A.J. Green is the recipient of the university’s 2017 Young Alumni Award, a honor given annually to Bulldogs who show a continued commitment to UGA. That’s a nice recognition for a great player who was kicked to the curb for four games in his last season in Athens through the athletic department’s ineptness to protect him in the face of an overreaching NCAA investigation.
What was the key to this fond turnaround? Do you really need to ask?
Green, who played at UGA from 2008-2010 has continued to visit and contribute financially to UGA and the football program since choosing to forego his senior season and entering the 2011 NFL Draft. [Emphasis added.]
I swear, if Jim Harrick and his son ever make financial contributions to UGA, they’d be welcomed back with open arms. ‘Cause that’s how the Georgia Way rolls, peeps.
Get The Picture 
Has AJ graduated? He seems to be doing ok for himself whether he has a diploma or not, but I cant remember if he ever did. Either way, he’s a DGD who deserved better from the administration than he got (and better advice about “cooperation” with the NCAA….or jersey collectors)
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Typically “alumni” implies that he did. Maybe he just gave McG some cash, though, who knows.
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If either of your premises are accurate aren’t you simply be calling A.J. a dumbass? If anyone would know that he was left out to dry by incompetence, it would be him wouldn’t it? Apparently he doesn’t feel that way and he doesn’t think he’s being used by people who screwed him over so which is it?
Is aj happy with UGA, a dumbass or does it appear to you to be both?
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I don’t think A.J. is the dumbass here.
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So why is he giving UGA money if they failed so miserably to protect him?
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You seem to be under the impression that the post is being critical of A.J. Try again.
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“I swear, if Jim Harrick and his son ever make financial contributions to UGA, they’d be welcomed back with open arms.” But this is not to be taken as critical of AJ??
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Seriously? And here I thought I was mocking B-M’s dollar chasing.
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The implication, to me, is that they will take money from anybody…AJ, even Harrick.
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That would be correct.
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So putting AJ in the same context as Harrick is not a negative for AJ?
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Jesus, dude, the post isn’t about A.J. per se. It’s about how an athletic department can fail to step up and protect one of its own in one breath and a few years later cover him in laurels.
Funny how in the first situation it was about the player getting money and in the second it’s about the same player giving money.
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Gee, Senator, maybe should redo your post such that we can’t read the negative into it. 🙂
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Good point, as I’ve spent tons of time at the blog slagging A.J. before. 😉
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Never thought such was the intent of the post. I was responding to the implication in the post. It’s obvious to me at least that AJ either doesn’t believe he was left out to dry by the school or he’s too dumb to know that’s exactly what happened.
I personally think that we should believe AJ when he speaks with his money and that it’s also clear what he’s communicating with it. Nobody is in a better position than AJ on this subject. You either take his actions at face value or you are assailing AJ’s judgment.
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Neither you nor I know what A.J. thinks about what happened.
That being said, whether or not he thinks he was hung out to dry is irrelevant to my post, because I think he was hung out to dry.
The idea that this post is about his state of mind is a hilarious whiff on your part. Thought you were more on the ball than that.
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And I thought you were on the ball enough that wouldn’t assume you know better than AJ does. Obviously I didn’t and don’t think they left him out to dry and apparently someone in a position to know agrees with me. That has to count for something doesn’t it?
As far your implication that he could think he was wronged AND still give enough money to be recognized, that’s about as far off the ball as one could be.
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Yes, you’re right, of course — the idea that one could simultaneously love the university and believe McGarity is an inept shitweasel is ludicrous.
Now you’ll have to excuse me as I rethink my entire approach to Georgia athletics.
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Seriously? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there is a difference between:
1) having serious fundamental disagreements with the AD and giving donations anyway and
2) being personally fucked over by the AD and giving money and accepting an award from him.
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The award isn’t from McGarity personally.
Bottom line, you claim to know what’s on AJ’s mind. I don’t. You win!
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Omniscience has its benefits.
I just think that the refrain that Gurley and Green were sold out while other schools better protect their players fail to account for the factual differences in those cases. There was a video and there were bank records. If anyone can point to a school that successfully navigated either, I’m happy to hear about them.
The discrepancies we’ve seen are not due to incompetence or to a morbid fascination with cooperation, but due simply to the unfortunate quality of the evidence available.
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Took me a second to get that. 🙂
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That didn’t land correctly in the chronology. I was referring to the Senators comment about dumbassery.
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So AJ is an ex UGA player and now is a multimillionaire due to his NFL career…and received an award for continuing to support the University…which he has done since leaving UGA. Sounds like a DGD to me.
Damn you McGarity!
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I think the point of the post is that the AD and by proxy the AA threw AJ in front of the MTA to cover their own asses, and the four game suspension hurt the team’s chances to win.
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By suspending him, we significantly reduced his chances of getting an injury and we saved a few pennies by not having to pay his travel expenses for two road games.
Now he makes millions per year. What’s not to like?
He owes us.
#COMMITTOTHEG
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Well played, sir.
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Exactly … why we wait for Fournette or McCaffrey to choose to sit out a game or two at the end of the year to protect their pro football interests when the Athletic Department can front load four games at the beginning of the season!
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Correct.
South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Colorado (where AJ’s action was limited) may have won for a few hours on a Saturday, but once again The Georgia Way wins in the long run!
#COMMITTOTHEG
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I think that most likely, A.J. probably loves his school regardless. I think you can love Athens and your school even if you believe the A.D is a douche bag. I know I do.
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I like to think that AJ is slowly and strategically maneuvering himself into a bigtime booster role in order to be the deciding voice that get’s McGarity’s ass fired.
MUGAGA
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Good for AJ; he deserves everything he gets and I am grateful that he has a spot in his heart for UGA.
The underlying issue is why the University insists on playing the game with one hand tied behind its back. AJ is one example, TGIII is another, and every post spring break drug test/suspension is still another. I suppose it may be a self-imposed penance for Jan Kemp (who lots of current fans don’t even know about) and it may be that we feel like we are ‘better’ than others. But here’s the thing – we don’t get any credit for being better; just ask Herbie any given Saturday in the fall.
At one time I thought it was nobler to take a higher road, but nobody really gives a shit in the bigger picture. I’m not saying we need to go all Baylor or UNC, but we can legitimately fight about things that aren’t illegal except in the NCAA’s twisted code. And misdemeanors like a little pot smoking and scooter riding. Wake up and smell the roses, ADGM et al.
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Jan Kemp has nothing to do with this.
Let the rest of the institutions play to win at football. The Georgia Way is playing to win at chess. King Me.
#COMMITTOTHEG
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To your point about Harrick, I know he’s been back to Athens to visit with Coach Fox. That’s not putting him on a billboard but there’s obviously been some detente.
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AJ and his wife have endowed a football scholarship and 2 need-based academic scholarships preferably to a South Carolina student or a metro Atlanta student with honors. He deserves every accolade thrown his way regardless of who gives it to him. #DGD
http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110215aad.html
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AJ can either buy some jerseys directly from those who wear them on Saturdays for $1000 or give a donation to the AA per the rules. Or maybe he’s doing both and we don’t know it, which personally I would cheer for.
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