Friday, May 21, 2010

Is Having GaTech On The Schedule A Bad Thing?

"Is having Georgia Tech on the schedule bad?" If someone walked up to me and randomly asked me that question, I would respond with an immediate HELL NO! I look forward to that football game every year with as much anticipation as probably any game on the schedule. Granted, I am probably considered a new age Dawg fan, and I hate the Gators the most! Never-the-less, I am a card carrying member of the "Clean Old Fashioned Hate" club.

Now, when I step back and take an objective look at the question, I have a few thoughts that come to mind. Since Paul Johnson has taken over and successfully installed his triple-option offense, he brings quite a bit of chaos to the match-up. What I mean by that is how it impacts their opponents game plan. Defensive coordinators get heartburn when they think about defending against an attack like Tech throws at you, and when you have the athletes they had the past few years (Dwyer, Nesbit, Thomas, & Co.) the gut ache is made even worse.

You would be a fool to think that Grantham has not already had a thought or 100 about how he is going to use the 3-4 to stop Johnson's offense. So, the question I posed at the beginning can be answered differently when looked at it from this perspective. I think that having today's Tech team on the schedule does hurt a little bit because coaches and players are required to spend so much practice time scheming against an offense they are only going to see once during the year.

Do I want to stop playing the Nerds? HELL NO! I relish in the joy of beating them, especially in years like 2009 when the whole world thought they would dominate the Dawgs. What happened in reality is that an SEC defense proved once again that the high school offense doesn't work when the big boys are prepared for it, even when Willie Martinez is your defensive coordinator!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Technology In Football


We all know that football has changed a lot over the past several decades. The most obvious change today compared to 50 years ago is the size of the players. The change that I think gets less credit than it should is pertaining to technology. I think the average football fan would be shocked at how much technology has changed the game, and how much it is used within big time college football programs and the NFL. Heck, even many high schools are catching on as of late; especially the ones with a little bit of booster club money to spend.

Here's a little "off the top of my head" list of things schools use today:
-High definition cameras (many costing 10's of thousands of dollars)
-Telescopic camera mounts that allow camera angles from as much as 75 feet above the ground.
-Computer software that aids in play simulation, playbook making, and any other database systems that can help coaches get an edge.
-High tech radio systems that allow coaches to talk to each other and even players on the field.

The list could go on and on! That being said, I would like to take a minute and plug a company I helped co-found that helps teams develop wristband systems at an affordable price. The wristband has been around for a little while in football, but most people do not realize how much it has evolved in the past 10 years. Many teams run their entire offense off of the wristband. Wristbands have become sophisticated to the point that each player can wear one, and can get instructions on what to do on each play by simply looking down at the band.

I have experiences first hand how the wristband system can completely transform the offensive game. If any of you out there are interested in getting the low down on this software product send me an email. My contact information is listed below, and the software release date is coming this June!

Andy Coleman
www.psafootball.net
andy@psafootball.net

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Why Hasn't UGA Offerred AJ Johnson?

I spent a few hours of my night yesterday watching the Gainesville High School spring scrimmage game up at beautiful City Park in downtown Gainesville. Not so surprisingly the place was peppered with college coaches, and I even got the chance to talk to Al Groh for several minutes (Ga Tech's new defensive coordinator). Of the 6 or so college coaches present, they were pretty much all there to get a glimpse of AJ Johnson, the excellent middle linebacker from GHS. Johnson has too many offers to mention, but still no offer from the Dawgs. I am really confused, so I was hoping that some of you may be able to shed some light on this situation.

I coached AJ from 7th-10th grade, and knew from day one that the kid was something special. Not only is he a physical beast, but more importantly he is a great kid that takes care of academics. If anyone out there has any say in anything UGA recruiting, please enlighten me as to why we are missing the boat!

On another note, the upcoming freshman QB from Gainesville absolutely stole the show at the scrimmage last night! Even the college coaches were talking primarily about this kid after watching him put on a clinic for 4 quarters! Look out for Deshaun Watson in the near future because I predict a top 10 national ranking for this kid if things keep progressing and basketball doesn't steal him away!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Get Behind Aaron Murray Bulldawg Nation

The stage has been set, the players are in place, now let's get behind the rising leader of this team and show him the support of the whole Dawgnation! Whether you like it or not, the job of leading this team has officially been won by redshirt freshman, Aaron Murray. Ask any good quarterback in college or the NFL, and they will tell you that they must be respected and seen as the leader of their team in order to be successful.

So, to all Bulldawg fans who truly want to see the team succeed at the highest level; throw all of your indifference's out the door and let's give this kid our full support. Aaron Murray, listen to Coach Richt and realize that the foundation is SOLID. All you have to do is go out there manage the game, and help limit the teams' turnovers! Don't be afraid to get in a running back's face and make sure he knows the importance of ball security. Don't hesitate to pump up the best receiver in the country and push him to his limits so he can make that HUGE 3rd down reception! Don't fail to point out the fact to your AWESOME O-line that we only need 3 inches on 4th & short down in Jacksonville.

Rise up Dawgnation! Let's start the DECADE OF THE DAWG!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Logan Gray, To You I Say THANKS!

I'll admit it! When I heard the story a few weeks ago that Gray was considering a transfer, I immediately felt sick at my stomach. I have never really said much negative about the kid since he set foot on campus. Sure, he didn't look great the times he got into a game in the past, but he was almost always put in at inopportune times.

I had Gray as 3rd on MY depth chart concluding the spring, but I would have had some confidence if Richt had named him #1. Today we find out that Logan is going to stay at UGA and work as a receiver and QB. I can't wait to see what the kid can do with the ball at receiver. I mentioned in a post earlier that I think he has the potential to be a good possession type receiver that can score points if he breaks loose.
It's time to make Logan Gray face the fact that he can help this team in other areas. I think Gray has the potential to be a great possession type receiver. Wouldn't it be sweet to have our very own shorter version of an Ed McCaffrey type play-maker?

To you, Logan Gray, I say THANK YOU for not leaving the Dawgs high and dry at QB. I wouldn't have blamed you in the least if you did, but now I will become one of your biggest fans!

These Guys Must Have Gone To UGA...

I'm not sure if this is a feasible idea or not, but hell, why not try it? Spending a few million bucks on some hay is a far cry from the BILLIONS we are wasting and not getting anywhere with cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf.

Article Here:

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

With All This Hot Seat Talk...How About Perno?

Every time I read a post about Coach Richt being on the "Hot Seat", I just have to laugh it off. His record and character speaks all I need to know.

Now the topic is definitely on my mind when it comes to UGA's baseball coach, David Perno. I am beginning to think that even a down year shouldn't be this bad. I read a post a while back that shows this may go down as the worse season in the school's history. I questioned the hire when it was made, even though I like Perno as a coach. He was there as pitching coach when I walked onto the team in 1998, and I remember thinking at the time that he would be a better coach than Sapp. Then he got the job after we were left high and dry by Polk.

3 trips to the World Series and two SEC rings since 2002 does speak a lot, so I am sort of on the fence. But, I do definitely think he should be considered on the hot seat. What are your thoughts?

Monday, May 10, 2010

UGA Needs An Indoor Football Facility (UPDATED)

In case you were not aware, our beloved Dawgs come in as one of the most valuable football programs in the country. We already have some of the most state-of-the-art facilities of any program in the nation, but we are without an indoor practice facility.

As my pastor, Andy Stanley, would say; this is a "rich person problem". No doubt about it, but I can still dream, can't I? With UGA's program coming in as one of the 12 most valuable programs in the country, there doesn't seem to be any real reason this dream cannot be made into a reality in my mind. Maybe some of you readers can shed some light on the situation, and enlighten me if I am being unreasonable.

With the likes of schools like Central Florida, Baylor, and other small programs having their own indoor facilities, it's time the Dawgs step up. Surely there's some alumni out there that want to pony up!

Check out Oklahoma's facility here: Everest Indoor Facility

Am I missing something here? What happened to this? Is it coming?

Friday, May 7, 2010

Injury Report: One Arm With Only 2.5 Fingers

OK, so I am not going to recap a UGA football injury report, so if that is what you're looking for, I'm sorry. Heck, is there much of an injury report at this point? We're not even practicing. I mainly wanted to apologize again for slacking off in the blog posts this week.

My reason for the slacking is due to the surgery I mentioned a few days ago. It turns out, typing with my recently repaired arm REALLY makes the arm sore. So, for a few days, bare with me, unless something super awesome happens in the Dawgnation!

Watch out in the near future though for a write up about "Why in the world the Dawgs do not have an indoor practice facility yet". My buddy told me to write something on it, so I will!

GO DAWGS!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Would You Rather

I haven't done a would you rather in several weeks, so I thought I'd bring it back for today. My friends and I love to play this game when we're sitting around drinking, um "beverages". You can basically relate it to anything you want, but here let's stick as close to UGA football as we can.

WOULD YOU RATHER...

...transfer to Cincinnati, Louisville, or somewhere else to continue your college football career? Personally, I would go to the school that puts the most kids in the NFL if I thought I was an NFL caliber player.

...go to a college football program that was loaded with talent at your position, or a school where you knew you would get on the field quickly? I am a winner, so I want to go to whatever school is going to win the most games. If I sit the bench for a few years, then I just need to get better.

...see Aaron Murray throw the ball 15-20 times per game and squeak by with wins, so throw it 30+ each Saturday in a bunch of shootouts? How many games did Buck Belue throw the ball over 30 times in 1980?

...see Caleb King and Washaun Ealey rush for over 1,000 yards a piece, or have one of them blow up for 1,800+ yards? This is a tough one for me! Something tells me that if you have two guys over 1,000 yards in the SEC, you have will have a special season.

...get rid of players that aren't "team first", or keep "turds" on your team that are 5 star recruits with unlimited potential? I've said it once, and I'll say it again..give me a team loaded with 3 star guys that really understand the concept of team, and I could win championships. I really don't care what the statistics say. Attitude is everything in life, not just football.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

So He Grabbed A Boob, Really?

First of all, Zach Mettenberger, shame on you.

-You're the quarterback of a major college football program, and you can't have fun without getting arrested in public; Really?

-Hell, forget getting arrested! You're not a bad looking kid, and I know there are plenty of girls that would willingly let you grab a boob.

I really do not want to make light of a serious situation, so I'll give my opinion, and then hopefully be done with this mess. At least for a while. He NEVER should have touched someone inappropriately. He NEVER should have lied. Lying is most likely what ultimately got him kicked to the curb. I feel for the kid because it was a stupid drunken mistake that he probably would never do sober. Last, how many guys do you think are sitting on Division I football teams that grabbed a girls boob or butt before asking? And those guys will not get in one ounce of trouble unless it comes to light.

Food for thought: before the rest of you Dawgs go and do something stupid, think to yourself; Really?

Monday, May 3, 2010

Surgery, Weddings, Anger Management, & The English Bulldog Volcano



I need to first apologize for my absence from the UGABlogosphere last week. An unexpected distal biceps tendon rupture rendered me disabled for several days after surgery!

Where do I start? Well, my fiance's brother was married on April 17th; he had a bachelor party April 10th; my arm was destroyed the morning after, April 11th; and my new English friend, Harry, got stuck here for 12 extra days after the wedding because of a Volcano. Yep, that about sums it up, and I bet you're confused.

Seriously though, I had surgery on my elbow last week, and blogging wasn't really feasible. I did think about it every day though! After enjoying Several 'spirits' at the bachelor party, wrestling and participating in 'smacking contests' til my arm nearly fell off, and throwing my little girl's tricycle clear across the back yard, my arm couldn't take it anymore, and the distal tendon snapped clear in two.

I tried to ignore the injury; then came the wedding the next weekend with family and friends coming in to town. Harry, the Englishman who was supposed to fly out the day after enjoying the nuptials, ended up stranded in Georgia for nearly two weeks due to the Icelandic Volcano. This is where the Dawg portion of this post comes in to play (see picture). I made a possibly successful attempt to convert Harry into a REAL English Bulldawg!


Somewhere amidst the 12 days of attempting to show Harry how us Americans know how to drink, I sobered up and the MRI revealed the urgent need for surgery. That or I would lose basically the majority of my left bicep muscle!

Moral of the story: anger is stupid, weddings suck, and English Bulldawgs make great friends!
 

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