After six hours and thirty-nine minutes and 19 innings, a bad call on a play at the plate ended a marathon Atlanta Braves/Pittsburgh Pirates game and apparently signified the end of the world. At 1:50 AM, apparently Twitter was about to explode with #worstcallever messages flooding cyberspace. (Do we still call it cyberspace?) The obviously missed call was the topic of both sports radio morning shows the next day and even ESPN.com ran a story called, “Worst Call Ever.”
My response: really? The “worst call ever?” Are you serious? This is a July series between the Braves and the Pirates. I realize the Pirates are struggling to finish above .500 for the first time since 1992 while competing for the NL Central crown (and the right to lose to Philadelphia in the NLDS), but come on. Worst call ever? How about last year when Jim Joyce called a runner safe, ruining a perfect game? How about The Cardinals/Royals World Series? How about a game that actually mattered? If the situation was reversed, I would probably be miffed…for about twenty minutes. Then you move on.
Perry Laurentino of 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening was calling for instant replay on all plays. I am sure 790 The Zone’s Mike Bell will now continue to beat the drum for “lasers and sensors on the uniforms!”
Can people just relax? Every year there is maybe two bad calls like this OVER THE ENTIRE SEASON. Each team plays 162 games. There are 30 teams. Think about that. It is like plane crashes. You only hear about them because they are so rare. Unless every call, including balls and strikes will be reviewed, then people need to stop calling for replay. And if baseball ever DOES start instigating replay after every play, like college football, those who called for it are not allowed to say ONE WORD about five-hour, nine-inning games.
Speaking of Mike Bell, his radio show received a new time slot, apparently responding to 680 The Fan’s response to 790’s rising ratings. Even though 680 didn’t do it because of ratings (per an AJC article), and I am sure 790 isn’t doing it in response to 680’s schedule change (because Steak wouldn’t make fun of the station he works for, right?). Pollack & Bell grew by 33% (it took a while for the duo to figure out how much longer they’d be on the air), going from three hours (4-7 P.M.) to four hours (3-7 P.M.). This also means that a bad past few months for the 2 Live Stews just continued. First the 2LS’s deal with Sporting News Radio ended and they returned to simply being live and local in Atlanta, then the show’s hours were reduced by one. Doug and Ryan now just punch the clock from 1-3 P.M. every day. I haven’t tuned in much since the hour reduction, but I will be interested in hearing if the original callers, some of which were ignored with the national show, will still call in now that the Stews have returned to its Atlanta roots.
The reason for the Pollack & Bell switch probably has something to do with Chuck & Chernoff’s move to afternoon drive and after two weeks of listening, I will say that Pollack & Bell might just be in trouble. The Zone was clearly going after the younger audience while going against Buck & Kincade, but now Chuck & Chernoff can court that. The Zone might be in a bit of a pickle. Chuck & Chernoff’s chemistry doesn’t seem as forced as Pollack & Bell’s but you cannot split those two up because Pollack is your tie to college football, way moreso than Dave Archer would be. Arch and Bell do have the better chemistry, but with college football approaching you would hate to lose out to the Kang, Chuck Oliver. And PS, not since Brandon Adams have I been so tied to listening through commercials to hear the outcome of teases like I have been recently with Matt Chernoff throwing out teases during the afternoon drive. If he stays creative, fewer dials will be switched over to P&B, considering the two seem synched up commercial-wise these days.
Did I read correctly in a recent Sports Illustrated that Paul Hewitt was the coach of the US’s U-19 team? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the team finished fifth in the recent 2011 FIBA U19, probably because the timeouts were used incorrectly. Hewitt, who now coaches George Mason, had some interesting quotes in the SI piece, especially in regards to a player he missed out on while at Georgia Tech, Jeremy Lamb, the former Norcross standout that just helped UConn win the national title. Hewitt at one point questioned Lamb’s desire to be there. Lamb went out and scored 35 points in one of the elimination games, following it up with a 21 point effort so I wouldn’t question his desire to be there. Hewitt continues to astound and amaze even though he isn’t even at Tech anymore. Hmm.
SEC Media days was last week and I am amazed that no one locally called out Georgia head coach Mark Richt. As a Georgia grad and diehard Bulldogs football fan, even I can recognize that Richt is on the hotseat. I have defended him the last two years from being called “on the hotseat” by various media members, but there is no question about it now. Richt said at one point there is “not one sense of doom or gloom,” in Athens. As a Georgia fan, that is great. But come on, your head would be in the sand if you didn’t know there was heat. I hope Richt turns it around in a big way and Georgia winds up playing in the Georgia Dome in EARLY December (SEC Championship game) and in a bowl game on or after January 1. I would have thought that the AJC’s Mark Bradley would have jumped on this, but instead I guess he jumped off the RICHT MUST GO bandwagon to stand up for him. Wow, things must be turning around for Coach Richt.
Finally the ACC media days also took place earlier this week. I wonder if any trees fell in at the media days and if they made any noise. After all of the SEC coverage, it seemed no one was there.
Can You Believe He Said That
“There is not one sense of doom or gloom”
That was Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt at SEC Media Days. As a Georgia alum and diehard Bulldog football fan, I want nothing more than for this to be true, but if Richt really cannot feel the pressure on him then his head is in the sand. I hope Richt turns it around but there is pressure Coach. Sorry. call him
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Dawgs should focus on Boise, not unis
The all-powerful Nike dollar (or should I say dollars, plural. Many, many dollars) has reared its ugly head yet again, with ugly being the key word. The Georgia Bulldogs will wear, for one night only, a Nike Combat model for its opening game on national television against Boise State. Several different sketches have been making their way across the blogosphere, and while every design is different, they all share one similarity: they are hideous. Last year Nike got (read: PAID) schools such as TCU, Boise State, Ohio State and Florida to don these futuristic jerseys, only to cause fans to vomit in their mouths when their beloved Buckeyes (or Gators or Broncos or Horned Frogs) took the field.
Money makes the world go ‘round. I get that. However I would have thought that recent wardrobe issues would have made Georgia think twice about changing its classic uniforms. The last few costume changes have gone over about as well as Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction. While it was completely sublime when the Dawgs ran through the black flag/banner against Auburn in 2007 for the original blackout, the uniforms cheapened a bit in the blowout win over Hawaii in that year’s Sugar Bowl. Then the black jerseys hopefully were put away for good when Georgia found itself down 30 against Alabama in 2008.
And who can forget the black helmets and black pants that Georgia wore during the 2009 Georgia/Florida game, just one year after the rumored Code Red of red helmets, jerseys and pants that thankfully never happened! Georgia looked like Grambling State and played like them too. Richt apparently thought he needed to go to the well for a clothing change because the team needed motivation to try and beat a Florida team that crushed it the year before.
And now we need more clothes to get fired up? The players reportedly love the new unis, which is great but at the same time, I hope that the team is focusing on stopping Kellen Moore rather than wondering how the Combat uniform will look on the Georgia Dome carpet. This is an important game for Georgia and for Mark Richt. I just worry the team is losing focus to gush over some clothes.
Money makes the world go ‘round. I get that. However I would have thought that recent wardrobe issues would have made Georgia think twice about changing its classic uniforms. The last few costume changes have gone over about as well as Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction. While it was completely sublime when the Dawgs ran through the black flag/banner against Auburn in 2007 for the original blackout, the uniforms cheapened a bit in the blowout win over Hawaii in that year’s Sugar Bowl. Then the black jerseys hopefully were put away for good when Georgia found itself down 30 against Alabama in 2008.
And who can forget the black helmets and black pants that Georgia wore during the 2009 Georgia/Florida game, just one year after the rumored Code Red of red helmets, jerseys and pants that thankfully never happened! Georgia looked like Grambling State and played like them too. Richt apparently thought he needed to go to the well for a clothing change because the team needed motivation to try and beat a Florida team that crushed it the year before.
And now we need more clothes to get fired up? The players reportedly love the new unis, which is great but at the same time, I hope that the team is focusing on stopping Kellen Moore rather than wondering how the Combat uniform will look on the Georgia Dome carpet. This is an important game for Georgia and for Mark Richt. I just worry the team is losing focus to gush over some clothes.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Paul Mac, the voice of reason, on the Heyward situation
The “we’ve got to stick it out with these guise because they’re DA FUTURE,” is a concept that is rather foreign to this professional football fan.
If you bought new tires that made a bad noise and vibrated, would you just stick with them because well they’re new. We’ve got to break em in right? Or take them back and get a new set of tires?
If you bought new tires that made a bad noise and vibrated, would you just stick with them because well they’re new. We’ve got to break em in right? Or take them back and get a new set of tires?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
If you can get Beltran, you get him NOW!
Earlier this month around the All-Star break, the popular trade rumor involving the Braves dealt with the team looking to move pitcher Derek Lowe. Now with the trading deadline upon us, the Braves as of Tuesday morning, were waist-deep in Carlos Beltran trade rumors. The Mets outfielder is a switch-hitter who is having quite a year while seeking a new contract. The career .282 hitter is hitting over .290 with higher on-base, slugging and OPS percentages than throughout the course of his 14-year career. Beltran has missed a large portion of the last two seasons but seems healthy this year and has hit 15 home runs as of Monday. ESPN.com is reporting that the Braves have considered dangling former first-round draftee Mike Minor, a left-handed starting pitcher, in trying to acquire Beltran, who could platoon in center or in rightfield. The Phillies, Red Sox and Giants are also in the chase for Beltran.
What would Beltran mean for Atlanta? The Dan Uggla trade and signing was supposed to give the lineup a powerful right-handed bat and while Uggla has slugged 18 home runs entering the Pirates series, the average is still around .200 instead of .260 and the RBIs are only at 40, a pace well below the 93 he usually averages. Martin Prado is the only other starter that is a regular righty and while Chipper Jones is also a switch-hitter, Beltran would be nice to have in there to potentially be a right-handed bat. Beltran also seems to rise up when the calendar switches to October. In 2004 when Beltran was acquired by the Astros for the playoff run, the outfielder slugged 23 home runs with 53 RBIs in 90 games, then hit four home runs against the Braves in the NLDS. Beltran followed that up with four more home runs in the NLCS but Houston lost to St. Louis. In 2006, after slugging 41 home runs for the Mets in the regular season, Beltran knocked three more dingers in the NLCS but New York fell once again to the St. Louis Cardinals. In twenty-two postseason games, Beltran has eleven home runs. Let me repeat that: in twenty-two postseason games, Beltran has eleven home runs!
The Braves have plenty of pitcher prospects in the system with Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, Arodys Vizcaino and this year’s first round pick Sean Gilmartin, not to mention Brandon Beachy. Moving a Minor, though never fun, might be well worth it if Beltran can come through with the numbers he put up with Houston and New York in postseason play.
What would Beltran mean for Atlanta? The Dan Uggla trade and signing was supposed to give the lineup a powerful right-handed bat and while Uggla has slugged 18 home runs entering the Pirates series, the average is still around .200 instead of .260 and the RBIs are only at 40, a pace well below the 93 he usually averages. Martin Prado is the only other starter that is a regular righty and while Chipper Jones is also a switch-hitter, Beltran would be nice to have in there to potentially be a right-handed bat. Beltran also seems to rise up when the calendar switches to October. In 2004 when Beltran was acquired by the Astros for the playoff run, the outfielder slugged 23 home runs with 53 RBIs in 90 games, then hit four home runs against the Braves in the NLDS. Beltran followed that up with four more home runs in the NLCS but Houston lost to St. Louis. In 2006, after slugging 41 home runs for the Mets in the regular season, Beltran knocked three more dingers in the NLCS but New York fell once again to the St. Louis Cardinals. In twenty-two postseason games, Beltran has eleven home runs. Let me repeat that: in twenty-two postseason games, Beltran has eleven home runs!
The Braves have plenty of pitcher prospects in the system with Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, Arodys Vizcaino and this year’s first round pick Sean Gilmartin, not to mention Brandon Beachy. Moving a Minor, though never fun, might be well worth it if Beltran can come through with the numbers he put up with Houston and New York in postseason play.
Monday, July 25, 2011
TheFletch on AMonday: C&C move, B&D are Back!
In what amounts to Atlanta sports radio’s version of Conan O’Brien taking over for Jay Leno, 680 The Fan’s Chuck & Chernoff radio show has moved into the coveted afternoon drive slot previously held for years by the Buck & Kincade show. 680 The Fan is moving the former Georgia quarterback and his ESPN radio personality co-host to Chuck & Chernoff’s previous midday 12-3 slot. In a recent AJC blog, 680 The Fan executives said that is it not a demotion for the afternoon drive team, just a shuffling around to keep the voices fresh.
Honestly the move just makes sense. Chuck & Chernoff are the “young” voices of the station and the afternoon seems perfect for their energy. Chernoff the joker and the Kang of College Football is knowledgeable on nearly every sport and the two should be able to battle 790 The Zone for the younger audience that Pollack & Bell have been racking up. Various ratings have shown that Pollack & Bell had started to gain and take away listeners from Buck & Kincade, who may have needed a bit of a shakeup to get back on track.
In fact, Buck Belue’s and John Kincade’s talent and popularity may have even hurt them in that afternoon drive slot. Belue was also used in the Braves’ pregame show and Kincade was used in the same capacity for the Thrashers’ coverage so it sometimes felt as though those two were on for six or eight straight hours. The Buck & Kincade Show also confused some folks with the Braves look over the last twenty minutes or so of their show with Kincade, Buck and Leo, only to drop Kincade at the top of the hour and pick up some of the other Braves commentators. It sounded too similar. Perhaps if Chuck & Chernoff did the spot with Leo or with Buck, and then those two stepped aside for the Braves pregame guys, it would go over better.
It will also be interesting to see how Chuck Oliver does going against his former show and his former co-hosts in Mike Bell and David Pollack. When Da Kang first left 790, Pollack & Bell took a while to find its footing as Pollack had to take up more of a leading role, but now the 790 afternoon drive show is really clicking. Both shows will be hard after the 18-39 and 21-49 crowd and both greatly appeal to those brackets. It will be interesting to see if either tries to also nab that former Buck & Kincade target zone (a bit older that the 20-somethings that will certainly be flipping back and forth).
I wonder if Mike Bell will ramp up his “emmm” insults now that Oliver is his direct competition. I always thought those would go away but he keeps trotting them out there. He will surely continue to use them, but if he were to ask me I’d tell him to retire those. I don’t get why either station even talks about the other, its competition. Discussing the AJC is one thing, because it is a different medium, but to allude to your competition is almost encouraging your listeners to tune over. I know the other school of thought is that OF COURSE everyone knows there is another station out there and to try and avoid that is pompous, but I would still not drop the “emms” or the “Hey Johnny” comments that Bell throws out there. Bell isn’t the only one doing that though. Kincade has been known to spout off some not-so-veiled daggers in the direction of The Zone.
And speaking of mentioning the other station, according to the AJC article announcing the switch, 790’s Steak Shapiro was also “crowing” that Pollack & Bell forced 680’s hand. I would give Steak the same suggestion. Just praise your guys and don’t mention the other guys. And please Steak and the rest of Mayhem in the A.M., keep talking sports. I’ve noticed that 680’s The Rude Awakening has gone the way of Q100 in discussing almost every pop culture topic BUT sports. It seems the addition of Sandra Golden has led to Christopher Rude leaving the sports box to talk singing competitions, fashion and court cases. My bad for hoping for sports on a sports talk station.
Despite his retirement from the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal was the biggest free agent of the basketball off-season. TNT snagged his services, beating out ESPN and Shaq will join the Atlanta-based TNT broadcast of “Inside the NBA,” the best pre-game and post-game studio show in all of sports (Sorry GameDay but you lost me with Desmond Howard and Erin Andrews). Shaq will the newest member of the panel which includes ringleader Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Sir Charles Barkley. Shaq was always good for a humorous nickname, but it will be interesting to see if he can carry that monotone voice and wide eyed-smile into some real analysis. One other interesting move in bringing Shaq aboard was the decision to jettison Chris Webber, who was REALLY GOOD first on NBA TV then on TNT. Webber also slid right in on the Inside the NBA set, picking up the chemistry and running with it. If the Shaq experiment turns out to be a disaster (which could certainly happen), it will be interesting to see if TNT tries to turn back to Webber. ESPN should gobble up Webber in a second. They already have one Fab Fiver on staff in Jalen Rose and Webber would fade into the ALREADY crowded table of analysts, but ESPN should try and pick him up just to prevent TNT from doing so.
Finally, did you catch that Barnhart & Durham are back on 790 The Zone? Thank goodness. While I love summer, I hate that these two get a summer break. I am thrilled that they are back.
Can You Believe He Said That
Former Georgia coach accused in Ponzi scheme
That was the headline on ESPN.com’s college football page in regards to Jim Donnan’s latest troubles. I find it funny that the headline writer decided to go with Donnan as the former UGA boss opposed to the ESPN personality he has been the last few years. The article did reference that Donnan was an “ex-ESPN college analyst.” My, how they turn so quickly. e so he
Honestly the move just makes sense. Chuck & Chernoff are the “young” voices of the station and the afternoon seems perfect for their energy. Chernoff the joker and the Kang of College Football is knowledgeable on nearly every sport and the two should be able to battle 790 The Zone for the younger audience that Pollack & Bell have been racking up. Various ratings have shown that Pollack & Bell had started to gain and take away listeners from Buck & Kincade, who may have needed a bit of a shakeup to get back on track.
In fact, Buck Belue’s and John Kincade’s talent and popularity may have even hurt them in that afternoon drive slot. Belue was also used in the Braves’ pregame show and Kincade was used in the same capacity for the Thrashers’ coverage so it sometimes felt as though those two were on for six or eight straight hours. The Buck & Kincade Show also confused some folks with the Braves look over the last twenty minutes or so of their show with Kincade, Buck and Leo, only to drop Kincade at the top of the hour and pick up some of the other Braves commentators. It sounded too similar. Perhaps if Chuck & Chernoff did the spot with Leo or with Buck, and then those two stepped aside for the Braves pregame guys, it would go over better.
It will also be interesting to see how Chuck Oliver does going against his former show and his former co-hosts in Mike Bell and David Pollack. When Da Kang first left 790, Pollack & Bell took a while to find its footing as Pollack had to take up more of a leading role, but now the 790 afternoon drive show is really clicking. Both shows will be hard after the 18-39 and 21-49 crowd and both greatly appeal to those brackets. It will be interesting to see if either tries to also nab that former Buck & Kincade target zone (a bit older that the 20-somethings that will certainly be flipping back and forth).
I wonder if Mike Bell will ramp up his “emmm” insults now that Oliver is his direct competition. I always thought those would go away but he keeps trotting them out there. He will surely continue to use them, but if he were to ask me I’d tell him to retire those. I don’t get why either station even talks about the other, its competition. Discussing the AJC is one thing, because it is a different medium, but to allude to your competition is almost encouraging your listeners to tune over. I know the other school of thought is that OF COURSE everyone knows there is another station out there and to try and avoid that is pompous, but I would still not drop the “emms” or the “Hey Johnny” comments that Bell throws out there. Bell isn’t the only one doing that though. Kincade has been known to spout off some not-so-veiled daggers in the direction of The Zone.
And speaking of mentioning the other station, according to the AJC article announcing the switch, 790’s Steak Shapiro was also “crowing” that Pollack & Bell forced 680’s hand. I would give Steak the same suggestion. Just praise your guys and don’t mention the other guys. And please Steak and the rest of Mayhem in the A.M., keep talking sports. I’ve noticed that 680’s The Rude Awakening has gone the way of Q100 in discussing almost every pop culture topic BUT sports. It seems the addition of Sandra Golden has led to Christopher Rude leaving the sports box to talk singing competitions, fashion and court cases. My bad for hoping for sports on a sports talk station.
Despite his retirement from the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal was the biggest free agent of the basketball off-season. TNT snagged his services, beating out ESPN and Shaq will join the Atlanta-based TNT broadcast of “Inside the NBA,” the best pre-game and post-game studio show in all of sports (Sorry GameDay but you lost me with Desmond Howard and Erin Andrews). Shaq will the newest member of the panel which includes ringleader Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Sir Charles Barkley. Shaq was always good for a humorous nickname, but it will be interesting to see if he can carry that monotone voice and wide eyed-smile into some real analysis. One other interesting move in bringing Shaq aboard was the decision to jettison Chris Webber, who was REALLY GOOD first on NBA TV then on TNT. Webber also slid right in on the Inside the NBA set, picking up the chemistry and running with it. If the Shaq experiment turns out to be a disaster (which could certainly happen), it will be interesting to see if TNT tries to turn back to Webber. ESPN should gobble up Webber in a second. They already have one Fab Fiver on staff in Jalen Rose and Webber would fade into the ALREADY crowded table of analysts, but ESPN should try and pick him up just to prevent TNT from doing so.
Finally, did you catch that Barnhart & Durham are back on 790 The Zone? Thank goodness. While I love summer, I hate that these two get a summer break. I am thrilled that they are back.
Can You Believe He Said That
Former Georgia coach accused in Ponzi scheme
That was the headline on ESPN.com’s college football page in regards to Jim Donnan’s latest troubles. I find it funny that the headline writer decided to go with Donnan as the former UGA boss opposed to the ESPN personality he has been the last few years. The article did reference that Donnan was an “ex-ESPN college analyst.” My, how they turn so quickly. e so he
Friday, July 22, 2011
What Bowl Should Dawg Fans Settle For?
As Mark Richt was speaking at SEC media days, you either got the feeling that Richt truly does feel rejuvenated or he is delusional. He said at one point that he doesn’t feel a hot seat and he feels really good about this team, considering the circumstances. On one hand you have the best quarterback returning in the conference, teaming with one of the best recruiting classes in the country in year two of the 3-4 conversion. On the other hand though, you running game keeps taking hits and the offensive line is a tad inexperienced while your play-making linebacker may or may not play for the first few games due to an NCAA investigation.
So where do you lean? Do you agree with Richt or do you feel bad for him? The Dawgs will likely go to a bowl this year but will it be one to “save” Richt’s job like a BCS or at least a Capital One Bowl or is it a low tier bowl that will be played long before New Year’s Day like the last two?
Bulldog Nation should start buying into the spin put out there by the player reps at media days, saying that some of the young pups are really playing well. Richt of course is going to say bland (yet positive) things, but in some interviews you can actually hear the excitement in Aaron Murray’s voice when he discusses the freshmen getting after it. Murray surely will go to the Mark Richt “give nothing away” interview school after this weekend, but how can you not be intrigued by his comments?
Most reasonable Dawg fans would settle for a split of the first two games (a sweep would be divine) and then the rest of the schedule looks really manageable with just the Florida game as well as another slip-up somewhere along the way (a home date with Miss State or a trip to Tennessee). If Georgia goes 9-3, 6-2 in conference play, I am not certain that is good enough for the SEC Championship game, but 9-3 gets at least the Outback Bowl, which saves Richt’s job. Should Georgia sweep the first two, then maybe the Florida game is the only slip up as Georgia should be good enough to take the other Bulldogs and the Vols. An 11-1 regular season does get you into the SEC Championship game which guarantees you at least the Capital One Bowl.
Of course things could fall apart but anything less than the Outback will really be considered a disappointment and it is doubtful any Georgia fan would take anything less than an early January 1 kickoff.
So where do you lean? Do you agree with Richt or do you feel bad for him? The Dawgs will likely go to a bowl this year but will it be one to “save” Richt’s job like a BCS or at least a Capital One Bowl or is it a low tier bowl that will be played long before New Year’s Day like the last two?
Bulldog Nation should start buying into the spin put out there by the player reps at media days, saying that some of the young pups are really playing well. Richt of course is going to say bland (yet positive) things, but in some interviews you can actually hear the excitement in Aaron Murray’s voice when he discusses the freshmen getting after it. Murray surely will go to the Mark Richt “give nothing away” interview school after this weekend, but how can you not be intrigued by his comments?
Most reasonable Dawg fans would settle for a split of the first two games (a sweep would be divine) and then the rest of the schedule looks really manageable with just the Florida game as well as another slip-up somewhere along the way (a home date with Miss State or a trip to Tennessee). If Georgia goes 9-3, 6-2 in conference play, I am not certain that is good enough for the SEC Championship game, but 9-3 gets at least the Outback Bowl, which saves Richt’s job. Should Georgia sweep the first two, then maybe the Florida game is the only slip up as Georgia should be good enough to take the other Bulldogs and the Vols. An 11-1 regular season does get you into the SEC Championship game which guarantees you at least the Capital One Bowl.
Of course things could fall apart but anything less than the Outback will really be considered a disappointment and it is doubtful any Georgia fan would take anything less than an early January 1 kickoff.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Jenkins County's Jonathan Taylor, doin' work
For some rising high school seniors, football is an outlet to get away from the stress of being a teen. For Jenkins County defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor, one of the top players in the state of Georgia and top tackles in the country according to the recruiting services, football is a bit more. “I see football as a job,” said Taylor in a recent interview.
In fact Taylor wanted to get down to business on the gridiron so he ended his recruiting process very early in the game, selecting to sign with Georgia this upcoming February along with his teammate James Deloach in one of the most intriguing “package deals,” in recent memory. The two declared very early on that they’d be attending the same college together and in the end Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs won out. “I wanted to focus on football and my senior year and getting down to it,” Taylor said of his reasoning to pledge early.
How did the pair decide upon Georgia? According to Taylor, the conversation was very simple as the two found nothing but positives about Athens. “I said to him, ‘Georgia sound good to me, how about you?’ and he said, ‘Sounds good to me,’ and that was it.”
Taylor said that he saw Athens as a good chance to get an education. “Education is number one for me,” admitted Taylor. “They have a great, great coaching staff too. Mark Richt is a good Christian.” Taylor is so smitten with the Bulldogs and Richt’s program he said he will not take any other official visits, just one to Athens in January.
Taylor also revealed that he’s been working hard as a recruiter for the Bulldogs, sticking right on Jacksonville prospect John Theus at the recent Dawg Night gathering, working him hard. “I was a busy man,” Taylor said about his tireless recruiting efforts at Dawg Night.
Playing time was also a big factor though as Taylor believes he will have every opportunity to start his freshman year as a true nose tackle. “After John Jenkins (comes in this year) it is going to be me.” To step in, Taylor said he will just try to “keep my size and lift weights.” For a man who sees football as a job, Taylor is taking the steps to ensure his promotion to a starting job is scheduled for Fall 2012
In fact Taylor wanted to get down to business on the gridiron so he ended his recruiting process very early in the game, selecting to sign with Georgia this upcoming February along with his teammate James Deloach in one of the most intriguing “package deals,” in recent memory. The two declared very early on that they’d be attending the same college together and in the end Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs won out. “I wanted to focus on football and my senior year and getting down to it,” Taylor said of his reasoning to pledge early.
How did the pair decide upon Georgia? According to Taylor, the conversation was very simple as the two found nothing but positives about Athens. “I said to him, ‘Georgia sound good to me, how about you?’ and he said, ‘Sounds good to me,’ and that was it.”
Taylor said that he saw Athens as a good chance to get an education. “Education is number one for me,” admitted Taylor. “They have a great, great coaching staff too. Mark Richt is a good Christian.” Taylor is so smitten with the Bulldogs and Richt’s program he said he will not take any other official visits, just one to Athens in January.
Taylor also revealed that he’s been working hard as a recruiter for the Bulldogs, sticking right on Jacksonville prospect John Theus at the recent Dawg Night gathering, working him hard. “I was a busy man,” Taylor said about his tireless recruiting efforts at Dawg Night.
Playing time was also a big factor though as Taylor believes he will have every opportunity to start his freshman year as a true nose tackle. “After John Jenkins (comes in this year) it is going to be me.” To step in, Taylor said he will just try to “keep my size and lift weights.” For a man who sees football as a job, Taylor is taking the steps to ensure his promotion to a starting job is scheduled for Fall 2012
Monday, July 18, 2011
LastWeek'sTheFletch: Soccer is SUCH a tease
Soccer continues to tease potential American fans and perhaps this time it might actually take. Former Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo allowed two goals in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil and for a while she looked as though she had gone from hero to goat. Solo initially looked like a hero as she blocked away a penalty kick in the second half, but officials ruled she moved forward too soon and another PK was awarded. Solo received a yellow card after arguing but the point was moot. Brazil converted the second PK and then put one into the net very early in the extra session/OT. ESPN studio experts took up Solo’s back but the play-by-play announcer at one point noted that Solo’s name was fitting as she was an “individualistic player.”
Soccer fans in Atlanta will attest to that as Solo was quite the pot-stirrer in her one year (16 appearances) in Cobb County. Solo went on twitter twice to spring controversy, first accusing the fans of the Boston Breakers of racist and offensive chants before later taking the WPS to task via twitter, questioning the integrity of the officials after the Beat fell to Washington. That tweet earned Solo a fine as well as a suspension. Solo was not resigned following the 2010 season. Solo was quite the talented player and probably could have been the face of the Beat for years to come, but her tweets and attitude derailed for stay in Atlanta. Solo quickly became the female version of David Justice, Gary Sheffield and Kenny Lofton: so talented but too much of a rabble-rouser for the city and thus sent away. She then though proved to be one of the two heroes again at the end, saving a huge PK down the stretch, allowing the US to advance to the semi-finals. So talented and with that save leaves Atlanta Beat fans wishing she was still here.
A quick aside: I think the biggest issue that soccer enthusiasts have against them is that America doesn’t like wusses. I watched the World Cup quarterfinal and the Brazilians faked and dove into calls, with one soccer player “Erika” (no last name) needing a stretcher and taking up four minutes worth of game time before she immediately got up and checked back into the game. America just doesn’t fake and flop but the other countries do. It reminds me of wrestlers in the mid-80s when the heels would fake the injuries and fake tags while the good guys could never catch a break. Then however when Abby Wambach puts the ball into the back of the net, you go nuts because it was as though Hulk Hogan somehow fought back to take down beat the odds to take down Andre the Giant. The US men’s team did it with Landon Donovan last year and now Wambach did it this year and perhaps THAT is why soccer is on the cusp.
In a bit of a sad story, the AJC reported that Greenville High School football coach Jeremy Williams has official resigned as he battles ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Williams in addition to being the being the subject of the documentary “Season of a Lifetime” as well as the recipient of an “Extreme Makeover” on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, coached Greenville to the playoffs last year after winning the first eleven games of the season in 2009. The AJC has been all over the Greenville coach’s story and now unfortunately the paper had to report on Williams’ decision to step down. Hopefully the AJC can report some more good news on Williams over the next few months.
680 The Fan and the AJC were quick to hedge their bets in regards to Atlanta’s first half series finale against the Phillies. John Kincade of the Buck & Kincade show wanted to warn fans against getting too excited if Atlanta were to sweep the Phillies in Philadelphia or getting too down if Atlanta were to get swept. The AJC’s Carroll Rogers wrote in a piece before the series that the team shouldn’t “overthink” the early series. Rogers wrote:
Must-win series? How about the final series of the regular season last year against the Phillies, when the Braves had to win to make the postseason? Or the three-game series in Philadelphia late last September, which was in essence the Braves’ last chance to stake a claim to the division?
By comparison, this one doesn’t carry the weight, especially not to a team that has the second-best record in the National League and now appreciates the value of the wild card.
Some interesting takes on the Caleb King story when it broke last week. The AJC’s Jeff Schultz noted that it didn’t really matter as Isaiah Crowell was on his way to starting anyways. Schultz wrote in a blog, “So sorry if I’m not all bent out of shape about the sudden news that King has been declared academically ineligible for the Bulldogs in the fall.” He noted how he didn’t impact the team’s fortunes in his time with Mark Richt and Georgia and wasn’t likely to impact it next year with Crowell on the way. Scott Janovitz of The Official Visit, heard on 790 The Zone, believed that this opened the door for not just Crowell but also Ken “Boo” Malcome, a redshirt freshman that received some positive reviews ala Knowshon Moreno’s reviews entering 2007. Sam Radin wondered on Zone Sports Saturday if Carlton Thomas would get more touches. I have to side with Janovitz and Schultz, in that Malcome would likely receive more touches but the star is now without question Crowell. We’ll get our answer of whether he can be as good as Lattimore was for South Carolina last year.
Can You Believe He Said That
“Mo-Ron, that’s what you call that kid.”
That was both Perry Laurentino and Leo Mazzone talking about the New York fan that caught Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit, a home run, who gave the ball back. Last week, 790 The Zone’s Chris Dimino guessed that if Jeter hit a home run, there might be a chalk outline because fans would fight to the death for the ball. This kid though simply gave the ball back, a decision that has earned him national praise, except from Laurentino, who believes he should have sold the ball. , but
Soccer fans in Atlanta will attest to that as Solo was quite the pot-stirrer in her one year (16 appearances) in Cobb County. Solo went on twitter twice to spring controversy, first accusing the fans of the Boston Breakers of racist and offensive chants before later taking the WPS to task via twitter, questioning the integrity of the officials after the Beat fell to Washington. That tweet earned Solo a fine as well as a suspension. Solo was not resigned following the 2010 season. Solo was quite the talented player and probably could have been the face of the Beat for years to come, but her tweets and attitude derailed for stay in Atlanta. Solo quickly became the female version of David Justice, Gary Sheffield and Kenny Lofton: so talented but too much of a rabble-rouser for the city and thus sent away. She then though proved to be one of the two heroes again at the end, saving a huge PK down the stretch, allowing the US to advance to the semi-finals. So talented and with that save leaves Atlanta Beat fans wishing she was still here.
A quick aside: I think the biggest issue that soccer enthusiasts have against them is that America doesn’t like wusses. I watched the World Cup quarterfinal and the Brazilians faked and dove into calls, with one soccer player “Erika” (no last name) needing a stretcher and taking up four minutes worth of game time before she immediately got up and checked back into the game. America just doesn’t fake and flop but the other countries do. It reminds me of wrestlers in the mid-80s when the heels would fake the injuries and fake tags while the good guys could never catch a break. Then however when Abby Wambach puts the ball into the back of the net, you go nuts because it was as though Hulk Hogan somehow fought back to take down beat the odds to take down Andre the Giant. The US men’s team did it with Landon Donovan last year and now Wambach did it this year and perhaps THAT is why soccer is on the cusp.
In a bit of a sad story, the AJC reported that Greenville High School football coach Jeremy Williams has official resigned as he battles ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Williams in addition to being the being the subject of the documentary “Season of a Lifetime” as well as the recipient of an “Extreme Makeover” on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, coached Greenville to the playoffs last year after winning the first eleven games of the season in 2009. The AJC has been all over the Greenville coach’s story and now unfortunately the paper had to report on Williams’ decision to step down. Hopefully the AJC can report some more good news on Williams over the next few months.
680 The Fan and the AJC were quick to hedge their bets in regards to Atlanta’s first half series finale against the Phillies. John Kincade of the Buck & Kincade show wanted to warn fans against getting too excited if Atlanta were to sweep the Phillies in Philadelphia or getting too down if Atlanta were to get swept. The AJC’s Carroll Rogers wrote in a piece before the series that the team shouldn’t “overthink” the early series. Rogers wrote:
Must-win series? How about the final series of the regular season last year against the Phillies, when the Braves had to win to make the postseason? Or the three-game series in Philadelphia late last September, which was in essence the Braves’ last chance to stake a claim to the division?
By comparison, this one doesn’t carry the weight, especially not to a team that has the second-best record in the National League and now appreciates the value of the wild card.
Some interesting takes on the Caleb King story when it broke last week. The AJC’s Jeff Schultz noted that it didn’t really matter as Isaiah Crowell was on his way to starting anyways. Schultz wrote in a blog, “So sorry if I’m not all bent out of shape about the sudden news that King has been declared academically ineligible for the Bulldogs in the fall.” He noted how he didn’t impact the team’s fortunes in his time with Mark Richt and Georgia and wasn’t likely to impact it next year with Crowell on the way. Scott Janovitz of The Official Visit, heard on 790 The Zone, believed that this opened the door for not just Crowell but also Ken “Boo” Malcome, a redshirt freshman that received some positive reviews ala Knowshon Moreno’s reviews entering 2007. Sam Radin wondered on Zone Sports Saturday if Carlton Thomas would get more touches. I have to side with Janovitz and Schultz, in that Malcome would likely receive more touches but the star is now without question Crowell. We’ll get our answer of whether he can be as good as Lattimore was for South Carolina last year.
Can You Believe He Said That
“Mo-Ron, that’s what you call that kid.”
That was both Perry Laurentino and Leo Mazzone talking about the New York fan that caught Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit, a home run, who gave the ball back. Last week, 790 The Zone’s Chris Dimino guessed that if Jeter hit a home run, there might be a chalk outline because fans would fight to the death for the ball. This kid though simply gave the ball back, a decision that has earned him national praise, except from Laurentino, who believes he should have sold the ball. , but
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Georgia fans should be happy with Murray...for now
Leading up to February 2009, the Georgia Bulldogs were quite the gamblers. Mark Richt decided to cast his lot with Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger, moreorless letting Tom Savage sign with Rutgers. One of the northeast’s top signal-callers, Savage had visited Athens and had the Dawgs in his top two before pulling the trigger on a pledge to Rutgers. Many believe it was because he knew that Murray, one of the top Florida high school QBs was about to commit to Georgia, which he did.
Interestingly enough though Murray AND Mettenberger, who were both among the top prep QBs in the country their senior seasons, redshirted while Savage came off the bench for Rutgers in the season-opener and helped lead the Scarlet Knights to a 9-4 record. He earned Freshman All-America honors after throwing 2211 yards and 14 TDs and being named the starter entering game two. In the bowl game, he capped his season and sent many Rutgers fans wondering how high he’d take the program by shredding the competition to the tune of 14-27, 294 yards and two TDs.
Georgia fans had to read Savage’s stats every Sunday while watching the Georgia coaches refuse to pull Murray’s redshirt despite Joe Cox’s struggles. Then there was the rumor floating that Murray’s arm-strength was weak at the moment due to injury.
The spring game also did Georgia no favors as Murray didn’t look as good as Mettenberger, whom had already been told he would be suspended for at least the opener due to an arrest over spring break. Fans were clamoring for Mettenberger right until he was kicked off the team permanently for off-the-field transgressions. He ended up at Butler CC in Kansas.
Then the 2010 season started and seemingly everything worked out for Georgia. Aaron Murray showed that he just could be the kind of QB to lead Georgia back to respectability, as he ran and threw for score after score. He enters the 2011 season as perhaps the best returning quarterback in the SEC and the odds-on favorite for first-team All-SEC.
Savage meanwhile suffered an injury and played in just six games, throwing more interceptions that touchdowns and completing just 51.8% of his passes. He was also replaced by a freshman quarterback and is sitting out this year after transferring to Arizona.
Murray’s main competition for All-SEC though may come from his former teammate Mettenberger. The Oconee County (GA) product threw for 2700 yards and 32 touchdowns in the juco ranks and is now backing up Jordan Jefferson at LSU. Many feel though it is only a matter of time before Mettenberger wins the job in Baton Rouge.
Georgia fans have to feel like the coaching staff made the right call in sticking with Murray as he has so far beaten out Mettenberger and Savage. Of course we’ll have to see how the next two years play out, but Georgia fans should be happy with what they have, not wishing they could have had someone else.
Interestingly enough though Murray AND Mettenberger, who were both among the top prep QBs in the country their senior seasons, redshirted while Savage came off the bench for Rutgers in the season-opener and helped lead the Scarlet Knights to a 9-4 record. He earned Freshman All-America honors after throwing 2211 yards and 14 TDs and being named the starter entering game two. In the bowl game, he capped his season and sent many Rutgers fans wondering how high he’d take the program by shredding the competition to the tune of 14-27, 294 yards and two TDs.
Georgia fans had to read Savage’s stats every Sunday while watching the Georgia coaches refuse to pull Murray’s redshirt despite Joe Cox’s struggles. Then there was the rumor floating that Murray’s arm-strength was weak at the moment due to injury.
The spring game also did Georgia no favors as Murray didn’t look as good as Mettenberger, whom had already been told he would be suspended for at least the opener due to an arrest over spring break. Fans were clamoring for Mettenberger right until he was kicked off the team permanently for off-the-field transgressions. He ended up at Butler CC in Kansas.
Then the 2010 season started and seemingly everything worked out for Georgia. Aaron Murray showed that he just could be the kind of QB to lead Georgia back to respectability, as he ran and threw for score after score. He enters the 2011 season as perhaps the best returning quarterback in the SEC and the odds-on favorite for first-team All-SEC.
Savage meanwhile suffered an injury and played in just six games, throwing more interceptions that touchdowns and completing just 51.8% of his passes. He was also replaced by a freshman quarterback and is sitting out this year after transferring to Arizona.
Murray’s main competition for All-SEC though may come from his former teammate Mettenberger. The Oconee County (GA) product threw for 2700 yards and 32 touchdowns in the juco ranks and is now backing up Jordan Jefferson at LSU. Many feel though it is only a matter of time before Mettenberger wins the job in Baton Rouge.
Georgia fans have to feel like the coaching staff made the right call in sticking with Murray as he has so far beaten out Mettenberger and Savage. Of course we’ll have to see how the next two years play out, but Georgia fans should be happy with what they have, not wishing they could have had someone else.
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