A Tribute to John Mark Stallings

John Mark Stallings, son of former Crimson Tide head coach Gene Stallings, died this week at the age of 46. John Mark was born with Down's syndrome and suffered with health problems related to a congenital heart defect. He was a tremendous Alabama fan who touched the lives of so many in the Crimson Tide family with his courageous attitude. In 2005, the football equipment room was dedicated to him and aptly named the John Mark Stallings Equipment Room. Coach Stallings once said that because his son struggled to do so many things, he gave him a greater appreciation for the player who perhaps didn't have the most talent but was willing to work hard to succeed. Conversely, he had much less tolerance for the gifted player who was not willing to work to be all that he could be. An Opinion On Sports extends its sympathy to the Stallings Family and to the Crimson Tide faithful who loved and were loved by John Mark Stallings. God speed John Mark!

"Brett the Jet"

The Brett Favre "Out of Retirement" saga has come to a close. Brett is now a New York Jet. Let the games begin! I have no problem with Favre wanting to play again. Michael Jordan retired and chose to come back. Reggie White did also. Magic as well. Heck, in everyday life people retire from their regular jobs only to come back, or even enter a new line of work. It is a choice that a lot of people have. But I do believe Brett could have done a few things differently to keep the "drama" down a bit. First of all, he should never have announced his retirement last March if he felt pressured to do so by the Packers. I'm Brett Favre, I wrestle with this retirement thing every year, it's nothing new, I'm going fishing, good-bye. But since he indeed did announce his retirement, when he made up his mind to play again, he should have called the Packer front office and said, "I just faxed my reinstatement request to the commissioner's office. When he approves it , Ill see you in camp". At that point he would have held all the cards. If the Pack actually had moved on to Aaron Rogers, there's no way they would have let Favre hang around long. His mere presence would have triggered a quick trade, probably to the team of Brett's choosing, if not his outright release. Their only other move would have been to make him the starter and put Rogers back on the shelf for a little(?) longer. That would have been Brett's, as well as the Packer Nation's, first choice all along. Whatever road the team chose to take, they would have taken it with haste. Now, odd man out, and odd man in. The odd man in is definitely Aaron Rogers. He will have to approach perfection to win over the Green Bay faithful. After all, he's trying to replace a living legend. One day he will be the answer to a sports trivia question: who succeeded Brett Favre as the Packer quarterback in 2008? I promise you, not many football fans will remember the correct answer. It isn't going to be pretty in the land of the"Cheese-Head". The odd man out has to be Chad Pennington, whom the Jets released after signing Favre. I'm sure he thinks he got a raw deal, but Chad would have to admit he's had plenty of chances to secure that job over the years. No one to blame but himself. But on the other hand, this release might just be the best thing that ever happened to his career. I think it was time for him to move on anyway. So, once Pennington is signed by another club, the 2008 season can begin to play itself out for these three quarterbacks. In a perfect world, it would be a win, win, win scenario. But the NFL is far from a perfect world. In baseball, one out of three is considered a success, but I don't think that average will fly in this football thing. Oh well, I guess we will all just have to follow the season and see have it plays out. At least for now, we don't have to deal with the soap opera anymore.

Are You Tailgate Ready?

Tell me you couldn't do some serious tailgating with any of the above! I'm sure tailgate parties all across America will be the scene for many such "impressive" units. My 'ole Char Broil has a long way to go to catch up with these 'bad boys'. (But it still gets the job done!). So get ready to "Fire 'em Up", football season is on the horizon. Let the grilling, and smoking begin! And in the South, you know we won't forget the boiled peanuts!

The 2008 PGA Championship

I like Phil Mickelson, but as the PGA Tournament gets underway tomorrow, I am wondering what he will do to cost himself another Major where he is again one of the favorites. I am saying that he will not win the 2008 PGA. I am saying he will again self-destruct on the course. What I am not saying is how it will happen. It could be "Driver Gone Wild", which leads to some ridiculously imaginable recovery shots, which eventually lead to doom and gloom. It could be those 3 to 5 foot putts that he sometimes has more trouble with than those 25 footers. These lead to unsaved pars and even the dreaded bogey. It could be his course management , or lack thereof. Sometimes Phil just drifts off on us. Everything leaves the course but his body. This leads to a golf game fit for the portable potties. And this kind of golf game leads to yet another golden opportunity gone to waste.

Oh Brother, Dawgs On The Cover!

It's not enough that the Dawgs already have those "Bulls Eyes" on their backs after being ranked number 1 in several pre-season polls, they will now have to overcome the infamous Sports Illustrated "Jinx" for appearing on the cover of the popular sports magazine. Regardless of the "jinx", making that cover is still pretty 'sweet'!

Stafford and Tebow: The Best of the Best

Georgia and Florida are the only two schools in the Southeastern Conference already set at the quarterback position. They are also the two conference schools who find themselves in the top 5 of all the pre-season polls. Matthew Stafford and Tim Tebow return as established veterans. Look for Stafford to have a breakout year and be the type of quarterback he was projected to be coming out of high school. He has always had the 'tools', but now he has the poise, maturity, and surrounding cast to take his game to the next level. Tebow has shown what kind of numbers he can put up, but at some point one would think that defensive coordinators will challenge him with new looks and schemes to test the guy more. Every other SEC school either has to replace a departed QB or get firmly settled and committed at that position with a guy who played sparingly or inadequately last year. Every school has question marks going into a season, but at UGA and UF the QB question has long been answered.

"Dawg Power": Another Number 1 Ranking

ESPN.com has the Georgia Bulldogs sitting at the top of their pre-season college football poll. The Dawgs are followed in order by Southern Cal, Ohio State, Florida, and Oklahoma. LSU and Auburn are two other SEC teams rounding out the top 10 of this poll.

Bum Phillips: Yea, He Said It!

(About how he was spending his retirement) "I ain't doing a damn thing, and I don't start until noon."

(When asked if he played college football) "I thought I did until I looked at some old game films."

"The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline."

"Two kinds of ballplayers aren't worth a darn: One that never does what he's told, and one who does nothin' except what he's told."

"You don't know a ladder has splinters until you slide down it."

An expert is an ordinary fella away from home.

When asked by Bob Costas why he takes his wife on all the road trips, responded "Because she is too damn ugly to kiss good-bye."

"When I coached, players carried a six-pack. Now they have a briefcase on one hand and a lawyer on the other."

Dale Murphy: On This Date...

Eighteen years ago on August 4, 1990, the Atlanta Braves traded the ever popular Dale Murphy to the Philadelphia Phillies for three players. "The Murph", a seven time All-Star, never did look right in a Phillies uniform! He finished his career with 398 homers, and was a two-time National League MVP. I sure wish he could have hit just two more 'dingers' to reach that 400 mark. I believe that accomplishment would have him in the Hall of Fame already. He's long overdue!

In The "Doghouse" Dawgs

The Georgia Bulldogs made national headlines by being tabbed the number 1 ranked college football team in the Coaches Preseason Poll last week. Less than 48 hours later, some of those same Dawgs made the headlines by being arrested in conjunction with a bar fight early Sunday morning. All of you have figured out by now that I'm a Georgia graduate and a huge Bulldog fan, but this is a classic case of "stupid is as stupid does". As a player you work your 'can' off all year long. You have a great opportunity to play college football. You are in a great college environment. You play for one of the finest head coaches in the entire country. You know he doesn't tolerate unacceptable behavior. You have seen him use loss of playing time as a disciplinary measure. You know the deal and the drill. Yet certain players continue to jeopardize a really great experience by doing STUPID things. The Bulldogs now have six players suspended for at least the opening game of the year. I realize that "regular students" get in trouble just like scholarship athletes do. I realize that jocks at other universities all over the country get in trouble also. I understand all the rationalizations, I just wish some athletes understood the ramifications. You're in a fishbowl, you're under a microscope, you represent a state university. More is expected of you. As Joe Friday might say, "That's just the facts". It's time for the Georgia players to hold a team meeting and say to each other: "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way"! Cut out the incidents. Quit the stupidity. Grow up quick.

Skip Caray: "Thanks For The Memories"

Long time Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray died Sunday at his Atlanta home at the age of 68. The second generation sportscaster had battled health problems for the past year or so but was doing better, although he was not feeling particularly well as of the last few days. Caray began doing Braves games in 1976, and was named Georgia Sportscaster of the Year six times.

He was named to the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2004. I'll always remember part of his famous call after the Braves World Series win in 1995: "Yes! Yes! Yes! The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship! Listen to this crowd!" Skip had witnessed and broadcast a lot of really bad Braves baseball over the years leading up to that call, so he certainly deserved to be at the mike for that moment. Thanks Skip, and tell "The Bud Man & Cubs Fan " hello for us!

Coaches USA Today Poll: UGA #1

The Georgia Bulldogs are ranked number 1 in the USA Today Coaches' pre-season poll. We all know the post-season poll is the only one that counts, but it's a plus to begin the season in that number 1 slot (just ask LSU last year). This is the first time the Bulldogs have held this elite pre-season ranking. Southern Cal is ranked in the number two position, followed by Ohio State, Oklahoma and Florida.