Couldn’t have said it better myself

This is not my blog, but a forward from PhotoDawg’s friend JD in Savannah.

The week always seems to go a little better when the Dawgs win. Well, here it Sunday evening and I am just getting to the computer. Went to mass earlier today and talked with everyone at Church about what a total debacle the game was yesterday. Our priest actually went to UGA and was a Forestry Major there. I asked him for a little “divine intervention” for the rest of the season. I don’t know, maybe a few “Our fathers” and “Hail Mary’s” because we need them.

My wife, Robin, God bless her asked me to keep things in perspective. I smiled and thought to myself that really don’t want to keep it in perspective; I am enjoying my little pitty party and the fact that I am still PISSED about yesterday. Yes, I know those of us who feel this way are callous, immature etc….but yesterday just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I really don’t want to complain about the officiating but there were several missed calls, once again, by Mr. Wanker, I mean Wagers and his crew. This game reminded me a lot of a Ray Goff led team against Florida, meaning when we go down, we go down in flames. And another thing, when UGA wins, I never rub it in anyone’s face, except for Tech. I always try to take the high road and compliment the other team yada, yada, yada, but I am sick of doing that too.

With that being said, two people came up to me at church today and gave me the business. The worst part is that I don’t really even know these people who are suppose to be Florida fans. My friend Tom Mahoney was standing there with me when the 2nd instance happened. My question to all of you is this - do you think it is a sin to kick someone’s ass in the presence of the Lord? I had to give it some thought. I wonder how many “Our Fathers” and or “Hail Mary’s” that would cost me…… Well, I guess it is time to get on with the rest of the season not to mention worrying about the election on Tuesday. So now that all my bitching and complaining is over, here is some food for thought on the Florida game. (P.S. I feel better.)

Eight Mark Richt teams have made the trip to Jacksonville. Six have failed to score more than 14 points.

We tend to focus on Florida’s coaches and playmakers on offense when this game comes up, but Sylvester Croom’s offense can put up enough points to outscore what the Dawgs usually put up in Jacksonville. It happened again on Saturday. Many fans will look at the 49 and complain about the defense again, but this one is on the offense from the coaches on down. Blame refs, kicking woes, whatever, but the best RB, QB, and WR pair to play on one Georgia team in decades couldn’t manage but three points until garbage time.

For the second time this season, the Dawgs have failed - in spectacular fashion - to capitalize on the #1-ranked team losing.

With the national and conference goals unattainable now, Georgia’s going to get a gut check the next two weeks with two more road games. The players always seem to have an easier time than we do of shaking it off, so hopefully they’re already thinking about getting it back together for Kentucky.

It’s not that easy for me. There’s still plenty of football this season, but this loss needs to stick in Georgia’s craw. We mock the public drama and theatrics of Tebow and Meyer over last year’s game and the Ole Miss loss, but, hey - it worked.

Yes, losing 49-10 is a BIG DEAL. And the next time Knowshon tries to take himself out again at a key moment in the game, tell him to turn it right back around and man up.

Grizzard Classic: God Is a Bulldog

From: "Don't Sit Under The Grits Tree With Anyone Else But Me" - 1981

Jacksonville, Fla. - Dorsey Hill, the world's biggest Bulldog fan, left here Sunday afternoon, bound for Auburn, Alabama, where Georgia's undefeated football team next appears.

"I don't think you can get from Jacksonville to Auburn," I had said to him.

"You can change buses in Waycross and Columbus," Dorsey answered.

"You aren't going home first?"

"Home?" He screamed back. "I haven't worked since Texas A&M, and I haven't slept since Clemson. You expect me to go back home when we play Auburn in only six more days?"

I lost my head, I suppose.

A lot of people lost their heads here Saturday afternoon. Georgia played Florida. Georgia won the game, 26-21. It's a lot more complicated than that, however.

Georgia came into the game ranked second in the nation. To continue to compete for its first Big Banana ever, the national championship, Georgia had to continue its winning streak. Florida ( "bunch of swamp lizards and beach bums," according to Dorsey Hill), wanted to step on Georgia's dream.

Dorsey arrived here Thursday afternoon with thousands of others who made the early departure south from various points in Georgia. Many of those individuals were as drunk as five eyed owls by the time they reached the Florida line.

As local wit Rex Edmondson says, the Georgia-Florida game is the "annual celebration of the repeal of prohibition."

Dorsey waited until Friday to get into his serious pre-game drinking, however.

"I stopped at the New Perry Hotel Thursday for lunch and filled up on collards," he said. "It's hard to drink on a belly full of collards."

Agreed.

Now that I have had time to digest all that did eventually happen in college football Saturday, I think I can say without fear of charges of blasphemy that the whole thing was a religious experience. "Deacon Dan" Magill, the "Baptist Bulldog," read a prayer to the Georgia faithful in which he beseeched the Almighty to help the Bulldogs "smite the Florida Philistines."

Then there was the game itself. Georgia behind 21-20, ninety-three yards away, time running out.

"We need a miracle!" screamed Dorsey Hill, now fortified with more than collards.

Georgia got its miracle. Buck Belue to Lindsay Scott, for ninety-three yards and the winning touchdown with only seconds remaining. If that wasn't enough, there was the astounding news from Atlanta. Georgia Tech had tied No.1 Notre Dame. Surely, Georgia will be ranked first in America when the ratings are released.

"A tie was a gift from Heaven," said Dorsey. "Notre Dame gets knocked out of number one but Tech doesn't get a win. God is a Bulldog."

Verily.

I must make one confession here. I did it, and I must suffer the consequences.

I gave up at Jacksonville Saturday afternoon. Florida had the ball. Florida had the lead. There was only three minutes to play. I left the stadium. I was in the street when the miracle came.

"You are a gutless disgrace," Dorsey Hill said to me later.

He detailed my punishment: "We're going to a tattoo parlor in this very town tonight," he began. "And you're going to have '26' tattooed on one of your cheeks in red. And you're going to have '21' tattooed in black on the other cheek. I don't want you to forget what you did."

I won't, but which cheeks is between me and the tattooist.

--Lewis Grizzard

Ramping Up

Well Dawg fans, here we are, with less than 26 hours to go. Will the stomp talk drive the Gators to give us a country a@#$ whoppin’ or will the Dawgs cowboy up and match them TD for TD?

Here in Atlantic Beach, you can’t get a good gauge on the true feeling of the fans other than each side has a healthy respect for the other team.

If you are following the twitter log (see right) you can keep up with most of our experiences. To put the visual with the micro blogs, here are some photos.

Rasta Dawg prepping for a little PT.

Santa Claus and our Sun Dog server.

Stuart's Get Out the Vote Wagon.

Twittering, Photo Logs, and Mopeds

Phase I of the 2009 Georgia - Florida fan arrival is now safely complete. Andy, Carey, Dave, Randy, and Stuart all have checked in with the concierge – Blogging Dawg (BD). To speed things up and to simplify the process, BD has set up a Twitter site at http://twitter.com/bloggingdawg. This blog has a feed at the top right to give you the latest feeds from the crew as reported by BD.

The crew braved the cool temps last night and went out for pizza and then over to a small local bar called “Ginger’s Place.” There was and interesting mix of folks participating in Karaoke in this joint. Tom, dressed in a crap fishing jumper and flip-flops lead the crowed in a heart warming rendition of Mandy.

Tom and Stuart have upgraded from the bicycles to mopeds. There are three here at the compound, and of course only two are running at the moment.

Check out some of the scary photos of last night's adventures.

Blacked Out, Rolled Over and Black Topped

Too little, too late for the Dawgs in one of the worst first-halfs of football I’ve ever seen a Georgia team play.

Like a big Crimson steam roller, the St. Sabin’s Tide rolled into Sanford Stadium, dominated both lines of scrimmage made a statement to the national ESPN audience – we’re back.

Having grown up listening to the humble doomsday prophesies of Munson and Coach Dooley this game took those fears, bundled them up and served them up in a nice steaming pile. Here’s a few of those choice nuggets that will need to be addressed if we hope to get a chance to play in Atlanta come December.

1. Special teams: I want to scream every time I hear about the wonderful job our special teams are doing. I heard it again Saturday night. Sorry but one TD and a blocked punt didn’t out weigh the two busted punts and awful kickoffs and kick coverage in the game I was watching.

2. Get some discipline: I was troubled to read CMR’s comments last week where he said he felt it was more of guys just playing aggressively. Here’s a suggestion, let them work out that little bit of extra aggression on Sunday afternoon with mat drills for players who commit the penalties. The number of drills could be commensurate with the number of yards penalized. For example, Prince Miller could crank out 25 mat drills for the 25 yards he cost UGA in the first half with his two infractions. I’m not even going to address the time spent with Athens-Clarke County’s finest by some of the other student-athletes.

3. Enough with the gimmicks and pre-game nonsense: Put on the Red, retire the black and play ball. If Georgia needed black jerseys to get fired up for Bama we have some much deeper issues than hands to the face, dropped balls, weak cover two defensive schemes. Saturday I thought I was watching Jerry Glanville’s Falcons. And, if I have to watch another team dancing contest during pre-game, I may just gouge out my eyes. Get mad, get focused and GATAs – enough with the nonsense.

4. Cohesive offensive line play: We need to find that same switch that was seemingly flipped after Vandy last year. Not sure if he has his notebook from last year, but hopefully Coach Searels can work his magic again.

With that, all is not lost. They did play Georgia football for most of the second half. Georgia demonstrated the fight and desire they will need for a full four quarters for every game that’s left – including Vandy and Kentucky.

I know Georgia wants to be number one, but they have to earn it. As my favorite Bulldog Lewis Grizzard put it, “. . . it’s like a dogsled team. If you ain’t the lead dog, the view is always the same.” So enough with the should’ve, could’ve, would’ves. Button your chinstraps and GATA.

Looking Back to Look Forward

Bulldog Headlines

Dogs drop in poll but Richt isn’t concerned
Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA - Sep 15, 2008
By CHIP TOWERS Athens —Mark Richt couldn’t suppress a little chuckle when he answered an inevitable question during his weekly teleconference call on Sunday. . .

Richt: Wishes ASU had beaten UNLV
Red and Black, GA - Sep 15, 2008
"I wish they would have won it so maybe they would be flying a little higher and not have a chip on their shoulder," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. . .

No. 3 Georgia still has some work to do
Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA - Sep 15, 2008
Georgia has to get more pressure on the quarterback, even if the Bulldogs need to send an extra person. South Carolina moved the ball pretty effectively in . . .

Georgia visiting upset Sun Devils
Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN - Sep 15, 2008
Erickson had plenty of praise for the Bulldogs, pointing out the talents of quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno and adding that the . . .

Rethinking Georgia's Pass Rush Problems
Bleacher Report, CA - Sep 15, 2008
Now that a few days have passed since Georgia-South Carolina, Kit Kitchens reexamines the Bulldogs' pass rush problems with the help of some other blogs and ...

Time to Shift Gears

The AJC’s

Mark Bradley is asking if the Dawgs have fleas. CBS’s Gregg Doyel (who looks like he drives a van and tries to hand out free candy at playgrounds) says when it mattered, Stafford and Moreno didn’t.

TaterChip sent me a text Saturday night – it wasn’t pretty, but it was a win.
Pretty much sums it up.

To quote Spurrier once upon a time,"Hey it's not like we beat a powerhouse, they lost to Vandy." It wasn't pretty and it wasn't impressive. To build on the old ball coaches quote, these jokers have lost two in a row to Vandy.

As the Dawg Nation is hearing more and more of the O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D war cries, I think they should remember, it ain’t where we start, it’s where we finish. Don’t throw in the red and black towels just yet. In 2002, when UGA won 13 games, more than any in team history, five of those wins were by less than a touchdown. In 1980, six games were won by a touchdown or less.

Under Richt, we have had more moments of being impressive than being unimpressive. Have faith that he will have them ready to win the big ones and pray that he finds the answer to having them ready to leave no doubt in the ones where we are heavily favored.

The trick this year is to forget being number 1 in the preseason. Forget ESPN the Mag, SI, and Athlon’s. The Dawgs need to keep their ears pinned back and shift gears this week. If they think the trip to the desert will be easy after last week’s upset by UNLV, they are more immature than Gregg Doyel gives them credit for. Those Sun Devils will be ticked and looking for redemption.

Go west young men. Shift it up a notch. Get all of the kinks worked out. Show those folks a little of the SEC hospitality that Hawaii has seen and get back to the classic city to prepare for the gauntlet.

Know Your Dawgs - Knowshon

UGA vs. Central Michigan

Odds and ends for this week's news and game.
Originally it was thought that perhaps that I would be in Richmond, VA as part of the UPS Racing entourage that would usher in a new driver for the UPS NASCAR ride. I gave up my tickets so that Barking Dawg's brother and family could take in the aroma and atmosphere of a Saturday afternoon Between the Hedges. Not sure why I thought we could actually come up with a corporate plan that far in advance and stick to it though. It looks like next week will be the big Racing announcement - in New Hampshire of all places - so stay tuned. Not sure what TaterChip has in store for everyone on the hill tomorrow, but you can be sure it will be plentiful and absolutely great and I will see y'all next week.

I'm glad to see USC (the REAL one) jumped us and gave us a target. Hopefully it will provide a little more focus for the boys on Saturday.

The Nashville Yacht Club whipped up on the Cluckel-headed Chicken People last night. Forget those storms brewing in the Atlantic. They are throwing visors from Greenville to Charleston. And to think last year the Ol' Ball Coach said, "Georgia? They lost to Vanderbilt." Would you like some of Big Ben's Game and Fish sauce to go with that roasted crow Steve? Ain't that two in a row for ya? Will be a long week for Mr. Smelley and Succop.

In case you missed it
Richt joins ranks of blogging Coaches
The Georgia football coach plans to blog weekly on his recently launched Web site, MarkRicht.com -- the latest in the ever-growing world of head coach Web sites.

Boling brings stability back to line
Clint Boling made plenty of noise last season straight out of Chattahoochee High School has he grabbed a starting spot as a freshman on Georgia's offensive line in the third game of the season and never let go.

LeFevour huge in Detroit
Georgia's defense will look across the line Saturday and see Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan's 6-foot-3, 229-pound dual-threat quarterback.

UGA’s replacement DT to wear Owens’ number
Boisterous Irvin steps right in as leader of Dogs’ defensive line. Corvey Irvin will wear Jeff Owens’ No. 95 jersey this Saturday against Central Michigan. In the meantime, he plans to play — and lead — like the Bulldogs’ fallen star.

These Bulldogs are built to last
A month from now, this early angst will be gone and forgotten. Come October, Georgia fans won’t care that Georgia Southern scored 21 points and won’t consider Trinton Sturdivant and Jeff Owens irreplaceable. By then, they’ll know - we’ll all know - that these Bulldogs are built to last.

Bulldog Wallpapers
http://www.onlineathens.com/wallpapers/April_2008/

Saturday full of revelations for the 2008 season

Saturday was not only a tune up for CMR and the players, it was a tune up for our tailgate club as well.

Overall, I felt the team, fans, and our tailgate club preformed to expectations. We didn’t over achieve, we didn’t under achieve. We did our jobs, took some notes on help-needed areas, and got a glimpse of some good things to come. One by one, the faithful began arriving for some yard-bird hors d'oeuvres and light morning cocktails before heading to the battlefield to remind our little southeast Georgia cousins that we still rule the state.

I’m still trying to figure out this blogging thing. After checking the web for what the real writers are saying, wanting to be funny and entertaining, and give something that will spark you to comment and be a part of the story, I find myself scratching my watch and winding my butt. This week, I thought I would give a Blogging Dawg Report Card on my observations from Saturday.

---

Blogging Dawg’s Report Card: Week 1

Timing: We left a little after 6 from the meet point at Tater Chip Dawg’s house, putting us in the parking deck around 7:45 and forcing us to park on the second row. We will need to work on this to make sure we get the premium spots as the schedule gets more intense. Grade: B-

Good to see you: For the most part, every one showed up. PhotoDawg and his lovely wife with Daughter of PhotoDawg arrived with cocktails and camera in hand. Heritage Dawg (Tony), Tybee Dawg, Tractor Dawg, Calhoun Dawg and Mary, Lebanon Dawg and Son, TaterChip Dawg all were dressed and ready for action. The patron saint and patriarch of this motley cure, Barker Dawg arrived fashionably late with his Queen to hold court and shepherd us through another season. Missing – CrazyAss Dawg and his band of Low Country Gypsies and Gas Dawg. Grade: A-

Traffic: The most unusual note on Saturday was the wacky traffic pattern. About two hours before game time, the traffic around the East Campus Parking deck was clogged and the buses were having trouble getting to Lower River Road for the trip over to the stadium, and the wait time for the bus made you feel like you were at MARTA Five-points. On the positive side, we drove straight to the loop after the game, stopping only to make the turn at the light. Grade: B

Fan Participation: I thought the fans showed up earlier this Labor Day weekend than in the past, but I think everyone was still trying to knock the crust of Friday night out of their eyes by the time the BullDawg Battle Hymn was played. I can’t think of a time when there was not a unified roar from the BullDawg faithful when the video of Herschel running over Bill Bates in 1980 graced the scoreboard. I was a little embarrassed Saturday – my God people, we had family in the house. Wake up and be proud of your heritage. To be fair, it felt like it was about 120 in the shade. Maybe the heat sucked some of the life from us. Grade: B

UGA VII in the house: After a brief tribute to his dad, the Dawgs got to meet THE new Dawg. On paper, he’s Loran’s Best, to the world, he’s UGA VII – the top mascot on the planet. With the James Bond theme (007 pun intended) VII went to his new corporately sponsored Dawg Mansion and took a nap on a fifty pound sack of ice. Charles Seiler reported he didn’t pace himself, but it worked out OK. Calhoun Dawg sent me a text message confirming that the UGA VII was indeed a man after a shot of the new king’s testicles on the scoreboard. Grade: A +

Puppies Performance: Not a bad outing. After all, we had them 38-0 at one point. The final score reflected a policy of not needing to run the score up on your cousins and giving everyone a chance. I was so alarmed about the 11 penalties that I began referring to the off-sides calls as the Ghost of Inman even though many of these were defensive calls. AJ, Walsh, and King lived up to the hype while Stafford, Knowshon and Co., delivered as expected. Downside? Kick coverage was just plain awful. Injuries on the O- and D-lines leave a big question mark. Glad to see Kris Durham has plans for something other than plant manager at Mohawk Carpets as he was the leader of the receiving corps. Grade: A-

Video: It's Saturday in Athens

Bush Quits; U.S. Commander in chief set to give the one finger salute to liberal America and turn over the keys to Pelosi

Normally, I start these things out by saying 'My Fellow Americans.' Not doing it this time. If the polls are any indication, I don't know who more than half of you are anymore. I do know something terrible has happened, and that you're really not fellow Americans any longer.

I'll cut right to the chase here: I quit. Now before anyone gets all in a lather about me quitting to avoid impeachment, or to avoid prosecution or something, let me assure you: there's been no breaking of laws or impeachable offenses in this office.

The reason I'm quitting is simple. I'm fed up with you people. I'm fed up because you have no understanding of what's really going on in the world. Or of what's going on in this once-great nation of ours. And the majority of you are too damned lazy to do your homework and figure it out.

Let's start local. You've been sold a bill of goods by politicians and the news media. Polls show that the majority of you think the economy is in the tank. And that's despite record numbers of homeowners, including record numbers of MINORITY homeowners. And while we're mentioning minorities, I'll point out that minority business ownership is at an all-time high. Our unemployment rate is as low as it ever was during the Clinton administration. I've mentioned all those things before, but it doesn't seem to have sunk in.

Despite the shock to our economy of 9/11, the stock market has rebounded to record levels and more Americans than ever are participating in these markets. Meanwhile, all you can do is whine about gas prices, and most of you are too damn stupid to realize that gas prices are high because there's increased demand in other parts of the world, and because a small handful of noisy idiots are more worried about polar bears and beachfront property than your economic security.

We face real threats in the world. Don't give me this 'blood for oil' thing. If I were trading blood for oil I would've already seized Iraq's oil fields and let the rest of the country go to hell. And don't give me this 'Bush Lied; People Died' crap either. If I were the liar you morons take me for, I could've easily had chemical weapons planted in Iraq so they could be 'discovered.' Instead, I owned up to the fact that the intelligence was faulty.

Let me remind you that the rest of the world thought Saddam had the goods, same as me. Let me also remind you that regime change in Iraq was official US policy before I came into office. Some guy named ' Clinton' established that policy. Bet you didn't know that, did you? Some of you morons were considering another and more evil Clinton for president! Go figure that one. She wants to take your kids away and let the ' Whole Village' raise them via governmental indoctrination - look this one up you dumb asses.

The rest of you morons want to be led by a junior senator with no understanding of foreign policy or economics, and this nitwit says we should attack Pakistan, a nuclear ally. And then he wants to go to Iran and make peace with a terrorist who says he's going to destroy us. While he's doing that, he wants to give Iraq to al Qaeda, Afghanistan to the Taliban, Israel to the Palestinians, and your money to the IRS so the government can give welfare to illegal aliens, who he will make into citizens, so they can vote to reelect him. He also thinks it's okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons, and we should stop our foreign aid to Israel. Did you sleep through high school?

You idiots need to understand that we face a unique enemy. Back during the cold war, there were two major competing political and economic models squaring off. We won that war, but we did so because fundamentally, the Communists wanted to survive, just as we do. We were simply able to out spend and out-tech them.

That's not the case this time. The soldiers of our new enemy don't care if they survive. In fact, they want to die. That'd be fine, as long as they weren't also committed to taking as many of you with them as they can. But they are. They want to kill you, and the bastards are all over the globe.

You should be grateful that they haven't gotten any more of us here in the United States since September 11. But you're not. That's because you've got no idea how hard a small number of intelligence, military, law enforcement, and homeland security people have worked to make sure of that. When this whole mess started, I warned you that this would be a long and difficult fight. I'm disappointed how many of you people think a long and difficult fight amounts to a single season of 'Survivor.'

Instead, you've grown impatient. You're incapable of seeing things through the long lens of history, the way our enemies do. You think that wars should last a few months, a few years, tops.

Making matters worse, you actively support those who help the enemy. Every time you buy the New York Times, every time you send a donation to a cut-and-run Democrat's political campaign, well, dang it, you might just as well FedEx a grenade launcher to a Jihadist. It amounts to the same thing.

In this day and age, it's easy enough to find the truth. It's all over the Internet. It just isn't on the pages of the New York Times, USA Today, or on NBC News. But even if it were, I doubt you'd be any smarter. Most of you would rather watch American Idol or Dancing with Stars.

I could say more about your expectations that the government will always be there to bail you out, even if you're too stupid to leave a city that's below sea level and has a hurricane approaching.


I could say more about your insane belief that government, not your own wallet, is where the money comes from. But I've come to the conclusion that were I to do so, it would sail right over your heads.

So I quit. I'm going back to Crawford. I've got an energy-efficient house down there (Al Gore could only dream) and the capability to be fully self-sufficient for years. No one ever heard of Crawford before I got elected, and as soon as I'm done here pretty much no one will ever hear of it again. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to die of old age before the last pillars of America fall.

Oh, and by the way, Cheney's quitting too. That means Pelosi is your new President. You asked for it. Watch what she does carefully, because I still have a glimmer of hope that there are just enough of you remaining who are smart enough to turn this thing around in 2008.

So that's it. God bless what's left of America. Some of you know what I mean. The rest of you, kiss off.

PS - You might want to start learning Farsi and Spanish, and buy a Koran.

PHIL FULLMER hiding from a subpoena

This photo was taken while he was at the Nashville alumni meeting. Notice the fake beard and his little tweety bird friend. Watch out little bird, he will stab you in the back too!

FSN South, SportSouth To Preview Dogs

Courtesy: UGA Sports Communications Press Release

ATHENS-------Beginning on Monday, August 4, the Georgia Bulldogs’ 2008 football season will be previewed in a 30-minute show that will air a total of eight times on either FSN South or SportSouth.

FSN South will air the Georgia preview this Monday at 7:00 p.m. (EDT). It will repeat the program the following afternoon at 12:30 p.m. The first of six airings on SportSouth will take place Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., and the final broadcast will be Wednesday, Aug. 13 at Midnight.

FSN South has produced a 30-minute preview show on each of the 12 Southeastern Conference teams. Each features highlights and in-depth interviews with head coaches and top players. Georgia’s preview will feature head coach Mark Richt, as well as linebacker Dannell Ellerbe.

The complete list of show times for the Georgia preview follows:

On SportSouth:
Monday, August 4 at 7:00 p.m. (EDT)
Tuesday, August 5 at 12:30 p.m. (EDT)

On FSN South:
Tuesday, August 5 at 7:30 p.m. (EDT)
Wednesday, August 6 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT)
Wednesday, August 6 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT)
Wednesday, August 6 at 10:30 p.m. (EDT)
Saturday, August 9 at 7:00 p.m. (EDT)
Wednesday, August 13 at Midnight

Long Snapper Busted, Safety and Linebacker Sent to St. Mary’s

Thanks Dr. Spock

My fears are becoming reality. Only three days since the release of the USA Today preseason poll, a key position player gets liquored up and pees on the wall of a bank. Elsewhere in the Classic City, a junior safety and freshman linebacker get roughed up in a bar and wind up in the ER. Maybe they were thinking the boys and girls at Athens-Clarke County would look the other way. After all, we’re number one right?

So here we are Dawg Nation. The eighth player arrested and jailed since returning from New Orleans – and he didn’t even get to make that trip because of a DUI in November of 2007. Two more, a junior and freshman, were involved in a bar-room brawl.

More signs that the latte drinking, Birkenstock wearing liberal agenda of compassionate understanding of our children in public schools is coming home to roost. In a time not so long ago, little league and middle and high coaches had the ability to put the fear of God into each and every player. If you screwed up, there would be hell to pay. No so anymore.

If a coach demands running stadium steps after screwing up in the classroom or on the field, he will be on “Live at Five” for child abuse. Today, every child should get a chance to be quarterback, regardless of the fact that the kid is 30 pounds overweight and the only thing he knows how to throw is a fit when he runs out of Cheetos. Slap a player on the helmet for not paying attention, get a battery charge and probably have to attend an ADD sensitivity training.

Back in the day, playing sports was a privilege and you damn well knew it. You also understood that you represented the school, the teams, the coaches, and the fans. Not so anymore. Far too many have consumed the “I’m OK, you’re OK” Kool-Aid. It’s all about Generation Me and No-Child Left Behind legislation.

I contend that the mold begins at home. My first job is to be a parent, not a buddy. If I do that job correctly, I have children that are accountable, and also my best friends.

With the popularity of single parenting, the schools are often the next line of defense. Teachers should be respected and they too should hold children accountable. Instead of teaching students accountability, our schools seem to be more caught up with fairness. Gifted children have to sit next to the Turrets poster child because segregating him off would not be fair and would hurt his self esteem. Your child failing? Probably the teacher's fault. That's okay, have the child moved to another class. Show your child that when they get that first asshole boss, they are entitled to move to a different one. That's how the world works right?

Don't get me wrong here. I think Coach Richt and his staff are doing all they can. The problems they are trying to correct have 18-21 year roots. They are habits developed at home and a result of outcome based education and entitlement society.

The first thought that came to my mind with the off-season No. 1 hype and the USA Today poll was this – Are these young men mature enough to rise to the occasion and demonstrate they have the talent on and off the field to be representative of that ranking? Three days later, three proved they aren’t.

What say you? Will this ranking be a curse or a blessing?

Target on Their Backs

So the puppies get the nod from the coaches in the

USA Today Coaches Preseason poll and Flori-duh gets picked to win the SEC. Go figure. After the country butt whippings we administered during the last half of the season, I think we have a legitimate claim to being somewhere in the top five.

"Being number one in the coaches' preseason poll does have significance since it's one-third of the formula to decide who playsin the national championship game," Georgia coach Mark Richt said Friday inpress release from the university. "But the postseason poll is the one that isthe most important. However, I know the ranking is exciting for Georgia football and hopefully we can do our part to stay in the race."

That's the key part - staying in the race. For what I'm reading in the AJC, the Dawgs have never been a number one preseason pick in the Coaches' Poll. And in my true pessimistic Munson fashion, I wish they weren't slotted in the top spot.

First, only two teams in the past ten years have taken the preseason poll and gone on to finish as champs; USC (2004) and Florida State (1999). On the plus side, CMR was there and has seen first hand how to get it done.

Coach Richt has stated that this will either be a blessing or a curse. It's a blessing in the overall formula and giving the players a sense of pride. It can end up a curse if the players develop a senseof entitlement and they forget how much blood and sweat will be needed to finish at the top.

I would be much more comfortable crawling up from say number two or three to the top after the first weekend in November after we return from Jacksonville. But that's irrelevant. The target is firmly planted on our backs and now it's time to get busy and keep it there because it hurts a lot more when you fall from the top.

Truth hurts

Herschel and Knowshon

Nice tat