UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 15
Monday, October 15, 2007
Jumping for joy, other thoughts . .
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Random thoughts heading into the off week and preparations for Florida in Jacksonville:
• Just one man’s humble opinion, but I thought too much was made of Georgia’s players jumping on the Vanderbilt emblem at midfield, including the reaction of head coach Mark Richt.
I was feverishly typing on deadline at the moment it happened but I didn’t think anything of it other than Georgia’s players were excited about winning and jumping up and down and holding up their helmets in celebration. I didn’t actually witness Richt tossing players around but quickly heard about it from other folks.
Here’s the deal: When teams win, especially in the last seconds, their 18-to-21-year-old players jump up and down and around in celebratation. Everybody walks out to the middle of the field after every game. That happens to be where the home team’s insignia is.
For the most part I don’t think anybody’s trying to show anybody else up and that’s what the Bulldogs were saying afterward. And I think Richt is showing a little inconsistency on this issue. I can’t remember if it was Tennessee or Auburn or who but somebody beat them at home in the last year or two and the opponent’s players were jumping on the “G” at midfield at Sanford Stadium.
Richt was asked if he had a problem with that. He said, “no, they’re just excited about winning and they deserve to jump anywhere they like,” or something to that effect. I think the real hidden truth was Richt was disturbed his guys were so excited about beating Vanderbilt. The good news is the next time they play will be on a neutral field and, believe me, if Georgia wins, I don’t think Richt will have a problem with his players jumping on anything… .
• And on the subject of Vanderbilt, guys, this isn’t the Vandy we all know, in the same way Kentucky is not typical Kentucky this year.
I’ve had to explain this a few times since Saturday so I might as well air it out here and y’all can agree or disagree. College football, because of its transient nature, is a series of peaks and valleys. Every four or five years, every team is going to be pretty good.
At the moment, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are at or somewhere near the peak of their performance grid. The Bulldogs, by contrast, have been toward the bottom of theirs the last couple of years. But they’ll go back up and Vandy and Kentucky will go back down.
I was looking at the Commodores’ roster and there were a lot of juniors and seniors on there, many with redshirt years. Teams, no matter their history and tradition, can sign only sign 25 players a year and keep a maximum of 85. That means a lot of good players are going elsewhere every year.
Vandy had 20 Georgians on its roster, most of whom played significant roles. And regardless of pedigree, you take a player worthy enough to be offered a Division I, BCS conference-level scholarship, feed him training table, have him on a rigid workout regimen, teach him the playbook and coach him up every day for four or five years, then that guy is going to be better than the grand majority of four- and five-star recruits with two years or less experience.
From where I sit, Georgia’s pendulum is near the bottom of its swing but its about to be heading back up. And the Bulldogs’ valley gets you eight or nine wins. Vandy and Kentucky and their ilk can go as low as zero. Again, just one man’s opinion… .
• I’ve really had my heart tugged on over the weekend. I really admired Alec Kessler while I was covering the basketball team from 1988-90 and I actually knew his older brother Chad even better. Chad and I attended UGA at the same time, had a couple of classes together and actually studied with him a couple of times (it still irks me that we studied the same and he made an A and I, well, didn’t make an A).
But, sincerely, Alec was one of the most impressive individuals I’ve ever met and it’s just so sad he should die so young and to go the way he did with his wife and family and right there to see it. My heart goes out to them… .
• Then there was the news on Kregg Lumpkin, another super individual who had worked so hard for this, his senior season. Looks like he suffered a fairly serious knee injury and may be out for the year. Hopefully his NFL draft stock won’t bottom out and scouts will recognize his special abilities and solid character… .
• I don’t know about you but I don’t doubt for a minute Thomas Brown will make it back for the Florida game. I’ve learned to never doubt that kid… . And speaking of tailbacks, as Ft. Worth Dawg pointed out on the last blog, I wonder how Danny Ware is feeling about now? Dogs could use him and methinks he could use the Dogs. Anyway, say this for Danny: He may have a bright future as a talent scout himself because he certainly saw in Knowshon Moreno what we’re all seeing now.
That’s all for now. I’ll be checking back in.
Permalink | Comments (164) | Post your comment | Categories: Football
