Friday, February 26, 2010

Stafford Shows What He's Got

This video has been around the internet I'm sure. I just failed to see it for some reason. If you watch it through its entirety, you can't help but have some respect for Matthew Stafford. This kid may just be something one day!

On This Day In Bulldawg History

On this day in Bulldawg history, my mother and father welcomed into this world what would become the number one Dawg fan of all time. Little did they know, this child would be baptized into the Dawgnation as a young teen, and begin the Coleman tradition of attending the greatest university in all of the land.

So to you, Tommy and Angie, I give thanks. Thank you for raising me right, and fostering the love for the Red & Black that I hold deep within me. Thank you for your support and all that went with my blessings of becoming an alumnus of the greatest school on Earth.

1980 was the year of my birth, and we all know what else happened in that amazing year! Our Dawgs celebrated their last national championship! This 30th anniversary year will mark the next of many to come. And, of course..it is the Decade of the Dawg!

Happy birthday to me, and I can't wait to spend the next 30 celebrating the Dawgs with even more heart than the first!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Would You Rather...

I've been trying to do at least one edition of "Would You Rather" per week lately. It's starting to get tough, so bare with me if I get a little silly. Also, I'd love to get some feedback from you guys, and know what you would rather.

Would you rather...

...watch a new episode of Lost, or a replay of the 2009 UGA v GaTech game?
I love lost, but I gotta go with the game here. That's what DVRs are for, right?

...win a Gold medal in men's ice dancing, or just compete in men's speed skating?
Just let me speed skate because I could never bring myself to "ice dance".

...have Washaun Ealey be the main man, or split carries with Caleb King?
I am a huge Ealey fan myslef, but let's go with whatever works the best!

...play the flute in the Red Coat marching band, or be a male cheerleader?
I think being a male cheerleader in college would be the BOMB!

...play golf at the Masters for a day, or Pebble Beach all week?
There's nothing in the world like Augusta National!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Maybe Grantham Should Talk To The Braves

Yes, this is a Georgia Bulldog blog, and I am going out on a limb here to relate Jason Heyward to UGA. None-the-less I couldn't help but feel intrigued about an article I read comparing him to a stud outside linebacker. Hell, at 6'5" 245lbs, this 20 year old is a complete physical specimen. This article from the AJC (HERE) says it all.

From a Braves fan point of view, I can't wait to see what the future holds for this prospect. I think the shear fact that seasoned veterans are in awe of the kid says a lot for his potential.

“He’s an outside linebacker,” pitcher Derek Lowe said of Heyward, who enters spring training with a good shot at winning the right-field job at age 20. “He’s huge.”

“He’s Jevon Kearse – he’s The Freak,” third baseman Chipper Jones said, comparing baseball’s top-rated prospect to the Tennessee Titans defensive end. “I’m telling you, he’s a bigger version of Freddy McGriff.”


Hey, come play for the Dawgs for a while Jason. It might help you become a better athlete!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Thirteen Reasons The Dawgs Win Fourteen

Any sensible college football fan would never predict their team to win 14 games in a single season. So, no, I am not going to make that bold of a prediction. I just think this video is hilarious, so I have made it the lead in to my post of reasons I think UGA has 10,000:1 odds to go undefeated.



1.) Red is the color of winners!
2.) Aaron Murray is the real deal.
3.) Our new defense is going to be really good.
4.) Our running back tandem is exceptional.
5.) The line blocking for them is as well.
6.) Mark Richt is the man.
7.) Uga is awesome!
8.) Georgia girls are the best.
9.) Florida's reign was ended by Bama.
10.) It is the Decade of The Dawg!
11.) Orange is ugly!
12.) Orange and Blue is even worse.
13.) Bees are stupid little bugs.
Bonus Reason: I'm getting married in Athens this spring, so 2010 is a GREAT year!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Uga Was Already My Favorite Mascot...

...but after reading this today, he has renewed my unending love for the great white English Dawg!

In 1978, Georgia played at LSU in raucous Tiger Stadium for the first time in 26 years. While Coach Dooley was out on the field before the game, he witnessed the unimaginable.

Apparently, Uga III was invading the space of LSU’s mascot, Mike IV, near the tiger’s cage. Mike ran up to the cage’s edge and roared loudly but Uga didn’t budge. Infuriated, Mike got on his hind legs, rattled the cage, and roared even louder.

Not phased a bit, Uga charged the cage, barking ferociously at the opposing mascot. Mike sheepishly retreated to the back of his cage.

Upon seeing this, Dooley was instantly inspired and returned to his team in the dressing room. “Let’s go, men… we’ve got ‘em tonight!” he shouted to the Bulldogs prior to entering the field.

Georgia, a seven-point underdog, would go on to defeat LSU by a touchdown. But it was another bulldog, who was the first to pull an upset in Baton Rouge that night, prevailing over a 450-pound Bengal tiger.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Georgia Bulldog QB With 3 Heads?

Last night I had a strange vision, and not one that I necessarily agree with, but a vision none-the-less. The vision was of a UGA football team with multiple options playing at the QB position next season.

I will boldly admit that I am a card carrying member of the Aaron Murray fan club. That being said, I will be a true Dawg fan and support the best man for the job in 2010 as decided by the coaching staff. But, what if the best man is really the best "men" for the job? Steve Spurrier had undeniable success at Florida switching QBs whenever he felt like it. I remember watching a game during the Spurrier regime where Florida was running plays into the huddle from the sideline using different QB.

I'm not saying that Georgia should play schizophrenic offense like Spurrier has been known to do. I'm just thinking; wouldn't it be pretty tough to design a defensive game plan around 2 or 3 different QBs at UGA with all completely different styles of play? We all know that Georgia will be a run oriented offense next season, so hopefully the waterboy can line up under center and we can still be successful.

Vision In Action:

Mettenberger as the pro style QB that throws the ball all over the field!
Gray lining up in the WildDawg; will he run, will he throw, we don't know!
Murray just beating you with his uncanny ability to just make plays!

Either way, it is the Decade of the Dawg baby!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Knowshon May Bust Out In 2010


I was doing a photo editing project with some kids at school when I came across this photo of Knowshon. Man did I love to watch him play! He just brought an excitement to the field that few guys can, regardless of their ability to play football. He reminded me a lot of David Pollack when he was playing in a game, but he had more pure talent than Pollack. For that reason, I think Knowshon will make an outstanding NFLer in the very near future.

I know that Moreno may have disappointed some during his first season with the Denver Broncos this past season, but I feel certain he is primed for a breakout season in 2010. With a year under his belt, I am sure he will adapt his game to that of what is required of an NFL running back. The man is one of those type people that gives his best at everything he does, and almost always succeeds.

My inspiration for this blog was nothing more than an AWESOME picture of one of the most talented Dawgs to ever come through Athens.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Would You Rather....

Would you rather...

1). Eat at Five Star in downtown Athens, or Taco Stand? How about both?

2). Go to happy hour at General Beauregard's, or Flanagan's? Flanagan's, just out of tradition!

3). Date a KD, or a Tri-Delt? Can I go with both again?

4). Get a MBA from Terry, or a law degree? Probably going with MBA on this one.

5). Live in Creswell Hall, or Brumby? The Well of course!

6). Sleep from February - July, or anticipate football season all those months? Wake me up when football starts!

7). Read the AJC, or the Red & Black? AJC if I have to..

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Interesting Facts About the BBall Dawgs

Here is an interesting article I read today online. Mark Fox is obviously a big game coach. Now if he can only get the team to not play down to their competition, we'll be in business.

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl predicted in preseason that five SEC East teams would make the NCAA Tournament field. That forecast is looking a little optimistic at present.

"It's got to play itself out because there's so many good teams," Pearl said this week. "Georgia has got three top-25 wins, and right now they're in last place in the SEC East. Is there any conference that has got a team like that in it that's sitting at 3-7 in conference play?"


Whole article here.

Monday, February 15, 2010

A Few GaTech Jokes :)

GT confirms that they have no Hostess program. Must be hard to put one together with so few women on campus.

What do you call a pretty girl on Georgia Tech's campus? A visitor.

What do tech students use for Birth Control? Their personalities.

What do you call a half-full Sanford Stadium? Georgia Tech.

A Tech student confirms that a true romance is brewing when they introduce 'that special person' to their study group at the library.

The only thing more empty than Bobby Dodd Stadium during a Tech home game is Obama's promises.

Two guys were walking down the street and one says, "Hey, I just heard a great Georgia Tech joke."
"Hold on," says the other fellow, "I went to Georgia Tech."
"Oh. Well, in that case, I''ll tell it very slowly."

Friday, February 12, 2010

Another Reason I Love The Dawgs

I came across this video today that I missed somehow a few years back. This video hit home for me for some reason. I think it reminds me of my cousin that died a few months ago. He was a quadriplegic from an accident that happened the year before he was to play football at UGA. This story is so heart-warming, and re-enforces why I love UGA, Mark Richt, and everything that is the DAWGS!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Fox In The Dawghouse With A Monkey

I don't often write about the UGA basketball team because I know that my knowledge base isn't quite what it should be. I do, however, read about the roundball Dawgs every time they play, and have kept up with them quite a bit this season. I think Coach Fox is beginning to build a program that the Bulldawg Nation can be proud of, but it's going to take a little more time than most of us would like for it to.

Coach Fox has got to shake this SEC road game monkey off his back. I'm proud to see the team playing so well at home, and I even bought my first basketball tickets in 5 years the other day. I will travel to Athens to see the Dawgs take on the Gators February 27th. Now, hopefully some of us fans will get off our butts and start traveling to see a game or two so that the team can have a little support on the road.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Would You Rather Wednesday

Would you rather...

1)...have a top notch basketball team at UGA, or a top notch baseball program?
This is tough for me, but I guess hoops.

2)...get married on the 50 yard line in Sanford, or get married in the church of your choice?
On the G baby!

3)...bring back a young Herschel Walker to play for the Dawgs, or David Green, Pollack, Thomas Davis, and Knowshon Moreno?
Since I was only 2 when Herschel left, bring him back please!

4)...the Falcons win the Superbowl, or the Dawgs win the SEC?
Dawgs all the way! Both would be nice!

5)...marry a Georgia Tech graduate, or a Tennessee grad?
Whichever one had more money! lol

I'll keep it short this am, and hopefully get something good for later this afternoon!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Pro Athletes Could Cut National Debt

How many times have you heard the phrase "professional athletes make too much money"? I know I have heard it over and over, and while I agree somewhat, I tend to defend the outrageous salaries more often than not. Pro athletes do things that only a minute percentage of society can even dream about when it comes to their physical abilities. At the end of the day, they make the money they do because people pay to watch them, and then buy their gear like crazy!

I have taught in a public school for the past 5 years (no, I'm not liberal), and I see that a huge majority of my students support professional sports of all kinds. I often wonder how much money school kids pump into the pro sports market place. I would assume the amount is staggering. With that in mind, these students, their teachers, and school systems as a whole, are facing major fiscal dilemmas right now when it comes to educational budgets and funding the students' learning process.

Keep in mind these statistics are not totally accurate.

There were approximately 1,800 NFL players in 2009 who earned a mean salary of approximately $1,800,000 (1.5 million per player). That means a total of over $3,240,000,000 was paid to NFL players in the year 2009. These guys already pay their UNfair share of taxes like the rest of America, but they are by no means hurting in the area of bank accounts.

What I am about to say will come to a major shock to most people who know me because I am a Libertarian, and I believe the government already needs to stay out of our pockets. Come to think of it, if America would institute the FairTax, my current blog here would be a mute point. We already addressed the fact that school age children most likely account for a great deal of revenues used to pay NFLers, so here's my plan. Let's start making professional athletes give 5-10 percent of their salaries towards education!

Mad at me yet conservatives? I apologize in advance, but it's just an idea. This is an idea that could potential generate $150-$300 million dollars in funding from the NFL players alone. We're not even counting the NBA, MLB, Soccer, Golf, etc.

I'm sure that these guys donate tons of money to education already, right? Just an idea, and I am curious to hear your thoughts!

Peeing Bulldawg!

There's nothing like a Bulldawg peeing on a Gator, Bug, Orange, or any other varmint crawling around mascot land. That is why I fell in love with the peeing dog statues the minute I saw them!

Several years ago, my mom found these statues that closely resemble Uga, so she painted a Georgia jersey on one, and they became an instant hit. I thought I'd take a minute to give a plug and show off these funny little statues. Click the link below for more information:
Georgia Bulldog Statue Peeing!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Amazing UGA Moments

Now that football season has officially come to an end, blogging about the Dawgs can take a turn one of two ways. It may seem nearly impossible to come up with material to write about, or I may be able to have a more clear mind and speak about some things I often hash out in my own memory.

Today I thought I would take a minute and flash back to 2003 when the Dawgs played Tennessee in Knoxville. I remember sitting in the corner of the end zone in the middle of nothing but a sea of that ugly orange, staring at the ridiculous orange and white checkerboard. UGA had led the entire first half, but UT was on our 3 yard line and about to go up 14-13 to end the half. With 5 seconds to go in the half, UT ran a dive of the right side, surely about to score the go ahead touch down. That is when one of the most memorable plays happened that I have seen live at a UGA game. Casey Clausen fumbled the exchange and Sean Jones picked it up and sprinted 93 yards for a touchdown. In stead of the Dawgs going down 14-13, all of a sudden the score was UGA 20 - UT 7. That major turn of events allowed the Dawgs to go on and destroy Tennessee in a 41 - 14 route!



I guess what made that moment so awesome is the fact that the Tennessee fans that surrounded me had been annoying me to no end for two quarters. Then, when Jones changed the momentum so much, I went nuts, and my girlfriend at the time was begging me to shut up before some guy in orange coveralls jumped me. I didn't care one bit, and I remember how mid way through the 4th quarter there was more Red than Orange left in Neyland Stadium!

Go Dawgs!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Kiffin And The 13 Year Old

Yeah, when I first saw that headline on ESPN the other night, I immediately thought he had probably been caught with a teenage girl or something. I surely wouldn't put it past that sleezeball. Lane Kiffin, as usual, is trying to grab some media hype by talking a 13 year old little boy, David Sills, into committing to USC. Here is the story from ESPN.

Heck, maybe Mark Richt should go ahead and offer the 8th grade QB from Gainesville Middle School. From watching this Sills kid, he doesn't look nearly as athletic as the six-foot-two GMS kid. I even personally saw the GMS kid throw the ball (albeit a middle school ball) 70+ yards in a game this year.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Richard Samuel Will Shine

When I thought of writing this post, I knew it was going to be similar to several other posts people would write on Richard Samuel, but maybe I have a little different perspective than all of the others. If you haven't heard, Mark Richt officially announced Wednesday what many knowledgeable fans have hoped for since Samuel signed to play with the Dawgs; #22 is going to make the jump from tailback to linebacker!

Anyone that knew about Samuel coming out of high school was surely aware of the fact that he was a dominating defensive & offensive player while at Cass High. I had the pleasure of scouting against Samuel when he was a senior. When I was coaching football at Gainesville High School, we knew we were going to play either Cass or Carrollton in the first round of the state playoffs, so I watched a ton of film in which Samuel was starring.

Any coach/fan/person could see about 15 minutes into a film involving Cass that Richard Samuel was the heart and soul of that football team. I remember thinking to myself "without that Samuel kid, we would destroy this team". The reason I am so excited about Samuel moving to linebacker is because of all those games I watched with him dominating. Yes, he was an impressive tailback, but his instinct and ability on the defensive side of the ball was unmatched by any linebacker I had seen play that year, and he was maybe even one of the best high school linebackers I have ever seen in person.

I remember the first time I heard that he was going to be playing running back at UGA, and I was a little sad at the loss we would be taking by not having him line up at linebacker. Now, I am not saying he was a bad running back, but at linebacker, I think the guy has the potential to be an All-SEC or even an All-American.

Maybe I am wrong, only time will tell. While you are thinking about this change of position for Samuel, keep in mind that the kid was only 17 when he started playing for the Dawgs. I'm sure his physical maturation will only enhance those God given talents!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Would You Rather...


Would you rather...

1)...have the #1 recruiting class in the nation, or have the #1 team after January?
This is a no-brainer!

2)...watch the Dawgs play with Jessica Alba, Megan Fox, or Vince Dooley?
Jessica Alba, duh! Sorry Vince!

3)...have 5 star recruits with great work ethic, or 1 5 star recruit?
Give me the hard working boys anyday. With them you can win championships!

4)...sit in a sky box in Sanford, or sit in the student section on a summer day with sexy co-eds?
Co-eds baby..at least for now...I am getting old though! lol

5)...pay $20 bucks to watch the Dawgs lose, or $150 to watch them win?
This is a tough one, but I think a win is worth $130 bucks...who are we playing? :)

6)...watch the Dawgs with your wife, or your best Bulldawg buddy?
Come on now...Sarah, of course!

7)...tailgate all day for a 7 o'clock game, or kickoff at noon?
Give me the night game anytime!

8)...your son or daughter go to GaTech or Florida?
WOW, I plead the 5th!

Let us know what you think about any or all of these "Would You Rathers"!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

UGA Recruiting Round Up

So, we ended up not getting as highly ranked of a recruiting class as we have been used to. I say, WHO CARES? We're still the Dawgs, we have a TON of talent coming back next year, and we got EXACTLY what we needed. I really don't even want to mention specific names because all of these guys could bust out. Never-the-less, I think TJ Stripling might be the sleeper in this crowd. If the kid fills out, he might be the perfect fit for Grantham in this 3-4 scheme. Stripling has the perfect "hybrid" frame for an outside linebacker in this system. He may even pack on 40lbs of muscle and put his hand in the dirt as a tackle.

Take a look at the whole class of 2010 HERE:

Da'Trick "ME" Rogers

OK, so he's a teenage kid...get over it, right? I will get over it, I just felt compelled to write a little blurb about the issue of decommitting.

Future recruits: If there is any shadow, hint, thought, inkling, glimmer, flickering of doubt that you will stay true to your committment......DON"T COMMIT EARLY.

Now, it's out of my system, and I wish the best of luck to all of the immature boys out there that can't stand true to their word.

Bacarri Rambo thinks it's messed up how UGA high school commitments back out on the Dawgs: "I'm telling you now when I catch you on the field I'm going to knock fire from you."

What more would you expect from Rambo!!!!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

College Recruits

I want to make most of my blogs as original as possible. That being said, I would like to share with you guys a great article from the Gainesville Times that I read this morning. "The college football world is cutthroat. You win, you’re in. You lose, you aren’t in for long."

By Katie B. Davis
Recruiting is an art form.

Head coaches of colleges big and small understand the magnitude of the art; if they didn’t they wouldn’t be head coaches.
College football has become as much about who a coach is bringing in as it is about who they’ve got playing for them right now. Thus, it’s important for coaches to have the ability to build relationships with young men.

Take current Louisville verbal commit and Port St. Lucie, Fla., linebacker Deon Rogers.

Last week, Rogers decommitted from the University of Georgia because the man he’d built a relationship within the program — former linebackers coach John Jancek — was fired.

Rogers spoke of not particularly liking the new defensive scheme of the Bulldogs’ new coordinator Todd Grantham, but mostly, he decided not to play for Georgia because he no longer felt bonded to the program.

“Recruiting is a catch-22,” said former Gainesville offensive coordinator Todd Wofford, who oversaw the recruiting of Blake Sims, Tai-ler Jones, A.J. Johnson and others while at Gainesville. “You want the kids to fall in love with a school, but at the same time, the guys have to want to be around the coaches and play in their systems. That’s a huge part of everything.”

The college football world is cutthroat. You win, you’re in. You lose, you aren’t in for long.

It’s also filled with dream jobs and coaches who want them.

That’s part of why the coaching carousel turns at such a rapid rate. The makeup of college football is ever-changing because its leaders are.

Take this season for instance: Lane Kiffin left Tennessee after one year for his dream job at Southern California, leaving a Vols void. Derek Dooley took the position at Tennessee, leaving a need at Louisiana Tech.

Charlie Weis was fired at Notre Dame and Brian Kelly left the University of Cincinnati to take the job.

Locally, two defensive coordinators were let go: Georgia Tech’s Dave Wommack and Georgia’s Willie Martinez, as were a couple of Georgia assistants, including Jancek.

So, considering that each of these coaches were integral parts of their former team’s recruiting efforts, what’s the fallout?

“Everybody’s sticking around,” said Georgia Tech defensive end and former Flowery Branch star Izaan Cross of Wommack’s departure. “(A new coach coming in) is looked at as another chance, especially for the guys who weren’t playing or were redshirts this past year.”

As for the defensive recruits coming into Georgia Tech, Cross says they’re staying strong as well.

“All of our defensive coaches have talked to the recruits and told them that nothing has changed,” Cross said. “Those guys are still strong.”

For Johnson, a junior linebacker at Gainesville and former Tennessee commit, the fallout was that he’s now a former commit.

“The coaches leaving did it for (Johnson),” Wofford said. “He liked the school, but the coaches leaving did it.

“This summer when he went up there, he liked the coaches, he liked their energy and the fact that they did it a little different that everyone else. They were, I’d say, 80 percent of the reason he committed in the first place.”

Just because a coach leaves a program, however, doesn’t mean his relationship with a recruit is severed. Quickly after Kiffin’s departure, Johnson received a scholarship offer from Southern California.

On the flip side are the players who choose to stay. Former Gainesville wide receiver Tai-ler Jones is one of those.
He committed to Notre Dame under the pretense that he’d be playing for Weis, which is no longer the case.

Jones was, according to Wofford, on the bubble about whether to stay or go, but then something dawned on the son of a former Irish great: If he stayed, with a new coach coming in, he’d be on the same page as everyone else, old and young.

“T.J.’s in the best situation,” Wofford said. “Not only will Kelly be there for five years, but because (Jones) enrolled early, he’s a step ahead of all the other freshmen and learning the new system right along with the upperclassmen.

“He’s on same the level as everyone else because he chose to stick it out with a new coach.”

Monday, February 1, 2010

Jeff Whitaker Coulda Been A STUD For UGA

Every year or so, I jump on a recruit and boast that the future Dawg will be a stud. I don't have the blogs to prove it (because UGABlog.com is only 1 month old), but I have been pretty darn accurate over the past few years.

I drooled over AJ Green for a year and a half, Knowshon and Stafford before that, and I couldn't wait for Ben Watson back in the day. I'm not always on target, but I think Jeff Whitaker could have been a force in Coach Grantham's 3-4 scheme in a year or two.

Whitaker is not only a perfect physical fit, but he seems to really have his head on his shoulders too. Give it some time, and defenses across the SEC will be figuring out how they are going to double team him every time they try to run between the tackles!

Say it ain't so Jeffrey!!!!!!!!!
He chose Auburn..

Flip Flopping Willie

Rumor has it that the smart Cardinal fans at Stanford University realized how bad of a job Willie did at UGA and ran him off before he ever even settled in out in Cali.

Now it leaves me wondering "What is Bob Stoops thinking"? Good luck Willie, and thank Goodness for Todd Grantham!

AJC article HERE about Martinez going to OU.

What's New In Dawgville?


As I mentioned I was going to last week, my fiance and I made the trek over to Athens Saturday night to watch Herschel's MMA debut. I know I could have watched the Showtime fight from the confines of my own home, but just being in Athens seemed to make it all that much better to watch. Say what you want about Walker, but the man is a physical specimen. Just like he did as an 18 year old, he amazed the world with his easy defeat of the overmatched opponent. Who's next?

The Lady Dawgs are on a major slide right now. I gave them their props a few weeks back when they became the first team ever to start the season at 16-0, and now they find themselves amidst a 3 game losing streak. I'm sure Coach Landers will get them back on track come tourney time.

I am eager to see what surprises await us on the recruiting trail over this stretch towards signing day. My number one hope for now is that the Dawgs can land the Whitaker kid from Warner Robins. I think he could be a major force at the nose in this new 3-4 scheme.

The men's basketball team had a minor slide this week, but I think Coach Fox is building something special over there in Athens. Maybe we can go on a run and squeak into the tourney.

Stay tuned this week for my 2nd edition of "Would You Rather" and other exciting stuff!
 

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