Thursday Links (9/4)

Happy first day of the NFL season! The Thursday kickoff doesn't really bring with it the same excitement as Sunday will create, but I'm still sure I'll be angry about my fantasy football teams before the night is over.

While we're on the subject of the NFL, here are a few quick NFL links:

-- Check out my NFL column from Tuesday's Macon Telegraph in which I make 12 key predictions for the upcoming season.

-- After having Tatum Bell ruin fantasy teams for me on at least two occasions, I'm not at all surprised by this story. In his defense, apparently Bell wants to make things right.

-- ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski has XLII predictions for the new NFL season.

And, on to the college related links...

-- I have a story in today's Telegraph and Ledger-Enquirer on the Bulldogs' impressive freshman wide receiver A.J. Green.

-- Check out the second entry in Gentry Estes' Alabama notebook about Georgia head coach Mark Richt. I'm assuming Lorenzo Washington was kidding around, as Richt said he could barely see the field from where he was sitting. It is amusing, however, as Richt usually does have notes written on his hand.

-- Central Michigan's No. 2 QB Brian Brunner is keeping a blog at NCAA.com in which he writes about the Chippewas' upcoming trip to Athens.

-- The UGA Athletics Web site has a Q&A with freshman kicker Blair Walsh.

-- The Newman Times-Herald says if Georgia wins out, it will be six weeks before the Dawgs get back to No. 1.

-- The AJC's Chip Towers writes about DeAngelo Tyson's climb up the depth chart.

-- The Midland Daily News has a story on Georgia kids now playing for Central Michigan and hoping to get a taste of success against their homestate team.

-- Clemson's Tommy Bowden is seeking advice from other coaches, including Mark Richt.

-- ESPN's Rick Reilly calls out Virginia for banning signs in the crowd.

And also a handful of other random links...

-- Former Bulldog Gordon Beckham inked a deal with Donruss.

-- Georgia hoops got a commitment from a Franklin County recruit, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

-- I wanted to bid a fond farewell to John Kaltefleiter, the fine former sports editor at the Athens Banner-Herald, who is heading back to Texas.

-- And finally, IN A WORLD... where great voiceover actors die too young, one man proved even "Weekend at Bernie's II" could sound exciting if read with just the right amount of gravitas. RIP Don LaFontaine.