UGA

By bodog

June 18, 2007 2:36 PM | Link to this

WHere is the football news?

By austindog

June 18, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this

What was the headline after the TN game?

By Hairy Dawg

June 18, 2007 2:47 PM | Link to this

Good lord, Chip. It seems like the Tech and Georgia blogs on here always end up with some sort of argument about how the AJC seems to root for UGA. As you mentioned, Tech fans are the most vocal about it, but there’s no way in the world that the AJC is biased against UGA.

In fact, when I saw the Mark Richt “mission” story, I could imagine the rolling eyes among Tech, Florida, Tennessee and various other fan bases. However, if UGA players are arrested, that should be (and is) reported. If Mark Richt is going on a mission to Honduras to help spread the Gospel, that’s also worth being reported.

In short, I think the AJC is getting it right. Unlike some college fans, I can stand a healthy amount of criticism of the university I support. The last thing I want is for the AJC to deliberately couch stories because they don’t want to offend alums.

By cooter11

June 18, 2007 2:50 PM | Link to this

only two of you to report all the bad news in Atown! You guys must be busy.

By Big Dawg

June 18, 2007 2:55 PM | Link to this

Chip

Like bodog said where is the football news? Now as to your questions- I believe that you are biased toward the Dawgs and Carter is biased against, while others are biased toward GT and that is to be expected. Is it a good thing or bad thing, I guess each story, one’s own perpective and situation dictate that.

By JimBO

June 18, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this

Lets have another poll on which UGA players get arrest next. That just screams Journalistic integrity.

By ChiTown Dawg

June 18, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this

AJC has a negative bias? How many folks from the Grady College come to work at the AJC - I imagine a few every year - I know atleast two from my graduating class. Kinda absurd to make this subjective claim about bias and objectivity when you have many alums working within the parameters of the company. Seriously get a clue - I think these claims are coming from the UGA grads that could get into school with a 1.7 gpa back in 1953

By jbirdawg

June 18, 2007 3:06 PM | Link to this

A lot of the negative AJC posters also get down on Buck Belue for not constantly beating on his UGA chest about the Dawgs. Some think his show should be nothing but UGA. You can’t please everybody. Even me. I sometimes disagree with certain articles in the college section, just like with any other section. I certainly have not banned the paper as a means for UGA reading like some have.

By BTW

June 18, 2007 3:20 PM | Link to this

Stay off the Dawgvent. Find your own headlines.

By I-DOG

June 18, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this

Chip,

Chalk me up for the AJC is NOT biased against UGA. I think the reporting is fair.

I’d like some aspects to be covered a little better. Recruiting, weight room progress once or twice a year, but I don’t see the coverage as biased at all.

By Bob

June 18, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Chip,

I think you guys hit it about right. I thought the Tennessee Headline was a bit overboard….although not enough so to have the governor get involved. And yeah, I know…the writer does not determine the headline. Nonetheless, I enjoy reading your articles.

By Brandon

June 18, 2007 3:31 PM | Link to this

GO DAWGS!

By reddawg

June 18, 2007 3:32 PM | Link to this

Your feeling the need to pen this column is proof of the time worn adage —- “A bit dog always barks the loudest” Have a nice day , Rover!

By HDD

June 18, 2007 3:36 PM | Link to this

It’s not just the football Dawgs; it’s also swimming, tennis, golf, etc. When they win there is a small piece in a left hand corner, but when they lose it is a big headline. Even if there is a story covering a win, it is written with a negative slant. Last time I saw Jack Bauerle (it was during swimming season), I told him I knew they were winning because I hadn’t seen anything about it in the AJC.

By Charlie Scroggins

June 18, 2007 3:37 PM | Link to this

Dawgs Den Dot Net is the place to be in this Dawgs humble opinion…

By BlueMoon

June 18, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this

I think a lot of the fervor comes from the fact that news organizations all over now just like to accentuate the negative.

Example: The poll on who gets arrested next at UGA. Completely classless and uncalled for.

Another issue is the balance of the reporting in terms of other teams in the area. (southeast)

MANY teams had far worse issues happen at their universities (Guns, drugs, bar fights, etc.) yet only positive articles came out about them. Did their coaches do anything? No, but our players were suspended for far less offenses yet UGA was made to look in a worse light than a university (UF) that had players with machine pistols shooting them into dorm rooms. You can say that well, it was UF, not a GA school but the AJC is a regional paper. The largest in the SE.

The articles you noted are great articles and well deserved, but a little perspective on the negative wouldn’t hurt and I believe that is the gripe most people have.

By marshie

June 18, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this

I don’t think there is any conscious bias, but I think the tendency to overblow the minor things our players get in trouble for creates an unwarranted image for UGA athletics.

For instance, UGA has had multiple football players arrested over the last several years for alcohol related incidents. Not drugs, not violence, not guns, not stealing, robbing, etc.

Now, I understand that any such arrest is news, and because it may result in a suspension, it must be covered. BUT, some objectivity about the true minor nature of these offenses would be nice, as well as the fact that UGA has stepped up to he plate with uniform and transparent punishment for even minor infractions. UGA players have been portrayed on the same level as athletes at other places involved in much more dangerous, violent and socially unacceptable behavior.

Is a UGA player getting arrested news? Sure. But the offences for which they have been arrested lately hardly support the thug image created by the AJC’s reporting.

By AltamahaDawg

June 18, 2007 3:44 PM | Link to this

So on a alternative competitive website, some folks are saying negative stuff about the organization you work for , so you come to this website and lecture your real supporters about that?

By Rick

June 18, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this

It’s amazing (and amusing) that a group of fans that think their program is so superior can at the same time have such an inferiority complex and believe that the AJC is “picking on us.” Get a grip!

By shane

June 18, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this

you are the newspaper of record in this state.i am more concerned with your neglect of “the other ga” than what football team you may favor.you have stopped serving s.ga.and east ga; motivated by greed alone.your decision to abandon over half the state was inexcusable.we in south ga.send our tax dollars to atlanta and are largely ignored by state gov.because we dont have the population,ie VOTES, to change anything.therefore while metro atlanta booms,with the help of our dollars, we are in the economic doldrums.when we are left out in the cold by the states largest and most widely read newspaper, to whom do we turn for help?

By I-DOG

June 18, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this

Recruiting:

With the signings of the TE out of GA and the DE out of South FL, UGA now has 15 verbal committments.

I must say that I am a little surprised at the Ros signing. TE doesn’t seem to be a position of need (at least not signing 2) with Chandler and Ward already on the roster and having signed White and Figgins last year.

I understand that there could be position changes and he is a legacy, but I still find that signing a bit strange.

We appear to have lost one in AJ Harmon. Hopefully, we can get the lineman out of FL or AL to make up for that one. I think if we can sign 2-3 good OL’s this year, we will be in good shape

By meat cleaver

June 18, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

Chip - it is the way the AJC relishes bad news more than anything. I’m not sure if Tech is treated the same, but there’s no question the AJC uses sarcastic headlines with UGA info. Last week a story was titled “Bailey Breeds Pit Bulls” that, on the surface, told a very different story than the article. People who know Carter even admit he is intentionally antagonistic. I have liked you for a long time, but the AJC is days late on news and relishes bad news way too much. I certainly question the paper’s journalistic integrity when it asks the new Atlanta Madam from CC of the South who the 5 sexiest male athletes are. Who cares?

By DOT

June 18, 2007 3:57 PM | Link to this

Just let us KILL Strickland and everything will be OK. BTW, I think your doing a good job. But..Strickland needs to be sent back to OU*

By Alex R.

June 18, 2007 4:00 PM | Link to this

Chip,

As a Dawg fan, I have always been very pleased with your coverage. I think you probably do the best job of anyone at the AJC on covering the Dawgs and you clearly seem to enjoy Athens. It’s evident in your work.

But yes, the Tennessee headline in an Atlanta paper was a justifiable outrage towards UGA fans.

Here’s the thing: No one is saying you shouldn’t cover Tennessee or Florida if they win a conference or a national title….you should, it’s sports news and needs to be written about (no matter how much I hate those schools).

But, Tennessee gets the LOVE headlines in the Memphis, Knoxville and Nashville papers, Florida gets the LOVE headlines in the Orlando and Tampa papers, UGA (and yes, as much as I hate them, Tech)should get the nice headlines in the AJC and the headlines should be of disappointment when UGA or Tech loses.

It shouldn’t feel, if Tennessee blows Georgia out, that the AJC comes off like it’s the Memphis papers. I live in Virginia, but I read the AJC site daily for my Dawg and Braves news. It gives me the feel of still living in Athens, even being farther away now.

I realize each writer can’t help their own bias and overall, the AJC does a solid job.

But I do feel this paper should not turn into a big Gator love fest when they win a national title. Report on it, sure, but let’s not go overboard…the AJC SHOULD be enemy territory for Gator fans. It should be HOME territory for the Dawgs and yes, even the Jackets.

By Chardawg

June 18, 2007 4:07 PM | Link to this

Nobody readys that site you are talking about anyway. The home of the Dawgnation is Dawgsden.net. The only people that read the site you are talking about are complete spankers that wetselves whenever some 18 yro “stud” farts in the general directions of Athens.

By Earl

June 18, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this

” I’ve been surfing the internet,like I do everyday…..” It’s of interest to me the information I read on ugasports.com one day appears in the paper the next day or later.

By Anonymous

June 18, 2007 4:15 PM | Link to this

As a UGA rivals guy, sometimes I feel some of the headlines go to far but other than that I’m totally cool with the AJC. You guys do a good job of reporting the news. Especially you Chip but Carter seemed like he enjoyed the bashing and thats where all the against us stigma comes from. Oh yeah, GT does have a right to complain a lil. Those guys hardly get blogs and updates. No spring football coverage or nothing. Its funny to me though. Oh yeah, to the guy talking about Bryce Ros. Its not certain Ros is going to play TE. He was recruited as an athlete. There are numerous positions he may end up playing. My best guess is on the d-line. Watch his videos, he has good hand technique and power which you can see by his blocking.

By dawgs

June 18, 2007 4:15 PM | Link to this

On the same day, Josh Johnson was expelled and 2 UGA players (russ tanner and Dennis Roland) pulled several people from a burning vehicle and saved their lives.

Which article was on the front page of the sports section in huge letters? Yep. The linebacker made the headline.

That’s not being anti-UGA. It’s incompetence.

By Tulsa A. Dawg

June 18, 2007 4:20 PM | Link to this

My name is Tulsa A. Dawg, visit the Dawgsden.net for all the Dawg news. If you do, I’ll give a free membership to my mom’s site. Anal-momma.com.

By Buck Cochran in the NW

June 18, 2007 4:28 PM | Link to this

Chip, I don’t think that the ajc.com has anything against Ga. and overall the reporting is OK; however, you want to keep the recruiting blog going year round. When this was mentioned I posted then that it a great idea if the paper would spend the money to do it right. They don’t. Right now, unless it’s just been posted, has anything been said about the Jones kid from Ala. getting an offer? To often you’re behind the curve. The Athens Banner-Herald became the newspaper to print the story of how the Athens cop needed to learn a few lessons on how to be a police officer 101. I’d like to see more stories like that. Ga. has the strongest punishment code in the SEC. Why were the penalties increased and who took the lead on that. IMO, that is good gutty reporting and the ajc.com doesn’t do enough. I like the way you fire back or disagree(as you have with me)with what people post that they should be called on. Keep up the good work on your stuff but who was the driving force behind the increased penalties?

By Belbo

June 18, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

Just threw my $93 renewal bill for the AJC in the trash. Been a sub for over a decade but am so sick of the commentaries coming out of the AJC. I don;t mind reports of players getting arrested but put it in perspective but worse than that, I am sick of these bozos like Bradley insulting fans and the team purposefully. Will they miss my $93? No but I just I just don;t want to read teh garbage anymore. There are better sources of information. The AJC should make some of these clowns read Lewis Grizzard’s old UGA stories they used to print.

By Buck Cochran in the NW

June 18, 2007 4:32 PM | Link to this

I see the story about the Jones kid was up, now how about someback ground. Is it true that this was his 1st major college offer?

By NASCARfan

June 18, 2007 4:58 PM | Link to this

Chip,

I think that the AJC does make more out of the negative than they do the positive. And then, when they can’t spin the story as negative, they put a bogus headline in front of the story to make it negative. Anyone remember the “Georgia wideout breeds pitbulls, too!” headline? I am also absolutely, unequivacably convinced that Carter Strickland, when he gets the chance, is the main perpetrator of this crap journalism. If there is a mole-hill to make a mountain out of, Carter Strickland is there doing his damndest to make sure we know of every single athlete at UGA who gets caught with a beer in his hand if he or she is underage.

Guess what, Chip? WE DON’T FREAKING CARE!!! College kids drink. It’s the college experience. The team takes care of it. We don’t need to know or to hear or to read about every single athlete who gets caught MIP. In that story that Carter reported on about Chandler, the way I heard it out here in Athens, is that Chandler and the other guy were walking across an apartment complex with a can of beer. The way Carter made it sound (by not reporting all the facts) is that they were crawling down the sidewalk on Broad St. making a fool of themselves with an open container. In fact, Carter made a flip comment about Mark Richt’s summer being busy with all of his kids being drunk or something of that nature, when that really hasn’t been the case at all, especially when compared to other seasons. Any chance he gets, Carter sticks it to UGA and the fans with some snide remark like that. I just thank God we no longer have to depend on his innane blogs for our up to date news about the Dawgs.

Look, the guys in Florida who are getting charged with felonies, why don’t we hear more about that? We never hear about all the Florida Gators drinking, and we all know that is going on just as much as it is here. But the AJC and the Athens Banner make it a big deal here, so it’s national news. The Gainesville Newspaper doesn’t make it a big deal down in Florida, so Urban Myth is able to sweep whatever happens under the rug as far as Minors In Possession are concerned.

So yeah, y’all make too much out of too little at the AJC.

But you Chip, you are a gleaming light of good journalism at this paper. And there are very few of you. You, Winklejohn, Bisher, and Smith are the only fair and balanced journalists at this rag. DOB has his lips permanately pressed to Bobby Cox’s backside for anyone to ever call him fair or balanced. He’s more a public relations lacky for the Braves than a beat writer. I used to think Wyche was fair and balanced, but for good or ill, he jumped on the Michael Vick stuff like many at this paper in a very Mike Nifong-like manner. Whether Vick is guilty or innocent isn’t the point (doesn’t look good for Ole’ No. 7). The lack of journalistic integrity and ethics while reporting this story is the point. And many AJC reporters and columnists (like Schultz did in the Duke Lacross Case) jumped all over every allegation that came out of Virginia without waiting for actual factual information (of which there hasn’t been much).

But what can you do, Chip, when the AJC holds an absolute monopoly for printed news in Atlanta? There’s no more Atlanta Journal pushing the Atlanta Constitution to be good, to be somewhat fair and balanced in their reporting. What happens without competion? Laziness. And the AJC is full of lazy reporting and lazy ethics. Now, in Atlanta, the people get one set of news, and one set of opinions (definately NOT in the middle, more like far left). So who loses, Chip? We do. As always. And I do think that the AJC hates UGA, because we’re still stuck with Carter Strickland in some form. Dawg Nation has succeeded in having him replaced as our Blogger. But now we need to demand that we get Winklejohn as your partner, and let the Bugs have Strickland. Only then will I be satisfied.

By the way, the Duke Lacross kids are still waiting for Jeff Schultz to apologize to them.

By Pitbull

June 18, 2007 5:05 PM | Link to this

Chip’

Actually I think that the AJC prints anything and everything just to stir up the waters and sell more papers or attract more hits to your web site.

The headlines are written by your editors expressly for that purpose in order to max out your advertising revenue.

Anyone with a real understanding of newspapers knows that advertising revenue is the true source of profits for a newspaper. Advertising revenue rates are set by the size of the paper circulation or number of your web site hits. The 50 cents you pay at the counter hardly pays for the paper and the ink.

The AJC uses UGA as an easy emotionally charged target to sell more papers and get more web site hits. It does so shamelessly and the public recognizes it. I feel the need to go take a shower after some of the stories and headlines you publish.

I read about UGA’s business arrangement with Nike. Now all of the GT players have Russell printed on their uniforms and I have read nothing of that business arrangement. Why not?

I read a headline that UT put UGA in its place (and they did beat us bad), but was it necessary to put down college student athletes who did their best, but let the game get away from them?

Where is the balance that communicates that it is just a game (not the end of thw world) and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You do not have to win them all to have a good team and be proud.

I am proud of UGA for not giving up last season and fighting back against 3 very good teams to finish 9-4 for the season. That is a great season and a lot of teams would love to have it.

The headline about our WR Bailey having pet pitbulls was written like it was an expansion of the Michael Vick story, but when you read it you found out differently.

But it was written to sell copies wasn’t it?

BTW, I saw Bailey’s dad on the CSS sports show with some other athletes’ dads the other night, and it was apparent that he comes from a good home and family. How about a story on that, or would it not sell?

Then there is the annual AJC campaign to stir up a UGA QB controversey every summer in order to up sales. We cannot have a summer without one of those can we? Maybe the uncalled for keg story that didn’t pan out took its place this year.

What a scoop (or rather poop)! A UGA QB lifts an empty beer keg over his head and poses for a picture. Let’s run the story and see if we can put the screws to him and UGA at the same time.

I also have to laugh at Furman Bisher. He never writes anything about UGA unless it is negative. He never writes anything about GT unless it is positive. Let’s see: Bobby Dodd was such a great interview that “he practically wrote the lead for a young reporter.”

I bet he did, and the AJC ran it just that way. I always did think that Furman had a boyhood crush on Coach Dodd that he couldn’t outgrow.

I cannot believe how the AJC reports every traffic infraction and open container violation that these kids have like you were reporting on mall shootings. It has made the AJC pretty much of a joke and that is why people are turning away from it.

All of metro Atlanta’s other newspapers and other Georgia city newspapers are on line now (Google Georgia newspapers). The internet has changed reporting, and UGA supporters, GT supporters, and other schools’ supporters have a lot more alternatives now than just the AJC to follow their teams.

I suggest that readers go to these web sites if they do not feel they are getting fair and balanced coverage by the AJC. Let the AJC dry up and downsize some more and it will figure out when it hits their balance sheet that they need to be fair and balanced too.

By Chip Towers

June 18, 2007 5:13 PM | Link to this

As you can see from the comments herein, this is a very polarizing issue. Please know I do very much appreciate the feedback… .

Recruiting is something we’re doing much more of online and will continue to. The recruiting blog is updated multiple times every day with any and all information we receive from ALL sources. If the news comes from another site or something, we’ll attribute. But consider the AJC your clearinghouse for an and all information on Atlanta kids and the top prospects in Georgia and the South. Jeff Hood is our main guy on that so if you know of something or have heard something, let him know at nascarhood@hotmail.com or just summon me or carter. We’ll check it out …

Meanwhile, I can’t immediately recall this infamous headline from the Tennessee game. Someone please remind me… . And Earl, I don’t know what you’re point is about me surfing the Internet and looking at the dawgvent but, yes, I look at them and about a dozen other sites and news-gathering organizations as a matter of routine every morning. If there’s something someone has — or, as is the case with a fan forum most of the time, someone is alleging — we’ll check it out. Of course, we’ll DO OUR OWN REPORTING, as always.

By NASCARfan

June 18, 2007 5:16 PM | Link to this

Pitbull, I stand and applaud you, Sir.

But I do disagree about Furman Bisher. Then again, I go to Mr. Bisher for my golf news, and he has no peer.

By Dawg Hater

June 18, 2007 5:16 PM | Link to this

The AJC is a Bulldog lover and is always siding with the Dogs. All we hear about is the loser Bulldogs, or how they should have pulled it out against Vandy, UT, or UF. Shoulda, coulda, wouldof…..

8-4 at best for 2007, with potential NCAA sanctions in 2008 and 2009.

By K94LIFE

June 18, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this

I started to notice the AJC’s bias against UGA last year in the titles of their articles. One of my employees who just happens to be a Tech grad, disagreed with my assessment stating that the AJC was more favorable towards UGA in their articles. Well, we put it to the test over a six week period. We pulled out the sports page and recorded both Tech and UGA articles and titles. We deleted names and or words that would give away what school was being discussed and we had customers read both Tech and UGA headlines/articles. Afterwards, we crunched the data and discovered that roughly 68-70% of the time, the customer determined that the UGA title had more of a negative slant. Makes you wonder doesn’t it, especially when my business is two minutes from North Avenue?

By RunningDog

June 18, 2007 5:23 PM | Link to this

I think it’s funny that both Dawg and Jacket fans swear that the AJC is against their school and favors the rival. It’s as if they can’t get past their own bias towards their alma maters. I’m a UGA grad and fan, and I hate it when I see our kids up to nonsense, but I realize it’s not the AJC’s fault. I think the paper may make too much of college kid hijinx, but that has nothing to do with bias. I think the paper actually serves both Georgia and Tech well. Keep it up.

By alabamadawg

June 18, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this

Chip, I enjoy your reporting, you do an excellent job, especially in recuiting news. Anyone who doubts that should check out TideSports.com,their pitiful.Thanks for the good work and please keep Terrace Moore anyway from Athens !!!

By Michael

June 18, 2007 5:29 PM | Link to this

You guys can’t be held accountable for when one of our players do something stupid. You just report it. I for one am thankfuly for you guys and all the information you put out their for us Dawg fans to read. Plus the guys on the rivals fan site are kind of crazy anyway.

By Tom

June 18, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this

Not only did the AJC have a big splash online the day Ben Jones got an offer, but they’re the only paper I know of that has recruiting news EVERY DAY. Here’s the link to their daily blog. You’ll see the Ben Jones item went up the day he got the offer. I’m a big recruiting fan and read everything out there.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/shared-blogs/ajc/cfbrecruit/index.html

By Michael

June 18, 2007 5:41 PM | Link to this

It’s funny that you mention the rivals site, because they have the most one-sided viewpoint I’ve ever seen. They absolutely hate to report anything negative, and usually only do once someone else has broken the story, even though they’ve probably known about it for months (see their stubborn refusal to follow up on the persistent Paul Oliver ineligibility rumors as proof). I think the AJC does a decent (although not perfect) job of reporting it like it is, both good and bad. Unfortunately, we seem to have an overabundance of stupid college kids doing things that stupid college kids do (and getting caught).

By GR

June 18, 2007 5:46 PM | Link to this

UT article title was “Dawgs get put in their place.”

And simply put - yes, the AJC along with many other media outlets look to focus on the negative.

By Dawg hater#1

June 18, 2007 5:50 PM | Link to this

To many rednecks at uga that don’t know jack about football and AJC has no sports writer! they are very low fact sports writers and gossip pusher!

By Gracie

June 18, 2007 5:53 PM | Link to this

I’m a big UGA fan and for the life of me, I can’t understand the hubbub over “Dogs get put in their place.” What did you want the AJC to say after Tennessee scored 50 at Sanford, “Dogs give it their all?” Get real. I don’t want a bunch of cheerleading out of my paper. The AJC is fair, and Chip and Carter do not write headlines. Any journalism 101 class will teach you that.

By P-Dawg in Tulsa

June 18, 2007 6:02 PM | Link to this

Overall you guys do OK. I have no problems with you or Strickland. I do think you seem to have better blog topics than Strickland though. I like the features yall are doing on players and positions. I think the stories/blogs about underage drinking should be put in perspective(ie the ridiculous nature of barnes/chandler charges/ the Athens banner herald got it right), but I do realize that it is news. The pit bull headline was completly innappropriate.

I am interested in dismissals and suspentions of players at other SEC shools.

The recruiting updates are far better than they used to be, but you have a long way to go to get it right. I liked the Harmon/Ros/Green quotes/interview, and the updates on regional kids even if not intersted in UGA. Give me who is receiving offers, who is on campus officially/unofficially, and of course indepth commitment info.

I also want to see interviews with coaches. I really want to hear what Searls thinks of the O-line. I know I read something about him not giving interviews for a while but when. I also want to hear from the other coaches like Eason, Bobo, Fabris ect ect.

By Milkbone_Dawg

June 18, 2007 6:05 PM | Link to this

Chip,

I enjoy the articles that you write about the Dawgs. I think that you are even handed and fair.

Carter Strickland is another story. Many of the complaints recently about the AJC on the Dawgbvent were in reaction to articles that he’s written. I would have to say that most of the time, I agree with the folks on the Vent about him.

By RICO

June 18, 2007 6:10 PM | Link to this

Who the heck cares! PEOPLE!!!! This is a GAME!

By 13 in a Row

June 18, 2007 6:21 PM | Link to this

“Richt Bends the Rules” was an headline last November. Sure doesn’t sound like an unbiased headline about UGA recruiting JUCO players to me - considering how no rules were bent whatsoever. The article was about how Richt had only recruited out of high school before the last class. To the casual reader, though, it seemed like he had done something wrong like — say — lying on his resume.

By 74 Dawg

June 18, 2007 6:22 PM | Link to this

I think you guys get it about right. Of course the Athens paper is going to be more pro-Dawg,why wouldn’t it be? I have never understood the pure ,well,hatred some seem to have for Carter. I may not be a big Carter fan, but there are worse blogs out there believe me,and he has IMO tried to provide what has been asked. I don’t think most of us bloggers would like to be judged in our profession by the standards some fans judge these kids by, their coaches, or even the reporters.

By Roswell Ed

June 18, 2007 6:40 PM | Link to this

Just think how much more the AJC would write about the dawgs if their fans could actually read!!

Hell they can’t even spell dawg and they bark!!

By P-Dawg in Tulsa

June 18, 2007 6:40 PM | Link to this

One other thought, I did like reading the Harmon’s comments on going to clemson. However, I do question whether it should have been open to Blog. He is a kid giving an opinion to a major publication in hostile territory. I think it should have been a story not a blog.

By Chip Towers

June 18, 2007 6:52 PM | Link to this

By the way, I’ve been meaning to get this out there. The mother of Jeremy Price, the talented basketball player from Columbia/Decatur who is already in school and working out in Athens, died recently. Georgia is trying to help raise money for the family to defray expenses of her burial, etc. So here’s a contact name and address if any of you guys are interested in helping out:

Constance Reid Funeral Fund

First American Bank

P.O. Box 1688

Athens, GA 30603

By Lisa

June 18, 2007 6:54 PM | Link to this

The paper is in Atlanta. Georgia Tech is in Atlanta. They should be covered more. If you want UGA articles read an Athens paper. Why didn’t Tech get the same amount of spring training coverage that UGA got? How about an article on the fact that Tech doesn’t have players arrested every other week? UGA gets negative headlines because their players can’t stay out of jail. Also, why do you brag on the UGA recruits knowing they won’t all get into school? Save it for when they actually qualify.

By NASCARfan

June 18, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this

Lisa, are you serious? Bug U may be in Atlanta, but UGA is the STATE University. There are far more fans in the Dawg Nation than in the puny Bug Municipality. Plus, over the last, well forever, the Dawgs have just been more relevant in football. And even in the years they don’t win, once again, we have 10 times the amount of fans (one only need to look at the empty seats at y’all pitiful stadium to see what I mean). Come on.

By Pitbull

June 18, 2007 7:05 PM | Link to this

If you want the best coverage on NCAA college football, go to

http://www.ncaafootball.com/

Lisa, you ignorant slut.* Go back to the Woman to Woman blog.

By Proud Dawg

June 18, 2007 7:13 PM | Link to this

Chip, While I actually respect your journalistic integrity, the fact that you have written this column asking these questions should answer yours. Yes, I think the AJC as well as all media are biased towards reporting the negative ad nauseum. Look at the incident with the Duke lacrosse players for an example of how lawyers and the media can practically convict innocent young men for crimes they never committed! Chip, tell me you never drank a beer before you were 21 and I’ll understand you and others infatuation with college football players infractions in that regard! Yes it is news, yes they will be charged misdemeanors and pay fines, and yes they will suffer more serious punishment from their coaches! Felonies are big news, alleged dogfighting, possession of narcotics, use of performance enhancing substances, shootings outside of strip clubs… These should be investigated more by journalists rather than trying to turn a minor story into a huge first page item. Newspapers and tv news are becoming nothing more than tabloid journalism!

By The Honest Answer

June 18, 2007 7:19 PM | Link to this

If you think the AJC is biased towards Georgia Tech, you’ve obviously never read the paper, in print or online.

The paper is very obviously biased in favor of UGA. It’s just the fact of the matter. The UGA-UT game headline is not a reflection of the AJC’s feelings toward UGA. It was just a statement of fact. UGA got handled in that game. The score didn’t tell that story, so the AJC chose to. 51-33 seems bad to some. That game was much worse than 51-33. Ask any UGA fan.

Chip Towers can blog all day long about the efforts of the the reporters to be balanced and non-biased, but he fails to mention that a handful of these AJC writers graduated from UGA and have cheered for them all their lives. We’re all human beings right? Of course the AJC and its writers are biased.

I agree with the comment that the paper’s office is located in Atlanta and Georgia Tech is the local college team; therefore, they should be covered more extensively. If you want in-depth analysis and knowledge about UGA, go purchase an Athens newspaper. It’s full of useless, UGA-related info.

By saying that the AJC respects UGA athletics and the local interest, it means that the AJC is in interested in the local people’s MONEY. Would they report more frequently on Georgia Tech if the school’s fan base was larger and the number of site hits and paper subscriptions would increase? ABSOLUTELY THEY WOULD.

It’s about the $$$ people. And it’s about the college preference of the AJC, its writers and its editors.

It sucks. It’s unfair. It’s false advertising. But it’s true, and it will never change.

By milkbone_dawg

June 18, 2007 7:21 PM | Link to this

Chip,

Check out Saxondawg’s reply to your blog on the Dawgvent. It’s pushpinned at the top of the page and it’s very well written. Food for thought.

By reality check

June 18, 2007 7:25 PM | Link to this

Chip, clearly the AJC in general has many detractors in the Atlanta market overall. I rarely agree with AJC editorials and believe your editorial writers are largely out of synch with traditional values that are prevalent in this region.

As far as you personally, I think you are doing a good job and hitting about the right balance. You strike me as someone who likes Georgia sports. I think that is good for a blog writer, although I could also understand outrageous positions can make for an interesting blog.

I do think Carter writes generally good articles, but there tended to be a message implicit in his blog topics that was very negative and irritating.

I think it is time for you to clear something up. I have speculated more than once that Terrence Moore and Carter had some sort of bet going to see who could evoke the most outrage and every time Cuz called Carter an ignorant slut Carter got bonus points.

Fes up, Chip. And who won the bet?

By NASCARfan

June 18, 2007 7:36 PM | Link to this

Once again, I will have to explain why UGA recieves more print than Bug U to an idiot little Bug who doesn’t understand how to count.

UGA is the STATE University. There are MORE members of the Dawg Nation in metro - Atlanta and the WHOLE state of Georgia than there are Bug fans in the whole WORLD!!! Also, idiot little Bug, UGA is more RELEVANT in college football, and has been for as long as I’ve been alive, or as long as Mr. Bisher has been alive. The fact that the AJC is located in Atlanta has NOTHING to do with which team they should cover more. They should cover the team that the majority of their readers want them to cover.

And yes, you idiot little Bug, that means UGA and NOT Bug U.

That’s the thing about the Bugs… they can’t see the forrest for the trees.

By Dorsey Hill

June 18, 2007 7:37 PM | Link to this

As a UGA fan, I can’t think of a time when I’ve read something that struck me as biased against UGA. I think that the AJC, right now, actually does a better job than the Athens-Banner Herald at giving the fans timely and complete reporting. Unless you want to pay for a subscription to one of the online services, I can’t think of a better way to stay current than reading the AJC. Some people only want to hear good news, but the news isn’t always good and people ought to by grown up enough to take a little criticism. Would anyone have wanted the AJC to write a story called: “Jim Harrick Jr.’s Rigorous Final Exam.” I wouldn’t. The test was a joke. An UGA employee did it and the school was held accountable, as it should have been.

Of course, many years ago, a columnist for the AJC named Lewis Grizzard, said that I was the world’s biggest Bulldog fan, so maybe I’m a little biased.

By athnsmoney

June 18, 2007 7:46 PM | Link to this

Lisa— First—“the University” is the flagship institution of this state, and for that reason it deserves all of the coverage the AJC can afford to give it.
Secondly—the lionshare of people in this state support the university. Third—The AJC is more than a city paper—it is distributed all over this state—and so the AJC should cover the topics which represent its constituency, not just the town where it holds its offices.

My only problem I have had with the AJC is printing the derogatory comments Jeff Schulz made about Uga a couple of years ago—can’t quiet recall the exact quote—but it was probably the most antagonistic thing I have seen out of a “journalist.” However, a writer who writes OPINIONS is a completely different thing from simply reporting the news—which the AJC does a fairly good job of. Maybe y’all should just watch your headlines—I was taught at Grady that they are supposed to be eye-catching, but they should not add insult to injury when they are printed in a paper where the majority of readers might just be offended.

By WT wind

June 18, 2007 8:08 PM | Link to this

Remind me now: Which AJC sports writers graduated from Georgia? Chip Towers is the only one who comes to mind.

By DA

June 18, 2007 8:19 PM | Link to this

I agree with you Chip, I’m a Rivals subscriber and to be honest with you I can’t comprehend how so many others on the site are so paranoid adn convinced that the AJC is out to get UGA. They seem to look for anything and everything that could be considered a knock against UGA and proclaim it to be a pro-Tech rag.

Personally I enjoy most of the articles you guys write, yours in particular (Schultz tries a little too hard if you ask me), and see no bias one way or the other. Like you said, it’s your job to report the news, not to promote any school.

Keep up the good work Chip, and don’t let the delusional portion of our fan base bother you.

By bluemoon

June 18, 2007 8:53 PM | Link to this

Hey Chip-

Take a read on UGASports.com right now. There’s a pushpin from Saxondawg you really need to read. :)

By DaddyDawg

June 18, 2007 9:03 PM | Link to this

Chip:

If you want an good example of biased, unbalanced reporting, go back and look at the AJC’s coverage of the GA and GA Tech spring football games. GT’s offense scored something like 10 times in a row, and all the AJC could do was to laud Tech’s offense.

In Ga’s spring game, our #1 offense had some success (but not nearly the success of GT’s offense in its spring game) against the numerous players who were shuttled in and out to play defense (not the no. 1 defense in any real sense), and Carter Strickland’s view is that GA has problems on defense!! It would have been interesting to see Strickland write about the Tech spring game, and the Tech writer to cover the GA game, but it seems that one writer emphasized the positive (Tech’s offensive prowess when he could have noted Tech’s inability to stop the no. 1 offense), and the other (Strickland covering GA spring game) could only see the negative. Such an approach is neither balanced nor objective, and until it is solved, I cannot subscribe to the AJC again!!

By Long-time reader

June 18, 2007 9:14 PM | Link to this

Chip, The main point of contention is that Carter Strickland is a horrible writer. No one has a problem with you, Chip. Readers got spoiled when Mark Schlabach was the beat writer and have struggled reading this hack over the last few years. He doesn’t get insightful quotes, rarely breaks stories, and makes lazy errors regularly. All of this may have been acceptable at the ‘Daily Oklahoman’, but not here. I don’t understand how the biggest newspaper in the South, located in a state with one of the nations top five journalism schools, can put together such a mediocre group of writers. We have also suffered through Mark ‘bandwagon’ Bradley and Terrance ‘let’s make this a race issue’ Moore for too long. Quality has never been this low, it is time to clean house. Chris Mortensen, Len Pasquirelli, and Jeffery Denberg (RIP) have all come out of the AJC to name a few and we have no one on that level right now outside of Dave O’Brien.

By Very funny

June 18, 2007 9:17 PM | Link to this

“The Universityof Georgia is the flagship institution of this state”? Give me a break! Nobody outside Georgia has heard or cares for UGA and we do not even talk international rankings here. Are you drunk?

By Buck Cochran in the NW

June 18, 2007 9:23 PM | Link to this

Gracie, “Ditto”.

By AltamahaDawg

June 18, 2007 9:34 PM | Link to this

I think the problem VF is that you don’t seem to know what flagship means. Your post make absolutely no sense.

By BATONROUGEDAWG

June 18, 2007 9:47 PM | Link to this

WE”RE ONLY TALKED ABOUT ON A DAILY BASIS BECAUSE WE ARE THE ELITE PROGRAM “GEAUX DAWGS” like they say in HOLLYWOOD Bad publicity is good publicity……..

By NASCARfan

June 18, 2007 9:54 PM | Link to this

Altamaha,

These Bugs say the most outlandish and insane things. “No one outside of the state has ever heard of UGA.” I mean… WOW! These people are really delusional.

By AltamahaDawg

June 18, 2007 10:02 PM | Link to this

even if that were true, thats not what flagship is. Does anyone outside of Miss know about Ol’Miss/ is it not the flgaship insitution of the state?

By I-DOG

June 18, 2007 10:03 PM | Link to this

Chip:

As usual, Buck has a good point. That would be a very interesting story. Give us the who, what, and why on UGA having such tough penalties for players minor indescretions.

If there really are two full time people covering the Dawgs, it seems like this would be a story someone would want to get after.

By Tommy

June 18, 2007 10:15 PM | Link to this

If there is a bias, I believe it is toward the ESPN model of “sportstainment” at the expense of sober news reporting. You guys employ the latter model on the other subjects you cite — business, politics, local news, etc. Yet you share ESPN’s estimation of the college football audience that we’re all a bunch of knuckle draggers who want WWF-style sensationalism. The result is a bizarrely skewed news judgment that leads one to seriously question if there’s a double standard in the AJC’s editorial guidelines. Quite exactly why a few open container and underage consumption arrests suddenly constitutes “tumult” is beyond me. This kind of thing has been happening for years and it happens every day on every campus in the country. In that respect, I question why it’s even news. Now, if a couple of players (knock on wood that they don’t) show up on the blotter after an episode involving some combination of guns, drugs and violence, you might have a story. Anyway Chip, I appreciate the fact that you’ve got a tough audience from whom you’ll never get 100% satisfaction. As you well know, journalism is a trade that requires thick skin. But don’t assume that sensationalism is the only way to keep our attention. We’re smarter than that and we depend on you to be smarter than that as well.

By Tommy

June 18, 2007 10:18 PM | Link to this

If there is a bias, I believe it is toward the ESPN model of “sportstainment” at the expense of sober news reporting. You guys employ the latter model on the other subjects you cite — business, politics, local news, etc. Yet you share ESPN’s estimation of the college football audience that we’re all a bunch of knuckle draggers who want WWF-style sensationalism. The result is a bizarrely skewed news judgment that leads one to seriously question if there’s a double standard in the AJC’s editorial guidelines. Quite exactly why a few open container and underage consumption arrests suddenly constitutes “tumult” is beyond me. This kind of thing has been happening for years and it happens every day on every campus in the country. In that respect, I question why it’s even news. Now, if a couple of players (knock on wood that they don’t) show up on the blotter after an episode involving some combination of guns, drugs and violence, you might have a story. Anyway Chip, I appreciate the fact that you’ve got a tough audience from whom you’ll never get 100% satisfaction. As you well know, journalism is a trade that requires thick skin. But don’t assume that sensationalism is the only way to keep our attention. We’re smarter than that and we depend on you to be smarter than that as well.

By David

June 18, 2007 10:38 PM | Link to this

Chip, the primary issue that disturbs me about the AJC is the gross disparity of negative stories. I’d appreciate your opinion of the following - 1) had the Rueben Houston incident happened at UGA and Mark Richt immediately inserted him into the starting line-up, do you think that the coverage would have consisted of a few stories in the middel/back of the Sports section, or would there have been multiple headline stories? 2) would there have been a feature story had 3 former UGA players been arrested in Monroe with a gym bag (incidently with a typical no-name tech bowl game logo)filled with pot? (btw, you can ask D’Alessio about that as he had the article from the Monroe paper), 3) would there have been a story about a tech no-name walk-on fullback arrested for urinating in public, and 4) would there have been a story about a former tech walk-on QB (no longer in school) arrested for public drunkeness? Would love your opinion. THanks.

By hattiesburgdawg

June 18, 2007 10:38 PM | Link to this

Chip:

Just because you try hard at something doesn’t me you do a good job. Steve Spurrier tried hard as an NFL coach and look at his results.

I have no beef with you, I enjoy almost everything you write. I don’t particularly care for Carter Strickland (who I have e-mailed about my concerns) and I loathe Schulz. Schulz seems to look for any opportunity he can to make fun of Coach Richt’s faith. I’m still surprised he hasn’t written an article about all the recent alcohol arrests and how Coach Richt is a failure as a Christian because of that.

Overall, I think the UGA coverage could be more positive. I don’t expect you to be tooting their horn but at least a little more postive.

By NHS Eagle88

June 18, 2007 10:49 PM | Link to this

Chip, keep doing what you are doing. I think you guys are doing a fine job of reporting the hilights and lowlights of both UGA and Tech’s athletics. I read your sports page online every day and enjoy your coverage. I don’t always agree with everyone’s take but I am educated enough to realize we all see things differently every now and again.

By I-DOG

June 18, 2007 10:56 PM | Link to this

Actually “very funny”, Dawgnation spans the globe and EVERYONE knows who we are.

I live way outside the South and EVERYONE I talk to knows about the University of Georgia, I meet Georgia Grads fairly often, and EVERYONE knows who Uga the Georgia mascot is.

I have not met one Tech grad in this region in 20 years and nobody ever talks about tech for ANY reason academic or athletic (except for the NCAA tourney a few years ago). Nobody know who are what on earth Buzz is.

tech is the one that doesn’t exist outside the state of Georgia and the South

By RODAWG

June 18, 2007 10:59 PM | Link to this

CHIP ,YOU ARE A DAWG FAN FOR SURE & THAT IS GREAT. HOWEVER YOUR OWNERS [COX] ARE MIKE ADAMS FANS & THAT SUCKS! THE AJC COULD DO MORE TO GET VINCE DOOLEY HOOKED UP WITH EX-UGA PRESIDENT SANFORD SO THAT SANFORD- DOOLEY STADIUM COULD BECOME REALITY.DAWG NATION IS DIVIDED & WISE MEN WILL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO DIVIDED HOUSES.

By Coyote

June 18, 2007 11:14 PM | Link to this

We have no problem with you Chip, never have. Never had an issue with Schlabaugh either. Most of us know you’re just doing your job. But honestly, Carter is the mainstream news equivalent of what we call on the message boards a “flame poster” and he’s proven that with his ridiculous blog entries. Worse yet, the columnists that the AJC employs, particularly Mark Bradley, Terrence Moore, and Jeff Schultz, aren’t even remotely objective when it comes to UGA or any subject for that matter. To suggest otherwise is laughable. A few positive stories or columns here and there doesn’t make up for the mountain of smear pieces that have been written over the years. I will never understand why a news organization has so much contempt for the teams they cover and the readers that pay their salary. But, the AJC isn’t alone. Local Atlanta sports radio can be just as irresponsible.

For the record, I expect the AJC to report UGA news, good and bad. What I don’t expect is to see a sarcastic opinion poll about how long it will be until the next UGA arrest. Care to defend that as legitimate “news?”

By Gen Neyland

June 18, 2007 11:34 PM | Link to this

YEARS ago, I did a stint at the AJC. Chatted it up with Grizzard once or twice about Waylon and Willie. Was there when construction on the Omni chopped wire and the AJ and/or AC printing was farmed out for an edition or two. Objectively, I feel the AJC sports Dept rides the wave between UGA and GT. If that holds true, look for alot of headlines on UGA in 2007…

By Todd A

June 19, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this

The Stafford-keg incident at Talladega was over the top imo.It was a non-story,and certainly shouldn’t have been in the AJC.Just a college kid being a college kid.

By Michael

June 19, 2007 12:27 AM | Link to this

As someone who actually does what Chip and Carter do for a living, I must tell you the Dawgvent and the Hive are about the worst places to find out what sane fans think. In fact, most blogs are horrible places to find sane opinions. If you have ever seen the blog attached to Luckovich’s cartoons, you will see this fully demonstrated. It looks more like Neal’s Nuze than a blog on a cartoon.

All of us journalists have biases. I am a UGA fan. I am more liberal than conservative. I think mass transit is a great idea and we can’t get enough of it.

However, that doesn’t mean I can’t be objective. I read columns from major conservative voices and I don’t edit a single thought of theirs. I’ll make sure it’s gramattically correct and then get it out there for people to see. That’s my job. Most of us decent journalists strive to do the same. I had one class on media ethics and another on journalism law. If you spend 15 weeks studying something, you end up knowing more about it than the average citizen.

One last thing, which will save a lot of the lunatic fringe some time: If you are reading the editorial page of a newspaper, don’t write in and complain about how biased it is. It’s a page full of opinions — the editorial board, columnists, cartoonists, and letters to the editor. Don’t slam Cynthia Tucker’s viewpoint and then turn around and claim the entire AJC has a left-wing bias. She and Jim Wooten are paid to provide their personal biases in a professional format (more creative than “Bush/Clinton is a doodyhead!”).

So long story short for the lunatics: Go learn a little something about how the news media works before you start yappin’ your heads off and sound just a little loony.

One more anecdote to back up Chip’s points: Barry Bonds. He is probably the most loathed baseball player in the league right now because more people say he used steroids than say OJ was innocent. What was one of the big stories today? Delta unveiling their “Hank Aaron 755” airplane. In my severely biased opinion (being from planet Earth), Hank Aaron has more integrity in his left thumbnail than Bonds will ever have. Bonds thinks the media is out to get him while Hank Aaron was one of the leading black figures to suggest accepting John Rocker’s apology and moving on from the incident (along with Andrew Young). Digest that for a while.

By longtimedawg

June 19, 2007 12:38 AM | Link to this

Chip, How about that HEADLINE after the UGA vs TENN game. You would never read (In gainesville or knoxville) the gators or vols were PUT IN THERE PLACE! Hell would freeze over. No problem reporting good or bad news. Problem is the local paper should support the local teams UGA & TECH. I don’t feel that with the AJC. I cancelled my paying subscription to the AJC after the TENN game last year and so did over 100 of my friends. YES, i do still read the paper but FREE online. I wish more UGA and TECH fans would cancell subscriptions to the AJC and maybe management at the AJC would understand. If I were a sports writer from atlanta and moved to BOSTON and worked for the BOSTON GLOBE and wrote articles about the REDSOX like you guys write about UGA and TECH….I would last about a week! Support your local teams UGA & TECH fans and quit paying for the AJC.

By Masovitch

June 19, 2007 1:25 AM | Link to this

Chip:

As a journalism teacher/newspaper ganaging editor once told me, “If both sides of a story are critical and mad, then you probably got it right and fair.

By leggy mountbatten

June 19, 2007 1:57 AM | Link to this

The local media treats UGA the same as the media treats everything else. The media will both build things up and tear them down. It’s the nature of the business. I wouldn’t say that the AJC has anything more for or against UGA than it does against Tech.

If Tech is kicking everyone’s butt in whatever sport, it will get the more favorable coverage. The same is true for UGA.

I’m a Georgia fan, and the UGA fans complaining about the media coverage are just the same overzealous rednecks (that probably never attended school there) that accept nothing but complete perfection from our program. They are the ones that complain about Coach Richt’s calls and still whine about Terrence Edward’s drop in the Florida game (get over yourselves!). They also couldn’t even run the length of a football field without collapsing from the tremendous weight of their swollen beer guts. Yet they think they are smarter and could coach better than Richt.

As for the Tech fans, they have an inferiority complex. After all, Tech just won their first NCAA recognized national championship in any sport…and what was that for? Women’s tennis?! Congratulations, Jackets! Have you guys beaten Georgia this millennium yet? Georgia does get more coverage than Tech (both good and bad). Do you want more coverage, Tech fans? Beat Georgia. Beat Georgia consistently. Be the sole power in this state. It’s that simple.

By Kendall

June 19, 2007 3:33 AM | Link to this

As a member of the Rivals site for over 8 years, I can tell you this, I get my real news there. This story on Ben Jones? We have known about him for months. My last straw with you was the ut headline. I lived in knoxville for 4 years and NEVER saw a headline like that in the paper there. Lived in Nashville for 8 years and never saw a headline for Vandy like that. It seems your staff revels in UGA failures. You probabaly have staffers that get sick of all the fan base and have to get the digs in when they can. Its simple human nature and you are a victim of it. Plain and simple.

By Alabama Jack

June 19, 2007 7:04 AM | Link to this

UGA messes up. AJC covers it. What’s not to like.

By happy

June 19, 2007 7:09 AM | Link to this

For some reason the AJC believes that no bias exists because they give UGA and Tech the same amount of lines in the paper. But the BIAS is in the Tone and slant of each article. The AJC can never write an article about UGA with mentioned Tech in some way so they “balance” out the coverage. Read the athens paper for your coverage, and stay away from these jokers.

By Nikki

June 19, 2007 7:19 AM | Link to this

I think coverage of UGA is fair and balanced in the AJC. About a year ago when there were far more complaints that the AJC was biased towards UGA vs. Ga. Tech, I thought the AJC was making too much of an effort to put Tech front and center and bury UGA in the back pages. Now, I think the paper has found a happy medium.

By DawgProud

June 19, 2007 7:27 AM | Link to this

Yes I think the AJC goes out of its way to dump on the Dawgs. The governor thought so too! When you interview a recent star recruit that just committed to the Dawgs and the first few questions ask did you consider Ga Tech and if not why didn’t you? When was the last time a tech recruit was asked that? You need someone to proof read this crap before it is printed.

By gary

June 19, 2007 7:36 AM | Link to this

There is no doubt in my mind some ajc writers try to put UGA in the worse possible light. Where are the stories on all the players that get in trouble at UT and UF, many of which do not receive any punishment from their schools.

Where are the articles about how UT and UF cover up their incidents and do not make many public. How about how their coaches suspend their players for easy games or even hide trouble until the upcomming big games are played, then kick the players off the teams.

What if one of UGA’s players had sold drugs and was still allowed to play ball. We would never hear the end of it.

By Braves Fan 79

June 19, 2007 7:53 AM | Link to this

whys everyone care about a sport when we already know the outcome of the season?? USC will once again be in the title game against a team with one loss…..and once AGAIN a undefeated team will get screwed over. Until theres a PLAYOFF system….COLLEGE FOOTBALL SUCKS! name one other “sport” where a stinking computer decides who gets to play for the title?
The winners of all the confrences should get together for a big tourney at the end of the year….now that would be awsome!
Boise State….the REAL undefeated defending champs!! Screw Florida…if that would of been UGA at 11-1 instead of FL, i guarntee we dont get that shot at the title. And whats the point if your a GT fan….i think any ACC team (unless named Miami or FSU) could go undefeated and STILL get screwed over for a 1 loss Michigan, Ohio State, USC, or Texas.
Any sport that a computer decides whos the champion…cant be called a sport at all!! Go Braves, Go Falcons!

By bunch

June 19, 2007 7:55 AM | Link to this

Chip, You and Carter due a solid job by me. People parsing through word counts b/w UGA and Tech or wording of headlines need to get a life. This type of bunker mentality about one’s favorite teams/programs has also reduced current political discourse in this country to ad hominen attacks.

By eddiedawg

June 19, 2007 7:56 AM | Link to this

To answer your qustion, Chip: I think Terrance Moore is biased against all white people…..

By eagle 1994

June 19, 2007 8:24 AM | Link to this

Not everyone in the state worships the dawgs and jackets. How about an occasional story about the other d-1 team in the state - GSU Eagles. Stories about the POS (current falcons lb coach) don’t count.

By 2N4YEARS

June 19, 2007 8:25 AM | Link to this

I all depends on ‘WHO’ we’re talking about here. I think, let me correct that: I KNOW that MARK BRADLEY is bias against UGA. Yeah, yeah, I’m also aware that he says he isn’t, but it’s obvious that he is. He praises the GATORS, TENN and GaTech. If and when he ever writes something good about the UGA Football program, you can bet money that they’ll be two or three negative things that follow. I remember how loud Mark was when Jim Donnon was fired and how “UGA is putting itself in the same category as ALABAMA” comments. Turns out he was way off base, as Mark Richt is the best thing that’s happened to GEORGIA FOOTBALL in a long, long time. As for you Chip, I think you try to report things as they are. I still think you lack that ‘True Bulldog Fever’, but you at least try. I’d say that you probably didn’t attend UGA,and that’s probably the reason for it.

By 2N4YEARS

June 19, 2007 8:33 AM | Link to this

Braves Fan 79 : Why do you continue to watch the Braves hoping that they’ll make it to the play-offs when you already know what the outcome is going to be? Why do YOU and collegefootballblows come to the UGA page?? Oh yeah: you’re the same person. What an idiot. It’s sad that you don’t have anything else better to do with your time. Pathetic.

By NASCARfan

June 19, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this

2N4, dude, I’m pretty sure Chip graduated from the Grady School of Journalism, and that’s the reason why he’s one of the very few writers at the AJC who’s not consistantly and constantly negative (like that POS Carter Strickland) about UGA. I’d rather have fair and balanced than the usual AJC alternative.

By Eric

June 19, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this

Chip, I fear you’re fighting a losing battle on this one.

People love to use the word “bias” when they read things that make them uncomfortable — it allows them to discredit the source rather than consider whether the reported facts might be reality. It’s easier to say “the AJC is biased” than “man, Tennessee is a lot better than Georgia this year, and they really put us in our place last night.”

Plus, let’s consider the source. When they write on this blog, the Dawgs’ faithful come off as a generally negative group of people. Georgia fans flooded the message boards to complain about this year’s recruiting class, suggesting that Richt and his staff must be slipping after pulling in a group that ranked in the top 10 in the eyes of most recruiting analysts.

The Dawgs started a freshman QB and an inexperienced O-line last year, a recipe for a “rebuilding” year in anyone’s eyes. And yet the blogging fanatics seemed personally offended by some of the unexpected losses, and wondered if the program was in trouble.

It could be argued that, despite a “down” season that produced 9 wins, the football program hasn’t been this solid in more than three decades. But reading the blog responses would leave you thinking the team finished below .500.

These reactions suggest a less than solid grip on reality, and a propensity to place blame.

That said, the Dawgs’ faithful also have a peculiar big brother/little brother relationship with the team — I can pick on my little brother all I want, but if anyone else lays a finger on him there’ll be hell to pay. If the Vols whipped the Dawgs, it’s OK to admit it at the tailgate after the game, amongst fellow Dawgs fans. But for some reason it seems to be threatening when the same sentiment appears in the paper the next morning.

The people screaming “bias” for the Tennessee headline, or whatever other “negative” Georgia story they don’t like, come off as angry and totally unreasonable, particularly regarding Carter’s reporting.

It is what it is. And I don’t think it’s going to change.

By Eric

June 19, 2007 9:17 AM | Link to this

Chip, I fear you’re fighting a losing battle on this one.

People love to use the word “bias” when they read things that make them uncomfortable — it allows them to discredit the source rather than consider whether the reported facts might be reality. It’s easier to say “the AJC is biased” than “man, Tennessee is a lot better than Georgia this year, and they really put us in our place last night.”

Plus, let’s consider the source. When they write on this blog, the Dawgs’ faithful come off as a generally negative group of people. Georgia fans flooded the message boards to complain about this year’s recruiting class, suggesting that Richt and his staff must be slipping after pulling in a group that ranked in the top 10 in the eyes of most recruiting analysts.

The Dawgs started a freshman QB and an inexperienced O-line last year, a recipe for a “rebuilding” year in anyone’s eyes. And yet the blogging fanatics seemed personally offended by some of the unexpected losses, and wondered if the program was in trouble.

It could be argued that, despite a “down” season that produced 9 wins, the football program hasn’t been this solid in more than three decades. But reading the blog responses would leave you thinking the team finished below .500.

These reactions suggest a less than solid grip on reality, and a propensity to place blame.

That said, the Dawgs’ faithful also have a peculiar big brother/little brother relationship with the team — I can pick on my little brother all I want, but if anyone else lays a finger on him there’ll be hell to pay. If the Vols whipped the Dawgs, it’s OK to admit it at the tailgate after the game, amongst fellow Dawgs fans. But for some reason it seems to be threatening when the same sentiment appears in the paper the next morning.

The people screaming “bias” for the Tennessee headline, or whatever other “negative” Georgia story they don’t like, come off as angry and totally unreasonable, particularly regarding Carter’s reporting.

It is what it is. And I don’t think it’s going to change.

By Eddie

June 19, 2007 9:19 AM | Link to this

I don’t think you’re biased against UGA … I think the reporting is pretty objective when it comes to Georgia sports. However, I honestly feel that the AJC seems to go out of its way to be supportive or write in a way that gives the impression of reverence to Georgia Tech. It feels like the paper “respects” or thinks very highly of Ga Tech. That tone is not at all represented in UGA stories.

By NASCARfan

June 19, 2007 9:20 AM | Link to this

Eric, there’s a difference in people claiming “bias” and bias actually existing. Once again, no where else where an SEC exists, no matter who bad they get whipped, would a paper ever run a headline saying “Such and Such Team puts Georgia in their Place.” Dude, and I don’t know who were talking to, but I’ve never heard any fan saying we got put in our place. The headline conjured up for me the fact that in the 90’s, Georgia’s “place” was third, EVERY year behind the Vols and Gayturds. So in essence, what the AJC was saying was that Georgia is being put back in their “rightful” place from before Mark Richt got here. I’m telling you Eric, it would have been better if the AJC just said “Vols Whip Dawgs.” At least that’s the unvarnished truth with no underlying message about what Georgia’s “place” is in the SEC East.

As for Carter not being biased, are you illiterate? When he writes about Mark Richt’s “tumult” of an offseason in regard to player “misbehavior,” when in actuality it’s been a fairly quiet summer. Or when he writes about our defense sucks because of the spring game without mentioning that hey, our offense looks to be pretty good. Or his constant snide remarks he puts in his columns and the blogs he used to write before we got him replaced. What about Carter’s piece about Bailey breeding pitbulls, with a sensational headline trying to tie him to the Michael Vick mess?

Eric, you need to open your eyes a bit. Once again, this is the only paper which harps on every single player caught with a can of beer. You don’t hear about that kind of stuff in Gainesville or Knoxville. What about the Tech player who was selling drugs and then got to play again? If that was Georgia, both Mark Bradley and Jeff Schultz would have seizures ripping UGA, Carter Strickland would have a field day, and we wouldn’t hear the end of it for years.

Eric, the bias is clear. Do you actually read any of their reporting? The tone in articles regarding UGA is ridiculously negative. It’s as clear cut as the Duke kids deserving a sincere apology from Mike Nifong’s buddy Jeff Schultz for his libel against them. But like those kids will never get an apology from Schultz for his defamation of their character, the AJC will never change their inhierantly negative slant to UGA stories.

By John

June 19, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this

Look guys this team is a little out of control. I think coach Richt needs some help from his other coaches or this is gonna keep happening. The recruiting is great year after year and the teams get worse and worse. Be objective the media is reporting the truth this team is imploding.

By GainesvilleDawg

June 19, 2007 9:28 AM | Link to this

Chip,

All that any true Dawg fan asks is that you give all the facts from an honest and truthful position. The power of a journalist is immense and I’m sure you take your responsibility serious. News is news … good or bad. It seems to me like the world could use a lot more good news than bad news. The overall negative media attitude is turning people away from many things and is beginning to affect many people’s attitude toward newspapers, radio, magazines and tv. Michael Vic, Packman Jones and many of the professional thugs are turning people away by the droves from professional sports. Let’s keep the high school level and college level as acceptable as we can since they are the last frontiers of sports that good people are going to support. I like the way you write … even at times I don’t agree with you. That’s my right and your right and but you do have the printing press…..

By Gen Neyland

June 19, 2007 9:37 AM | Link to this

Gracie

Wasn’t it 51..?

By NASCARfan

June 19, 2007 9:40 AM | Link to this

John, we already know you aren’t a true Dawg fan and are a Gayturd or Bug in disguise. Dissapear, a-hole.

By johnny

June 19, 2007 9:40 AM | Link to this

I too am also a die hard UGA Fan. But the headline after the Tenn. game last year was totally legit. Going into the game, I heard reporters refer to Ga as the most overrated 5-0 team in the history of college football. Now that was a stretch, but the next four games proved that the Dawgs weren’t the powerhouse the fans thought they’d be again. And you know what? I think that was good for them. I’m willing to bet that a meltdown midseason like last year DOES NOT happen again for a long time for the Bulldawgs. SICK EM

By Dawgspeare

June 19, 2007 10:16 AM | Link to this

Chip, you are a great writer. My beef is not with you in the slightest.

But the anti-Georgia bias is blatant.

The spring game from this year was a fantastic example. Tech’s first-teamers score on ten straight possessions over their first-team defense (considered, rightly so, to be strength of the team and very important for the upcoming season), and the articles about their performance rave about the offensive productivity, the great performance of the Tech QBs a real concern, naturally. No questions are raised about the Tech defense, it’s all because Tech’s offense will be a friggin juggernaut this season.

The Georgia spring game got the reverse coverage. Because the first team offense scored a lot fo points (not as many as Tech’s offense, mind you) we have GRAVE concerns on defense, enough to likely sink the season.

It was as blatant a thematic dychotomy as can be imagined. If I were being sarcastic and trying to show an extreme example of polarity in team coverage, I could not have come up with stronger examples.

And add to that the obscenely taunting headline from Tennessee last season.

“Dawgs are put in their place”

That’s the sort of headline I’d expect to see from the UT student newspaper. It was gloating pure and simple. Whoever makes your headlines was thrilled to death that Tennessee tore our guts out, and it showed.

Not to mention the myriad sarcastic comments made about the arrests at UGA for underage drinking and possession, with no mention about the minor and extremely common nature of the offenses from anyone except for you. Mark Bradley, and especially Jeff Schultz and Carter Strickland, who must be paid completelty on their volume of sarcastic, baiting remarks about UGA and its fans.

You should leave the place as soon as you can, lest they eat your brains and turn into… one of them (dramatic music).

By gdawginkalamazoo

June 19, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this

I think as fans we have to take the good with the bad in regards to what the AJC has to say. If don’t or can’t, then don’t read it. Chip, I appreciate what you have done in your reporting for the Bulldog Nation. I think that you are fair and have to write about both the positive and the negative. But even when writing about the negative you don’t tend to take jabs or denigrate UGA. You just report.

On the other hand, it seems that Strickland is playing the “bad cop” role. Maybe it is his job to be negative, ie, WR Pitbull story/bold headline. He goes the extra mile to take jabs and post negative items about UGA.

By Lew

June 19, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this

CHIP,

I’ve been writing sports for 40 years. Three weeks ago I wrote: “No matter what you write— somebody thinks you are wrong.”

Don’t change.

Lew Hege Editor southeast Sports Syndicate

By C-Dawg

June 19, 2007 10:40 AM | Link to this

For the most part, I think that you do a decent job on the college level. The AJC definitely shines a negative light on the Falcons, specifically Mike Vick. Any positive thing is pushed to the back, but anything negative is shown front and center for no less than 3 straight days…

By Tiger

June 19, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

I think we need to look at Athens and UGA police depatrment. H many fan are arrested on game day for drinks or having an open beer. It appears to me they are after the players.

By Eric

June 19, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this

NASCARfan, thanks for the thoughts, and the cordial tone. (I could have done without the “illiterate” comment, but that’s OK — all in fun)

To answer, yes, I read most of what they report. I grew up in Atlanta and lived there for 25 years. But I don’t live there any longer, so ajc.com is the main way I get Atlanta news and sports news.

And I still disagree with the “bias” claim.

The AJC does not harp on players opening on a can of beer. The paper does, however, report on players who are arrested for illegal alcohol use. This is news. The AJC does not make the arrests, nor does it apply the team mandated multiple-game suspensions when these arrests occur.

The suspensions will affect the team in the first two games against OSU and USC. To not report these things would be a disservice to the readers and the fans, not to mention bad journalism. If those stories didn’t make the paper, or any other media outlet, a lot of people would probably be wondering where Tripp Chandler and Akeem Hebron are in that opening game.

Personally, I don’t think a few underage alcohol arrests are a big deal. It’s college. These things happen. A couple of alcohol arrests don’t make Georgia any better or worse than any other big-time D1 schools. (Or probably any Ivy League schools — these are 18- to 20-year-olds were talking about) But the arrests and suspensions are news because they will affect the team. And the news needs to be reported.

And I still don’t see the big deal about the Tennessee headline. You wrote that the “put in their place” line conjured images for you of when the Dawgs’ place “was third, EVERY year behind the Vols and Gayturds.” I don’t think the AJC wrote that. That “third place” thought seems to be coming from your own head, not from the AJC’s reporting. Georgia won the SEC championship the previous year, so why would your mind go back to a time that was a decade ago, and then read that into the headline? I didn’t see the headline that way at all at all.

Now, I will agree that it might have saved everyone a lot of grief if they’d just written “Vols Whip Dogs.” The phrase “put in their place” was open to more interpretation than the headline writer probably intended. (your own interpretation providing proof for this) But I don’t think that’s “bias.”

The pitbull piece you mentioned, from my reading, was the exact opposite of inflammatory. I read that story as a dedicated breeder who had a love for the dogs and a respect for their lives. I read it and thought, “What a cool thing for someone so young to be involved in, and nice to know that he feels such a strong responsibility for their well-being.” I read it as the exact opposite of the charges leveled at Michael Vick’s cousin.

But if you read it differently, that’s fine. To me, that was an example of positive reporting that too often gets overlooked.

As for Shultz and Bradley, they’re columnists, and they’re paid to write their opinions. Chip’s original blog, if I read it right, was about his and Carter’s reporting and the claims that they are biased.

I just don’t agree.

By Ken Myers

June 19, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

It’s too bad most fans expect their local newspapers to be homers and cheerleaders for their local teams. Why? Correct me if I’m wrong, but one of the first things people are taught in journalism class is to NOT express your opinion in the story unless you are writing an editorial or a column. Papers that are cheerleaders for the local teams show how bad they are.

By Matt

June 19, 2007 11:01 AM | Link to this

I’d like to see more basketball and baseball stories. I recently read a good story about that new 5 star basketball recruit we landed but I know very little about the other recruits. Thanks

By NASCARfan

June 19, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this

Eric, it is all in fun, don’t mind when I’m being a blowhard.

You’ve made my point for me. The headline for the pitbull thing would lead anyone to believe it was going to be a negative story. The story inside was anything but.

The headline for the Tennessee game wasn’t just open to interpretation, it lead many (just about everyone I talked to) to my same train of thought. When you put someone in their place, it’s like a parent scolding a child. Or you put down an uppity football program that dared to win two SEC Titles while Tennessee was without Cutcliff and Florida was Zookered. That’s the meaning that many, MANY people of the Dawg Nation (including the Gov) took from that headline. I happen to believe that because of Coach Richt, this program is going to be on the same elite level for many years, no matter who coaches Florida, or who’s coaching the Tennessee offense. The AJC seemed to think different, and decided to inform us all that we were heading back to the bad old days of Goof and Donnan because Cutcliff came back to Tennessee. It was almost gleeful and happy. It was abhorent.

You still haven’t addressed the issues with Strickland labeling Georgia’s offseason as tumultous when it’s been anything but. The constant and consistant harping on every little misstep these kids make when the papers who cover other schools never print that garbage, the insane difference in covering basically the same kind of outcomes from the Bug and Dawg Spring Games: Bugs: Our Offense is Awesome!; Dawgs: Our Defense Sucks… We’re Doomed! You didn’t address Carter Strickland’s constant snide remarks about Georgia, or the AJC’s almost completely ignoring all of the Bug player issues the last two years with drugs and felonies (yet, they once again HAVE to tell us about two players walking across a parking lot with a can of beer from one apartment to another). Speaking of that story, we never get the whole picture of what happens, especially in the Tripp Chandler story. The kid walked from one apartment to another with a can of beer. I’ve done that hundreds of times. But did Strickland report the whole story (he shouldn’t have reported it at all)? No. The negative tone is evident in just about every article written about UGA by guys like Strickland.

If Matt Stafford, as a senior, is academically inelligible to play our Bowl Game, how much space, how much negativity, and how long do you think the AJC would harp on that? The answers are: Front Page of the paper and sports, with all four columnists writing about it for months on end, not to mention the voume of negative Strickland articles about it. We’d hear about it for YEARS. How long did the Ball story run? A week? Then another week before and during their bowl game? How many columnistis reported on it? One article each from three of the columnists, and that’s it. But if it’s Stafford two years from now, Dawg fans would never hear the end of it from the AJC. Ever. And if you don’t believe that, well, you’re crazy.

Chip is the only one who is fair and balanced about the Dawgs at this rag. I don’t want the paper to root for the team, Eric, but I do want them to be fair and balanced. They’re not, and it’s evident.

By shane

June 19, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

i am going to post on the subject,now that my i am over my mad spell.chip you never responded to my post,and i still think the ajc not serving half the state is more important.now,to the subject at hand,i don’t think the ajc is biased against the dogs.the two players being suspended was news,a story that needed to be told.i do not like the way young men are exposed to ridicule,in the old days this would have been handled in-house,and if they were suspended at all it would have been,”undisclosed violation of team rules”.we live in a different world now and these guys live in a fish-bowl.the athens cops are being tough on drinking and it is for all students,not just athletes.dr adams never liked the “party schol”label.young people,listen up,if you party in athens,you could be in big trouble.

By papadog

June 19, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this

Of course your biased against The U of GA. When one of our players gets arrested or flunks out of school, everything would be ok, heck we wouldn’t even have to suspend ‘em if ya’ll would stop writing about it! Why don’t I see stories about the Tech recruits struggling to qualify for school in May or June? Why don’t you write about the Tech players getting arrested?!

By DawgByte

June 19, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

Overall I think the AJC is fair towards UGA. Sometimes the choice of headline words may contribute to some fans feeling there is a bias against us. Personally I think the reporting is balanced, although I think some reports Schultz and Moore in particular play certain cards to get noticed. Schultz is not from the State of Georgia and obviously has no bias or allegiance towards any of the home teams. He gets his rocks off tweaking all local fan bases. Moore on the other hand plays the race card, or encorporate race into 95% of his articles.

I don’t really care what the AJC thinks or says about UGA. You have to consider the source.

By Greg

June 19, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this

I have lived in Knoxville the past 2 years and have never read anything about UT in their 5-6 season in the Knoxville News Sentinel as bad as some of the things I read last year in AJC about UGA!

By Alex

June 19, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this

Get a life people!

By NSBDAWG

June 19, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this

DawgBite has it right. The reporting seems to be fairly balanced. Let’s face it, I’m a booster and I will never be happy with a headline that reads 11 UGA players arrested. But the Op-Ed type stuff the Schultz and Moore periodically spew is nauseating. Back a couple years ago, Moore said the UGA fan base was just rooting for DJ Shockley to fail so we could still wish Greene were around. Schultz said as a factual statement that he never bothered disclaiming or retracting that something like 27 players (number may be incorrect) were suspended for the opener in ‘05 when in fact it was around 7 or so. I wrote both of them and took them on and to his credit, Schultz wrote me back and we carried a good dialogue. Moore, he knew he threw the race card, he knew he was on the carpet and didn’t bother responding to me.
In summation, no, the reporting is fair. However, the AJC opinions have apparently never let facts get in the way!

By Eric

June 19, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this

NASCARfan, it seems to me like you’re the one who is making the point. In my original post, I wrote: “When they write on this blog, the Dawgs’ faithful come off as a generally negative group of people” and that the reactions often “suggest a less than solid grip on reality, and a propensity to place blame.”

In your most recent post, you wrote that the Tennessee headline “lead many (just about everyone I talked to) to my same train of thought.”

In my view, this is an example of overly negative, sensitive Dawgs fans reading something into the headline — meaning a reference to the mid-1990s teams — that was simply not there. The phrase “putting them in their place” could just as easily mean “their place was not in the AP top 10 in 2006,” which was totally accurate.

The fact that you, and “just about everyone you talked to,” read a Goff or Donnan reference into that sentence is not the fault of the AJC. I’m sorry, I see any reference in that headline to “an uppity football program that dared to win two SEC Titles while Tennessee was without Cutcliff and Florida was Zookered.” If a reader infers all of that from a simple headline, I think the fault for that lies with the reader, not the writer.

Georgia has beaten Tennessee, what, 4 out of 6 years? Might even more than that… Why is the assumption from you, as the reader, to still read that headline as suggesting that Georgia is the inferior program? Sounds like an inferiority complex. Personally, I think Georgia is the better program, with the better coach, and I simply did not, and do not, see that reference in that headline. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that point, because we obviously see it differently.

I didn’t remember the pit bull headline, but I googled it and found: “Bulldogs’ Bailey defends pit-bull breed.” What is negative about that? Again, there must be some inference that I’m not seeing, because the only literal reference in that headline is to a Georgia player who is defending a dog breed that is traditionally associated with violence. How can that be construed as a negative against the University of Georgia?

As for the “tumultuous” offseason… well, they do have multiple players suspended for the first couple games because of disciplinary reasons. And one player, a former big-time recruit (Hebron), had to leave school because of disciplinary reasons. That, to me, constitutes tumultuous.

Regarding Chandler’s arrest, I agree, that seems like no big deal to me — college kids drink, and I have no problem with that and don’t in any way view it as a bad reflection on Chandler’s character or the football team. But Carter is not the one who arrested him for such a minor infraction. Carter covers the football team, so the fact that the starting tight end was arrested and faces likely suspension has to be reported.

The reason I didn’t address the “snide comments” is because it’s not something that I’ve noticed in his reporting. It seems like a non-specific accusation, and I didn’t see anything factual in your subsequent post to refute. Can you give me an example of his snide comments? I’m not saying they’re not there, just that that is not something I have noticed. And if you have an example, can it please be a direct quote from one of his stories, with a couple of surrounding paragraphs, so I can see the word-for-word quote and the context?.

And finally, yes, it would be big news if Stafford, as a senior, is declared ineligible before the bowl game, and the AJC would make a very big deal out of it. And you know what? They’d be right to make a big deal of it. I think you and I probably agree that by the time he’s a senior, he’s going to be a Heisman candidate (hell, he might have already won one by that point), and the team is going to be in the top five. I believe that. And that makes it big, big news, worthy of a lot of coverage from a newspaper.

The AJC covered the Reggie Ball situation, and I know that because I read it. And plenty of that coverage was negative. Again, I know because I read it. But Reggie Ball was also a below average QB on a team that was slightly better than mediocre for all of his four years. The team, and the player, were not nearly as newsworthy as a perennial top 10 program (Georgia) and a future No. 1 draft pick (Stafford).

Georgia plays in a better conference, has a consistently better team, and is on TV more. The expectation is that Georgia should contend for a conference and national championship every year. That, simply, makes Georgia bigger news than Georgia Tech, whose own outgoing AD as much as admitted the team isn’t expected to compete on a high level. It makes Stafford bigger news that Reggie Ball.

When Georgia players, who come in with high accolades and high expectations, have mishaps such as arrests and suspensions, they’re going to end up in the newspaper. That’s just the way it is. It’s part of being a great, big-time program, which Georgia is.

There’s nothing wrong with loving your team so much that that you can’t be objective. That’s fine. That’s why sports is such a great distraction.

But my (very long-winded) point is I think it’s a little unreasonable when that leads to lobbing casual accusations about the professional competence of the people who cover that team for a living, particularly when they’re just covering the facts as they happen.

By Pitbull

June 19, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

Chip, I will say it again:

I think that the AJC prints anything and everything just to stir up the waters and sell more papers or attract more hits to your web site.

The headlines are written by your editors expressly for that purpose in order to max out your advertising revenue.

Anyone with a real understanding of newspapers knows that advertising revenue is the true source of profits for a newspaper. Advertising revenue rates are set by the size of the paper circulation or number of your web site hits. The 50 cents you pay at the counter hardly pays for the paper and the ink.

The AJC uses UGA as an easy emotionally charged target to sell more papers and get more web site hits. It does so shamelessly and the public recognizes it. I feel the need to go take a shower after some of the stories and headlines you publish.

I read about UGA’s business arrangement with Nike. Now all of the GT players have Russell printed on their uniforms and I have read nothing of that business arrangement. Why not?

I read a headline that UT put UGA in its place (and they did beat us bad), but was it necessary to put down college student athletes who did their best, but let the game get away from them?

Where is the balance that communicates that it is just a game (not the end of thw world) and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You do not have to win them all to have a good team and be proud.

I am proud of UGA for not giving up last season and fighting back against 3 very good teams to finish 9-4 for the season. That is a great season and a lot of teams would love to have it.

The headline about our WR Bailey having pet pitbulls was written like it was an expansion of the Michael Vick story, but when you read it you found out differently.

But it was written to sell copies wasn’t it?

BTW, I saw Bailey’s dad on the CSS sports show with some other athletes’ dads the other night, and it was apparent that he comes from a good home and family. How about a story on that, or would it not sell?

Then there is the annual AJC campaign to stir up a UGA QB controversey every summer in order to up sales. We cannot have a summer without one of those can we? Maybe the uncalled for keg story that didn’t pan out took its place this year.

What a scoop (or rather poop)! A UGA QB lifts an empty beer keg over his head and poses for a picture. Let’s run the story and see if we can put the screws to him and UGA at the same time.

I also have to laugh at Furman Bisher. He never writes anything about UGA unless it is negative. He never writes anything about GT unless it is positive. Let’s see: Bobby Dodd was such a great interview that “he practically wrote the lead for a young reporter.”

I bet he did, and the AJC ran it just that way. I always did think that Furman had a boyhood crush on Coach Dodd that he couldn’t outgrow.

I cannot believe how the AJC reports every traffic infraction and open container violation that these kids have like you were reporting on mall shootings. It has made the AJC pretty much of a joke and that is why people are turning away from it.

All of metro Atlanta’s other newspapers and other Georgia city newspapers are on line now (Google Georgia newspapers). The internet has changed reporting, and UGA supporters, GT supporters, and other schools’ supporters have a lot more alternatives now than just the AJC to follow their teams.

I suggest that readers go to these web sites if they do not feel they are getting fair and balanced coverage by the AJC. Let the AJC dry up and downsize some more and it will figure out when it hits their balance sheet that they need to be fair and balanced too.

By Agree with Eric

June 19, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this

As my name suggests, I agree with Eric. At times the AJC will use titles that are a tad broad on interpretation, but that just allows them to reach more people and/or to bring more interest to what the article entails. When I read “Tennessee Beats UGA”…well…there is the whole article in the title. But if I read “Tennessee puts UGA in their place”…I am not 100% sure what is meant by that, so I read on…

It’s a ploy…an advertising ploy…to gain readership. AJC does it very well, or they wouldn’t be the largest newspaper in the Southeast. At times they can tend to get a bit tabloid-ish, but they aren’t the Washington Post or New York Times. They are a regional newspaper, not a national newspaper. They have to run the puff pieces to gain more readership, which in turn brings in more advertising dollars (AJC’s choice to publish pictures of Stafford and substantiated claims of underaged drinking was poor choice and very Tabloid comes to mind).

On a note of clarification of confusion by my fellow reader, Eric…the pitbull article hyperlink was a poor choice of words as the one you found is not the one that 90% of readers saw. “Bailey Breeds Pitbulls” was the title and the fact that it came out right in the height of the Vick scandal can only lead you in one direction, whereas the article had nothing to do with the Vick situation. Just overall poor choice.

All in all, the AJC could do better, but they are biased one way or another. They cover UGA more because they ARE the bigger school with the better athletics and academics than any other public university in the state. They will receive the lionshare of the attention in whichever way it comes down the pipe. I would look at it as flattery that you get covered WAY more than your rival, Tech.

By NASCARfan

June 19, 2007 12:54 PM | Link to this

For the pitbull article, the headline for the print edition and the online was different.

They also changed the online edition headline two or three times. At least one of them made no mention of Baily “defending” the breed, and was something as simple as “Like Vick, Bulldog Wideout Breeds Pitbulls.”

Now, how would you take that article?

Eric, I’m not an oversensitive, overnegative DawgFan. In fact, I’ve frequently been a voice of reason here. And if I see this kind of bias (especially from Strickland) at the paper, that tells me that it is here. I don’t look for it, but it’s here. And many other even-minded fans will tell you at the very least that Carter Strickland is a snide a-hole.

By Eric

June 19, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this

Agreed, the “Bailey Breeds Pitbulls” headline is a little different. Again, it doesn’t necessarily accuse him of anything, but I can see how, under the current climate with the Vick investigation ongoing, there might be a lot inferred by that headline.

By DrDawg

June 19, 2007 1:30 PM | Link to this

I don’t know who “manages” the UGA Vent, but I don’t think it is expecting too much for an update once a day. Sometimes it’s not updated for three or four days or more.

By NASCARfan

June 19, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this

And Eric, that’s EXACTLY what is was supposed to infer. These people are smart. They now this story is selling, even if most of us are sick of it. They know we’re going to get PO’d at Carter Strickland for his anti-UGA attitude, so they and he plays it up. Terence Moore knows his reverse-racism is going to make people angry, and thus create hits for the site, so he plays it up.

It’s about Cox having a complete monopoly with the AJC. It’s about not having the Atlanta Journal around anymore to offer a balance. Yeah, it is wrong that the Editorial Board is all a bunch of left-wing liberals except one. Where’s the balance in that? How about some libertarians, like me? I’m a libertarian, or closer to libertarian than a left or right winger. Where’s my voice? When you have a monopoly, you don’t have to provide balance for everyone. You can be a mouthpiece, like Pravda. All major cities have more than one paper to provide people with a choice and with balance. Atlanta doesn’t. If there were two papers, and the AC employed Strickland and his negative bias, the AJ would employ someone with a more positive slant. As it is, because it’s about money and web hits, it makes more fiscal sense to p** off your readership, because it creates far more hits. Which creates far more revenue.

Journalistic ethics and integrity be damned.

Once again, you’ve not responded to the ridculous bias that came out of the Bug and Dawg Spring Games. You’ve not responded to that because then you’d have to admit that there is blatant anti-Dawg bias in the AJC with everyone except for Chip, who once again, keeps it balanced, which is all I ask for. I’m not a reactionary, Eric. I don’t want a rah-rah paper. But I also don’t want the AJC’s current coverage. Once again, papers in other towns don’t report about their teams like the AJC reports about UGA. The guy in Tennessee even said his paper wasn’t nearly as negative about UT’s 5-6 season as the AJC was about UGA’s 9-4 season last year. It’s there, Eric.

By Joel

June 19, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

Do your editors read your blog posts? Your grammar is terrible.

By Chip Towers

June 19, 2007 2:59 PM | Link to this

Sorry I haven’t been able to weigh in today. Been downtown attending a bunch of meetings. I’ll try to get to as many posts as possible but, first of all, I’ll address Pitbull before I start on my drive back to Athens.

I don’t agree with your assertion that we do anything to stir up controversy among the UGA faithful. The truth is, we cover EVERYTHING about UGA, good or bad or indifferent… . And as far as your “scoop” allegation about the Stafford lifting a keg thing, that was all over the message boards way before we did anything about it. Nobody got mad when somebody linked the pictures on the dawgvent. But they got mad when we made the pictures available to our readers and wrote a story on it. And the story we wrote was about all the scrutiny any Division I starting quarterback is under in today’s society — and the Georgia quarterback in particular — and asked the question, “should this be news?” Why should that upset anybody or make them mad at us? Again, it’s a cliche but it’s true: People want to kill the messenger.

By Chip Towers

June 19, 2007 3:10 PM | Link to this

Oh, and Joel, my editors do NOT edit my blogs. This stuff is as raw as it comes. Normally I’m typing as fast as my fingers will allow and just sending my thoughts right off the top of my head. My stories — hopefully — will be mistake free. But this whole humanity thing can get us all from time to time. Know what I mean?

By Joe

June 19, 2007 3:12 PM | Link to this

I’m a UGA College of Pharmacy graduate. As I read the opinions above, I’m wondering that if there is NO bias in Carter Strickland’s reporting, as some have claimed, then WHY is this even a topic for discussion on this scale ? The fact that SO many people detect negativity in the reporting DOES mean something. It may not be intentional, malicious in intent, or even conscious, but it’s obviously there. Part of responsible communication is taking the time to think about how effectively and accurately the communication is going to be received by the recipients. If one doesn’t care enough to do that, then one deserves the resulting negative backlash. Strickland and Schultz should take a lesson from the game of baseball - when umpiring is at its best, it’s invisible. Likewise, when RESPONSIBLE REPORTING is at its best, it TOO is invisible. Reporters should REPORT the news, not MAKE the news. The AJC is OUR state newspaper - for GEORGIA and GEORGIA TECH - and our state newspaper should support our own schools before those of other states. That’s what other state newspapers seem to do, and I’ve read quite a few on football road trips. The headline after the Ga-Tn game last year was a totally needless insult to all Georgia fans and alumni, and needless negativity has continued. AJC, clean up your act - some of your reporters are great, but others need correction/instruction. Perhaps Mr. Strickland should issue a statement on what his position on this matter is. I really like articles written by Mr. Bradley and Mr. Towers, so I’m not anti-AJC, but I will call a spade a spade when I see one. Thanks.

Joseph R. Evans, RPh

By Buck Cochran in the NW

June 19, 2007 3:16 PM | Link to this

IMO, the story about the Dawg player raising Pit Bulls was the perfect antidote to the Vick stories and the time to tell about another side was perfect. With CS, I do think he’s has an anti-Dawg bias and I’m happy that maybe, just maybe he won’t be the beat writer to cover the Dawgs in ‘07 but I think I remember Chip saying CS would cover Ga. FB. Chip, help me out here. Is that the set up for the coming season? The Tenn. head line?…Dawgs Come Unglued. Still I don’t have any problem with the headline that was written. Still agree with Gracie from yesterday. The Stafford Keg story? It was all over the country with the pictures as well and if the AJC hadn’t covered it the way they did , I can hear all the shouting even now that they were covering up the Star Dawg QB. The sports dept. is given so much space for the sports section so that means the a decision on how much ink is given to every story has to be made on a daily basis. I may have missed it, but IMO the biggest story since CMR came to Athens still hasn’t been covered in any type of in depth story. Piece meal references have been made to it but the changes that have taken place with Mark Richt is the story for the ‘07 season. The Banner -Herald had a story about how CMR has changes his priorities but I think that a story this big would warrant a complete column in the AJC. When CMR starts cutting back on speaking engagements to church groups and others along with the big time coaching changes so he can focus more of his time to being the HC at Ga., that to me is big news. Why? don’t know. when did he 1st. start thinking that these changes needed to be made? don’t know. I don’t see any big time bias against the Dawgs except CS doesn’t seem to care very much about Ga. but then I don’t want “Homers” writing stories, I want reporters doing that job. Bias? in J’ville when I was a T.V. reporter, the last club that invited me to speak was the Bulldawg club because some member felt that I was a Reptile fan yet Claude Felton will tell you that I gave the Dawgs equals billing withe the “‘Nole and the Reptiles when the other T.V. outlets didn’t. People are always going to claim that a writer or publication is biased when 95% of the time they aren’t.

By Toom

June 19, 2007 3:24 PM | Link to this

This is always a hot topic with Dawg fans. For years, I was frustrated with the LACK of coverage by the AJC and a subtle snobbery by the paper when it proclaimed Atlanta an international city, and therefore, not as consumed by college football as other SEC-oriented towns. Specifically, 1. while true, you guys have a lot more to cover, you’re also proportionately larger and should, in my mind, not shortchange the UGA faithful because there are other games in town. 2. Doesn’t there come a time when y’all at the paper think like businessmen and ask what your customers want? Hmmm. 92,000 in Athens, crazy UGA people all over the state, and the Braves, Hawks, and Tech wonder if anyone cares. And I pick up my paper to see some crap on women’s hoops or International Soccer. So the plea is to simply meet the demand that exists. 3. The arrogant reply, “There’s nothing to report on UGA football” has been the party line and to a UGA fan, this is never true. Give us something, has been the call and to the paper’s credit, (love the Sunday countdown) y’all seem to be getting the message.

As for negativity, I think there have been times when the paper treats UGA like another pro team, which is to say, emphasizing the negative and expecting, and thus, NOT emphasizing, the positive. That seems to be the main complaint from the UGA crowd (not the irrational ones, granted) Other local papers are critical but there’s passion behind their critique. Never lost is the over-arching theme in their coverage (and I frequent several of them on the web, the State, Knoxville, etc) is “if you live here, this is the place to be.” We’ve missed some of that good will due the flagship university. Of course we want and expect due criticism of our team, but the nuances of college football require less Yanks and Red Sox - Eagles and Giants, and a little more Southern hospitality, pride, and maybe a touch of personal investment.

In other words, college football is a lot like family. When you’re a member of the family, you can talk about how crazy they all are, but if you’re an outsider, your comments need to be tempered.

My Two Cents

By Eric

June 19, 2007 3:30 PM | Link to this

Hey NASCARfan, cut me some slack, I’m responding to each of your individual claims as thoroughly as I can. And I’m trying to hold down a job at the same time, which isn’t easy!

The spring game is the spring game. I read all of that stuff with interest, but not do or die interest. So Carter said the defense doesn’t look good. So what? The defense lost most of the linebackers, most of the D-line, and a potential All America corner. My guess — he’s probably right. The defense probably didn’t look good. What defense would look good after losing so much and only practicing for two weeks?

But it’s spring. The Dawgs aren’t going to sink or swim in the spring, and the defense isn’t going to sink or swim in the spring. And I don’t think Carter’s comments regarding the defense are meant to condemn the 2007 season. I read that stuff as saying — the defense has a long way to go to get ready for the season, which I’m sure it probably does.

As I said, I don’t think Carter has a “negative bias,” and therefore I don’t really buy the idea that the AJ would employ someone with a “more positive slant” to counter Carter’s coverage.

I think Dawg fans (of which I am one) are passionate about their team… and a good number of them are also passionate about their hatred for Florida and Fulmer, and really sensitive when it comes to any perceived slight in the newspaper. I can’t speak knowledgably about the Gainesville and Knoxville papers, because I don’t read them. But I’m guessing that they report it when players get arrested, and when the players are going to miss games, which is appropriate for any newspaper report. To say that “papers in other towns don’t report about their teams like the AJC reports about UGA,” is, I bet, incorrect, but again I can’t really judge because I don’t care enough about Tennessee and Florida waste my time reading about them.

As for Terence Moore and the editorial board, etc, that’s another argument altogether. Terence has been writing what he writes for many, many years, predating the internet, so I’m doubtful that “creating hits” is his goal. And the editorial board is a completely separate entity from the news and sports divisions, separated on a different floor, so one has nothing to do with the other. Editorial boards, by definition, create a unified, opinionated voice for the paper. If you don’t agree with that voice, that’s fine. It’s certainly within your rights to not read or agree with the AJC’s editorials. But I don’t think that has anything to do with UGA, or Chip and Carter’s coverage of UGA. Personally, I don’t read the sports section hoping for any sort of political commentary.

In the end, as I’ve said, we’ll agree to disagree on the basic idea that UGA gets biased coverage. I don’t think it’s there, and any fervent belief that there is bias will always strike me as misplaced, overzealous boosterism.

By McDonoughDawg

June 19, 2007 3:32 PM | Link to this

I’m famous in my own mind.

By 94Dawg

June 19, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this

Whatever you do, don’t base any opinion on those people. Like most schools, the ‘verbal’ so-called fans represent maybe 5% of the total. A newspaper’s job is to report, not “boost.” Those homers just don’t get that, is all.

By Dawg4life

June 19, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

Chip,

Good topic here for the BLOG! I put that in uppercase because I think it gets clouded in people’s minds that blogs are meant to provoke conversation and thought among its readers, which is exactly what the AJC’s blogs do. There’s a difference in objective reporting and what is seen on the blog (though I’m sure someone with Chip’s obvious dedication to being an objective reporter probably can’t help but writing on the blog about something objective). As a journalist myself, I can’t say I understand what all the fuss is about. So what if UGA players are getting arrested and the paper reports about it? That’s what the journalists are SUPPOSED to do. That’s what they get paid for. If you don’t want to read about the negative happenings, then don’t read the paper. Journalists have the obligation to disseminate all the facts of any given subject, happening or topic…regardless of whether it casts that subject in a positive or negative light. I, for one, thought following up all the stories of player arrests with the totally positive story of Mark Richt and his family’s mission trip to Honduras was a wonderful thing.

Anyway, Chip, rest assured that you’re doing a fantastic job with covering the Dawgs. Like you said, if you’re making people on most sides of the fence mad, then you’re definitely doing your job.

By the way, not meaning to be negative or anything, but did anyone read the story in the Athens Banner Herald about Tony Taylor getting arrested for reckless driving and speeding? Something must have been up because don’t they usually just issue citations for speeding, even if you’re going more than 25 mph over the limit?

Here’s the link to the article: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/061907/news_taylor.shtml

By AltamahaDawg

June 19, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this

I do not think the AJC should have run any kind of a story on the athens police department, becasue that is not news, the law is in place, the players know the rules, whats the big scandal? The ABH piece was pure opinion, no differently that that paper not validating what Schultz writes. So chip, for my money your employer didn’t miss any great scoop there that the A/CC police are overzelous.

For the record, I agree, scold em and send them home, BUT you simply cannot compare game day Saturday allowances with a couple of underage student walking in plain sight at 3am. Not sure why thats been an argument. No you can’t arrest 15,000 people on game day any more than you can pull over 15,000 speeders during I-285 rush hour, but try to run 110 thru downtown at 3 am and see what happens.

By Humper

June 19, 2007 4:05 PM | Link to this

maybe you don’t remember the Jabari Davis recruiting articles and the innuendo that UGA was involved in the Bama/Memphis recruiting scandal “reported” by the AJC..haven’t bought an issue of your paper since and don’t plan to in the near future..ps: I don’t post on that lame-azz rivals site and would suggest there’s nothing to read there worth talking about..

By NASCARfan

June 19, 2007 4:07 PM | Link to this

Eric,

Yeah, we disagree, but you’re missing my point, I think. Yeah, it’s just the Spring Game. But the tone of what Carter writes when compared to the tone of what Winklejohn writes. It doesn’t have to be big giant bias (though, when the outcomes are the same and Winklejohn says “Tech Offense is Great” and Strickland says “UGA Defense Sucks,” that is EXACTLY the smoking gun you’re looking for), sometimes it’s subtle. And a lot of the backhanded things Carter Strickland writes are subtle, but the tone and the snide intent are still wrong.

Like Christopher Walken says, “Your… tone… it’s all… WRONG.”

By AltamahaDawg

June 19, 2007 5:12 PM | Link to this

how about this classic Carter quote “His academics are a a bit questionable, which has really never been a big issue at georgia”, or to that effect.

By Eric

June 19, 2007 5:53 PM | Link to this

OK, we’re both on the record. Good debate. Bring on the Cowboys… and a little more cowbell.

By socaldawg

June 19, 2007 6:55 PM | Link to this

I need more cowbell.

By AltamahaDawg

June 19, 2007 6:58 PM | Link to this

I got a fever, and the only cure is more cowbell!

By Chip Towers

June 19, 2007 7:12 PM | Link to this

Hey, anybody want to be quoted on Larry Munson for a story for the newspaper? If so, contact me at my e-mail address and give me a phone number and I’ll call you… . The subject is in general what do you think Georgia broadcasts might be like without Munson at the mike. Also looking for personal anecdotes about Munson or your interactions with him. My e-mail is ctowers@ajc.com.

By RED and BLACK

June 19, 2007 8:01 PM | Link to this

Why no story on GTU rambling Wreck being wrecked? It happened Friday down in Forsyth.

By gjg

June 19, 2007 8:51 PM | Link to this

While I don’t LIKE the AJC, I think Chip does a GREAT job with this blog. Keep up the good work!!

By Cuz

June 19, 2007 9:26 PM | Link to this

Man, take the weekend off, go through a Chinese fire drill at work on Monday and Tuesday and finally get to the AJC and the blog. I wish I had half a day to read these responses, I buzzed through a few of my pals and yes reality, you are right, Carter the ignorant slut does get points when I call him that. Dang he just got more points.

Chip, I think you guys report. That is your job. I think Carter, the ignorant slut, loves to get our dander up and blogs just to laugh at the response. Proving he is ignorant and though I do not know personally, probably a slut also. I enjoy his articles, hate his blogs.

You on the otherhand, appear to actually enjoy covering all UGA sports and trying your best to come up with blog topics that get good responses. Feel free to steal from us anytime, the regular bloggers don’t care and are glad to help with topics.

Enough of the admiration society, go egg the ignorant slut’s car for me.

By CapeCodDawg

June 19, 2007 10:18 PM | Link to this

Um… I just appreciate the columns and the blogs. Lets get back to football and not worry who likes you or not . If you know in your heart YOU are fair,then everyone else can go S%^t in their hat.

By Gen Neyland

June 20, 2007 12:01 AM | Link to this

Cuz

Eggs..? To show ‘em how much one really cares, spray paint is back in vogue. Comes in a variety of colors and it’ll give his Escort a bump up in value…

By suwanee

June 20, 2007 8:22 AM | Link to this

Having lived in Tallahassee for a few years, I will say that the way the hometown schools are treated there is quite different from the way they are treated here. But with that being said, I do prefer my news (whatever kind) to be matter of fact. I don’t need the writers’ opinions or any cutesy one-liners (of which Carter does have a habit of doing). I’m intelligent enough to gather what I need to from what I read, as long as the reporting is accurate and complete. And if I do want your opinion, I’ll read the editorials. With the exception of Jeff Schultz, who is more obnoxious than witty.

I recently wrote to Carter about his coverage of the NCAA tennis tournament in Athens. I thanked him for being giving us reports everyday from an event that’s been very special to Athenians and UGA fans in general through the years. The amount of info. that we got each day was unprecedented. For that, I thought Carter should get credit and I told him that.

However, towards the end of the tournament he wrote an article on UF’s #1 men’s player, who is outstanding and a worthy subject for an article. It was an appropriate topic and I had no problems with it. What I did have a problem with is that he twisted a few facts and left out a few others involving UGA. Maybe he (or his editor) thinks that UGA football fans don’t follow tennis and won’t catch these things?

While it’s true that the Gator player was the only man to defeat UGA’s #1 John Isner this year, he couldn’t help but add a little barb that Florida was UGA’s “nemesis” in all sports (news to the national champ Gym Dogs, women’s basketball team, men’s and women’s golf teams, and women’s swim team) including tennis too. This despite the fact that UGA has now gone 2 regular seasons in a row undefeated, including several regular season and tournament wins over Florida in the process. In fact, only days earlier UGA had defeated Florida for the second time this season and eliminated the Gators from the tournement, 4-0. And just for good measure, the women’s tennis team was 2-0 vs. Florida this year as well. So add them to the list of UGA teams that are surprised to hear that they can’t beat the Gators.

Or better yet, since the article is about a Gator player, how about just leaving UGA out of it altogether? The young man is a good enough subject to write a feature article on, then put 100% of the attention of the article on him.

He then incorrectly stated for a second time that the UF player had attended the “Chris Everett Tennis Academy.” Her name is Chris Evert. She’s only one the greatest American female sports figure of the 20th century.

I don’t know Carter. And I don’t know if his editors add or subtract little things that they think improves his work. But the tweaking, the ommitting, and the twisting in that article is exactly the reason why more than a few people think the AJC likes to stir it up.

Like the pharmacy student above said, if it merits a blog piece and this much conversation, then perhaps the AJC should take a hard look at itself in an effort to keep their reporting top notch and unbiased - one way or the other.

I don’t have anything against Chip. I read your work too and have heard you give interviews on several occasions. And I suppose it’s admirable if you want to defend a co-worker. We’ve all had to do that before.

But, Chip, the AJC and the press in general is not above criticism. And no one at that paper should ever assume that they are smarter than their readers. Many of us have read enough news in our lives to recognize when journalists step out of their supposed role of objectivity. Whether it’s the editing or the writers themselves, there are times when it happens at your paper.

By scooter11

June 20, 2007 9:41 AM | Link to this

I wish the AJC would go back to those Sunday sequential pictures of long football plays with the dotted lines showing the flight of the ball or the route of the runner. Those pictures told the real story - not a biased one.

By crs

June 20, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this

I really like that in 2008 recruiting the dogs really seem to be closing the borders off in GA. The long term success of this program is recruiting in GA and we just seem to be getting better and better in that regard. While we don’t have the depth of talent in this state of a FL, TX or CAL, our top tier is definatly as good and in many cases better. Great job, to Richt, Bobo and Garner. Also, bravo to Richt for his willingness to adjust, first with Bobo and then with his recruiting philosophy of not visting recruits, him getting out there I believe is the key to the success of the 08 class thus far.

By Dawg4life

June 20, 2007 12:25 PM | Link to this

Amen Eric! You’re hitting it right on the button!!! Glad you understand what constitutes news and that it’s a reporter’s job not to condemn those they’re reporting about (whether it’s underage drinking, speeding, traffic citations, touchdown passes, Heisman trophy nominations, etc.) but to simply report on it when it qualifies as news.

GO DAWGS!!!

By Buck Cochran in the NW

June 20, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

CRS, THANKS. I THINK WE’RE IN AN “ECHO”CHAMBER.

By 2N4YEARS

June 20, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this

suwanee : I couldn’t have said it better myself. I still think it goes back to the fact that these guys attended other schools, thus not really having any loyalty to UGA.

By I-DOG

June 20, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

Altamaha Dawg:

We agree on a lot more than we disagree. I have a different take on this than you do.

There IS something DIFFERENT going on in Athens. It isn’t just one incident. When I was in school there, I did not know of a single person arrested for open container, nor did I hear about any during my time there. I had heard of a few cases where the police told the students to pour it out and move on. NEVER an arrest.

Four players have been suspended from five seperate incidents where alchohol was the only issue. This all in the last 18 months or so. That seems unusual to me. Why have we NEVER heard of a player being arrested or suspended for alc posession at another school?

A guy at Florida fires an automatic weapon, six penn State players are arrested for assault and battery. Two Georgia players are arrested for holding a cup of beer (one was 21).

If there is nothing unusual going on, then there should be 30-40 similar incidents at other schools… but there aren’t.

By Pitbull

June 20, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

I-DOG, much worse things are going on at other schools including Tech, but the AJC chooses not to report them unless they are so large (100 pounds of pot delivered to campus, 12 academically ineligible players playing football over a 7 year period) that the AJC dare not ignore the story as the story is coming out anyway.

Newspapers fight any form of external censorship on the basis of the First Ammendment as they rightfully should.

However they censor themselves from writing what they do not wish to publicize (like the 3 former Tech players arrested in Monroe which did not appear in the AJC).

If it had benn 3 former UGA players, you would have seen big headlines on the front page, the front sports page, and the AJC web site.

That is the kind of crap that UGA fans are sick of. I suggest that every UGA fan and alum refuse to buy the AJC and let their circulation dwindle.

Go to http://www.usnpl.com/ganews.php for a list of every newpaper in Georgia and hot links to their web sites.

Pick some and start reading them and dump on the AJC since the AJC dumped on UGA, its players, coaches, alumni, students, and fans starting long ago.

By Pitbull

June 21, 2007 7:27 PM | Link to this

With 112 Division 1A schools, UGA is playing the 14th most difficult schedule in the country and the AJC is asking if that is too soft. What is Tech’s scedule ranked, or is that not news?

There goes the AJC bias again.

By shane

June 22, 2007 1:42 PM | Link to this

uga uses rivals scouting service,the ajc uses scout.com.rvals and scout are competeing.rivals had uga’s 2007 recruits ranked no.9,scout ranked the same class at no. 17, as did the ajc.HMMMMMMMMM………