August 3, 2012 · 6:57 PM

A bridge too far?

Believe me, I get that there are legitimate question marks surrounding Georgia’s chances to get back to the SECCG this year… but seeing Chase Vassar’s suspension for the Missouri game as the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back?  Eh, I dunno about that one.

49 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

49 responses to “A bridge too far?”

  1. Skeptic Dawg
    August 3, 2012 at 7:13 PM

    While I do not agree with the article as a whole, he does have a point. How many suspensions can this team take? No one is thinking Vasser’s suspension unto itself is backbreaking. This team simply can not have any more players (especially on the D) suspended. It will come as a surprise to no one if there are more between now and the Buffalo game. It seems like we have been down this road before.

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  2. ScooBoo
    August 3, 2012 at 7:39 PM

    By the reaction that I have seen around the web, you would have thought it was the 3rd string waterboy that got suspended.

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  3. Rebar
    August 3, 2012 at 7:42 PM

    Maybe so, but my glass is still half full. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see true freshman playing in spot situations once we have good lead. It will help build confidence and let them acclimate to the college game speed.

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  4. St Louis Dawg
    August 3, 2012 at 7:49 PM

    I saw that the ND QB Tommy Rees got a 1 game suspension for resisting arrest. He kneed a police officer in the stomach but the assault charge was dropped. Michael Floyd missed zero games after a DUI last year (his third alcohol infraction). How about we ask Richt to adopt Notre Dame’s suspension policy?

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  5. Puffdawg
    August 3, 2012 at 8:29 PM

    At some point you just have to laugh. This is pretty incredulous. I suspect at this point that’s what Richt is doing to maintain his sanity.

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  6. Cameron
    August 3, 2012 at 8:35 PM

    How many times were we going to have 4 linebackers out there anyway? We are much much deeper at LB than in the secondary.

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  7. Rebar
    August 3, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    Um, Cameron, we run a 3-4 defense, so we have 4 linebackers out there most of the time

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  8. Gamecock4ever
    August 3, 2012 at 9:33 PM

    This is bad noway to spin this but bad and will cause UGAly to loose to Mizzuo. It’s now whether ya’ll will recoop enough to win games to get back the SECCG. I do not think so. It’s going to cause you guys to loose to Fla or better yet Tennessee. Bray will have a field day, It is now a big no huge threat. You guys were going to loose to South Carolina anyway so there are at least 3 for sure losses . Gonna be real hard. South Carolina will not lose two SEC games this year.

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  9. dawgfan17
    August 3, 2012 at 10:25 PM

    Gilliard, Jones, Herrera, Robinson, Wilson…that’s five that have started at LB that we still have. Toss in that Washington spent most of last year at LB and can play there as needed. Then there are several freshmen that would have pushed Vasser for playing time anyways and he is probably the one guy we could most afford to lose. Now ANY guy int he secondary would be a huge blow at this point. Honestly Vasser may be suspended for 2 games but the opening he gave to the freshmen may mean he comes back and finds that he is only getting mop up duty after those fresh faces establish themsevles.

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    • W Cobb Dawg
      August 3, 2012 at 10:41 PM

      Agree. Vasser is far from a lock as a starter to begin with, and had very limited action last year. Only those who follow the Dawgs closely recognize the name. I want him back in action, but he’s not a vital part of our D.

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  10. jax
    August 4, 2012 at 8:35 AM

    I’ve asked this before and I’ll ask it again, I don’t see this happening at other programs as often as with ours. I know it happens everywhere, but take Alabama for example – you just don’t see it that often. Are their young men scared to death of Saban or do they cover it up? Help me understand this.

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    • The other Doug
      August 4, 2012 at 8:42 AM

      They don’t get an automatic 2 game suspension. It’s handled internally and most of the time they don’t miss a game.

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  11. Scott W.
    August 4, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    The AJC sure did miss this one. Reporting on a May DUI in August.

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  12. uglydawg
    August 4, 2012 at 9:41 AM

    If the Tuscaloosa or UA police rounded up Nicky’s players in the fashion that we see in Athens/UGA, there would be hell to pay down at the station.
    My worry is that recruits will be told, “You don’t want to go to Georgia, they’re SO strict.”, and it will catch on and hurt recruiting. But then, doing the right thing usually costs you.
    Is it a matter of principle vs expediency or is it a matter of “balancing or blending priciple vs expediency”, (which is to say, become like ND or Alabama or, God forbid Clemson or Tennessee or – fill in the blank- _________…abandoning all but the pretense of running a principled program)?
    Yes the depletion hurts. Being laughed at by trolls who are fans of a program that winks at discipline (see the strong arm of SS’s discipline program….where “won’t start” means missing one down) is ridiculous (which means we should ridicule him/them, but it’s cruel to beat up those of low mental means).
    In the end, doing the right thing will pay off.

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    • No One Knows You're a Dawg
      August 4, 2012 at 11:08 AM

      “In the end, doing the right thing will pay off.”

      When? It’s been 32 years since our only post WW2 MNC.

      Given the last few years, if I were a recruit (or his parents) trying to decide which school to attend, I would certainly weigh the strictness of UGA’s punishment of players and the enforcement “zeal” of the local police departments. Why take the chance of going to Athens and having some hopped up Barney Fife and a disproportionate code of conduct ruining your academic scholarship and football career?

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      • uglydawg
        August 4, 2012 at 11:34 AM

        I understand and mostly agree, but Richt hasn’t been the coach for all of those years. I’d bet he’d tell you that his rigid discipline police is non-negotiable. It would be wrong to replace a man because he is principled and consistent. I think he HAS turned up the burners on those who will not abide by the rules. When I say “it will pay off” this is what I mean…
        that consistency will get rewarded. Inconsistency and lieniency will also eventually pay off with a broken program.
        I don’t want players’ misconduct hidden. Maybe CMR’s stick is too big. We can have a debate about that…but there’s no debating the wrongness of covering up problems to the point of winning at all costs. “All costs” is too high a price to pay.

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        • No One Knows You're a Dawg
          August 4, 2012 at 10:20 PM

          I don’t think this is primarily a problem caused by Richt, After all, he used to be Boca from da “U”. He is enforcing rules put in place by higher ups. What frustrates me is that UGA seems to go into self-flagellation mode with every little incident.

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      • uglydawg
        August 4, 2012 at 11:38 AM

        To put a positive spin on that…maybe a lot of recruits and their parents will be drawn TO UGA’s strictness and discipline. There’s a lot more kids out there that aren’t looking to raise hell and misbehave than there are that do. I would rather my kid be mentored by CMR than by any other coach in college football.

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        • Rhino
          August 4, 2012 at 2:31 PM

          I agree. I have heard this recruiting argument several times lately. If a kid makes a decision on where to go to school because he plans on getting into trouble, I don’t want him anyway.

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          • No One Knows You're a Dawg
            August 4, 2012 at 10:12 PM

            I understand but to clarify, I’m talking about garden variety, knucklehead sorts of trouble, not serial-number-filed-off-a-gun trouble

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  13. Bubs
    August 4, 2012 at 9:48 AM

    I know he was listed as the starter opposite Jarvis after spring, but I will believe that he is starter material when I see it. All I remember of his playing is him missing tackles or barely getting a grab on a jersey to bring someone down, then someone else flies in and makes the tackle for him. 2011’s Tennessee game sticks out most in my mind. He just seemed to be a step behind, speed-wise, everyone else in that game though he was in good position to make plays.

    Maybe I’m just focusing on the negative with Vassar, and I know this hurts depth for Mizzou, but I really don’t see this as being anything more than losing a second string player for 2 games.

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    • Dog in Fla
      August 4, 2012 at 11:49 AM

      “…barely getting a grab on a jersey to bring someone down, then someone else flies in and makes the tackle for him…. just seemed to be a step behind, speed-wise, everyone else in that game though he was in good position to make plays.”

      …otherwise known as “Fifty Shades of White.” Let’s not pretend that the lighter-complected didn’t have that step-behind speed-wise affliction when trying to play defense in the tiny-mite and junior-varsity arena

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      • Bubs
        August 4, 2012 at 4:04 PM

        I don’t think his skin color has anything to do with it (and if you were joking, my apologies). I think he is an average football player who would play better against lesser competition. I expect him to light up FAU in the 2nd half of that game and not be heard from again till the Ga Southern game.

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  14. 69Dawg
    August 4, 2012 at 10:38 AM

    You know there comes a point that you got to say Damn enough already. I can’t remember a season in recent memory where we have not had multiple suspensions. We have a team of lovable idiots.

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    • HobnailedBoots
      August 4, 2012 at 11:00 AM

      …otherwise known as “college kids.” Let’s not pretend that we all didn’t do stupid stuff at that age.

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      • Bubs
        August 4, 2012 at 11:47 AM

        We all weren’t given free rides through college to play a game.

        Yes, they’re in college. Yes, some of them are young and stupid. No excuse. You’ve earned a free education and the right to play football at a major university. All that is asked is you stay out of trouble and give your best effort on the field.

        Now I’m not talking about the ticky tack things like emerging from an alley and all that small stuff. But drugs and DUIs are stupid no matter what kind of spin (even trying to “sleep it off” or “they’re just college kids”) you put on it.

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  15. KornDawg
    August 4, 2012 at 12:12 PM

    So now that Richt has announced that B. Smith will not be suspended, does the camel’s back unbreak itself?

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    • ScooBoo
      August 4, 2012 at 4:53 PM

      Nawww, it’s still broke. Didn’t you hear? They had to practice indoors for the first part of practce today, so they will be unprepared for Buffalo.

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  16. Comin' Down The Track
    August 4, 2012 at 3:34 PM

    Is there a potential lexicon entry here? Or is this somehow covered in the gray area between Driving Mudcat’s car and Emerging from an alley?

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