Mailbag: Blog Spam, Capitalism & Dating Advice... and Some Football

A quick point on the mailbag: I still have a handful of questions sitting on my desktop, but I either haven't gotten sufficient answers to them yet or I'm holding off on replying so I can write a longer post on them later. So if you've emailed me an inquiry and I haven't responded, there's a good chance I'm still planning to do so.

For the rest of you, here are a bunch more answers to your burning questions…

Brent writes: Do you think that CMR will use more two TE sets this year to take advantage of the four quality TE’s we have and help take some pressure off the depleted WR position?

David: At the Macon Bulldog Club meeting a few weeks ago, Richt told fans he expected more two-TE sets this year than in any season since the Randy McMichael-Ben Watson heyday. That was more than enough to excite a few members of the Bulldog faithful.

I revisited the issue with Richt this week though, and he backed off that sentiment a bit.

“We’ll have it ready, but a lot’s going to depend on how does Durham come back," Richt said. "You don’t just have receivers competing against receivers. You have a third receiver competing against another tight end coming in the game. You have fullbacks competing.”

His point is that, if you put a second TE in the game, you have to pull someone else from the lineup. Is that going to be Shaun Chapas, who is as good a blocker as any of Georgia's TEs, and a decent weapon out of the backfield, too? Or will it be the third receiver like Durham, for example? The answer may still be that a second TE in the game is the right call more often than not -- but the point Richt wanted to make, I think, was that it's very good to have options.

“I think we have enough tight ends right now that are mature enough that we will be very legitimate playing with the two-tight end set,” he said.

Mario writes: Have you heard anything about the UGA VIII mascot search? I haven't heard anything about it since the bowl game. If we don't have an UGA VIII by Kickoff, will Russ be standing in? He is 2-0 after all, and Aaron Murray and Todd Grantham could use a little winning luck on the sidelines!

David: Yes indeed. In case you missed it, I wrote about the search for Uga VIII on the blog earlier this week. Bottom line: There are plenty of options right now, but none will be ready for Week 1, so Russ will have a shot to extend his winning streak a bit longer.

Here's my question though: Could Georgia possibly retire Russ while he's still undefeated? That'd be like taking a pitcher out of the game while he's throwing a no-hitter. Perhaps we need Jim Joyce to make that call.

Joeski writes: David, I'm afraid that you're going to have to start deleting the anonymous moron's posts... not only does he pointlessly ramble, he's also factually inaccurate.

Seriously David, this schmuck really degrades the quality of your blog with his false statistics, his flawed knowledge of football, his nonsensical ramblings, and even his turgid style of writing. I hope to God he is also lying that he is an alum, because he certainly tarnishes the academic reputation of UGA, and I like my diploma to mean something.

Please start deleting this garbage.

David: Ah, our pal Mr. Anonymous. He really has created a bit of a stir at our once cozy little blog, which I imagine was his hope all along.

In truth, I'm really not sure how best to handle this situation.

It would be easy, of course, to point out the absurdities of his comments.

For instance, when he compares Dooley's run from 1980 through 1988 to Richt's nine years in Athens, I could easily mention how stupid it is to cherry pick the best nine-year run of Dooley's career and compare it to Richt's.

Or I could point out that in Dooley's first nine years on the job -- a far more apt comparison -- his winning percentage was .711, which pales next to Richt's .769.

Or I could point out that, if you're reasonably comparing Richt's numbers to the greatest coach in Georgia history, you probably aren't making a valid argument for firing the guy.

Or perhaps I could point out how unlikely it is that Caleb King has been injured "all four years he's been at Georgia" since King has only been at Georgia for three years (and only injured during one -- a year in which he continued playing despite a broken jaw).

Or I might mention to Anonymous that, if he's going to cut and paste his diatribes from the AJC's blog, he could at least do us the courtesy of deleting the parts that refer to other comments that don't appear on my blog.

But something tells me all of that would only serve to further encourage our friend. And why would I go to all that trouble to make him look silly when he's doing a great job of it himself?

The other thing I could do would be to simply delete his comments, as Joeski (and others) have suggested. I've considered it, but I'm also exceptionally cautious about censorship -- no matter how ridiculous the material being censored might be. My livelihood depends on free speech, and I'm reluctant to curb that freedom under any circumstance, particularly when it becomes a slippery slope once you start deciding what is worthy commentary and what isn't.

You don't have to be a Mark Richt fan to read this blog. In fact, I strongly support the expression of differing opinions, and I'm usually pleased to see the debate carried out in a sensible way. Of course, I also support the rights of deposed Saudi princes to access any funds they have frozen in off-shore accounts, but there's a point in which their best efforts go from free speech to obnoxious spam -- and as one reader pointed out, my Memorial Day post included 709 words written by me and 1,649 words written by Mr. Anonymous.

So instead of jumping to the realm of censorship, and rather than simply ignoring the growing problem, I'm going to propose a compromise.

Ideally, Mr. Anonymous will reconsider his approach. If he'd simply like to rationally and concisely note his ideas when they are pertinent rather than rehash the same rambling, 1,000-word diatribes, then we're good.

If you're not so inclined to disagree in a more mature manner, Mr. Anonymous, here's what I'll do for you: You email me with your name, address and phone number. I'll then let you know the next time Richt will be meeting with fans in person, and I'll supply you with an introduction. That way, rather than clog up my blog with your opinions on his failures, you can tell Richt how you feel in person. Since you're so vociferous and passionate here, I'm sure you'll have no problem removing the cloak of anonymity and telling Richt to his face why he's such an awful coach.

I look forward to seeing how it all turns out.

Fratt Stinchcomb writes: Any idea of the (hoops) schedule next year yet? I looked on the UGA site but couldn't find anything. Just trying to do a little predicting about the season before it gets here.

David: As I wrote last week, the Georgia Tech game appears set for Dec. 7, and the Dawgs will play in the Old Spice Classic -- also featuring Cal, Temple, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Manhattan and Boston College -- Nov. 25, 26 and 28. Beyond that, however… everything is still up in the air. Mark Fox said no contracts have been agreed upon with any other non-conference foes yet, and he said trying to agree on deals has been tougher this year now that Georgia appears to be a more competitive opponent.

Pete writes: Good news, this frees up another scholarship for next season. Time to start extending the "Dream Team" concept to basketball...

David: I'd be a little bit careful what you wish for, Pete. On one hand, the five players who have left Georgia in the past two years were none starters, and only Anyaorah probably had a legitimate chance to develop into one at Georgia. So the end result of the departures probably won't dramatically impact the product on the court this season. Plus, all five were Dennis Felton recruits, and there was bound to be some of those players who felt they didn't fit under the new regime.

But… that's also a lot of depth that has departed, and if Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie leave for the NBA as expected after the 2011 season, here's what will be left: Gerald Robinson, Dustin Ware, Vincent Williams, Marcus Thornton, Cady Lalanne, Donte Williams and Sherrard Brantley.

While I think a couple of those guys -- Thornton and Robinson in particular -- have a chance to be very good SEC players, there are just two on that list who have played a minute in an SEC game so far.

So yes, Anyaorah's departure -- and the other transfers -- open up some scholarships for potentially better players to come in next year. But there's now quite a bit of pressure on Mark Fox to land a number of solid recruits in 2011 or it's going to be tough to field a solid starting five.

South FL Dawg writes: To tell the truth, I've been envisioning Malcome at fullback after Chapas and Munzenmeier graduate, because it seems like Charles White fell off the face of the earth.

David: Interesting idea, and I'll admit, one of the things that probably struck me the most about the post-spring depth chart was just how many walk-ons were listed ahead of White at fullback. Malcome's size and powerful style might make him a natural fit at the position, too. Plus, with the long history of NFL fullbacks at Georgia, it's not the hardest position change to sell a guy on. My guess, however, is a lot will depend on whether Georgia lands a top tailback in this year's class. If it does, then I think Malcome to fullback has a lot of potential.

JPerez writes: Sad to see no mention of the Hold Steady concert from last weekend. Thought it was a kick ass show.

David: You're totally right… I should have made a point of writing about it earlier in the week. I guess my problem is, while I'm a huge music fan, every time I try to write about concerts or offer a music review, I end up sounding like my mom does when she tries to talk about sports.

Anyway, I caught The Hold Steady at the 40 Watt last Thursday, and the show was phenomenal -- high energy, great set list, awesome time all around. See… can you believe I'm not working for Rolling Stone?

That was actually the opening act to my concert weekend, too. I saw Neil Young at the Fox Theater in Atlanta last Sunday, which was also an enjoyable show, but absurdly expensive and he played for just under 90 minutes, which may mark the shortest concert I've ever been to that didn't involve a band angrily storming off stage.

As for future shows… May I suggest getting your tickets for The Morning Benders and Broken Bells at the 40 Watt on June 11. I'm actually not as enthralled with Broken Bells as I thought I'd be, but I absolutely love the Morning Benders and can't wait for the show.

Oh, and one more concert tidbit: I was actually hoping to make it up to NYC a couple weeks ago to see Band of Horses and Pearl Jam at the Garden, but I couldn't put the whole trip together in time. I was bummed, but now even more so. One of our readers, Scott, was at the show and said it was great, and also included a link to this YouTube clip of Pearl Jam and BoH's Ben Bridwell doing "Hunger Strike." Damn, I'm jealous.

Brian writes: I saw the Vance Cuff thing and I was impressed. But do you have any other numbers from this "mini-combine"? I know that the athletic dept doesn't publish these kinds of numbers anymore, but word often gets out.

David: Sorry, but I don't have any of the numbers. Perhaps a few will get out after players are made available for interviews more, and Dave Van Halanger typically releases the end-of-summer workout numbers in July. But as for the spring combine numbers, where Cuff reportedly clocked in with a 4.2 40 time, they won't be released -- which, as it turns out, is a bit of a double-edged sword for Richt.

“Sometimes guys get bent out of shape like, oh that 40 time may hurt me or if my name isn’t in the top 10 it might hurt me," Richt said. "But for the most part, I think it would have been positive. We’ve got some big, strong guys.”

Anonymous writes: "Sometimes capitalism is hard to defend."

Come on Hale. What is harder to defend is your decision to actually purchase the coffee.

I am sure price controlled coffee would taste great.

David: I always knew I had more Friedman economists reading this blog than Keynesians. But that's the problem with you monetist school proponents. You have no taste for sarcasm.

Seriously, I was joking. It was a joke. And not even a very good one since, to some degree, the market created by the Hilton is anything but capitalist.

I complained about the price of a Starbucks coffee at the hotel where the SEC meetings took place. That price was so high because Hilton uses artificial barriers of entry into the marketplace, thus allowing specific retailers to artificially inflate the price of the products they sell. Like at a sporting event or concert, customers are less inclined (or prohibited) to leave the venue to make a purchase, therefore the venue itself becomes the marketplace. And since the venue allows just one retailer to sell their product on the premises, a monopoly is created. In a properly functioning capitalist marketplace, a monopoly wouldn't exist because another vendor with a substitute product could enter the marketplace and sell at a reduced price, causing all prices to fall to a point in which marginal cost meets marginal revenue.

So… the Hilton Starbucks isn't functioning under a pure free-market capitalist umbrella. So, what I should have written is: "Monopolies are hard to defend sometimes."

But that wouldn't have been as funny. Aside from the Community Chest card stating that I won a beauty contest, monopolies rarely are.

By the way, this answer marks the most I've used my economics degree in a decade. I'm going to forward this to my parents to prove their student loan money wasn't wasted.

SECC in '10… Please writes: Just back home from Destin (i highly suggest club 10), it's great. Actually came back from the trip with a girlfriend. Which leads me to my question. I'm a student at UGA and my girlfriend is a cheerleader at LSU...what are the chances Richt can light a fire under Miles' ass to get the Bayou Bengals to ATL and visa versa?

David: Allow me to pass along a little bit of advice that I've picked up over the years.

1.) What happens at places with names like "Club 10" should stay at places with names like "Club 10." Don't believe me? Imagine telling your kids one day, "Well the first time I met your mommy I was doing body shots of warm tequila off her at Club 10 in Destin."

2.) Having a girlfriend in college is roughly the same as Michael Jordan playing minor league baseball in 1994. You're wasting your prime years. (Although, admittedly, the cheerleader aspect may create a loophole.)

3.) A long-distance relationship is doomed to failure, particularly when you both have routine, convenient access to massive quantities of alcohol. Proximity of one member of said relationship to New Orleans increases the likelihood of problems tenfold.

4.) If you insist on breaking the first three rules, I'm not necessarily saying you're wrong, but I am saying you're no longer allowed to question Les Miles' decision making techniques.

I'm kidding, of course. Or am I? Either way, good luck to you both, and if we all end up in Atlanta the first Saturday in December, the first round of drinks is on me. You pick the bar.

Anonymous writes: Does CMR see any true freshman starting this year?

David: Hard to say until they actually start practicing, and so far, only Kolton Houston has -- and he's not cracking the starting line up.

Richt pointed to outside linebacker and the defensive line as places where the depth chart might allow a true freshmen to earn some extra PT, but even in those situations, I just don't see how any of the freshmen are going to crack the starting lineup right away.

My best guess is that you won't see any freshmen starting in September, but after a few weeks into the season, there's a chance that Garrison Smith, Alec Ogletree and one of the OLBs could be pushing for a starting job. But the biggest impact of this year's class in 2010 may well be the depth they add, which is a good indication of how much talent was already in Athens.

John writes: Was curious if you have a list of jersey numbers for the incoming freshmen who weren't early enrollees like #66 Kolton Houston.

David: Unfortunately, there's no list yet. That's probably a week or so away still, as players are still trickling back onto campus. But I did confirm that Ken Malcome will be Georgia's new No. 24. Demetre Baker reports he'll be wearing No. 52, Brandon Burrows will wear No. 41, and Hutson Mason tells me he believes he'll be donning the No. 14 jersey.

ChicagoDawg writes: Can you elaborate on your comment about Ealey having "gained a bit of a reputation for stirring the pot"? The Spring game swing at Williams is well known, but I was unaware about this developing reputation. Especially given the opportunity to exploit the Spike eye gouge affair, which he seemed to diffuse.

David: Truth be told, I probably shouldn't have written that the way I did. The comment probably stirred the pot a bit too much, too. But following the swing Ealey took at Nick Williams during G-Day, I got more than a few reports from folks who said Ealey had instigated the situation with Brandon Spikes during the Florida game last year, and I've had a number of fans bring up some rather questionable posts and pictures on Ealey's Facebook page -- all minor things, but put together it's easy to see how a reputation could develop.

Again, a potentially bad reputation is not the same as saying Ealey is a bad guy. I don't believe he is. But, given that the public doesn't get a chance to see much of Ealey behind the scenes, he'd probably be wise to be careful about what he does let fans see. In fact, that's probably true for all of Georgia's athletes who, more and more often, are letting people behind the curtain via Twitter and Facebook without always considering that some of those people won't like what they see.

Andrew writes: I did have one question about (Hutson) Mason: I only saw him play once, on the internet no less, against Colquitt County. The game is on Georgia PBS, and may still be there. I was not overly impressed with his work that night, I believe 1 td/5ints. Of course, this is a snapshot of his work (N=1) but have you seen or heard anything aside from Andre Ware/David Klingler numbers that make you feel overly optimistic that he will be a player?

David: The game is still up on the PBS site, if others want to check it out. (Warning: Given the fact that Mason may be getting serious playing time this year, you might want to skip it.)

Lassiter came into that game 12-0, but Mason was dreadful against Colquitt County, tossing five INTs without a touchdown.

Does that mean he's going to be terrible at Georgia? Certainly not. Everybody has their bad games, and this was clearly one of Mason's worst. But his overall numbers as a senior were spectacular.

It's really impossible to make any comparisons yet for a guy who hasn't even taken a snap during a college practice. At just 190 pounds, Mason definitely needs to fill out some. And while he matured throughout his senior season at Lassiter, college is a big transition. But there's potential there, and ideally he won't be asked to do too much too soon.

In an ideal world, maybe he becomes a David Greene-type of player (although it won't likely happen as a freshman the way it did for Greene). Or he could be another Joe Cox type of guy -- gritty leader with a questionable arm who serves as a bridge between two more productive QBs. Even the latter wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, as long as that bridge isn't being employed this season.

Anonymous writes: Appreciate the outreach, but, respectfully, 99% of your readers don't care (about softball). If there isn't already, I think that a blog for softball, women's b-ball, etc. would find a few followers. I just doubt that there's a lot of overlap between that hypothetical blog and your readership.

David: Fair enough, but the team is playing the WCWS, and I'm sure there are some fans interested. And what I think some of my readers fail to consider is that, I'm never shortchanging you on football stuff when I write about other things. If I have football info, it gets posted. So the rest is just a bonus. Enjoy it if you like, and if not, there'll be another football story around the corner.

Jferg writes: My "original" question for two-a-days was: "how can I be an assistant or intern for the day and get a set of field passes for a home game"?

David: Well, JFerg, your advice to hit up Another Broken Egg for breakfast while in Destin has you in very good standing for the job. My bananas foster pancakes were absurdly good (although they looked like you could put sparklers in them and give them to children on their birthdays). Now, if you'll just wash my car, mow my lawn and grab a sixer from the Bottle Shop, I'd say we have the makings of a serious employment opportunity for you.

Anonymous writes: In the past, we've talked about the importance of a WR emerging as a counterpart to Green. Kind of like MoMass and Green two years ago. This spring it seems that several showed promise: TKing, Wooten, Durham, but none of these has clearly emerged to claim the position. Are we going to have someone at the other WR spot to take pressure off Green? Thanks.

David: I'm reluctant to predict that Georgia will have someone turn in a performance like Mohamed Massaquoi did in 2008 because, frankly, those performances don't come around too often. But I do think there's a good chance that Georgia's receiving corps can be very good. I've heard from numerous sources that Mark Richt and Mike Bobo are both very excited about the prospects for Kris Durham and Tavarres King this season, and both have also lauded the progress made by Marlon Brown, who Richt said might be "the most physical receiver we have." Add that to the stellar group of tight ends, and the biggest question mark in the passing game might be, just how often will Aaron Murray throw the ball?

In any case, here's Richt's synopsis of things: "I like how Tavarres and Durham played. The other receivers are coming. You've got tight-end play with Aron White and Orson Charles is pretty darned good. Even in the spring game, you saw what Artie (Lynch) could do. Bruce is coming. We've got more than just a couple tailbacks and A.J. Green. We've got some guys that have got a chance."

Justin writes: Quick question I wonder if you have noticed that GT replaced their defensive coord the same year UGA did, and at the same time, they are also running a 3-4 now. do you think this is any kind of coincidence, they are trying to keep up with the dawgs in my opinion. Would love to hear your thoughts in a mailbag or something. Thanks in advance

David: I don't know that it has much to do with Tech trying to keep up with Georgia so much as it is both teams are trying to be ahead of the curve in what could become a widespread trend throughout college football in the coming years.

First, you have Alabama winning a national title with the 3-4. That's enough to spark some copy-catting alone. Second, you had some very accomplished coaches available in Al Groh and Todd Grantham, both of whom run the 3-4. As Mark Richt has noted, it wasn't so much about the system for Georgia as it was about getting the best guy for the job. And third, the 3-4 simply makes a lot of sense to run at the college level.

The 3-4 is definitely a bit more nuanced than the 4-3, which can be a drawback when you're tasked with teaching it to 18-to-22-year-old kids. But… that nuance makes life a lot more difficult for opposing quarterbacks, too. While at the NFL level, you'll find 10-year vets who can read a 3-4 with ease, in college, even the most experienced QBs only have a year or two of playing time under their belt. So why not run a D that puts pressure on a player who generally is ill-equipped to make those quick decisions? The 3-4 also allows for a bit more flexibility in terms of how you use personnel, and for teams looking to get the most out of players, my guess is you'll see more and more programs jumping on the UGA and Tech bandwagon.

Marc writes: just curious after your two a days and reading the writing styles of many other beat writers. (Your the best by the way, without patronizing). My question is this, now that your journeys have now brought you to the deep south...what's your take on the differences you have noticed among journalists from different regions e.g. journalists from the north and south? Would you say there's a difference specific to football journalists as well? I know this would be making a generalization but is that a fair question?

David: Many thanks for the kind words, Marc. I think the mistake people tend to make in judging the media is assuming there's a grand plan to create a certain style. The truth is, most of the time, the media reflects the community it covers. Don't believe me? Check out how much The Big Lead -- which is essentially a Diet Deadspin -- just sold for.

The site is mostly pandering, ESPN bashing and gossip, and but it sells because people want to read it -- not the other way around.

As such, New York and Boston media tend to be a lot tougher on the players they cover, as are their fans. Philly media are critical almost all the time -- as are their fans. Media on the West Cost tends to be a bit more laid back, just as their readers tend to be. Competition also creates a bit more of a hard-nosed effect. The more reporters in an area, the harder they have to fight to get a story.

And as for the writers around Georgia? I'm probably a bit to bias to judge.

Rob writes: Didn't the Senator have an article a few weeks ago about how returning starts on the offensive line was one of the better indicators of a team's success? I can't remember exactly, but it just seemed weird to me to get two different stances on the same issue so soon.

In addition to that, I know that Phil Steele uses returning starts on the offensive line as one of his biggest predictors of success. I'm not saying you're wrong or your facts are wrong, it just seems like you could have a bit of a sample size issue.

David: The Senator did write about this a bit last month, but his theory was actually much the same as what my numbers illustrated. In fact, his summary was this: "A significant lack of returning starts on the offensive line is a negative; otherwise, experience on the o-line isn’t that big a deal."

Of course, I don't have the tools or software or time to do any significant regression analysis over more than just one season, so inherently there are going to be concerns of sample size. And obviously my rather simplistic analysis doesn't consider that different teams run different styles of offense that can either accentuate or reduce the significance of their respective offensive lines. And while what might be true one year (as the WSJ article pointed out about 2008) may not be true the next (as appeared to be the case in 2009).

But I think the biggest point of my post on offensive lines was this: Returning starts aren't nearly as important as returning talent. Or, as Phil Steele put it: "Experience on the O-line is not the only criteria for an offensive line’s potential for the next year. You have to add in the Blue Chips, how last year’s line performed (ypc rushing and sacks allowed), size, etc. That is how a team like Florida can be just #32 in career starts returning but rated as my #4 OL this year."

Alabama overcame a lack of returning starts last season by bringing in new talent. In Georgia's case this year, however, the Bulldogs are lucky enough to have both.

NCDawg writes: Another interesting view would be to consider starts from bench players. Offensive lineman get hurt; it's a tough job. I would expect depth at O-line is important to winning throughout the season. Can any team match Georgia's starts from bench players? How many teams even have bench players with starts?

David: I investigated this, too, and really it's a non-issue. No team has a bench player with more than a handful of career starts other than Trinton Sturdivant, who I think we can effectively call a bit of a wild card. And the thing to remember about Georgia is that, while A.J. Harmon and Chris Burnette could be very good when given the chance, and while Tanner Strickland has been on the team for a while -- none of them have ever started a game. In fact, other than Sturdivant, the only non-starters on Georgia's roster who have starting experience are both playing on the defensive line now. (That'd be Kiante Tripp with 3 starts and Bean Anderson with 12 starts.)

Dawg19 writes: I see Alabama is playing at Duke. I will probably take a beating for this question, but I'm curious how often the defending football champion plays the defeding basketball champion in either sport. I imagine it's fairly often.

David: You actually have to go back a pretty long way to find the answer. The last time it happened was in 1993, and it also involved Alabama playing an ACC foe. The Tide, coming off their 1992 national title, beat North Carolina (the '93 hoops winner) 24-10 in the Gator Bowl.

As for the last time it happened during the regular season, you have to go back two years earlier when Georgia Tech (co-champs in 1990 with Colorado) visited Duke (the '91 hoops champ) and won 17-6.

So, in each of the last two times it's happened, the football school has won. And I'm guessing that's a trend that will continue this time around, too.

Texas Dawg writes: Walsh himself just said that with the new kicking away strategy he is "hoping" (hoping) he will kick the ball for a touchback around 30% of the time 30%. And if we say those 8 additional touchbacks gain a total of 80 yards (assuming kicks that would have landed on average at the 10), assuming Walsh has 77 kickoffs again in 2010, that's an additional 1.03 yards per kick.

1. Fonking. Yard.

This kickoff thing has been so stupidly blown out of proportion more than any I can ever remember in several decades as a sports fan. DHale, let's go. You're better than this. Help stop the madness.

David: I'm with you to a point, Texas, but this is one of those cases in which the stats don't tell the whole story.

Yes, on the whole the difference between booting it deep on a kickoff and what Georgia was already doing was minimal, statistically. But it wasn't about the aggregate, it was about the individual moments -- and those lapses are well chronicled.

The problem was never the philosophy of directional kicking. The problem was that the philosophy did not fit Georgia's strengths, and Georgia's coverage team was unable to routinely execute the philosophy properly. The result of all of that was a handful of nice place, but far too many bad ones. On something like kickoffs, there may not be a huge difference between an average return of 20 yards or 21 yards, but there's a big difference in how you get there. It's great if each return is roughly 20 yards. You know what you're getting. In Georgia's case, some returns were 20, some were zero, and far too many were 40 and 50 yards. Much like with pass defense, Georgia simply gave up too many big plays.

Of course, to your other point: Any fans who are expecting Blair Walsh to boot touchbacks on 80 percent of his kickoffs this year are going to be very disappointed. Thirty to 35 percent would be a good number.

Trey writes: Hey David, how bout a lost post breaking down what happened....I'm so confused.

David: What happened was, after all hell broke loose on the island, Miles had an emotional farewell with Trapper John and Klinger; Kate, Sawyer, Ben and Desmond were sentenced to a year in a Massachusetts jail for laughing at Hurley as he was mugged; and Jack woke up in his old house from "Party of Five" and realized the whole thing had been a dream. Then, the screen cut to black in the middle of a Journey song. What's so confusing about that?

Anonymous writes: Man, you sure do watch a lot of TV, Mr. Hale!!

David: It can't be all football blogs and relationship advice, Anon. I need my "me" time.

Coon Dawg writes: "Justified" is one of the few I watch. Most of the shows you mention are for metrosexuals.

David: Surely you're not referring to "Project Runway"!

Anonymous writes: Your silence regarding the LOST finale is deafening. Please post soon.

David: OK, fine. I guess eventually I have to cave and address the 1,200-pound polar bear in the room.

In last week's mailbag, I hinted that I didn't enjoy the finale. That's not true. I actually thought it was an exceptional 150 minutes of television. There were a ton of emotional moments, some great callbacks to previous episodes (like Jack and Locke looking down the waterfall), and the action scenes were all done very well. I'll admit, the room got dusty a few times.

But what was great about the episode is also what made me so unhappy in the end. The finale was all about remembering the high points of the show. It was a retrospective as much as it was a coda. And that was great, because I've truly loved those moments it reflected upon. But the only way I can say I really liked the finale was to judge it in a vacuum without considering everything that came before, and I can't do that.

Essentially, my feeling is this: The episode was great, but it sort of ruined the series for me.

Now, I write that acknowledging the following:

1.) I didn't demand answers. I was OK with letting a lot go. I didn't need to know who shot at Sawyer & Co. on the outrigger or why Jacob could leave the island and Flocke couldn't.

2.) I loved the "Sopranos" finale and, although I wouldn't call it great, I have a genuine appreciation for the "Seinfeld" finale. So I'm not simply a person who can never be satisfied by an ending.

But the way "Lost" wrapped up was, in my opinion, an insult to anyone who cared about the show all along.

Yes, the writers always said it was a show about the characters, and in many respects the finale did them justice. But it was also a show about the mysteries, a show that begged its audience to analyze every detail, to hypothesize about what each word meant, to dig deeper every week.

As it turned out, 95 percent of that was just a tool to lead viewers on, and there was never a payoff.

Two lines from the finale really summed things up for me.

"Trust me, everything matters." -- Jack

This was essentially what the writers said all along. "Trust us. We have a plan." But what was that plan exactly? In the end, it was all pretty arbitrary. We don't know what the island was or why it was so important. The vast majority of the mysteries we followed for six years led nowhere. Even stories developed earlier this season -- like Dogan and the temple -- turned out to be irrelevant in the big picture. How can that happen? They knew they only had a handful of episodes left and instead of taking time to wrap up shorelines from the first five years they created more that had no impact on the conclusion.

The finale was great at reminding us of the high moments of the show, but looking back… Did the hatch really matter? Did the freighter really matter? Did Sun's baby really matter?

After watching the finale, all I could think about was… no, none of it really mattered.

"Those were Jacob's rules. You can do things differently." -- Ben

That was Ben's advice to Hurley on how he could handle being the island's protector. It was a lot like Jacob's answer to Kate about the list of candidates -- "It's just a line of chalk on a cave wall."

In the end, this is what the first five years (and then some) meant. It was all arbitrary. The rules could be changed at any time. It was all, metaphorically speaking, a line of chalk on a cave wall. So why the heck did we invest so much time in trying to figure out what it all meant?

There were other aspects of the finale that bothered me, too -- and not just Kate's absurdly ripped shoulders that were a little too female bodybuilder-esque to have her delivering a baby in a strapless dress.

In retrospect, the alt-universe was really a worthless and contrived storyline that's only use was to afford the show an opportunity to inject emotion into the finale. I'd have been OK with that if the ending had made more sense. Why, for example, were so many of the island's key characters not in the church, but Penny -- who never set foot on the island -- was? And why would Shannon be Sayid's traveling companion and not Nadya? Or why would Aaron be there, but not Ji-Yeon? And if this was all essentially purgatory, why could Keemy die and why did Jack randomly have a son and why, for the love of God, did we need to spend sooooo much time learning about this world during the entirety of Season 6 when in the end it was all The Matrix -- a false universe designed to delude its inhabitants from realizing the truth? Again, the payoff spoiled the journey.

And all of that isn't to say that I'm angry I watched the show now. There were moments during the run of "Lost" -- Charlie sacrificing his life, holding his hand up with the note "Not Penny's boat" or Desmond's frantic phone call with Penny aboard the freighter or Boone telling Jack it was OK to let him die -- that I would put on par with any moments on any show in TV history. I'm glad I watched them, and I didn't need context for those moments.

But what's sad for me is, knowing what I know now, I don't think I can re-watch those episodes now and enjoy them the same way.

When I was 23, I moved from Delaware to San Diego. I had never been West of Chicago at that point, so the whole thing was an adventure. My roommate and I drove across the country -- leaving during a blizzard -- and it was one of the best experience of my life. We went to Graceland in Memphis (where we asked if we could take pictures on the toilet Elvis died on), ate a steak as big as my arm in Texas (the car ride after that was uncomfortable to say the least), watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon (a moment lessened somewhat by three fat Midwestern women next to us talking about going to the mall afterward), and stayed up all night gambling in Vegas (calling our friends on the East coast who were already at work for the day that morning). Legitimately, a life-altering journey.

But as great as it was, when I finally got to San Diego, I was thrilled that the trip was over. You couldn't have paid me enough to get back in the car and drive back in the other direction. I wouldn't have traded the journey for anything, but I also never wanted to do it again.

That's sort of how I feel about "Lost" now that it's over. I have no regrets about investing myself in the show the way that I did. I enjoyed almost every minute of it. But it will be a long time before I want to go back and watch those old episodes again, and that's kind of a shame.

Alright, I'm wrapping up my time in Destin, but I'm hoping to have another mailbag in the next week or two, so feel free to send in some more questions and I'll do my best to keep getting you some answers. Have a great weekend!

SEC Meetings: Expansion on the Agenda

Wrapping up SEC meetings today. Yesterday was a rather light day with most coaches gone and the morning filled with golf and tennis for the remaining executives.

At yesterday's meeting of school presidents, there was no expansion talk, but there was plenty of discussion about TV -- all of it good, according to Michael Adams.

“The (numbers) aren’t good – they’re phenomenal,” Adams said. “Ratings are good, ESPN’s happy, we’re happy, and obviously the money is good.”

That TV deal is one of the reasons Mike Slive isn't talking up expansion, he said. With the ESPN and CBS contracts, the SEC already reaches more than 100 million homes, Slive said, so distribution isn't a worry. And with the additional revenue teams can generate by individually selling their local TV rights, the SEC is in a position where its own TV network isn't a potential payday the way it would be for, say, the Pac-10.

Of course, the thing about this TV deal is that things can change -- even for the better. As Adams pointed out, the deal can be changed annually if both parties agree, and there are five-year windows in the 15-year contract that would allow an out for either the network on the league.

Obviously, everyone is pretty happy now. But might ESPN and the SEC be even happier -- and potentially talking about even more money -- should someone like Texas decide to join the party?

Of course, that's all speculation -- as is all of the expansion talk. But Slive and the rest of the presidents will at least indulge in some of that speculation at today's final session. Given all the rumblings coming out of the Big 12, that makes sense. The SEC isn't going to make the first move, most likely, but it needs to be prepared when the blocks start tumbling.

“We’re not complacent,” Slive said. “There’s never a moment when you don’t want to get better.”

The beauty of being on top is that you can be patient. But the price of being on top is that everyone is always gunning for you, and you have to be ready.

Among the other issues on tap for today:

-- Use of text messaging in recruiting, which Adams said is unlikely to result in a relaxation of rules.

-- Creating a league-wide rule regarding class attendance policies for student-athletes, which currently rests with the individual institutions.

-- Artificial crowd noise enforcement, which will be a hot topic in Starkville.

-- Numerous other sport-specific and academic issues.

Not likely to see much discussion or movement: Re-seeding of the SEC hoops tournament, early signing periods for football, Alabama's wacky schedule with six opponents coming off a bye.

Friday Links (6/4)

I have a story in today's Telegraph on Georgia's new full-time nutritional advisor, which is one of the tweaks the team is making in the S&C department. I didn't have room in the story for all the info I got from Rex Bradberry, who has taken on the job, but here's the full transcript of what he had to say...

On establishing his role as nutritionist...
“We were trying to move in that direction. We had to establish that there was really a need for it within the administration.Our guys, they all want to play at the next level, and they talked to guys who are at the next level who were telling them how important nutrition is. So that started creating a buzz. Guys want to know, want to learn, and they really need the education. It’s going to be very beneficial to the program for these guys to properly fuel their bodies and learn what to eat and how to eat for recovery so they can maximize their potential.”

On helping players add weight...
“I’ve talked to coaches across the country and athletes get meals, and it’s very common for athletes to lose weight during the season because of the demands of their schedule, their practice schedule, the games. That’s something we’re definitely going to work hard to try to prevent. We want our guys to be stronger and maintain that weight during the season.”

On players who need to lose weight...
“That is a challenge because these guys grow up eating a certain way, and the process is an educational process to say, your body, that’s your machine, and we’ve got to fuel that thing properly. We need to teach them they can’t go out there and eat those two large pizzas at 11 o’clock at night and expect to come in the next day running on a full tank. We’re starting to monitor their meals, and I’ll be over in the dining halls. It’s just getting in there showing them that, this is good or this might not be a good choice for you. The heavy guys especially, we want to trim that body fat, get you some things you can eat. And I don’t do diets. We build nutritional plans. I want to find things those guys do like to eat. So I ask them, what do you like to eat, then say, OK, well instead of this, can you live with this? And they say, ‘Yeah, coach, I can live with that.’ So that’s how we try to get them moving in the right direction.”

On how receptive players have been...
“When they’re young and come in as freshmen and sophomores. Once they get a little older and start thinking about that next level and making money or just being healthy for life as a father one day or as a husband. It’s like anything, with maturity comes a little different way of thinking. But we’ll struggle a little with freshmen and sophomores to convince them this is how to eat and this is why. But the thing about Georgia is we have a lot of guys with a chance of playing at the next level, and I tell them when you get to that next level, they’re going to do body composition and scale weight. And if you don’t make weight, you’re fined. They’re going to take money out of your pocket until you reach that level they set for you. So if you don’t learn how to do it now, if you’re thinking about playing at that next level, sooner or later you’re going to have to learn how to do it. So guys come around fairly quick, and once they do, the good thing is I have great seniors who have bought into this program and they’re doing all the things the young guys look up to them for.”

On the potential impact of his efforts...
“Hopefully it has a positive impact. We believe it will. But I can’t be with every kid 24 hours a day. It’s going to take them taking ownership of their diets and how to eat. But we want to have this service available for the guys, and we hope it affects them in a positive way, and they’ll have more energy. We feel like in the past, our guys have been strong toward the end of the season, but maybe this can help us maintain more of the strength we’ve attained during summer workouts, and we monitor more meals during the season, so hopefully we can maintain their body weight as well.”

On the role of Mark Richt, Damon Evans, et al...
“They were very supportive, wanted to get it done, and thought it could make a difference in the program. And the administration is behind us and wants to give us the things that will help our student-athletes be the best.”

On players who have already shown improvement...
“There are definitely certain guys. Tanner Strickland really has come on in this past year. He’s really cleaned up his eating and the guy has lost 20 pounds of bad weight. He’s slimmer, he’s trimmer, he’s really moving around well and looking to have a big year. Another guy is Tavares King. He’s really gotten more consistent with his eating and he’s eating consistent meals. He’s actually put on a good bit of weight. He looks fuller, looks much better, had a really good spring and his confidence level is much better. We’re expecting good things out of those guys this fall.”

And now for some other links...

-- The Georgia softball team upset defending champion Washington on the first day of the Women's College World Series. They'll play Tennessee today.

-- Here are my notes from Thursday's SEC meetings, including more (non) talk of expansion.

-- Phil Steele looks at experience in his latest blog post, breaking things down by class on the two-deep. Nationally, Georgia doesn't stack up too well. As it turns out though, the SEC isn't going to be filled with many veteran teams this year, so the Dawgs will actually be among the most veteran teams in the league. Here's the SEC breakdown:

Team	Nat'l Rank	Points*	Seniors**
Auburn	14	77	18
Arkansas	27	72	14
S. Carolina	66	64	12
Georgia	76	62	11
Ole Miss	80	61	14
Miss. State	87	59	10
Alabama	98	56	7
Tennessee	103	55	13
Florida	107	54	13
Kentucky	109	53	8
LSU	114	51	7
Vanderbilt	114	51	7

(* See Steele's post for explanation of how points are awarded. ** Seniors=number on two-deep.)

-- Chris Low has Washaun Ealey ranked as his No. 23 best player in the SEC.

-- Kimberly Nash offers a story on what the return of Bruce Figgins could mean for Georgia's offense.

-- Like Dannell Ellerbe before him, Prince Miller is earning some respect in Baltimore as an undrafted free agent.

-- Chip Towers reported the other day that all indications are Zach Mettenberger will end up at Butler Community College this fall.

-- Did you know only five teams in the country have gone longer without losing to a non-BCS conference foe than Georgia?

-- The Dawgs are sixth in the current Fulmer Cup standings, well behind their opening-week foe.

-- Because you hate Georgia Tech, I understand that it's hard to be too fond of nerds in general. But, this nerdy prank at Carleton College in Minnesota is pretty darned awesome.

-- You know, we all can only hope to find true love like Gary Coleman had. (h/t Mer)

-- You'd think with a Chamillion dollars, this whole situation could have been avoided.

-- And now we're down to just one Golden Girl. So Sad. But let's say they were going to reboot the show today (which, hell, they might be working on given the stream of '80s fare being remade lately). Who would you cast as the new Golden Girls? I'm thinking Cloris Leachman as Sophia, Goldie Hawn as Rose, Susan Sarandon as Blanche and Ted McGinley in the Bea Arthur role.

-- And finally, in the wake of Ken Griffey Jr.'s retirement, Alan Sepinwall brought up a good point: The last of Mr. Burns' team of ringers on Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's softball team has now retired, and only six of them ever ended up playing for the Yankees. (The others were Ozzie Smith and Mike Scioscia, who I suppose could still end up managing the Yanks one day.)

So, on that note, I'll leave you with this...

(NOTE: Listening may cause gigantism.)

Does Size Matter For Murray?

Hoping to ease some of the concern, Mark Richt advised fans at last month's Bulldog Club meeting in Macon to go back and watch highlights of Aaron Murray in high school, telling them they would quickly be reminded of why he was such a highly touted recruit.

And it's true. Look at Murray's prep numbers -- 33 TDs and 4 INTs as a senior, despite missing time with a broken leg; 63 TDs and nearly 5,000 total yards passing and rushing as a junior -- and it's not hard to convince yourself he's going to be a stud at Georgia.

But aside from his G-Day performance, there is one number that I think scares UGA fans about Murray the most:

Murray: 6-foot-1, according to the UGA Web site.

Joe Cox: 6-foot-1, according to the UGA Web site.

Truth be told, UGA's official number might be a tiny bit generous for both, although both Mark Richt and I agree that Murray is probably a touch taller than his predecessor.

Still, it's Murray's physical stature that I hear the most about from concerned fans. After all, it's hard to argue with his pedigree. In high school, he was a stud -- big numbers, championship winner, highly recruited.

But other than the red hair -- he looks so much like the much-maligned Joe Cox, right?

Sure, they may be roughly the same height, but really, that's where those physical comparisons should end.

First off, Richt promises that height is more than a bit overrated as a measure of QB potential at the college level.

"Charlie Ward was about 5-11," Richt said. "I’ve had guys that were 6-5. Murray is plenty tall enough to succeed.”

That's not just covering up a weakness though. Instead of offering some concern over Murray's physical attributes, Richt is praising them.

No, he's not that tall. But his quick release makes him a tough target in the pocket.

Yes, he's roughly as tall as Joe Cox. But he's far more mobile, allowing him to move around in the pocket to find better throwing lanes -- an advantage Cox didn't have.

And sure, he's not the most intimidating physical presence. But don't underestimate him, Richt said.

“He’s not super tall, but he’s at about 6-1, and I’ve seen a lot of 6-1 guys have success," Richt said. "He’s got a very strong arm, a quick release, he’s more mobile than most people would want to give him credit for. He’s strong. That kid, if you saw him with his shirt off, you’d be surprised at just how physically strong he is.”

There is one comparison between Murray and Cox that Richt is happy to make, however: Their work ethic.

Murray still has a ways to go in terms of taking the same leadership role that Cox had, but he's already putting in the work this summer to make that happen.

“He knows it’s going to take a lot of work, but he’s willing to do that," Richt said. "He’s willing to put the work in.”

And he's not alone. Richt said he loves the relationship between Murray and his high school teammate, Orson Charles. While the two won't be the veterans of the offense in 2010, Richt said there probably isn't two players who work harder.

“Those guys are great friends," Richt said. "They’ve known each other, they love football, they love the game, they love to practice, they love the meetings and the preparation. Some guys don’t. If no one wants to throw one day, those two will be out there. They’re that type of guys.”

And just as a reference, here's the height and weight of each of the last 10 SEC championship winning QBs. Murray is listed as 6-1/209 on Georgia's Web site.

2009: Greg McElroy -- 6-3/225
2008: Tim Tebow -- 6-3/235
2007: Matt Flynn -- 6-2/225
2006: Chris Leak -- 6-0/195
2005: D.J. Shockley -- 6-0/218
2004: Jason Campbell -- 6-5/230
2003: Matt Mauck -- 6-3/210
2002: David Greene -- 6-3/227
2001: Mauck -- 6-3/210
2000: Rex Grossman -- 6-1/218

TV Times Announced for 3 UGA Games

The TV times for three of Georgia's games are now official:

Georgia @ South Carolina on Sept. 11 will be a noon kickoff on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Arkansas @ Georgia on Sept. 18 is another noon kickoff, also on one of the ESPN networks.

And, obviously, the Georgia-Florida game will be the CBS 3:30 game on Oct. 30.

The Big 12 also announced that the Georgia-Colorado game set for Oct. 2 will be a 4:30 (ET) kickoff.

As I wrote yesterday, I spoke to Damon Evans about the number of late kickoffs Georgia had a year ago -- three of the six home games were 7 p.m. or later, and 5 of the 12 regular season games were at night -- and he had said his hope was to have more noon and 3:30 kickoffs.

"All games are televised and there are only so many windows during the day, so of course we’re going to have some evening and night games," Evans said. "But at the same time I’d like to see a little bit of balance to where we can get some early noon games and some 3:30 games because we have different fans who like different things and there’s less pressure on the campus when it’s an early game.”

Here's the full slate of the SEC on TV for the early going that was announced today:

Sept. 2: Southern Miss at South Carolina, ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sept. 4: Miami (Ohio) at Florida, ESPN, 12 noon ET; Kentucky at Louisville, ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET; LSU vs. N.C. in Atlanta, ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET
Sept. 9: Auburn at Miss. State, ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sept.11: Penn State at Alabama, ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET; Oregon at Tennessee, ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. ET; Ole Miss at Tulane, ESPN Classic or ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET
Sept. 18: Alabama at Duke, ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET; Clemson at Auburn, ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET; Florida at Tennessee, CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET
Oct. 2: SEC Doubleheader, TBA, CBS, 3:30 and 8:00 p.m. ET
Nov. 13: SEC Doubleheader, TBA, CBS, 12:00 noon and 3:30 p.m. ET
Dec. 4: SEC Championship Game, Atlanta, CBS, 4:00 p.m. ET

Looking ahead on the schedule, you'd imagine ULL and Idaho State will be noon kickoffs, too. That leaves Vandy, Tennessee and Georgia Tech as possible night kickoffs in Athens. I'm doubtful that Vandy would be a ratings bonanza for ESPN in prime time (and Alabama-Ole Miss, Arkansas-Auburn, and Florida-Mississippi State would probably all trump the UGA-Vandy matchup that week). Even still, I wouldn't expect both Vandy and Tennessee to be night kickoffs, so odds are there will be a max of two night games at Sanford this season.

The full SEC schedule grid can be found here if you want to make your own projections.

Fun With Numbers: The Impact of the O Line

A few weeks back, I added up the returning stats on defense and the offensive skill positions for each SEC team, and I promised I'd eventually get around to taking a more in-depth look at the offensive line. Well, promise delivered.

At this point, saying Georgia has plenty of returning talent on the O line is a bit redundant. Georgia's veteran line has been a routine topic of conversation, but it's worth putting the discussion into context.

Most returning starts by offensive linemen in the SEC:

Team	Returning Starts	Returning Starters	Most Starts
Georgia	158	5	Chris Davis (38)
Auburn	109	4	Lee Ziemba (38)
Arkansas	89	4	Grayson/Love (23)
Mississippi State	85	4	Brignone/Saulsberry (24)
Florida	85	4	Mike Pouncey (31)
South Carolina	70	4	Jarriel King (19)
LSU	52	3	Joseph Barksdale (26)
Alabama	46	3	3 players tied (14)
Kentucky	31	1	Stuart Hines (13)
Vanderbilt	26	1	Kyle Fisher (18)
Ole Miss	22	2	Bradley Sowell (12)
Tennessee	0	0	N/A

A few obvious points:

-- I couldn't find a list of all NCAA teams (if anyone knows where I can, please let me know) but looking at last year's list, Georgia isn't just out in front in the SEC, but has to be among the best -- if not THE best -- in the nation. Last season, the top team in terms of returning starts was Colorado State with 129 -- or 29 fewer than what Georgia has this year.

UPDATE: Phil Steele's national list for this year was posted to his blog yesterday... and boy would it have saved me a lot of time to wait one more day to write this post.

-- Worth noting, however: Fifteen of those 158 starts belong to two players currently on the defensive line -- Kiante Tripp (3) and Bean Anderson (12). Mark Richt did mention Tuesday that, if things don't go according to plan with Bean this fall, however, he could move back to the O line. He has yet to fully practice on the D line due to an injury this spring.

-- Georgia not only has more returning experience than any other team in the SEC, but it has 45 percent more returning starts than the NEXT most experienced team.

-- Put into perspective, the entire rest of the SEC East combined returns only 212 starts -- or 34 percent more than Georgia. So the difference between Georgia and the second-most experienced line is significantly more than the difference between Georgia and the entire rest of its division.

-- Georgia is the only team in the SEC to return all five starters from a year ago. And that doesn't include Trinton Sturdivant.

-- Holy cow, Tennessee is in trouble! Seriously, when do you suppose the last time a team returned ZERO starts on the O line? I'd love to know that info actually.

-- This bit of info might win you a few bets in some bars around the SEC: The returning players with the most career starts are Lee Ziemba at Auburn and… Chris Davis. Actually, Mark Richt owes Davis an apology for bringing him off the bench against Vandy last season when Josh Davis got his first start of the year and Clint Boling -- a week before sliding over to left tackle -- got the start at right guard. It's the only missed start of Chris Davis' career, which is saying a whole lot considering the significantly painful hip injury he has played with for the past two years.

So all of that should come as some very good news for Georgia fans. But just how important is returning experience on the O line? Perhaps less than you might think.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal penned a brief article on the significance of O line experience among the best teams from the 2008 season. Without any in-depth research, the WSJ assumed a link and made some predictions based on who was bringing back lots of experience for 2009. Their five "teams to watch" included Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Texas, Florida State and Michigan. Three of those teams were major disappointments.

On the flip side, the WSJ picked out a few teams with little returning experience and made a few projections on who might disappoint. Here's who it picked: Oregon, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Penn State and Alabama.

I don't have to remind you that two of those teams played in BCS bowl games, including the national champs, and only Oklahoma could be considered a disappointment -- and that was largely due to an injury to its Heisman-winning QB.

In fact, doing the math, the top five BCS-conference teams* in terms of returning O line starts last season finished with a combined record of 36-27 (.571) overall and 16-16 (.500) in conference. The bottom five BCS teams finished with a record of 31-31 (.500) overall and 18-22 (.450) in conference.

(*Note: Notre Dame was included among BCS teams and was third in returning offensive line starts.)

There's a difference there, but not a big one.

In fact, of the top 10 teams in the final AP poll last year, the average number of returning starts by O linemen was 65 -- or almost exactly the Division I average.

Of course, simply going by wins and losses isn't entirely fair. A team might have a solid O line but be brutal defensively, which would certainly affect the bottom line. So, let's look instead at the relationship between O line experience and production in the two areas most directly affected by O line play: Sacks allowed and rushing offense.

First off, here are the top five and bottom five teams, statistically, in terms of rushing yards per attempt in 2009 along with their returning starts on the O line:

Top Rushing Teams (per attempt)

Nevada, 67 returning starts
UAB, 108
Florida, 56
Oregon, 20
Fresno State,53
AVERAGE: 60.8

Worst Rushing Teams (per attempt)

Duke, 25 returning starts
Miami (OH), 27
Washington State, 87
San Jose State, 93
Colorado, 66
AVERAGE: 59.6

Again, there's a difference, but it's virtually meaningless, statistically.

So running the football doesn't seem to be tied to experience on the O line, but how about protecting your QB? Again, here are the five best and five worst teams from last season:

Fewest Sacks Allowed:

Boise State, 40 returning starts
Stanford, 78
Army, 19
Oklahoma State, 91
Air Force, 63
AVERAGE: 58.2

Most Sacks Allowed:

Miami (OH), 27 returning starts
Washington State, 87
Tulsa, 45
Colorado, 66
New Mexico, 45
AVERAGE: 54

Now, that's a bit more of a difference as we might expect, and while it's not stunning, it's also worth noting that, of the bottom five teams, only Washington State was above the national average in terms of returning starts by O linemen.

Still, I'm not sure it's fair to say that returning experience is a particularly accurate predictor of either rushing offense or sacks allowed -- just that perhaps it's a bit better at the latter category.

But here's one last bit of numbers to consider…

Here's that list of the top five most experienced BCS offensive lines from last year, and this time, I'm adding their rushing and pass protection stats:

Team	Rush/Att (nat'l rank)	Sacks Allowed (nat'l rank)
Wake Forest	3.69 yds (84th)	28 (77th)
Minnesota	3.01 yds (112th)	40 (113th)
Notre Dame	3.84 yds (75th)	25 (65th)
Iowa	3.27 yds (106th)	29 (82nd)
Georgia	4.68 yds (28th)	12 (6th)

Boy, those top four teams sure didn't use their O line experience to much success. But that fifth team really did. And that fifth team is Georgia.

So maybe experience doesn't mean a whole lot. But what is important is talent, and Georgia has a very talented line. A talented line that just so happens to be returning all five starters and more experience than any other team in the SEC by a wide margin.

So while returning starts probably isn't the best indicator of success in the big picture of college football, in Georgia's case, it's still probably something to be pretty excited about.

Anyaorah Set to Transfer

From UGA release...

University of Georgia basketball player Ebuka Anyaorah has requested, and been granted, a release from his athletic scholarship, indicating his intention to transfer from the University, according to an announcement Wednesday from head coach Mark Fox.

"I’d like to wish Ebuka the best as he continues his career," Fox said. "I really appreciate his contributions to our program during the past year."

Anyaorah, a 6-4 guard from Suwanee, played in 28 of 31 games of the 2010 season, his only year of participation for the Bulldogs. He averaged 2.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 10.5 minutes per game, with his season high of nine points coming in Georgia’s win over Florida on Feb. 27.

A stress fracture in his right tibia, and the subsequent surgery to repair it, forced Anyaorah to miss the entire 2009 season. He played the 2010 campaign as a redshirt freshman.

“I have enjoyed my time at Georgia, but I have decided to pursue some other options in college basketball in hopes of more playing time,” Anyaorah said. “I just believe that it is in my best interests to explore other playing opportunities. I’ve made lasting friendships with my UGA teammates and I wish them nothing but success in the future.”

***

Anyaorah's departure marks the third player to transfer from Georgia this spring, following forward Drazen Zlavoric and guard DeMario Mayfield. Last year, guard Zac Swansey and forward Troy Brewer left following the end of the SEC tournament.

Mark Fox had praised Anyaorah's development as recently as three weeks ago at the Macon Bulldog Club meeting, calling him part of an improved -- and deeper -- backcourt. The sophomore's departure won't likely have a major impact on the starting lineup, but given the precarious depth this team has had for the past several years, his decision definitely stings a bit.

SEC Meetings: Day 2 Highlights

Much less going on at the SEC meetings today. I spent about three hours in the lobby of the Hilton accomplishing nothing, but I hadn't set my standards too high anyway, so no harm done.

Anyway, a few quick tidbits from the morning and early afternoon...

-- Football coaches are meeting with the ADs now. Mark Richt and Mark Fox will both be leaving as soon as their meetings wrap up at 5 and heading back to Athens. My time with Richt was definitely a bit more limited than I'd hoped, but hopefully I got enough to get some stories written the rest of this week.

-- Clint Boling's ankle will be fine within a couple of weeks, Richt said. There was no traumatic injury that created a need for the surgery -- which he had last month -- but two ankle sprains this spring didn't heal as well as the team had hoped, and it was decided a quick clean-up of the ankle was in order.

-- Richt said no other offseason surgeries have taken place. He also said he remains "hopeful" that freshman lineman Brent Benedict will be ready for fall camp, although that remains a murky proposition right now.

-- ESPN reps met with ADs this morning to discuss the network's relationship with the SEC, TV ratings and contractual agreements. One issue Damon Evans said he discussed was kickoff times. While he said he expects a continued propensity for night games at Sanford Stadium, he's hoping to find a better balance than last year. He said a few more early kickoffs would appeal to a broader demographic of fans and cause less of a burden on the campus police and support staff.

-- From what folks like Richt and Gene Chizik had to say, it doesn't sound like there's much of a consensus support for an early signing period for college football.

-- Several of the basketball coaches railed against the NBA's one-and-done policy saying that it is having a negative impact on college hoops. Bruce Pearl and John Calipari both seemed to think the NBA was unlikely to make any changes though.

-- Speaking of Calipari, he was asked about the Eric Bledsoe controversy. He refused to respond.

-- Damon Evans and Michael Adams both went on the record that Mark Richt is not on any type of hot seat. When reporters approached Richt for a comment on what his AD and president had to say, he tossed a garlic potato wedge into his mouth, grinned and said, "I've got nothing to say about that. I'm just doing my job."

-- And the strangest sight of the day? In the same hallway, at the same time... Mark Richt was chatting up Urban Meyer, and Andy Landers was involved in a conversation with Pat Summit. Dogs and cats, living together... mass hysteria!

Softball Set For Title Run

A few quotes from Georgia's softball team, courtesy of our pal Fletcher Page, as the Bulldogs get set to open their quest for a national championship at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City against defending champs Washington tomorrow night at 9:30...

Pitcher Sarah McCloud on the team's approach to the WCWS: "I think once we made last year, we went to compete, but now this year we’ve been there and we want to do better. I think out expectations are higher this year. Last year our goal was to make the World Series, this year it’s to win."

McCloud on the veteran leadership: "I think a lot of people have stepped up as leader. Taylor Schlopy, Megan Wiggins, Bree Hesson and Alisa Goler. We all do a great job in that role, and playing as leaders. The one good thing about not having any seniors is we don’t have to lose anyone. We don’t have to say goodbye to anyone after this week. That’s kind of nice to know that everyone here now is going to be back next season."

Outfielder Taylor Schlopy on the team's youth: "We realized we didn’t have any seniors early. We’ve all stepped up, and found our role within the team, and everyone has come together to become one unit. We don’t really focus on not having seniors. We just work with what we have, and I think we have a great group of girls who are very talented. Each person has their role, and does it very well."

Schlopy on this year vs. last year: "Last year, of course with it being our first time ever going, everyone was excited to just make it there. It was a blessing that we finished third, but this year we’re out to win. We’re returning, and we know the feeling of how great third felt, so we can’t even imagine how great first would feel. It’s been our goal the entire season."

Schlopy on the team's motivation: "Like any college team, the goal is to win the national championship. After last year, it was a bigger point to our program. It drove all the returners and the coaches, pushing us to practice harder, and want it more. We instilled that in the freshmen and transfers of how great it’s going to feel when they get there. They all got on board early in the season, and we just had one common goal, and that’s what we’re going to do this coming week."

Wednesday Links (6/2)

The cable at the hotel here doesn't get the History Channel or ESPN News, so my usual viewing options have been limited. So when I happened to come across "Hoosiers" last night, I was pleased to say the least.

I'd definitely consider "Hoosiers" to be on the sports movie Mount Rushmore, and it was obviously a bit bittersweet to enjoy Dennis Hopper's performance in light of his recent death. But watching the movie for what must have been the 957th time in my life, I noticed something that is now going to bother me forever that I had never noticed before.

(And no, it wasn't that, when the movie came out in 1986, Barbara Hershey was only three years younger than Naveen Andrews is now... but that did cross my mind.)

What bothered me was this: So Norman Dale comes to the small Indiana town as a complete unknown whom all the locals are wary of, not believing his crazy methods will work for their beloved high school basketball team. Then, midway through the movie, Barbara Hershey does some research and learns that Dale is, in fact, the former national championship-winning coach of the Ithaca Warriors, who was banned by the NCAA for life after hitting one of his players.

Big plot twist, right? And it serves to set up the moment during the town meeting to oust Dale when Hershey's character chooses not to reveal the information she knows, instead recommending the town keep their new coach.

But here's the problem: Even in the 1950s in a small town, there's no way that no one knows who Dale is if he won a national championship then was fired under controversial circumstances. I mean, I know they didn't have the Intergoogles back then, but they did have newspapers. And if this little town is as basketball crazed as it's portrayed, then how could they not have heard about this story? It'd be like them not knowing who was running for president.

So... am I missing something here? Is it just me being nitpicky because I work in the media and these are the types of ridiculous things I think about? Or wouldn't it have been more believable to simply have made Dale a successful coach, but not a national-title winning coach?

OK, aren't you glad you wasted 90 seconds of your morning reading that? How about some links?

-- In my story for today's Telegraph, I'm not sure if Mark Richt's comments were meant as an indirect response to the "hot seat" talk, but he was definitely pretty adamant that, while much has changed in Athens this offseason, he's still the same guy he's always been.

-- Clint Boling had some minor offseason surgery on his ankle, but Richt says his senior offensive lineman will be fine for the start of fall camp.

-- Fox Sports South has a lengthy interview with Mark Richt from Tuesday's SEC meetings.

-- Chris Low asks. Damon Evans answers.

-- The Grit Tree wonders just how serious Mark Richt is when he says he's as excited as he's ever been about a team this year.

-- So Urban Meyer's heart problems were actually an esophageal issue. I'm not trying to make light of any health issues, but wouldn't you think he would have wanted to be sure about all of this before announcing he was quitting back in December?

-- I'm linking to it a day late, but Bernie spent some time celebrating Washaun Ealey's birthday yesterday.

-- I'm looking forward to seeing how this list develops: Macon Dawg counts down the top 25 things he's looking forward to in the SEC this year, starting with Nos. 25-21. Bacon on a donut? I'm intrigued.

-- Fletcher Page has a good story on the role hoops recruit Donte Williams could play for the Dawgs this year.

-- Russell Henley is three shots off the lead at the NCAA Golf Championships.

-- I don't need Jack McKeon telling me who not to hate.

-- The creepiest kids cereals of all time.

-- Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Conan O'Brien in a dance-off. Awesome. (*And side note: 12 more days 'til I get to see Conan live at the Fox Theater in Atlanta! Can't wait!)

-- New York Magazine looks at how the producers of "Lost" worked to prepare fans for disappointment.

-- And finally, a follow-up on my note on the lobby music in the Hilton from yesterday: In the past 15 minutes, I've heard "Karma Chameleon," a Richard Marx tune, and "From a Distance" by Bette Midler. It's macaroni Midler!

Dawgs Will Open Season Without an Uga

The wait for Uga VIII may be coming to an end, but Georgia will still play its first few games with a stand-in before the new mascot makes his debut at Sanford Stadium.

I spoke with Sonny Seiler yesterday, and he said that although he already has several puppies that could be potential replacements for Uga VII, who died last year, he has already informed Georgia president Michael Adams and athletics director Damon Evans that no dog will be ready for the start of the season.

Seiler said he has already identified four or five puppies that are the offspring of Uga VI's line, but he is still waiting on a new litter due in the next month before making a final decision.

"Hopefully out of all of those we can pick the kind of dog that we think best represents the University of Georgia athletic department," Seiler said.

In the meantime, "Russ" -- the brother of Uga VII -- will continue to fill the role of stand-in for Georgia's preseason picture day and at least the first two or three games of the regular season. Russ was on the sideline last year for two games following Uga VII's death -- wins over Georgia Tech and Texas A&M.

"He sure is a good-looking dog and he's done us well and he travels well," Seiler said.

Seiler said Russ cannot be a permanent mascot, however, because the dog is already 5 years old, and the program prefers a younger dog who will have a chance to serve as the mascot for a longer time.

All the News Not Fit For Print

A few off-topic tidbits from Tuesday's SEC meetings in Destin…

-- First off, I was thrown off my internal clock by Memorial Day. Yesterday felt like a Sunday all day, and today has felt like a Monday. On top of that, Destin is Central Time, which also doesn't make sense since I'm used to Florida being on Eastern Time. So I'm actually off by 25 hours on everything.

-- As usual, trying to ask good questions (or really, more than one question of any sort) in a group that includes anything beyond just a few local reporters is utterly impossible. I'm hoping to have an award at week's end for the stupidest question I hear asked.

-- The music selections in the lobby at the Hilton are just brutal. I like Boyz II Men as much as any Philly guy should, but "I'll Make Love to You" isn't a song I need to hear over breakfast. And Celine Dion isn't something I need to hear ever.

-- Derek Dooley was roughly 10,000 times more entertaining than I'd anticipated. I know he's had his run-ins with some of the local media up there already in terms of how he wants media interactions organized, but there's no doubt he can be extremely personable and entertaining.

-- Of course, Dooley's still pretty old-school. He referred to the reporters' digital recorders used for the press conference as "dictaphones." I hope that type of talk continues. We've had far too few references to the Internet as "a series of tubes" since Sly Croom got canned.

-- Speaking of entertaining, it really is no wonder Steve Spurrier always has the media eating out of his hands. The guy knows how to work a room. His best line of the day: Walking out of the theater, Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler -- he of the Urban Meyer "you're a bad guy" fame -- stopped to introduce himself. "Jeremy," Spurrier shouted. "How come none of your buddies stuck up for you during that little incident?"

-- Another great Spurrier moment: A reporter had been asking coaches about the significance of summer conditioning, while another had asked about how difficult it is to replace a legend, as John Brantley will do at Florida this year. Spurrier saw it as a chance to combine the two by referencing Doug Johnson, who replaced Danny Wuerffel at Florida: "Doug was out playing baseball and drinking beer all summer. … Back then, that was his summer and he couldn't even make a 12-minute run. I guess we did a poor job of giving him a summer plan."

-- Hands down the single most important thing you can do as a reporter here is find a table in the lobby near an electrical outlet. Things are like gold.

-- I first noticed this during my first trip to SEC Media Days way back in 2005: The only media contingent that sports the attire of the team it covers is Florida. Now, it's not the newspaper folks, to be sure. But the Internet media covering Florida are all happily unabashed Florida homers, who happily sport their Gator gear (and occasionally Jorts) to professional events like this. But hey, who needs objectivity anyway?

-- Damon Evans is toting around a new Georgia-logo iPad. Meanwhile Mark Richt was toting around a giant suitcase full of stuff everywhere he went. This may actually be the best evidence I've seen so far that Richt actually is on the hot seat.

-- It's definitely not as fun without Lane Kiffin here this year. No fights with Spurrier outside an elevator. No horde of media drooling at the possibility of another ridiculous statement. And worst of all, no Layla Kiffin in a two-piece. Aside from the banana crepes, that was definitely the highlight of last year's meetings.

-- This conversation actually took place between myself and the Hilton Starbucks employee...

Me: "I'll have a small, plain, black coffee."
Starbucks Employee: "That'll be $3.40."

Sometimes capitalism is hard to defend.

-- I wish I was making this up, but I'm not. There were still a bunch of Tim Tebow questions. Ugh.

-- Asked if he thought it would be a good idea to add Texas to the SEC West, Les Miles quipped: "Yeah, them or the Green Bay Packers."

-- Bobby Johnson, Dan Mullen, Les Miles… they all stuck around for a while after their meetings to chat with media and were all quite cordial. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban? Eh, not so much. Meyer darted to the elevators with such enthusiasm, you might have thought Tebow was waiting for him. I managed to snag Saban and follow him to the elevator with a couple questions. He pressed the elevator button as he was answering, then continued to press the already illuminated button as he spoke, assuming -- I guess -- that the more times he pushed it, the faster the elevator would come. But I have to give props to Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald, who actually got onto the elevator with Saban. I expected they'd find his body floating off the coast sometime next week, but he reappeared a few minutes later. It was a close call, no doubt.

Day 1 SEC Notes: Fields, Thornton, Dooley & More

Dalton defensive end Jalen Fields, Georgia’s first commitment from the class of 2010, won’t be in Athens when the rest of the incoming freshmen arrive this month.

Fields did not qualify academically, head coach Mark Richt confirmed Tuesday, and will play the upcoming season elsewhere. Richt said he wasn’t sure where Fields would play, although he didn’t rule out the possibility of a season at Georgia Military College.

Of the 16 other freshmen signed by Georgia in February, only receiver Lonnie Outlaw has also failed to qualify, Richt said. Before committing, Outlaw had been set to attend GMC with plans to transfer to Georgia in a year or two.

“I’ll just say, there’s no surprises in this bunch,” Richt said of the group’s academic issues.

WHO'S THE BOSS

If there’s one topic first-year Tennessee coach Derek Dooley has talked enough about this spring, it’s about his parents.

Dooley’s father, Vince Dooley, was the longtime head coach at Georgia, and since the son was hired at Tennessee, all most fans want to know is what colors dad will be wearing when the Bulldogs and Volunteers face off on Oct. 9.

“It’s amazing to me how interested everybody is in my mom and dad and what they’re going to wear,” Derek Dooley said.

At a Tennessee fan event in Atlanta this spring, Dooley’s mother, Barbara, showed up sporting Volunteers colors, spurring plenty of talk among fans and reporters. The Tennessee faithful love it. The Georgia fans, not so much.

“I had to remind her that the event is not for her,” Derek Dooley said. “She’s developed a little bit of an icon status in Tennessee, and I’ve had to ban her from the state.”

Not that Dooley has much authority over his mother. Despite his rules, she’s made a habit of offering public comments.

“She violated the media policy,” Derek Dooley said. “(My) power can only go so far. She thinks it’s funny. She’s not going to think that when we’re having some bad years.”

GARCIA STILL IN DOGHOUSE

During his news conference with reporters Tuesday, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was asked if, from a quarterback’s perspective, he was a tough coach to play for.

“If you play well, I’d say I’m pretty easy to play for,” Spurrier said, earning chuckles from the media contingent. “If you don’t play very well, and there’s another player with pretty close ability, then I believe in bringing in the next guy.”

That might be the case with starting quarterback Stephen Garcia this season after the junior earned scorn from his coach during the spring. With true freshman Connor Shaw waiting in the wings, Spurrier said the pressure is on his incumbent to maintain the job by taking a big step forward on the field and off it.

“Spring practice was – I wouldn’t say it was a lot different than most of his spring practices,” Spurrier said. “There may be a point that he’s playing the best he can, and we’re expecting too much from him. But if that’s the case, we’ve got to get the next guy ready to play because the way (Garcia) has performed so far, we’re going to be limited.”

Spurrier said he still believes Garcia can blossom into the type of quarterback he wants, but if not, Shaw could quickly become part of the starting lineup.

“You don’t have to worry about (Shaw’s) commitment level -- it’s strong,” Spurrier said. “He’s a good passer. He can run a bit. He’s definitely the back-up right now, and he’ll compete for the starting assignment.”

EVANS EXPECTS TURNAROUND

Bad seasons happen, and Damon Evans is chalking up Georgia’s dreadful performance on the baseball diamond in 2010 to simply an off year. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a bit of pressure on coach David Perno to turn things around in short order.

“He’s had success, and there’s no reason for me to believe he won’t have success again,” Evans said of Perno. “I look for Dave to have a good year next year.”

Georgia finished 16-37 in 2010 with a league-worst 5-23 record in SEC play – both low points during Perno’s tenure. And while Evans said Perno would have the opportunity to turn things around in 2011, decisions on the rest of the Perno’s staff remained up in the air.

THORNTON READY TO PLAY

Mark Fox isn’t expecting his top recruit to need much time to adjust to the rigors of the SEC.

Fox said the 6-foot-7 Marcus Thornton, who signed with Georgia last month after de-committing from Clemson, did a good job of adding strength and weight during his senior season at Westlake High School and should be physically ready for the college game from Day 1.

“I watched Marcus play a ton last summer, but he’s a different player today than he was a year ago,” Fox said. “Physically he’s ready to make the transition from high school to the SEC. A lot of guys have to get stronger and put on weight. He’s ready to step in and contribute and get after it. We’re really excited to have him.”

'DREAM TEAM' A MIXED BAG

Richt recently dubbed the team’s approach to in-state recruiting as pursuing “The Dream Team” of top players in the state of Georgia. It’s a concept Richt likes, but he said the moniker alone won’t be enough to convince every in-state recruit that the Bulldogs are serious about landing them.

“Some think it’s pretty cool, and some don’t think much about it at all,” Richt said.

While the philosophy was meant to re-emphasize Georgia’s commitment to landing the best players close to home, Richt said he didn’t believe it would come at the expense of selling the program to any out-of-state players.

“We didn’t say it was a national thing,” Richt said. “We’ve always said that any player that we offer out of our state, we think he’s a very special guy. I think if you looked at our overall roster, they’re usually around two-thirds Georgia overall, and usually around 50-50 in the starting lineup in-state vs. out-of-state.”

COMMINGS NOT GOING

Richt said that cornerback Sanders Commings and receiver Israel Troupe, who had both discussed playing amateur baseball this spring, had talked over the situation with their position coaches and decided against the endeavor.

Tuesday Tidbits from SEC Meetings

I've got an awful lot of interviews to transcribe, but for now, here's a few quick notes from what Mark Richt, Mark Fox and Damon Evans had to say today...

-- Defensive end recruit Jalen Fields has not qualified and Richt said he does not expect Fields to be at Georgia this season. Richt said he's not sure where Fields will land -- whether that be GMC or elsewhere.

-- Richt said that, with the exception of Lonnie Outlaw, who we already knew was destined for GMC, all other players have qualified.

-- After some rumors that they might play baseball this summer, Richt said both Sanders Commings and Israel Troupe will be football only.

-- Richt said Marlon Brown might "already be our best blocking receiver."

-- Richt reiterated a few points on the QB situation. First, Aaron Murray was clearly Georgia's No. 1 QB at the end of the spring, regardless of what transpired with Zach Mettenberger. Second, Logan Gray remains the team's No. 2 QB on the depth chart, but Richt said Hutson Mason will likely receive substantially more reps this summer and fall.

-- Richt said that, because injuries prevented Justin Anderson from practicing this spring, Bean could theoretically still move back to the O line if the experiment doesn't go as planned during fall camp.

-- First question about Richt being on the hot seat came from SI's Andy Staples, who asked "does it amaze you that your name and the phrase 'hot seat' come up?" Richt's response: "I didn't know it had."

-- Mark Fox said he's hoping the SEC will rework its hoops tournament to seed teams 1 through 12 instead of the current structure.

-- Fox also said he still expects the NCAA tournament to continue to expand.

-- Damon Evans on David Perno and the baseball program: "He's had success, and there's no reason for me to believe he won't have success again. ... I look for Dave to have a good year next year."

-- Evans on possible changes to Perno's staff: "We haven't had any firm discussions on what he's going to do with his staff at this time."

Tuesday Links (6/1)

I'll freely admit, this week is about the easiest "work" a reporter gets. Everything at the SEC meetings is, relatively speaking, very informal. There aren't a ton of breaking news stories (although expansion is going to be the buzzword of the week), so we have a lot of opportunity to explore the studio space, so to speak. And as business trips go, Destin isn't too shabby a destination.

But there was one thing I loved above all else about making this trip last year. The restaurant in the Hilton, where the meetings take place, had these amazing bananas foster crepes for breakfast. They were utterly unhealthy, but really, really good.

So, of course, diet be damned... that's what I was looking forward to this morning.

And, of course, they're no longer on the menu.

Trip = ruined.

There's just no substitute for crepes.

Some quick links...

-- Big congrats to Chelsey Gullickson, who won the NCAA women's singles championship yesterday. Would that count as the No. 1 highlight of the sports year for UGA?

-- Tony Barnhart offers a preview of what will likely be five key questions to come up during this week's meetings.

-- If expansion happens -- or doesn't -- you can be sure that the reason behind it is all dollars and sense. And just as the NCAA grossly overestimated the profitability of expanding the hoops tourney, it could be the diminishing dollars in the midwest that drives the Big Ten's growth. Ivan Maisel has a great piece for ESPN.com on how the rust-belt decline is affecting college football.

-- Chris Low's choice as Georgia's most irreplaceable player? Aaron Murray.

-- The Moultrie Observer looks at the potential impact of speedster Vance Cuff this season.

-- Better late than never: Our pal Brandon Spoon posts some additional photos from Georgia's G-Day game.

By the way, if you've been missing Brandon on this blog lately, fear not. We've got a project in the works where he'll be making his triumphant re-emergence.

-- Here's your informational tidbit to make you feel old for the day... yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the debut of "Seinfeld." Oddly, it also was the 10th anniversary of the debut of "Survivor."

-- For the go-getter in all of us, it's Dwight Schrute's top 10 skills... and how you can acquire them.

-- And finally... did you ever notice how much Tampa's Matt Garza looks like Zoltar from the movie "Big"?

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I went with the Cuban breakfast sandwich. Ham and fried eggs? Well, it's no banana crepes, but it's not too shabby.

Mark Richt meets with reporters at noon central time today, so if you have any questions you'd like me to pose, let me know here or on Twitter.