Changing of the guard

It’s official — Don Leebern Jr. is no longer a member of the Board of Regents.

Leebern, a Columbus liquor magnate and wealthy benefactor, was the board’s second-longest-serving member in state history, and he’s been involved in every major decision involving the college system — particularly those involving his alma mater, the University of Georgia. He was first appointed to the board in 1991.

He also played a central part in the legendary feuds in the early 2000s over finances at UGA, siding with then-UGA president Michael Adams over Vince Dooley, who at the time was the school’s long-serving athletics director.

I’m guessing he won’t be in attendance at the season opener when the field is dedicated to Coach Dooley.  Funny how things play out sometimes.

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“And I think these guys will bring out a side of Urban that people have not seen.”

I dare you to read this article without thinking “oh, bullshit” at least once.

Legacy request

Hear the man’s plea, Dawgnation.

Herschel Walker: “I've always said name something after Herschel Walker before I die. I don't want to be dead and not be able to enjoy it. That's why I'm happy for Coach Dooley getting the field named after him.” #SECMD19 #nokidding

— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) July 16, 2019

A statue at least, for cryin’ out loud.  Git ‘er done, Butts-Mehre.

Your 7.17.19 Playpen

Last week’s sad news:

Jim Bouton, a once-promising pitcher with the New York Yankees who found greater fame as the author of “Ball Four,” an irreverent, best-selling book that angered baseball’s hierarchy and changed the way journalists and fans viewed the sports world, died July 10 at his home in Great Barrington, Mass. He was 80.

He had a stroke in 2012 and five years later disclosed he had been diagnosed with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a condition that causes vessels in the brain to burst under pressure. The death was confirmed by his wife, Paula Kurman.

Quite simply, Ball Four is the best sports book I’ve ever read.  If I have the time, I pull it out and re-read it every spring.  It’s funny, it’s observant and, most of all (not to mention what the people who were offended when it was released missed) it’s an ode to baseball.

The last line of the book says it all.  “… you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”

Dialing 911 in the 404

David Hale, speaking truth to lack of power:

They’ll also now need to be on the field for more snaps and have arguably (on paper) the bottom pass rush in the ACC to help.

Every fan base should be optimistic this time of year. But it ain’t my job to put a smiley face on every position group for every team.

— That's so David (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 16, 2019

There ain’t enough lipstick in the world to pretty up that pig.  That’s probably one reason why StingTalk has gone back to being a password-protected message board.

The coming adventures of “Do More”

It’s possible that the toughest part of Kirby Smart’s coaching job this season is keeping the team from obsessing about facing Alabama again.  It’s a damned long road to the SECCG and plenty can happen along the way if the Dawgs can’t maintain their focus as they slug their way through the first twelve games of the season.

Then again, a certain fixation on the Tide is understandable.

… In 443 minutes of Alabama-verses-Georgia football the last two years, the Bulldogs trailed for less than 90 seconds of them. They’ve out-gained Alabama in yards (819-774) and first downs (45-41), too, and have two Ls to show for it.

As Smart said, “What we’ve shown is we can match their physicality. We’ve got to finish.”

As the header notes, “Do More” is this season’s motto du jour.  Too bad “Finish the Drill” was already taken.

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UPDATE:

More from Alabama LB Dylan Moses: "Georgia is definitely the hardest team I've played in college." #SECMD19

— David Paschall (@DavidSPaschall) July 17, 2019

Wednesday morning buffet

Plenty of fodder from yesterday’s edition of SEC Media Days…

• I’ll say this for Kellen Mond — he doesn’t lack a sense of bravado.
• This is the lowest ranking I’ve seen Georgia receive from a preseason computer model.  Evidently, it was the level of play against Texas that did it.
• Jeremy Pruitt brushed off complaints about his trying to poach Missouri players after the NCAA hammered the Tigers by claiming “It was just a miscommunication.”
• Pruitt also filibustered like hell yesterday.  Must be tough for him to take media questions.
• If you haven’t heard the Herschel Walker coin flip story in its entirety, now’s your time to catch up.
• The Big 12’s attempt to regulate the “Horns Down” gesture is bound for glory.
• This is what Dan Mullen was rocking yesterday.  Yecch.
• Kirby Smart compares Jake Fromm to the GPOOE™.  (Although at least he had the presence of mind to acknowledge that “… people are going to cringe when I say this”.)

More one-sided than bringing a knife to a gun fight

I’m not posting this to defend Jeremiah Holloman’s behavior, or to knock Smart’s decision to dismiss Holloman from the team.  I would have done the same thing Kirby did, and just as quickly.  But I’m not gonna lie and say this little tidbit doesn’t bug me a little:

The victim didn’t file a police report until June 2, 2019, more than a year after the incident occurred on the day after the 2018 G-Day Game at 4 a.m. on April 22.

Holloman agreed to speak with the University of Georgia Police Department on June 6.

Later that day, without legal representation, Holloman confessed to striking his former girlfriend after an argument grew physical in his dorm room.  [Emphasis added.]

The article doesn’t note if he was told he had the right to speak with a lawyer, but I can’t say that really matters much.  You’ve got a football player going up against what Jimmy Williamson built and that’s hardly a fair match under the best of circumstances.

I guarantee you that isn’t how it works at most SEC schools.

The words that sent Justin Fields packing

… weren’t uttered by Adam Sasser.

They came from this guy.

More from Fromm, this time on whether he’s glad he won’t be looking over his shoulder this year when Justin Fields was on the team: “I never worried about looking over my shoulder.” #SECMD19 pic.twitter.com/iz4Mvyzqgp

— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) July 16, 2019

Maybe Fromm doesn’t have the gaudiest stats in the country, but I can’t think of another quarterback starting this season who’s run off two five-star players from his program.  That’s a good enough resume in my book.

Your next pair of sneakers

A reader alerted me to Nike’s next offering, coming July 22nd:

That’s not bad looking at all.

Like everything else football related these days, the price keeps going up.  This one’s $130 for the pair.  Like what you see?