Patrick Witt: To Play or Not to Play...

Patrick Witt faces one of those super-tough life decisions that literally tears you apart. It's one of those desperate calls that makes you wish you could be two places at one time, doing two totally different things simultaneously. The Yale quarterback is scheduled to play his final college game Saturday against Harvard at 12 noon, and he also has an interview in Atlanta the same day for the opportunity to be selected for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Witt has an Ivy League GPA of 3.91, has already been offered a full-time job, and has NFL scouts considering him for a future in professional football. This kid has his act together, but that still does not make the choice on Saturday any easier. He has a lot of blood, sweat, and tears invested in football. He has coaches and players who depend on him. He will never wear the Bulldog uniform again. He will never receive another shot (not guaranteed to be selected at all) to be a Rhodes Scholar again either. He will be passing up the chance to study international relations at Oxford University in England. It would be the 'Super Bowl' of learning. Now you have a better understanding of what Witt is facing. He is the only one who can make the call because he alone has to live with his decision. It will be interesting to see the choice he makes. What do you think he should do?

Smokin' Joe Frazier: He'll Shock You & Amaze You!

Joe Frazier, the boxing heavyweight, died of liver cancer yesterday. He finally met an adversary that he couldn't out punch. The unrelenting, steam engine of a fighter was 67 years old. Frazier, who won a gold medal for the United States in the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, will best be remembered professionally by his three epic bouts with Muhammad Ali, culminating with the famous "Thrilla in Manilla". The grass roots fighter with the heavy hands and the big heart was a two-time heavyweight champion. Godspeed Smokin' Joe!

Ole Miss: You're All "Nutts"

Now let me see if I have all this down correctly. Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt will resign at the end of the 2011 football campaign, which is to say in three more games. This is not a shocking development, because you don't buy yourself more time on the sidelines when you've lost ten conference games in a row (even if you are Ole Miss and you don't have very much of a football tradition to begin with). Now for the next administrative change in the Ole Miss athletic department, athletic director Pete Boone will step down from his responsibilities no later than December 2012. Boone stated when he hired Nutt that this would be his last head football coach hire. I'm fine with that, no problem there. But why hang around for another 13 months? This means that the new coach will not know who his athletic director is going to be, and the new athletic director will have had no input into the hiring of the new football coach. Is this the proverbial 'cart before the horse', the verbally incorrect 'bass-ackwards', or just "the way things are done at Ole Miss by damn"? And to top that all off, 'ole number 18, Archie Manning himself will be an integral part of the search process for the new head coach. Now who will have the upper hand in the hallway of the football offices, the guy who Archie hired or the athletic director who Archie won't hire? My money says Archie's money speaks loud in Oxford, Mississippi! Thus, we've solved the potential conflict for the Rebels, or is it the Black Bears(?), before it ever arises. But to tell you the truth, the only uprising that will ever occur over football in Oxford is when anyone tries to change the hallowed custom that is known as simply, "The Grove". Hotty Toddy! That's all anyone at Ole Miss cares about anyway.

Georgia vs Auburn: 2011 Version

Georgia -vs- Auburn, "The South's Oldest Rivalry", resumes again this Saturday. This edition will be number 115, with Auburn currently holding a slight edge over the Dawgs at 54-52-8. Georgia does enjoy a slim lead in points scored at 1809 to 1771, testifying to the overall closeness of the series. The rivalry has had so many games that were meaningful in the conference picture, not to mention several significant outcomes regarding the national polls. This year is no different with respect to the former, with the SEC East title at stake for the hosting Bulldogs. Although the series has always been looked on as a "friendly rivalry", that all changed last year due mainly to the cheap shots committed by AU's imported nose guard Nick Fairley. Fairley's two very late and very cheap shots to UGA's quarterback Aaron Murray were at least successful in removing the 'friendly' moniker from the description of this annual battle. As you can plainly see in the 1996 photo above, the Georgia-Auburn game has never been friendly as far as Uga is concerned. Like the old saying goes, "track 'em Dawgs, just like beagles. To hell with you, you damn War Eagle"!

Isaiah Crowell: Tough Enough or Toughen Up?

Isaiah Crowell spends a lot of time on the Georgia sidelines when his offensive teammates are on the field. The freshman tailback has had a succession of nagging "injuries" since his indoctrination into college football this fall. I'm not implying that his injuries aren't legitimate, or even serious, but he does take himself out of ballgames with some frequency. He has said the hardest part to being a college football player is time management. I understand his point completely, especially coming from a high profile athlete as Crowell is now and was coming out of high school. I'm sure he meant this comment to mean off the field management more so than on the field. However, I think his biggest adjustment on the field has been the fact that a tailback playing in the SEC gets hit hard and often on every play, with 'hard' being the key word here for Crowell. Isaiah Crowell is a tremendously gifted and talented running back. He has all the natural ability a player needs to be a great and special collegiate tailback. However, you cannot be a great player standing on the sidelines. Dare to be great, Isaiah. Toughen up.

Georgia -vs- Vanderbilt: Can't We All Just Get Along...

He said, we said, they said, yada, yada, yada. A couple of football coaches yell at each other and probably represent their respective institutions in a less than flattering manner. Not the best of situations but not all that uncommon in the football arena. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just that it is. Vanderbilt believes Georgia's Todd Grantham went berserk for no good reason. Georgia believes Grantham was provoked. It won't matter for long who thinks what, because now all that matters is what the SEC Commissioner's office thinks. That's where this incident is headed now. On the UGA front, Grantham has had to meet with head coach Mark Richt on Sunday and athletic director Greg McGarity today regarding his behavior after Saturday night's hard fought Georgia victory (or hard fought Vandy loss, depending on your perspective). My hope here is that he does not have to meet face-to-face with Commissioner Mike Slive, nor have to be on the receiving end of a hefty league office punishment. I for one don't want to face Florida without defensive coordinator who was serving a one-game suspension.

Dan Wheldon: 1978-2011

It is always said that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. I wish Dan Wheldon had not been killed in Las Vegas, but I hope a catastrophe like this one never occurs in racing again anywhere. Wheldon died of unsurvivable injuries he suffered when his race car clipped another car and burst into flames after literally flying into a catch-fence. If I were a race car driver, fire would be my greatest fear. When the 15 car pile-up occurred, fire was the mitigating factor. IndyCar was very fortunate that it lost only one driver in such a terrible mishap, but one driver is far and away one too many. The two-time Indy 500 winner is survived by his wife and two young sons. Godspeed Dan Wheldon.

Barbara Dooley: That Rile Might Stay Up...

I think Derek Dooley is a good guy. I don't know what caliber of football coach he is because he hasn't been operating at the SEC level long enough to prove himself. There is one thing for sure, the "Hillbilly Honeymoon" won't last forever. That proving period will probably end this year, past program problems and transgressions not withstanding. Mama can defend her "Precious" all she wants, but he's a Big Boy now coaching in a Big Boy conference. The vultures will soon begin circling if he doesn't restore the Volunteer program back to its days of glory. Take all the shots at her baby you want, but just remember Mama's listening. Oh yea, take a hint from Bobby Bowden, she's "not too old to find you, son"!

Stephen Garcia: The Straw That Broke the Gamecock's Back

This can't be baseball, because you only get three strikes in 'America's Pastime'. It has to be the 'Ole Ball Coach, because he's the only one who allows anyone to tempt fate five times. It appears that even six times is one too many transgressions for Steve Spurrier. Thus a failed alcohol test and one Stephen Garcia is permanently booted off the South Carolina football team. And we all thought he had has many lives as the old feline, only to come up three short. But wait, knowing Garcia will partake of an adult beverage is just as sure a thing as the preacher man praying. So what's really going on in Columbia? I think that Connor Shaw's performance against Kentucky on Saturday finally convinced Spurrier that he is now prepared to be the 'Cocks number one signal caller. Shaw finally gave the "Evil Genius" the assurance he needed to rid himself of Garcia and all of his excessive baggage. It was Shaw who helped Spurrier put the noose around the neck of Garcia, not a failed alcohol test. But you all knew that anyway, right? Of course you did. But be careful Coach, it was 'Kensucky' that Shaw excelled against...

Tennessee Nike Pro Combat Uniforms

You can take the Volunteer out of the hills, but you can't take the Hillbilly out of the Vounteer! Rock on 'Rocky Top', they're playing your song. But you'll be seeing an awful lot of RED before Saturday night is over.

Women's World Cup: Seizing the Moment...

The United States women failed to close out a Japan team that looked outmatched for much of the World Cup final. It almost seemed as if the U.S. was playing not to loose, more so than playing to win. There is a big difference you know. There were scoring chances missed by our American team, and the defense seemed to almost totally collapse on Japan's first goal. But then again, that is soccer. It is a game than can sometimes lull you to sleep, then keep you on the edge of your seat without a moments notice. Anything can happen in soccer, as is true with most sports. Anything did happen Sunday. Japan upset the United States to win the World Cup. They were a team of destiny, and they did do a better job of seizing the moment. But not to worry, where there's Hope (Solo), there's U.S. soccer!

Atlanta Braves: It's a 'Wild Card' Kind of Year

I know we are only three games past the All-Star break, so there is actually a full half-season to be played. Nevertheless, it's already time to cut to the chase and admit that the path to the playoffs for Atlanta runs through the wild card race. There will be no Eastern Division title for the Braves, because the Phillies will claim that pennant flag once again this year. There is no disgrace in that admission, for the defending champions are the real deal. Their pitching staff is so complete with great arms that they will not experience any prolonged losing streaks. A two game hiccup is all you'll get from them down the stretch, and that won't happen with any regularity. The Braves are actually not that far behind Philadelphia in reality. The Braves starting rotation isn't "phillyesque", but it isn't so shabby either. I would also rate the Atlanta bullpen ahead of the Phillies'. However, the boys from the A-T-L just do not hit consistently enough. The lineup that takes the field for most games looks much better on paper than it performs on the field. They're wild card worthy, but a title will have to wait. Again.