Before I really get into what COULD be for the Georgia basketball team for 2011-12, I am going to assume that Mark Fox sticks around and isn't lured away by NC State and/or $3M per season.
The Georgia basketball team recently nailed down its fourth pledge of the 2011 signing class (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Dixon and John Florveus already signed) when Nemanja Djurisic said yes to Mark Fox. As weird as it sounds, only Tim Dixon is likely to start next season, despite Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being a McDonald's All-American and a five-star recruit. Follow me here. Though he hasn't said, Trey Thompkins is likely to leave for the NBA soon, but Travis Leslie has made remarks that he might still need to work on phases of his game. If Leslie returns, as a senior he'll likely start over KCP. They play the same position. Unless Georgia wants to go with four guards, KCP would be the first player off of the bench. Dixon meanwhile at 6-10, 215 would slide into the void left by the departure of JPrice, CBarnes and likely Thompkins. Marcus Thornton likely is inserted in there with his 6-8 frame. I doubt Donte Williams is a starter, more likely the first big off the bench along with Florveus. Djurisic will also likely see some PT too.
If Thompkins and Leslie both return, Georgia cannot sign any more players in the late signing period, but that is OK because Thompkins would be back, same with Leslie. Those two, PLUS KCP and Georgia would likely be preseason Top 25.
But if Thompkins leaves, an interesting situation has presented itself: Kevin Ware of Rockdale County signed with Tennessee but he has asked for his release since Bruce Pearl got the boot. He is open to GT and UGA (along with a few others) but he said that playing with Caldwell-Pope really intrigues him.
I know Georgia would like to add another big if Thompkins leaves, but I watched a BUNCH BUNCH BUNCH of Georgia high school basketball this year (GPB, GPB TV, Charter, etc) and Ware is the best perimeter defender I saw. He is 6'5 yet is listed as a guard. He can defend three positions and is a SICK athlete. If Thompkins goes, Fox needs to full-court press Ware.
If Leslie leaves as well, Caldwell-Pope moves into the lineup and Ware may even move in as well, supplanting Ware perhaps or at least making Fox think about a four-guard lineup.
Let's assume Leslie stays and Fox cannot get Ware
PG Dustin Ware
SG Gerald Robinson
W Travis Leslie
PF Marcus Thornton
C Tim Dixon
6th Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
7th Donte Williams
8th Sherard Brantley
9th Florveus
10th Djurisic
with Nolte, V Williams seeing time every now and then
Let's say Leslie stays but Fox DOES get Ware
D Ware
Robinson
Leslie
Thornton
Dixon
with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kevin Ware the backcourt tandem coming in at the same time. Williams and Florveus and Djurisic seeing time. Brantley every now and then
What if Leslie leaves? But Ware doesn't come
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
Thornton
Dixon
with Brantley and Williams coming in. The two other freshmen bigs will see time
If Leslie leaves and Ware DOES come....THIS is the most interesting possibility.
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
KWare
Thornton
Dixon, Williams, two other freshmen for your bigs. Brantley off the bench in the backcourt.
(In this last "lineup" I am granting the premise that Dixon starts but down the stretch and in cruchtime, I would think that Fox puts his best five on the floor and goes small with the two Wares, Rob, KCP and Thonrton)
If Trey and Travis stay, cool. Top 25 preseason. If Trey leaves, Fox needs to get Ware. If both leave, Fox MUST get KWare and then have to go small. Develop Donte Williams and Marcus Thornton and make sure Dixon and/or Florveus can contribute in the post.
Fox has a nice foundation coming back and coming in. The last two scholarship possibilities will determine if they are Big Dancin' again in 2011-12.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Hooters breaks out the Hate
Check this out in August's Hooter's Magazine
Hate is such a negative word. Hate is a serious word. You may dislike something or someone, but if you hate something or someone, you possess a really, really, really strong aversion towards that person or thing with a passion. People seem to hate certain athletes too for various reasons, stemming from jealousy or frustration, betrayal or disrespect. While football players and basketball players have people across the country that “hate” them, baseball seems to have a rich tradition of hated players dating back to the early 1900s all the way through present day.
In the movie Field of Dreams, there is one player that even the former players in Ray’s magical field wouldn’t let play and that is the one and only Ty Cobb. The Georgia Peach was elected to the Hall of Fame on the inaugural ballot and set 90 records upon his retirement, but it was his aggressive style that most people remember. Rumor has it that he used to file down his spikes to injure the opponents while breaking up a double-play at second base. There is also the story of Cobb going into the stands and beating up a heckler that turned out to be missing most of his hands from an accident. To call Cobb a hated player would be an understatement. Not only did the fans “hate” Cobb, but passed-down stories of teammates hating Cobb certainly demand that he be included on any list of hated players.
While Cobb is one of the all-time hatees, plenty of recent players have drawn the ire from the fans over the last few decades. The steroid scandal of the 1990s and 2000s, has thrown numerous athletes into the fans’ hate-ray. Perhaps the leading “villain” from the steroid era is Barry Bonds. The former San Francisco slugger and all-time home run leader broke the single-season home run record then the all-time record under the cloud of steroid suspicion, which ruffled a bunch of feathers. People claim that Roger Maris and Hank Aaron were still the rightful record-holders and should be reinstated over the steroid users. Before the steroid mumbo-jumbo mess that has Bonds facing perjury charges for possibly lying to a grand jury, Bonds still was not liked due to his prickly attitude towards the media and the fans. Bonds never seemed to want to do interviews or was always biting and snapping during the few interviews he did. Bonds was certainly disliked before the alleged steroid us; now he is certainly hated.
Another player that falls under the hated players: steroid era is Roger Clemens. The Rocket was well-known for an unusual workout routine involving barrels of rice but now we find that perhaps it was pills and the juice. Forgetting for a second that Clemens may have juiced, he was pulling the Brett Favre routine back when Favre wasn’t pulling his annual retirement do-si-do. Clemens held the Houston Astros hostage, deciding just to pitch for three-quarters of the year, then half, then a quarter of the year before doing the same thing to the Yankees. This rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way, mainly because teams would let him get away with it. Boston fans though hated Clemens long before his in-or-out routine when he mailed it in during his final few years in Beantown before leaving for Toronto and turning the training back up to win two Cy Young awards in his two years in Canada. Red Sox Nation also remembers Clemens pushing for a trade to Boston’s biggest rival where he won another Cy Young and a pair of World Series titles for the New York Yankees. Ask any Boston fan his number one hated player and he’ll say Roger Clemens.
The Bash Brothers may now be known as part of the steroid-tainted band of bombers, but Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco rubbed people the wrong way during their Oakland days of murdering home runs and celebrating by smashing forearms. The A’s made the World Series three straight years from 1988-1990 thanks in large part to the long ball but the Dodgers had had enough when they mocked the A’s in the series-clinching game. When the Dodgers mimicked the A’s, many baseball fans across the country finally felt as though Oakland got its comeuppance.
Perhaps no player though was more hated by a pair of fictional characters than Keith Hernandez by Seinfeld’s Kramer and Newman. After an error in a crucial which allowed the Philadelphia Phillies to score five ninth-inning runs, Newman and Kramer claimed that Hernandez responded to a taunt in the parking lot by spitting on them. Kramer and Newman held a five-year grudge against the New York Mets (franchise) Hall of Famer. The hatred Kramer and Newman harbored towards Hernandez that came across the screen was palpable; you really felt as though Kramer and Newman was retaliate in an extreme manner if their paths ever cross. (well not really) Once the truth was revealed though that it was not Hernandez but in fact Roger McDowell that was the second-spitter, the hatred seemed to melt away and Kramer and Newman were fine with the Mets first baseman.
And isn’t that what we should do with our hate: let it melt away once we take a step back and think about why we hate someone. Do we REALLY hate that Barry Bonds (maybe) took some juice to stroke even more long balls then possibly lied about it? Do we REALLY hate that Clemens went back and forth every year like Favre? Do we REALLY hate that McGwire and Canseco started the stupid celebratory handshake craze? Do we REALLY hate these baseball players? Well, yeah. We do. We can’t help it. They play a game we all played as kids and sometimes they don’t seem to appreciate it. We know we would. It may be jealousy but it is sometimes cathartic to have a little hatred in our hearts. Because we “hate” some people, that just means we love our heroes even more. Without villains, heroes don’t exist, and we all need our heroes.
Hate is such a negative word. Hate is a serious word. You may dislike something or someone, but if you hate something or someone, you possess a really, really, really strong aversion towards that person or thing with a passion. People seem to hate certain athletes too for various reasons, stemming from jealousy or frustration, betrayal or disrespect. While football players and basketball players have people across the country that “hate” them, baseball seems to have a rich tradition of hated players dating back to the early 1900s all the way through present day.
In the movie Field of Dreams, there is one player that even the former players in Ray’s magical field wouldn’t let play and that is the one and only Ty Cobb. The Georgia Peach was elected to the Hall of Fame on the inaugural ballot and set 90 records upon his retirement, but it was his aggressive style that most people remember. Rumor has it that he used to file down his spikes to injure the opponents while breaking up a double-play at second base. There is also the story of Cobb going into the stands and beating up a heckler that turned out to be missing most of his hands from an accident. To call Cobb a hated player would be an understatement. Not only did the fans “hate” Cobb, but passed-down stories of teammates hating Cobb certainly demand that he be included on any list of hated players.
While Cobb is one of the all-time hatees, plenty of recent players have drawn the ire from the fans over the last few decades. The steroid scandal of the 1990s and 2000s, has thrown numerous athletes into the fans’ hate-ray. Perhaps the leading “villain” from the steroid era is Barry Bonds. The former San Francisco slugger and all-time home run leader broke the single-season home run record then the all-time record under the cloud of steroid suspicion, which ruffled a bunch of feathers. People claim that Roger Maris and Hank Aaron were still the rightful record-holders and should be reinstated over the steroid users. Before the steroid mumbo-jumbo mess that has Bonds facing perjury charges for possibly lying to a grand jury, Bonds still was not liked due to his prickly attitude towards the media and the fans. Bonds never seemed to want to do interviews or was always biting and snapping during the few interviews he did. Bonds was certainly disliked before the alleged steroid us; now he is certainly hated.
Another player that falls under the hated players: steroid era is Roger Clemens. The Rocket was well-known for an unusual workout routine involving barrels of rice but now we find that perhaps it was pills and the juice. Forgetting for a second that Clemens may have juiced, he was pulling the Brett Favre routine back when Favre wasn’t pulling his annual retirement do-si-do. Clemens held the Houston Astros hostage, deciding just to pitch for three-quarters of the year, then half, then a quarter of the year before doing the same thing to the Yankees. This rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way, mainly because teams would let him get away with it. Boston fans though hated Clemens long before his in-or-out routine when he mailed it in during his final few years in Beantown before leaving for Toronto and turning the training back up to win two Cy Young awards in his two years in Canada. Red Sox Nation also remembers Clemens pushing for a trade to Boston’s biggest rival where he won another Cy Young and a pair of World Series titles for the New York Yankees. Ask any Boston fan his number one hated player and he’ll say Roger Clemens.
The Bash Brothers may now be known as part of the steroid-tainted band of bombers, but Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco rubbed people the wrong way during their Oakland days of murdering home runs and celebrating by smashing forearms. The A’s made the World Series three straight years from 1988-1990 thanks in large part to the long ball but the Dodgers had had enough when they mocked the A’s in the series-clinching game. When the Dodgers mimicked the A’s, many baseball fans across the country finally felt as though Oakland got its comeuppance.
Perhaps no player though was more hated by a pair of fictional characters than Keith Hernandez by Seinfeld’s Kramer and Newman. After an error in a crucial which allowed the Philadelphia Phillies to score five ninth-inning runs, Newman and Kramer claimed that Hernandez responded to a taunt in the parking lot by spitting on them. Kramer and Newman held a five-year grudge against the New York Mets (franchise) Hall of Famer. The hatred Kramer and Newman harbored towards Hernandez that came across the screen was palpable; you really felt as though Kramer and Newman was retaliate in an extreme manner if their paths ever cross. (well not really) Once the truth was revealed though that it was not Hernandez but in fact Roger McDowell that was the second-spitter, the hatred seemed to melt away and Kramer and Newman were fine with the Mets first baseman.
And isn’t that what we should do with our hate: let it melt away once we take a step back and think about why we hate someone. Do we REALLY hate that Barry Bonds (maybe) took some juice to stroke even more long balls then possibly lied about it? Do we REALLY hate that Clemens went back and forth every year like Favre? Do we REALLY hate that McGwire and Canseco started the stupid celebratory handshake craze? Do we REALLY hate these baseball players? Well, yeah. We do. We can’t help it. They play a game we all played as kids and sometimes they don’t seem to appreciate it. We know we would. It may be jealousy but it is sometimes cathartic to have a little hatred in our hearts. Because we “hate” some people, that just means we love our heroes even more. Without villains, heroes don’t exist, and we all need our heroes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
This offensive line isn't a question mark
Be sure and check out this on http://chuckoliver.net for the full article!
Entering the 2010 season, the offensive line was supposed to be a strength for the Georgia Bulldogs, opening up lanes for Washaun Ealey and Caleb King while protecting redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray long enough for the rookie to get comfortable. Suffice to say the Bulldogs have a brand new offensive line coach in Will Friend so that tells you how last season went. The offensive line will be looked at by many as one of the team’s question marks entering 2011, but perhaps the question mark should be why this unit is being questioned. The offensive line, as it shapes up right now is heavy on former starters but lacks experienced depth. The last inexperienced line in recent memory was the 2007 line which counted on a pair of true freshmen to anchor the left side; this line will only really rely on redshirt freshmen to offer relief.
The starting line-up right now looks like redshirt senior Trinton Sturdivant at left tackle, bookended with Cordy Glenn at right tackle. Glenn has started most of his career at left guard but did play left tackle in 2009. Coaches have said they plan to use Glenn at tackle his senior season after he was named to several All-America teams following the 2010 season. The senior should have no problem moving to the outside for his final go in Athens.
Rising sophomore Kenarious Gates played in seven games last year, making three starts at guard, so it would be a safe bet that Gates has one of the guard spots locked up. Ben Jones, a rising senior has started at center since his freshman year. He plays with a nasty streak and could well be drafted following his senior campaign. Who will join them on the interior of the line is an interesting race.
Justin Anderson has been moved back to the offensive line after a one-year hiatus to the defensive side of the ball. Anderson missed most of last season with a toe injury but made a combined twelve starts in 25 games over 2008 and 2009. He made several starts at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2008 but will likely slide inside beside Sturdivant on the left side of the line. If Anderson doesn’t get the nod at left guard, look for Kolton Houston, a redshirt freshman, or Dallas Lee, a redshirt sophomore, to nab the starting spot or at least some significant playing time. Lee appeared in three games in 2010 and has nice size at 6’4, 300.
The depth will rely on Chris Burnette and Austin Long, both redshirt sophomores with no in-game experience, as well as redshirt freshman Brent Benedict, a phenomenal recruit who redshirted last year after surgery. Two in-coming freshmen that will likely see playing time over redshirting are Zach DeBell and Watts Dantzler. Each is over 6’7 and both will likely see time on the right side of the line. Benedict is talented enough to step in behind Sturdivant at left tackle. Burnette will spell Jones at center while Long could become the next great Georgia guard.
The depth is young but the only way to earn experience is to play. Georgia’s future looks bright if these youngsters can get some reps this season. Don’t discount this present line though: the mix of old and new is nice and a shake-up in philosophy could lead to this line using its experience to mash open holes for Crowell while protecting Murray.
Entering the 2010 season, the offensive line was supposed to be a strength for the Georgia Bulldogs, opening up lanes for Washaun Ealey and Caleb King while protecting redshirt freshman QB Aaron Murray long enough for the rookie to get comfortable. Suffice to say the Bulldogs have a brand new offensive line coach in Will Friend so that tells you how last season went. The offensive line will be looked at by many as one of the team’s question marks entering 2011, but perhaps the question mark should be why this unit is being questioned. The offensive line, as it shapes up right now is heavy on former starters but lacks experienced depth. The last inexperienced line in recent memory was the 2007 line which counted on a pair of true freshmen to anchor the left side; this line will only really rely on redshirt freshmen to offer relief.
The starting line-up right now looks like redshirt senior Trinton Sturdivant at left tackle, bookended with Cordy Glenn at right tackle. Glenn has started most of his career at left guard but did play left tackle in 2009. Coaches have said they plan to use Glenn at tackle his senior season after he was named to several All-America teams following the 2010 season. The senior should have no problem moving to the outside for his final go in Athens.
Rising sophomore Kenarious Gates played in seven games last year, making three starts at guard, so it would be a safe bet that Gates has one of the guard spots locked up. Ben Jones, a rising senior has started at center since his freshman year. He plays with a nasty streak and could well be drafted following his senior campaign. Who will join them on the interior of the line is an interesting race.
Justin Anderson has been moved back to the offensive line after a one-year hiatus to the defensive side of the ball. Anderson missed most of last season with a toe injury but made a combined twelve starts in 25 games over 2008 and 2009. He made several starts at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2008 but will likely slide inside beside Sturdivant on the left side of the line. If Anderson doesn’t get the nod at left guard, look for Kolton Houston, a redshirt freshman, or Dallas Lee, a redshirt sophomore, to nab the starting spot or at least some significant playing time. Lee appeared in three games in 2010 and has nice size at 6’4, 300.
The depth will rely on Chris Burnette and Austin Long, both redshirt sophomores with no in-game experience, as well as redshirt freshman Brent Benedict, a phenomenal recruit who redshirted last year after surgery. Two in-coming freshmen that will likely see playing time over redshirting are Zach DeBell and Watts Dantzler. Each is over 6’7 and both will likely see time on the right side of the line. Benedict is talented enough to step in behind Sturdivant at left tackle. Burnette will spell Jones at center while Long could become the next great Georgia guard.
The depth is young but the only way to earn experience is to play. Georgia’s future looks bright if these youngsters can get some reps this season. Don’t discount this present line though: the mix of old and new is nice and a shake-up in philosophy could lead to this line using its experience to mash open holes for Crowell while protecting Murray.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Could there be a President Jeter? President Brady?
I ran across an interesting sentence in Sports Illustrated last week when I was reading an article about the Kansas City Royals. The piece took place in the future and was a “look back” at 2011 when the Royals were bad. The article was clearly meant to trumpet the arrival of the young Royals prospects, but the one line in question was “back when President Jeter was still the shortstop for the Yankees.” I wondered to myself if that was even possible.
Could a modern-day athlete go on to hold the office of the President of the United States?
We have seen throughout the last few decades that some athletes have gone on to seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. Heath Shuler, the former Tennessee Volunteer QB and first round Washington Redskins draft pick is currently a Congressman from North Carolina. J.C. Watts was a long-time Congressman after leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a national title. Tom Osborne, the former Nebraska head coach and current AD took a break in between each gig to serve in the House for six years. Bill Bradley served in the Senate for three terms. But it seems the Senate and the House might be the cap as far as former athletes go. The highest a “real” athlete has ever gotten was perhaps when Congressman Jack Kemp was named to Bob Dole’s ticket as a VP candidate. He of course did not win.
Could any current athletes really have a chance at becoming the President of the United States? Before you tell me to get serious because people would never vote for someone that perhaps is just sizzle with no substance or someone possibly overmatched for the job simply using a famous name, I would point to the current and the previous POTUSes. America loves a “rock star” candidate (See: Obama, Barack) and they like it when the candidate surrounds himself with worthy advisors (See: Bush, George W). Don’t forget that Minnesota elected a WRESTLER as its governor.
Crazy things can happen. You are telling me that if Tom Brady or Peyton Manning wanted to run for office, they wouldn’t receive some serious numbers? Maybe it is a bit past his prime, but wouldn’t Michael Jordan have earned some serious numbers on election night? America seems to love Phil Mickelson.
I doubt any Atlanta-area athletes have a chance right now. Matt Ryan is too young and Jason Heyward may get there one day but he isn’t there just yet. I remember a time when Mark Richt could have run for governor of Georgia and won. Right now he is just hoping he won’t be impeached next off-season. Eye-popping results have happened before at the polls; we may in fact see President Jeter before all is said and done.
Could a modern-day athlete go on to hold the office of the President of the United States?
We have seen throughout the last few decades that some athletes have gone on to seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. Heath Shuler, the former Tennessee Volunteer QB and first round Washington Redskins draft pick is currently a Congressman from North Carolina. J.C. Watts was a long-time Congressman after leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a national title. Tom Osborne, the former Nebraska head coach and current AD took a break in between each gig to serve in the House for six years. Bill Bradley served in the Senate for three terms. But it seems the Senate and the House might be the cap as far as former athletes go. The highest a “real” athlete has ever gotten was perhaps when Congressman Jack Kemp was named to Bob Dole’s ticket as a VP candidate. He of course did not win.
Could any current athletes really have a chance at becoming the President of the United States? Before you tell me to get serious because people would never vote for someone that perhaps is just sizzle with no substance or someone possibly overmatched for the job simply using a famous name, I would point to the current and the previous POTUSes. America loves a “rock star” candidate (See: Obama, Barack) and they like it when the candidate surrounds himself with worthy advisors (See: Bush, George W). Don’t forget that Minnesota elected a WRESTLER as its governor.
Crazy things can happen. You are telling me that if Tom Brady or Peyton Manning wanted to run for office, they wouldn’t receive some serious numbers? Maybe it is a bit past his prime, but wouldn’t Michael Jordan have earned some serious numbers on election night? America seems to love Phil Mickelson.
I doubt any Atlanta-area athletes have a chance right now. Matt Ryan is too young and Jason Heyward may get there one day but he isn’t there just yet. I remember a time when Mark Richt could have run for governor of Georgia and won. Right now he is just hoping he won’t be impeached next off-season. Eye-popping results have happened before at the polls; we may in fact see President Jeter before all is said and done.
Friday, March 18, 2011
TheFletch, Madness style
The bubble pundits I guess were wrong and the Georgia men’s head basketball coach Mark Fox had it right all along: The Bulldogs had nothing to worry about. The Georgia Bulldogs, after a week of Are they In/Are they Out, made the Big Dance as a No. 10 seed, and according to the selection committee, weren’t one of the “last six in.” NBA on TNT studio co-host Charles Barkley made an appearance on the Selection Show, as CBS is partnering up with Turner Sports and left some of Bulldog Nation speechless. Sir Charles, when asked about the draw’s surprises, brought up the Bulldogs. Barkley seemed to agree with the Powers that Be saying, “Georgia got in easily. I thought Georgia should have been in, but everybody had them last four out or last four in, but nobody had them as a 10.” Was it surprising? Pleasantly surprising for Georgia fans and surely one that Coach Fox will take.
Barkley wasn’t done with his comments on CBS’s Selection Show. The Round Mound of Rebound seemed a bit upset with former CBS analyst Billy Packer who wasn’t too keen on the thought of TNT and TRU TV using NBA announcers on the NCAA coverage. Barkley referred to Packer as being a farm animal donkey synonym or perhaps as the mascot of the Democratic Party for having the gall to have an opinion on NBA announcers being used for NCAA games. On 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening, Perry Laurentino and Christopher Rude went back and forth on the topic, debating whether or not it was a big deal and will the viewer/listener even care. Laurentino brought up an interesting parallel of when FOX won the rights to the BCS for a championship cycle and viewers were tortured to having to listen to Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson, normally the go-to-guys for NFL expertise, try and fake an in-depth knowledge of the college game. The games are not that different, as Laurentino pointed out, so the play-by-play guy should be fine, but the analyst should most likely be from the college game as there are some small but important differences between the two levels. I wonder why CBS, TNT, and TRU don’t simply borrow some ESPN talent for some of the sites like they have in the past. Jay Bilas is an ESPN college basketball regular but he has been doing color for some of the CBS games over the past few seasons. You are telling me that Brad Nessler couldn’t get involved? We couldn’t bring Brent Musburger back to the NCAA tournament that he used to call? You don’t want to let Dickie V achieve his lifelong dream and help out in the call of a tournament game, BA-BEE?
Oh, hey, I think Joe Lunardi just changed his bracket six times since you started reading this column. Was there anything more annoying that Lunardi appearing on every single ESPN The Radio SportsCenter update, changing his bracket seemingly by the second? I get it that the bracket needs to be fluid, but quit changing it with EVERY result during the two weeks of conference tournaments. If you make a call, stick by it…for at least a day. I haven’t put much stock into Lunardi the last few years, despite his track record, because come on, how hard is it to “predict” the at-large teams? Just look at the RPI and the rankings. Also, Lunardi is the color analyst for St. Joseph’s men’s basketball, which is in the A-10, so I wonder if teams like Xavier, Temple, Richmond or St. Joe’s gets any extra push from the Bracketologist? I will give the man credit for his past, but his credibility took a hit with me after his constant “oop, this team is NOW IN, while that team is NOW OUT. Oh, the wind blew west, CHANGE THAT LAST STATEMENT!”
Mark Bradley of the AJC finally got his wish and Georgia Tech decided to can men’s head basketball coach Paul Hewitt. What was interesting was the photo rolodex of candidates that the newspaper’s website offered as a replacement. Instead of a list that included Tubby Smith, whom Jeff Schultz blogged last week would NOT be coming and nor should he, or Bobby Knight, who sort of, unofficially, threw his hat in the ring in Athens a few years back, the list was full of interesting candidates. St. Mary’s Randy Bennett made the list, as did Harvard’s Tommy Amaker and Tech alum and current New Mexico assistant Craig Neal. The slideshow also included two Big XII coaches that I am not certain would leave their current posts to come to Atlanta, but Baylor’s Scott Drew and Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon were included. It was nice that the list DIDN’T include preposterous choices like Mark Price or Bobby Cremins or Mike Woodson. Too many times in the past oddball choices were thrown in I guess to get page clicks or to get traffic to the blogs.
According to his Twitter account, Chadd Scott and 680 The Fan have parted ways. Scott provided updates for several shows on The Fan and previously had done updates and some fill-in work for 790 The Zone. With his 10+ years of experience in the field, Scott shouldn’t be out of work long and we hope he lands on his feet. He currently writes for Chuckoliver.net.
Finally in case you missed it, and if you did, shame on you, the GHSA boys and girls state basketball championships were last weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting were there the entire way. Seriously, GPB-TV was on the air for 31 hours, bringing anyone that wanted to tune in via television or the web all ten title games. Kudos to everyone that made it possible because Georgia is one of the few states that can say it airs live all of its classification’s championship games as well as the AAASP wheelchair title game. If you went to bed Friday and missed Norcross’ upset of defending Class 5-A champ Milton, you can catch the replay on GPB.org/sports or follow the link on gaprepnews.com. GPB was on the scene from Macon and Gwinnett and high school sports enthusiasts should help support Georgia Public Broadcasting so the coverage can continue.
Can You Believe He Said That
“They snuck up and got a No. 10 seed. It surprised a lot of people”
That was former Duke point guard Bobby Hurley talking about the Georgia Bulldogs’ seeding recently on 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening. Seriously guys, with an RPI as high as Georgia’s, with 20+ wins and a win in the conference tournament, they were in the tournament. Period. Let’s get past it. You saw just how IN it Georgia was when Fox’s Hounds weren’t included in the Final Six in. Move past it.
Barkley wasn’t done with his comments on CBS’s Selection Show. The Round Mound of Rebound seemed a bit upset with former CBS analyst Billy Packer who wasn’t too keen on the thought of TNT and TRU TV using NBA announcers on the NCAA coverage. Barkley referred to Packer as being a farm animal donkey synonym or perhaps as the mascot of the Democratic Party for having the gall to have an opinion on NBA announcers being used for NCAA games. On 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening, Perry Laurentino and Christopher Rude went back and forth on the topic, debating whether or not it was a big deal and will the viewer/listener even care. Laurentino brought up an interesting parallel of when FOX won the rights to the BCS for a championship cycle and viewers were tortured to having to listen to Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson, normally the go-to-guys for NFL expertise, try and fake an in-depth knowledge of the college game. The games are not that different, as Laurentino pointed out, so the play-by-play guy should be fine, but the analyst should most likely be from the college game as there are some small but important differences between the two levels. I wonder why CBS, TNT, and TRU don’t simply borrow some ESPN talent for some of the sites like they have in the past. Jay Bilas is an ESPN college basketball regular but he has been doing color for some of the CBS games over the past few seasons. You are telling me that Brad Nessler couldn’t get involved? We couldn’t bring Brent Musburger back to the NCAA tournament that he used to call? You don’t want to let Dickie V achieve his lifelong dream and help out in the call of a tournament game, BA-BEE?
Oh, hey, I think Joe Lunardi just changed his bracket six times since you started reading this column. Was there anything more annoying that Lunardi appearing on every single ESPN The Radio SportsCenter update, changing his bracket seemingly by the second? I get it that the bracket needs to be fluid, but quit changing it with EVERY result during the two weeks of conference tournaments. If you make a call, stick by it…for at least a day. I haven’t put much stock into Lunardi the last few years, despite his track record, because come on, how hard is it to “predict” the at-large teams? Just look at the RPI and the rankings. Also, Lunardi is the color analyst for St. Joseph’s men’s basketball, which is in the A-10, so I wonder if teams like Xavier, Temple, Richmond or St. Joe’s gets any extra push from the Bracketologist? I will give the man credit for his past, but his credibility took a hit with me after his constant “oop, this team is NOW IN, while that team is NOW OUT. Oh, the wind blew west, CHANGE THAT LAST STATEMENT!”
Mark Bradley of the AJC finally got his wish and Georgia Tech decided to can men’s head basketball coach Paul Hewitt. What was interesting was the photo rolodex of candidates that the newspaper’s website offered as a replacement. Instead of a list that included Tubby Smith, whom Jeff Schultz blogged last week would NOT be coming and nor should he, or Bobby Knight, who sort of, unofficially, threw his hat in the ring in Athens a few years back, the list was full of interesting candidates. St. Mary’s Randy Bennett made the list, as did Harvard’s Tommy Amaker and Tech alum and current New Mexico assistant Craig Neal. The slideshow also included two Big XII coaches that I am not certain would leave their current posts to come to Atlanta, but Baylor’s Scott Drew and Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon were included. It was nice that the list DIDN’T include preposterous choices like Mark Price or Bobby Cremins or Mike Woodson. Too many times in the past oddball choices were thrown in I guess to get page clicks or to get traffic to the blogs.
According to his Twitter account, Chadd Scott and 680 The Fan have parted ways. Scott provided updates for several shows on The Fan and previously had done updates and some fill-in work for 790 The Zone. With his 10+ years of experience in the field, Scott shouldn’t be out of work long and we hope he lands on his feet. He currently writes for Chuckoliver.net.
Finally in case you missed it, and if you did, shame on you, the GHSA boys and girls state basketball championships were last weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting were there the entire way. Seriously, GPB-TV was on the air for 31 hours, bringing anyone that wanted to tune in via television or the web all ten title games. Kudos to everyone that made it possible because Georgia is one of the few states that can say it airs live all of its classification’s championship games as well as the AAASP wheelchair title game. If you went to bed Friday and missed Norcross’ upset of defending Class 5-A champ Milton, you can catch the replay on GPB.org/sports or follow the link on gaprepnews.com. GPB was on the scene from Macon and Gwinnett and high school sports enthusiasts should help support Georgia Public Broadcasting so the coverage can continue.
Can You Believe He Said That
“They snuck up and got a No. 10 seed. It surprised a lot of people”
That was former Duke point guard Bobby Hurley talking about the Georgia Bulldogs’ seeding recently on 680 The Fan’s The Rude Awakening. Seriously guys, with an RPI as high as Georgia’s, with 20+ wins and a win in the conference tournament, they were in the tournament. Period. Let’s get past it. You saw just how IN it Georgia was when Fox’s Hounds weren’t included in the Final Six in. Move past it.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Who backs up Murray this year?
Fifteen minutes could mean like a good neighbor, you’re in good hands. A backup quarterback is crucial insurance for any football team and Mark Richt appears to have some this year. The University of Georgia quarterback situation is a bit more settled entering the 2011 season as Aaron Murray is entrenched as a starter after impressing during his redshirt freshman season. Last year question marks surrounded the QB position in Athens as Murray was taking over with exactly zero snaps under center and a true freshman, Hutson Mason, was his backup, also having taken zero snaps in his collegiate career. The only players on the Bulldogs roster that had taken a snap from the QB spot were a converted wide receiver (Logan Gray) and a cornerback (Branden Smith).
But Murray eased everyone’s concerns for the next three seasons and Mason threw a touchdown pass on his first ever attempt. Now those two each have on-field experience and true freshman Christian LeMay is already on campus, learning the playbook. LeMay came to Athens with as much fanfare as Murray did, arriving as one of the top three quarterbacks in the recruiting cycle. Throw in a record-setting Mason, who shattered Georgia high school passing records his senior season, and Georgia went from a lousy situation entering 2010 to being lousy with quarterback options.
So who will win the backup job? While some of the Bulldog Nation don’t believe that person will ever step on the field over the next three seasons, Murray’s recent injury scare should stress the importance of having a capable backup ready to step up for the Red & Black. Mason certainly has experience of being in Athens for an entire year, but LeMay took his senior season off simply to prepare for his time in Athens. He also joined the team early and will have an entire winter, spring and summer before football starts Labor Day weekend. Matthew Stafford came in early and was ready for meaningful snaps after a very similar early-enrollment path. LeMay has physical tools that Mason does not and with the extra time, the true freshman could overtake the sophomore. LeMay also seems to have a rapport with new wide receiver Chris Conley, who also enrolled early, and Mason doesn’t have the typical advantage of knowing many returning starters as two of the main weapons departed Athens in AJ Green and Kris Durham.
It won’t matter if Murray stays healthy. He was the best freshman QB in the conference last season and he’ll be the best starter returning in 2011. But the backup spot is a surer thing this year than it was last season and that can only be a good thing....just in case. Who is the crowd’s favorite player on any football team? The backup quarterback. Georgia coaches hope that the fan favorite sits on the bench as Murray leads the team to the SEC Championship game.
But Murray eased everyone’s concerns for the next three seasons and Mason threw a touchdown pass on his first ever attempt. Now those two each have on-field experience and true freshman Christian LeMay is already on campus, learning the playbook. LeMay came to Athens with as much fanfare as Murray did, arriving as one of the top three quarterbacks in the recruiting cycle. Throw in a record-setting Mason, who shattered Georgia high school passing records his senior season, and Georgia went from a lousy situation entering 2010 to being lousy with quarterback options.
So who will win the backup job? While some of the Bulldog Nation don’t believe that person will ever step on the field over the next three seasons, Murray’s recent injury scare should stress the importance of having a capable backup ready to step up for the Red & Black. Mason certainly has experience of being in Athens for an entire year, but LeMay took his senior season off simply to prepare for his time in Athens. He also joined the team early and will have an entire winter, spring and summer before football starts Labor Day weekend. Matthew Stafford came in early and was ready for meaningful snaps after a very similar early-enrollment path. LeMay has physical tools that Mason does not and with the extra time, the true freshman could overtake the sophomore. LeMay also seems to have a rapport with new wide receiver Chris Conley, who also enrolled early, and Mason doesn’t have the typical advantage of knowing many returning starters as two of the main weapons departed Athens in AJ Green and Kris Durham.
It won’t matter if Murray stays healthy. He was the best freshman QB in the conference last season and he’ll be the best starter returning in 2011. But the backup spot is a surer thing this year than it was last season and that can only be a good thing....just in case. Who is the crowd’s favorite player on any football team? The backup quarterback. Georgia coaches hope that the fan favorite sits on the bench as Murray leads the team to the SEC Championship game.
Do you know how much this hurts me?
I actually picked the Ohio State to win the friggin' NCAA tournament. After watching Roomie stretch her lead to 4-1 last year by siding with Satan (she picked the Dookies), I realized that I might have to compromise my morals too and go to the Dark Side. Unlike Luke Skywalker, the pull of the Dark Side was simply too much considering I could not afford to fall even further behind one Roomie Cubes.
I have Ohio State beating Kansas in the finals (SOOOOO original I know) and I am one of the few people who have Pitt making it to the Final Four, mainly because BYU as a 3 isn’t good enough to beat the No.2 Florida in that bracket and we just cannot have the Gators in the Final Four.
And for my fourth, UConn, baby, beating Arizona in the Elite 8.
As for Georgia, I have them beating U-Dub in the first round and as much as I want to believe that Gerald Robinson Jr is fast enough to combat the UNC freshman point guard or that Thompkins, as a 1st team All-SEC, could neutralize Barnes, or that Mark Fox could be thinking about going up against Roy Williams next season as an ACC Coach (PLEASE no to that NC State rumor…), I just am not thinking that my Dawgs can beat the Tar Heels. I initially picked Georgia to the Sweet 16, where they’d lose to Syracuse, but I had to change it. Cheer with your heart, pick with your head. Two years ago I had Georgia going to the Sweet 16….didn’t happen. I am going with the odds and praying I am wrong.
But how does Georgia stand up to U-Dub? The Huskies have that super-small, super-quick Isaiah Thomas and his backup who likes to give 16-year-old girls alcohol. The Huskies beat Arizona for the Pac-10 tournament title (and Gus Johnson’s head exploded), after making a deep run in last year’s Big Dance. They average something like 80 points, but they haven’t faced off against Georgia BABY! (That is what I am telling myself).
As much as I want Georgia to roll to the Final Four, I have to be a professional here and go to the Dark Side in order to beat Roomie. Darn you Ohio State! But I hope you guys win…..I feel dirty.
I have Ohio State beating Kansas in the finals (SOOOOO original I know) and I am one of the few people who have Pitt making it to the Final Four, mainly because BYU as a 3 isn’t good enough to beat the No.2 Florida in that bracket and we just cannot have the Gators in the Final Four.
And for my fourth, UConn, baby, beating Arizona in the Elite 8.
As for Georgia, I have them beating U-Dub in the first round and as much as I want to believe that Gerald Robinson Jr is fast enough to combat the UNC freshman point guard or that Thompkins, as a 1st team All-SEC, could neutralize Barnes, or that Mark Fox could be thinking about going up against Roy Williams next season as an ACC Coach (PLEASE no to that NC State rumor…), I just am not thinking that my Dawgs can beat the Tar Heels. I initially picked Georgia to the Sweet 16, where they’d lose to Syracuse, but I had to change it. Cheer with your heart, pick with your head. Two years ago I had Georgia going to the Sweet 16….didn’t happen. I am going with the odds and praying I am wrong.
But how does Georgia stand up to U-Dub? The Huskies have that super-small, super-quick Isaiah Thomas and his backup who likes to give 16-year-old girls alcohol. The Huskies beat Arizona for the Pac-10 tournament title (and Gus Johnson’s head exploded), after making a deep run in last year’s Big Dance. They average something like 80 points, but they haven’t faced off against Georgia BABY! (That is what I am telling myself).
As much as I want Georgia to roll to the Final Four, I have to be a professional here and go to the Dark Side in order to beat Roomie. Darn you Ohio State! But I hope you guys win…..I feel dirty.
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