I may not be sure that Mike Slive is insulting our intelligence with his coy act, but I’ve got no doubt Greg McGarity is with what has to be the lamest excuse you’ll ever hear as to why the SEC is resisting a move to a nine-game conference schedule:
“Nine games, and Georgia Tech, that makes 10 games,” McGarity said. “If you ever wanted to schedule Clemson or Ohio State, like we have, then that only leaves one guarantee game. That’s a pretty tough schedule. Fans would love it. But I don’t know if your coaches or players (would). That’s strapping it up 11 of 12 weeks there. You have to have some time where some players play who never get a chance to be on the field.
That’s why you schedule some of the I-AAs, and some of the other games, to let some of those kids grow, let those kids get their experience.” [Emphasis added.]
They need that fourth game for third stringers and walk-ons. That’s the noble cause McGarity is hitching his wagon to.
My mind is truly boggled.
Get The Picture 
Got it: cupcakes are a necessity.
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“You have to have some time where some players play who never get a chance to be on the field.”
————
We already have a game for that, it’s Georgia Tech.
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Or G-Day
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+2 (+1 for both)
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I could deal with the walkons not growing if it would help avoid a home non-conference schedule like this year. Buffalo, FAU, GSU, GT. Can’t wait.
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It’s also a chance for sidewalk alumni to see the inside of Sanford Stadium, because I’m sick of playing Directional Tech and hate that McGarity is ruining multiple fall Saturdays with them.
Hey, McGarity, 11 out of 12 means that there is still one cupcake game for the poor downtrodden walk-ons. And most years, you’re getting a pass out of either Vandy or UK or both. It’s attitudes like that which make the rest of the country ridicule our league. Man up, SEC.
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You know what the problem with having one of these patented University of Florida “National Championship Schedules” is? If you don’t win the national championship, you just sat through games against FAU, Buffalo, and Georgia Southern for NOTHING. Nothing at all. Because Georgia’s still apt to piss away a league game along the way (hi, Florida!) so you might as well schedule an entertaining slate that your fans can get excited about. The 1980 Georgia Bulldogs would have beaten any team that year. The 2002 Georgia Bulldogs damn near did beat every team out there, and were just a Florida derp away from doing it. If your team’s good enough to be a champion, they’ll do it even if they do have to play nine times in the league.
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A-the fucking-men.
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Look at LSU this year. If not for a giant Lester brain fart in the MNC they would have arguably gone through the toughest 14 game schedule of any team to win a MNC. And before you start their tough schedule had nothing to do with them losing to Bama in New Orleans. Champions are going to be champions no matter who they play, where they play, or when they play them.
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Why ignore the team that actually won the NC? You think they’re complaining about Kent St, North Texas, and Ga Southern home games?
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Seriously? Walk-ons and 3rd stringers? They play in the 4th quarter against Gtech. I’m losing respect for McGarity now. Please go to a 9 game conference schedule. Please. Its the right thing to do
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Don’t you realize that our GM is reacting to the needs of the whineing part of the masses? More than a few heve made it known that they want the chrystal, not the competition. WE are the source of the problem.
I am more than pleased to see the responce to this subject today. It has renewed my flagging faith in UGA alums. GO DAWGS!
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+1. We create the monster with all this insane insistence for perfection. Which mostly comes from those that have never attended our school and hence don’t have the same affection for it when things aren’t running at a peak, but somehow get way too much voice in the matter.
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Besides, our third stringers and walk-ons get much more experience battling our own first and second stringers in practices and scrimmages than they do in garbage time against a directional school (when a lot of their reserves are in the game as well).
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Can’t go to a nine game conference schedule because it would make the product better, ok makes sense.
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We will have about 10 walkons this year, therefore, a large portion of our roster needs to play at some point in the season. That is why those schollies are wasted, uh I mean, used.
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Aren’t they in the same division as Tennessee and Kentucky?
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We are not going to a 9 game conference schedule until either A) TV money demands it or B) Fans stop going to games in mass and not buying season tickets. As much as everyone complains on here about the OCC schedule I am not sure why B has not already happened.
As far as the rest of the country ridiculing our league I am pretty sure all those MNC and fact the country voted for a rematch this year shows no one cares about your OCC if you play a SEC schedule and win.
Lastly, while I like to make fun of GTU as much as the next guy I am pretty sure the games have been closer for quite awhile now and we are not playing anyone just to get them experience. Heck I thought one of the knocks on CMR was that he did not blow out the cupcakes so we were not getting the backups experience.
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We beat the hell out of them this year. I don’t know that walk ons were playing at the end, but they certainly could have been.
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Sorry, But Cupcake Games have worked for all of the SEC MNC Teams.
Sometimes you just follow the crowd & go with what has been working for them.
Nevertheless, I am definitely for a 9 game SEC schedule.
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McGarity is so out of touch … cupcakes are so 2010. For 2012 we want actual cake!
http://bites.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/29/9796260-cakes-pickles-and-the-next-great-grub-city-top-food-trends-for-2012
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Season ticket holders don’t give up their seats at UGA because of the list to get back to where you were. Donations and voicing your opinion at Bulldog Club meetings (and then you maybe labeled as a disloyal fan) are the only options for voicing your opinion.
An 8 Game schedule is fine. It doesn’t bother me not playing Ole Miss, Miss St, Arknasas, or Tx A&M for 12 years. It will make Bama and LSU that much more special when they roll around (must see TV).
Auburn and UF however are dates that have been circled on the calender since I knew what CFB was and my parents’ were season ticket holders when I was born.
The only NFL game I watched this year was the SuperBowl, and even then the commercials were more important than the game. I fear offense friendly rules, and changes in scheduling may destroy my interest in the college game as well.
If it gets to UGA fans giving up their seats, the culture of SEC football will be damaged to the point that it would never fully recover.
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Haha great callout. Jeesh, I think that’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard for scheduling a bodybag game.
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Hey Greg-
If I want to watch games where everyone gets to play and feel good about themselves, I’ll go to my daughter’s soccer matches. I won’t have to deal with traffic or pay $85 a ticket. And, everyone will get a trophy at the end of the season-unlike UGA, where there haven’t been too many trophies lately.
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I’ve given up my seats. Instead, I’ll buy individual tickets to the games I want to go to. You tell me which makes more sense: Paying $560 for a pair of season tickets plus $500+ donation to see Buffalo, FAU, Vandy, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Georgia Southern, and Georgia Tech… or pay $400 for a pair of tickets to the Tennessee and Tech games? I also get the relief of having less of my life tied up in the quality of the product. If they suck, I don’t feel like I’ve lost all that much. If they win, I can still feel good about my alma mater.
The tailgating atmosphere has significantly declined (for me anyway), the gameday atmosphere outside of the game itself is unappealing (piped-in music, no updates on other games, limited cell service to check on other games), and there are only so many uninteresting games I am willing to sit through for four hours… especially if we are going to put in backups and walk-ons and plow straight into the line three times and punt for a full quarter of the game for 50-66% of the home schedule.
But, that’s me. I’m hoping the rest of you continue pumping money into the program so I can enjoy the fruits of your labors. That is the American Way after all.
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Yes, this exactly
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Man, Senator! You done touched the angry spot on many Dawgs. This is great reading and great spirit. I can start drinking early this year. Hope the players are ready for a “their blood, our guts” year.
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So we’re gonna’ play Missouri every year but not Auburn? Does that make any sense?
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“If you ever want to schedule Clemson or Ohio St…”
It seems we just precluded that opportunity by deciding we’d rather play Missouri and Texas A&M. So keep Tech, keep Auburn and keep your two cupcakes and wave bye-bye to the Clemsons and Ohio States. Don’t compound one gross error by making another.
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What do Greg and Sally Struthers have in common?
They do it for the children
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‘I don’t know if the coaches and players would like’ playing better opponents? Is that what we have? Really? Then you need to fire the coaches that dlon’t like the challenge, and recruit players who have some balls. An athlete that wants to take the easy way may better represent our society, but they will not be winners or champions. And if our AD feels that way, he needs to go back to Gainesville. But it will not matter until more fans feel like Trey does. Call, or write in, but vote with your feet. This home schedule isn’t worth $100 of CFB value. Social value? Hard to put a price on that for many but UGA has zero, nada, quality home games in 2012. Might a couple of them be close? sure, but it will be because bad football was played.
Some may blame conference expansion for the possibility of losing The Barn as an every year opponent, but the real culprits are the ADs and Presidents who don’t care about what fans want. Expansion gave us the perfect avenue to add a 9th conference game and help justify the season ticket cost. Using it to blame the loss of conference rivalries is akin to some of the political spin jobs I see regularly. Awful excuse for leadership all around the conference, and like little sheep, they all seem to publicly feel the same way.
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+1
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+1 spot on.
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From the 2012 Bulldog Club Membership Guide and Extortion Letter comes the following “Priority Points of Last Patron Assigned New Season Tickets” 2008 10651
2009 4250
2010 1507
2011 500
The “fans” have spoken. Give us crap and we won’t pay. In 4 years the value of a new “season” ticket dropped 10,151 dollars because that what a point is worth.
I’ll be interested in this stat for 2012.
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McGarity can EAD. This is getting ridiculous.
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