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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wednesday afternoon notes

The A.J. Green jersey-selling story has re-ignited the debate, at least in some quarters, over whether college athletes should be paid.

Georgia head coach Mark Richt was asked about that on the weekly SEC teleconference. Richt started out by pointing out that a lot of players do get extra money, through Pell Grants.

But Green, whose family Richt said was “middle-income”, would not qualify for Pell Grant money. So the coach wondered if there was a way to get a little more money to someone in Green’s position.

“Maybe there should be something across the board where everybody can get a little bit more than what they’re getting,” Richt said.

The problem, as Richt went on to point out, is the inequity that would create. The SEC clearly has the money to pay football players, as do most other Division I-A leagues. But then athletes in non-revenue sports, and athletes at all levels, would want some. And college presidents, and the people who run college athletics, don’t really want to delve into that morass.

“As long as we’re structured the way we are, it’s just not gonna fly,” Richt said.

- You may have heard that Colorado is using this weekend to honor its 1990 national championship team. Well, national champions according to some people.

The Buffaloes lost one game (to Tennessee), tied Illinois, and beat Missouri thanks to a (cough, ahem, cough) extra down. So there’s another team in the state of Georgia that claims to be champion that year.

I got a bit of a kick out of Colorado’s weekly release, which I’ll quote:

Now apparently, our use of the word ‘concensus’ upsets a few folks around the country. It’s not to slam others, but rather to strengthn CU’s case for that season since many point to the Fifth Down game or the clip on Raghib Ismail’s punt return in the Orange Bowl and say our title is tainted. But fact is fact; at the time nine basic postseason polls were recognized as determining a unanimous or consensus national champion: Colorado topped in six of those: Associated Press, FWAA (Football Writers Association of America), National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame (MacArthur Trophy), USA Today-CNN, Sporting News and Football News. Georgia Tech won the United Press International poll (by 1 point) and Miami, Fla., the Sagarin and New York Times computer rankings.

(Like how they stuck the “by 1 point” in parenthesis?)

Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who was in high school at the time, was asked Tuesday who he thought was the legitimate champion that year.

Bobo gave the politically correct answer.

“It was Colorado,” he said with a smile. “Shawn Jones was the quarterback for Tech then and my Dad coached him, so I kind of pulled a little for Tech – back then.”

Among the notable alumni of that team who have RSVPed for Saturday: Then-head coach Bill McCartney, former Colorado coach Gary Barnett, who was the quarterbacks coach on that team, quarterback Darian Hagan, and former NFL players Chad Brown (an inside linebacker), Jay Leeuwenberg (a center), Mike Pritchard (receiver) and Tom Rouen (punter).

- Colorado reserve defensive tackle Conrad Obi, who grew up in Grayson, Ga., originally committed to Georgia. He said Wednesday his switch was nothing against Georgia.

“I was just looking for something new,” Obi said.

In fact, Obi said Colorado wasn’t recruiting him until the Buffaloes lost at Georgia in 2007. Obi was at the game, and decided he was interested in the Buffaloes, and sent his film to Boulder.

- Does anybody else think “Mad Men” has slowed down a bit as the season has gone on? I’m not sensing a big finish to it, but perhaps I’m wrong. Don Draper is now telling everybody he’s really Dick Whitman, so it doesn’t seem like that will be the big finish. I’m not complaining, but I guess the home run episode a few seasons ago – Don and Peggy’s star showing – just set the bar real high.

- Speaking of TV, any “Dexter” fans out there? I liked the first episode – one Dexter kill, and one weird Debra hook-up - check, check. But am a bit curious to see where they’re taking the rest of the season. The fellow detective on the trail of Dexter’s secret life – didn’t we do that with Dokes in Season 2?

- Ironic story that may only interest me, at least on this coast: Sacramento is in danger of losing its NBA franchise, unless the Kings can get a new arena deal. This would have to be the first time in history a mayor who presided over a team losing town actually PLAYED in that league: Sacramento’s mayor is Kevin Johnson, the former All-Star point guard.

5 comments:

Universal Remonster said...

That Sacramento nugget does interest me... I'm a Kings fan.

Eric said...

Their use of the word "concensus[sic]" wouldn't upset me nearly as much if it were spelled correctly. For the record, I'll gladly recognize them as nat'l champs over Tech.

wts111 said...

Seth,

Hey man I love your blog. Also love Dexter and am hooked. We are in Season 2 and he is contending with Dokes (just set him up). Humble request: Please don't give away the plot-lines for the future episodes!

Last, I (like most everyone else) think CMR is a great person and a great coach. He has been an extraordinary leader and a great overall contributor to so many good things in our state. That is all the good.

The bad is that even though I said he is a great coach I really mean if my son was playing ball I would love for CMR to be his coach. I do feel the conference has traded up and that his expertise is now "dated". Example: Alabama coming to Athens and killing us (and our game plan) the last time we played them. We were totally out-coached.

We seem really soft. The players seem to get killed in the trenches. This has been happening for the last approx. 4 years. Just no push on either side of the ball. Seems a conditioning issue.

Also not happy with how we seem to not coach players up to their potential so often. This seems a sad legacy for CMR. Love the man. But believe it would be a good 3mm spent to make the coaching change now. I think McGaritys last "referendum" statement was an AD's way of buying his coach more time. It seems at present rate that CMR will be gone at the end of the year. My opinion.

Sorry for the soliliquy.

Anonymous said...

“Shawn Jones was the quarterback for Tech then and my Dad coached him, so I kind of pulled a little for Tech – back then.”

--don't give us any more reasons Bobo

Hypocrisy Police said...

Hey Bill,

Maybe you shouldn't spoil a key piece of information from Dexter Season 2 in the same paragraph that you ask Seth not to post any Dexter spoilers.

Not everyone has watched Dexter yet so be mindful of what you post.