Georgia Kicker Update, and ESPN's Joe Cox Interview

First of all, the Bulldog's Blog does an excellent job (as always) getting some great quotes from players and coaches at practice. But there's one on there that makes me a little uncomfortable. David Hale reminds us about how Coach Richt vowed to go to Poland to find someone who could kick the ball out of the endzone, and then it appears that no one was found for kickoffs at all. Since Blair Walsh is understandably still the kickoff specialist, he's asked about what the plans are for kickoffs next season:

“I don’t know yet,” Walsh said. “We haven’t really done anything yet. I don’t know what their philosophy is, I don’t know what the coaches are doing or thinking about.”

Well, that's comforting.

Let me get this straight: I believe in Walsh. Yes, he had some bad luck last year on some of those field goals, but in the Capital One Bowl, he made a pretty good one to prove that he's still the guy. And on kickoffs, there were some very confusing and terrifying things that happened. In fact, most people assumed that Walsh could have kicked it out of the endzone on every kick if he was told to, but that the coaches wanted more shorter, directional kicks instead. I seem to remember Coach Richt saying at one point that this wasn't true, and that they would love to make it a touchback every time, but don't quote me on that. But we still believe in Walsh.

I'll just take this for now as, "Spring practice just started, maybe they just aren't getting to the kickoff troubles yet." Admittedly, yes, there are some more looming problems to look at.

In other news, ESPN's Chris Low posted a good interview with Joe Cox yesterday. He sounds like he's a great leader and teammate, which is very exciting, and the Bulldog Nation is rooting for him.

Is the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party moving to Atlanta?

It looks like some people are once again stirring up discussion over the location of the annual Georgia-Florida (or vice versa) football game. Or at least that's what an AJC blog wants you to believe. But if you follow the link they give to the actual news story, it doesn't look like any changes are going to happen anytime soon.

To sum up what the article says, the president of the Atlanta Sports Council and others have been in talks with athletic association big cheeses at UGA, because the current UGA-UF game contract for Jacksonville ends next year. Apparently, some of these people want to have the Cocktail Party in Atlanta at least one of the next four games, which is a little odd to me.

However, the article makes it very clear (even in its heading) that Damon Evans, UGA's athletic director, doesn't really want to hear any of it. Or, at the very least, he doesn't want to move the game.

And we all know how the Florida representatives feel. Of course, to them, Jacksonville is the most beautiful city in the world, and to move the game would be to abandon eons of tradition and basically destroy any meaning the game currently has to its fans.

Right.

I'll go ahead and drop my opinion on the matter below, and if you don't want to read the TRUTH AND FLAWLESS FACTS, do not read any further. (just kidding, please read, lol.)

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My Reasons Why the Georgia-Florida Game Should Move (At least Every Other Year)

1. The distance. According to Mapquest.com, the city of Jacksonville is 362 miles from Athens and will take (with considerably thin traffic) 5 hours and 57 minutes to get to. That means it is just a little bit longer than an enjoyable drive in the great tree-lined boring roads of central and south Georgia.
Does the picture above look familiar to you? No? Well it does to me. It looks just like what I looked at for 5 hours and 57 minutes last year on the way to Jacksonville for the Florida game. It was a thrilling drive. Nothing better to get me pumped up for a football game.

In contrast, Mapquest tells me that from Gainesville, FL to Jacksonville, it's a mere 71 miles and a nice, Saturday morning walk (at 65 mph) of 1 hour and 21 minutes to reach the destination.
Some Gator fans don't even need wheels on their car to get to the game in about an hour. That's nothing. Why are so many Georgia fans taking extreme and amazing journeys to get to this game, while Florida fans can leave on Saturday morning with little or no problem? Some argue that the distance factor can affect the football teams as well, but in my opinion, the worst part is how it affects the fans. Even if you somehow enjoy the drive, don't you feel weird about all of the Gator fans who live in the area of Jacksonville and walk to the game? Feels a little like... I don't know.... an away game for us?

2. Jacksonville is in Gator Country. I really don't see how you can deny this with a straight face (but if you do, I'll give you a prize.) I've heard some say that "the biggest Bulldog Club in the country is in Jacksonville." Well, whoop-dee-doo. Even if most Georgia Tech fans live in their parents' basements, the house STILL BELONGS to their parents. (Sorry about that one Tech fans. I really like all of you.) Notice above: This is the Jacksonville Landing, where Florida and Georgia fans alike love to party before (and, depending on who wins) after the game every year. But is there something sinister you are overlooking, my fellow Dawgs? The roof of the Landing is completely ORANGE. And the beautiful, polluted water surrounding it? The purest of Gator BLUE. That's right, the Landing is basically a huge open gator jaw, and you unaware bulldogs are stepping right into it, throwing away your money for expensive Gator drinks and Gator fun.

In all seriousness though, it's hard to make yourself feel like you're at a "neutral" game when you go to Jacksonville. Yes, there are Red and Black garbed barkers, traveling in packs around certain areas, but when you go into restaurants, hotels, and city hall (Go Gator) you see people wearing mostly blue and orange.

Even if you feel like none of this affects the outcome of the games, doesn't it bother you just a little bit? The state of Florida (and specifically the city of Jacksonville), which is clearly and obviously in support of the University of Florida, is benefiting the most. And so are the Florida fans, who generally have a close-to-home game and probably feel much more at home than us Georgia-born UGA fans.

But if this isn't enough to sway you, allow me to move to this.

Why the game should stay in Jacksonville:

1. Tradition.

This is what people like to say the most about the whole ordeal. And really, it's a pretty good argument. The game has been played since 1915, and every game except for two since 1933 has been played in Jacksonville. So, for the most part, this game has been rooted in Jacksonville, Florida. However, this is one of those things that's difficult to resolve. A lot of people argue for or against concrete tradition all the time, and the results in decisions are varied. For instance, many argued against Georgia wearing new black uniforms in 2007, but the decision resulted in one of the most electrifying atmospheres ever seen in Sanford Stadium as it was blacked out for the Georgia-Auburn game that year. Of course, things go both ways, and the Alabama "funeral" game of 2008 makes traditionalists look smart. And other traditions are too important to ever change, such as the look and bloodline of Uga.

2. It's a vacation for Georgia fans, and Atlanta sucks.

Well, parts of this argument may be true. Jacksonville is in close proximity to some great beaches (and plenty of other great cities/attractions in Florida), while Atlanta isn't exactly known for having a tropical beach feel. But once again, this comes down to mostly opinion. Personally, I'm not very fond of Jacksonville (although nearby Amelia Island is a great place to visit), and Atlanta CAN be a fun place for football games. The SEC Championship is played there every year which seems to work out well. Not to mention the Georgia Dome is now completely red and black, which is awesome.

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In conclusion, it's a really difficult situation to find an answer to, and that's exactly why the game isn't moving anytime soon. Personally, I'd like to see it move every once in a while for a difference, and I feel like, if anything, Gator fans enjoy the game being in Jacksonville more than anyone.

Let me reiterate that I don't know how much, if any, affect the location of the game has had on the results of the games or the performances of the teams. That isn't even part of my argument. I just believe that Jacksonville is Gator Country, and it doesn't sit well with me that the game is in Gator Country every year. HOWEVER, as I said before, tradition should be respected, and nevertheless, the game will not be moved. At least for a while.

(PS: To all Georgia fans who like Jacksonville, love having the game there, and actually feel like it's best for you: Good. I respect your opinion and I'm glad you enjoy it. Go Dawgs.)

LOST Update: It's official, Hurley wears Bulldog Jacket

Just wanted to make a quick update on an earlier post I made about promo pictures for this week's episode of "Lost" featuring the character Hurley (played by Jorge Garcia) wearing a UGA sweatshirt with a bulldog face on it. Jorge let me know earlier that the sweatshirt was in fact part of wardrobe for the show.

If you are a "Lost" fan and watched the show tonight, you might have noticed that he did wear the hooded sweatshirt, after Sawyer (played by former UGA student Josh Holloway) asked where his bulldog sweatshirt was! I'm guessing it was Holloway's idea to have the UGA representation on the show, but I could be wrong. Either way, Jorge Garcia playing Hurley has honored the Bulldog Nation by wearing such apparel on a worldwide hit television series.

By the way, here's a link to Jorge's blog, which is always a fun read.

I just want to Gradulate the Gator

Earlier this week I saw an excellent speech on the YouTubes by Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D) representing the 3rd District of Florida, in which she 'gradulates her Florida Gators on a superb national championship run. I enjoyed the speech so much, I decided to make a tribute to it, and to the unbeatable Florida Gators, Masters of College Football and Academia, thanks to the incredible work of corch Urban Meyers, Tim Tebow, and Percy Harvey. (See video for explanations of incorrect spelling)



Go Gator.

If you want to see the original speech, here it is below:

Is it alright to say "We" when talking about your team?

Some guy named Kent made a post on some website about how fans should never, ever, under any circumstances, say "we" when referring to their favorite football team.

Sometimes, the things people say make you WANT to agree with this guy. For example, hearing Tech fans say, "We finally beat you! WE have bragging rights!" I just want to say, "Actually, you didn't. The football team you root for beat the football team I root for. I don't see why I personally should be embarrassed about that." (and I'm not)

But then, on the other hand, everyone knows that no sport exists without the fans, especially college football. College football is built around universities, places where thousands of students pay money to be members, where faculty and staff work to be members. It's a large network of interconnected people, all PART of the school in some way or another, even from the newest freshman to the president of the administration.

And then of course we have the donors, the life-long supporters and fans who, even if they never attended the university in any way, do give their money, time, and cheers to help the school, program, and team carry on, hire/pay coaches, staff, and scholarships for players. And the sports teams, like our Georgia Bulldogs, are a part of the university as well. In other words, anyone associated with the whole thing in any way, can technically refer to it as a collective "WE."

All of these people give SOMETHING to the University in SOME WAY to support it, which in turn helps the sports teams, and thus our football team. Without the students, faculty, staff, and donors, our university wouldn't exist, and clearly that would mean no football. Without money, UGA's athletic association wouldn't be able to hire coaches, provide scholarships for players, build and maintain stadiums, or keep grass on the field.

Finally, being part of the "we" can have a much more direct effect, in my opinion. Everyone knows how much crowd noise can affect the players on the field, and thus the events of the game. If you go out by Sanford Stadium in the fall during the week, you can hear extremely loud cheering and drums coming from the stadium, even when no fans are there. Why? Because our coaches know how important crowd noise is, and they simulate the sounds of a game while the players practice to help them adjust.

Imagine being a quarterback for a college football team, coming out onto a field surrounded by 93,000 people who are screaming at the top of their lungs against you, and you're trying to stay calm and make good decisions.

The fans, especially at their home games, certainly DO make a difference in games.

So in conclusion, if you have never spent a cent on a university or its sports program, if you've never had any official ties to the institution or its sports, and you've never attended a single game, you may look a little stupid calling yourself "we."

But I have a pretty good feeling that those types are few and far between.

WE ARE GEORGIA. GO DAWGS

Famous Dawgs: Episode 2

Alright, time for some Episode 2 action. Today, I decided to move away from Hollywood celebrities, and move to an even more powerful category: WORLD LEADERS!!!!1

Look below, and behold: Hugo Chavez



THE DESCRIPTION:

Chavez is the 54 year old reigning president of the great country of Venezuela. Being one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2005 AND 2006, Chavez is a vicious critic of U.S. foreign policy, and, according to Wikipedia, has been called a threat to democracy in his region by the U.S. government. Go Dawgs! Woof woof!

THE VERDICT:

Actually, this entire thing is just a coincidence. Apparently, Venezuelan soccer team "Guaros de Lara" has the same exact colors and logo as UGA. SpanishDict.com tells me that a "guaro" is a "small, very talkative parrot." So there you have it. Chavez is simply a fan of the small, very talkative parrots of the Lara state of Venezuela.

And in honor of this discovery: A beatboxing parrot.

Famous Dawgs: Episode 1

Alright everyone, after being pleasantly surprised by coming across that promotional picture from "LOST" with the character Hurley wearing a Georgia Bulldog jacket, I'm just in the mood for finding Georgia representation anywhere I can.

(By the way, Jorge Garcia, the actor who does a great job portraying Hurley on the show, responded in a comment on my blogpost, confirming the UGA jacket as wardrobe. I haven't yet heard a response from him yet about other UGA fans on the show, including possibly Josh Holloway, who plays Sawyer and attended UGA for a year.)

So I've decided to begin a series of posts observing the University of Georgia's most famous Dawgs.

Today, I'd like to start out with some of the interesting ones that have popped up over the past few years, and brought to my attention on message boards such as the DawgPost.

First, we start with: Tara Reid



THE DESCRIPTION:

This infamous picture of the 33 year old actress showed up a while back, prompting mania among the Bulldog Nation. According to Wikipedia, Ms. Reid has starred in classic American films such as American Pie, American Pie 2, and National Lampoon's Van Wilder. She's also known to have an occasional wardrobe malfunction, but hey, it happens to everyone, am I right?

THE VERDICT:

Even with my investigative reporting skills, the origins of this picture are unclear. Anytime I've seen it, there's little explanation of why she's sporting such a stylish UGA hat. Sources say Tara Reid was born in New Jersey, attended a "Professional Childrens' School" in Manhattan, and then jetted off to Hollywood to start acting. I have no clue how she could have any ties to UGA, the Dawgs, or even the state of Georgia. But until some answers surface, we can be... proud to have Tara somewhat representing the Red and Black.



That's it for now. Check back later today for the next Famous Dawg.