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 > August > 14
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Don’t forget about Jones on O-line
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s getting late in the week. Time to empty out the notebook… .
Lost in all the talk of about how Georgia is going to deal with loss of Trinton Sturdivant at left tackle is the development of some of the young inside guys.
You’ve heard a lot recently about true freshman Cordy Glenn of Riverdale and how he’s come on lately to take over the top spot at right guard. But don’t forget about Ben Jones, the freshman from Centreville, Ala., who enrolled back in January. Coach Mark Richt and his staff certainly haven’t. Richt was bragging on Jones after practice yesterday.
“Practicing very hard, knows what to do,” Richt said. “He’s competing very well. I just think he’ll play. Chris [Davis] we know is going to play. Ben will play.”
It sounds like it’s the coaches’ hope that Jones will eventually start at center.
“Ben’s probably more comfortable at center,” Richt said. “I think center is more natural for him and guard would be a more natural transition for Chris if we needed to do that. I’m not talking starting five necessarily. But let’s get him in there and let him play and maybe bump Chris out a little bit as we go. I think Ben has proved that he’s ready to play.”
ELLERBE’S SI DECISION
Georgia linebacker Dannell Ellerbe was especially thrilled about being on the cover of the Sports Illustrated with teammates Knowshon Moreno and Matt Stafford. But it almost didn’t happen.
Richt explains.
“All summer long he had this goatee and in the summer we don’t have the [facial]hair rule,” Richt said. “But if you’re going to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated we want you in the grooming regulations. I think he resisted it a little bit and [sports info] came to me about it. I said, ‘Well, Dannell doesn’t have to cut off the hair off his chin if he doesn’t want to but if he doesn’t cut the hair off his chin, he’s not going to be on the cover of sports illustrated. So it’s up to him.
“He showed up the next day all clean-shaven with a big smile on his face. That’s pretty exciting for him.”
And for his family. Ellerbe is from North Carolina but he has a lot of family in New York. The SI covers were regional so those folks got editions with Ohio State on the cover. So Ellerbe said he is desperately seeking extra copies to send to his uncles and aunts up north.
“I got a copy, but I need about 50 more though. Everybody I know wants one,” he said.
Speaking of Ellerbe, he’s being held out of contact because of a shoulder injury but Richt said it isn’t serious.
SEC IS INJURY CENTRAL
No doubt you’ve taken notice that the injury bug hasn’t been limited to Georgia.
In fact, it has been far worse at the first major football-playing university down from Georgia Tech on I-75. (That’d be the University of Florida, not Georgia State. The Panthers aren’t quite D-I yet).
Anyway, the Gators have had five - count ‘em, five! - players suffer season-ending ACL injuries so far. There is a good write-up about it that quotes coach Urban Meyer in the Tampa Tribune.
In addition to losing safety Aaron Savage for the season to a knee injury, Auburn has encountered more injuries to the offensive line, secondary and wide receivers. There was a breakdown in the Dothan Eagle this week.
MEYER ON DISCIPLINE
Those of you pining some more information on Meyer’s decision to let lineman Ronnie Wilson back on the team - despite charges of discharging an AK-47, punching and spitting on a person and getting caught with pot - there’s an in-depth piece on it on Sports Illustrated’s website. I understand Andy Staples’ take on it and Meyer’s explanation echoes some of Mark Richt’s sentiments as far as you can’t help somebody if you kick them out the door. But Wilson’s indiscretions are pretty extreme for remaining on the football team, in my opinion. Meyer claims the kid, a starter on the national championship team, still might not play. We’ll see.
NO PRACTICE UPDATES THIS AFTERNOON BECAUSE IT’S CLOSED TO MEDIA
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