How do I love thee, Chan? Let me count the ways.

Honestly, could there be a better lead in a Terence Moore column than this?

Chan Gailey is an unappreciated treasure at Georgia Tech for many reasons.

What kind of reasons, you ask? Well, it looks like one is being truthful about getting his ass out of the Flats if the right offer comes along:

… Added Gailey, “I tell [recruits and their parents] straight up that, if there is somebody out there next year [in the NFL] that offers me an exorbitant amount of money and it’s a good owner and good people, I’m going to talk to them. That doesn’t mean I’m going, but I’m probably going to talk to them.

“Out of respect for the Wayne Huizengas and the Dan Rooneys, if they call you, you’ve got to talk to them,” said Gailey, adding that he hasn’t received many angry e-mails, calls or looks from Tech fans since his old bosses with the Steelers and Dolphins flew him to their towns for those job interviews. Gailey smiled, saying, “The majority of Tech people are very entrepreneurial. They understand that, if somebody is willing to give you an outstanding business deal, you need to talk to them.”

It’s capitalism at its finest! If I were a recruit, no doubt I would find this inspiring (and if you don’t think Tech recruits are going to hear about this, you’re kidding yourself – of course, it won’t likely be from Tech coaches).

But this is even more inspiring:

“… I’m supposed to be at Georgia Tech right now. Maybe I don’t know all the reasons, but I’m sure they’ll become obvious as time goes on.”

Undoubtedly.

Anyway, judging from some of the comments in response, some of the Tech faithful seem equally oblivious:

By Old N’ Gold shs

May 2, 2007 9:04 PM | Link to this

Wow…thanks a ton Terrence. It’s about time somebody actually gives Chan some of the credit he deserves. People often forget what an elite coach he is. Seeing that the Reggie Ball-Nix era is over and that the Bennet-Bond era begins, I believe people will begin to appreciate Gailey more instead of channeling some of Reggie Ball’s woes onto him…This year will prove that Chan really is the man.

“Channeling some of Reggie Ball’s woes onto him”? Who in the hell recruited and signed Ball in the first place and then gave “Dog” the keys to the car for four years?

Good grief.

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” Tim Tebow became a rock star four months before his first career start.”

Dennis Dodd’s current list of Heisman Trophy contenders:

1. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
2. Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers
3. Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
4. Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia
5. Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State
6. John David Booty, QB, USC
7. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

Just as a reminder, here are Tebow’s passing stats from last year: 22 of 33, for 358 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT.

And here are Colt Brennan’s: 406 of 559, for 5549 yards, 58 TDs, 12 INTs.

Here are Tim Tebow’s rushing stats from 2006: 89 carries, 469 yards (5.3 ypc), 8 TDs.

And here are Pat White’s rushing stats from 2006: 165 carries, 1,219 yards (7.4 ypc), 18 TDs.

Believe it or not, my point isn’t to disparage Tebow – who knows how good he’ll be this year? – but to question Dodd’s logic. How someone can rate the chances of a sophomore who’s never started a game before as better than all but six players in the country makes very little sense.

A more rational list can be found here. Heismanpundit even provides some basis for his projections.

You can pencil in Jimmy Clausen on Dodd’s list for 2008…

Not the same old song and dance

Since Mark Richt handed over the playcalling duties to Mike Bobo, he’s a changed guy.

He sings.

Ah, spring. No pressure.

So little, in fact, that Mark Richt opened his part of the program at the Middle Georgia Bulldog Club gathering with a joke, one in which the punch line is from an old tune made popular by Johnny Nash and Jimmy Cliff.

And then Richt sang a line from the song.

He recruits harder.

Richt is getting out on the recruiting trail more, in part because he gave quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo the play-calling duties, and because of the competition in recruiting.

There’s just one thing left to change.

Richt was down to his final question, which was actually three until he asked the fan to go one at a time so he wouldn’t forget the first two. So naturally the final one was an inquiry as to when Georgia would beat Florida.

“I shoulda stopped at two,” Richt joked. “Ask Bobo, will ya?”

Around the blogosphere, Vol. 3

Kudos for a couple of posts that caught my eye:

• If, like me, you think that Brady Quinn’s college career is at least a tad overrated, you’ll appreciate this post at Saurian Sagacity that was prompted by Quinn’s saga at the NFL draft last weekend. Mergz’s advice for stressed out Dolphins fans is choice:

So relax Dolphin fans. If you believe Quinn was a steal at 9th, you should believe Beck was the heist of the century in the 40th spot.

• There’s a nice post up at College Football Resource about the decline of the 25 carries a game running back. Only one back in all of D-1 last year averaged that many carries a game. So the next time anyone wants to insist that a front line RB recruit should consider – or not consider – a school because of how he’ll be deployed, it’s probably wise to be skeptical.