It’s not nice to inconvenience Nick Saban.

The early signing period’s really gotten under the Sabanator’s skin.

“I don’t think it’s in the players’ best interest,” Saban said. “I don’t see how it benefits anybody. I think it’s really stressful for everyone. We’re all trying to get ready for bowl games and playoff games and we have a signing day right in the middle of when we’re going to be practicing for a playoff game.

“It was very stressful for a lot of coaches to get out and see as many guys as they could in December and accelerate everything. You don’t have very much time to do that. If you’re playing in a championship game, you have even less time to do it.”

Nice, playing the “don’t do it for the kids” card there, Nick.  And what’s their problem?

“I see more players getting pressured by some schools to sign early so that they don’t get an opportunity from maybe a bigger school later, which I don’t think is in the player’s best interest,” Saban said. “Because a guy may have an opportunity to go to a place that he’s always wanted to go to, or an SEC school, and he’s getting pressured by somebody else to sign early.”

Oh, right… because it’s not like those kids weren’t being pressured before.

There’s also the turnover within coaching staffs that become a factor.

“Then other guys are trying to make a decision about signing early or not signing early, and they’ve got all these new coaches and coaching staffs that are sort of bum rushing them to not do that so they get a chance to recruit them,” Saban said. “Then you have guys who are waiting until February, so you don’t have much control over who signs early and who doesn’t, so how do you manage that number of guys that you might get?”

Gosh, if Nick doesn’t speak up for the guys getting paid hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars a year as they jump schools, who’s gonna, I ask you?

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Today, in it takes a village

This is a pretty neat “welcome to the family, son”.

“Todd Gurley, Thomas Davis, Sony Michel, and Nick Chubb have all reached out to me about the {ACL} situation," Zamir White said.

💯🐶🏈 #GoDawgs https://t.co/af1FTXbWZG

— GATA Dawgs (@BassinDawg) December 15, 2017

Two simple words

This is great.  Watch this clip and listen carefully at around the 20-second mark.

You never know where Dawgnation will pop up these days. (Listen at 2:09 mark): pic.twitter.com/LQitM8gYFQ

— Senator Blutarsky (@MummePoll) December 16, 2017

We’re everywhere these days.   You can’t get away from us.

 

A.B.C. Always. Be. Closing.

Never one to miss an opportunity, here’s a little something the Georgia Bulldog Club sent out:

From: The Georgia Bulldog Club <gadawgs@sports.uga.edu>
Date: Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 2:36 PM
Subject: Important TGBC Notice: Proposed Tax Legislation
To: 

Dear Valued Bulldog Club Member,

Thank you for your generous investment in the success of UGA’s student-athletes through your financial contributions to The Georgia Bulldog Club (TGBC). Your support provides more than 600 student-athletes with opportunities to succeed in the classroom, excel in competition, and serve in the community.

We would like to inform you about some impending legislation that could impact the tax deductibility for future ticket-related per-seat contributions. As you are likely aware, Congress is currently considering changes to the tax code that could be signed into law in the next couple weeks. While much is left to be determined, the proposed changes may have a direct impact on your ticket-related per-seat giving. For example, current IRS tax code allows donations to be 80% deductible if paying such amount provides the right to purchase tickets for seating at university athletics events. While still subject to revision, under a current federal tax proposal, annual contributions required for season ticket purchases, including club seats and sky suites, would no longer be deductible beginning in 2018.

While the priority giving deadline for the 2018 Hartman Fund is February 15, 2018, we wanted you to be aware of this legislation as the 2017 tax year comes to an end. Due to the uncertainty regarding the potential changes in tax code and future tax-deductibility of ticket-related per-seat donations, along with other potential adjustments to tax credits and deductions, it may be to your advantage to make annual, ticket-related per-seat contributions for 2018 and future years prior to December 31, 2017 to guarantee tax-deductibility under current tax law. If it benefits you to donate appreciated securities, this giving option is available and our staff is happy to discuss it with you prior to the end of the year.

Please keep in mind that the proposed legislation is subject to change, including the effective date of any changes to existing tax provisions. We advise you to consult with your own tax advisors to determine whether this opportunity is of value to you.

We will provide any updates as we know more about how this legislation may impact TGBC members who purchase season tickets. Please note, per-seat donations and premiums will still be required for all football season tickets and for select seating areas for basketball, baseball, and gymnastics for the 2018-19 seasons. Click here to review some of the most frequently asked questions pertaining to this matter.

The Georgia Bulldog Club staff is happy to personally assist you with making a gift or answer any questions you may have related to your ongoing generous support of UGA Athletics. TGBC office is open from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, excluding December 25 and 26, and can be contacted at 877-GA-DAWGS whereas online giving is available 24/7 by visiting TheGeorgiaBulldogClub.com.

All of us here at UGA Athletics are thankful for the commitments that you make to our student-athletes, and we wish you and your family all the best this holiday season. Go Dawgs!

Sincerely,

Matt Borman

Executive Associate Athletics Director

Executive Director of The Bulldog Club

This is not intended as legal or tax advice. We advise you to consult with your professional tax advisor before making any tax-based decisions on determining whether giving before the end of the calendar year is of value to you.

The Georgia Way’s just trying to help, y’all.

Delete your account.

It appears yesterday’s post about Natrez Patrick’s arrest related issues turned out to be a classic case of irrational exuberance.

Georgia linebacker Natrez Patrick has a court date for a probation violation in January after an arrest in another county triggered a government drug test that came up positive, Athens-Clarke County solicitor C.R. Chisholm said on Friday.

The test was administered after Patrick, on probation for an October misdemeanor marijuana arrest in Athens, was arrested in Barrow County on Dec. 2 for misdemeanor marijuana possession. That charge was dismissed on Thursday, and Patrick’s lawyer says Patrick passed a UGA-administered drug test within hours of the Dec. 2 arrest.

The Barrow County arrest triggered a probation violation in Athens-Clarke County, and Chisholm said the subsequent drug test was standard in such situations.

Never underestimate the power of Mudcat’s car.  Damn it.