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 > 2008 > March
March 2008
Spectacular win earns Felton brief reprieve
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was why we love sports. It was why guys like me get into this business. It’s why coaches crave the competition and challenge and why players ALWAYS believe they’re going to win.
Raise your hand if you expected Georgia to win that game last night against an Ole Miss team desperate to get into the NCAA tournament. Let’s hear from those of you that felt the beleaguered Bulldogs, whose coach currently sits in the hottest seat int he league, would advance to the SEC tournament quarterfinals. Who among you thought Dave Bliss would ever end up taking the final shot in a must-win game — and make it?
Well he did and they did and, as a result, the Dogs get another game tonight. After its spectacular 97-95 win in overtime, Georgia draws mighty Kentucky, a team that beat it narrowly twice this season but did so with freshman Patrick Patterson playing a major role. Patterson is out for the season with a stress fracture and the Dogs are raring to go.
Lost in all the excitement and drama — such Georgia fouling the 3-point shooter not once but twice — was the fact that it was a very well-played game, especially by the Bulldogs. They shot 54 percent overall and 41 from 3 and, most importantly, was 26-of-32 (81.3 percent) from the foul line where they came in averaging 67 percent.
On the other side of the court, the Rebels shot 47 percent, got 55 inside-outside points from Dwayne Curtis (26) and David Huertas (29) and had 17 offensive rebounds. It’s not like Ole Miss showed up and laid an egg. They simply got out-played.
“It was a tremendous game,” Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. “I wish I could’ve enjoyed it. Unfortunatley I couldn’t. Both teams came and played extremely hard, and they made one more play.”
Said Felton: “I thought the game was played at a very, very high level. Both teams played very well.”
Of course, it was a nightmare scenario for us writers. It was already a ridiculous deadline crunch we were under BEFORE the game went into overtime at 12:15 a.m. The presses had been rolling since before midnight and I’m having to write what we call a “running” story. That’s made doubly difficult when the game is as close as it is. So I had one version going at the top of my screen that had Ole Miss winning and one at the bottom with Georgia winning. It’s the fear of sportswriters everywhere to delete the wrong one and send the wrong version. So If my story didn’t make much sense, I apologize. I was just doing the best I could.
Anyway, I guess the question I was asked most after the game was, “does this save Felton’s job?” or some version thereof. I can’t tell you what Damon Evans is thinking at the moment but, with all the consideration he has given the situation to this point, I doubt one win over Ole Miss is going to change his mind. Now two or three in this event and certainly a tournament title could change anything.
One reporter asked Felton that very question and he nearly bit the guy’s head off. “How could I possibly sit here and do Damon Evans’ thinking for him,” he groused. “I would tell you that’s a question best suited for Damon.”
But pulling off the unexpected is why coaches and players love to play these games and that’s why we love to watch them. It’s a 9:45 p.m. scheduled tip again tonight and I’ll be there to see what happens. And I’ll have a rooting interest: A good game decided in regulation!
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Multifaceted decision on Felton’s fate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the first time since Georgia’s basketball season went into this prolonged swoon, coach Dennis Felton this past Saturday defended the job he has done with the Bulldogs and, consequently, acknowledged that his job is indeed on the line.
In case you missed it, in summary, Felton said he thought it was “bizarre” that anyone would question the work he has done at UGA; he compared the Bulldogs’ situation to the similar ones at Baylor, St. Johns and St. Bonaventure and said Georgia has done better overall than all three while playing in a much tougher league and against tougher competition overall; he said they’re recruiting great at the moment and close to being where he wants to competitively; and he said while this season was “definitely a step back,” he added that virtually no coach could have overcome the personnel losses the Dogs incurred.
It was a pretty passionate defense Felton delivered to me and three or four other scribes after the Bulldogs’ loss to Ole Miss in the regular-season home finale Saturday and I spoke to Felton briefly one-on-one after that. He clearly feels he and his staff should be allowed to stay on at least another year and beyond.
I’ve asked you guys to weigh in on the situation here before and, as always, you’re welcomed to share your opinions on that again now. But let’s talk about some of the other factors involved.
One, you must consider who you might be able to bring in. Remember, Georgia is going to be a little behind in this regard because South Carolina and LSU in the SEC and Indiana and Oregon State and some others outside of it already have been actively searching for coaches. By my estimation at least eight major conference jobs could be open by season’s end and that number will likely grow considerably after that. I am compiling a list of candidates but you tell me who you think might be out there and available for Georgia.
Two, recruiting is always a consideration and, by all indications, Felton and his staff have done pretty well the last season or so. As it is, the five freshmen from this year’s team would return next year, then you’d have PF Howard Thompkins (No. 6 in nation per Rivals), PG Dustin Ware and SF Drazen Zlovaric coming in along with two other as-yet unsigned prospects. Fire Felton and there are no guarantees how many of those guys would stay around to play under a new coach.
Three, for what’s it’s worth I’ve been told by some folks close to the situation that money won’t be a factor in the decision. That’s a good thing because it’s likely to be a costly one. UGA will owe Felton $760,000 per year for the next three years and then the market will likely produce a coach commanding $1 million or more in salary, depending on the candidate.
As for Damon Evans, I don’t have a strong feel for how he might handle this. If it were still Vince Dooley calling the shots, I’d bet you the farm that he’d give Felton another year to coach himself out of it. Dooley, being a former coach himself, always erred on the side of the coach (see Ray Goff, Hugh Durham and Jim Donnan). Evans, by contrast, has a mostly business background.
And finally, all of that might mean nothing. We’ve seen in recent years how UGA president Michael Adams doesn’t mind exercising his influence in athletics matters. He overruled Dooley on Donnan and showed a quick trigger on Ron Jirsa. He may just pipe up and say “do it” or “extend him” and that will be that.
I’m rambling on but these are all legitimate factors going into the postseason. Let me hear what y’all think about them.
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Does Richt’s new deal come up short?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This may seem ridiculous, especially to those of us who toil for modest wages, but there are a lot of people out there who think Georgia did not do enough for football Mark Richt when it gave him an $800,000 a year raise to $2.8 million annually. That’s tied with Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville for fifth among SEC coaches and Richt will be back to sixth when Tuberville’s automatic $200,000 raise kicks in next year.
I’m not going to name names, but there are at least a few folks close to Richt who thought the Bulldogs should have extended his contract a couple more years. He currently has six years left on an eight-year contract that expires in 2013.
Some thought the athletic association should have done more to comply with Richt’s request for a true indoor practice facility, one that would include new coaches’ offices and a new weight room. It should be noted that Georgia is building an addition on the north side of the Butts-Mehre Building to expand their facilities.
And, these same people wondered, why not go ahead and take Richt to $3 million a year and make a statement that Georgia is as passionate about football as Alabama, LSU and Florida. Richt still would have been behind three of the five SEC coaches (and most recent ones) that have won national championships and, after all, UGA remains one of the most profitable athletics programs in the nation, largely because of the revenue generated in football, so what’s another $200,000 per?
The biggest thing, those in the Richt camp say, is UGA is not going to find a better representative of the school nor one more committed to staying put and not shopping around for better deals. The Bulldogs should reward him for that philosophy and given him whatever he says he wants or needs within reason.
Now let’s be clear, I’m not saying I agree with all that. I’m just relaying some of the concerns I heard from some people close to the situation. Yes, Richt makes plenty of money, a king’s ransom for living in Athens, Ga. But those are some football-world realities being discussed in the coaching community today.
However, it’s the job of AD Damon Evans to try to keep things fair and in balance and he’s on record as saying he believes that’s the case with Richt’s new deal. And, lest we forget, everything could be renegotiated if the Dogs were to win a national title under Richt. Maybe that’s a carrot Evans want to continue to dangle.
So how do you guys feel? Not enough? Too much? Just right? Let’s hear what you think.
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Stafford’s arm or Moreno’s legs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What would you rather see this fall, Matthew Stafford pass for 3,000 yards or Knowshon Moreno rush for 1,500 or more?
Of course most people would say “both.” But that’s not very likely to happen. If it does I can pretty much guarantee you Georgia will have won that national championship everybody is talking about.
No, it’s really more of a philosophical question.
Stafford is going to be a junior this season and, by all indications, he is starting to come into his own as a quarterback. His accuracy remains a concern (56 percent completion percentage last season) but he has proven the last season-and-a-half) that he’s both a winner and a big-play threat. He finished with 2,523 yards passing with 19 TDs and 10 interceptions. At his current rate of progression he’s right on track with Mel Kiper’s infamous projection of becoming a potential No. 1 NFL draft pick.
Meanwhile, you have Moreno coming back for an encore. As a part-time starter (people forget he started only six games), Moreno rushed for 1,334 yards and 14 TDs as a freshman. You have to wonder what kind of numbers this kid might be able to put up with a total devotion to the running game. And the Bulldogs certainly became more and more dedicated to running the football as the season progressed. If Caleb King lives up to his billing, they’ll be needing to get him the ball, too.
As ever, head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo say they are dedicated only to trying achieve balance. If it were up to them, the Bulldogs would be 50-50 on running and passing yards every game. Hard to argue with that formula given the team’s success.
Either way it’s a good dilemma for Georgia to have, whether to rely heavily on Stafford’s arm or Moreno’s legs. But which mode of transportation do you think would serve the Bulldogs best?
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Video shows Gaines punched; now what?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just returned from Baton Rouge this morning and that debacle of a basketball game at LSU.
As usual the Bulldogs fought hard and actually led by 16 points midway through the first half but didn’t have the horses to finish the race. Of course, it didn’t help that their most versatile horse [Sundiata Gaines] was ejected with 13:20 to play.
It was an unusual postgame for a number of reasons but chiefly because coach Dennis Felton summoned me and the Athens Banner-Herald reporter (we’re the only publications that staff every UGA basketball game) to the coaches locker room to see the video of the controversial play that led to Gaines’ ejection. For what it’s worth - and it’s really not worth anything - I agreed with Felton’s assessment that the LSU guy, Alex Farrer, punched Gaines in the mouth before Gaines forearmed him.
From the copy of the video Felton was watching (I can only assume the refs were looking at different angles, it’s perfectly clear in Felton’s copy). But, as is always said, it’s always the second guy that gets burned in those types of incidents.
I heard later from a friend who covers LSU that one of the Tigers’ players said that Farrer was intentionally trying to get under Gaines’ skin. If so, he certainly did a good job of it. Today I talked to LSU coach Butch Pierre (he and Farrer were long gone by the time I watched the video) about it on the SEC teleconference today and asked him if Farrer would face any repercussions if it was proven that Felton was right about him punching Gaines.
By rule if you’re caught doing it live in a game you’re automatically ejected and face at least a one-game suspension afterward. Here’s what Pierre said:
“I will do exactly what the Southeastern Conference office requires or whatever the rule states when a player that does something that’s not conducted the right way during a basketball game,” said Pierre, who was named interim head coach when John Brady was fired on Feb. 8. “Other than that I haven’t really stressed anything about it or look at the tape and try to make a judgment call. I’m just focused on this basketball team and what we’re doing right now and looking forward to playing Alabama.”
I asked Pierre if he took issue with the way Felton handled the situation.
“I don’t have a problem with Coach Felton,” Pierre said. “He’s pretty much taking up for his team and his player and the situation as he saw it from his view. I just respect the Southeastern Conference officials and what they do. They made a judgment call and if it had gone against us with Alex I pretty much would have probably taken it as it stands.
“I’m a pretty competitive guy and I know Alex may have got caught up in the moment. But from my view I didn’t think he did anything that would cause him to be ejected from the game. Like I say, they had a veteran crew out there. Those guys are very experienced and have been in that situation for a number of games, so I just respect the call of the officials.”
Personally, that’s the first time I’ve had a coach show me video right after a game (isn’t technology great?), though it’s happened a number of times from many different coaches over the years in their offices a day or two after a controversial game. As ever, it’s not going to change the outcome. It just concludes once again that officials are human and make mistakes, just like the players that they officiate.
Meanwhile, we will find out if there are any repercussions for Felton. The SEC office has really clamped down on coaches commenting on officiating and, lest we forget, Felton has done more than his share of commenting (remember ‘Bama last year and Vanderbilt last week?). He may get some kind of reprimand from the league office before this thing is over.
Anyway, on some levels I can’t blame Felton. Seems like the guy just can’t catch a break and I’m sure this season has been extremely frustrating for him as it certainly has been for Gaines.
So what was your take on the deal? Was Gaines out of line? What about the LSU player? If it’s determined Yata was punched, should anything else happen to Farrer? Did Felton handle the whole thing correctly? If not, what should he have done?
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