Greg McGarity: A Bulldog Returns Home

There might be a new sheriff in town, but this time he doesn't have to ride in with barrels blazing. In fact, Greg McGarity's hire as the new athletic director at the University of Georgia seems more like the prodigal son returning home as opposed to the sheriff moniker. Perhaps we should kill the fatted calf, instead of thinking about a new broom sweeping clean. After all, there's something to be said for excavating an Athens, Georgia boy out of a despicable environment that is Gainesville, Florida. McGarity says this job is his "dream job", and it isn't one he has to rebuild, but he does need to be the man to take it to the next level. The man has red and black flowing through his veins. He has a history with Athens and the University of Georgia. An old love affair has been rekindled, and McGarity is the right man for this job. Welcome home Greg McGarity, just wish it hadn't taken you, and us, so long.

Georgia State University Football

Georgia State University will throw its hat into the college football arena in less than three weeks against Shorter College. I think the football program will be good for the university, as well as for Georgia high school football players, who now have an alternative source of opportunity to play at the college level. The inaugural season has the Panthers facing such opponents as Jacksonville State, Morehead State, and Savannah State. The kicker to this is that to close out the season, Bill Curry's squad will travel to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama. That game i just don't understand if I'm Georgia State. I know all about the big payouts smaller schools receive from playing the big boys, but for a first year program to play a perennial power like Alabama from the SEC just doesn't make sense. I have to think there were other alternatives. I realize smaller programs must have additional revenue to operate their programs, but for goodness sake, not to risk a massacre. I hope for GSU's sake the game isn't televised.

Atlanta Braves: Whose On Third?

In the wake of Chipper Jones' season ending knee injury, the question that comes to the forefront is who will be the Braves everyday third baseman throughout this crucial stretch run? When Martin Prado returns next week from the DL, I would put him back at his second base position and move Omar Infante to Chipper's spot at third. Now we've got both .300 hitting infielders on the field together. Even though I'm a huge Brooks Conrad fan, I wouldn't make him an everyday player just yet. I say keep him in his super productive role of coming off the bench in crucial situations. Bobby Cox has leaned on him heavily for that throughout the season, and I wouldn't shake up that asset too much. To take the infield situation one step further, if Troy Glaus continues his struggles at the plate in August, I would call up Freddie Freeman from Triple A Gwinnett once we cross that September 1 threshold. If Chipper's around the clubhouse and dugout after surgery continuing to provide his leadership, Atlanta just might pull this playoff thing off, and be a heck of a good team while doing it.

Alabama: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste...

Come on guys, don't give 'Bama such a hard time simply because they misspelled the name of their November 13 opponent Mississippi State. Cut 'em a little slack, if for no other reason than the fact that they are the defending National Champs. Perhaps they're still caught up in all the hoopla of that spectacular championship season. Maybe we should give them the benefit of a little collegiate "poetic license". Or why don't we just realize it's Alabama, and just be glad they spelled A L A B A M A correctly! (I'll get this posted as soon as I hit 'spell check' a couple of times). But wait, don't they play Ole Miss as well? Oh my gosh...

Chipper Jones: Don't Let It End This Way...

He was just beginning to get it all together this year. Just in time for Atlanta's stretch run for a division title. One could just imagine the old crusty veteran putting this Braves team on his back for one last charge into the playoffs. Then he wrecks his knee again and this storybook season has come to a brutally unfair sudden ending. Will it bring his brilliant career as an Atlanta Brave to a close as well? He has already hinted that this could be his last season. Can he dedicate himself to a long, torrid rehab job at his age and this point in his career? Will he want to play another year coming off major surgery under a new field manager? I hope that he will come back. Chipper can still play this game, and he has matured into a veteran leader. He is the heart and soul of this Atlanta Braves team. He is a vital part of their great team chemistry. He's one of those special athletes who makes the people around him better. I realize this team wants to achieve the division title for outgoing manager Bobby Cox. I now hope they will continue this mission for their captain as well. Give him a big reason to return next year: to defend the Eastern Division title. Or even more. Hang tough "Chip". We're pulling for you, "10".

Cardinals vs Reds: Playing Well Trumps Brash Talk

The Cincinnati Reds hate the St. Louis Cardinals. Their second baseman, Brandon Phillips, said as much. Then he picked a fight with the Cardinals. Then he and the Reds lost the final two games of a three game St. Louis sweep. Then he and his Reds discovered that they had also lost their two game division lead, and now trail the Red Birds by a full game. Cincinnati talked big and played small. St. Louis laughed all the way to the division lead. They know how to handle winning. They are accustomed to it, and they do it professionally well. It has been so long since the Reds have won that they are learning how to win all over again, and they are obviously stumbling all over themselves in the process. They just don't get it, not yet anyway. What they better get is the Wild Card, because the Cardinals just took the National League Central. For good.

L.S.U.: That Just 'Ain't' Right...

Elliott Porter was one of 27 players to sign letters of intent with LSU. Hey, guess what? All 27 high school football players qualified for admission to Louisiana State University. Tiger head coach Les Miles wasn't counting on that. Maybe he's never had a class where the kids were all intelligent enough to get in school. The problem is, only 25 scholarships can be given in football per year. Sorry, Elliott, you're one of two odd men out. You're already on campus, but you don't have the scholarship you were offered and supposedly given. LSU isn't the only school this has happened at, but it still doesn't make it right. To top it all off, this is one 'infraction' that is not a violation of NCAA rules because schools can bring in as many as 28 players but only 25 scholarships. LSU is guilty of nothing but lying to a high school student athlete. No harm no foul, huh?

A.J. Green: He Has to Be a Heisman Candidate

While looking at preseason Heisman Trophy watch lists, I did not find a single one that had Georgia's A.J. Green in their Top 10. I did discover one list that had Green at 17th . I realize the deck is somewhat stacked against the Bulldog receiver. He will have an inexperienced quarterback throwing to him for one thing, although no one knows how well rookie Aaron Murray will perform for Georgia behind center this year. Also, for the first time in a long time, Georgia QBs and receivers won't have to be the total show. With Caleb King and Washaun Ealey returning as a terrific tailback tandem, the Bulldogs could, and should, look to the run first and frequently. Nevertheless, A.J Green is arguably the best receiver in college football. Even though quarterbacks and running backs generally dominate the Heisman voting, Green does deserve to be higher up the watch lists even at this early juncture. Perhaps if Georgia has a better team than some predict, and if Green throws up some eye-boggling numbers in spectacular fashion, he might just receive an invitation to New York as a finalist. Don't rule him out.

Hey Tiger, Lose the Goatee

Let Tiger Woods never be confused with Samson. His strength is definitely not in his hair, not his facial hair anyway. (Not to mention the fact he looks like a dork). He just finished the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in a tie for 78th place out of 80 golfers. This event was held at the Firestone Country Club, a venue Woods has won at seven times. His game is in shambles, he has hit rock bottom. Is he washed up as a golfer? Absolutely not, but he has lost the one facet of his game that was most unnerving to his competitors: The factor of intimidation. That is completely gone at this point. The "young guns" on the PGA Tour have no fear of Tiger Woods. They know that he can no longer show up with his 'C' game and expect to go home with all the spoils. He has to show up ready to play, both above the neck as well as below it. For the first time in his professional career, his personal life is dramatically affecting his performance on the course. Make no mistake about it, not many people are feeling sorry for him. He himself orchestrated all the chain of events that have happened to him since last Thanksgiving. He might not like the drink, but he concocted it. Even though I for one could care less, Tiger Woods will win on the tour again, and more than a single tournament. He will get his life and game back together again. Hopefully, he'll leave the goatee to the goats.

Happy Birthday Bob Horner!

Former Arizona State and Atlanta Brave star is 53 years old today. Horner played for the Braves from 1978 through 1986, and ended his MLB career with the Cardinal in 1988. The slugging third/first baseman amassed 218 career homers. In July of 1986 against the Montreal Expos, he became the eleventh player to hit four home runs in a single game. Guess what? The Braves lost that game! Must have been because of those dreadful uniforms.

Billy Wagner: No Time For Blown Saves Now...

There are a couple of issues that are "looming large" with the Atlanta Braves right now. Since the All-Star break, the Braves have left a ton of men on base. I can recall several times when they have had the bases loaded with no outs and failed to score. Not only did they not get the clutch two out hit, they didn't get the none or one out RBI either. This was not a prevalent sign in May nor June. However, all teams go through peaks and valleys, so the key is not to dwell in the abyss for too long. The second issue is that during this second half run, the bullpen has to be clutch. There can be no blown leads as has been the case lately. The veteran closer Billy Wagner has got to be lights out in order for Atlanta to win the division. All games count, but every game now really stands out as the division race heats up with the Phillies only two games back. It's great to have the Braves back in the thick of the championship run again. They spoiled us with that fourteen year run of titles.

Houston Nutt: Hotty Totty, Gosh Almighty!

Would you buy a used car from this man? Remember, never trust a Nutt, especially a Houston Nutt. He has just made another controversial decision in bringing to Ole Miss maligned Oregon Duck Jeremiah Masoli. Masoli was kicked off the Oregon squad in June, and Ole Miss had their second string quarterback transfer earlier. So, I suppose both parties were desperate; one for a quarterback, the other to play quarterback. To top it all off, Masoli can play immediately because he is a graduate student in a major that Oregon did not offer. Convenient, huh? Just another one of the quirky NCAA regulations springing forth. My take on this is that the quarterback just might not be as bad a guy as he's portrayed (even though he has trouble telling the truth), and the coach just might not be as good of an ole boy as he's portrayed to be. Houston knows he'll never win the SEC West, just as Steve Spurrier will never win the East, but he'll go to any length to attempt the unobtainable feat. He'll bring in the choir boy, the cell boy, or anyone in between to try and enhance his program. He'll always win a few games he isn't supposed to, and he'll always tank some he should win. The majority of the times his teams are just like their coach: overrated.