We have heard a bunch so far this off-season about new leaders stepping up on the defense after last year’s cancerous “leaders” who were me-first guys. Linebacker Christian Robinson seems to have taken on the most vocal “leader” role, which is fine as he started last year, but I guess I have to ask one simple question: what took so long?
If last season really was so leaderless and me-first, why didn’t Robinson set up one calendar year ago? I would disagree with anyone that said, “oh he was too young last year and there were pre-established leaders already in place.”
B.S. Last year was the first year that Georgia was in Todd Grantham’s new 3-4 defense, which means EVERYONE was in essence a rookie/freshman. Nearly the entire defensive coaching staff was brand new to Georgia so the entire team had a chance to make an impression on the staff. Fifth-year seniors and true freshmen were all learning the brand new system. In fact, younger players probably had an advantage in they weren’t trying to forget one system before moving to the new one. The younger players also were being loyal to the previous staff that was let go before the Independence Bowl following the 2009 season. Robinson stepped up and into the starting lineup, so he would have been perfect to be a leader last year. He didn’t need to defer to older players such as Justin Houston, who left with one year of eligibility left to enter the NFL draft.
It seems like now the defense is playing better as various outlets run stories about Richt saying the defense is more comfortable with the scheme. Other outlets have run quotes from players saying the defense is improving thanks to the change in the strength and conditioning program. And now we hear from Robinson that the team has new leaders in place that are team-first and not me-first. This is good news considering the past three seasons have been disappointing to say the least. New leadership? Cool. Something needed to change. The Bulldog Nation hopes these leaders can bring back a bit of the glory from not so long ago (2002, 2005, 2007) and from several decades ago (1980)….
Monday, March 28, 2011
TheFletch a LittleLate
For some last week was the greatest sports weekend of the year as college basketball’s playoff system kicked off its championship tournament, rendering the previous four months of basketball as meaningless. Seriously, Pittsburgh was good enough all season long in the RUGGED Big East to nab a No. 1 seed but was beaten on a fluky final seven seconds and sent back to the land of Roethlisberger to wish they had been good during the only three weeks of the season that matter.
Both local sports radio stations were knee deep in tournament coverage, with 680 The Fan fanning out at Tilted Kilts across Atlanta while 790 The Zone set up camp at its usual spot: The Cheetah. Different stations, different approaches, and one eye-rolling broadcast decision that was repeated from years past. Radio personalities have characters they play, whether it is the party-guy, the funny-guy, the black-hat, the local-homer, or the religious-guy. Last Thursday Pollack & Bell did a split broadcast with point man Mike Bell broadcasting live from The Cheetah while David Pollack was back in a “sin-free environment” as Bell called it back at The Zone headquarters. I am sorry, but this split-broadcast is a bit tired. The first year it was funny. The second year it was an “oh, yeah, he did that last year,” thing. This year? Really? You cannot sit on a broadcast stage and do your job while loud music is played and folks watch basketball…and strippers strip? Just go and do your job. Be out among your listeners and be a professional. You aren’t a huge fan of strip clubs? That’s cool, but you still should take part in your employer’s broadcast. Take one for the team.
All season long I kept hear about how great the Big East Conference is in basketball. They are SOOOO good. They got 11 teams into the Big Dance. Notre Dame COULD have been a No. 1 seed! Syracuse could take out UNC and Ohio State! Pitt’s Jamie Dixon is the best coach never to have won the big one! Blah blah blah to quote Ke$ha. I realize that we should look at the regular season, but in college basketball, don’t you HAVE to look at the tournament for ultimate success? I actually watched some of the Big East regular season this year and simply thought, “Is this it?” It was tight defense, but nothing was outstanding about the brand of basketball. I shuddered to myself and thought, “Is this what non-SEC football fans think when they tune to CBS on a Saturday afternoon and see LSU/Alabama?” I can’t be. You can SEE how good the SEC is both when the teams play each other AND when they go outside the conference and play in BCS bowl games. The SEC has won the last five BCS national titles. The last Big East school to win the Big Dance was UConn in 2004. I am sorry but I cannot really say that the Big East is the best because of its rugged play. No, it has 16 teams. If you add four more schools to the Big Ten, then I bet you’d hear that the Big Ten (or in that case the Big 16) is just as good as the Big East in basketball.
I ran across an interesting sentence in Sports Illustrated last week when I was reading an article about the Kansas City Royals. The piece took place in the future and was a “look back” at 2011 when the Royals were bad. The article was clearly meant to trumpet the arrival of the young Royals prospects, but the one line in question was “back when President Jeter was still the shortstop for the Yankees.” I wondered to myself if that was even possible. Could a modern-day athlete go on to hold the office of the President of the United States? We have seen throughout the last few decades that some athletes have gone on to seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. Heath Shuler, the former Tennessee Volunteer QB and first round Washington Redskins draft pick is currently a Congressman from North Carolina. J.C. Watts was a long-time Congressman after leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a national title. Tom Osborne, the former Nebraska head coach and current AD took a break in between each gig to serve in the House for six years. Bill Bradley served in the Senate for three terms. But it seems the Senate and the House might be the cap as far as former athletes go. The highest a “real” athlete has ever gotten was perhaps when Congressman Jack Kemp was named to Bob Dole’s ticket as a VP candidate. He of course did not win.
Could any current athletes really have a chance at becoming the President of the United States? You don’t need to go back that far into the history books to discover the chapter where Minnesota elected a WRESTLER as its governor. If Tom Brady or Peyton Manning wanted to run for office, wouldn’t each receive some serious numbers? America seems to love Phil Mickelson.
I doubt any local athletes have a chance right now. Matt Ryan is too young and Jason Heyward may get there one day but he isn’t there just yet. Could any local coaches/players run for a Georgia office though? Vince Dooley it was rumored considered a Congressional run. I remember a time when Mark Richt could have run for governor of Georgia and won. Right now he is just hoping he won’t be impeached next off-season. I doubt Mark Fox could get much traction after just two seasons and Tech football coach Paul Johnson probably could have run 365 days ago but not right now after losing to Georgia yet again and finishing sub-.500. Bobby Cox, Hank Aaron and Herschel Walker would probably be the most likely candidates to win a state-wide election of some sort. Crazy things have happened at the polls; we may in fact see President Jeter before all is said and done.
Can You Believe He Said That
“I feel bad for (Bruce) Pearl.” That was 680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino the morning after the Tennessee men’s basketball coach got the ax. Really? You seriously feel bad for the guy that could have saved himself by simply telling the truth, yet brought all of this upon himself for lying to the NCAA? He saw what happened to other folks that lied. And after he lied, he violated more rules. If you want to feel bad for someone, feel bad for the players, but don’t feel bad for the guy that lied and got himself fired.
Both local sports radio stations were knee deep in tournament coverage, with 680 The Fan fanning out at Tilted Kilts across Atlanta while 790 The Zone set up camp at its usual spot: The Cheetah. Different stations, different approaches, and one eye-rolling broadcast decision that was repeated from years past. Radio personalities have characters they play, whether it is the party-guy, the funny-guy, the black-hat, the local-homer, or the religious-guy. Last Thursday Pollack & Bell did a split broadcast with point man Mike Bell broadcasting live from The Cheetah while David Pollack was back in a “sin-free environment” as Bell called it back at The Zone headquarters. I am sorry, but this split-broadcast is a bit tired. The first year it was funny. The second year it was an “oh, yeah, he did that last year,” thing. This year? Really? You cannot sit on a broadcast stage and do your job while loud music is played and folks watch basketball…and strippers strip? Just go and do your job. Be out among your listeners and be a professional. You aren’t a huge fan of strip clubs? That’s cool, but you still should take part in your employer’s broadcast. Take one for the team.
All season long I kept hear about how great the Big East Conference is in basketball. They are SOOOO good. They got 11 teams into the Big Dance. Notre Dame COULD have been a No. 1 seed! Syracuse could take out UNC and Ohio State! Pitt’s Jamie Dixon is the best coach never to have won the big one! Blah blah blah to quote Ke$ha. I realize that we should look at the regular season, but in college basketball, don’t you HAVE to look at the tournament for ultimate success? I actually watched some of the Big East regular season this year and simply thought, “Is this it?” It was tight defense, but nothing was outstanding about the brand of basketball. I shuddered to myself and thought, “Is this what non-SEC football fans think when they tune to CBS on a Saturday afternoon and see LSU/Alabama?” I can’t be. You can SEE how good the SEC is both when the teams play each other AND when they go outside the conference and play in BCS bowl games. The SEC has won the last five BCS national titles. The last Big East school to win the Big Dance was UConn in 2004. I am sorry but I cannot really say that the Big East is the best because of its rugged play. No, it has 16 teams. If you add four more schools to the Big Ten, then I bet you’d hear that the Big Ten (or in that case the Big 16) is just as good as the Big East in basketball.
I ran across an interesting sentence in Sports Illustrated last week when I was reading an article about the Kansas City Royals. The piece took place in the future and was a “look back” at 2011 when the Royals were bad. The article was clearly meant to trumpet the arrival of the young Royals prospects, but the one line in question was “back when President Jeter was still the shortstop for the Yankees.” I wondered to myself if that was even possible. Could a modern-day athlete go on to hold the office of the President of the United States? We have seen throughout the last few decades that some athletes have gone on to seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. Heath Shuler, the former Tennessee Volunteer QB and first round Washington Redskins draft pick is currently a Congressman from North Carolina. J.C. Watts was a long-time Congressman after leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a national title. Tom Osborne, the former Nebraska head coach and current AD took a break in between each gig to serve in the House for six years. Bill Bradley served in the Senate for three terms. But it seems the Senate and the House might be the cap as far as former athletes go. The highest a “real” athlete has ever gotten was perhaps when Congressman Jack Kemp was named to Bob Dole’s ticket as a VP candidate. He of course did not win.
Could any current athletes really have a chance at becoming the President of the United States? You don’t need to go back that far into the history books to discover the chapter where Minnesota elected a WRESTLER as its governor. If Tom Brady or Peyton Manning wanted to run for office, wouldn’t each receive some serious numbers? America seems to love Phil Mickelson.
I doubt any local athletes have a chance right now. Matt Ryan is too young and Jason Heyward may get there one day but he isn’t there just yet. Could any local coaches/players run for a Georgia office though? Vince Dooley it was rumored considered a Congressional run. I remember a time when Mark Richt could have run for governor of Georgia and won. Right now he is just hoping he won’t be impeached next off-season. I doubt Mark Fox could get much traction after just two seasons and Tech football coach Paul Johnson probably could have run 365 days ago but not right now after losing to Georgia yet again and finishing sub-.500. Bobby Cox, Hank Aaron and Herschel Walker would probably be the most likely candidates to win a state-wide election of some sort. Crazy things have happened at the polls; we may in fact see President Jeter before all is said and done.
Can You Believe He Said That
“I feel bad for (Bruce) Pearl.” That was 680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino the morning after the Tennessee men’s basketball coach got the ax. Really? You seriously feel bad for the guy that could have saved himself by simply telling the truth, yet brought all of this upon himself for lying to the NCAA? He saw what happened to other folks that lied. And after he lied, he violated more rules. If you want to feel bad for someone, feel bad for the players, but don’t feel bad for the guy that lied and got himself fired.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thoughts about Georgia BBall in 2011-12
Before I really get into what COULD be for the Georgia basketball team for 2011-12, I am going to assume that Mark Fox sticks around and isn't lured away by NC State and/or $3M per season.
The Georgia basketball team recently nailed down its fourth pledge of the 2011 signing class (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Dixon and John Florveus already signed) when Nemanja Djurisic said yes to Mark Fox. As weird as it sounds, only Tim Dixon is likely to start next season, despite Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being a McDonald's All-American and a five-star recruit. Follow me here. Though he hasn't said, Trey Thompkins is likely to leave for the NBA soon, but Travis Leslie has made remarks that he might still need to work on phases of his game. If Leslie returns, as a senior he'll likely start over KCP. They play the same position. Unless Georgia wants to go with four guards, KCP would be the first player off of the bench. Dixon meanwhile at 6-10, 215 would slide into the void left by the departure of JPrice, CBarnes and likely Thompkins. Marcus Thornton likely is inserted in there with his 6-8 frame. I doubt Donte Williams is a starter, more likely the first big off the bench along with Florveus. Djurisic will also likely see some PT too.
If Thompkins and Leslie both return, Georgia cannot sign any more players in the late signing period, but that is OK because Thompkins would be back, same with Leslie. Those two, PLUS KCP and Georgia would likely be preseason Top 25.
But if Thompkins leaves, an interesting situation has presented itself: Kevin Ware of Rockdale County signed with Tennessee but he has asked for his release since Bruce Pearl got the boot. He is open to GT and UGA (along with a few others) but he said that playing with Caldwell-Pope really intrigues him.
I know Georgia would like to add another big if Thompkins leaves, but I watched a BUNCH BUNCH BUNCH of Georgia high school basketball this year (GPB, GPB TV, Charter, etc) and Ware is the best perimeter defender I saw. He is 6'5 yet is listed as a guard. He can defend three positions and is a SICK athlete. If Thompkins goes, Fox needs to full-court press Ware.
If Leslie leaves as well, Caldwell-Pope moves into the lineup and Ware may even move in as well, supplanting Ware perhaps or at least making Fox think about a four-guard lineup.
Let's assume Leslie stays and Fox cannot get Ware
PG Dustin Ware
SG Gerald Robinson
W Travis Leslie
PF Marcus Thornton
C Tim Dixon
6th Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
7th Donte Williams
8th Sherard Brantley
9th Florveus
10th Djurisic
with Nolte, V Williams seeing time every now and then
Let's say Leslie stays but Fox DOES get Ware
D Ware
Robinson
Leslie
Thornton
Dixon
with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kevin Ware the backcourt tandem coming in at the same time. Williams and Florveus and Djurisic seeing time. Brantley every now and then
What if Leslie leaves? But Ware doesn't come
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
Thornton
Dixon
with Brantley and Williams coming in. The two other freshmen bigs will see time
If Leslie leaves and Ware DOES come....THIS is the most interesting possibility.
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
KWare
Thornton
Dixon, Williams, two other freshmen for your bigs. Brantley off the bench in the backcourt.
(In this last "lineup" I am granting the premise that Dixon starts but down the stretch and in cruchtime, I would think that Fox puts his best five on the floor and goes small with the two Wares, Rob, KCP and Thonrton)
If Trey and Travis stay, cool. Top 25 preseason. If Trey leaves, Fox needs to get Ware. If both leave, Fox MUST get KWare and then have to go small. Develop Donte Williams and Marcus Thornton and make sure Dixon and/or Florveus can contribute in the post.
Fox has a nice foundation coming back and coming in. The last two scholarship possibilities will determine if they are Big Dancin' again in 2011-12.
The Georgia basketball team recently nailed down its fourth pledge of the 2011 signing class (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Dixon and John Florveus already signed) when Nemanja Djurisic said yes to Mark Fox. As weird as it sounds, only Tim Dixon is likely to start next season, despite Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being a McDonald's All-American and a five-star recruit. Follow me here. Though he hasn't said, Trey Thompkins is likely to leave for the NBA soon, but Travis Leslie has made remarks that he might still need to work on phases of his game. If Leslie returns, as a senior he'll likely start over KCP. They play the same position. Unless Georgia wants to go with four guards, KCP would be the first player off of the bench. Dixon meanwhile at 6-10, 215 would slide into the void left by the departure of JPrice, CBarnes and likely Thompkins. Marcus Thornton likely is inserted in there with his 6-8 frame. I doubt Donte Williams is a starter, more likely the first big off the bench along with Florveus. Djurisic will also likely see some PT too.
If Thompkins and Leslie both return, Georgia cannot sign any more players in the late signing period, but that is OK because Thompkins would be back, same with Leslie. Those two, PLUS KCP and Georgia would likely be preseason Top 25.
But if Thompkins leaves, an interesting situation has presented itself: Kevin Ware of Rockdale County signed with Tennessee but he has asked for his release since Bruce Pearl got the boot. He is open to GT and UGA (along with a few others) but he said that playing with Caldwell-Pope really intrigues him.
I know Georgia would like to add another big if Thompkins leaves, but I watched a BUNCH BUNCH BUNCH of Georgia high school basketball this year (GPB, GPB TV, Charter, etc) and Ware is the best perimeter defender I saw. He is 6'5 yet is listed as a guard. He can defend three positions and is a SICK athlete. If Thompkins goes, Fox needs to full-court press Ware.
If Leslie leaves as well, Caldwell-Pope moves into the lineup and Ware may even move in as well, supplanting Ware perhaps or at least making Fox think about a four-guard lineup.
Let's assume Leslie stays and Fox cannot get Ware
PG Dustin Ware
SG Gerald Robinson
W Travis Leslie
PF Marcus Thornton
C Tim Dixon
6th Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
7th Donte Williams
8th Sherard Brantley
9th Florveus
10th Djurisic
with Nolte, V Williams seeing time every now and then
Let's say Leslie stays but Fox DOES get Ware
D Ware
Robinson
Leslie
Thornton
Dixon
with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kevin Ware the backcourt tandem coming in at the same time. Williams and Florveus and Djurisic seeing time. Brantley every now and then
What if Leslie leaves? But Ware doesn't come
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
Thornton
Dixon
with Brantley and Williams coming in. The two other freshmen bigs will see time
If Leslie leaves and Ware DOES come....THIS is the most interesting possibility.
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
KWare
Thornton
Dixon, Williams, two other freshmen for your bigs. Brantley off the bench in the backcourt.
(In this last "lineup" I am granting the premise that Dixon starts but down the stretch and in cruchtime, I would think that Fox puts his best five on the floor and goes small with the two Wares, Rob, KCP and Thonrton)
If Trey and Travis stay, cool. Top 25 preseason. If Trey leaves, Fox needs to get Ware. If both leave, Fox MUST get KWare and then have to go small. Develop Donte Williams and Marcus Thornton and make sure Dixon and/or Florveus can contribute in the post.
Fox has a nice foundation coming back and coming in. The last two scholarship possibilities will determine if they are Big Dancin' again in 2011-12.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Hooters breaks out the Hate
Check this out in August's Hooter's Magazine
Hate is such a negative word. Hate is a serious word. You may dislike something or someone, but if you hate something or someone, you possess a really, really, really strong aversion towards that person or thing with a passion. People seem to hate certain athletes too for various reasons, stemming from jealousy or frustration, betrayal or disrespect. While football players and basketball players have people across the country that “hate” them, baseball seems to have a rich tradition of hated players dating back to the early 1900s all the way through present day.
In the movie Field of Dreams, there is one player that even the former players in Ray’s magical field wouldn’t let play and that is the one and only Ty Cobb. The Georgia Peach was elected to the Hall of Fame on the inaugural ballot and set 90 records upon his retirement, but it was his aggressive style that most people remember. Rumor has it that he used to file down his spikes to injure the opponents while breaking up a double-play at second base. There is also the story of Cobb going into the stands and beating up a heckler that turned out to be missing most of his hands from an accident. To call Cobb a hated player would be an understatement. Not only did the fans “hate” Cobb, but passed-down stories of teammates hating Cobb certainly demand that he be included on any list of hated players.
While Cobb is one of the all-time hatees, plenty of recent players have drawn the ire from the fans over the last few decades. The steroid scandal of the 1990s and 2000s, has thrown numerous athletes into the fans’ hate-ray. Perhaps the leading “villain” from the steroid era is Barry Bonds. The former San Francisco slugger and all-time home run leader broke the single-season home run record then the all-time record under the cloud of steroid suspicion, which ruffled a bunch of feathers. People claim that Roger Maris and Hank Aaron were still the rightful record-holders and should be reinstated over the steroid users. Before the steroid mumbo-jumbo mess that has Bonds facing perjury charges for possibly lying to a grand jury, Bonds still was not liked due to his prickly attitude towards the media and the fans. Bonds never seemed to want to do interviews or was always biting and snapping during the few interviews he did. Bonds was certainly disliked before the alleged steroid us; now he is certainly hated.
Another player that falls under the hated players: steroid era is Roger Clemens. The Rocket was well-known for an unusual workout routine involving barrels of rice but now we find that perhaps it was pills and the juice. Forgetting for a second that Clemens may have juiced, he was pulling the Brett Favre routine back when Favre wasn’t pulling his annual retirement do-si-do. Clemens held the Houston Astros hostage, deciding just to pitch for three-quarters of the year, then half, then a quarter of the year before doing the same thing to the Yankees. This rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way, mainly because teams would let him get away with it. Boston fans though hated Clemens long before his in-or-out routine when he mailed it in during his final few years in Beantown before leaving for Toronto and turning the training back up to win two Cy Young awards in his two years in Canada. Red Sox Nation also remembers Clemens pushing for a trade to Boston’s biggest rival where he won another Cy Young and a pair of World Series titles for the New York Yankees. Ask any Boston fan his number one hated player and he’ll say Roger Clemens.
The Bash Brothers may now be known as part of the steroid-tainted band of bombers, but Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco rubbed people the wrong way during their Oakland days of murdering home runs and celebrating by smashing forearms. The A’s made the World Series three straight years from 1988-1990 thanks in large part to the long ball but the Dodgers had had enough when they mocked the A’s in the series-clinching game. When the Dodgers mimicked the A’s, many baseball fans across the country finally felt as though Oakland got its comeuppance.
Perhaps no player though was more hated by a pair of fictional characters than Keith Hernandez by Seinfeld’s Kramer and Newman. After an error in a crucial which allowed the Philadelphia Phillies to score five ninth-inning runs, Newman and Kramer claimed that Hernandez responded to a taunt in the parking lot by spitting on them. Kramer and Newman held a five-year grudge against the New York Mets (franchise) Hall of Famer. The hatred Kramer and Newman harbored towards Hernandez that came across the screen was palpable; you really felt as though Kramer and Newman was retaliate in an extreme manner if their paths ever cross. (well not really) Once the truth was revealed though that it was not Hernandez but in fact Roger McDowell that was the second-spitter, the hatred seemed to melt away and Kramer and Newman were fine with the Mets first baseman.
And isn’t that what we should do with our hate: let it melt away once we take a step back and think about why we hate someone. Do we REALLY hate that Barry Bonds (maybe) took some juice to stroke even more long balls then possibly lied about it? Do we REALLY hate that Clemens went back and forth every year like Favre? Do we REALLY hate that McGwire and Canseco started the stupid celebratory handshake craze? Do we REALLY hate these baseball players? Well, yeah. We do. We can’t help it. They play a game we all played as kids and sometimes they don’t seem to appreciate it. We know we would. It may be jealousy but it is sometimes cathartic to have a little hatred in our hearts. Because we “hate” some people, that just means we love our heroes even more. Without villains, heroes don’t exist, and we all need our heroes.
Hate is such a negative word. Hate is a serious word. You may dislike something or someone, but if you hate something or someone, you possess a really, really, really strong aversion towards that person or thing with a passion. People seem to hate certain athletes too for various reasons, stemming from jealousy or frustration, betrayal or disrespect. While football players and basketball players have people across the country that “hate” them, baseball seems to have a rich tradition of hated players dating back to the early 1900s all the way through present day.
In the movie Field of Dreams, there is one player that even the former players in Ray’s magical field wouldn’t let play and that is the one and only Ty Cobb. The Georgia Peach was elected to the Hall of Fame on the inaugural ballot and set 90 records upon his retirement, but it was his aggressive style that most people remember. Rumor has it that he used to file down his spikes to injure the opponents while breaking up a double-play at second base. There is also the story of Cobb going into the stands and beating up a heckler that turned out to be missing most of his hands from an accident. To call Cobb a hated player would be an understatement. Not only did the fans “hate” Cobb, but passed-down stories of teammates hating Cobb certainly demand that he be included on any list of hated players.
While Cobb is one of the all-time hatees, plenty of recent players have drawn the ire from the fans over the last few decades. The steroid scandal of the 1990s and 2000s, has thrown numerous athletes into the fans’ hate-ray. Perhaps the leading “villain” from the steroid era is Barry Bonds. The former San Francisco slugger and all-time home run leader broke the single-season home run record then the all-time record under the cloud of steroid suspicion, which ruffled a bunch of feathers. People claim that Roger Maris and Hank Aaron were still the rightful record-holders and should be reinstated over the steroid users. Before the steroid mumbo-jumbo mess that has Bonds facing perjury charges for possibly lying to a grand jury, Bonds still was not liked due to his prickly attitude towards the media and the fans. Bonds never seemed to want to do interviews or was always biting and snapping during the few interviews he did. Bonds was certainly disliked before the alleged steroid us; now he is certainly hated.
Another player that falls under the hated players: steroid era is Roger Clemens. The Rocket was well-known for an unusual workout routine involving barrels of rice but now we find that perhaps it was pills and the juice. Forgetting for a second that Clemens may have juiced, he was pulling the Brett Favre routine back when Favre wasn’t pulling his annual retirement do-si-do. Clemens held the Houston Astros hostage, deciding just to pitch for three-quarters of the year, then half, then a quarter of the year before doing the same thing to the Yankees. This rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way, mainly because teams would let him get away with it. Boston fans though hated Clemens long before his in-or-out routine when he mailed it in during his final few years in Beantown before leaving for Toronto and turning the training back up to win two Cy Young awards in his two years in Canada. Red Sox Nation also remembers Clemens pushing for a trade to Boston’s biggest rival where he won another Cy Young and a pair of World Series titles for the New York Yankees. Ask any Boston fan his number one hated player and he’ll say Roger Clemens.
The Bash Brothers may now be known as part of the steroid-tainted band of bombers, but Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco rubbed people the wrong way during their Oakland days of murdering home runs and celebrating by smashing forearms. The A’s made the World Series three straight years from 1988-1990 thanks in large part to the long ball but the Dodgers had had enough when they mocked the A’s in the series-clinching game. When the Dodgers mimicked the A’s, many baseball fans across the country finally felt as though Oakland got its comeuppance.
Perhaps no player though was more hated by a pair of fictional characters than Keith Hernandez by Seinfeld’s Kramer and Newman. After an error in a crucial which allowed the Philadelphia Phillies to score five ninth-inning runs, Newman and Kramer claimed that Hernandez responded to a taunt in the parking lot by spitting on them. Kramer and Newman held a five-year grudge against the New York Mets (franchise) Hall of Famer. The hatred Kramer and Newman harbored towards Hernandez that came across the screen was palpable; you really felt as though Kramer and Newman was retaliate in an extreme manner if their paths ever cross. (well not really) Once the truth was revealed though that it was not Hernandez but in fact Roger McDowell that was the second-spitter, the hatred seemed to melt away and Kramer and Newman were fine with the Mets first baseman.
And isn’t that what we should do with our hate: let it melt away once we take a step back and think about why we hate someone. Do we REALLY hate that Barry Bonds (maybe) took some juice to stroke even more long balls then possibly lied about it? Do we REALLY hate that Clemens went back and forth every year like Favre? Do we REALLY hate that McGwire and Canseco started the stupid celebratory handshake craze? Do we REALLY hate these baseball players? Well, yeah. We do. We can’t help it. They play a game we all played as kids and sometimes they don’t seem to appreciate it. We know we would. It may be jealousy but it is sometimes cathartic to have a little hatred in our hearts. Because we “hate” some people, that just means we love our heroes even more. Without villains, heroes don’t exist, and we all need our heroes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
This offensive line isn't a question mark
Be sure and check out this on http://chuckoliver.net for the full article!
Entering the 2010 season, the offensive line was supposed to be a strength for the Georgia Bulldogs, opening up lanes for Washaun Ealey and Caleb King while protecting redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray long enough for the rookie to get comfortable. Suffice to say the Bulldogs have a brand new offensive line coach in Will Friend so that tells you how last season went. The offensive line will be looked at by many as one of the team’s question marks entering 2011, but perhaps the question mark should be why this unit is being questioned. The offensive line, as it shapes up right now is heavy on former starters but lacks experienced depth. The last inexperienced line in recent memory was the 2007 line which counted on a pair of true freshmen to anchor the left side; this line will only really rely on redshirt freshmen to offer relief.
The starting line-up right now looks like redshirt senior Trinton Sturdivant at left tackle, bookended with Cordy Glenn at right tackle. Glenn has started most of his career at left guard but did play left tackle in 2009. Coaches have said they plan to use Glenn at tackle his senior season after he was named to several All-America teams following the 2010 season. The senior should have no problem moving to the outside for his final go in Athens.
Rising sophomore Kenarious Gates played in seven games last year, making three starts at guard, so it would be a safe bet that Gates has one of the guard spots locked up. Ben Jones, a rising senior has started at center since his freshman year. He plays with a nasty streak and could well be drafted following his senior campaign. Who will join them on the interior of the line is an interesting race.
Justin Anderson has been moved back to the offensive line after a one-year hiatus to the defensive side of the ball. Anderson missed most of last season with a toe injury but made a combined twelve starts in 25 games over 2008 and 2009. He made several starts at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2008 but will likely slide inside beside Sturdivant on the left side of the line. If Anderson doesn’t get the nod at left guard, look for Kolton Houston, a redshirt freshman, or Dallas Lee, a redshirt sophomore, to nab the starting spot or at least some significant playing time. Lee appeared in three games in 2010 and has nice size at 6’4, 300.
The depth will rely on Chris Burnette and Austin Long, both redshirt sophomores with no in-game experience, as well as redshirt freshman Brent Benedict, a phenomenal recruit who redshirted last year after surgery. Two in-coming freshmen that will likely see playing time over redshirting are Zach DeBell and Watts Dantzler. Each is over 6’7 and both will likely see time on the right side of the line. Benedict is talented enough to step in behind Sturdivant at left tackle. Burnette will spell Jones at center while Long could become the next great Georgia guard.
The depth is young but the only way to earn experience is to play. Georgia’s future looks bright if these youngsters can get some reps this season. Don’t discount this present line though: the mix of old and new is nice and a shake-up in philosophy could lead to this line using its experience to mash open holes for Crowell while protecting Murray.
Entering the 2010 season, the offensive line was supposed to be a strength for the Georgia Bulldogs, opening up lanes for Washaun Ealey and Caleb King while protecting redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray long enough for the rookie to get comfortable. Suffice to say the Bulldogs have a brand new offensive line coach in Will Friend so that tells you how last season went. The offensive line will be looked at by many as one of the team’s question marks entering 2011, but perhaps the question mark should be why this unit is being questioned. The offensive line, as it shapes up right now is heavy on former starters but lacks experienced depth. The last inexperienced line in recent memory was the 2007 line which counted on a pair of true freshmen to anchor the left side; this line will only really rely on redshirt freshmen to offer relief.
The starting line-up right now looks like redshirt senior Trinton Sturdivant at left tackle, bookended with Cordy Glenn at right tackle. Glenn has started most of his career at left guard but did play left tackle in 2009. Coaches have said they plan to use Glenn at tackle his senior season after he was named to several All-America teams following the 2010 season. The senior should have no problem moving to the outside for his final go in Athens.
Rising sophomore Kenarious Gates played in seven games last year, making three starts at guard, so it would be a safe bet that Gates has one of the guard spots locked up. Ben Jones, a rising senior has started at center since his freshman year. He plays with a nasty streak and could well be drafted following his senior campaign. Who will join them on the interior of the line is an interesting race.
Justin Anderson has been moved back to the offensive line after a one-year hiatus to the defensive side of the ball. Anderson missed most of last season with a toe injury but made a combined twelve starts in 25 games over 2008 and 2009. He made several starts at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2008 but will likely slide inside beside Sturdivant on the left side of the line. If Anderson doesn’t get the nod at left guard, look for Kolton Houston, a redshirt freshman, or Dallas Lee, a redshirt sophomore, to nab the starting spot or at least some significant playing time. Lee appeared in three games in 2010 and has nice size at 6’4, 300.
The depth will rely on Chris Burnette and Austin Long, both redshirt sophomores with no in-game experience, as well as redshirt freshman Brent Benedict, a phenomenal recruit who redshirted last year after surgery. Two in-coming freshmen that will likely see playing time over redshirting are Zach DeBell and Watts Dantzler. Each is over 6’7 and both will likely see time on the right side of the line. Benedict is talented enough to step in behind Sturdivant at left tackle. Burnette will spell Jones at center while Long could become the next great Georgia guard.
The depth is young but the only way to earn experience is to play. Georgia’s future looks bright if these youngsters can get some reps this season. Don’t discount this present line though: the mix of old and new is nice and a shake-up in philosophy could lead to this line using its experience to mash open holes for Crowell while protecting Murray.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Could there be a President Jeter? President Brady?
I ran across an interesting sentence in Sports Illustrated last week when I was reading an article about the Kansas City Royals. The piece took place in the future and was a “look back” at 2011 when the Royals were bad. The article was clearly meant to trumpet the arrival of the young Royals prospects, but the one line in question was “back when President Jeter was still the shortstop for the Yankees.” I wondered to myself if that was even possible.
Could a modern-day athlete go on to hold the office of the President of the United States?
We have seen throughout the last few decades that some athletes have gone on to seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. Heath Shuler, the former Tennessee Volunteer QB and first round Washington Redskins draft pick is currently a Congressman from North Carolina. J.C. Watts was a long-time Congressman after leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a national title. Tom Osborne, the former Nebraska head coach and current AD took a break in between each gig to serve in the House for six years. Bill Bradley served in the Senate for three terms. But it seems the Senate and the House might be the cap as far as former athletes go. The highest a “real” athlete has ever gotten was perhaps when Congressman Jack Kemp was named to Bob Dole’s ticket as a VP candidate. He of course did not win.
Could any current athletes really have a chance at becoming the President of the United States? Before you tell me to get serious because people would never vote for someone that perhaps is just sizzle with no substance or someone possibly overmatched for the job simply using a famous name, I would point to the current and the previous POTUSes. America loves a “rock star” candidate (See: Obama, Barack) and they like it when the candidate surrounds himself with worthy advisors (See: Bush, George W). Don’t forget that Minnesota elected a WRESTLER as its governor.
Crazy things can happen. You are telling me that if Tom Brady or Peyton Manning wanted to run for office, they wouldn’t receive some serious numbers? Maybe it is a bit past his prime, but wouldn’t Michael Jordan have earned some serious numbers on election night? America seems to love Phil Mickelson.
I doubt any Atlanta-area athletes have a chance right now. Matt Ryan is too young and Jason Heyward may get there one day but he isn’t there just yet. I remember a time when Mark Richt could have run for governor of Georgia and won. Right now he is just hoping he won’t be impeached next off-season. Eye-popping results have happened before at the polls; we may in fact see President Jeter before all is said and done.
Could a modern-day athlete go on to hold the office of the President of the United States?
We have seen throughout the last few decades that some athletes have gone on to seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. Heath Shuler, the former Tennessee Volunteer QB and first round Washington Redskins draft pick is currently a Congressman from North Carolina. J.C. Watts was a long-time Congressman after leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a national title. Tom Osborne, the former Nebraska head coach and current AD took a break in between each gig to serve in the House for six years. Bill Bradley served in the Senate for three terms. But it seems the Senate and the House might be the cap as far as former athletes go. The highest a “real” athlete has ever gotten was perhaps when Congressman Jack Kemp was named to Bob Dole’s ticket as a VP candidate. He of course did not win.
Could any current athletes really have a chance at becoming the President of the United States? Before you tell me to get serious because people would never vote for someone that perhaps is just sizzle with no substance or someone possibly overmatched for the job simply using a famous name, I would point to the current and the previous POTUSes. America loves a “rock star” candidate (See: Obama, Barack) and they like it when the candidate surrounds himself with worthy advisors (See: Bush, George W). Don’t forget that Minnesota elected a WRESTLER as its governor.
Crazy things can happen. You are telling me that if Tom Brady or Peyton Manning wanted to run for office, they wouldn’t receive some serious numbers? Maybe it is a bit past his prime, but wouldn’t Michael Jordan have earned some serious numbers on election night? America seems to love Phil Mickelson.
I doubt any Atlanta-area athletes have a chance right now. Matt Ryan is too young and Jason Heyward may get there one day but he isn’t there just yet. I remember a time when Mark Richt could have run for governor of Georgia and won. Right now he is just hoping he won’t be impeached next off-season. Eye-popping results have happened before at the polls; we may in fact see President Jeter before all is said and done.
Friday, March 18, 2011
TheFletch, Madness style
The bubble pundits I guess were wrong and the Georgia men’s head basketball coach Mark Fox had it right all along: The Bulldogs had nothing to worry about. The Georgia Bulldogs, after a week of Are they In/Are they Out, made the Big Dance as a No. 10 seed, and according to the selection committee, weren’t one of the “last six in.” NBA on TNT studio co-host Charles Barkley made an appearance on the Selection Show, as CBS is partnering up with Turner Sports and left some of Bulldog Nation speechless. Sir Charles, when asked about the draw’s surprises, brought up the Bulldogs. Barkley seemed to agree with the Powers that Be saying, “Georgia got in easily. I thought Georgia should have been in, but everybody had them last four out or last four in, but nobody had them as a 10.” Was it surprising? Pleasantly surprising for Georgia fans and surely one that Coach Fox will take.
Barkley wasn’t done with his comments on CBS’s Selection Show. The Round Mound of Rebound seemed a bit upset with former CBS analyst Billy Packer who wasn’t too keen on the thought of TNT and TRU TV using NBA announcers on the NCAA coverage. Barkley referred to Packer as being a farm animal donkey synonym or perhaps as the mascot of the Democratic Party for having the gall to have an opinion on NBA announcers being used for NCAA games. On 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening, Perry Laurentino and Christopher Rude went back and forth on the topic, debating whether or not it was a big deal and will the viewer/listener even care. Laurentino brought up an interesting parallel of when FOX won the rights to the BCS for a championship cycle and viewers were tortured to having to listen to Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson, normally the go-to-guys for NFL expertise, try and fake an in-depth knowledge of the college game. The games are not that different, as Laurentino pointed out, so the play-by-play guy should be fine, but the analyst should most likely be from the college game as there are some small but important differences between the two levels. I wonder why CBS, TNT, and TRU don’t simply borrow some ESPN talent for some of the sites like they have in the past. Jay Bilas is an ESPN college basketball regular but he has been doing color for some of the CBS games over the past few seasons. You are telling me that Brad Nessler couldn’t get involved? We couldn’t bring Brent Musburger back to the NCAA tournament that he used to call? You don’t want to let Dickie V achieve his lifelong dream and help out in the call of a tournament game, BA-BEE?
Oh, hey, I think Joe Lunardi just changed his bracket six times since you started reading this column. Was there anything more annoying that Lunardi appearing on every single ESPN The Radio SportsCenter update, changing his bracket seemingly by the second? I get it that the bracket needs to be fluid, but quit changing it with EVERY result during the two weeks of conference tournaments. If you make a call, stick by it…for at least a day. I haven’t put much stock into Lunardi the last few years, despite his track record, because come on, how hard is it to “predict” the at-large teams? Just look at the RPI and the rankings. Also, Lunardi is the color analyst for St. Joseph’s men’s basketball, which is in the A-10, so I wonder if teams like Xavier, Temple, Richmond or St. Joe’s gets any extra push from the Bracketologist? I will give the man credit for his past, but his credibility took a hit with me after his constant “oop, this team is NOW IN, while that team is NOW OUT. Oh, the wind blew west, CHANGE THAT LAST STATEMENT!”
Mark Bradley of the AJC finally got his wish and Georgia Tech decided to can men’s head basketball coach Paul Hewitt. What was interesting was the photo rolodex of candidates that the newspaper’s website offered as a replacement. Instead of a list that included Tubby Smith, whom Jeff Schultz blogged last week would NOT be coming and nor should he, or Bobby Knight, who sort of, unofficially, threw his hat in the ring in Athens a few years back, the list was full of interesting candidates. St. Mary’s Randy Bennett made the list, as did Harvard’s Tommy Amaker and Tech alum and current New Mexico assistant Craig Neal. The slideshow also included two Big XII coaches that I am not certain would leave their current posts to come to Atlanta, but Baylor’s Scott Drew and Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon were included. It was nice that the list DIDN’T include preposterous choices like Mark Price or Bobby Cremins or Mike Woodson. Too many times in the past oddball choices were thrown in I guess to get page clicks or to get traffic to the blogs.
According to his Twitter account, Chadd Scott and 680 The Fan have parted ways. Scott provided updates for several shows on The Fan and previously had done updates and some fill-in work for 790 The Zone. With his 10+ years of experience in the field, Scott shouldn’t be out of work long and we hope he lands on his feet. He currently writes for Chuckoliver.net.
Finally in case you missed it, and if you did, shame on you, the GHSA boys and girls state basketball championships were last weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting were there the entire way. Seriously, GPB-TV was on the air for 31 hours, bringing anyone that wanted to tune in via television or the web all ten title games. Kudos to everyone that made it possible because Georgia is one of the few states that can say it airs live all of its classification’s championship games as well as the AAASP wheelchair title game. If you went to bed Friday and missed Norcross’ upset of defending Class 5-A champ Milton, you can catch the replay on GPB.org/sports or follow the link on gaprepnews.com. GPB was on the scene from Macon and Gwinnett and high school sports enthusiasts should help support Georgia Public Broadcasting so the coverage can continue.
Can You Believe He Said That
“They snuck up and got a No. 10 seed. It surprised a lot of people”
That was former Duke point guard Bobby Hurley talking about the Georgia Bulldogs’ seeding recently on 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening. Seriously guys, with an RPI as high as Georgia’s, with 20+ wins and a win in the conference tournament, they were in the tournament. Period. Let’s get past it. You saw just how IN it Georgia was when Fox’s Hounds weren’t included in the Final Six in. Move past it.
Barkley wasn’t done with his comments on CBS’s Selection Show. The Round Mound of Rebound seemed a bit upset with former CBS analyst Billy Packer who wasn’t too keen on the thought of TNT and TRU TV using NBA announcers on the NCAA coverage. Barkley referred to Packer as being a farm animal donkey synonym or perhaps as the mascot of the Democratic Party for having the gall to have an opinion on NBA announcers being used for NCAA games. On 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening, Perry Laurentino and Christopher Rude went back and forth on the topic, debating whether or not it was a big deal and will the viewer/listener even care. Laurentino brought up an interesting parallel of when FOX won the rights to the BCS for a championship cycle and viewers were tortured to having to listen to Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson, normally the go-to-guys for NFL expertise, try and fake an in-depth knowledge of the college game. The games are not that different, as Laurentino pointed out, so the play-by-play guy should be fine, but the analyst should most likely be from the college game as there are some small but important differences between the two levels. I wonder why CBS, TNT, and TRU don’t simply borrow some ESPN talent for some of the sites like they have in the past. Jay Bilas is an ESPN college basketball regular but he has been doing color for some of the CBS games over the past few seasons. You are telling me that Brad Nessler couldn’t get involved? We couldn’t bring Brent Musburger back to the NCAA tournament that he used to call? You don’t want to let Dickie V achieve his lifelong dream and help out in the call of a tournament game, BA-BEE?
Oh, hey, I think Joe Lunardi just changed his bracket six times since you started reading this column. Was there anything more annoying that Lunardi appearing on every single ESPN The Radio SportsCenter update, changing his bracket seemingly by the second? I get it that the bracket needs to be fluid, but quit changing it with EVERY result during the two weeks of conference tournaments. If you make a call, stick by it…for at least a day. I haven’t put much stock into Lunardi the last few years, despite his track record, because come on, how hard is it to “predict” the at-large teams? Just look at the RPI and the rankings. Also, Lunardi is the color analyst for St. Joseph’s men’s basketball, which is in the A-10, so I wonder if teams like Xavier, Temple, Richmond or St. Joe’s gets any extra push from the Bracketologist? I will give the man credit for his past, but his credibility took a hit with me after his constant “oop, this team is NOW IN, while that team is NOW OUT. Oh, the wind blew west, CHANGE THAT LAST STATEMENT!”
Mark Bradley of the AJC finally got his wish and Georgia Tech decided to can men’s head basketball coach Paul Hewitt. What was interesting was the photo rolodex of candidates that the newspaper’s website offered as a replacement. Instead of a list that included Tubby Smith, whom Jeff Schultz blogged last week would NOT be coming and nor should he, or Bobby Knight, who sort of, unofficially, threw his hat in the ring in Athens a few years back, the list was full of interesting candidates. St. Mary’s Randy Bennett made the list, as did Harvard’s Tommy Amaker and Tech alum and current New Mexico assistant Craig Neal. The slideshow also included two Big XII coaches that I am not certain would leave their current posts to come to Atlanta, but Baylor’s Scott Drew and Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon were included. It was nice that the list DIDN’T include preposterous choices like Mark Price or Bobby Cremins or Mike Woodson. Too many times in the past oddball choices were thrown in I guess to get page clicks or to get traffic to the blogs.
According to his Twitter account, Chadd Scott and 680 The Fan have parted ways. Scott provided updates for several shows on The Fan and previously had done updates and some fill-in work for 790 The Zone. With his 10+ years of experience in the field, Scott shouldn’t be out of work long and we hope he lands on his feet. He currently writes for Chuckoliver.net.
Finally in case you missed it, and if you did, shame on you, the GHSA boys and girls state basketball championships were last weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting were there the entire way. Seriously, GPB-TV was on the air for 31 hours, bringing anyone that wanted to tune in via television or the web all ten title games. Kudos to everyone that made it possible because Georgia is one of the few states that can say it airs live all of its classification’s championship games as well as the AAASP wheelchair title game. If you went to bed Friday and missed Norcross’ upset of defending Class 5-A champ Milton, you can catch the replay on GPB.org/sports or follow the link on gaprepnews.com. GPB was on the scene from Macon and Gwinnett and high school sports enthusiasts should help support Georgia Public Broadcasting so the coverage can continue.
Can You Believe He Said That
“They snuck up and got a No. 10 seed. It surprised a lot of people”
That was former Duke point guard Bobby Hurley talking about the Georgia Bulldogs’ seeding recently on 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening. Seriously guys, with an RPI as high as Georgia’s, with 20+ wins and a win in the conference tournament, they were in the tournament. Period. Let’s get past it. You saw just how IN it Georgia was when Fox’s Hounds weren’t included in the Final Six in. Move past it.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Who backs up Murray this year?
Fifteen minutes could mean like a good neighbor, you’re in good hands. A backup quarterback is crucial insurance for any football team and Mark Richt appears to have some this year. The University of Georgia quarterback situation is a bit more settled entering the 2011 season as Aaron Murray is entrenched as a starter after impressing during his redshirt freshman season. Last year question marks surrounded the QB position in Athens as Murray was taking over with exactly zero snaps under center and a true freshman, Hutson Mason, was his backup, also having taken zero snaps in his collegiate career. The only players on the Bulldogs roster that had taken a snap from the QB spot were a converted wide receiver (Logan Gray) and a cornerback (Branden Smith).
But Murray eased everyone’s concerns for the next three seasons and Mason threw a touchdown pass on his first ever attempt. Now those two each have on-field experience and true freshman Christian LeMay is already on campus, learning the playbook. LeMay came to Athens with as much fanfare as Murray did, arriving as one of the top three quarterbacks in the recruiting cycle. Throw in a record-setting Mason, who shattered Georgia high school passing records his senior season, and Georgia went from a lousy situation entering 2010 to being lousy with quarterback options.
So who will win the backup job? While some of the Bulldog Nation don’t believe that person will ever step on the field over the next three seasons, Murray’s recent injury scare should stress the importance of having a capable backup ready to step up for the Red & Black. Mason certainly has experience of being in Athens for an entire year, but LeMay took his senior season off simply to prepare for his time in Athens. He also joined the team early and will have an entire winter, spring and summer before football starts Labor Day weekend. Matthew Stafford came in early and was ready for meaningful snaps after a very similar early-enrollment path. LeMay has physical tools that Mason does not and with the extra time, the true freshman could overtake the sophomore. LeMay also seems to have a rapport with new wide receiver Chris Conley, who also enrolled early, and Mason doesn’t have the typical advantage of knowing many returning starters as two of the main weapons departed Athens in AJ Green and Kris Durham.
It won’t matter if Murray stays healthy. He was the best freshman QB in the conference last season and he’ll be the best starter returning in 2011. But the backup spot is a surer thing this year than it was last season and that can only be a good thing....just in case. Who is the crowd’s favorite player on any football team? The backup quarterback. Georgia coaches hope that the fan favorite sits on the bench as Murray leads the team to the SEC Championship game.
But Murray eased everyone’s concerns for the next three seasons and Mason threw a touchdown pass on his first ever attempt. Now those two each have on-field experience and true freshman Christian LeMay is already on campus, learning the playbook. LeMay came to Athens with as much fanfare as Murray did, arriving as one of the top three quarterbacks in the recruiting cycle. Throw in a record-setting Mason, who shattered Georgia high school passing records his senior season, and Georgia went from a lousy situation entering 2010 to being lousy with quarterback options.
So who will win the backup job? While some of the Bulldog Nation don’t believe that person will ever step on the field over the next three seasons, Murray’s recent injury scare should stress the importance of having a capable backup ready to step up for the Red & Black. Mason certainly has experience of being in Athens for an entire year, but LeMay took his senior season off simply to prepare for his time in Athens. He also joined the team early and will have an entire winter, spring and summer before football starts Labor Day weekend. Matthew Stafford came in early and was ready for meaningful snaps after a very similar early-enrollment path. LeMay has physical tools that Mason does not and with the extra time, the true freshman could overtake the sophomore. LeMay also seems to have a rapport with new wide receiver Chris Conley, who also enrolled early, and Mason doesn’t have the typical advantage of knowing many returning starters as two of the main weapons departed Athens in AJ Green and Kris Durham.
It won’t matter if Murray stays healthy. He was the best freshman QB in the conference last season and he’ll be the best starter returning in 2011. But the backup spot is a surer thing this year than it was last season and that can only be a good thing....just in case. Who is the crowd’s favorite player on any football team? The backup quarterback. Georgia coaches hope that the fan favorite sits on the bench as Murray leads the team to the SEC Championship game.
Do you know how much this hurts me?
I actually picked the Ohio State to win the friggin' NCAA tournament. After watching Roomie stretch her lead to 4-1 last year by siding with Satan (she picked the Dookies), I realized that I might have to compromise my morals too and go to the Dark Side. Unlike Luke Skywalker, the pull of the Dark Side was simply too much considering I could not afford to fall even further behind one Roomie Cubes.
I have Ohio State beating Kansas in the finals (SOOOOO original I know) and I am one of the few people who have Pitt making it to the Final Four, mainly because BYU as a 3 isn’t good enough to beat the No.2 Florida in that bracket and we just cannot have the Gators in the Final Four.
And for my fourth, UConn, baby, beating Arizona in the Elite 8.
As for Georgia, I have them beating U-Dub in the first round and as much as I want to believe that Gerald Robinson Jr is fast enough to combat the UNC freshman point guard or that Thompkins, as a 1st team All-SEC, could neutralize Barnes, or that Mark Fox could be thinking about going up against Roy Williams next season as an ACC Coach (PLEASE no to that NC State rumor…), I just am not thinking that my Dawgs can beat the Tar Heels. I initially picked Georgia to the Sweet 16, where they’d lose to Syracuse, but I had to change it. Cheer with your heart, pick with your head. Two years ago I had Georgia going to the Sweet 16….didn’t happen. I am going with the odds and praying I am wrong.
But how does Georgia stand up to U-Dub? The Huskies have that super-small, super-quick Isaiah Thomas and his backup who likes to give 16-year-old girls alcohol. The Huskies beat Arizona for the Pac-10 tournament title (and Gus Johnson’s head exploded), after making a deep run in last year’s Big Dance. They average something like 80 points, but they haven’t faced off against Georgia BABY! (That is what I am telling myself).
As much as I want Georgia to roll to the Final Four, I have to be a professional here and go to the Dark Side in order to beat Roomie. Darn you Ohio State! But I hope you guys win…..I feel dirty.
I have Ohio State beating Kansas in the finals (SOOOOO original I know) and I am one of the few people who have Pitt making it to the Final Four, mainly because BYU as a 3 isn’t good enough to beat the No.2 Florida in that bracket and we just cannot have the Gators in the Final Four.
And for my fourth, UConn, baby, beating Arizona in the Elite 8.
As for Georgia, I have them beating U-Dub in the first round and as much as I want to believe that Gerald Robinson Jr is fast enough to combat the UNC freshman point guard or that Thompkins, as a 1st team All-SEC, could neutralize Barnes, or that Mark Fox could be thinking about going up against Roy Williams next season as an ACC Coach (PLEASE no to that NC State rumor…), I just am not thinking that my Dawgs can beat the Tar Heels. I initially picked Georgia to the Sweet 16, where they’d lose to Syracuse, but I had to change it. Cheer with your heart, pick with your head. Two years ago I had Georgia going to the Sweet 16….didn’t happen. I am going with the odds and praying I am wrong.
But how does Georgia stand up to U-Dub? The Huskies have that super-small, super-quick Isaiah Thomas and his backup who likes to give 16-year-old girls alcohol. The Huskies beat Arizona for the Pac-10 tournament title (and Gus Johnson’s head exploded), after making a deep run in last year’s Big Dance. They average something like 80 points, but they haven’t faced off against Georgia BABY! (That is what I am telling myself).
As much as I want Georgia to roll to the Final Four, I have to be a professional here and go to the Dark Side in order to beat Roomie. Darn you Ohio State! But I hope you guys win…..I feel dirty.
Monday, March 14, 2011
TheFletch on AMonday
After watching 680 The Fan acquire local flagship radio rights to the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks over the last few years, Sports Radio 790 The Zone got into the game and snagged the rights to the NFC South Champion Atlanta Falcons for the next four years. It was announced on 790’s Pollack & Bell last Monday that the Falcons would be moving to WQXI 790 on the AM dial and to Star 94.1 WSTR on the FM dial. The games had been airing on 92.9 Dave FM, with 790 talent providing the pregame and postgame talent for Dave FM. The Zone and Star 94 will broadcast all of the preseason and regular season games as well as the pregame and postgame on both stations in a simulcast.
In a piece found on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s website, Vice President and General Manager of 790 Andrew Saltzman said, “We are thrilled to be partners with the pre-eminent sports franchise in Atlanta. Both Star 94 and 790 The Zone have always been part of the fabric of Atlanta and with the passion for the Falcons at an all time high right now, we are very excited about our future together.”
790 The Zone’s Wes Durham will continue to call play-by-play and Zone fill-in Dave Archer will continue his role with color commentary. Zone talent will also help with the halftime show and pre- and postgame as well, just like before. The Falcons also partnered up with CBS Atlanta 46 and the local station will air Falcons preseason games and will integrate 790 talent into the Falcons branded programming, according to the article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
This is a big get for The Zone as the mantra of “Football Lives Here” was beaten into the heads of listeners all football season long. Now, much like 680 has jumped full-bore into baseball with its Braves coverage, expect EVEN MORE football talk on 790, especially with Pollack & Bell, who seem to talk nothing but football on the drive home. Football is king in the South and you can get away with talking football twelve months a year, but I wonder if the “Matty Slushy” talk will cease now that 790 is the Falcons’ flagship. You can boast that you’ll still be objective all the day long like Mike Bell did about ten minutes after it was announced that The Zone was the new home of the Dirty Birds, but I wonder if push comes to shove, if the Zone personalities’ will have to clean up some negative thoughts after a rough game.
Is it just me or does NO ONE else care about the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement talks and having to hear about the progress being made, or not, everyday leading every radio show on Atlanta sports talk? Sorry but I just don’t give a rip about the billionaires and the multi-millionaires arguing over the last $850M after the first $8.1B has been split up favorably for both sides. Do I want football next year? Yes. But I don’t care about hearing that the owners want 61% while the players want 48%, whatever. Split it how you want to but please stop treating these discussions with such importance. Like many football fans, I don’t care. In fact, it makes me like EACH side much less and will push me farther towards the college game with each new day that leads to SportsCenter and The Fan and The Zone beginning each show talking about the discussions.
I think it is say to say that there is one lady that the eternal-Ladies Man Mike Bell of 790 The Zone doesn’t like: Doris Burke. The ESPN basketball color analyst was in town to do the Hawks/Knicks game for ESPN last week and Bell ripped on her for several segments on last Monday’s show, once opining that there were one million dudes who could do what she did. He wants someone who once played the game to call color commentary, and while I can see how someone would want that point of view, I also point out that it is nice NOT to have a Dick Vitale in the booth, which is sometimes what you run into in those cases where you simply want someone who has been around the game. I am not defending Burke; I don’t like Pam Ward calling football games either. But she does bring a certain style to the games, even if you don’t believe that she’s ever been in an NBA locker room, which she hasn’t. If given my choice between Vitale and Burke, as crazy as it sounds, I’d take Burke.
Finally, the Georgia High School basketball playoffs are coming to an end this weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting will be all over it. After GPB.org/sport webcast all of the Class 4A and 5A boys and girls semifinal games live from the Arena at Gwinnett Center this past Wednesday and Thursday, GPB-TV will hit the airwaves will all of title tilts, both boys and girls. Not many states across the country can boast that all of the football championship games AND all of the basketball championship games can be seen live on television. Georgia Public Broadcasting hits about 96% of the state so you can be anywhere from Calhoun to Savannah, Augusta to Columbus and check out the games. GPB and the GHSA recently agreed to extend its partnership several more years into the future so look for more high school activities to hit the airwaves over the next few years. The GHSA and GPB aired the Traditional Wrestling championships last month and could grow to include a few more sports in the near future. Of course if you cannot watch all of the basketball championships, GPB.org/sports and gaprepnews.com have you covered as both sites will keep the archived games.
Can You Believe He Said That
“It tends to get lost amid the swarm of bitter folks who seemingly are taking glee in Hewitt’s demise: The man is not an idiot.”
That was Jeff Schultz of the AJC. See Mark Bradley, you CAN talk about Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt’s potential firing without getting gleefully personal and attacking the man who led Tech to an appearance in the NCAA championship game but never to probation. Way to backtrack though, Mr. Bradley and call Tech a potential sleeper in the NCAA tourney. Feeling the Seth Davis heat a touch?
In a piece found on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s website, Vice President and General Manager of 790 Andrew Saltzman said, “We are thrilled to be partners with the pre-eminent sports franchise in Atlanta. Both Star 94 and 790 The Zone have always been part of the fabric of Atlanta and with the passion for the Falcons at an all time high right now, we are very excited about our future together.”
790 The Zone’s Wes Durham will continue to call play-by-play and Zone fill-in Dave Archer will continue his role with color commentary. Zone talent will also help with the halftime show and pre- and postgame as well, just like before. The Falcons also partnered up with CBS Atlanta 46 and the local station will air Falcons preseason games and will integrate 790 talent into the Falcons branded programming, according to the article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
This is a big get for The Zone as the mantra of “Football Lives Here” was beaten into the heads of listeners all football season long. Now, much like 680 has jumped full-bore into baseball with its Braves coverage, expect EVEN MORE football talk on 790, especially with Pollack & Bell, who seem to talk nothing but football on the drive home. Football is king in the South and you can get away with talking football twelve months a year, but I wonder if the “Matty Slushy” talk will cease now that 790 is the Falcons’ flagship. You can boast that you’ll still be objective all the day long like Mike Bell did about ten minutes after it was announced that The Zone was the new home of the Dirty Birds, but I wonder if push comes to shove, if the Zone personalities’ will have to clean up some negative thoughts after a rough game.
Is it just me or does NO ONE else care about the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement talks and having to hear about the progress being made, or not, everyday leading every radio show on Atlanta sports talk? Sorry but I just don’t give a rip about the billionaires and the multi-millionaires arguing over the last $850M after the first $8.1B has been split up favorably for both sides. Do I want football next year? Yes. But I don’t care about hearing that the owners want 61% while the players want 48%, whatever. Split it how you want to but please stop treating these discussions with such importance. Like many football fans, I don’t care. In fact, it makes me like EACH side much less and will push me farther towards the college game with each new day that leads to SportsCenter and The Fan and The Zone beginning each show talking about the discussions.
I think it is say to say that there is one lady that the eternal-Ladies Man Mike Bell of 790 The Zone doesn’t like: Doris Burke. The ESPN basketball color analyst was in town to do the Hawks/Knicks game for ESPN last week and Bell ripped on her for several segments on last Monday’s show, once opining that there were one million dudes who could do what she did. He wants someone who once played the game to call color commentary, and while I can see how someone would want that point of view, I also point out that it is nice NOT to have a Dick Vitale in the booth, which is sometimes what you run into in those cases where you simply want someone who has been around the game. I am not defending Burke; I don’t like Pam Ward calling football games either. But she does bring a certain style to the games, even if you don’t believe that she’s ever been in an NBA locker room, which she hasn’t. If given my choice between Vitale and Burke, as crazy as it sounds, I’d take Burke.
Finally, the Georgia High School basketball playoffs are coming to an end this weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting will be all over it. After GPB.org/sport webcast all of the Class 4A and 5A boys and girls semifinal games live from the Arena at Gwinnett Center this past Wednesday and Thursday, GPB-TV will hit the airwaves will all of title tilts, both boys and girls. Not many states across the country can boast that all of the football championship games AND all of the basketball championship games can be seen live on television. Georgia Public Broadcasting hits about 96% of the state so you can be anywhere from Calhoun to Savannah, Augusta to Columbus and check out the games. GPB and the GHSA recently agreed to extend its partnership several more years into the future so look for more high school activities to hit the airwaves over the next few years. The GHSA and GPB aired the Traditional Wrestling championships last month and could grow to include a few more sports in the near future. Of course if you cannot watch all of the basketball championships, GPB.org/sports and gaprepnews.com have you covered as both sites will keep the archived games.
Can You Believe He Said That
“It tends to get lost amid the swarm of bitter folks who seemingly are taking glee in Hewitt’s demise: The man is not an idiot.”
That was Jeff Schultz of the AJC. See Mark Bradley, you CAN talk about Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt’s potential firing without getting gleefully personal and attacking the man who led Tech to an appearance in the NCAA championship game but never to probation. Way to backtrack though, Mr. Bradley and call Tech a potential sleeper in the NCAA tourney. Feeling the Seth Davis heat a touch?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Who totes until Crowell gets to Athens
Isaiah Crowell has been called the best high school Peach State tailback since Herschel Walker. Like Walker, Crowell will be a Georgia Bulldog and Georgia fans are hoping that Crowell’s first year on campus mirrors Walker’s freshman season, culminating in an undefeated national championship. While the expectations may be through the roof once Crowell steps on campus this summer, this spring several backs will be looking to make enough of an impact that Crowell also starts the season the way Walker did: on the bench.
The University of Georgia entered the 2010 season with two backs and a veteran offensive line, but the Bulldog running game never got going. The current roster does have a small stable of backs though that could certainly give Mark Richt something to think about heading into the 2011 season before Crowell likely enters the depth chart as the top back. As a true freshman Washaun Ealey did not start immediately but eventually led the team in rushing once on the field. Ealey struggled when on the field last season, losing fumbles in critical situations, however it is impossible to not see a runner capable of dominating if given enough carries. Against Georgia Tech, Ealey was handed the ball 13 times and games 118 yards including two scores. Against Kentucky he toted the rock 28 times for 157 yards and tallied five rushing scores. Against Vanderbilt, Ealey rushed for 123 yards on 17 carries. Ealey has the body and the speed to excel for Richt’s 2011 edition if given the carries and if he can stay out of trouble. Ealey was briefly suspended from the team but he has since been allowed back in the team. As a rising-junior Ealey is the back with the most experience that could keep Crowell off of the field and he will, assuming he stays on the straight and narrow, grab most of the carries before Crowell arrives in Athens.
Carlton Thomas has been something of a mystery through his redshirt sophomore year at Georgia. Thomas was seen by some as the second-coming of Tyson Browning, who had several important moments for Richt’s Bulldogs teams in the past. Thomas has been a workout fiend during his run in Athens and gets carries during games because he is a weekday warrior. He scored two touchdowns in 2010 with 272 yards on 64 carries. While he isn’t a threat to start, he will likely get some carries during the spring as a change-of-pace back. Thomas probably shouldn’t be used as a between-the-tackles runner but he can hit the corner and if he continues to impress the coaches enough, Thomas will certainly get some totes this spring.
The last running back that will see plenty of action this spring before Crowell’s arrival is redshirt freshman Ken “Boo” Malcome. According to reports, Richt weighed stripping Malcome’s redshirt several times last season, looking for a spark, however Richt decided to leave Malcome on the sidelines to learn. Malcome has the burst that will remind some of Knowshon Moreno, who dazzled with his athletic ability. Wearing Moreno’s old No. 24, Malcome has the speed, having been a track sprinter in high school but also the moves to bring back the memories of Moreno, circa 2007.
These three backs will likely get the most carries this spring before Isaiah Crowell arrives. Crowell was one of the top backs in the country and who knows if Richt promised him the starting spot against Boise State, but he is coming to Athens with plenty of expectations. If Malcome, Ealey or Thomas hope to carry the ball first against the Broncos in the Georgia Dome to open up 2011, each would need to rock spring drills and the spring game. Even then though it may still not be enough. Bulldog fans are hoping Crowell drives the bus in 2011; look for these three to simply start the ignition and keep the seat warm.
The University of Georgia entered the 2010 season with two backs and a veteran offensive line, but the Bulldog running game never got going. The current roster does have a small stable of backs though that could certainly give Mark Richt something to think about heading into the 2011 season before Crowell likely enters the depth chart as the top back. As a true freshman Washaun Ealey did not start immediately but eventually led the team in rushing once on the field. Ealey struggled when on the field last season, losing fumbles in critical situations, however it is impossible to not see a runner capable of dominating if given enough carries. Against Georgia Tech, Ealey was handed the ball 13 times and games 118 yards including two scores. Against Kentucky he toted the rock 28 times for 157 yards and tallied five rushing scores. Against Vanderbilt, Ealey rushed for 123 yards on 17 carries. Ealey has the body and the speed to excel for Richt’s 2011 edition if given the carries and if he can stay out of trouble. Ealey was briefly suspended from the team but he has since been allowed back in the team. As a rising-junior Ealey is the back with the most experience that could keep Crowell off of the field and he will, assuming he stays on the straight and narrow, grab most of the carries before Crowell arrives in Athens.
Carlton Thomas has been something of a mystery through his redshirt sophomore year at Georgia. Thomas was seen by some as the second-coming of Tyson Browning, who had several important moments for Richt’s Bulldogs teams in the past. Thomas has been a workout fiend during his run in Athens and gets carries during games because he is a weekday warrior. He scored two touchdowns in 2010 with 272 yards on 64 carries. While he isn’t a threat to start, he will likely get some carries during the spring as a change-of-pace back. Thomas probably shouldn’t be used as a between-the-tackles runner but he can hit the corner and if he continues to impress the coaches enough, Thomas will certainly get some totes this spring.
The last running back that will see plenty of action this spring before Crowell’s arrival is redshirt freshman Ken “Boo” Malcome. According to reports, Richt weighed stripping Malcome’s redshirt several times last season, looking for a spark, however Richt decided to leave Malcome on the sidelines to learn. Malcome has the burst that will remind some of Knowshon Moreno, who dazzled with his athletic ability. Wearing Moreno’s old No. 24, Malcome has the speed, having been a track sprinter in high school but also the moves to bring back the memories of Moreno, circa 2007.
These three backs will likely get the most carries this spring before Isaiah Crowell arrives. Crowell was one of the top backs in the country and who knows if Richt promised him the starting spot against Boise State, but he is coming to Athens with plenty of expectations. If Malcome, Ealey or Thomas hope to carry the ball first against the Broncos in the Georgia Dome to open up 2011, each would need to rock spring drills and the spring game. Even then though it may still not be enough. Bulldog fans are hoping Crowell drives the bus in 2011; look for these three to simply start the ignition and keep the seat warm.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Dawgs want Ogletree to be closer to the ball
When a player changes a position during spring practice, usually it isn’t that newsworthy as the player was likely struggling at his old spot or not getting enough reps and the staff though to utilize him in a different spot. The Alec Ogletree move from safety to linebacker is a not one of those cases. As a true freshman in 2010, Ogletree appeared in twelve games, starting five, and made enough of an impact that he was crowned Newcomer of the Year on defense by Georgia and the SEC placed him on the All-SEC Freshman team.
Suddenly Ogletree’s move makes you scratch your head considering now the safety position loses perhaps its fiercest hitter and its best player down the stretch. If you really want the reason for the switch though, maybe it is best to open up the Georgia history books and read about one Thomas Davis. Like Ogletree, Davis was a huge-hitting safety during his time in Athens. However Davis was a liability on coverage, with no better example being the 2004 Tennessee game where Davis was exploited early in a Volunteer upset. With Ogletree’s size, 6’3, 225, he has the height and speed of a safety but the size of a linebacker. With that rare combination, as good as he is a safety, speed kills at linebacker and in the 3-4 he can help out in coverage and well as jump up to stop the run. In the “let’s get faster on defense” era of defense, moving a safety with Ogletree’s size to LB will only help the Bulldogs adapt quicker to the 3-4.
Even in high school, you could tell that Ogletree would likely end up at linebacker. He usually walked up from the safety spot to help stop the run. Now he can certain cover a tight end or a slot receiver if need be for Todd Grantham’s defense. Ogletree didn’t do anything wrong. The coaches simply saw a player with a unique blend of size and speed and decided to move him closer to the ball to take advantage of his abilities. The gaping hole at safety? Worry about that later.
Ogletree will certainly surpass the tackles he racked up last year, likely in the first four games of the year. Thomas Davis was moved from safety to linebacker in the NFL after being selected in the first round of the draft. The Georgia coaches are just speeding up the eventual move for Ogletree. If history repeats itself, that just means Ogletree will crush heads for another few years in Athens before becoming a first round draft pick. I think the coaches will take that.
Suddenly Ogletree’s move makes you scratch your head considering now the safety position loses perhaps its fiercest hitter and its best player down the stretch. If you really want the reason for the switch though, maybe it is best to open up the Georgia history books and read about one Thomas Davis. Like Ogletree, Davis was a huge-hitting safety during his time in Athens. However Davis was a liability on coverage, with no better example being the 2004 Tennessee game where Davis was exploited early in a Volunteer upset. With Ogletree’s size, 6’3, 225, he has the height and speed of a safety but the size of a linebacker. With that rare combination, as good as he is a safety, speed kills at linebacker and in the 3-4 he can help out in coverage and well as jump up to stop the run. In the “let’s get faster on defense” era of defense, moving a safety with Ogletree’s size to LB will only help the Bulldogs adapt quicker to the 3-4.
Even in high school, you could tell that Ogletree would likely end up at linebacker. He usually walked up from the safety spot to help stop the run. Now he can certain cover a tight end or a slot receiver if need be for Todd Grantham’s defense. Ogletree didn’t do anything wrong. The coaches simply saw a player with a unique blend of size and speed and decided to move him closer to the ball to take advantage of his abilities. The gaping hole at safety? Worry about that later.
Ogletree will certainly surpass the tackles he racked up last year, likely in the first four games of the year. Thomas Davis was moved from safety to linebacker in the NFL after being selected in the first round of the draft. The Georgia coaches are just speeding up the eventual move for Ogletree. If history repeats itself, that just means Ogletree will crush heads for another few years in Athens before becoming a first round draft pick. I think the coaches will take that.
Monday, March 7, 2011
BIG B’s Top 10 Most Talented Seniors Still Remaining
Brian Jones of Score Atlanta Fame drops another Top Ten list, this time the most talented seniors remaining in the GHSA playoffs. 4A and 5A Semifinals can be seen on gpb.org/sports. I'll have the second two games Wednesday and Thursday LIVE from the Gwinnett Arena.
10) Brianna Banks: 5-9 Point guard out of Fayette County. Tremendous ball skills and scoring ability. McDonalds All-American. Will play Chattahoochee in Final Four on Wednesday in Gwinnett. I think Brianna leads her team to another victory. Singed with UCONN;
9) DeArica Hamby: 6-3, forward out of Norcross. Can be a really effective scorer, but sometimes doesn’t start. Signed with Wake Forest. She gets a top Campbell team on Thursday;
8) E. Victor Nickerson: 6-6, 175-pound SF out of Norcross. Committed to Charlotte. Great body, can shoot, and take his man off the dribble, also a top defender. Shutdown Ronald Wamer of PT Ridge, but needs to improve skills with the ball. Norcross gets a No. 2 seed in Valdosta on Thursday;
7) Devon Provost: 6-3, 175-pound SF out of Miller Grove. Athletic guy who can defend and score in transition, and attacking the rim. No offers. Has a great battle with James White, Arkansas Little Rock commitment, and Rasham Suarez, who’s going to Georgia Southern;
6) Kevin Ware: 6-4, 167-poung SG out of Rockdale. Committed to Tennessee. He gets Fayette County on Wednesday, which means he gets top scorer/SG Adam Smith (North Carolina Wilmington);
5) Malcolm Brogdon: 6-5, 200-pound SG out of GAC. Committed to UVA. Good all-around player. Gets Swainsboro, a No. 1 seed, down in Macon on Thursday;
4) Shannon Scott: 6-2, 175-pound PG out of Milton. Committed to Ohio State. Does it all. Milton gets Tift County in Gwinnett on Thursday. Tift has victories of 13, 4, and 14 points so far;
3) Dai-Jon Parker: 6-3, 170-pound SG out of Milton. Committed to Vanderbilt. Gets Tift County in Gwinnett on Thursday;
2) Julian Royal: 6-8, 225-pound PF out of Milton. Committed to Georgia Tech. Gets Tift County in Gwinnett on Thursday. Who’s the best of the three?
1) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 6-6, 185-pound SG out of Greenville. Committed to Georgia. He gets an epic showdown with top-ranked Wilkinson County in Macon on Wednesday at 5:30. Had 40 in last outing.
10) Brianna Banks: 5-9 Point guard out of Fayette County. Tremendous ball skills and scoring ability. McDonalds All-American. Will play Chattahoochee in Final Four on Wednesday in Gwinnett. I think Brianna leads her team to another victory. Singed with UCONN;
9) DeArica Hamby: 6-3, forward out of Norcross. Can be a really effective scorer, but sometimes doesn’t start. Signed with Wake Forest. She gets a top Campbell team on Thursday;
8) E. Victor Nickerson: 6-6, 175-pound SF out of Norcross. Committed to Charlotte. Great body, can shoot, and take his man off the dribble, also a top defender. Shutdown Ronald Wamer of PT Ridge, but needs to improve skills with the ball. Norcross gets a No. 2 seed in Valdosta on Thursday;
7) Devon Provost: 6-3, 175-pound SF out of Miller Grove. Athletic guy who can defend and score in transition, and attacking the rim. No offers. Has a great battle with James White, Arkansas Little Rock commitment, and Rasham Suarez, who’s going to Georgia Southern;
6) Kevin Ware: 6-4, 167-poung SG out of Rockdale. Committed to Tennessee. He gets Fayette County on Wednesday, which means he gets top scorer/SG Adam Smith (North Carolina Wilmington);
5) Malcolm Brogdon: 6-5, 200-pound SG out of GAC. Committed to UVA. Good all-around player. Gets Swainsboro, a No. 1 seed, down in Macon on Thursday;
4) Shannon Scott: 6-2, 175-pound PG out of Milton. Committed to Ohio State. Does it all. Milton gets Tift County in Gwinnett on Thursday. Tift has victories of 13, 4, and 14 points so far;
3) Dai-Jon Parker: 6-3, 170-pound SG out of Milton. Committed to Vanderbilt. Gets Tift County in Gwinnett on Thursday;
2) Julian Royal: 6-8, 225-pound PF out of Milton. Committed to Georgia Tech. Gets Tift County in Gwinnett on Thursday. Who’s the best of the three?
1) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 6-6, 185-pound SG out of Greenville. Committed to Georgia. He gets an epic showdown with top-ranked Wilkinson County in Macon on Wednesday at 5:30. Had 40 in last outing.
IS this Milton boys team the best ever in GHSA history?
The 2010 Class 5A boys champion Milton Eagles returned nearly all of its roster in tact, having lost zero seniors and even added a huge piece off of the bench to give the Milton faithful hope of a mythical national championship. Despite two losses early on in the season, Milton is still the top ranked team in the state’s highest classification and top five in several national polls as the team enters the 2011 GHSA state semi-finals. The Eagles boast six players with Division I offers and a coach with five state titles and have to be considered the one of the best collections of talent ever to be assembled in the history of Georgia high school basketball. But are they THE best ever?
The Milton Eagles attack is headed up by Shannon Scott, a dominating point guard that at 6’2 can see the floor well and has enough size to post up a defender as well as break him down. ESPN.com’s recruiting service has him receiving a grade of 96 and calls him “an excellent floor general that does a good job of running the team.” Scott is headed to Ohio State, where he should slide right up the list of top point guards during Thad Matta’s tenure with the Buckeyes. Scott has been hailed as the top college prospect in the state of Georgia by Score Atlanta and GPB recruiting expert Scott Janovitz, who likes Scott’s ability to glide to the hoop and the nice mid-range game Scott brings every night. Every strong team needs some one fearless enough to bring the ball up the floor and at 6’2, Scott has a size advantage over nearly every defender he sees matching up against him. He will play in the McDonald’s All-American game on March 30
Who does Scott dump the ball to once the offense is initiated? For starters, how about Georgia Tech-bound power forward Julian Royal? Standing 6’8, Royal can face up to the basket like few other high schoolers with his size, and this season Royal has added a few back-to-the-basket moves that will benefit him at the next level. Royal is one of the top 60 players in the country and he alone would be enough to make folks come out to the games if not for his uber-talented teammates hooping it up beside him.
Scott is joined in the backcourt by a defensive whiz who is heading to Vanderbilt next year in Dai-Jon Parker. The 6’2 off-guard has amazing athleticism and can jump out of the building. Parker had offers from most SEC programs and even had Duke’s Coach K interested before he decided upon Vanderbilt. The defensive dynamo can score in bunches too if his team needed it, but his intensity as a defender may very well lead to a stellar career in Nashville where he could wind up being one of the best Commodores ever.
Jordan Loyd is another senior on the team and the self-less guard is headed to Furman. Loyd is sometimes forgotten about with Royal, Scott and Parker trotting around the court, but if you forget about him for too long, he makes you pay. It was Loyd that led the team in points and rebounds in its quarterfinal victory over Mill Creek.
Then you get to the juniors, who might be even better than the seniors. Shaquille Johnson is the first player off of the bench for Milton and Johnson is known across the south for his “prowess at leaping and dunking” according to one writer from the Huntsville Times. A YouTube video of Johnson breaking a backboard in an AAU game was also very popular earlier this year. Johnson is headed to Auburn and has grown into an all-around player, not just a thunder-dunker during his time with Milton.
Perhaps the best player currently on Milton’s roster is junior small forward Evan Nolte, who as a sophomore was receiving interest from Duke, UNC and a host of other colleges. Nolte earned his stripes by knocking down three after three in last year’s playoffs and he can move without the ball to get into a better position. At 6’8 he is a match-up nightmare for opposing coaches and he has a very special skill-set that is hard to match on the prep level. Nolte admitted recently that Milton is the best high school team in the nation. “We are playing well right now.”
But is this team, coached by one of the nation’s best in David Boyd, the greatest ever in Georgia history? Royal thinks you’d have to consider the team to be because of its success against the tough schedule. “We (played) more of a national schedule, perhaps even (competed) for a ‘national title.’”
Some recent teams might have an argument or two though. The 2006 Norcross boys team went 28-4 en route to the school’s first of three straight state titles in Class 5A. The squad was coached by the legendary Eddie Martin and starred eventual Kentucky standout Jodie Meeks, Georgia Tech star Gani Lawal and future NBA lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu.
Another team from the 2006 season was Columbia, which went 32-1, including winning its last 31 games to take a GHSA state crown. Jeremy Price and Travis Leslie went on to Georgia and Lance Storrs plays in the ACC for Georgia Tech.
There would have to be some girls teams also to enter the discussion as best ever. The 2007 Collins Hill girls team went undefeated and was led to the school’s third straight title by senior Maya Moore, who has since gone on to star at UConn. The 2010 Norcross girls were buoyed by two sensational freshmen Kaela Davis and Diamond DeShields as well as a fine supporting cast of juniors and seniors.
The Wesleyan girls program has also been a force for the last decade, winning at both the Class AA and A level. It is hard to single out one team but the 2009 Wesleyan girls were led by Anne Marie Armstrong, Grace Leah Baughn, Erin Hall, and Holli Wilkins, which might have been the most talented roster the Lady Wolves have ever assembled.
But perhaps one of the two teams to beat Milton this season should also be in the discussion for best ever. The 2011 Miller Grove Wolverines are bursting with talent including Devon Provost, Henry Brooks, Brandon Morris and the dynamic junior center Tony Parker. Of course the 2009 Miller Grove team featured these players plus Mfon Udofia, Stephen Hill and Donte Williams that went on to the team’s first of two straight state titles.
The 2011 Milton Eagles have one of the greatest collections of talent in Georgia basketball history. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles can finish off a repeat and stake claim to perhaps the greatest ever tag.
The Milton Eagles attack is headed up by Shannon Scott, a dominating point guard that at 6’2 can see the floor well and has enough size to post up a defender as well as break him down. ESPN.com’s recruiting service has him receiving a grade of 96 and calls him “an excellent floor general that does a good job of running the team.” Scott is headed to Ohio State, where he should slide right up the list of top point guards during Thad Matta’s tenure with the Buckeyes. Scott has been hailed as the top college prospect in the state of Georgia by Score Atlanta and GPB recruiting expert Scott Janovitz, who likes Scott’s ability to glide to the hoop and the nice mid-range game Scott brings every night. Every strong team needs some one fearless enough to bring the ball up the floor and at 6’2, Scott has a size advantage over nearly every defender he sees matching up against him. He will play in the McDonald’s All-American game on March 30
Who does Scott dump the ball to once the offense is initiated? For starters, how about Georgia Tech-bound power forward Julian Royal? Standing 6’8, Royal can face up to the basket like few other high schoolers with his size, and this season Royal has added a few back-to-the-basket moves that will benefit him at the next level. Royal is one of the top 60 players in the country and he alone would be enough to make folks come out to the games if not for his uber-talented teammates hooping it up beside him.
Scott is joined in the backcourt by a defensive whiz who is heading to Vanderbilt next year in Dai-Jon Parker. The 6’2 off-guard has amazing athleticism and can jump out of the building. Parker had offers from most SEC programs and even had Duke’s Coach K interested before he decided upon Vanderbilt. The defensive dynamo can score in bunches too if his team needed it, but his intensity as a defender may very well lead to a stellar career in Nashville where he could wind up being one of the best Commodores ever.
Jordan Loyd is another senior on the team and the self-less guard is headed to Furman. Loyd is sometimes forgotten about with Royal, Scott and Parker trotting around the court, but if you forget about him for too long, he makes you pay. It was Loyd that led the team in points and rebounds in its quarterfinal victory over Mill Creek.
Then you get to the juniors, who might be even better than the seniors. Shaquille Johnson is the first player off of the bench for Milton and Johnson is known across the south for his “prowess at leaping and dunking” according to one writer from the Huntsville Times. A YouTube video of Johnson breaking a backboard in an AAU game was also very popular earlier this year. Johnson is headed to Auburn and has grown into an all-around player, not just a thunder-dunker during his time with Milton.
Perhaps the best player currently on Milton’s roster is junior small forward Evan Nolte, who as a sophomore was receiving interest from Duke, UNC and a host of other colleges. Nolte earned his stripes by knocking down three after three in last year’s playoffs and he can move without the ball to get into a better position. At 6’8 he is a match-up nightmare for opposing coaches and he has a very special skill-set that is hard to match on the prep level. Nolte admitted recently that Milton is the best high school team in the nation. “We are playing well right now.”
But is this team, coached by one of the nation’s best in David Boyd, the greatest ever in Georgia history? Royal thinks you’d have to consider the team to be because of its success against the tough schedule. “We (played) more of a national schedule, perhaps even (competed) for a ‘national title.’”
Some recent teams might have an argument or two though. The 2006 Norcross boys team went 28-4 en route to the school’s first of three straight state titles in Class 5A. The squad was coached by the legendary Eddie Martin and starred eventual Kentucky standout Jodie Meeks, Georgia Tech star Gani Lawal and future NBA lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu.
Another team from the 2006 season was Columbia, which went 32-1, including winning its last 31 games to take a GHSA state crown. Jeremy Price and Travis Leslie went on to Georgia and Lance Storrs plays in the ACC for Georgia Tech.
There would have to be some girls teams also to enter the discussion as best ever. The 2007 Collins Hill girls team went undefeated and was led to the school’s third straight title by senior Maya Moore, who has since gone on to star at UConn. The 2010 Norcross girls were buoyed by two sensational freshmen Kaela Davis and Diamond DeShields as well as a fine supporting cast of juniors and seniors.
The Wesleyan girls program has also been a force for the last decade, winning at both the Class AA and A level. It is hard to single out one team but the 2009 Wesleyan girls were led by Anne Marie Armstrong, Grace Leah Baughn, Erin Hall, and Holli Wilkins, which might have been the most talented roster the Lady Wolves have ever assembled.
But perhaps one of the two teams to beat Milton this season should also be in the discussion for best ever. The 2011 Miller Grove Wolverines are bursting with talent including Devon Provost, Henry Brooks, Brandon Morris and the dynamic junior center Tony Parker. Of course the 2009 Miller Grove team featured these players plus Mfon Udofia, Stephen Hill and Donte Williams that went on to the team’s first of two straight state titles.
The 2011 Milton Eagles have one of the greatest collections of talent in Georgia basketball history. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles can finish off a repeat and stake claim to perhaps the greatest ever tag.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Stephenson's Jones says Dawgs may be too late
Every year the Stephenson Jaguars send double-digit players to the next level on football scholarships and on National Signing Day 2012, it will be no different. Running back Mike Davis has already pledged to the Florida Gators and he has four players on the defensive side of the ball that could join him in Gainesville, including perhaps the best defensive end in the state Jarontay Jones. The standout DE joined Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit last Monday to talk about his recruiting process and where he stands this “late in the game.”
With the calendar just having flipped over to March and with Jones still a junior at Stephenson, you’d think that this would be extremely early in his process, but according to Jones, it is actually too late for one local school. When talking about the Georgia Bulldogs, Jones admitted “right now they don’t matter.” He claimed that Georgia, which hasn’t offered a scholarship as of last Monday, would get consideration if they did offer but he would hold them potentially joining in so “late” in the process against the Dawgs.
When asked when the process started and when would have been considered “early,” Jones just laughed and said that he “will remember the people that took a chance on me early on.”
Three of those schools are Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech. Jones spoke about his recent trip to Florida with glowing remarks. “The competition was great and the weight room was great.” Jones went to Gainesville with several of his teammates and said that they all enjoyed their time at Florida. “I definitely want to go with my teammates (to college),” Jones revealed. He said he considered committing when Davis pledged, but it was hard to pull the trigger. “In the end, I don’t know how it’ll turn out but we want to go together.”
Auburn is tied atop Jones’ leaderboard, he says, because he really likes the Tigers coaching staff. “Everytime I go it feels like family.”
Georgia Tech would get positive marks for persistence. According to Jones, “Tech would be recruiting me the hardest. Jones says the he gets letters all the time from Paul Johnson and his staff.
Jones may well have Alabama atop his leaderboard after this weekend as he was scheduled to take a visit out to Tuscaloosa to tour the campus.
The whole debate on early versus late may not make sense to most folks, but Jones has moved up his timeline because he says he wants to graduate early and enroll early at his eventual choice. Jones says he wants to take his official visits early so he can quickly come to his decision. He revealed that location, playing time and the condition of the school (facilities) will factor into his decision. Obviously he wants to play early his first year on campus with his decision to enroll early and Jones believes that is a strong possibility. “I am explosive and in a one-on-one speed rush (situation), I am unblockable.” Stephenson has pumped out some incredible athletes over the last few years. Jones certainly has a great chance to be the next headliner.
With the calendar just having flipped over to March and with Jones still a junior at Stephenson, you’d think that this would be extremely early in his process, but according to Jones, it is actually too late for one local school. When talking about the Georgia Bulldogs, Jones admitted “right now they don’t matter.” He claimed that Georgia, which hasn’t offered a scholarship as of last Monday, would get consideration if they did offer but he would hold them potentially joining in so “late” in the process against the Dawgs.
When asked when the process started and when would have been considered “early,” Jones just laughed and said that he “will remember the people that took a chance on me early on.”
Three of those schools are Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech. Jones spoke about his recent trip to Florida with glowing remarks. “The competition was great and the weight room was great.” Jones went to Gainesville with several of his teammates and said that they all enjoyed their time at Florida. “I definitely want to go with my teammates (to college),” Jones revealed. He said he considered committing when Davis pledged, but it was hard to pull the trigger. “In the end, I don’t know how it’ll turn out but we want to go together.”
Auburn is tied atop Jones’ leaderboard, he says, because he really likes the Tigers coaching staff. “Everytime I go it feels like family.”
Georgia Tech would get positive marks for persistence. According to Jones, “Tech would be recruiting me the hardest. Jones says the he gets letters all the time from Paul Johnson and his staff.
Jones may well have Alabama atop his leaderboard after this weekend as he was scheduled to take a visit out to Tuscaloosa to tour the campus.
The whole debate on early versus late may not make sense to most folks, but Jones has moved up his timeline because he says he wants to graduate early and enroll early at his eventual choice. Jones says he wants to take his official visits early so he can quickly come to his decision. He revealed that location, playing time and the condition of the school (facilities) will factor into his decision. Obviously he wants to play early his first year on campus with his decision to enroll early and Jones believes that is a strong possibility. “I am explosive and in a one-on-one speed rush (situation), I am unblockable.” Stephenson has pumped out some incredible athletes over the last few years. Jones certainly has a great chance to be the next headliner.
TheFletch back on track
Apparently the frustration of bored Atlanta newspaper readers has gone national. Many people in the Atlanta area have grown tired of reading column after column after blog after blog where the AJC’s Mark Bradley has gone after Georgia Tech men’s basketball coach Paul Hewitt, seeking change and picking on the once-proud Tech basketball program. I’ve spent many column inches begging Mark Bradley to stop his incessant Fire Mark Richt/Paul Hewitt blogs and articles and come up with something else. CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated college basketball reporter Seth Davis finally had enough and went after Bradley for railing on Hewitt. Last Monday via Twitter, Davis remarked:
“I've never seen a sports columnist repeatedly attack a coach w/ venom like Mark Bradley of AJC attacks Paul Hewitt. I say Fire Bradley 1st “
Have I been critical of Hewitt on my radio show before? Yes. But do I do it EVERY time Georgia Tech plays? No. I keep the topics fresh, even when the inevitable deluge of Fire Hewitt calls starts, we steer the conversation to a fresh perspective. Do I have a personal problem with something Hewitt said about the Atlanta media the way Bradley seems to have? No. Just like I have my opinion, Hewitt is allowed to have his. He can say what he chooses the same way I do. But after a while it just gets tired, Bradley.
This is a piece of the blog/article/column he wrote after Virginia beat Tech last week:
“Another Tech loss, and at its end there came no cascade of boos. There was only more of the numbness that has come to enshroud this once buoyant program. I feel for Tech fans. I feel for Tech players, who are trying hard with not much to show for it. I feel for everyone involved in this bleak tableau. There’s nothing fun here.”
In speaking about the potential Twitter war (Bradley had not responded via Tweet as of Tuesday afternoon), 680 The Fan’s Sandra Golden gave an inside look at the potential start of the Bradley-Hates-Hewitt campaign. The newest member of The Rude Awakening revealed that several years ago Hewitt made the claim that he didn’t read the newspaper and when asked why, responded because of the columnist. Presumably he was speaking about Bradley and he has since taken more shots at Hewitt than he has at Mark Richt and the Atlanta Hawks combined. I guess Bradley should be flattered that he at least has one national reader. But I also guess he might want to let up a tad with the “venom” otherwise Davis’s more than 360,000 Twitter followers might weigh in with the AJC.
While it seems Sandra Golden has been fitting in quite nicely with 680 the Fan and her new Rude Awakening co-hosts, one of her former co-hosts took a head-scratching stand on the NFL non-guaranteed contracts. Steak Shapiro of Mayhem in the AM was discussing the non-guaranteed nature of contracts in the NFL vs. the guaranteed deals in the NBA and in Major League Baseball. He was attempting to argue (I am SURE this was strictly done to play “disagreeable radio host”) that the NFL should guarantee contracts like the NBA does and the MLB does. One of his co-hosts pointed out how the guaranteed deals hurt the NBA, but Steak retorted that the NBA is pulling in outstanding numbers. I must agree with Chris and Nick: the numbers in the NBA aren’t tied to the contracts and just so happen to be up because the superstars have finally turned into superduperstars. The NBA guaranteed contracts hamstring teams every year and while there are creative ways to sometimes get around the salary cap, bad deals cripple a team for years while an NFL “bad contract” can be immediately killed off. The NFL is popular BECAUSE of the contract situation with people always playing their way into one of potentially out of one. If a guy doesn’t work, cut him and pay the small guaranteed amount while going and getting a new guy. Yes it stinks for the football players that their contracts aren’t guaranteed, but sometimes that works both ways: the players like to holdout for more money too. Don’t forget that it sometimes works in their favor.
A quick congrats to 680 The Fan’s drive home show and its co-hosts Buck Belue and John Kincade of Buck & Kincade for its recent passing of the 2500 show-mark. These two are true professionals and can be serious or funny, casual or formal in the same segment and it is truly a treat to drive home to these guys five days a week. The pairing may seem unlikely: a Valdosta kid turned UGA quarterback turned talk show host with a Philly guy turned “carpetbagger” but these two really make it work. I hope that they will be rocking and rolling and talking sports for at least another 2500 shows.
680 The Fan and its family of networks have plunged right back into Braves baseball in its second season serving as the flagship of Atlanta baseball. Buck & Kincade, Chuck & Chernoff and The Rude Awakening will be rotating down in Orlando with Belue helping to call some spring training games. Hopefully with one year under his belt, he’ll be a little more comfortable in the baseball broadcast booth. Last year’s experiment was a bit rough. Here’s hoping 2011 is better.
Finally, Georgia State fans were probably sighing with a side of eye-rolling after finding out that the AJC finally gave its basketball program some publicity…only to find it was to announce that the head coach had received the boot. The Panthers fans shouldn’t worry though: even if the AJC decides not to really care about Georgia State, Score Atlanta will be right here, updating the web and featuring Dave Cohen in the paper. If the AJC lets you down, turn to us.
Can You Believe He Said That
“I see myself not just as a football player but as an entertainer and an icon.”
That was former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton right before his performance at the NFL combine. So you’re an icon? An entertainer? Wow, that is great info. Could this guy be anymore full of himself? As a fan of a team drafting in the top ten, I hope “my team” decides to go more for a QUARTERBACK than an entertainer. Last time I checked Madonna never threw a touchdown pass. Get a grip on reality Cam, otherwise your career is going to have the curtain dropped on it…in a hurry. Entertainer? Try just throwing an out route.
“I've never seen a sports columnist repeatedly attack a coach w/ venom like Mark Bradley of AJC attacks Paul Hewitt. I say Fire Bradley 1st “
Have I been critical of Hewitt on my radio show before? Yes. But do I do it EVERY time Georgia Tech plays? No. I keep the topics fresh, even when the inevitable deluge of Fire Hewitt calls starts, we steer the conversation to a fresh perspective. Do I have a personal problem with something Hewitt said about the Atlanta media the way Bradley seems to have? No. Just like I have my opinion, Hewitt is allowed to have his. He can say what he chooses the same way I do. But after a while it just gets tired, Bradley.
This is a piece of the blog/article/column he wrote after Virginia beat Tech last week:
“Another Tech loss, and at its end there came no cascade of boos. There was only more of the numbness that has come to enshroud this once buoyant program. I feel for Tech fans. I feel for Tech players, who are trying hard with not much to show for it. I feel for everyone involved in this bleak tableau. There’s nothing fun here.”
In speaking about the potential Twitter war (Bradley had not responded via Tweet as of Tuesday afternoon), 680 The Fan’s Sandra Golden gave an inside look at the potential start of the Bradley-Hates-Hewitt campaign. The newest member of The Rude Awakening revealed that several years ago Hewitt made the claim that he didn’t read the newspaper and when asked why, responded because of the columnist. Presumably he was speaking about Bradley and he has since taken more shots at Hewitt than he has at Mark Richt and the Atlanta Hawks combined. I guess Bradley should be flattered that he at least has one national reader. But I also guess he might want to let up a tad with the “venom” otherwise Davis’s more than 360,000 Twitter followers might weigh in with the AJC.
While it seems Sandra Golden has been fitting in quite nicely with 680 the Fan and her new Rude Awakening co-hosts, one of her former co-hosts took a head-scratching stand on the NFL non-guaranteed contracts. Steak Shapiro of Mayhem in the AM was discussing the non-guaranteed nature of contracts in the NFL vs. the guaranteed deals in the NBA and in Major League Baseball. He was attempting to argue (I am SURE this was strictly done to play “disagreeable radio host”) that the NFL should guarantee contracts like the NBA does and the MLB does. One of his co-hosts pointed out how the guaranteed deals hurt the NBA, but Steak retorted that the NBA is pulling in outstanding numbers. I must agree with Chris and Nick: the numbers in the NBA aren’t tied to the contracts and just so happen to be up because the superstars have finally turned into superduperstars. The NBA guaranteed contracts hamstring teams every year and while there are creative ways to sometimes get around the salary cap, bad deals cripple a team for years while an NFL “bad contract” can be immediately killed off. The NFL is popular BECAUSE of the contract situation with people always playing their way into one of potentially out of one. If a guy doesn’t work, cut him and pay the small guaranteed amount while going and getting a new guy. Yes it stinks for the football players that their contracts aren’t guaranteed, but sometimes that works both ways: the players like to holdout for more money too. Don’t forget that it sometimes works in their favor.
A quick congrats to 680 The Fan’s drive home show and its co-hosts Buck Belue and John Kincade of Buck & Kincade for its recent passing of the 2500 show-mark. These two are true professionals and can be serious or funny, casual or formal in the same segment and it is truly a treat to drive home to these guys five days a week. The pairing may seem unlikely: a Valdosta kid turned UGA quarterback turned talk show host with a Philly guy turned “carpetbagger” but these two really make it work. I hope that they will be rocking and rolling and talking sports for at least another 2500 shows.
680 The Fan and its family of networks have plunged right back into Braves baseball in its second season serving as the flagship of Atlanta baseball. Buck & Kincade, Chuck & Chernoff and The Rude Awakening will be rotating down in Orlando with Belue helping to call some spring training games. Hopefully with one year under his belt, he’ll be a little more comfortable in the baseball broadcast booth. Last year’s experiment was a bit rough. Here’s hoping 2011 is better.
Finally, Georgia State fans were probably sighing with a side of eye-rolling after finding out that the AJC finally gave its basketball program some publicity…only to find it was to announce that the head coach had received the boot. The Panthers fans shouldn’t worry though: even if the AJC decides not to really care about Georgia State, Score Atlanta will be right here, updating the web and featuring Dave Cohen in the paper. If the AJC lets you down, turn to us.
Can You Believe He Said That
“I see myself not just as a football player but as an entertainer and an icon.”
That was former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton right before his performance at the NFL combine. So you’re an icon? An entertainer? Wow, that is great info. Could this guy be anymore full of himself? As a fan of a team drafting in the top ten, I hope “my team” decides to go more for a QUARTERBACK than an entertainer. Last time I checked Madonna never threw a touchdown pass. Get a grip on reality Cam, otherwise your career is going to have the curtain dropped on it…in a hurry. Entertainer? Try just throwing an out route.
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