Today, in what could go wrong?

Jere Morehead just passed along the official statement from the University System Chancellor regarding the new campus carry law.  Key language:

… Even license-holders may not carry a handgun into the following locations on college/university-owned or leased property:

• Buildings and property used for athletic sporting events.  This exception includes stadiums, gymnasiums and similar facilities in which intercollegiate games are staged (but does not extend to so-called “tailgating” areas where fans may congregate outside the gates of the sports facility)…  [Emphasis added.]

Stay wary, my friends.  Especially after a long day of drinking.

So, who will be the first to offer Bulldog-themed bullet-proof vests?  Could be a big seller.

Advertisement

Ain’t man enough no more.

I joked about this the other day, but apparently Pat Dye really is sick and tired of Auburn playing Alabama.

“I’d rather see Auburn in the East than us to play Alabama every year,” Dye said Tuesday during a taping for his weekly radio show on ESPN 106.7-FM in Auburn, according to Auburn Network producer Zac Blackerby.

Many Auburn fans would probably not like that scenario, but Dye has his reasons for shedding the Iron Bowl from the calendar every year.

“We don’t need to let Alabama dictate what we do at Auburn,” he said. “We can play them on a rotation, just like everybody else.”

I can’t even begin to imagine the shit that would rain down on Auburn fans from ‘Bama folks if the Tigers bailed on the rivalry.

I don’t know if Nick Saban is the greatest coach in SEC history, but I’m pretty sure he’s affected the thinking of more conference coaches and administrators than any other coach in SEC history.

Your basic late-May post

It’s May, which means there ain’t a lot of new stuff to discuss.

With that in mind, here’s Athlon’s 2017 All-SEC Team.  Alabama leads the pack (duh), with 15 selections.  Georgia is third, tied with Auburn, behind ‘Bama and Florida.

If I’m surprised by anything, it’s LSU’s poor showing.

Pick whatever bones you’d like to pick in the comments.

Rubber-stamping the road to glory

Seth Emerson once again does the Lord’s work with this piece on what the members of the UGA Athletic Board do (or, perhaps more accurately, don’t do).  If you don’t want to read the entire article, I can save you the time by just referring you to the heart of the story:

There may be a mystery about what the board really does, or doesn’t do, what its role is, and the people who are on it. A major function of the board is to provide perfunctory approval to decisions already made by the athletic director.

Dissent is rare, if nonexistent.

Georgia Way gone Georgia Way, y’all.  One reason for that is nobody knows much about what they’re supposedly expected to oversee.

Does the board asks questions that need to be asked? Would it be better in the long run for the board if there were more back-and-forth?

Keadle, whose background is in the banking industry, isn’t so sure. He pointed out that board members may not have relevant experience.

“None of us sitting on that athletic board understand all the aspects of a Division I major college sports program, what goes into it, how is it financed, the public-private aspects of it,” he said.

And thus they almost always defer to the president and athletics director.

Yeah, we’re in good hands.

And why would a Board member dissent, anyway?  There’s too much sweet stuff to risk rocking the boat for.

When members join the board, they are provided with two complimentary season tickets for football, and one parking pass, and two complimentary season tickets for other sports upon request. Board members attend three meetings per year, in September, February and May.

Once you serve nine years, you reach emeritus status. But the board can also under “special circumstances” name an emeritus member who has only served four years. Emeritus members are no longer among the voting members but bylaws state they “shall have such privilege and rights as designated” by the board.

Free Perk U!  Who’s gonna want to screw that up?

Since the president appoints the board, people tend to not speak up, from Scates’ experience. And emeritus board member status also brings prestige, and greater access.

“So everyone on the board is trying not to rock the boat so you can get that emeritus status, which is much more valuable than any Hartman funds donations (which go towards football season tickets) you could ever donate,” Scates said.

In fact, Scates believes the lure of a potential spot on the athletic board becomes is an incentive.

“Being able to get on the athletic board is a powerful carrot,” Scates said. “One reason you have trouble getting people to talk on the record is because in the back of their mind they want to get on that board one day.”

I wonder what percentage of those folks got their hands on Notre Dame tickets.

At some point in time, it’s not the talent’s fault.

Athlon takes a look at talent accumulation, based on averaging the last five classes according to 247Sports Team Composite rankings.

You’ll be shocked, shocked to learn that Georgia ranks fifth overall.  That’s tops in the SEC East, which is something else you’re probably not surprised to see.

Now there is one huge grain of salt to be taken with this data, which even the author of the piece acknowledges.

Obviously, this doesn’t take into account attrition. However, with a five-year window in place, this should be considered relatively even across the conference.

Not sure I’d go as far with you there, Bunky.  Georgia’s 2013 class attrition is on a different level than “relatively even”.  That being said, it was the lowest ranked class brought in during the five-year period.  (Not that the subsequent vaporization helped.)  Take that year out, and the other four classes average about 5.5.

Recruiting hasn’t been shabby, in other words.

The question for today is a simple one:  when is it reasonable for us to quit making excuses for Georgia’s talent base?  I’d argue with regard to the defense that we’re already there.  Given the state of the offensive line, I’d probably give that side of the ball a little more slack.  Your thoughts?