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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > August > 06
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Teammates must crack down on UGA knuckleheads
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Athens — It only takes one, two — and in the University of Georgia’s case, eight knuckleheads or so — to interrupt the wonderful vibes around a highly praised football team. For example, the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs of Sports Illustrated, the coaches’ poll and other stuff had more than a few guys spend the past eight months embarrassing themselves, the university, their teammates and the entire Bulldog Nation.
That’s old news. To keep this from becoming current news again with Georgia sitting 23 days from opening a season in search of a national championship, somebody around here must get better at keeping the knuckleheads away.
No, not university officials, ranging from president Michael Adams to athletics director Damon Evans. And, no, not Mark Richt, who actually is tougher than you think. With penalties for his knuckleheads that often go beyond university guidelines, Richt has done about as much as a coach can do in these situations.
It’s up to the peers of those Georgia’s knuckleheads.
Where are those peers? They’ve been either non-existent or invisible during this lengthy stretch of off-season ugliness for the Bulldogs. In other words, those peers have yet to surface as team leaders who would shove a chinstrap down the throat of a knucklehead wannabe, and that has to change in a hurry.
“We do have a lot of experience and a lot of guys who have led in the past. Plus, [quarterback Matthew] Stafford has started to become more vocal, and [wide receiver] Mohamed Massaquoi is vocal,” said Asher Allen, Georgia’s star cornerback, with rising leadership skills as a junior. “But the big thing is, we have a lot of example leaders. Sometimes, those are the best ones, because you can say do this and do that, but if you’re not doing those things, then it’s like, ‘Well, OK,’ to the younger guys.”
In case you’re wondering, none of Georgia’s “example” leaders or otherwise was among the knuckleheads arrested for everything from rubbing the belly of a pregnant woman to numerous alcohol-related things. Just this week, Richt announced that he had suspended a sixth player. This time, it was junior linebacker Darius Dewberry, guilty of destroying a parking-lot control arm at a local hospital along with smashing four pots containing plants. Dewberry isn’t among the Bulldogs’ leaders, either.
That’s great. This isn’t: When a local or national newscast mentions another arrest of a UGA football player, it doesn’t specify the pedigree of the knucklehead.
We’re back to the need of those ranking as Georgia’s football leaders to make everybody in their locker room understand that the silliness of one will effect the reputation of the whole. “Obviously, you have to have leadership from the coaches, which we have, but as a player, you hear it every single day from coach. It’s coach, coach, coach,” said senior fullback Brannan Southerland, easing into the solution to the Bulldogs’ knucklehead problem. “When you hear it from the seniors, and when you hear it from guys who are your friends that you look up to, it has a little deeper meaning that you have to change.”
Added Southerland, “You’ve got new senior leaders busting their butts and going through the same things you are. And, when you’re one of those in leadership, you can lead by example, or you can lead by getting in a young player’s ears.”
It sounds good. So why hasn’t it been happening, or is it happening? For verification, keep checking the various police blotters.
Permalink | Comments (115) | Post your comment | Categories: UGA/SEC
Caray should stand tall at Turner Field
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They’ve got a statue of Harry Caray outside of Wrigley Field. So, given the death this week of Skip Caray, Harry’s son and the Braves’ broadcasting icon for more than three decades, you know where I’m going with this.
Somewhere, near those Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro and Ty Cobb statues in Monument Grove at Turner Field, there should be a fresh one of the younger Caray.
It’s a no-brainer.
Consider this: Dale Murphy, along with Aaron and Niekro. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Ted Turner. Chief Noc-A-Homa. When it comes to the combination of longevity and notoriety regarding “Atlanta” Braves baseball, the name “Skip Caray” surpasses them all.
Now consider this: There were two comings of Skip Caray. The first Skip mostly was a wisecracker whose mission was to keep you watching and listening despite a slew of dreadful Braves teams during the 1970s and 1980s. The second Skip kept the one-liners coming, but he proved often throughout the Braves’ record sprint to 14 consecutive division titles that he was a wonderful baseball announcer, too.
“Here comes Bream …
“Here’s the throw to the plate …
“He iiiiiiiissss …
“SAFE.
“Braves win!
“Braves win!
“Braves win!
“Braves win!
“Braves win!”
Finally, consider this: You can make the case that Skip was more legendary with the Braves than Harry was with the Cubs. After all, Harry spent 16 seasons with the Cubs while Skip was with the Braves more than twice that long (33 seasons). Sounds like statue material to me.
I’ll end with a couple of personal remembrances of Skip. First, after his father died 10 years ago, I wrote a column about my splendid dealings with Harry through the years as a fan and then later as a reporter. Skip sent me a touching letter of appreciation.
Second, I last chatted with Skip about a week ago in the home dugout at Turner Field. He told story after story (humorously, of course) about covering the Moscow Games in 1980. Despite his fragile appearance — courtesy of his various illnesses during the previous few months, he sounded like the old Skip.
That is to say, Skip sounded like a guy who should never be forgotten by the chopper and the chanters. A statue would do the trick nicely, thank you.
Permalink | Comments (49) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves/MLB
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