Your 4.21.21 Playpen

This week’s Playpen topic is another email request, this one from miltondawg.

While you don’t often discuss basketball on GTP, how about a play pen question about whether or not it is time for Georgia to drop the futile men’s basketball program once and for all.

While that’s a little over the top — UGA isn’t going to disband a program that makes money, silly — I have to respect the level of despair.

Along those lines, check out these endorsements of Tom Crean.

This new fella came in and completely trashed everything we had accomplished.. told us we didn't do anything, we weren't good enough to play SEC basketball.. looking real funny in the light.

— Juwan Parker (@wans_world3) April 20, 2021

Honestly, if y’all really still think this is a “home run hire” ya fooling yourself .. i once did but not anymore and it is what it is

— JJ Frazier (@jfrazier30) March 12, 2021

When you’ve got Mark Fox’ former players dissing Crean, you know the program isn’t headed in the right direction.

Here’s the thing, though:  nobody really cares.  The program’s been on automatic pilot for decades.  Apathy is its defining characteristic.  Combine that with an incredibly lazy run of coach hirings (a McGarity specialty) and what you’ve got is Crean making nearly twice as much as Fox did to deliver arguably weaker results.

Crean, of course, does what any well paid coach in his situation does.  Deflect.

Statement texted from Georgia head coach Tom Crean regarding Sahvir Wheeler’s decision to enter the portal and apply for the NBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/tdgchu2Za7

— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) April 20, 2021

Can’t say I found that persuasive.

When you’re paid the big bucks, you’re paid to adapt to the times.

That being said, why should we expect the next guy to be any better?  As long as the program isn’t losing money, the incentives won’t change.  Hell, the smartest thing Brooks could do is wait a year for Crean’s buyout to drop and then find another mediocrity to take the job at half the cost.  Believe me, in certain quarters, that will come off as a win.

And some of you wonder why I only post about Georgia football.

With that, the floor is yours.

Advertisement

I must be in love.

I hope somebody looks at you the way Cole Cubelic looks at Amarius Mims.

“I’ll tell you this: Amarius Mims is probably the most beautiful tackle as a freshman I’ve seen in a long time. I mean, he’s got the small waist, the big rear end, the long arms—he just looks the part.”

Now that’s what I call Dawg porn.  Literally.

Finebaum wants some of that sweet narrative action.

It’s why they pay him the big bucks.

“It’s always the same issues for Georgia though,” Finebaum added. “They deal with the toughest opening game in the country, I said at Clemson but although the game is two hours from Clemson, it still feels like it’s at Clemson. And then, the vagaries of the SEC, I think they are way ahead of Florida right now.

“But they still have to go to Auburn, we don’t know about (how good Auburn will be this season), do we? And the SEC Championship Game, likely against Alabama. So, I don’t think much has really changed at Georgia. If they can hold it together, last year, the team didn’t hold it together. They lost the Alabama game and they look terrible against Florida. I think it’s fairly similar, I mean this is what Kirby Smart does. He recruits elite athletes. This is one of the top four or five programs in the country, can they win the right games for us to say they’re going to the playoffs? Simple as that.”

Thanks for that keen insight, PAWWWLLL.  I had no idea that was happening — and right under our noses, too.

(By the way, “they still have to go to Auburn”?  Really?  Need to up your trolling game, man.)

“Adverse situations”

Need a laugh?  Here’s what Tennessee’s linebackers coach had to say about one of his charges:

Jean-Mary said Albright is the first long-snapper he’s coached at the position, adding, “he was recruited here as a long-snapper, but he’s an athletic long-snapper.”

Vince Dooley would have a field day with that.

TFW you need an exit strategy

Shot.

Mark Emmert continues to believe that Congress will pass an NIL bill by July 1.

Wishful thinking, to say the least. https://t.co/KYeTL0o0eJ

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) April 21, 2021

Bohannon: Emmert told players that if there are no national NIL rules by July 1, when at least 4 state laws are set to take effect, athletes in those states who make NIL deals won't be punished.

Bohannon: "I countered and asked what about the states that don’t have" an NIL law? https://t.co/ciKwwyF5s7

— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) April 21, 2021

Chaser.

A report out of Baton Rouge says embattled NCAA president Mark Emmert could be a moonshot candidate to become the next LSU president.https://t.co/4hiZy9tAim

— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) April 20, 2021

Now that’s leadership in action, my friends.