Quick Thoughts

A couple of quick things currently on my mind...

1. The Georgia baseball team swept Tennessee over the weekend and managed to hang on to #1 in 3 of the 4 major polls. Now into its second week, their reign at 1 is now one week longer than Georgia Football's stay at #1 this past fall.

2. We are offering over $2 million a year to try and get Anderson from Missouri to coach the basketball team. Is it just me, or is that sound more like football money than basketball money?

3. Jeremy Longo has been added to the list of injured, meaning we will only have 2 scholarship D-ends for G-Day. Guess we will be seeing a lot of plays made by the likes of Andrew Gully.

4. Texas Tech coach Mike Leach made a player sit on the football field in the snow after practice and study. The Pirate from Lubbock is crazy, but awesome!

5. The 49ers don't want to take Matt Stafford because they think he still has issues with his parents divorce. If anything, the playing field is a good place for him to take out his aggression concerning those issues. As a child of divorce myself, I do not see why this would be an issue.

6. The Braves re-signed Chipper Jones until he is 41, meaning he will most likely retire as a Brave. Thank god they handled this correctly and did not let this turn into another Smoltz situation.

I'll be back later this week with the next entry in the series, Bringing Back Traditions.

Bringing Back Traditions: Old School Cheers

"Who's that coming down the track?"

This is a constant cheer heard in Athens on Saturdays in the fall. As Georgia fans, we know the only appropriate end to the series of words that follows there are, "Ain't nothing finer in the land than a drunk, obnoxious Georgia Fan!" As often as this chant is heard, there are some others that have seem to fall behind and are rarely, if ever heard.

The first typically makes an appearance during Homecoming weekend. When the Alumni cheerleaders take the field, this cheer is usually broken out:

"Red and black and silver britches,

Give 'em hell, you sons o' bitches!"

If these old guys are saying it, there is no reason Dawgs fans of today should not be saying it.

The second one is often heard, but rarely the entire cheer. Every Georgia fan who hates the Gators wants the world to know it, and i can't think of a better way to say it than this:

Gators, Gators howd'ya like to bite my ass

Gators ,Gators howd'ya like to bite my ass

Gators, Gators howd'ya like to bite my ass

With your bright orange shirts ,

And your sissy blue britches ,

You can go to Hell you sons of bitches.

Gators, Gators howd'ya like to bite my ass

GOOOOOO Dawgs.......Sick 'em Woof Woof Woof

Come this fall, when we get revenge on Florida for the loss in '08, i know exactly what song I'll be singing.

Bringing Back Traditions: The Georgia-Clemson Rivalry

Other than Georgia Tech, no other Division I football program is closer to the University of Georgia(in distance) than Clemson. The orange clad Tigers sit a mere 75 miles away, tucked in the hills behind Lake Hartwell. The two teams have squared off 62 times on the football field, with Georgia having a distinct lead, 41-17-4, in the series. While the two teams will square off again during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, it will mark the first time in over ten years the two teams have met. For these two teams who were once considered rivals, this is clearly unacceptable.

South Carolina, Clemson's instate rival, shares a nearly an identical record against Georgia. The all-time series against the Gamecocks stands at 45-14-2. South Carolina, who considers Georgia a rival, has met us on the football 61 times, once less than Clemson. If you consider that Georgia has played South Carolina every year since 1992 since USC joined the SEC, Clemson-Georgia is actually the match up with a much longer history. An annual match up with Clemson would feel much more like a rivalry to me than our battle with Carolina every year.

Another reason I think this rivalry should be reinstated as a yearly affair is the similarity between our two schools. Both teams found great success during the early 1980's, with Georgia taking the Championship in '80 followed by Clemson in '81. Since that time, neither team has made it back to the top however both teams are generally considered contenders for the National Championship. This video from the 1987 game helps paint the picture:

As a student, I was lucky enough to see Georgia beat Clemson twice. The first time was the opener in 2002, a nail-biter that would kick-off Georgia's run to the SEC Championship. Georgia's running game was struggling and David Greene had one of his worst days as a Dawg. But freshman DJ Shockley threw for a touchdown and ran for another, as Georgia overcame a 7 point fourth quarter deficit to win 31-28.

It was Shockley to the rescue in this game.

The following year the Dawgs beat down the Tigers in Death Valley, 30-0, and kicked off another season that ended with a trip to Atlanta.

I think it is cool that Georgia is trying to schedule more opponents from across the country, such as Arizona State and Oklahoma State, but if we are looking for another out of conference team to play on a regular basis, we should look no further than just up I-85.

GO DAWGS!!!

Bringing Back Traditions: Freshmen Ringing the Chapel Bell

As a student at The University Georgia, most of us took part in the tradition of ringing the bell at the University Chapel on North Campus following a victory. The ringing of the bell has been a university tradition since the 1890's, when the playing field was located much closer than it is today. After the 2007 victory over Florida, so many fans rang The Bell, that it came loose and had to be refurbished prior to the 2008 season.

While I think it is cool that many alumni, kids, and fans line up to ring the bell after a victory, one thing bugs me:

Freshmen are the ones who are supposed to ring the bell.

The old tradition was that from the time the game ended until midnight, freshmen were supposed to line up and take turns ringing the bell. While it is nice that six year old Dawg fan Austin from Marietta is getting to ring the bell, it is not the tradition! The other thing that bugs me about freshmen not manning the bell is that it does not continue to ring until midnight. I have been walking through North Campus following games in recent years and many times, just a few hours after the game, the bell has gone silent.

I'd rather see a line of freshmen dressed in their game day attire ringing the bell than this idiot.

In the current world we live in, making freshmen man the bell is seen as a form of hazing. Are you freaking kidding me? If I had it my way, not only would they be ringing the bell, but they would do it while wearing red and black beanies like they made the freshman wear during fraternity rush in Animal House.

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life son."

GO DAWGS!!!

Diamond Dawgs Complete the Sweep of Mississippi State

The Bulldogs from Starkville came to Athens this past weekend to take on the #4 ranked Diamond Dawgs and Georgia sent them back home with their tails between their legs. Georgia swept the series from Miss. State in front of the largest three game crowd ever at Foley Field.

Friday night's game saw Trvor Holder improve his record to 4-1 on the season, as the Dawgs held on to win 5-3. Matt Cerione had a homerun and Dean Weaver closed the game out for Georgia. Lyle Allen and Joey Lewis had homeruns, and Alex McCree returned to make his first start since Feb. 28, as the Dawgs shut out Mississippi State in game 2, 4-0. The final game of the series saw the Dawgs rally to score 7 runs in 8th inning and secure the sweep. Jeff Walters picked up his second win of the season in relief of starter Justin Grimm, who had a career high of 9 strikeouts.

Georgia's record now stands at 19-2 after taking all three from Mississippi State, who came into the series ranked 25th in the nation. This includes an amazing 14-0 record inside the friendly walls of Foley Field. The Dawgs take on Wright State on Tuesday before traveling to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech on Wednesday. This weekend, they will face Tennessee up in Knoxville.

Bubba 'N Earl's NCAA Tournament Picks

Who is going to cut down the nets this year?

Let the Madness begin!

The NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament kicks off today and we here at Bubba N' Earl have filled out our brackets. Here's a look at our picks for the Final Four, the Championship Game, and who we think will take home the trophy.

Bubba's Picks:

Final Four: Louisville, Missouri, UCLA, UNC

Championship Game: Louisville vs. UNC

Champion: Louisville

(Side note: Bubba would also like to include his Final Four picks for the NIT: Davidson, UAB, Florida, and Virginia Tech - These were made before UAB lost its opening round game)

Earl's Picks:

Final Four: Kansas, Memphis, Villanova, North Carolina
Championship Game: Memphis vs. North Carolina
Champion: Memphis

Bulldawg Josh's Picks:

Final Four : Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse, Memphis

Championship Game : Louisville vs. Pitt

Champion : Louisville

Streit's Picks:

Final Four: Louisville, Memphis, Villanova, North Carolina
Championship Game: Louisville vs. North Carolina
Champion: Louisville

BFR's Picks

Final Four: Louisville, Memphis, Pitt, North Carolina

Championship Game: North Carolina vs. Memphis

Champion: North Carolina

(Disclaimer: The real world keeps calling on BFR so his picks are based on 4 and 1/3 minutes of actual bracketology consideration and a full season of ignoring college basketball (with the exciting exception of Georgia's unexpected first conference win of the season over the Hated Gators of Gainesville)

The Bubba N' Earl Sittin' on the 50 pick for the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Champion is Louisville.

Spring Practice: Welcome Freshmen

Georgia had three early enrollees attending their first practice as members of the Dawgs on Tuesday. According to reports, offensive lineman Dallas Lee got his first taste of offensive line coach Stacey Searels as he struggled through his first day. Quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger also saw their first action under center for the Dawgs. While senior Joe Cox and sophomore Logan Gray got high remarks for their work on Tuesday, the freshmen were said to have struggled. Would we have expected any better? No.

Here's a quick video of AJ Green running drills during his first practice last summer. The video is only about 30 seconds long and Green drops not 1 but 2 easy passes during a drill.


Struggling during your first days of practice at the collegiate level is expected. These three players already have a step up on the remaining 16 members of the Georgia signing class who won't begin their careers at Georgia until the summer. As past early enrollees Matt Stafford and Richard Samuel proved, getting to school early can help you earn playing time as a freshman. While I don't see any of these players having an impact this fall, I am proud to see their enthusiasm and hard work.

Today, I will leave you with another football practice scene, this time from the movie "Gridiron Gang" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Johnson was a solid player for the Miami Hurricanes in the 90's and is famous for going into the crowd to beat up an opposing team's mascot. I would love to see a conversation between him and Lou Holtz.



Only 24 days until G Day!
GO DAWGS!!!

The Start of Spring Practice

This fires me up. Is it August yet?

Today marks the beginning of spring practice for Dawgs. Hopefully Coach Richt has the players going full steam. After finishing the 2008 season at 10-3, the Dawgs head into spring with a number of key questions they are hoping to answer between now and opening day in Stillwater.

1. Is Joe Cox ready to take the reigns?

He is saying all the right things, has the backing of his coach, and the Bulldog Nation seems behind him. With two freshmen quarterbacks already enrolled, G Day should provide us with a glimpse of the future as well.

2. Who starts at halfback?

With Richard Samuel out for spring because of surgery, Caleb King is the only experienced scholarship back who will be active this spring. I look forward to getting a glimpse of Carlton Thomas in the backfield and in the return game.

3. Can we kick the ball deep?

We all know Walsh has the leg to kick it deep, the question is whether we have finally abandoned the directional kick and just let our guys kick it as far as they can.

4. Will the lines get healthy?

This one will not be answered during spring as many of our key guys on both sides are still recovering. I can't wait to see teams try and cover the two headed monster that is Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens this fall.

5. Who will step up at the other wideout position?

AJ Green is arguably the best receiver in the nation and this spring he says he is finally healthy. The person on the other side of the field will play a key role as teams will try and double team AJ. Michael Moore showed flashes last season that he could be the man. If no one steps up, look for Marlon Brown and Orson Charles to compete for playing time in the fall.

G Day is 25 days away. Mark your calendars!

GO DAWGS!!!

'09 Commit Dexter Moody Released from Scholarship

Linebacker Dexter Moody, who committed to the Dawgs along with teammate Washaun Ealey has been released from his commitment to play football at Georgia beginning in the fall. This happened after Moody was suspended from his high school, the Emmanuel County Institute. The Red and Black has more on the story here.

This will be the last Bulldog uniform Moody wears.

Opening on the Road

Georgia will open the 2009 season on the road to take on the Cowboys of Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma. This will be the only the 5th time Georgia has opened a season outside of Sanford Stadium since 1990. The other four season openers away from home during that time were:

1990 - At LSU - Loss 18-13
1992 - At South Carolina - Win 28-6
1994 - At South Carolina - Win 24-21
2003 - At Clemson - Win 30-0

Speaking of that 2003 game at Clemson, here are two amazing plays that started the '03 season off on the right foot:





As of right now, the next scheduled road season opener is at Clemson to start the 2013 season. Here's to hoping that the results of this years game in Stillwater and that game in '13 turn out the same as the game in 2003.

GO DAWGS!!!