The Dawg-gone Blog

Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. UF

2009-10-29T21:38:00.004-04:00

Intensity? Cheesy.

Seriousness? Absolutely.

Fart near the end? Negative. That was my cellphone vibrating.

"Dear Florida Gators" -- A Hate Letter to The Team & Fans

2009-10-28T15:34:00.006-04:00

Editor's Note: For maximum effect, this letter should be read in a tone which emphasizes that you are right, they are so incredibly wrong, and they're idiots for being that way. It's the swagger in your voice that's the trick. The kind of tone where you're making fun of them and they don't even realize it. Think "Dennis Miller on a rant" and that should just about do the trick.

Dear Florida Gators,

I'm going to make this as short as possible. I don't want to even think that I wasted a perfectly good 30 minutes to an hour's worth of time when I could be watching something 10x more interesting like "Ghost Hunters" or hell, even "Lou Dobbs." I'll take old Lou telling me how much this country's gone to hell because of illegal immigration rather than spending 1/4 of my brain power exerting myself over this post.

UGA fans hate you. We all do. We all have reason to, as well. You see, as the little baby of the SEC until somewhere around 1992, we just kind of let you exist. We didn't put you out of your misery like we should have. We showed mercy in letting you exist. But noooooooo, you had to go and hire the Evil One and cast a spell on us. Now, every time we cross into the state of Florida (something we also hate), we wet the bed and run home talking about "next year."

We're tired of "next year."

Enjoy your time with The Chosen One, aka, Tim Tebow. He's your Herschel. We know what it's like to have one of those. You know, that player who makes the whole team better by being on the field, or even just talking on the sidelines. Yeah, like I said, we've been there before. We despise you for it, too. If for no other reason than because it reminds us of the fact it's been almost 30 years since ours whipped you up and down the field.

This isn't as much as a letter of hate as it is a letter of warning. You'd BETTER win on Saturday. It's in your best interest to do so. Why? Because if you don't, then you all know it's going to be bad for a very, VERY long time. This is your last chance to parade around your trick pony. Get as much out of him as you can. The losing consistently should start soon and you don't want to bring all that on to you this quickly do you? The talent level is equal. The coaching? Well you have that in your favor for the time being.

But it's catching up to you, and quickly. We'll do what we need to do. You need to win the game so that the bleeding doesn't start sooner than it should. It's coming. I know it's coming.

There's no pressure on us, by the way. We know what we are. We are a 4-3 team looking outside in. We have no realistic shot at anything except pride. You know what builds pride? Taking someone else's. Guess who has more to lose in this game? The team with no shot at anything but pride, or the team who could lose their SECC-punched ticket, their MNC shot, and the title of "prettiest girl in school."

We're on the outs in this one, Gators. The last time we felt that way? 2007. The time before that? 2004. We're rested, you're tested. You've never gone undefeated in a season. You think we don't want to be the one that crashes your birthday party, craps in your cake, and then sleeps with your girlfriend upstairs because the "hunch punch makes her do regretful things?"Oh, you're wrong sir. We WANT to be that team.

And right now, we ARE that team.

No pressure,

Kit

"Dear Florida" -- A Hate Letter to The State

2009-10-27T19:26:00.004-04:00

Editor's Note: For maximum effect, it's important to read this hate letter in a pious, yet almost discouraged, tone. Preachy, but not expectant of change. For a good example, it'd be about the same kind of tone Agent Smith uses in The Matrix trilogy.

Dear Florida (The State),

I don't like you. While your beaches may be nice and serene, you find ways of bringing in rednecks from around the globe to ruin it on any given weekend in the summer. While your Gulf of Mexico water may be crystal clear, on your side it's filled with the urine of guest stars on COPS, World's Deadliest Police Chases, and any other show you might randomly find on a boring Sunday while watching TruTV.

Your inhabitants are too northern to be considered southern and your geographical location is too southern to classify you as northern. You are purgatory. I'm sure you've heard of purgatory. It's for those without purpose. It's an area where you're not good enough to go to heaven and not too blatantly awful to be in hell.

I don't like your football teams. FSU is way past its prime, Dat UUUUUUUUUU is as inconsistent of a team that I've ever seen, and USF is an excuse for people around Orlando to see football. You do have one consistently good football team, though, in the Florida Gators. Tomorrow, we'll discuss my hate for them in more detail.

It's no secret that I'm a UGA fan, Florida. I've traveled past your borders for the past 10 years straight just to come out with two, count them, TWO victories. However, I kept going back for more and more, because I hate you Florida, and any day that I was able to dance in your street after a victory is a day I'll cherish. It's kind of like going into Emeril Lagasse's house and telling him his food sucks, then laughing uncontrollably as I munch down McDonald's in his face.

I won't be visiting you this year, Florida. I'll be here, hating you from afar. However, even though I'm one day late in kicking off Hate Week Part I for 2009, please know that I didn't forget you. I just couldn't find a way to adequately express myself until now.

It's not the same kind of boiling disgust that I have for that joke of a school, fan base and football team right down the street from my house. No, my hate for you Florida is a different kind. The same kind of hate the U.S. still has for Russia. That kind of hate where I can tolerate you, but I can't stand to be near you for extend stretches of time.

So, Florida, should there be a catastrophic earthquake where one state has to break off and drift out to sea, I'm choosing you. It would have been California, but they give us movies and good wine. You give us sand in our crotch and horrible drivers. I think my choice is justified.

Regards,

Kit

P.S. -- No, seriously, I really don't like you at all.

The Flawed System

2009-10-20T17:18:00.004-04:00

It seems everywhere we turn nowadays there's flaws with college football as a whole. Dawg fans notice gigantic flaws within the team, SEC fans are subjected to huge flaws in officiating, and college fans in general are pissed with the often-flawed BCS system.

As Dawg fans, we go out of our way sometimes to find the flaws. Hell, I'm guilty of it as much as anyone else. We beat Vandy handily, but I was no where near satisfied with the victory. Aside from a 4th quarter where we had guys in that seemingly wanted to play football, there really wasn't much to talk about other than A.J. Green.

Sure, the Defense played OK against a horrible Vandy team, A.J. played exceptionally well for his three catches, and Bobo showed us a "moment of brilliance" playcall with that screen pass to Caleb King, but other than that, I think we all left a little unfulfilled.

That's not to say it was all bad, though. I mean with what the team's been through, you'd have to think that the Dawgs were as down in the mouth as any team in America right now. An overly-talented team struggling in every game, a coaching staff on the verge of collapse, and a fanbase that has no idea what they really want to happen other than "change." Unless Helen Keller was suiting up for UGA, you know the players were hearing or seeing things that sent shockwaves through the lockerroom. It's going to happen.

The most important thing is that a 10-win season is OBTAINABLE. Is it likely? Not at all, but OBTAINABLE is better than impossible. At this point, I'd settle for revenge and a one-day-at-a-time mentality. I'd settle for our players trying to go and ruin Florida's season by beating them in Jacksonville. That's all I want to think about and that's all I want to hear about. I want a team mentality where everyone realizes that they truly have nothing to lose.

However, that's not going to happen unless Mike Slive gets a hold of the referees in this conference. Even I was getting tired of hearing about how all the SEC refs hate us, but the truth is, I'm starting to think that sans Florida and Alabama, they really do hate everyone. The numbers aren't lying and it's downright scary. With our statistics regarding penalties growing exponentially since the Celebration in 2007, combined with the LSU screw job, and the debacle in Gainesville last weekend against Arkansas, you can surely bet that no call is 100% right.

I guess the thing that's most frustrating about it all is that these calls aren't DETERMINING games. They're just influencing them. Arkansas didn't lose last weekend because of bad calls -- they lost because of missed field goals. We didn't lose against LSU because of a bad call against A.J. -- we lost because we can't cover worth a damn on Special Teams. The frustrating thing about the penalty issue is that a bad call of a non-touchdown or interception can be overturned with video evidence nowadays. A bad penalty call sets the tone, changes momentum and helps someone greatly while dismantling someone else's chances. It's not a matter of fairness -- it's a matter of responsibility.

No one's asking the refs to call every ticky-tack penalty. They're asking the refs to call it down the middle. They're asking the refs to call what needs to be called, and when it doubt, don't call it. It's that simple. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we're dealing with hyper-sensitivite SEC referees when it comes to all teams not named "Alabama" or "Florida." I'm not subscribing to any conspiracy theories, but all I know is that those games are called differently for those teams than they are for the rest of the conference, especially in regards to Florida.

Slive needs to get on it, or Slive will be barking up a bad tree. SEC Football is religion to a lot of fans. It's one thing to have one school think the refs are against them. It's entirely different to have 10 schools think that way.

So, let's all enjoy the bye week for what it is...a chance to relax and focus for next weekend. We all need that right now.

Here's wishing a flawless week for you and yours.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. Vandy

2009-10-15T18:09:00.004-04:00

Starched shirt returns!

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!).

A Call to Our Version of Normalcy

2009-10-12T17:34:00.011-04:00

Let's admit it, kids. On Saturday, I was PISSED. More pissed than I was when UGA lost to South Carolina at home in 2001. I remember how I treated that loss and it ended with me punching things, throwing boxes (I was still unpacking my apartment at the time) and just generally throwing a hissy fit. Why that game specifically? Because in 2001, I was excited about Mark Richt, our program and where we could go. We had talent -- South Carolina did not. We had begun a new era -- South Carolina was still South Carolina.

Since then, we've experienced some of the highest moments in UGA's storied history. We've won two SEC Championships, competed for a third and were only a handful of plays away from playing for the national title in those three years, plus the epic screw-job of 2007.

I wasn't that fan on Saturday though. I've been accused way too many times of being a "Disney Dawg." One that always errs on the side of caution. One that thinks it's better to be a Georgia fan than any other college football fan on any given Saturday. One that looks upon past success and keeps faith. I wasn't that fan on Saturday and I'm just now on Monday coming back to being that fan again. That being said, I'm still not quite there yet. It's with an incredibly ominous tone that I express how much I hate this feeling.

Saturday's game was the worst game I've ever personally seen a UGA team play. I know there have been worse, but I also know it wasn't beat out by much. We were out coached, out hustled, out hearted (yes, I said "heart"...har har), out cared, and out classed by a UT team that is essentially already playing for next year. You heard Lane Kiffin. You heard him classify our game as a "great recruiting victory." He doesn't care about what that team does this year. He's already given up this season in hopes of building a better one next year. That's not only disheartening for us, but flat out embarrassing.

I know our guys care about winning. I know the coaches, players, trainers and fans all care about leaving the field with a victory. However, I'm not sure if they're afraid of what will happen if they leave the field with a loss.

It's important to recognize that changes need to be made. It's important to also realize that they're not going to be made right now and even if some responsibilities shift hands, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IT. It's like what PWD said in regards to Bobo first taking hold of the playcalling duties. CMR was only going to pass those off in a position of power. That time was 2006...the only other time a team in the CMR era has been considered as "disappointing."

Both PWD and The Good Senator have amazingly well thought-out posts on the subject. Blutarsky has a couple more than PWD does, but both have great articles that should be read and should be read as quickly as possible.

It's important to realize that wholesale changes need to come, but not at the behest of the season. We're six games in, with six to go. An SECC is out of the question for the most part, and there's no reason to think we'll do any better than an Outback Bowl appearance. These are facts. We as fans, need to understand and come to terms with that.

However, there's no need to think that it's now time to throw Logan or Murray out there to the wolves. Regardless of what you want to say, Joe Cox gives us the best chance to win at QB. What's stunting him is our incredible lack of a running game...something we've NEVER experienced in Athens under Mark Richt. Maybe that's why we're so shaken up as a fan base.

The reason I titled this post as "A Call to Our Version of Normalcy" is because I just want us to feel better about UGA football. I'm OK with losing games as long as I know that we're doing the best we can with what we have. I don't feel that way right now. I'm not sure the best players are playing on our team. I'm not sure that coaches feel any sort of heat from within about their decisions. I'm also not sure that fans realize that if you fire Willie Martinez, Rodney Garner is going to be the first person offered that spot. If you can't handle that, then you need to take a deeper look at how Mark Richt's ran this ship.

I want our coaches to blame themselves and be openly PISSED about losing. I want our coaches to stop blaming our players for losing. I want our coaches to realize that if a player is not "executing" on the field, those same players are being taught what to do from Sunday -- Friday, when the COACHES are guiding them along. Personal accountability is what's wrong with this team.

I got a piece of what I wanted to hear from CMR when he basically said that everything needs to get better. I heard fire in his voice. I heard discontent. I heard disgust. I heard anger. I heard an F'N FOOTBALL COACH.

All I ask is that Blair Walsh stop being thrown under the bus for things that aren't his fault. All I ask is that we grab our O-linemen by the facemask and challenge their manhood. All I ask is that if we're going to f*** up, that we F*** UP BIG. I can deal with effort mistakes. I can't deal with lack of effort, and that, my Dawg-friends, comes from the top.

I want Mark Richt to remain in Athens as long as it has a football team. I know that he will do what he's consistently done to make us better. I know that it'll be tough for him as well. I also know that our fan base couldn't be more discontent with where we're currently at, and where they THINK we're going. I also know that our problems are ones that can be fixed, with the proper change in attitude.

In my call to normalcy within our football team, I want less "Execute The Play" and more "Finish The Drill."

I hope they do, too.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. UT

2009-10-08T17:52:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been another busy week so that means another Dawg-gone Vlog. Discussed this week is the potential move of the UGA -- GT game to the first game of the season in 2011, as well as predictions for this week's contest against the Vols.

Sorry for the shakiness of the camera. If I barely touch the desk, the webcam goes nuts and moves all over the place. So if you get motion sickness, you've been warned. I will not buy you a new keyboard when you blow chunks on it.

Until next time kids.

Be safe (and Go Dawgs!)

Just gonna get this out of the way...

2009-10-05T18:36:00.002-04:00

I'm still too frustrated to go at length about the LSU game (and trust me, I could go for f'n days about it), so I'm just going to hit the high points and let y'all decide what to think.

1. Willie coached his ass off. Save the last play where guys didn't make the much-needed tackles at the time, our defense saved us from getting blown out. The score should've easily been 21-0 at halftime. Secondary still needs work, but we knew it was going to be rough back there this year. I think Bryan Evans is a good kid, but kudos to Rambo for earning more PT.

2. Mike Bobo is getting better, but still isn't consistent. We basically have one play right now that defines our offense -- it's the "Throw it to A.J." Play. I'm sorry, but that's not going to cut it the rest of the way. I think Bobo dialed up some good calls on Saturday, but we had guys, especially Joe Cox, not capitalize on big opportunities. Overall though, it'll get better only when the running game shows up again. I will say that every time we run it on 3rd and long, I die a little.

3. Speaking of the running game, where is ours? Part of me wants to say it's the O-line, but a majority of me says it's not. Richard Samuel is not a "toss sweep" guy, yet that seems to be the play we like him in. Caleb King is not a straight ahead runner, but yet we seem to try and power him forward. Waushan Ealey is like fresh air right now and running like a kid who REALLY wants to be the #1 guy. My question is, where's D-Jax? Where's Carlton Thomas? I'm not saying Ealey isn't good, but it's the age old "chicken vs. egg" question. If a freshman is making waves, does that mean he's really that good or are the four older guys that bad?

4. Our kickoff coverage makes me want to move to Canada. You know what drives me really batty about Florida? The fact that their kids look like they enjoy every snap. Even the special teams units give it everything they have. Why? Because at Florida, a special teams starter is considered a starter. We've got to quit throwing scrubs out there. I know those guys play hard, practice hard and have a lot of heart, but hell, I've got a lot of heart. That doesn't mean I think I need to strap on some pads and try to tackle Trindon Holliday. You don't win games by playing your #3 Offense and Defense. Why in the f*** would we think we're going to win the special teams battle by playing some of the slowest players on our team?

5. All I'm going to say about the penalty is two things: 1) Tim Brando nailed it when he said that the SEC doesn't want journalists to look deeper into who draws those excessive celebration penalties and 2) It changed the momentum, but it didn't keep us from tackling Holliday or Scott.

6. I should have a Vlog for the Tennessee game up this Thursday. It's a busy week for me and writing isn't going to cut it. So, you guys will get to see my huge head and way-too-damn-short haircut very soon.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Dawg-gone Vlog

2009-09-17T19:21:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the first edition. If you hate it...sorry.

Stepping Away from the Ledge

2009-09-15T01:26:00.003-04:00

Ok, I know I should be happy with winning against South Carolina, and trust me, I totally am, but it's tough to sit back after watching that epic battle Between the Hedges and feel great about Saturday's win. Honestly, it was one of the best games I've seen in Sanford Stadium and I'm thankful for that, figuring I had awesome seats for it, but objectively, there were a lot of things left to be desired. Before we hop onto the bad, let's talk about the good some first.

You have to give props first and foremost to Joe Cox. Aside from him staring a hole through A.J. Green for that pick-six, he played a helluva game. He had decent protection for most of the day, but decent is probably the best word I've give to it. He made great throws, good reads and managed the game quite well. I don't care how good your running game is, you have to have a heads up QB to hang 41 on anybody and he did that with great satisfaction in my opinion.

Secondly, hats off to Richard Samuel. He broke tackles, ran with authority and honestly did a much better job balance-wise of getting positive yardage. I'm a little perplexed as to why he stayed out of the game for a while when Carlton Thomas took over for a few series, considering he had the hot hand at the moment, but then again, I'm not on the sidelines and hopefully there's a good reason for it. Either way, Samuel showed that he could carry the load if called upon.

Next is A.J. Green, who does what A.J. Green does. The WRs as a whole did great, including Michael Moore, who may only have 17 receptions this year, but hell, they might all be touchdowns since that's pretty much the only time the ball's thrown his way. But A.J. stepped it up and bailed Cox out a few times with some very impressive catches. The kid is a natural born playmaker.

Special teams as a whole deserves some credit too, since it kept us in the game, essentially won the game for us and gave us all a huge sigh of relief. I'm sure the people around me thought I was nuts, but I went totally apeshit when Blair kicked the ball deep in the endzone for a touchback. Then, I nearly got my block knocked off from the rabid Dawg fan behind me who almost killed me when Brandon Boykin returned the kickoff for the score. No offense to the guy behind me though. I appreciate that kind of enthusiasm. Then, you can't forget DeAngelo Tyson who essentially won the game for us with a blocked PAT late. I mean honestly, it's been years since the Dawgs have done something like that, and it happens rarely in college football as it is.

Then you have to single out Rennie Curran. I *heart* Rennie Curran. I'd let him date my daughter if I had one. I'd vote for him for President. The only thing I wouldn't do around Rennie Curran is hand someone I cared about a football. Once he got done with them, all that would be left would be a mushroom cloud on confetti. I'd hand Kanye West a football around him, though. He could use a tune-up from one of the greatest playmakers to don a UGA uniform in a long time.

Now, let's talk about some things that weren't so great.

Mike Bobo's playcalling left a lot to be desired. I'm still firmly on the Bobo bandwagon, and the reverse call to Branden Smith was pure genius (nice block by Joe as well), but sometimes I just feel like we find something that's working and then we switch it up too soon in a lame attempt to catch the other team off guard. Samuel was hot and we put Thomas in the game for an extended amount of time. We still don't use the TE as much as I would like, especially with Orson Charles showing now that he can make some plays, and we seem to get conservative when we have at least a 10+ point lead. If Mike Bobo had the mentality that we're always playing from behind, we'd probably really embarrass some folks.

Willie's Soft Zone nearly killed me. With all the injuries last year, I stood behind Willie saying that we should give him one more shot. However, and not taking anything away from Stephen Garcia who had essentially the game of his life, we were dinked and dunked to death last Saturday. I'm sure Petrino is looking at our game film and licking his chops at the WR screens and TE in-routes that he's surely going to try against us on Saturday. I understand that the defense played fairly well, we had some hurt personnel and that Garcia played out of his mind, but giving WRs 5-7 yard cushions every play isn't going to help . At some point, we're going to have to let our CBs do their thing and if we get burnt, we get burnt. However, underneath routes move sticks, keep your defense gassed and eat clock. WE should be doing that to them, not allowing them to do that to us.

Finally, North Campus' trash is an abomination. Please take the time to look at this post by PWD and slap anyone whose trash you may recognize. As PWD noted, it's irresponsible crap like this that screws everyone. I'm fine with folks having a large tailgate, getting bent and then firing it up in Sanford, but I'd much rather see people appreciate the liberties they have on Gameday. Other colleges are much tougher on these types of things than we are and right now, I wouldn't blame Adams one bit if he immediately imposed some new rules on tailgating. Either appreciate what you have or be prepared to have it taken away. There's no middle ground here.

Ok, now that I got all those things out, I feel much better. I'm going to try a new thing this week if I can get around to it. Even though I'm not camera savvy, I might try some video or audio blogging this week, depending on which works and is easier to upload. I had some friends mention to me that as much as they love my writing, I'm much better at talking football. I'd really love to dedicate some time to a podcast if I can, but I don't have the means or the avenue to do something like that AT THIS POINT. If that changes, though, you guys will be the first to know. A small video or audio blog though? I think I could handle that.

Now, let's get healthy (thoughts and prayers to Rod Battle), rested and ready for what I'm sure will be a really tough test against Arkansas on Saturday. I was looking at the schedule today and if we can go 5-2 or even 6-1 through these first seven games, it actually eases up a LITTLE after the Florida game following the bye week. If we could somehow go 6-1 through the first half of the schedule, 10-2 isn't out of the question. However, a slip up here and there could easily put us at 8-4 or worse. It's all about how we play from week to week.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

An Open Letter to Fairweather UGA Fans

2009-09-06T23:36:00.006-04:00

The following is an open letter to anyone dumb enough to think that Coach Mark Richt (CMR) is no longer the right guy for this program. Proceed with caution.

You have been warned.

Dear Dumbasses,

Yep. That's what I called you. I know that starts us off on a bad foot, but at this point stupid is as stupid does, right? I mean, would you rather me called you "Dear Concerned Citizens Who Are Without Intelligence?" I mean that'd be like calling Megan Fox "adequate looking."

Beginning yesterday and leading into today, the message boards have lit up with you morons thinking that after one game, which if I need to remind you was a loss to a higher ranked opponent, CMR and everyone associated with him need to be dismissed. Now, I'm not claiming to know everything, but I do know Georgia Football and I'm quite sure that at this point, I know more than you.

I was always taught to dance with the girl you came with. Well, after losing two top 15 draft picks (namely a QB who I've learned to appreciate more since yesterday and a RB who I wish would've never left....ever), you seem to think that we'd be better this year than we were last year. Don't get me wrong, I read the practice reports too. I heard the offseason workouts were going well. I heard our RBs were looking good and that Joe Cox had come into his own.

You think it's a good idea to fire the coach who got us two SECC rings and consistently puts a top-20 team together? You think it's good to fire the coach who brought us back into the national picture? You think it's good to fire the coach who gave us a team in 2007 that might have been the best overall team we've seen since 1980? Sure, that team didn't win the SECC, but did you watch that team filled with CMR's recruits?

Here are some of your comments to a post on the Dawgvent labeled "If Not CMR, Then Who?", with the posters' names removed to protect those who may face retribution from others with brain cells:

"I'm all for it...how about Muschamp for HC?"

"we seem to go to SECCG when UF and UT are down...well, those days are pretty much over, and I believe he will be continually outcoached by the teams with equal talent...ready for some new blood myself."

"No coach can ever be bigger than the program. Richt and his staff are seriously underperforming and sooner or later we must have accountability. Richt is fast going from one of the top twenty coaches in the country to middle of the pack or worse. We have looked poorly coached for a while now and it doesn't look likely to change anytime soon."

How has Richt fared since graduating the last of Donnan's players...the same players that were key to him winning two SECCs??? He's done less with more than any coach I can recall at Georgia including Donnan. Donnan's problem was that he was too stubborn to make changes that were best for the team (sounds familiar to me). He also could not catch a break with his DCs. Bottom line...there are better candidates out there than Richt. It's not up to me to find them...but they exist.

"John Gruden"

Each break in the paragraphs was from a different poster. Now I'm not going to claim to be the end-all-be-all in UGA football, but out of all that hot air, I didn't see one good point. In fact, out of every coach that people could've chosen, the best the came up with was Will Muschamp and John Gruden? John F'N Gruden? Hell, he won a Super Bowl with Tony Dungy's players, took over as GM and ran the Bucs back into mediocrity. In fact, if there's anything he CAN'T do, it's run a team effectively from top to bottom. Look, the best part of John Gruden's regime is now the DC at Tennessee. Besides, do you a-holes really want to experience Lane Kiffin part two? Let's hire another NFL guy and deal with THAT ego.

I could give a damn if you think I'm being harsh, or cruel, or dumb, or anything of that nature. I could also give a damn if you think I'm wrong, because I'm not.

Look, I watched the same game you saw yesterday. I saw Joe Cox play a very vanilla game with bad playcalling, poor running after first contact (I'm worried about Richard Samuel's balance and ability to break tackles), a horrible injury to a good kid, and a defense that was doing every damn thing it could to redeem itself from last year.

Yes I'm also worried about our kickoff coverage. Yes we lost seven points to a horrible call and probably cost ourselves another seven by a bogus block-in-the-back call on a punt return. Yes, I saw what you saw and no, I didn't like it one damn bit either.

But some of you folks have your heads so far up your own asses that if I pushed you, you'd roll all the way to Gainesville, FL and I'd hope to hell you stayed there. And if you think that because you're a booster or some type of fundraiser it makes your erroneous opinion correct, you are high off your ass.

Please put your tickets on eBay. I'll be heading to Athens this weekend and if you're going to spend your time booing and/or pouting, you don't deserve to be there. Obviously you have no idea what this is about and where we are as a program.

Sincerely (and no, I don't mean that),

Kit

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Mike Gundy's Pregame Refusal

2009-09-02T22:02:00.002-04:00

There's been a lot made of Mike Gundy's latest refusal to take part in the AFCA's idea of a pregame handshake between teams on opening weekend as a show of sportsmanship. It should be noted that CMR is totally behind the idea, but Gundy has openly refused the idea fearing that a brawl may break out should the teams meet before kickoff.

My take on the whole matter sort of sides with Gundy, but not for the lame ass reason he's listed. While Gundy says he fears a brawl, what he's really saying is that he's getting his troops amped up and he wants nothing to do with anything that will quell that fire he's trying to light inside them. He wants his players amped up and ready to hit from the time the football gets kicked off. While that energy COULD lead to some type of altercation, an altercation is more than highly unlikely. Those kinds of things only happen when USC and Clemson play each other and any time a team from Florida plays another team from Florida (see: Florida vs. Florida State, Florida vs. Miami, Miami vs. Florida Atlanta, etc.).

I don't side with Gundy, but I see his ulterior motive in not bringing his players down. I side with the fact that TRUE sportsmanship happens AFTER the game when one team leaves as a loser and the other as a victor. Think about it. How many times did any of us when playing little league sports shake hands BEFORE a game?

None.

However, after the game, it's customary for the teams to high five and say "good game" to the other squad, regardless of whether or not they actually felt that the game they played, or the game the other team played, was good. When you can take that loss like an adult, hold your head high and wish the other team well, you've practiced TRUE sportsmanship.

What Gundy's gotten himself into is a mess where he looks like the villain in a shitty PR stunt by an organization trying to do something to gain attention. The AFCA has concocted this idea that doing this will somehow make the sport look better, when we all should know that, yes it's just a stupid handshake, but no, it means jack shit.

We already have a pregame handshake between the captains of the different squads at the coin toss. We already have the coaches go out and talk to each other during warmups. We have all of these things in place already and now the AFCA is asking for some type of PR stunt in the middle of opening weekend?

You want to see true sportsmanship, then go watch any game after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. We played Arkansas that year and not one player on the field put their own agenda above that day. In fact, that's the day I cared the least about UGA football and the day I cared the most about being lucky enough to attend an event of such magnitude.

So, don't side with Gundy, but in my opinion, don't side with the AFCA either. If they want sportsmanship, they should request something that actually puts the sport on the back-burner. The best way to do that is make both teams swallow their pride and wish the other team the best for the rest of the season.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

New Munson Mix!

2009-09-02T01:10:00.003-04:00

Ok, so it's been a busy month, but I've finally caught the football season bug and in return, have created a new Munson Mix for you guys' enjoyment.

It's another tune by Wolfmother called "The Joker & The Thief" and was most recently made famous by the movie "The Hangover." However, I saw it as a good excuse to make Mike Gundy the Joker and the Dawgs' win in 2007 as the Thieves.

It's a good blend of Munson's calls (the last game from which I've found any audio recordings) and Mike Gundy's "I'm a man! I'm 40!" rant from a few years back.

I hope you guys enjoy and as always, you can shoot me an e-mail at KitZeus99 {at} gmail {dot} com and I'll get this one and any others you'd like over to you.

Preview coming soon along with a new article on Examiner.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

I F'N HATE Georgia Tech

2009-08-11T18:29:00.002-04:00

I don't want to single out Tech fans because it gives them great pleasure when they know they've gotten under my skin, but the desperation they show consistently irks me to a point where I can't handle it any longer.

For instance, I used to read articles on the AJC about the Dawgs. USED TO. However, there's this one a-hole names Saint Simons who always, ALWAYS posts "45-42" as the first comment. ALWAYS.

Now, winning and rubbing it into your rival's face is all well and good. I'm all for it. But doing it in every post and being the first to do it is just an absolute cry for help. Hell, that means this doucebag sits on AJC.com all day long waiting for a new post to come up just so he can comment on it. Then, all the guy has is "45-42?" Really? I mean that's like talking smack to Tiger Woods and all you can say "Oh yeah? Well you didn't win The Masters this year." I mean after you look at everything we have from making our program one of the most profitable in the country, selling out every game, not needing a media marketing program to get people to come, having a band full of students that go to our own school (for those who don't know, GSU students comprise a significant portion of Tech's band), etc. etc., you'd think that Georgia Tech could do better, but they can't.

Georgia Tech, you should actually take a lesson from UGA in regards to the UGA/FL series. Yes, we thoroughly enjoyed our victory in 2007, but that still doesn't make the record any better. We are well aware to watch our mouths with the Gators b/c ultimately, they have it going for them over the last 18 years.

You'd all be well served to watch your mouths when our coach hasn't lost on YOUR field. Sure, you'll still be a good-to-better team in the ACC this year. You know, that conference that hangs its laurels on Virginia Tech to prove their legitimacy? You know, the conference that couldn't sell out a championship game if they gave away free tickets to the Cheetah and two-for-one lap dances? You're more delusional than Britney Spears on a bender and the catch is that at least she's popular and has done something in the last 20 years.

One day my life will be complete when that joke by Coke you call a college disappears off the face of the earth when the spaceship behind the meteor finally returns and you drink the Kool-Aid like you should have years ago.

There's only a handful of you guys that I like and the truth is, I try hard to like everyone. Separately, you aren't that bad, but as a group, you become a mob of morons waiting to cement their legacy as the most annoying fan base on the planet. Sure, LSU is horrible, but at least THEY'LL fight you. You couldn't raise a fist in anger unless someone spoke harshly about World of Warcraft.

So, keep on going, you worthless bunch of virgins. We'll be at your home in November and we'll be ready to take back what's rightfully ours...

Your Pride.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Oh and Tuck Fech.

An article, some blog-love and Erin Andrews

2009-07-31T00:48:00.002-04:00

So, I'm blogging for the second time this month (shocker, I know) and I just wanted to rant a moment about a couple of things since I'm on a decent whiskey buzz right now (thanks Four Roses!) and feed like jabbering on like a monkey in a tree.

1. Nobody does it better -- PWD has one of his teh awesomez posts that's full of Phil Steele-type statistics, but this time coming in regards of our penalty situation from last year. I read it earlier tonight and it really puts things in perspective about one area of our game that could use some vast improvement. As PWD notes, it's not about reducing the penalties as much as it's about reducing them at the right times.

2. Weekend at Bernie's -- One person who's been a blast to follow on Twitter has to be Bernie of Bernie's Dawg Blawg fame. Not only does he tweet regularly, he also blogs just as much, which means he's a good read at any point in time. So that being said, if you come here and find nothing new, be sure to jump over to Bernie's place and get your read on. Oh, and it's a damn good blog too.

3. "Who's ready for the game? Ah...nevermind" -- You know, part of the reason I can't force myself to write is mainly because I'm just not "there" yet. "There" is that part of the preseason where you sit back and think to yourself, "man I CANNOT WAIT until football season." Sure, I think we'll have a good year. I could see us easily having 9-10 wins and possibly (it's going to be very tough but "possibly") appearing in the SECC. I'm excited for Joe Cox and all those guys, but man, I just ain't "feeling it" yet. Quinton over at PWD's blog had a similar feeling, but that was nearly a month ago. Either way, I'm just ready to kick it off and finally get excited.

4. Plug it in, plug it in. -- I work for a company that sells gift baskets, holiday tins and holiday towers. If you're part of a company that does any gift-giving during the holiday season, please let me know. I'll cut you a deal.

5. One more? -- Sure, why not one more plug? I've got a nice post over at the Examiner about UGA and Carver-Columbus' situation and why it needs to be ironed out...PRONTO.

6. My name's not "Tom" -- I'll just put this out in the open. ALL STRAIGHT MEN (and some women) WANT TO SEE ERIN ANDREWS NAKED. However, what happened to her was plain awful. Truthfully, it's pretty horrific, even for a Florida Gator like herself. Since she lives in Atlanta, I'll stick up for our own and say that I hope whoever did this is brought to justice and gets ass-pounded in a prison by some guy named "Booty" for a very long time.

Well, there's my rants. Enjoy your weekend.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

The Difference a Year Makes

2009-07-20T02:05:00.002-04:00

Hello again, everyone. Yes, I am still alive.

Moving on...

I was bored and trying to sleep (obviously failing at that) and so I started surfing blogs. I hadn't checked out Mackie's in a while (not because his is bad, but because I suck...you should read his blog every day) so I went over there and started reading his 2009 preview of the teams we should be concerned about playing. It's 10 teams total according to him so I'm guessing he'll leave off Tennessee Tech and maybe Vandy/Kentucky. It's just a guess. I really don't know.

Anyway, I came across this post regarding South Cracka-lacky and he linked his "highlights(?)" from the previous year's game and it gave me some perspective.

While it was a blast watching Knowshon and Matthew do their thing (and even Brian Mimbs who had a 539 yrd punt in the 4th quarter), it's amazing how drastically different are problem areas should be this year. Some will be the same, like DEs and their production, but look at the problem areas in 2008 and 2009 in comparison.

Offense:

OL:

2008 -- Problem due to injuries

2009 -- Should be one of the stronger points of the Offense

Verdict: Better. I mean, when you look at the SC highlights and see Kiante Tripp in on the OL, you realize things could be a lot better than last year. I love Tripp, but you want to talk about a desperation move? We were just plugging in big bodies. Welcome back to the big men in Trinton Sturdivant and Vince Vance. We missed you guys.

FB:

2008 -- Southerland was hurt most of the year so Munz and Chapas got good experience

2009 -- Munz and Chapas doing their thing again

Verdict: Push

RB:

2008 -- Knowshon, Knowshon, Knowshon, Caleb/Richard for one play, Knowshon some more

2009 -- Um....Caleb? Maybe Carlton Thomas? Maybe Richard Samuel/DJax/Ealey? No idea.

Verdict: Worse (has to be when you lose a guy like Moreno)

QB:

2008 -- Matt Stafford. No doubt about it at any point in time. Cox saw virtually no PT

2009 -- All Cox. Less arm strength, better accuracy and touch, plus better leadership

Verdict: Push. While you can't compare them physically, the much discussed "better team focus" is something to be excited about for sure. We'll know after we play Okie State if we're better or worse.

WR:

2008 -- MoMass teaches A.J. Green how to be a star. A.J. figures this out by the second game

2009 -- No MoMass, but other veteran guys like Michael Moore step up to compliment A.J.

Verdict: Slightly Worse. Sure, Mike Moore is good, but MoMass was a DGD through and through. Plus, A.J. is really one of the only truly experienced WRs on the roster with solid playing time. Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten provide depth, but little experience scares me.

TE:

2008 -- We completely lost our TE game due to injuries in both the TE Corps and the OL

2009 -- Figgins is suspended for half the year, but we have White, Charles and Lynch.

Verdict: Better. Even though we will barely see Figgins at all, White is going to be dangerous in my opinion. I also think Orson Charles may be a certified stud when the year is done. Also look for Lynch to be an impact player at some point during his career as well.

Defense:

DT:

2008 -- Small issue due to injuries and lack of DE production

2009 -- Better now that Jeff Owens is back in the mix along with Kade and Geno

Verdict: Better. How could you not be when you have three potential first-day draft picks (and two potential first rounders) in the mix? I'm very glad to have #95 back, not only on the field, but leading this Defense again in general.

DE:

2008 -- We had DEs? Funny. I couldn't find them.

2009 -- Well, we were looking better injury wise, but we're still dying from suspensions, inexperience and a few nagging injuries. Justin Houston getting suspended really sucks and right now we don't have a game-changer like we had from 2002-2007.

Verdict: Push. That's not a "middle of the road" push either. We're still bad at this position. We just didn't get any worse or better.

LB:

2008 -- Ellerbee was hurt for much of last season and didn't make the impact he wanted. We also lost Marcus Washington to a full-season injury.

2009 -- #33 is gone, but Washington is back to provide experience. Rennie is a Junior and we have big bodies and good speed.

Verdict: Better. LB play was kind of a "missing piece" last year. Not as missing as DE play, but we just couldn't seem to get it together. Gamble's play at LSU was great, but Rennie was really the only true bright spot. I think we'll be much better this year with health.

CB:

2008 -- "Hi. My name's Asher Allen. You don't throw my way."

2009 -- "Asher Who?"

Verdict: Worse. Our CBs have usually been a great spot for us, but losing Asher hurts big time. That leaves Prince Miller to carry the load in regards to playing time with possible Redshirt Freshmen or Branden Smith anchoring down the other side. We're not riddled with bad players, but we're absolutely dying from youth and inexperience.

Safety:

2008 -- We don't tackle. We bump.

2009 -- We're baaaaaaack!

Verdict: Better. You're going to think I'm crazy, but I feel like Bryan Evans has found his home at Safety. Sure, I think Reshad Jones is going to play much better (since we all know he wants to go to the NFL and needs a good season to do so), but Evans is going to be the anchor of that unit. He likes to hit and he's got pretty good coverage skills as well. The only thing to worry about here is our depth. It's not good at all. Quentin Banks still needs to get healthy and soon.

Special Teams:

Punter:

2008 -- Brian Mimbs was clutch.

2009 -- Drew Butler one-step kicks his way to glory.

Verdict: Worse. This has nothing to do with anything regarding Drew Butler. I'm sure he's going to be a good punter, but I think it's going to take a minute for him to get his legs under him in game situations. Plus, if we can't kick it out of bounds inside the 20, we're screwed anyway. You know our ST tackling sucks.

FG Kicker:

2008 -- "My name is Blair Walsh. Everyone blames me even though it's not my fault."

2009 -- "My name is Blair Walsh. At least you can't blame me for kickoffs anymore."

Verdict: Better. Look, this kid had a rough go of it last year and it was totally not his fault. I like CMR and I think he's great, but he blamed Walsh for a ton of things that weren't his fault. After our Offense scored more points than a UGA Offense in a long time, plus the FGs when we didn't score, this kid's leg got tired. Couple that with Jon "No Touchback" Fabris' idea of Special Teams and you have a kid so far under the bus, he can't save himself. Now he can just kick FGs and let that be his claim to fame.

Kickoffs:

2008 -- Why would we kick it out of the endzone when we can kick it out of bounds?

2009 -- Can this new kid kick it out of bounds? Let's hope so!!! (not)

Verdict: Push. This has nothing to do with new kicker Brandon Bogotay's (sp?) leg strength and everything to do with Fabris' resistance to changing what he needs to change, which is kick the damn ball as straight as possible and hopefully our guys will cover/tackle as necessary. Until then, it ain't gonna get any better, folks. But that horse is dead, no sense in beating it further.

What's the best part about this post? Not only did I give my boy Mackie a shout-out, but also got the chance to split this into two parts for the Examiner and post those separately. Sweet!!

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

My Father

2009-06-22T00:47:00.002-04:00

I told you all that since my new gig with Examiner that I was going to use this space to vent more personally sometimes. So, if you've come here today looking for UGA news, I'm sorry but you're not going to get it.

I tried to get myself ready for bed after washing a load of clothes and having Sportscenter play off in the background. Monday begins another long week of calls and trying to reach new customers for the new job I have. I'm loving my job and couldn't be more blessed at this time in my life as far as work goes.

I took the clothes out of the dryer, hung them up and put new ones in. I stood in the living room as Sportscenter aired their Sunday Conversation about Payne Stewart, the Scottish (I believe) golfer who died tragically in a plane crash a month after he won the U.S. Open. I sat there as they detailed his win and spoke to his wife on what it meant to him. However, the kay factor in the whole thing is not the triumph of a man in sports, but a loss of a great father.

I had a rush of emotion at that very moment. A huge lump formed in my throat and I just had to sit down. I threw the clothes on my bed quickly, grabbed my phone and sent off a simple text message to my Dad, who I saw hours earlier today in Perry:

"I love you Daddy."

Ridicule as you wish, but as a 28 year old man, I have no qualms -- literally zero -- with still referring to my dad in person as "Daddy." He did to his dad until the day he died and I will until the moment he passes on. I'm from the South. It's what we do.

Then wave after wave came over me. I got to thinking about how lucky I was that I still had a father. That even after everything my dad and I have been through, that I got to spend a wonderful weekend with him, even though the Father's Day gifts (and birthday gift since he turned 54 on Saturday) had yet to arrive and I had nothing to give him but cards and promises that he would have them soon. I was thankful, humble and forgiving of past issues between us. That moment of clarity that we all get when we realize how quickly someone of such great importance to us can be taken from us. From cancer to car wrecks and heart attacks to plane crashes, life and God remind us how brief our time can be here.

And I cried. I'm still crying. Not flowing tears, but the welling up kind. The kind that make it tough to see and type because your hands are trembling. The kind that pains you to breathe. The kind that you fight because once that flood gate is opened, it's an uphill climb to turn off. Once that release valve is hit, all you end up with is a pounding headache, a sore chest and pure exhaustion.

I cried not only because of myself being blessed, but I cried for others who don't have that opportunity. My friends Jeb, Stacey and Allyson, who all lost their fathers before they were ready to. For other friends who have fathers in poor health due to cancer and other diseases. For people who should've been dads but never got the chance because they passed on too early for our liking.

When I left Perry today, I didn't really get the magnitude of Father's Day. Of course it's important to honor your dad. Of course it's important to remind him of how much you love (or miss) him. However, life gets in the way sometimes. My work computer was in Atlanta. I work out of my home in Atlanta. I needed to be in Atlanta by sundown.

I spent a lot of time with my dad over the weekend but I also watched him sleep halfway through Friday evening and half of the day Saturday. When I left, he was probably either heading back to Winston Salem where he lives or he was going to go back inside and catch a nap. He's exhausted because he's still working the same job he took years ago when he sat me down and said in essence, "Kit, I'm taking a job working nights so that we can afford for you to go to college. I'll miss out on more things like you playing on Friday nights in the band and you being in plays. But I'm doing this because I love you and deserve to go to UGA where you earned the right to attend that school. You're going to go and get an education so that you won't have to work hard like me to provide for your kids. I hope you understand."

And I did.

I didn't come from money. Not saying that everyone does, but without my dad taking the job at what was then a cigarette factory in Macon, I wouldn't have been able to realize my dream of going to UGA. A dream that I shared with both my parents, but one that was particularly special in the eyes of my dad.

I didn't grow up poor, but I didn't grow up rich. However, I grew up confident because of my parents. I learned how to be a man because of my dad. I learned how to avoid beginning fights but making sure that I'm keen on finishing them because of my dad. I shared his triumphs and learned through his mistakes. I'll be a good parent one day because of my parents as a unit. I'll be a great father because of my dad.

For every new father that I forgot to congratulate today and every old father who I forgot to say "thank you" to, I'm sorry. I got wrapped up in reality and forgot briefly what was really important. I'll do my best to try to keep it from happening again, but I'm human...I also learned how to be one of those because of my dad.

There's no good way to end a post like this. I could put pen to paper all night and not even remotely come up with a good way to express how much my dad means to me. However the best way to end things are usually complimented in the same manner in which they began...

I love you Daddy.

Until next time kids (and fathers).

Be safe.

Thoughts on Cinderella

2009-06-17T00:12:00.003-04:00

As I was perusing the blogs earlier today looking for tidbits on the new commitments that UGA got today, I came across a great post by PWD about Boise State and its "worthiness" of being a BCS Championship contender.

First, it's a great article and regardless of the side of the issue you fall on, but it does support my thought of people earning their seat at the table for the BCS discussion. So, since it supports what I think, of course I'm linking it. I don't link dissenting opinions. Who do you think I am, The Good Senator?

I've said for years now that if UGA could live off of a win like Boise State could live off of one, then we'd have played in the BCS Champ game about three or four times now. If you think about it, Boise State beating Oklahoma could've been one of the best games the BCS has EVER had in regards to play. It also could've been one of the worst things to happen to the system's credibility.

Let's be completely honest, for every Boise State or Utah, there are 100 Hawai'is. Utah had a beef last year and Boise State kind of had one in 2006, but let's not forget that Boise State beat Oklahoma, who would lay down for St. Vincent's Girl's School of the Blind's JV team if you put them in a BCS bowl. Utah did what all BCS wannabes should do -- play tougher competition.

The only problem I have with "BCS Busters" is that it's all media driven. The talk begins before anyone takes a snap. Hell, UGA was given the preseason national championship last year, but we all see how that worked out for the real national championship.

There is one caveat with all of this, though. How many actual contenders want to actually play a "BCS Buster?" I'd have to imagine that Boise State does have a little bit of a tougher time finding top quality opponents to play. I mean they call Arkansas State a "Cupcake" and not a "Buster" for a reason, right?

So, for all of you who want to crown "Cinderella" before the season even begins, just remember, Cinderella was hot. She didn't get that way by eating Krystals and chugging Chick-Fil-A milkshakes.

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- Like PWD, I'd like to send a great big thank you to Dawgbone.net. It was crushing to hear that they are taking a bit of a sabbatical, but I can tell you that if anyone deserves it, they do. They've worked hard and given Dawg fans a great service for free for upwards around 5 years now. Whether or not the sun has set on Dawgbone, I don't know, but if it has, I owe them a great deal. I would've given this up years ago had I not been fortunate enough to be linked up by them. Enjoy the time off!!!!!!

Georgia picks up a top recruit for 2010

2009-06-09T21:36:00.001-04:00

Georgia picks up a top recruit for 2010

Posted using ShareThis

The Double Standard

2009-05-12T01:22:00.003-04:00

As I'm sure you've heard by now, we have three new Dawg players suspended due to a "violation of team rules." Technically, Tony Wilson is leaving due to being medically disqualified, but humor me here by allowing us not to split hairs. Rumors are flying that the three in question are suspended due to failed drug tests, which means probably pot or liquor, which PWD noted earlier today. When I say rumors, I mean "unnamed sources," which pisses me off, but that's another blog for another day.

Now when I first caught wind of the whole thing, I sent out a Tweet (ha ha ha...tweet) that 1) That sucked, 2) Things were already much worse this time last year and 3) That I was not surprised. The latter of the message was echoed by Groo, and just about everyone else who's followed the Dawgs over the past 3-4 seasons.

Look, as PWD said, you take 85 athletes and a handful are always going to find themselves in trouble. A violation of team rules is certainly different than getting arrested and creating a huge black eye for the program, but rules are rules. All should be treated the same right?

Well, obviously in Athens, they're not. Look, I like the way CMR runs this program. I like the players, I like our coaches (most of them) and I appreciate the work they do both on and off the field. However, where my problem begins and ends is with one Bruce Figgins.

Apparently, this is Big Bruce's second offense, which means he's done this before. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't a long-snapper last year by the name of Jeff Henson get kicked off the team for a similar problem of two strikes? If you need a refresher, here it is:

Long snapper Jeff Henson, a junior from Gainesville, was arrested for public intoxication and urinating in public. He was booked into the Athens-Clarke County jail at 3:46 a.m. and was released on $750 bond at 10 a.m. Because Henson also was charged with DUI last November — he missed the Sugar Bowl as punishment — he was suspended indefinitely. Henson was the eighth Georgia football player arrested and jailed in 2008.

Now, let's say that Bruce's problems are with pot, which is an illegal substance in this country. Not legal like alcohol to those of a certain age, but illegal to anyone of any age. Henson as an idiot for sure, but he made two poor choices with a LEGAL substance that cost him his spot on a team.

However, Bruce has apparently made two poor choices with an illegal substance and was outright busted for it. According to these sources, he failed the drug tests. That's proof in said pudding, ladies and gents.

So as a team, are we saying that it's worse to get busted by the cops and create that PR nightmare for the program than it is to use an illegal substance? Is it OK to screw up twice in two consecutive years and still have your spot on the team? The only thing I can think is that Henson messed up twice in the course of one season (during the season and shortly thereafter), which may be the reason he was suspended. I'll be honest, I really hope that's the case.

Everyone knows of my undying love for all things UGA. Everyone also knows that I think pot should be legal and we should tax the shit out of it. That's beside the point. The point is with Big Bruce's problem getting swept under a glass rug where everyone can see it anyway, are we sending the wrong message to our players and fans? Are we saying that a DUI, public intoxication, public urination or public disturbance is worse than failing a drug test? I don't know about you guys, but I've pissed outside before. In my mind, that's a little better off than failing a drug test.

Of course, we'll never know the real truth, but if I'm going to keep having the same respect for this team that I've always had, I'd like to see the "two strikes and you're out" rule applied to the larger issues as well as the ones related to police. Sure, the PR is much worse when you're handcuffed, but I'd argue it's just as bad when everyone knows what happened and the players get off easier. It's still a black eye for the university, no matter how the punch was thrown.

If I wanted to cheer for a team with a rug in one hand and a broom in the other, I'd be a Florida fan.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Greetings From Nashvegas

2009-05-06T02:48:00.001-04:00

So I'm trying out LifeCast to see if I can write from the road with my new gig. Hopefully this won't erase the past 4 years or so, but we'll see I guess. I apologize in advance for an misspellings that might take place.

There's a ton of stuff to talk about from the hiring of Mark Fox to Gday and my adventure to The Masters on the final Sunday. However I don't have the time or patience to get through all that by typing it out on my iPhone. I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on what I've been up to the last few weeks.

I just recently took a new job working with some wonderful people so I'm pumped about that. So while I no longer work in advertising, I'm fortunate enough to work in sales and marketing, which is kind of similar and different in many ways.

Nonetheless. I have vowed to myself to blog more and I promise to do more if at all possible. I know I keep saying that but getting laid off is not the blessed extended vacation I tried to make it out to be. Thankfully, I'm in a better job and living the dream so I can't complain whatsoever.

So bear with me. I'm not dead. I promise.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

P.S. -- I'll be ending my affiliation with Bleacher Report shortly because I think they suck. They railed me not too long ago because my autopost from this blog to their site wasn't full of enough UGA material one time. Sorry, I didn't know I meet their standards of lettin them repost my work for free. What an f'n waste.

Posted with LifeCast

Weighing in on the BBall Search

2009-03-31T02:47:00.008-04:00

Ok, I'm not going to claim to have a damn clue as to what UGA is currently doing. If you think you're going to get that here because maybe I have "sources," then you're dead wrong. I don't have sources. I have information, but none of that is "insider" worthy. You should go read the stuff PWD's been writing in order to get an accurate picture.

However, I would like to weigh in a bit on everything and just see what could possibly come of the search. Currently the names I'm hearing include Sean Miller, Tubby Smith, Mike Anderson and Leonard Hamilton (more on Hamilton in a second). MY OWN PERSONAL DREAM LIST would include:

Jay Wright
Jamie Dixon
Sean Miller
Tubby Smith
Mike Anderson

And here's the problems with each:

Jay Wright -- Ideally, he's my top guy. I pretty much *heart* Jay Wright. However, his contract is absurd, specifically his buyout clause. I doubt anyone is able to touch this guy when 'Nova's offseason begins. Here's what I posted about Wright verbatim on The Dawgvent earlier today:

When I look at the coaches out there and the ones that I have on my huge wish list, I still consistently have one name at the top, and that's Jay Wright at Villanova.
Dont get me wrong, I'd be thrilled to have Anderson, Dixon, Miller, T. Smith and a whole host of other folks, but looking at Wright's numbers, they've been EXTREMELY impressive.
In 15 years as a head coach, he's had:
* 7 NCAA Tourney appearances (5 in a row)
* 1 Final Four (which is still yet to be concluded)
* 2 Sweet Sixteens
* 1 Elite Eight
* Hasn't missed the NCAA or NIT in the last 11 years
His team has been by far the most well-coached team I've seen in the tournament thus far. The "hook and ladder" inbound pass against Pitt was nothing less than superb attention to detail and coaching. He mixes great defense with great shooters and dribble-drivers. He has a specific scheme for both offense and defense, which is something we've lacked under the Felton tenure. For everything Harrick did, he had a specific offensive scheme that his teams ran and it worked well while it was here.
The main thing that works against us is that EVERYONE loves Jay Wright, including Villanova, who have made it increasingly tough to interview and buy him out. His contract is a MAJOR challenge, even for a school like us who has money to burn.
In the end, I think we end up with Anderson, but I'd crawl butt naked backwards over a bed of pine cones to make it happen.

Jamie Dixon -- I like the way his teams play and you can tell he recruits well. Pitt always has a good team, maybe even very good, but rarely in that league of "great." However, I think his style would transition well to the types of recruits Atlanta produces. I also highly doubt he bolts for anywhere when the offseason begins, but if he does, I think it'll be for a much higher profile program than ours.

Sean Miller -- This is a guy much like Jay Wright in that his teams are always well coached and he consistently wins at the NCAA Tourney. Xavier had a relatively good run for the past two years in the field of 64 and I also think his level of coaching and style would transition well to what we're trying to accomplish. He's not completely off our list yet, but I haven't heard his name as much as others. I'd be thrilled with this hire though.

Tubby Smith -- I'd be thrilled with this hire too. Tubby has great AAU ties, can recruit lights out, his teams win consistently, he's not that old (57) and has a personal vendetta in the SEC, specifically against Kentucky. I think he can recruit the kids we lose state-wide to other programs and keep them away from the Florida's, UT's and Mississippi State's of the conference. Tubby has said that he's "very happy" in Minnesota, but who knows if that's true or not. Until his name leaves the list officially, I'm not counting him out.

Mike Anderson -- As PWD stated, Anderson's style of "40 minutes of hell" would play well in Athens and should fire up the fan base. The way Mizzou (RAH!) handled Memphis with their up-tempo style was a thing of beauty, especially since Memphis plays the same type of style themselves. However, with Memphis' Coach Calipari seemingly leaving for UK, it's possible that Anderson would rather go to Memphis than Athens. Also, the Tigers (of Memphis) have the same kind of money to throw at Anderson to make him want to come. If you had Memphis in one hand and UGA in the other, with the same amount of money offered, what would you do? That's the $64,000 question with this guy. I still would like the hire, but I'm not sure we're going to nail this fish.

Now, let's talk a bit about Leonard Hamilton. I'm sure most of you have no idea who he is, because I didn't either when I read his name. For those who need to know, he's the current head coach of Florida State, and the Seminoles made quite an impressive run in the ACC and the ACC Tourney. However, they were bounced out by Wisconsin in the first round as a five seed.

The problem with Hamilton is that 1) he isn't proven as he only has two NCAA Tourney appearances under his belt as a head coach and 2) He's only slightly over .500 as a head coach overall. That's not good...at all. Hiring Hamilton will be more of a whimper than a roar; more of a dud than a scud.

I've said it, PWD's said it, the message boards say it and even Damon Evans has said it. We need a coach that will fire up this fan base and breathe some life back into UGA hoops. The coach's name should do this alone, but it will take at least two years of winning to get the excitement back, as opposed to hiring a "name" and getting that immediately.

If we want to consider this search a failure, then we hire Hamilton. If we want to consider it a success, we need a name. Any one of those above would be ideal.

Also, before I let y'all go, I've heard Rick Pitino's name being thrown around some, but I think we have a 99.9% chance of NOT landing him. There's no reason for him to come here, he also makes an absurd amount of money at Louisville and there are more prestigious programs, namely Arizona, that will throw everything they have at him. However, if we do get that .1% and land him, you could consider the search an EPIC WIN for UGA and Damon Evans.

Stay tuned. This thing will be done sooner rather than later.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Stewart vs. Cramer -- My Take on the Matter

2009-03-13T11:39:00.008-04:00

I told you that with the Examiner.com gig, I'd like to weigh in some more on some personal things and that's what I figured I'd do today. Besides, it's a lot easier to get this out over a blog instead of sending out about 500 Tweets over Twitter (say that sh*t five times real fast).

Anyway, I, like the rest of America, watched a portion of The Daily Show last night that featured Jon Stewart's thrashing of Mad Money host and Financial "Analyst" Jim Cramer. Now, it should be said up front that I tend to like Cramer. I don't think he's slimy or shady, but more of a guy who understood how the system "worked" and helped a lot of people make a lot of money within that system. Yes, he did some crazy things like helping rumors spread to drive stocks up and he told people to buy stocks that ultimately failed. Whether or not he knew about the inevitable failure, I'm not sure. However, what I do know is that Cramer is no better or worse than half of the "news anchors and reporters" that you see on television that report the "facts" in order to skew a story. That's the climate we live in today. Very rarely will you see people reporting a story like it is. It just doesn't happen.

I think it's also fair for me to point out that I have NO problem with CNBC's Rick Santinelli's "Rant" that subsequently brought up dozens of "Tea Parties" across the nation. What I do have a problem with is "articles" like this one from Crooks and Liars that claim it was all staged.

Crooks and Liars claims that Santinelli's rant was staged as part of a right-wing conspiracy due to Santinelli being in bed with the Koch's (owners of the largest private company in the nation), and so on. However, much like Cramer's shoddy reporting on the financial outlook, this "article," again the term is used very loosely, offers nothing other than speculation instead of facts. Rumors aren't news. Show me someone at CNBC or someone who was actually on the floor when Santinelli ranted saying that they saw cue cards and then we can talk about things being staged. Until then, shut up and report. Besides, even if it was staged, Santinelli is not a reporter. He's another "analyst" and his job is to offer an opinion. He did. I'm OK with that.

I know that seemed like a huge digression, but truthfully, it leads me to the meat of my point. From a public relations standpoint, Cramer was sent over to Stewart's house by CNBC and he was slaughtered. In football, you don't go to an opposing team's stadium for that kind of beating unless:

1. You're getting paid ample amounts of money to do so.
--OR--
2. You're getting that team to come back to your house so you can return the favor.

CNBC could have done a "home and home" with Stewart so that equal parts get their time in front of their audience. However, Cramer went and took his beating in front of Stewart, who, I have to be honest, was quite fair.

What I have the main problem with though is that Cramer is not a bad guy and he shouldn't be the face of the problem. Cramer's job is a lot more complicated than Stewart's. Stewart gets the luxury of waiting for news to happen and then weighing in on it. It's a very REACTIVE approach where he's never wrong. Cramer is the exact opposite. He's always on the PROACTIVE side of things. He has the unfortunate circumstance of always having to predict what people need to do with their money based on news, rumors and the like.

I'm sorry if people don't like the fact that stocks move up and down on rumors, but that's what happens. That's what's been happening for YEARS. That isn't what got us into this mess. What got us into this mess are the people sitting behind walnut desks and taking millions for a salary while borrowing against their employees' 401ks. What got us into this mess was people lying on their homeowners' applications and now getting money to help them out of their situations.

I understand Stewart has an agenda here and that is to kick CNBC's ass for canceling on him...specifically the aforementioned Rick Santinelli, who was supposed to go on the Daily Show but cancelled for no apparent reason. I totally get the witch hunt and why Stewart wants to do it.

The problem is the premise of Stewart's witch hunt is way off. You can't put a face to the current economic situation. There are two reasons for what's going on and why it's not going to get better for a while. The first one is because you have a lot of people in very high places doing a lot of shady things that led to tremendous and unconstrained growth over a period of time. Inevitably, it was all going to come crashing down. When people started buying out of Wall Street, that's when they finally said "OK, it's here" and cashed in their chips.

The second part of it comes when President Obama offered nothing towards the new "stimulus" package. We're spending money we don't have, printing money we can't back up and giving money to people who honestly don't deserve it. We shouldn't be bailing out Wall Street or the auto companies. We shouldn't be bailing out homeowners who didn't contribute to their mortgages. People who bought things they couldn't afford and credit card companies who let them do it along with allowing illegal aliens to get free healthcare with no way for them to pay it back. All of these things add up to the situation we're in now.

The age of irresponsibility has finally bitten us in the ass and it's got a kung fu grip on us. However, that's what's supposed to happen. That's how the system works and that's how the system is SUPPOSED TO WORK.

For example, I work for a small business. I'm getting laid off because of lack of work. It's not because I'm a bad employee or because I did something wrong. There are people with higher seniority with me and it ended up being my turn. Am I mad? NO. I'm not mad. Am I disappointed? A little, but only because I've worked hard for a very long time, paid my taxes and never asked for a dime in return. I honestly want to get a new job ASAP so I don't have to take unemployment. I might need the government's help to get by, but I don't want it. I want to get a new job ASAP so that I can be the self-sufficient person I want to be.

I'm absolutely SICK of people trying to put a high-profile face to this mess. It's ridiculous. If anyone wants to put a face to this, I implore you to wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up first. There are THOUSANDS of faces that have led to this problem. From people who bought houses they couldn't afford to Wall Streeters with shady agendas to Ponzi schemes with high-ranking officials.

You want a face to this mess, go get an American Flag. We created this problem and no one stepped up to stop it when everyone was making money. Now that everyone's losing it, we're trying to point fingers. It's reminiscent of the Katrina disaster when instead of helping people, our leadership was busy pointing fingers and trying to say whose fault it was.

We're a country full of people taking Teflon baths hoping that the sh*t won't stick to them when it's thrown. It's absurd and downright offensive. I'm tired of bailing out those that don't deserve it and I'm tired of people getting thrown on the fire for this mess.

Let's get over it and move on shall we? There will be plenty of time to figure out how we got on the roof when the building's on fire. Until then, don't you think we should be trying to find a way to get downstairs and go out the front door?

Just my two cents. I could be totally wrong. I mean after all, common sense went out of style YEARS ago.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Just when you thought I was dead...

2009-03-02T20:11:00.002-05:00

So I promised in my last post that it'd be a few days before I would blog again soon. Is 25 days soon enough?

I also promised to blog about some more personal stuff than usual, so can I just vent for a second about this economy? Of course I can. My name's on the deed here, right?

There are a few things "grinding my gears" right now and they include 1) watching our basketball team play like...well, me 2) college football being over and 3) our financial "crisis." Let's tackle them in order shall we?

1) I get it that our bball team has lost focus, but do we have to play like we've never seen a basketball court? Honestly, I think the Lady Dawgs could give them a run for their money. At least the girls look like they want to win a game. Ridiculous.

2) This one speaks for itself. Do you know how ridiculously tough it is to keep conjuring up stories about college football without college football going on? I don't work at CNN. I can't manufacture news.

3) I understand things are bad. TRUST ME. Without getting into specifics, I KNOW how bad they are. However, I'm sick and tired of our leadership and the media scaring the ever loving crap out of everyone. Report the news. Don't scare us into a recession. Let these businesses flop. Set the marker back to zero and let the strong survive. It's called capitalism. Either jump on the boat or move along.

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell for right now. Be sure to click the Examiner stuff (link to the right). I could use the hits...LOL.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Well that took a while

2009-02-03T22:18:00.002-05:00

Oh look who hasn't forgotten he's got a blog. I'm running out of "work's been hell, writing for the Examiner, blah blah blah" excuses. I get it.

So, here's some quick hits just to whet your appetite.

1. The Examiner thing is going. Pretty much any quick bit of info I come across will be posted there. You know, information like Greg Reid going to FSU instead of Georgia.

2. Anything non-football related will go here, such as my bitching about the basketball team. I'm not going to do it right now, except to tell you that if UGA hires Bobby Knight, we're much less serious about establishing a top-tier program than we've stated. I believe Damon is serious about our program, so I'm guessing he's serious about hiring someone who's mattered in the last decade.

3. By the way, now that I have the Examiner thing going, expect me to write a little bit more personal stuff than I have in the past. I used to write a ton of personal stuff regarding politics and so on, but got away from it when I started finding my niche in blogging about UGA sports. I have missed being able to write stuff more personally, so expect a few things here and there.

I promise I'll blog more in the coming days.

And thanks to everyone who wished me happy birthday. It's been one of the best ones yet.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.