SB Nation Blog: MaconDawg

As Dr. Elliot Reid Would Say . . .

MaconDawg — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:29:57 -0000

Frick. Double Frick. The obscenity-challenged Scrubs doctor would probably have no better way to respond to the twin arrests of Justin Anderson and Trinton Sturdivant for simple battery and Michael Lemon's separate arrest for battery. Frankly, I think her approach will suffice.

Anderson and Sturdivant are charged with violation of O.C.G.A. Section16-5-23, one of the more nebulous parts in the criminal code. Basically, you tap someone on the shoulder who doesn't want to be tapped, and you've committed simple battery. Here, it appears that one or both allegedly touched the stomach of a female campus visitor. I don't know if this was accompanied by the standard question "When are you due?"

I do know that when you are 6'5, 320 pounds and approaching people you don't know in darkened breezeways, you really shouldn't touch them. If these allegations are true, it's evidence of criminally bad decision making, even though the offense itself is a misdemeanor.

Michael Lemon's alleged violation of O.C.G.A. Section 16-5-23.1 is also a misdemeanor, but of a somewhat different nature. Details on the incident can be found here. First impression: guys who punch other guys over a girl at a BBQ have usually been drankin'. Lemon is alleged to have done some serious damage to a guy's face with essentially no physical provocation. If true, this is very, very serious. I'm also a little worried that the report indicates that Lemon's "friends" huddled around him while he beat the guy down. If any of those "friends" were also on the football roster, our depth issues could get a little worse.

It's hard to guess what the discipline will be in these situations. A lot of it depends on whether the players in question have prior disciplinary histories, which I frankly do not know. If they do, it's certainly not been of the criminal variety. If I had to say, I'd guess Anderson and Sturdivant get either internal punishment or a one gamer. Lemon's situation however is very worrisome, and is the kind of thing that also often involves a civil lawsuit. My guess is one to two games, plus internal punishment. I understand that Michael has been through a lot, but you can't go all Good Will Hunting on a guy without consequences.

These arrests also drive home a point that Mark Richt and his staff have probably been trying to make their players understand for some time now: the only football players who can really stop this team are the ones actually wearing red and black. Let's hope this serves as a wakeup call for the whole team, not a precursor to 4th of July hijinx.

A Tribute To A Damn Good Dawg . . .

MaconDawg — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:41:47 -0000

You all have known for some time about the death of the University of Georgia's beloved mascot, UGA VI. I'm not going to be able to provide you with any details that you haven't read elsewhere. And I have to admit, I didn't really know UGA VI that well. I only met him once or twice, but he seemed friendly.

What I do know is that UGA VI, and his predecessors, symbolized the best of the University and its athletic programs. Tenacity. Loyalty. The UGA line is a tradition, one which the Seiler family has been diligent enough to nurture, and kind enough to share. UGA VI was our mascot, but he was the Seilers' pet. I think I speak for all of Bulldog Nation in extending to them our deepest sympathies.

I'm sure that the message boards are probably brimming with Georgia Tech fans making tasteless jokes about UGA VI's passing. Don't pay them any attention. Any man who will tease another over the death of a dog is really no man at all. As my mother used to remind me, sometimes having good manners requires putting up with the bad manners of others. Besides, I don't recall the editors of the Chicago Tribune batting an eyelash when one of the nimrods who oversee their jalopy forgot that wet highways are slippery.

But now is not the time to be petty. It's the time to remember that UGA VI oversaw a renaissance in University of Georgia football. His first season, 1999, included two of the most disasterous games of my entire University of Georgia fanhood: the Bobby Gaston hackjob against Tech and the Auburn game which was all but over before I'd even reached my seat. His last season saw a #2 national ranking, resounding victories over Auburn and Florida, and a rousing Sugar Bowl victory. I cannot imagine a better finale, unless Mark Richt hoisting a crystal football were involved.

And while UGA VI never threw a pass or made a tackle (leaving aside the occasional steak), he was perhaps the most visible symbol of a football program that re-emerged on the national stage while he watched. He was a furry, slobbering ambassador of good will. A Damn Good Dawg.

We'll miss you, buddy.

Monday Morning Moreno

MaconDawg — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:58:22 -0000

Your Monday morning Moreno is bound up in the throes of College World Series madness, just like the rest of you. We've played heady baseball and had some good luck with scheduling. And as Paul Westerdawg notes, that continues tonight as we face off against a Fresno State team that has been through the ringer just to get to the final series.

But as no less an authority than Steven Stifler would probably warn, "you don't score until you score." So vigilance, Bulldog Nation. Your Diamond Dogs have a chance to go down in history with the great squads in school history, but there's work still to do. And who better to remind us of the glories of Bulldog history (and the glories of beating up on Cinderella types from the WAC) than #34?

Remeber, tonight's game is at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Your open comment thread opens whenever Barrister King gets to it. Until tonight . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!

You Mean It's In Atlanta? Like, Atlanta?

MaconDawg — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:03:02 -0000

Northside-Columbus standout John Drew is a man who knows what he wants. And that is not to be mugged, stuck in rush hour traffic or beaten senseless by Virginia Tech in a half-empty stadium. Drew, ranked as the 34th best player in Georgia by UGASports.com and the 19th best defensive tackle in the country by Rivals, committed to the Jackets back in February, but has now decommitted because he thinks he decided too soon and "really didn’t like the location of Atlanta. It’s real big and a lot of stuff can happen there. I just don’t want to be in a place that’s huge." (hat tip, Jeff Hood of the AJC).

Foghat? Fools for the city. John Drew? Not so much.

I'm not sure when it occurred to young John that the North Avenue Trade School is located right in the middle of the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States. Perhaps, as sometimes happens to me, he knew it all along but had never really considered the implications of this fact until recently.

Whatever the circumstances, this one is definitely grist for the comedy mill. On this blog we try to be as reasonable as possible at every turn. We may jest about our rivals, but it's all in good fun. However, there's a part of me that wants so, so badly to reply to the quote above with:

a) if you think "a lot of stuff" can happen on the Flats, you obviously haven't spent much time in Bobby Dodd Stadium. Nothing ever really happens there.

b) If by "a lot of stuff" you mean "a campus-wide four day Halo tournament", then you are correct, sir.

c) if you're looking for "a lot of stuff", Reuben Houston can probably hook you up.

d) Yeah, Chan Gailey tried "a lot of stuff" offensively in his six straight losses to Georgia. None of it worked for some reason.

e) Also, "a lot of stuff" was said about how the UGA secondary couldn't stop Calvin Johnson. Paul Oliver, Tim Jennings, Bryan Evans, Asher Allen, Kelin Johnson and Tra Battle think that stuff was, as they say on the USA Network when they're cleaning up R-rated movies, "Bullstuff".

f) Paul Johnson is going to have to change "a lot of stuff" if he wants to get Tech back to their annual date in Boise.

g) Reggie Ball. I couldn't think of a clever usage of the phrase "a lot of stuff" that applies to "Too Tall" Ball, but every time I hear his name I chuckle just a little. Oh, screw it: I bet when Reggie Ball and Joe Hamilton hang out, they have "a lot of stuff" to gripe about. Like why it's so hard to find platform shoes for men in the ATL's finer boutiques.

Having purged my system, I should note that Tech has picked up a few instate commitments who appear to know something about playing football. None were pursued very hard by Georgia, but Washington County linebacker Brandon Watts was being recruited by Clemson and Florida, and ECI defensive tackle J.C. Lanier picked the Jackets over LSU. So there's that. Jefferson County linebacker Chris Crenshaw has the potential to grow into a solid player as well.

Lost in the frenzy over Johnson's triple-option offense is the fact that, while at Georgia Southern, he recruited all over Georgia and Florida, often with great success. I'm not necessarily saying that the state's top high school talent is going to flock to North Avenue. Because for now that's not going to happen. Chan Gailey and crew won precious few major recruiting battles in the Peach State, and Johnson's staff has a long way to go to dig out of the hole.

But I am saying that Tech's new head man knows how to recruit guys who fit his system, and he can find scads of them in places where he's had success recruiting before. Observers of high school football in south Georgia specifically know that the "Ham-bone" offense Johnson worked with in Statesboro is alive in the high school ranks, if largely in the single wing and wing-T variations, which share some of the same concepts. And many of the coaches teaching those offenses attended camps at Georgia Southern when Johnson was there. Johnson will also be able to entice some guys with early playing time, and his success at Georgia Southern and Navy is proof positive that he can get 4-star results from 2-star football talent. I'm not saying Johnson is the next Rich Rodriguez, I'm just saying that I'm not convinced that he's the next Bill Lewis, either.

Monday morning Moreno

MaconDawg — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:51:51 -0000

It's been a busy start to the week, so ironically, the Monday morning Moreno had to wait until afternoon. And given the events of the evening of September 30, 2006 past week, your Monday morning Moreno is keeping it short and sweet, shifting the spotlight to the offensive linemen who really make things go:

(hat tip, Youtube user Groodawg and the Worldwide Leader)

Repetition being the forerunner of monotony, the Monday morning Moreno will be all the Moreno you get this week. Think of it as a self-imposed Moreno-torium on general badassery.

Until later, good luck to the Diamond Dogs against the Stanford politically correct coniferous treepeople that scare small children, dear God, what a bumfuzzling mascot, see this is what happens when your school spirit decisions are made by a committee Cardinal, and . . .

Go 'Dawgs!

Who Wants To Geaux To LSU to Play Da Foosball?

MaconDawg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:35:40 -0000

If you want to play football at LSU, you're gonna have to tell Les Miles a little bit about yourself, young man. Like whether you know anyone who lives near Bation Rouge. And your father's work phone number. And where your high school coach went to college. And whether you prefer Rick Reilly or Orson Swindle.

OK, I'm lying about that last part. You caught me. But the other three questions, along with a gajillion more, can be found on the LSU Athletic Department's football recruiting questionnaire . My favorite question: Are you interested in LSU? Your choices are: a) "Yes", b) "Yes, very much" and c) "might be". Why d) "Does a coondog geaux in da woods?" was not included for the invariably sarcastic offensive linemen, I'll never understand.

We're not inciting you to fraud, mischief or other misdemeanoring, gentle readers. Please understand that right now. We've had enough legal shenanigans this week for one blogging lifetime. But if by happenstance some poor, overworked LSU graduate assistant were to call your house looking for game film on Ben Dover and Pat McKrotch, the twin 6'5 315 pound defensive linemen from Slidell who run matching 4.6 forties and have a combined 68" vertical jump, you should really record that and email it to your friends.

Be forewarned however that if you list your church affiliation as "The Everlasting Church of Sabantology" or answer the question "Who is the most influental person in your life?" with "Coach Gerry DiNardo", Senor Lesticles will not be ringing your casa, budding Tiger.

Granted, this sort of thing is not new in recruiting circles or unique to the Louisiana State University. Almost every major college football program has a similar link on its website, even if you do have to look for it sometimes. But it is instructive to remember that college coaches are reading these little gists on high school football players, sometimes hundreds of them, and commiting them to memory. It is a tough business, after all. That's why Mark Richt not only knows that highly-rated Florida corner Brandon McGhee is current 'Dawg Bryan Evans' cousin, he also just happens to remember that Jimmy Clausen's favorite flavor of ice cream is tutti-fruity. Because there are some things you just can't unsee , try as you might.

You also have to admit that Les Miles is one of only a handfull of college coaches who you could legitimately imagine sitting in his office at 3 a.m., buzzed on frozen corndogs and black coffee, hitting the refresh button on his email over and over and over again waiting for these things to come in.

And while most of the questions on this form are pretty standard fare, you have to wonder why more schools don't include university-specific questions. For example:

You would think that Georgia Tech's would ask "You are a level 14 Elfin Lord wielding a Gardinian Death Axe. You're confronted by a level 19 Viking Ent with high kill power. What is your play?"

Or that Auburn would ask you simply "a) International, or b) John Deere?". (Let's face it, most Auburn entrants haven't gotten to "c", "d" or "e" yet, and there's no need scaring them off.

Or that Appalachian State would inquire: "What is your favorite trippy hippy jam band, and why?"

Or that Coach Urban Meyer would ask "Are you a flanker, split end, slot receiver or tailback? Please, sweet Mary running a crossing route, tell me you're a tailback!!! Not named Kestahn Moore!!!"

See?The possibilities for getting to know prospective student athletes really are endless. If you have suggestions for Coach Miles or any other coaches, feel free to leave them in the comments. Until later . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!

Come On, Feel The Noise (Violation).

MaconDawg — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:12:34 -0000

If you ever wanted to know about the harmful effects of noise pollution, Knowshon Moreno has your back. Tucked into an article in today's Red & Black online edition largely dealing with Clint Boling and Jeremy Lomax's recent off-field problems is a summary of a university conduct proceeding from October of 2006 against Moreno and Akeem Hebron for a noise violation. After cranking the stereo a little too loud on a Saturday night, Noise-shon was assigned to write a 2 page essay on noise and noise pollution which is, whether intentional or not, a work of comic genius. To paraphrase the guy from the Red Stripe Beer ads : Booo college students sleeping in their rooms at 11:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. Hooray Open Records Act!!!

The only thing funnier is the apoplectic response of the CRB Advisor, who I'm certain is a fine, upstanding University servant. However, as an attorney who practices before the state and federal appellate courts, I'm innately suspicious of anyone who gets this snippy over page counts and formatting whilst also believing that a two page essay is either an effective deterrent or a sufficient punishment for anything more serious than putting your elbows on the table. Sorry, this sort of cynicism an occupational hazard.

I admit being a little jarred however by the fact that the noise in question was a celebratory response to our 2006 victory over Ole Miss. My response to that particular game was, as I recall, anything but celebratory. Also enjoy the bonus chuckles for Jeremy Lomax telling another irate student that his name was "I.P. Freely". Not so funny (yet also not unexpected) is the news that Clint Boling has been officially sanctioned as a result of his recent DUI arrest.

While I want our student athletes to be impeccably good citizens, I have to admit, if this is the worst stuff they do I am most pleased. It's certainly doesn't rival the worst things I or my cohorts did during college. Again, to paraphrase the Red Stripe guy, "Hooray statute of limitations!" Interesting legwork by the R&B, and a fantastic literary tour-de-force by Knowshon "Crank Dat Sarcasm" Moreno.

Monday Morning Moreno

MaconDawg — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:26:42 -0000

This week's edition of Monday morning Moreno urges you not to believe unsubstantiated internet rumors, because the Monday morning Moreno, just like its namesake tailback, definitely has its head screwed on properly. The Monday morning Moreno also encourages you to take a break from searching for cheap plane tickets to Omaha to a) pray for Brannan Southerland's foot , and b) call T. Boone Pickens and remind him that sometimes all the oil money in the world can't buy you a tackle:

(hat tip to youtube user puprock2975)

Congratulations to Coach David Perno for leading his Diamond Dogs to their third College World Series appearance in five years!

Go 'Dawgs!

Two Great Tastes That Go Great Together.

MaconDawg — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 02:48:38 -0000

If you're a frequent reader of this site you know that Kyle and I are both fans of Athens-based alt-country rockers the Drive-By Truckers . You also probably know that we are both big fans of our SB Nation cohorts over at the superbly written and appropriately outlandish Iowa Hawkeye blog Black Heart Gold Pants .

That's why I'm pleased to direct you over to BHGP, where Oops Pow Surprise has institued a new feature: Ask A Drive-By Truckers Character , where Hawkeyes can interrogate (yes you guessed it) the characters from DBT songs. Brilliant, good sirs. Brilliant. I mean we here at Dawgsports have been running around getting advice from Houston Nutt on how to be a proper showbiz parent , but this is at least 74 times more creative, 86 times more entertaining, and just infinitely more awesome.

Go over at take a look see. It's quite an entertaining read, especially for DBT fans.

Xavier Avery Going, Going . . .Gone?

MaconDawg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:34:34 -0000

If you look at today's Athens Banner Herald profile of football recruit Xavier Avery, it's pretty clear that he won't be donning shoulder pads for the red and black next season. This isn't a big surprise by any means, as MLB Draft watchers have been eyeing him for well over a year, and are currently pegging Avery to go anywhere from the tail end of the 1st round to somewhere in the 3rd. That means a six figure signing bonus which would be really hard for any high school baseball player to pass up. Heck, it would be hard for anyone to pass up.

Good luck to Xavier in the draft (which begins this afternoon at 2 p.m. and can be followed live at the MLB website ). While losing football signees usually drives me a little batty, I always felt that Avery was a much better prospect in baseball than football, and has been open about the fact that his heart is really on the diamond. Plus this relieves a little scholarship congestion resulting from a big class last season followed by what should be smaller classes in 2009 and 2010. This should be a really special day for him and I hope he enjoys it.

DB Sanders Commings is also expected to be drafted, but unlike Avery is already on campus in Athens with other football signees. He's expected to go later in the draft, probably 4th to 6th rounds. I would be surprised if he opts out of playing football, and I think it would probably be a mistake to do so. But when baseball executives start talking money, most prospects taken in the first half of the draft are at least willing to listen. So we'll really just have to see what happens.

Several current Bulldog baseball players should also get a call, including Gordom Beckham and Josh Fields, who are both almost certain to go in the first round. Beckham looks like he'll go to a team planning to move him to second base (possibly the Reds at #7), while Fields could go just about anywhere. There's usually a market for college pitchers who can a) get to the majors in a hurry and b)eat up innings like so many bowls of Frosted Flakes. Fields can do both, so he should get a serious look from every team drafting #12 on down.

This will, by the way, likely be my one baseball post ever. Unless and until John Smoltz really does retire. Then there might be man tears. I'm just saying.