Soooo… word is that J.J. Green will transfer to Georgia Tech. If you followed his recruiting, that’s not a big surprise. Nor is it a big surprise, given his wish to return to running back.
Nor is it a surprise that he’s been given an unconditional release by Mark Richt. And while I ordinarily support Richt’s policy because I think the NCAA transfer rules are a joke, I’m a little unhappy this go ’round. Not because of Green, mind you, but because of Robert Carter, Jr. Or, more specifically, because of Georgia Tech’s athletic director.
“Our practice has typically been to (not grant permission) to the ACC schools and anybody you play in a given sport every year,” he said. “We play Georgia every year. This is not something which is so much a Georgia thing as it is we compete against them every year. That’s a pretty standard industry-wide practice.”
If that’s your policy, so be it. But it seems kind of dumb for Georgia not to adopt the same approach here. And it’s not like Georgia doesn’t reciprocate in certain other areas now and then, for example, matching what opposing schools charge for visitor ticket prices. Granted, there’s no benefit to the reserve fund in blocking Georgia Tech from signing Green immediately, but unilateral disarmament shouldn’t be part of the Georgia Way.
Sure, that would suck for Green, but if he wanted to blame somebody for the block, Mike Bobinski would make an appropriate target. Or he could always read Mark Bradley.
I wonder if Greg McGarity could be swayed by a few angry e-mails. Eh, probably not.
Get The Picture 
I’ve largely applauded Richt for his policy.. But it does seem voluntary transfers should have sort of penalty for leaving the program early and a penalty that benefits us seems key… But the hypocrisy of Paul Johnson and the GT program knows no bounds.
LikeLike
What about all those THUGA players? A program as upstanding as Tech is taking a player from a known criminal factory? Oh, how will the Tech fans stand it?
Go fuck yourselves, Techies.
LikeLike
Well said.
Seriously.
LikeLike
I get the sentiment here, but I think and believe Richt’s policy is the best one, and he should stick to it. These are still kids who just want to play. If he’d have known he’d end up behind Gurley, Chubb, and Michel, he’d have never signed at UGA to begin with. Richt’s policy gives him a fresh start, and it keeps UGA from viewing him as a piece of property, which is how any other transfer policy would work.
If he burns us at Tech, that’s part of life. Good for him for being successful, and bad for us for still not being able to completely shut down that offense.
LikeLike
The nature of playing at a school like Georgia is that you can fall behind on the depth chart, he should have called Madame Cleo and received her opinion before signing the letter of intent
LikeLike
+1 totally agree
LikeLike
Agreed. Never be afraid to be the bigger man. Or the bigger program.
LikeLike
Well put Ben. As much as I hate Tech, taking the high road is the best way to go. While I don’t want to face him because I think he is a stud, his momma should still be able to see her boy play within a days drive and him still get a quality education at a school that will let him live up to his potential in football too.
LikeLike
Dead on post Senator.
LikeLike
I tend to agree with the Sen.’s post but this thought is bouncing around in my mind: What if our coaches told recruits, “Come to UGA and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll let you go anywhere. Ask any other school if they’ll do that.”
Do you think other schools would match the offer and mean it or just lie or say “No way, UGA is nuts.” Couldn’t that perhaps help us in recruiting?
LikeLike
They probably do tell them that, Chuck.
LikeLike
Yeah, I thought about it based on some other comments and what little I know about certain transfer cases and that’s probably where we are already. I’d still be interested to know what Kirby Smart says if/when a recruit tells him, “UGA says I can transfer anywhere I want if it doesn’t work out there, what about you?” I guess a monster salesman would say, “Dude, it’s going to work out perfectly for you at Bama, don’t worry about that.” Which translated means, “That grayshirt is going to fit you just fine.”
LikeLike
I have no interest in changing out transfer rule based on what the other school has or hasnt done in the past. I think that unconditional releases are the only way to move forward. Holding the transfer conditions over their heads is tacky and not something I want to be a part of.
LikeLike
Except Georgia isn’t the one holding conditions over their heads. Georgia Tech is.
If Tech wants Georgia transfers to come freely, it should extend the same courtesy to Athens.
LikeLike
I agree that Tech should let players transfer freely, but I think that everyone should be able to transfer freely.
LikeLike
Sometimes you have to lead by example…even if that means taking the short end once in a while.
The Board of Regents should just pass a rule that one Georgia institution can’t block a transfer of an athlete to another Georgia institution on ‘competition’ grounds and be done with it. I assume they have that power.
LikeLike
Then we need to get it out there that Tech is chickenshit. We have PR resources, we need to use them.
LikeLike
You think Georgia is leading Tech here? Ha.
LikeLike
I guess my point was that the right thing is to let the kid transfer and doing that instead of sticking it to Tech is the ‘leadership’ angle…maybe I should say ‘integrity’ instead or maybe I’m grasping at straws.
I don’t doubt that Fish Fry and the Techies will block the next kid that wants to transfer to UGA regardless of what we do with JJ or anyone else. I just don’t think it’s fair to the kid to make him a pawn to further illustrate the Tech hypocrisy.
LikeLike
Chairman of the B.O.R. is a Tech grad.
LikeLike
We can’t control what Tech does. We can only control our own policies, and I agree this is the best way to go.
LikeLike
+1
LikeLike
Two wrongs don’t make a right. There’s virtue in doing the right thing, even if Tech doesn’t (and they won’t, because they’re Georgia Tech).
LikeLike
Ultimately, it should be a decision made by the Student Athlete. After all this is about an education first FB 2nd. We talk about these boys as if they were Brahman Bulls.
LikeLike
Normally I don’t have a problem with Richt’s policy, but it’s different because it’s Tech. While we’re trying to take the high road, they never miss an opportunity to be complete and total assholes to UGA. It’s time to give them what they want and fight back a little. They need their noses rubbed in it big time.
LikeLike
Dude; they let Quincy out of LOI when we needed a QB in the post Bobo era. Do you really want to take a guy from them? That is, unless it’s their FB who ran straight through us for 4 quarters; I’d take him.
LikeLike
Dude! I think you are over indulgent in your praise. Your results many differ but I don’t think that LOI meant after Quicey “throw it over their heads” Carter was drafted and went on to play baseball.
For those who remember, and for those who can’t forget:
• 1977: Quincy is born.
•1996: Quincy signs a letter of intent to play football for Georgia Tech, but decided instead to play baseball. He is drafted by the Chicago Cubs.
•1998: Realizing that life couldn’t possibly be worse than it is in the Cubs organization, Carter quits and wins the starting job at the University of Georgia.
LikeLike
Same old same old
LikeLike
I don’t know, I think for me, the old adage of “Two wrongs don’t make a right” applies. I like Richt’s policy, I think it’s the right policy, and the policy shouldn’t be conditional based on the actions of others.
Not to say I don’t see your point or think it’s not justified, though. But I like that Richt is sticking to his guns on this one.
LikeLike
+1
LikeLike
Give Richt credit for consistently taking the high road and working in what he perceives is the best interest of the student athlete. I don’t like it and agree with the Senator, do the same thing we do with ticket prices and do the same thing that Tech does if one of their student athletes wants to transfer here.
LikeLike
is this really an argument about semantics? How many Tech players have ever wanted to transfer to UGA that we were interested in taking?
On the other hand, it does show the Tech AD is an ass, which gives Tech a nice matched pair in its AD and head football coach.
LikeLike
Macro: UGa is in much greater need of some competent hoops players, so this hurts.
Micro: I doubt a player like Green (while he performed well in relief) is a RB that could truly hurt vs. the Dawgs.
LikeLike
No, but I’d like to see that big receiver decide to tranfer to Georgia.
LikeLike
Kids should be able to play football wherever they want to and wherever they can. I applaud UGA’s approach. Who cares what approach Tech takes. It only reflects negatively on them.
LikeLike
I’m a little bit amazed at the “high ground” taken by the GTP posters on this.
It’s pretty classy!
LikeLike
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the player involved has a bearing on my opinion. JJ’s been such a class kid and team player, it’s easy for me to want whatever he feels is best for him. If it was a guy who had been a troublemaker and just looking for a way out, I would still ultimately be glad Richt stuck to his guns, but I’d probably be a lot more begrudging about it.
LikeLike
I wonder how everyone feels about Georgia matching visitor ticket prices if the other school charges more, then. Shouldn’t we take the high ground there, as well?
LikeLike
Yeah I dont care if they match ticket prices, or move the visitors to the tech deck and out of the lower level or anything else that they do with visitor tickets.
I do care about how a young student athlete is treated when it comes to allowing that student athlete to do what he thinks is best for himself w/r/t where he plays.
LikeLike
Doing right by the player (especially one leaving on good terms) trumps COFH.
LikeLike
Was Green recruited to UGA as a runningback? I don’t think so. I think his stated reason is more about not getting on the field at UGA on defense than offense but saying he wants to play offense sounds better. I agree with Richt on his transfer policy. I don’t understand why the NCAA allows schools to pigeonhole kids.
LikeLike
I like JJ Green a lot, seems like a fine young man with good talent and I cannot blame him for wanting to play more. If offense is his best way to make a name, or career, for himself he is making the right choice because there will be limited opportunities at UGA next year, and going forward. I like CMR’s support by allowing these guys to pursue their dreams but I feel limiting them to schools other than one’s we compete against during their career is not unfair. There are many schools where JJG can go without presenting any significant hardship. I don’t feel SEC schools and GT should benefit from UGA’s efforts/training, and our guys shouldn’t have to defend against him. A policy of supporting them without shooting off one of your own toes seems reasonable to me.
Good luck JJ, and thanks, but I don’t wish you well on any Thanksgiving weekend in the next 3 years.
LikeLike
How do you think Coach Herron will speak of UGA after this? How do you think he’d speak of UGA had we blocked him from transferring to Ga Tech and all SEC schools?
LikeLike
This whole “blocking” a student athlete from transferring to any institution of his choice thing is BS. The practice should be outlawed by the SEC and/or the NCAA.
LikeLike
The response should be to let him transfer to Tech as we are doing but to tell Tech that the next time they block a transfer we will not give them an allotment of tickets in Athens for ten years. We’ll still have plenty of red and black at their little stadium but they’ll have a tougher time getting into Sanford.
LikeLike
I am fairly certain that before Mark Bradley can make quick, pathetic love to his wife, he has to fluff using a Paul Johnson bobble head doll and a thumb up his ass. Later, 3 minutes for love making to be exact, he uses that shit-thumb to write his drafts for the AJC.
LikeLike