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 > 2009 > January > 21
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Be careful what you wish for Martinez
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Be careful what you wish for. That’s all I can say.
Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez may or may not be a target for the same position at his alma mater, Miami. The ‘Canes aren’t saying and Coach Mark Richt says he hasn’t been contacted by “the U” for permission to speak to Martinez and swears the first he heard of it was my inquiring about it. All we know for sure is UM has an opening and Martinez has been mentioned as a possible candidate.
Obviously I know how a number of you feel about Martinez. Having overseen this blog over the last year or so, I’ve read all your comments about what an awful a coach you think he is and how he’s not aggressive enough and how his units haven’t performed as well as Brian VanGorder’s did and on and on.
And I’ve been somewhat critical, too. I can say I was genuinely surprised to see the Bulldogs’ defense get gashed the way it did a few times this past season and in an isolated instance or two the past few seasons under Martinez’s direction. But I’ve also been very measured in my criticism because to watch Martinez in action during practices and games, to talk to him personally, to hear his players talk about him, to hear his fellow coaches talk about him, is to get a completely different picture.
This is a man that is very well respected. He’s produced three All-America DBs at UGA and is about to have his 10th drafted into the NFL. He has played and coached the game at a very high level. A South Florida guy, he starred at Hollywood Hills High in Coral Gables and helped win a national championship as a defensive back at Miami in 1983. He has all those Florida connections and recruits that area hard — and well — for the Bulldogs. And for all the criticism of this past season, it truly was his only bad season. They were ranked in the top 20 in yardage and scoring his first three seasons. As it was they were 22nd and 54th, respectively, this season.
Martinez gets paid the big bucks for being Georgia’s defensive coordinator and, as such, he’s jaded to the criticism and the slings and arrows that come with handling a very difficult job for a high-profile program. But I wouldn’t be packing his bags for him like a lot of you guys have been saying you’d do. There’s a lot to lose should Martinez leave, not the least of which is stability.
Regardless, Mark Richt does a good job of blocking out outside influences and evaluating coaches and players on his own. The only opinion that matters is his and he repeatedly defended his defensive coordinator to us this past season. My guess is he’ll handle this like he has the other overtures his assistants have received this offseason. He’ll let Martinez talk to the Canes, hear what they have to offer, then do everything in his power to get him to stay.
Then we’ll have the ultimate irony. In a year everybody wanted to run Martinez out of town on a rail, he will receive a significant pay raise just to stay.
Some links:
Here’s the latest story from the Miami Herald regarding its defensive coordinator vacancy. It’s not very enlightening with regarding Martinez but sheds some light on Randy Shannon’s troubles hanging onto coordinators… .
Speaking of assistant coaches leaving, it looks like South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier may be about to lose a fifth. He did gain one back Tuesday, however… .
I haven’t seen this reported strongly elsewhere but according to this audio from something called www.winnersvillesports.com out of Valdosta, Lowndes DB Greg Reid has eliminated Florida from consideration all together. You have to click on the audio file in the window that says “Greg Reid says No to UF” and listen. To summarize, as reported by our guys, he hated his trip to Gainesville, likes Florida State a lot, decided to visit Alabama instead of Tennessee this weekend, will go to Georgia next weekend and will make a decision on Feb. 3 at a steakhouse down there. Now that’s about as much recruiting gossip as you’ll get out of me… .
Here’s some info on Mohamed Massaquoi and Corvey Irvin playing in the Under Armour Senior Game… .
I’m just going to give you this one because the website requires a login and password, but Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reports that Matthew Stafford is getting ready to ink a mega marketing agreement with IMG. In other words, they’ll handle his off-the-field stuff. “Powerful IMG agent Alan Zucker, who reps Colts QB Peyton Manning, Giants QB Eli Manning, and Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson for marketing work, will represent Stafford in a deal that has been agreed to in principle, but not yet signed, sources said,” Mullen wrote. This just in — Matty’s about to be rich!
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