being plain incorrect. Pretty easy to pick out the guilty parties as they got rather offended and tried to flip his words aorund on him)
Flats, Dooley hasn’t been AD in a couple of years. It’s Damon Evans now.
As far as the BB coach situation, we need to hire a young guy that will be with the program for many years to come. I’d love to see Knight come to Athens for a few years if we can’t get a fiery young guy though.
flats – the Central Michigan DC job would be about on par with the USF DC job. Since you could infer then that since Jancek chose to leave that and is now at UGA, he would view that as an inferior position.
Is that over your head? If so, I can write it out for you slower.
Getting back on subject though…it’s pretty amazing that these assistants are turning down more powerful positions and more money to stay with Richt. It speaks volumes about the kind of man he is. If you’ll notice on these blogs the only people that talk bad about him are people that are fans of our biggest rivals because we beat them most of the time (gt,sc, etc..) or the teams that we seem to have long runs back and forth (uf, ut, au, etc…) with. The Rodney Garner deal was the most impressive though. He would have been the biggest loss because of the recriuting implications. He said that Richt was a brand that was irreplaceable in terms of recruiting. He sells himself and kids want to play for him and it makes his job much easier. UGA is in great hands with CMR!
As big a fan as I am of UNC and Butch Davis, and while I think we will be competitive with the likes of UGA as early as 09, I think there are no betters coaches, much less people, that Mark Richt. I bet UGA fans who value character agree with me.
The word is out that Jim Leavitt is a jerk to work for and to be around. None of his ex-assistant coaches have a good word to say about Leavitt. Even the the Florida High School coaches do not want to deal with his ego. Sabin brought to light that 75% of the USF football players need to have a special exemption to get excepted to the school. Jancek made the right move in staying at UGA.
Bill, I was at the 1980 game as well. I was in the opposite end zone and saw Lindsay Scott’s back as he headed towards the other end zone. In my 12-year old mind, he looked like a bullet. Never saw Belue throw the ball because the adults in front had me blocked.
You weren’t that kid in the Florida hat that turned around and grinned at me when we were backed up 3rd and long on the 7, were you? Once the dust settled and I looked for him, he and and his dad were long gone.
It was a strange day – my grandfather would die that day in Crystal River, and I still remember a feeling of gloom caused by that and the realization that a perfect season was about to be ruined by the hated Gators. Even “The Play” didn’t completely erase the memory of that feeling, but it did keep that day from being one of the worst of my young life.
By the way, Herschel’s early touchdown run came right to my endzone. What a thrill that was, he looked like a giant. I can still see that huge hole open up on the right side (from Ga.’s perspective) of the line. The 1980 team never got credit for having good players other than Herschel, but we had a great o-line that year.
And Bill, I agree with your comments about Herschel and Tebow, who are definitely the two most dominant players I’ve seen. I don’t count all those qbs out west who throw for 500 yards against helpless defenses, either. I mean guys who need to gut out a few yards against a top-ranked SEC defense when everyone in the stadium knows who’s getting the ball, and still can’t be stopped. Only Herschel, Tebow, and possibly Bo Jackson fit that description.
Wouldn’t Ben Watson taking a recruit/future student athlete constitute illegal contact by a booster/representative of an institution? If Watson and Lynch didn’t have a previous relationship I believe this is illegal. Someone might want to let Damon Evans and the compliance office know.
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Mr WordPress
January 22nd, 2009
6:07 pm
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Ted Striker
February 19th, 2009
6:14 pm
I’m not athletic enough to tell the difference when swinging an Easton versus a Nike bat. However many top end baseball schools obviously prefer Easton. (As for the fact that UGA hit 96 HRs last year, I’ll give Damon that. However, I’ll also put forth the idea that Gordon Beckham was a unique talent and UGA had an incredible run. I’m not too worried about how Damon will handle Nike negotiations. He’s strong.
Chip, I appreciate how you filter through numerous links to include only the best — while still using your creative talents to originate salient stories and topics. Keep up the good work!
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Chip Towers
February 20th, 2009
8:31 am
Thanks kindly, Ted Striker. Your continued presence here is greatly appreciated.
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KornDawg
February 20th, 2009
8:58 am
Thanks for the blog, Chip. Do you think there will be a link to it on the AJC’s sports page? By the way , your picture at the top looks a lot like Hugh Downs (ha,ha)
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RobBob
February 20th, 2009
10:08 am
comment
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Brandon
February 20th, 2009
10:54 am
Most Sec schools would love to have the talent we have waiting at running back.
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82dawg
February 20th, 2009
10:58 am
Someone needs to step up, Jackson, Thomas, Ealey, King or Samuel. There is no time for a learning curve as we head strait into Stillwater for a game that will need a lot of offense and ball control. We can’t have that defense of ours on the field all day
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mcdawg
February 20th, 2009
11:14 am
if they learn to block we will be in fine shape at RB-i like what i saw of King as the season progressed-strong runner and fast-type a guy who can wear down a D
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bank walker
February 20th, 2009
11:22 am
I’m an ex-baseball player. I always liked the Easton bats over TPX. Nike came along after I retired the glove, so I never had a chance to swing them.
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Hunk Erdown
February 20th, 2009
11:35 am
I had to move on from Easton versus Nike years ago. Now its Taylor made versus Calloway, but if bats are anything like drivers, it is a big deal in the hands of the player… even if 90% of it is half mental.
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Stack1009
February 20th, 2009
11:37 am
Chip, thanks for the info on the baseball team.
Do you have any inside info on why David Greene’s career never took off in the NFL? I know he was on a couple of different teams’ practice squad and was often the 3rd-string QB. Did he not get a fair shot at winning the back-ups job or did his game just not translate to the pros well? Is he still under contract with a team?
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JimDawg
February 20th, 2009
11:50 am
Chip,
First off, thanks for all you do for us Dawg fans.
The new site is awesome. It will definitely be a tremendous
upgrade. Now if you can find some button to push that keeps
the Yella Skeeters off the Dawg site and on to their own web
page, that would be priceless.
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Chip Towers
February 20th, 2009
1:22 pm
Stack1009: You know, I’ve always wondered that about David Greene myself. I’m going to give him a call and write a story in the coming weeks. Thanks.
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RxDawg
February 20th, 2009
1:54 pm
TEST
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RxDawg
February 20th, 2009
1:55 pm
It works…first
I like the new format Chip. Otherwise nice blog.
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Gary
February 20th, 2009
2:11 pm
Chip, great blog man. Glad to see we are getting a little talk about one of UGA’s better teams last year, the National Runner Up – Diamond Dawgs. Anyway, when I last played high school ball about 10 years ago, Easton was the way to go. Today when I play in some of the amatuer leagues, Easton is still preferred vs Nike or TPX. Better grip and easier swing in my opinion and hope this helps some of the guys on the team out.
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Cuz
February 20th, 2009
2:15 pm
Just like Coach to think of others and hope that they are not bothered by his impact. He used to thank me for grabbing a bus when I was a supervisor and taking him, the coaches and the first string down to Sanford for an impromptu practice. Something like I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to help us out. If he only knew how wonderful it felt to sit in the middle of the stands at the fifty and watch the early eighties Dawgs push each other over the field for an hour or so. Some of my greatest college memories. He always said hello and asked how I was doing anytime I ran into him. Say what you want about his abilities as a head coach, he is a fine human being.
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Cuz
February 20th, 2009
2:17 pm
Hey Rx, where do I get the smiley faces? I want to use them when Rambleon shows up.
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Cuz
February 20th, 2009
2:19 pm
This instant posting should keep the morons from re-posting because the other site was slow, then again they are morons. Looks great Chip. Look me up for a beer at the TigerMasters in Augusta this April.
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Brian
February 20th, 2009
2:40 pm
Chip, I heard Geathers just picked UGA…any details??
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Sautee Dawg
February 20th, 2009
2:46 pm
Thanks Chip, Dooley one of the best!
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BobDog
February 20th, 2009
2:54 pm
Rivals reported that Geathers signed the letter of intent. The question now is will he qualify?
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Sven Ottke
February 20th, 2009
2:59 pm
A rip off of UGa? How about UGa ripping off the Green Bay Packers? Towers, you are a joke.
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Brian
February 20th, 2009
3:01 pm
His high school coach seems pretty confidant he will qualify
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BobDog
February 20th, 2009
3:02 pm
UGA got permission from the Packers to use the “G”. You must be color blind because the cap Chavez had on is the same color and all. But, who cares? I think Chip was having fun with it.
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buckheadbill
February 20th, 2009
3:08 pm
Chip, have you heard any insiders at UGA mention Greg Marshall?
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Not Your Logo
February 20th, 2009
3:12 pm
It is Green Bay’s logo, so they are ripping off Green Bay, not the puppies! The nickname BullDogs is real original too?
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Sportsmanship
February 20th, 2009
3:22 pm
The sportsmanship story was definately a tear jerker.
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RxDawg
February 20th, 2009
3:26 pm
Hey Cuz, I actualy didn’t know I was going to get a smiley face. Just type “:” and “)”. Or : ) w/o the space
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chuck allison
February 20th, 2009
3:35 pm
What is all this talk about Vince Dooley? I thought this was about Hugo Chavez wearing his UGA hat and going to Sanford stadium with CIA Panetta’s daughter. UGA has tried to clean up its act since Vince’s fortunate departure, and I sure was glad to see Tech help dedicate Vince’s statue at Samford and Sons stadium this year.
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Cuz
February 20th, 2009
3:43 pm
Hugo Chavez was asked if he had any comment after UGA signed Kwame Geathers. The President for Life and Venezuela’s number one Dawg fan is reported to have said, **”Que tal los perros!”**
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Cuz
February 20th, 2009
3:44 pm
Well looks like the bold print option is gone.
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Cuz
February 20th, 2009
3:53 pm
Also the refresh button does not seem to work.
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Oledawg
February 20th, 2009
3:54 pm
Chip-Is this primarily your articles blogged here. So you will be around here for awhile? Last I read from you ,it was to be a short year. Give us the news again. I missed it. This is to be your baby? You have a few fans waiting on news of Orson Charles. Has he been to USC or Ok? If the AJC has decided to keep you on, then we can be a part of it for you. You have become the Larry King of UGA bloggers. Good luck!
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Hunk Erdown
February 20th, 2009
3:55 pm
I’m sure Coach Dooley feels real warm inside knowing that Hugo Chavez’s picture is heading an article about him. Nice job AJC. What’s next Hitler kicking off Yom Kippur holiday?
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Oledawg
February 20th, 2009
3:56 pm
Wow! And it posts instantly. Send the check to the usual place for these two blogs.
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AltamahaDawg
February 20th, 2009
5:20 pm
I don’t know Chip. It’s like when they moved Papa Joe’s down Baxter and dressed up the place….was never the same.
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Jason
February 20th, 2009
5:39 pm
UGA hit 96 home runs last year? What in the hell is the excuse for blaming the bats! Almost 100 home runs and the bats are inferior? If they used Easton bats, how many home runs should everyone have expected? 150? 200? This BS about the bats is laughable. UGA was one game away from winning the CWS, and now are looking pathetic for finding excuses for why they didn’t win. Revolting.
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WAR DAMN EAGLE!!!!!
February 20th, 2009
5:47 pm
GEORGIA. Where the bulldogs are bulldogs and so are the women.
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Gen Neyland
February 20th, 2009
5:50 pm
Am I the first enemy blogger to set finger on this soil..?
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Gen Neyland
February 20th, 2009
5:52 pm
Dangit…Nope. Missed it wide right…
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RedGADawg
February 20th, 2009
6:06 pm
“Coach” is a remarkable man! Devoted and loving husband and father, he and Barbara raised nice family, loves gardening, his efforts over long time at one place should be inspiration to young coaches. His recognition is because of focused effort, there were times we GA Dawgs know he could have cut and run for more money? prestige? his loylaty is special.
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bank walker
February 20th, 2009
8:09 pm
The “G” was ours first. We let Greenbay use it, because originally they were gonna put a slice of cheese on their helmet. Everyone thought that idea was cheesy.
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Georgia Diamond Dogs 15, Youngstown State Penguins 2 | MrSEC.com
February 21st, 2009
2:20 am
[...] Conference champion Diamond Dogs opened their spring slate at Foley Field on Friday evening, armed with Easton bats, and produced 17 hits and 15 runs in their biggest opening day scoring outburst since 2000. No [...]
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Josh
February 21st, 2009
2:56 am
Wow, impressive. Youngstown State. Are they NAIA? A whopping 1 home run. BWHAHA. Nike is going to be furious. You better switch back to the Nike bats. Only 95 more home runs to go!!!!!!! 15 runs and only 1 home run. It must be the inferior Easton bats. Phil Knight will be calling Perno shortly. He definitely has some explaining to do.
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Jacob
February 21st, 2009
11:04 am
I like the new format Chip.
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AltamahaDawg
February 21st, 2009
12:33 pm
You tech nerds should realize it was Spurius Carvilius Ruga from 440 BC would originally ripped off the use of the letter G. Anything after that is fair game. I’m surprised you dont have a social group devoted to pre-christian educators. Every Tuesday night right after the intrastate invidiousness support group?.
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Oledawg
February 21st, 2009
3:48 pm
What’s the “Hello World” after your blogs. I thought that was part of this blog, Chip. We need update info on Charles(his schedule, etc.). How many other undeclared highschoolers do we have out there besides Brown?
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GATORMAN 722
February 21st, 2009
7:12 pm
Chip
Did you ever learn how to count championships?
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Chip Towers
February 21st, 2009
10:50 pm
GATORMAN 722: I can indeed count championships. I count every one a team claims in their official book of record. Do my numbers differ from yours regarding a team? If so, what team and what sport?
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GATORMAN 722
February 22nd, 2009
7:01 am
Chip
I think you should just count the total wins. The total wins per season that is how you have self proclaimed Georgia to be the best football team in the conference since 2000. Did you know that these quarterbacks have a record of 2 wins and 11 losses against Florida? Buck should have been on the list he has a championship.
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Keith Strawn
February 22nd, 2009
8:14 am
Chip, I agree with you. I think you’ve got to go with Greene. NFL potential should have no bearing on how we evaluate a collegiate player’s career. There is not a UGA fan on the planet (myself included) who wouldn’t have rather had Tim Tebow instead of Matthew Stafford these last three years, and Tebow is considered a marginal NFL prospect.
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rush smith
February 22nd, 2009
9:12 am
Fran Tarkenton wasn’t bad-He at least deserves mention.
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Runnin Rebels 777
February 22nd, 2009
10:54 am
Although I am not an UGA fan, I’m considered general sports fanatic. I just want to mention that Russ Pennell could be a great fit for the UGA Basketball Program. If you don’t know Russ Pennell, please read the article on rivals.com under college basketball.
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Sautee Dawg
February 22nd, 2009
12:04 pm
Rush
I’m wondering like you where is Fran Tarkenton’s name in this discussion?
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Sautee Dawg
February 22nd, 2009
12:15 pm
1. Greene was one of the best game managers college football has ever seen, thats where the NCAA all time leader in wins as a QB comes from. Also a great team leader when it came to decision making on the field.
2. Stafford probably has the best passing skills UGA has ever seen.
3 ZEIER was to me the most complete QB, as far as passing and game management goes, only strike against him was his height. 50% of his incomplete passes were passes that were batted down at the line. couple inches taller and he’d probably still be playing.
4. as far as giving anything or everything he had to make a play or win a game, that goes to Tarkenton, who should have been on your list Chip!
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Oledawg
February 22nd, 2009
12:22 pm
Best QB goes to DJ Shockley. I have loved them all and each QB has his thing going at his time.
Gatorman 722- Wow! What a hit. And you give food for thought.
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John Tucker
February 22nd, 2009
1:02 pm
What about Zeke bratkowski nand Fran Tarkenton?
Or, have you simply eliminated anyone before 1970 from consideration?
Bothe Zeke ande Tarkenton were begttger in college and in the pros than Stafford will ever be and than Zeir and Greene were.
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George
February 22nd, 2009
2:22 pm
Under different circumstances, DJ Shockley would get my vote. Unfortunately we just didn’t get to see too much of him.
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Cuz
February 22nd, 2009
3:45 pm
Isn’t this a repeat from last week in the new format. It is like Deja Vu all over again.
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blue
February 22nd, 2009
4:26 pm
Hands down its Buck Belue he has a NC. Greene has one SEC championship and when you talk about qurterbacks you talk championships
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Beachdawg
February 22nd, 2009
6:13 pm
In the modern era it HAS to be David Greene. He & Tarkenton had the inate ability to bring the team back, not only when they were behind, but when they NEEDED it.. It’s kinda like the Joe Montana factor. Not really flashy, but all they did was win. I think it’s Fran and Greene in a collegiate tie.
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Michael G.
February 22nd, 2009
9:21 pm
strongest arm goes to Stafford, but to call him the best QB in program history is pure hyperbole. To me the most important job the QB has is to get the ball to the playmakers so they can do something with it after the catch. Too many times throuout Stafford’s career did he throw balls where the receiver had room to run, but either slowed down to catch ball thrown behind him, or go down to his knees to make a catch. His lack of touch on the deep ball has been well documented on this blog as well. My vote for mythical title of best QB in UGA history goes to Greene.
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texasbob
February 23rd, 2009
12:26 am
This ought to be between Tarkenton & David Greene or drop the discussion, one. The others mentioned are good QBs but can’t match Tarkenton and Greene’s track records.
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RJ
February 23rd, 2009
1:08 am
Trying to make an argument for Stafford here is ridiculous. Flip the question around and look at Boston College. If you argued for Matt Ryan, you’d be laughed out of the room and pelted with Flutie Flakes. There’s a difference between the best BC quarterback and the best NFL quarterback that played at BC. It’s the same thing with every other school.
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Thomas Brown
February 23rd, 2009
4:39 am
Well, Matthew Stafford is not the best quarterback I ever saw at UGA. 18 fumbles and 33 interceptions to only 6 rushing touchdowns and only 51 touchdown passes in his 39 games of 987 passes and 141 rushes, speaks for itself.
Look, David Greene cannot throw the football. Trying to say David Greene is the Best Quarterback at Georgia when we have all these College Football Hall of Fame Quarterbacks who went on and Won Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterbacks is preposterous. David Greene also threw exactly the same 32 interceptions, and frankly his fumbles were even more of a fish out of water when he too tried to run the football 204 rushes for minus 258 yards and 1 less rushing touchdown of 5 than Stafford had. But, David Greene threw 1440 passes at UGA and 72 were touchdowns. But, if you recall his passes beyond 10 yards were all wounded ducks. How can that be the Best QB at UGA ever ?
Your list is that of a neophyte in this discussion. Frank Tarkenton was All America at UGA as QB. David Greene was not. Neither was Matthew Stafford. Not close. Eric Zeier was All America QB at UGA too. Zeke Bratkowski was All America QB at UGA and Won the NFL Championship Game on the Green Bay Packers. David Paddock was a All America QB at UGA. Johnny Rauch was All America QB at UGA and went on to be College Football Hall of Fame and Johnny Rauch said the Best QB at UGA when he was here was Charley Trippi. Johnny Rauch was Drafted in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft at Number 2. Charley Trippi was All America and played QB at UGA and he too went on to College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Charley Trippi also was the Number 1 Draft Pick in the First Round of the NFL Draft. He promptly won the NFL Championship Game Most Valuable Player in the Championship Game before it became known as the Super Bowl. Charley Trippi is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a QUARTERBACK. Look it up.
Charley Trippi was a great Quarterback.
Presumably, you know more than All America Votes, more than College Football Hall of Fame, and more than the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you are going to discuss who is the Best QB at UGA, then don’t limit the discussion to 2 guys who will never be in the discussion.
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Thomas Brown
February 23rd, 2009
5:18 am
Wonderful new format Chip. I love it that the Tech Nerds who logged on with all of our own handles, no longer can do that. Not without setting up an account as each one of us, and even then everything they say is accountable to that name. Hopefully, the names are unique.
We’ll see if they are unique.
Won’t we ?
David Greene’s NFL career never got off the ground because his passes were not crisp. He never threw a pass in the NFL. Not 1.
Matthew Stafford will.
But, neither were All America Quarterbacks at Georgia who has a slew of better quarterbacks than both of them.
The Best UGA QB All-Time ? I liked Charley Trippi, Fran Tarkenton, Johnny Rauch, Zeke Bratkowski, Eric Zeier, Larry Rakestraw, Preston Jones, Bill Hartman, Quincy Carter, DJ Shockley, and Matt Robinson all of whom had better NFL careers than David Greene (and Matthew Stafford so far.)
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RxDawg
February 23rd, 2009
9:50 am
Deja Vu
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reservoirDAWG
February 23rd, 2009
10:31 am
Redblood, you’re a douche.
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Fletch
February 23rd, 2009
10:50 am
Seriously, I think it’s time for some new material nerd
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RFP
February 23rd, 2009
10:50 am
Looks like Geathers signed with UGA on Friday. Didn’t see if this was reported or not, but we could use him on either side of the ball. Check Rivals for more info. Just need Charles to sign on now.
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RFP
February 23rd, 2009
10:54 am
Here you go Redblood:
georgiasports.blogspot.com/2005/11/catching-up-with-flag-boy.html
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Atlanta Gator
February 23rd, 2009
10:54 am
Well, speaking as an older guy whose 40 time is now approaching double digits, those times sound pretty good. All kidding aside, Moreno’s running style is all about his moves, not his blazing speed. Sort of like Emmitt Smith, and, if memory serves, Emmitt had a pretty darn good pro career. Knowshon will, too.
As for Stafford, I don’t think anyone thought of him as a scrambling quarterback, either before or after the combine. Stafford’s real value is his Big Gun. The questions about Stafford all relate to the targeting system behind the Big Gun. Time will tell.
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Atlanta Gator
February 23rd, 2009
10:56 am
Chip—-This is my first time posting on the new WordPress blog format. It’s much cleaner and a long-over-due improvement to the AJC sports blogs. Nevertheless, I do miss the ability to bold or italicize text.
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You are crazy
February 23rd, 2009
10:57 am
Moreno passsing grade? Come on. He sucked @ss. Did you even watch it? He ran 4.62 and 4.71. That’s a joke. He dropped passes as well. He was a noshow just like he was in big games in college. The only thing he did well in was the 3 cone drill. I’m suprised he didn’t take himself out of the combine like he did in college all the time. Heck, Stafford ran a 4.8, about the same speed as noshow.
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FalconUGAFan
February 23rd, 2009
10:59 am
I’m sure that I am in the minority here, but frankly I don’t care what happens to these two guys. I don’t wish them ill, but they left UGA when they could play one more year and win some more games. I have more respect for Tebow for staying at UF than I do for Stafford. Stafford clearly came here with one purpose in mind and that was to make himself NFL-ready. Sorry I’m just old-fashioned and I think that you should finish what you start.
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Jennifer
February 23rd, 2009
11:03 am
What can you say about Coach Dooley as a coach in one word? Legend.
As a person he is sincere, talented and loyal with a Christian spirit and faith that touches you if you ever have the honor of meeting him.
I have been a UGA fan since the 70’s, I bleed red and black and I feel blessed that we had him as our coach and now I feel more blessed to call him a friend. GO DAWGS!
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mark
February 23rd, 2009
11:04 am
Still not sure why either of them went pro. Pollack explained on their radio show that it’s not that hard to take out an insurance policy. They both could’ve benefited greatly from another year in college. Stafford would be the #1 pick next year too and wouldn’t have the weight of turning around the first 0-16 team in NFL history. Whatever.
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MountainDawg
February 23rd, 2009
11:11 am
Interesting YOshon’s 40 times were that “low”. I’d have forseen him between 4.56-4.62, etc. It’s also of note that Stafford’s 40 time was better than Sanchez, who’s held as the better “athlete”.
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true fan
February 23rd, 2009
11:36 am
you are crazy: your an idiot. so moreno was a noshow in big games. against fla in his first start. 188 yards, 3 tds.back to back 1,000 yrd seasons with 3 freshmen on the line each time. next time when you have a thought, just let it go. you clearly know NOTHING about Football.
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Tired of people whining about Stafford and Moreno
February 23rd, 2009
11:37 am
FalconUGAFan, you are horribly naive and misinformed. The Tebow comparison is ludicrous because Tim Tebow was not projected to go much higher than the 2nd round. Tim Tebow had a much easier decision than Matthew Stafford. He will benefit from sticking around. Matthew Stafford likely would not and had much to lose. And if you think Matthew Stafford is the only UGA player that comes to UGA with designs to make himself “NFL ready” you are in la la land. They all do. Every single last one of them. Which brings me to my next point, SO WHAT? Those of you questioning Stafford’s intelligence are probably the same one’s questioning his decision to leave early for $30 million in guaranteed money. I submit that you are the ones with the intelligence problem, not Stafford.
And if you don’t think having two NFL 1st rounders will up Georgia’s profile you are once again in la la land. Georgia can only benefit from this. It is a nice milestone for the program. You should be thrilled. You should hope that these guys go on to become NFL hall of famers because Georgia will only benefit from it. These guys did everything they could to help Georgia win football games and they owe you nothing. Quit your whining.
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Too Easy
February 23rd, 2009
11:43 am
Everyone going to college is looking to get a job offer when they get out. Some get high-paying offers before they graduate. What a country!
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Chip Towers
February 23rd, 2009
11:44 am
Sounds like most everyone likes the new format. Glad to hear that. . . .
Fair warning Redblood, but immaturity such as you’re displaying won’t be tolerated. . . .
Mark: They went pro because they’ll be multi-millionaires in about eight weeks. . . .
You are crazy: Actually I didn’t watch it. The only way I would is if I was assigned to cover it. I watched their highlights on the Internet and read about a half-dozen reports on them. Then I formed my own opinion, which is coming from the perch of objectivity. Do me this favor: Remember your comments and recite them back to us here exactly on draft day.
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uga_b
February 23rd, 2009
11:44 am
Outside the recievers and a few TEs, none of the 40-times were all that impressive. Knowshon showed up at 217 and did 25 reps; that’s the biggest thing. I don’t know why you would throw at the combine to receivers you aren’t familiar with. Quote from Maclin “I outran the throw”. Thats how he got hurt.
I think everyone whose feelings are still hurt need to get over it. We could have the number 1 pick at two skill positions and the number 3 fullback. Thats a pretty d#%n awesome backfield that we got to watch. Talent is in the cupboard; let’s root for our team and alumni. Just a shame they arent positions of need for the Falcons. Go Dawgs!
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bank walker
February 23rd, 2009
11:45 am
To all you haters: Both will be able to you out of their front pockets in a couple of months! GO DAWGS!!
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FalconUGAFan
February 23rd, 2009
11:57 am
Tired blah blah blah.
I never mentioned their intelligence. I simply think that they should finish with the team. I’m not talking about what is best for their draft spot. I’m talking about what they owe the team, not me. I’m not in la la land, because I do understand that is the ultimate goal for any ballplayer. It should be the ultimate goal (to be their best) for anyone in any profession. Really no need to insult people for their opinions is there? Take your anger out on someone else.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 23rd, 2009
12:05 pm
Tired of people….. Thank you, my sentiments exactly. Those kids represented UGA well. They will go on to represent UGA well in the NFL. Obviously they played well enough while AT UGA to go as first rounders in the draft. I would expect that kind of talent to come back when their futures are pretty much taken care of, whether or not they ever take a snap in the NFL. As a fan I don’t think they had anything else to prove in college. I am just thankful that we had two talented players to watch the past couple of years. Good luck to them.
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willie
February 23rd, 2009
12:06 pm
We knew Knowshown was not a 4.4 guy, but those times were terrible. He slipped alot of spots in the 1st round with those times, unless he can run faster at the pro day.
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Tired of people whining about Stafford and Moreno
February 23rd, 2009
12:30 pm
FalconUGAfan, the rules say that you are eligible for the NFL draft 3 years after high school graduation. This is a very well known rule. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Mark Richt and the rest of the coaching staff were fully aware of this rule when they offered these guys a scholarship. I’m even going to take things a step further and say that their teammates were aware of this rule too. So what do they owe the team? I guess Stafford owes them $30 million because that is what he could potentially have given up if he came back. You are indeed in la la land.
I am not angry, just tired of people whining about Stafford and Moreno. Hence the name.
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FalconUGAFan
February 23rd, 2009
12:39 pm
Tired take note of gdawginkalamazoo’s comments. He/she stated his opinion without bringing anyone else into the discussion. I happen to agree with alot that gdawg says. Well put.
Anyway, glad to hear they maintained their status and I wish them well.
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murfdawg
February 23rd, 2009
1:21 pm
How many of you out there are going to be offered a job paying $85 million? If you have a college degree, and will make more than Stafford and Moreno, your criticism of them not finishing school will be valid. If not, please go to the soccer mom’s webesite and whine about participation and box drinks. This blog is about big boy football and big boy business. see ya in April.
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timthebrave
February 23rd, 2009
1:27 pm
The reason people go to college is to get a job. Stafford and Moreno are going to have very good jobs and set for life. If they are talking about drafting you as the #1 pick then there are many reasons to come out. About 100 million reasons. Anyways I wish that they would have stayed at UGA for personal reasons, but I wish them the best in their NFL careers
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wildthing
February 23rd, 2009
1:35 pm
hines ward hands down.. a real competitor
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IrvanFryer
February 23rd, 2009
1:35 pm
My thoughts? You’re asking my thoughts? I’ll tell you what I think. I think Stafford is a putz, and I think Moreno is a sissy.
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chip woodson
February 23rd, 2009
1:40 pm
i just know if i was either ot them i would not wait until next year to earn my 30 million. i’m sure if they were injured the people who are upset they left would not want to give them anything.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 23rd, 2009
1:54 pm
Thomas Brown, thanks for the run down on all the UGA greats. Great post.
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Cuz
February 23rd, 2009
1:57 pm
Yeah they could have stayed another year, it sure helped Quentin Moses didn’t it. Quentin was projected as a first rounder if he had gone after his great junior season. His senior season, teams stayed away from his side and Charles Johnson got the benefit and the accolades. Moses lost money staying an extra year. He wound up as a third round pick barely twenty spots above his teammate Johnson. I think the program will do fine without Stafford and Moreno, having them go in the top round will not hurt future recruiting either. Good luck guys, just keep your noses clean so you can earn the money to set the plans for the rest of your lives.
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knoxdawg
February 23rd, 2009
1:58 pm
I would have loved to see them stay and bring a SEC championship to UGA. However, the lure of the NFL and big money took them. Can’t say as I blame them for that. I’d probably do the same thing. I just feel that one day when they look back on their careers they will be disappointed that they don’t have an SEC championship to cherish.
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JBS
February 23rd, 2009
2:21 pm
Who cares?
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gp295
February 23rd, 2009
2:31 pm
Great players, I’m gonna enjoy watching them on sunday.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 23rd, 2009
2:48 pm
Chip, any word on a BB coach? Getting beat by three touchdowns by Ole Miss just made me wonder what was going on there? I imagine this will be something that carries over until the madness is over with next month.
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Supes
February 23rd, 2009
3:10 pm
The 40 yard dash time in shorts, running in a straight line with no tacklers going for you is the biggest waste of time and judge of how an NFL back is going to perform.
Anyone who has doubts that Moreno will not succeed based on his bad time in the 40 is going to be proven wrong. I hope Moreno goes to Denver or to San Diego, where he’ll be able to shine and show everyone he can be a 3 down back in the NFL for the next decade.
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Maddog
February 23rd, 2009
3:17 pm
Between Stafford and Greene I’d have to go with Greene. He won more games, had better stats, won an SEC championship and brought us out of the Donnan era, but the most important factor for me was this: when he dropped back to pass I never had a doubt that he would do the right thing with the ball. I just never feared interceptions. When Stafford dropped back I’d hold my breath and cross my fingers. To me he just seemed a little too confident in his ability to thread the needle in single, double, or even triple coverage. They were both outstanding, but I still choose Greene.
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mdr
February 23rd, 2009
3:18 pm
You people who think 40 times are all that matters know absolutely nothing about football. Knowshon will be a top 20 pick (at worst) and his 40 time will have ZERO effect on that.
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Nativebird
February 23rd, 2009
3:29 pm
what “Buzz” about Stafford on the combine. Doesn’t one have to participate at the combine to have a true “Buzz” at the combine? If his “Gun” is the thing, let’s see it. Hate to say it, but Matthew Stafford strikes me as the bust in waiting. Once again, all the tools, yes, but all the signs are buyer beware. Lots of “Guns have come through.
This guy has proven over and over again he doesn’t have the “it” factor when it comes to winning the big games against good teams; FL, AL, SC, TN, (GT last year)…
Beats up on Hawaii, Kentucky, Georgia Southern, etc. etc.
But when the stakes are on the line…in the games his team needs…he folds more often than delivers. Contrary to his own self-assessment, There is NO, ZERO, NADA, NOTHIN, in a comparison of this guy to someone like Ryan or Flacco; Both 5th year SENIORS who chose to return to college, pass up draft, money, hype, money, popularity, money, avoid injury risk, money….etc. etc. All of which Mr. Stafford is all too “good” to bother with, (except for the money). Please.
Both Ryan and Flacco , both being high on QB draft radars also, chose to work out in ALL Combine drills….and chose also to work out in additional Pro Days.
I may be wrong…who knows, maybe this kid is the next Dan Marino, but all signs are pointing to this guy being the next Alex Smith. No, I’m sorry, Alex Smith is a pretty decent guy, I meant the next Ryan Leaf. NO way I draft this guy, even if I’m picking for Detroit, or the Chiefs. I go Sanchez. NFL qb’ing is all about guts and the will to win, sprinkled with a necessity of the physical capabilties.
Sanchez is showing the “it” factor that Stafford is so transparently trying to cover up.
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Paul Hamilton
February 23rd, 2009
3:30 pm
You are crazy,
you obviously didn’t watch it either because the official times for Moreno were 4.55 and 4.62. I watched all the drills on the nfl network live, so maybe you should check your information since you obviously watched it. He also put up 25 reps on the bench press, which was only three less then Sutherland who finished third overall for RB’s. He was a physical specimen out there, and while he didn’t blow anyone out of the water, he looked fine in all of his drills. I thought he looked good in the passing drills. We all knew he didn’t have blazing speed, and so did the nfl people.
It seems like most of the nfl people have Moreno as the #1 RB, even after the drills.
Why would Stafford throw? Peyton Manning told him to wait, which would be enough for me if I was in the same situation.
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mdr1013
February 23rd, 2009
3:36 pm
One minor point following up on the excellent post by Thomas Brown above.
Trippi is listed as a halfback-quarterback in his official HOF bio. He actually only played QB in the NFL for two years. Also, his one year as an AA in college (1946) was as a tailback, not a QB.
Trippi is one of the top 5 Dawgs of all time at any position, but he’s not the best QB we’ve ever had by a long shot.
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marseilles mutt
February 23rd, 2009
3:44 pm
How can anyone, ANYONE, in their right minds condemn someone for ponying up to the bar to accept millions of dollars? Be serious! As a UGA fan I certainly cannot help but wish them anything but the best.
Further, when you think about it, Stafford is really doing both UGA and the entire state a favor by waiting to display his wares at Pro Day rather than at the combine. Probably more than a little shakin’ going on in Athens with positive exposure in the national media. I wonder what kind of comments/ complaints we will get from the “Noise from Knoxville”? Surely LK can find something illegal in all the free publicity that UGA, CMR, and the Dawgs will garner from ESPN, FOX, SI, et al on Pro Day! Wonder if UT has a Pro day, and if so who will show up, or care, media wise?
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BILLY JACK
February 23rd, 2009
3:45 pm
Both players 1st rounders-they are gone -lets move on.
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UGA VII in '08
February 23rd, 2009
4:26 pm
They’re both dead to me.
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Jim
February 23rd, 2009
4:29 pm
Best wishes to both of them. Hope they do well on Sundays and thanks for the years at UGA – you did the team proud!
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Huh?
February 23rd, 2009
4:29 pm
NativeBird, Matt Ryan did NOT throw at the combine last year. He did exactly what Matthew Stafford is doing this year. He did all the running drills at the combine and then threw at Boston College’s pro day. You are totally clueless. I cannot believe that you wasted precious minutes of your life typing all of that inane garbage. You will never get those minutes back my clueless friend.
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BobDog
February 23rd, 2009
5:14 pm
It ain’t the arrows, it’s the Indian!
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MoDawg
February 23rd, 2009
5:20 pm
I believe Knowshon will run a better 40 at the Pro Day in Athens. He had an awkward starting stance and seemed to lose a couple of ticks just getting “out of the gate”. His times were 4.55 and 4.62 (as someone else noted above). I found it interesting that a lot of people ran a slower 40 than they were projected. Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy were expected to be in the low 4.3 range, possibly into the 4.2’s, but both were over 4.4 (still about 4.4 again faster than my time would be, if I could even make the whole 40 yards at all…). Stafford did show that he is a little more athletic than some gave him credit for. I appreciate his time at UGA, but tend to look back on it now as his own extended infommercial for the NFL. He and Knowshon both represented themseleves and the university well while they were there.
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G Davis
February 23rd, 2009
5:35 pm
Native Bird do your homework. All the teams you say Stafford lost were also teams he won against. You also said Matt Ryan did all the drills at the combine. He did not. Seriously how about a little due diligence before you start spewing so much crap. You can’t and will not be taken seriously if you claim mistakes as fact. Now go back to your mothers basement and shut up.
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Atlanta Gator
February 23rd, 2009
5:47 pm
Way to go, Chip Towers! Did you delete that jerk’s comments? Looks like we finally have a new blog mediator policy to go with the new blog format.
“Fair warning,” indeed. LOL
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gatorralph
February 23rd, 2009
7:44 pm
i thought mike bobo was special
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mdr1013
February 23rd, 2009
8:50 pm
As has already been said, Matt Ryan did not throw at the combine, neither did either of the Manning brothers. The top QB in the draft rarely throws at the combine. There is no reason for him to. As for Flacco and Ryan “passing up the draft”, that is absurd. No one was looking for those two to come out early. The Stafford hate is really getting ridiculous. The guy did the best he could with almost no protection from his OL and only one true #1 reciever in a three year period.
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cdawg
February 23rd, 2009
9:28 pm
Anyone able to shed light on the wristband that Stafford and Sanchez are wearing?
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dawg4lyf
February 23rd, 2009
10:09 pm
Come on folks….UGA used Stafford and Moreno to win alot of games. In turn, they used UGA to get to the NFL. That is a fair trade-off. As for the education, two points; 1) – Many players have returned to get their degrees after their careers ended (see article last week)…2) – Dennis Felton had his players trailing only Vandy in the SEC in acedemics but winning 50% of his games for 3 out of 4 years got him fired so obviously we don’t care about acedemics as much as we pretend…winning is the name of that game. College is supposed to help prepare you for the next step in your life. We’ve had alot of successful athletes so it would seem Richt & co. are doing their job. We were very good before these guys got here and we will be very good when they are gone. Good luck to Moreno and Stafford in that next step. Stafford to the Chiefs and Moreno to the Broncos sounds like a winner. Anything but the Lions…
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meansonny
February 23rd, 2009
11:10 pm
I like Stafford to the Lions. He and Calvin Johnson could make for some exciting football. The lack of defense could make for a long season, however.
I don’t blame Matt or Knowshon for leaving early. Everyone in their right mind should. But that said… there have been top players (not just the Tebows) that have returned to the college scene. And if fans want to give Stafford and Moreno grief because of those examples, then so be it. The NFL isn’t for pansies. And I’m sure Staff and Moreno are more than capable of taking heat from a few fans loading off steam.
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Thomas Brown
February 24th, 2009
12:32 am
DELETE You are Crazy. Remove the handle. Let him spend his time setting up new accounts every day. Keep him busy doing that.
Please
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BA
February 24th, 2009
1:02 am
Nice Braves site, lots of minor league stuff:
http://minorsandmajors.com
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TCM
February 24th, 2009
6:05 am
I’m happy for Staff and Moreno. It’s kind of ironic that Staff may actually get to play with Calvin Johnson, who should’ve been his teammate at UGA when Johnson picked Tech over UGA on signing day. Staff is the ONLY QB in college who is allowed to check off at the line, and when you add his NFL arm into the equation that makes him the top QB prospect in this draft bar-none. Moreno will be just fine and I’m looking forward to seeing him at the next level. I really enjoyed his time in Athens and if Caleb King, Richard Samuel, and co can give us what Moreno did GA will be just fine with everybody coming back on the oline. Staff could have stayed for his senior year but I can’t blame him for leaving a year early. He’s got 30 mil guranteed coming his way and I guess that will keep him satisfied as he plays for those perenial LOSERS in Detroit!!
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Thomas Brown
February 24th, 2009
6:44 am
That’s more than Matthew Stafford or David Greene, which was my point.
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» SEC links: Time for an historic hire at Alabama? John Clay’s Sidelines
February 24th, 2009
8:03 am
[...] The AJC reports that Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno got passing grades at the NFL Combine. [...]
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Too Easy
February 24th, 2009
8:19 am
NativeBird: Stafford didn’t play defense. In addition to beating all those teams during his career, you can’t blame him for some of the losses in which the offense put up some ‘winning’ numbers.
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SEC links: Time for an historic hire at Alabama? | MrSEC.com
February 24th, 2009
8:20 am
[...] The AJC reports that Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno got passing grades at the NFL Combine. [...]
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dawgdan
February 24th, 2009
9:59 am
I can’t remember what player said it recently (I think in ‘07 when Richt’s sudden change in character become blog fodder); perhaps it was Jeff Owens. When asked this very question, his response was “I’ve never met a more intense man in my life!”
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TommyP
February 24th, 2009
10:05 am
A lot of us don’t see Coach Richt in practice or in the lockerroom. He can be very intense.
I’ve had the opportunity to be at one practice and he turns it up at certain times when needed. Fabris is military out there and Willie can be pretty intense at times as well.
But for those that think he’s not intense enough, was Tom Landry intense? Tom Osborne?
Tom Osborne is a guy that Richt reminds me of. People criticized Osborne for not winning the big one for a long time but then when he did, he did it several times.
It IS all about the breaks. Georgia will get those breaks in due time ’cause Richt will always have us knocking on the door.
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'ol sport
February 24th, 2009
10:19 am
Great way to put it – “always knocking on the door”. Hard to knock success year in and year out. When you coach against a group of coaches like the ones in the SEC, it is not easy. UGA is consistent, just a break or a player away from a championship every year.
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Chip Towers
February 24th, 2009
10:44 am
Yes, this was a blog I brought over from the old blog just in case more people wanted to weigh in on it. . . As I stated in the comments at the old address, it was really intended to be a discussion between Stafford and Greene. But I expanded it to include others in the headline and that created some intense debate, which we like. . . . The real rub on this is distinguishing between what they did in college and the pros. Tarkenton was awesome at Georgia but he split time with Charley Britt so his numbers don’t jump out at you. Conversely, Bratkowski put up great numbers but his teams weren’t very good. The same could be said to a lesser extend of Zeier. Anyway, it’s one of those great debates that will never be fully resolved. Rage on!
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Sports Fan
February 24th, 2009
10:45 am
No one was asking if CMR was intense enough year before last when UGA finished second in the Country. Of course that was before 24 season ending injuries the following season.
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QuantumDawg
February 24th, 2009
10:49 am
I’m sorry, but the one area that is Mark Richt’s ultimate weakness and major hinderance is his management style. Richt manages his staff like it’s a family, instead of a business. Until he changes this fundamental approach, and starts managing like a CEO, who is only concerned with performance and results, and not like a friend, then UGA will always fall just a little short. Do you realize he has never fired a single coach during his entire tenure for job performance reasons? He’s only fired one coach during his entire 8+ season tenure, and that was for off the field transgressions.
There needs to be much more accountability on the coaching staff to get results. Martinez should be grateful he works for Richt and not Saban, Carrol, or Meyer, because those coaches wouldn’t tolerate his underperfromance and would of rightfully canned him. However, since WM is CMR best buddy from his college days, he gets a free pass. You can’t run any type of an elite organization or business in this manner, and Richt needs to realize this or he’ll always be a brides mate.
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Right On Time
February 24th, 2009
10:53 am
Chip,
I have spoken to several former UGA players (both starters and subs) and they tell me that CMR and the staff have lost some intensity over the years. Richt is a leader in the CEO style. I think he relied on VanGorder to be the “fire starter”. Now, there are coaches who may get loud from time to time but do not carry the same weight or inspire the same way. I am sure you have seen it. There needs to be a certain amount of fear one has of a parent or coach and the UGA teams of late have no fear. Respect: Yes, Fear: No.
I think more intesity might be a good thing for both on field and off field performance.
One fans opinion.
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DawgGirl32
February 24th, 2009
10:53 am
I agree completely, Jeff. I always thought the complaint about his “intensity” was ridiculous. It’s obvious the guy can coach, we’re consistently a top program, and eventually the cards will fall into place. I have full faith in Mark Richt and our coaching staff.
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Fort Worth Dawg
February 24th, 2009
11:01 am
Mark Richt is also 1 and 0 as a basketball coach – he sounded pretty intense before the Florida basketball game from what I read. Vince Dooley only won one national championship, and that was because of Herschel (and yet Herschel was at UGA for three years). Those that remember Goff (and to a lesser extent Donnan) will never have a problem with Coach Richt.
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RAMBLE ON!!!
February 24th, 2009
11:03 am
He looked pretty intense when he was dressing down his boys after GT scored 26 straight points in a matter of minutes in rout to a **45-42** victory to me.
I could be wrong though.
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Bill
February 24th, 2009
11:03 am
Of course we need more intensity, we lost to GT and Florida!!! Unacceptable
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richtfan
February 24th, 2009
11:04 am
The thing with Florida is that they have gotten the breaks, and LSU has too. But Florida will have Teabag just one more year. After that he’s gone either to the nfl or on a mission trip to do circumcisions in Central America. Tebow is a once every other decade type talent. The guys they have down there now to take his place are not even in the same stratosphere as him. This makes their offense much more pedestrian. Harvin is gone, and he was a major force offensively for them the last 3 years. You just don’t replace and reload when a talent like Harvin steps away. UGA will have its shot. You have to go through a season and run the table in the East first. Then you have to have some breaks nationally. You also have to minimize injuries (however that happens). All of these things have to happen together in order for the Dawgs to get where we all know they’re capable of going.
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Atlanta Gator
February 24th, 2009
11:12 am
Based on the three 2008 losses suffered by the Dawgs, if I were a Dawg fan, I would be less concerned about the intensity of the UGA head coach than I would be about the following:
1. the intensity of the players, especially on defense;
2. on and off-the-field leadership by senior and junior players, which contributes to player discipline and intensity;
3. red-zone offensive play-calling;
4. defensive game-planning and half-time adjustments; and
5. pre-season coaching emphasis on fundamentals, like proper tackling technique.
Call me a crazy Gator, but I watched 7 out 12 of the Dawgs’ 2008 games, including the losses to Alabama, Florida and Tech. Richt is a very good head coach, but he would do well to ratchet up the pressure on his subordinates to perform, especially the coordinators. In this gator-eat-dog world of college football, you are only as good as your last game. They all count, even the losses. You can’t win them all and losing happens when you play with the big boys, but getting blown out, regardless of the competition, should not be acceptable to a top-10 coaching staff.
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Dawgstephen
February 24th, 2009
11:13 am
Nothing wrong with Coach’s style. he is fine. I prefer CMR anyday
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Chris
February 24th, 2009
11:14 am
It’s a stupid question.
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TommyP
February 24th, 2009
11:18 am
“Brides mate.” That was priceless.
The injuries and the defense killed Georgia last year. I feel Willie is a good defensive mind but I think he’s one that would benefit being up in the skybox as opposed to the sidelines.
For a lot of people, if you don’t win the championship then you’re a failure. That speaks volumes of how said their lives are.
Richt has done a fantastic job for UGA and has changed the way he does things along the way.
Again….Bowden took a LONG time to win a title as did Osborne.
Richt is just fine.
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Too Easy
February 24th, 2009
11:19 am
I’m a Richt supporter, but one thing he needs is the willingness to jump out on the teams that we should handle. From last year, that includes SC, ASU, UT, Vandy, KY, Michigan St. – all wins, but all closer than they needed to be. (Of course, we did jump out on the insects, only to have a total defensive intensity meltdown). My biggest regret from last season (besides the obvious) was not having the intensity of purpose to put teams away earlier so that players (mainly Joe Cox and the RBs) could get more work. The coaches had to know that Staff and Knowshon were gone. Sometimes being too nice a guy dulls the intensity. He needs to be willing to pound someone – not merely win.
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Atlanta Gator
February 24th, 2009
11:22 am
richtfan & TommyP—-I don’t believe in “breaks,” at least not in the sense of waiting for them to happen. Luck and “breaks” are what happens when your team is doing everything it can and an opportunity presents itself, and your team steps up and seizes the opportunity. Most turnovers are not accidents; they are the result of a defense that plays with intensity, avoids stupid mistakes and makes the big plays. Most fumbles and interceptions are not “accidents”; they are the result of good defensive play. The vast majority of referee calls are correct to the objective observer, if not the partisan fans. Bad calls are like the lines painted on the field: unavoidable, and a great team learns to live with them.
For the most part, great teams make their own “breaks,” and how the team reacts to so-called “bad breaks” is often more important than the bad break itself.
My two bits worth.
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Prime1819
February 24th, 2009
11:24 am
I agree with Richtfan. Tebow is a special player, as much as I hate to admit that, with Harvin gone, that offense is going to be different and more ordinary next year. I don’t care what anyone says about that. When Tebow leaves after next year, I think that the Gators will come back down a few notches.
Look what Richt has done since he has been here. I used to work in the NFL and College Football for several years and anyone who understands football knows that it takes a lot of breaks/luck to win the big one. Let me ask you this, if USC were in the SEC instead of the Pac 10, do you honestly believe they would run the table every year in the SEC and from a National Championship stand point? I don’t think so. There will be a time that the ball bounces the DAWGS way, could be next year, who knows but I aint complaining a lot cause we are in a better place now than we were 8 years ago.
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Mac
February 24th, 2009
11:30 am
Why yes, yes he is. Record speaks for itself. Outstanding coach. His performance far exceeds any SEC coaching achievements of those who have posted, or who will post here today. Thanks for your time.
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DawgsRule
February 24th, 2009
11:31 am
Richt needs to change something—I’m getting tired of losing to Florida almost every year, and then their fans rubbing it in the faces of UGA fans! I have to deal with their fans a lot down in Florida and it’s terrible, especially after they are winning all these titles. Richt needs to recruit some meaner, tougher players and change his coaching style to beat florida. And they need to drop these silly blackouts and penalties that do nothing to win games.
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Mac
February 24th, 2009
11:34 am
Richt is more successful against Florida than his two predecessors. Again, he’s a far better coach than anyone who will post here today.
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Dorsey Hill
February 24th, 2009
11:37 am
I have a suggestion for DawgsRule. Go up to Ben Jones and say that he isn’t mean enough. One condition: you can’t sue or press charges. We need him too bad. I think you’d find his answer…umm…enlightening.
You have a theory DawgsRule. The only way to find out if you are correct is to test it out. Please forward all photos and hospital records to Chip for later posting.
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Ed
February 24th, 2009
11:39 am
I like what Richt has done with Georgia’s program, but to answer the question: No. He’s a Mack Brown type. Actually, the perfect CEO head coach in my opinion. But that type of coach needs a Van Gorder or Muschamp type to bring intensity and passion to the sidelines. I think Richt has that on the offensive side with Searels, but not on the defensive side.
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DawgGirl32
February 24th, 2009
11:41 am
Atlanta Gator- I think the “breaks” most people are referring to has more to do with which teams win and which teams lose to propel a team into the NC game. Take LSU 2007. Sure, they only lost two games and beat Tennessee in the SEC championship, but they NEVER would have been in that NC game had West Virginia not lost to a Pitt team they never should have lost to. That was a break for them.
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Doug
February 24th, 2009
11:43 am
Why is it that three other SEC coaches, who have each been in the league less the CMR, have won 4 National Championships between them? I say two things:
1. Intensity
2. Assistant coaches
The team takes on the character of the head coach. Although we applaud CMR for being a good Christian man, he does not demonstrate the fire, the blazing eyes of his counterparts and hence, neighter does the team. CMR’s assistant coaches are weak. The obvious weak link is defensive coordinator, Coach Martinez. The defense lacks fire, spirit, they are not well prepared and look confused at times. But the most glaring problem for me, is, that our coaches get out coached during the game. We do not react to the changing situations and change in tactics by the other side like they do. This is why our tendancy is to start out hot, get a lead, and then stall and hold on ’till the end.
It is a difficult situation because the head coach wins 10/11 games per year. But we have yet to really challenge for the national championship (the number 2 was a fluke, there was no real chance). This is a Donnan situation all over again where this coach averages a couple more wins per year, but the result is still the same.
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Jeff
February 24th, 2009
11:46 am
I think CMR is just FINE……it’s the QUALITY of some coaches he has on his staff. Could you imagine IF we had a CHARLIE STRONG ???????
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
11:50 am
I really don’t get the comments that Richt doesn’t hold his staff accountable. First of all, how do you know? How does anyone know what is said in meeting and during the offseason? It’s actually fairly silly to suggest that any major head coach doesn’t hold his staff accountable. Just absolutely would not survive as a HC if not.
I have been both a boss and a subordinate to a few good and bad bosses, and I can tell you, holding somebody accountable does not mean publically chastising them, or just firing them. If a manager fired everyone who didn’t meet a perfect standard, WHO is he going to hold “accountable”? Somebody not there? Actually when you fire somebody, its more about holding yourself accountable. And I really don’t get the insinuation that Coach does things that be believes are not in the best interest of the program. How odd to suggest that he would knowingly endanger his job, his staff (all of whom are his good friends)and his family, over a “friend”.
Holding accountable means a serious discussion about an issue and an agreement as to what changes need to be made and who is responsible for making them. What would lead anyone to believe any less happens in Mark Richt’s office?
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
11:53 am
If we had Charlie Strong last year, we would have lost 4 games and been embarassed in a Bowl game.
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38-3
February 24th, 2009
11:59 am
Figures the WEAK MINDED “Ramble On” would show up…another UGA football blog topic…UGA owns Ramble On’s simple mind…It never fails. Always comes in here and talks sh*t, insecurities and inferiority complex coming through. I get it, can’t help it…a TECH fan syndrome in general!
Still waiting on those CHICK-FIl-A bowl rings RAMBLE ON!
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Atlanta Gator
February 24th, 2009
12:00 pm
DawgGirl32—-I hear you and I appreciate what you’re typing. Nevertheless, when a team loses more than one game in a season, all the “breaks” in the world will not get that team into the BCS title game.
LSU making it to the BCS game in 2007, as a 2-loss SEC champion, was an aberration, and is not likely to happen again in my lifetime in the absence of a Division I playoff. In the 17 seasons of the Bowl Alliance, Bowl Coalition and Bowl Championship Series, only one 2-loss team made it to the Big Game.
Win the SEC East, win the SEC, then worry about “breaks.” From the team’s perspective, you can’t control which other teams lose on any given Saturday. You can only control how your own team coaches and plays. Go undefeated in the SEC, and it’s likely that no “breaks” will be needed.
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bank walker
February 24th, 2009
12:01 pm
just because he doesn’t rant and rave on the sidelines doesn’t mean he isn’t intense. People tend to forget Richt’s accomplishments. Look what he done @FSU and what he’s done here @UGA. He’s a great coach plain and simple. This is the most comfortable I’ve felt with a coach @UGA since the Dooley days. Keep it going CMR!!GO DAWGS!!!
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dawgfan1911
February 24th, 2009
12:01 pm
I think Mark is a great coach! Georgia has always been on the brink of winning it all under his leadership. In the big games, we just seem to make a few bone head plays in certain situations. Last year that lost to South Carolina was huge and that was a game we should have won. If we win that game we play for the sec and a national championship. The year we lost to florida on a bunch of bubble screens and went 12-1, we shouold have competed for a national championshp. The year Shockley got hurt was our year, so this guy can get us close, we just need to get over the hump and I think we will.
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Right On Time
February 24th, 2009
12:01 pm
Mac,
You are exactly right. As the saying goes, “He has forgotten more about coaching than I will ever know”.
However, anyone watching the 2008 version of UGA might perceive a lack of intensity specifically on the D. Curran stands out on that side of the ball for a reason: he is a bright, hard driving, self motivated young man. It appeared that other players need that “kick in the pants” to get them going.
I have been a season ticket holder for 17 years. I had to live through Goff! I appreciate Coach Richt more than I can tell you. That does not negate the feeling that there is something amiss when there are blowouts 3 years in a row and multiple meltdowns from a team with tons of talent.
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Cuz
February 24th, 2009
12:06 pm
For Pete’s sake give the man a break. Intense enough, ask a player? He has given us an incredible ammount of wins in the few years he has been at UGA. As pointed out, St. Vincent won one MNC in all his years. I will give CMR a pass on the MNC. I like SEC Championships, those are won on the field, not on some computer rankings. Even with the loss of the two all-stars, I look for a pretty good year for the Dawgs. Of course that is predicated on the line’s staying healthy. It was amazing how they patched together the lines last year with duct tape and super glue. I think we will surprise some folks this year and it is nice not to be on the radar.
Florida post-Tebow may be alot like UGA post-Walker. The team may band together for an unexpected 2010 season and then slide a little before the next rising star knocks on the Urban Legend’s door. Then an uphill battle if the Legend does not leave for greener turf.
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scooby doobie doo
February 24th, 2009
12:09 pm
QuantumDawg I couldn’t disagree more. I think Richt’s style of family is awesome and more important that the corporate world model we have today. CMR is a man of integrity and sees the big picture. I wouldn’t trade him for any other coach in the entire country. Count your blessings.
Doug we have a great winning program that is solid and built for the long haul. We have a great HC and a great staff and a great team. Go DAWGS!
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Cuz
February 24th, 2009
12:09 pm
Atlanta Gator, what think you of the upcoming post-Tebow Appocalypse?
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Morning Newspaper for February 24th | MrSEC.com
February 24th, 2009
12:20 pm
[...] Georgia coach Mark Richt intense [...]
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TheItalianDawg
February 24th, 2009
12:21 pm
Chip, you are the man, good job again for a good piece of Georgia news, and how about them dawgs!! the race was incredible, and Lawrence will be a world champ and olympic gold medalist, he is unbelievable!! go dawgs!! and for the gaytors, be ready for a44 whopping for the next 4 years. go dawgs
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Lee
February 24th, 2009
12:25 pm
When things are rolling good for the dawgs, Coach Ritch’s intensity is not a matter of interest; however, whenever there is adversity; his intensity is questioned; how unfair is this to Coach Ritch.
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Fred
February 24th, 2009
12:25 pm
Georgia certainly doesn’t want a Bobby Knight type coach. Tech has a coach like that and his lack of control will eventually get him in trouble just like Bobby knight. Mark my words……
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John
February 24th, 2009
12:27 pm
I’m really tired of this subject. It’s really non-sensical and overdone at this point.
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murfdawg
February 24th, 2009
12:27 pm
Maybe if CMR shaved his head, butted heads with the d-linemen and had blood and sweat running down his face before a game, he could satisfy some peoples definition of intensity. Game day intensity for a head coach and preparation intensity during the week are two different animals. The outside demands on a head coach on gameday are incredible.
Chip, maybe this fall, you can follow CMR 24/7 from Sunday night through Saturday at kickoff and tell us how intense he is all week. We only see three hours on the sidelines of his intensity. Vince Dooley was a general on Saturday and Mark Richt is a CEO.Calmness in the face of adversity is the mark of a leader. I’ll take Richt anyday.
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Andy
February 24th, 2009
12:28 pm
I find it interesting that people think Richt should be more like a CEO. It just goes to show how the world works now. Everyone focuses on short-term results and says to heck with the long-term. CEOs today bend the rules, having made sure they have a generous golden parachute in place, and then walk away scot-free, leaving their organization in shambles with employees and shareholders to deal with the aftermath. We see coaches do the same thing (e.g., Harrick). Richt is an honest, hard-working, loyal, and talented coach, and has set UGA football up for long-term, sustainable success, as he has already demonstrated. UGA is lucky to have him, and should keep him as long as he’s willing to stay. Richt, unlike many others, will walk away from UGA one day as one of its greatest coaches. I think the longer he stays at UGA, the more likely it is that UGA will win championships.
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Bow Wow
February 24th, 2009
12:29 pm
One thing that Richt does not do is hold his players responsible for their bad behavior. His one-game suspensions are a joke. I have seen more than one player in Richt’s face, questioning his decisions. Richt has consistently recruited some of the best talent in the country and done less with that talent. Richt came very close to losing to Kentucky and Auburn last year because of penalties and players who continue to lollygag. Richt’s initial success at Georgia was due to some outstanding recruiting by Jim Donnan. Richt will continue to produce winning football teams and put many players in the NFL, but forget about national championships or even conference championships in the near future.
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Brew
February 24th, 2009
12:32 pm
QuantumDawg is more right on than you’ll want to admit. All you have to do is look 200 miles north and see what Phil Fulmer’s loyalty and family atmosphere ultimately got him. Ten years of no SEC titles and shown the door.
Fulmer would never fire the underperformers on his staff because they were his buddies and he could play the stability card to recruits. He also was a less fiery coach like Richt and it showed in his teams.
Not saying these two are mirror images, but there are some similarities there that those of us in UT circles can easily recognize. Fulmer had great success early, like Richt, but tapered off to mediocre over the last few years. No guarantees that it’ll happen to Richt, but you can’t help but see some similarities.
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Mac
February 24th, 2009
12:32 pm
If Paul Johnson were going to pull a Bobby Knight, we’d have seen it already. He’s demonstrative, but not out-of-control.
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murfdawg
February 24th, 2009
12:33 pm
Chip,
Is Tony Barnhart still on vacation?
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Richt is the Man
February 24th, 2009
12:35 pm
Hey, Doug. Those 3 coaches you are talking about may have been in the league less than Richt, but they have been head coaches longer than Richt, although I think Urban Meyer only has 1 year or two edge on Richt there. Big difference there. Richt will be fine. He will eventually win a national title at UGA at some time as long as morons don’t run him off. He do think he needs to instill more intensity in his players, and slick Willie WILL be gone after next year if the defense does not improve.
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GW
February 24th, 2009
12:35 pm
Richt has plenty of fire but his staff may become complacent because they know he will not fire anyone. An assistant coach should not enjoy too high of a comfort level. Being overly secure may affect their job performance without them even realizing it.
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Auditdawg
February 24th, 2009
12:36 pm
Chip, you hit the nail on the head. Eventually the breaks will come Coach Richt’s way (certainly it helps to start knocking off Florida on a more consistent basis). Florida and LSU have won the last three national title despite losing a game. They got the breaks by teams losing in front of them late in the year. As long as Coach Richt keeps Georgia winning 10+ games a year (and hopefully beating Florida more consistently) the team will always be positioned to take advantage of the breaks when they come his way. Tom Osborne and Bobby Bowden fielded some pretty darn good teams, but it took both of them nearly 20 years to win national titles because they didn’t catch all the breaks until then. Same could be said about Joe Paterno. Does anyone honestly believe that the 1998 Tennessee team would have won the national champioship without Clint Stoerner fumbling the ball while trying to take a knee? Sure, it stinks as a Georgia fan to see your biggest rival getting the breaks, but as long as Coach Richt keeps the program in the position to get those breaks they will eventually come his way.
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Music City Dawg
February 24th, 2009
12:38 pm
I think of all the things that Georgia needs to worry about, intensity is pretty far down on the list of priorities. Let’s first work on personal fouls, proper tackling, special team issues, red zone offense, red zone defense, and a FG kicker who can make it inside the ten. When we’ve overcome all of these issues, then we’ll worry about intensity.
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Atlanta Gator
February 24th, 2009
12:41 pm
Alta~Dawg—-If your point about Charlie Strong is that the Dawgs might have gone 9-4 with a defense composed of one previous starter and 10 freshman and sophomores coached by Strong, I will agree. Otherwise, your point requires some further explanation.
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FalconUGAFan
February 24th, 2009
12:45 pm
I think that Mark Richt is a fine coach and represents UGA well. Its obvious he has experimented with some motivating tactics and some of them worked and some didn’t. The only issue that I can see are the penalties. He has acknowledged that himself and appears to be working on fixing it. No intensity issues, IMHO which I’m sure he will be very interested in hearing.
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Richt is the Man
February 24th, 2009
12:46 pm
Brew,
I don’t know if I would call Fulmer loyal, considering the way he back stabbed Majors to get the job in the first place. But, yes, there are some comparisons. However, the main problem Fulmer had was his recruiting became incosistent. In the 1990’s Fulmer had top 5 recruiting classes every year. This decade, way too inconsistent. They follow a a top 10 class with #40 recruiting class. Not surprisingly, Tenn has not been as successful this decade.
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Atlanta Gator
February 24th, 2009
12:47 pm
Cuz—-Apocalyptic predictions are over-rated. Let’s see what happens this coming season first.
By all accounts, Tebow’s back-up, Brantley is pretty darn solid for Meyer’s offense. If Tebow is the perfect “10″ for Meyer’s version of the Spread, then Brantley is an “8.” Frankly, I would be more worried about an NFL exodus of the Gators’ star seniors and juniors on defense after the 2009 season.
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dap01
February 24th, 2009
12:53 pm
CMR is successful. Apparently his style is one of the best in the nation. Look at the stats? Shouldn’t this blog be questioning some other coach?
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BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
1:06 pm
Again, SI.com scoops the AJC right in the AJC’s “home” area.
First, those of us stunned that Dimitroff would allow a “great leader” like Lawyer Milloy get away without even trying to keep him have it all explained to us by a short blurb in Peter King’s MMQB column in which Peter King says it wasn’t a surprise because Milloy is a bit of a pain in the butt locker-room lawyer (kind of like Tiki Barber) who doesn’t mesh with Mike Smith’s all-for-one approach.
Yep, true story.
Now, SI.com is reporting that Mark Richt has informed Philip Simms (Phil Simms youngest son and top-rated QB in the 2010 recruiting class) that Zach Mettenberger will be moved to tight-end, opening up a slot for Philip Simms to come in and play at Georgia, who has offered him an early scholarship.
And the editors at the AJC wonder why they are losing money hand over fist.
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Jennifer
February 24th, 2009
1:08 pm
I think in today’s world of values, when it comes to sports, respect is underrated. Coach Mark Richt in my opinion is a great coach who IS respected, unlike Meyers and a few others. Yes they may get the breaks but look at how they get them, by getting calls against UGA that are so obvious! After our celebration in the end zone, which I loved it, I think the officials were tougher on UGA and calling penalties that were ridiculous just to prove a point. CMR is great, he is poised on the field, I have never seen him panic and as far as intensity, I would not know because I do not play for him. That is something the players need to respond to, not us fans. We are here to support them no matter how good or bad of a season we may have had.
GO DAWGS, we will be back!!!!!
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williebkind
February 24th, 2009
1:11 pm
CMR is fine!! You guys have digressed! The problem is the MARTINEZ FACTOR!!!!! GET an intense Defensive coach WHO KNOWS HOW TO DEFEND against better than average teams and watch the Dawgs be a challenger for any title. FIRE MARTINEZ!!!
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Chip Towers
February 24th, 2009
1:15 pm
BugKiller: Richt shot down that rumor of Mettenberger to tight end two weeks ago. . . . And why would Georgia need another tight end when they already have four on scholarship, five if Orson Charles signs? . . .
MurfDawg: Tony Barnhart is on permanent vacation . . . from us. Actually I’m not sure whether he is going to resurrect “Mr. College Football” for us next fall and I’ll check on that. But he took early retirement from us last year.
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
1:21 pm
If Coach Richt was a “CEO” and managed one of the most profitable companies in the industries and had an 80% close rate, believe me, he’d be highly compensated.
AG, my point was that ANY defensive Co-Ordinator is subject to disappointing thier fans, due to a number of reasons. I would consider CS having to break in a bunch of younguns a pretty good “excuse”. But he could have a full set of returning seniors and if he lost a large number of them to the point of “walking through” the practises, I’m guessing, it would affect his approval ratings just a tad. Obviously he is a fine coach, capable of getting his squad to play at championship caliber. Which makes 2007 the illustration of my point.
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BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
1:24 pm
That’s fine if it’s a rumor, then someone might want to tell a top Georgia recruit to stop telling people Mark Richt told him that.
Recruiting is a very dirty business, and as upfront and moral as even Richt is, I don’t think there’s a college coach out there who wouldn’t sell his soul for the “next big thing.”
So if the recruit says the coach told him something, I’m sorry, but I’m more inclined to believe the kid.
Because coaches lie. Even those we couldn’t imagine doing so.
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austindog
February 24th, 2009
1:35 pm
If Barhart is gone then take down the “Bad News…Florida’s Getting Started” post already. Or are we going to have to look at that for another full year just like “I spit the steak I was chewing when Vandy roughed the punter…”
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DirtyDawg
February 24th, 2009
1:36 pm
Don’t know if the earlier post comparing Mark Richt to Tom Osborne was accurate, but I like it. I’ll never forget one of the all-time great coach comments Osborne made that year his Nebraska Cornhuskers demolished Florida in the NC game. Headed to the locker-room following a first half where Nebraska had beaten the snot out of Florida throughout the first 30 minutes – and led by thirty or more – a sideline babe stuck a mic in Osborne’s face and commented that his team seemed to be handling Florida’s offensive ’schemes’ pretty well (going into the game all you heard was the Evil Genius’ offensive formations and strategies)…all Osborne said was ‘It’s not about schemes, it’s about athletes.’…and walked away. That’s exactly what it has always been about – getting the right people and coaching ‘em up. If we keep doing that we’ll get our breaks and we’ll win our share and more. Remember, Mr. Tebow has been beaten by us and by others, and he will again – my money’s on us again this year.
By the way, if you haven’t seen the video of Georgia’s 4X400 relay win over Florida and the creme of the college crop (all of which were from the SEC), you need to. Young Mr. Lawrence, our freshman sensation, made up 10-15 meters on Florida’s Calvin Smith (Olympian and 400 meter champion) in the anchor leg and beat him by at least that many…thirty meters over 400 against a top runner…my God a freshman! (seems to me I’ve heard that before).
I don’t ever take any crap off anybody when it comes to the Dogs – not a Gator, not an ‘effin’ YellowJacket, nobody – and I damn sure ain’t gonna start this year.
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Chip Towers
February 24th, 2009
1:38 pm
Austindog: Good point. I’ll see if they’ll consider taking that one down.
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BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
1:38 pm
AltamahaDawg, the question you should be asking yourself is if you are okay that Mark Richt the CEO is managing a company like Chik-Fil-A, while Urban Meyer is managing Microsoft, Nick Saban is managing Coca-Cola, and Les Miles is managing IBM.
The thing is, Mark Richt’s Chik-Fil-A makes money every year, put’s out a fairly reliable product, and is family friendly and wholesome.
But unlike Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and IBM, it’s regional and there really isn’t any chance to be more than it is.
And that’s what the guy said at the bottom of his answer to the question about Mark Richt having the “fire.”
There is going to come a point where Georgia has to decide whether being Chik-Fil-A is okay, or if we want to be Apple.
I happen to think Mark Richt can make Georgia like Apple.
But Mark Richt himself is holding his program back with his illogical and misplaced loyalty in people like Willie Martinez and our just-retired former wide-receivers coach.
Urban Meyer, Pete Carrol, Nick Saban, and Les Miles will not let emotion stand in the way of elevating their programs to the levels of an IBM, Coca-Cola, or Microsoft.
Unfortunately, Coach Richt seems to be very unwilling to make the necessary tough decisions to expand his brand beyond the region because of his emotional attatchments to the underperforming coaches on his staff.
You know, now that we see that Bobby Cox cannot take average and mediocre baseball teams and make them better, the shine has worn off of his “great” status. We see Bobby Cox for what he is: a push-button manager whose horrible decisions have led to some great teams flaming out in October.
With Richt refusing to dump his coaching dead-weight, we may start to see him for what he is: happy to be Chik-Fil-A, unwilling to make the hard decisions needed to become Apple.
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Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:39 pm
Coach Bryant was a smart football man. He just told me to run and pointed and that’s what I did.
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Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:41 pm
I scored 2 touchdowns when I played Georgia.
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Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:42 pm
Football was a confusing game. Figuring out when to stop running was tricky.
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Nice Guy
February 24th, 2009
1:43 pm
Coach Mark Richt in 8 seasons at UGA.
6 10 win seasons
5 times finished in the top 10
2 times finished in the top 3
3 SEC Championship Appearances
2 SEC Titles
3 BCS Bowls
2 Sugar Bowl wins
27-4 on the road in the SEC over 8 seasons
82-22 record over 8 seasons – 79% winning percentage
No Probations
Is that intense enough for you?
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Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:45 pm
I like running almost as much as I like choc-o-late
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
1:46 pm
How long did it take Mack Brown to get his NC? Pete Carroll has one NC for all they hype and talent that has run through USC this decade. USC is generally considered one of the best pro teams in college football. IMO you have to build the program to win and win on a consistent basis. Richt has done that. He knows what it takes to win via his Miami days, FSU time and now leading the Dawgs. He has done it the right way too. No major embarrassments to the program. Great recruiting classes. Developes that talent for their NFL future. Don’t believe for one minute that he has been happy about a single one of the losses the past few seasons, lopsided or not. And yes it is about the breaks and the way the ball bounces sometimes. Regardless an L is an L. If you lose a game you can’t complain about the BCS selections or where your team ends up in the post season. Proud to have Richt as our coach, win or lose, the man has integrity and class unmatched by few in his profession.
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Forrest
February 24th, 2009
1:46 pm
I was an All-American.
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JohnInJax
February 24th, 2009
1:47 pm
This subject is ridiculous! Is this the best we could do at this time of the year? The proof is in the numbers. CMR has averaged 10 plus wins a season. I am getting very tired of all this complaining. We sound like a bunch of ungrateful teenagers. Geez!
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Cuz
February 24th, 2009
1:50 pm
Run Forrest. Sorry couldn’t help myself.
BugKiller, who is managing Pepsi, Pete Carrol?
Charlie Weiss at AIG.
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Cuz
February 24th, 2009
1:53 pm
Zoo your profundity just astounds me. Preach on brother.
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Cuz
February 24th, 2009
1:54 pm
Hey Chip, do you make the Master’s rotation this year?
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BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
2:00 pm
Nice Guy,
Again… Chik-Fil-A.
Chik-Fil-A in a world (the SEC) of Coca-Cola, IBM, and Microsoft.
Chik-Fil-A is good, and I love Chik-Fil-A.
But is it going to be enough in the long-haul.
Coaches who win National Championships don’t “wait” to get the good bounces, “wait” for good luck.
They make their own good luck, they make their own good breaks.
Too long at Georgia, we’ve seen all of the teams we play get the good bounces, have the good luck. We don’t make any of it ourselves.
I blame Mark Richt for one thing: his stubborn refusal to hold under-performing coaches accountable and a willingness to blame his players for not performing without asking the question, “Who’s coaching the players.”
How long have our wide receivers underachieved as a unit in Richt’s regime? Who was the lone variable that never changed in that equation?
In four years under Willie Martinez, the defense has regressed EVERY YEAR! Who is the lone variable that hasn’t changed in this equation?
Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Les Miles have no qualms with firing under-performing coaches.
Coach Richt does. He downright refuses to do it. We had to hope and pray Miami would hire away Willie to give us a chance next year, but Miami looked at Willie’s body of work and said, “No way in hell, and we don’t care that he’s an alumni!”
People wanted to hire Coach Van Gorder away from us.
No one wants to hire Willie Martinez away from us.
That should tell ANYONE all they need to know about his performance as DC.
Coach Richt’s emotionality for his coaches is holding us back from becoming Apple. He seems quite happy with being Chik-Fil-A, otherwise, he’d make the tough decisions by removing emotion out of the equation, but he can’t do it.
Thomas Dimitroff is going to bring the Falcons a Super Bowl far sooner than the Dawgs will win a MNC under Mark Richt. Why? He refuses to let emotion to cloud his judgment.
I hate Urban Meyer, loathe Nick Saban, and grudgingly respect Les Miles. And I wish to hell that Mark Richt possessed a little of their ability to make the tough decisions it takes to push a football program over the edge.
But he just doesn’t have it in him.
And eventually, Damon Evans is going to have to decide whether being Chik-Fil-A is enough for him, or if he wants to be Apple.
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UGAfraid
February 24th, 2009
2:01 pm
Mark Richt is in danger of becoming irrelevant. You can’t consistently have top 10 recruiting classes and not win a NC. When UGA takes its place as 3rd in the SEC East behind UF and UT, the fans will start to call for a regime change.
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RealityYech
February 24th, 2009
2:06 pm
I think Preacher Richt is plenty intense. Have you seen him in the Carpets of Dalton commercials? He is ready to bust on someone in those commercials. He is our man to match wits with meyer, saban and johnson for years to come and it makes me tingle inside knowing it!!! wuff wuff…lets get em dogs! wuff wuff wuff
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Bil
February 24th, 2009
2:06 pm
The reason Richt gets questioned so much is he doesn’t win the big one despite outrecruiting everyone. Good coach? No doubt. Great coach? No way. Leave that to Meyer, Spurrier and Saban. Richt has had the athletes but hasn’t quite put it together.
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Cuz
February 24th, 2009
2:06 pm
Regime change? Give me one of whatever you are having.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
2:14 pm
Thanks Cuz, I hope your health troubles are behind you.
bugkiller, Chick-Fil-A has a location in Mishawaka, Indiana. Did you know that? Not quite the southeast but expanding farther north. Maybe we can get Coach Richt to put a location in Portage, Michigan near the mall there.
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Music City Dawg
February 24th, 2009
2:20 pm
You’d think beating Florida would be important to a guy who played at Miami, coached at FSU, and now coaches at UGA. Nobody loves Mark Richt like the Florida Gators. That game isn’t even a rivalry. They own us. Period. I realize that we’re winning in the overall record, but let’s talk about what’s relevant — those wins in the 80s are no longer relevant. Beating Florida is the name of the game. If Richt can’t do it, we’ll always be second banana to Florida. In the East, we’ve got Urban Meyer who is basically a genius, Lane Kiffin who is cooking up God-knows-what, and Spurrier can pull something out of his hat at any given moment. I like CMR as a person, but sometimes I wonder if he’s not three steps behind everyone else. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a great 2009…but I won’t hold my breath.
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SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
2:20 pm
Nice Guy -
I see you also buy the story line that the UF/UGA game is not an “away game” that should be counted. Count those and it is a little different won/loss percentage.
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BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
2:21 pm
Kalamazoo… he can’t… Willie Martinez holds him back like a stone around his neck.
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williebkind
February 24th, 2009
2:22 pm
Bugkiller:
I agree with your assessment!!!
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Music City Dawg
February 24th, 2009
2:25 pm
Yeah, I love the people who think it would be ‘more fair’ to move the GA/FLA game to Atlanta. We could play Florida on the friggin moon, and it wouldn’t change the fact that they are going to beat us.
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No Ax(e) To Grind
February 24th, 2009
2:28 pm
There is a vast difference between ten-win seasons and a National Championship. One opinion expressed above regarding Richt is to the point. The basic question is not whether Richt is intense enough, or smart enough, or tall enough, for that matter. The basic question is whether Richt has desire enough to win a NC. More specifically, does he have the intestinal fortitude to fire those underperformers he has on his staff? At this point the question remains unanswered. There is no doubt that there were certain areas that needed vast improvement last season…i.e. special teams for instance. I am unaware that any staff changes were made. Somehow, I think that if their teams had underperformed last year to the same degree, Meyer and Saban may have made changes. Both have at least one NC to their credit. Spurrier, in his halcyon years, made changes. Chalk up a NC to him. Hopefully,for Georgia fans’ sake, Richt does have the “guts/desire”. Otherwise ten win seasons and the Citrus Bowl will be about the best they can hope for.
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Sissy Dawg
February 24th, 2009
2:40 pm
Mark Richt is a nice guy and a great person. His weakness as a coach is not intensity, but lack of discipline. His players don’t fear him. They know they can get by with anything on or off the field. It show up in the number of players arrested every year and the the stupid unnecessary penalties on the field. Whatever they do, they just get to sit out for a meaningless game. His player like him, but don’t respect him because they see him as weak. They are headed down hill in the SEC and nationally.
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uga_b
February 24th, 2009
2:42 pm
As has been stated before, where the intensity seems to lack is on the defensive side. I think we can all appreciate BVG a little better after his year with the Falcons. We havent bad a real big hitter since Greg Blue. Well, Rennie is close for his size. I just want our team to get out and hit some people. I don’t know if that is the athelete or the coach. Maybe it has been the focus on a more speedy finesse defense.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
2:43 pm
bugkiller, then Willie has to go. Can’t be holding up the Chick-Fil-A expansion to my hood.
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Nice Guy
February 24th, 2009
2:44 pm
BugKiller and the rest of you, you guys are missing the point. Forget about this Chick-fil-A whatever comparison. First of all, you cannot control National Championships. Everybody knows that UGA should have been in the NC last year or at least in the Rose Bowl playing USC, which would have been a great game by the way. But that’s my point, UGA couldn’t control that situation. Always focus on what you can control.
The SEC is like the NFL, you win in the SEC, you’re a great coach, period. Second, consistantcy is the key to everything you do in life. How long did it take Bobby Bowden to win his first NC. The point is, how do you measure success, winning a NC or winning every year and give yourself a chance to win SEC titles. Anybody can win the lottory and end of up losing it all without balance and proper management but not everyone can manage there money well and build success consistantly.
OK, so he’s not the best coach in College Football or even the SEC but he wins. That’s all that matters. They hired the guy to win and beat UT, GT, and UF. WE may not do it every year but he gives UGA the best chance to win and help these kids in the real world. This is not about just sports and winning NC. Yes, it would be great to win one but focus on winning and keep improving on what it is being built rather than focusing on winning NC.
Say you get rid of the guy and bring someone else in here, then what? You’ve broken the trend and system of winning and being in the hunt every year. You guys are too caught up in the hype of winning national championships and all these great athletes that UGA bring in every year and you compare this coach with that coach.
there are 2 types of coaches you can choose from. One who curses his players and hopefully win national championships, or a coach who brings balance to a football program and prepares these kids for making tough decisions in the real world.
Mark Richt is the guy I want coaching my son. Teaching a college athlete about Balance in life, making quality and tough decisions, developing a relationship with God, staying focused and compete on the field is intensity in my book.
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SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
2:54 pm
Nice Guy -
By “preparing them for the real world” I guess you mean how to go through the police department processing after arrest and how to get your bail posted?
Give me a break. Until he puts his foot down with some control over these thugs, it will be the same story each year.
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
2:56 pm
Florida without Tebow?
Well, they owned the Pups for 15 years before Tebow and will own the Pups after Tebow leaves. Hell, Zook won 2 of 3 against Georgia and Richt.
Harvin? Don’t think he played in the SEC game against Alabama and they had no problems. Florida is loaded and will be that way for years.
Meyer did not have a Tebow like QB at Bowling Green when he won. He did not have a Tebow or Harvin at Utah when he ran the table. He is just head and shoulders over Richt and now that he has a loaded team and superior coaches, he will dominate the Leg Humpers for as long as he is there.
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Tide rising
February 24th, 2009
2:57 pm
Run Forrest Run! Actually Forrest was scoring against Tennessee and not Georgia. Unless Georgia just happened to be wearing orange that day.
Mark Richt is a fine coach. Everyone has their own unique style and as long as CMR continues to be successful I don’t understand why the questions about his intensity. The only knock I see on CMR is his inability to beat the Gators. Florida is the odds on favorite to win the sec again and is absolutely loaded so its almost a certainty he will lose to UF this year as will most if not all of us. But if he loses to the gators for another year or 2 after Tebow leaves then I think his seat may be real, real hot at that point.
A man’s greatness is measured by the strength of his enemies and how in turn he responds to his greatest enemies.
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CMR is a loser
February 24th, 2009
3:00 pm
Yep, can’t motivate at the highest levels. Will always be beaten by Meyer, Saban, Miles and Spurrier and probably Kiffin and Paul Johnson.
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
3:01 pm
He will lose to the Gators after Tebow leaves. Ron Zook was 2-1 against Richt.
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BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
3:02 pm
NiceGuy…
… then basically, you’re okay with Chik-Fil-A.
You’re okay with Georgia being a regional program that wins the SEC every now and again, and that’s about it.
Florida, LSU, and Alabama are not okay with that. They are Microsoft, IBM, and Coca-Cola. They’re world-wide, baby. Their coaches are willing to do what it takes to keep their teams world-wide and winning Nat’l Championships.
Mark Richt is not willing to do what it takes. He is not willing to make tough decisions, but to have tough decisions made for him.
I guarantee, when Willie’s defenses fall flat AGAIN, and we get declining results from Willie for the fifth year in a row, Mark Richt will still defend the indefensible, and Damon Evans will either have to step in and make the hard decision for Mark Richt, or be okay with being Chik-Fil-A.
Being Chik-Fil-A was okay for the first 7 or 8 years of Richt because we were the Flowery Branch Cafe under Donnan and Goff.
But I refuse to accept that Chik-Fil-A is our ceiling as a program residing in the 3rd best state for high school football players, better than Texas even.
I want to be Apple, dammit. And the more I see from Richt, his inability to keep emotion out of decisions, his inability to fire underwhelming coaches, I’m seeing a coach who is never going to get our program over the hump.
I’m sick and tired of being Stew Mandel’s whipping dog. I’m tired of guys like Colin Cowherd and Rece Davis and Mark May and Chris Fowler denigrating our program on national television and radio.
I’m sick of unfulfilled promise.
I’m sick of settling for ten wins a year when so much more is expected.
There was a time when Coach Richt talked about “knocking the lid off.”
And he’ll never knock off this new lid if he’s content to keep giving underwhelming coaches like Willie Martinez around.
2-8 vs. Florida. And I’m sorry, but 1-2 vs. Ron Zook is INEXCUSABLE.
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UnderDog
February 24th, 2009
3:05 pm
We won a title in 1980 with Dooley, who had an on-field persona much like Mark Richt. I don’t think UGA needs a coach that will make an a$$ of himself in public. We can leave that to the Dennis Green’s and the Mike Ditka’s of the coaching world.
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DawgGirl32
February 24th, 2009
3:10 pm
SSI Gator- Isn’t the arrest thing coming from you a little pot calling the kettle black? I mean, UF’s had 4 players arrested in 10 months and all of them were on felony charges. Sure, Meyer kicked them off the team, and when Michael Lemon was arrested on felony charges, Mark Richt kicked him off the team. Other than that, our players are getting arrested for stupid things like *gasp* underage drinking and whatnot. Our “thugs” don’t steal computers, use a dead person’s credit card, and choke their girlfriends. Florida has their fair share of “thugs” too.
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SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
3:11 pm
BugKiller -
Save your breath. The UGA fans like Nice Guy and others don’t get it and they never will. They are convinced that since they will probably never see a NC under Richt that at least they have a coach that is a really swell person. It is like Patton said in WWII, “Hell, I don’t want these men to like me, I want them to fightg for me”.
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SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
3:16 pm
DawgGirl32 -
All programs have the same type of problems. It just appears that you can almost set your watch to what happens at UGA each off season. If Richt is such a “great person and a role model” then he does not seem to get the message through to the players very well.
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
3:18 pm
Actually with as few of healthy players as he ended the year with, He was more like the manager of a Holcolmb’s BBQ. And still giving Chik-Fil-A a pretty good run for the money.
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
3:25 pm
So all program have the “same” problems. Your words. All includes UF, and goodness know the issue are well documented there as well. But it’s only unacceptable with a person like Richt coaching, and you don’t worry about the “same” from UF because your coach is……….? odd way to look at it.
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GATORZONE
February 24th, 2009
3:30 pm
Everyone saying UGA should have played in the NC game 2 years ago is delusional. Yes, they demolished Hawaii, but so what? A national champion team may lose a game, but NEVER get blown out the way UGA did against Tennessee that year.
Also, Florida has Tebow #2 coming in next year… His name is Trey Burton. Watch for him to take over after John Brantley…
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
3:33 pm
National Championships at Georgia? Please don’t make me laugh. The only National Championships the Leg Humpers can win is in the preseason polls. They can’t even win the SEC East!
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
3:37 pm
I hate to ask this question to all you naysayers, but if not Coach Richt right now at this time, then who? Name somebody out there with his record or better, that can recruit like he does, that is available today that will get us 10+ wins year in and year out. Name one prospect or more that you are absolutely certain will come in and do the job better. And remember they have to be available. And don’t say Charlie Wei$$ either.
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GATORZONE
February 24th, 2009
3:40 pm
Richt is a fine coach and a fine man. He may win it all one day, but he has to shed some of the dead weight on his staff and bring back some fiery assistants. Willie Martinez is a joke.
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
3:40 pm
Well gdawginkalamazoo, you have to go find them, like Florida found Meyer. Like Alabama found Saban. All the Georgia fans said that Urban Meyer and his “gimmicky” offense would not work in the SEC. That the SEC was tougher than the schedule Utah played. Well look who is laughing now.
There are many coaches out there that are better than Richt given the resources Richt has who would come to Georgia if approached.
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Tide rising
February 24th, 2009
3:41 pm
SSI gator and DawgGirl32,
I agree with both of you that we all have our share of thugs and discipline problems. Fla. did have a few serious felonious types of bad apples. Bama had the same. Its very sad that Bama’s Jimmy Johns certainly could have made an nfl team and chose to throw it all away for some extra cash selling coke to students. Same thing with Bama freshman Jeremy Elders who is now serving hard time for robbing 2 students at gunpoint. And for what? $20 freaking dollars! Saban took over a pretty undisciplined program from Shula where there was an overall discipline and attitude problem. They were just like UGA in that most of the arrests were for stupid stuff like underage drinking, etc. No arrests so far in the past 6 months or so(knock on wood). But while I think most of the dawgs players arrests are for trivial stuff that almost all college kids do I think ssi gator has a point. 8 years into his program CMR shouldn’t be having 15 guys getting arrested over 2 years even if it is for small stuff like underage drinking. Shula’s bunch at Bama was the same way and then it turned serious with the 2 felonies by Johns and Elders that Saban had to clean up. Its like the broken window theory. It starts off with small things like underage drinking, etc. but then the sense of disorderliness kinda grows and eventually gets out of hand and more serious stuff follows. I don’t want to get onto Richt though because I respect and admire him. Its just that he should have a little better handle on the discipline problem 8 years into his tenure even if the arrests are for smaller stupid stuff that almost all kids do at college.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
3:44 pm
AltaDawg, you didn’t just say Holcomb’s BBQ did you? Not the one in White Plains by chance?
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BugKiller
February 24th, 2009
3:47 pm
kalmazoo…
… who knew Richt would be good enough to win 10 games a year and be Chik-Fil-A?
Not many Dawg fans I knew in 2001.
But what you’re ignoring is the fact that Richt, because of his refusal to do away with underwhelming coaches who are in way over the heads, like Martinez, to make the tough, unemotional decisions needed to push his program over the edge and become a national or world-wide brand like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, or IBM, is not the guy to get us more than 10 wins a year and an SEC Championship every 5 years or so.
He’s not. Nothing he has done in Athens has given anyone any delusions that he is going to do more at Georgia than he already has done.
He had his chance this past year. He had the chance to send a message to all that he is willing to do what it takes to win the MNC. But instead, he defended the indefensible Willie Martinez and actually gave that guy, whose defenses have gotten WORSE every year for four years, a freaking raise!!!
So Richt told all of us that he is okay with being Chik-Fil-A, and he has no drive to be Microsoft, Coca-Cola, or IBM.
He doesn’t want to expand his brand. He wants to keep his coaching family together, no matter how bad some of his coaches are. He’s satisfied.
The question is, how much longer are YOU going to be satisfied?
How much longer is Damon Evans going to be satisfied?
And nothing
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roof roof
February 24th, 2009
3:48 pm
No pun intended, but you have to start with getting his wife off the sidelines……. the past 10 national champions did not have a wife pouring gatoraid…. the players and the coaches can not be intense like growing boys and men do on the sidelines while a missionay’s wife is on the sidelines.. this is the first step…. second play all out aggresive football, that is what its about today… this needs to be displayed on offense and defense…… Richt has already had his oppty to win a National Championship at uga, from this point on it will never happen… Florida out coaches and plays them every year… Tech is getting better, and so are all the other teams. Bama, Fl State, and now Tenn are going to start taking more in state guys.. alonq with Tech, where it will just be to tough to make it to the next level.. so Dawg fans, status quo is what you get with the dawgs, it aint bad, but not worth season tickets….. when all stays the same.. Dawgs will lose at leat 4 games this year and the heat will be on…. Great article on the Torrance…. everyone needs to see the highlight video..
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SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
3:49 pm
Tide rising -
Actually, you really need to look no further than from where Richt hails from; Miami problems galore, FSU the grandfather of deny & lie. After eight years at UGA the pattern seems to be following more of a downward trend than improving.
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Halsey
February 24th, 2009
3:54 pm
Many people will nitpick every fault in a coach if he hasn’t won a national championship and will then see them as faultless when he does win one. There were people that probably nitpicked Vince Dooley until he won a national championship, a decade and a half after taking the UGA job.
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
3:54 pm
Exactly how many National Championship games has Richt coached in since coming to Georgia? he’s been there 10 years. Expect more of the same.
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doodoobailey
February 24th, 2009
4:00 pm
What kind of pu$$y blogs on a UGA site for a paper in Atlanta, being a lizard fan living on St. Simons Island. You loser!!!!
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roof roof
February 24th, 2009
4:01 pm
Again, I will say Richt has had all his chances to win big a uga, now the sec has changed over in coaching, and it is much better with in the league… He is not consistant from game to game year to year game to game…. He has Dumbo calling plays and Mickey Mouse calling the defense…. and his wife whispering little somethings on the sideline.. Nice venture, but needs to go to the sky boxes…. because he can handle on campus off field problems and on field penalties reductions, winning a nc at uga will never happen….. again…… read my lips… 9 to 10 wins will be it……. season ticket holders.. and who could not coach at uga and win 7-9 games a year… he is making over 3 million smacks……. for third place….
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
4:07 pm
Ray, you still didn’t name anybody? BTW, I wouldn’t want $uitca$e $aban anywhere near UGA’s program. So, can you name at least one coach out there? Available? That would do a better job.
Anyone, anyone, Bueller, anyone????
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TrainSmoke
February 24th, 2009
4:12 pm
Some of you folks are uninformed. No, let me just say that some of you are football ignorant. Intensity? I had the opportunity to play for one of the most intense individuals to coach at UGA, or any other level for that matter, Wayne McDuffie. If you venters don’t know who Wayne McDuffie was then you don’t know Georgia football or what the defintion of intensity is. UGA has several intense coaches. You don’t see it because all you are able to see is the games. You don’t get to see the practices or early morning off season workouts. The intensity is there, no doubt. Georgia’s OL coach is very intense. Reminds me of Coach McDuffie. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what’s vented here. If every coach on UGA’s staff was as intense as Wayne McDuffie, you “fans” would be shouting how inhumane they were. Keep up the great work, CMR!
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Jimmy Taylor
February 24th, 2009
4:15 pm
The question is who is the best QB ever at UGA not who won the most games. The best physical talent was clearly Matt Stafford. David Greene & perhaps Eric Zeir were more accurate but arm, release, touch all go to Stafford. I would have liked to have seen DJ Shockley’s stats in he played 4 years.
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Rambin Wreck
February 24th, 2009
4:21 pm
409 yards rushing
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
4:26 pm
Turner Gill.
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shane#1
February 24th, 2009
4:27 pm
Richt is enough of a CEO for Me. The family atmosphere at UGA is one reason they recruit well. I had a family type atmosphere in high school and I still bore people to death with stories about My coach. In Jr. college We had the CEO type head coach, and I just realized that I can’t remember his name! I guess I will have to dig out My old yearbook and look him up! Thanks for the links Chip. I am glad that something is being done to honor Stanfill, and Cleve has been a leader here in Albany for years. Both are fine people and deserve the honors. I was thinking about what was said earlier about lack of leadership on the field and how it related to this team. It seems that losing Thomas Brown, Kelin Johnson, Howard, and ‘Nando hurt that team more than anyone could foresee. Also, losing Owens to injury hurt in the leadership department as he was the most vocal of the D linemen and a senior. Knowshon tried to fire the team up earlier in the season, I can remember him getting in a lineman’s face that missed a block and let Stafford get creamed, and him firing up MO-Mass after the latter took a vicious hit from a DB. Later in the year Knowshon got quiet on the sidelines, at least, quiet for Knowshon. I think the beatings he took in the Bama and UF games affected him. It was like Moreno said, “screw it, I’m outta here!” I can’t really blame him, hits like the one he took from Spikes can end your NFL career before it starts.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
4:27 pm
bugkiller, you won’t get any arguments from me regarding Martinez. I can agree with you 100% there. Richt will have some choices to make if that D doesn’t pan out again. I will have to refer you to my debate with Ray,if not Richt then who? I really think his early success has a lot to do with the discontent from the fans now. Heck I have suffered through the years prior to his arrival so maybe I am a lot more appreciative and patient than most. Just like most of us and our jobs we learn something new everyday. Unfortunately for Richt, a decision or lack thereof, doesn’t last for one a day it can last an entire season. Don’t think for one minute that he isn’t aware of that.
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
4:33 pm
Mark Richt is a nice guy. He does nit have the fire to be the coach of a National Championship team. But that is OK. Apparently the Leg Humper fans are happy with what he has achieved over 10 years. Florida and Alabama fans would not be.
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DawginLex
February 24th, 2009
4:42 pm
The main things I look at: Compare the reaction of coach Richt celebrating 7 wins over Tech in the last 8 years. Hugging his players and coaches and talking about being thankful.
Now consider the reaction of Tech’s coach who turned and pointed to the stands and smarted off to the media.
I’ll take Richt any day of the week and twice on Sunday
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
4:45 pm
White plains and Greensboro. Great place but I am not particularly fond of the NC style vinegar base BBQ sauce.
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Nice Guy
February 24th, 2009
4:46 pm
SSI Gator,
The same storey each year is that he wins. 9,10, maybe 11 games. That’s all you can ask from the guy. Ask yourself a simple question, How do you measure success? A one time sensation or what you do over the long haul. These “thugs” as you call them are putting money into these universities every year. Millions of dollars so your little children one day can win a scholarship.
It’s interesting though that even though these “thugs” get in trouble, that CMR is still considered a great guy, interesting. That makes him more of a great coach, to have to deal with these “thugs” and still win. How many coaches do you know that have to deal with “thugs” and still win football games? I’m sure if a great guy like CMR felt that if UGA was bad for his family, he can go somewhere else and coach. But he accepts the challenge of dealing with these “thugs” and try to turn these kids life around if they are that bad.
After all, SSI Gator, isn’t that what going to college is all about, having the opportunity to turn your life around and make something of yourself. Stop Stereo-typing people and give them a chance.
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Chip Towers
February 24th, 2009
4:47 pm
Wow. Comparing programs to fast-food franchises and multi-national corporations. Impressive. Y’all have take the UGA blog to new heights. . . . In the meantime, I’m here anytime y’all need. Just hanging out . . . whistling.
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Jeff
February 24th, 2009
4:49 pm
Altanaha Dawg,
YOU know NOTHING about Ga.FOOTBALL. Charlie Strong has been ONE of the BEST DC’s in college football.I have been a homer of the BULLDOGS for 50 years. I see you blog ALOT….but DON”T make MUCH cent (penny).
I have followed Ga. Football for 50 yerrs
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
4:56 pm
Bugkiller, I remember my first Brand Marketing 201 class. Ah, good times!
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Pitbull
February 24th, 2009
4:59 pm
I have an idea that Coach Richt is a different man in the locker room and on the practice field when things are not going to suit him than he is in public. There is a difference between “intense” and “focused.”
He could not have gone 82-22 in 8 seasons in the SEC without having it together really well. Has any other SEC team done as well over the past 8 years? Maybe Florida, but I honestly do not know and doubt any other teams than Florida have done so well.
Regarding the SEC, power shifts are occuring. Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina and Arkansas are on the way down. Kentucky and Vanderbilt are waivering.
The court is still out on Alabama. Are they the team that beat Georgia last year or the team that lost to Utah and Louisiana-Monroe?
Mississippi (with Houston Nutt) and Mississippi State (with the former Florida offensive coordinator as their new coach) are on the way up.
I see Georgia, Florida, and LSU as the SEC teams most likely to consistantly win over the next few years.
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SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
5:00 pm
Nice Guy -
Hey, don’t get so defensive. If the fans are happy paying a coach $3 mil a year, watching the team under-perform with the talent they have and read about arrest after arrest each year, it is ok with me. Just saying that if the same things happen every year why should any one expect different results.
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Jeff
February 24th, 2009
5:03 pm
HOW do you explain insanity?? Think you can keep DOING (same coaches) the SAME thing and expect DIFFERENT results!! Have you guys been watching the SAME GEORGIA games??
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
5:05 pm
Jeff, I know something about Georgia Football. Got to know at least one thing or two. Nothing seems a little overboard.
But what part of me saying he was “a fine coach that could get his players up to championship caliber” did you take offence to?
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UGA All Bark No Bite
February 24th, 2009
5:14 pm
WOW Percy Harvin won’t be at UF IN 09 so UF offense will be in shambles. No Mercy Percy in the SEC title game, did that stop UF from winning the SEC Championship game? Tebow gone after 09 season, Better get use to hearing The name…..BRANTLEY!
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Pitbull
February 24th, 2009
5:14 pm
Chip Towers asking if Mark Richt is intense enough is like a knat asking a Lear jet if it is fast enough.
Who is Chip Towers to pose such a question?
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doggiediapers
February 24th, 2009
5:15 pm
preacher richt some times does have a very stern, serious look on his face. mostly when he is squatting down on the sideline to take dump in his pants like he did against bama, UF and tech this year.
the outlook in athens is very bleak right now. they will always be a good team because of the program and the talent level they bring in but they are going to be the eternal bridesmaid in the east to florida for years to come and now have paul johnson to contend with every november.
richt was schooled in the fat bowden way. get superior athletes and let them overpower and out run lesser opponents with no discipline and not control. problem is you cant overpower and outrun the 5-6 teams that are equal or better to the dogs every year in their own conference.
sux to be a dog fan right now.
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Nice Guy
February 24th, 2009
5:21 pm
SSI Gator,
Not getting defensive dude. It’s all good. You’re just voicing your opinion. Just making a point about stereo-typing people without giving them a chance to make something happen in there life. IF they get in trouble, then yes, they should be disciplined or even kick off the team if neccessary, but don’t call them “thugs” dude. these kids help pump millions of dollars into these universities so your great coaches who do win NC earn $4-$6 million a year. The Players get “Zero”. And then when they decide to go somewhere else they still get paid with these buyout clauses, but people still call the players “thugs” because they are trying to perform. Don’t jump CMR because the guy don’t curse his players to get them play harder and WIN NC. That’s my opinion. Hey, have a good one SSI Gator. Love your INTENSITY!!!
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Jeff
February 24th, 2009
5:23 pm
Altamaha Dawg,
No offense here…..if you read my beginning comment. I KNOW CMR is the RIGHT guy for UGA !!! We are a TOP five program…..BUT we don’t have the RIGHT coachs in the KEY positions.This is not brain surgery. It’s NICE to go 10 and 3…but WHO did we beat that was AHEAD of US in the FINAL ranking???? LOOK at how we LOST to BAMA,FLORIDA and TECH…..If someone would have told me that we would have SCORED 42 points on TECH and LOSE!!!!!We have TOP 10 classes but we can’t translate to BIG wins.
Please help explain.
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
5:23 pm
Insanity to me is insisting that somebody (who doesnt know you) do something (that they are not) for reasons (that you don’t really understand), because you type it in a sports blog (that they don’t read). And getting mad when they don’t. Then expect the rest of us to accept an opinion we don’t share BY: repeating above steps. Insanity.
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RobBob
February 24th, 2009
5:26 pm
I wish someone would eat their apple in reverse
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
5:30 pm
What does any of that have to do with Charlie Strong?
But as to your question, frankly I think we were very fortunete and it took a great effort by the staff to win 10 games last year. If somebody would have told us back in the summer who was going to be sitting on the trainers table all year, and we were being honest, most rational fans would have taken 10 wins on the spot.
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Jeff
February 24th, 2009
5:35 pm
Dear Altamaha Dawg,
Sorry you thought I was mad …..you are too sensitive to be on this blog.Do what ROBBOB suggested !
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Ray Goff
February 24th, 2009
5:38 pm
Why are we even discussing this? The guy has been there 10 years and has not played in a single BCS Championship Game. With the talent he has had, 10 wins out of 13 games is not that difficult. Especially when you play Hawaii in the bowl game. He is suppose to be a QB coach. I did not see Stafford progress one bit this past year. Blame it on BooBoo if you want to but the guy at the top making 3 mil a year is the one responsible. He won the SEC East on down years and managed to blow it in 2007. The guy is a good coach, but never say the word Great when mentioning Mark Richt.
And yes, UGA has the overall record against Florida, but since 1950, UF has the overall. And that includes all of the Dooley years. Only Leg Humper fans give a rats cahooney about wins in the 20’s and 30’s.
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SSI gator
February 24th, 2009
5:40 pm
AltamahaDawg -
What is with you and the injuries? Every team has them and the back-ups, that are also highly touted recruits, are expected to come in and play. So does that mean that the back-ups are not as good as advertised or that the coaches are not doing as good of a job with them as they should be?
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Tide rising
February 24th, 2009
5:40 pm
SSi gator,
I agree with your point. We all have our discipline issue kids and bad apples that we have to boot off the team. And yes you are right. After 8 years the numbers of arrests and disciplinary problems are supposed to go down and not up. I hope Richt gets control of the small discipline problems so that he doesn’t have to go through what we went through with Jimmy Johns and Elders.
gdawginkalamazoo,
I don’t know why you have to call him $uitcase $aban. Very classless to accuse someone’s coach of buying players or outright cheating. If you can prove your libelous charges then please do so. Otherwise your accusations are just as meritless and BS as Lane Kiffin accusing Meyer of cheating. So just STFU and don’t make charges you can’t prove.
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
5:46 pm
Well in all fairness, I should have been more precise. I meant folks get mad at (him) Mark Richt for not doing what they insist in here.
I could give a rats behind if somebody is mad at me in here. How could you not get mad at somebody who knows “nothing” about Georgia Football right?
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Pitbull
February 24th, 2009
6:17 pm
On a lighter note, it takes enterprising minds to find ways to increase income in these challenging economic times. I think we can all learn a lesson from Vassalboro, Maine.
Vassalboro, Maine – Cup size has more than one meaning at a new central Maine coffeehouse. Servers are topless at the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop, which opened its doors Monday on a busy road in Vassalboro. A sign outside says, “Over 18 only.” Another says, “No cameras, no touching, cash only.” On Tuesday, two men sipped coffee at a booth while three topless waitresses and a bare-chested waiter stood nearby.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
6:20 pm
Tide, what? a little defensive there. I didn’t say anything about $aban paying players, that’s what the boosters are for silly. I called him $uitcase $aban because of his traveling nature (MSU, LSU, Miami, and soon to be Bama) and his demand for 4 mil a year. Nothing not true there. Flat out lying through your teeth is offensive (to some) and classless. Remember his statements before he left Miami? Lot of different ways he could have worded that and still have some respect from the fans. I also spell Charlie Wei$$ the same way. It just isn’t working out for him as well as it is for Nicky.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 24th, 2009
6:22 pm
I might have left Booby Petrino off that list. Sorry Booby.
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
6:31 pm
ssi let me respond as follows.. Since you are so familiar with the history of ALL teams and thier abilities to recover from injuries, how about name one team that lived up to its billing , with 2 dozen season ending injuries to many of its better players. How hard could it be, since they “all” have em. Name One, Ever? Then explain to me how UF lost 4 games last year. Did the coaches not do a very good job with those players then?
As far as backups, I think its pretty damn good to be able to win as many games at we did with back up. Not many teams could have. They are called back ups for a reason.
BTW all that was proven was that UGA could win more games than most of the country playing
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
6:33 pm
deep into the roster…
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Jeff
February 24th, 2009
6:44 pm
UF didn’t lose 4 games last year………NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! Dig a DEEPER hole.
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Hell hath no fury like a scorned Richt « The Hobnail Boot
February 24th, 2009
6:58 pm
[...] 24, 2009 · No Comments Chip Towers over at the AJC poses an interesting question in response to Pete Fiutak’s mailbag over at College Football News. Is Mark [...]
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Dumb Atlamaha Dawg
February 24th, 2009
7:15 pm
Another dumb mutt fan….Gators didn’t lose 4 games in 08….Gators won the BCS National Title In 08,something the mutts have not done in almost thirty years.
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Johnny DangerDawg
February 24th, 2009
7:18 pm
dawgdan,
Good call. That was David Pollock who vouched for Richt’s intensity in 2007.
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Choke! the offical drink for the UGA Dawgs
February 24th, 2009
7:22 pm
Right mutts?
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AltamahaDawg
February 24th, 2009
8:00 pm
Gee really nailed me there (and so much easier than answering a real question).
I stand corrected. The only games the gators actually lost in the Calendar year of 2008 was the on the very first day. And then Ole’Miss.
I could say that your NC game was actually played in the calendar year of 2009, but why split hairs, right.
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icedawg
February 24th, 2009
8:06 pm
Intense? Define it. I hardly see how something like this guarantees the credibility and effectiveness of a coach. Irk Russell was intense and was a great coach. Coach Dooley was not as intense as Russell but was no less a good coach. There are more factors that make a man an effective coach but an emotional intensity is not necessarily one of them. Intensity usually reflects the emotional level and raw emotions do not always have good outcomes. I think that the “intensity” is overvalued. Give me a smart, respectable, steady, evenly tempered coach any day of the week instead of some hot dog.
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FLDAWG
February 24th, 2009
8:09 pm
On Topic, Richts instensity is fine. What we see on Fall Saturdays is not the entire week. In an interview he even stated that as a head coach he wanted to remain on an even keel in an effort to make better decisions and even more so as a play caller (back in the day).
Off topic: CWM does deserve criticism as the defensive numbers have declined over the last four years. Therefore, so does Richt as head coach. Bobo is a young play caller and OC. He still deserves a little time to develop. He has called some good games. He will get better. The problem for Richt is this, he needs to get into the D side of the ball more yet he has a young coordinator in Bobo that he needs to continue to develop. Regardless of what any of us would like or think, CWM has at least one more year. There are some good leaders in place (Jeff Owens, Curran) and that should help CWM. As a dawg fan I am pulling for CWM and Bobo.
Richt isn’t done winning and still has plenty of opportunities ahead of him. He just has to make the right moves with his coaches and players. Good luck to Richt and all of the dawgs.
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coachgb
February 24th, 2009
8:25 pm
Will we ever stop hearing this stupid question? Is Richt tough enough? Its his management style, its his way of doing thing. He’s too quiet. Ahhh! give me a break! I know one of the team trainers. He says you should see Richt when he gets cranked up at practice. He has no problem getting his message across whether it is to a player or an assistant coach! The guy’s a winner both on and more importantly off the field.
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Jimmy
February 24th, 2009
8:31 pm
Who’s to say Richt isn’t intense?? Just because he doesn’t “look” intense giving interviews, such as the ‘Hat’ at LSU, Tricky Nicky or CUM over at Florida?? These guys look the part more than CMR does. This doesn’t mean he’s not intense during the week at practice. Besides, he is who he is. If he all of a sudden changes his coaching style(not withstanding the stunt at last year’s WLOCP), his players will see right through that.
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brenda
February 24th, 2009
8:37 pm
Altamahadawg keep drinking the Kool Aid Scooter!
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Army Vet
February 24th, 2009
8:38 pm
Intense? I recall seeing CMR with that “What just happened” look when UGA played Bama, Florida, and GT. I bet we’ll see that “Look” about 6 or 7 times this year.
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Thomas Brown
February 25th, 2009
3:38 am
I would like to go back to this Charley Trippi part of this discussion and if we are going to discuss 1946, hasten to correct the impression that he was only a runner in 1946.
1946, Johnny Rauch stated for the world his quote he repeated when he was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. And that quote is that Johnny Rauch states for all comers that when he was at UGA, the Best Quarterback was Charley Trippi and not he, Johnny Rauch. I said that already but have to repeat because it was passed over. Johnny Rauch was taken 2nd overall in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. It would seem to me that if Johnny Rauch tells you Charley Trippi was the Best QB at UGA when he was there, that should not be followed by a post which states that Charley Trippi was NOT the QB at UGA. With all due respect, Charley Trippi absolutely played Quarterback at UGA and did so at a high level of success both in college and in the NFL.
1946 you say Charley Trippi did not play QB, yet, he threw the football in 1946 70 times for 622 yards passing including 5 touchdowns when recall again that if I was throwing the football in 1946 I would want to get the ball out to Charley Trippi.
The Most Outstanding Player in College Football 1946, Maxwell Award Winner, was Charley Trippi and this is because he was a great quarterback and a great runner.
Try it again please trying to pass off Charley Trippi as NOT a QB. 1946 you say sir, he rushed for 744 yards on 115 carries and threw the football for 622 yards on 70 passes. You cannot tell me or Johnny Rauch that Charley Trippi just ran the football in 1946 and was not in 1946 a QB at UGA.
1942 at UGA Charley Trippi threw for 567 yards on 58 passes. Charley also in 1942 ran the football for 672 yards. 1943, 1944, and half of 1945 Charley Trippi fought in World War II with my Dad. Charley returned to Georgia in 1945 mid-season, as did my Dad. Perhaps you know nothing of this Rivalry with Georgia Tech. But, while he was overseas defending this great nation with his Victory Medal in WWII, Georgia Tech played all their players except for Castleberry and also played every other person in Atlanta on the Georgia Tech campus whether they were students or not. Tech says they won the games 48 to Nothing and 44 to Nothing using players who were only stationed on Tech’s campus but who took no classes and were not students at Tech. All Charley Trippi did when he got back mid-1945 was THROW THE FOOTBALL FOR SEC RECORD 323 YARDS PASSING AGAINST GEORGIA TECH TO BEAT TECH 33 TO NOTHING.
Please do not come in here and try to tell me that Charley Trippi was not Quarterback or that he only played Quarterback in the NFL for only 2 years.
There have been numerous tremendous Quarterbacks at UGA. Mike Bobo’s senior season and Hines Ward were two more very special Quarterbacks along with Buck Belue. Maybe you were not there in JAX at the Gator Bowl when as the clock wound down, Buck Belue hit Lindsay Scott, Run Lindsay Run – who went on to play 4 years as receiver for the New Orleans Saints.
If you played QB at UGA, then by God Above, you were an UGA Quarterback with the title to this thread, UGA’s All-Time Best QB.
What you did in the Pros either adds to it, or detracts from the conversation of just how good a QB you in fact were.
All America Honors separates UGA’s All-Time Best Quarterbacks. Matthew Stafford nor David Greene were All-America Quarterbacks at UGA.
Please do not attempt to re-write history and pass off a NOT All America as The Best UGA Quarterback All-Time. Fran Tarkenton was All America Quarterback at UGA, and David Greene and Matthew Stafford weren’t. You can sit back and attempt re-writing it all you want. Modern Era. Talent. Won football games. Deep Pass. Matt Robinson’s Deep Pass was far better than Matthew Stafford’s.
Eric Zeier was All America Quarterback at UGA.
You cannot re-write that now and state that David Greene or Matthew Stafford is all we can discuss for UGA’s All-Time Best QB when neither ever were nor ever will be All America QBs at UGA. You do not know more than the All America Voters, which is why we have All America Voters. By the way, as when David Greene left and DJ Shockley came in, we will be better this year too with Matthew Stafford gone and Joe Cox coming in. And, that too is a test of the point that we must limit the discussion to just Matthew Stafford, David Greene and 1 other no one considers UGA’s All-Time Best QB either. Thank you very much.
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TCM
February 25th, 2009
4:44 am
CMR is a good coach and UGA is lucky to have him. The only drawback is his undying loyatly to his assistants who under-achieve with good talent. I personally feel like UGA won’t win a NC until CMR gets a DC who “gets it” because WM just doesn’t. He is too soft and doesn’t make ANY real adjustments on game day. I guess we can stomach Mike Bobo but WM has GOT TO GO!! Or at least move him to another position and bring in a REAL DC!!
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michael
February 25th, 2009
5:21 am
Can not say about all years but last year the DOGS under achieved. Breaks here and there are excuses. When you have a school that is well supported and talented coaching is the difference. I believe he will all ways be a brides maid. Time will tell.
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AltamahaDawg
February 25th, 2009
7:25 am
Brenda, care to dispute any particular points of mine?
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Top Dawg
February 25th, 2009
8:07 am
I hope you tell the Georgia players about teabow’s comments, but I’m sure it’s already on their boards. Go Dawgs!!
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Atlanta Jackets
February 25th, 2009
8:09 am
First! LOL
A Jacket is first on the UGA blog!
Josh “The Robot” Nesbot just scored again! LOL!
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Jon P
February 25th, 2009
8:19 am
I’d like to see at least some tidbits of UGA football, if possible, during the off season. It’s a long time before football begins and I get bored with the other sports. So, as much football news as you can deliver would be appreciated. Football, football, football all the time. UGA baseball would be next as a worthy subject as it is usually under-reported by every newspaper.
Thanks for asking!
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
8:22 am
Aw, sorry atlanta jacket – just like prom night, you talk big but fail to close the deal.
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Jon P
February 25th, 2009
8:24 am
By the way…why don’t you delete the insignificant bloggings of the GT fans? They are usually ridiculous and petty. I don’t read their blogs. Why would I? There’s nothing interesting about Georgia Tech. They are poor sports and their fans are the most obnoxious I’ve ever encountered!
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
8:24 am
I agree with Jon. As much as I love our baseball, golf, gymnastics, equestrian, etc. teams, my interest in reading about them wanes after awhile. Football will always move the meter.
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Paul
February 25th, 2009
8:31 am
Quantum Dawg. You are an idiot. I work for a company that if we were treated like family we would work even harder than we do now. I am so tired of people like you bashing our coaches. Go support another team.
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Robby
February 25th, 2009
8:42 am
Write an article about WHY Colleges should not be allowed to keep their tax-exempt status when they are making MILLIONS every year from sports and VERY LITTLE ever goes back to the academic departments
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Atlanta Gator
February 25th, 2009
8:54 am
Robby—-In many instances, the “university” athletic departments are actually organized as non-profit corporations that are legally distinct from the universities that control them. The explanation of what non-profits can and cannot legally do is fairly lengthy and complicated, but, if you’re really curious, I suggest that you google “26 U.S.C. § 501″ (that’s Section 501 of Title 26 of the U.S. Code; Title 26 is also known as the Internal Revenue Code). Enjoy your light reading, but you may need a tax lawyer to explain the details to you because it reads like it was written by angry chimpanzees banging out a stimulus bill. Oops—-can I say that, Chip?
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
9:00 am
You could write something regarding the way college basketball is making a mockery of the student athlete concept. While admittedly, football is guilty of this as well to a lesser extent due mainly to NFL rules and the substantial difference in physicality, when top basketball recruits publicly announce that whatever school they sign with, they’re only staying for one year (cough cough ga. tech), how is the college any different from just being a developmental league? He’s basically a professional athlete already. I don’t have anything against people turning professional straight from high school because college isn’t for everyone and we all have the right to earn a (legal) living using our natural talents. However, schools who admit players who have documented their desire to leave after one season are diminishing the value of the education received by all the real students.
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godawg
February 25th, 2009
9:05 am
I like the new format. How ’bout an “Ignore the Bug” button so we don’t have to view their pathetic drivel?
I could have used it twice this morning already (yes Robby, you’re one).
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MGMT died
February 25th, 2009
9:20 am
post pictures of the Gym Dawgs and stories about foobaw. And pictures of Gym Dawgs.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 25th, 2009
9:30 am
Chip, tell your editor that your peeps said to take a 3 week paid vacation to a place of your choice. Preferrably an all inclusive resort where you don’t have to worry about anything. Is that what you are looking for?
Geoffdawg, yeah I agree that rule stinks and fouls up the college ranks. I say that if the kid has the talent to go straight to the NBA then let him go. No sense in wasting a college scholarship on him if he is there only the one year. Give that to a kid that might need that education post basketball. I would prefer a the record we have now and get the kids a life if they don’t make it to the big time.
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Fletch
February 25th, 2009
9:30 am
I wonder why Techies are always jumping on the UGA blog, could it be because there is nothing interesting to read about on the nerd blog?
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Fletch
February 25th, 2009
9:31 am
BTW, great article here about GA football and why it is so awesome….
http://uga.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=916646
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David
February 25th, 2009
9:36 am
Chip,
Wall to wall football. All the time. I don’t think it would be inappropriate to have a football blog and an “everything else” blog.
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And the Answer Is .......
February 25th, 2009
9:38 am
(to your question, Fletch, about why Techies are always on the UGA blog)
It’s the same reason that I enjoy watching Fox News. I love laughing at idiots.
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Fletch
February 25th, 2009
9:47 am
Ba dum ching
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 25th, 2009
9:53 am
Crying because you lost is okay Tebow. Crying because you won is okay. Start smack talking like that and you may find yourself regreting it.
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Gen Neyland
February 25th, 2009
9:55 am
Football could easily be a top priority here, but it would be like eating chicken every night of the week. As an enemy participant within, I’ll take whatever the host brings and will be happy to have the opportunity to play along if the topic or a respondent so moves me. I do like links to conference material, good and bad. There are some stories out there that will fuel most any fire…and may I say, Go Vols..?
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Bub
February 25th, 2009
9:56 am
I’d like to read mostly about football, but with the other sports mentioned too, especially the baseball team now that their season has started. College baseball is one of the most underrated sports in America in terms of excitement, especially in the South. The Dawgs made a great run last year & got a lot of people fired up, and they look like they might do the same this year, so I would love for the AJC to lead the way in covering them.
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Homer
February 25th, 2009
9:57 am
I think most of the interest is as follows (though I am sure several will disagree) and should be covered as such:
1. Football (a lot to cover with 85 scholarships, 24 positions, and all the supposed changes being made this offseason)
2. Basketball’s coaching search
3. All others as necessary. (Track, Baseball, Golf, etc.)
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RxDawg
February 25th, 2009
10:01 am
Honestly? For me? It’s football. I love my dawgs and I wish them well in all of their sports, but I don’t go around the internet looking for news on the golf team. I just don’t. This is not a knock on them. I guess I’m just a huge football fan but a small “sports” fan. I like to know if the other teams are doing well and if one of them makes it to a championship then you bet I’m tuned in. Life just kind of takes priority over how much attention I choose to put forth toward UGA sports. Football is the one exception. I eat, breath, sleep UGA football baby!
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38-3
February 25th, 2009
10:03 am
Apparently abuse and date rape…model citizens of the FLA team, and they come over here and talk sh*t about a DUI that a UGA player gets?
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Stack1009
February 25th, 2009
10:12 am
Chip, I’d have to say that as much as I love football I do like to hear about all the other sports as well. Living in Texas I don’t get a lot of coverage on the baseball, tennis, track, golf, etc. teams out here and usually have to find stuff on the AJC site. It’d be nice if you could briefly mention how they are doing every so often. How ’bout that womens’ gymnastics team? I haven’t heard anything on them recently.
BTW, I saw your reply to my post about David Greene the other day. Look forward to seeing what what he has to say to you about his NFL career so far…
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dawgstephen
February 25th, 2009
10:13 am
What would I like to see Chip? I’d like to see REGISTRATION and accountability to be able to post on the blog. That would cut down on lots of the worthless stuff that appears here on saturday afternoons in the fall.
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Right On Time
February 25th, 2009
10:16 am
Chip,
Like all good Dawgs, I enjoy any update I cand get on the football team. However, I always find it difficult to get info on the golf and tennis teams until the very end of the season. I would enjoy reading about those sports as well as baseball.
By the way, what a great career you have. You get to go from college town to college town watching top level athletes compete at all manner of sport. Although I’m sure you have to deal with your share of tool bags, what great work if you can get it!
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mk52
February 25th, 2009
10:18 am
Ok, I’ll give everyone a choice. Ray Goff/Jim Donnan. Both “intense” guys who shuffled assistants. 0 SEC Championships. Or, Mark Richt. Who has won 2 SEC Championships and finished in the top ten in the nation 5 or 6 times now. That’s what I thought!
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Chip Towers
February 25th, 2009
10:19 am
I think gdawginkalamazoo has the right idea!
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DirtyDawg
February 25th, 2009
10:20 am
Mr. Tebow’s continued references to his religion are beginning to make me believe that he really does…believe, that is. All too often athletes and other celebrities – including a recent POTUS – use it as a way to gin up sympathy and popularity, but I think this kid may, indeed, mean it. Of course he could benefit from studying that ‘Pride’ thing in the ‘Seven Deadlies’ and the hubris, bordering on narcissism, that it fosters…you know the gator chomp in the face of a defeated Oklahoma Sooner at the end of their game, or even the announced invitation to come see them (and in particular, him) beat UGA this next season. I suppose the only thing that will ultimately convince me of his religious sincerity will be when he looks skyward following next October’s game and says, ‘Father, why hast thou forsaken me?’…yeah, then I’ll really believe.
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Alabamadawg
February 25th, 2009
10:21 am
I egree with MGMT , more pictures of the gym dawgs and more articles about football. Also tell us how you can go about finding out about former dawgs…shouldn’t Andy Johnson, Jimmy Polous, and Glen Harrison have children playing football…if they had children…and what are the former stars doing these days…
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Rabun Dawg
February 25th, 2009
10:21 am
Chip, I assume that you are the “beat” writer for UGA sports. If that be the case, I think that football should be first and foremost, but shouldn’t we be fed info with regard to other sports on occasion? I for one am interested in what is happening with the search for a roundball coach, and would like to hear more with regards to the baseball team, and some updates on the golf and tennis teams whom are constantly in the chase for NCAA championships. Seems as though UGA has a real star in track as well, and I think we should be kept abreast of that sport to some extent. In other words, make it a”sports blog”, not just a football blog!
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Right On Time
February 25th, 2009
10:21 am
Part II,
Chip,
Is there any chance that UGA is waiting until the Gopher’s season is over because they will be naming Tubby the new coach? I assume the potential for Knight at UGA is “dead in the water”. Any “noise”?
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TommyP
February 25th, 2009
10:21 am
Mostly football with some basketball thrown in.
If you want to talk anything else, put it at the bottom as a bullet or something.
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godawg
February 25th, 2009
10:27 am
TommyP, if you put it on the bottom of a bullet only Florida players will see it.
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Rabun Dawg
February 25th, 2009
10:30 am
Chip, I forgot to mention, haven’t the “Lady Dogs” about played themselves out of the NCAA tourney? And, is Landers job in any way in jeapordy since they haven’t done much lately? Some updates on the “Gymdogs” would be nice to hear about as well!
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Some Sense
February 25th, 2009
10:32 am
Chip,
You and the BLOG are terrific.
Football, football, football…close, let’s be honest.
It’s more about what shouldn’t be on the BLOG than what should be:
The Techmites and their constant 45-42’s;
The Fire Willy and Bobo guys.
Each is, in a word, redneck.
Two just random thoughts about CMR and his program:
We’re fortunate to have him and his staff, but the “not intense/tough enough” label will always be around.
Time to, for once and for all, distance himself and his program from/stop emulating the one he came from. Free Shoes University, the Criminoles, etc.
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DAWGS ON TOP
February 25th, 2009
10:49 am
BASEBALL, BASEBALL, BASEBALL. Everyone always wants to hear about football and so do I, but it is baseball season. How about some coverage. Y’all cover basketball, a team that can’t beat anybody. The Diamond Dawgs on the other hand came within one game of a National Championship last year, and it seems to only get covered in the post season or for a game against Tech. Last time I checked, baseball is still America’s Pastime
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I-DOG
February 25th, 2009
10:55 am
Chip,
I would love to know if the coaches have given any thought to a 3-4 defensive alignment going into Spring practice. It seems that we have some very good interior lineman and linebackers, but we don’t have the protypical DE’s to play the 4-3 this year (and last year). My understanding is that we have several DE’s out as well for Spring so it will be hard to shuttle in and out two healthy quality DE’s at a time this Spring. Wouldn’t it make sense to switch to an alignment that calls for just one?
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Halberstram
February 25th, 2009
10:56 am
I’d like to see coverage of the main events for the other sports and something about football in each post, as we know it drives the car.
Also, the Diamond Dawgs should definitely be a threat this year. Even though they lost 2 1st round picks, UGA might have brought in the best freshman class in the country. The team is currently ranked about 6 or 7 in Baseball Americas Poll. Shame the Braves had to cut the exhibition games with the Dawgs and Jackets, I imagine that’s quite a thrill for the college kids.
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BugKiller
February 25th, 2009
10:56 am
Chip,
This is Coach Y’s last year in Athens, and I have yet to see you interview her, or cover a meet. I know there are people here, the “316″ Georgia fans who never went to school and care only about football, and those guys and gals are great, and we appreciate their enthusiastic support and mostly their money, but for those of us who are students and alumni, we tend to care about everything Bulldog, and the truth is, Coach Y is the winningest Coach in UGA history, and you’re ignoring her final year.
I’d also love to know exactly what’s going on with the BB search.
I think it’d be a great idea for the football offseason if you do a “10 Questions With…” a football player section which ends each blog post, that way, you do keep the “316″ Football fans happy, and can still actually cover all of Georgia sports.
I really hope you do everything you can to cover the Diamond Dogs, the Gymdogs, and even the Tennis, Golf, and Swim and Dive teams, all of whom have won SEC Championships and even National Championships much more recently than the Football Team.
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BH
February 25th, 2009
11:11 am
Unless the wheels are really off, I would prefer more pertinant stories than articles about wheterh CMR is tough enough or agressive enough or whatever enough.
The last thing UGA needs is a Blog to stir up issues and opinions about a good solid and proven head coach. CMR and the team need more support than opinions that question our teams or coaches ability to get the job done.
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1eyedJack
February 25th, 2009
11:11 am
Football, football, football all the time and I want to see mini-features and Q&As on the gridders every day.
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Hairy Dawg
February 25th, 2009
11:19 am
Sure would be nice to send Tebow out of school with a 1-2 starting record against the Dawgs, wouldn’t it?
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Jeff Grady
February 25th, 2009
11:19 am
UGA fan sports interest hierarchy:
FB recruiting (verbal commit period)
FB signing day
FB season
FB recruiting
ACC basketball season
Baseball season
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
11:20 am
That’s a good point I-Dog makes about the 3-4 alignment. I haven’t really paid attention, but does anyone know other programs that run this scheme and consistently have success? I know that defensive battles are typically won or lost in the trenches so having an abundance of down linemen is preferable but it makes me wonder if we could’ve masked our DE woes a bit last season with this type of set up.
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austindog
February 25th, 2009
11:27 am
Atlanta Jackets, great post! Couldn’t have been more perfect.
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1eyedJack
February 25th, 2009
11:29 am
To run the 3-4 defense you have to recruit a particular type of linebacker (hybrid LB/DE) and I believe most of the Dawg ‘backers are 4-3 types.
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BugKiller
February 25th, 2009
11:34 am
Geoff…
… to do something like that, the team would need a DC with some imagination and innovation.
Instead, we’re stuck with Willie Martinez because Coach Richt refuses to do what is necessary to push his program over the hump and win MNCs.
And I’m sorry, BH, but again, what exactly has Coach Richt “proven?”
He can win 10 games a year and maybe win the SEC every 5 years or so.
Yeah, that’s better than the guys who came before, but in today’s SEC of Meyer, Saban, and Miles, it’s nowhere near enough.
What he’s proven to me is that he cares more about keeping terrible coaches on his staff together for “unity” purposes rather than jetison his coaching deadweight to improve his program.
Again, our wide receivers have been underachievers for YEARS. Who was the variable that remained the same every year? Not the players.
Our defense has gotten worse, EVERY YEAR, for the last four years. Who has been the constant variable in each of those years? Not the players.
Our special teams has always seemed to be given short-shrift. They have never had their own coordinator under Richt, and they always seem to let us down when we need them the most. Who has been the constant variable with Special Teams under Richt? Again… NOT the players.
Meyer, Saban, and Miles have no qualms with firing underperforming, underwhelming, and over-their-heads coaches because those three want much more than to win 10 games a year and win the SEC every five years or so.
I really have come to like my analogy of successful companies to describe the differences between Richt and the three coaches in the SEC who do what it takes to win, even if it means firing coaches from their staffs who aren’t getting it done.
Richt is Chik-Fil-A. Chik-Fil-A is great, they make plenty of money, but they are what they are. They’re regional and they aren’t going national anytime soon, just like Richt.
Meyer, Saban, and Miles are Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and IBM. They’re willing to do anything and everything to continue to improve their brand recognition and hold onto their places as the best companies in the country and the world.
Richt holds himself back. Richt could be Apple. He had the chance to do the right thing and fire Martinez, but refused to do so. And it might be the thing that does him in in the end. Because like the guy from the college football website the other day said, one day soon, Georgia is going to have to ask itself if they’re happy being Chik-Fil-A, or do they really want to be Apple.
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Jennifer
February 25th, 2009
11:40 am
Well said Paul!
If any of you can do a better job then apply for it until then unless you are in his shoes or actually play for him you have no right to judge. As my post way earlier said, we should support them no matter what season they have, that is if you are a true fan and I bleed red and black. GO Dawgs I hope you all UGA haters eat the hedges next season.
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BugKiller
February 25th, 2009
11:41 am
And to anyone here (AlatamahaDawg) who likes to defend the indefensible Martinez…
… NO ONE BUT RICHT WANTS HIM.
Miami, where he is an alumni, looked at his body of work, saw the same things we’ve been saying all year, that his defenses have gotten WORSE every year as the players who BVG coached and taught have graduated and moved on, and said thanks but no thanks to Martinez.
NO ONE WANTS HIM.
Other schools and pro teams wanted BVG.
No one wants Martinez, accept Mark Richt, who obviously can’t put his emotions aside and fire his underperforming, underwhelming, and over-his-head best friend.
Lot’s of people want BVG. No one wants Martinez.
Defend that.
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Chip Towers
February 25th, 2009
11:42 am
By the way, some “media outlets” are reporting that UGA representatives flew out to Oklahoma on the school plane as part of the basketball coaching search. I talked to senior associate AD Frank Crumley, who was sitting with Damon Evans at the time in his Butts-Mehre office, and he told me the school plane is indeed in Oklahoma — but it’s carrying Georgia football coaches, who are visiting with the OU coaches as part of a clinic. They did the same thing last year at Oregon State. . . . For future reference, Georgia wouldn’t hire Dan Parker Executive Search to conduct a discreet search then turn around and fly to a candidate’s campus on the school plane.
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GW
February 25th, 2009
11:53 am
Yoculan’s last run at a national championship, #10, just around the corner. Could be juicy blogging.
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bank walker
February 25th, 2009
11:57 am
Please, in the future, do us the favor of excluding any Elane Kitten articles. He is a drama queen, only looking for attention, and he really isn’t worth your effort in writing. GO DAWGS!!
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Right On Time
February 25th, 2009
12:00 pm
Chip,
You probobly have nothing to do with it, but the poll question of the day is just plain stupid!
“Who would you like to see in Athens if Richt left?” Dumb on it’s own.
THEN our choices are Saban, Myer, Nutt, Spurrier and Miles?
Thursdays poll question:
If you lose your job in this economy, would you rather 1)lose your house and car or 2)have a sharp impliment deflate your eyeball and then not be able to pay your medical bills?
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Dawg fan
February 25th, 2009
12:01 pm
I am a football fanatic but more coverage of all the spring sports as well would be great. Baseball, track, tennis, golf, etc. Also, if there would be a way to better police the reader comments that would be appreciated. The trash talking/sour mouthing comments become absolutely disgusting (don’t know if there is a way for readers to selectively block some comments). If I want to hear trash talk and whining I will just watch FOX News. TKs.
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Huh?
February 25th, 2009
12:03 pm
I hate to be rude, but if BugKiller could shut the hell up it would really nice. Thanks.
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BugKiller
February 25th, 2009
12:08 pm
Nope.
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Chip Towers
February 25th, 2009
12:09 pm
Right on Time: I think Georgia’s reps will at least reach out to Tubby to gauge his interest. But I would think it’s a longer-than-long-shot. He makes $3.3 million per year and has a $13 million contract with a hefty buyout. I don’t think the Dogs are going to go down that road. . . . And, no, I don’t have anything to do with the poll question. And, yes, I agree with your assessment of this one.
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AC in Boulder
February 25th, 2009
12:18 pm
80% Football
10% Men’s Basketball
8% Men’s Baseball
2% Everything else
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Huh?
February 25th, 2009
12:20 pm
It was worth a try. I see that its lunchtime. Chick-fil-a anyone?
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The Truth
February 25th, 2009
12:23 pm
I’d like to hear about off season conditioning. It seems like every other year our football team has major injury issues. A few years back we had a lot of O and D line recruits that never panned out because they ended up have chronic injuries (some with behavior issues). After that season CMR said they would revisit the process for evaluating players during the recruiting process. Have we revisited the conditioning program this off season? Are mat drills to rigorous? Why aren’t other teams plagued with injuries every other year like we are?
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The Sham
February 25th, 2009
12:26 pm
THROW US SOME UGA BASEBALL NUGGETS TO SATISFY US. THOSE BOYS ARE GOING TO BE SOLID THIS YEAR. SHOW THE LOVE NOW AND WHEN THEY WIN THE N.C. IN A YEAR YOU WON’T BE CONSIDERED A FAIR WEATHER REPORTER…
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reservoirDAWG
February 25th, 2009
12:28 pm
Please Bugkiller, appease Huh?.
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BugKiller
February 25th, 2009
12:43 pm
Not a chance… I will remain a voice of truth, crying in the wilderness, wearing sackcloth and living off of honeycomb and locusts.
If you all are happy with the status quo, as Coach Richt seems to be, what with his unwillingness to fire terrible coaches because they’re “family,” then I hope you realize that sooner than later, the status quo will begin to fall to 9 win seasons, instead of 10 win seasons, because Martinez will continue to drag this program down.
It’s what happened at FSU when the head coach there refused to fire his terrible Offensive Coordinator.
You think Richt would have been smart enough to learn from his mentor’s egregious mistakes.
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Huh?
February 25th, 2009
12:47 pm
Sorry. I think I might have stirred the hornets nest.
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Nowhere Bartender
February 25th, 2009
12:48 pm
hey chip i hope u read this far down
you know athens, its football football football all the time BUT i would really like to hear more baseball stories. especially with the mediocre bravos down the road, i need a good team to root for.
No more basketball until he hire a coach. its too pathetic
thanks
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Music City Dawg
February 25th, 2009
12:49 pm
I like hearing what other schools are doing and/or saying (i.e. the Tim Tebow comment). It’s fun to see what the competition is up to.
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NRBQ
February 25th, 2009
12:52 pm
Priceless fail, Atlanta Jacket.
Bonus points for managing to misspell your own quarterback’s name.
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Nowhere Bartender
February 25th, 2009
12:53 pm
and if you could keep us updated on fields, beckham, and keppinger. i dont get to see many reds games and american league baseball is sacrilege
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Right On Time
February 25th, 2009
12:54 pm
Thanks Chip. I was not aware Tubby was so handsomely compensated. I can’t imagine matching the base, much less the buyout. In fact, that would qualify as reckless spending. Oh well, here’s hoping for the undiscovered genius.
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Captain
February 25th, 2009
12:55 pm
Atlanta Jackets — I always appreciate a good GT supporter posting profound comments, especially those like you WHO CAN’T CORRECTLY SPELL THE PLAYER’S NAMES. Who is Nesbot? Impressive post Dude. Not smart enough to insult the Dawgnation. Why don’t you check the spelling of the GT QB’s last name.
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gatordan
February 25th, 2009
12:57 pm
arrington’s winning % was tops!!
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rickyt
February 25th, 2009
1:02 pm
what about bobo and quincy carter?
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AceDawg
February 25th, 2009
1:02 pm
What would it take to grow enthusiasm and strong support for UGA basketball? Obviously, Harrick had the stands filled toward the end of his run because the Dawgs were winning, but enthusiasm shouldn’t fall off the face of the Earth when the Dawgs are mediocre. (Right now, I understand to an extent because they are doing awful, but c’mon Dawgs fans! They might win a game or two more if you all gave them energy).
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
1:17 pm
I think atlanta jacket was trying to rhyme with robot. Robots….there’s a tech fan who really knows how to play into a stereotype.
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LOLDAWG
February 25th, 2009
1:40 pm
well done GeoffDawg!Well Done.
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Preston
February 25th, 2009
1:51 pm
I think you should keep doing what you’re doing. I know it’s tough trying to keep us fed with football news in the offseason but you seem to find a way to make it happen and I appreciate it. The other sports are interesting but a VERY distant second. just keep us informed mostly with the football program because that is UGA’s money maker. The things that I am waiting to hear about are the academic situations of the new guys coming in and which RB’s stand out during Spring practice and win the most playing time.
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Music City Dawg
February 25th, 2009
1:56 pm
Agree with Preston — the RB situation has everyone curious, as does the QB situation. We assume Cox will take over, but who knows? He could get yanked.
Orson Charles interests me also. Although, I think he should quit being a drama queen and choose.
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Cameron
February 25th, 2009
1:57 pm
Football, football, football. We want to know who the basketball coach is going to be. But, until they are relevant (or at least headed in the right direction) then that is all. Track: only the Lawrence kid. Baseball, sure some. But, don’t overdo it.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 25th, 2009
2:09 pm
godawg, that bullet comment was sad. Sad but hilarious. But only hilarious until somebody gets hurt.
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Chip Towers
February 25th, 2009
2:35 pm
Hey guys. We’ll see how many of you are paying attention and navigating all the way down to the bottom of the blog. . . .
I’m over at the UGA football complex right now. At a little after 3 p.m., Joe Cox, A.J. Green, Aaron Murray, Makiri Pugh and Michael Moore will be available for interviews. A little later, Brandon Wheeling and Marcus Dowtin will be coming by.
So any specific questions you’d like me to ask? P.S. I ignore idiots.
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bairet
February 25th, 2009
2:37 pm
Hey Chip, maybe a Q and A with Aaron Murray now that he’s officially a georgia student? Or maybe a Q and A with Kris Durham. His future at wideout was really looking bright before his injuries and A.J. Green’s emergence.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 25th, 2009
2:39 pm
Bugkiller, they also play Sister Sledge in the background when the coaches are having their annual reviews.
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dangerranger6969
February 25th, 2009
2:40 pm
I would like to see a blog on what does uga get out of the game between ga and fla in jacksonville and why they dont go home and home
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
2:41 pm
Hey Chip – you could ask AJ Green if he thinks he’s physically ready to handle the increased number of double teams he’s likely to face this season with the departure of Massaquoi.
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
2:43 pm
I’d also like to know what Joe Cox personally thinks are his greatest strengths and weaknesses. That could provide some insight into the types of schemes we may see this Fall.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 25th, 2009
2:43 pm
Keep it football for the majority then punch in other sports as championships get closer, ie, golf, gymnastics, baseball. Or the “here are a few links” is a welcomed addition that you can put the other sports under.
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Cuz
February 25th, 2009
2:58 pm
Ask AJ if he feels that he is under more pressure now that the other two of the titanic trio are gone.
Blog topics, start with a daily dose of football with other sports thrown in where warranted. And get a daily cheerleader pic with a Q and A discussing the advantages of the pro-style offense over the spread. Or some other important topic like why Willie Martinez doesn’t pronounce his name like we do in Augusta, it is pronounced Martnez, two syllables not three.
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Cuz
February 25th, 2009
3:01 pm
Easy answer Mr. Danger. The Jax game is the South Georgia contingent of the Bulldawg Nation’s homegame. Just ask one.
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Music City Dawg
February 25th, 2009
3:45 pm
Chip,
dangerranger6969 brings up a good point. Why don’t we play a home-and-home with FLA? I think we did one in the 90s, but before that, we were always playin in JAX. Why is that?
Not that it would matter, they would drill us either way.
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RxDawg
February 25th, 2009
3:47 pm
Ask Joe Cox who is really going to stand out next year at WR other then AJ. I don’t believe Marlon Brown is just going to come in and knock all the other WR’s right off the depth chart. I know Moore is a good name to think about, but who else? Theres a lot of good recruits there that have paid their dues. Tony Wilson, Troup, Durham..ect.
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Music City Dawg
February 25th, 2009
3:47 pm
Does anyone read Jeff Owens’ blog? I like the Q & A he does with the players.
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Cuz
February 25th, 2009
3:54 pm
Music City, we did the home and home when they rebuilt the stadium for the Jaguars. Man that old stadium was a bunch of rusty bolts.
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DawgGirl32
February 25th, 2009
4:05 pm
Who is Makiri Pugh?
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Preston
February 25th, 2009
4:05 pm
Music City Dawg, We played a home and home series back when Spurrier was still at Florida because they were renovating the stadium where we play every year. The place had become a dump and UGA was close to pulling out of the deal and go to a permanent home and home but they put some money in the place and here we are playing them in the state of Florida every year.
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dawgstephen
February 25th, 2009
4:08 pm
Those interested in hearing from some things at UGA regarding the offseason can listen to my radio interview i had 2 weeks ago with Coach Van Halanger. I posted it to my church website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. here is the link.
http://www.dogwoodvalleybaptist.com/Radio.html
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
4:09 pm
The home and home was when Spurrier ran up the score on those porous (Joe Kines?) defenses we used to trot out on the field. I wouldn’t be against evening up the playing field but I think I would rather see it alternate to the Georgia Dome every other year. Playing it at a “neutral site” lends the game a larger sense of importance IMO.
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Chip Towers
February 25th, 2009
4:21 pm
OK, Aaron Murray was a no-show, which sucks because I was going to write him up for the morning paper. I’ll give you A.J. Green instead. Couple of things y’all asked for, then I have to get to writing. . . .
From A.J. Green, regarding double teams: “Yeah, I’m up for the challenge. I’m just going to have to work hard this spring, get better in the summer, get bigger. . . . The offense will be switching me around some, putting me off the ball, putting me in motion a lot and stuff like that. I think I’m going be all over the place this year, not just a ‘Z.’ I’m going to be the Y, the X, just everywhere.’
From Joe Cox, on greatest strengths and weaknesses: “I’d say my greatest strength is nothing physical, it’s my leadership abilities. I’ve said it before, that’s what I pride myself on, how I lead and how I conduct myself on and off the field. Weaknesses, really I could name just about anything. Not being a downfall, just being things I need to work on. You can always work on footwork, you can never learn an offense enough. Those are the things I’ve been trying to work on the most right now in the offseason.”
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Z.Itchy
February 25th, 2009
4:25 pm
I’d like to know the offense and defense will look like compared to last year, especially in light of the exodus of Stafford, Allen, Massaquoi and Moreno.
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GeoffDawg
February 25th, 2009
4:28 pm
Thanks Chip! I really like this new “blog for the people” format.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 25th, 2009
4:35 pm
I hope they put AJ in the e,n,d,z,o,n,e.
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Music City Dawg
February 25th, 2009
4:43 pm
OK, thanks for the info. So, how did the JAX tradition get started to begin with? I’m sure we’re still in it for money reasons, but I wonder how it got started?
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Old Dawg
February 25th, 2009
5:10 pm
Chip:
I’d really like to see a nice balance on all of the spring sports. There are so many great participants in those sports, with many of them pursuing advanced degrees in medicine, law etc. They’re also great characters with lots of stories about the matches and road trips. Plus, the tennis coaches are two of the best in the business and really great people.
Looking at it from a circulation/sales perspective, throughout my sports writing career stories on supposedly minor sports created a lot of buzz in rack sales and requests for extra copies of the paper.
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but feature stories and Q&As with former athletes are always popular. I enjoyed the recent pieces on Andre Hastings and Randall Godfrey y’all have written. Some writers and editors may look at stories like those as small town journalism, but in reality we’re all hooked on human interest stories. One of the best is right there in Athens, Brent Crimes. He played tennis at UGA and is an eye doctor … nice way to show that student-athletes can actually go on and earn great careers. Another one is Robert “Happy” Dicks, a linebacker from the 60s who is now an Athens neurosurgeon.
Chip, y’all do great work. Keep the great copy coming!
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CornerPlaya
February 25th, 2009
5:17 pm
Why do the UGA corners continue to play pass defense with their back to the ball. I have seen it over and over, where a ball about hits them in the back of the head because they are not looking. Not only could they knock it down but have jsut as good of chance of an interception. CMR has said it is becasue once you turn around the receiver is gone..In my EXPERIENCE, it is obvious when the ball is released and it is still going to go where thrown and not change directions like a receiver. When you are at the bottom of the league in INT’s, maybe seeing the ball would help???
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Raleigh
February 25th, 2009
5:32 pm
Since we’re making company analogies today, how about this one…
Bug Killer is like Hardee’s….fills up alot of space but really nothing there worth digesting (and makes some folks violently ill).
Get a life, pal. Richt’s not going anywhere and no matter how much you rant about his decisions, he ain’t listening. I’d call you a “glass half empty” guy but that would be a gigantic understatement.
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jacob
February 25th, 2009
6:24 pm
I’d like to read about baseball, basketball, football. Whatever info is out there.
Regardless of what the topic is, the blogs are not interesting, no fun, when the AJC allows Tech and Gator fans to wreck the conversation with their juvenile comments. The same goes for the Tech blog — UGA fans should not be over there wrecking their blog either.
It’d be nice if all of these fans could grow up and have a decent blog for discussion but that’s never going to happen since most of the fan base is under 17yo. But until the AJC cleans things up, it’s always going to suck here for that reason.
And it’s too bad, really, because we could have a really good blog if it weren’t for this problem.
But if the AJC doesn’t want to work a little to have a good blog by monitoring the juveniles then switch to a blog format that forces registration with an ID and email address. This would keep people from constantly logging in and changing their name to bait and flame. Obviously it won’t eliminate the childishness in whole but it will control it more.
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GATORMAN 722
February 25th, 2009
6:55 pm
I hope Georgia can keep the coaching staff they have today together for a long time.
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UGASlobberknocker
February 25th, 2009
7:11 pm
I would like to see an occasional feature story about ex Bulldogs a “where are they now kind of thing.” like what ever happ to Meat Cleaver Weaver? Pulpwood Smith? What is Rodney Hampton doing now? What about Cowboy Parrish and his sidekick (whose name escapes me now)?.
Chip you do a great job. Will you ever be back on 680 the fan? I always think you add a lot when you are on there.
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Sen. Bluto Blutowski
February 25th, 2009
7:13 pm
I personally like having Tech bloggers on our blog. It lends class and intelligence.
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Jimmy
February 25th, 2009
8:03 pm
Chip, these blogs are great. For me, like a lot of others, it’s football-24/7. The thing I like the most that you’ve been adding lately are the links. I love reading about any and all college football teams. On ESPN’s college football page, they have a blog section where you can click on links from local papers from EVERY D-1 Conference. Maybe i’m just weird, but I love clicking on a link to read about Miss. State’s offseason conditioning program via the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, or whatever the website’s name is. I wish they did the same for College basketball.
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rod
February 25th, 2009
8:09 pm
This blog is like the rest of blogs. How you folks put up with a 100 messages of nothing to read one message that is only half interesting? The one message from OLD Dawg commented on the reporters blog but the3 rest oif you… you just like seeing your name in print.
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Brian
February 25th, 2009
9:01 pm
Would love to see a mix of coverage here. UGA has a lot of great spring sports athletes and it would be great to see a little bit about them too. Golf, baseball, track and field, even equestrian….
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T Moore is racist
February 25th, 2009
9:54 pm
Muck Foore!
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Gen Neyland
February 26th, 2009
12:08 am
Dangit, UGA is my 3rd favorite team in the SEC. After reading today’s blog, I feel I’m in Group Session waiting for the master of crazy, BuLLdawg, to make his appearance. Speak to us ol’ DawgofBuLL…It’s after hours so now is your time. Rise up and fulfill your obligation to the masses…We await…and Go Vols
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Michael Carvell
February 26th, 2009
3:14 am
Chip, your insight on the basketball game?
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Thomas Brown
February 26th, 2009
4:06 am
With all we read in the AJ-C about how great Georgia Tech Baseball is, I would like to see some print on Georgia Baseball. You could do some comparisons.
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jerry
February 26th, 2009
6:07 am
Anything but basketball.
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Atlanta Gator
February 26th, 2009
7:03 am
Frankly, I find the whole Jamar Hornsby saga disturbing on multiple levels. As for Hornsby himself, I hope he learned something from his felony theft charges that resulted from him stealing the credit card of a teammate’s dead girlfriend, and he turns his personal life around. It’s a shame that so many of these kids who are blessed with great athletic talent and a chance to make something of themselves also come from such shaky and ungrounded family situations that they are prone to making these sorts of amoral choices. For more on Ole Miss and Alabama recruiting Hornsby less than a year after Urban Meyer yanked his scholarship, here’s a link:
http://www.faniq.com/blog/Jamar-Hornsby-Being-Recruited-By-Ole-Miss-And-Alabama-Blog-14503
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Diamond Dave
February 26th, 2009
8:12 am
Your eyes must have indeed been blurry. Sanford Drive runs by the football stadium. Rutherford Street runs by the baseball field.
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Kiffin is a baffoon
February 26th, 2009
9:25 am
If Cox hopes to energize the dogs maybe he should accuse Tim Tebow of Cheating, Call out Julio Jones as a Mama’s boy, tell Brandon Spikes he’s a wuss and talk about singing Glory Glory after they beat UF this year…
I think Lane Kiffin can give him some pointers in “energizing” the dogs…
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POS Mutts
February 26th, 2009
9:27 am
One off season story after another to feed mutt nation. The Orson Charles story has been on the front page on and off all week. The guy is a TE prospect. Wow. Is he going to keep UF from beating you by 39 points? How about keeping GT from laying 400+ yards rushing?
Wow, Green bigger and stronger, Cox the leader, on and on. This is why you losers get so jacked up about mutt FB only to be let down time and time again.
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PTC DAWG
February 26th, 2009
9:30 am
To POS Mutts, you realize your beloved Tebow could possibly leave FU with a 1-2 record vs UGA as a Starter. That would be priceless. Can’t you find a Gator forum to blab on?
That said, good to hear about the TEAM in Athens. I hope the Defense in Athens is reading this, because if they had showed up at all last year, this UGA team would be coming off a 12-1 season and a Sugar Bowl win.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 26th, 2009
9:31 am
Great to see Joe’s attitude. Looks to be a great leader and team player who knows his limits and is willing to do what is needed to win. Hope he does well this year. Congrats to the BB Dawgs last night. Hopefully they can at least spoil someone else’s season.
Atl Gator, indeed it is sad to see. How many chances do these kids get in life? Not many so they need to take advantage of it. Not only do I hate it for these kids I hate it even more for the kid who loses his scholarship because Nutt or Saban recruits a convicted felon to take his place. For every PacMan Jones out there is a Derek Jeter out there that uses his talents to do good in the world.
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Kiffin is a baffoon
February 26th, 2009
9:37 am
PTC Dawg Tebow could also leave with a 3-1 record vs. UGA and no matter what he will leave with more National titles than any UGA player has ever won in their whole history…that IS priceless.
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knoxdawg
February 26th, 2009
9:39 am
The Dawgs definetly lacked vocal leadership in 08 so I hope that Cox or whomever it needs to be steps up and fills that role. He is right that we were flat at times last year and it really showed in the 3 losses we had. Tebow knows how to lead his team and energize them and we all know how the UF football team did in 08. Good luck to Joe and Co for 09.
Chip: what time do the dawgs start conditioning? I live in Knoxville and hear about what UT is doing during the off season. Kiffin has them hitting the drills at 5:30 AM so I was curious as to when Richt has them working out. Everyone up here thinks that Kiffin is the only coach with those ideas and that is what will make them winners in 09. It may do it but I believe every team is working hard during the off season to get better.
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MGMT died
February 26th, 2009
9:41 am
I SAID MORE PICTURES OF THE GYM DAWGS TOO!
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DawgGirl32
February 26th, 2009
9:48 am
Knoxdawg- The UGA players do mat drills at 5:30 am as well.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 26th, 2009
9:55 am
Great the haters are hitting it early this morning. Love to see that. Keep it up guys, it lets us know that the dawgs are still on your minds so much that you have to come on here and post the c r a p that you do. Be proud of your own program.
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Twilb Dawg
February 26th, 2009
10:03 am
VERY GOOD ARTICLE. I have always pointed to our NEAR MISSES! All it takes is a little “luck” and we have a couple of titles. 2002, 2005, and 2007 were great teams that just didn’t catch all of the breaks. EVENTUALLY things will fall our way. CMR is the man that will lead us there!
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j_dubya
February 26th, 2009
10:06 am
yea where are the gym dawg pics ????
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Fletch
February 26th, 2009
10:15 am
POS Mutts, why so much animosity. You might need some therapy..you seem like you’re going to snap at any minute. If you don’t like us, why don’t you just not come to our blog?
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Around The SEC East - 2/26/09 | MrSEC.com
February 26th, 2009
10:31 am
[...] wore on.UGA: New quarterback Joe Cox wants the Bulldogs to change their attitude in 2009. “Everything was just kind of flat last season. I mean, not the whole season, just at times. We’re trying to change that this year. [...]
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Gen Neyland
February 26th, 2009
10:34 am
Hornsby is fortunate to be given a second chance. As we all know, not many in this game are. Does Hornsbys’ talent so dictates this opportunity..?
zoo : Are they really haters or just people wanting to raise the hackles on a Dawg..?
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waynester
February 26th, 2009
10:53 am
Anybody that teases a dawg deserves the bite!
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uga_b
February 26th, 2009
11:08 am
Chip, do we have any ideas on who will mirror Joe’s initiative on the defensive side? I am sure Owens and even Rennie–who is more quiet and lead by example guy.
It’s good to see a renewed passion for the game that makes college football so great. Even if it makes Florida fans all that more insufferable. But I can say I have not worn hightops since the 80’s in elementary school. I have never worn an A-shirt in public and definitely have never paired that with jean shorts, a gold chain, and a mullet.
I like what I am hearing about the diamond dogs so far. Maybe we can get back to Omaha.
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GaTech23
February 26th, 2009
11:08 am
Yeah, lets see where Cox is gonna energize the dawgs. Im sorry, but i dont care how long you been there and how mature you are, that doesn’t win games. Joe Cox will not be the starting QB come late October, early November. UGA is gonna come up short just like they do every year, because Richt has no disipline! They are at the top of the nation every year in penalties so I really don’t care if you had Stafford and Moreno back this year, UGA would finish around #6-10 like they do every year. To hell with Georgia, Go Tech!
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Tebowblowscox
February 26th, 2009
11:11 am
As usual, another half-assed story by AJC followed up with a useless discussion forum afterward. There is no use whatsoever for the “comment” section after every other story on the sports pages. It is just the same sad losers who have NO LIFE whatsoever who troll these boards with NO VALUE at all to the story or the reading, etc. The saddest part of all is that most of them are not even UGA fans, rather just a bunch of misplaced rednecks or those with eyes too close together and teeth too far apart who made a wrong turn on the misinformation superhighway.
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Stack1009
February 26th, 2009
11:23 am
Tebowblowscox, I expect that to be the last we here of you then. If the site is really that bad, why would you waste your time here? I’m positive you aren’t a “loser with NO LIFE” that just trolls valueless boards/blogs. I’m sure there are other places out there on the web that you can go surf.
But if indeed someone is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read this site, send us a message and we’ll get the police right on it…
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reservoirDAWG
February 26th, 2009
11:24 am
Tech sucks loser.
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Stack1009
February 26th, 2009
11:24 am
“here” in that first sentence should have been “hear”. My bad.
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vandy
February 26th, 2009
11:36 am
I hope all you Tech, UT, and Gator fans know that when you criticize Dawgs fans for blogging about their own team and getting excited for the upcoming season, on a UGA blog no less, it only make you look pathetic. Think about it….you are here too…. blogging on the same website…. about a team you supposedly dont even care about. What losers.
Tech fans want to be relevant so bad they can taste it. Dawg fans have moved on from “45-42″. It was actually not that hard becasue we remember that its been a long time since GT was any good. And I do think that CPJ will help to renew the rivalry but if you think that means that all the sudden GT’s program is anywhere near UGA’s, or that by winning by 3 points for the first time in 8 years places your accomplishments up their wish UGA’s you’re dreaming. The FACT is for the last decade GT has meant nothing in the CFB world…not even to UGA fans we’ve laughed at you for years now. We’re not laughing so much anymore after the “45-42″ but all that did was serve to humble (much needed in reality) a fan base. That still doesnt change the fact that GT still has a ways to go to be considered a top football program…UGA is already at that level and has been for years. Not USC, Texas, OK, UF level….but still a top10 football program.
UF fans have an inferiority complex so severe that if anyone says anything positive about any team other then the Gators, they feel compelled to lash out at our fans (anyone’s fans)…..we dont care what you think! It wouldnt matter if UGA had never beat UF in history, we would still root for the Dawgs and dont give two craps about your stinking swamp land school. It really is sad that you feel so threatened by people who enjoy something you dont. Get over it already we’re allowed to talk about our team in a posiitve light. We’re not going to include UF in every conversation about football. It shows what kind of a$$clowns you Gators fans can be.
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DawginLex
February 26th, 2009
11:39 am
I’m excited about being an underdog and no one thinking Cox is any good. Hope he proves everyone wrong.
I do wish he was 4 inches taller and had a better arm……………..
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POS Mutts
February 26th, 2009
11:39 am
Fletch, I really appreciate your concern but I’m fine, really. Laughing at you clowns trying to figure out what went wrong in ‘08 and where your team is or how you get your motivation back is just priceless.
Lets get this straight losers, you will NEVER, EVER see another long winning streak against Paul Johnson. You may pull out 2 or 3 in a row at some point but I doubt that. The sooner you realize this isn’t Chan Gailey’s team anymore the easier it will be to accept the pain.
Roddy Jones set a GT record for yards per carry against the pre-season #1 team with 16.5 yards per carry and 214 total. He’s our 3rd best RB. Now, we have another Dwyer clone with Anthony Allen suiting up in ‘09.
We’re no longer an automatic ‘W’ on your schedule. Don’t you ever forget that.
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Music City Dawg
February 26th, 2009
11:47 am
I didn’t realize Logan Gray was a 4 star recruit coming out of high school. I wonder why Cox is getting the nod over Gray at this point?
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Music City Dawg
February 26th, 2009
11:48 am
Man, Tech people sure are pissy today.
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DawgGirl32
February 26th, 2009
11:52 am
Yeah Tech really deserves better fans than the ones on this blog. No wonder they can’t fill up their stadium. Their fans are too busy being obsessed with UGA.
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Music City Dawg
February 26th, 2009
11:55 am
I think Tech people hate UGA more than they like Tech. Just an observation based on the countless posts I see here every day.
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Huh?
February 26th, 2009
11:56 am
LOL @ the Techie tough talk. For your information POS Mutts, what went wrong with Georgia in 2008 is that our defense was horrible. That’s what went wrong. UGA fans are man enough to admit what went wrong. We don’t cry like little girls and make excuses like Tech fans. What went wrong with the Joke by Coke when it lost 3 of its final 6 games? What went wrong with the Joke by Coke when it got lit up for 400 yards passing by Stafford, who every Techie on earth claimed was “overrated” before the season started? What went wrong when the Joke by Coke got absolutely humiliated in its bowl game? What went wrong when your absolutely laughable defense gave up 80 points in its final two games? Are you man enough to answer these questions Techie? I don’t think you are. I think you only want to talk about “45-42″, beating FSU, and winning 9 games. I don’t think Tech fans have the cajones to embrace their team’s obvious weaknesses. They just want everyone to tell them how great they are and how they’ve arrived. If not, its go cry to mommy time. Tech fans are an absolute pathetic joke. You are dismissed.
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uga_b
February 26th, 2009
11:56 am
Music City, he was another one of our top 11 QBs in the country. We have consistently recruited top-level QB talent. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think every QB Richt has recruited was a top 11 (from the camp.
In the SEC, we repeatedly see that upperclassmen at the QB position do well. The real fun will be next year with Logan and Aaron both bringing a similar running dimension versus the big arm of Mettenberger.
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Tech Guy
February 26th, 2009
11:58 am
After reading the report on the average SAT score for Gator football players, i don’t think I could even be excited about their recent national titles if I was a fan. I know athletes get preferencial treament of acceptance, but being below Mississippi State on SATs is a joke.
I hear the school itself is pretty good for non-athletes though.
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Preston
February 26th, 2009
12:06 pm
I like the fact that UGA is coming in this year under the radar. People can underestimate Cox all they want but this guy is a very good QB. Don’t you remember when he came in and won that game against Colorado a few years aga? I know Colorado was terrible that year but that was a do or die drive at the end of the game and Cox handled the pressure beautifully. And he wasn’t even playing regularly to get in a groove. I’m very excited to have a guy like that around this year to give Aaron and Zach some time to mature to the next level.
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Preston
February 26th, 2009
12:10 pm
And as for the gator fan that dissed on the AJC for reporting often on the Orsen Charles situation…sounds like you’re just pissed because he took uf off his list. The reporters are doing their best to keep the UGA football fans fed with news about their favorite team so if you’re tired of it, find a uf blog (if there is one)!
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Bruce Mac
February 26th, 2009
12:10 pm
Techies, try winning one bowl game some day and then get back to us. You once again humiliated yourselves on National TV and no, we couldn’t tell a whole lot of difference between an inept Johnson coached team and the previous inept Gailey coached teams. You win one game in 8 years by three points and you think you make it. Dream on.
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hop
February 26th, 2009
12:26 pm
cox brings a breathe of fresh air,as the dawgs finally have some leadership at qb .
this was certainly lacking last year and maybe, we will see a more focus and determined team in 2009.
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POS Mutts
February 26th, 2009
12:39 pm
Huh? I’ll answer your questions chump, all summed up by injuries and 16 out of 22 starters freshman or sophomores. That didn’t hurt us against your weak little a$$es, did it. Your defense full of 4 and 5* recruits.
No one beat us by 39 or had us down 31-0 at half. Your three most meaningful games of the year were blown.
Nice.
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reservoirDAWG
February 26th, 2009
1:05 pm
POS, you realize this the UGA board, right? Why don’t you crawl back into your cubicle moron. Tech has and always will play second fiddle.
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Bohgey
February 26th, 2009
1:13 pm
POS Mutts:
1) It’s the lunch rush, shouldn’t you be at the drive-thru? I would imagine you will be reprimanded or even fired for missing time.
2) Better to let people wonder if you are a fool, rather than speak(or type) and confirm it to all of us.
3) When you use the term “us”, as in “That didn’t hurt us against your weak… and “We’re no longer a W on your schedule.” That implies that you played and/or are currently playing. You may be a player, I don’t know. I don’t care if you are, and I don’t really care if you contribute anything to the school or not. They are not your team, nor will they be. They care about nuclear engineering and computer programming. You are just like me, just a fan. I am a fan of the Dawgs. They have no clue who I am or that I once held season tickets, and that I still enjoy going to the game, they just want the money from tickets, jersey and merch sales and contributions. I happen to be ok with that.
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bairet
February 26th, 2009
1:16 pm
POS Mutts- As a Georgia fan I think the core of your argument is right. Georgia Tech is no longer the Georgia Tech of old and I think they are only going to get better. They overachieved with Chan Gailey’s recruits on the roster and Paul Johnson is only going to make that better. Besides being a Georgia fan I am just a fan of football in general and the renewed rivalry makes for better football. I don’t see the point in any Georgia fan denying that.
As for the Cox/Gray debate I think it will be interesting to see where the coaching staff takes this thing. We’d all like to see Cox pull off something similar to the 05 season. The worse case scenario is something similar to 06 where we have a revolving door at QB and CMR can’t figure out who to play. If it becomes clear that Cox isn’t the guy then I think we should go with the youth movement (Gray and Murray) as soon as possible.
I don’t think the Orson Charles thing holds much signifigance right now. Aron White is plenty talented and we saw flashes of that last year. I think he’s our top option at TE ahead of Figgins.
The energy thing is a good sign, I think. It was obvious throughout Stafford’s tenure that he was the most talented QB we’ve had but he lacked the motivational talents of a Tim Tebow. Stafford had some big game theatrics but never had the intangibles that we needed to push us over the top.
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Wil Walton
February 26th, 2009
1:23 pm
POS Mutts, you’re exactly right. UGA did lose it’s 3 most significant games of the year. But I think I would be more worried about Tech losing by 35 to a 5 loss team in their bowl game.
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Pago Flyer
February 26th, 2009
1:26 pm
Just beat Florida!
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rick
February 26th, 2009
1:28 pm
unfortunately tebow is right.there is nothing going on to make me think any differently.
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tebowblowscox
February 26th, 2009
1:40 pm
Stack, you have a fitting name.
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 26th, 2009
1:47 pm
General, see POS Mutts for eample. Now that is hatred even the name exudes hatred unless the POS is what his friends and parents called him growing up and it just stuck.
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Too Easy
February 26th, 2009
1:48 pm
POS; I’m glad you recognize that you have been an automatic W on our schedule, but one L doesn’t make it now a semiautomatic W.
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Kiffin is a baffoon
February 26th, 2009
2:16 pm
Vandy
Talk about an inferiority complex…I didn’t see one Gator fan lashing out at anyone on this blog before your post. UGA fans SHOULD get excited about their team before the start of a new season no doubt as should any fan of any team. But if you read the shots several take at UF here you will see why in the least a UF fan would stick up for their school. POS Mutts is a TECh fan if you didnt realize that. It sounds like you are threatened that we ACTUALLY enjoy something you don’t winning titles in modern times or being the better athletic program or being a higher rated Academic institution all of which UF is over UGA.
The inferiority complex has gotten so bad all you hear are jokes about fashion and hairstyles all of which apply just as much to the UGA fanbase as it does UF’s. I live in Atlanta and trust me you can throw a stone in any part of this state and hit a redneck UGA fan with Jean Shorts and a Mullet.
and TECH GUY
That report about UF’s SAT scores for players was a report done from 2002. Not one player on UF’s 2008 BCS title team had an SAT score that was apart of that report. Since Urban Meyer has been there only TWO players he recruited have failed to qualify whereas at almost every other SEC school the number is 3 times that in the same timeframe and even sometimes even in one given recruiting class. The Football team Average GPA and graduation rate has gone up at UF considerably since Meyer has gotten there as well.
There are still a few bad apples here and there but no school is immune to that ie. Marcus Houston, Odell Thurman, Maurice Clarett etc…
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Hunk Erdown
February 26th, 2009
2:38 pm
Chip- With this new format for the blogs are they fixing it where you can also submit your own headline/lead-in for your articles? Over the last few years that seems to be an issue that pops up from time to time.
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Blue
February 26th, 2009
3:04 pm
Huh; really?? “We don’t cry like little girls and make excuses like Tech fans.” I am neither a ‘dawg’ or a tech fan…but I remember, distinctly, reading blogs after all three losses. UGA blogs on this paper, by the way. And these blogs were loaded with “cheating refs”, “bad calls”, “SEC officials have it in for us because of the endzone celebration last year”. Yeah…dawg fans ALWAYS man up and NEVER make excuses.
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Blue
February 26th, 2009
3:05 pm
Wil Walton; great comeback! “we couldn’t beat you this year, but another team did”. OUCH…you cut me deep, Shreck.
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BAMA STAN
February 26th, 2009
3:54 pm
**31-0 at the Half?!!**
I personally find the Hornsby situation very disturbing.
I believe in offereing academically marginal kids if they can make minimum score standards – and work to get them an education so that they have an opportunity beyond football – as the odds are against them to make it in the NFL.
I also believe in second chances for young people that have made wrong or stupid decisions – depending on the crime or issue.
HOWEVER – the punishment needs to fit the crime. NO second chances for sexual assualt, rape, murder, stealing your deceased teammate’s dead girlfriends’s credit card and running charges on it for months on end.
Hornsby’s second chance should have been in prision rehab and whatever Jr college and local community school that he could get admitted – to hopefully prepare him for a productive life.
As a Alabama fan – I am embarrassed to see Coach Saban’s name associated with this animal – and even more embarrassed that an SEC school would admit him onto their campus.
I also need to point out that Hornsby will probably be an attorney one day – and maybe work for JOHN EDWARDS.
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Wil Walton
February 26th, 2009
3:56 pm
Blue: who is “we”? I don’t currently play for UGA. FYI, I was merely just pointing out the glass house in which most fringe college football fans live in. Not a comeback at all, not trying to “cut” anyone. Just a statement.
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SEC lunchtime links: Quarterback job open at Auburn
February 26th, 2009
4:04 pm
[...] Georgia quarterback Joe Cox wants to be a vocal leader for the Bulldogs. [...]
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vandy
February 26th, 2009
4:16 pm
Kiffin….if you dont see the Gator fans’ trash talking then you are either not reading, a gator fan, or just an idiot. Hey you could be all three???
Second….of course there are rednecks all over the south including GA….I never claimed any different or said anything about jorts or mullets…besides even you can understand that those types of jokes are good natured, right?
As far as Tech’s fine academic institution….you will get no arguement from me, Tech is a good school. That does not mean that UGA students are idiots. That doesnt mean that UGA is a crappy school either. It’s not like Tech is that great anyways there are plenty of better schools. This is about football though….and you’ll have to excuse us UGA fans if we get a little annoyed by GT fans talking any trash about football considering they have been terrible for years. I know, I know….what about 45-42? OK you got us last year. You do deserve a little trash talk. But calling another fan base dumb wont make your team any better at football, now will it?
Lastly, GT has not won any more Championships then UGA in the “modern era” as you say. I’m not sure what you consider to be the “modern era” but 1980 and 1991 arent very far apart, and GT’s was only a half anyway.
Have a nice day!
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gdawginkalamazoo
February 26th, 2009
4:20 pm
Bama Stan, set us straight here for that 31-0 at the half is that your game versus us or the Sugar Bowl versus Utah? Actually a good post there. But can you tell us the difference between Ole Miss and those places that you named for his second chance? Also what’s the deal with Andre Smith? Any word from a Bama fan on what he is trying to accomplish at the combines? Seems like he has some bad advisors.
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shane#1
February 26th, 2009
4:33 pm
Haters are on every blog and every school has them in their fan base. Most true haters are people with nothing better to do than hate kids that are just trying to play some football and get an education. They are not worth wasting your time on so scroll past their posts. ‘Nuff said about that. Cox may turn out to be a good leader, which is the most important part of a QB’s job. Also, Jeff Owens, Washington, Sturdivant, and Curran have talked openly about trying to be better leaders and setting an example for the younger guys. I like to hear an OT, DT, and a MLB talk like that because you can’t be a strong football team without being strong up the middle. That is true for offense and defense.
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Hunk Erdown
February 26th, 2009
5:15 pm
There’s a couple of reasons beyond his personality that will aid Cox in his leadership role; the first and most obvious is that he’ll be a senior. I think most would agree that we saw with Stafford, talent alone don’t get it done. Maturity makes a huge difference.
The other reason is the fact that Cox has experienced being second fiddle with the vast majority of his game time being mop up duty. If and when some underclassman wide receiver complains that he’s not getting enough passes Cox will not only be able to understand the guy’s feelings but can also put him in his place, if necessary… Cox has paid the price to be where he is. I believe this was a big help to D.J. Shockley a few years ago. It won’t take “a few games to see what Cox can do” to earn the team’s respect… He’s earned it through attrition.
Isn’t it still true that Cox has never lost a game that he started in his whole life?
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Jimmy
February 26th, 2009
5:40 pm
I don’t think Cox’s leadership abilities will have anything to do whether this team will win or not in 09. Can he throw a 15 yd out to the long side of the field where only his WR can catch it? Can he throw the fade to the back of the EZ from the 15 yd line where ONLY his WR can catch it?? Remember, UGA runs a pro style offense and the QB has to be able to make ALL of the throws in order to be successful. That means arm strength, accuracy, touch, and intelligence. I wonder how often he’ll be able to audible at the LOS early in the season? Leadership is overrated. If he can’t make the throws, the team won’t win. It’s that simple. We don’t need another Joe Tereshinski on this team.
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Jimmy
February 26th, 2009
5:41 pm
Oh, and don’t tell me that Stafford could make all of the throws but he wasn’t very successful. He was very inconsistent, considering he had a gun of an arm. I don’t know how many times I threw crap at my TV as he overshot yet another bomb by a few yards at least. Stafford reminds me of Jeff George. Hopefully Cox will be more like David Greene, able to make all of the throws needed to win in this offense.
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BurningRed/BleedingBlack
February 26th, 2009
5:53 pm
I love all of these haters on are blog. Don’t worry tech, UF, and hopefully Bama payback is hell! the dog will bite this year eat it!!!
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Vent Cop
February 26th, 2009
6:21 pm
Gators, what do you say about another UF football player being arrested for rape.
Another year and another Florida football felon. Go Gators!
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UGASlobberknocker
February 26th, 2009
6:26 pm
Atlanta Gator we all feel the same way. Any one who wants to turn his situation into a Gator bash best look in the mirror before speaking. No program with 85 kids is immune to a bad apple or two. And Meyer did get rid of him. It’s Nutt’s decision that I question, he knows what he is getting.
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TampaGator
February 26th, 2009
6:40 pm
Wow! Is most everyone on here a two-year old? I am on here because I was interested in what Cox had to say as a football fan, not at a Florida fan. I read the AJC website because I used to live in Atlanta. And this is not a Georgia blog by the way, it is an AJC blog about football. I think Joe Cox is going to help Georgia be more competitive this year. You don’t have to be a great QB to help your team be great. But you have to have great players around you, and Cox has a lot of great players around him. I hope Cox and his teammates make the Georgia/Florida game more competitive this year. More fun that way. Even though Florida lost two years ago, the game was great to watch. And, by the way, Charles basically eliminated Florida because he does not have the academic records right now to get into Florida and the Florida coaches told him that, and his family knows that. If he signs with Georgia, he may be a non-qualifier there as well. He can get into USC, no problem. Probably Tennessee as well. Sign with Georgia and he has to get his assessment scores up and must improve his grades before the end of the school year. He would not have had the GPA to get into Florida from I have read down here in Tampa..he has not been a good student. Great guy. Wonderful guy. A great football player. Not a good student. So we will see what happens next. But basically he put off his decision because of his grades and qualifying issues. Georgia seems to take more risks on signing players that might not qualify than Florida does…that is not a put down…just a fact.
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MountainDawg
February 26th, 2009
6:40 pm
Joe C. certainly has more heart/fire than Stafford (sans the cannon arm). I think he’ll be a solid QB (barring injury). Hopefully the TB’s will be solid as well, as they’re the real offensive question mark. WR Corps, FB, TE & OL should all be good.
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patricksulley
February 26th, 2009
7:59 pm
Hi fans Timmie Tearbow here
I will guarantee another NC.
Me and the boyz will have been working hard all off season getting ready for the new
year.
Coach Myers and I will have been spooning together every night in our matching Nascar
PJ’s and we have been going to the hair salon every day after practice to get his spray tan
and butt cut hairdo looking extra special.
And if we don’t look just right I cry….you know like I did after the Ole Miss game. Yeah
I am sensitive I guess. We pretty much cry over everything down here in Gainsville.
I just put an emergency call in to Boy George and he’s going to be on the sideline during
practices. And will sing his number 1 hit single “do you really want to hurt me….do you
really want to make me cry?” everyday.
Gayturd Nation we need your support.
Please ask your bosses for the day off from your fast food jobs and show up for practices loud in proud in your all Orange and blue attire.
In case you didn’t hear Myers is asking for a “jort out” at each game to get everyone pumped up.
GO Gayturds, chomp chomp chomp.
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Gamecock Henry
February 26th, 2009
8:33 pm
Hey My fellow mutts. how bout that Gamecock basketball team!!!! Well I think the gamecocks might spoil the big uga football party this year at the less intimidating sanford cow pasture. Can I hear the excuses now???? Oh moreno left early…. Our defensive coach is clueless. We have a new QB and RB… too many injuries.. bwah bwah bwah.. we are still stinging from the Tech loss. The dawgs were again lucky last year with a Gamecock fumble. UGa fans are still sick because their football team just cant put away those Gamecocks!!!!! You mutt fans better get your bottles Pepto ready when the mighty Gamecocks visit Athens!!!!
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Nobody is scared of Joe Cox
February 26th, 2009
8:44 pm
mutt 3 loss or more in 09.
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Mark Richt
February 26th, 2009
9:12 pm
But can he spoon like Stafford?
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BobDog
February 26th, 2009
10:23 pm
Why do we go back and forth with these Tech people. Just ignore them and they’ll quit coming on here. Tech is just another game for Georgia. Yeah, every once in a while we go to sleep on them and they beat us, then we get ticked off and kick their butts for a few years again until we get bored. It’s the pinnacle of the season for them. It ranks just a little above beating Georgia Southern for us. Embarrassing if we lose, but not very satisfying when we win. Ho hum.
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BobDog
February 26th, 2009
10:28 pm
And speaking of S. Carolina, we get them early in the season while they still think they have a chance to be something. We’re usually the first step in the tailspin for them, but every once in a while we let boredom get to us and they win. Ho double hum.
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FLDAWG
February 27th, 2009
12:17 am
Joe Cox will be good for the Offense. Leadereship can not be overstated for a QB. He also needs some skill, but can overcome a lack of skill and talent by being a great leader. Example, David Green. He was a great leader with good, but not great talent. He didn’t have the strongest arm, he wasn’t the fastest, but he kept the offense on track with his leadership. His leadership was why D.J. Shockley didn’t see the field very much before his senior year. Shock, was the better athlete, with the better arm. However, Green had the leadership ability from the start and then made good decisions and thus never lost the starting job. Joe Cox will hopefully be a blend of Shock and Green providing leadership with more talent. Of course, Aaron Murray, Logan Gray and Zach Mettenberg may have something to say about who leads with the most talent. We have more to worry about with the D. Go Dawgs!
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LOLDAWG
February 27th, 2009
8:25 am
It’s amazing all you Non-dawg fans have nothing better to do than browse Dawg blogs? What’s up with that? shameless I think. I just might jump on Tech , Bama, and of Course FL blogs and raise heck.
but–then I’d be like them, Nah, I’m not a loser, Keep posting to our blogs you idiots, It just means we are popular and we’ve gotten under your skin–Otherwise you would not be posting here would you????
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FAF
February 27th, 2009
9:05 am
Why are Tech fans here? I’ll say it again – Tech = two 10 win seasons in over 50 years of playing ball / UGA = six ten win or more seasons out of the last seven years in the toughest conference in America…….it’s incredibly funny that when Tech does manage a win over UGA, they are so amazed by the feat that they have rings made to document the event because they know the price of gold may be too high the next time they do it again – so funny. And as for Tech getting better – there is a reason no one runs their offense anymore – see LSU bowl game – now that we know we will be looking at it every year, it will no longer be a novelty. Tech will only impress in the weak ACC…the NEW streak begins this year and it won’t even be close….UGA will romp. It is also beyond funny that a Tech fan would say something like, “UGA will always just be ranked in the top ten around 5 or 6″ What a laugher….UGA is the ONLY team since, I think 1986, that has made the top 25 EVERY YEAR without fail……nobody does it better, folks…..you Tech guys…you REALLY are sad.
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lawzoo
February 27th, 2009
9:29 am
Mangy dawgs vs. rancid pork! The “crowd” will be rockin’!
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uga_b
February 27th, 2009
10:49 am
Can Ashley come play against Arkansas?
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Butch
February 27th, 2009
11:30 am
BORRRING
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Around The SEC East - 2/27/09 | MrSEC.com
February 27th, 2009
11:48 am
[...] probably won’t have the same feel as the last time the two team’s played… in the championship game of last year’s SEC Tournament.UGA: The tip time for Georgia’s season finale with South Carolina has been moved to 2pm EST [...]
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dawgmanwayx
February 27th, 2009
12:17 pm
Andy Landers is now a Hall of Fame coach in both NCAA and state circles, and I truly appreciate the job he’s done at UGA. However, the past 5 or so years show that he’s lost his recruiting and coaching touch. I realize he signed what has been ranked a top 5 class for next year, and that’s a first for him in a long, long time. I just don’t expect him to do much with that group or to build on it by signing a great class the next year. Obviously, we and everyone else in the SEC have played second fiddle to Tennessee/Summit, but the sad reality is, several other programs in our conference have passed us by.
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Cuz
February 27th, 2009
1:12 pm
Good luck Chip, we shall endeavor to persevere without your guidance this weekend.
Just get this trainwreck called basketball season over, please.
Gotta agree about Coach Hugh, a decent man who did a good job season in and out at a football school. At least we kept Landers. Maybe he would be interested in coaching the men’s team? Nah, why ruin him.
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Atlanta Jackets
February 27th, 2009
1:20 pm
You can’t ingore me and the Tech Nation. [bold/]This is our state! We own you![bold/]
The Robot and Derrick “Do Me a Big” Favors are going to crush you. LOL!
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LSU 2-time BCS National Champions
February 27th, 2009
1:40 pm
All you UGA that were giving Tech a hard time about Joe Hamilton, Need to read where Quincey Carter was arrested for the same thing.
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uga_b
February 27th, 2009
1:51 pm
I guess the big difference is that Joe Hamilton was seen as a stand up guy and put in charge of football players. Quincy has always had problems with Drugs and Alcohol and wasn’t even put in charge of some awful Dallas and Jets teams.
Hope he gets his life together…again.
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UGAy
February 27th, 2009
1:56 pm
I hope Quincy gets life in prison. That is the only place that he deserves to be.
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Atlanta Jackets
February 27th, 2009
2:02 pm
Quincy = fail
He’s no Robot!
LOL!!
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Cuz
February 27th, 2009
2:24 pm
Quincy, you wasted it all by staying wasted.
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lawzoo
February 27th, 2009
3:15 pm
It was a good thing that Q.C. was “intercepted” again.
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RxDawg
February 27th, 2009
3:17 pm
Good luck with that procedure Chip.
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Dope dealer
February 27th, 2009
3:23 pm
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/02/27/quincy_carter_arrested.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
BWAHAHAHAHA
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tAJ
February 27th, 2009
3:55 pm
SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET HUGH GO! SHOULD NEVER HAVE HIRED FELTON! QUINCY CARTER AND JOE HAMILTON -HOGWASH!
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thomas johnson
February 27th, 2009
3:56 pm
Great article – great job as always! http://www.wedgeorgia.com
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Jim Doanan as in Doans Pills
February 27th, 2009
4:40 pm
Please Dawg fans give my boy Quincy a break. Heck he was the best QB in the nation till that South Carolina game. We were gonna win the whole thing that year. Those damn chickens make me sick…..
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Gen Neyland
February 27th, 2009
5:22 pm
Men’s Basketball in the SEC has seen a down year. When the Promemade begins, we’ll be fortunate to have 5 teams, 7 on the outside, to attend the Gala…and of those, I’ll wager whatever Quincy was smoking, none will see beyond the Sweet 16…
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TommyP
February 27th, 2009
10:02 pm
“Never should have let Hugh Durham go?” Wow…
Tubby showed what you could do in Athens. We can’t help that Jirsa was a horrible hire. Harrick did a great job ON THE COURT and then Felton just never could get over the hump.
No administration should’ve stuck with the intense mediocrity that Durham brought to Athens.
The next hire by the Dawgs will show what a great job Georgia can be when the right guy is brought in. I have that much faith in Damon.
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Too Easy
February 28th, 2009
8:20 am
Quincy was at gt, also. Learned from Hamilton.
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Bulldawg Billy
February 28th, 2009
9:32 am
Those BREAKS are all arround all the time.The players must be coached to create and seize them!!!!
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wreckmaniac
February 28th, 2009
11:43 am
The surest subject for this crowd, Chip, is football recruitin’. This is a group of recruitin addicts. Its not about what UGA does on the field. Its about who they recruit.
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Chip Towers
February 28th, 2009
12:58 pm
If Hugh had been given more support from the administration with things like converting all those seats to matching red, adding the telescopic seating on endlines and sides and the jumbotron scoreboard who knows what he could have done. Never mind not rolling him over after the 1991 season. Hugh did what he did while recruiting to a barn. There’s not a thing wrong with Stegeman now.
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JenniferGO Dawgs
February 28th, 2009
1:05 pm
“My ultimate goal is not to get a big hug from coach Meyer after a game, it’s when I stand before Jesus Christ and he has his arms out … and he says, ‘Timmy, you finished,’ ” Tebow said. Also, “Come see us beat Georgia again.” . . .
I use to think he was a humble person and role leader, but he just proved that he is full of himself. We will be back and don’t take it easy, as far as hits ,on Tebow next year. This year we went too easy. I love the Dawgs no matter what their season ends with……..GO DAWGS, sic ‘em!
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» SEC links: Gators-Vols a must-win for both John Clay’s Sidelines
March 1st, 2009
8:29 am
[...] Chip Towers of the AJC writes on the last-place matchup of Dogs and Hogs. [...]
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SEC links: Gators-Vols a must-win for both | MrSEC.com
March 1st, 2009
10:20 am
[...] Chip Towers of the AJC writes on the last-place matchup of Dogs and Hogs. [...]
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It’s Gameday: Georgia | NWAHogBlog.com
March 1st, 2009
10:55 am
[...] Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution blogged on the fact that these are the two teams that met in last year’s SEC Tournament [...]
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Pago Flyer
March 1st, 2009
11:24 am
Do you have a feeling that the next round ball coach will be a “man of color”?! Or else!
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Coondawg69
March 1st, 2009
12:36 pm
Just for the record: Perno’s Pups won 11-5 on Friday and 12-5 last night!!!!
TommyP- you are correct, that we cannot help the Jirsa was terrible hire…. but then again, that was vintage Dooley, playing it cheap. You are right, Jirsa was terrible!!!!
I hope Damon makes the right hire. Not sure that the search agency that landed Pelfry for Arkansas and Felton for Georgia is the right agency. If so, I’m in the wrong business.
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MiamiDawg
March 1st, 2009
4:19 pm
‘Breaks’ don’t happen. Teams that are focused and determined create their own breaks.
The dawgs had their break when they started off at the top of the pile. They earned that for their performance the previous season. What was required was that they have the drive and grit to hold on to it. The entire team failed. No excuses.
Lack of motivation starts and ends at the top. CMR failed to take advantage of a sweet shot at the title.
Georgia will have other shots but if they don’t do something with them, all that will be left to do is cry about Florida getting lucky… again.
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AltamahaDawg
March 1st, 2009
8:27 pm
I didn’t realize that Quincy carter was the Assistant Director of Player Personnel.
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KNelson
March 2nd, 2009
8:03 am
Same Ol Same ol @ UGA ! Basketball in a barn 2 wins in the SEC. It doesnt matter who is coaching UGA Stinks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Atlanta Gator
March 2nd, 2009
8:16 am
Donald Trump, Dennis Rodman, Andrew “Dice” Clay and Herschel Walker in the same work space? That’s, well, really weird. I mean really, really weird.
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hop
March 2nd, 2009
8:22 am
EARTH TO AJC, WHY ARE YOU GUYS NOT REPORTING THE BASEBALL TEAM, WHO HAVE STARTED THE SEASON 12-0.
THIS PAST WEEKEND THEY SWEEP ARIZONA!
THE BASKETBALL SEASON IS OVER FOR THE DAWGS BUT YOU GUYS STILL COVER AS IF GEORGIA FANS REALLY CARE!
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ZDog
March 2nd, 2009
8:41 am
Yeah weird. Herschel doesn’t fit too well with that crowd. Kinda like putting your boy Teebow in a Michael Jackson video.
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» SEC links: Vols have Florida’s hoops number John Clay’s Sidelines
March 2nd, 2009
8:42 am
[...] Chip Towers of the AJC writes on Herschel Walker’s turn on “The Apprentice.” [...]
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Mikey
March 2nd, 2009
9:21 am
The show was watchable because of Herschel and yes, he handled himself with class and dignity.There was one point where he said he got more Georgia fans involved in their enterprise that Dice and Rodman combined. That was priceless, since it was in New York city!
BTW, Natalie Gulbis and the Playmate are smoking hot, so that helped keep my interest.
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UGA
March 2nd, 2009
10:08 am
Which Herschel was it that actually showed the class? Will he even remember this or will it be like when he won the Heisman?
Its easy for anyone to show class when your in the same room as Rodman and Dice Clay. Come on man report on something important instead of a old washed up running back that hasn’t been in a UGA uniform in 25 years.
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SEC links: Vols have Florida’s hoops number | MrSEC.com
March 2nd, 2009
10:21 am
[...] Chip Towers of the AJC writes on Herschel Walker’s turn on “The Apprentice.” [...]
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This and That | MrSEC.com
March 2nd, 2009
10:22 am
[...] – As we told you several months ago (complete with on site pictures of the taping from the NYC Dawgs), Herschel is on The Apprentice. [...]
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Dawggone-it
March 2nd, 2009
10:26 am
Why is there no article or section for the Diamond Dawgs? Basketball has their own and they are God-awful. Perno’s team was in the national championship last year and is ranked 12 in the nation. I’m down here in south Georgia and the only place I can get info is on georgiadogs.com. Kinda makes me wonder if we need the AJC for anything if we can get news from other sources? No wonder newsprint is about to all go under…
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Chip Towers
March 2nd, 2009
10:27 am
UGA: Don’t know if you noticed but I wrote about six or seven other things besides “that washed up running back.” So just read on, or don’t read, whatever you wish. But clearly you’re not a Dogs fan if you don’t care to read about Herschel, so I’d suggest a more fitting handle.
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MA Merrill
March 2nd, 2009
10:33 am
Eric Zeier all the way! The only thing people say goes against him as being the all time best QB at UGA is that he didn’t win as many games. Well, if you look back, the teams he played with were some of the worst in Georgia’s history (I should know, I was a student there during this time)….except the 92/93 team where we went 10-2, losing to FL and TN by a total of 5 points. If Zeier had had this years’ team with those incredible receivers, he would have taken us to the National Championship!! He has my vote all the way! Best all-around QB Georgia has ever seen!
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Dawg Fud
March 2nd, 2009
10:38 am
why did Bobo get a raise?
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Chip Towers
March 2nd, 2009
10:55 am
Dawg Fud: Because Bobo is so awesome, right? That’s what CMR is telling us. . . .
Dawggone-it: I don’t know what you mean about “section” for Georgia baseball, but we report the results every time they play a game. We’re not going to “staff” and write a story on all 60 or so of their games. As you know, the Internet helps tell us what people are clicking on and how much they’re reading and, despite what you might think, college baseball is NOT something that moves the needle. That said, Tim Tucker, Peter Cox and I will profile the best and/or most interesting players, preview the best series, cover the most important games and follow them all the way to the College World Series in the postseason like we always do. And you can always read about the him in the UGA blog, like this morning. . . .
I’m not sure how much snow we actually got up here in the Athens area but my yard here in Bogart had at least four or five inches. And it hasn’t been very quick to melt. What about where you live?
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Michael Scharff
March 2nd, 2009
11:13 am
Hey, Chip, how bout some Love for the Gym Dogs?! We beat Florida this weekend, we scored our highest score in many years, and we are # 1 in the country. And, don’t forget, Coach Yoculan is going for her 110th National Championship! I was at the first half of the meet on Saturday. It was my first ever Gym Dogs meet, and it was very cool.
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Huh?
March 2nd, 2009
11:18 am
“why did Bobo get a raise?”
Because he was responsible for one of the most productive offenses of the Mark Richt era in 2008. That would be my guess.
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gdawginkalamazoo
March 2nd, 2009
11:20 am
Chip, I will lend you my snowblower if you need it. Sun shining and 8 degrees here this morning (up to 18 or so now). But NO snow. We may see sun for three days straight this week before the rain/snow mixture kicks in Thursday.
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AltamahaDawg
March 2nd, 2009
12:28 pm
Did the Donald ever finish paying him the 16 million from 1983?
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AltamahaDawg
March 2nd, 2009
12:37 pm
Chip, there was significantly less than 4 to 5 inches on the beach.
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BobDog
March 2nd, 2009
12:52 pm
Not much snow from Alpharetta northward. Fulton Co. cancelled school but it must have been because of the south end of the county.
Herschel always has been classy and sharp witted. I didn’t know he was on The Apprentice. I may watch it next time.
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Chip Towers
March 2nd, 2009
1:05 pm
Altamaha: This is probably a way The Donald and Herschel worked out those last USFL payments! . . .
Michael Scharff: You can read about the GymDogs here: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/printedition/2009/03/01/gagym0301.html.
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bank walker
March 2nd, 2009
1:30 pm
Hey Chip, nice read and your right if you don’t like Herschel your not a Dawg! Tomorrow is Heschels birthday. Happy Birthday Herschel!!!GO DAWGS!!!!!
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BobDog
March 2nd, 2009
2:26 pm
The legislature needs to make March 3 a state holiday in honor of Herschel!
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aaron in arizona
March 2nd, 2009
3:20 pm
I am writing to just say how impressed I, and my family, were w/the UGA baseball team and staff. Not talking about only the wins/sweep they put up on the U of AZ, but how they all played and demonstrated good sportsmanship and outstanding candor/kindness postgame. They, players and coaches, were very patient and willing to sign balls and talk w/fans. Understanding that they felt 2 hours ahead of everyone else cause of the time difference, they still had a smile and was such a pleasant experience.
Congrats to the Dawgs for the wins, and to the parents and coaches for developing such excellent young men. Living out here in AZ, it was awesome to see the Dawgs play in person. GOOO DAWGS!!!
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UGA
March 2nd, 2009
4:24 pm
All I was saying is that there are other things to report on that are going at UGA than a running back that hasn’t put on a UGA uniform in 25 years being on some stupid T.V. show with trump.
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LSU kings of the baseball diamond.
March 2nd, 2009
4:28 pm
Aaron in AZ,
The only person that I would disagree with in your statement is Matt Ceroine. I just guessing you didn’t hear the f-bomb and the bit^h he dropped on national television last year during the NCCG.
BTW dog fans, Can’t wait to come to Athens to beat down your puppies and see my #1 team in nation show you how to real men play baseball. lol
Kidding on the second part, just looking forward to the series.
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Chip Towers
March 2nd, 2009
5:25 pm
I guess everybody is snowed in or didn’t come into work. Hopefully we’ll have some more participation tomorrow. Let me know some subjects you’d like to discuss.
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Stack1009
March 2nd, 2009
5:56 pm
Chip, does Lawrence usually run the 400 in meets and the scheduling of the 200 and the 4 x 400 prevent him from participating in that event? I read the story you linked to and it doesn’t say anything about it. Can you find out for me? Thanks.
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DOGGIE IN NC
March 2nd, 2009
7:20 pm
Doggie’s defense will be the difference this year, with a more-than-capable Cox firing accurate passes to some of the best receivers in the nation. Cox will be the man this year – the leader we need. How ironic, Cox beats the Cocks!GO DOGGIES!
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bill cleary
March 2nd, 2009
8:03 pm
I’m a die hard Gator and I really enjoy raggin on you puppies; however, I was at the Gator Bowl in 1980 when Buck and Lindsey broke my heart remembered watching Herschel thought in amazement–I’d never seen a better college football player. I listened to Larry Munson’s call when #34 ran over Bill Bates in his frosh debut, and was stupified watching him outrun 2 gamecocks DB’s between the hedges. Herschel is still the proto typical “best I’ve ever seen on a college football field,” but Tebow’s a close 2nd
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And Willie got one too?
March 2nd, 2009
9:54 pm
Aw Shucks HUH??… If Boo BOO got a raise shouldnt Wille give his pay check back? I mean the Alabama game, Fla. and of course the biggest melt down in UGA history against a team with a mickey mouse offense that plays in the ACC with a bunch of underclassmen. I hope Boo Boo gets it going against those teams like Vandy and gamechickens. Its a total embarrassment for letting those teams hang around and eek out a win. No wonder the sports pundits respect UGA’s football program.
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KJ
March 3rd, 2009
12:41 am
“Which Herschel was it that actually showed the class? Will he even remember this or will it be like when he won the Heisman?”
It doesn’t matter, because a pathetic trolling POS like yourself wouldn’t know class if it smacked you in the face. Even with his disorder, he’s accomplished 1000x what you ever will in your worthless life, so feel free to go play in traffic.
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GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
8:18 am
Nice to see Jancek choose to stay in Athens. I don’t know a lot about him but he seems to have a knack for getting very physical play out of speedy, yet generally undersized, linebackers.
Also nice to hear that Ben Watson is giving back and it’s probably a thrill for a kid who grew up in Massachusetts
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Brandon
March 3rd, 2009
8:45 am
People love to work for a boss that cares and respects them.
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Twilb Dawg
March 3rd, 2009
9:02 am
UGA has won 14 out of the last 18, 23 out of last 31, 35 out of last 50…shall I continue (oh 7 out of last 8). Plus 3 of those wins in the last 50 years were “vacated”, so actually Tech’s record is even lousier than it appears (which is REALLY lousy).
Finally, the overall record is, 59-37-5…OUCH, now I understand why all of the Nerd Nation has such ____ envy when it comes to UGA!!
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NewJersey
March 3rd, 2009
9:39 am
I bet it was because he gets to see coach without his shirt at the pool.
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AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
10:28 am
The argument that Coach Richt is a fool and attempting to destroy the program by keeping WM on his staff, despite anyone who thinks they know football insisting that he cannot, sort of goes out the window when several assistance, who DO KNOW something about football, decide to stay on his staff. Garner and Jancek would be the biggest fools in the world to stay and sabatage thier own careers, turning down what was surely better money, if they thought this defense was on some downward spiral. They have absolutely nothing to gain by staying under a coordinator that they didn’t feel confident with. These are the very position coaches who are at the core of the defense, and know more about what is going on inside the program than any “observer” could ever begin to understand.
At the very least, this so-called “weakness” of Mark Richt’s, treating his staff with more than a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, need to pacify some boosters attitude, has now saved 3 extremely valuable staff members this year alone.
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Bamafan
March 3rd, 2009
10:49 am
Mark Richt must be a good person to work for!! Georgia is my 2nd favorite college team to follow and
Coach Richt runs a clean program and wins about ten games a year. I hope he wins a NC one day and beats the gators like a government mule!!
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Rabun Dawg
March 3rd, 2009
10:59 am
Chip, I realize not much can be done about the coaching situation until after the season, but what is, if any, the “talk” about who they might be looking at? I read what the fellow in Chattanooga had to say, and I think what was said is true- with all the talent around the State, a shame that Bball is not much better at UGA! Will the Adm. make a large commitment to see that it happens? I guess, time will tell!
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Rabun Dawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:02 am
Chip, as you could guess, I was, of course, referring to the basketball situation. Football staff seems to be in solid shape I might add!
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Chip Towers
March 3rd, 2009
11:05 am
Rabun Dawg: All I can say is I’m following the bb coaching search extremely closely and keeping tabs on what’s going on. My interest is only reporting what is factual, up to and including the actual hire. Everything else you’ve read to date, including Epps’ column, is pure speculation. I’ll have something coming out soon but the actual hire is not going to take place until the prospective coach has completed his ongoing season. I’ll just leave it at that.
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Fints
March 3rd, 2009
11:16 am
Where is this so called fence located?
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HautyTautee
March 3rd, 2009
11:17 am
I think Michael Carvell thinks Lane Kiffin is hot!
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murfdawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:28 am
Chip,
How are those new Easton bats doing for the Diamond Dawgs? Looks as if they worked pretty good in the desert last weekend. How about an interview with some of the players?
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flats
March 3rd, 2009
11:44 am
It’s either the guy’s an idiot or scared to become D. Cord at a the division 1 level!!!!
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Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:46 am
Bamafan-Decent remark.
Alt- Remember several months ago with the blogs going ballistically antiloyal versus WM? Good posting to prove how far off and dead wrong those people were. Richt had already replied publically as to how they didn’t know football and some continued. Makes you realize how many anti-Dawgs are out there who blog when you are down in an attempt to get you to be negative about your own team. Sort’a like what’s happening nationally during this fiscal crisis….?
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Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
11:50 am
By the way- nice hint on the b-ball coach, Chip.
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Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:02 pm
Chip- Several of the last postings have disappeared. Wha sup?
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RxDawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:03 pm
Good post Althama. I totaly agree. I’ve always been slower to turn coaches/assistant coaches into the scapegoat of bad games. It’s a shame a lot of the blogers don’t see that.
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Johnny DangerDawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:11 pm
Ben Watson is a great guy for advice. He earned his Bachelor’s degree before his final year of eligibility. He chose to stick around, improve his draft status, and work towards a Master’s degree.
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Oledawg
March 3rd, 2009
12:22 pm
Chip- I know you have asked for hints from us on subjects to blog. How about the best play that a fan may consider to be the most exemplary of the bulldog spirit? Any sport or act. Mine would date back to an unseen and/or forgotten football play for most fans that involved two players, Varnado(?) and Lawhorn(e). I would love to read other fan’s reasoning as to why their “play” exemplifys the Dawg Spirit. Mine involves a Rhodes Scholar as well.
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YANKEEDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
12:30 pm
Chip how about a little about the girls basketball and gym dawgs both beating Florida this week
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YANKEEDAWG
March 3rd, 2009
12:31 pm
Enter your comments here
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bank walker
March 3rd, 2009
1:01 pm
Classy remarks Bamafan, I also wish UGA will win a NC soon.
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GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
1:08 pm
flats – Central Michigan is division 1 if I’m not mistaken.
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Chip Towers
March 3rd, 2009
1:17 pm
I’m not surprised he turned it down. A lot more stability and opportunity to play for bigger things at UGA.
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SEC fan
March 3rd, 2009
1:21 pm
Chip,
New Mexico has 3 football players involved in academic cheating and the NCAA takes 5 scholarships for the next few years. Florida State has a number of athletes (including numerous football players) caught in academic cheating and nothing happens. Is the NCAA giving Bowden a break by not disciplining him in his last year of coaching? Why no penalties for a much more serious violation?
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StockDog
March 3rd, 2009
1:23 pm
I think that UGA will hire Grant from VCU. I keep banging the drum for a west coast guy in Bennett from St. Mary’s. Epps mentioned Univ of Miami and Univ of Cinn coaches. We just need a really good recruiter, either the head coach or one of his assistants.
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flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:33 pm
Thanks Geof dawg…..There a huge bcs school…sorry man!
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flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:38 pm
Everyone wants to compare richt to bowden with all loyalty crap…Look at what being nice does to you at the end of your career with old man bowden.Nothing but thugness.Being nice will get you steamrolled.Bowden is like the braves,only one national championship with all the talent in the world!!!!!I love uga but really want some of what florida has right now!!!!BEING NICE WILL NEVER GET YOU TO THE TOP!!!!!!!!!!GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
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flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:39 pm
Central Michigan played in the Rose Bowwl last year!!!!!!SORRY GEOFFDAWG!!!!!!!
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DawgFan24
March 3rd, 2009
1:39 pm
Epps’ article is outstanding! What a moment of journailsm brilliance! Why doesnt the AJC consider hiring this guy?
Obviously I agree with Epps in that Grant is the obvious choice for the head BBall Coach for UGA. He’s young, talented, a great recruiter, and proven winner. Knight would bring a lot of publicity, but ultimately I think it would turn almost all negative, and Knight will get frustrated and leave prematurely. That’s NOT what this program needs.
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flats
March 3rd, 2009
1:41 pm
Does it matter Stock Dog!!!!!We will always suck in basketball as long as we play in steagmen and dooley is the athletic director!!!!!
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Preston
March 3rd, 2009
1:50 pm
SEC fan, I believe that FSU handled their academic cheating situation in a “in house” manner that was acceptable to the NCAA. I’m not familiar with the NM situation at all so who knows? It was admirable that FSU handled their situation swiftly and dealt with the players the way they should have. They missed their bowl trip and many were kicked off the team. Maybe NM tried to hide their wrongdoings???
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AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
1:53 pm
Oledawg, It’s never really been an issue about WM skills to me. I have my own opinions about it and other concur or disagree about the x’s and o’s, and that the whole business of sports banter. We should do this or that is fair game. Same for offensive playcalling. Anyone not actually responsible for doing it…..well thier opinion is as good any anyones, which isn’t much.
The annoying part about the constant “fire WM” gang is not that they don’t like him, or disagree with him philosophically, or even childishly profess hatred for the man, it that they mix thier arguments up, to the point it not even rational anymore.
You simply cannot understand a clear thinking person trying to make the case that: Mark Richt must evaluate everything the the same way I do. I have all the information that he does. He cannot possible know something that I don’t. And since that is a given, him not doing what I would do, is totally unexplainable other than he is knowingly trying to undermine his own football program.
(just for the record, I dont think Mark Richt ever said that folks don’t know anything about football. He did say if “some folks knew as much as they thought” and he was specifically adressing those that said we don’t “blitz” or don’t run the same philosophy as we use to under BVG. And he was giving examples of that just being plain incorrect. Pretty easy to pick out the guilty parties as they got rather offended and tried to flip his words aorund on him)
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Preston
March 3rd, 2009
1:54 pm
Flats, Dooley hasn’t been AD in a couple of years. It’s Damon Evans now.
As far as the BB coach situation, we need to hire a young guy that will be with the program for many years to come. I’d love to see Knight come to Athens for a few years if we can’t get a fiery young guy though.
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GeoffDawg
March 3rd, 2009
1:57 pm
flats – the Central Michigan DC job would be about on par with the USF DC job. Since you could infer then that since Jancek chose to leave that and is now at UGA, he would view that as an inferior position.
Is that over your head? If so, I can write it out for you slower.
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Preston
March 3rd, 2009
2:02 pm
Getting back on subject though…it’s pretty amazing that these assistants are turning down more powerful positions and more money to stay with Richt. It speaks volumes about the kind of man he is. If you’ll notice on these blogs the only people that talk bad about him are people that are fans of our biggest rivals because we beat them most of the time (gt,sc, etc..) or the teams that we seem to have long runs back and forth (uf, ut, au, etc…) with. The Rodney Garner deal was the most impressive though. He would have been the biggest loss because of the recriuting implications. He said that Richt was a brand that was irreplaceable in terms of recruiting. He sells himself and kids want to play for him and it makes his job much easier. UGA is in great hands with CMR!
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AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
2:10 pm
..and there were points in history that we did not suck in basketball while Dooley actually was the AD and we did play in “steagmen”.
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Jeff Grady
March 3rd, 2009
2:10 pm
As big a fan as I am of UNC and Butch Davis, and while I think we will be competitive with the likes of UGA as early as 09, I think there are no betters coaches, much less people, that Mark Richt. I bet UGA fans who value character agree with me.
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AltamahaDawg
March 3rd, 2009
2:17 pm
Or UGA fans who value winning percentages for that matter.
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david
March 3rd, 2009
2:17 pm
The word is out that Jim Leavitt is a jerk to work for and to be around. None of his ex-assistant coaches have a good word to say about Leavitt. Even the the Florida High School coaches do not want to deal with his ego. Sabin brought to light that 75% of the USF football players need to have a special exemption to get excepted to the school. Jancek made the right move in staying at UGA.
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Ed
March 3rd, 2009
2:48 pm
Bill, I was at the 1980 game as well. I was in the opposite end zone and saw Lindsay Scott’s back as he headed towards the other end zone. In my 12-year old mind, he looked like a bullet. Never saw Belue throw the ball because the adults in front had me blocked.
You weren’t that kid in the Florida hat that turned around and grinned at me when we were backed up 3rd and long on the 7, were you? Once the dust settled and I looked for him, he and and his dad were long gone.
It was a strange day – my grandfather would die that day in Crystal River, and I still remember a feeling of gloom caused by that and the realization that a perfect season was about to be ruined by the hated Gators. Even “The Play” didn’t completely erase the memory of that feeling, but it did keep that day from being one of the worst of my young life.
By the way, Herschel’s early touchdown run came right to my endzone. What a thrill that was, he looked like a giant. I can still see that huge hole open up on the right side (from Ga.’s perspective) of the line. The 1980 team never got credit for having good players other than Herschel, but we had a great o-line that year.
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Ed
March 3rd, 2009
2:55 pm
And Bill, I agree with your comments about Herschel and Tebow, who are definitely the two most dominant players I’ve seen. I don’t count all those qbs out west who throw for 500 yards against helpless defenses, either. I mean guys who need to gut out a few yards against a top-ranked SEC defense when everyone in the stadium knows who’s getting the ball, and still can’t be stopped. Only Herschel, Tebow, and possibly Bo Jackson fit that description.
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Rules Violation
March 3rd, 2009
2:58 pm
Wouldn’t Ben Watson taking a recruit/future student athlete constitute illegal contact by a booster/representative of an institution? If Watson and Lynch didn’t have a previous relationship I believe this is illegal. Someone might want to let Damon Evans and the compliance office know.