UGA

By DawgGrad311

November 28, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

These players are treated like Gods on campus and in the local media, but they need to realize that they are still studentathletes, and they must fulfill both obligations they agreed to. They still have one hill to climb before they can let go of the books, and that’s making it to the pros, and obviouslly not every player is guaranteed that right. So, I think it is great that they are emphasizing this at UGA, b/c most likely these athletes will take a degree with them in the real world and not a ball. For those that make it to the pros, and degree is not a bad thing to have as a back-up anyway.

By nola dawg

November 28, 2007 3:13 PM | Link to this

Chip - I usually love your articles and blogs… but that headline is completely IRRESPONSIBLE. The end of the article you paint the picture of UGA sports academics as improving and you say about that the program is working. Then how in the HECK can you classify that a train wreck. C’mon man, I know you guys at the AJC love to find ways to pick at UGA, but this is really poor journalism.

By Class of '92

November 28, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Chip,

First of all, I’m a big fan of your writing and your blogs.

I know you don’t write the headlines, but seriously, did the AJC.Com editors even read your story before conjuring up “UGA Hoops A Train Wreck” and a cutline that reads in part, “…detail how — during the tenure of head basketball coach Dennis Felton — academic performance among players has deteriorated.”

I saw these headlines and cutlines and was bracing for a tough-to-swallow expose about how the coaches had skirted academic issues and looked the other way as academic administrators screamed about poor student-athlete performance.

Instead, I read a story about a tough coach, a tougher AD, and an uncompromising system that has 14 young men on a path to graduate on time or ahead of schedule — unheard of in modern college basketball.

I hope that tomorrow’s paper will contain headlines that tell the reader about what’s really in the story, rather than sensationalizing one sentence from a six-month old email.

While the turmoil in the basketball program is hard to stomach for many fans and alumni, I’d much rather have this as the root cause than the problems associated with Harrick error (era).

By gdawginkalamazoo

November 28, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

Chip, we could just adopt Florida’s policy of having a 100% graduation rate in all sports. That way nobody feels left out.

By Fort Worth Dawg

November 28, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this

Strict policies, to be sure. Was it Akeem Dent who got bumped due to the strict alcohol policy? I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that UGA should assign a personal assistant to every blue chip football player to escort him to classes and academic advising — maybe have a police escort to get them to class on time. You just know that someday the starting QB or the Heisman candidate is going to get busted on this. (Who was the FSU QB who missed a final and then missed a bowl game?)

We could have used Paul Oliver this year. I don’t know if stricter policies would have kept him in school or run him off faster.

Bottom line, I think it’s the student’s responsibility to go to class but I think they should only be penalized if the professor makes attendance a requirement. I had a physics class at UGA where the highest grade was from a guy who never went to class and read the textbook on his own. The goal is to know the material. On the other hand there are some classes where not being present arguably hurts other students because you are denying them interaction and discussion - but that should be a professor’s call. I think Felton is trying and I think his kids will graduate. I also wonder if he thinks he is snake-bit and if he wonders if staying at Western KY might not have been better.

PS: Nice investigative journalism, Chip.

By Gary

November 28, 2007 3:38 PM | Link to this

Nola dawg, the headline was a quote from one of the academic officials, it was not an opinion by Chip. I don’t think the AJC is biased against Georgia even though I suspect some individuals there may be. It was a great article Chip and I appreciated the insight into what the Georgia athletic department is trying to do to turn around the grad rate of athletes. Coaches bust their butts trying to get star athletes to come to Georgia only to find some of those guys expect a free ride. College is hard. I know it was when I went there. These guys get a lot more help than typical students so the least they can do is take advantage of it. The vast majority of players will never play in the pros so they need something to fall back on. Even if they make it in the pros, an athletic career doesn’t last forever. Want to coach? You need a degree. Ask Dominique. He expressed an interest in coaching at Georgia but could not be considered because he never bothered to finish his degree. You don’t have to be a genius to get a college degree, but you do have to work at it. I appreciate Felton’s desire to turn this program around the right way with the right kind of players. Those who want to be leaders on the court and in the classroom. It’s not too much to as that they show up for class and tutoring. Here’s hoping the newest bulldogs and this year’s recruits understand what is expected and step up. Go Dawgs!

By Gordon

November 28, 2007 3:42 PM | Link to this

I am a Tech fan, so I’m not in the habit of handing out compliments to UGA, but I have to say what they are doing is terrific. There is no reason an athlete can’t attend class or pass courses with all the help they get from tutors. That includes Tech, where there are fewer majors that a typical college athlete might choose.

I also have to agree with what “nola dawg” and “class of 92” said above. Someone just glancing at this without looking deeper would think UGA is just running an athlete plantation, but that is clearly not the case.

By SuwaneeDawg

November 28, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this

I, for one, am ecstatic about these requirements. I know it doesn’t always work out that way but these guys go to college to get an education and it’s past time for them to realize that. As most Georgia alumni and fans, I get sick and tired of hearing the jokes and other comments about how easy it is at UGA, how we have no academic standards, our athletes are stupid, etc., so anything that can be done to counteract that train of thought is ok by me.

Also, Chip - I’m not one to jump on the AJC and accuse you guys of being out to get UGA and I also know that the people who write the columns and stories don’t write the headlines. However, when I saw the headline for your story my first thought was, “Good grief, what now?!” However, after I read it, my take was, ok - they have obviously had some problems but are working hard at correcting them. And if, when the new rankings come out in the spring, it is us and Vandy at the top, I think that is WONDERFUL news and is proof positive that the general butt-kicking around the athletic dept. is working. I guess that’s a long winded way of saying your headline writers need help.

By JB

November 28, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this

The headline, picture and bulk of the article are pretty misleading.

BIG shame that this part:

He points with pride to his team’s Academic Performance Rates. The APR is a real-time projection of how student-athletes are performing toward graduation.

Georgia is outperforming every team in the SEC except for Vanderbilt in the latest APR, according to Felton. The results will be made public in the spring.

“Of the 12 teams in the SEC, eight of them are going to fail to meet the NCAA standard this year,” Felton said. “Almost half, 43.6 percent of Division I teams, are going to fall below the NCAA’s cutoff. Not us. We’re at the top.”

aren’t more properly positioned. That part speaks VOLUMES, as to where they are and where they are headed.

By dawgdone

November 28, 2007 3:53 PM | Link to this

Amen, nola dawg. The story is well-done, but the headline is misleading to say the least. Let’s hope cooler heads prevail for the print edition.

By War Eagle

November 28, 2007 3:55 PM | Link to this

I never understood why basketball players have a lower graduation rate than football because the numbers are larger: football 85, basketball 15? I know Duke, Florida and few other basketball schools have 100% rate. I know Bama sags in both…

By brent

November 28, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this

Chip — I read the piece (well done, by the way), and I feel very confident about the direction of the basketball program under coach Felton, and academics in general among athletes under this new policy. I do agree with others who were appalled at the headline, however. Although, correct me if I’m wrong — but you don’t get to write your own headlines, correct? I’m guessing some sensationalist editor came up with that?

By Paul O'Neill

November 28, 2007 4:12 PM | Link to this

Chip, you did a great job on the piece. I have a wonkish question. The story states the records were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, which is a federal statute. Why did you have to go that route, rather than through the Georgia Open Records Act? Thanks. And, again, great job of exposing the backstory.

By Chip Towers

November 28, 2007 4:16 PM | Link to this

To answer your questions, no, I do not write the headlines.

By Chip Towers

November 28, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this

Paul, when making such requests we reference both acts in our written requests. The statutes themselves would not have to be utilized unless a legal battle resulted over materials.

By nola dawg

November 28, 2007 4:25 PM | Link to this

Chip - my apologies then about the headline comment, didn’t know someone else wrote those. Hopefully they can change it for the print addition.

You do a great job in this space… it’s the best, most “in the know” discussion of UGA sports.

Everyone keep prayin’ those left coast folks see the light and take the dawgs out to Pasadena. I am going for sure if we get the invite.

By A-ville Ranger

November 28, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this

The graduation rates for our athletes has been shameful.I think it’s imperitive to do whatever is necessary to lift these numbers to respectable levels.If we could achieve the highest grad rates in the conference for football and basketball players it seems to me we should take at least as much pride in that as we would an SEC football or basketball title.This is something that requires tough love,anything else would be using these kids.

By Dawgbyte

November 28, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this

I applaud what AD Evans and Coach Felton are doing. UGA is not a farm team for the pros, in football or basketball; it is a proud University. I have no problem with the players being given extra help—what with all the extra effort they put out—but they must still do the work and make the grades. If it impacts the teams, I will be sorry(just as I was when we lost Oliver)but, so be it. I think all graduates and students will feel that way and only the “subway alumni” will have the problem. So, I say this to them: Deal with it!

By Get the Picture

November 28, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this

Chip, the headline on the website for your article on the basketball team is unfair and misleading. The headline states UGA basketball is a “train wreck.” Reading the article, however, it explains the problems the academic problems the team has had over the last few months and the steps that have been taken to improve the situation. The “trainwreck” quoted in the article only referred to the academic status of a few (albeit important)players, not the program as a whole. The descriptive paragraph underneathe the headline is not much better. The headline is deceptive, and is the sort of thing UGA fans are referring to when complaining about a perceived “bias” at the AJC. I know you don’t write the headlines, but the headline writer should not have used such a deceptively pejorative headline for your article. I notice this sort of thing occurring all the time with the online edition of the AJC. Perhaps the sports headline writers need to be more closely monitored.

By UGAAlum

November 28, 2007 4:56 PM | Link to this

As a UGA grad and former undergraduate instructor at this university, I had over 30 UGA student-athletes in my classes over the course of the 2006-2007 adacemic year. As a former student-athlete myself, I understand the pressures of maintaining your GPA, excelling in your respective sport, and keeping a positive and consistent interaction with family, friends, coaches, and teammates.

Although I was impressed with many of the student-athletes I taught (three members of the football team and one member of the men’s basketball team came in to my office regularly and politely asked me to help them with how to study effectively, etc. - I was impressed with this as many of my other students did not utilize office hours at all), I still believe that there is a lingering attitude amongst players and academic officials (whether they care to publicly admit this or not) that student-athletes should receive special treatment in terms of academics.

I had one well-known UGA football player (who I might add is still on the team) continually disrupt my class and the students (cursing in class, talking out of turn, etc.) I had numerous discussions with his academic advisor and related staff about this issue and was ignored. This student-athlete constantly complained how “easy” the class was and then proceeded to flunk the class. I was then bombarded with phone calls, emails, and office visits from academic advisors and GAs, some of whom infomed me that it was MY responsibility to inform THEM (the academic advisors) of their respective players’ reading assignments, projects, exams, etc. From my experience and interaction with various other instructors and professors at UGA, this is not an uncommon occurance (at least at that time).

Although I do agree with the author of this particular article in that many (but not all) of the UGA coaching and student-athlete academic advising staff understand that it is ultimately up to the student-athlete to make the decision to do what needs to be done in order to stay eligible and graduate, I still feel that there is an enourmous amount of “hand-holding” between the academic advising staff and student-athletes. It’s ridiculous to me to see academic advisors running all over campus in an attempt to gather information that their student-athletes should be giving them.

While I applaud the UGA AD and the academic staff for “getting tough” on student athletes, I hope that this is not just another public statement made in the hopes of making public outcry disappear.

By Jim

November 28, 2007 5:15 PM | Link to this

I applaud this stance. No loss in any sport has ever embarassed me - as an alum and as a fan - the way the Kemp and Harrick scandals did. Keep up the good work, coach.

The headline IS misleading. Not surprising, given that the web version of the AJC has adopted the attention-getting tactics of local TV news.

By brandon

November 28, 2007 5:36 PM | Link to this

These rules will hurt UGA sports. No other SEC team has these strict attendance rules. Most intructors don’t care if one is at class or not. As long as the tests are taken.

By Southgadawg1

November 28, 2007 5:47 PM | Link to this

FIRE FELTON!! Our Team gets worse every year, and obviously the players are not buying what he is selling. The Team was “thuggish” when Harrick was around, but at least they were good ball players. Now we have crappy b-ball players, and they still act “thuggish”. The only solution…start over and…FIRE FELTON!!

By Forrest Gump

November 28, 2007 5:59 PM | Link to this

Shades of “Basketball 101.” In spite of Michael Adams’ constant crowing about academic achievement, UGA remains near the bottom in academics and near the top in player arrests and bad behavior, including unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in football.

By AltamahaDawg

November 28, 2007 6:03 PM | Link to this

“worse every year” huh. Can you even name a player on (our) team?

Did you really think you were fooling anyone?

By A-ville Ranger

November 28, 2007 6:22 PM | Link to this

I’ve just read where the SEC commissioner would consider a plus one where after the four BCS bowls they would choose two teams from the four winners to play for a championship.These people must be the biggest bunch wankers in the world.Why not call it a plus two,three or whatever childish euphemism lets them pretend to keep this bs system and play two weeks with three games after the bowls to at least have a team that’s proved itself against the other seven highest rated teams ?

By JimmyG

November 28, 2007 6:45 PM | Link to this

Chip,

Coach Felton does not like you and has not liked you for about a year or so now. It has become obvious that you are trying to derail his program now, and I wish you would allow someone else to cover the mens basketball team. Every time you take a cheap shot by saying “Season Derailed” “Could have used suspended players” “No chance at dance this year” “Promising season ruined” it p** coach Felton off. The statements he made a while back about ” I don’t know how people can say our season is ruined” were directed at you and you know it. Now you go snooping around and get this memo. Are you trying to run Felton out of town? Are you taking personal attacks at him, because he doesn’t always seem happy to see you and can you blame him? The players are tired of you using their nicknames while talking to them like you know them. For example quit calling Sundiata, Yata when you talk to him. Yata is what his friends, teammates, and family members call him. Not you. Please leave the basketball team alone.

10-2 season yeah I said we could do it after the Tennessee loss so go look it up, and I said some things that people didn’t like including yourself but they turned out to work. Open it up and throw it down the field - Check, Bailey and Massaquoi increased playing time to gain consistancy - check, feed one back - check just to name a few. We appreciate the job you do Chip we really do, but for those of us who are close to the program and know what goes on behind the scenes and know what will work please quit acting like you do. Reporting is your job, trying to derail a teams season because of your personal problems with a coach who views you as a little annoying man with a recorder is annoying to us. We love Georgia like you should as an alum, and we don’t like to hear the negativity that you bring to any program. Now I know you arent going to like this and you might put the ban on me on here but im going to start reporting things before you all the time instead of every now and then like I have done in the past: Black Jerseys, golf team members being arrested with Hebron for example

By Francine

November 28, 2007 6:55 PM | Link to this

The UGA basketball academic demise does nothing but affirm one important matter: The world still loves David Hasslehoff.

By JimmyG

November 28, 2007 6:56 PM | Link to this

Nevermind, you will benefit from me writing on the blog. So I am not going to read the blogs anymore. Due your job, you do not have a write up about tonights game on here. You dont have anything about Scout.Com and Rivals.com having the Baby Dawgs on the Freshman All-American teams.

By Dawgbyte

November 28, 2007 7:15 PM | Link to this

Yes Chip, “due” your job and ban braindeads such a JimmyG from this blog and let him go read all of that recruiting crapola.

By DawgHare

November 28, 2007 8:00 PM | Link to this

Amen Dawgbyte! Great article Chip. I think most fans are confident in Coach Felton and the direction of the program. My fear is that after he gets things going some traditional hoops school will start courting him as happened with Tubby Smith. Don’t have to worry about that now though. But Coach Felton is the real deal. I know people mostly care about football, but we are very fortunate to have Felton at UGA. We’ve had outstanding success in many sports, and I believe he will finally bring that to men’s basketball.

By MisterT

November 28, 2007 9:08 PM | Link to this

OK guys, I am a Tech guy and this has absolutely nothing to do with this blog, but AJC did not give anyone anywhere to comment on this.

What the Hell is Hershel thinking challenging a 62 year old man to a fist fight?

I am a little disappointed that the Ol’ Ball Coach couldn’t think of a better comeback than “I don’t believe in fighting”. I believe that is the closest Spurrier has ever been to speechless. I would have loved to have seen the look on his face.

Hillarious!

By SamoanDawg

November 28, 2007 9:34 PM | Link to this

I agree 110%.

By Lowcountry Bulldawg

November 28, 2007 9:37 PM | Link to this

Ok at some point the bottle has to be taken from the baby. These areyoung men 18-22 years old who should not have to get wakeup calls, reminders for morning tutoring, reminders to go to class, reminders to go to evening tutoring and reminders to do there homework. At some point Felton had no choice but to cut the cord loss and get rid of the dead weight. I applaud him for doing this at the risk of a losing season. My hats off to the remaining players and the work they have put into the program. This should be a rallying cry to Dawg Nation to fill Stegman and support this team. They certainly will need it.

By Lee

November 28, 2007 9:45 PM | Link to this

I too applaud Coach Felton in his efforts to improve the athletic academics at UGA and hope that this is not just some dog and pony show to placate the NCAA.

Let’s face it, there are a lot of these athletes who have no business being on a college campus without a mop and broom in hand.

If B-ball programs such as DUKE can field championship caliber teams year after year and graduate a high percentage of players, then surely UGA can do it.

I think it is high time they put the emphasis back on the student in STUDENT-athlete.

By Chip Towers

November 28, 2007 10:52 PM | Link to this

JimmyG: I like Dennis Felton and I like most of the Georgia basketball players. But I don’t give a ding-dong-dang whether they like me or not and I certainly don’t care if you like me or not. Let’s be clear about that and get it out of the way. I am a professional reporter and I have a job to do. I don’t know what vision you have about what it is reporters do but when three players are suspended for 30 games and the top two scorers get kicked off the team, you’re supposed to look into it and you report on what you find. As for Felton, I think he and everyone on his staff would tell you that I have been more than fair with my coverage of the team these last five years. In fact a couple of his assistants have told me that on more than one occasion. But I’m not looking for their approval or yours, only the approval of the newspaper that employs me and pays me to do my job… . As for you “reporting” things before me on this blog, report away buddy, if you want to call it that. I’m sure your fellow posters would appreciate the inside information. However, in the real world I operate in I can’t just come out and write something I know or I think I know without direct attribution from credible sources… . If you really feel strongly about the things you say, why don’t you e-mail directly at ctowers@ajc.com and we can discuss it.

By A-ville Ranger

November 29, 2007 1:33 AM | Link to this

I saw comments made by a Fiesta Bowl rep where he said he would have no reservations in inviting UGA because they’ve had good results in the past when SEC teams played there and they travel well.This reminded me,I was in Tempe when Tenn beat FSU in 1999 for their championship.I lived in Western Colorado at the time and was there on vacation,I didn’t go to the game because tickets were too high since I didn’t have Dawgs in the hunt.What stood out was the sea of orange in town.I must have seen 30’000 or more Vols fans to perhaps 5’000 FSU folks.I had drinks with a group from Knoxville who had driven all the way to Tempe and didn’t know if they could get enough tickets but as they stated it was worth it just for the party.I don’t know if we can put those numbers there,especially since there wouldn’t be a title on the line but I trust we’d have a good showing.For those who havn’t been to the valley of the sun in Jan it’s great,more like south Florida than a cowboy culture and the weather was perfect.

By gator the dog catcher

November 29, 2007 8:01 AM | Link to this

Chip - I think Jimmy G may be BuLLdawg’s new name. BuLLdawg started writing his long entries after he said that he could do a better job than Carter. Everyone is an expert! Eventhough I’m a gator, I enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the good work!

By 82DAWG

November 29, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this

I am not sure UGA is necessarily going overboard on the academic policies, however, I remember this happening in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s and it put us on an uneven playing field in the SEC. It possibly resulted in Dooley retiring as head coach, it absolutely had a factor in the Dick Sheridan fiasco which lead to the hiring of Goff and spiral down of the football program that ultimately lead to the firing of Goff and Donnan and some of the darkest days in Georgia athletics. I hope that this is not the start of that crusade again. Either way, I think we all need to bracee ourselves for the bloodletting of popular and crucial football players. How many of you remember the days of the academic deathwatches?

By AltamahaDawg

November 29, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this

I’m not sure GTDC. Jimmy doesn’t seem to have mastered the 12 line nonsensical run on sentence, chopped up into 3 independent clauses, unconnected by any appearant conjuctions. Can’t be BD.

By Forrest Gump

November 29, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this

I am a retired professor from the University System of GA with teaching experience at UGA. While the academic and behavior problems at Georgia are serious and widespread, they are certainly not uncommon throughout the SEC and other athletic conferences. Many athletes are attending universities only as an access point to big professional contracts. Some of these athletes, and Mike Vick is a prime example, were treated as “special” characters since they first picked up a football or basketball. They were not subject to academic rules or rules of behavior. Coaches and adminsitrators catered to them at all levels. I think that Vick believed Arthur Blank’s money and influence would make his present legal problems vanish like the parking tickets and water bottle in Florida, which actually did vanish. At the university level, coaches can exert an influence on these problem children by not letting them play, and thus limiting their exposure to pro scouts and big contracts. Coaches are supposed to be teachers, too. When Mark Richt urges his players to run on the field and celebrate, in violation of the rules of the game, he is teaching the wrong things. Against Tech, Morino threw his helmet in response to Richt taking him out of the game. Richt should have sent him to the bench. College is supposed to be a learning experience for young men and women where they are exposed to different people and new ideas. You can’t learn those things if you don’t go to class. Perhaps the most ridiculous example of entitlement recently was the meeting of the players’ mothers at Arkansas with the AD because their children were not playing enough. Some athletes at Georgia and elsewhere are learning that they are, indeed, entitled, and this behavior is getting more and more professional athletes in trouble with the law and with criminal elements when they leave the university where they have been “coddled” and protected by coaches and administrators. There has been another change in recent years among university presidents that contributes to these problems. Many presidents are not educators. They are politicians and fund raisers. They spin things. The university is presenting this academic problem as evidence that things are being fixed, but this is completely reactive to public attention and numbers that cannot be covered or manipulated. The AJC received 200 documents, but it did not receive transcripts of hundreds of conversations and perhaps threats from administrators to instructors, who are frequently graduate assistants with no job protection at all. Things will change only when exposed to daylight and public outrage, and that will only happen through vigorous investigation and reporting by the media.

By Randy

November 29, 2007 10:17 AM | Link to this

To Brandon and others with comments like his, here are the facts:

1 - UGA is at the bottom of the SEC in graduation rates for most all of their scholar/athletes. 2 – UGA is an institution of higher learning. 3 – To learn, you need to attend classes (not just take the tests). 4 – The rules were put in place and appropriately communicated to all staff and athletes to return the focus to the academic portion of the athlete’s scholarship (they knew the rules but chose to ignore them) 5 – If you are at the bottom, you have to work harder to get out. Much like your reputation that, once tarnished, you have to work hard to regain the respect you have lost. UGA is at the bottom so stricter rules were put in place to correct the sins of the previous years.

You are right, other SEC schools do not have this strict set of rules to be followed. Florida, for example, is at the top so if they wouldn’t have a need for the rules would they?

If you are only concerned with the results on the field or court of play then you need to drop your support of college athletics and focus on the professional teams.

By joe79

November 29, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this

Gents, Ive been a long time reader on the UGA blogs but never have left any comments except the occasional one-liner. I remember reading a year or so ago, frequently seeing a poster by the name of “Buck in the NW”. I always enjoyed his posts, as I do the majority of yours (Cuz, Nascardawg, AltamahaDawg, etc to name a few) but the recent posts about him having died (if I am reading that correctly) are a little disheartening. He seemed like a good man, a fine dawg-fan. So, basically, I’d like to know what happened to him… if anyone could oblige… Thanks

By Gen Neyland

November 29, 2007 12:25 PM | Link to this

Joe 79

Cancer..

By trah

November 29, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this

IT’S ABOUT TIME

By johnhash

November 29, 2007 1:12 PM | Link to this

When will UGA fans acknowledge the deal they’ve made with the devil … that the school (or maybe I should say students and alumni) are all too willing to sacrifice academic integrity for the cause of athletic success. By no means do I believe UGA alone in this folly. But few schools have attained quite the notoriety for “troubled athletes, troubled programs” as UGA. And for all that, how many NCAA football and basketball national titles can UGA claim? You would think UGA students would cry out for more accountability from their athletes (or should I say, the coaches and boosters who want to “win at all costs”). At the end of the day, a national ranking in football or basketball doesn’t amount to much when you’re talking about academic reputation.

By SunDawg

November 29, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

GTDC, Good to see you’re alive and well. Waiting for the bowl decisions like the rest of us?

By A-ville Ranger

November 29, 2007 3:38 PM | Link to this

johnhash Talk about being late to the party.Is your computer that slow ?Did you send that post in 2005 ? Do you have any sense what so ever of the conversation we’ve been having or the institutional changes made ? Your last post reads like you just dropped in with no background on the subject and didn’t bother to catch up before expressing your opinion.

By I-DOG

November 29, 2007 4:19 PM | Link to this

Nola Dog,

I have to side with the AJC on this one. Given that two incredibly important players on the UGA b-ball team were dismissed for academics… it is indeed a train wreck. Two players in b-ball are the difference between an NCAA invite and a .500 record.

That doesn’t mean that it is Evans or Felton’s fault. I agree with you that the players themselves are really the only ones to blame.

Chip,

I support UGA’s tougher stance on academics with it’s players. I don’t think this is going to affect football the same way that it will b-ball. I would expect that we might see a couple of suspensions for some guys in football and maybe a guy or two kicked off the team for academics but no more than that.

In football, my perception is that we are able to be more picky on who we take (character, effort, academics) than we are in b-ball because so mamy great football players want to play at UGA. We didn’t recruit that little running back out of S. Florida last year that went to W. Virginia as an example.

On the B-ball side if a kid from Atlanta has an 1100 SAT and is ranked in the top 20 players in the nation, he has so many choices and we aren’t getting that kid.

We are getting the kid who can play, but may be a litle small, or has potential but not a great player yet or is a great player but has a marginal academic record and we just hold our breath.

By Atlanta Gator

November 29, 2007 4:43 PM | Link to this

gdawg~zoo & Randy——There is a reason why the Gator football and basketball teams currently have graduation rates among the best in Division I sports; the university and athletic association are already enforcing get-tough class attendance and related academic rules for student-athletes like the ones UGA is now implementing.

I know you Dawg fans sometimes express yourselves vehemently regarding your athletic rivalry with the Gators, but give credit where credit is due. University of Florida coaches, administrators and athletic department staff have done their flat-out best to comply with NCAA rules since UF’s run-ins with the NCAA in the 1980s.

Gator athletes are kept on a very short academic leash. If you don’t go to class, you don’t play. If you don’t make academic progress, you’re off the team. It’s really simple, but by enforcing these rules consistently, you manage the expectations of everyone involved. Senior athletes take it upon themselves to razz underclassmen who don’t fulfill their responsibilities. Success builds on success, and failure becomes unacceptable. That’s the way things are supposed to work.

And let’s be honest: you don’t have to be rocket scientist to graduate from college. You go to class, you do the reading, you turn in your papers on time, and you show up for exams. For the relatively rare kid who is pre-med or a math or physics major, it’s harder, but the vast majority of student-athletes are PE, business or liberal arts majors, where their biggest concern is passing statistics or survey calculus for business.

By justinhunt

November 30, 2007 10:35 PM | Link to this

i know this is off topic, but if Georgia goes and plays in the Orange bowl like the people at AJC think they will. I will take that as if we get no respect in the Nation. We lost 2 games just like the majority of the other teams included one to a tennesse team who is competing for the SEC championship and a South Carolina team who is coached by one of the best coaches, aslo we were a young immature team back then.

By Lee

December 1, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this

I agree, it is a train wreck. However, the train started derailing long before these athletes got to college.

The decline of public education in America has been the topic of many articles and essays. There is plenty of blame to go around. The most damning are the accounts of students being passed from grade to grade who cannot do the work until one day, they wind up in high school but are performing on an elementary school level. The athletes who go onto division 1 college athletics are usually THE premier athlete in their high schools. They usually excell at two or more varsity sports.

For many, they should have spent their afternoons in the library instead of the practice field.

If they are good enough, these colleges will manipulated the system in order to get them enrolled in college. UGA sends several to Hargrave Military Academy for a year and then transfers them into UGA.

The very fact that UGA athletic Association has FORTY class checkers just to make sure these athletes attend class is pretty damning. Add to that the army of tutors, academic counselors, et al just to lead these guys around by the hand.

Why do they do that? Because MILLION$ of DOLLAR$ are at stake here. Two or three playmakers on the football field might be the difference between being a #20 team and being a top 5 team.

Personally, I think that an athlete should have to apply and get accepted just like every other student who walks through the door at UGA. That’s really the only way to clean this mess up.

By screwUGA

December 3, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this

Wow somebody finally figured out UGA is a sports farm with little or no academic standards. Inman was one of the dumbest kids in the history of the world and he graduated. UGA is concerned with making money and winning. I hope Hi beats you all back to the stoneage.

By Jamie Gaverts

December 7, 2007 7:24 AM | Link to this

Chip, did you just write: “Is it possible to say the Dogs are emphasizing academics too much?” Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Til you write the real reason Brown and Mercer got kicked off the basketball team, you keep believing this little charade you continue to write about. UGA - where the tail wags the dog.

By Chris

December 9, 2007 10:23 PM | Link to this

UGA shouldn’t be in the business of running minor league sports franchises in the first place, so it should receive every measure of criticism for its long tradition of admitting athletes to school who have no business in an institution of higher learning. Every time such an athlete steps foot on campus, it cheapens the value of the degrees the rest of us earned there.