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 > 22
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Special banquet for Hoop Dogs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As reporters, I think most of us would agree that postseason awards banquets aren’t on the top of the list of things we like to do. We’d all probably rather be chronicling some exciting event where the outcome is uncertain or telling the inside story of someone’s great achievement or, you know, sleeping.
That said, I must admit that the Georgia men’s basketball postseason awards banquet last night, orchestrated by the UGA Tipoff Club at Athens Country Club, was one of the more enjoyable banquets I’ve attended. It had some of the usual drawbacks, like being really long (four hours from social hour to coach Dennis Felton’s last remark). But other than the physical limitations of the human bladder, it really bopped along pretty good, relatively speaking.
But, of course, you knew it would be a special night considering that incredible accomplishment that was the Bulldogs winning the tornado-invaded SEC Tournament and all the strange happenings that event entailed. One last time from me: Still one of the most incredible athletic accomplishments, unexpected outcomes and sheer acts of adversity-overcoming I’ve ever personally witnessed.
And so the Tipoff Club, the coaching staff, all the organizers — and even the players — came prepared to put it all in proper perspective. I don’t have time to mention everything that went on but I’ll run through the highlights for you (no bathroom break required).
I don’t know who put together all the video tributes but there were three of them and they were all excellent. One at the outset was highlights of the whole season going back to the very start set to a couple of hip-hop scored. In the middle of program was a players’ interview tribute (interspersed with highlight video) to the two senior co-captains David Bliss and Sundiata Gaines. That was a great inside peek of the locker room dynamics and hilarious to boot. I’ll just say that, after their basketball careers, Corey Butler and Jeremy Jacob should consider comedy careers. And finally a slick, professional looking diary of the SEC Tournament with audio accompaniment of Scott Howard’s radio accounts (which ought to win him some kind of award, by the way).
As for the awards themselves, they were somewhat predictable:
Individual Workout Award (weightroom, conditioning, etc): G Terrance Woodbury
Most Improved: C Albert Jackson
Take Charge Award: G Corey Butler
Academic Award: C David Bliss
Best Rebounder: G Sundiata Gaines
Best Playmaker: Gaines
Best Defender (and they had comprehensive stats to back this up): Bliss
Junkyard Dawg Award: Bliss
Kevin Brophy Heart and Hustle Award: Bliss
Team MVP: Bliss and Gaines
The only slight surprise for me might have been Yata sharing the MVP award with Bliss, considering the laundry list of stats Gaines produced. But later, when you heard from the players, you realized what a big stick Bliss carried with the whole group.
All three assistant coaches handed out those awards. Keeping it short, I’ll just say associate head coach Pete Hermann has a future as motivational speaker … or preacher.
Wrapping up (see, I’m much quicker), I’m just going to repeat some of the best lines and stories told and get out of the way.
Oft-repeated story on Zac Swansey’s 3-pointer to beat Kentucky in quarterfinals: Swansey was carefully directed by coach Dennis Felton and the staff to drive hard down the right side as Bliss would screen low for Billy Humphrey coming around from the left and out to the arc on the right side. If Humphrey was covered Zac should look inside because Bliss should be open. Then Felton left him with these last words — “Make the play, Zac; make the play.” “That’s all Zac heard,” Hermann recounted to huge laughter. “Forget about the play and all that other stuff. He just thought he was supposed to make the play. And he did!”
State representative Doug McKillip (D-Athens) was on hand to deliver a Resolution from the state legislature. Thanks goodness he was perceptive enough not to read all the “whereas’s” and “therefores.” Methinks that was worth several votes.
With one commitment already secure for next season (DeMario Mayfield, Franklin County) and only two scholarships expected to come open, Felton was asked what they were doing in recruiting. He said he was actually dropping by two middle schools Wednesday. No lie. Of course it’s no secret that they’re working extra super hard on South Atlanta 6-9 forward Derrick Favors, who Rivals.com currently ranks the No. 3 overall player in the country.
Damon Evans presented the players with their NCAA gift, which were small replicas of the NCAA basketball championship trophy. Said Felton: “I think it’s the perfect daily reminder of what we’re all about here. Now we want the big one, right guys?”
On the SEC tournament run, Felton said he felt the team coming on despite the mounting losses at the end of the regular season. “The culture had taken hold within the walls of our locker room. The more we struggled the closer and tighter we got.”
And finally, of the tornado that swept through that Friday night and changed the dynamics of the SEC tournament, Felton said he believes that was the work of the one senior player not in attendance, the late Kevin Brophy. “That was Kevin calling in a favor for us.”
Hey, I know, a little dramatic. But for a banquet it was some pretty good stuff.
Feel free to take the blog anywhere you want it (like y’all need my permission) but some thoughts on the basketball team and/or the direction of the program, etc., would be a nice final tribute to those guys. And yes, I think Pollack did the right thing.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
ASU’s Erickson: Spring games ‘overrated’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So, back to football for a moment. Don’t know how much web surfing you guys do but I noticed late yesterday a report on Arizona State - Georgia’s fourth opponent next season - which just completed its spring game this past weekend.
In general, the word was that the Sun Devils’ offense did not look good at all. Rudy Carpenter, their senior quarterback, struggled. He completed just seven of 21 passes for 88 yards and most of those yard came on one 43-yard touchdown pass. According to reports, the No. 1 offense did not convert a first down until about four minutes were left in the second 12-minute quarter.
There was some concern on the message boards out there. But coach Dennis Erickson, for one, wasn’t.
“People overrate a spring game,” Erickson told local reporters after the game. “I overrate it. Obviously Rudy wasn’t on today as much as he could have been, but he’s had a great spring. He’s our quarterback and he’s made so much improvement with his delivery and all the different things he’s doing.”
Defensively, linebacker Gerald Munns had 11 tackles and linebacker Mike Nixon intercepted Carpenter once. The White vs. Maroon intrasquad game, attended by about 3,000, ended in a 17-17 tie.
In other football news, Macon’s Josh Kendall had a good story about how coach Mark Richt is returning to Honduras for another mission trip and this time he’s taking about 20 of his players with him.
“They will freak out when they see how big these guys are,” Richt told Kendall. “When they see these guys, their jaws will drop … and then they’ll thump us in soccer.”
Richt and his family went to Honduras for the first time last year as part of a Baptist mission. UGA has verified the trip to be within NCAA rules, according to the story.
Thanks for all the thoughtful responses to yesterday’s blog about UGA’s third equestrian national championship. I’m going to the men’s basketball postseason awards banquet tonight and will file a report tomorrow. The baseball team plays Kennesaw State tonight. The Dogs lost the last time they played.
In the meantime, feel free to suggest future topics. I’ll be checking in often.
Permalink | Comments (44) | Post your comment | Categories: Football
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