A Bulldawg in Exile

Porch Pickin: Saturday Night Slap Down by the 'Cocks

noreply@blogger.com (Tooth Pick) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 21:31:00 +0000

Wow - gotta say I didn't see that coming. Give it to the Cock's; they came out fired up and took no prisoners. Georgia had an early opportunity to steal the Mo' from the crowd with that pick by Rambo and he let them steal it. Bam!...TD. Mitchell has a nice return out to the 50, Murray throws the batted ball pick. Bam!...TD. The Dawgs special teams get caught flat footed on the punt return and Bam!...TD. 10 minutes in and it was over. At that point, their DC could just pin their ears back and tell their talented DL to go eat 'em up. And that is exactly what they did. Give them full credit, they got the early edge and took full advantage of it. I wonder sometimes if we would/could do the same if the situation was reversed???.....

However, I don't think that same situation happens if the game is in Athens. Those first 3 big plays coupled with their crowd, ESPN Gameday, etc created a perfect storm that the Dawgs could never get out of. I don't think Bama would have survived it either. This is not to say that the Gamecock's are not a very good team, nor that they don't deserve all the credit for the win. They do. End of story.

That said, South Carolina is not that much better than the Dawgs. Better coached?.....now that's a damn good question. Which really concerns me. This game, the way it went and the outcome is eerily similar to the game with Alabama in 2008. That game sent Georgia into a tail spin which I thought we had finally come out of. Maybe not. Only the next two games will tell. If Georgia comes out and lays the wood to Kentucky and plays solid and beats the Gators, then I'll be on board that the game against the Cock's was just a fluke. If they lose to Florida and lose badly, it's time to reconsider who we are at Georgia and where we should be.

As I've said before, all the ingredients are there for Georgia to be a premier Top 5 program:
- money
- tradition
- high schools loaded with talent
- best conference in the land
- tremendous fan base
- attractive stadium scene
- great college town
- highly rated university with flexible curriculum

If we come out flat and get hammered by the Gators, it will be time to start the search. And that search should be a short drive 3.5 hours west of Atlanta...

Eagerly awaiting that next kickoff.
'Pick

Porch Pickin: Hey OBC, maybe its time to put away the Kleenex

noreply@blogger.com (Tooth Pick) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Having watched the debacle that was the Bama vs Arkansas game on Saturday afternoon, can we all agree that this whole scheduling "advantage" isn't nearly as big as thought back in August at media days. Coach Spurrier - are you still crowing about having to play the Hogs? What a disaster in Fayetteville. Not only did Petrino trash that Harley but he also sent the Razorback program into a tailspin. For those of us from Georgia...we're not surprised as we remember that chump when he was here with the Falcons.

Let's take a gander now that we're a few games in. Each worth a point or half point advantage. The team with the scheduling advantage is awarded the points.

* Yearly West game: Yes, Auburn too looks pretty awful. So call it a wash with Georgia playing Auburn and S Carolina playing Arky. But, ours is a rivalry game and on the road...just saying. SC + 1/2 point

* Comparing the West rotation games UGA gets Ole Miss at home and S Carolina gets LSU on the road. Scheduling advantage - Georgia. Quite obviously here. But keep this in mind: it's one game - and if uSC could beat Georgia, that gives the Cocks essentially a two game swing, right?
UGA + 1 point

Then, let's look a little deeper than just the names and preseason hype on the schedule. The games that will matter:

* Georgia had to open SEC play on the road at Mizzu in their inaugural game. That certainly adds much more electricity to the environment and not to mention they're a solid squad...the season will show that out. The Gamecocks get Mizzu at home and in the middle stretch of the schedule. The Tigers will be more settled into being an SEC member. No extra mojo to compete with. Scheduling advantage: SC and + 1 point

* The Mighty Gators: Recent history gives the Gators the advantage over Georgia in Jax. Hopefully that tide is turning, but one game does not indicate a streak. The Cocks must travel to the Swamp one week after traveling to Baton Rouge. That is no easy task and playing 2 physical teams back-to-back on the road. Schedule advantage Georgia, but mostly due to the Gamecock's trip to LSU the week before. UGA + 1 point

* Deer Hunters Orange: Both squads get the Vols at home - Georgia in the middle of league play, Carolina towards the end but also right after LSU and Florida. But, as shown by the Gators last night, the Vols lack of depth will hurt them down the stretch. Schedule advantage - I'd say a draw being that Georgia plays them in September, not late October. No points

* Vandy: having to open on the road in Nashville was a big hurdle...much more so than it looked on paper. And the Dore's just about pulled out the W. With Vandy coming between the Hedges and now a night game, the schedule for this one goes in favor of the Dawgs. UGA + 1 point

* Kentucky: no further comment needed. Both Georgia and S Carolina have equally favorable chances against the Wildcats....even if Bear Bryant came out of his grave to coach the Cats again. No points

Pick's schedule favorability point totals:
South Carolina: 1-1/2 points
Georgia: 3 points
Difference being 1-1/2. As noted previously, the Georgia/S Carolina winner gets a two game, 2 'point' swing.

So...upon further review, doesn't it really just come down to winning the game in Columbia (SC) and holding equal serve on the rest? The winner gets a "free loss" so to speak. As the great Al Davis once said - Just win baby!

'Pick

Porch Pickin: The Take from the Zou

noreply@blogger.com (Tooth Pick) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:55:00 +0000

What an exciting environment at the Zou last Saturday. From all I hear and saw it looks like Missouri is gonna fit nicely into the kingdom. Maybe not so much with that midwestern talent - but hey not every school is stacked with homecoming queens. In time they'll trade in those hoodies and t-shirts and really distance themselves from the Jayhawks and Buckeye faithful. That goes for their football team too...which leads me to - that new age football is gonna beat someone in the East this year! Mark my words, call it the Pick guarantee, but they'll upset one of the 3 remaining teams in the East that are contending for a trip to the Dome. Call it a hunch, but i'm trending towards them beating the Cock's. As you've read here before, I'm not too big on Connor Shaw or his backups and that offense. Mizzu is gonna score points, can the Gamecocks match them? Too bad that game is at Carolina. Either way though, I see Missouri getting at least one big win in the East this inaugural season.

One last point from last Saturday's game. Of course Jarvis Jones played like a freak and stole the show by making huge plays all night, but once again I gotta point to one of our favorites - Richard Samuel - for again making another major impact play on that fake punt. Shedding not one, but two blockers and throwing the guy down. I would have hugged him too. Much like that last drive against the Gators last season, dude's relentless effort plays a key role in helping his TEAM get the W. Isaiah - did you see that?

Happy owl hunting!

'Pick

P.S. the Red's are starting to pick up down here.

DickSamIV running around a gator

DickSamIV high steppin over a gator

DickSamIV a "damn beast"

DickSamIV running through Gators


DickSamIV mo' changer at the Zou

DickSamIV gets a hug

The Dawgs are all grows up...again

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:09:00 +0000

All this has happened before and will happen again.

Do you all remember that night so long ago in Neyland stadium, October 6 2001? When we as a fanbase just simply didn't expect to win close games on the road? Conditioned by experience to expect the L. Tainted by the mediocrity, late-game collapses, fundamental breakdowns and missed opportunity. Goff years...Donnan years... This would be the game to change all that. The team was young but gaining confidence, there was reason to hope but the pundits and press were quick to point out what a poor record we had against ranked teams. Something we'd struggled with the last several years. I mean this was in Knoxville a place we hadn't won since before the advent of flight or something. Even though David Greene, a freshmen, had led us down the field and had been solid all night, very few of us expected us to pull through for the victory. With 10 seconds left in the game P-44-Haynes happened, the hobnail boot, and made us all believers again. Our guys grew up that night. The program grew up. We became men. The next year, 2002, when challenged, we responded, proving we were "man enough" to beat an Alabama team that Pat Dye said we couldn't line up against. Turns out we passed that test too, man enough to squeak out a win, but man enough all the same. Nothing could stop us. That same year when faced with doubters we beat UT again at home despite the the popular point of reminder of our inability to beat ranked teams. We entered every game with the realistic expectation of victory. We rode that confidence into a SEC championship, and a Sugar Bowl Victory against Richt's former team. It was serendipitous and a long time coming. The Dawgs gained a national respect and a level of success that eventually earned us the (empty) preseason #1 ranking in 2008 based in part by the total annihilation of a vastly inferior Hawaii Team. Expectations were through the roof. This was to be our year... Then Alabama came to town. We pretty much stopped winning those types games that very same year, and our expectations have been playing catch-up ever since.

When exactly did we start to get the feeling that being down meant being out? When did the doubt start? When did that feeling of dread creep into your mind? More pessimistic people than me will point to 2006 as the year we should have seen the signs...losing to Vandy and Kentucky the same year? I still can't believe it actually happened. I've a coping mechanisim for games like that, it's called denial. Is it denial that I still I consider that season to be an aberration? Denial would become a big part of my excuse for the next few years. I think most of us got past 2006 seeing it as just a phase, not a trend. The Peach Bowl victory that year made me believe we'd found our mojo and things were going to be ok. It was a late game come from behind beat down of the Hokies and an epic postgame tailgate recorded by the dawgcast (go to minute marker11:33 for some postgame fun) that was the medicine I needed to believe again. Yes we were invincible.
But reality had a way of ruining my spotless mind. But when did those expectations truly change? When did we come to doubt that last minute victory or that hard fought come from behind upset?
Could it have been 2008? The blowout loss to Alabama dressed in our once invincible black jerseys? Getting blown out that same year by the Gators? Losing to little brother in a tight one to end the regular season? Not me; not you; we still believed. Maybe it was 2009 when we lost our opener to Okie State, a game most of us expected to win with ease, or perhaps it was getting blown out AGAIN by Flordia, or had you come to expect that? Could it have been later in '09 when we got taken to the wood shed by Tennessee or when we lost to KENTUCKY at HOME? No? Were you still expecting victory at times like that? Did you still think the Dawgs could play from behind? I think we all did. I think despite all this we all still believed and expected to win. I'd say our collective expectations didn't diminish until the 4 game losing streak of 2010. Let me refresh your memory a horrific stretch of loses to South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State and... good god almighty, culminating with a home loss to....Colo..freaking..rado. Nope you say? Headed into a bowl game we were almost embarrassed to be playing in your expectation was that we would still beat UCF right? Yeah ok me too after all it was just central Florida. How did that work out? But still! That was a bowl game and its hard to get up for team like that, and all the time off in between games...and..and....aww hell it was getting hard to deny it anymore.

The confidence was lost; the swagger gone. However, despite all the evidence I've laid out here, despite the history of failures that started as hiccups and became more regular and despite a loss to Central Florida and Colorado in the same year, did we not expect victory in the Dome against the smurfs to start our 2011?
Damn right we did. But what about your feeling about playing from behind...that had changed hadn't it. Once down, did you expect the dawgs to get off the mat? I mean, the hope and confidence that began with the Mark Richt era in that game in Knoxville now so long ago still lingered sure. Why wouldn't we have expected to beat a ~~WAC~~ ~~MWC~~ ~~Big East,~~ uh Big sky, ah hell, who cares what conference they are/were in. We expected victory. We thought we were back on track. We have long memories here in the bulldog nation, but for me, the BSU game was what broke the camels back. I was barely able to walk out of the dome that night and it wasn't due to 12 hours of tailgating. I was floored after that loss and yes I think my expectations started to change. With that game and the hindsight of the last 4 years of selective losses, yes people I'm ashamed to say, I began.... to, gulp, doubt our ability to fight from behind to win the big ones. Slowly over time but then suddenly overwhelmingly my expectations went from expecting come from behind victories and dominating performances to expecting some boneheaded mistake after every good play we made. Get a big third down stop? Watch out because here comes the a pick when we get the ball back. Complete a long pass down field? Watch out here comes the holding penalty that negates the gain. Finish the drill was a distant memory. So it was with this feeling of uncertainty that I watched the first 2 and a half quarters of last Saturdays game and Georgia, unfortunately, was meeting my lowered expectations...... But just when the point of acceptance was clear to me, things started to change........ Again.

Now obviously these things don't change overnight. And even hindsight can't pinpoint the turning of the tides. But the 3rd quarter of Saturdays game is a pretty good bet. That last half of the Mizzou game and looking back to last years streak..I'll be damned if its not starting to feel an awful lot like 2001/2002. A 10 game winning streak and a brilliant first half in the SECG pointed to better days yes but skip ahead to Saturday pre kickoff with me. Once again the press is pointing out that we don't have a great track record against ranked teams. Pundits are picking Missouri, (Davey Pollack excluded) Desmond Howard goes so far as to say Missouri wins big. The spread is 2 points. Questions regarding our man hood surface only this time, we're just a bunch of old men right?
The more things change the more they stay the same..all this has happened and will happen again. Georgia pulls out a victory despite a few sloppy quarters, but remains focused and resolute in the face of adversity. Something happens like a hobnail boot and changes your expectations again. It's sudden yes, but constructed by men behind the scenes and in the trenches who've spent months training for the chance to prove themselves. It's been brewing for while, but the winning ways are back my friends. You can feel it, I can too.

Jarvis Freaking Jones

DickSamIV

No there was no P-44-Haynes to point to as the play that turned the tide. What we will all talk about years from now in reflection is no doubt one Jarvis Jones and his brilliant play in the 4th quarter. In two consecutive series the beast among dawgs caused two turnovers that resulted in 14 points and a deafening silence at the Zoo. ('zou?) Ruining Missouri's SEC debut and reminding these former Big 12 folks what a real defense looks like, Jarvis gave us the short field and all but smashed any hopes they might have still had of a comeback. But what we should also remember is Richard Samuel the IV who sniffed out a fake punt that would have fooled lesser dawgs in years past. He stopped a play that could have been a huge momentum changer, a play opponents have been duping us with since that 2006 Sugar Bowl loss to West Virginia. I am saying right now that he's lifted that fake punt monkey off our back for good. DickSamIV; a Dawg worth his weight in gold who undoubtedly will go down as one of the legends on the field. A guy who has done everything asked of him at what ever position they decide to line him up at. And Saturday night on special teams he made Pinkel's decision to fake the punt look silly. I am loving Richts decisions to finally use starters on the special teams as it paid a huge dividend here.

In the end our much talked about old man style of ball won the day. Yes there is much room for improvement and no Missouri isn't a highly ranked team, but those guys were ready for a fight and they gave us a game despite what the final score said. This was a game that I don't think last years dawgs would have won and there is STILL room for improvement. So I say, yes Georgia is all grows up again...Grown men..again. Lets hope we get the same bounce for the next decade, only this time lets grab ourselves a National Championship or two.

And now, changing focus to our opponents. For our new conference brethren. I know I doubted you very early on, even maybe sorta poked fun at you a little but hey Mizzou, you actually, you know, sorta seem like you're going to fit right in.. right into the middle but still... Your fans seem the right amount of crazy or at least look like they could learn how to be the right amount of crazy and with a few thousand more seats in the stands you could rank 9th in capacity among all SEC schools. So you know, solidly lower part of middle. I know you like the fancy spread stuff, but sooner or later you're going to have play some "grown man 'ball." What makes us the "S-E-C" besides the pride and dangerously fanatical nature of our loyalty to our teams is the punishment our teams take each Saturday for a full 4 qtrs and that punishment can add up over the full year. I'd suspect you'll be jumping out to alot of early leads, but (to beat a damn dead horse to death) the game is 4qtrs. You're going to get hurt as the game and the season stretch on, but I think you'll be just fine eventually. I for one am glad you're part of the best damn Conference in college football and I'm looking forward to our rivalry and where it goes from here. Please know that we'll all be cheering for you from now on and especially against SC (that's South Carolina y'all). We expect the same from you. Now, don't forget the S-E-C chant next week when you wipe the floor with Arizona State. Opponents love this, or love to hate it, but no matter what now, you're family so I hope you perform it well.

Thanks for the hospitality Missouri, and welcome to the SEC, now go kick some ass.....

A (former) Bulldog in Exile's Guide to Driving to Columbia, MO

noreply@blogger.com (Bulldog in Exile) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:38:00 +0000

With many Dawg fans making the trip to Columbia, it seemed appropriate for me to share some of the knowledge gained from making the vast majority of that drive many, many, many times.

(H/t Granite at The Grit Tree)

I've done the vast majority of the drive from Athens to Columbia. The way to Champaign from home is the route above, but heading further north on I-59 from Mt. Vernon, Il. I've also made the drive from Mt. Vernon to Columbia a few times.

Let me share some knowledge:

One: Get gas in Paducah. Gas prices in Illinois average about 25 cents/gallon more than in Kentucky.
Two: Don't speed in Illinois or Missouri, especially in work zones.
Three: There will be plenty of work zones. Lewis was right, there are two seasons in Illinois: summer and road construction. At the end of summer, all of the projects that languished in April, May and June are being pushed to finish by first frost, which will happen approximately next week. Really.
Four: Get lunch at The Catfish House in Smyna, TN (exit 66B off I-24) if at all possible. They open at 11am Central.
Five: The don't leave St. Charles, MO without gas. There ain't none until Columbia.
Six: The best gas prices on the drive will be in Clarkesville, TN.
Seven: There are no Waffle Houses from Paducah until you get to St. Louis. Plan accordingly.
Eight: The worse part of the drive will be from Chattanooga to Mount Eagle.
Nine: The speed limit is a suggestion in Kentucky. Locals are at least 15 mph below it and in the left lane.
Ten: If you need cigarettes, wait until you get west of St. Louis. Every exit has an outlet. If you have to smoke while you eat, Kentucky is your place.

Bonus: Patti's 1843 (or whatever) Settlement just inside Illinois on I-24 is a tourist trap. Don't stop.

Have fun and go Dawgs!

BIE

All in has no plan B

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Samuel L Jackson, "Commit to the G"

Ok, so we were kinda 2/3 in last weekend, maybe even 3/5 in perhaps. I was never great with fractions but anyone could tell you that last weekends game felt like we just figured we could walk out and cover the 37.5 points. I kinda figured Toothpick was gonna jinx us on that pick but He knows a thing or two about football so I kept my doubts to myself.
I was unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, without a TV for the Buff's and had to listen to it on Satellite radio up in the Mountains. My recollection was, it seemed like everytime I took a sip of an adult beverage, which was often, Murray was missing another deep ball, or Buffalo was driving the field on us. 3 sacks? Yep I think I heard that too.
Back to civilization and able to watch the replay; yes my powers of observation did not deceive me. It was seldom pretty, often ugly and frustrating to watch with very few exceptions. Going into the half it looked like we shoulda, you know maybe, come up with a Plan B or something. Were it not for Gurly's 100yard return of awesome sauce, it would have been an embarrassingly close 17-16 and a possible revocation of our SEC credentials.
Rather than dive into a rant or long winded rundown of the things that went wrong much like last years first game of the season, I'll just echo what@ BernieDawg said on the @Dawgcast this week. "We've got one more W then we did this time last year." Yes. I like that and I'll take that because its more than the BSU guys got their first week this year. (Everylittle thing helps to erase that memory) And I'm still more than bitter about that one. We are 1-0 peeps and I'm sure that half the reason we played so pedestrian (again Gurly excluded) is that Richts had 'em all focused on the Mizzou game.

So here we go to ColaWest as it's recently begun to be referred to. I hope we put an old man whoopin on those new guys and welcome them into the fold with a plain old boring W. I love some of the "non" quotes our guys are giving this week in response to Missouri's Sheldon Richardsons "old man" comment. When asked about that one, Tavarres Kings response was a calm and calculated. ".. There's no point in that. I don't see the satisfaction you get out of talking trash -- today." This means we can look forward to some more honest responses from @TKUnoDos after the game!

Are you making the trip? Would love to get your gameday pictures of the scene in Columbia, hit me up at @displaceddawg or @bulldoginexile.

Oh and awesome video by the way right?

From the Territories I am, Displaced Dawg

Porch Pickin: Vandalized

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:08:00 +0000

Today from toothpick:

Vandalized

Judging from the neighborhood my bookie lives in, it's probably not a great idea to put much stock in my college game day picks. But....I just gotta sneaky feeling Vandy might just be poised to put the Cocks behind the 8 ball on opening weekend. I'm not a big believer in Joe Cox II (Connor Shaw) and I see the biggest set back to the Gamecocks this year will be losing DC Ellis Johnson. Sure the Gamecocks have had decent success the past few years, but really when was it that the Offense was the factor. It's been their confusing schemes on D that has lead the way along with the ground and pound running game with Lattimore. Yep, the guy with one knee. I'm not suggesting to bet the house here, but I see Vandy covering the 6.5 and maybe, just maybe pulling off the upset. What about you? Who do you see pulling off the Week 1 upset?

And now - the lock of the week! Let me first say that I never, ever, ever bet on the Dawgs but the 37.5 spread is just sitting out there for the taking. Picture it this way....you're finishing up that last bbq sandwich with another Natty Light as the clock closes out and LeMay tossing for his 2nd TD of the afternoon. What does the scoreboard read to you? Me, I see about 55-7.

Lastly, the big question out there is who's gonna be the breakout RB? I said it last year before the season started that Boo Malcome might just be the back we need. A good tough runner with decent speed. I still think he'll be solid this season, but may just get out classed by the youngsters on Saturday. Who do you think ends the day with the most rushing yards? 'Pick says:
1) Marshall (takes one 70 yards to the house)
2) Malcome
3) Gurley

I'm out - 'Pick

John Jenkins is 1:18 and rest of us are just 1:64

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:48:00 +0000

Most of you have seen this picture by now of one Samuel L. Jackson "chillin w da bulldawg nation" as he tweeted earlier.
I'm sure most of you probably tried to come up with some "I'm tired of these mother F-ing snakes.." quote to suit the situation, I did and failed miserably. But beyond the feeble attempt at humor, would you just look at #6 for second? Thanks to Toothpick for pointing this out, but good god almighty, how would you like to have to go toe to toe with him for 60 minutes? The dude is of a whole other scale.

You could fit 3 Samuel L's into one John Jenkins

Of course as fans we all know how big the guy is on the stat sheets, but its still like looking at some photoshop error when you see him with normal sized folks in this picture. I for one am damn glad

hes a dawg!. Go big or go home uh?

If you have a good Snakes on a Plane quotes, or any good Samuel L Jackson quotes for this picture, lay it on us in the comments..

Beware of False Prophets from the North, East and West

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:01:00 +0000

SEC dominance eloquently explained..Love the part about False prophets from the North, East and West!

via ESPN the mag, Rick Bragg a journalism prof at UA

Rick Bragg explains SEC dominance so eloquently in a recent article for ESPN magazine.

"The point is, and we talk real slow down here, so it may take awhile to get to it, that we believe some things regardless of science and sometimes common sense. And what we mostly believe in -- across racial, political, religious and economic lines -- is football. We believe absolutely in our supremacy over all pretenders, upstarts and false prophets from the North, East, West and some heathen parts of Florida that are too sissy to mix it up with the real men of the SEC."

Check out the full article

.http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8240383/rick-bragg-explains-history-traditions-south-obsession-football-espn-magazine

Keep Your Foot on the Gas Pedal... that's the long vertical one on the right.

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Be honest, at the 6 second mark you're saying to yourself, or maybe out loud,
"dude what are you doing??!"

ESPNU replayed last years Outback Bowl last night. I, like you, knew the final outcome: a loss in triple OT, but in some deep dark need for self flagellation, I watched anyway. And if you're anything like I am when I watch these games when I know we are going to lose, there is still this small part of me that thinks "this time it might be different" I actually cheer for history to be revised; hoping against all odds Murray doesn't throw that pick, or they don't drive the field in 1:50 to tie it up.

The game wasn't over until 1am my time out here in the territories and at about 12:50 my wife wakes up, sees the TV and the score, looks back at me, shakes her head in disgust or pity and rolls back over to go to sleep, leaving me alone with the hope of wanting the Dawgs to win it this time and the shame of knowing they won't. But I digress. To me last years Outback Bowl kinda epitomized the whole take your foot off the gas meme that played anytime we built a lead last season. Complacency creeps into the players; conservatism creeps into the coaches. Its like once we went up 16 -0 and ESPN flashed the graphic that we had never lost to Sparty. It was a foregone conclusion that we would win this one too.

I hope this year we don't get complacent with small leads. I hope we keep our foot on our opponents throat for 60 minutes. We've got the schedule to get us back to Atlanta this December for sure. Every NC team along the way has had help one way or another, and our schedule is ours. We shouldn't make apologies for it. With a full season under our belts at that time, a defense that even a former gator described as "the perfect storm", a backfield full of depth, plus the lessons learned from last years second half....well shoot ya'll... I like our chances a whole lot.
So Bobo, Richt, as the great Jerry Reid once sang (and apologies to the great Jerry Reid)

" Keep your foot hard on the pedal, son never mind them brakes. Let it all hang out 'cuz we got an SEC trophy to take. Dawgnation wants redemption in Atlanta, against those cajuns in Louisiana so you gotta bring it back no matter what it takes!

Where Are They Now Edition 1

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:47:00 +0000

Ah yes, the golden years of Jim Donnan, who could forget those average to slightly above average years.
All the promise of better days without, you know...the better days. Hell if you lived through the Goff years you'd have taken just about any coach by then. And why not the man at the helm of the Thundering Herd?
Jim Donnan, you patronized and belitted our beloved Loran, you put faith in one Quincy Carter, who a kool-aid drinkin friend once told me was the next Doug Williams. but hey old friend, I can't seem to find Doug Williams mug shot on the interwebs can I?
So in a new segment on the bulldawg in exile blog we take a look back and ask..Where are they now?

Totally a Doug Williams type

With the Web ablaze in the news of Jim Donnans $80million dollar fine for his involvement in a ponzi scheme; and details of how he screwed over fellow broadcasters, coaches and even former PLAYERS, my mind cant help but think of Quincy and what jail cell TV hes watching all this on. So lets go back in time and learn about the man that Jim Donnan put in charge of our Offense for 3 seasons.

From From Taking Bad Schotz : Lavonya Quintelle “Quincy” Carter was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia. He went to Southwest DeKalb High School and won the state championship. On top of Football, Carter also happened to be a star baseball player and was drafted 52nd overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 1996 MLB Draft. Carter gave up on his <.250 MLB dreams and went to play football for the Georgia Bulldogs (originally signed with Georgia Tech before draft). As a standing Freshman he won the starting job, and threw for 12 touchdowns, completing 60.7% of his passes.. As a Sophomore, Quincy had his best season with 2,713 yards and 22 total touchdowns. The next year in a shortened season the 6-2 QB threw only 6 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Regardless he entered the 2001 NFL Draft.

With the 53rd overall pick ) the Dallas Cowboys selected Mr. Carter. Somehow Carter stole the spot from the flawless Ryan Leaf. Carter started 8 games (going 3-5) while battling through injuries, and managed to throw 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. The next season Carter ended up losing his job to Chad Hutchinson, but still ended up starting 7 games where he threw 7 touchdowns and 8 picks.

The next season, Carter started all 16 games. He threw career highs 3,302 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions (he also had 10 fumbles). Somehow the Cowboys went 10-6 that season. Carter was released the next season however and signed with the New York Jets. In 2004 Quincy would relapse on drugs and be diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and released. In 2006 he signed with the Montreal Alouettes, but was released a month later for his drug problem. Surprisingly, later that year he would be arrested for drug possession in Texas. In 2007 Carter signed with the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings and was the starting quarterback until he got caught with drug possession once again. In 2002 Carter went to the AFL and played for the Kansas City Brigade, and finally had no problems, but was later released. In 2009 he signed with the Abilene Ruff Riders (indoor football league) but was arrested for a DWI. Finally, in 2010 he was arrested for beating up (punching and choking) his girlfriend after she criticized him for always being drunk.

Better days for our dynamic duo

For any of you around for the Donnan and Carter days at UGA the whole era had a gamecocky vibe to it. Do you know what I mean? A subpar QB who we all wanted to be a bigger deal than he actually was, a coach who we wanted to like but really couldn't get behind and a cloud over the program that made everything feel like we were, an uglier, less classy version of our former selves.

Until next time..

Porch Pickin: Burned Lottery Ticket

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:28:00 +0000

Burned Lottery Ticket

I'm quite sure not too many folks are surprised to hear that Isaiah Crowell will no longer be toting the rock for Georgia. In fact, almost everyone I talked to after his suspension for the NM State game last year thought he'd never make it to his Jr season. Combine UGA's drug policy and his brief history - let's just say it was a safe bet that IC was destined for a short career in Athens. Which is really unfortunate. I don't pretend to understand what life is like for kids from his background. I haven't lived it nor do I know many folks that have. That said, these kids are given the opportunity of a lifetime to better themselves and their families for generations. If IC had went on to play four years and was merely a solid RB, never making it to the next level, he would have forever been a running back at the University of Georgia. That may not lead to the Power Ball winnings and fame of NFL riches, but it's damn sure better than a scratch-off ticket!

'Pick - what the heck are you talking about? ...Well, read these two stat lines and let your memory from the game tell the story:

1) Isaiah Crowell, former UGA running back, 2011 Georgia/Florida game:
Stats - ran for 81 yards, long of 22, 4.5 per carry and 0 TD

2) Richard Samuel, UGA Running Back, 2011 Georgia/Florida game:
Stats - ran for 58 yards, long of 9, 3.4 per carry and 1 TD

I made this statement back then and it's been proven true again today. One's a future tailgate story legend. The other is just another in a line of many that makes you shake your head and say damn! - what could've been.

Til next time,
'Pick

A one year olds feelings on SEC expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Wed, 30 May 2012 03:22:00 +0000

A brief interview with my one year old daughter and dawg fan, G
abby, on the subject of SEC expansion.

YouTube Video

Porch Pickin: You heard it here first... Grantham's Next Gig is.....

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:39:00 +0000

Today from Toothpick: Coach Grantham's next gig.

While taking a few pulls off a handle of bourbon a couple weekends back, a gator buddy of mine said he heard that Coach Grantham's name was being mentioned for Rutgers to replace Schiano. Choking on the cigar smoke and laughing...I said, "Shoot! - he's no dummy. He's locked in in Athens....and if he's smart, for many more years to come".

how would things have been different if Erk got the call in 89"

No I don't have a friend "inside the program", but I don't think it takes an insider or a crystal ball to see it. My bet is Grantham will or has discussed the idea that in about 5 years Coach Richt will be moving on to other endeavors outside of football. Richt ain't coaching for another 15 years. If Grantham's Junkyard D continues to improve and dominate, and there is no reason to think it won't, he'll be nicely positioned to grab the Head Coach job. And the fans would be all in with that one. Call it revenge for Erk not getting the job in '89.

Sure Grantham probably wants a head job sooner, but he's smart enough to realize the tremendous resources that come with the job in Athens. Just to name a few:

1. 3rd or 4th best state in the country for blue chip high school talent
2. top 5 most profitable athletic department in the country
3. top 10 program for fan support (don't under estimate that in coaching vacancies)
4. great college town with much more to offer than just Saturdays in the fall
5. member of the kingdom (that's the SEC for you Big 10 folks)
6. tradition rich program with long history of winning
7. storied rivalries
8. one of the greatest stadiums in all of football

Sure I know all this exists now for Richt too, but that's why he took this job and not the many others that were offered to him. If you remember back in 2001 when he took the job, Richt said it was time to "blow the lid off this program". And while it hasn't quite reached the pinnacle yet, I'd say he's done a solid job getting the Dawgs right to the cusp. Personally, I think Richt will hold up a crystal football one day. And when he does, while we're celebrating on Bourbon Street, he'll be handing over the keys to Coach G.

So anyway, back to my conversation on the porch a few weekends back. After I finished up with these same thoughts on why Grantham is not taking the Rutgers job.....may gator buddy said...."You might be right, Georgia's a sleeping giant".

All the ingredients are there. We just need to have the right mix of cooks in the kitchen....and I think they're in Athens now. Like I said, he's no dummy. Coach Grantham sees all this too.

GATA
'Pick

Absolutely no recruiting news to see here.....

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:48:00 +0000

If you want to know whats going on in the recruiting world and NSD ( I DO) then you'll be better served elsewhere for that info ( I am). Bernies more than gotchu covered. Over here lets take a break and go back in time. As you all know our Alma Mater celebrated its 227th year of existence just last week. Or as others more versed in the grand fashion of such anniversaries have put it, our "quatronono centennial or one-fourth of 900 years" (plus two)
Yes, the year was1785. Some 78 years later the Territory of Idaho was created from the Washington Territory, after having spent some time under control of the Oregon Country which was part of a disputed land claim between the U.S and Great Britain. But I digress, as I've said before this is not an Idaho educational site, but I like the comparison for context.

So it was rather timely that I received a letter from a fellow bulldog in exile out here in the territories, one Joe Davis. Joe Davis is a Damn Good Dawg who served our country overseas in the Air Force and who eventually settled in Idaho. Joe attended UGA in the late 50's about the same time my Mother and Father were enjoying their time in Athens. If you're like me you could listen to Joes stories all day. I am keeping his letters to put in my Dad's Pandora so that when my son attends UGA (Class of 2030 baby!) he too can take a trip back in time.

after the jump take a step back in history:

Joe writes

I’m another displaced Dawg living in Orofino, Idaho, the good part of Idaho. No desert here, just mountains, rivers, a 650’ deep reservoir, and lots of trees. I’m here by choice having lived all over the world as an Air Force pilot and settled on this location for retirement. Orofino is pretty remote, relatively speaking. Located in a large county, Clearwater, that ranges about 120 miles long from west to east with a population of about 8,000, no fast food restaurants, and not even one traffic light. We’re so different from Boise and southern Idaho that we’re in another time zone, Pacific. I totally agree with you about the food especially BBQ. These folks think a T-bone steak is BBQ and they’ve never heard of Brunswick stew. I’m still a die hard Dawg fan and even have my own English bulldog, a gift from my wife of 50 years for my 73 birthday. Subscribe to ESPN Game Plan every year so I haven’t missed watching a UGA game on the tube in many years. I graduated from UGA in 1961 so I’m an old fart from the days of Fran Tarkenton, Pat Dye, Bobby Walden, etc. My Mom graduated from Georgia in 1930 and attended the very first football game in Sanford Stadium in 1929 between UGA and another bulldog team, Yale. Beat Yale 15-0. Mom wrote the score on her ticket to the game and put the ticket between the pages of her Pandora yearbook. I discovered the ticket when I was a student at Athens and still have the ticket from that first game in 1929........ I’ve often wondered what the ticket would be worth to one of those wealthy Atlanta alumni to hang on their office wall. I just purchased a limited edition framed photo of the current Sanford Stadium and plan to frame an original photo of the 1929 stadium along with the ticket and display the two photos together on my office wall. I still correspond with my former classmates that live in the southeast. One of my roommates is coming back out next summer for a visit and we plan to disappear for a couple of weeks in the vast forests between here and Missoula, MT. We both graduated from Georgia with degrees in Forest Management but I strayed from that field and flew airplanes instead. Had a UGA alumni living here until about a year ago but she moved back to Athens. She was once married to Bill Stanfill, former UGA All American and All Pro with the Dolphins. Recently met a young gal who just moved here from Athens. She graduated from UGA a couple of years ago and is a landscape architect with the U.S. Forest Service. So, there are some more Dawgs around. Glad to hear you’re in Boise to keep those Bronco fans in check. if you ever wander up north to Orofino, give me a call. I’ll be sure we have some authentic BBQ and sweet tea.
Go Dawgs,
Joe Davis

Getting this letter from Joe lit a spark in me so I dug out my ole mans Pandoras and started thumbing through history. Stuffed inside his 1958 edition was a Red and Black from Jan 5th 1961. The Red and Black was a weekly back then and this particular issue had several historically worthy stories.
With historical context from Joe, here are some clippings:

the integration of UGA was an interesting time but the news media blew it all out of proportion. A couple of national news magazines were banned from campus because they paid students to throw rocks so they could get photos. One TV network showed a clip that supposedly was a group of angry students chasing the two black students. We recognized the scene as students between classes and in another part of the campus.

" The old Stegman Hall was a real dump and the University had let it deteriorate in hope of shaming the legislature into appropriating funds for a new facility. It was so bad that we had to play all our home games with Kentucky at the big teat on the Tech campus in Atlanta. One night in 1958, it was raining hard and the wind was blowing the rain in sheets, I decided instead of walking across the street to watch the game I’d just listen on the radio. The roof was leaking so bad that they had to put towels on the floor to mop up the water. Ed Thilenius came on the radio and began the broadcast with something like this: “Folks, this is Ed Thilenius broadcasting the basketball game from Stegman Coliseum. The captains are meeting in the middle of the court for the toss of the coin. Stegman Hall is the only gym in the country where wind is a deciding factor.” I Was there when construction began on the new Stegman Coliseum. One of the arches began at about home plate of the baseball field and ended out beyond center field. The baseball field was pretty crude and the announcers stand was hardly anything other than a wooden box up in the stands. I used to sit right in front of the box and lean back against the front. That way I could listen to Ed Thilenius, voice of the bulldogs, broadcasting the game on radio. Some of the football players also played baseball including Fran Tarkenton, outfielder, and Phil Ashe. Phil played everywhere. I believe, if I remember correctly, that in one game Phil started out at first base, moved to catcher, and finished the game as pitcher. He was quite the athlete playing football, baseball, running track and although he didn’t play basketball I remember an intermural game where he scored fifty some points

The era before Johnny Griffith was Wally Butts and some fantastic assistant coaches such as Charlie Trippi. I understood Trippi was the heir apparent to Butts and when they brought Griffith back as coach, Trippi left. I think Trippi came back eventually and remained in Athens for the rest of his life.

No trip down memory lane would be complete without the Chapel Bell Promo.... Has there ever been a video that so perfectly encapsulates the feeling we all get? Whether you're 73 or 23 the PSA nails the sentiment: You may leave Athens, but it never leaves you

Ok, now go get caught up on the recruiting and signing news you've probably missed since you've been reading this.

I cant believe you asked me that damn question.

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:46:00 +0000

Who among us can forget those words spoken by accused ponzi schemer and bankrupt former coach Jim Donnan. Back when Inside Georgia Football was hosted by Loran Smith the questions came fast and furious.

After several players suffered cramps before and after half time ol' Loran wanted to know... "Coach, can you tell us why the players were cramping up on the sidelines.." A clearly perturbed Jim Donnan paused and responded, " I cant believe you asked me that damn question..." and we all knew that instant that we weren't dealing with a Ray Goff type anymore.

I recall at the time people took sides on this one, you had your Loran supporters claiming Donnan was a bully, and you had your Donnan supporters claiming Loran asked another stupid question and it was high time someone called him out on it. Some even suggest that it was these exchanges which contributed to Donnans release and not his subpar performance as a coach:

"However, the main reason Donnan was canned at that point in time, all had to do with his dislike and unwillingness to get along with Loran Smith Anybody who listened to the post game radio shows heard the short, curt answers that he gave Smith, with the attitude that Smith’s questions were dumb and he was above having to put up with them. And of course there was at least one time that he was so upset with Loran’s questions that he refused to talk to him and stormed off."

Well those siding with Loren on this one are probably better judges of character. We all saw the news about Donnans Ponzi scheme last year, but more info is coming out that sheds a little more light on JD's character.
and his role in the scheme which ultimately led him to file bankruptcy.

Damn Jim, leukemia patients and former players who saw you as a father? Sounds pretty heartless. I bet he cant believe the questions he gets asked these days.

not the best of years for our beloved Dawgs
but Quincy is a whole other story

If I don't remember it, it didn't happen

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:17:00 +0000

I've finally come to terms with the 2nd half of the SECCG... well... let me be more truthful here. I've finally created a coping mechanisim that will allow me to move on and participate in my daily life without the obsession and depression that accompanies such losses. You may call it denial, but I believe the technical term for it is lacunar amnesia. Yes, I have willed an eternal sunshine to my spotless mind, if you will.

I've decided to beleive that the second half did not happen. More than that, its not just that I've decided it didn't happen, in my mind it did not happen. I have no memory of that 2nd half..at all. This occurred to me as I was listening to 680 the fan the other day on pocket tunes (PLUG). They were talking about things I realized I didn't see, didn't remember and didn't care to. I can quote you no stats from that second half. I couldn't for the life of me tell you anything other than the score. Did we have turnovers? I don't know. Did we let Honey Badger make his mark? I don't know. Did Crowell ever come back? I don't know. Yes, I am blocking, or rather have blocked; completely blocked those last 30 minutes from my memory. I can tell you this with complete honesty, and my wife and friends can attest to this fact. You see I walk around these parts like we won that game. I'm unabashed in my display of my fandom even in the midst of smurf village. I walk among the throngs of a fanbase whose team obliterated us in that same dome with a swagger not commiserate with what happened on the turf that day or from what people tell me happened in the 2nd half on Dec 3rd. In my mind (and lots of drinking helped me get here the day of and ever since) the SECCG was won at halftime by our dawgs at about the same time the Boise UGA alumni club and I decided to get completely blotto. (ah the Boise UGA alumni club... brethren in exile....finally, but more on them later)

@TodddamnGrantham 's D was playing lights out. ZERO first downs, 12 yards total offense for the Tigers and only 19 offensive plays? You've got to be kidding me! Sure we made some mistakes offensively in that first half, left some points on the board, but we looked like the better team and there was every reason to expect that we were going to have our SEC championship by the end of the night. I heard more than a few times and I drunk dialed more than a few folks going into the half about how the score should have been 21-0. And you know it should have shouldn't it? That feeling was something I haven't experienced in years, and I guess a part of me just decided right then and there that no matter what happened after halftime I got what I needed and would be happy. I made a decision. I was not going to let anything spoil this for me. From that moment forward, and as our very own former redcoat Sarah played the battle hymn, the Boise UGA alumni club proceeded to get our drank on. Oh yeah, that's right, we partied like it was 2005. There was Denver from Athens who we just met that very day buying everyone shots. Round after round of shots; too many shots but this was no ordinary day in our minds. This was Championship Saturday, so why hold back? I think we drank a shot for every 3 and out we had that first half. There might have been an attempt to play the CBS drinking game too, I just can't be sure. The bourbon flowed, and halftime was a blur. I remember there were Georgia fans in all directions, all wearing the red and black. Then a spontaneous eruption of "whats that coming down the tracks" that I'm pretty sure I lead, and that I'm positive must have impressed upon the other patrons first hand that there is in fact nothing finer in the land than a drunk obnoxious Georgia fan. Hell we even had a few LSU fans, a bama fan and a Flordia fan chiming in, it was a bubble of SEC love in exile. These folks who were strangers to me and to each other just a few weeks prior who were now hugging and drinking like were were long lost friends hanging out at a tailgate on northcampus. Instant connection in exile. Drunkenness in exile. Victory in exile.

Thats right, we won...that half, bulldawgs in exile

But something funny happened when the second half started. I know we got our asses kicked because I've seen the score and I may have read a gamecap that night, but for the life of me I can not remember a single damned thing about the second half......... and you know what...it feels pretty damn good. Denial in exile. By the pictures I found on my phone the next day, none of us allowed those last 30 minutes to get in the way of our 1st half celebration. I can not bring myself to watch the replay, I can not bring myself to listen to a dissection of what happend. By god, we went 10.5 and 2 this year and we get to beat up on another B1G team in a decent bowl game. That is just about as far from what I expected as possible when I took Marta home smelly drunk at 1am on Sept 3rd. If you would have told me that night we would be back in Atlanta to cap off the season, I would have pegged you for a Boise State fan or delusional optimist, or both.

On this Dec 3rd, exactly 3 months later none of us cared about the final score. And even though the stink of the loss to BSU will never fully wash off, in the course of twelve months, Richt and company took us from the smoldering ruins of a loss to UCF in a bowl game no one wants to remember but we should NEVER forget and an 0-2 start to reel off 10 wins in a row. Who could have predicted in that lifeless effort against UCF that one year later we would win the east? This finish might be the best thing that could have happened to us. I mean ANY cockiness that might have crept into our guys on that 10-0 stretch surely was beaten out of them by the end of that SECCG. We saw how champions play, we got some extra experience on the big stage and by god, our young team smacked around those Tigers for 30 minutes to boot. All invaluable for next years campaign. So we got bludgeoned you tell me? I don't remember it and you shouldn't either. Why don't you try some lacunar amnesia and a few dozen shots yourself.

And now, I give you Sarah, former redcoat, current bulldawg in exile

I could almost hear Munson........"glory glory to Ole Georgia,.....heroes have graced the field before you. Men with hearts bodies and minds of which the entire bulldog nation can be justifiably proud...The tradition of unbridled excellence demonstrated by these individuals and many others spans more than full century. And now a new breed of Bulldog stands ready to take the field of battle to resume the reigns of their Georgia forebearers and continue the tradition...understanding that there is no tradition more worthy of envy, no institution worthy of such loyalty than the University of Georgia. As we prepare for another meeting between the hedges let all the bulldog faithful rally behind the men who now wear the red and black with two words....two simple words which express the sentiments of the entire bulldog nation............Go Dawgs! "

Porch Pickin: SEC fatigue

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:31:00 +0000

Have PAC 12 or B1G or BIG 12 friends? Are they tired of the SEC always winning BCS championships? Offer them this little reassurance; I guarantee an SEC team will lose the bcs championship this year.

If that is of no comfort then
have them read todays contribution from Toothpick:

Seems in recent years around this time, the words 'SEC Fatigue' get thrown out there. For those that are new to this term, the diagnosis reads something like: Someone that's tired and angry that their favorite teams keep getting bitch-slapped year end/year out by members of the Kingdom. Recognizable symptoms include:

- Grasping for reasons to contradict the obvious - like but Bama didn't beat anybody or Oklahoma State's a conference champ* and only has 1 loss or what about Houston?
- Thinking aloud that the SEC's success is "media driven".....well, there's a few reasons Tom Brady is in TV and magazines and not Jeff George. I believe it's called success and marketability.
- A nervous/anxious feeling late Friday night that subsides on Sunday's around 1pm....or in more severe cases, the 2nd week in January.
- Often complains that the bowl system sucks - not realizing that this 'fatigue' would be worse in a playoff system. Shoot - they'd have to open a Clinic if a playoff comes about.

If this sounds like you, the way I see it you've got two choices:

1) Keep those blinders on, grab another cheese steak or brat, buy stock in Tums and go kiss your ugly girlfriend on her neck tattoo.

or

2) Feel the SEC Pride, grab a handle of Kentucky's finest, throw on an affiliated members Polo Shirt and go date the Homecoming Queen.

Best Wishes
'Pick

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Farewell Larry

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:56:00 +0000

What can be said that hasn't already? A man who colored so much of our past is gone. He will be missed.
Thank you Larry for all you gave BullDawg nation.
http://www.larrymunson.com/audio/30years.mp3
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Feeling a little homesick today

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Awoke this morning to an abnormally warm and humid 56 degrees out in the territories. The smell of dead leaves fills the air and it feels like so many Georgia fall mornings I remember.

Forgive the indulgence:

First word, last word: 'Pick on Penn State

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Toothpick is making his way up from Savannah today for the Auburn game tomorrow. Before he left he sent me a quickone.

From 'Pick:

'"I typically like to keep these ramblings on subjects related to the Dawgs and those bastards up North. But, with the recent news out of State College...

I think the best comment on this subject was this, ironically from someone in Boise..."For those wondering how this will affect Joe Pa's legacy...this IS his legacy."

For a man who has always preached integrity, morals and doing it the 'right' way....Mr. Paterno (and anyone searching to defend him) hear this - you failed the ultimate test!

And for those that criticize Coach Richt and have the win at all cost mentality, may I suggest you think twice on how fortunate Georgia is to have a man of strong character.

moving on........

Here's hoping Saturday's game in Athens equals the excitement of the real Blackout game in '07. Crank dat!"

'Pick

Gone too Long & Almost There

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:47:00 +0000

As I was doing some blog maintainence today I discovered I had some messages in my spam folder.
As expected it was the usual cadre of religious postings; sexual stamina enhancements and pharmaceutical solutions. But also lost in the shuffle was a comment that was not spam, that should have been posted to my
"getting way too ahead of ourselves department" post back in October.
At the end of the post I speculated that I believed we would lose 2 more games this year and NOT appear in the SEC championship. In part I thought that this would be ok if only so that the smurfs out here couldn't claim to be the best team in the SEC east. Thankfully I appeared to be wrong in this miscalculation (it surely isnt the first time nor will it be the last!) However this post that went to spam was left by a reader who thought I should keep such thoughts to myself:

I think if you want to be a non-believer and present this blog as some sort of objective, reality check then you need to keep your thoughts to yourself. You are a UGA blogger, dude. You are supposed to be biased. Supportive and optimistic, too. The fact that you predict two more losses this season makes me want to vomit. You have no intention of giving these guys the benefit of the doubt, do you? You are convinced the offensive line or offense in general will not improve and that a steadily improving defense won't be strong enough to stop the teams we have yet to face...is that about right? You should stay in Idaho. Better yet, why don't you look for work in the Gainesville, Florida area when you return. We wouldn't want anyone to call you a HOMER, now would we?By DawgZilla on From the "Getting Way Too Ahead of Ourselves" Depa... on 10/11/11

Listen, I've never proclaimed to be anything other than a fan who was moved away from home with a chip on his shoulder. I certainly do not pretend to be a trained professional or unbiased sports expert nor do I aspire to be one. Yes, the last few years of mediocrity have tempered my expectations. In the confines of my friends and family I often I expect the worst verbally, but hope for the best quietly. One moment I'm blindly optimistic about our team, and the sky could be falling the next. This is not a luxury I have around these parts with a fanbase of delusional johnny come latelys. To the outsider I am the puffer fish. Confident, sure, more certain of victory than the setting of the sun. I take to this blog to join in with fellow fans with whom I can admit my oft buried uncertainty. As a fanbase I'd say we all have had a little Larry Munson rub off on our outlook; our expectations colored by his pessimism. High one moment, down the next. (Just as our play at times this season and in seasons past.) My wife is a graduate of Notre Dame and she told me she'd never seen a bunch of fans so hell bent on self flagellation. Isn't this dual personality part of who we are as fans? I mean one of my favorite ongoing pieces is written by Doug Gillette, whose Manic Doug and Depressive Doug so perfectly capture the inner turmoil that so many of us feel at any particular moment. His Manic and Depressive pregame analysis of each game pits his two sides against one another. An internal dialogue played out for our enjoyment that I relate to so much. Most of us can list every reason we might lose a game just as we are finishing giving you every reason why we will win a game, and it has nothing to do being ashamed of who we are. Today Bernie offers his reasons why we will win this weekend agaisnt Auburn, but immediately mentions that today's post will .."of course will be balanced by a post tomorrow outlining reasons why I'm nervous as hell".
As a fan I agree with everything Bernie writes, just as I'm sure I'll agree with all the reasons why he's nervous tomorrow. Such is life as a dawgfan.

So, Dawgzilla to issue a long overdue response to your comment, I did some soul searching. I asked myself some questions.. Have I lost myself to this place? Have I forgotten what it means to be a true fan? Should I consider looking at real estate in Gainesville? Finally, have I been out here too long?... Hell yes I've been out here too long. I was here too long the day I crossed the state line into Alabama on the drive out here. But I don't think being cautious and predicting two losses for the rest of the season means I'm ashamed of what I am. I'm a guy who on a DAILY basis defends the Dawgs. I am a fan who finds himself getting berated by students, grandparents, and hippes at a bar for wearing my Georgia gear. A guy who for 5 freaking miserable years has had to represent my team, conference and way of life to a bunch of people who still insist that Kellen Moore totally deserves the Heisman and that a Seagram's 7&7 is superior to my Jack Daniels with a splash of water. I've had to watch as my daughter and son grow up around kids who know NOTHING but blue and orange. I own an embarrassing amount of UGA merchandise, even had my boat wrapped in a 15foot Georgia G. I'm a guy who has held on to a passion for the Dawgs despite there being virtually zero fellow fans to commiserate with out here. I've flown over 100,000 miles coming back to Athens for games in the last 5 years. I'm a guy who, despite it being a 2100 mile trip to Sanford stadium from my front door still shows up on campus at 7am to tailgate as I did when I lived only 60 miles away. So why would someone like me whose been fortunate enough to inherit a fantastic HOMER BLOG be ashamed of being a homer?
Dawgzilla to answer you respectfully; To me, predicting losses and being a true fan are not mutually exclusive. I can support and critique. I can be illogically blind to the facts and I yet I'll quote the ones that support my mood. I'm a fan, nothing more, certainly nothing less.
If I'm wrong on this, then I truly have been gone too long. As for your relocation suggestion, sadly from my perspective Gainesville would be a step up.

Now having said all that, damn I am excited about what these young dawgs have become. We are almost there. A 63-16 beatdown will cure what ails you. A definite improvement over our last overmatched opponent . Aggressive play calling by Bobo and Richt; ( going for 6 in the closing seconds of the 2nd quarter was the most Un-Richt like thing I can remember seeing in quite some time) Clearing the bench again; scoring 42 points in ONE QUARTER and doing it all without Mitchell and Crowell...well damn, that's a success anyway you look at it even if it was just NMSU.

Nothing to complain about there (SEE DAWGZILLA I LOVE MY DAWGS, NOT ONE BAD WORD!).
And while I've not been thrilled with how close we've kept the previous 5 SEC games, the score at the end of each one got us the W and so here we are actually talking about....(gawd, I hope I don't jinx it...gulp...) the SEC championship. 4 games to go, perhaps 5 and we sit here at 7-2 on the cusp of taking another step back to relevance. It's been a business like approach all year. One game at a time. Get on the Bus. Some will point to the soft schedule with a "yeah but" , but why would we feel bad about benefiting from that when we've certainly been hurt by the strength of that schedule in seasons past. The soft schedule be damned, The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Each of our SEC victories may have an asterisk, something we could have done better or a team we should have beaten more soundly, but Richt doubters can not be disappointed with the cumulative record or this TEAM. You don't think there were astrisks on LSU's 2 loss national championship season? Our Defense has become a who's who of play-makers with real depth. UGA is ranked #3 in the nation in 3rd down D and yet our projected starters have not yet played an entire game together meaning there is actually room for improvement. Offensively we are topping our 2010 efforts in PPG and YPG with No AJ Green and a true freshman at RB. That no huddle thingy that I poked fun at in the opener, is actually, you know... sort of working... Young guys are making a real difference who were playing high school ball just last year. We're young, we've been challenged, and despite suspensions, injuries and special teams, this team is 7-2. It's beginning to feel a lot like the good ole days with Greene and Pollack where we found ways to win the games we were not supposed to, and torched those teams we should have.

Now our destiny is in our own hands. We don't need to pull for the stinking Gators this Saturday. We just need to win. This team will beat Auburn this weekend. 13 points seems high to me, but the outcome seems destined. We've been gone from the spotlight for too long folks. This will be the game that will announce our return. We're almost there. Just win baby!

See you in Athens..

Mizzou? Blahzou

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:10:00 +0000

So. We took the ugly chick home anyway. Dag gum. Not excited about this dilution of the brand. Though we all know the financial reasons behind this, There is nothing SEC about this move.
Just look at her....

Welcome mizzou. Hope you're in a good skymiles program.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

From ToothPick: Richard Samuel Damn Good Dawg

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Toothpick made it back from Jax and has recovered from his victory fueled celebration. Toothpick for those of you who don't know is a lifelong friend of mine who I met during my days at UGA. Pick moved to Savannah a few years after he got married and most weekend nights he sits on his back porch sippin bourbon and making recordings of the crickets that he sends to me so that I can fall asleep at night out here in the territories. Pick has thoughts about football, he writes 'em down and I serve 'em up...Today the subject is one Richard Samuel IV, apparently our only back who didn't fail a drug test last week...

From Pick:

It goes without saying that it's always great to walk out of Jax with the W. Georgia-Florida. If you've been there, you know that just those two words say it all. You just can't top that scene anywhere in college football. You folks in the Big 12 can have your big JV game crossing the Red River. Go grab a giant turkey leg why don't ya. We'll take the Cocktail Party.

The biggest thing from this game came to me while reading the Sunday paper. It's a quote from Samuel IV and I'm hoping that Crowell can pick up on his quote and how he ran the ball in those final drives. He demonstrated the essence of the saying: TEAM-me . We all know that IC has loads of talent and he's played very well for the Dawgs. But to be a legend, you gotta dig deep when it's on the line. On that final first down run that sealed the deal (and busted his ankle), Samuel added his name to future tailgate stories and became a Legend.

Thankyou Mr. Samuel. Your Legacy is now cemented.

This taken from Chris White's article in the Banner-Herald talking about toting the rock for the final TD:

“I can’t remember much about it,” Samuel said. “I was just thinking, ‘Get the ball and run hard.’

“Then I thought, ‘Richard, you finally did something to where the team can really benefit from it.’ That was all I was thinking the whole time.”

TEAM-me

Hey Will Muschump how does 0-5 feel?

noreply@blogger.com (Geoff Kite-Powell) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:58:00 +0000

Muschump

I love to hate me some Will Muschump. William guaranteeing a win was the best thing he could have done to start this new era off right. William's Gators didn't come through. William threw his usual hissy fits and now William is on the wrong side of this rivalry at 0-5. Here's to the start of seeing him winless as long as possible. Hey Will Muschump, How'd you like to bite my ass??

Moving on.....Someone in my twitter feed made a great point this past Saturday... Why do we all have to look at this GA-FLA rivalry in terms of the last 20 years? Lets change the story on this rivalry starting today. From henceforth we will look at this rivalry going forward. No more looking back.. No more letting a meaningless set of numbers dictate our demeanor. As Aaron Murry so eloquently put it, this team is 1-0 against Florida. Period. You wanna look back? Then look back 5 years, the amount of time most kids stay in college, know what? We're 2-3 against the jorted ones. Not great, but not the nightmare of head scratching, mess with your mind type of record of the last 20. A time frame so absurd most of the current players weren't even a glint in their daddys eyes. A time frame so absurd YOURS TRULY was just a wide eyed freshmen who only knew this rivalry from the 14-4 W/L record of the dawgs in his time on this earth. Folks, our young dawgs gave us a victory, it wasn't pretty (again) but it's one that I feel will mark the beginning of a new streak for our dream team for their time in Athens. Did I mention that what I love most about Saturday is the great Traitor, Will Muschump, is now 0-5 in this game? Well then let me say it again...Will Muschump is 0-5...god I love it...Now what about the game? I know by now you've read your fair share about all aspects of this game and who really gives a rats ass about one more, so I'll keep it short.

Muschump

Our Defense is LEGIT. I mean let's keep the opponents in perspective, but we are getting some respect nationally on this front. They are just about THE biggest reason why we are 6-2 and not 4-4 right now. Our offense gives the ball up inside our own 20? No biggie lets take 'em backwards 3 straight plays. Thank Kiffins for Jarvis Jones. And to hear him say he's gonna stick around UGA next year is a refreshing break for us considering the talent we've lost early the last several years. 1 first down in the second half and -19 yards rushing for Florida in the entire game? 226 total offense allowed? Bottom line, this defense is special folks, and they've saved our bacon this year on many occasions. Crowell got some yards but got hurt early again (not liking that trend one bit) and Richard Samuel is a team player (more on that from 'pick') his heart and determination should be admired. Turns out he's out for at least 4 weeks to due an ankle injury sustained in the last play of the game. And that is truly a shame in light of this afternoons developments.

Muschump

But lets get real for second shall we? Now that the back slapping is out of the way, now that the monkey is off our back, let's be real. Many people will continue to point out that we've beaten 6 teams that are a combined 4-22 in the SEC and one was an FCS school. As negative as that may sound, its the truth. Lets keep our heads down and appreciate the victory, but lets demand that we get better.

Seems like every weekend its a game of wack-a-mole when it comes to our deficiencies. Blair Walsh continues to struggle, Murray is sporadic, eyeing down receivers or plain missing them in space. He seems to have regressed since last year; I used to think of him as special, now I feel he is adequate, but no longer confidence inspiring. I hope he turns the trend around soon. Special teams have shown zero improvement since becoming an issue for us, and now the decline has spread to Butler. Our man among boys TE turned FB Bruce Figgins has not carried a ball this year (BREAKING: THIS COULD CHANGE AGAINST NMST) and I don't think we've utilized the I formation as much as we should have. Yes I feel we're heading in the right direction but I just still don't know what to make of this team as of yet.

Muschump

Adding to the uncertainty of who this team is, our stable of RB's are now suspended for the next game. My mind immediately starts to worry that Crowell may be going down the Ricky Williams road. I pray I am wrong. Lets let the facts play out, certainly doesn't look good right now.