AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USUnlike football, basketball not predictable
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So you all knew Calvin Johnson was going to go pro, and there were no surprises Monday, right? Or did some believe he might come back, that him saying several times in the past that he wanted to get his degree, his mom saying education was so important, all meant he was coming back?
No, everybody knew.
I can’t imagine anyone arguing this decision. He’ll get $25 million guaranteed as soon as he signs, and that doesn’t count salaries or certain incentive-based bonuses. A no-brainer.
Basketball, on the other hand, is anything but predictable. Tech needs very badly to beat Duke Wednesday, and will have to do it without two of the five players who started the first third of the season.
Lewis Clinch is, of course, out for the remainder of the season, and waiting to hear if he’s been kicked out of school.
Zach Peacock is almost certain to be suspended for the Duke game after throwing an elbow at Trevor Booker. No question he deserved to be ejected, and few could argue that he deserves the additional penalty of one more game. The wording is pretty clear in the rule book. Paraphrasing, any attempt to hit, whether the attempt connections or not, and you’re out for the rest of that game and one more. That was intentional, no two ways about it.
Booker and Peacock were scrapping a good bit before Zach cracked, and Booker tussled with some other Jackets, too. Some of it was stuff you see in every ACC game, some was not.
But I went too far in a blog Saturday night saying Booker was a dirty player. That was not fair. I’m sorry for that rash pronouncement.
I still don’t get the delay between the elbow being thrown and a whistle being blown. We may never get an explanation on that two-second or so gap.
All the Techsters’ woes make this a good year for Duke to be down, but it’s not like the Blue Devils are terrible. Tech really needs to win that game. Just look at the upcoming schedule, and you’ll see why if you’re not already aware of it.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
Comments
By Scooter11
January 8, 2007 05:08 PM | Link to this
C’mon, insects: If this had happened to UGA players, y’all would be all over their dumbassedness and thuggery. Why not when it’s your own?
By Historian
January 8, 2007 06:24 PM | Link to this
I disagree about predictability. If your team is unpredictable, the answer is you have the wrong pieces or the wrong coach. In either case, it comes back to the coach. You keep the coach, because no good coach would take the job. Don’t throw the run to the championship, because their record was more than average coming into the tournament, and is below average for every other year.
By Ralph
January 8, 2007 08:17 PM | Link to this
Scooter,
Matt’s blog was posted at 4:15 p.m. You posted your take at 5:08 p.m. Many of us are at work at those hours. But you were able to post before your shift at Mickey D’s. So get a grip.
By Bring Reeves Back!
January 8, 2007 08:46 PM | Link to this
I hope clinch comes back next season! Go Jackets!!
By ND
January 8, 2007 09:18 PM | Link to this
Does it bother anyone else that the officials had to look at a replay before ejecting Peacock?
By Navigator
January 8, 2007 09:52 PM | Link to this
Refs looking at replay for fowl: Good point, as they are only suppose to look at the replay for possession, and time clock. Oh well, these are ACC Refs, most of them are North Carolina (state of) prejudice, and maybe prejudice in other ways to. Don’t worry, when Tech plays Duke they will make it up. Instead of Tech have 10 times as many fowls, they’ll only have 9.9 as many fowls, as Duke.
By GTJohn
January 8, 2007 11:10 PM | Link to this
Was that Reggie Ball quarterbacking for OSU????
By Taylor Made
January 9, 2007 12:07 AM | Link to this
Troy Smith turned into Reggie Ball in front of the world. What a crappy, crappy game. Florida is not that good. OSU was THAT BAD.
By Talk About 20/20 Hindsight!
January 9, 2007 12:56 AM | Link to this
Yeah Matt…”Everyone knew.” Thanks for the slap in the face of a young man EVERYONE in Georgia can be proud of.
“him saying several times in the past that he wanted to get his degree.” What a slick way to call him a LIAR.
“his mom saying education was so important.” So his MOM is a liar too?
You sir, are as much of an embarrassment to the AJC as your cohort, the Incomprehensible (and Reprehensible) Terence Moore! How can you so flippantly give no credit where credit is due to a young man who TRULY wrestled with the toughest decision of his young life?!?
In FACT, he has been unwavering in his desire to play college football at GT for 4 years. The money & stardom* was always going to be there…and he knew it. (Just like you and everybody knew his ultimate decision on Monday, right?). The TRUTH is: *You were just as glued to the scene and eagerly awaiting the words from his mouth as *everyone else…If everyone knew, as you claim, it would’t have even been a newsworthy event!
In FACT, education IS important to hi MOM and their entire family…Don’t you know that in your position? If not, just ask your collegue Mike Knobler for a clue:
”**About 20 family members attended the game in Jacksonville. Grandparents, great uncles, an aunt and cousins traveled from as far as Massachusetts and Ohio to join Johnson’s father, mother, sister and brothers in the Alltel Stadium crowd. Many are involved in education. Arica Johnson, who got her doctorate last year, works in the Atlanta Public Schools model teacher program. Erica Johnson, Calvin’s sister, is a Morehouse medical student. A great uncle is a retired principal; an uncle a retired administrator.
While nobody is questioning his ultimate decision (I mean, who would want to return to the GT Locker Room following the final 3 devastating COACHING defeats to end this year?), at least give the man CREDIT for truly considering what HE wanted to do and for taking the time to evaluate his alternatives! It’s a move that shows maturity and infinitely more class than the Dawgs who were jumping early before the ink was even dry on the AJC’s coverage of their Bowl Game…
Thanks Calvin! You’re a TRUE WINNER!…And that IS something everbody knows!
By Scooter11
January 9, 2007 08:44 AM | Link to this
Ralphie, I invented the word “dumbassedness” with you in mind. You morons need to find another comeback beside the Mickey-D stuff. Your so-called ‘student/athletes’ are neither higher nor mightier than those at any other school, and you need to open your eyes.
By GT
January 9, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
What tickles me is the Ohio State can’t lose national mentality. Then when they lose it was because they played so bad not because Florida played so good. There has to be an excuse why they didn’t know what they were talking about, not that they were stupid in mass. The same reporters are all over a player for giving an excuse yet they can’t face up to their own short comings. By the way the predictable part is only in the reporter’s mind.
By Spike
January 9, 2007 01:44 PM | Link to this
Matt, you are right. Football is more predictable. If you predict that Tech will lose to UGA in football you will almost always be right.