GTP Gift Guide updated

As the header indicates, I’ve updated the listings in the blog’s Gift Guide based on your suggestions, along with a thing or two I’ve come across.  I tried to fix broken links, too.  (If I missed something, please let me know.)

Happy holidays!

You may remember him.

This is an interesting turn of events.

Drew Brees, the former NFL quarterback, is being hired as an interim assistant coach at Purdue, source tells @SINow.

He wanted to help during the coaching transition. He’ll assist team in prep for the Citrus Bowl and coach in the game. He can also recruit via an NCAA waiver.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 15, 2022

If Kirby could do that, whom would you like to see brought in as a staff addition?

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Your Daily Gator… is back.

They’ve still got it.

Billy Napier will turn out to be a much better coach than Kirby Smart. pic.twitter.com/hNkzNJB5xf

— Message Board Geniuses (@BoardGeniuses) December 15, 2022

Pay no attention to all those players who got drafted this year!

Bless their hearts.

Meet Emmert’s replacement.

He’s from the government and he’s here to help.

The NCAA is pleased to announce that Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has accepted an offer to become the NCAA’s next president. Read the full press release and statements here: https://t.co/TdtqHsZV9W pic.twitter.com/cBZDdwWCGt

— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) December 15, 2022

If he’s better at risk assessment — and it would hard for him not to be than his predecessor was — it’s a step up for the organization.

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UPDATE: That being said…

BREAKING: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is named President of the @NCAA, effective March 1, 2023.

Baker is the first NCAA leader with no previous work experience at a college or in education.

(via @SmittySBJ)
🔗 https://t.co/NtlvGg6PGM pic.twitter.com/6mZ2KHSvDh

— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) December 15, 2022

No experience at a college or in education?  Guess you know where their priorities lie now.

Thursday ticket exchange

With word that the school plans to send its Peach Bowl tickets via mobile delivery on Monday to the lucky 13,000 who got their orders filled, I thought I’d go ahead and put up and exchange post for folks.

Be forewarned:  they aren’t gonna be cheap.

Tickets started at $345 each on Wednesday on Stubhub for standing room only tickets.

Tickets started at $428 in the 300 levels, $630 in the 200 levels and $562 in the 100 level. Club seats in the 100-level started at $1,062 and $1,360 in the 200 level.

You know what to do in the comments.

Football gods, I’m a little disappointed, tbh.

Not what I was hoping for…

Bobby Petrino is returning to the FBS ranks as the offensive coordinator at UNLV under new coach Barry Odom, sources tell ESPN. Petrino was head coach at Missouri State the last three seasons. He’s widely regarded as one of the top offensive minds/play-callers in the game.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 15, 2022

That’s not all he’s widely regarded about.

Ah, well.  He and Jimbo could have been the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

How do you know the NFL draft is approaching?

Easy.  It’s when tools who like to call themselves “draft experts” start passing on whispers from NFL teams who want a player’s stock to drop so they can get a shot at him.  You know, like this:

Todd McShay says Jalen Carter has character issues that could hurt him in the draft…

while simultaneously projecting Jalen Carter to go to the Seahawks with the #2 overall pick.

Was McShay on the sauce during this episode? pic.twitter.com/uk14dBLBeb

— Jon Tweets Sports 🏴‍☠️ (@jontweetssports) December 14, 2022

Ironically, Carter had advisors whispering in his ears earlier this year when he was injured to rehab and then skip out for the draft.  I must have missed when he bailed on his teammates.  So, I guess, did his teammates.

What’s he like in the lockeroom you ask? One of my favorite guys to be around. ALL-AROUND STUD as a player and as a friend/teammate. https://t.co/n1MOIOECwF

— Ryland Goede (@RylandGoede88) December 15, 2022

Sheesh.

Coming soon to a legislature near you…

The next phase of player compensation is about to commence.

A new bill has been filed in South Carolina that would allow D1 schools generating at least $50 million in athletics revenue per year to pay football and men’s and women’s basketball players stipends based on the time spent on their sport.https://t.co/PwSxwyFHpd

— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) December 14, 2022

Yes, to answer your question, that would be on top of the COA and Alston payments they’re already receiving.  Also, this.

The bill also creates a trust fund for the sale athletes, with $5k being deposited into the fund each year for each athlete who is in good academic standing.

Upon graduation, the athlete is paid the amount deposited into the trust fund for him or her (up to a max of $25k).

— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) December 14, 2022

But don’t call them employees!