Because there’s never a wrong time for Dawg Porn.

ESPN Insider’s national college football writer dishes out some Jeremy Pruitt love.

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UPDATE:  In case you’re interested, Pete Roussel says there’s a GA who will follow Pruitt to Athens.

“When I started in seventh grade, I didn’t think they would talk to me that early.”

When it comes to early recruiting, Lane Kiffin ain’t got nothing on women’s lacrosse.

Precise numbers are difficult to come by, but an analysis done for The New York Times by the National Collegiate Scouting Association, a company that consults with families on the recruiting process, shows that while only 5 percent of men’s basketball players and 4 percent of football players who use the company commit to colleges early — before the official recruiting process begins — the numbers are 36 percent in women’s lacrosse and 24 percent in women’s soccer.

At universities with elite teams like North Carolina and Texas, the rosters are almost entirely filled by the time official recruiting begins.

Hmm… sounds like a fertile area from where Nick Saban could add to his support staff.

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In the end, it always comes back to recruiting.

This is easily my favorite what-if take on the news of the Northwestern student-athletes seeking union certification:

SI: Northwestern is a private university. Would the process be any different if players at a public university sought to unionize?

MM: The National Labor Relations Act, which the Northwestern players are using, does not govern employees at public universities. Student-athletes at public universities who want to join Northwestern in the union effort would have to instead use state labor laws to unionize. This will be a problem for some. States’ laws vary considerably on whether, and how easily, public employees can unionize. Twenty-four of the 50 states are considered “right-to-work” states in that their laws limit opportunities for employees of public institutions, including those employed by state universities, to unionize. Right-to-work states are typically in the south and include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Nebraska, Utah and Iowa are also right-to-work states.

This legal twist means that if college athletes want to be in a union, they need to attend schools where unions not only exist but are possible under the law. In theory, this dynamic could disadvantage public universities in right-to-work states while recruiting high school athletes: If those athletes want to be in a college sports union, they may not be able to do so at public universities in right-to-work states. [Emphasis added.]

Can you imagine what would happen if Nick Saban asked that Alabama do away with right-to-work laws?  Kinda like Bear Bryant demanding that sports segregation end after his team got beat by Southern Cal.  LMAO.

Feed the beast.

Interesting tale from the board of trustees meeting for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association last Thursday, where Tech’s AD shared the following:

At the conference’s meetings this week, the conference and ESPN are expected to have an update on where things stand in regards to a possible ACC channel. Should it go forward, Bobinski said, ESPN will likely want more “inventory” to put on the channel, meaning an additional conference game.

“Likely”, hunh.  But the ACC already has so much on its scheduling plate.

There has been considerable pushback against a ninth game due to Notre Dame’s agreement to play five ACC opponents annually. (The league approved a nine-game schedule in May 2012 before changing back to eight after Notre Dame was added later in the year.) Particularly for Tech, Clemson and Florida State (and possibly Louisville), which all play SEC opponents, that would mean playing nine conference games, an SEC rival and Notre Dame in the same 12-game season roughly once every three seasons.

You know there’s a “but” coming, right?

But, TV money may trump. The GTAA projects it will receive $22.2 million from the ACC in the 2015 fiscal year. (That’s $5.5 million more than was previously projected. The increase is due in part to the league signing its grant of rights, which was worth about $1.1 million per school from ESPN.) That is largely ESPN cash. That number would increase in the future if plans for an ACC network are realized.

“I don’t know that there will be ultimately a lot of decision making to go into that,” Bobinski said, referring to the nine-game possibility. “I think it’ll be something that we’ll need to do to find a way to do as a league, and that’s a way to do it.”

Give the man credit for being honest, at least.  It’s more than Mike Slive’s willing to admit.

Speaking of snow stories

Sanford Stadium in the snow on Tuesday afternoon. VIA UGA SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

Georgia football recruiting… just like the Post Office.

Which is more than I can say for some people.

Bryson Allen-Williams, one of nation's top LBs, just told me #Bama Nick Saban won't be able to do home visit today due to weather

— Michael Carvell (@Carvell_AJC) January 29, 2014

My snow story

It only took me ten minutes to get home from work yesterday.  I guess that makes me one of the lucky ones.  The reason for that was that I had to leave the office just after ten o’clock, because I received a call from the security company that monitors my house telling me the alarm had just gone off.  Sure enough, I get home to find the front door of my house kicked in.  Fortunately, the alarm must have scared off the thieves, as nothing was found missing.

I’m not posting this to share a woe is me thing with you guys, though.   I really wanted to say something in praise of the Atlanta Police Department.  I pulled in my driveway and called 911 when I saw the open door.  I had an officer respond in less than five minutes and a total of three at my house to investigate in less than fifteen.  Everyone was thorough and professional.  In short, an experience that was the complete opposite of every cliché that comes to mind when you think about the APD.

Anyway, on a day when much of the governmental class is getting justifiably ripped – if Kasim Reed spent as much effort on preparation as he has in blame deflection, the problem wouldn’t have been nearly as bad – I thought it was worth noting that there are still plenty of good folks out there doing their jobs. Even with a busted door, I felt safer going to bed last night.  Thanks, guys.