NCAA President Mark Emmert told USA TODAY Sports the next calendar year is a “good time to have a discussion” about whether the current rules related to college athletes and autographs are still proper.
Like I said, when all is said and done, Todd Gurley’s college career may have a very significant non-playing legacy.
Get The Picture 
“The next calendar year” is also about the time I expect the NCAA to issue its pronouncement on Gurley.
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&*%$!!!!
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That sounds about right.
Again, UGA may have “done the right thing” by preemptively suspending Gurley and then engaging in a protracted internal investigation, but experience has shown that such actions don’t do the program any favors when it comes to the NCAA.
I wish I could expect the administration to learn from this (and A.J. Green’s jersey fiasco, etc.), but I know they won’t. Thus, the next time there’s any rumor of impropriety involving a Georgia football player, we’ll get to enjoy watching this same head-slappingly stupid scenario — Georgia publicly punishing itself, providing no information to those who fund the program, and then waiting (to its own detriment) for the NCAA to do its job — play out again.
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+1
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“Guilty until we prove ourselves guilty.”
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So you know first hand as to the proof out there? Or lack of for that matter? Tell us more.
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It’d be nice if they’d get off their incompetent bureaucratic asses and issue a ruling on Gurley’s request for reinstatement.
I swear, the NCAA is bad at every single thing it does. It’s amazing to me that an organization so obviously inept is still in existence.
I cannot wait for it to die. I’d light the match to set the fire that it eventually burns it to the ground.
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When they released their statement prior to the Arkansas game it sounded like as soon as UGA turned in the paperwork Gurley was back. They need to declare him eligible now.
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That is what I am scratching my head about. It makes no sense.
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Thought the very same thing Debby, worries me that the investigation showed it to be more complicated than a simple $400 fee for autographs with the one sleazeball. If it were that, I would have expected a decision last Thursday or Friday. We could be playing games with it to but I am sure the NCAA would like to get this behind them. I was hoping for two games max but have never gotten past this doubt that it could be more. Fingers crossed, FU would be the appropriate opponent for him to return to action against.
Interesting tidbit, TG spent last Saturday watching the Arkansas game at a local bar in Blue Ridge. That is really “getting away” from it all.
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He’s just trying to get rid of that bad NCAA money in his pocket. Think your analysis is correct in that Allen keeps saying that he will swear that all he gave him was the $400. That being the case, it stands to reason that mo’ money was involved.
What I don’t get is why UGA won’t say that. They held him out then applied to the NCAA when UGA’s investigation was completed. If there were more instances with more games at risk, why not tell us now and why have Gurley practising to come back after our investigation?
Something doesn’t quite fit well.
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Uh, it’s fairly obvious UGA was expecting the NCAA to sign off on the self-imposed suspension.
I imagine UGA is taken aback (although it shouldn’t be) by the NCAA not signing off already on the reinstatement request.
I suspect that the NCAA indicated to UGA that the 2 games would be enough and is now sticking it to us as a sort of one last stand for amateurism.
That strikes me as a very NCAA thing to do.
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Scary but it seems very unlikely that the NCAA would reject UGA after the discussion in Indy last week and releasing that tweet. With what went on with Johnny Cash and now Winston on similar, but larger, autograph incidents, the NCAA would look even worse if they skewered the much more lovable TG while letting them skate free. I know they are dumb but that would set an all time high.
I think it more likely that IF there is evidence of more than $400 in payments they would be more lenient than four games and could be wrestling with a compromise that requires more discussion. I am not saying that is what is involved, but I think they would prefer to reward TG than to challenge UGA’s recommendation. Maybe later today after practice, CMR prefers to inform the team first.
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I agree 100% of your analysis.
But, that assumes NCAA is a rational actor, in tune with the public’s perception of it.
I’m not convinced the people who run the NCAA are that self-aware.
I think it’s just as likely they see Todd Gurley as some easy picking, low-hanging fruit to hammer away at, since they know UGA will simply take it without objection.
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That would be a huge mistake on their part, both nationally with PR from fans/media, and especially with the judges still dealing with their cases regarding treatment of athletes.
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I was watching the Arky at a local bar in BR…trust me…a 6’2″ 230 black dude would be tough to hide in BR
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Boy that is true, but he wasn’t hiding (and couldn’t). He was at the Whistle Stop, saw pictures of him and spoke to someone that had seen him at WalMart. Haven’t been in the WS since it changed owners this summer but it has to get better. Seemed an unlikely place to me too.
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I think the coaches and staff already know. I bet they don’t say anything until later in the week. Don’t want FU to know anything; however, I would say they’re preparing to face Gurley. Depressing for them, since he gashed them last year on a bad ankle. Now fully healthy and hungry, he’s going to run all over them.
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I figured Gurley approval was a slam dunk when we put JJ Green back on D. Now I’m not so sure.
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I’m still waiting for the NCAA to announce at 3:29 Saturday that todd Gurley has been permanently banned from college athletics and that Georgia must forfeit all past and future games because they a)recruited Gurley b) signed him c) played him d)brought about a lot of additional bad pr for the NCAA which the NCAA really didn’t need after o bannon thing, and finally e)fully cooperated with NCAA.
Our season then blows up, Jameis then goes on a tear and wins the heisman again, after robbing two convenience stores in Tallahassee and using the abandoned space to sell his autographed memorabilia. UGA then arrests Gurley in exchange for the ACCPD giving Gurley room and board vindicating ugaaa of this expense.
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And, then after he’s released, Gurley transfers to Auburn.
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Where he plays QB.
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and wins a national championship.
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and signs all the autographs he wants.
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All done left-handed.
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in bed.
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With a girl and her red panties in his lap
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While smoking a bong and making Bacarri Rambo’s special brownie recipe.
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after emerging from an alley, on a scooter, while refusing to give the officer anything but TGII as his name
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for money.
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And the pictures he’ll be autographing are of him exiting an alley on a scooter, with Mudcat’s Impala in the background.
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If he has time to think about or comment on something next year he has time to rule on something currently more important!
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Evidently His Emmertness and Greg McMilquetoast went to the same Michael Adams school of Public Relations somewhere out on the Left Coast.
Better check those expense reports..,
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What I was thinking. Any minute now we should he seeing a statement about no statement and how we should suck it.
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The problem is that they need someone very young on staff who is tuned into blogs and the twittersphere. A sharp 25 year-old would do the trick and help McGarity understand 21st century PR. 15 years ago, what McGarity has done from a PR standpoint would have been more than enough. We’ve essentially issued a great statement 1 day after the incident and weekly updates, one with a ‘closure’ kind of feel. Problem is, it ain’t 15 years ago, and they have misunderstood the culture.
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He plays or he doesn’t. I don’t see the big deal about your need for needless updates.
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It’s not my need. It’s how the university and, more importantly, the ncaa look through all this. It’s apparent in a situation like this they are not tuned in to modern culture, that’s all I’m saying.
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By modern culture, do you mean monitoring twitter or whatever feed someone is posting useless drivel on? When they know something, I am sure we will hear about it. It has been about 2 business days since they claimed to have asked for re-instatement.
Frankly, I see no benefit in the fans knowing if he is eligible or not to play. I see that only benefiting UF’s team and coaches.
That said, I have no issue with reasonable people disagreeing. It is what it is.
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If McGarity needs someone to explain to him the differences between 1999 and 2014, he shouldn’t be the athletic director.
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I’d like to see our AD issue a statement that they feel confident in their investigation and that Gurley will play, having served the NCAA mandated suspension. They should mention that they have provided their findings to the NCAA and now consider it closed. What can the NCAA do?
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Good idea. Let’s put the pressure on to take the pressure off.
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It would be hilarious if McFrugal released a tweet and said we sent the details and recommendation to the NCAA last Tuesday, guess they weren’t waiting on us after all
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I sure hope Todd is getting to the NCAA, because they’ve certainly gotten to me. Might they not at least provide a simple courtesy statement such as “We’re taking Georgia’s request very seriously and expect to have a response by no later than _____.” Really, the only people they don’t treat with contempt are those who treat them with contempt.
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I’d much rather him be remembered for winning the heisman and leading us to the SEC championship, but whatever allows our athletic department to enjoy a false and unjustified sense of moral superiority works too, I guess.
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The NCAA is in no hurry.
They finally found a school who won’t spend the money to sue them.
They need give the impression they still have some control. Expect a decision in late December.
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The decision will come out next year mid-NFL season. The NCAA will find that Gurley actually did nothing wrong and is eligible to play. Gurley will get a phone call and inform the NCAA that he just crossed the 1000 yard mark in week 9 of the NFL season, but thanks for the heads up.
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Sue the Bastards..
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Beltway Indianapolis speed limit of 55 example is bogus. This rule is more like the Ludowici Speed Trap…
Or even better, the Baker County Peter Zack Geer Plantation Club good ole boys club affiliated NCAA division.
Don’t know how many of the good senator’s fan base know of Baker County, Ga. Let’s just say the NCAA is cut from the same cloth and out of the same archaic time period…
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Easy on Baker county
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I’m from Putney, Leary, and then Albany
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Newton used to be the illegal gambling place of Sowega. It will be the last place in Ga to let loose the paternal treatment of people with black skin. If all the hangings were solved, it would still lead to incarceration of half the county.
In my youth it was said “If a black body floated down the Flint from Albany to Newton and they found it, they would throw it back in.”
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For further processing through Bainbridge for final disposition somewhere within the Silver Lake Wildlife Management Area
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I moved from Atlanta to Bainbridge about 2 years ago – would be interested to hear any tales of the area that you are willing to share.
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Hey GDS, go to the yellow daisy festival down there and ask around of the old codgers. Or try Friday Night Lights gatherings. Just ask for old Peter Zack Greer stories and it will flow. Throw in questions about the Plantation Club And it’s back room and Alternate site catering services (and I don’t mean food).
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What do you mean?
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Where you been?
Sorta like Alice’s Restaurant is what I mean.
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The longer this goes without a decision the more worried I become that Gurley will not see the field for Ga again. I was convinced the NCAA would issue a decision on Friday. The fact they still have not is very worrisome.
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The longer this goes on the more worried I become that they’ve scrubbed the real Stacey Osborn’s twitter feed
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What would make you think Gurley will receive a decision in time to play this season? We’re talking about the NCAA and the University of Georgia. Auburn gets a decision on Cam Newton in less than twenty four hours. But an Auburn grad was heading up enforcement at the time. Georgia, on the other hand, took away the NCAA’s TV money(NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, 468 U.S. 85 (1984)) and later stormed the end zone in Jacksonville. I’ll be amazed if we ever see Gurley play for us again. And I’m not just being cynical. I really will be amazed.
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I got a little bit Disney Dawg last week when we [finally] asked for reinstatement, particularly after winning a couple of important road games. Returning to pessimistic mode now.
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The good news is, our fourth string tailback is better than 99.9% of the running backs playing college football today.
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yup
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I’m on hold for the NCAA PR department right now. I’ll let everyone know…..
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Issue a statement..”If FSU plays JW, UGA will feel more than justified in playing TG”. This whole situation is horse manure. I’m wondering if there is an Auburn person on the NCAA team making the decision.
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The NCAA’s current Director of Enforcement is Jonathan Duncan is a graduate of the University of Kansas School Of Law. Dave Didion’s successor was let go by the NCAA after Miami successfully challenged its investigation on eight players receiving payments from a UM booster.
I doubt an Auburn influence still exists there.
However, if Nick Saban wanted to face Missouri in the SECC instead of Georgia, he could place a call to his former AD Mark Emmert and request the NCAA “investigate this thing further before making a decision”.
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Meanwhile, back on the farm, Jimbo doubles down again….for a different player. I mean good lord. What will it take for that man to grow a pair and suspend a player?
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11774172/florida-state-seminoles-running-back-karlos-williams-being-investigated-alleged-domestic-assault
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In news unrelated to Jimbo, made up and flagellant reports emanating from Clarke County show that the Georgia Athletic Department continues to self-inflict and threatens to continue to do so unless and until someone indefinitely suspends the festival of pain
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The only way the NCAA is interested in domestic assault or rape is if it involves young boys – plus they continually focus on complying with the minutia of their rules and let a lot of the important stuff go by unaddressed.
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FSU’s interim president suspended Jameis Winston for the Clemson game.
Apparently at FSU, those decisions are not Jimbo’s to make.
Very convenient.
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Pictures apparently here: http://collegespun.com/acc/florida-state/disturbing-photos-that-allegedly-show-karlos-williams-pregnant-girlfriend-covered-in-bruises-going-viral
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…and as the days tick by us I am beginning to think we may have already seen his entire playing legacy..
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If an announcement isn’t made by tomorrow I am going to have to agree with you.
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Who benefits from an announcement? I see no problem with announcing nothing before the FU game….he comes out of the tunnel or not.
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PTCD speaks the truth, y’all. Pump the brakes and think about it.
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The NCAA, SEC, and CBS want good ratings for the TV broadcast.
They will get them if Gurley is cleared this week after serving his time.
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I just don’t understand what the hell takes so long.
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Call them up!
NCAA Eligibility Center
877/262-1492 (toll free)
317/223-0700
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This. I called last week and left a message on the comment line telling them to get on with their decision, yadda yadda yadda. That same evening is when they put out the tweet that they were still waiting on UGA to submit a request. Who knows?
I called today to ask for a statement and they transferred me to the PR department where I was put on hold. Nobody ever picked up. I ended up leaving a message with Emily James in the PR dept who put out the tweet last week.
Call em up! http://www.ncaa.org…...
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With Georgia’s luck and penchant for bending over for the NCAA, I wouldn’t be shocked to see UGA win out the remainder of the schedule without Gurley, putting themselves in great position for the playoff, only to have previous victories vacated for playing Gurley earlier in the season. That’s the kind of stuff that happens here. The NCAA is the schlemiel, while UGA is the schlimazel.
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I watched Curt Flood play minor league baseball in Savannah in my childhood, also recall an autographed picture of him that I haven’t seen in 5 decades. I know little about his career after that as a fielder or hitter but he changed baseball, and all professional sports, forever. Gurley won’t be that famous for autograph-gate but like Herschel did in having his name linked to the coming rule change, he will long be known as more than a great RB.
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What makes anyone think that UGA doesn’t have an answer? UGA new Gurley was going to miss two games but acted like they had no clue and treated it as day to day. I am not taking up for the NCAA, bunch of spineless self-absorbed jerks, but UGA hasn’t been a fountain of information on this whole process.
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The College Football Playoff selection committee is set to release its first Top 25 rankings Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Would they rank the Dawgs higher if they knew #3 would be playing in J’ville this weekend?
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Only the last one counts…this is nothing but fodder for fans and ESPN.
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Play him. If it is more than 2 games, simply tell the NCAA their communication was garbbled in transmission to the UGA AD office…perhaps the lines went dead…sounded like a yes on this end.
Irregardless, the next 3 weeks are the Dawgs schedule for all purposes. If no word by then it does not matter. If this week on the road, fax to JAX along with a temp fishing license with some crab legs from Publix. Following week on the road, send to Jim Beam on a pony. If decided by return to Sanford, hell let Nick Marshall and Trey Matthews delivery in person.
Just make a damn decision. How long does it take to read a report, grouse over it, ponder it, think about it, reread it, call all the parties invovled…SEC office, officials office, AD offices of the next 3 SEC opponents, all photoshops, all sporting goods, all pro agents, all banks…just get on with it.
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Jeff Schultz and Will Muschamp thinks he plays in JAX. We can all stop worrying and wondering. No doubt these 2 know for sure, after all they have a clear line to the NCAA and are experts in these matters.
For me I will wait on what the coach says about if he plays or not on Saturday. If Green goes back to offense, well I’ll take it as a precursor he is not back for awhile
Is it possible for the Dawgs to line up both Gurley and Chubb in the same backfield or formation.
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Hey, Senator (and other like-minded CFB fans): Off topic, but there’s an outstanding piece on Grantland about playoffs in CFB. Never seen a sportswriter “get it” quite like this: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/college-football-rankings-fairness/
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Thanks, Mr. (Ms?) Allie. This was a great read. “Gone are the regional pennant races that captured the imagination and attention of fans in late summers and early falls.” Exactly right. “What was interesting about college football… Every game mattered. … it gave us what we want just as much as anything else from sports: a season full of high-stakes games, and something to talk about.” Also exactly right. Good stuff!
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Every game “mattered”…except for…
2013 – Auburn at LSU (Auburn lost and still made the national championship game)
2012 – Texas A&M at Alabama (Alabama lost and still made the national championship game)
2011 – LSU at Alabama (Alabama lost and still made the national championship game)
2008 – Ole Miss at Florida (Florida lost and still made the national championship game)
2008 – Oklahoma vs Texas (Oklahoma lost and still made the national championship game)
2007 – LSU at Kentucky (LSU lost and still made the national championship game)
2007 – Arkansas at LSU (LSU lost and still made the national championship game)
2007 – Illinois at Ohio State (Ohio State lost and still made the national championship game)
2006 – Florida at Auburn (Florida lost and still made the national championship game)
Is that enough or do you want me to keep going?
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Nailed it…bring on the final 4.
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Eight.
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Even better
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Not quite the rebuttal you intended. Every game counted in each year you cited. Let’s talk 2013. Sure, LSU beat Auburn but the other 12 games Auburn played counted, too. Those other 12 games made auburn the SEC champion and got it into the BCS CG after comparing Auburn’s results with 122 other teams’ results over the entire season. The 2011 example is closer to the argument you wish to make in that Alabama got to treat the November LSU game as an exhibition game, but it was Alabama’s results in every other game that hurdled it over the other 122 teams.
Just citing one game each champion played as proof of its season is the same as citing the 4 or so games during the 1993 season that the SF Giants beat the Braves as proof that the other regular seaso games did not matter.
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Nice try. I said the 2013 Auburn-LSU game didn’t matter. And it didn’t. It didn’t matter one bit whether Auburn won or lost that game. They lost and they still received 1 of the 2 spots in the playoff. I didn’t say anything about the other games on their schedule.
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Keep going all you want to. But you seem to be confusing “if you lose one game you can’t play for the national title” for “every game matters.” The writer of the article didn’t say the former, and neither do I. But I do think you marginally diminish the significance of regular season games when more teams have a shot at making it to the title game without having won their conference or possibly having lesser records. And I am completely confident that 4 playoff teams will give way to 8 to appease the clamor by all the one loss teams who don’t make the playoffs, which in turn will allow in more 2 loss teams, and so on. It’s happened with every major sport that’s started down that path. If you find the NCAA tourney, major league sports playoffs, etc, compelling and interesting, then more power to you–you’re gonna have a great time down the road. Me, I’ll be hiking some mountain trail somewhere or maybe fishing.
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You seem to be the one who is confused. You quoted the writer that “every game mattered”. I pointed out examples of games that did not matter. End of story.
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It would be a interesting to have a QB like Bo Wallace operating the play calls of Mike Bobo. No SEC DC could figure out what those 2 would do…well except Schultz and Muschamp…they know.
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If it took us 2 weeks or so to even ask for reinstatement, why do any of us think we’re owed an answer right away?
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Vegas disagrees with you.
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Huh? That response doesn’t even make sense.
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They said as soon as we requested they would rule.
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No they didn’t.
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Gurley’s attorney should call a press conference tomorrow morning and point out that MR. FOOTBALL received a one half game suspension while his client has received a two game suspension and is still not playing. He should then demand to know why the NCAA is holding a black player to a MUCH higher standard than a white player.
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If I’m UGA, I announce now that Gurley will play Saturday, since we believe his 2-game suspension is appropriate. I say that I’m sure the NCAA will agree when it gets around to reviewing it, but that their delays in reviewing won’t alter our plans for Saturday. Now the NCAA is forced either to acquiesce or to fight a nightmarish PR battle by opposing us. At any rate, it’s time for UGA to set the tune that the NCAA can dance to.
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LOL, keep holding your breath for that to happen. UGA is scared to death of the NCAA.
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I am the last person that wants to claim racism but what else could it be? The rich white kid that allegedly made $10,000 gets a one half game suspension. The poor black kid admits what he did, makes $400 and is raked over the coals. Someone with some gonads needs to make some noise.
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Might I suggest Mr. Jackson and Mr. Sharpton…
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Hasn’t it occurred to you that no one has breathed the extent of transgression by Gurley? We know nothing more than what’s been published in the media. Wasn’t Allen’s egregious grievance over other memorabilia signings with other agents? That means there is more out there and we have yet to be informed what the extent may be. Certainly 4 games could be a category of extent.
We have no idea what was shared with the NCAA by UGA. We have no idea if they may have separate information that is in furtherance of the extent.
A good analogy is Mexican Judo; Judo know whether he has a knife or a gun – Ju jus’ don’ know. Well, we jus’ don’ know.
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Look u can sugar coat the Gurley situation all your heart desires but the fact Is he broke a major rule and was a selfish ass with no respect for his team. It was all about Gurley… Gurley Greed is what I’ll remember his greedy ass foir when he’s gone.
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I’m sure we’ll all lose a lot of sleep over that.
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Look, Gurley messed up. But calling it greed? Seriously? Maybe you ought to compare what he did to the NCAA, then you ought to think about back when you were in college and if someone offered you $400 to sign your name a bunch of times whether you would do it.
I for one am just over a decade removed from college and worked 20-30 hours a week….just to make somewhere like $400 a week. If I could have worked 2 hours signing my name for the same….I don’t doubt I would have jumped on it. Free market and all. Not illegal. Just against a stupid rule.
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And the rest of us with triple digit IQs will continue to not care what people like you think about anything.
Thank God.
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Lighten up Francis.
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