Bobo’s Future Sign of UGA Success

It is being floated around that Bobo is going to talk with Georgia Southern after the Gator Bowl.  Bobo won’t go to Southern.  That would absolutely dumb for a few reasons:  One, Southern sucks.  Two, with the move up to FBS this year, GSU is going to get their brains beat in for a few years.  It is going to take time for the Eagles to have success in the Sunbelt.  He’d be setting himself up to fail.  Finally, GSU runs the triple option.  Not going to have players to run his scheme.

Look, I know folks out there give Bobo a hard time.  But let me just shoot it straight with you:  if you seriously think Bobo draws plays with a crayon, or think he is a terrible OC, or think that UGA should dump him, or think that just now in 2013 he FINALLY proved himself  to you , then you are an idiot.  An absolute freaking idiot.

In fact, Mike Bobo’s offense is the best thing about this football team, and it has been for quite sometime.   Not only his playcalling abilities, but also throw in his recruiting and his QB development.  The man knows what the hell he is doing, and has proved to be very good at it.  As Bernie pointed out in this quote-Bobo blistered several coordinators who make more than he does including scoring at least 35 points on: LSU’s John Chavis (44 points; $1.1 million), Georgia Tech’s Ted Roof (41 points; $600,000), South Carolina’s Lorenzo Ward (41 points; $650,000), Auburn’s Ellis Johnson (38 points; $800,000) and Clemson’s Brent Venables (35 points, $800,000)-Bobo’s success isn’t just against the also rans.  The job he did in 2013 is especially commendable with all the injuries, and 247Sports recognized that.

Greg McGarity is going to have to dig in to pay Bobo what he deserves.  I know Mike Bobo will leave UGA at some point.  He is young, ambitious and successful. But Georgia shouldn’t let him leave for just any job.  He won’t go to Southern.  Coaches’ salaries have gotten really big, even at smaller schools.  If Bobo leaves for a Sun Belt job or C-USA job for a million bucks, it will be awful.  I can live with him going to a big school for big money.  But there is no reason at all he should leave for a small school for “not much money” when Georgia not only can pony up and pay him, but should pony up and pay him.

Georgia has got to make Mike Bobo the highest paid coordinator not only on staff, but in the SEC.  He is a former player, the longest tenured coach on the staff, and has proven himself.  Name me one coordinator in the SEC who has been in their current position as long as Bobo and who has done as good a job over a 7+ season tenure.   I can think of three:  Kirby Smart, Ellis Johnson, and John Chavis (though the last two have not been at their current school for that long).

Alabama has kept Kirby Smart.  Texas kept Muschamp around for a while.  Clemson is stepping up to pay Chad Morris and Brent Venables.

If Georgia lets Bobo leave for financial reasons, then rage and anger on the message boards, in the stands on Saturdays, and on the Bill Shanks show should be directed at the UGA administation.  People always ask, “Do you think Alabama and Nick Saban would do X?”  I’ll have another question: Do you think the University of Alabama would not properly pay Kirby Smart?  Would they let Kirby Smart leave over money?  And to Richt’s credit, remember he went out of pocket to pay his guys becuase UGA wouldn’t.

People want to constantly point fingers at Richt as to why Georgia isn’t winning a National Championship.  Though a Richt guy, I can see room for criticism.   Critics say all issues start at the top, meaning Richt.  He has to be the one who is ultimately accountable.   Remember that Richt has people over him.  If UGA wants to be successful like Alabama, then it does start at the top.

And I don’t mean Richt.

Corbindawg

(I also think Richt is under paid, based on what the market is demanding.  Look at the other SEC head coaches.  Regardless of what you think of Richt, for him to be paid middle of the pack and the same as Hugh Freeze doesn’t make sense.  But that is another post for another day)

Gator Bowl Preview

For the record, I think Georgia wins.  Nebraska can’t stop Todd Gurley, and I know our defense can’t stop anyone, but come on.  Nebraska ain’t exactly the Auburn Tigers on offense.

But, I am not really concerned with how the game plays out aside from one thing:  Hutson Mason getting his experience.

9 wins sounds a whole lot better than 8.  It is always better to go into the offseason with a win rather than a loss to have positive energy in recruiting and among the fanbase.

But the way this year has gone, I don’t really care about that.  I mean, I’d rather win thatn lose, any day, but winning is on the peripheral of my focus on Wednesday’s game.

2013 was just a funky year.  Lots of weird stuff happened.  A lot of it was beyond Georgia’s control; a lot of it wasn’t.  Lord have mercy, how many times did were we on the edge of our seats and going from cheering wildly to throwing our hats down and cursing?

But the most important thing about the Gator Bowl is getting everyone ready for 2014.  So if Hutson Mason throws 4 picks and we lose, but it teaches him something, fine.  If by losing the Gator Bowl, it can help in 2014, then so be it.

Winning is important, but winning in 2014 paramount.

Corbindawg

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

The Grit Tree

JHC, Sheldon Dawson suspended

You know, our secondary has caused us a lot of heartburn and headaches. Even before the team heads to Jacksonville, it’s back on track once again.

Many reports are out that Josh Harvey-Clemons and Sheldon Dawson have violated team regulations and will miss the bowl game. Early rumblings indicate it is academics related.

Two quick takes:

The key to Georgia winning this bowl is how motivated it is. When two players don’t care enough to keep their stuff in order, it is a bad sign. You worry that with all the bad breaks, players have given up before the bowl arrives.

How much rope does JHC have left? This is his second suspension of the year and he was also in the car during Crowell’s gun incident. How long until Richt, to use his own phrase, ‘helps him find where the door is?’

Go Dawgs! (and do not violate team rules, for Dawg sake)

Lugnut Dawg

Airing of Grievances

I’m back from a brief sabbatical.  This time of year is always busy with work travel and closing out some end of the year business.  Plus, a sick little girl battling ear infections and Christmas shopping have kept old man Corbindawg busy the last few weeks.

But I’m back for today before taking a few days off for Christmas.  Before I aired my grievances, I wanted to start with something positive.

I struggle with being “that guy”, but I just gotta say, I am one proud daddy.  My little girl is about 11 months old, and Christmas this year is extra special.  My wife and I didn’t go crazy buying stuff, as the boxes and wrapping paper will hold her attention at this time.  But just having a young one at this time makes my favorite time of the year even more special.  I love my daughter more than anything on this planet, and more than I thought would be possible.  People with children understand this special feeling I know; those without kids just wait.  It is the best feeling ever.  I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about having a kid.  But now I couldn’t imagine life without my little girl.

OK, now on to the grievances…

* The Bill Shanks radio show stinks.  He couldn’t smooth a silk sheet if he had a hot date with a babe.

*While I was OK with bringing Grantham back, this defense really sucked.  And here I thought before the season started that the youth in secondary would mature and continue the storied tradition of excellence from this position group.  For as big as a step forward Ray Drew took this year, Damian Swann took a step back.  The secondary really, really needs to improve and stop making me look bad when I say how good you can be.

*I don’t particularly agree with what Phil Robertson said, but I am sick and tired of hearing about it.  Good grief, Charlie Brown.  I am a big fan of Duck Dynasty.  An off the cuff interview in an article in GQ magazine asks him his opinions, and what do you think the answer would be?  Just like with the Dan Cathy “scandal” last year.  Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday.  Their religious beliefs are pretty clear.  What do you expect the response to be?  I don’t have a problem with A&E suspending Phil; he has the freedome to say what he wants, and they have the freedom to respond.  But why would anyone be surprised to what Phil said?  Come on, man.  And while I don’t agree totally with Phil, I will continue to watch Duck Dynasty becuase I find it entertaining and refreshing.  I like the fact they pray and are open about their faith.  I’m going to watch Duck Dynasty and eat my Chick-fil-A sandwiches and worry about important stuff like Georiga’s special teams.  Anyone who is bent out of shape one way or another needs to get a life.

*And while I am on the media blowing things out of proportion: I think Santa is white.  He can be black.  He can be whatever you want.

*Is there a bigger waste of time than the Today show?  I wish it would get canceled so my wife would watch something else in the morning while doing her make up.

*I wish I had supreme power to censor what folks who sit around me say.  Yes, sometimes, the Georgia offense is going to go three and out, or even get a play that doesn’t get 4 or 5 yards.  It happens.  You don’t have to cuss out Mike Bobo when it does.

*UGA special teams, I just have a few words:  Clemson.  Tennessee.  Vanderbilt.

*Why are the Falcons building a new stadium, while the Braves are getting shipped to Cobb County? I respect the Braves wanting to move to where the ticket holders are, but if you want to get butts in the seats, why don’t you take the money that you are going to spend on building a new stadium and actually invest in big time talent?  Winning ball games with superstar players will attract fans and sell merchandise.

*I hope UGA gets a new indoor practice facility so everyone would shut up the one time a year it rains and they have to change plans.

*Huggies Diapers…why can’t you stay on good like Pampers?

*Gerber…you have such good baby food flavors in the ones and twos…why such gross flavors in the stage 3?

*I want to watch Christmas movies this time of year…why are they showing the Santa Clause 2 and 3 over and over, and not some other good ones?

*Have we mentioned Bill Shanks sucks?

Corbindawg

BookFacing With Coach Boom

BookFacing With Coach Boom

Lewis Grizzard Wednesday: Heartache For The Holidays

Heartache For The Holidays

New York – Trying to hail a taxi on a street corner in Manhattan at 5 in the afternoon is like trying to get one Buffalo’s attention as an entire herd rushes past.

You stand there like an idiot with your hand in the air, and the great yellow procession ignores you and rushes on by.

So I’m 20 minutes into this seemingly futile effort when a blue compact pulls in front of me and stops. There is a sign in the front window that reads: “Car for Hire.”

I don’t know if this is some sort of renegade cab driver or not, but at this point I don’t care.

I climb in the back seat and told the man in front where I wanted to go.

He is an elderly man, wearing a hat and thick glasses. We stop at a light as we go through Central Park.

The driver, who hasn’t spoken a word to this point, suddenly says, “It was five months today I lost my dear wife.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I reply.

“Five months ago today,” he repeats. “It’s tough, you know, this time of year.”

I imagined that it would be. For all the joy and hope Christmas brings to some, it can mean the searing pain of loneliness to others.

“How long were you married?” I ask.

“For 45 wonderful years,” the driver answers.

I’m sure I detect his voice breaking.

The man begins to cry. He takes off his thick glasses and wipes his eyes with his handkerchief. And we’re in rush-hour traffic. I’m concerned for my safety, but here’s an old man crying over his dead wife a week before Christmas.

He finally stopped crying and put his glasses back on.

“Before she died, ” he begins again, “she told me I would be OK. She had leukemia, you know. She knew she was dying, but I couldn’t accept it.

“She pulled me close to her and said, `You’re strong as a bull, you can make it without me.’ But it isn’t easy.”

“Any kids?” I ask.

He holds up four fingers. And then he starts crying again. And the glasses come off again and out comes the handkerchief again. This is a terribly delicate situation.

I thought about changing the subject to get my driver’s mind off his dead wife and back on the traffic. But what would I talk about – the weather?

“I met her in 1944,” he goes on. “Ever heard of Roseland?”

“The big dance place?” I ask.

“That’s the one. It was big back then. That’s where I met her, my wife. I walked in and she was the first girl I saw. She was wearing a white dress.

“I saw her and I noticed she was looking at me too, so I walked over, put my fingers under her chin and said, `Hello, gorgeous.’ That’s how the whole thing started. I just can’t believe she’s gone.”

“How old are you?” I ask the man.

“Sixty-six,” he answers.

“You’re still young,” I said, groping to keep up my end of the conversation. “Maybe you will find somebody else.”

“That’s what she told me before she died. She said I’d meet somebody else. I believe she’s up there in heaven looking down at me now. Maybe she’s even trying to find someone else for me.”

“Could be,” I say.

We arrive at my destination. I pay the guy, give him a generous tip and say, “Hang in there.”

“I was doing good until Christmas,” he says. His voice broke again. Off came the glasses again. He dried his eyes with the handkerchief again. Then he says goodbye and drives away.

Home alone in New York at Christmas. Only the movies could make it seem like anything but hell.

Could Richt Be On Texas’ Radar?

Since Mack Brown resigned at Texas, around the same time that Nick Saban helped make Jimmy Sexton’s bank account all the more richer, the buzz around who Brown’s replacement at Texas settled partially on the SEC.

Two logical candidates are James Franklin and Kirby Smart, but there’s a third SEC target that could have some intrigue, if Texas opts to go this route – Mark Richt.

When you think about it, Mark Richt and Texas could actually be a nice fit.

If Richt wanted a fresh start, Texas would be a nice place. You swap the likes of Bama and South Carolina for Baylor and Oklahoma State. When you play teams like that each year, it is easier to make it through conference play as a ‘pretty good’ team than having to be a ‘great’ team in the SEC.

Much like Georgia, Texas is a very fertile recruiting ground. Richt made an early intent at Georgia when he sought to ‘close the borders.’ Texas needs to do the  same after some very bad looking recruiting misses – RG3, Manziel, Winston…

When you think about, it may not be a bad fit after all, and there would be a segment of Georgia fans willing to back a grassroots campaign to get Texas to hire Richt.

All of this, of course, would hinge on Richt deciding to leave Athens. And as we all know, it’s hard to dislike Athens, let alone want to leave on your own accord.

Go Dawgs

Lugnut Dawg

‘It May Not Have Been The Ending We Wanted, But It Was Ours.”

On a sidenote, whoever was in charge of these videos this year is a DGD.

Lewis Grizzard Wednesday: The Medallions

Double Shot Of Medallions

Sea Island, Georgia – We had the Swingin’ Medallions for a pre-Georgia-Florida football game party here on this lovely isle, home of the five- star retreat, The Cloister.

They come to the Georgia coast by the thousands annually for the game, played in nearby Jacksonville.

The Swingin’ Medallions. I have asked often what, if anything, endures? Well, the Swingin’ Medallions and their kind of music – my generation’s music – has.

I first heard them sing and play in the parking lot of a fraternity house at the University of Georgia in 1965. They had the land’s No. 1 rock ‘n’ roll hit at the time, the celebrated, “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love.”

That was so long ago. I’d never been married and my father was living with me. He had appeared at my apartment one day after one of his long absences, hat in hand.

I gave him a bed. He got a job running a local cafeteria. He paid his part of the rent out of what he would bring home to eat each night from the cafeteria. I never had a better eating year.

We were strolling along the campus together and heard the music. We went to the fraternity parking lot from whence it came and listened for a half an hour.

Daddy said, “Marvelous music. Simply marvelous.”

My daddy said the same thing about World War II.

“Marvelous war. Simply marvelous.”

The major thought practically everything was marvelous, simply marvelous, except women who smoked. I’m not sure why he thought more of world wars than women who smoked. I never got to know the man that well.

The Swingin’ Medallions at the party were one original and the sons of originals. How nice to see one generation pass down its music to another. That rarely happens.

What clean-cut, personable young men they were. They let the more celebratory join for a few numbers behind their microphones.

There is something about a microphone and an amplifying system and a little see-through whiskey to bring out imagined musical talent.

They did “Double Shot” twice. And they played all the other great shagging sounds from the ’50s and ’60s.

Sure, I’ll list a few of them:

“Stand By Me.” Haunting melody if you listen to it very closely. Will you just hang around, darling, even through the bad times?

“My Girl.” The Temptations’ finest, in my mind.

“Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.” The Tams greatest hit. I know a lady who wants it sung at her funeral.

“It’s funny about this kind of music,” one of the younger Medallions was saying. “We play for people your age [high side of 40 and up] and we play a lot of high school proms.

“The kids like it as much as you do, and they think it’s something brand new.”

Compared to what rock ‘n’ roll became in the ’70s, it’s tame music, soft music. It is music to which there are actually discernible words.

And, perhaps the best thing about it is, you can actually talk above it.

My generation hasn’t given what others have been asked to give. We’ve been through no depressions or world wars, for instance. We’ve given you Bill and Hillary.

But we have left our music, the kind the South Carolina-based Swingin’ Medallions still play with great feeling and just the right amount of showmanship for a group that didn’t riot when it was announced the bar was closing down at 10:30.

It was a nice party and nobody is young enough to jump in the pool anymore. Marvelous. Simply marvelous.