...from our friends over at Rivals.com. Don't ask me how I did it. This is a ranking of the top states by Top 100 recruits. Essentially, it ranks each state by the number of Rivals Top 100 recruits it has produced over the past 5 years (classes of 2007 through 2011). Interesting results:
1. Florida - 84
2. Texas - 68
3. California - 58
4. Georgia - 34
5. Ohio - 22
5. Alabama - 22
5. S. Carolina - 22
8. Louisiana - 20
9. N. Carolina - 15
10. Pennsylvania - 14
10. Michigan - 14
12. Virginia - 13
13. Mississippi- 8
...
Tennessee - 5
Trends over the past 5 years: Trending up - Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Louisiana. Trending down - Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama. Steady as she goes - Texas, California, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, and Tennessee (with exactly one in each of the 5 years).
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Fratlock's 2010 Movie List: Kid Movie Edition
Over the Thanksgiving week, I saw three kids movies. Here you go:
1. Prince of Persia - This is another Disney franchise in the vein of Pirates of the Carribbean. It has a similarly murky and hole-filled plot with lots and lots of deus ex machina elements. But, outside of the weak story, there is some pretty good action and fantastic imagery. It reminded me a little of the Mummy. Gyllenhaal was better than I envisioned, and Gemma Arterton is fantastic. She steals the movie, in my opinion. It isn't a good movie, but the leads were entertaining. I'd probably see anything with Gemma Arterton involved. Better than Clash of the Titans, but the plot just can't hold up. 6/10.
2. Harry Potter 7, Part I - I enjoyed this movie, but that is probably because I read the books and have enjoyed the franchise. I think you have to be more invested in these characters to dig this one. The reason is because this is merely a set-up movie to the conclusion. I honestly was a little surprised at how little we got in this movie. The last one is gonna have to be huge. It was slow, but this part of the book moved slow as well. There is more character development in this part of Book 7, less exposition. But it was dark, and it was very well made. They have made this a more mature movie, with more mature characters (and acting, for that matter). 8/10.
3. Toy Story 3 - Pixar does a fantastic job of upping the ante year after year. I haven't seen either of the previous Toy Story movies in years, maybe since they came out. But I didn't feel like I needed to. And I was right. This one stands alone. It was phenomenal. It was funny, but it also packed an emotional punch, especially with the ending. This is right there with WALL-E, Up, and Monsters Inc. on my list of greatest Pixar movies. Highly recommended, even if you think Pixar movies are for kids. 8.5/10.
My updated list:
1. Inception - 9.75/10
2. The Town - 9/10
3. The Social Network - 9/10
4. Toy Story 3 - 8.5/10
5. Shutter Island - 8.5/10
6. HP7, Part I - 8/10
7. Robin Hood - 8/10
8. Kick Ass - 7.75/10
9. Winter's Bone - 7.75/10
10. Iron Man 2 - 7.5/10
...
Hot Tub Time Machine - 7/10
Prince of Persia - 6/10
Clash of the Titans - 5/10
Alice in Wonderland - 3.5/10
Mark Richt's past four seasons at UGA...
...were almost identical to Tommy Tuberville's. My new post at ChuckOliver.net has all the stats and comparisons. So, I ask you, if Auburn dismissed Tubs, should UGA dismiss Richt?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
I old-fashioned hated that game...
...last night. But a win is a win, I guess. Now, our prize is that we get fifteen extra days of practice to prepare for next year. Unfortunately, with that prize comes the obligation to dress out and scrimmage either SMU or Central Florida on December 31 in freezing cold Memphis. If it were 95 degrees and a noon-kickoff, McGarity'd be creaming himself over that game. But, oh well... Here are a few points from last night's game:
1) Defense - When are things going to turn around for the defense? Miami, who - by the way - fired their head coach last night, held this Tech offense to 10 points. And, yes, we've seen this defense just as much as Miami has. Sure, Grantham is in his first year, but does it take a good shellacking before a defensive coordinator figues out how to stop it? "Ohhhh... I didn't really GET IT when watching it on tape last off-season or in the TWO WEEKS prior to this game, but now that they've stomped all over my face with it, I understand what we need to do next year to stop it... I got it..." This is the twelfth game for Grantham with this group of guys and this defense. How much patience are we supposed to have? Tech was playing with their back-up quarterback on the road, and their first quarterback wasn't even all that good (tough - yes, solid runner - yes, but "good" QB? not really). And yet they still put up 512 yards of total offense. Schlabach says that it is not the x's and o's, but rather the Jimmies and Joes. But can we really lay the failure of this defense at the feet of one out-of-position DT? Really? The 3rd highest paid defensive coordinator in the country can't find a way to work around that? After an entire off-season and 11 games? And does that mean we are going to have to rely on a true freshman DT to carry our defense next year? Whether it is the coaching/scheme or personnel within the scheme, Grantham gets a "D" for what we've seen this year. And an "F" for last night's debacle. Our cherished, sound-byte lovin, choke-sign givin "head coach" of the defense goes only so far as Richt does. If Richt is gone in a couple of weeks or a month, then so should Grantham, for any of those who actually thought we could/should try to keep our DC when finding a new coach (which would have never worked anyway).
2) Running game - Ealey looked okay last night. King still looks slow. I will give him credit for being shifty around at the line of scrimmage and able to slide off people, but the kid has no breakaway speed or open field play-making ability. He really looks like his wheels are spinning when he runs. He is just not an explosive or threatening back. Oh, and he fumbled. Ealey had a good night and some good runs (though his stats are a bit misleading thanks to the run he had when Tech let us score, which was brilliant, BTW, and something Richt would have NEVER, EVER done - unfortunately). But we simply do not have an explosive, dependable running back. High school RB Isaiah Crowell was on the UGA sideline last night wearing UGA gear. The 5-star recruit is said to be deciding between Georgia and Alabama. I've had someone who knows someone with an "inside source" tell me that he's going to commit to UGA, but wants to play the recruiting/attention/decision hat game first. That's fine. But we need him. And we need Richt to play him as a freshman in place of King.
3) Offensive line - If your offensive line can't hold up against a 1st year, 3-4 Georgia Tech defense, then it can't hold up against anyone. The OL failed, and couldn't help UGA on some 3rd & inches and 4th & inches situations. Not only that, but Murray was getting pressure especially late in the game. Again, I'm not sure if this is coaching or personnel. I'm not sure of anything with this UGA team anymore.
4) They're gone, by the way - Green and Houston had big nights for their last game in Athens. Houston had a touchdown and the game-winning interception. Green had 8 catches for 97 yards. Good luck, boys. Have fun sitting out the first half of your first NFL season due to a lockout.
5) Oh... So THAT'S why Logan Gray returns punts...
6) Superman - If you had known Murray was going to be this good, this soon, would you have thought we'd finish this season 6-6? Nope. He's a superstar. 15-19, 271 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTS... Holy passing efficiency, Batman! He won us the game single-handedly, as he's done before. He's sure gonna miss AJ next year.
7) State of the Program Address - Overall, that was an embarassing near loss to Tech. I got into a little bit of a twitter discussion with @CollinsDrew last night about the state of the Georgia program. Schlabach made an interesting point: "UGA/GT series so much better than UGA/UF. Actually competitive and compelling." I piggy-backed on that and pointed out that, as a program, Georgia is currently more on the same playing field as Tech as opposed to Florida. Over the past several years, we are just more comparable to Georgia Tech. Our results, our actual play on the field, and where we stack up in the national picture is more similar to Tech than Florida. With Tech, the game is always close and rarely is there a blowout. With Florida, they almost always blow us out, and rarely there is a close game. We are just closer to Tech. Sure, Florida has had an awful year... so bad that some UGA fans content themselves by saying, "Their program is at a place similar to UGA's..." Florida has had the worst season they've had in nearly three decades. And yet, they still beat Georgia. Ouch. This is a blip on Florida's radar. They lost their great OC, DC and starting QB all within the 18 months prior to this season. That's big. What excuses have we at UGA? What can Richt point to? Nothing. At least Meyer has excuses. Not only that, but in the 4 years prior to this season, Florida won 2 national titles. And we want to say the state of the Georgia program is similar to Florida's? Rrriiiigggghhhtttt... Truth is, Georgia is more like a Tech right now, in the national picture. Sure, we can give Richt one more year. But in my heart of hearts, the only thing that will accomplish is losing out on a shot to hire Dan Mullen. Sorry, but me saying Richt may deserve another season at UGA is not the same as saying that I believe he will turn it around. We're polishing the brass on the titanic, and wasting a hell of a talent at QB in the process. At least Tech can say they aren't squandering talent. They don't really have any. And yet they still almost beat us every year. Oy.
UPDATE
8. One more that I forgot: According to the ESPN timeout count, we used our final timeout of the 2nd half in the final minutes of the 3rd quarter. Par for the course. We've been doing that all year.
1) Defense - When are things going to turn around for the defense? Miami, who - by the way - fired their head coach last night, held this Tech offense to 10 points. And, yes, we've seen this defense just as much as Miami has. Sure, Grantham is in his first year, but does it take a good shellacking before a defensive coordinator figues out how to stop it? "Ohhhh... I didn't really GET IT when watching it on tape last off-season or in the TWO WEEKS prior to this game, but now that they've stomped all over my face with it, I understand what we need to do next year to stop it... I got it..." This is the twelfth game for Grantham with this group of guys and this defense. How much patience are we supposed to have? Tech was playing with their back-up quarterback on the road, and their first quarterback wasn't even all that good (tough - yes, solid runner - yes, but "good" QB? not really). And yet they still put up 512 yards of total offense. Schlabach says that it is not the x's and o's, but rather the Jimmies and Joes. But can we really lay the failure of this defense at the feet of one out-of-position DT? Really? The 3rd highest paid defensive coordinator in the country can't find a way to work around that? After an entire off-season and 11 games? And does that mean we are going to have to rely on a true freshman DT to carry our defense next year? Whether it is the coaching/scheme or personnel within the scheme, Grantham gets a "D" for what we've seen this year. And an "F" for last night's debacle. Our cherished, sound-byte lovin, choke-sign givin "head coach" of the defense goes only so far as Richt does. If Richt is gone in a couple of weeks or a month, then so should Grantham, for any of those who actually thought we could/should try to keep our DC when finding a new coach (which would have never worked anyway).
2) Running game - Ealey looked okay last night. King still looks slow. I will give him credit for being shifty around at the line of scrimmage and able to slide off people, but the kid has no breakaway speed or open field play-making ability. He really looks like his wheels are spinning when he runs. He is just not an explosive or threatening back. Oh, and he fumbled. Ealey had a good night and some good runs (though his stats are a bit misleading thanks to the run he had when Tech let us score, which was brilliant, BTW, and something Richt would have NEVER, EVER done - unfortunately). But we simply do not have an explosive, dependable running back. High school RB Isaiah Crowell was on the UGA sideline last night wearing UGA gear. The 5-star recruit is said to be deciding between Georgia and Alabama. I've had someone who knows someone with an "inside source" tell me that he's going to commit to UGA, but wants to play the recruiting/attention/decision hat game first. That's fine. But we need him. And we need Richt to play him as a freshman in place of King.
3) Offensive line - If your offensive line can't hold up against a 1st year, 3-4 Georgia Tech defense, then it can't hold up against anyone. The OL failed, and couldn't help UGA on some 3rd & inches and 4th & inches situations. Not only that, but Murray was getting pressure especially late in the game. Again, I'm not sure if this is coaching or personnel. I'm not sure of anything with this UGA team anymore.
4) They're gone, by the way - Green and Houston had big nights for their last game in Athens. Houston had a touchdown and the game-winning interception. Green had 8 catches for 97 yards. Good luck, boys. Have fun sitting out the first half of your first NFL season due to a lockout.
5) Oh... So THAT'S why Logan Gray returns punts...
6) Superman - If you had known Murray was going to be this good, this soon, would you have thought we'd finish this season 6-6? Nope. He's a superstar. 15-19, 271 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTS... Holy passing efficiency, Batman! He won us the game single-handedly, as he's done before. He's sure gonna miss AJ next year.
7) State of the Program Address - Overall, that was an embarassing near loss to Tech. I got into a little bit of a twitter discussion with @CollinsDrew last night about the state of the Georgia program. Schlabach made an interesting point: "UGA/GT series so much better than UGA/UF. Actually competitive and compelling." I piggy-backed on that and pointed out that, as a program, Georgia is currently more on the same playing field as Tech as opposed to Florida. Over the past several years, we are just more comparable to Georgia Tech. Our results, our actual play on the field, and where we stack up in the national picture is more similar to Tech than Florida. With Tech, the game is always close and rarely is there a blowout. With Florida, they almost always blow us out, and rarely there is a close game. We are just closer to Tech. Sure, Florida has had an awful year... so bad that some UGA fans content themselves by saying, "Their program is at a place similar to UGA's..." Florida has had the worst season they've had in nearly three decades. And yet, they still beat Georgia. Ouch. This is a blip on Florida's radar. They lost their great OC, DC and starting QB all within the 18 months prior to this season. That's big. What excuses have we at UGA? What can Richt point to? Nothing. At least Meyer has excuses. Not only that, but in the 4 years prior to this season, Florida won 2 national titles. And we want to say the state of the Georgia program is similar to Florida's? Rrriiiigggghhhtttt... Truth is, Georgia is more like a Tech right now, in the national picture. Sure, we can give Richt one more year. But in my heart of hearts, the only thing that will accomplish is losing out on a shot to hire Dan Mullen. Sorry, but me saying Richt may deserve another season at UGA is not the same as saying that I believe he will turn it around. We're polishing the brass on the titanic, and wasting a hell of a talent at QB in the process. At least Tech can say they aren't squandering talent. They don't really have any. And yet they still almost beat us every year. Oy.
UPDATE
8. One more that I forgot: According to the ESPN timeout count, we used our final timeout of the 2nd half in the final minutes of the 3rd quarter. Par for the course. We've been doing that all year.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Okay, so Boise State lost...
...and as much as fans of the BCS and opponents to the mid-major movement are cheering after that game (which included many UGA fans), I have mixed feelings about it. As a fan of a BCS-conference team, I guess there's some contentment to come from seeing an upstart mid-major lose after playing a slate of unimpressive conference opponents and rising to #3 in the nation while arguing they get no respect. But here are my two problems:
1) Though I am not a fan of a large, wide-format playoff in FBS college football, I am a fan of the plus-one format of BCS bowls. In other words, I like the idea of seeing the top 4 teams play in major bowls at the end of the season and then seeing a championship game a week later from the two winners. I know it is problematic. One problem will be how to get fans to the semi-final game across the country knowing that they have to spend a ton of money and time to get there and knowing that they could be missing out on "the big game" in favor of (what will end up being) a more forgettable consolation game. In turn, the "consolation" bowls won't like this set-up as it reduces the significance of the game and may mean they don't get many fans out to the game. Second, to the extent there is now controversy about a 3rd or 4th team deserving to be in the national title game, but being left out unfairly, there will also be controversy about a 5th or 6th team who get left out of the "Final Four" unfairly. That is a given. But that is an argument for another day. The truth is that, more often than not, there is a controversy over who deserves to be in the final game, and whether or not the final combatants are truly the best teams in the country. And I think a plus-one format will give us a "truer" national champion without having to overhaul the BCS or bowl formats and without diminishing the importance of the regular season.
However, with Boise eliminated, there seem to only really be two, maybe three, teams that have an argument that they deserve to be in the national title game. Thus, it lends more credence to the argument that no playoff, in any shape or form, is necessary and that the system works. With two undefeated and impressive mid-majors loudly protesting their cause, a plus-one system gets more attention and actually looks like a perfect fit. But TCU (as a twin of Boise in almost every shape and form - except perhaps in the x's and o's) loses just as Boise loses. It hurts their credibility when a similarly-situated mid-major takes such a severe blow. And now, who would get the 4th spot? The 5th (now 4th) team is LSU (assuming they beat Arkansas, and if they don't - it throws an ever bigger wrench into things), but they won't even win their conference and they already lost to one of the other 3 teams in the regular season (Auburn). Is that right? Same with Stanford, who already lost to Oregon. Then you've got Wisconsin, who - again - may not even win their conference unless they get the right votes.
In the end, Boise's loss hurts the plus-one movement. So, in my opinion, that is one negative.
2) The other negative is unique to Georgia fans. Boise NOT going undefeated brings the big Chik-fil-A Kickoff Classic down a notch. Though Boise is truly a better team than they were when Georgia beat them in 2005, they will now, fairly or not, be called "pretenders" on the national stage. So, instead of Georgia facing the mid-major juggernaut that, despite going undefeated, was unfairly trampled on by "the man" at the end of the 2010 season, they will be facing the "pretender" that was exposed as being simply another, cute, upstart lower-tier team that clearly has no place among the big dogs. Fair or not, hyperbole or not, that will be the general feeling in the offseason. In other words, no matter what, I don't think a Georgia win will be considered an upset. I don't even think a win over a #9 Boise State (just guessing at their preseason ranking) would be as impressive to most pundits as a win over a #22 Mississippi State or a #18 Florida. If Boise had gone undefeated and started the year in the Top 5 again, I think it does. At the least, it would be considered far more impressive.
It is still a big game to start the season for Georgia. But it won't have the same feel and anticipation as it would if Boise had been undefeated this season. If Nevada can beat them, what's the big deal, right? So, that's a little bit of a bummer. But I will still be fighting for tickets and will love getting a chance to go to that game!
1) Though I am not a fan of a large, wide-format playoff in FBS college football, I am a fan of the plus-one format of BCS bowls. In other words, I like the idea of seeing the top 4 teams play in major bowls at the end of the season and then seeing a championship game a week later from the two winners. I know it is problematic. One problem will be how to get fans to the semi-final game across the country knowing that they have to spend a ton of money and time to get there and knowing that they could be missing out on "the big game" in favor of (what will end up being) a more forgettable consolation game. In turn, the "consolation" bowls won't like this set-up as it reduces the significance of the game and may mean they don't get many fans out to the game. Second, to the extent there is now controversy about a 3rd or 4th team deserving to be in the national title game, but being left out unfairly, there will also be controversy about a 5th or 6th team who get left out of the "Final Four" unfairly. That is a given. But that is an argument for another day. The truth is that, more often than not, there is a controversy over who deserves to be in the final game, and whether or not the final combatants are truly the best teams in the country. And I think a plus-one format will give us a "truer" national champion without having to overhaul the BCS or bowl formats and without diminishing the importance of the regular season.
However, with Boise eliminated, there seem to only really be two, maybe three, teams that have an argument that they deserve to be in the national title game. Thus, it lends more credence to the argument that no playoff, in any shape or form, is necessary and that the system works. With two undefeated and impressive mid-majors loudly protesting their cause, a plus-one system gets more attention and actually looks like a perfect fit. But TCU (as a twin of Boise in almost every shape and form - except perhaps in the x's and o's) loses just as Boise loses. It hurts their credibility when a similarly-situated mid-major takes such a severe blow. And now, who would get the 4th spot? The 5th (now 4th) team is LSU (assuming they beat Arkansas, and if they don't - it throws an ever bigger wrench into things), but they won't even win their conference and they already lost to one of the other 3 teams in the regular season (Auburn). Is that right? Same with Stanford, who already lost to Oregon. Then you've got Wisconsin, who - again - may not even win their conference unless they get the right votes.
In the end, Boise's loss hurts the plus-one movement. So, in my opinion, that is one negative.
2) The other negative is unique to Georgia fans. Boise NOT going undefeated brings the big Chik-fil-A Kickoff Classic down a notch. Though Boise is truly a better team than they were when Georgia beat them in 2005, they will now, fairly or not, be called "pretenders" on the national stage. So, instead of Georgia facing the mid-major juggernaut that, despite going undefeated, was unfairly trampled on by "the man" at the end of the 2010 season, they will be facing the "pretender" that was exposed as being simply another, cute, upstart lower-tier team that clearly has no place among the big dogs. Fair or not, hyperbole or not, that will be the general feeling in the offseason. In other words, no matter what, I don't think a Georgia win will be considered an upset. I don't even think a win over a #9 Boise State (just guessing at their preseason ranking) would be as impressive to most pundits as a win over a #22 Mississippi State or a #18 Florida. If Boise had gone undefeated and started the year in the Top 5 again, I think it does. At the least, it would be considered far more impressive.
It is still a big game to start the season for Georgia. But it won't have the same feel and anticipation as it would if Boise had been undefeated this season. If Nevada can beat them, what's the big deal, right? So, that's a little bit of a bummer. But I will still be fighting for tickets and will love getting a chance to go to that game!
Iron Bowl thoughts...
Having sat and watched the entire UGA-Auburn game, I should have learned my lesson about Auburn. No lead is comfortable in the first half against that offense. A 21 or 17 point deficit for Auburn in the first half - against anyone - is more like a tie. And after Auburn came out in the second half down 24-7 with the prospect of getting the ball first, I was very nervous.
You see, I was pulling for Alabama to win the game because I am an emotional, vindictive UGA fan who was still fuming from the perceived Auburn "antics" at the end of the UGA/Auburn game. And for the first time ever, I was more dedicated to seeing Auburn lose than I was to seeing an SEC team in the national title game. So, though I made the mistake of getting comfortable and excited after seeing Alabama completely destroy Auburn for the first 1.8 quarters of play in Tuscaloosa, I pulled a 180 and was convinced early in the third quarter that this second-half star of a football team in Auburn would find a way to win. Alabama seemed to take the same form as UGA in the second half of the game (granted, UGA took this "form" sooner in the game): Playing not to lose, cruising with a seemingly comfortable lead, not capitalizing on mistakes, and trying to force a possession/field goal battle in what would certainly turn into a touchdown-for-touchdown battle.
And can you really blame UGA or Alabama? Convential coaching wisdom says that you don't risk points when they present themselves in certain situations. But after seeing how Auburn was playing - and how they had played all season - in the second half, I knew when Alabama kicked that FG at 1:25 in the 3rd that Auburn would win the game.
One thing I can credit the Auburn coaches for, besides taking advantage of the Cam Newton "purchase," is having a very well conditioned team. Just like in the Georgia game, Auburn was beating Alabama on both sides of the line easily in the second half, after getting beat early in the game. Auburn kept a solid pace and wore Alabama down. Alabama was able to get into Auburn's offensive backfield easily early in the game, tackling Newton and Dyer for loss play after play. That changed in the second half, as Newton & Co. were seemingly able to lean forward behind that line for at least 5 yards each play. On the flip side, McElroy was able to stand back and pick apart the Auburn secondary behind solid line play in the first half. Meanwhile, in the second half, Auburn's defensive line was able to mash the Bama OL and McElroy. And for the second time in two games, they knocked their opponent's top-flight QB out of the game.
It was deja vu. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Auburn games against UGA and Bama were exactly the same. Alabama is clearly better than Georgia and put up way more of a fight. And they achieved and kept a bigger lead and stayed in the game until the end, unlike UGA. But the pattern was the same. Auburn played flawless in the second half and every little mistake by Alabama turned out to be huge. The team that plays Auburn has to remember that Auburn will play perfectly and score a touchdown at every opportunity in the second half. It is a given. Their defense will be stronger, and the entire team will play mistake-free in the second half. To the extent a team scores or goes up against Auburn in the first half, they have to keep doing it and at the same pace in the second half. No first-half lead is insurmountable when it is pitted against the Auburn offense. This is something South Carolina and Oregon will have to remember.
I predict Auburn will easily beat South Carolina. The Oregon game will be touted as a prime match-up between similar teams: explosive offenses who tend to start slow and finish strong. But if I were Oregon, I'd want to change that first half culture that exists on my team, because Auburn is a second-half juggernaut like no one has seen before. Should be interesting...
You see, I was pulling for Alabama to win the game because I am an emotional, vindictive UGA fan who was still fuming from the perceived Auburn "antics" at the end of the UGA/Auburn game. And for the first time ever, I was more dedicated to seeing Auburn lose than I was to seeing an SEC team in the national title game. So, though I made the mistake of getting comfortable and excited after seeing Alabama completely destroy Auburn for the first 1.8 quarters of play in Tuscaloosa, I pulled a 180 and was convinced early in the third quarter that this second-half star of a football team in Auburn would find a way to win. Alabama seemed to take the same form as UGA in the second half of the game (granted, UGA took this "form" sooner in the game): Playing not to lose, cruising with a seemingly comfortable lead, not capitalizing on mistakes, and trying to force a possession/field goal battle in what would certainly turn into a touchdown-for-touchdown battle.
And can you really blame UGA or Alabama? Convential coaching wisdom says that you don't risk points when they present themselves in certain situations. But after seeing how Auburn was playing - and how they had played all season - in the second half, I knew when Alabama kicked that FG at 1:25 in the 3rd that Auburn would win the game.
One thing I can credit the Auburn coaches for, besides taking advantage of the Cam Newton "purchase," is having a very well conditioned team. Just like in the Georgia game, Auburn was beating Alabama on both sides of the line easily in the second half, after getting beat early in the game. Auburn kept a solid pace and wore Alabama down. Alabama was able to get into Auburn's offensive backfield easily early in the game, tackling Newton and Dyer for loss play after play. That changed in the second half, as Newton & Co. were seemingly able to lean forward behind that line for at least 5 yards each play. On the flip side, McElroy was able to stand back and pick apart the Auburn secondary behind solid line play in the first half. Meanwhile, in the second half, Auburn's defensive line was able to mash the Bama OL and McElroy. And for the second time in two games, they knocked their opponent's top-flight QB out of the game.
It was deja vu. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Auburn games against UGA and Bama were exactly the same. Alabama is clearly better than Georgia and put up way more of a fight. And they achieved and kept a bigger lead and stayed in the game until the end, unlike UGA. But the pattern was the same. Auburn played flawless in the second half and every little mistake by Alabama turned out to be huge. The team that plays Auburn has to remember that Auburn will play perfectly and score a touchdown at every opportunity in the second half. It is a given. Their defense will be stronger, and the entire team will play mistake-free in the second half. To the extent a team scores or goes up against Auburn in the first half, they have to keep doing it and at the same pace in the second half. No first-half lead is insurmountable when it is pitted against the Auburn offense. This is something South Carolina and Oregon will have to remember.
I predict Auburn will easily beat South Carolina. The Oregon game will be touted as a prime match-up between similar teams: explosive offenses who tend to start slow and finish strong. But if I were Oregon, I'd want to change that first half culture that exists on my team, because Auburn is a second-half juggernaut like no one has seen before. Should be interesting...
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
This sort-of stuns me...
I was expecting to hear at least a few more "no, I'm definitely coming back's" than this. Nearly every single junior on the Georgia football team is weighing their options and considering turning pro at the end of the season. Even Blair Walsh and Drew Butler. Says Walsh, "I think I've had a pretty good career.... Been there, done that." Ummm. How about an SEC championship? Have you done that? Even a division title? A BCS game?
Who else? Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, Brandon Boykin, Justin Houston and AJ Green. Boykin has had a dismal year. Glenn and Jones are interior linemen that won't get picked high anyway.
If these guys are sort-of non-committal about sticking around and putting it together for a great run next year, then I can't imagine why AJ would have any desire to stick around. I'm sure that I am exaggerating all this a little, but it isn't exactly what you want to hear when you're already playing and preparing for the 2011 season.
Who else? Cordy Glenn, Ben Jones, Brandon Boykin, Justin Houston and AJ Green. Boykin has had a dismal year. Glenn and Jones are interior linemen that won't get picked high anyway.
If these guys are sort-of non-committal about sticking around and putting it together for a great run next year, then I can't imagine why AJ would have any desire to stick around. I'm sure that I am exaggerating all this a little, but it isn't exactly what you want to hear when you're already playing and preparing for the 2011 season.
Friday, November 19, 2010
The latest UGA scheduling rumor... (UPDATED)
...is very juicy, to say the least. But color me skeptical.
The rumor is that Georgia will play Boise St. in the Chik-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the dome to start the 2011 football season. I like it. What better way to boldly enter a "new era" for UGA football after two sub-par seasons than to challenge the upstart national Top 5 ranked giant slayer? The game would garner UBER national attention. For instance, the VA Tech/Boise St. kickoff game was the most talked about game to start the season. Imagine the attention the game would get if it involved an SEC team? Especially if Boise St. finishes this season undefeated and misses out on the BCS title game. Especially if an SEC slides into the national title game instead. Especially since UGA is the only SEC team that has played them in recent memory, and we beat them a few years ago when they had just been put on the map. It would be huge. And it would be good visibility for a UGA program in terms of recruiting. Moreover, as The Senator points out, taking on the Boise State game in 2011 could allow UGA to drop the now unattractive home/home series against Louisville, which begins in 2011. This would free up a later opening in the schedule to fit in another home game that comports with McGarity's new philosophy.
Why am I skeptical? Let's face it, a win over Boise St. - even in Atlanta - is no sure thing. And after what happened against Oklahoma State in 2009, does Richt really want this sort of pressure to start what will already be a high pressure 2011 season for him? Moreover, this sort of game would almost directly contradict McGarity's recently, highly publicized philosophy regarding out-of-conference games, ie, getting "easy wins" against lesser teams and playing the games AT HOME so as to maximize financial and fan support. As with Oklahoma State, a loss in that game to start the 2011 season could severely deflate the hopes of a fan base with high expectations and could put the distracting hot seat talk back to the fore front.
Given the more conservative philosophy of both Richt and McGarity, I wouldn't bet on UGA moving their schedule around for the 2011 season in order to schedule a high-risk game like Boise State to start the season - unless they really, really want to get rid of the Louisville home/home and this is the best and most financially beneficial way of doing it.
UPDATE:
Well... My skepticism was misplaced. Glad I was wrong. Georgia will indeed play Boise State at the dome next season to start the season. Looks like McGarity is going all-in next season, and putting Richt on notice. I think this sends a message that big things will be expected from the team next season. I like it. Finally... some guts. Let's see if Richt can match it.
The rumor is that Georgia will play Boise St. in the Chik-fil-A Kickoff Classic at the dome to start the 2011 football season. I like it. What better way to boldly enter a "new era" for UGA football after two sub-par seasons than to challenge the upstart national Top 5 ranked giant slayer? The game would garner UBER national attention. For instance, the VA Tech/Boise St. kickoff game was the most talked about game to start the season. Imagine the attention the game would get if it involved an SEC team? Especially if Boise St. finishes this season undefeated and misses out on the BCS title game. Especially if an SEC slides into the national title game instead. Especially since UGA is the only SEC team that has played them in recent memory, and we beat them a few years ago when they had just been put on the map. It would be huge. And it would be good visibility for a UGA program in terms of recruiting. Moreover, as The Senator points out, taking on the Boise State game in 2011 could allow UGA to drop the now unattractive home/home series against Louisville, which begins in 2011. This would free up a later opening in the schedule to fit in another home game that comports with McGarity's new philosophy.
Why am I skeptical? Let's face it, a win over Boise St. - even in Atlanta - is no sure thing. And after what happened against Oklahoma State in 2009, does Richt really want this sort of pressure to start what will already be a high pressure 2011 season for him? Moreover, this sort of game would almost directly contradict McGarity's recently, highly publicized philosophy regarding out-of-conference games, ie, getting "easy wins" against lesser teams and playing the games AT HOME so as to maximize financial and fan support. As with Oklahoma State, a loss in that game to start the 2011 season could severely deflate the hopes of a fan base with high expectations and could put the distracting hot seat talk back to the fore front.
Given the more conservative philosophy of both Richt and McGarity, I wouldn't bet on UGA moving their schedule around for the 2011 season in order to schedule a high-risk game like Boise State to start the season - unless they really, really want to get rid of the Louisville home/home and this is the best and most financially beneficial way of doing it.
UPDATE:
Well... My skepticism was misplaced. Glad I was wrong. Georgia will indeed play Boise State at the dome next season to start the season. Looks like McGarity is going all-in next season, and putting Richt on notice. I think this sends a message that big things will be expected from the team next season. I like it. Finally... some guts. Let's see if Richt can match it.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
HBO's Game of Thrones...
This is the first time I've discussed this topic on this blog. To seemingly switch gears from talking Georgia football to talking dungeons and dragons sounds like the typical conversation pattern of a Georgia Tech student. But hear me out...
Though I like to read, and I enjoy fiction, I've never really been a fan of the science fiction (except some Michael Crichton here or there) or fantasy genres. I have enjoyed the classics (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, etc.) and some more modern day writers like John Grisham and Cormac McCarthy. I had never read stuff like Lord of the Rings and was never a huge fan of movies in that genre either. As a kid, I tinkered with Arthurian legend a bit, but it didn't lead me to explore the fantasy genre.
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| Jaime Lannister, HBO's Game of Thrones, HT: Entertainment Weekly |
One day, a friend of told me that he had just finished re-reading the best series of books he had ever picked up. This friend was well-read and very smart, and I generally trusted his decisions, so I asked him about the books he read. He described the series to me as being the best character development he has ever encountered. Several dozens of characters that fit into this vast and brutal "kingdom" and participate in a struggle for political power. He said if you liked HBO shows The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, and Rome, that you'd like the books. He said there were strong elements from all those shows in the series. He also said that it had intrigue like Kapur's 1998 Elizabeth or Ridley Scott's Gladiator. However, it also had the chivalry and sense of fealty that went along with the Arthurian legend. But he said what stood about about the series was that the character development, the political intrigue, the complex and ever-changing factions and alliances, and the constant plot twists all transcended the genre. In other words, you could have put this "story" in any historic or contemporary setting and it would still be amazing. Oh, and there just so happens to be a lot of sex and violence as well. AND, most importantly for genre skeptics, it has little to no magic. The very small supernatural elements are in the background, and aren't game changers. It very realistic and gritty, and grounded in a sense of realism.
(NOTE: To see more photos like the one above, go to this Entertainment Weekly exclusive, which also features photos of Sean Bean as Ned Stark and Mark Addy and Robert Baratheon.)
So, because my brother was more into the genre than I was, I bought him the first book of the series. And then he started raving madly about the books as well. Then, I encountered some other guys who weren't really "dungeons and dragons" types, and they raved about the series as well. So, I finally picked it up about three years ago and I concur - it is the best piece of fiction I've read.
As of now, there are 4 completed novels in the series. The author, George R. R. Martin, has said there will be 7 or 8 total books in the series. The first book is entitled 'Game of Thrones.'
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| Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, HT: Entertainment Weekly |
Now, a couple of years ago, as I was reading the series, I caught wind of a rumor that they would make a movie about the series. But I laughed that off, because there's no way they could do a movie, or even a trilogy or something, that could encompass all the characters and complex story-telling contained in these books. Then, the rumor shifted to a mini-series, and I essentially said the same thing. Not only that, but this story couldn't be put anywhere other than premium channels, given the content (which is important to the story).
Finally, I caught wind that HBO was developing the series for an actual drama serial, in which a season worth of 1-hour shows would encompass approximately one novel. Perfect. Both content-wise and length-wise, this would work. And now, as is obvious, HBO is filming the show and it is getting ready for a Spring 2011 release. The show stars Sean Bean (LOTR, Troy) as Ned Stark (the main character) and also features Lena Headey (300), Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent, Elf), Mark Addy (A Knight's Tale), and Aiden Gillen (The Wire, Shanghai Knights).
Fans of the series have been monitoring and following the production very closely, and many of the industry experts and writers have commented on this being the most highly-anticipated series ever brought to television, based on the internet buzz following production of the show.
Anyway, I'd highly recommend reading the books. No matter what your genre or literary preference, it is something all adults - IMO - can get into. But, if you decide not to read the books, you should at least check out the TV show.
Here's a trailer from the series...
"Raven" Preview
And here's a clip of some "behind the scenes" footage and interviews...
In Production
Some more photos and production stills after the jump...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sounds like McGarity is pissed...
...over the fact that the SEC decided against any punishment of Fairley. The Georgia AD had this to say when asked about the SEC's inaction:
That is to say, if I do say what I am thinking and feeling about this whole situation, the SEC won't like it and I will get in trouble. I like the spirit.
Many neutral parties, like Mr. SEC, are laughing at the inference many Georgia bloggers/fans are putting out there about whether the SEC is withholding any punishment of Fairley because it would diminish the chance of Auburn beating Alabama, thereby reducing the chance that an SEC team goes to the national title game. And, I must admit, it does sound like a "homer" position to take.
But this isn't the first time the inference has been put out there. For instance, I remember many "fans" taking a similar position last season when it appeared that the "big dogs" in the conference were getting preferential treatment from SEC officials during games (I can think of the Florida-Mississippi State game off the top of my head). Further, I heard Slive speak at a club meeting last year and left there thinking, of all things, "this guy would stop at nothing to keep an SEC team from getting to the title game." This mainly came from his reaction to questions about a playoff ("why would I support one when an SEC team has gone to the title game three years in a row without one?" - paraphrased) and his frankness regarding television deals and bowl appearances. I felt good about that conclusion at the time, but now it keeps creeping back into my mind as I see the Newton and Fairley situations play out.
At that meeting, when I heard Slive speak about the BCS and the ESPN deals, the other conclusion I made was "this guy is all about the bottomline... dolla, dolla billz".... ("Billz" actually had a "z" at the end - as I was thinking it... because I'm cool and in touch with pop culture). Which, again, I assume is his job and what his priority should be. Slive is a lawyer, and he knows how to artfully answer questions in the media, how to refrain from commenting on about anything, and how to word his answers to carefully keep himself from getting trapped later. That's probably in the best interest of the conference. But, make no mistake about it, Mike Slive is slick.
Therefore, having said all that and knowing what Slive's priorities are, I frankly cannot just assume that "the best interest of the conference," which - for his purposes - is the financial and power positions of the conference, was not at the forefront of his thought process as he and his staff considered the Fairley hits - because there was more than one, folks.
After all, if Slive and the SEC "recommended" or "suggested" that UGA suspend Ben Jones earlier this season for a chop block, I cannot imagine that the same recommendation was NOT made involving Nick Fairley, unless there were other motives involved. And, to be fair, maybe Slive DID make that recommendation to Auburn - that they suspend Fairley like Georgia did Jones. But if he did, and Auburn chose to do nothing about it (or at least chose not to suspend the player but handle it some other way, like "don't do that again, big guy"), then what does that say about Auburn? Moreover, what does it say about Slive? Either Slive will let coaches and athletic directors defy him in the face of his recommendations, or he simply allows such defiance if it is "in the best interests of the conference," right? I don't know which is worse...
Maybe it isn't a conspiracy after all. Maybe the SEC just doesn't think Fairley's type of play is reprehensible. But given the actions we've seen regarding this type of play recently from the NFL, which would arguably be in a better position to allow rough play in light of the fact that the players are getting PAID to endure such hits (enter Cam Newton joke here), isn't there a duty for a COLLEGE conference to protect defenseless "student athletes" from the egregious assaults from other players that could cause serious injury? After all, due to Fairley's play, Murray is laid up healing from blindside, defenseless shots and may not get to play in his next game. And yet Ben Jones's contact with a larger, defensive player is what the SEC has chosen to "crack down" on?
Conspiracy theory or no, it all stinks. And the SEC and Slive are the ones who could have prevented it from stinking. So I don't think McGarity and Georgia fans are overreacting at all to the non-action by the SEC. And I don't think they are out-of-place in trying to put a reason behind the SEC's decision, regardless of how outlandish it may seem to some.
“I probably better not comment on that... I need to stay away from that. I don’t want to get into any type of trouble or conflict with the conference office.”
That is to say, if I do say what I am thinking and feeling about this whole situation, the SEC won't like it and I will get in trouble. I like the spirit.
Many neutral parties, like Mr. SEC, are laughing at the inference many Georgia bloggers/fans are putting out there about whether the SEC is withholding any punishment of Fairley because it would diminish the chance of Auburn beating Alabama, thereby reducing the chance that an SEC team goes to the national title game. And, I must admit, it does sound like a "homer" position to take.
But this isn't the first time the inference has been put out there. For instance, I remember many "fans" taking a similar position last season when it appeared that the "big dogs" in the conference were getting preferential treatment from SEC officials during games (I can think of the Florida-Mississippi State game off the top of my head). Further, I heard Slive speak at a club meeting last year and left there thinking, of all things, "this guy would stop at nothing to keep an SEC team from getting to the title game." This mainly came from his reaction to questions about a playoff ("why would I support one when an SEC team has gone to the title game three years in a row without one?" - paraphrased) and his frankness regarding television deals and bowl appearances. I felt good about that conclusion at the time, but now it keeps creeping back into my mind as I see the Newton and Fairley situations play out.
At that meeting, when I heard Slive speak about the BCS and the ESPN deals, the other conclusion I made was "this guy is all about the bottomline... dolla, dolla billz".... ("Billz" actually had a "z" at the end - as I was thinking it... because I'm cool and in touch with pop culture). Which, again, I assume is his job and what his priority should be. Slive is a lawyer, and he knows how to artfully answer questions in the media, how to refrain from commenting on about anything, and how to word his answers to carefully keep himself from getting trapped later. That's probably in the best interest of the conference. But, make no mistake about it, Mike Slive is slick.
Therefore, having said all that and knowing what Slive's priorities are, I frankly cannot just assume that "the best interest of the conference," which - for his purposes - is the financial and power positions of the conference, was not at the forefront of his thought process as he and his staff considered the Fairley hits - because there was more than one, folks.
After all, if Slive and the SEC "recommended" or "suggested" that UGA suspend Ben Jones earlier this season for a chop block, I cannot imagine that the same recommendation was NOT made involving Nick Fairley, unless there were other motives involved. And, to be fair, maybe Slive DID make that recommendation to Auburn - that they suspend Fairley like Georgia did Jones. But if he did, and Auburn chose to do nothing about it (or at least chose not to suspend the player but handle it some other way, like "don't do that again, big guy"), then what does that say about Auburn? Moreover, what does it say about Slive? Either Slive will let coaches and athletic directors defy him in the face of his recommendations, or he simply allows such defiance if it is "in the best interests of the conference," right? I don't know which is worse...
Maybe it isn't a conspiracy after all. Maybe the SEC just doesn't think Fairley's type of play is reprehensible. But given the actions we've seen regarding this type of play recently from the NFL, which would arguably be in a better position to allow rough play in light of the fact that the players are getting PAID to endure such hits (enter Cam Newton joke here), isn't there a duty for a COLLEGE conference to protect defenseless "student athletes" from the egregious assaults from other players that could cause serious injury? After all, due to Fairley's play, Murray is laid up healing from blindside, defenseless shots and may not get to play in his next game. And yet Ben Jones's contact with a larger, defensive player is what the SEC has chosen to "crack down" on?
Conspiracy theory or no, it all stinks. And the SEC and Slive are the ones who could have prevented it from stinking. So I don't think McGarity and Georgia fans are overreacting at all to the non-action by the SEC. And I don't think they are out-of-place in trying to put a reason behind the SEC's decision, regardless of how outlandish it may seem to some.
Another blogger who agrees with me...
...almost verbatim on the Georgia-Auburn game from last weekend is Bill King over at the AJC. On everything from Fairley's hits, to the SEC's lack of a response to Fairley's hits, to McGarity's response to the SEC's non-punishment of Fairley, to Gene Chizik's actions during and towards the end of the game, to the actions of the Georgia players, to the current and future state of the Georgia/Auburn rivalry, to Auburn fans in general. He hits the nail on the head.
File under "not surprising"...
...the recent comments from AJ Green regarding the draft. (HT: BULLDOGS BLOG). As always, you can't really blame him for leaning towards the NFL. Us Dawg fans will have to be praying for an NFL lockout, losing an NFL season for AJ is a trade I'd willingly be glad to make, fantasy football and Falcons be damned.
A couple of new trailers...
The first is a look at the upcoming Danny McBride (Kenny Powers) comedy Your Highness. It's from the director of Pineapple Express, although Danny McBride wrote the screenplay. I've been hearing about this for a while, and they filmed it in Northern Ireland using a lot of the same sets, props and equipment as HBO's Game of Thrones. Anyway, it has a stellar cast and I'm a huge McBride fan, so I'll be seeing this one. I like the mix of comedy and action. Also, Natalie Portman looks incredible in this movie. I'm starting to have second thoughts about saying she could not pull of Catwoman.
This is a red band trailer, meaning it is unrated and contains mature content. It has some foul language and partial nudity (essentially Portman's bare bottom). So, use caution when viewing.
Enjoy.
The next one is Ryan Reynolds' Green Latern. I don't know much about this DC comics character. He was sort-of a fringe character to Superman and Batman. But it looks interesting. Blake Lively looks great, so that's a plus. I didn't get an overwhelming "must see" vibe after watching this, but it looks like something I may catch in the theatre.
This is a red band trailer, meaning it is unrated and contains mature content. It has some foul language and partial nudity (essentially Portman's bare bottom). So, use caution when viewing.
Enjoy.
The next one is Ryan Reynolds' Green Latern. I don't know much about this DC comics character. He was sort-of a fringe character to Superman and Batman. But it looks interesting. Blake Lively looks great, so that's a plus. I didn't get an overwhelming "must see" vibe after watching this, but it looks like something I may catch in the theatre.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Braves acquire Uggla...
My thoughts:
1. I Heart Omar - Yeah, I hate to see Omar go. I love him. He's a team player and was one of our MVPs last season. But this was the right move. Omar was a super-utility guy. He was not an every day player. He also only had one more year in Atlanta, as we picked up a $2.5M option for one more season recently. So, we could trade him now while his value was WAY over-stated instead of losing him for nothing at the end of the season.
UPDATE: The Marlins wanted Prado initially, but the Braves said "no." Interesting. (HT: Jerry Crasnick, ESPN).
2. Uggla is Perfect - Uggla comes with a few issues, but given we had to give up no prospects to acquire him, and feasible options available for a RH power bat were slim pickens, he is perfect for what the Braves are looking for. I posted his numbers from last season earlier: 100 R, 33 HR, 105 RBI, 4 SB, .287 BA, .877 OPS, with 78 BB and 149 Ks. That is some major power, folks. We're talking 1B/LF/RF power from the 2B position. If he hits close to that, this will be well worth the deal. Uggla is the only 2B to start his career with 5 straight 20+ HR seasons. (HT: Talking Chop). He also hit .354 w/ 12 HR and a 1.051 OPS in Atlanta. (HT: Mark Bowman, MLB.com).
UPDATE: Uggla on coming to Atlanta: "While I am saddened to leave the Marlins family and thankful for all they did for me in my career, I am even MORE excited to join the Braves organization." (HT: Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports).
UPDATE 2: Apparently Uggla would not budge from 5yrs/$71M during negotiations with Florida. Florida started at 4yrs/$48M and then went up. We better hope that he will come down for Atlanta, because the Braves aren't going to pay him $71M over 5 years, nor should they.
3. Financial Impact and Contract Info - Uggla is arbitration eligible for 2011 and a free agent in one year. The Marlins were trying to sign him before they traded him. Apparently, 4yrs/$48M was turned down by Uggla. The Braves had to know this going into this trade. Therefore, they have to have a plan in place to keep this from becoming a rental, OR they were completely okay with the fact that this may be a rental. I am okay if the Braves were acting under the latter assumption given we traded a 3rd-string lefty RP and another player who only had one year left on his contract for Uggla. But, they could be operating with confidence, based on inside information, that they could get a long-term deal done. He made $7.8M this past season, and he is arbitration eligible for next season. This means that Uggla and the Braves will trade numbers and try to determine what he should get paid in 2011 based on last season's salary and his performance, or - if they can't agree on numbers - an arbitrator will decide it. This, of course, will happen if a long-term deal cannot get done. The Braves may work out a one-year deal with him to avoid arbitration, then work on signing him long term. I don't know. But I would find it hard to believe that the Braves wouldn't at least feel like they could get a long term deal worked out, unless this was just too good a deal to pass up - even for a rental.
UPDATE: Frank Wren has stated that they want to engage Uggla about a long-term extension. (HT: Talking Chop). He also stated in a conference call that now they wanted more bullpen stability and possibly "a bench guy or two." (HT: Talking Chop). Based on these comments, the Braves may be done improving their every day batting lineup, though I'd still like to see us add a CF since we did not give up prospects and have them by the bunches (though it may be a pipe dream). The fact that Wren said he wanted to add a bench "guy or two" could mean Diaz and Hinske are done as Braves, unless he was referring to them.
UPDATE 2: Uggla calls Nashville TN his home. The proximity of Nashville to Atlanta may help in getting a long-term deal done. (HT: Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports).
4. The Fredi Factor - Another thing that makes me feel good about this deal: Fredi is our manager and he managed Uggla for a few years in Florida. Given Fredi's well-known stance on not liking or putting up with lazy or loafing players, I think it speaks volumes to Uggla's character that Fredi probably encouraged the Braves to pursue him.
UPDATE: Fredi on Uggla: "I'm excited. Big bat. Tremendous clubhouse guy. Blue-collar. Our fans will love him." Love hearing this. (HT: Dave O'Brien, AJC)
5. Uggla Defensively - He's not as good as Infante, but he's better than Conrad. He won't win gold gloves, but probably won't lose games for you either.
6. Conspiracy Theory - I still don't know if the Braves would actively be considering adding another outfielder now that Uggla has been acquired. Wren's comments suggest "no." But, I stand by the fact that considering the Braves did not trade away prospects, and they have highly conveted pitching prospects, we could still add another outfielder. Of course, because Uggla will be rather expensive, our addition to the OF will have to be cheap, which would mean a little-known player or a young prospect type. I'm thinking of a young prospect type like Justin Upton or Colby Rasmus. Rasmus would be more likely because he is a CF.
Hear this: The Cardinals are interested in getting an everyday second baseman. So, the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if the Braves would send Prado and a pitching prospect to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus, a guy whose talents are mentioned in the same breath as Justin Upton and Jason Heyward. He'd be getting rookie pay for a while and he's also had some issues with the management in St. Louis (which means they may trade him). Oh, and Rasmus is from Columbus, GA. Just sayin...
But regardless of whether we make any more moves, I like this upgrade. We are a better team with Uggla on board.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Braves Notes: Weeks 1 and 2... (UPDATED)
The first two weeks of the offseason are complete (as the World Series ended on November 1). Here are some Braves notes:
1. Rookie of the Year - Heyward finished in second place for Rookie of the Year behind winner Buster Posey. Posey had 20 first place votes while Heyward had 9 first place votes. This is not surprising. Keep in mind that all votes were submitted PRIOR to the post-season. So, the playoffs had nothing to do with the award. I still think Heyward should have won because he played an entire season. Posey started two months later and he put up (first year) Francouer-like numbers in the beginning. He batted in the .340's for a while. However, he finished at .305 and was fading fast. If he had to play another two months in the regular season, I think his average may have settled closer to Heyward's. Heyward won 2Bs, 3Bs, SBs, and especially Rs by a pretty wide margin. He also had three times as many walks as Posey. When you factor in his stellar defense in RF, I think it all enough to make him the outright Rookie of the Year. But, I think Posey deserved it as well, and it's really a close call. Kudos to both.
UPDATE:
The Arizona GM has confirmed that Justin Upton is available and teams are inquiring. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports has stated the Braves would be at the front of the line given their slew of controllable young arms. It'd probably take trading away Jurrjens or Vizcaino to land him. But he is a right-handed hitter, which the Braves need, and he is young & cheap. This happening, however, has become less likely in light of the Braves acquisition of Dan Uggla.
UPDATE 2:
See the entry above on the Dan Uggla acquisition.
More after the jump, including other potential candidates for the Braves outfield.
Nick Fairley...
...is a total douchebag. That Auburn fans are actually defending this conduct is unbelievable... (HT: Sports by Brooks).
Here's Gene Chizik's half-hearted, but obligatory, comment on the dirty play:
"Just really disappointed in that,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “That’s a lot of reflection on us as coaches, and I’m embarrassed by it. That’s not who we are. That’s not the way we carry ourselves, and we will address it tomorrow.”
Brooks, who has no ties to UGA or the SEC, had this to say about Chizik's quote:
"Chizik has yet to do anything that indicates Fairley’s incessant dirty play isn’t exactly who Auburn is."
Here's Gene Chizik's half-hearted, but obligatory, comment on the dirty play:
"Just really disappointed in that,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “That’s a lot of reflection on us as coaches, and I’m embarrassed by it. That’s not who we are. That’s not the way we carry ourselves, and we will address it tomorrow.”
Brooks, who has no ties to UGA or the SEC, had this to say about Chizik's quote:
"Chizik has yet to do anything that indicates Fairley’s incessant dirty play isn’t exactly who Auburn is."
Richt's Decline...
... When it all starting going wrong... This is my latest contribution to ChuckOliver.net. This is one part in a series at ChuckOliver.net in which Richt's future is questioned, as is the future of the head coaching position at Georgia.
Here are some of the other pieces:
- The Mark Richt Show is over in Athens (Chuck Oliver)
- Richt's Replacement (Drew Collins)
- Georgia has fallen, can Richt help them up? (Clark Nelson)
- Richt No Longer in Coaching Elite (Fletcher Proctor)
- What happens to Richt if he leaves? (Chadd Scott)
I'm on record as "undecided" about Richt's fate. Honestly, I lean towards giving him a shot in 2011. In the end, I don't think it matters because I think McGarity will give him a shot at 2011. It's an interesting dilemma with lots of legitimate arguments and comparisons and stats on both sides of the fence. Stay tuned...
Here are some of the other pieces:
- The Mark Richt Show is over in Athens (Chuck Oliver)
- Richt's Replacement (Drew Collins)
- Georgia has fallen, can Richt help them up? (Clark Nelson)
- Richt No Longer in Coaching Elite (Fletcher Proctor)
- What happens to Richt if he leaves? (Chadd Scott)
I'm on record as "undecided" about Richt's fate. Honestly, I lean towards giving him a shot in 2011. In the end, I don't think it matters because I think McGarity will give him a shot at 2011. It's an interesting dilemma with lots of legitimate arguments and comparisons and stats on both sides of the fence. Stay tuned...
Auburn game thoughts...
The Good
1. Murray is a stud. Kid has heart, toughness, intelligence and a cannon. Auburn resorted to dirty attempts to take him out of the game, and yet he still stood up boldy in the pocket and delivered rocket after rocket. I came away from this game far more impressed with Murray than Newton. Murray is a 6-foot tall freshman playing on the road against the #2 team in the country, while the heathens are gunning for his ribs and knees... and yet he rose above it all and put on one of the best performances of the year. Kudos, Murray. And to think we don't even have to pay this kid for a mere single season of mercenary work - makes it all the better. In the grand scheme of things, Murray >>>>> Newton.
2. Our defense was able to force Auburn to make mistakes early. They were aggressive and it appears we had them on the ropes. But we couldn't keep it up for a full game. There's promise in this aggressive defensive scheme so long as we can stay after it for an entire game and make better adjustments.
3. Mike Bobo was far more aggressive. He still had times where he lulled himself back into the "ball control, run-or-die, force our running game on them" mode, especially late in the first half when we had the lead. But for the most part, he kept the foot on the gas. With talents like Green, Murray and Charles, that's what you have to do.
4. A.J. Green. Wow. If he were to announce that he is coming back next year, I'd probably blow... well... I'd be rather excited. He is by far the best receiver I've ever seen at Georgia and, right there with Calvin Johnson, the best college wide receiver I've ever seen period. He runs like a gazelle and he catches everything thrown his way. He's a vacuum. Man, I'd love to see him back on the field next year.
5. From what I could tell, our linebacker play was much better this game. I saw them running all over the place. At the very least, they were playing their asses off. Houston, Gamble, Dent... I kept seeing those jerseys all day long. I'm proud of our linebacking corps for playing hard.
6. After all the unsportsmanlike antics that Auburn pulled leading up to the game, during the game, and at the end, I'm very proud to be a Georgia Bulldog fan. Auburn and its fans have decided to sell their soul for a national title game. They're wallowing in all that goes with it. I think I feel much better as a person after watching Murray and the team play their hearts out and losing, than I would if I had been an Auburn fan and seeing the team go to 11-0 after all that bulls#!t. Roll Tide. Go Cocks. Go Ducks.
The Bad
7. We still do not have game changers at running back. Sure, the guys had a couple of decent runs. But they aren't explosive runners with the ability to get into space and take one to the house. Against Tech, they're golden gods... but in the SEC they are second rate.
8. It is well-documented that we need a nose tackle. Auburn could get 5 yards by merely diving forward into the line practically every down. With a big nose tackle to clog things up, this could have been different.
9. Our kick return team was terrible. And I'm not really talking about the onsides kick. Boykin got absolutely stuff every single kickoff return attempt. There was nothing there. As for the onsides kick, apparently the coaching staff had warned the guys, and they still flubbed it up. That momentum seizure may have been all the spark Auburn needed to take over the game.
10. As for coaching and coaching decisions, I guess I only have three complaints. 1) You can't take your foot off the gas when up 21-7. Bobo let up just a little, and started getting back the "old faithful" offense just enough to break our rhythm and allow Auburn back in. 2) When you have the ball and 51 seconds left in a half, you don't take a knee against a team with an offense like Cam Newton. You KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS. You throw it to Green, throw it to Green, throw it to Green. In this game, you go all-in. You can't play with a fear of making mistakes. We should have tried to score in a 2-minute offense at the end of the first half. 3) Kicking the field goal down by a touchdown in the second half. That was the nail in the coffin. It was established that we could not stop Auburn, and our only hope was to tie the game every time we got the ball and try to keep up. And we blew it with a field goal. I said it then and I'll repeat it now, that is when we truly lost the game.
11. I thought before the game that there were 4 things I'd like to see us do: 1) win the turnover battle, 2) win the time of possession battle, 3) win the penatly battle, and 4) rush for more than 175 yards. I knew the last bit was very unlikely, but if we could do it - it would have meant a victory for us. But the only category we won was the turnover battle, at +1.
The Ugly
12. Auburn. Everything about their team stinks. Not just the players and their antics, but the coach and the program as well. On at least three occasions Fairley took extra care to try to remove Murray from the game. And Chizik was doing nothing short of encouraging him. But this is merely scratching the surface. Auburn is the ugliest, dirtiest program I have seen in a long time. More to come...
1. Murray is a stud. Kid has heart, toughness, intelligence and a cannon. Auburn resorted to dirty attempts to take him out of the game, and yet he still stood up boldy in the pocket and delivered rocket after rocket. I came away from this game far more impressed with Murray than Newton. Murray is a 6-foot tall freshman playing on the road against the #2 team in the country, while the heathens are gunning for his ribs and knees... and yet he rose above it all and put on one of the best performances of the year. Kudos, Murray. And to think we don't even have to pay this kid for a mere single season of mercenary work - makes it all the better. In the grand scheme of things, Murray >>>>> Newton.
2. Our defense was able to force Auburn to make mistakes early. They were aggressive and it appears we had them on the ropes. But we couldn't keep it up for a full game. There's promise in this aggressive defensive scheme so long as we can stay after it for an entire game and make better adjustments.
3. Mike Bobo was far more aggressive. He still had times where he lulled himself back into the "ball control, run-or-die, force our running game on them" mode, especially late in the first half when we had the lead. But for the most part, he kept the foot on the gas. With talents like Green, Murray and Charles, that's what you have to do.
4. A.J. Green. Wow. If he were to announce that he is coming back next year, I'd probably blow... well... I'd be rather excited. He is by far the best receiver I've ever seen at Georgia and, right there with Calvin Johnson, the best college wide receiver I've ever seen period. He runs like a gazelle and he catches everything thrown his way. He's a vacuum. Man, I'd love to see him back on the field next year.
5. From what I could tell, our linebacker play was much better this game. I saw them running all over the place. At the very least, they were playing their asses off. Houston, Gamble, Dent... I kept seeing those jerseys all day long. I'm proud of our linebacking corps for playing hard.
6. After all the unsportsmanlike antics that Auburn pulled leading up to the game, during the game, and at the end, I'm very proud to be a Georgia Bulldog fan. Auburn and its fans have decided to sell their soul for a national title game. They're wallowing in all that goes with it. I think I feel much better as a person after watching Murray and the team play their hearts out and losing, than I would if I had been an Auburn fan and seeing the team go to 11-0 after all that bulls#!t. Roll Tide. Go Cocks. Go Ducks.
The Bad
7. We still do not have game changers at running back. Sure, the guys had a couple of decent runs. But they aren't explosive runners with the ability to get into space and take one to the house. Against Tech, they're golden gods... but in the SEC they are second rate.
8. It is well-documented that we need a nose tackle. Auburn could get 5 yards by merely diving forward into the line practically every down. With a big nose tackle to clog things up, this could have been different.
9. Our kick return team was terrible. And I'm not really talking about the onsides kick. Boykin got absolutely stuff every single kickoff return attempt. There was nothing there. As for the onsides kick, apparently the coaching staff had warned the guys, and they still flubbed it up. That momentum seizure may have been all the spark Auburn needed to take over the game.
10. As for coaching and coaching decisions, I guess I only have three complaints. 1) You can't take your foot off the gas when up 21-7. Bobo let up just a little, and started getting back the "old faithful" offense just enough to break our rhythm and allow Auburn back in. 2) When you have the ball and 51 seconds left in a half, you don't take a knee against a team with an offense like Cam Newton. You KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS. You throw it to Green, throw it to Green, throw it to Green. In this game, you go all-in. You can't play with a fear of making mistakes. We should have tried to score in a 2-minute offense at the end of the first half. 3) Kicking the field goal down by a touchdown in the second half. That was the nail in the coffin. It was established that we could not stop Auburn, and our only hope was to tie the game every time we got the ball and try to keep up. And we blew it with a field goal. I said it then and I'll repeat it now, that is when we truly lost the game.
11. I thought before the game that there were 4 things I'd like to see us do: 1) win the turnover battle, 2) win the time of possession battle, 3) win the penatly battle, and 4) rush for more than 175 yards. I knew the last bit was very unlikely, but if we could do it - it would have meant a victory for us. But the only category we won was the turnover battle, at +1.
The Ugly
12. Auburn. Everything about their team stinks. Not just the players and their antics, but the coach and the program as well. On at least three occasions Fairley took extra care to try to remove Murray from the game. And Chizik was doing nothing short of encouraging him. But this is merely scratching the surface. Auburn is the ugliest, dirtiest program I have seen in a long time. More to come...
Friday, November 12, 2010
Goin' huntin'...
...for the weekend. Will watch the game and check back in on Sunday. Until then, catch me on Twitter (couldn't they get a more jock-friendly name for it?): @HowMuchYouBench
Cam Newton Saga (UPDATED)
- While at Florida, Newton was arrested for receiving a stolen laptop. He
- Also while at Florida, Newton was allegedly caught cheating three times. On one occasion, he took another student's paper, erased the student's name, wrote his own name on the document, and turned it in. Also, Newton apparently bought a paper online and attempted to turn it in. Information regarding student's grades are protected by federal law. Thus, these allegations are coming under heavy scrutiny. However, no one in the Newton family has denied the allegations.
- Also while at Florida, Newton got 12 traffic citations in an 18-month period, which ranged from driving without a license to running red lights (lots of these, actually) to speeding to driving with a suspended license. They were all relatively minor offenses.
- After the laptop arrest, the cheating issues, and Tim Tebow's announcement that he would return for his senior year, the Newton family thought it would be in Cam's best interest to transfer from Florida.
- John Bond, a former MSU QB, claims that Kenny Rogers (chuckle, chuckle), another former MSU player and now some sort of high school recruiting agent, contacted him during Newton's recruitment and told him it would take $180,000 to land Newton, and that other schools had offered up to $200,000.
- A day later, John Bond admits that there were two go-betweens or buffers between him and Rogers for the whole $200,000 conversation. Thus, he did not hear that straight from Rogers.
- In September 2009, Cecil Newton was told by the City that his church would be demolished if it was not brought up to code. Cam Newton committed to Auburn in December 2009. Cecil Newton's church was renovated and brought up to code in Spring 2010.
- The NCAA asked for financial statements and documents from the Newton's (including Cecil Newton's church) a month ago, before this news broke.
- Cam Newton preferred going to Mississippi State, but his father preferred Auburn. Cam left the final decision to his father, who declared to the family last December that his son would attend Auburn.
- Yesterday, both the Auburn AD and head coach Gene Chizik adamantly denied any wrongdoing and emotionally stood in support of Newton and his eligibility.
- Yesterday, Bob Stoops of Oklahoma publicly stated that there was nothing unusual in their recruitment of Newton. And that he nor his coaches noticed anything shady going on during their recruitment of him.
- Yesterday, after being accused in some outlets of leaking the negative information pertaining to Newton intentionally, Urban Meyer issued a statement denying leaking any information related to Cam Newton.
- Yesterday, various Auburn-affiliated outlets appear to accuse Dan Mullen and Mississippi State of "having an axe to grind" with Newton and Auburn.
- Most recently, Joe Schad is reporting that two Mississippi State recruiters (I assume them to be coaches) have confirmed that, on one occasion, Cecil Newton told a recruiter that it would take "more than a scholarship" to land Newton at Mississippi State. Moreover, the other recruiter stated that Cam Newton told him that his father had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much." Apparently, the conversations were turned over the SEC in January of this year, yet the NCAA (assuming they were informed) has still not acted on the alleged phone conversations.
What have I missed? Anything?
UPDATE (Thurs. AM):
Okay, so here's a few new tidbits to add:
- Gene Chizik adamantly confirmed in a teleconference that Cam Newton would be playing this weekend against Georgia.
- Mississippi State issued a statement that they reported details of Newton's recruitment to the SEC in January 2010.
- Oddly, another statement was later issued by Mississippi State that after first reporting the issues to the SEC in January, the SEC asked for more specific information regarding the recruitment. MSU did not get back with the SEC until July, citing they were busy with other things. The SEC has confirmed that MSU did not mention the recently publicized phone calls with the Newtons in either the January or July reports, and that the SEC did not know about them until they became public. It appears that the NCAA has been involved to the extent the SEC has (i.e., the SEC reported everything to the NCAA as they discovered it and the NCAA has been also investigating concurrently with the SEC). But, wow.
UPDATE (Thurs. PM)
- Wow. Kenny Rogers, the guy who allegedly informed John Bond over at MSU that Newton would cost $180,000, has now come out and publicly said that Cecil Newton specifically told him that Cam's commitment was "not going to be free this time" and that he wanted $100,000 to $180,000. This per an interview on FM103.3 in Dallas. Uh-oh.
UPDATE (Fri. AM)
- Though this is old news, I did not have it listed. But the FBI has gotten involved with the investigation of Newton. This is a new one for me. Never heard of the FBI getting involved in NCAA stuff. Not saying they haven't, I just haven't heard about it.
- Old news again, but another MSU alum spoke up about being told Newton would cost MSU $180,000. This was Bill Bell.
UPDATE (Fri. 2 PM)
- Auburn's official stance on Cam Newton's eligibility has changed from "he is not ineligible" (earlier in the week) to "no comment." (NOTE: It should have probably been "no comment" all along, instead of vehemently defending him publicly.)
UPDATE (Fri. 3:30 PM)
- The "tweet" heard 'round the twittersphere earlier today, that AU sources have confirmed that Chizik would announce Cam Newton would sit vs. UGA, has been outed as BS. No truth to it.
- And soon thereafter ... Per AuburnUndercover.com: Cam Newton is expected to start at quarterback for Auburn on Saturday against Georgia. (NOTE: My guess is that "expected" means... "at this point there is nothing new to report, but things could change...").
fwiw
This was just posted on Twitter. Can't go to SECFootballGuy's profile for some reason. And I can't find anything else confirming it. So, it's probably BS. But...fwiw...
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Latest 'The Dark Knight Rises' Casting News
AintItCoolNews.com highlighted a Deadline report that Christopher Nolan is casting two female roles for the upcoming Batman movie: one is a love interest for Wayne/Batman and the other is a villian. The report also identifies six actresses that Nolan will be meeting with about the roles: Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Kiera Knightley, and Blake Lively. For the record, Deadline is who broke the Tom Hardy news, and that appeared to be correct.
More after the jump, including photos, character speculation, and my opinion on which actresses should play which character...
More after the jump, including photos, character speculation, and my opinion on which actresses should play which character...
UGA Hot Seat: Mark Richt vs. Jim Donnan
I think you guys will be surprised at what you find when I compared Richt to Donnan. I think it may come down to how much goodwill Richt still has from the first part of the decade.
Please check it out at ChuckOliver.net. Feel free to comment here or there.
Please check it out at ChuckOliver.net. Feel free to comment here or there.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
UGA Hot Seat: Mark Richt vs. Ray Goff
Check out my most recent submission over at ChuckOliver.net regarding Mark Richt's hot seat status and a comparison of Richt to Goff.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
My second podcast...
... and we are getting there. Still working out the wrinkles. But this is my second UGA podcast with Drew Collins at ChuckOliver.net. We talk about the upcoming Auburn game. Check it.
SO YOU'RE SAYIN...
... THERE'S A CHANCE !!!!!
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Everyone knows I've been a huge fan of Ms. Weisz for quite a while. One of the best actresses out there right now. Now, if only Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman split up, I'd really be sittin' pretty.
Everyone knows I've been a huge fan of Ms. Weisz for quite a while. One of the best actresses out there right now. Now, if only Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman split up, I'd really be sittin' pretty.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Auburn fans being Auburn fans...
This reminds me of how the fans treated the athletic director as he was stepping off the private jet on his way back from a suspected meeting with Chizik.
(HT: Matt Hinton, Dr. Saturday)
It goes without saying that the Auburn fans' aggression towards Mark Schlabach stems from Schlabach's breaking the recent story about Cam Newton. Apparently, they all believe he made it up and has an agenda against Auburn because he went to Georgia or something. Makes perfect sense when you think about it.
(HT: Matt Hinton, Dr. Saturday)
It goes without saying that the Auburn fans' aggression towards Mark Schlabach stems from Schlabach's breaking the recent story about Cam Newton. Apparently, they all believe he made it up and has an agenda against Auburn because he went to Georgia or something. Makes perfect sense when you think about it.
UGA football tops the SEC ...
... if you take the average of all the 14 major statistical categories followed at the SEC website, so says The Senator at Get the Picture. Very interesting rankings. Check it.
My first podcast...
...over at ChuckOliver.net. You can get directly to the podcast by clicking here. Under my alternate-reality alias, J. Dorminy, we discuss the UGA football program, including the Florida game, Jacksonville, Auburn & Cam Newton, Grantham, changes in the offseason and next year's schedule and expectations. Check it.
Here it is, the obligatory...
... "Mark Richt to Miami" headline we all knew was coming. Greg Cote at the Miami Herald drew first blood on what has turned into a yearly exercise of exploring whether Mark Richt can/will/should/could return to the Sunshine State. Granted, there's no real explanation, analysis or even an opinion on whether he'd even be interested in returning, but the seed is planted. Cote basically says that the "powers that be" are essentially starting to grumble a good bit about the state of things at the U. And Mark Richt is apparently at the top of the wish list in the event a coaching change is made.
I would be shocked beyond shocked if Richt left the UGA program for Miami. I cannot really put my finger on why, but it would completely surprise me. (HT: ChuckOliver.net) (HT: MiamiHerald.com)
I would be shocked beyond shocked if Richt left the UGA program for Miami. I cannot really put my finger on why, but it would completely surprise me. (HT: ChuckOliver.net) (HT: MiamiHerald.com)
Oscar 2010 News
Hugh Jackman won't be hosting, which is good. I did not have a huge problem with Jackman's turn at host of couple of years ago, but once is enough. He was a little too ... there's no real PC way to put it ... light on his feet? I just thought all the singing and dancing was a little over the top. Now, Baldwin and Martin were spectacular last year. I'd have no problem bringing those guys back or bringing on a new pair who would be similar. (HT: FirstShowing.net)
This is a movie...
...that I won't be seeing. Nothing screams "ONE STAR!" or "TWO THUMBS DOWN" quite like this cast. The sad thing is that I really like Bruce Willis. But, typically, any movie synopsis that includes the word "heist" and doesn't also feature the words Soderberg or Nolan is going to be a bad movie.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Fratlock's 2010 Movie List: Social Network and Winter's Bone
The Social Network - Obviously, this movie is about the founding of Facebook. It was written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, Benjamin Button). This was a fantastic movie. Many critics put it at the top of their list for 2010. I will not go that far, but it was a very good movie. The writing is superb, though the dialogue can be challenging, to say the least. Sorkin did this sort of thing with the West Wing, too. It is very smart, very fast, full of subject-specific lingo and jargon, and very deadpan and dry. This made it clever, realistic and challenging, but it was also rewarding if you can "get it" and keep up. The young actors were fantastic, though my favorite characters may have been the supporting roles of Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) and the Winklevoss twins. What's cool is that the Winklevoss's are played by one guy, using split-screen and super-imposition. For instance, another actor's body is used for a lot of the scenes, and the main actor's face is super-imposed onto the head. Pretty cool. Anyway, this movie gives us a glimpse of social life at Harvard, the insecurities of being a brilliant student, and the competitiveness of the dot-com generation and the world in which it resides. Thought I enjoyed the bit of the movie that took place at Harvard the most, it thrives throughout. Very rich, very clever movie. And this is saying a lot when, upon first hearing about this idea of a movie, I thought it would be extremely boring. But, good movie all-around. Fincher does not miss much, and neither does Sorkin.
Winter's Bone - This is one of those movies that was a low budget, cult festival hit that received very enthusiastic reviews. So, I got it on Netflix. Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the main character Ree Dolly, is getting rave reviews and there is a lot of Best Actress talk surrounding her performance. The movie is about a young, redneck (I know that's not PC, but it's true) gal whose mother is practically an invalid and essentially leaves it to her to raise her two younger siblings by herself. Her father, and most of her family and those in her social community, appear to be meth "cookers." It is a way a life. They all live in ramshackled cabins in the woods where the yards are littered with trash and debris. This isn't unlike much of what I saw in small-town South Georgia where I grew up, except this story takes place in rural Missouri. But over the years her father has been in and out of jail for drug issues, and he has been recently arrested again. Though she has not seen him in a while, she finds out from the sheriff that after getting bonded out of jail, he has gone missing. The clincher is that he put up his family's home, where Ree lives and takes care of her mother and siblings, for the bond. So, if he does not make his appearance, she loses the house. Thus, she has to go on a journey to find her father and she runs into lots of trouble along the way. A star is born in Jennifer Lawrence. She is tough, beautiful, and extremely natural at playing this very raw and desperate character. Amazing performance by this gal (she will next be in Matthew Vaughn's X-Men quasi-reboot). The movie could be a little slow and hard to understand, and it was gloomy, but it was gripping. And despite the dark and gritty plot-elements and characters, the cinematography was fantastic. Highly recommended movie, if you are looking for some good performances and a gut-wrenching story.
Below is my movie ratings and rankings list for those released in 2010, which I have seen thus far. I keep this running list and add movies to it as I see them and review them. As you can see, I thought Inception was the best movie I've seen this year. Moreover, it may be the best movie I have seen in a long time.
1. Inception - 9.75/10
2. The Town - 9/10
3. The Social Network - 9/10
4. Shutter Island - 8.5/10
5. Robin Hood - 8/10
6. Kick Ass - 7.75/10
7. Winter's Bone - 7.75/10
8. Iron Man 2 - 7.5/10
9. Hot Tub Time Machine - 7/10
10. Clash of the Titans - 5/10
...
Alice in Wonderland - 3.5/10
Georgia 55, Idaho State 7
Did you enjoy watching this game on TV? Were the bleachers full of rabid fans salivating over four quarters of smash-mouth football? How was the buzz around campus? Or the intensity of the players?
Well... you'd better get used to it. We are going to have, on average, three of those types of games per season from here on out. (HT: The Senator).
The game was about what I expected. Slow start, because how can the guys really be pumped up about this game? Then a pouring on in the second quarter. Then slowly moving to second and third stringers throughout the second half. It finished 55-7, and I predicted 56-0. I'm a little disappointed that we could not shut them out, but - hey - we had third stringers and walk-ons in the game.
I think what bothers me most about the scheduling of this game is the timing. It wouldn't have been a big deal if it were at the beginning of the year, or even in the middle, say, before Tennessee or Florida. But we've already got a bye week after the Auburn game, before Tech. So, it sort-of makes for a fizzle here at the end of the season. We spend the last 5 weeks of the season with two decent, meaningful games (if you include Tech). Not really exciting for when the home stretch of football begins in November and true "football weather" sets in in the South. So, hopefully McG will keep that in mind when scheduling our 2-3 directional or I-AA opponents each season in the future.
Not only that, but the timing could cause some problems with injuries at the most pivotal point in the season. On a good year, the Auburn and Tech games could prove extremely meaningful in competing for SEC and/or national championships. After the guys have been playing all season long against SEC opponents, an injury in a meaningless game against Northwest New Mexico State could be devastating to the rest of the season. Sure, a catastrophic injury could happen in ANY game (or even practice). But wouldn't you much rather it happen when the game actually means something? Instead of a tune-up late in the year against a I-AA team? Seems like a waste to me. Yesterday, we had two scares at the nose tackle position, where we are already thin and weak. Both Tyson and Geathers were injured yesterday. I just don't like the cost-benefit analysis with these late season tune-ups.
Well... you'd better get used to it. We are going to have, on average, three of those types of games per season from here on out. (HT: The Senator).
The game was about what I expected. Slow start, because how can the guys really be pumped up about this game? Then a pouring on in the second quarter. Then slowly moving to second and third stringers throughout the second half. It finished 55-7, and I predicted 56-0. I'm a little disappointed that we could not shut them out, but - hey - we had third stringers and walk-ons in the game.
I think what bothers me most about the scheduling of this game is the timing. It wouldn't have been a big deal if it were at the beginning of the year, or even in the middle, say, before Tennessee or Florida. But we've already got a bye week after the Auburn game, before Tech. So, it sort-of makes for a fizzle here at the end of the season. We spend the last 5 weeks of the season with two decent, meaningful games (if you include Tech). Not really exciting for when the home stretch of football begins in November and true "football weather" sets in in the South. So, hopefully McG will keep that in mind when scheduling our 2-3 directional or I-AA opponents each season in the future.
Not only that, but the timing could cause some problems with injuries at the most pivotal point in the season. On a good year, the Auburn and Tech games could prove extremely meaningful in competing for SEC and/or national championships. After the guys have been playing all season long against SEC opponents, an injury in a meaningless game against Northwest New Mexico State could be devastating to the rest of the season. Sure, a catastrophic injury could happen in ANY game (or even practice). But wouldn't you much rather it happen when the game actually means something? Instead of a tune-up late in the year against a I-AA team? Seems like a waste to me. Yesterday, we had two scares at the nose tackle position, where we are already thin and weak. Both Tyson and Geathers were injured yesterday. I just don't like the cost-benefit analysis with these late season tune-ups.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Savannah Film Festival...
...sucks.
I'm a movie person. So one of the perks of living in Savannah is that I can catch the Savannah Film Festival each year in late October/early November. They always screen some highly anticipated movies that you can screen weeks or months before the general public. I've always been able to get tickets to pretty much anything I wanted to see about a week before the festival. Granted, the festival likes to sell packaged passes (at least $200 per, but you get admission to every screening) and they reserve seats for VIPs associated with SCAD (who puts on the Fest) and the films. But typically, you can get tickets to the movies if you go to purchase them about a week before they screen.
Last year, I got to see Up in the Air about two months before it was released. I bought the tickets to that one about a week ahead of time. It was the Director's Choice, which meant we did not know what we were going to see before we got there and the credits started to roll, but we were all pleasantly surprised. The year before, I got to see Happy Go Lucky, another good movie.
This year, they were screening 127 Hours and Black Swan, both late year releases that are expected to contend for Oscar. Additionally, there was the highly anticipated Director's Choice, where we don't know ahead of time what they are screening. I wanted to get on top of it early, so I checked each day starting in September to see when the tickets are going to go on sale, but for some reason, SCAD never mentioned it. There is little to no news on their Film Festival webpage. All of a sudden, I check the website on the first Monday in October (the Fest is to start last weekend in October) and discover that tickets went on sale the previous Friday. Okay. No big deal. I'm always able to get tickets a week before the festival starts. But, to my dismay I discover that EVERYTHING IS SOLD OUT! 127 Hours, Black Swan, AND the Director's Choice. Unreal.
Over the next couple of weeks I try eBay and Craigslist, but the only thing I find are $300 passes. The thing about this is that there is no doubt in my mind that SCAD probably put about 30 general admission tickets on sale to the public...and everything else was VIPs and SCAD "friends and family." So, of course, the SCADders who had insider info gobbled up the tickets as soon as they went on sale. They hadn't even started promoting the damned festival on the radio or with posters or with signs or in the paper. But, sure as sunrise, I pass someone the next day putting up a poster promoting the festival. I see ads and articles in the paper about the "upcoming" festival. But the assholes had sold out of all the screenings. So, to whom are they directing their advertisements and what are they supposed to go see???
Shame on you, SCAD. This was one of the few things you actually did right. Until now (besides maybe the revitalization of downtown; that actually turned out well).
But anyway. I didn't get to see anything. Insult to injury?? There was a movie that filmed here in Savannah last year. Highly anticipated Robert Redford-directed movie that starred James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, and others. I even went to watch some of the filming. "The Conspirator" is about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and is anticipated to be a award-calibre film released to the general public after the new year. Sure 'nuff, it was the Director's Choice. And I did not get to see it. Of course, the radio and the paper was abuzz about how Liam Neeson, Robin Wright, Ian McKellan were all there at the screening. But too bad SCAD didn't give the "little people" a chance to go see it. Thanks, SCAD.
Anyway, enough ranting. But I showed up for the Savannah Film Festival back when no one gave a rip and tickets were still selling the night of the show. But now they're too big for all their former, small-time supporters. Sucks.
I'm a movie person. So one of the perks of living in Savannah is that I can catch the Savannah Film Festival each year in late October/early November. They always screen some highly anticipated movies that you can screen weeks or months before the general public. I've always been able to get tickets to pretty much anything I wanted to see about a week before the festival. Granted, the festival likes to sell packaged passes (at least $200 per, but you get admission to every screening) and they reserve seats for VIPs associated with SCAD (who puts on the Fest) and the films. But typically, you can get tickets to the movies if you go to purchase them about a week before they screen.
Last year, I got to see Up in the Air about two months before it was released. I bought the tickets to that one about a week ahead of time. It was the Director's Choice, which meant we did not know what we were going to see before we got there and the credits started to roll, but we were all pleasantly surprised. The year before, I got to see Happy Go Lucky, another good movie.
This year, they were screening 127 Hours and Black Swan, both late year releases that are expected to contend for Oscar. Additionally, there was the highly anticipated Director's Choice, where we don't know ahead of time what they are screening. I wanted to get on top of it early, so I checked each day starting in September to see when the tickets are going to go on sale, but for some reason, SCAD never mentioned it. There is little to no news on their Film Festival webpage. All of a sudden, I check the website on the first Monday in October (the Fest is to start last weekend in October) and discover that tickets went on sale the previous Friday. Okay. No big deal. I'm always able to get tickets a week before the festival starts. But, to my dismay I discover that EVERYTHING IS SOLD OUT! 127 Hours, Black Swan, AND the Director's Choice. Unreal.
Over the next couple of weeks I try eBay and Craigslist, but the only thing I find are $300 passes. The thing about this is that there is no doubt in my mind that SCAD probably put about 30 general admission tickets on sale to the public...and everything else was VIPs and SCAD "friends and family." So, of course, the SCADders who had insider info gobbled up the tickets as soon as they went on sale. They hadn't even started promoting the damned festival on the radio or with posters or with signs or in the paper. But, sure as sunrise, I pass someone the next day putting up a poster promoting the festival. I see ads and articles in the paper about the "upcoming" festival. But the assholes had sold out of all the screenings. So, to whom are they directing their advertisements and what are they supposed to go see???
Shame on you, SCAD. This was one of the few things you actually did right. Until now (besides maybe the revitalization of downtown; that actually turned out well).
But anyway. I didn't get to see anything. Insult to injury?? There was a movie that filmed here in Savannah last year. Highly anticipated Robert Redford-directed movie that starred James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, and others. I even went to watch some of the filming. "The Conspirator" is about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and is anticipated to be a award-calibre film released to the general public after the new year. Sure 'nuff, it was the Director's Choice. And I did not get to see it. Of course, the radio and the paper was abuzz about how Liam Neeson, Robin Wright, Ian McKellan were all there at the screening. But too bad SCAD didn't give the "little people" a chance to go see it. Thanks, SCAD.
Anyway, enough ranting. But I showed up for the Savannah Film Festival back when no one gave a rip and tickets were still selling the night of the show. But now they're too big for all their former, small-time supporters. Sucks.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Paul Westerdawg is frustrated with Richt's hesitation and indecisiveness...
Though he stops short of giving up on Mark Richt, Paul Westerdawg at the Georgia Sports Blog does indict Richt's tendency to hold on too long to assistants and wait too long to address glaring problems with the program:
It's a systemic issue of urgency that we've discussed frequently over the years. A coach with "hair on fire urgency" doesn't do the following:I, personally, totally agree that Richt's loyalty to assistants and veterans and tradition aggravates me to no end. Many people criticize Richt's lack of "fire" or "urgency" on the field. My problem, and apparently PWD's problem, with Richt is more the lack of urgency on the days in between games or in the offseason.
So here Richt sits scrambling to find answers that are less painful than the obvious ones. Just like last year.
- Tolerate Neil Callaway's recruiting for 6 seasons
- Tolerate John Jancek's epic fail linebacker coaching for 5 seasons
- Tolerate John Fabris' idiotic kickoff "strategies" for 9 seasons
- Redshirt Knowshon Moreno
- Promote a kid like McClendon when *obviously* more qualified candidates were available
- Wait to terminate Martinez and post-pone an inevitable rebuilding process
- Blow off two a day practices in favor of pool parties
- Let the strength program fall to where we're getting mauled up front
We've now lost 10 games in the past two seasons, and appear very likely to lose 11 in two seasons. As a point of comparison, Jim Donnan lost 11 games in his final THREE seasons in Athens. Regardless of Richt's excellent achievements in his first five years, he absolutely cannot take the program to a level lower than he found it. That's simply not acceptable.I agree. This is a very rational and reasonable approach to many of the frustrations we as fans have with Richt and the state of the current program.
He's being paid to make the tough decisions BEFORE those decisions become obvious to those of us who've never been in the arena. Waiting for years after we can figure it out is far too long. And that's my frustration.
A Dawg Sports blogger gives up on Richt...
A blogger at Dawg Sports has reluctantly thrown in the towel on Mark Richt, as he separates Richt "the Man" from Richt "the Coach."
I owe all of the lofty expectations I have of Georgia Football to Coach Mark Richt’s first five years. There is no taking away the fact that he reignited a dormant program and turned it once again into a respectable and formidable powerhouse. But if there is another lesson we have learned from his tenure, it is that Mark Richt does have a ceiling. That ceiling is an SEC Championship every five years, winning our division 30 percent of the time, and never competing for a National Championship. Most Division I programs would kill to have a ceiling like that. And Georgia fans owe Mark Richt an eternal debt of gratitude for bringing our program to the level it is today—and that can never be taken away. But Georgia is not most Division I programs. It is a Top 10 Division I program.
Mark Richt the man is the type of person without a ceiling. His character and civility are unrivaled, and his actions are beyond reproach. But Mark Richt the coach has a ceiling. It is a ceiling that should be unacceptable for a Dawg fan. We have to part ways with Mark Richt the coach, and bring in someone with a higher ceiling. It is time to knock the lid off of this program.
The points are well-taken. In my heart of hearts, I'm afraid he could be right. But, regardless, I'm confident Richt will get 2011 to try to prove Afghan Dawg wrong.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Dark Knight Rises: Female Casting Rumors
It was recently confirmed by Christopher Nolan that The Dark Knight Rises (Batman 3) would be casting a female lead. However, Ethan Anderton over at FirstShowing.net has heard a rumor involving three different ladies and two female roles. Charlize Theron (The Burning Plain, among other things) is rumored to be in consideration for one role, while Vera Farminga (The Departed, Up in the Air) and Kacie Thomas (The Burning Plain) are rumored for the other role.
The role Charlize Theron is rumored as being considered for is Detective Sarah Essen, who apparently has an affair with Jim Gordon in the comics. This seems a little strange given Gordon's character appears to be happily married with kids and Theron is a good deal younger than Gordon. Not only that, but wouldn't a Theron-centered affair involving a married Jim Gordon, whose family played such importance at the end of TDK, be a little distracting and plot heavy? I just don't see it. If Sarah Essens is indeed a character in TDKR, I doubt she has an affair with Gordon. She'll probably have a different role than she did in the comics.
Meanwhile, Farminga and Thomas are being eyed to play Julie Madison, a Gotham socialite who was Wayne's first love, and later fiance, in the comics. That's about all we know about the character, other than she never knew Wayne was Batman.
Granted, FirstShowing.net couched this all as pure rumor. FirstShowing.net is also the movie blog that posted The Riddler was seen as a villian on a casting grid with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's name underneath it. That was total bull. So take this news with a grain of salt.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Theron. Sure, she'd probably make a decent detective, or maybe even a good Selena Kyle (Catwoman), but I think most of her performances are a bit over the top. I also think it weird that both Theron and the lesser-known Thomas (I can't even find a pic of her that I can post here that IMDB.com won't later disallow) were both in The Burning Plain. Sounds to me like the rumors may have originated involving an actress from The Burning Plain and it may have eventually expanded to both Theron and Thomas. I don't know. But that is pretty coincidental. I could actually see Farminga playing a love interest for Wayne in a Nolan movie. She has a little bit of the Maggie Gyllenhaal in her - a different sort of beauty, and a very strong presence. We shall have to wait and see what unfolds. Before hearing this news, however, if you had told me there were to be two new female leads in TDKR, I would have been almost positive one of them was Catwoman.
Meanwhile, Farminga and Thomas are being eyed to play Julie Madison, a Gotham socialite who was Wayne's first love, and later fiance, in the comics. That's about all we know about the character, other than she never knew Wayne was Batman.
Granted, FirstShowing.net couched this all as pure rumor. FirstShowing.net is also the movie blog that posted The Riddler was seen as a villian on a casting grid with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's name underneath it. That was total bull. So take this news with a grain of salt.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Theron. Sure, she'd probably make a decent detective, or maybe even a good Selena Kyle (Catwoman), but I think most of her performances are a bit over the top. I also think it weird that both Theron and the lesser-known Thomas (I can't even find a pic of her that I can post here that IMDB.com won't later disallow) were both in The Burning Plain. Sounds to me like the rumors may have originated involving an actress from The Burning Plain and it may have eventually expanded to both Theron and Thomas. I don't know. But that is pretty coincidental. I could actually see Farminga playing a love interest for Wayne in a Nolan movie. She has a little bit of the Maggie Gyllenhaal in her - a different sort of beauty, and a very strong presence. We shall have to wait and see what unfolds. Before hearing this news, however, if you had told me there were to be two new female leads in TDKR, I would have been almost positive one of them was Catwoman.
Braves: Free Agent Period
Now that the world series has concluded, and congratulations to the Giants, the teams have five days (through Sunday) of exclusive negotiation time with their team free agents. Thus, the teams get a 5-day window in which to talk their players into staying with the club and not becoming free agents. The Braves have 3 guys: Derrek Lee, Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske.
It is plainly obvious that Lee and Glaus will not be retained as Freddie Freeman is ready to takeover the first base job. That leaves Eric Hinske. One problem with Hinske is that he is a left handed hitter, and he is limited to outfield (where he has a decent arm and low mobility) or first base (and could play emergency 3B). We really need more right-handed hitters on the team, so the team may not be as interested in retaining him as they would Matt Diaz (who is a righty and plays similar defense). However, everyone loved having Hinske in the clubhouse, and he was clutch as a pinch-hitter. Last year we got him for one year at $1M. If we can re-sign him for anything close to that, I say we do it. It's nice having a LH pinch-hitting specialist on the team, especially one who can play LF, RF and spell Freeman at 1B on occasion. I say we keep him, though I've heard it's unlikely we'll sign him in the 5-day window.
More to come on the Braves offseason later.
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