The Junkyard Blawg

By Buck Cochran in the NW

January 12, 2007 07:25 AM | Link to this

your last paragraph(sp) sums everything up. Agree.

By Finchdawg

January 12, 2007 07:35 AM | Link to this

Yeah, we blew a lead against the Techies, but Sundiata not being there really hurt. I can’t be down on them as much for that compared to their poor overall performance against Clemson.

By ChampDawg

January 12, 2007 07:38 AM | Link to this

Most folks don’t give a flying rip about UGA basketball. Who cares. Don’t waste journalistic space on it. What’s the average attendance at a UGA basketball home game compared to other SEC teams? Until UGA fans get (more) fired up about basketball, it really doesn’t matter.

By GW

January 12, 2007 07:59 AM | Link to this

I went to the Wisconsin game and the Badgers aren’t in the league with Florida. I thought Georgia’s players showed very little enthusiasm in that game. It was a game that Georgia easily could have won. One player scored half of Wisconsin’s points. It just seemed like the team was disinterested that day and they couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean.

By ron

January 12, 2007 08:00 AM | Link to this

Blew a lead against the Techies?? LOL…you were getting hammered the whole second half. Tech let up late to let you make the score respectable. GT’s inside game vs Ga was like men against boys. Uga is WEAK inside.

By Ft Worth Dawg

January 12, 2007 09:48 AM | Link to this

There is and always will be a hardcore group of basketball fans at UGA. Success will bring others. UGA just needs to show improvement over last year. The hardcore group isn’t either/or with being a football fan — I suspect UGA students who go to basketball games also go to the football games.

UGA’s early schedule was a meatgrinder, and the SEC won’t be a picnic wither. Beat Vandy.

By Kenny

January 12, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this

78-69 Go jackets

By UGA Student

January 12, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this

As it says in my name, I am a UGA student and I love going to basketball games. To go with what Ft W. Dawg said, I also have been going to football games for the past 13 years. You go to your favorite team’s games…it’s what fans are SUPPOSED to do!

To the real reason why I posted, I think our success rests on two people: Sundiata Gaines and Mike Mercer. These two guards are not only the most exciting to watch, they are also the glue that keeps this team together. They make plays and help other people make plays. The one thing that needs to step up are our big men. IMO, Dave Bliss is perhaps the worst player I have ever seen in my entire life. He makes stupid decisions, commits fouls all of the time, and worst of all, he’s a slow white boy. Now, we have Takais Brown(even though he is smaller, he can rebound), and BIG Steve Newman(who knew that big kid could hit a 3?), and that’s a start, but the big men are the biggest problems for us right now. IMO, I think we squeak by with a 9 seed in the NCAAs.

GO DAWGS!

By Matthew at the SLC

January 12, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this

Hello, y’all on this beautiful day in Athens. And yes, I know the weather is slightly overcast, but when you’re on campus, the day is made beautiful by the sights you see. Y’all know what I mean.

Here’s the rub Mr. King. I complained about this last blog, and I’m going to bring it up again, because no one else is addressing it.

This basketball team needs our SUPPORT! That means, when you go to games, get off your butts, cheer, clap, get into the game, or at least actually WATCH the game.

I am directing these remarks to the alumni. Because on Wednesday, which was an absolutely impressive win for the Dawgs, I saw half the crowd there were a bunch of grey-haried alumni who couldn’t be bothered to cheer for the team, who couldn’t be bothered to get off their wrinkled butts, and who couldn’t be bothered to even PAY ATTENTION TO THE STINKIN’ GAME!

Why is this such a problem at UGA? It happens at Sanford Stadium too, but there are enough drunk and rowdy 18-49 year olds at the games to overcome our severe lack of over-50 alumni vocal support. And the thing that is the most frustrating is that these silent, do-nothing alumni sit on their butts in the best seats in the house; both at Sanford and at the Stegesaurus.

If you’re going to pony up the cash for those kind of seats, can’t you at least try to support the team in a vocal and enthusiasitc manner? Can’t you at least be bothered to stand up and cheer when appropriate? Can’t you be bothered to make a bunch of noise when the teams are playing defense or when the opposing team is trying a field goal or shooting free throws?

I just don’t get it. Other SEC schools don’t have problems like this with their older alumni. And yes, that goes for football AND basketball. Why is this such a problem at UGA. Mr. King, I don’t want to offend you, but as you apporach the age I’m talking about (if you’re not there already) can you see yourself being this kind of alumni, who act like they’re too dignified to cheer and get loud? Like it’s beneath them to do so?

So, please, older alumni, if you are going to support the team with your pockets, please, please, please, start supporting the team with your voices. Because I know that there are plenty of other alumni out there who want your seats (particulary for football) and would die to scream their lungs out sitting in your seats. If you’re not going to support the team, then just let your tickets lapse and listen to the Dawgs on the radio. You’re killing us. Sanford Stadium is one of the only stadiums in the SEC without a constant and consistant homefield advantage. And the Stegesaurus was like a morgue.

Also, the University is kind of screwing the students by having only ONE booth open for tickets. I saw about 200 students turn away from the huge line, and those students would have made the place LOUDER on Wednesday. UGA really needs to have at least two booths open for student tickets. I dind’t see lines at any of the other booths. Come on UGA, come President Adams (who I blame this all on), start supporting your student body better. Yes, we don’t have the pockets lined with cash like the alumni do (yet), but we are a crucial ingrediant in making the teams successful. And that goes double with basketball. Help us out! On Saturday, have TWO booths open for the game for students, so everyone can get in before the game starts!

By Doug

January 12, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this

ChampDawg, when you make disparaging, condescending comments like that about the Georgia basketball program, do you think that helps people get more “fired up” about the team?

If you’re a true Georgia fan, then either cheer for the team in question or keep quiet. If you don’t care about a given sport, there’s nothing to be gained by coming onto a Georgia message board and loudly proclaiming that apathy for all the world to see. Not only does it hurt our efforts in that particular sport, it makes our entire fan base look bad — and yes, that does hurt our entire athletic program, including the sports you do bother to care about.

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 12, 2007 12:32 PM | Link to this

ChampDawg is correct in his statement about UGA basketball. Sports in general at UGA are on the decline, with football leading the way this year and there no improvement in sight.

Competing SEC schools continue to improve their football coaching staffs while UGA prefers to remain with a mediocre staff that looks good on Saturdays. 2006 was a self-fulfilling prophecy in terms of what is to come for Bulldog football.

Basketball is a joke, and should be scrubbed. The Dogs cannot even win the little ones, much less the big ones. You should have never let Jim Harrick go, he was good for the athletic and academic program, one of the best UGA coaches ever. Maybe you could bring back the loser Hugh Durham.

Focus on gymnastics, and shoot for those titles.

It is nice to finally read an educated statement from a Bulldog fan. Nice job ChampDawg. (By the way, you might want to remove Champ from your name, because you have few, if any championships).

Have a good day!

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 12, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this

Amen Ron. UGA tried to run with the big boys (ACC) basketball, but got throttled. They need to consider a schedule similar to their football program, and play smaller D1-AA and AAA schools for style points.

UGA basketball LOL!!!

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 12, 2007 12:39 PM | Link to this

Nice comment Doug: Champdog you do make the program look bad, but on the other side you are just telling the truth, and I admire you for that.

“Sometimes the truth just hurts.”

By TheTruth

January 12, 2007 01:06 PM | Link to this

I would like for someone to keep up with Turnovers Per Minute by Bliss. Bliss sucks, period. This team has talent, but at times they don’t look like they want to be out there. Someone needs to look at Felton and ask why do you not start your best players? Bliss starts, this is a problem. Mercer turns the ball over almost as much as Bliss and takes the worst shots of anybody on the team. The players are not enthusiastic because their coach does not give them the best chance to win. The starting five should be: Gaines, Stukes, Woodbury, Brown, and Jackson. Singleton and Newman should be the subs down low and Humphry and Mercer should come off the bench. Please cut Bliss

By Bill King

January 12, 2007 01:14 PM | Link to this

Matthew at the SLC makes good points. Too often in both football and basketball our home advantage is not what it could or should be. That’s why I was glad they put the students in the lower level at the bowl game. The make A LOT more noise.

Also, the ticketing problem he describes sounds all too typical of how students are treated.

By Scooter11

January 12, 2007 01:28 PM | Link to this

OBC: The insects need to find some little ole championships they can shoot for. Nothing’s worked so far. A reminder that they have 0 NCAA-recognized NCs. Pitiful. But at least YOU think the insects are special.

By Buck Cochran in the NW

January 12, 2007 01:30 PM | Link to this

I’m a bit perplexed so somebody help!! This fellow ol’ball coach , I don’t know about him. You say that all Dawg programs going down? Is that what you say? OK, just a question. Which SEC school, last year took the trophy away from the Reptiles as the best overall sports program. Even won the SEC title in football? Huh, ol’ ball coach?

By "GOOD" Dawg

January 12, 2007 01:36 PM | Link to this

The basketball program at UGA is a vicious circle.More people of all ages will come out when there’s a winner !!!The coaches and players want a larger crowd because it helps them to become a winner!As a student, nothing regarding tickets was easy so DE should work on making it easier to get in the game. Is anyone listening???

By Chris

January 12, 2007 02:22 PM | Link to this

It seems to me Felton has done very very little with this team in his time in Athens. I wouldn’t shed any tears if he was sent packing. Great coaches can come in and turn a program around pretty quickly. It’s obvious Felton is not close to be even a pretty good coach at this point in time.

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 12, 2007 02:35 PM | Link to this

Hey Buck Cochran in the NW thanks for clarifying why UGA underachieves….Best Overall SEC Sports Program….Oh Yeal Baby!!

Florida is winning back to back titles basketball and football, and you think for one minute you can compete with the Gainesville program? LOL!!! You have to be kidding me!!!

Alabama has won more national football titles than any other school in the SEC, and you think your program is better? LOL!!

Meaningless titles mean nothing, now back to class and learn something.

By my bad!

January 12, 2007 02:39 PM | Link to this

Wait, they play basketball in Athens??? Who knew?!

By AltamahaDawg

January 12, 2007 02:56 PM | Link to this

Attendance is directly related to success, why is that even a debate? Athens is also half the population of most of the other SEC cities. Its pretty tough to get casual fans to travel midweek.

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 12, 2007 02:57 PM | Link to this

my bad, yes they do play basketball, but more like a JV schedule, similar to football. They prefer to schedule smaller NCAA

By AltamahaDawg

January 12, 2007 02:59 PM | Link to this

Buck, when somebody says UGA sports program are in decline with no improvement in sight, why do you even respond? At least force them to make a valid point before stroking thier need for attention.

By AltamahaDawg

January 12, 2007 03:16 PM | Link to this

Chris, can you tell us who we should have hired, what they should have done, and what results you expected post Harrick?

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 12, 2007 03:25 PM | Link to this

AltamahaDawg here you go:

1. UCLA has 99 total athletic titles, and UGA fails to break the top-ten. Matter of fact 3 PAC-10 schools have over 80 total titles and are in the top-ten for total titles.

2. **Florida wins back-to-back titles in basketball and football, and UGA has failed to win 1 national basketball title and only 1 national football title. Even if you want to count those 5 so-called titles when the Neilsen Ratings were used, your football program has not seen a title in 26 years.

3. 4 losses this year to Vandy, KY, UF and UT, with a throttling from UT.

4. UGA has the largest war chest and more talent than any other D1 school, and not even a shot at an SEC or national title.

So yes, your program is in decline.

By Bob

January 12, 2007 03:57 PM | Link to this

Ole Ball Coach, You should check your facts. Georgia has two national championship football titles (42 and 80). The PAC 10 has lots more titles than any other conferences so what does that prove? What does it have to do with this blog?

Not a shot at an SEC title? What was last year? Duh. Yeah Florida has won two titles this year and that is great. But they would not have even had the chance to play for the football one if USC had not blown its game with UCLA. That is the fortune you need to get into the game. Auburn wishes they could have had similar good fortune in 04.

Not sure what school you support but if it is South Carolina you should go hide. If it is Florida that is great, but you still have a long way to go to lead the series with Georgia and an even longer road to hoe to win as many SEC titles.

By ConyersDawg

January 12, 2007 03:58 PM | Link to this

Ol’ ball coach, your at south carolina now! talk about your own program. Now I am mad at myself for responding to you.

The dawgs are young still Bill. Felton has led us out of the junk caused by Adams boy. For us to suggest Felton should go is crazy. Look at our schedule.

According to rivals, we just signed the 21st best class in the country. Felton’s staff is doing well. The west. Kent. game was a bad loss, other then that we had a chance against Wisconson and the gators were tuff. We are on the right track and have to be patient. Georgia basketball will get back on the map with Mercer Gains and Felton.

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 12, 2007 04:13 PM | Link to this

Bob and ConyersDog: win some national baseball or football titles, then you have some room to talk, otherwise, take your insignificant statistics somewhere else. Y

our program is terribly overrated and the reason other schools are beginning to steal your recruits.

By Buck Cochran in the NW

January 13, 2007 03:50 PM | Link to this

time out!!!! EVERYONE JUST DON’T REPLY TO THIS ‘OL BALL COACH !!!!Why let him think that he can take over this blog. He/She, who knows and who cares!!

By Buck Cochran in the NW

January 14, 2007 05:21 AM | Link to this

All of you FOC club members don’t forget to vote in the poll.

By jrmdvm1

January 14, 2007 02:52 PM | Link to this

Back to basketball: Is there anyone besides me who thinks that the dogs showed the “right stuff” in beating Vandy. The game was close for a long time, but the Dawgs managed to pull away at the end. They made clutch shots and also converted 7 of 8 free throws. That type of play will win many of the games where they have managed to “hang with” good competition. NCAA bid is a possibility if they keep that type of play going.

By Huskdawg

January 14, 2007 04:04 PM | Link to this

OK Guys, I’ve been reading in the wings for a while now. BuLLdawg, I would love to know what you do for a living, ‘cause DAM! I am a dawg fan but sh$t, where do you come off with this stuff that you post???? How do you have time to do these diatribes that you put out there!!! I read all your posts, and I’m not putting you down like some, I just wanna know. You attack alot of dawgs who challenge you, just put your personnel profile out there. I promise you I’ll respect you, but let’s see who you really are. I’m a manager for Bellsouth, my name is Scott White. The gauntlet has been thrown. Who are you???

By anniston boy

January 15, 2007 12:46 AM | Link to this

I hate basketball, as does everyone outside Appalachia who has anything to do besides cook meth and make moonshine. Even “them Dawgs” don’t like basketball - painfully close to Appalachia as hillbilly Athens may be. (Think ‘Deliverance’ and ‘Them Dukes’ - they weren’t set in the northeast Georgia backwoods much like hillbilly Athens for nothing.) “Classic City”? ROFLMAO! Love that depressing dump mall with the J.C. Penney. Only football is mildly interesting. No wonder basketball tickets are practically free and can be purchased five minutes prior to the start of the game in the ticket booth.

By allenlaw

January 15, 2007 08:01 AM | Link to this

This whole “why don’t folks go the games” thing is simple. (1) Athens is a small town. Tech sells out its place, but Tech is in Atlanta, wtih millions of potential buyers. Athens is not Atlanta.

(2) Going to a single basketball game is nothing like the experience of a football game. There is no pageantry in basketball — no Dawgwalk, no marching band, no 90,000 fans, no UGA, no tailgating, no mass of men in Red running out of the end zone while fans go wild. It is one thing to drive 70 miles on a Saturday to experience SEC football in a beautiful stadium under the open sky, very different to drive 70 miles on a weeknight for two hours of sitting in a gymnasum.

(3)It’s basketball. Ten men on a wooden floor trying to get a ball in a hoop by passing it around and slipping through a seam. Football is 22 big, fast men, hitting each other on every play, running farther on many plays than the full length of a basketball court. There is just more to watch in football and it is more viscerally exciting. Compare NBA and NFL TV ratings sometime.

Sure it would be nice if more people came to games, but they are in Athens, there is nothing to the game except the game, and it’s basketball.

By Buck Cochran in the NW

January 15, 2007 07:50 PM | Link to this

A packed house, noise off the Richter scale, the pep band playing during time outs the game back and forth and by now the crowd is so loud you can’t hear youself think!!! That’s not exciting? Headed toward the finish, back and forth down to the wire, 3 point shot, dripple and pass, game won with about 40-50- seconds on the clock. Taht’s not exciting? I wish that those who don’t appreciate B-Ball mcould have the chance to be there for just one game like that and I really believe their atitude would change. As Felton says, keep winning and all of that will come.So it will and history at other schools bear that statement out. Hope everyone gets the chance to be a part it one day.

By 82DAWG

January 16, 2007 08:02 AM | Link to this

I took my son the the UGA Vandy game Saturday. VERY entertaining. We both had a great time. BUT, We were in the @%&# rafters! There were hundreds of empty prime seats, but no one selling extras before the game. Good gosh, if you have tickets don’t just eat them, give them away or give them to someone who is going to the game to resell.

By Gatordawg

January 16, 2007 05:15 PM | Link to this

As soon as UGA makes the big dance say so long to your coach. Felton will go where they can build a perenial winner and pack the house night after night regardless. You are losers in basketball and football. Look in the mirror and see the choke collar you guys have on when you are not cheating. Every winning stretch you guys have is followed by a stretch of probation.

By Ol' Ball Coach

January 17, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this

I retract all my comments and wish to apologize. I was full of Schlitz.

By AltamahaDawg

January 17, 2007 02:12 PM | Link to this

Allen great post. I remember last year all the TN fans claiming their numbers were so much higher, even in a mediocre year. Well look at the population of Knoxville. 3 times bigger than Athens? IN fact Athens is a fairly small town in the entire SEC. Plus competing for the time and attention with Atlanta is apples and oranges to other situations. That being said, I do think the attendance and excitment will increase simply by winning. You and I are just pointing out the issues untill that starts to override.

BTW, anyone who cares should look at the attendance at UF basketball games before Billy got it going good, or before Kruger had any real success. And Gainsville is a pretty big town.

By UGAG SUX

January 17, 2007 04:48 PM | Link to this

champdawg is really chumpdawg. Typical inbred redneck that supports a school for football only. In “his eyes”, the school was created for football and nothing else is important. Is that why you ask to supersize my order everytime at your job? Suppert your school for all good and bad things, do not cherry pick only football.

By jc_falcons74

January 17, 2007 07:26 PM | Link to this

Dawgs need to go 7-9 in the sec…minimum. With the two 4 star big men on the way next year…Felton should continue to improve this team.

They must continue to recruit well if they ever want to compete with the big boys.

By mdbatl

January 18, 2007 12:50 AM | Link to this

I love Coach Felton. He’s a great guy and inherited a mess that he should be given a fair time to clean up. The program is headed the right way. A NCAA berth would be good this year, but I’d be happy with a strong showing in the NIT, with bigger things next season. Also, as a student, I agree entirely with Matt at the SLC. Sanford Stadium would be SO much more intimidating if the alums in the lower South stands made some noise. Go Dawgs (in all sports)!

By Ron Roberts

January 18, 2007 12:18 PM | Link to this

GREAT road win last night, folks. This team is athletic and finally gives D-Felt some depth to play with SEC teams toe-to-toe, whistle-to-whistle. With a nice 3-1 start, going 4-8 or 5-7 the rest of the way is an attainable goal, and a 7-9 of 8-8 conference record gives ‘em a 15-13 or 16-12 record. It’d be really hard for the tournament to pass up a squad from arguably one of, if not the best, conference(s) in the NCAA with that resume.