Richt announces outside linebackers Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell and offensive tackle John Theus are returning next season.
Floyd tweeted out after the gala: “Committed to the G baby.”
That’s big.
So much for the trolls who keep insisting Jeremy Pruitt was running off all the defensive players.
Filed under Georgia Football
Give Seth Emerson credit for asking the tough question.
From his desk, Greg McGarity is insulated enough that he claims not to hear the criticism, whether it be from fans, bloggers or others, that Georgia is not committed enough financially. Especially when it comes to the flagship football program.
Or, to put it in more blunt terms, that he and the school are too cheap.
“I would challenge that,” McGarity said Friday afternoon, then bringing up the news items he knew factored into the criticism:
• A series of new contracts elsewhere that will leave Georgia head coach Mark Richt among the lowest-paid in the SEC.
• USA Today released data showing that Georgia’s assistant coach salaries ranked fifth in the SEC this year, and that was before Auburn hired Will Muschamp at a reported salary of $1.7 million.
These were events at other places, but it was easy to relate it to Georgia, where another good-but-not-great season has unleashed another round of examination of what might be lacking.
“We’re not bound what other institutions are doing. We’re just bound by what’s good for our program,” McGarity said. “I would challenge to say what do they mean by cheap? Seriously, what are they referring to?”
It’s a revealing answer, in a couple of ways.
First, it’s hard to reconcile a claim of being oblivious to criticism with rattling off a couple of specific items that have triggered the recent spate of questions about financial priorities at Butts-Mehre, or, to put it another way, to note the news from your competitors as a factor in the complaints while brushing off what those other schools do as irrelevant to Georgia’s decision-making.
Second, the whole thing there reminds me of the attitude McGarity expressed about the way the school handled public relations in the wake of the Gurley suspension. As I noted at the time,
“…the most troubling aspect of all of this is that McGarity insists he “…didn’t understand the criticism that UGA had mismanaged the situation, or had a ‘P.R. nightmare.’”
Assuming that he’s being honest in both cases (and I certainly have no reason to think otherwise), I’m not sure which is worse, not understanding why fans are frustrated, or not making the effort to understand why that’s the case.
Then there’s this.
As for assistant salaries, Georgia’s rankings of fifth in the SEC and 13th nationally seems about right to McGarity, based on results.
“That’s about where we are,” he said. “That’s about where we should be. Are we there with LSU, and Alabama and Auburn of recent years? Probably not, because they’ve done great things, they’ve played in the bigger bowls. They’ve had great success on a national level better than us. So it’s all reflective of performance.”
But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, whose offense has set records the past few years, continues to be paid nearly $300,000 less than the school’s defensive coordinator. McGarity said that’s Richt’s decision, or at least Richt’s decision within the salary pool that he is provided each year.
“Mark has a pool of money that he allocates however he allocates,” McGarity said. “There was a significant jump made after the ’12 season for Mike. The pool is reflective of team success. You basically see where the pool is and how it ranks and where you finish. It’s all based on results.”
LSU, Alabama and Auburn certainly make for a convenient excuse. And there’s no denying that McGarity is correct to note those programs have enjoyed greater success recently.
But convenience cuts both ways – in this case, McGarity manages to ignore the arms race with coaching salaries across the conference, which has spread to schools that haven’t done any more of late than Georgia, or, in certain cases, have done less. And that’s the thing here. McGarity is judging his coaches’ pay by one measuring stick; Jimmy Sexton’s market isn’t using the same stick. If you can tell Mike Bobo he’s making almost a million dollars a year less than Cam Cameron because of team success and he accepts that, terrific. But at some point, somebody with a checkbook is going to put a different value on Mike Bobo’s success.
In the end, though, I’m not sure any of this really matters. Here’s the most revealing thing McGarity has to say:
“I sleep pretty well at night, because I know when I go home I’ve given it my best,” McGarity said. “But I’ll let others judge me. I have a boss. We all have bosses. And my boss is the president. So he’ll let me know how I’m doing.”
I don’t think he’s the only one there who sleeps well at night. At least as long as the money keeps rolling in. That’s the Georgia Way.
Filed under Georgia Football
The BCS may be gone, but Representative Joe Barton is back. And he’s got news for you, College Football Playoff – the only good postseason is one that allows as many schools from his home state of Texas to participate as possible.
Barton specifically cited concerns about how TCU – which has its campus near Barton’s congressional district, in Fort Worth – fell out of the playoff rankings despite closing out its regular season with a blowout victory.
“TCU was in third place the week before, won by 52, and fell from three to six,” Barton said. “Either they weren’t really the No. 3 team the week before, or something other than performance on the field determined who made that fourth slot.”
Barton also shared a novel idea for an expanded playoff system that would virtually ensure his alma matter, Texas A&M, a spot every year.
Best way to get ‘er done? You can guess.
“The system as they have it now is going to fail every year,” Barton said on the ESPN/ABC News podcast “Capital Games.” “… There’s going to be a few teams left out. So they need to go to at least eight teams, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they went to 12 – with first-round byes – or to 16.”
The more, the merrier. And that’s not all he’d like to fix.
While he praised the expertise and integrity of one particular selection committee member with ties to the political world – former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice – Barton said he wants a broader committee, with members more directly tied to the college football world.
“In my humble opinion, I’m more qualified,” Barton said. “I’ve got no problem with her being on the committee. … It would be a little bit better to have somebody that had actually played football, or been associated [with it]. But if you can’t have that, people like Condoleezza Rice are fine.”
This is the guy, mind you, who once famously apologized to BP after the Gulf oil spill. Obviously, he’s a Congresscritter to be taken seriously. But at least his opinion is humble. And he’s rarin’ to go.
“We’ve got a lot on our plate next year, but it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to do a hearing or two,” Barton said.
Oh, well. It’s not like Congress is going to be doing much of the people’s work in the near future, anyway.
There’s one potential fly in Joe’s ointment, though.
The President, who was on the show to talk about his Healthcare.gov initiative, was an early advocate of adding a college football playoff.
“It was the right thing to do,” he explained, “and I suspect it’ll end up being eight teams, and that’ll be just about right.”
Collin responded by calling the President greedy.
“No, I’m just saying then Baylor and TCU wouldn’t be as aggravated as they are,” Obama explained.
Oh noes! The Kenyan usurper is on board! Could the eight-team playoff be a secret Marxist plot? Will naked self-interest trump Joe’s patriotic partisanship? I think we all know the answer to that, but stay tuned for more fun and games.
Filed under BCS/Playoffs, Political Wankery
Next stop: Alabama.
Filed under Crime and Punishment, Georgia Football
Tough sell.
Ah, Shreveport. The memories there…
Filed under 'Cock Envy
If your typical picture is worth a thousand words, how many would you give this one?
Oh my, indeed.
Filed under Georgia Football
Only in America… or at least Mark Emmert’s version of America:
With the knowledge of the clothing’s existence, Prescott had to file suit after the vendor refused to stop. If the quarterback ignored the products, it would result in an NCAA violation and could affect his eligibility.
The T-shirt violates NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.2 Use of Student-Athlete’s Name or Picture without Knowledge or Permission.The bylaw states:”If a student-athlete’s name or picture appears on commercial items (e.g., T-shirts, sweatshirts, serving trays, playing cards, posters) or is used to promote a commercial product sold by an individual or agency without the student-athlete’s knowledge or permission, the student-athlete (or the institution acting on behalf of the student-athlete) is required to take steps to stop such an activity in order to retain his or her eligibility for intercollegiate athletics. Such steps are not required in cases in which a student-athlete’s photograph is sold by an individual or agency (e.g., private photographer, news agency) for private use.”
That is some Kafkaesque bullshit there, friends. Not surprising, though.
Filed under The NCAA
Will Muschamp gets to recycle his orange and blue gear. And when you add everything up, he doesn’t even take a pay cut.
Former Florida coach Will Muschamp has agreed to become Auburn’s defensive coordinator, the school announced Friday night.
Muschamp agreed to a three-year deal with the Tigers, sources close to the situation told ESPN. The deal is worth between $1.6 million and $1.8 million annually, sources said, which will make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in FBS.
… Muschamp’s new salary will not affect the $6.3 million buyout Florida owes him after he was fired with three years remaining on his contract, sources said.
Sure will be interesting to see what changes may be coming on that defensive staff.
And no doubt Greg McGarity is thrilled by the news.
Filed under Auburn's Cast of Thousands
Get The Picture 