Mike Slive: So, What You're Saying Is No More Masoli's In The SEC?

Bob Donnan/US Progressive

This whole roster-management nonsense has my head a little spinny (is that a word, "spinny"? No? Well it is one today), that's right, "spinny".

After filtering through all the seemingly silly changes in the saga of over-signing players—seriously, what good is a reduction in the signing numbers if SEC coaches can still adjust the way they count players each season—the only real change worth nothing is the grad-exception rule.

In short, the situation that took place last season with Jeremiah Masoli—and this season with former Georgia player, Logan Gray—will no longer be allowed to take place. The reason for this change, said SEC President, Mike Slive, is because "We're not interested in athletes coming for the purpose of one year and then moving on"...Yeah, okay.

What he should have done was amended his statement to say "We're not interested in our football athletes coming in for the purpose of one year and then moving on". Trust me, if some of them could, they would, but Slive realizes that isn't an option in college football. That said, most of this statement is just rhetoric—rhetoric that has already been called out upon by several news outlets. 

That said, I have no intention of belaboring that point again here as my only real question is why the grad-exception rule mattered at all?

I mean, honestly, I had no problem seeing Logan Gray transfer once he graduated. He spent the better part of his career as a second option at Georgia and he deserved a shot at more playing time. If not in Athens, then wherever he was needed. So, good luck to him!

However, the Masoli transfer did irk me a bit because he was, for lack of a better word, a criminal. I'm not altogether certain he deserverd the privilege of playing anywhere in Division I football after his numerous missteps with the law—but that's just me.

So, if Slive were looking to make a statement, perhaps it should have been wrapped in something with more moral fortitude. Say, for instance, any athlete who has been charged and convicted of a serious criminal offense (i.e. robbery, drug possession, or assault), and decides to transfer under the grad-exception rule, is given a nine month probation period at his school of choice.

During that probationary period, he is not allowed to play in any games or participate in any activities that represent the university or their athletics program. If he can stay clear of any offenses during that n time frame, then he is to be granted his full eligibility and allowed to play the following season.

That would make sense—to me.

However, this holier-than-thou declaration of the SEC not being interested in the one-and-done athlete just comes off as hypocritical and asinine. Of course, by now, I am used to such idiocy by college football's "leaders".

The new rule doesn't take effect until October, so Auburn would still be able to sign Russell Wilson if that want him. However, after that point, there are no more freebies for the athlete who is looking for a fresh start, more playing time, or a better way to increase his national spotlight and I'm not altogether sure if the message Slive sends here is really one worth disseminating—whatever that message is truly supposed to be. 

Related articles

• JA Castillo = copacetic: SEC's graduate-exception ban overshadows oversigning cap victory - Andy Staples - SI.com (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
• Mike Slive and the SEC Twelve play their newest hit, "Oversigning Blues". (blutarsky.wordpress.com)
• SEC limits football signees to 25 per year (sfgate.com)

Mark Richt: I Want To Stay At Georgia for 10 More Years..."At Least"

Mark Richt spoke openly about his desire to remain in Athens as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs and, given the buzz that suddenly seems to be accumulating around the team (both positive and negative), he has a good chance to state his case for seeing that happen if he completes a solid 2011 campaign.

In the meanwhile, he might want to take a long look at how his staff recruits offensive linemen as, yet again, Georgia finds that very unit in the news again for all the wrong reasons. This time the news surrounds junior, A.J. Harmon, who has decided to transfer.

Harmon was expected to play a key role in the offensive line rotation this season—particularly in the wake of the Trinton Sturdivant injury—but was unable to get his academics in order (at least that's the rumor floating around), leaving depth on the offensive line at dangerous levels.

That said, Mark Richt has made it clear that Georgia is not out of options yet.

Watts Dantzler, Xzavier Ward, and Zach DeBell are all due in this summer and, at least two of those three guys, are expected to play a contributive role on the line this year and that likely would have been the case even if A.J. Harmon had not made the decision to transfer.

As for Richt, he's been in this situation on far more occasions than he'd like during his tenure at Georgia and, to be frank, it would be more disconcerting if this were a conversation about Cordy Glenn or Ben Jones as Harmon hasn't been as impactful on the line as the scurry around him now might lead you to believe.

Although, to be fair, anytime you lose significant experience at the left tackle position—even if it is in a reserve capacity—you feel a little less easy heading into the season. Harmon certainly had the reps and the familiarity with the blocking schemes that you like to see in your linemen, but he never was able to breakthrough as a starter and it is likely he didn't see that changing much this season either—academic problems or not.

The arrival of the heralded tackles from the 2011 signing class just got a lot more interesting—hope these dreams won't be of the deferred kind.

Georgia Bulldogs: Is Washaun Ealey's Release Really A Surprise?

Photo Credit: Brant Sanderlin/AJC

It has been announced that Georgia Bulldog running back, Washaun Ealey, has been granted an unconditional release by the team—he will finish his career elsewhere.

Now, raise your hand if this news surprises you.

Okay, raise your hand if you truly saw Washaun Ealey playing any significant downs for the University of Georgia football team in 2011.

I'm willing to lay a bet down that not many of you raised your hand because, to be quite honest, the surprise would have been if Washaun Ealey made it through the summer based on some of Mark Richt's comments last month at a Bulldog Club gathering in Augusta, GA.

Said Richt, at that time, "Washaun has a ways to go still to show me that he deserves to start or even play right now..."

Does that sound like a guy who's in a hurry to bring back a kid who has been, for the last 12-16-months, displaying less and less interest in wearing a Bulldog uniform? Let's face it, Ealey wore out his welcome a long time ago and, I'll go on record and admit, I'm not so sure how much a pulled hamstring had to do with his lack of carries this past spring.

It has long been rumored, although not confirmed, that Ealey wasn't happy with the new attitude being promoted and enacted at Georgia (mostly from the strength and conditioning aspect) and he wasn't buying into the program that new strength coach, Joe Tereshinksi was selling. It was for that very reason he was given an indefinite suspension this past February.

If we assume the latter is all true, then Ealey's release was not only a matter of time, but a necessary evil as there is no place for that level of dissension on a team that is already heading into a tenuous 2011 football season.

That said, there will be even more pressure for new recruit, Isaiah Crowell, to be all he can be—now—as the depth chart at tailback just got real thin, real fast.

Hopefully Mr. Ealey can find what he's looking for at another institution. He's clearly got a lot of talent, but he'll need to mature a bit before he can reach his max potential.

Related articles

• Georgia Bulldogs reinstate Washaun Ealey after 2-week-plus ban (sports.espn.go.com)
• Put on notice (blutarsky.wordpress.com)
• Lingering hamstring issue to sideline UGA's Ealey for spring game. (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

Georgia Bulldogs Offer 2012 Prospect Dillon Lee

Whenever you mention the Georgia Bulldogs and Dillon Lee in the same sentence, most people only have one thought: why hasn't Georgia offered him yet?

Well, finally, after it seemed Georgia would let this top in-state product get away, they extended an offer to the stud linebacker prospect from Buford High School in Buford, GA.

Lee is 6'4", 220, and seems tailor made for the 3-4 defense. He moves well, has great presence in space, and uses his hands well—he's played tight end and could play there at the next level depending on his college choice. Personally, I feel he'll make his living on defense as an outside linebacker as he has too much defensive upside.

He's a big hitter who knows how to get into the backfield and lay out a guy.

With such a late offer by the Bulldogs, most would assume that Mark Richt's bunch are well out of the race, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Lee is reportedly adding Georgia to his list of finalists and will be considering them as a possible destination in 2012—although most still feel he could land in Tuscaloosa with the Crimson Tide (FSU is also a real possibility).

One thing is certain, Lee looks like he's ready to be a big time ball player at the next level.

Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Jordan Love?

Photo Credit: Richard Hamm

Jordan Love is a redshirt sophomore from Glen Allen, VA.

Coming out of Deep Run High School in 2009, he was thought to be a sleeper candidate for the Bulldogs defense.

One of his most trumpeted attributes was his speed—he was clocked at having run a 4.4 forty—which made him an attractive option for  more than a dozen schools that recruiting year (including Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee).

Recruited by former Georgia defensive coordinator,  Willie Martinez, Love seemed tailor made for the type of scheme Georgia's secondary ran at that time—the soft zone—which was focused on minimizing deep ball plays. However, in truth, such coverage often left the secondary susceptible to getting beat short and mid-range plays made in front of them as they often played 8-10 yards off the line of scrimmage.

Enter Love's speed.

Theoretically, if your corners and safeties have enough speed, they can make up ground quickly, even on the short and mid-range pass plays—making the chance for a big play less and less likely. Even more than that, Love was felt to have the mindset of a safety. He liked to play big, hit big, and punish guys whenever possible.

His three-star ranking at that time didn't seem to truly give you a picture of his possibilities at the next level.

Yet, here we sit two seasons later and all we've seen of Jordan Love is a series of unfortunate events—from an unfortunate injury in his first season to an unfortunate encounter with Athens police in his second (not to mention that whole being stolen from thing)—he hasn't truly had an opportunity to prove that he can do anything aside from being shown the wrong kind of love at Georgia.

On the positive side, though, he hasn't been resting on his laurels this spring and, even though he has yet to prove the value his skill-set would have in the 3-4, you have to be figuring on him having a chance to do so this year—if he can stay healthy. 

I have no expectations for Love beyond being a reserve at this point, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him become the type of player who knows how to make the most of the plays he's given.

Georgia Bulldogs: 2012 DB Prospect Deion Bonner

Deion Bonner is one of the top defensive back prospects in the country for the 2012 recruiting season. He's been offered by Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, and Alabama thus far and, barring any missteps, was on par to pick up a few more looks as the season progressed.

He was also a sure-bet to land at Georgia in 2012 but, somewhere between 'sanity' and 'have you lost your damn mind', Bonner decided it would be cool to steal a few items from the players at one of his suitors' facilities—that suitor being Georgia and those players being his potential teammates.

I have to tell you, this incident had me scratching my head because it screams of the type of idiocy that seemed to plague the Georgia football team last season when the program became the butt of just about every SEC joke involving a criminal, an arrest, or a suspension—it wasn't a happy time.

So, naturally, my first thought was that coach Richt would yank this kid's offer and concentrate on landing someone else—maybe send a little more attention in Ryan Dillard's direction. Don't know who Dillard is? Well, he plays for AA Buford High School and, so far, has only fielded one offer—Harvard.

Dillard's claim to fame is shutting down former 5-star recruiting prospect, Da'Rick Rogers in 2009's AA finals—call that a plus—and, oh yeah, not being a thief (sorry, if that seems harsh or insensitive, but...whatever). 

However, when you look at Mark Richt's comments today, it doesn't look like he's ready to cut bait on Bonner just yet. Said Richt, "...these were just 16-, 17-year-old kids, that kids do different things, and it’s part of growing up".

Well, alright then.

Listen, thieving was never a part of my indoctrination into post-adolescence but, hey, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Quite frankly, given the giant microscope Mark Richt is under this season, it would surprise me to see Bonner given an opportunity to play at Georgia. After all, what teammate wants a thief as his roommate and what on earth would Georgia's continued pursuit of him do to team morale?

Chances are Bonner will have to pay his penance playing football somewhere outside of the 30605 zip code.

In the end, I think T Kyle King of DawgSports.com summed this situation up best with the following statement:

...Visitors to Athens are alleged to have committed a crime against Georgia players, yet the likely outcome is that the purported perpetrators still will receive scholarship offers commensurate with those they would have received anyway, rival institutions will snag players they otherwise might not have gotten, and the only folks meaningfully harmed in all this will be the ones in the Classic City, who were the only ones with clean hands in the entire affair.

Such is life in Bulldog Nation, where forthrightness and honesty cost us our best offensive player for one-third of a season while other schools’ stonewalling and obfuscation earned them conference championships and BCS bowl victories. Maybe I watched a few too many cowboy movies growing up, but I’m about ready for the good guys to win one for a change.

Amen to that, Mr. King. Amen to that.

Related articles

• College prospect allegedly steals from Georgia players' lockers (georgia.scout.com)
• Three Football Recruits Named In Georgia Locker Room Robbery (sbnation.com)
• Prep prospect among three charged with theft from Georgia locker room (sports.espn.go.com)

Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Richard Samuel?

"I need to show that I have what it takes to come back and play. To show that I can contribute and help the team win. That the coaches can trust me and I’m not, what you say, a bust or whatever." (Richard Samuel, AJC, 4/17/2011)

Do you remember when Richard Samuel was a factor in the Georgia Bulldog's offense? Can you recall the last significant play he made for the team? Most would point to the 2009 run against Arkansas (the one where he ran 80-yards to the endzone) as the last time he was relevant—no doubt you recall the play I'm referencing but, in case you've forgotten, you can see it again here—because he's been AWOL since.

Samuel made the move from offense to defense in the spring of 2010 and, at the time, everyone felt that was the best place for him to continue his development. However, he has yet to grow into the defensive player most felt he would and his appearance in Saturday's G-Day game, while nice to see, didn't exactly inspire confidence that he's ready to compete for a starting job this season (while he did recover a fumble, his play was, otherwise, only mildly impressive)—he still has some work to do.

A great many of his problems have stemmed from a) his inability to digest the playbook and b) the reps he lost after going down with a knee injury last season. He simply hasn't had time to showcase his skill set or put what he does know into practice—and it probably hasn't helped much that Alec Ogletree was tabbed to be Georgia's newest talent at inside linebacker.

Still, Samuel is keeping the faith and feels confident that the best is yet to come. As for the coaching staff, well, that seems to be another matter altogether, "Robinson and Alec Ogletree leave the spring with the inside track on the inside linebacker starting spots. Of Samuel’s prospects, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was vague, saying he has shown some promising flashes [emphasis added] and that "he will have a role as we move forward." (AJC, 4/17/2011).

Hmmm, sounds like Samuel will be on the bench quite a bit this year—aside from some spot reserve duty—but I could be wrong.

Hopefully Samuel can finally fight his way through the playbook and onto the football field. Georgia could always use another play maker on defense and it's obvious that Samuel would love to be that guy again, "I still have more inside of me, I still have more to show."

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• G-Day, You Turn Me Inside Out: Notes on the Georgia Bulldogs' Spring Scrimmage (dawgsports.com)

Damn Good Dawg: Former LB Helps Bring Athens Cop Killer To Justice

This past January, Georgia Bulldogs AD, Greg McGarity, hired Brian Gantt to "come in and help educate" players on arrests and how to handle situations involving law enforcement, but on Friday night, this low key hire by McGarity, became a local celebrity as he became an instrumental part in bringing accused cop killer, Jamie Hood, to justice.

According to 11Alive.com, Gantt reached out to Hood via Facebook, saying that if Hood wanted to surrender, he would help him do so, and he would make sure no harm came his way.

The authorities were more than happy to accept Gantt's help, and just past 11:00 on Friday night, Jamie Hood ended the four-day manhunt by turning himself in to law enforcement.

See Gantt speak of the ordeal below:



If Gantt proves to be as persuasive with the Georgia players as he was here, then we should hope to see a lot less arrests in 2011—fingers crossed.

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Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Israel Troupe?

Photo Credit: Kelly Lambert

In case you're a regular reader and were wondering what's up with the "Wherefore Art Thou..." question, here's the deal: its the slow part of the year (as far as college football), so what started out as a cutesy title for an article about Georgia Bulldog defensive back, Jakar Hamilton, is now—for the moment—a weekly profile of players who have failed to live up to expectations.

Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, let's move on to Israel Troupe.

Troupe, a former dual-sport standout for Tift County High School, will enter his senior season with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2011, and his career, to this point, can only be described as unexceptional.

What happened to this prospect who was once recognized as one of the top players in the state? What has played the biggest role in his lack of development? In my opinion, he's never truly given his total effort to playing the game of football.

As a high school senior, Troupe didn't hold gridiron dreams. His love was for baseball and, had he gone as high in the MLB Draft as he would have liked, he likely never would have committed to play football at Georgia. However, he would eventually be selected in the 31st round—effectively making his decision to play football a no-brainer—ending his dreams of playing pro ball before they began. 

Since that time, Troupe has attempted to have one foot in both worlds. Whether he was looking into practicing with the Georgia Baseball team, or considering signing on with the Athens Pirates (an amateur baseball team), Troupe has never been completely focused on football and that has hurt him more than the nagging injuries or the shifting depth chart.

Will he finally be something more than a warm body in a red and black uniform, or will he continue to be a non-factor as he's been in his entire career thus far? 

Georgia Bulldogs: OL Candidates Continue To Be A Mystery

Who will be the new offensive line coach at Georgia? That appears to be the question of the moment.

Today, Georgia fans thought they got a hint from ESPN's Mark Schlabach when he tweeted the following message:

The automatic assumption from that was Georgia had nabbed Will Friend, the current offensive line coach at UAB.

However, why would Neil Calloway (former Georgia offensive coordinator and current UAB head coach) allow one of his best assistant's to leave? It doesn't make sense—logically. It's not as if Georgia is in the habit of spending a lot of money for assistant coaches, and it's doubtful that Friend would make significantly more than former OL coach Stacey Searles.

It's not an improbable hire, but it's not one that looks promising right now.

Then there's Mac McWhorter...who retired.  Is he suddenly ready to jump back into being a coach after only a few weeks out of the college game?

If he is, Mack Brown might be surprised to hear it—especially since Texas lost one of the top OL prospects in the country as a result of McWhorter's departure.

Greg Adkins' name is being thrown around too, but, as far as he's concerned, Syracuse is where he'll be come 2012—no one from Georgia has contacted him about the OL position (as of yet). And, when Adkins was recently asked about the possibility of him heading back to the SEC, he simply stated,  "No, there's nothing to it...I don't know where that started."

And then there's Brent Key.

Here's all I will say about him, he's currently recruiting for 2012—as recently as last night. If Georgia has him on the radar, he's not chomping at the bit to get on a plane.

I don't profess to know much more than anyone else where this search is concerned, it's all speculation until we see an official announcement from UGA, but none of the above guys seem to really be in play at Georgia—at least right now.

Guess, we'll just have to wait and see what develops over the next few hours and days as coach Richt hopes to lock down this position very soon.

Georgia Bulldogs: What You Really Hope To See In 2011... (VIDEO)

Though no one can be sure that another Herschel Walker will come along in the near future, it most certainly would be nice to see some tough running like this 'Tween The Hedges next season:



"My God, a freshman!"

Just a little flashback to get your Friday morning started off right.

Georgia Bulldogs: Mark Richt Has Faith, But How Many Still Have Faith In Him?

If you're a Georgia Bulldog fan, it's not likely to have escaped your attention that Auburn's Gene Chizik became yet another SEC coach to win a national title in under five-years.

Believe and say what you will about Cam Newton, and the dirty NCAA, the fact remains, Auburn has a recent national championship to brag about and Georgia does not.

Gene Chizik, booed by Auburn fans a mere three seasons ago, has a Sears Trophy and a Heisman winner on his head coaching resume.

Mark Richt has????

And it's not just Chizik that boils you. It's the departed Urban Meyer (won two titles in five years), the fiery Nick Saban (won a title in his third year), and the gunslinging Les Miles (won a title in his second season). All won the big one within a short period of time.

And Mark Richt has????

Yet you are told to have faith that Richt's time will soon come.

Well, it's tough to have faith when you're losing players left and right— Justin Houston and Brandon Boykin could follow A.J. Green to the NFL, Darryl Gamble is gone, and both Marcus Dowtin and Nick Williams (sleeper talents to start 2010) are transferring—and necessary staff changes take so long to get made—the offensive coordinator is still...coordinating.

Your faith will only take you as far as your ability to overlook certain truths and, for a great many, that truth is this: Mark Richt's window to win a national championship has closed.

Does that mean McGarity should have dumped him after the bowl game? No, not in my opinion.

In truth, McGarity has done the right thing in allowing Richt this one last season to show what he's made of.

If 2011 proves mediocre, then he's out and McGarity has had more time to evaluate the program as well as identify possible candidates for the future.

He's just being sure all of his bases are covered.

In the meantime, one can only trust in the possibility that 2011 holds a better outcome.

It's all or nothing next season for Georgia football, under coach Richt, and faith or no faith, we are all hoping for a miracle.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Auburn Fans Respond: Nick Fairley Was Just Doing His Job (VIDEO)

Ya know, this would be funnier if it weren't so dead wrong. Of course, have to admit, the dialogue does give a slight chuckle in some places—particularly the "All Auburn fans should be killed" retort by the "Georgia" fan.

For the most part, though, it just amazes me how differently two sides can see a ball game.



Here's to killing Auburn, on the football field, next year in Athens!

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Georgia Bulldogs Football: After Four Losses, Georgia FINALLY Feels The Thrill of Victory

Last week it seemed improbable that the Georgia Bulldogs would get anywhere near a win—anytime soon.

As recently as Tuesday, even coach Richt seemed hesitant to give a vote of confidence to his team—apparently balking at the mere idea that they were favored by nearly two scores over a Volunteers program that very nearly sent the LSU Tigers to a bitter end the week prior.

What a difference a week and a change in philosophy can make for one football team.

This week the Georgia Bulldogs finally walked away from the football field with a win, and they looked quite impressive doing so. They secured their first SEC win of the year and their second win of the season by defeating the Tennessee Volunteers 41-14 at Sanford Stadium.

It was clear from the first possession of the game that this was going to be a different football team on this week. The tell-tale sign appeared when Tennessee was not allowed to score on their first possession.

That may seem like small potatoes, but Georgia has been horrid over the last four weeks at doing just that.

Starting in week two, the Georgia defense allowed the opposition to score on its first possession each and every week. Georgia's offense took the field, in each of their last four games, trailing their opponent. So, the fact that they were able to get a stop on the first defensive series against Tennessee, and follow that up with a touhdown, on the first offensive possession, was a welcome sight for Georgia Bulldog fans.

Even more, Georgia did not give up the big plays that have killed them over the losing stretch.

Aside from a huge catch and run by Justin Hunter in the second quarter, and a 2-yard run by Tauren Poole near the end of the third quarter, Tennessee found it difficult to sustain a drive against Georgia's defense. Tennessee quarterback, Matt Simms did the best he could under duress, but he never got comfortable in the pocket, and that led to an inability to find any offensive rhythm against the Bulldogs.

The defense looked as good as it did in week one against Louisiana, and it was clear that Justin Houston, Akeem Dent, Brandon Boykin, and Christian Robinson were all playing with a little extra something under their helmet on Saturday, because all made some significant plays at key moments in the game.

This was the win that the Georgia Bulldogs and their fans needed. It was long overdue and could be just what the doctor ordered for a beleaguered and put-upon coaching staff that has witnessed its fair share of criticism over the past month.

While there can be no guarantees offered the rest of the way, for once, in what seems like a long while, the Georgia Bulldogs can celebrate a win in Athens.

Georgia Bulldogs Recruting: Isaiah Crowell Now Rolling The Tides' Way

The one matter that, more than anything else, should concern a Georgia Bulldog fan who is watching a 1-4 team disintegrate before it's very eyes is, how the perception of a sinking ship will effect future boarders.

It was a mere six-months ago that the Georgia Bulldogs were rolling strong with their "Dream Team" efforts. Guys were pledging their allegiance to Georgia with little hesitation, most were chomping at the bit to not only get to Athens as soon as possible, but to get as many guys to roll with them as they possibly could.

Well, that good fortune could be going south now that there is so much uncertainty about the team, the coaches, and the program. No one wants to be made a mockery of, least of all a highly-touted prospect with more than his fair share of suitors.

Seriously, if a national champion is knocking at your door, why would you sign with a team that is, right now, just hoping to become bowl eligible?

The recent mishaps in the Georgia running game are part of the problem at Georgia and that strikes a nerve with the tried and true fan who grew up watching Herschel Walker, Rodney Hampton, and Garrison Hearst break records wearing the 'G' on their helmet.

The obvious cure for an ailing running game would be to bring in a stud in the 2011 class. A player who is a game-changer and a sure-fire star at the position. That guy for Georgia is supposed to be Isaiah Crowell of Carver High School and, up until Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs were in a dead heat with Alabama for his services, now, the Alabama Crimson Tide are his team to beat.

According to Chip Towers of the AJC, Crowell has become a bit disenchanted with the Georgia Bulldogs, and is liking the idea of going to Tuscaloosa and playing for Nick Saban.

Said Crowell, when asked about his change of heart, "Well, they’re (Georgia) losing a lot of games and have a lot of people getting arrested...there’s just a lot of things going wrong. I do want to play right away but I also want to be where it’s disciplined (emphasis added) and they win championships."

Wow, he said a mouthful there, didn't he? Imagine that, a prospect not wanting to go where it suddenly appears the inmates are running the asylum. Ten arrests in a season will get you a bad reputation for being a little too lenient with your guys.

Sure, Crowell is just one guy. It's possible that the team can win out and get back on track again, but the voices of dissension grow louder every day and they can be tough to ignore—especially if you are a prospect looking for a place to call home for four-years of your life.  It's easy to overlook a poor record, or a bad year, but it's not easy to overlook a drastic coaching overhaul.

Look how many guys Georgia missed out on last season when Martinez and his staff were let go. These kids are building relationships with THIS coaching staff—that's relevant. Firing Richt, Grantham, and every other clipboard holding fellow on the Georgia coaching staff could kill the 2011 class and handicap Georgia for years. 

That said, if you think things are awful now, you have no idea how bad it could really get if the fire sale that so many are calling for actually does happen. How does that "Dream Team" look minus all those great prospects?

Does it look good to you?

As of now, Crowell is waivering and there is word that Watts Dantzler is taking a look at Auburn (his No. 2 choice) again as well. Add to that list, Nathan Theus, a Dawg Night committment—who else will follow?
 
Mark Richt is in the dog house with many right now, and that's fair. However, this is about more than 2010, it's about the future of the Georgia Bulldogs football program from 2011 forward and, you have to start asking yourself this simple question: If Mark Richt is fired, like so many want, what kind of a future will the Georgia Bulldogs truly have?

Of course there are those who will argue that a losing season will bring the same result anyhow so why bother worrying about that factor one way or the other?

Well, to that end, only this question can be asked, how much of a chance are you willing to take on that actually being true? 

Think about it.
 

In Todd Grantham, Georgia Hopes To See Some Shades of '76' (VIDEO)

When you mention the name Todd Grantham around a Georgia Bulldog fan these days, you hear a lot about him being the man who will return the Georgia defense to a "GATA" brand of football.

For those of you who aren't aware of exactly what "GATA" means, it's an acronym for "Get After Their A--es" or, the more PG version, "Get After Them Aggressively".

It's a term that was born during the days of Georgia coaching legend, Erk Russell. Russell once roamed the sidelines of Sanford Stadium as the Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator. He is considered by many fans to be the symbol of how a defense should be—the father of the "Junkyard Dawg" (JYD).

He was also the man behind the stifling Georgia defense that would eventually win the National Championship in 1980. He is still thought of fondly by many a Georgia Bulldog fan, both old and young, because he was a hard-nosed, take no shorts, kind of coach who expected and often received the very best that his guys had to offer.

In his 17 years as coordinator, Russell coached the defensive unit to 27 shutouts. Georgia's opposition was held to less than 17 points in more than half of the games he coached (135 out of 192) and,  no opponent ever scored more than 28 points on an Erk Russell led defense.

Since his departure, there have been few who could come close to that kind of dominance.

Brian Van Gorder (2001-2004) was great, but his early departure did not set well with many and his replacement, Willie Martinez, didn't pan out.

Enter Todd Grantham.

He's a no-nonsense guy with a nose for defense. It's impossible not to listen to him and feel like you want to go out and hit something as hard as possible. He inspires the very essence of "GATA" already—without having coached a down—and if he ends up being anything close to advertised, Georgia is well on it's way to regaining their SEC respect.

So, with Alabama being the 'King of the Hill' right now, and Georgia being the underdog with, what many feel, little chance in hades of making the SEC Championship game this season, it seemed only fitting to post the video you see below because even the mighty ones have been known to fall.

Here's to a season where, hopefully, Georgia can make that happen...a girl can dream, right?



GATA...indeed.

With Damon Evans Out As AD, Has Richt's Success Timetable Grown Shorter?

Coach Mark Richt has supposedly been on the proverbial hot seat ever since his 2008, preseason No. 1, football team failed to make a BCS appearance. However, the truth is, Georgia's coach is not on the hot seat at all—yet.

Mark Richt bought himself a couple years—at least—when he fired his defensive staff and hired the NFL minded Todd Grantham to install the 3-4 defense. So far, the word has been good out of Athens as both the players and the coaches are excited about the possibilities of playing an attacking-style defense 'Tween The Hedges' this year.

Even more, the attention given to keeping the state's best talent from leaving to play elsewhere has been a boon in Georgia's recruiting efforts thus far—13 players have already given their commitment to play for the Bulldogs in 2011.

However, in the blink of an eye, all of the good will that has been created by the positives were overshadowed dramatically by the actions of the, now former, Georgia AD Damon Evans. His DUI, potential infidelity, and overall bad publicity has brought his tenure to an end and the next question, if you are a fervent supporter of coach Mark Richt, has to be what will happen to him now?

Admittedly, it's a question that crossed my mind almost immediately after the Evans situation first came to light and I wasn't the only one.

Despite his recent indiscretions, Evans was a good AD for Georgia and he was a strong supporter of Mark Richt. He essentially gave Richt a blank check in his search for a new defensive coordinator and offered his firm support for 2010 and beyond as Richt set forward on a path towards recreating the Georgia football program in a light that would be much brighter than the one that's shone over the last two.

Now, with Evans out, will Mark Richt find that his timetable for success has been set on a faster track? After all, the new AD isn't likely to have any ties to Richt, Georgia Bulldogs football, or Vince Dooley (Evan's mentor). The next AD will most likely make the decision that makes the most sense for the bottom line—loyalties aside.

Furthermore, will Michael Adams be able to set aside his perceived need for a "Yes Man" in order to find an AD who is willing to go the extra mile to make Georgia football not only profitable but successful as well?

Some interesting candidates are already being kicked around, at least in the internet world, but nothing is expected to be done soon as a nationwide campaign is possible in determining the next man for this job. That said, can Georgia fans guarantee that the next AD will get along as famously with Richt as Evans did?

Can we be certain anymore that an 8-5 or 9-3 season will suffice in 2010? How long, or short, will the patience be if the new guy doesn't bleed red and black?

In the end, it's easy to predict that the good times will keep rolling but, from my perspective, this change could be as much for the bad as the good.

What say you, Bulldog/SEC nation? Could coach Richt be in trouble if Michael Adams tabs the wrong man for the job this time around?

(This article appears courtesy of The Lady Sportswriter)