Never one to miss an opportunity…
********************************************************************
UPDATE: Take this for what it’s worth.
Daily Archives: January 20, 2022
Envy and jealousy, the smartest people in the room edition
Andy Staples ($$) concisely nails the geniuses at the NCAA with this:
Meanwhile, the schools and the NCAA got dog-walked into the business end of a 9-0 Supreme Court decision in NCAA v. Alston last year. It’s really hard to lose 9-0 in the Supreme Court, but these people managed it.
The sad thing, as he goes on to note, is that a significant portion of the folks running the sport haven’t come to grips with that yet.
Filed under Envy and Jealousy
“Offensive Fun Index”
This is pretty good.
Georgia comes out just fine there. You had fun, right?
What I really can’t figure out is why an athletic director with a moribund P5 football program hasn’t taken a chance on Coastal Carolina’s Jamey Chadwell already.
Filed under Stats Geek!
The NCAA is shocked, shocked there’s cheating in this establishment.
There’s something almost marvelous about the way the NCAA pretends it’s finally on to something.
For decades, the NCAA’s investigative unit justifiably has been criticized about perceived selective enforcement and arbitrary punishments, not to mention the interminable years-long process of settling many cases. There finally is a push for consequential reform.
“The constitution needs to be updated, a lot of the procedures need to be updated,” one conference commissioner told On3. “There is a disparity in the infractions process. For many years, the smaller schools have been more heavily penalized than the bigger schools. The infractions committee really doesn’t come down hard on the Power 5. They come down hard on the Cleveland States.”
That’s a reference to the late Jerry Tarkanian’s famous quip about the NCAA being so mad at Kentucky that it slapped Cleveland State with two more years of probation.
That Tarkanian quote is from 1989. No rush, right, fellas?
Of course, this is college sports. There’s always somebody with an agenda.
Additionally, LEAD1, an association that represents all 130 FBS ADs, has petitioned the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to change its infractions approach so that schools that cooperate with NCAA investigations would enjoy stronger protections.
“Penalties levied from the (Committee on Infractions) should be more narrowly tailored, targeting bad actors, rather than punishing innocent student-athletes never involved in the egregious conduct,” reads one of LEAD1’s several recommendations.
“Penalties such as scholarship reductions, financial aid penalties, postseason bans, and elimination of records undermine our mission.”
Very noble sounding. What’s the catch?
But here’s what’s left unsaid: LEAD1’s proposal doesn’t just protect athletes. The organization’s recommendations also protect ADs and administrators who should be responsible for monitoring their coaches’ conduct.
Their self-serving recommendations would allow universities that employ rulebreakers to steer clear of the stiffest penalties, as long as they throw overboard the “bad actors.”
In other words, gather evidence that a losing coach cheats, fire that coach, and start over.
Well, that beats blaming Cleveland State, I guess. Cooperating with an NCAA investigation will become the new vote of confidence for a head coach.
Of course, this is before Todd Berry weighs in on the matter. Let’s see what’s left of this particular noble cause after the coaches weigh in.
Filed under The NCAA
Got Dawg porn?
If you’re feeling a little down over yesterday’s transfer portal news, let PFF cheer you up.
The following are the top 10 tight ends returning to college football this fall. Please note that this has nothing to do with pro potential.
1. BROCK BOWERS, GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Bowers was in the conversation for best tight end in college football despite being a true freshman this past season. He earned a 91.7 PFF receiving grade in 2021 while generating 3.14 yards per route run. This is a level of production we’ve never seen from a true freshman — and a level rarely obtained by any player at the position. With the help of his speed, explosiveness and ball skills, Bowers is already a college football star.
3. ARIK GILBERT, GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Gilbert didn’t play a down with Georgia in 2021 after shining in 2020 for the LSU Tigers. He didn’t play due to personal reasons, and it’s currently unknown whether he will be able to suit up in 2022 or not. If Gilbert is able to take the field this fall, it would be a big win for Georgia.
Gilbert isn’t much of an in-line blocker, but his overall athleticism and receiving ability are in the elite tier for the position. His true freshman campaign was reminiscent of Kyle Pitts as an underclassman. The No. 5 overall recruit from the class of 2020 lived up to the hype as a true freshman in 2020, producing an impressive 73.0 receiving grade that ranked first among first-year tight ends. Gilbert did this while running over 55% of his routes from the slot or out wide. The 6-foot-5, 249-pounder has a massive catch radius and some craftiness both as a route-runner and after the catch. He hauled in seven of his 13 contested targets and broke nine tackles on 35 receptions in 2020.
There’s more where those two come from, too.
Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!
Toxic
How it started:
How it’s going:
And, yes, I get all the usual disclaimers about how a vocal group on social media doesn’t represent the fan base at large, yada, yada, yada.
I also get this:
We’re less than two weeks out from the team winning a national championship. If Smart and the coaching staff don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt from every Georgia fan right now, when will they ever?
Somehow, I suspect the program will muddle through just fine. Some folks need to chill or find another diversion in their lives.
Silence is golden.
The SkyCast version of the Ringo pick-six is sublime.
The way Gawd intended for us to enjoy that.
Honestly, I would pay extra for an ESPN SkyCast channel. I really would.
Filed under ESPN Is The Devil, Georgia Football
Get The Picture 