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 > April > 15
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Herschel opens up in new book
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So I’m assuming most of you saw Nightline’s interview of Herschel Walker last night on ABC. If not, some video excerpts and a couple of stories are available on ABC.com. I watched every minute and found it to be quite revealing.
Some of you have probably heard me talk about it before but to me Herschel has always been one of the most mysterious athletes I’ve ever encountered. I mentioned when I first wrote about his book back in January that he’s extremely insulated and that you’d sooner get the Pope on the phone than you could him. In fact, I was unable to reach him when I wrote that first story on his book. And I KNOW the guy. Carter Strickland subsequently caught up with him about a month ago up in Washington D.C. but, even then, it was difficult as difficult as ever to gauge Herschel’s true feelings.
Anyway, kudos to ABC for getting him to sit still and answer all their questions. That’s the most I’ve ever heard his now ex-wife Cindy talk about things. Of course, it helps when the goal is to promote something, which Herschel and Simon & Schuster are doing with his new book, “Breaking Free.” But I thought both Herschel and his wife came off quite sincere and truthful.
The part I thought most interesting, selfishly, was ABC flashing up and reading out some of the quotes Herschel’s former coaches and teammates said to me when I first wrote about the book. In particular, Vince Dooley sort of tongue-in-cheek said he liked “whatever personality Herschel had when he was carrying the football.” To that, Herschel said Monday night he guessed Dooley didn’t care much about the other sides of Herschel. But then Herschel qualified that by saying his coaches and teammates had no way of knowing how he was feeling deep down inside. And it sounds like Herschel and Cindy encountered the same problems many of us “regular people” do with relationships and life’s stresses.
Just goes to show that, no matter what anyone has accomplished and how high a pedestal we place them on, we all have our similar problems and trials and tribulations. Herschel seemed completely contrite and sincere in his goal of going public with his struggles in the hopes of helping those who may be encountering similar ones. Herschel is such a hero to so many in the Bulldog Nation and I’m sure it was somewhat upsetting and at the least a little awkward to see him in such a vulnerable state. But, as it turns out, he has been scared and uncertain just as the rest of are facing the challenges that life presents us. And he certainly believes that Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a real malady.
Anyway, no sense in me rehashing the whole interview over again. Most of you saw it. Those of you that did, let’s hear your thoughts on it. Any reason to believe Herschel is the victim of misdirected counseling or do you think he suffers from a true clinical psychological condition? Do you think Herschel is just searching for a way to justify some bad behavior or is he a true victim of circumstances? Do you think it made UGA look bad in any way? Much ado about nothing? What did you think?
Ultimately I guess we all need to read the book to form an informed opinion. He’ll be in Athens at the UGA bookstore Friday from 12:30-2:30 p.m. and in Atlanta at the Carter Center Friday night at 7 p.m.
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