UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November > 22
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Can basketball work at UGA?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know you guys are all wound up about turkey and football this week, especially with the Battle for the Governor’s Cup — hey, that’s what they play for — just days away. But a recent conversation with Georgia’s men’s basketball publicist, Tim Hix, got me to thinking about hoops.
Hix had stumbled upon a Furman Bisher column from 1962. In it, Mr. Bisher was wondering when, if ever, the Bulldogs were going to get serious about their basketball team. At the time, Harbin “Red” Lawson was the basketball coach, though he didn’t receive any pay for it. His money came from being a physical education instructor.
Of course, Stegeman Coliseum was built a couple of years later. But the Bulldogs didn’t become routinely competitive in basketball until Hugh Durham arrived in 1978, reaching the Final Four in 1983.
Since then, Georgia basketball has existed in a series of fits and starts. Every time the Dogs would get it going, something would seem to happen. With Durham it was the Cedric Henderson mess, then a contract fiasco. Tubby Smith came, conquered and quickly left for Kentucky. Ron Jirsa wasn’t ready, Jim Harrick broke the rules and Dennis Felton has been in a perpetual rebuilding mode.
It’s often argued that Georgia, being the football school, will never be wildly successful in basketball. But I don’t believe that. Look at Texas, at Michigan and Ohio State. Look at Florida and LSU right here in the SEC.
I cover Georgia’s basketball team and, from what I’ve seen, they’ve got a chance to be pretty good this year. Felton is relentless in his mission to get big-time players to come to Athens and to turn around the program. With a little momentum, I think he could make it happen.
My question is, does the Bulldog Nation really care? If not, why not? How about on Dec. 22 when Georgia plays Tech in Atlanta? Will you care then? Don’t you want the Dogs to be great in both?
