Collage 3
The Dawg-gone Blog
Official Sponsor of "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" Since 1981
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Quick Thoughts: UGA loses to UF
So we lost by 16 points Florida. It happens and we'll have our shot in Stegeman soon.

Some quick thoughts for you guys:

1) McThree -- Ricky McPhee is a VERY fun player to watch. He's another one of those clutch-shot white dudes that UGA always seems to have around. The previous ones were the Weehunt brothers from the early 2000s. Some of the shots he took tonight were amazing, from some very deep threes to a nice falling jumper on the baseline for two. He also single-handedly (apparently, "handedly" isn't a word, who knew?) kept the game from slipping into a tailspin with his play.

2) Trey Leslie -- If you took Trey Thompkins and mixed him with Travis Leslie, you'd have one of the most exciting basketball players ever. Leslie still struggles with his shot, but made some nice athletic plays. Thompkins did well tonight with some big shots and was hot early.

3) Better make it the first time -- We couldn't seem to grab a rebound to save our lives. Whether on our end after a missed shot, or on their end after they (rarely) missed a shot. We've got to rebound like we did against Tennessee or we'll get beat by a lot of teams in the SEC.

4) Oops! -- Turnovers were probably the biggest dagger for us tonight. We just absolutely got killed in taking care of the ball. Sloppy, sloppy play was the theme and probably gave us the biggest hindrance in mounting a significant comeback. As Dawgfan17 perfectly stated:
Looking at the UF game tonight and most of our games for the season, if we can cut down the to's they can be much much better. We have turned it over 10 more times than UF so far and the game is a 10 pt game. If we turn it over even just 4 less times with both teams shooting 50% that is +4 points for us and -4 for them and the game is basically a tie. Everything else we have done this season has been a huge improvement. Go Dawgs!
Couldn't have said it better myself. The best news is, that's a COACHABLE problem, and I have no worries about our coaching ability.

5) Coach, you can't say that on TV -- Fox got T'd up in what I think was eerily reminiscent to the way Bobby Cox gets thrown out of Braves games. Oh, don't get me wrong, he was right in being upset about the no-call, but instead of moving on, he let it boil over and let his players know he was OK with tossing etiquette out the window. He let his players know that he had their back. I liked it. A LOT.

6) I think I can, I think I can -- We've got some great things going for us right now in regards to overall improvement, but this team is going to have to learn to win on the road for us to get over the hump from being a mediocre team to even a good team. It's not the matter of winning, it's the matter of getting used to the idea of winning away from home. Our confidence sucks in that regard and it shows at times. Of course, when you have a team full of guys who haven't achieved road success in 4+ years, it's going to creep into their heads that they can't do it. A win against South Carolina this weekend would be HUGE for us.

7) Tick Tock -- I didn't remember to elaborate on this the last game, but one of the most overall improved things I've seen is our use of timeouts. It's been a blessing to see Coach Fox take timeouts to stop runs and coach up our guys. They're, for lack of a better word, quite timely. Felton never did that and it drove me crazy.

8) Ratings are up -- The biggest difference in a double-digit point loss to Florida this year versus last year? I was still tuning in this year. Last year's team quit in that game. Absolutely quit. It was disgusting and I had to turn it off. We all knew this game was over after the four minute mark, but I was still interested to see what this team would do. If any of us can take one thing away from tonight's loss, it's the proof in the pudding that this team is NOT last year's team.


So, there you have it. What stuck out to you?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 8:55 PM.
0 comments





Thursday, October 29, 2009
Dawg-gone Vlog -- UGA vs. UF
Intensity? Cheesy.

Seriousness? Absolutely.

Fart near the end? Negative. That was my cellphone vibrating.


Labels: , , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 9:38 PM.
4 comments





Wednesday, October 28, 2009
"Dear Florida Gators" -- A Hate Letter to The Team & Fans
Editor's Note: For maximum effect, this letter should be read in a tone which emphasizes that you are right, they are so incredibly wrong, and they're idiots for being that way. It's the swagger in your voice that's the trick. The kind of tone where you're making fun of them and they don't even realize it. Think "Dennis Miller on a rant" and that should just about do the trick.





Dear Florida Gators,

I'm going to make this as short as possible. I don't want to even think that I wasted a perfectly good 30 minutes to an hour's worth of time when I could be watching something 10x more interesting like "Ghost Hunters" or hell, even "Lou Dobbs." I'll take old Lou telling me how much this country's gone to hell because of illegal immigration rather than spending 1/4 of my brain power exerting myself over this post.

UGA fans hate you. We all do. We all have reason to, as well. You see, as the little baby of the SEC until somewhere around 1992, we just kind of let you exist. We didn't put you out of your misery like we should have. We showed mercy in letting you exist. But noooooooo, you had to go and hire the Evil One and cast a spell on us. Now, every time we cross into the state of Florida (something we also hate), we wet the bed and run home talking about "next year."

We're tired of "next year."

Enjoy your time with The Chosen One, aka, Tim Tebow. He's your Herschel. We know what it's like to have one of those. You know, that player who makes the whole team better by being on the field, or even just talking on the sidelines. Yeah, like I said, we've been there before. We despise you for it, too. If for no other reason than because it reminds us of the fact it's been almost 30 years since ours whipped you up and down the field.

This isn't as much as a letter of hate as it is a letter of warning. You'd BETTER win on Saturday. It's in your best interest to do so. Why? Because if you don't, then you all know it's going to be bad for a very, VERY long time. This is your last chance to parade around your trick pony. Get as much out of him as you can. The losing consistently should start soon and you don't want to bring all that on to you this quickly do you? The talent level is equal. The coaching? Well you have that in your favor for the time being.

But it's catching up to you, and quickly. We'll do what we need to do. You need to win the game so that the bleeding doesn't start sooner than it should. It's coming. I know it's coming.

There's no pressure on us, by the way. We know what we are. We are a 4-3 team looking outside in. We have no realistic shot at anything except pride. You know what builds pride? Taking someone else's. Guess who has more to lose in this game? The team with no shot at anything but pride, or the team who could lose their SECC-punched ticket, their MNC shot, and the title of "prettiest girl in school."

We're on the outs in this one, Gators. The last time we felt that way? 2007. The time before that? 2004. We're rested, you're tested. You've never gone undefeated in a season. You think we don't want to be the one that crashes your birthday party, craps in your cake, and then sleeps with your girlfriend upstairs because the "hunch punch makes her do regretful things?"Oh, you're wrong sir. We WANT to be that team.

And right now, we ARE that team.

No pressure,

Kit

Labels:

Journalistic integrity compromised at 3:34 PM.
1 comments





Tuesday, October 27, 2009
"Dear Florida" -- A Hate Letter to The State
Editor's Note: For maximum effect, it's important to read this hate letter in a pious, yet almost discouraged, tone. Preachy, but not expectant of change. For a good example, it'd be about the same kind of tone Agent Smith uses in The Matrix trilogy.

Dear Florida (The State),

I don't like you. While your beaches may be nice and serene, you find ways of bringing in rednecks from around the globe to ruin it on any given weekend in the summer. While your Gulf of Mexico water may be crystal clear, on your side it's filled with the urine of guest stars on COPS, World's Deadliest Police Chases, and any other show you might randomly find on a boring Sunday while watching TruTV.

Your inhabitants are too northern to be considered southern and your geographical location is too southern to classify you as northern. You are purgatory. I'm sure you've heard of purgatory. It's for those without purpose. It's an area where you're not good enough to go to heaven and not too blatantly awful to be in hell.

I don't like your football teams. FSU is way past its prime, Dat UUUUUUUUUU is as inconsistent of a team that I've ever seen, and USF is an excuse for people around Orlando to see football. You do have one consistently good football team, though, in the Florida Gators. Tomorrow, we'll discuss my hate for them in more detail.

It's no secret that I'm a UGA fan, Florida. I've traveled past your borders for the past 10 years straight just to come out with two, count them, TWO victories. However, I kept going back for more and more, because I hate you Florida, and any day that I was able to dance in your street after a victory is a day I'll cherish. It's kind of like going into Emeril Lagasse's house and telling him his food sucks, then laughing uncontrollably as I munch down McDonald's in his face.

I won't be visiting you this year, Florida. I'll be here, hating you from afar. However, even though I'm one day late in kicking off Hate Week Part I for 2009, please know that I didn't forget you. I just couldn't find a way to adequately express myself until now.

It's not the same kind of boiling disgust that I have for that joke of a school, fan base and football team right down the street from my house. No, my hate for you Florida is a different kind. The same kind of hate the U.S. still has for Russia. That kind of hate where I can tolerate you, but I can't stand to be near you for extend stretches of time.

So, Florida, should there be a catastrophic earthquake where one state has to break off and drift out to sea, I'm choosing you. It would have been California, but they give us movies and good wine. You give us sand in our crotch and horrible drivers. I think my choice is justified.

Regards,

Kit


P.S. -- No, seriously, I really don't like you at all.


Labels: ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 7:26 PM.
3 comments





Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Flawed System
It seems everywhere we turn nowadays there's flaws with college football as a whole. Dawg fans notice gigantic flaws within the team, SEC fans are subjected to huge flaws in officiating, and college fans in general are pissed with the often-flawed BCS system.

As Dawg fans, we go out of our way sometimes to find the flaws. Hell, I'm guilty of it as much as anyone else. We beat Vandy handily, but I was no where near satisfied with the victory. Aside from a 4th quarter where we had guys in that seemingly wanted to play football, there really wasn't much to talk about other than A.J. Green.

Sure, the Defense played OK against a horrible Vandy team, A.J. played exceptionally well for his three catches, and Bobo showed us a "moment of brilliance" playcall with that screen pass to Caleb King, but other than that, I think we all left a little unfulfilled.

That's not to say it was all bad, though. I mean with what the team's been through, you'd have to think that the Dawgs were as down in the mouth as any team in America right now. An overly-talented team struggling in every game, a coaching staff on the verge of collapse, and a fanbase that has no idea what they really want to happen other than "change." Unless Helen Keller was suiting up for UGA, you know the players were hearing or seeing things that sent shockwaves through the lockerroom. It's going to happen.

The most important thing is that a 10-win season is OBTAINABLE. Is it likely? Not at all, but OBTAINABLE is better than impossible. At this point, I'd settle for revenge and a one-day-at-a-time mentality. I'd settle for our players trying to go and ruin Florida's season by beating them in Jacksonville. That's all I want to think about and that's all I want to hear about. I want a team mentality where everyone realizes that they truly have nothing to lose.

However, that's not going to happen unless Mike Slive gets a hold of the referees in this conference. Even I was getting tired of hearing about how all the SEC refs hate us, but the truth is, I'm starting to think that sans Florida and Alabama, they really do hate everyone. The numbers aren't lying and it's downright scary. With our statistics regarding penalties growing exponentially since the Celebration in 2007, combined with the LSU screw job, and the debacle in Gainesville last weekend against Arkansas, you can surely bet that no call is 100% right.

I guess the thing that's most frustrating about it all is that these calls aren't DETERMINING games. They're just influencing them. Arkansas didn't lose last weekend because of bad calls -- they lost because of missed field goals. We didn't lose against LSU because of a bad call against A.J. -- we lost because we can't cover worth a damn on Special Teams. The frustrating thing about the penalty issue is that a bad call of a non-touchdown or interception can be overturned with video evidence nowadays. A bad penalty call sets the tone, changes momentum and helps someone greatly while dismantling someone else's chances. It's not a matter of fairness -- it's a matter of responsibility.

No one's asking the refs to call every ticky-tack penalty. They're asking the refs to call it down the middle. They're asking the refs to call what needs to be called, and when it doubt, don't call it. It's that simple. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we're dealing with hyper-sensitivite SEC referees when it comes to all teams not named "Alabama" or "Florida." I'm not subscribing to any conspiracy theories, but all I know is that those games are called differently for those teams than they are for the rest of the conference, especially in regards to Florida.

Slive needs to get on it, or Slive will be barking up a bad tree. SEC Football is religion to a lot of fans. It's one thing to have one school think the refs are against them. It's entirely different to have 10 schools think that way.

So, let's all enjoy the bye week for what it is...a chance to relax and focus for next weekend. We all need that right now.

Here's wishing a flawless week for you and yours.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 5:18 PM.
0 comments





Monday, October 05, 2009
Just gonna get this out of the way...
I'm still too frustrated to go at length about the LSU game (and trust me, I could go for f'n days about it), so I'm just going to hit the high points and let y'all decide what to think.

1. Willie coached his ass off. Save the last play where guys didn't make the much-needed tackles at the time, our defense saved us from getting blown out. The score should've easily been 21-0 at halftime. Secondary still needs work, but we knew it was going to be rough back there this year. I think Bryan Evans is a good kid, but kudos to Rambo for earning more PT.

2. Mike Bobo is getting better, but still isn't consistent. We basically have one play right now that defines our offense -- it's the "Throw it to A.J." Play. I'm sorry, but that's not going to cut it the rest of the way. I think Bobo dialed up some good calls on Saturday, but we had guys, especially Joe Cox, not capitalize on big opportunities. Overall though, it'll get better only when the running game shows up again. I will say that every time we run it on 3rd and long, I die a little.

3. Speaking of the running game, where is ours? Part of me wants to say it's the O-line, but a majority of me says it's not. Richard Samuel is not a "toss sweep" guy, yet that seems to be the play we like him in. Caleb King is not a straight ahead runner, but yet we seem to try and power him forward. Waushan Ealey is like fresh air right now and running like a kid who REALLY wants to be the #1 guy. My question is, where's D-Jax? Where's Carlton Thomas? I'm not saying Ealey isn't good, but it's the age old "chicken vs. egg" question. If a freshman is making waves, does that mean he's really that good or are the four older guys that bad?

4. Our kickoff coverage makes me want to move to Canada. You know what drives me really batty about Florida? The fact that their kids look like they enjoy every snap. Even the special teams units give it everything they have. Why? Because at Florida, a special teams starter is considered a starter. We've got to quit throwing scrubs out there. I know those guys play hard, practice hard and have a lot of heart, but hell, I've got a lot of heart. That doesn't mean I think I need to strap on some pads and try to tackle Trindon Holliday. You don't win games by playing your #3 Offense and Defense. Why in the f*** would we think we're going to win the special teams battle by playing some of the slowest players on our team?

5. All I'm going to say about the penalty is two things: 1) Tim Brando nailed it when he said that the SEC doesn't want journalists to look deeper into who draws those excessive celebration penalties and 2) It changed the momentum, but it didn't keep us from tackling Holliday or Scott.

6. I should have a Vlog for the Tennessee game up this Thursday. It's a busy week for me and writing isn't going to cut it. So, you guys will get to see my huge head and way-too-damn-short haircut very soon.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 6:36 PM.
2 comments





Friday, July 31, 2009
An article, some blog-love and Erin Andrews
So, I'm blogging for the second time this month (shocker, I know) and I just wanted to rant a moment about a couple of things since I'm on a decent whiskey buzz right now (thanks Four Roses!) and feed like jabbering on like a monkey in a tree.

1. Nobody does it better -- PWD has one of his teh awesomez posts that's full of Phil Steele-type statistics, but this time coming in regards of our penalty situation from last year. I read it earlier tonight and it really puts things in perspective about one area of our game that could use some vast improvement. As PWD notes, it's not about reducing the penalties as much as it's about reducing them at the right times.

2. Weekend at Bernie's -- One person who's been a blast to follow on Twitter has to be Bernie of Bernie's Dawg Blawg fame. Not only does he tweet regularly, he also blogs just as much, which means he's a good read at any point in time. So that being said, if you come here and find nothing new, be sure to jump over to Bernie's place and get your read on. Oh, and it's a damn good blog too.

3. "Who's ready for the game? Ah...nevermind" -- You know, part of the reason I can't force myself to write is mainly because I'm just not "there" yet. "There" is that part of the preseason where you sit back and think to yourself, "man I CANNOT WAIT until football season." Sure, I think we'll have a good year. I could see us easily having 9-10 wins and possibly (it's going to be very tough but "possibly") appearing in the SECC. I'm excited for Joe Cox and all those guys, but man, I just ain't "feeling it" yet. Quinton over at PWD's blog had a similar feeling, but that was nearly a month ago. Either way, I'm just ready to kick it off and finally get excited.

4. Plug it in, plug it in. -- I work for a company that sells gift baskets, holiday tins and holiday towers. If you're part of a company that does any gift-giving during the holiday season, please let me know. I'll cut you a deal.


6. My name's not "Tom" -- I'll just put this out in the open. ALL STRAIGHT MEN (and some women) WANT TO SEE ERIN ANDREWS NAKED. However, what happened to her was plain awful. Truthfully, it's pretty horrific, even for a Florida Gator like herself. Since she lives in Atlanta, I'll stick up for our own and say that I hope whoever did this is brought to justice and gets ass-pounded in a prison by some guy named "Booty" for a very long time.


Well, there's my rants. Enjoy your weekend.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 12:48 AM.
1 comments





Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Double Standard
As I'm sure you've heard by now, we have three new Dawg players suspended due to a "violation of team rules." Technically, Tony Wilson is leaving due to being medically disqualified, but humor me here by allowing us not to split hairs. Rumors are flying that the three in question are suspended due to failed drug tests, which means probably pot or liquor, which PWD noted earlier today. When I say rumors, I mean "unnamed sources," which pisses me off, but that's another blog for another day.

Now when I first caught wind of the whole thing, I sent out a Tweet (ha ha ha...tweet) that 1) That sucked, 2) Things were already much worse this time last year and 3) That I was not surprised. The latter of the message was echoed by Groo, and just about everyone else who's followed the Dawgs over the past 3-4 seasons.

Look, as PWD said, you take 85 athletes and a handful are always going to find themselves in trouble. A violation of team rules is certainly different than getting arrested and creating a huge black eye for the program, but rules are rules. All should be treated the same right?

Well, obviously in Athens, they're not. Look, I like the way CMR runs this program. I like the players, I like our coaches (most of them) and I appreciate the work they do both on and off the field. However, where my problem begins and ends is with one Bruce Figgins. 

Apparently, this is Big Bruce's second offense, which means he's done this before. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't a long-snapper last year by the name of Jeff Henson get kicked off the team for a similar problem of two strikes? If you need a refresher, here it is:
Long snapper Jeff Henson, a junior from Gainesville, was arrested for public intoxication and urinating in public. He was booked into the Athens-Clarke County jail at 3:46 a.m. and was released on $750 bond at 10 a.m. Because Henson also was charged with DUI last November — he missed the Sugar Bowl as punishment — he was suspended indefinitely. Henson was the eighth Georgia football player arrested and jailed in 2008.
Now, let's say that Bruce's problems are with pot, which is an illegal substance in this country. Not legal like alcohol to those of a certain age, but illegal to anyone of any age. Henson as an idiot for sure, but he made two poor choices with a LEGAL substance that cost him his spot on a team.

However, Bruce has apparently made two poor choices with an illegal substance and was outright busted for it. According to these sources, he failed the drug tests. That's proof in said pudding, ladies and gents. 

So as a team, are we saying that it's worse to get busted by the cops and create that PR nightmare for the program than it is to use an illegal substance? Is it OK to screw up twice in two consecutive years and still have your spot on the team? The only thing I can think is that Henson messed up twice in the course of one season (during the season and shortly thereafter), which may be the reason he was suspended. I'll be honest, I really hope that's the case.

Everyone knows of my undying love for all things UGA. Everyone also knows that I think pot should be legal and we should tax the shit out of it. That's beside the point. The point is with Big Bruce's problem getting swept under a glass rug where everyone can see it anyway, are we sending the wrong message to our players and fans? Are we saying that a DUI, public intoxication, public urination or public disturbance is worse than failing a drug test? I don't know about you guys, but I've pissed outside before. In my mind, that's a little better off than failing a drug test.

Of course, we'll never know the real truth, but if I'm going to keep having the same respect for this team that I've always had, I'd like to see the "two strikes and you're out" rule applied to the larger issues as well as the ones related to police. Sure, the PR is much worse when you're handcuffed, but I'd argue it's just as bad when everyone knows what happened and the players get off easier. It's still a black eye for the university, no matter how the punch was thrown.

If I wanted to cheer for a team with a rug in one hand and a broom in the other, I'd be a Florida fan. 


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 1:22 AM.
1 comments





Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Weighing in on the BBall Search
Ok, I'm not going to claim to have a damn clue as to what UGA is currently doing. If you think you're going to get that here because maybe I have "sources," then you're dead wrong. I don't have sources. I have information, but none of that is "insider" worthy. You should go read the stuff PWD's been writing in order to get an accurate picture.

However, I would like to weigh in a bit on everything and just see what could possibly come of the search. Currently the names I'm hearing include Sean Miller, Tubby Smith, Mike Anderson and Leonard Hamilton (more on Hamilton in a second). MY OWN PERSONAL DREAM LIST would include:

Jay Wright
Jamie Dixon
Sean Miller
Tubby Smith
Mike Anderson

And here's the problems with each:

Jay Wright -- Ideally, he's my top guy. I pretty much *heart* Jay Wright. However, his contract is absurd, specifically his buyout clause. I doubt anyone is able to touch this guy when 'Nova's offseason begins. Here's what I posted about Wright verbatim on The Dawgvent earlier today:

When I look at the coaches out there and the ones that I have on my huge wish list, I still consistently have one name at the top, and that's Jay Wright at Villanova.

Dont get me wrong, I'd be thrilled to have Anderson, Dixon, Miller, T. Smith and a whole host of other folks, but looking at Wright's numbers, they've been EXTREMELY impressive.

In 15 years as a head coach, he's had:

* 7 NCAA Tourney appearances (5 in a row)
* 1 Final Four (which is still yet to be concluded)
* 2 Sweet Sixteens
* 1 Elite Eight
* Hasn't missed the NCAA or NIT in the last 11 years

His team has been by far the most well-coached team I've seen in the tournament thus far. The "hook and ladder" inbound pass against Pitt was nothing less than superb attention to detail and coaching. He mixes great defense with great shooters and dribble-drivers. He has a specific scheme for both offense and defense, which is something we've lacked under the Felton tenure. For everything Harrick did, he had a specific offensive scheme that his teams ran and it worked well while it was here.

The main thing that works against us is that EVERYONE loves Jay Wright, including Villanova, who have made it increasingly tough to interview and buy him out. His contract is a MAJOR challenge, even for a school like us who has money to burn.

In the end, I think we end up with Anderson, but I'd crawl butt naked backwards over a bed of pine cones to make it happen.


Jamie Dixon -- I like the way his teams play and you can tell he recruits well. Pitt always has a good team, maybe even very good, but rarely in that league of "great." However, I think his style would transition well to the types of recruits Atlanta produces. I also highly doubt he bolts for anywhere when the offseason begins, but if he does, I think it'll be for a much higher profile program than ours.

Sean Miller -- This is a guy much like Jay Wright in that his teams are always well coached and he consistently wins at the NCAA Tourney. Xavier had a relatively good run for the past two years in the field of 64 and I also think his level of coaching and style would transition well to what we're trying to accomplish. He's not completely off our list yet, but I haven't heard his name as much as others. I'd be thrilled with this hire though.

Tubby Smith -- I'd be thrilled with this hire too. Tubby has great AAU ties, can recruit lights out, his teams win consistently, he's not that old (57) and has a personal vendetta in the SEC, specifically against Kentucky. I think he can recruit the kids we lose state-wide to other programs and keep them away from the Florida's, UT's and Mississippi State's of the conference. Tubby has said that he's "very happy" in Minnesota, but who knows if that's true or not. Until his name leaves the list officially, I'm not counting him out.

Mike Anderson -- As PWD stated, Anderson's style of "40 minutes of hell" would play well in Athens and should fire up the fan base. The way Mizzou (RAH!) handled Memphis with their up-tempo style was a thing of beauty, especially since Memphis plays the same type of style themselves. However, with Memphis' Coach Calipari seemingly leaving for UK, it's possible that Anderson would rather go to Memphis than Athens. Also, the Tigers (of Memphis) have the same kind of money to throw at Anderson to make him want to come. If you had Memphis in one hand and UGA in the other, with the same amount of money offered, what would you do? That's the $64,000 question with this guy. I still would like the hire, but I'm not sure we're going to nail this fish.

Now, let's talk a bit about Leonard Hamilton. I'm sure most of you have no idea who he is, because I didn't either when I read his name. For those who need to know, he's the current head coach of Florida State, and the Seminoles made quite an impressive run in the ACC and the ACC Tourney. However, they were bounced out by Wisconsin in the first round as a five seed.

The problem with Hamilton is that 1) he isn't proven as he only has two NCAA Tourney appearances under his belt as a head coach and 2) He's only slightly over .500 as a head coach overall. That's not good...at all. Hiring Hamilton will be more of a whimper than a roar; more of a dud than a scud.

I've said it, PWD's said it, the message boards say it and even Damon Evans has said it. We need a coach that will fire up this fan base and breathe some life back into UGA hoops. The coach's name should do this alone, but it will take at least two years of winning to get the excitement back, as opposed to hiring a "name" and getting that immediately.

If we want to consider this search a failure, then we hire Hamilton. If we want to consider it a success, we need a name. Any one of those above would be ideal.

Also, before I let y'all go, I've heard Rick Pitino's name being thrown around some, but I think we have a 99.9% chance of NOT landing him. There's no reason for him to come here, he also makes an absurd amount of money at Louisville and there are more prestigious programs, namely Arizona, that will throw everything they have at him. However, if we do get that .1% and land him, you could consider the search an EPIC WIN for UGA and Damon Evans.

Stay tuned. This thing will be done sooner rather than later.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 2:47 AM.
0 comments





Sunday, November 02, 2008
Ugh.
This one hurts like no other game in a long time for me. We totally went out there and wet the bed against a VERY talented Florida team.

This loss falls squarely on the shoulders of our players and coaches. If you're a Dawg fan and you're disappointed, pissed off or ready to roll some heads, I don't blame you. I am as well.

Much like PWD, I've cut off commenting for a while until everything cools down a bit. The message boards are melting down and I know that some of it will spill over from there. I want no part of there here on my blog. Plus, if I thought there was a Florida fan out there (other than Seth) that could keep from using profanity to the Nth degree to gloat their win, I'd leave them on. However, I've never seen so many A**-holes in one place trying to start fights. 

You won, you deserved it, we get it.

Oh and don't expect a recap of this bag of sh*t. You won't find it here. If you saw what happened, there are no words to neatly put this loss away, so I'm not even gonna try.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 9:13 AM.
0 comments





Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Hate Week 2008 Part I - The List
I don't have time to write a fancy intro to this thing. Hatred is abounding. Must. Write. List.

The Ten Things I Utterly Hate About Florida Fans

10) They Don't Respect Stafford -- Even after last year's complete domination through the air (as well as on the ground), the Gator contingent still thinks that Matt Stafford couldn't hold Tebow's jock. Well, I hate to tell you, but everyone else outside of the state of Florida disagrees. There's a reason why Dawg fans are sweating and that's because Stafford has a real chance of going pro shortly after this season and by doing so, he could be the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. You don't hear any of that talk around Gainesville, do you? Watch Tebow on Saturday and see how many times he, ON HIS OWN, audibles the team into a different play. Superman's got the physical tools, but apparently he shipped off of Krypton before he got that mental prowess that Stafford has. I want a QB that can RUN an Offense. Not one that can merely execute it.

9) Nothing Good Ever Came Out of Florida -- "Heaven's Waiting Room" is nothing but a sand pit, surrounded by ocean. Sure, you've got that cool space shuttle launch once in a while, and I can't disagree that Daytona, Miami and PCB are some of the best places for spring break, but seriously what has Florida contributed to the world lately? Oh that's right, y'all do that whole "orange juice" thing. But seriously, I haven't drank a drop of Simply Orange since I saw Urban pimp it (shout out: Mackie).



8) Gator Fans are Stupid -- No, really. You guys are morons. Thank God you have a genius like Orson Swindle keeping part of the world thinking that some of you have some sense. However, most of us with half a brain know the truth and, that is something in the water in Florida has convinced all of you that mullets, Trans Ams and being on COPS is still cool. 

7) You Don't Dress Up for Games -- Seriously, what good fan of college football in general doesn't see Gameday as a time to strut your best stuff? Instead you wear T-shirts and parade around in your Sunday afternoon's best. Save that sh*t for the NFL.

6) I Think Tebow is an "OK" Guy -- Alright, this might not have much to do with the fans, except in regards to their undying love for him, but man I can't force myself to hate the kid and that drives me nuts. J.P. Wilson, Rudy Carpenter and Steven Garcia are all people I despise, but for some reason, I just can't hate the kid and he BLEEDS Orange and Blue. He's a good kid, he sets a good example and he always says the right things to the media. What I REALLY hate is that he ended up at a place like Florida. I do hate that "jump up and down while waving arms" thing that he does AND I think the jump pass is flat-out stupid. So, I got that going for me I guess.

5) You People Ignore Math -- Without sounding like a Georgia Tech geek, I despise the fact that you want to point out your total domination of UGA since 1990, but still ignore the overall record or the record over the last 5 games. Wake up Florida people; we're not the same team you dominated for all those years. At least ACT like we have a shot of winning because, much like last year, if we do win you'll look stupid for another 364 days.

4) You're Hypocritical -- Yeah, we've had some kids get arrested in the offseason for doing things like driving drunk, carrying around an UNLOADED gun (which was later dropped) and touching some pregnant chick's belly, but at least none of our players SHOT OFF AN AK-47 or STOLE A DEAD GIRL'S CREDIT CARD. Until we have a guy do that, you morons have ZERO right to talk. PERIOD. CAPS!!1!!11!!

3) You Believe Offense Will Win You Championships -- You fools really think Chris Leak won you that National Championship? Seriously, there should have been two separate lines of ass kissing. One that lead to Ron Zook for recruiting those players and another that led to Charlie Strong for keeping you in those games. I can't wait until Strong moves on and you guys realize what you REALLY need to do in order to win. Offense is cool and chicks dig the long ball. I get it. However, Defense will keep crystal balls in your trophy case and allow UGA prospects to knock them over and break them.

2) You're Screwing Everything Else Up -- Tommy Tubberville is on the hot seat right now because thought this "Spread" idea was a good one. Wonder where he got that from? Don't get me wrong, I hate him, but man, your disease of this "Spread" offense is, well, spreading. I'll be honest, I think the Spread is a flash in the pan and more teams nowadays are figuring out how to beat it. You had about a two-year head start where guys said "man that team is fast, we need to get faster players on Defense" and that's what they did. Beat up on UK all you want to, but speed won't win EVERY game. Sure didn't look that fast against Ole Miss.

1) Urban Meyer is Your Head Coach -- No need to go any further. The guy is a tool bag if there ever was one. Here's a list of some of his accomplishments:
I could keep going, but there's no need to. However, via Ally, Gators Wear Jean Shorts has this gem:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!
Image


Well, there you have it. Now you know WHY I hate Florida fans so much. So, join in down in the comments section and let me know why YOU hate them so much.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 10:26 PM.
6 comments





Monday, October 27, 2008
Hate Week 2008 Part I - View Behind Enemy Lines
So over the course of the past year, I made a friend that happens to be a Florida Gator. Earlier this season, he forwarded his SEC preview that he wrote to me and it was as funny as it was informative. I instantly thought that it would be a good addition to Hate Week Part I for us Dawg fans to hear things from the other side. 

I hope you'll enjoy. If you disagree with what he writes, feel free to let him know in the comments section. However, this is my house and I do appreciate you using proper manners to my guests. Curse me all you want, but keep it respectful, capice?



Florida/Georgia 2008 - From a Gators Perspective

Leghumpers,

Greetings from the Land of Jorts! Well the game that we all have been looking forward to for 360 days is finally upon us. Two years ago I said that this Cocktail Party would be the most anticipated game in the last 20 years of the series and it looks like that prediction was right on the money. I can’t remember any other time heading into this game that Dawg and Gator fans were more excited about their respective squads. Both teams are playing their best football of the year and I see that trend continuing for the rest of the year. I really believe the winner of this game will go onto beat Alabama in the SECCG. Bama has looked like ass, ever since the first half of the Georgia game and both the Dawgs and Gators have most of their tough SEC games out of the way. This one should be for all the marbles.  

The entire point of me writing this was to bring a differing opinion about the game to the site. With that being said, it would be pointless for me to base that opinion on my love for the Gators and not on the facts because I’m sure everyone here cares the same way about the Pups. So let’s keep all of the “Knowshon is the best RB in the history of football” and “Tebow could cure cancer” homerisms out of the way and look at the facts. We’ve can save all of the trash talking for the Landing or the Touchdown Lot before kickoff on Saturday!  


The 2007 Game  

Before the game last year, I don’t think the Dawgs knew how good they were and Florida didn’t realize how many holes they had on defense. Georgia was ready to fire every position coach they had after the beatdown in Knoxville a few weeks prior and were in desperate need of the off week before last years’ showdown. Florida had just won a shootout against then 8th ranked Kentucky after losing in their last possession the previous two games against LSWho and Auburn. Georgia had to kick a last second field goal to beat SEC East powerhouse Vanderbilt in their last game before J'ville. But then Mark Richt went and pulled the biggest second half turnaround this state had seen since the Braves in 1991. 

Stafford had been up and down the entire year, pretty much single handedly losing the South Carolina game. Pup fans were ready for him to cash in on his all world potential and start playing like we all knew that he could. And that is just what he did. Stafford made a number of big throws in the game exploited a weak Gator secondary. This was also the game that Knowshon Moreno used to establish himself as a household name in the SEC. He went for 185 on 33 carries and I honestly don’t think the Gators could have slowed him down if they played with 12 men on defense. The rest of the Dawgs fed off of his energy and the offense turned into the juggernaut that the Pup fans knew it could be. Percy Harvin did all that he could do to match the production Georgia was getting from Moreno. Unfortunately for Gator fans, Percy couldn’t play on the O line. Marcus Howard sacked Tebow like seventeen times and Superman really never got on track. Georgia punched the defending National Champs directly in the mouth and we never really did anything to regain the momentum. With that being said, let’s talk a little more about that “momentum”…………….


So You Think You Can Dance?

I may be one of the only Gator fans at last years’ game that really didn’t think that the Pups pre-orchestrated dance party was that big of a deal. I actually thought it was pretty awesome! It provided the shot of adrenaline that the Dawgs’ needed. It helped make the statement that “we are tired of being Floridas bitch.” But the fact of the matter I don’t think it was as big of a deal as people made it out to be. Florida scored on its next possession and led for a good part of the first half. Georgia won because Florida couldn’t tackle Knowshon Moreno, not because of Trinton Sturdivant’s sweet ass dance moves. I don’t think that the Gators will retaliate in any way this year. That’s not really Urban’s style. But even if they do, I don’t think it will really affect the game. Football is about blocking and tackling, not who has the better celebratory dance.


2008 Prediction  

Again, the whole reason that I am writing this is to give all of you with Red and Black glasses on another perspective on next Saturday’s game. Do I think Florida is going to win? Of course! I wouldn’t be wasting time writing this b.s. if I didn’t! But, I’m not one of those homers that think my team is going to win every game just because they show up. I predicted our Ole Miss loss the morning before it happened and I am much harder on my own team than I am on others. I’m pretty realistic and I try not to get caught up in all of the emotion surrounding these games every week and just stick to the facts. But unfortunately that isn’t always what the SEC is about. 

College football is as much about momentum and not overlooking your opponent as it is about 40 times and statistics. In rivalry games, anything can happen. And, I think this is going to be one of those once every 15 to 20 years games, much like the Lindsay Scott game or Spurrier’s first game back in the monsoon-like 1991 battle. Just like all big games between two heavyweights, it will probably come down to who can avoid giving up the big plays and special teams. Let’s take a look at each position for each team.


Unit by Unit Analysis

QB

Let me start off by saying Stafford has looked really good so far this year. He is finally starting to cash in on some of his John Elway like potential. He has been able to avoid the big mistakes that plagued him throughout his first few years and has developed into a team leader. The emergence of AJ Green certainly hasn’t hurt either! Stafford has the best “arm” in the country and is capable of making all the throws and plays his team needs him to. He leads the league in Passing Yards per game and will have a big day against the Gators.  

Tim Tebow has not been himself this year. Some of that is his fault and some of it is Urban Meyer/Dan Mullen’s fault. He has a lot more weapons at his disposal this year and doesn’t have to carry as much of the load as he did last year. He is next to last in the SEC in attempts in 2008 so his numbers are obviously nowhere near his Heisman trophy winning campaign in 2007. But, Tebow has been able to manage the offense very well and only has 2 interceptions on the year. He has begun to run the ball more the past few games which has added another element back to the offense. I expect the much of the same from Tebow this week. All that Florida needs from Tebow is for him to play like he always does, solid.  

Advantage: EVEN

Running Back

Knowshown Moreno is the best back in the SEC. Much like Tebow, the Dawgs always know what you’re going to get out of him. Michael Smith had a field day against the Gator D a few weeks ago when he ran for 130 yards or so, and I think Knowshon will do the same. With a healthy Sutherland now leading the way, look for Slowshon to run for 100 +yds.  

The Gators have a three headed monster at running back this year. Depending on whether or not Emmanuel Moody is back 100% from a high ankle sprain will determine how many carries each of the backs will get, but I suspect that he will still be gimped up. That leaves Jeff Demps (the fastest player in college football) and Chris Rainey to share the workload. Both backs are capable of taking it to the house if they get past the first level of the defense and for little guys actually run very tough between the tackles. The Gators will get plenty of yards, but you can’t pick against the best back in the conference.

Advantage: DAWGS

Wide Receiver

If it was legal to just skip college and go straight to the NFL, then I think AJ Green would have never made it to Georgia. Absolute stud. Mo Mass is solid, but not spectacular and after that it kind of drops off for the Pups. Kenneth Harris and Michael Moore are decent, but I don’t see them making much of an impact in a game this big. If AJ can’t get his catches, the Dawgs will sputter in the passing game.  

Florida has the horses, but again, they have the second fewest attempts in the SEC, so there aren’t that many balls to go around. Percy Harvin is still the best receiver in the league, sorry AJ. Louis Murphy and Carl Moore have been steady this year, but both are due for a breakout game very soon. A team strength for the Gators is that they seldom drop balls. Tebow, unlike Stafford, throws an extremely catchable ball and doesn’t have to worry about drops. This is why I give the slight edge to the Gators at this position.

Advantage: GATORS

Offensive Line

Yes, I know that Georgia has had 39 different offensive lineman get hurt so far this year. Who cares!? They have still been solid across the board. Three sophomore and two freshman, and they are playing like veterans. Stafford has only been sacked 9 times all year and Knowshon has obviously gotten his yards. When you recruit like the Dawgs and Gators do, you can afford to suffer a few injuries.

Up until three games ago, Florida’s offensive line was piss poor. With the emergence of RS Sophomore Carl Johnson, they have finally gotten it together and the offense has begun to click as a result. UF has also started to use wider splits, which has allowed their running backs more room to operate in space. UF has given up 10 sacks to UGA’s 9, but I really don’t see either line being much of a liability or advantage in this game. Because of the inexperience of UGA, I give the slight edge to Florida.

Advantage: GATORS

Punting

Brian Mimbs and Chas Henry are the two best punters in the SEC. Henry is an ex high school QB and has been perfect on fake punts throughout his career. Urban loves fake punts in big games so look for something to happen here. Florida has the best punt block team in the country, and I did notice yesterday that Mimbs stands too close to the line of scrimmage when punting so watch out for a punt block, Dawg fans. They do have the exact same average so this one has to be a draw.  

Advantage: EVEN

Defensive Line

To have the #1 rush defense in the SEC, you don’t hear much about UGA’s defensive line. Corvey Irvin is solid but I really don’t see anyone on the Georgia roster that impresses me. But the results speak for themselves. If you lead the SEC in rush defense, you are doing something right.  

The exact same thing goes for Florida. Lawrence Marsh is the best of the bunch, but this group underachieves. Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap were talked about a lot in the preseason but neither one have gotten a sack since Nam. If there is one area FOR BOTH TEAMS that will hold them back from winning the conference, it is the Defensive line. Due to the fact that the Dawgs have the top run defense and Florida is third I give them the edge.

Advantage: DAWGS

Linebackers

Rennie Curran is the type of guy that everyone would want on their defense. He is fun to watch play. Ellerbee is obviously a great player too. I’m hearing he is supposed to be back on the field next week? Daryl Gamble has been great in his absence. This is a team strength for the Dawgs. Fast and hard hitting linebackers are always a given for Georgia.  

Brandon Spikes is the best linebacker in the SEC (Rolando McClain a close second). He is slower than dirt but he is always around the ball making plays. Dustin Doe, A.J. Jones, and Ryan Stamper are all solid but not spectacular. This is also a team strength for the Gators. Since Ellerbee is coming off of an injury, I give a very slight edge to UF.  

Advantage: GATORS

Secondary

This part of Georgia’s team confuses me. When you look at each player, they are all terrific, but after the game when you see how many passing yards they gave up, it tells a different story. UGA gives up the second most passing yards of any team in the SEC, which is a cause for concern against Tebow and company. Rashad Jones is very good, but much like Major Wright for the Gators, he goes for the big hit too much instead of making plays on the ball. Asher Allen is a good player, but after that it gets kind of dicey for the Pups.  

Florida starts three true sophomores and one true freshman in the secondary, and what was considered a team weakness at the beginning of the year has now become a huge strength. With that being said, we haven’t faced a QB like Stafford so far this year, so it is tough to tell what will happen. Florida is first in the league in Pass Efficiency Defense so you have to go with the Gators.

Advantage: GATORS

Kicker

ATTENTION ALL DAWG FANS……LAY OFF BLAIR WALSH!!!!! He is a freaking true freshman! You’ve been very spoiled the past 8 years with Bennett and Coutu but this kid may be the best of the bunch. Big leg for a little guy.  

Jonathan Phillips is 9 for 9 this year, but only a few of those have come from more than 40 yards. Urban really doesn’t believe in field goals.  

Advantage: DAWGS

Coaching

Yeah right. I’m not going to touch this one. That would be like wearing a white hood around Hollywood Road in Atlanta. I’d just be looking for a fight! Both coaches are the best in the business.

Advantage: EVEN


BY THE NUMBERS: Something HAS to give!!!!

UF rushing offense: 2nd in the SEC

UGA rushing defense: 1st in the SEC

UF Passing Defense: 1st in the SEC

UGA Passing Offense: 1st in the SEC

UF Scoring Defense: 1st in the SEC

UGA Scoring Offense: 2nd in the SEC

Matt Stafford: 2nd in the SEC in Pass Efficiency

Tim Tebow: 1st in the SEC in Pass Efficiency

Knowshon Moreno: 2nd in the SEC in rushing

Jeff Demps: 1st in the SEC in average yards/rush

AJ Green: 1st in the SEC in Receiving Yards/game

Percy Harvin: 1st in the SEC in Receiving TD’s


KEYS TO VICTORY

I could obviously go on for hours about different stats, strengths, weaknesses, blah, blah, blah but I really think that the game will come down to four key factors.

• Red Zone Success
Florida is first in the SEC in Red Zone Offense and second in Red Zone Defense. When Georgia has had trouble scoring this year, it is because they are settling for field goals instead of TD’s. If this turns into the Blair Walsh show, then the Pups will be in trouble, because the Gators count by 7’s.

• Punt Teams
Florida has the best punt block team in the country. It has been well documented that when Urban Meyer coached teams win 90+% of the time when they block a kick. As I mentioned earlier, Mimbs stands very close to the line of scrimmage sometimes on punts and could be an easy target for the Gator special teams. Also Brandon James hasn’t returned a punt for a touchdown in a few games so he is due. The punting game could be a HUGE turning point for both teams.

• Penalties, Penalties, Penalties
We are just as bad as you when it comes to penalties. Most talented teams have the same issue. I will take an aggressive, talented, highly penalized team every day of the week! But if one of the teams is able to avoid the yellow hanky on Saturday it could prove to be a huge advantage.

• AJ Green
He is one of those type of guys that could single handedly make enough plays to beat a team. If he gets deep on our 5’10” DB’s it could be strike up the band time. If it happens more than once, it could be start up the bus time, for the Gators.


Final Thoughts

I appreciate everyone that took time out of their busy day to read this junk. Although, much like myself, I think that you should reassess your goals and get a damn girlfriend. But, back to the game. The truth is I have no freaking idea what is going to happen Saturday. It is Florida Georgia for crying out loud. Ron Zook beat you guys twice when you had a team that was eight times better than we were. Last year, we beat Tennessee by 40, they beat you by 25, and then you kicked our ass up and down the field. This is the SEC. Anything can happen on any given week. 

However, there are a few certain things that I can guarantee go down on Saturday: 
1. There will be a number of Florida fans that will sport Blue Jean shorts to the game and honestly see nothing wrong with it (God bless them and their ridiculous taste in clothing).
2. The Dawg fans will put four times as much effort and energy into planning their tailgate and picking out their outfit, than they will thinking about the actual game. 
3. I will drink too much beer and end up making an idiot out of myself before passing out in someone's kitchen.

All kidding aside, I would like to thank Coach Mark Richt for making THIS A RIVALRY again. To be completely honest, I never really held any disdain for the Pups until last year, because we only lost to them twice since I even knew what football was. But now let’s just say all of us Gator fans know why our elders hate all things Dawg.

I think that it is going to be an awesome game. Definitely should be a high scoring contest. Both offenses are way too good to not put up a lot of points. I think that Florida has the advantage on special teams and that something big is going to happen that will push us over the top.

FINAL SCORE: FLORIDA 38 DAWGS 31

For everyone going down to the game be careful and don’t do anything TOO stupid. For all of you watching at home, the referees cannot hear you, and I promise that both Offensive Coordinators know a lot more about football than you do so get off of their back. Enjoy the game and Go Gators!

P.S. Dawgs lick balls!


*Editor's Note -- About the author: "Seth X" is a decent enough person for a Florida fan. He's written other popular articles and books such as "The Top 2% of 2% -- Why I Love Milk," "Urban's Whey -- How Protein Saved My Life," and "C.R. Took My Girlfriend -- White Chicks Love to Make it Rainey." He will be in Jacksonville this weekend and will hopefully drive back to his residence in Atlanta on Sunday a very depressed soul.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 8:29 PM.
8 comments





Hate Week 2008 Part I - The Celebration

"That wasn't right. It was a bad deal. It will forever be in the mind of Urban Meyer and in the mind of our football team. We'll handle it, and it's going to be a big deal." -- Urban Meyer in "Urban's Way"


Look, there's a nice way to kick off this week and the best way to do it in my mind is to talk about what everyone's been talking about since it happened nearly 365 days ago. 

The Celebration.

According to Urban Meyer, The Celebration was something that somehow wronged him in some way. It was something that he didn't see as necessary or important. He saw it as a slap in the face to good sportsmanship and his team.

However, what he apparently missed in all this was the ass-whipping he and the rest of the Florida Gators took shortly after that first touchdown was thrown. You see, the big problem with what happened in Jacksonville last year was that the whipping boy decided not to get whipped anymore. Instead, said whipping boy stood up and dared the other to hit back. When that happened, however the bully didn't know what to do.

I mean let's think about it like this, we had heard over and over again about the 15 of 18 and how much the Gators were in our heads. However, surely a master motivator like Urban Meyer would have enough of his wits about him to realize that we were going to get tired of it and actually try to play a football game. I mean no one likes losing, right?

Well, when UGA said "this song will not be the same this year," they meant it and dared the Gators to change the jukebox. 

The funny thing is, they did. 

What gets lost in all this jumbled up mess of dancing, players rushing sidelines and all that is the fact that Florida REGAINED the lead. That's right, we hit them in the mouth and they responded. They responded well enough to take a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. It was on a 43 yard FG by Joey Ijjas. 

So did our dancing in the first quarter really do that much damage in the second quarter? If I recall correctly, we only did it once, so was it post-traumatic stress? Did you see a replay and it freaked you out again? Was Trinton Sturdivant's boogaloo that horrific to where it burned the image into your retinas and you couldn't see to defend Stafford's Bomb to Massaquoi, or Knowshon's scores, or our FGs? Did we really scar you that badly?

Look, I don't know the outcome of this weekend's game. If I did, I'd lay the house on the winner and quit my job shortly thereafter. However, what I do know is that the crying needs to stop. No one gives a rat's ass about The Celebration. No one cares that Tebow was a little banged up. 

All people care about is who won the game and in 2007, you didn't. I hope to God you don't win this year, but you can't change the past and the past says we beat the hell out of you last year.

So I'm looking forward to seeing what this weekend holds, but as far as I'm concerned, Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators' need to be on notice. No tricks this weekend. No motivational ploys. We've already hit the bully in the mouth. Now we're waiting for the rematch.

Well, waiting is such a strong word. I'd more say that we're really, really REALLY looking forward to it. So much, that "Hate Week 2008 Part I" is now in full swing. Get ready to Celebrate.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 8:00 AM.
0 comments





Monday, March 31, 2008
Florida? Really?!!?
Ally passed along this gem to me earlier tonight and I felt the need to go ahead and vent about it a little.  Pete Fiutak has his BCS projections out already (isn't it still a bit early for all this?) and he lists UGA vs. Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and Florida vs. Ohio State for the MNC.

Now, his reasons for UGA not making it to the Nat'l Championship are not unfounded.  The Dawgs play a BRUTAL schedule this year and as good as we are, it's going to be very tough to overcome the hand that's been dealt.  I can completely see where a pundit comes from when they say that it'll be nearly impossible to run the table this year.

What I have a problem with really is his uplifting of Florida to the MNC stage.  In fact, there are some major "ifs" in his article that I'd like to discuss for a second...

"Georgia might be the hot team going into the year, but Florida will be every bit as good if the secondary has overcome its growing pains."

Well, that's a big "if" chief.  I mean you're looking at a team that last year had the 98th ranked pass defense in the nation.  That's like saying "South Carolina is a MNC caliber team...if they can just get that "winning" thing down."

"The defense might not be better than Georgia's, but the offense will be unstoppable with Tim Tebow likely to be an even better passer, Percy Harvin on the verge of a monster season, and a real live running game ready to operate behind a line strong enough to push some people around." (emphasis added)

Well, here's a couple of things to remember.  Percy Harvin is about to miss the rest of the spring due to a heel injury that looks to be VERY serious.  Even if he is able to play this fall, I still don't think he'll be up to full speed until maybe halfway through the season.

Then, you have Tim Tebow, who despite having apparently the best running back to ever live in Emmanuel Moody (!!!11!!1!!!!111!!!!eleven!!), has to endure another SEC season of getting his collective ass kicked every time he runs the ball.  Make no mistake, the Heisman winner hasn't won a MNC in a few years for a reason.  Once you have that trophy, everyone wants to beat the crap out of you.  

Lastly in regards to that blurb above; doesn't defense win championships?

Finally, we have this nugget of wisdom.

"Next 10 considered (based on talent, schedules, and/or potential to win a conference title): 1) West Virginia, 2) Clemson, 3) LSU, 4) Virginia Tech, 5) South Florida, 6) Texas, 7) Texas Tech, 8) Kansas, 9) Penn State, 10) Auburn."

So let me get this straight.  UGA vs. Florida might be for the SEC East, the SEC in general and a spot in the MNC, but the Dawgs may not be the anywhere around the top 10 teams to play for the title should Florida and/or Ohio State not make it?  

Seriously, Pete, if you're going to say things like "Georgia may be the hot team" or "Florida may not have Georgia's defense" you have to at least throw the Dawgs a bone in the 10.  Besides, half of those teams haven't won ANYTHING yet.  For example, Clemson, South Florida, Texas Tech, Kansas and Auburn all have combined for ONE conference title since 2004 (I might be wrong on that, but I doubt it).  That's half of your "National Champion Caliber" teams that haven't done, well, sh*t.

I swear, I'm not being a douche bag when I ask what makes Florida (or any of these other "top ten teams") an instant contender for the Nat'l Title.  If anyone can drop that knowledge on me, PLEASE, I implore you to do so.



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 9:23 PM.
2 comments





Monday, October 29, 2007
The List
Well, we beat Florida. Great. Seriously, it's great. But it's also time to put the whole thing to rest and get ready for Troy. I did want to pay one last homage to what really won the game on Saturday...

Superstition.

You see, I'm a creature of habit and superstitious reinforcement. If I do something and it translates to great play on the field, then I must do it again until it fails. It is what it is.

So, without further ado, let's get to the list:



The Ten Things That Changed This Past Saturday:

10. Breakfast must be cooked and I must take a nap afterwards – The breakfast thing has been done before and I took a nap last year, but the two have never been combined. There’s something inherently awesome about setting up a tailgate before the crack of dawn, grilling some pancakes and sausage on a griddle, and then taking a nice 2 hour nap afterwards. Simply put, you could say it “rocked my f*cking face off.” Especially after the 05:00 bedtime and the 05:30 wake up call from the night/morning before.

9. Must stay relatively sober – The main thing that separated this Florida trip from the others is that I stayed sober the entire time…and by choice as well. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t feel the need to really tear it up at all this past weekend. What I got in return was the opportunity to enjoy a victory in a clear state of mind. Against any 1-AA Girls’ School for the Blind’s JV Squad I’d be pissed, but against Florida, a sober victory is one to remember.

8. Gameday boxers? A non-factor – Yes, it was opposite day indeed as not only did I not wear my coveted Dawg Tags or my usual Gameday shirt, but the lucky boxers stayed behind in the hotel room. Actually, it might be a good time to retire them altogether. They’ve held up well over the years, but…well, yeah. You get the point.

7. I must sing karaoke on Friday – I hate karaoke too, but the renditions of Lump, Nothing but a “G” Thang, and Living on a Prayer must’ve done the trick to fire up the Dawgs for the game. Besides, I rock the mic like a vandal.

6. No going to The Landing – I hate that place anyway. After years and years of going while I was in college all the way until last year, I just didn’t want to anymore. If I can’t go and get a beer when I want one, or use the bathroom when I want to, then it’s not the place I need to be anyway.

5. I must eat at The Sunbury Crab Co. – Again, another tradition that just started this year, but the food is so good that it’s got to stick around. It is what it is.

4. I have to go down to Jacksonville on Thursday – Even though I went down on Friday in 2004, this new tradition has to stay because it makes the trip so much longer. Also, I’d like to have the extra day of vacation. So sue me.

3. The Dawg Tags can’t beat the Gators – I’m not sure if I’ve talked at length about the Dawg Tags here, but they are basically some fake dog tags I had made at the Smithsonian for about $10 when I was in high school. I took them to college with me where they became “Dawg Tags” and the reasoning is “you have to wear your Dawg Tags when you go to war.” Either way, they were in my right pocket throughout the game because they haven’t had any success so far against Florida while around my neck (they were in the pocket in 2004, too).

2. A shirt was retired – My roommate gave me one of those Nike Dri Fit shirts for Christmas in 2005 for me to wear during the Sugar Bowl. It’s been a great shirt, but its record is not that awesome in the 2+ years I’ve worn it. The last time we beat Florida, I bought a new polo in Jacksonville the weekend of the game. I copied the same formula this year and we walked out with a win.

1. I have to keep picking us to lose...even if I don't believe it – I know that losses will happen and I don’t expect us to rattle off a streak of 10 wins (though it’d be nice), but for the first time I can remember I actually picked against UGA and was proven oh-so-blatantly-f*cking wrong. There's nothing wrong with being wrong if your heart is in the right place. Follow me?



Ok, so there you have it. Time to put the past in the past and only bring it up when you see a Florida fan. Until then, tuck it away in a nice safe place for the offseason. It's time to take down the boys of Troy.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 10:41 PM.
3 comments





Sunday, October 28, 2007
Perfect End to "Hate Week Part I" -- The Recap
There's a lot to write about, so let's just get right to it OK?



What the Stats Say:

That we won. Honestly, there's no more interesting stat than that one. 42 -- 30. That's all you need to know right now.



The Pros:

1) Knowshon Moreno -- Seriously, this kid is electric. Watching him create gets our team jacked up to a level that I haven't seen since Pollack was creating havoc in opposing teams' backfields. He just might be the most impressive offensive player we've had since the Garrison Hearst days and I'll take his heart and enthusiasm any day of the week.

2) The entire O-line -- These boys stood up all game and hit people in the mouth for fun. They created holes, kept the sacks to an absolute minimum against a decent defense (1 for 10 yards), and gave Stafford enough time to step into his throws and complete some beautiful passes. Stacy Searels needs a raise. Like right now. Also, props to Trinton Sturdivant who showed some particularly good moves during his 1st quarter endzone dance.

3) The entire WR corps -- These guys had very few (if any) dropped passes that were blatantly catchable and, most importantly to me, blocked extremely well on the outside to set up the running game. Mo Mass deserves special praise for his run-blocking efforts as well as turning on the jets and making a beautiful catch in stride for the longest score since 2003 (thanks for the stat, Ally!).

4) The entire LB corps -- Aside from some whiffs trying to tackle Percy Harvin (more on this later), they played quite the solid game. Dannell Ellerbe is playing lights out and Rennie Curran had his best game to date. Curran is shaping up to be the ballhawk that we're hearing so much about and his future looks very bright. Here's a decent stat: Our three starting LBs were Ellerbe, Washington, and Curran. Those guys were also three of the top four leading tacklers for this game. Huge difference from previous contests.

5) The entire D-line -- We got production out of every one of the guys up front. Their job was to create chaos and did they ever. Going into this game, Florida only had five sacks on the WHOLE YEAR. On Saturday, we recorded six. That is "chaos" in every sense of the word. This young group, who is very undersized in certain areas, played bigger than themselves this past weekend.

Image
Why yes, Mr. Tebow. My favorite 3 Doors Down song is indeed "Kryptonite."

6) The entire Coaching Staff -- From Mark Richt's endzone call, to smiling and having fun on the sidelines, he was the catalyst that started the whole thing rolling. It rolled right downhill, though as Willie Martinez took pages out of LSU's and Auburn's playbooks and brought some of the most complex and beautiful blitz packages I've ever seen. We've already touched on the job Stacy Searels has done. Not much more to say other than this was the best coaching effort I've seen out of this group to date.

7) The heart, will, determination, and rage of this team -- We had fun, got pissed off, hit people in the mouth, kicked them when they were down, didn't give up every time Florida scored, didn't give up when we briefly surrendered the lead, and knew that even if we lost, it wasn't going to be because we didn't try. I enjoyed this win even more than I did the 2004 LSU victory in the game I deem as "The Perfect Game." There's no doubt I will enjoy this past Saturday for the next 364 days.



The Cons:

1) The Refs -- Man, what a horribly called game. The bogus illegal procedure call to negate Sean Bailey's 40 yard reception was bullshit and killed a drive that could've put this game away earlier. Also you had Matthew Stafford's "well, it wasn't offsides, but the hit was dirty" personal foul which was only caused because the refs wouldn't blow the whistle to indicate the play was over. In defense of the Florida player (yes, I just said that), Stafford was clearly down, but you're not supposed to stop until you hear the whistle. Had Stafford gotten hurt, it'd be on the refs' heads, not the kid that hit him. Then, you could go on and on about the unsportsmanlike conduct and facemask penalties that were excessive to an ungodly degree. All in all it's like they were literally punishing us for running onto their field after that first score. I hope we never get this crew again. Period. They were atrocious.

2) Tackling -- We whiffed a few times due to over pursuit, but we did have a much better effort in this area than games past, which is a bright spot I guess. Still, the tackling we saw on Saturday is not going to cut it against Troy, Kentucky, and Auburn which are teams capable of being just as offensively electric as Florida. We need to learn to stay at home more and not get caught so flat-footed.

3) The Secondary -- Not a solid effort from these guys. If I had to single a couple of guys out, Prince Miller and Reshad Jones did not have good days defending the pass, even though Reshad proved to be excellent in stopping their running game by being the second leading tackler of the contest. The guys that were open were so blatantly even-I-could-make-that-throw open that we never had a chance to make a play on the ball.

4) Tim Tebow excuses -- I really like Verne Lundquist. I think he's hilarious and his "boom goes the dynamite" reference was classic, even though I think I'm the only one that caught it. However, if I had to hear Uncle Verne talk one more time about Tebow's shoulder, I was going to go inside the stadium and jack his shit up. Look, to all you Florida fans that say he was hurt and couldn't play 100%, shut your mouth. If he was so damn hurt, he would've been benched. If you're playing, you're playing regardless of your percentage. I'm tired of the excuses. You lost, so take a page from us and realize that it happens, and move on. There's always next year. To steal the quote from Doug, "Yeah, I know Tim Tebow was banged up. But Tim Tebow doesn't play defense."

5) The hype around this win -- You heard it here first; the emotion you saw on Saturday is a thing of the past and will not be recreated against Troy. You just can't do it two weeks in a row. Hopefully our players will not read the paper, talk to their mom, listen to their girlfriends, or anything like that for an entire week. If they do, then Troy could be a very dangerous trap game for a team that just found out how good they really can be. I'm already very nervous about Homecoming.



Overall:

It was an outstanding effort from a team that everyone considered a lost cause going into this game. PWD, Doug, and myself felt that a loss was more probable, but we wouldn't be surprised if a win happened either.

The best news is that we gave a RB the ball 33 times and he proved up to the task. One of the big question marks every year is whether or not we have a feature back that is ready to tote the rock consistently and we now have an answer to that riddle. Going along with that, he also just might be the emotional spark we need to elevate us to the next level.

My dad and I spoke after the game and we both agreed that a win like this could get this team and program believing that anything is possible. I'm not sure we've cured the Florida jinx, but with all the young talent on this team we will have players around for the next 3-4 years who will know what it's like to beat Florida. They can keep the new guys coming in loose and have this go back to being a rivalry for Florida and just a game for us instead of the other way around. Experience like that is invaluable to a club with National Title expectations for the next two years. It damn sure would've been nice to have a player on that 2002 squad who knew what it was like to beat Florida, right?



Extra Points:



Image

"Thhon, don't do thithh! Win with clathh!"

Well, that's all I got for right now. Should be a busy week scouting Troy and seeing how our players respond to the hype that will inevitably surround them. Let's hope we can cash in on this momentum and carry it to the next game, and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that. If we can, then we MIGHT just be in Atlanta in December. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, OK?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 6:52 PM.
1 comments