Good enough for NFL coaches, but not the alum in 143

The man led the Georgia Bulldogs to a losing season last year after stumbling to a very poor record the year before after losing three of the biggest four games on the schedule in 2008. The man is dumb. The offense is boring, but he is too loyal to fire Mike Bobo. He took WAY too long to get rid of Willie Martinez. He got lucky by snagging this recruiting class and only did so because his last two teams were so bad that he could tell these high school kids they could play right away. Now he’s about to face Boise State in the Georgia Dome, a game he’ll probably lose because he is overmatched as a coach.

Those, sadly, are the crazy thoughts by some of the fans that call in to radio shows, post messages on newspaper message boards and boo in the stands during yet another loss to Florida. A slow-simmering yet ever-growing portion of Bulldog Nation is fed up with Georgia head coach Mark Richt. They think he is past his prime, finished, donezo.

What are they missing?

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham certainly respected Mark Richt enough to leave the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, where he was a former defensive coordinator and certainly a candidate to get another gig after his work with DeMarcus Ware, to come work for Richt. Grantham took a three-year deal with a very steep buyout because he believed in what Richt was bringing to the table and the Georgia program.

Now a man very respected in the NFL coaching world and who comes from a fine coaching family has decided to leave the Washington Redskins after eleven seasons, having worked for seven different head coaches to come and work for Richt. Kirk Olivadotti decided to make the same trip to Athens that Grantham did one year ago, entering the college ranks from the pro game because he believed in Richt and his direction for the Georgia program. Two straight offseasons saw Richt go to the NFL coaching pool to draw in an assistant coach. Would a coach that is dumb or lucky or stupidly loyal be able to attract such professional talent to his on-the-way-down program?

The truth is Mark Richt is has a program that is about to bust back on track thanks to incredible defensive coaches and talent that is ready for primetime. You want to blast Richt for the losing season last year? Saban’s first Alabama squad lost six games (including one to Richt’s Bulldogs) while learning the 3-4. You want to blast Richt for losing at home to Kentucky in 2009? I guess now we know why Joe Cox was a Duke lean until Georgia got into his recruiting process. A good coach is going to have a rough year every now and then. Richt is a good coach: the NFL sure seems to think so. As a Georgia alum and fan, I’ll take the NFL circles over the tailgate circles any day.

Top 10 Most Talented Football Schools for 2012

Brian Jones of Score Atlanta fame provides a top ten list for every show of The Official Visit on 790 The Zone (Monday nights, 7-9pm) Here he breaks down the Top 10 Most Talented Football Schools in Georgia. Cohost Scott Janovitz weighs in with his thoughts on each school....

10) St. Pius: T.J. Holloman: 6-2, 202-pound LB with offers from Illinois and South Carolina; Geno Smith: 6-0, 165-pound CB with offers from Bama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, FSU, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Tennessee and USC among others. Trey White: 5-11, 183-pound QB;

9) Sandy Creek: Quinteze Williams: 6-4, 295-pound DT with offers from Auburn, Florida, FSU, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi and Tennessee; Will Adams: 6-7, 275-pound OT with interest from Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Mississippi State, Ole Miss. Mike Hilton: 5-10, 172-pound athlete with an offer from Cincinnati;

8) Peachtree Ridge: DiAndre Atwater: 5-9, 195-pound RB with interest from Florida, South Carolina and UCLA; Alex Jauregui: 6-7, 275-pound OT with offers from Illinois, interest from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami. Ray Buchanan Jr.: 5-10, 170-pound CB;

7) Jenkins County: Jonathan Taylor: 6-3, 307-pound DT with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, FSU, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, UNC, and Tennessee; James Deloach: 6-2, 242-pound DE with offers from Bama, Florida, FSU, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Tennessee;

6) McEachern: WR Amba Etta-Tawo (6-1, 172), offer from Illinois; Cameron Gamble: 5-10, 165-pound corner with interest from BC, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest; Darius English: 6-6, 210-pound DE with an offer from South Carolina;

5) North Hall: C.J. Curry, 6-2, 184-pound WR committed to Georgia; Imani Cross: 6-1, 215-pound RB committed to Tennessee; Kanler Coker: 6-4, 195-pound QB with interest from Georgia Tech, Georgia, Clemson and UCLA;

4) North Gwinnett: Jordan Washington: 6-2, 260-pound DT with an offer from Southern Miss.; Scotty Hosch: 6-3, 180-pound QB; Raahmil Brantley: 6-0, 200-pound athlete with interest from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech and LSU; Joe Jones: 5-11, 202-pound RB; Ethan Kilgore: 5-11, 205-pound RB. Tim Hill: 5-11, 170-pound S;

3) Buford: Ryan Dillard: 5-10, 165-pound CB with interest from Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, and Oregon; Vadal Alexander: 6-6, 310-pound OT with offers from everyone. Has particular interest in LSU, Alabama, USC and Oregon; Dillon Lee: 6-3, 220-pound LB with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida and FSU, to name a few. Right now Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama lead for Lee; Kurt Freitag: 6-4, 217-pound TE with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, FSU, Tech and South Carolina; Reid Ferguson: 6-2, 235-pound long snapper;

2) Carver, Columbus: Deion Bonner: 5-11, 169-pound S/CB with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, FSU, Georgia, and Tennessee; Artimas Samuel: 6-2, 205-pound WR with offers Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, and South Carolina; Derious Bennett: 6-1, 285-pound DT;

1) Stephenson: Raphael Kirby: 6-2, 218-pound LB with offers from Florida, Georgia, Miss. State, South Florida. Georgia/Florida battle; Jarontay Jones: 6-3, 234-pound LB with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, FSU, Georgia Tech, NO Georgia offer. Auburn and Florida lead; JaFar Mann: 6-3, 258-pound DT with offers from Auburn, Florida, Miami, South Carolina and Tennessee. Florida leads, he’s bitter Georgia didn’t offer earlier; Mike Davis: 5-11, 195-pound RB, committed to Florida; Joshua Parris: 6-3, 225-pound TE with offers from South Florida and Virginia; Carlos Hood: 6-4, 275-pound DT with offers from Auburn, Miami, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Southern Miss.

Also: Lassiter, Hillgrove, Brookwood, Colquitt County, Tucker…

Back from Mexico, still alive. TheFletch!

If you happened to turn your television on to Georgia Public Broadcasting last weekend, you might have caught three exciting hours worth of GHSA Traditional Wrestling championships Saturday night. For the first time ever, the GHSA wrestling championships hit the GPB airwaves and it was quite a success. Over the years, GPB has partnered with the GHSA to air football championships as well as basketball championship games but this was its first stab at wrestling. In addition to the three hours of live coverage on television, the event received broadcast via the internet on gpb.org/sports, and if you missed the championships you can watch the replay on gpb.org/sports or follow the link on gaprepnews.com. You may be seeing more wrestling in the years to come on GPB as Georgia Public Broadcasting and the GHSA have agreed to extend their partnership for another five years. For more information, check out a fantastic article about the extension on www.scoreatl.com or follow the link on gaprepnews.com.

High school wrestling was in the national news last week, not for the GHSA championships airing on GPB but for an Iowa sophomore defaulting because he did not want to face a girl in the first round. The 16-year-old boy was the fifth-ranked wrestler in the state in his weight class, but he chose to default rather than face her because “as a matter of conscience and my faith I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner.” That was Joel Northrup’s point of view on why he shouldn’t face a female, but for some reason ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly decided to take him to task for not wrestling, saying that religion should have nothing to do with wrestling this girl.
Reilly pointed out in an article for ESPN.com, “Body slams and takedowns and gouges in the eye and elbows in the ribs are exactly how to respect Cassy Herkelman. This is what she lives for. She can elevate herself, thanks.” Northrup and his father and coach decided to default the match and were not hiding behind religion. It was their decision and they went with it. It is a tough spot for both Northrup as well as the girl. Perhaps Iowa can do a better job next time of separating girls into their own sport/class/competition. It would likely be awkward for ANY boy to face a girl at that age and the IHSA (if there is one) should have thought about that in its state’s most popular sport. Wrestling is to Iowa what football is to Georgia. You’d think that Iowa would have planned this out and perhaps if Girls Wrestling was offered, more girls would enter into the tournaments.

There is a fine line between doing what it takes to gather a news story and becoming a part of the news story, and The Golf Channel’s Jim Gray apparently likes indulging in the latter. Last week Gray was sent home by TGC after he got into a shouting match with Dustin Johnson’s caddie following Gray’s discussion with Johnson during the four-time PGA Tour winner’s round at Riviera. Gray was following up on why Johnson was late but did so during the round, something that Johnson’s caddie Bobby Brown had a problem with. It was Brown’s prerogative to tell Gray in the scoring area that the freelance reporter should not have been conducting the line of questioning during Johnson’s round. The Golf Channel quickly pulled Gray from the event, the second time in less than seven months that TGC has sent Gray home from an event. At the PGA Championship Gray got into it with Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin over some information that Gray felt was on the record vs. not on the record about Tiger Woods’ inclusion on the US Roster. And how can we not forget Gray’s attack on Pete Rose before Game Two of the 1999 World Series here in Atlanta when Rose was being honored on the All Century Team. Pete Rose was a guy that had created a black cloud over his legacy as one of the greatest hitters of all time, but after Gray took daggers to him during the interview you actually felt bad for Rose. Chad Curtis refused to speak with Gray following a game-winning home run in Game Three of the Series following the Rose incident.

The real story though is that Gray once again couldn’t help but put himself in the story. He put himself in the story with the LeBron James’ Decision. He did it last week and he did it in Atlanta with Rose. Reporters should gather the news, not make it. On a local level, a certain radio personality has run into this before, especially when it comes to a former Braves reliever. 790 The Zone’s Steak Shapiro has been in the news before with run-ins with John Rocker at charity events and on the air during interviews. While the two might not like each other, the media “professional” should be the one that steps back and goes about his business the proper way and keeps his name out of the headlines. The Golf Channel was right on in benching Gray and it is surprising that he was given a second chance after last August. It will be interesting to see if Gray is given a shot at strike three.

Finally, earlier this week, rumors abounded over Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray after he was spotted on crutches around Athens. As it turns out Murray simply had a sprained ankle, sustained in a soccer game. One college football website went with a “team source” that said Murray had broken his ankle in two places but it was later confirmed in the AJC that is was merely a sprain. In this day of “we have to beat their twitter feed with our own blog,” false information gets tossed around far too much. You have to go with trusted sources, but sometimes, isn’t it better to get the correct story late opposed to the wrong story first?

Can You Believe He Said That
Should the Falcons pursue Bob Sanders? And my answer — and I stress this is just my answer — is no.
That was the AJC’s Mark Bradley and I’m not certain if I am coming down with something, but I AGREE. Bradley argued against the Falcons pursuing the former Colt standout because of his injury history and I could not agree more. Sanders isn’t what you need at this point in his career or at this point in William Moore’s career. Sanders would be a back-up in Atlanta and the Falcons already have two quality safeties. Let the Redskins overpay Sanders to watch him get injured…again. The Falcons don’t need him.

Drake breakes Georgia's heart, goes with Saban and the Tide

Mark Ingram won the 2009 Heisman Trophy and will likely be a first round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Trent Richardson is expected to step up as the starting tailback this season and will be the focal point of an Alabama attack that will begin the 2011 in the top five. Nick Saban has shown at Alabama that he knows his running backs and while he missed out on the top Georgia tailback on National Signing Day 2011, he will snag the top back from the Peach State on National Signing Day 2012. Just days before the current batch of seniors could ink letters of intent, Hillgrove junior running back Kenyan Drake pledged to be a member of the Crimson Tide signing class next year.

“It is really exciting to find you are a commodity (in the recruiting world),” said Drake in a recent interview on Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit. “It’s a good feeling to know your hard work paid off.”

Drake has been a commodity for some time now and he leads a bumper crop of the position Georgia is perhaps most known for: running back. Several of Georgia’s top tailbacks have already committed to colleges at the next level, but Drake got it all started earlier this year. He had plenty of options and had those options for quite a while. “It was really cool to get my first letter from UCLA as a freshman. It felt good to be noticed.”

Drake decided to pull the trigger on the Crimson Tide after visiting the campus three or four times, he says. “I saw myself living there for the next four of five years. I thought they could really develop me and prepare me for my goal.” His goal is of course the NFL, which he says is everyone’s goal that goes to a major program like Alabama.

The man that could help him get there is the Alabama head man Nick Saban. “He told my parents he liked my character,” Drake said about Saban. He says he first met Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart at Alabama’s Junior Day and they both told him they liked his versatility. As far as a position, his versatility will help him see the field as he could play running back, slot receiver or straight-up wide receiver. “They don’t want to limit how I can help.”

On Coaches Saban and Smart, Drake says he feels really comfortable under them. “I can talk to them about anything.” Because of his comfort with the coaching staff and his love of the campus in Tuscaloosa, Drake says that his commitment is a solid one. “I want to go to Alabama, so if nothing changes I will go to Alabama.”

Though it is now over, the recruiting process for Drake was easy he says because of some of his past Hillgrove teammates. Synjyn Days played quarterback two years ago for the Hawks, attracting college recruiters before ending up at Georgia Tech. It is Days who Drake credits for getting his Alabama offer. “(Days) is the reason I got recruited at all.” Days’ younger half-brother Jabari Hunt-Days brought out the recruiters last year as the linebacker excelled on the field despite his less-than-prototypical size. “Jabari is a special player,” gushed Drake and Hunt-Days will join his half-brother at Georgia Tech. Now it is Drake’s turn to “lead” Hillgrove as a senior and he will attempt to take the Hawks to new heights. “I’m going to model everything I do this year after those two. We have a great opportunity to get back (competing) for a championship.”

Before Drake steps onto the Tuscaloosa campus however he will be working hard on leading Hillgrove to a state title while also improving his own game. “I want to get in the weight room, especially if I want to play running back.” Drake also says he must become a better vocal leader in addition to just being a leader on the field. Once a member of the Tide, Drake says he wouldn’t mind if the coaches red-shirted him but if called upon, he’ll be ready in 2012. “If they want to play me, I can show my skills.”

Drake is versatile, whether it is running the ball, making blocks or catching swing passes, so expect Saban to use the back in some way to great success. He does after all have a track record of churning out top quality backs.

Top Ten GA seniors entering the GHSA BBall playoffs

Big B of Score Atlanta fame provided another top ten list for Score Atlanta's The Official Visit. Follow The Official Visit on Twitter @OfficialVisit or just listen Monday nights 7-9pm

10) Nick Marshall: 6-2, 185-pound SG out of Wilcox County (2B-A). Committed to Georgia. His 21-2 Patriots will be at home against 9-14 Brookstone;

9) †K.K. Simmons: 6-3, 190-pound SG out of Wheeler (5-AAAAA). Committed to North Carolina Wilmington. 19-5 Wheeler is at home against 18-9 North Gwinnett on Saturday;

8) Devon Provost: 6-3, 175-pound SF out of Miller Grove (6B-AAAA). No offers yet. 27-1, losing to Southwest DeKalb, 56-61, last Saturday. As a result, Miller Grove gets 19-8 Cedar Shoals at home on Friday;

7) Kevin Ware: 6-4, 167-pound SG out of Rockdale County (8B-AAAA). Committed to Tennessee. 22-5, riding a 10-game win streak. At home against 16-11 Chamblee, who just lost by 21 to Tucker;

6) Malcolm Brogdon: 6-5, 200-pound SG out of GAC (6A-AA). Committed to UVA. GAC, 23-5, rolled through the 6A-AA Region Tournament, defeating South Atlanta by 14 on Saturday. On a 10-game win streak, get a 12-14 Elbert County team;

5) Shannon Scott: 6-2, 175-pound PG out of Milton (6-AAAAA). Committed to Ohio State. 25-2 Milton gets 16-9 Central Gwinnett team at home;

4) Nick Jacobs: 6-8, 250-pound center out of South Atlanta (6B-AA). Committed to Alabama. 26-2 and was riding a 22-game win streak before losing 54-68 to GAC last Saturday. They get 20-8 Hart County on Saturday;

3) Dai-Jon Parker: 6-3, 170-pound SG out of Milton (6-AAAAA). Committed to Vanderbilt. 25-2, riding an 18-game win streak, Milton gets 16-9 Central Gwinnett team at home;

2) Julian Royal: 6-8, 225-pound PF out of Milton (6-AAAAA). Committed to GTech. 25-2, riding an 18-game win streak, Milton gets 16-9 Central Gwinnett team at home;

1) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 6-6, 185-pound SG out of Greenville (4B-A). 24-3, 19-game win streak, and will face 10-16 Bacon County at home in Round 1.

What to do with some many tight ends (hey now!)

College football fans across the country are constantly looking at their team's depth chart and fretting over playing time at certain positions, be it running back or wide receiver or even quarterback in some cases. Rarely do fans ever fret over the tight end position but that is exactly what Georgia fans are doing as winter drills will soon become spring practice. The Georgia Bulldogs already boast a boatload of talent at the TE spot with Orson Charles entering his junior season and returning standout Aron White returns for his final go in Athens. However the Bulldogs also list Arthur Lynch, a redshirt sophomore and Jay Rome on the depth chart and honestly, there are not enough balls to go around, especially to the tight end even in Mark Richt's offense that utilizes the position moreso than at other programs. White has shown that he can make the tough catches in traffic and Charles is truly a special player and a mismatch nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. Georgia fans may not remember much about Lynch from 2009, but he appeared in eleven games and snagged a pair of passes early in the season but mostly blocked during his in-game experience. He redshirted last season but comes ready to play once again at 6-5, 256. While he was mostly a blocker his first season between the hedges, Lynch showed in high school that he was plenty capable of hauling in the big catch and it shouldn't surprise fans to see him catching, turning and running for big yardage this season.

Now Jay Rome will be thrown into the mix, one would think. Rome was a big-time get for Mark Richt and his Dream Team recruiting class and while it might make sense for him to redshirt because there may not be the ideal amount of playing time available, he didn't come to Athens to sit on the bench. Having seen Rome play several times last season, it is clear to see that he is READY to be a tight end in the SEC right now. So many "tight ends" in high school are just slow wide receivers or tall offensive linemen, but Rome is the perfect blend of size and speed that he knows how to get open down the field and make some moves once he has the ball, but he can also block the way a tight end is supposed to block and does it correctly without holding or being out-shifted by athletic defensive ends. Rome is certainly capable of earning immediate playing time as he is a ready-made tight end.

So what does Mark Richt do? He might make Orson Charles a full-time H-Back as his current crop of fullbacks aren't exactly JT Wall or Shaun Chapas. If Richt wanted to drop into a bit of a shotgun with Isaiah Crowell and Charles split around Aaron Murray with Lynch blocking and Rome or White running patterns that certainly could fly. Or he could constantly use a two-tight end set as his wide receivers get their feet wet and try to replace AJ Green. One tight end could be Rome opposite Lynch or White opposite Charles while one blocks and the other goes out in a route. Richt has plenty of options and might we actually see a three-tight end set this year when PASS is the playcall?

Green has moved on to the NFL and no receiver on the roster seems capable of duplicating his production from last season. Maybe that is OK as there are four ready and willing tight ends ready to move the sticks for Mark Richt and company. As good as AJ Green was, he never took Georgia to great heights. Maybe these four tight ends can bring the glory back to Georgia. Some programs would kill for one of these tight ends. Georgia has four All-SEC caliber players at the TE position and it is a nice problem to have.

You guys were a bit premature

Before we get into anything negative, I want to say that I love Georgia basketball and the program and have ever since I donned my first Harrick's Hounds shirt (which I still wear once a week, much to the delight of my wife who has tried to throw the shirt away about 4 times). I followed the Dawgs through the high years of Harrick then through the lean years of Felton. I got excited in 2008 during the SEC tourney and didn't change my socks for four straight days. Too bad that just delayed Felton's firing for about 6 months.
Then I got excited again when Mark Fox really seemed to turn things around last year. They competed hard and showed how talented tehy could be with a legit coach. Thompkins and Leslie were actually living up to their potential. Price played well and Zac Swansey and Daniel Miller look like dopes. 2010-11 was supposed to be magical.

And it still might be.

But let's be real. Ealier this year in the AJC, a dope that will remain unnamed said this was the best Georgia team in 25 years (I am guess that he is trying to calculate how long it was since the Final Four team. GET AN ABACUS!) Then this last Wednesday night a fellow Georgia grad texted me to say what a shame it was that the best team in 20 years would likely go to the NIT.

Are you people SERIOUS? As much as I love Mark Fox (I hope he stays because he can build a winner here) and while I Love watching Leslie's highlight dunks, this team couldn't hold the jock of the 2002-03 squad that was pulled out of the SEC and NCAA tourney despite a top ten ranking because Jeremy Schaap tried to live up to his father's shadow by pretending to be an investigative journalist and killed the Georgia season. (Well Tony Cole helped too)
That squad had Jarvis Hayes as the superstar wing with Rashad Wright running point, Ezra Williams bombing threes, Chris Daniels at the 4 (able to bring the ball up to beat the press) and Steve Thomas in the post. Oh, you want to go to the bench? Jonas Hayes was your big with Damien Wilkins coming in for either Williams or Hayes or even Wright. Wehunt was the "sharpshooter" off the bench and Peavy was the token white guy big off the bench. Wayne Arnold and Tony Cole also got some reps before Cole became a douche. I think that team was No.6 in the country when Michael Adams pulled them out of the Dance. Oh, that's only a No.2 seed. Thanks. The team was a No.3 seed the season prior and that was without Wilkins.

This team is good but Dustin Ware is no Rashad Wright. Ezra Williams wasn't as athletic as Gerald Robinson Jr, but he was a much better shooter from 3 and the FT line. Leslie is VERY good, a future first round pick; Jarvis was a lottery pick. Thompkins is going to be in the lottery but he pouts too much when things don't go his way. Chris Daniels wasn't flashy but he tried hard every time down. While Jeremy Price might be my favorite current player, I've got a feeling that Steve Thomas would more than take him out of the game, draw fouls and get Barnes into the game.

As for the bench, Brantley is supposed to be the sharpshooter off the bench but I haven't been that impressed this season. I'm not saying Wehunt is Steve Kerr but I'd say they are about a wash.

The top back-ups would have to be Thornton and Williams for this squad and Hayes and Wilkins for the 03 squad. While I think Thornton and Williams will grow INTO huge contributors and eventual starters for Mark Fox, Wilkins in the NBA and Hayes was so great around the basket and Williams just isn't there yet. Thornton could have gotten some big time reps on that 03 squad, but I don't think Williams would have been ready.

With all due respect to the current team, the '03 team would beat them four games to one in a best-of-seven series. Perhaps Trey Thompkins would get hot for one game, but Hayes and company would easily cruise to a series win. The current Bulldogs just don't seem ready for primetime for whatever reason. I keep wanting them to step up and claim an NCAA spot but they nearly blew a 23-point lead to South Carolina, nearly lost to Auburn and then blew the 14-point second half lead to Vandy by not scoring a field goal over the last 8 minutes of the game Wednesday....at home. The '03 squad wouldn't have had that happen. They weren't as defensively sound as this Georgia team is but the 03 squad could fill it up.

I hope I am wrong and this Georgia team goes on a deep run in the SEC and makes a run to the Sweet 16 in the Big Dance. But at this point, unless Georgia finds a way to beat either bama, florida or tennessee (I am give the Dawgs LSU and South Carolina) they'll finish with an 8-8 record and it might take two wins in the SEC tourney to make the NCAA. You finish 8-8 and you are the SECEast 5, facing FLorida in the second round (I believe that's how it would be seeded. Don't quote me on that)
That is a tall task. I hope I'm wrong. I hope Trey stops pouting and Price stays out of foul trouble and Ware keeps knocking down threes and Robinson can find what he had to start the year. But I am a little disappointed.

I'll still root my butt off tomorrow though at Tennessee. Come on Fox. Let's go Baby!

TheFletch for ThisFriday

First it was football, then basketball. Now Georgia Public Broadcasting is bringing championship high school wrestling to the television airwaves. Georgia Public Broadcasting and the GHSA recently agreed to extend its partnership another five years, and GPB is always exploring ways to grow the GHSA brand. Televising the wrestling championships was a logical solution as wrestling had previously been webcast on the internet.

“This is another big step for us,’’ said I.J. Rosenberg, GPB’s Director of Sports to Score Atlanta in a recent piece found on www.scoreatl.com as well as http://gpb.org/sports. “We have been doing the football and basketball championships for years and are ready to start expanding into the other sports. Because of the large number of wrestlers from different high schools, this event touches every corner of the state and GPB’s network covers every corner of the state.”

The traditional wrestling championships can be seen Saturday, February 19 from 4-7 p.m. live from the Arena at Gwinnett Center. GPB Sports is teaming up with PlayON! Sports to produce the finals. Wrestling enthusiasts can also check out five-mat action on gpb.org/sports and ghsa.tv.

Speaking of Georgia Public Broadcasting’s postseason coverage, the high school basketball postseason has started and GPB has ramped up its play-by-play. GPB’s Two-For-Tuesday will become a Friday Frenzy the next two Fridays as first GPB will air a girls and a boys game this Friday from Mill Creek, the site of the Region 7-AAAAA tournament. Coverage will begin at 6:45 p.m. Next Friday, GPB is on the road again for the state playoffs, though the location is to be determined, obviously. When the brackets are officially revealed following the region action, check out gpb.org/sports or gaprepnews.com for the exact location and time of the game.

He is coming off a pretty rough 16 month stretch so the European Tour jumping all over Tiger Woods for spitting on the green was a bit much during last week’s tournament in Dubai. Ewan Murray of Britain’s Sky Sports who was announcing the golf tournament said of Woods’ spitting on the green, "(it was) one of the ugliest things you will ever see on a golf course." He went on to chastise Woods for doing it on a putting surface and wondering what subsequent golfers would do who had to putt right through the spit.

Well Ewan, I’m glad you asked. I realize this was a European Tour event BUT, according to the USGA (which I think we could also apply to the European Tour since they long to be the USGA), a loose impediment is "anything natural". According to a popular golfing website leaderboard.com, “A leaf, a twig, a pebble are all ‘loose impediments’ if they are not solidly embedded in the earth and are not otherwise fixed, which would make them ‘obstructions’ rather than ‘loose impediments.’” The site went on to say that “sand, soil and dirt are only considered to be loose impediments when they appear on the green.” I would think that spit, seeing as it is “natural,” could also be seen as a loose impediment, which CAN BE MOVED ON THE GREEN. As long as you don’t press the spit down into the ground, you can move it. Grab a tissue and wipe it up. OR JUST WAIT THIRTY SECONDS AND LET THE SPIT EVAPORATE. You are in Dubai.

680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino of course weighed in saying that the European Tour was right to fine Woods because golf, like tennis, is still a gentleman’s game and gentlemen don’t act that way. Huh? What? This is Tiger Woods who slams his clubs into the ground while dropping F-bombs and GD-grenades. Golfers routinely smoke during the round and I doubt they always fine the proper waste receptacle in which to toss their cigarette butts. Oh and tennis is a gentleman’s game? Really? Does Andy Roddick knock that? What about James Blake? Serena Williams was sure acting “lady-like” when she threatened a line judge with physical harm during the 2009 US Open Final. But I also realize that this is one of those cases where Laurentino tries to don the black hat to get folks riled up, but I repeat what I said a few weeks back: pick the right battles when you want to do this. If your stance is simply unbelievable, like it is here, we cannot take you seriously and you damage your credibility for when you want to do it again in the future on a REAL cause.

If you’ve listened to Sports Radio 790 The Zone recently, you’ll notice few commercial breaks and one less update break per hour as the station has gone to a new time clock, allowing the guys to talk a bit more during the segments. The one fewer segment per hour is fine because the other segment is now split up, giving Pollack & Bell or Barnhart & Durham more time to really get into a topic or an interview, which is better. The old clock seemed to shut off a topic prematurely sometimes when the co-hosts were right in the middle of the conversation. The other thing though that is different about 790 is the new approach to sports. It has started calling itself “the Other sports station,” calling itself “outspoken, irreverent, and fun.” The second half of the new motto is fine, but to call yourself “the OTHER sports station,” is perhaps degrading a bit. Maybe the Zone is trying the Conan O’Brien self-deprecating humor approach, but I think it is giving too much prestige and acknowledgement to 790’s rival 680. To me, saying you are the “OTHER” station, means that you are bowing down and ceding the No. 1 spot to The Fan while admitting you are just “the other guys.” Maybe that works in the movies where the underdog Little Giants eventually wins out over Ed O’Neill’s Cowboys, but I just think The Zone is selling itself short at this point.


Can You Believe He Said That
I will play [right away] and make a lot of plays. As soon as I step in there I will start, and I expect to make big plays." Jadeveon Clowney said that to Jamie Newberg right after committing to South Carolina. Those are pretty bold words from a high schooler that is rumored to be having enough academic problems that he may not step on campus for a year or two. While Clowney certainly has the potential to be a difference-maker, boldly declaring that you will dominate the SEC immediately is not wise for even a returning All-SEC fifth-year senior. We’ll see if he does play right away.

Tony Parker (Miller Grove junior center) interview recap

Tony Parker of Miller Grove, one of the nation's top junior prospects, joined Score Atlanta's The Official Visit this past Monday. Here is a bit of a rough recap of what he said. You can read full quotes from the piece by following Score Atlanta's The Official Visit on Twitter @OfficialVisit Do it!

Parker was asked what position we should credit him with as he plays center in high school and likely will at the next level but at 6'9 likely would be a 4 at the pro level, which he seems capable of doing. He said he wants to be called "A basketball player."

When asked about the 2011 season thus far as he is averaging over 20 points and 16+ rebounds per game, "We want to be more on our Ps and Qs come playoff time. In the postseason you have to play hard on every play." Miller Grove has won two straight state titles.

Parker was asked about the Wolverines' practices: "Practices are tougher than the games. Very, very intense." Miller Grove currently features two players on the Score 44 as well as two juniors (Parker included) that will be locks for next year. The second five could likely be ranked in the top 10. I've seen them play. They are that good.

On famous coaches such as Coach K, Donovan, Roy Williams, Fox, Hewitt, etc., coming to see him play: I know they're there but it's more about playing and winning. All about the game.

On the recruiting process thus far: It's been great. More schools are coming out (now that I'm a junior). You get used to it.

On the University of Georgia: They play really hard. They really involve their bigs. Mark Fox is doing a great job.

GT: They are a young team but I'm sure they'll pick it up.

Parker seemed really high on Duke and Coach K, noting the history of the bigs that have gone on to NBA success (Boozer and Shelden Williams are two players around Parker's size that played the post at Duke that transitioned to the four in the NBA)

On UNC, Tennessee, Memphis: "They mostly all say the same things, 'they play their bigs.'"

On the Gators: that is a really good program. Look at what Donovan has done for his big players in the pros.

Ohio State: you have to look at that school

On whether he has a top three: Nah, I'm open.

Factors that will influence his decision: style of play, coaching, academics

Timetable: "I'll wait until after this season to narrow down the schools."

He admitted that his parents WILL play a big role in his decision. "I wouldn't be here without them"

On the difference between AAU and high school basketball: AAU is more open while high school is more structure. And high school is more of a sense of urgency. If you lose you are done. In AAU, if you lose, you have another tournament the next week.

First year expectations: "I want to impact the program immediately and be ready to play. I can improve my all-around game. I can be a better complete player."

Parker was a very bright, well-spoken kid that has his head on straight. The success hasn't spoiled him and he could be a player immediately after his final season of high school next year. He has great teammates and great coaching at Miller Grove. The way he spoke so highly of Coach K and Duke leads me to think the Blue Devils have the early lead but don't discount any team that will pound the ball down to the bigs (Georgia.) With Trey Thompkins and Price and Barnes headed out after this year in Athens, Fox will be able to pitch Parker that he could be THE post his freshman year. It still might not be enough to keep him in state, but Parker is only a junior so we'll keep an eye on his process.

The WINNERS of the 5th Fletcher Globes

The envelope please..........

MOVIES

Drama/Action
The Social Network
Inception
The Town
Robin Hood
The Fighter
WINNER: Inception (cannot WAIT for Dark Knight Rises)

Comedy
Dinner With Schmucks
Get Him to the Greek
Piranha 3D
Eclipse (the acting in that movie was hilarious!)
Due Date
WINNER: Dinner with Schmucks (SBF loves Steve Carell)

Actor
Ben Affleck-The Town
Russell Crowe-Robin Hood
Leo Dicaprio-Inception
Rob Downey Jr-Iron Man2
Mark Walhberg-The Fighter
WINNER: Russell Crowe (I hope we get a sequel)

Actress
Mia Wasikowska-Alice In Wonderland
Olivia Wilde-Tron Legacy
Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Emma Stone – Easy A
WINNER: Olivia Wilde (we’ll never see the movie, but that chick is SMOKIN’!)


Supporting Actor
Jeremy Renner – The Town
Christian Bale – The Fighter
Jon Hamm – The Town
Tom Hardy – Inception
Andrew Garfield – The Social Network
WINNER: Christian Bale (Anytime you change your physical body with diet or whatever, you win)

Supporting Actress
Mila Kunis – Black Swan
Amy Adams – The Fighter
Blake Lively – The Town
Rebecca Hall – The Town
Cate Blanchett – Robin Hood
WINNER: Cate Blanchett (She is really good playing an English woman…)

Breakthrough Actor
Andrew Garfield – Social Network
Tom Hardy – Inception
WINNER: Tom Hardy (Don’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling)

Breakthru Actress
Bryce Dallas Howard – Eclipse
Mia Wasikowska – Alice in Wonderland
WINNER: No one. Wait, fine, Wasikowska


Writing
Inception
Social Network
Robin Hood
The Town
Piranha 3D
WINNER: The Social Network. (Duh Aaron Sorkin)

Director
Christopher Nolan – Inception
Ridley Scott – Robin Hood
Social Network – David Fincher
Ben Affleck – The Town
WINNER: Ridley Scott (loved Robin Hood. Soo good)

TELEVISION

Best Show-Comedy
The Office
Community
Glee
Parenthood
Parks and Rec
WINNER: The Office (Still good after all these years. Even better when Ricky Gervais takes over)

Best Show-Drama
Friday Night Lights
House
Justified
Mad Men
The Tudors
WINNER: The Tudors (Netflix it if you’ve never seen it. WOW)

Best Show-Reality
Jersey Shore
The Soup
Tosh.0
Cutthroat
Survivor
WINNER: Tosh.0 (Is Tosh.O reality?)

Actor-Comedy
Steve Carell, The Office
Joel McHale, Community
Matthew Morrison, Glee
Peter Krause – Parenthood
WINNER: Steve Carell (One final win for Michael Scott)

Actor-Drama
Hugh Laurie, House
Kyle Chandler, FNL
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors
Timothy Olyphant – Justified
WINNER: Timothy Olyphant (It is a pretty good show, folks)

Actor-reality
Kenny – Fresh Meat 2
Vinny – Jersey Shore
DJ Pauly D – Jersey Shore
Daniel Tosh – Tosh.0
Jud/Fabio – Survivor
WINNER: Daniel Tosh (Sorry Pauly. You did make the SBF HoF though)

Actress-comedy
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Jenna Fischer, The Office
Amy Poehler – Parks & Rec
Lea Michele, Glee
WINNER: Amy Poehler (Take that Tina!)

Actress-Drama
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer
Emily Deschanel – Bones
WINNER: Elisabeth Moss (Go Zoey!)

Actress-Reality
Holly – Survivor
Laurel – Cutthroat, Fresh Meat 2
Snooki – Jersey Shore
WINNER: Laurel (What career she is going to have!)

Supporting Actor-Comedy
Jim from The Office
Dwight from The Office
Dax Shepard from Parenthood
Chevy Chase from Community
WINNER: Dwight (A whole new level was reached this year by Dwight)

Supporting Actor-Drama
Henry Cavill, The Tudors
Scott Caan – Hawaii 5-0
Michael B. Jordan – FNL
WINNER: Michael B Jordan (No, not THAT MJ)

Supporting Actor-Reality
Wes – Fresh Meat 2
Chet – Cutthroat
Tyler – Cutthroat
The Situation – Jersey Shore
WINNER: The Situation (How sad for Sitch. He goes from lead dog to supporting….yeouch)

Supporting Actress-Drama
January Jones – Mad Men
Lisa Edlestein, House
Sarah Bolger – The Tudors
WINNER Lisa Edlestein. (Huddy finally happened!)

Supporting Actress-Comedy
Jane Lynch, Glee
Angela, The Office
Rashida Jones – Parks & Rec
Lauren Graham – Parenthood
WINNER: Jane Lynch

Supporting Actress-Reality
Paula – Fresh Meat 2/Cutthroat
J Woww – Jersey Shore
Jane – Survivor
WINNER: Paula. (Hey, she finally won SOMETHING!)

Breakthru Actor
H. Jon Benjamin - Archer

Series
Justified
Archer
Walking Dead
WINNER: Archer


Re-emergence Actor
CT- Cutthroat

Re-emergence actress
Joely Richardson – The Tudors

Re-emergence series
Bones

Writing
FNL
The Office
Parenthood
Outlaw
The Tudors
Mad Men
WINNER: The Tudors. (We will miss you Tudors!)

Lifetime achievement – Josh Schwartz. The man gave us The OC and Gossip Girl. He wins.

Big B's top ten for 2012

Brian Jones of Score Atlanta Fame provided his early early early look at the ten best prospects for 2012. The list will debut tonight on Score Atlanta's The Official Visit on Sports Radio 790 The Zone. 7-9pm tonight. TUNE IN!

10. Niles Clark (CB, Lassiter)- Had 65 tackles and four interceptions last season. He also plays basketball and runs track. Committed to N.C. State.

9. Deion Bonner (CB, Carver, Columbus) – Is the next line of great players from Carver. Offers range from Georgia, Auburn, Clemson and Tennessee.

8. Jason Croom (WR, Norcross) – Big target that should have a big year for the Blue Devils. Has gotten offers from Auburn, Illinois and Miss State.

7. Jordan Jenkins (DE, Harris County) – A great athlete that has speed and explosion. Has gotten offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Georgia.

6. Kenyan Drake (RB, Hillgrove) – Drake can carry the ball and catch the ball as well. Will be used in various ways in college. Alabama, Georgia and Purdue have made offers.

5. C.J. Curry (WR, North Hall) – A big receiver that will look to improve his route running this offseason. Is the first UGA commit.

4. Jonathan Taylor ( DT, Jenkins County) – Some have already pegged him as the best defensive tackle in the county. Has gotten offers from FSU, Georgia, Georgia Tech and LSU.

3. Dakota Ball (DT, Pepperell) – If Taylor is the best DT in the country, than Ball is not far behind. He is strong and athletic. Committed to Alabama and he can play either the nose or defensive end in the 3-4 scheme.

2. Greyson Lambert (QB, Wayne County) – Has a great arm and his vision is elite. Has to work on footwork and pocket presence. Alabama, Clemson and N.C. State have made offers.

1. Vadal Alexander (OT, Buford) – Size is great, footwork is great and explosion is great. Could be the best OT in the county when it’s all said and done. It looks like every school in the county has made an offer.

Figgins moves to very important position for Dawgs

As much attention as the quarterback gets at any and every program, and as important as the wide receivers and the offensive line can both be, one position seems to be overlooked at most programs across the country: fullback. With teams going to the shotgun spread-read option, the fullback seems to be going the way of the dinosaur and dodo bird. However under Mark Richt, the University of Georgia has always had a dominant lead blocker out of the backfield that has paved the way for Musa Smith, Danny Ware, Thomas Brown, Knowshon Moreno and the other tailbacks. And Richt has also shown in his time that he isn’t afraid to run the fullback around the goalline or even flip it to them over the top. Verron Haynes anyone?

The position has been locked up for seemingly the last eight years by Brannan Southerland and Shaun Chapas with a dash of Fred Munzenmaier tossed in over the last few seasons. Those guys are gone now though and the position is in a bit of transition, at least until recently when a certain Bulldog that has had some trouble in the past deciding to do what is right for the team and switching positions.

Bruce Figgins agreed to move to fullback for the Liberty Bowl and he apparently has decided to stick at the position with Chapas and Munzenmaier graduating. Figgins, a former tight end, came to Georgia with a lot of hype and had some success early on, catching a touchdown pass in his first game against Oklahoma State in 2007. Figgins missed the 2009 due to a suspension and injury but came back last year to haul in a TD pass against Georgia Tech in Georgia’s win over its in-state rival.

True Figgins likely looked at the now-stacked TE position and saw Aron White, Orson Charles, Arthur Lynch and newbie Jay Rome and thought, “Gosh, playing time might be scarce.” However, I choose to believe that Figgins decided to make the move for the good of the team. He will serve as lead blocker for Isaiah Crowell, Boo Malcolm and Carlton Thomas in 2011, and he might still catch a few passes if history repeats itself.

With all of the Ealey talk dominating the current Georgia discussions, it is nice to see a Dawg sacrifice for the team. Figgins is pitching in and let’s hope he starts a trend of giving it up for the Red and Black.

ALook at TheFletch 2/11/11

The lady with the Golden voice is getting a new gig and a new station. Former 790 The Zone personality Sandra Golden will be joining 680 The Fan’s morning show The Rude Awakening after a few years off since a long run at 790 The Zone. Golden, who up until recently was still heard on 790 The Zone promotions, commercials and some fill-in work, had a brief run at a daily sports show called The Sports Gig, which she co-hosted on CSS with 790’s Mike Bell. Golden was also featured frequently on CSS’s SportsNite as a reporter and co-anchor.

Honestly it will be nice to listen not just to a female voice in the Rude Awakening, but to a fresh voice on that show which had been getting stale with the addition of Leo Mazzone. Golden has experience with “the boys” as she was the only female in the boys club that used to be Mayhem in the AM on The Zone. Her laugh was distinctive but she also knows her sports. If Mazzone tries to run her over by dismissing her as just the female sideline reporter-type, he will be mistaken. Actually, I kind of hope they challenge her so she CAN flex her sports intellect.

Golden also continues a recent trend of 680 The Fan grabbing former 790 The Zone talent. Matt Chernoff “started” the recent ship-jumping to 680, followed by The King Chuck Oliver, Brandon “Hometeam” Leak, update man/producer Chadd Scott, fill-in host Brandon Adams and 3D Dennis Scott, who helps with the Hawks coverage.

National Signing Day 2011 was finally put to rest last Monday on Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit. Co-hosts Scott Janovitz and Fletcher Proctor broke down Georgia’s class and Georgia Tech’s class and fielded calls on both programs. The Official Visit is constantly changing and evolving as now listeners are calling in to seek information, something that had not been occurring in the past. The Official Visit is also expanding to the Twitter World with a brand new handle @OfficialVisit. The Twitter feed will provide updates on who will be appearing on the show, various recruiting updates and recaps of interviews.

Speaking of National Signing Day 2011, Brian Jones of Score Atlanta fame wrote up a tremendous recap which can be found on www.scoreatl.com, detailing the day/week that was in Georgia high school recruiting. A little less than one week after National Signing Day, nearly 750 football players had signed on to play at the next level. Score Atlanta, Georgia Public Broadcasting, which hosted two webcasts breaking down the recruiting season that was, and 790 The Zone all provided instant updates and analysis and should be lauded for their efforts.

The Super Bowl was played recently and the coverage was wall-to-wall as would be expected. A few interesting nuggets from the coverage, on a local level, involved the coverage of Aaron Rodgers. With his win in the game, some local personalities were ready to anoint him as one of the best ever. As much as one Super Bowl victory can improve a resume, I cannot say that this one title promotes him into the discussion for inclusion on the Quarterback Mount Rushmore. Sorry. While I personally believe that this title elevates him into the discussion for inclusion into the CURRENT quarterback Rushmore, his lone title hasn’t helped him surpass Elway or Brady or Manning or Marino or Favre. He hasn’t passed Montana, or Young, or Kelly or Bradshaw or Aikman yet. This isn’t to say that he won’t, but he hasn’t yet.

The win does though punch Rodgers’ ticket as the best young QB in the game, bar none. Atlanta fans sadly must agree with this statement as Rodgers actually went up against Falcons signal-caller Matt Ryan and outplayed him in the Georgia Dome. Ryan is a fine young quarterback, but he can only look at his 0-2 postseason record and then peek at Rodgers’ resume which now includes a ring and see that the bar has been raised. Don’t fret though Falcons fans, I’d still rank Matt Ryan in the top five quarterbacks under 30 years old. Philip Rivers has to be in the discussion as does Rodgers, but you must like Ryan ahead of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, St. Louis’ Sam Bradford and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco. While Sanchez and Flacco both have tasted some success in the postseason, I believe if given a choice, both of those franchises would gladly switch quarterbacks with Atlanta while I cannot see the Falcons willing to go through with a switch in a hypothetical swap. Rodgers lost a tough playoff game in the 2009-10 playoffs then went on to win the 2010-11 season’s Super Bowl. Perhaps Ryan will follow in Rodgers’ footsteps in 2011-12.

Other notes from the Super Bowl: Mayhem in the AM talking about how a handful of fans got jobbed (paraphrasing since I don’t want to write the word they used) out of the Super Bowl due to an overselling of seats. It was announced that these fans would be given deluxe tickets to next year’s Super Bowl and be allowed on the field and likely put up by the NFL in a hotel and allowed into parties. In my opinion, this was the best thing that could have ever happened to these people. Oh, you missed the Super Bowl. Big deal. You will be treated like a king/queen next season. It reminds me of when an airline oversells seats and the folks at the counter beg for a volunteer to take a later flight with a voucher for a free flight and a seat in first class. HECK YES you take that deal if your plans allow it. Oh, you have to sit in the airport for four more hours. Usually they let you go to the first class lounge and then you get to sit in first class on the next flight AND you get a free flight? No brainer. Same with these folks: they were going to sit in the nosebleed seats, but now they will be ON THE FIELD in 2012 with primo seats. The Mayhem crew relented a bit once it was announced what the “unlucky” fans would receive. I think they cleaned up.

ESPN.com ran a story on its front page recently declaring that Chipper Jones would be back for 2011. Thanks? I’ll take “things that were obvious six months ago” for $600 please Alex.

Can You Believe He Said That
Just a month ago things were looking pretty bleak, as the Dogs had turned in an excruciatingly bad bowl performance, whiffed on a couple of all star recruits and been dumped on verbally by a big-name football alum.
That was the AJC’s Georgia fan blogger Bill King. His statement brings up an interesting thought: I wonder how Frankly Fran Tarkenton is taking this recruiting class? The recruits and players don’t seem to agree with Tarkenton and his latest rant against Richt. I wonder if Frankly Fran will weigh in on Richt now. Ah, that’s right; he only surfaces to heap negativity. I would imagine we won’t hear from him until Georgia loses.

Little bit of new blood on Valentine's Day for UGA defense

With just a few days to go before Valentine’s Day, it may be a good time to look and see what the heart of the 2011 Georgia Bulldog football team will be. The common thought would be the quarterback Aaron Murray, but I will throw a curveball at you and say that the heart of the 2011 team will be the new faces on defense.
As good as Murray was last year as a freshman and as good as Mark Richt is hoping Isaiah Crowell will be, the team will only improve on its win total if the defense actually stops people this year. Three fresh faces in particular will be crucial if the defense is to improve on what happened last season. And interestingly enough, I don’t have incoming freshman Ray Drew among my three.
The first new face that will help Georgia get better is John Jenkins. The defensive line has already gotten better with Jenkins just agreeing to come to Athens as defensive coordinator Todd Grantham can go ahead and PEN (not pencil, but pen. Sharpie even) in Jenkins to the Nose spot and slide DeAngelo Tyson out to defensive end. Tyson was overmatched on the inside and with Jenkins on campus, Justin Anderson can move back to offense. At 6’4, 340 pounds, Jenkins should be the ideal space-eater that Cody was for Alabama for Nick Saban’s two straight trips to the Georgia Dome. Suddenly with a giant at the Nose, the linebackers should be able to fly to the ball carrier, needing to shed just a fullback instead of a big offensive lineman and that will help out everybody in the Red & Black.
One of those linebackers is our next new face: Jarvis Jones. The former Carver-Columbus (GA) standout starred at USC before an injury ended his Trojan career. After redshirting last season, Jones is chomping at the bit to get going in Athens. One has to think Jones will slide right in at the outside linebacker spot left open by Justin Houston’s leaving for the NFL. Jones was all-world coming out of high school and his time in Los Angeles was certainly special while he was on the field. He appeared to be the next great USC linebacker before Pete Carroll left and Jones suffered the neck injury. Now he’ll have a chance to get after the quarterback while also being able to drop into coverage better than Houston ever did last year in the same spot.
Richard Samuel is the last new face and while he isn’t new to the team, he IS new to the defensive side of the ball. In high school at Cass (GA) Samuel was known as “The Animal” for his aggressiveness as a linebacker, but Samuel chose to play tailback his first two years in Athens. Now after a redshirt year, Bulldog Nation will hope The Animal is back and manning one of the ILB spots beside Christian Robinson, back after starting at ILB in 2010.
The defense will be helped by Ogletree and Boykin returning in the secondary, but these three new faces will certainly be the heart of the defense. If these guys can find their footing early, the defense will turn around and Georgia’s record will be on the correct side of .500.

I have had enough of those commercials

Is anyone else getting sick of those PSAs about meth in Georgia?

One of the commercials talks about a girl that feels bad that she got her friend to do meth and her friend died because when she passed out, no one else at the meth party checked on her. Hey, instead of feeling guilty about getting your friend hooked, you remember that she has free will and CHOSE to do it. I mean, you are still an idiot for doing meth, but don't flatter yourself. Your loser (now dead, if the commercial's story was real, which I doubt it was) friend clearly wanted to do meth on her own. She killed herself. Not you.

Another one of the commercials talks about a guy that was walking in the woods with his brother and the two were doing meth. The (high on meth) brother says something and the speaker picks up a big stick and beats him with it. The speaker says he "messed up" his brother "pretty bad." Now his family won't speak to him. My question is this: is the family speaking to the brother, who is ALSO a meth junkie? How hypocritical is THAT? Also, I want to know what smart-ass remark your brother made to set you off enough to pick up a big stick and beat him down. If he was running his mouth, maybe he had it coming, just saying.

Bottom line: these commercials just aren't working for anything other than to make me roll my eyes when they come on. If you are on meth, you won't stop after hearing these ads. If you are thinking about doing meth, these commericals won't sway you. They are good to make fun of folks from Gainesville or where-ever they pretend to be from and that is IT.

So was anyone ELSE freaking out last night?

UNC/Duke

One of the best, if not THE best rivalries in all of sports. Certainly the best in college basketball.

I was PUMPED to watch it in ESPNHD........only it wasn't on ESPN HD here in the greater Atlanta area.

Nope, it was bumped to My ATL. Yeah, My ATL apparently has ONE HD camera but the HD was awful. Like someone bleached out the picture.

So instead of ESPN's excellent coverage (true I would have had to mute Vitale), I get My ATL.

what a letdown. Oh well.....

The nominees for the 5th annual Fletcher Globes

Ahh it is that time of year again: awards season. You can have the Golden Globes, the Oscars, the Grammys even the Tonys (wait, who watches that besides Hugh Jackman?). THESE are the REAL awards, aka awards given to movies/television shows that people have ACTUALLY seen. Hurt Locker last year? Really? The King's Speech this year? Has that even been in theaters?

With no further ado.....

MOVIES

Drama/Action
The Social Network
Inception
The Town
Robin Hood
The Fighter

Comedy
Dinner With Schmucks
Get Him to the Greek
Piranha 3D
Eclipse (the acting in that movie was hilarious!)
Due Date

Actor
Ben Affleck-The Town
Russell Crowe-Robin Hood
Leo Dicaprio-Inception
Rob Downey Jr-Iron Man2
Mark Walhberg-The Fighter

Actress
Mia Wasikowska-Alice In Wonderland
Olivia Wilde-Tron Legacy

AHHHHHHHHH! An error occurred when I tried to post. It wiped out about an hour's worth of work
Oh well. I will post the winners Tuesday. You don't get to see the noms, just the winners. Sorry but I am NOT typing that again.

KANE!!!!!!! Whitehurst heads to Arkie Sooie!

If one were to just look at Kane Whitehurst standing to receive a kick off, one might simply think, “gosh, at 5’11 he isn’t impressively tall, he’ll probably be taken down fairly quickly by the coverage team.”

One would be wrong.

Whitehurst, cousin of Seahawks quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, showed not just on kick returns but also punt returns and as a slot receiver that he was one of the fastest football players in a loaded state of Georgia last season. The Chattahoochee standout returned five kicks/punts for scores in 2010 and recently signed with Arkansas to play for Bobby Petrino in the SEC. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the Arkansas Razorbacks and have a chance to compete at a high level,” said Whitehurst of his decision to go with the Hogs.

Whitehurst, who recently joined Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit, transferred to Chattahoochee for his senior season after playing for Northview in 2009, as a quarterback. Upon arriving at his new school and seeing Timmy Byerly entrenched at the signal-caller position, Whitehurst decided to take his athleticism and help the team anyway he could. “(Byerly) is the best player I’ve ever been on the field with,” said Whitehurst about his teammate. “I have seen anyone throw the ball better. He’s a winner.” Whitehurst simply moved outside to play receiver where he excelled, leading his coach Terry Crowder to then call him the fastest player he ever coached.

Now Whitehurst will play a similar role for Petrino that he did his senior season: return man and slot receiver. “Returning punts and kicks (at Arkansas) is something to I want to do if the opportunity presents itself.” But Petrino will certainly be able to harness Whitehurst’s speed in his blazing quick offense. “(Arkansas) was a great fit offensively as a wide receiver and I love Fayetteville,” said Whitehurst on his decision to head to the SEC West.

How Whitehurst even appeared on the Razorbacks’ radar is an interesting story that certainly could be brought up on future SEC broadcasts. Petrino was visiting Chattahoochee High School to see defensive tackle Barron Dixon (who signed with Vanderbilt) and the Chattahoochee coaches told Petrino to stick around to watch Whitehurst. Petrino was so impressed he offered and Whitehurst accepted a few days later. Now Petrino will be like a kid in a candy store with a toy on Christmas Eve, Whitehurst offers so many options.

Will the 5’11 Whitehurst see time immediately however? If it were up to Whitehurst, probably not. “A redshirt would be good to put on some weight and have four years after that.” He trusts the Arkansas coaches though, saying that he wants to go in and compete and if the coaches then feel he is ready to go, he’ll go. “I don’t know about the level jump; no one does until you get there.”

With his speed, Whitehurst can contribute in the return game early and as a receiver later on and he feels his work ethic will ultimately lead him to success in Fayetteville. “I am someone that will work hard. Hopefully I will make some plays for Hog Nation. Woo Pig Sooie!” He was fast in learning the cheer. Arkansas fans hope he learns the offense that quickly.

Current Dawgs could learn a thing or two from Ward

Hopefully the Georgia Bulldogs were watching the Super Bowl last night for a little inspiration. If the current Dawgs were viewing the big game, they likely would have seen the former Dawg Hines Ward make play after selfless play en route to a solid game. Ward had seven catches for Pittsburgh, totaling 78 yards and one touchdown in a Steelers’ loss to the Packers. The thirteen-year vet though showed up so much bigger than those numbers. He was on the sidelines getting the crowd into it when the defense was out on the field trying to stop the Packers. He was blocking down field when the Steelers running game was trying to get cranked up. He was doing what he always does: being the most selfless receiver in the game. In a league where 95% of the wide receivers are prima donnas and uber-divas, it is nice to see a receiver willing to block on one play and then go across the middle on the next play, whatever the team needs.

In 1994, Ward came to Athens as the No. 1 overall recruit in the country and the Forest Park (GA) QB could have pitched a fit for playing time, but instead he moved positions to catch passes from Eric Zeier. Ward was moved all over the field in his time in Athens, playing a dash of QB, a pinch of running back, but mostly wide out as he just wanted to be on the field, helping his team.

Hopefully the current crew of Bulldogs will watch Ward and emulate him to the best of their abilities. (And I don’t just mean the receivers.) Hopefully Isaiah Crowell will want to block as well as run with the ball to help out his QB. Hopefully Aaron Murray will be willing to continue to sacrifice obscene passing numbers in exchange for more wins. Hopefully the defense will play within the system and not just try and go out and get “their” numbers.

If this team, and the incoming freshmen in particular, follow the way Ward plays the game, the Georgia Bulldogs’ troubles will be gone before long and this TEAM will challenge for the SEC East title.

LastWeek's TheFletch

Super Bowl week is here and with it comes all of the hoopla and, in most cases, garbage stories from the Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington area. Hey, did you guys know that the Steelers are trying for a seventh Super Bowl title? Hey, Ben Roethlisberger is trying for his third title, which would tie him with Brady! Oh, Aaron Rodgers is so hot right now! Green Bay and Pittsburgh are two traditional football cities with loyal fanbases! Guys, we get the generic storylines. Is it too much for us to ask the reporters to dig a little deeper out there? I realize something like 5000 media credentials have been handed out, so you’d think that there could be something like 5000 angles out there, but sadly we’ll get mostly the stories I just typed up above. Instead of the same inane drivel that ESPN, CNNSI and FOX will shove down our throats, how about we hear something new and/or real coming from Super Bowl coverage? Please?

Speaking over Super Bowl coverage, I thought John Kincade from 680 The Fan’s Buck & Kincade had a fine point on Roethlisberger’s refusal to address his suspension from earlier this season. (I refuse to call him “Big Ben” or just “Ben” like lazy play-by-play announcers will do. He isn’t a clock.) Kincade suggested that he have started out the week with a prepared statement to satisfy the folks looking for the real story, apologizing to the Steelers owners while also acknowledging the suspension and how bad he feels before then saying that he won’t take questions. You don’t want to take questions, enh fine. But you have to at least acknowledge that the suspension happened. Talk about how proud you were of the team and your backup quarterbacks or the offensive coordinator or even the defense for covering for you. Show some humility. Show some remorse. Show something other than, “Nah, I’m not going to talk about that. I don’t feel like it. I’m Big Ben!”

While we are on the topic of Roethlisberger and how much I liked Kincade’s approach for the Steelers signal-caller, I will just shake my head at 680’s Perry Laurentino. I realize that the Rude Awakening co-host was strictly taking his stance on Roethlisberger to draw a reaction, but I think his attempt flat-lined. Under the guise of “I’m a fan,” Laurentino was going over the top in the “he was never charged with anything!” routine, realizing that we the listeners would be “FURIOUS!” with him over it. Here’s the thing though: the bit didn’t play out for me. I realized he was faking it. No one would be willing to put their head in the sand in a situation like that, even if he is trying to make a point to the listeners about how ridiculous they sound when they do something similar (cough-Michael Vick-cough). The thing is though, we as listeners remember two months ago when you were ripping Auburn quarterback Cam Newton despite the lack of proof and were mocking the Auburn supporters that would call up and say, “yeah his dad is doing it, but he isn’t.” That is why I just don’t buy his, “Roethlisberger was never charged so the suspension was preposterous,” talk. Sorry man. Wait a bit longer for the memory of your past rants to fade away before you take the opposite stance.

On Score Atlanta Sports Sunday last week we had a listener call up and boldly proclaim that he was rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers because he couldn’t wait for history to be made. I asked him what history and he admitted that he was looking forward to Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, becoming the first black head coach to win two Super Bowl titles. I thanked the caller, Mel from Southwest Atlanta by the way, and then asked my co-host and fellow Score Atlanta writer Brian Jones how big of a deal this was for him. By no means was I trying to take away from Tomlin’s accomplishments as a black coach, but it was my opinion that if we simply celebrate what Tomlin is accomplishing as a “black coach,” we are selling him short. I asked Brian, shouldn’t we instead celebrate that he’d be the first coach with two before the age of 40? Why should we have to look at Tomlin’s success as the success of a black coach? I choose to look at Tomlin’s accomplishments as the success of a darn fine coach. If he claims a second title, he is suddenly in the elite range and skin color shouldn’t matter; just the number of titles. I don’t think I am out of line on this one. I wish we could look at Tomlin should he win the Super Bowl and just see a coach. Even if he loses, PS, he is still a coach with a Lombardi Trophy, which is more than most of the league’s coaches can say.

I was riding in my car the other day, listening to 680 The Fan’s Rude Awakening and during an interview it finally hit me: co-host Leo Mazzone is a human See-n-Say. While Rude and Laurentino were peppering the guest with questions, every now and then you’d hear a “Mmmmmmmmmm,” or an “Nnnnnnnnnnnnn,” or an “Ahhhhh,” or “Ooooooooooooooooh,” from Leo. In other segments, Leo will repeat what Rude says, kind of like how a toddler does after the See-n-Say squawks, “the cow says, ‘moooo.’” Both major Atlanta sports radio stations dipped into the amateur ranks several years back, acquiring a big name with minimal on-air experience but only one situation has really worked out. While Mazzone pulls the See-n-Say routine during interviews on 680, 790 The Zone’s David Pollack has grown from timid speaker to opinionated and competent personality. Pollack certainly knows his football but he can also go on about tennis, basketball and some baseball. His time with ESPN has seemed to help his confidence, and he is now more than just a serviceable sidekick for co-host Mike Bell. Mazzone meanwhile still has miles to go before he can be more than just a local name drawing listeners during baseball season.


Can You Believe He Said That
As he showed during BCS coverage, his ability to communicate the strategic aspects of the game and his incredible track record for success will serve college football fans everywhere.”
That was ESPN executive Norby Williamson when announcing that Urban Meyer will be joining ESPN as an analyst for the upcoming football season. I watched Meyer during the BCS coverage. A bit dry. But perhaps he’ll loosen up a bit as he gets more comfortable on camera. It took Lou Holtz a while. And just maybe we’ll get to see Meyer hand out “Oscars” for his player of the day or something. What am I saying? Urban will never let ESPN get that cheesy with him.

SBF NFL first round draft 2.0. Feel free to mock

SportsbyFletch, in its neverending quest to entertain you in a sports-related way, is breaking out its second stab at the first round of the upcoming NFL draft. In case you missed the mock 1.0, here is a link to picks 1-10 and here is a link to picks 11-20 Funny thing about the first mock was that I only did the first 20 picks (excluded all of the playoff teams and about 30 minutes after I posted the blog, Andrew Luck decided he'd stick around Stanford for another year. Hey Andy, don't you remember that Ben went WITH Felicity to Stanford for grad school/med school? Come on Man!

Here we go with version 2.0

1) Carolina. Nick Fairley, Auburn DT. I had the Panthers taking Andrew Luck and Fairley not going until No.8 to Tennessee, but after watching the BCS title game and with Luck sticking around, you have to LOVE Fairley going to play for new defensive-minded HC Ron Rivera.

2) Denver. Patrick Peterson, LSU CB. New coach John Fox (formerly of Carolina) would prolly LOVE to have Da'Quan Bowers, whom I had the Broncos taking, but should Champ Bailey leave, Pat Peterson would be perfect to replace him, plus return kicks/punts and maybe play a bit of offense with Ta-BOW.

3) Buffalo. Marcell Dareus, DL Bama. I had Locker going here, but no mas. You would also assume Bowers, but I like Dareus going here. He is Saban-bred so that gives him the SLIGHT nod over Bowers.

4) Cincy. AJ Green, WR Georgia. Carson (if he's still there. HA) needs a weapon now that Ochocinco is just a Johnson again. (and likely gone). Green will be the next Georgia player to suit up for the Bengals, let's just hope he doesn't end up with a broken neck or a DUI.

5) Arizona. Da'Quan Bowers. Ryan Mallet was here but how do you turn down what could be the best defensive player in the draft NOT named Fairley? DCor Dick LeBeau and Co will love this guy running free in the desert. (See what I did with LeBeau there?)

6) Cleveland. Von Miller, OLB TAMU. Mangenius would have loved this guy. The new coach will too.

7) San Fran. Blaine Gabbert, QB Mizzou. Harbaugh worked wonders for Luck. He does it again with this fine specimen of a QB that has the size but not really the track record. I did have San Fran taking Cam Jordan, but you can't when your QB is Alex Smith.

8) Tennessee. Ryan Mallett, QB Arkie. You really think Kerry Collins is coming back? Nope.

9) Dallas. Prince Amukamara, CB Nebraska. Because Mike Jenkins isn't good.

10) Washington. Julio Jones, WR Bama. I REALLY don't want Snyder to take Cam Newton (look how well the LAST QB you took from an undefeated Auburn team went...) but it is WAY too early for Locker. Time to get Santana Moss some help (or a replacement)

11) Houston. Robert Quinn, DE UNC. I am keeping the pick the same. Nice bookend for Super Mario.

12) Minny. Adrian Clayborn, DE Iowa. Jared Allen with some help....that shudder you just felt was from Cutler, Stafford and Rodgers.

13) Detroit. Anthony Castonzo, OT BC. Did you see who Minny just took? Gotta keep Stafford upright!

14) St. Louis. Brandon Harris, CB Miami. While Bradford is SCREAMING for a playmaker at WR, the Rams need defensive secondary help.

15) Miami. Mike Pouncey, OG Florida. His brother did so well in Pitt, you get the feeling that a team will take him just for the bloodlines.

16) Jacksonville. Cam Jordan, DE Cal. They CURSE Miami for taking Pouncey. Then they go BACK out to Berkley for another d-lineman.

17) New England. Ryan Kerrigan, DE Purdue. Kept the pick the same from last time.

18) San Diego. Akeem Ayers, OLB UCLA. Larry English...our bad. Sporting News, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

19) NY Giants. Corey Liuget, DT Illi. Can you EVER have enough dlinemen if you are the Giants?

20) Tampa Bay. Tyron Smith, OT USC. Time to start protecting Josh Freeman

21) KC. Aaron Williams, CB Texas. OLine might not be a bad idea either but you have to think CB here.

22) Indy. Derek Sherrod, OT Miss State. Peyton can turn any schlub into a Pro Bowl WR. But he needs someone healthy to block for him.

23) Philly. Justin Houston, OLB Georgia. The next blitz-crazy LB to throw in that Jim Johnson scheme that Philly still trots out to honor its old D-Cor

24) New Orleans. Mark Ingram, RB Bama. It makes NOT picking up Bush's option swallowable. And this way De'Shaw Wynn never has to play again.

25) Seattle. Torrey Smith, WR Maryland. Wouldn't you like a weapon for Chaz Whitehurst?

26) Baltimore. Aldon Smith, OLB Mizzou. It is never too early to think about life Post-52.

27) Atlanta. Cam Heyward, DE Ohio State. TRADE THE PICK! But those are against my rules. This guy would be GREAT to have opposite 55 and to eventually take over.

28) New England. Gabe Carimi, OT Wisconsin. Don't you EVER hold out again Logan.

29) Chicago. Stephen Paea, DT Oregon State. He makes everyone on that defense better.

30) New York Jets. JJ Watt, DE Wisco. You think Rex Ryan ISN'T going defense?

31) Pitt (I am taking GB in the Super Bowl). Jimmy Smith, CB Colorado. The safetys are really good for the Steelers. The CBs....not so much.

32) Green Bay. Nate Solder, OT Colorado. You've got to look to the future sometimes.

Missing: Mikel LeShoure (RB Illinois) Cam Newton (QB Auburn) among others....
Carolina will PRAY that Newton drops to them. Meanwhile Buffalo and Cincy wouldn't mind a run at LeShoure.

Let's get excited...in two years

OK Bulldog Nation, we picked up several big time commitments Wednesday, with another possible name coming on Saturday. It isn’t time to start sitting back and saying Georgia is back. National Signing Day was great, but it was only signaling the start of the road back. National Signing Day could have been a LOT worse considering the year Mark Richt turned in last season, but he was able to rebound and bring in quite the haul. Good. Here is the thing though: with the exception of a talented few, most of the 2011 class won’t have an impact until two or three years from now.

Richt must now head back to the practice fields and weight room to continue to monitor the progress of the folks already on campus. To paraphrase and borrow from Jerry McGuire, recruits are a lot like popcorn in the pan. Some pop and some don’t. The success (or not) of the 2011 season will largely depend on folks already on campus. The defense will get a boost from Ray Drew at Justin Houston’s outside linebacker spot, but he shouldn’t be penned in as the starter. I do believe he’ll make an impact in year one, as he is too talented not to, but I imagine his success will be in short bursts. The real new impact players on defense will be the two new linebackers Richard Samuel and Jarvis Jones. Brandon Boykin’s return was huge as his presence at corner will be one less issue for defensive coordinator. And unless John Jenkins signs with Georgia on Saturday, the nose position is still under construction in Athens.

On offense, Crowell will have every opportunity to start against Boise State, but the offense will still likely flow through Aaron Murray, as it should. The quarterback proved just how good he is and could be last year as a redshirt freshman. The two receivers inked on National Signing Day were nice. Hey boys, come in and replace AJ Green, Kris Durham and Logan Gray. No pressure. The offensive line picked up six new players but, oh yeah, most of them are looking at redshirts in order to mature into their bodies. The current redshirts and sophomores from two years ago will be counted on to make a big impact in 2011, not so much Xzavier Ward and Zach DeBell, as much as Georgia fans will be yearning for them.

National Signing Day was a great day to be a Georgia Bulldog and the 2011 haul could be one of the best ever for Georgia by the end of the month. However the newbies will need time to mature. Richt might not have that much time if he struggles for a third (fourth in some folks’ mind) straight season. His task is not only coaching these players up but getting the already-Bulldogs in gear for the 2011 season. No rest is allowed but hopefully a great Wednesday leads to a great rest of the year.