The real reason Everett Golson isn’t coming to Georgia.

Evidently, there’s “a certain stigma that’s been associated with the UGA program here in Atlanta’s urban culture.”

It’s always tough to deal with racial issues in regard to sports, but you’d be ignorant as all get out to say it doesn’t exist.

With that being said, there’ a common theme among around a portion of the African-American community which believes the Georgia Bulldogs don’t like QBs of color. As an African-American sports writer from the best city in the world, Atlanta, I’ve been privileged enough to get accounts of sports topics not commonly associated with the mainstream view.

And I’d be lying if I say I haven’t had that sentiment expressed to me hundreds of times by hundreds of people.

Of course I roll my eyes at it as I believe the best player should always play, regardless of skin tone.  Additionally, I roll my eyes at the thought of UGA’s head man Mark Richt somehow being prejudiced.

I first came to know about Richt when he helped guide former Heisman Trophy winner, and African-American QB, Charlie Ward as the OC for the Florida State Seminoles.

Even to this day he finds ways to reference his time with Ward as some of the best days of his life. But most will mention only the presence of D.J. Shockley, for all of one season, as the lone QB of color in Richt’s 14 seasons in Athens.

Jeebus.

I’ve lived in Atlanta for more than fifty years.  I thought I mixed with a pretty broad bunch of folks who make up the local urban culture, but I guess I’m wrong about that, because I’ve never heard this particular accusation lobbed Richt’s way before.

By the way, Richt recruited Golson when he was coming out of high school.  Richt’s perceived racist agenda must not have left hard feelings, since Towers is reporting that Golson’s interested in visiting Georgia because the two struck up a relationship during his recruitment.  So there’s that.

Now if somebody can just explain how Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb started ahead of Brendan Douglas, maybe I can get this all sorted out in my head.

You know who looks really dumb right now?

Every pundit who put Jacob Coker on a preseason Heisman watch list – in 2014.  Meanwhile, in the real world…

Nick Saban in no hurry to pick a starting QB. “We’re gonna let it happen, not make it happen."

— Zac Ellis (@ZacEllis) May 12, 2015

I almost wish Saban had said that just to troll the media.  Who knows, maybe he did.

The wheels of justice grind exceedingly slowly.

Remember Chris Hawkins, the dude who got A.J. Green in hot water with the NCAA?

He’s just been indicted for violating North Carolina’s law that makes it illegal to entice collegiate athletes to sign contracts. Over something that happened five years ago.

The NCAA expresses its gratitude, fellas.

“I can teach a third-grader in five minutes how to take a three-step drop and a five-step drop under center.”

Shorter college spread offense coaches:  NFL, you’re full of it.

This could be the beginning of a bee-yoo-tee-full friendship.

Or it could just make you want to fwow up.

Thoughts on an early two-deep

This is the first stab I’ve seen someone take at compiling a two-deep roster for Georgia that includes the signees coming next month.

It’s a fun exercise, but a couple of things jumped out at me.  One is how thin Georgia is at receiver.

The other thing?  Right now, It’s almost a waste of time to project what Pruitt’s gonna do in the secondary.

Crawford’s got nine true freshman cracking the two-deep; ten if you include McGraw at the nickel/star slot.  Not too much there is a stretch, but I think he’s selling the two early enrollees from Mississippi a little short.  Pruitt likes them both, they’ve got a spring practice under their belts and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see one of them make it.

What do y’all think?

“He’s put the welfare of this young man above everything else.”

Welp, the Illinois AD is swinging into action in response to Simon Cvijanovic’s heated claims of mistreatment by head coach Tim Beckman.  And it’s good to know he’s approaching his task with an open mind.

Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas said Monday the allegations made by former offensive lineman Simon Cvijanovic amounted to a “personal attack” on coach Tim Beckman, but Thomas added that he would internally investigate the claims in the near future with the university chancellor’s office.

Thomas defended Beckman and the team medical staff in a conference call Monday with reporters, addressing Cvijanovic’s claims from Sunday of medical mistreatment and a physical attack by Beckman on another player. He said Cvijanvoic’s allegations did not correlate with his review of records.

“He’s put the welfare of this young man above everything else,” Thomas said of Beckman’s care for Cvijanovic. “The feedback I get from players and our players’ families is that our coaches genuinely care for them and treat them like their own children.”

Thomas declined to provide a timeline or say who would be interviewed. He added that he did not plan to make the findings of the internal investigation public.

Hey, trust him, it’ll be a thorough job by the man who hired Beckman in the first place.  I mean, it’s not like his judgment’s on the line or anything, right?

Andrew Weber, a kicker who played at Toledo under Beckman, also said on Twitter he had similar experiences with the coach as Cvijanovic.

“We had the exact same issues,” he tweeted to Cvijanovic on Monday. “Thanks for standing up! Be proud!”

… Thomas said he was unaware of any past issues at Toledo, where Beckman coached before being hired by Thomas at Illinois after the 2011 season.

Again, barring the kid suing the school, I doubt this is going anywhere.  But Beckman might think about winning a few more games.  It’s funny how stuff like this can grow more significant in hindsight when you’re losing.

Doin’ it for the children.

As much as the grand poobahs who run college athletics try to insist the impetus to restrict the graduate transfer rules comes out of a sincere concern for academics, we all know what it’s really about.  Take it away, (who else?) Bob Bowlsby:

Still, that seeming disincentive has not managed to curb the ever-growing list of transfers in men’s basketball in particular. According to 2013 research by Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn, 34.3 percent of top 100 recruits who entered college from 2007-11 wound up transferring at some point in their careers.

“I think it’s a very poor comment on the relationship between the sport of basketball and higher education,” said the Big 12’s Bowlsby.

Told that those numbers mirror the number of transfers among all college students — reported to be around 33 percent — Bowlsby replied, “Those other students aren’t on full scholarship.”

It’s the naked moments of honesty I cherish.