Note: this blog also appears on http://chuckoliver.net Go there and read it!!!
Saturday Georgia tees it up Between the Hedges when Idaho State comes to Athens. I know a win is a win but is this game honestly necessary? I would rather Georgia had an off week this week instead of playing Idaho State and then have Aubun waiting next week. The schedule-makers tried to do Georgia a favor I guess by making Idaho State the meat of a Florida/Auburn sandwich, but the Dawgs would probably benefit more from an off-week this week opposed to just a glorified scrimmage.
I am not certain why teams play these cupcakes this late in the season to be completely honest. Georgia is facing Idaho State. Florida is playing App State in two weeks and Auburn faces UT-Chattanooga this week. Ole Miss and Tennessee also face non-conference walkovers. I just have to ask why? Couldn’t we have gotten all of these easy wins out of the way early in the season? Perhaps if Georgia had faced Idaho State in game two and South Carolina tomorrow, the Dawgs would have been better prepared for the Gamecocks.
I can understand the AD’s perspective and why they want these games played late in the season: it is an off-week without calling it an off-week. But if that is the case, actually take a bye in October. Georgia has an off-week in two weeks, with one game to play.
As Georgia gets ready for Idaho State, clearly the goal will be to help Aaron Murray forget the first half of the Florida game as well as OT. Get him back to the level he was playing in the second half. The goal for the defense should be to atone for last week’s mistakes. If the ball is on the ground in a pack, FALL ON IT. Don’t try a scoop and score unless you are ALL ALONE. The defense will also want to maybe work on incorporating a spy to gear up for next week’s matchup against Auburn.
At the end of the day tomorrow, Georgia should be back to .500 with what SHOULD be an easy win over Idaho State and hopefully the team can shake off the hangover of the OT loss to Florida which ended the hopes of an SEC East title. The team may not realize it, but there is still plenty left to play for including a chance at taking down No.1 or 2 (depending on the BCS computers) Auburn and then driving a nail into Georgia Tech’s season. Win tomorrow and then sweep the Tigers and Jackets and suddenly an Outback Bowl may be back in play.
On a side note, thanks to Roomie, JCole and JCole's folks, Wifey and I will be headed out to the game tomorrow. SBF will have a full report on what should be a big Georgia win Sunday.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Collins Hill's Heinicke more focused on team records than own
In the final seconds of the first quarter against Norcross last week, Collins Hill QB Taylor Heinicke threw his 30th touchdown pass of the season, a new Gwinnett County record. The most important part of the touchdown connection for Heinicke though was that it extended the Eagles lead over Norcross in a game Collins Hill would go on to win 42-0 to clinch a home game in the first round of the playoffs. Heinicke says of setting the new record for TD passes in a season (32 and counting with one game left in the regular season plus the playoffs), “It wasn’t that important personally. I wasn’t thinking about it.”
With a new coach taking over the Collins Hill program before the season, the senior Heinicke knew that he would need to step up and become a leader as the offense would now flow through him instead of the graduated-tailback Charles Perkins, now at Georgia Tech. “Leadership is a must (for a senior quarterback). I knew what it took to be a great team,” said Heinicke about the leadership role he shouldered coming into his final season at Collins Hill. “We worked hard this off-season as a team.”
The hard work seemed to pay off early as Heinicke threw a 56-yard TD pass in the season-opener against a ranked Roswell squad and then scored the game-winning TD on a QB sneak in the fourth quarter. The high of beating Roswell was tempered though with three losses in a row, dropping the Eagles to 1-3 with the heart of the region schedule in front of them. “We knew we had a good team. We didn’t get down,” said Heinicke of the three-game skid. The Eagles, thanks to back-to-back-to-back huge performances by Heinicke, rallied to win five straight and secure the No.2 seed in the region with a 5-1 record in Region 7-AAAAA play. “We’re on a roll and peaking right before the playoffs.”
Heinicke has been throwing all season long as Coach Kevin Reach trusts his quarterback. In fact, Reach calls Heinicke the best QB he has coached in his 23 years in football. “He’s well poised, good in the film room and the catalyst for us.” He has already surpassed 2000 yards for the season and went for nearly 400 in a game earlier this year.
The flashy numbers though haven’t led to many offers for Heinicke. Said the signal caller of the recruiting process, “it has been slow and fast at times.” Heinicke said that as a freshman and a sophomore, he used to think it was “cool” to see the juniors and seniors get letters from colleges. “It is still cool,” Heinicke said of his receiving letters from recruiters, “but it is better when they call.” He confirmed that most of the letters he is getting have just been information packets and not yet full-fledged offers.
His coach believes that his size is coming into play. “He’s 6’1. If he was 6’3 or bigger, all of the schools would be after him,” Reach hypothesized. Reach still believes that Heinicke could play anywhere because he is a QB at heart and his size shouldn’t matter as much when you take into account his skill set.
Heinicke will appear on the second season of The Ride, an MTV2 show that invites eight under-the-radar QB prospects to Virginia to train with former NFL players and QB gurus in an elimination-style reality television show. Hutson Mason of Lassiter appeared on the show last year, and after a strong showing in the playoffs, the former Trojans QB went on to receive a scholarship offer from the Georgia Bulldogs. Heinicke called his time in Virginia a “great experience” and hopes to follow in Mason’s footstep with a strong postseason showing. “I’ll take it one game at a time. You can’t look ahead to a Lowndes because you might lose in the first round to a Walton (or Woodstock. The No.3 seed in Region 5-AAAAA will travel to Collins Hill next week for Round One of the playoffs.).”
Heinicke is a record-setter but he only seems to care about one record: his team’s record. Just days after his squad defeated Norcross to clinch the No.2 seed, Heinicke admitted that he was glad to have the county record, but he was glad the chase was over with. “I think the team was more excited than I was.” If Heinicke keeps setting records but keeps the team first in his mind, the sky is the limit for the Eagles this postseason. The Eagles find themselves in a favorable draw, and if Heinicke keeps throwing the ball the way he did against the Blue Devils, the Heinicke could find himself in a favorable situation at an ACC or SEC school next year.
With a new coach taking over the Collins Hill program before the season, the senior Heinicke knew that he would need to step up and become a leader as the offense would now flow through him instead of the graduated-tailback Charles Perkins, now at Georgia Tech. “Leadership is a must (for a senior quarterback). I knew what it took to be a great team,” said Heinicke about the leadership role he shouldered coming into his final season at Collins Hill. “We worked hard this off-season as a team.”
The hard work seemed to pay off early as Heinicke threw a 56-yard TD pass in the season-opener against a ranked Roswell squad and then scored the game-winning TD on a QB sneak in the fourth quarter. The high of beating Roswell was tempered though with three losses in a row, dropping the Eagles to 1-3 with the heart of the region schedule in front of them. “We knew we had a good team. We didn’t get down,” said Heinicke of the three-game skid. The Eagles, thanks to back-to-back-to-back huge performances by Heinicke, rallied to win five straight and secure the No.2 seed in the region with a 5-1 record in Region 7-AAAAA play. “We’re on a roll and peaking right before the playoffs.”
Heinicke has been throwing all season long as Coach Kevin Reach trusts his quarterback. In fact, Reach calls Heinicke the best QB he has coached in his 23 years in football. “He’s well poised, good in the film room and the catalyst for us.” He has already surpassed 2000 yards for the season and went for nearly 400 in a game earlier this year.
The flashy numbers though haven’t led to many offers for Heinicke. Said the signal caller of the recruiting process, “it has been slow and fast at times.” Heinicke said that as a freshman and a sophomore, he used to think it was “cool” to see the juniors and seniors get letters from colleges. “It is still cool,” Heinicke said of his receiving letters from recruiters, “but it is better when they call.” He confirmed that most of the letters he is getting have just been information packets and not yet full-fledged offers.
His coach believes that his size is coming into play. “He’s 6’1. If he was 6’3 or bigger, all of the schools would be after him,” Reach hypothesized. Reach still believes that Heinicke could play anywhere because he is a QB at heart and his size shouldn’t matter as much when you take into account his skill set.
Heinicke will appear on the second season of The Ride, an MTV2 show that invites eight under-the-radar QB prospects to Virginia to train with former NFL players and QB gurus in an elimination-style reality television show. Hutson Mason of Lassiter appeared on the show last year, and after a strong showing in the playoffs, the former Trojans QB went on to receive a scholarship offer from the Georgia Bulldogs. Heinicke called his time in Virginia a “great experience” and hopes to follow in Mason’s footstep with a strong postseason showing. “I’ll take it one game at a time. You can’t look ahead to a Lowndes because you might lose in the first round to a Walton (or Woodstock. The No.3 seed in Region 5-AAAAA will travel to Collins Hill next week for Round One of the playoffs.).”
Heinicke is a record-setter but he only seems to care about one record: his team’s record. Just days after his squad defeated Norcross to clinch the No.2 seed, Heinicke admitted that he was glad to have the county record, but he was glad the chase was over with. “I think the team was more excited than I was.” If Heinicke keeps setting records but keeps the team first in his mind, the sky is the limit for the Eagles this postseason. The Eagles find themselves in a favorable draw, and if Heinicke keeps throwing the ball the way he did against the Blue Devils, the Heinicke could find himself in a favorable situation at an ACC or SEC school next year.
TheFletch for TheWeek of 11/4/10
Ahh Georgia/Florida week leading to the yearly letdown by the Bulldogs followed by the typical “Richt/Bobo/Grantham/Uga must GO!” phone calls. Ahh, Halloween weekend.
Seriously though, with both teams limping into the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktai…(wait we can’t call it that anymore!) the World’s Largest Outdoor collection of football players from the University of Florida and the University of Georgia (that’s better), it was nearly a surprise to find that CBS was carrying this contest as its weekly spotlight game. I guess it would have been WAY too big for Peachtree TV to have on at 12:21, and both of the school presidents didn’t want it to be a night game for feel of, well, the World’s Largest Cocktail Party going on outside of the stadium. Neither 680 The Fan nor 790 The Zone sent a morning show or afternoon drive show down to Jacksonville and only 680’s Chuck and Chernoff made the trip down for two days, a bit of a surprise, but given the two teams’ records, probably a smart decision.
The game turned out to be an exciting contest with the Gators winning in OT, and naturally the callers to 790 and 680 in the days after all wanted some one’s head from Red and Black Nation. The thing is though, I cannot say that Mark Richt or Mike Bobo could really be faulted for the loss. The AJC’s Mark Bradley was ready to throw Mark Richt under the bus, but I disagree. I am not certain that it was Richt’s fault for Aaron Murray committing four turnovers (with another pick not counting as it was while going for a two-point conversion). Bradley noted in an article that ran Sunday that he isn’t sure Richt is a game-day coach anymore that could win a title. Again, I must disagree with Bradley. In OTHER games you could maybe say that, but in this case, his team was DOWN by 14 points at halftime and he made enough adjustments and rallied his troops enough to tie the game up TWICE. Bradley in his column bemoaned that “the Bulldogs under Richt are rarely ready.” One man’s opinion I guess. The knock I would have against Richt is his usual inability to make the proper adjustments in a timely manner. Not this week though. No. I must disagree with Bradley at least for this week.
Beau Bock also made an interesting statement on Sunday’s 790 The Zone Ford Football Show. He asked an open question to Georgia fans when expecting when we started asking for more than mediocrity. Seriously? You are seriously asking when Georgia fans started wanting MORE than to finish with five losses in a season? I would say the first time the Georgia faithful did that was in 1995. The second time was following the 2000 season when Donnan lost to Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech AGAIN. Now Georgia fans are getting upset after Mark Richt took them to No.2 in the country in 2003, an SEC title in 2005 and a No.2 final ranking after the 2007 season. We’ve been given some success and now we’d like more. That’s when we wanted more. And it ISN’T too much to ask for Mr. Bock.
But hey, if you haven’t gotten enough of the Georgia Bulldogs, be sure to tune in to WSB this Saturday as the Dawgs will be facing Idaho State at 12:30. Folks in the Georgia AD offices (wisely) decided to put the extra non-contracted game on free television instead of Pay-Per-View because the buys probably would not have been there. But expect WSB to get some big-time ratings over another episode of WipeOut. And the following week Verne Lundquist (who is sounding more and more like a drunken uncle that shows up for Thanksgiving and your mother quickly has to make a placesetting for and she doesn’t bother with a wine glass because he’ll just bring his High Life in a can to the table), Gary Danielson (who KNEW I was going to write that about Verne) and Tracy Wolfson will call the game on CBS at 3:30. This has the feeling of a Cam Newton showcase; perhaps we’ll even get a Tim Tebow/Cam Newton backstory with stats comparing the two and even highlights of Tebow on a split-screen along side shots of Newton. I. Can’t. Wait.
First the Falcons take a hit by struggling to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals at home to the point that many NFL pundits say that the New York Giants are the best team in the NFC. Now the Falcons might take a hit in the ESPN.com NFL Power Poll (released after press deadline) after not playing. One voter of the four-person poll hinted that the Falcons could fall from its No.5 perch after Indianapolis beat the Houston Texans on Monday night football. The Falcons have the Bucs and then a Thursday night game with the Baltimore Ravens, but remember: Power Rankings are nothing but just something for Mike & Mike to talk about in the mornings because there are actually playoffs in the NFL, unlike in college football. Power Rankings are fun to discuss, but ultimately useless. Like an appendix.
Finally, Georgia Tech received a bit of national exposure this past Thursday as the Yellow Jackets traveled (hopefully not by Rambling Wreck. That might take a few trips) up to Blacksburg to face the Virginia Tech Hokies. The ESPN Thursday Night crew was calling the game and it was a showcase for the ACC: the defending champion against a likely ACC Championship game player for the nation to take in. The result was not available at press deadline but surely the two coaches would have received plenty of face time as they both are, without question, the two best coaches in the ACC. NC State’s Tom O’Brien who is a great strategist but cannot recruit while Butch Davis seems to be an excellent recruiter but could not outcoach Al Groh. Jimbo Fisher seems too young to be considered, the same with Mike London of UVA and Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe captained a perfect storm to get his ACC title. When the two ACC Techs get together, the two best coaches the conference has to offer are on display.
Can you believe he said that?
“If I had to go back on it, I probably would do it a little bit different. There's always going to be a misunderstanding. I don't know what I would [have done], but I definitely would have changed it." That was LeBron James talking about The Decision. You’re not sure what you would have done differently? Let me give you a check list. Choose one or two: Don’t make your decision on ESPN. Don’t have 19 different reporters reporting different stories because some of your “crew” is leaking out info. Don’t pretend that you did this for the Boys & Girls Club of America. If you ARE going to have an hour-long show, allow people to ask you REAL questions. Maybe tell the teams that didn’t get your services in advance instead of having them find out on an ESPN special. Just a few things for next time.
Seriously though, with both teams limping into the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktai…(wait we can’t call it that anymore!) the World’s Largest Outdoor collection of football players from the University of Florida and the University of Georgia (that’s better), it was nearly a surprise to find that CBS was carrying this contest as its weekly spotlight game. I guess it would have been WAY too big for Peachtree TV to have on at 12:21, and both of the school presidents didn’t want it to be a night game for feel of, well, the World’s Largest Cocktail Party going on outside of the stadium. Neither 680 The Fan nor 790 The Zone sent a morning show or afternoon drive show down to Jacksonville and only 680’s Chuck and Chernoff made the trip down for two days, a bit of a surprise, but given the two teams’ records, probably a smart decision.
The game turned out to be an exciting contest with the Gators winning in OT, and naturally the callers to 790 and 680 in the days after all wanted some one’s head from Red and Black Nation. The thing is though, I cannot say that Mark Richt or Mike Bobo could really be faulted for the loss. The AJC’s Mark Bradley was ready to throw Mark Richt under the bus, but I disagree. I am not certain that it was Richt’s fault for Aaron Murray committing four turnovers (with another pick not counting as it was while going for a two-point conversion). Bradley noted in an article that ran Sunday that he isn’t sure Richt is a game-day coach anymore that could win a title. Again, I must disagree with Bradley. In OTHER games you could maybe say that, but in this case, his team was DOWN by 14 points at halftime and he made enough adjustments and rallied his troops enough to tie the game up TWICE. Bradley in his column bemoaned that “the Bulldogs under Richt are rarely ready.” One man’s opinion I guess. The knock I would have against Richt is his usual inability to make the proper adjustments in a timely manner. Not this week though. No. I must disagree with Bradley at least for this week.
Beau Bock also made an interesting statement on Sunday’s 790 The Zone Ford Football Show. He asked an open question to Georgia fans when expecting when we started asking for more than mediocrity. Seriously? You are seriously asking when Georgia fans started wanting MORE than to finish with five losses in a season? I would say the first time the Georgia faithful did that was in 1995. The second time was following the 2000 season when Donnan lost to Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech AGAIN. Now Georgia fans are getting upset after Mark Richt took them to No.2 in the country in 2003, an SEC title in 2005 and a No.2 final ranking after the 2007 season. We’ve been given some success and now we’d like more. That’s when we wanted more. And it ISN’T too much to ask for Mr. Bock.
But hey, if you haven’t gotten enough of the Georgia Bulldogs, be sure to tune in to WSB this Saturday as the Dawgs will be facing Idaho State at 12:30. Folks in the Georgia AD offices (wisely) decided to put the extra non-contracted game on free television instead of Pay-Per-View because the buys probably would not have been there. But expect WSB to get some big-time ratings over another episode of WipeOut. And the following week Verne Lundquist (who is sounding more and more like a drunken uncle that shows up for Thanksgiving and your mother quickly has to make a placesetting for and she doesn’t bother with a wine glass because he’ll just bring his High Life in a can to the table), Gary Danielson (who KNEW I was going to write that about Verne) and Tracy Wolfson will call the game on CBS at 3:30. This has the feeling of a Cam Newton showcase; perhaps we’ll even get a Tim Tebow/Cam Newton backstory with stats comparing the two and even highlights of Tebow on a split-screen along side shots of Newton. I. Can’t. Wait.
First the Falcons take a hit by struggling to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals at home to the point that many NFL pundits say that the New York Giants are the best team in the NFC. Now the Falcons might take a hit in the ESPN.com NFL Power Poll (released after press deadline) after not playing. One voter of the four-person poll hinted that the Falcons could fall from its No.5 perch after Indianapolis beat the Houston Texans on Monday night football. The Falcons have the Bucs and then a Thursday night game with the Baltimore Ravens, but remember: Power Rankings are nothing but just something for Mike & Mike to talk about in the mornings because there are actually playoffs in the NFL, unlike in college football. Power Rankings are fun to discuss, but ultimately useless. Like an appendix.
Finally, Georgia Tech received a bit of national exposure this past Thursday as the Yellow Jackets traveled (hopefully not by Rambling Wreck. That might take a few trips) up to Blacksburg to face the Virginia Tech Hokies. The ESPN Thursday Night crew was calling the game and it was a showcase for the ACC: the defending champion against a likely ACC Championship game player for the nation to take in. The result was not available at press deadline but surely the two coaches would have received plenty of face time as they both are, without question, the two best coaches in the ACC. NC State’s Tom O’Brien who is a great strategist but cannot recruit while Butch Davis seems to be an excellent recruiter but could not outcoach Al Groh. Jimbo Fisher seems too young to be considered, the same with Mike London of UVA and Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe captained a perfect storm to get his ACC title. When the two ACC Techs get together, the two best coaches the conference has to offer are on display.
Can you believe he said that?
“If I had to go back on it, I probably would do it a little bit different. There's always going to be a misunderstanding. I don't know what I would [have done], but I definitely would have changed it." That was LeBron James talking about The Decision. You’re not sure what you would have done differently? Let me give you a check list. Choose one or two: Don’t make your decision on ESPN. Don’t have 19 different reporters reporting different stories because some of your “crew” is leaking out info. Don’t pretend that you did this for the Boys & Girls Club of America. If you ARE going to have an hour-long show, allow people to ask you REAL questions. Maybe tell the teams that didn’t get your services in advance instead of having them find out on an ESPN special. Just a few things for next time.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Really? That offended you? Grow up
SBF is a proud contributor to http://chuckoliver.net. This is a small slice of some of the work I've done for The Kang of College Football.
Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was “caught” on camera putting his hand around his throat in a “choke” gesture while allegedly cursing at Florida place-kicker Chas Henry before the Gator kicker nailed a game-winning kick in overtime to beat the Dawgs last Saturday. Apparently this is a big deal.
Hey, I guess it is 2010 where you cannot do anything negative EVER without every writer in the country descending upon you, calling you the worst human being alive. This is a student-athlete afterall!
Seriously? You guys are seriously giving a fiery coach grief over being in the moment and trying to give his team any sort of motivation he can?
Oh it is just wrong for a COACH to be doing this to a kid! What sort of example is he setting? How about everybody just grow up?
When Coach Mark Richt, a normally straight-laced, button-downed guy finally let ex-defensive coordinator Willie Martinez go last year, he went and sought out several fiery guys that could light a match under the butts of the defense that had honestly been coasting the last few seasons. He found the fire in Grantham. The new defensive boss is yelling, screaming, motivating, and COACHING UP the defense, just what he was hired to do. He clearly understands the rivalry that this game presents and he was trying to get inside the head of the kicker. Didn’t Mark Richt do the same when he called a late time out just before Henry was about to kick? Isn’t freezing him like that a form of mind-games?
I just don’t see the outrage of an assistant coach making the choke sign towards another player. Perhaps I am missing something. And PS, clearly it worked because he missed, right? Oh, he made it? Seriously people, if you want to criticize Grantham, talk about his team not hopping on a few loose balls that would have turned the game. Talk about how he hasn’t turned Bacarri Rambo into a player yet. Talk about how he keeps trotting Sanders Commings out there despite his new nickname being toast. But to rip him over the choke signal? Come on people.
Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was “caught” on camera putting his hand around his throat in a “choke” gesture while allegedly cursing at Florida place-kicker Chas Henry before the Gator kicker nailed a game-winning kick in overtime to beat the Dawgs last Saturday. Apparently this is a big deal.
Hey, I guess it is 2010 where you cannot do anything negative EVER without every writer in the country descending upon you, calling you the worst human being alive. This is a student-athlete afterall!
Seriously? You guys are seriously giving a fiery coach grief over being in the moment and trying to give his team any sort of motivation he can?
Oh it is just wrong for a COACH to be doing this to a kid! What sort of example is he setting? How about everybody just grow up?
When Coach Mark Richt, a normally straight-laced, button-downed guy finally let ex-defensive coordinator Willie Martinez go last year, he went and sought out several fiery guys that could light a match under the butts of the defense that had honestly been coasting the last few seasons. He found the fire in Grantham. The new defensive boss is yelling, screaming, motivating, and COACHING UP the defense, just what he was hired to do. He clearly understands the rivalry that this game presents and he was trying to get inside the head of the kicker. Didn’t Mark Richt do the same when he called a late time out just before Henry was about to kick? Isn’t freezing him like that a form of mind-games?
I just don’t see the outrage of an assistant coach making the choke sign towards another player. Perhaps I am missing something. And PS, clearly it worked because he missed, right? Oh, he made it? Seriously people, if you want to criticize Grantham, talk about his team not hopping on a few loose balls that would have turned the game. Talk about how he hasn’t turned Bacarri Rambo into a player yet. Talk about how he keeps trotting Sanders Commings out there despite his new nickname being toast. But to rip him over the choke signal? Come on people.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Kyle Harris drops GT for the Gamecocks?
People are allowed to change their minds. And when you are dealing with deciding where you want to spend the next four or five years of your life, wouldn’t you rather make the right decision now opposed to living in misery for a year or two before ultimately listening to your gut and moving on?
Pepperell offensive lineman Kyle Harris joined Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit recently to discuss his de-commitment from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. About the Yellow Jackets, Harris noted that, “it was an amazing place, but when it came down to it, I was rushed.” Harris said that Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson “pressured” him by asking for a commitment on the spot of a visit. Harris committed because he “didn’t want to be stuck without a school close to home.” Johnson didn’t do anything unusual though said Harris as “it’s a common thing,” for coaches to ask for the pledge on the spot, according to the lineman.
The pressure of Johnson and the fear of being left without an offer weren’t the only reasons for Harris de-pledging from the Yellow Jacket program. Said Harris, “Georgia Tech is a big academic school, but it would be hard to focus on everything (academics, football) at once.” Harris was confident he could do it, but he said he wants to really commit to becoming a great player at the next level.
Just as quickly as Harris was back on the market though, he may be ready to commit again. The South Carolina Gamecocks have been appealing to Harris, and Harris said he is starting to dig the Gamecocks. “I want to play in the SEC; it’s a bigger challenge.” He noted about South Carolina that the campus was beautiful and he got along well with the coaches. “The coaches are cool. They are your friends and your coaches.”
Harris would join an lengthy list of players from the Peach State that are headed to South Carolina. Martay Mattox leads seven pledges from Georgia that will head to Columbia, SC next season and Harris believes he knows why. “Some of the best players (in the country) are in Georgia, so they (the Gamecocks) go after the best.” Asked if the high number of fellow Georgians would influence him, he responded: no. “I would go there for me and try and get my spot. I’m going to try and do what’s best for me.”
He called South Carolina his leader and confirmed that the Gamecocks would get one of his five official visits. Tennessee might get a visit as well as he has some history with the Vols. “I like them growing up, but not right now.” Auburn may also receive a visit as the Tigers coaching staff has “invited me to every game.”
If Harris does decide to head to an SEC destination, he will gladly welcome a switch to center. “I’ll get some work it at center because it’s the best chance at early playing time.” Now that he knows he won’t be left out in the cold, Harris is starting to enjoy the recruiting process, and as long as no one rushes him, he could make an impact as early as next season for an SEC program.
Pepperell offensive lineman Kyle Harris joined Score Atlanta’s The Official Visit recently to discuss his de-commitment from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. About the Yellow Jackets, Harris noted that, “it was an amazing place, but when it came down to it, I was rushed.” Harris said that Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson “pressured” him by asking for a commitment on the spot of a visit. Harris committed because he “didn’t want to be stuck without a school close to home.” Johnson didn’t do anything unusual though said Harris as “it’s a common thing,” for coaches to ask for the pledge on the spot, according to the lineman.
The pressure of Johnson and the fear of being left without an offer weren’t the only reasons for Harris de-pledging from the Yellow Jacket program. Said Harris, “Georgia Tech is a big academic school, but it would be hard to focus on everything (academics, football) at once.” Harris was confident he could do it, but he said he wants to really commit to becoming a great player at the next level.
Just as quickly as Harris was back on the market though, he may be ready to commit again. The South Carolina Gamecocks have been appealing to Harris, and Harris said he is starting to dig the Gamecocks. “I want to play in the SEC; it’s a bigger challenge.” He noted about South Carolina that the campus was beautiful and he got along well with the coaches. “The coaches are cool. They are your friends and your coaches.”
Harris would join an lengthy list of players from the Peach State that are headed to South Carolina. Martay Mattox leads seven pledges from Georgia that will head to Columbia, SC next season and Harris believes he knows why. “Some of the best players (in the country) are in Georgia, so they (the Gamecocks) go after the best.” Asked if the high number of fellow Georgians would influence him, he responded: no. “I would go there for me and try and get my spot. I’m going to try and do what’s best for me.”
He called South Carolina his leader and confirmed that the Gamecocks would get one of his five official visits. Tennessee might get a visit as well as he has some history with the Vols. “I like them growing up, but not right now.” Auburn may also receive a visit as the Tigers coaching staff has “invited me to every game.”
If Harris does decide to head to an SEC destination, he will gladly welcome a switch to center. “I’ll get some work it at center because it’s the best chance at early playing time.” Now that he knows he won’t be left out in the cold, Harris is starting to enjoy the recruiting process, and as long as no one rushes him, he could make an impact as early as next season for an SEC program.
Why you should be voting today!!!!
Note: This blog is also featured in the latest issue of Hooters Magazine! PS Today is Election Day. Get out there and VOTE!
The 2010 mid-term elections will go down this November, and as with most mid-term elections, the President of the United States Barack Obama will get his first report card. Typically the mid-term elections that occur two years into a president’s first term serve as a barometer as to how the President is doing nationally. If the American people like his performance thus far into his term, usually his party receives a big boost in the make-up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. If the citizens feel that the President is lacking, the opposite party usually gobbles up a few of the up-for-grab seats as well as some of the weaker held seats of the President’s party. This year, the Senate will have 36 seats up for grabs in the Class III election while the House of Representatives will have all 435 seats in play. So how will Obama’s first report card look? Will his wife put it up on the fridge or will he hid it under the couch?
In the Senate, the current seats up for election include 18 currently held by Democrats and 18 held by Republicans. Each party though will lose some incumbents as six Democrats are retiring while seven Republicans are calling it quits.
One of those “retiring” or choosing not to seek reelection is Roland Burris (D). This guy was appointed to the Illinois seat by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich after Obama was elected President and resigned from the seat. Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI after allegedly selling the seat, though that hasn’t stopped “Blago” from appearing on reality TV. He made a run on The Apprentice and watched his wife scream, “Help, I’m a celebrity! Get me out of here!” (A very liberal use of the word celebrity if you ask me.) The Senate Democrats eventually allowed Burris to have the seat, (he apparently bought it after all) but Burris decided not to run for reelection as he still faces an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. Kind of hard to serve in the Senate from a jail cell, just saying. Three new men will go for the seat including the state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), US Congressman Mark Kirk (R) and LaAlan Jones, a football coach that will run on the Green Party Ticket. Jones isn’t the first football coach to run for public office, just the first that no one has ever heard of.
Vice President Joe Biden’s former seat in Delaware will also be up for grabs as appointee Ted Kaufman announced he would not be a part of the special election to take place this November. Hopefully whoever wins this seat won’t drop the F-Bomb on national television or ask a man in a wheelchair to stand up.
Another interesting race featuring a retiring Senator will take place in Kentucky where Jim Bunning will retire rather than seek a third term. Bunning narrowly won his last time out, and the Republican Party decided to go in a different direction. The Republican Party said, “Hey Jimmy, we know you are a two-time Senator, but we’d rather have the spawn of a crazy person than you. Get out!” Rand Paul will run for the GOP, and of course he is the son of “crazy person,” Ron Paul, a 2008 Republican Party primary candidate from Texas. As if that wasn’t enough for the left to come out against him, Paul has the support of Sarah Palin, the very attractive former Republican VP candidate from 2008. No word out of Tina Fey camp if she too is endorsing Paul.
Two other interesting races will take place in Utah and Pennsylvania as Democrat Arlen Spector of PA was defeated in a Primary Nomination and Republican Bob Bennett of Utah was also defeated in his Primary. Spector was a five-time Senator in Pennsylvania who left the Republican Party in 2009 to become a Democrat, however the move backfired when he lost the Primary to US Congressman Joe Sestak. Sometimes karma bites you and Teddy Roosevelt is doing a dance somewhere. Sestak will be opposed by Republican candidate Pat Toomey, a former US Congressman. The race is considered by most experts to be a tossup that could go either way. Utah meanwhile has been considered a Republican stronghold by most political pundits, and despite the Bennett’s loss, the state is still likely to swing to GOP candidate Mike Lee. A Democrat victory would be a bigger miracle than someone walking across the Great Salt Lake.
As far as Democrat incumbents, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will seek re-election in Nevada, though he is considered a vulnerable seat and his bid may come up snake eyes. Interesting how Reid potentially could go from cushy seat in the Senate to a guy that went all in in Texas Hold ‘Em and desperately needs a Jack to come on the River. Barbara Boxer, seeking a fourth-term in California, will also see some competition from the right in the usually left-leaning state. I cannot remember a Republican Senator from California since The West Wing’s Arnold Vinick but he was fictional. Both New York seats are currently held by Democrats though Chuck Schumer seems like a surer bet than Kristen Gillibrand, who was appointed to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s spot when the former First Lady was named to the Secretary of State post. It is not known at this time if either tried (and failed) to lure LeBron James to the Knicks.
Notable Republican incumbents seeking reelection include Richard Shelby of Alabama, a former Democrat that is aiming for another term in the GOP, as well as Johnny Isakson of Georgia and John McCain in Arizona. McCain was the Republican Presidential candidate in 2008 though he faces some early competition from his own party in a primary before going up against a Democrat in November. The current immigration situation in Arizona is likely bringing down McCain’s ratings right now as the state is getting a black eye nationally for its stance. McCain is likely bullet-proof out there though because he is old, just like the snowbirds that will be voting for him.
Early predictions have eight seats “locked up” for the Republicans with four “penned in” for the Democrats. Of the other races, eight appear to be in favor of the Republicans while five lean towards the President’s party. That leaves eleven seats up for grabs that could decide the next few years of President Obama’s administration.
In the House races, all 435 seats are up for grabs to serve in the 112th Congress. Seventeen incumbent Democrats are retiring while twenty Republicans will retire as well. The Democrats have controlled Congress since the 2006 election and the 2008 elections strengthened the Democrats hold on the numbers. Currently the Democrats hold 59% of the seats with 257 while the GOP hold 41%, or 178 seats. The US House of Representatives loses members every election to “retirement” as many members choose to pursue a run for US Senate or to take a stab at a gubernatorial race. Four Republican seats will be open as incumbents aim for the Governor’s seat in each state while one Dem will seek his state’s highest office. As distinguished as a spot in the House is, everyone sort of understands it is a stepping stone to a better gig.
Most of the House seats up for grabs, at least according to the political experts, are currently occupied by Democrats. As many as 29 seats could swing over to the Republicans, though that would still leave the Democrats in power as the GOP would need 39 seats to gain control of the House. The only two Presidents to lose 39 seats in his first mid-term election were both Democrats: Bill Clinton and Harry Truman, something that clearly won’t go unnoticed by the Obama camp. We are still not sure to this date though if Clinton even noticed he lost those seats as he might have had visions of blue dresses dancing in his head.
And that is what the mid-term elections all come back to: Obama’s job performance. The President has a four-year term and the mid-term elections after his first two years are clearly a way for the American people to grade him on how he has done. The two camps of Democrats and Republicans are seemingly always at odds; however in 2010, the chasm seems the widest it has ever been. Loyal lefties claim that Obama has done the best he can with the situation he was handed while those who stand in the party of Lincoln, aka the Republicans, wonder aloud where all the “CHANGE” is that was promised. If you support the President and his policies and actions, get out and vote to make certain that, yes, he can continue to uphold his promises of change. On the flip side, if you are fed up with the current climate, nothing can be a stronger statement than to cripple his power in the House and the Senate. Get out this November and let your voice be heard. Participate in the American process of voting and send a message that we care what our leaders do. Plus you get a cool sticker whenever you vote!
The 2010 mid-term elections will go down this November, and as with most mid-term elections, the President of the United States Barack Obama will get his first report card. Typically the mid-term elections that occur two years into a president’s first term serve as a barometer as to how the President is doing nationally. If the American people like his performance thus far into his term, usually his party receives a big boost in the make-up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. If the citizens feel that the President is lacking, the opposite party usually gobbles up a few of the up-for-grab seats as well as some of the weaker held seats of the President’s party. This year, the Senate will have 36 seats up for grabs in the Class III election while the House of Representatives will have all 435 seats in play. So how will Obama’s first report card look? Will his wife put it up on the fridge or will he hid it under the couch?
In the Senate, the current seats up for election include 18 currently held by Democrats and 18 held by Republicans. Each party though will lose some incumbents as six Democrats are retiring while seven Republicans are calling it quits.
One of those “retiring” or choosing not to seek reelection is Roland Burris (D). This guy was appointed to the Illinois seat by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich after Obama was elected President and resigned from the seat. Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI after allegedly selling the seat, though that hasn’t stopped “Blago” from appearing on reality TV. He made a run on The Apprentice and watched his wife scream, “Help, I’m a celebrity! Get me out of here!” (A very liberal use of the word celebrity if you ask me.) The Senate Democrats eventually allowed Burris to have the seat, (he apparently bought it after all) but Burris decided not to run for reelection as he still faces an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. Kind of hard to serve in the Senate from a jail cell, just saying. Three new men will go for the seat including the state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), US Congressman Mark Kirk (R) and LaAlan Jones, a football coach that will run on the Green Party Ticket. Jones isn’t the first football coach to run for public office, just the first that no one has ever heard of.
Vice President Joe Biden’s former seat in Delaware will also be up for grabs as appointee Ted Kaufman announced he would not be a part of the special election to take place this November. Hopefully whoever wins this seat won’t drop the F-Bomb on national television or ask a man in a wheelchair to stand up.
Another interesting race featuring a retiring Senator will take place in Kentucky where Jim Bunning will retire rather than seek a third term. Bunning narrowly won his last time out, and the Republican Party decided to go in a different direction. The Republican Party said, “Hey Jimmy, we know you are a two-time Senator, but we’d rather have the spawn of a crazy person than you. Get out!” Rand Paul will run for the GOP, and of course he is the son of “crazy person,” Ron Paul, a 2008 Republican Party primary candidate from Texas. As if that wasn’t enough for the left to come out against him, Paul has the support of Sarah Palin, the very attractive former Republican VP candidate from 2008. No word out of Tina Fey camp if she too is endorsing Paul.
Two other interesting races will take place in Utah and Pennsylvania as Democrat Arlen Spector of PA was defeated in a Primary Nomination and Republican Bob Bennett of Utah was also defeated in his Primary. Spector was a five-time Senator in Pennsylvania who left the Republican Party in 2009 to become a Democrat, however the move backfired when he lost the Primary to US Congressman Joe Sestak. Sometimes karma bites you and Teddy Roosevelt is doing a dance somewhere. Sestak will be opposed by Republican candidate Pat Toomey, a former US Congressman. The race is considered by most experts to be a tossup that could go either way. Utah meanwhile has been considered a Republican stronghold by most political pundits, and despite the Bennett’s loss, the state is still likely to swing to GOP candidate Mike Lee. A Democrat victory would be a bigger miracle than someone walking across the Great Salt Lake.
As far as Democrat incumbents, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will seek re-election in Nevada, though he is considered a vulnerable seat and his bid may come up snake eyes. Interesting how Reid potentially could go from cushy seat in the Senate to a guy that went all in in Texas Hold ‘Em and desperately needs a Jack to come on the River. Barbara Boxer, seeking a fourth-term in California, will also see some competition from the right in the usually left-leaning state. I cannot remember a Republican Senator from California since The West Wing’s Arnold Vinick but he was fictional. Both New York seats are currently held by Democrats though Chuck Schumer seems like a surer bet than Kristen Gillibrand, who was appointed to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s spot when the former First Lady was named to the Secretary of State post. It is not known at this time if either tried (and failed) to lure LeBron James to the Knicks.
Notable Republican incumbents seeking reelection include Richard Shelby of Alabama, a former Democrat that is aiming for another term in the GOP, as well as Johnny Isakson of Georgia and John McCain in Arizona. McCain was the Republican Presidential candidate in 2008 though he faces some early competition from his own party in a primary before going up against a Democrat in November. The current immigration situation in Arizona is likely bringing down McCain’s ratings right now as the state is getting a black eye nationally for its stance. McCain is likely bullet-proof out there though because he is old, just like the snowbirds that will be voting for him.
Early predictions have eight seats “locked up” for the Republicans with four “penned in” for the Democrats. Of the other races, eight appear to be in favor of the Republicans while five lean towards the President’s party. That leaves eleven seats up for grabs that could decide the next few years of President Obama’s administration.
In the House races, all 435 seats are up for grabs to serve in the 112th Congress. Seventeen incumbent Democrats are retiring while twenty Republicans will retire as well. The Democrats have controlled Congress since the 2006 election and the 2008 elections strengthened the Democrats hold on the numbers. Currently the Democrats hold 59% of the seats with 257 while the GOP hold 41%, or 178 seats. The US House of Representatives loses members every election to “retirement” as many members choose to pursue a run for US Senate or to take a stab at a gubernatorial race. Four Republican seats will be open as incumbents aim for the Governor’s seat in each state while one Dem will seek his state’s highest office. As distinguished as a spot in the House is, everyone sort of understands it is a stepping stone to a better gig.
Most of the House seats up for grabs, at least according to the political experts, are currently occupied by Democrats. As many as 29 seats could swing over to the Republicans, though that would still leave the Democrats in power as the GOP would need 39 seats to gain control of the House. The only two Presidents to lose 39 seats in his first mid-term election were both Democrats: Bill Clinton and Harry Truman, something that clearly won’t go unnoticed by the Obama camp. We are still not sure to this date though if Clinton even noticed he lost those seats as he might have had visions of blue dresses dancing in his head.
And that is what the mid-term elections all come back to: Obama’s job performance. The President has a four-year term and the mid-term elections after his first two years are clearly a way for the American people to grade him on how he has done. The two camps of Democrats and Republicans are seemingly always at odds; however in 2010, the chasm seems the widest it has ever been. Loyal lefties claim that Obama has done the best he can with the situation he was handed while those who stand in the party of Lincoln, aka the Republicans, wonder aloud where all the “CHANGE” is that was promised. If you support the President and his policies and actions, get out and vote to make certain that, yes, he can continue to uphold his promises of change. On the flip side, if you are fed up with the current climate, nothing can be a stronger statement than to cripple his power in the House and the Senate. Get out this November and let your voice be heard. Participate in the American process of voting and send a message that we care what our leaders do. Plus you get a cool sticker whenever you vote!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Take or leave the sub-region playoffs? I'm leaving them
Everyone likes the playoffs. Yep, let’s decide it on the field. I don’t disagree with that. I do disagree with WHO is deciding it on the field though. The best teams should be playing. This Friday, region championships will be decided across the state as many regions will play their playoffs between sub-regions, where seeding will be decided and berths won. The BCS this is certainly not, but in some cases, are the right teams playing in the “playoffs?”
Take Region 8-AA for example. North Oconee entered last Friday’s game with Elbert County with the South sub-region title on the line. Elbert County won a thrilling game 6-0 and will now face a 6-3 Fannin County for the region title while a one-loss North Oconee will have to win a game in order to get into the playoffs…as a No.3 seed.
Take Region 8-AAA next. Johnson at 2-6 and West Hall at 3-5 have a better shot at making the playoffs and Walnut Grove at 1-7 has an equal an outside shot of making the playoffs as North Hall (4-4) does. That just isn’t right. North Hall is in trouble because those squads with the losing records are in a different sub-region and can make the region playoffs without any outside help. And you know that if North Hall played those teams, the Trojans would roll.
My bottom line is that this sub-region playoff business is just crazy. If there are too many teams for one region that you must break it down into sub-regions, DON’T: just create a new region. If that is going to mess up the playoffs, create a Class AAAAAA and move schools accordingly. I like the idea of the playoffs if the BEST teams are in the bracket. Otherwise what is the point? The BEST teams should be allowed to play it out on the field. You want sub-region playoffs, cherry-pick the best teams to be in the sub-region playoffs. That is what I would do.
Take Region 8-AA for example. North Oconee entered last Friday’s game with Elbert County with the South sub-region title on the line. Elbert County won a thrilling game 6-0 and will now face a 6-3 Fannin County for the region title while a one-loss North Oconee will have to win a game in order to get into the playoffs…as a No.3 seed.
Take Region 8-AAA next. Johnson at 2-6 and West Hall at 3-5 have a better shot at making the playoffs and Walnut Grove at 1-7 has an equal an outside shot of making the playoffs as North Hall (4-4) does. That just isn’t right. North Hall is in trouble because those squads with the losing records are in a different sub-region and can make the region playoffs without any outside help. And you know that if North Hall played those teams, the Trojans would roll.
My bottom line is that this sub-region playoff business is just crazy. If there are too many teams for one region that you must break it down into sub-regions, DON’T: just create a new region. If that is going to mess up the playoffs, create a Class AAAAAA and move schools accordingly. I like the idea of the playoffs if the BEST teams are in the bracket. Otherwise what is the point? The BEST teams should be allowed to play it out on the field. You want sub-region playoffs, cherry-pick the best teams to be in the sub-region playoffs. That is what I would do.
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