SEC: The East-West Gap Narrows

For the last few years, it has been maintained that the SEC West is the much stronger conference division. Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU have been the powers of the conference. I have no argument against such logic. 2012 was to be no different. Now three games into the season, it seems Alabama and LSU have pretty much separated themselves form everyone else in the division. The remainder of the West teams are actually now just pretty mediocre at this point, and I would go so far as to say at least three East Division teams are better than those teams. I don't think LSU is as good as Alabama, and I also think Georgia, South Carolina and even Florida are very close to the guys from Baton Rouge. All  five of those teams are ranked in the top 14 in this week's AP Poll. The gap between the East and West is narrowing. Only Alabama stands head and shoulders above the rest.  Don't forget, it wasn't that long ago that Florida, Tennessee and Georgia  were the powers of the conference. Perhaps we're beginning to come full circle. Just sayin...

Kris Medlen: Definitely In A Zone

I know it's football season  now, but we just gotta talk about Braves' starter Kris Medlen here on An Opinion On Sports. Just think about these numbers: In nine starts he's he's 7-0 with an unconscious ERA of 0.86. He has 66 strikeouts to go with only eight walks in 62+ innings. Heavy stuff indeed. He seems to be the only Atlanta pitcher to realize the team is in a pennant race. The other starters, Hanson, Hudson, Maholm and Minor haven't stepped up their games in the stretch run to October. In the old Milwaukee Brave days it was "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain". Now I suppose we have to pray for four days of rain between every Medlen playoff start (yes, Atlanta will make the playoffs). He is the only starter the Braves can depend on. Tommy Hanson hasn't lived up to the hype. Tim Hudson is just plain overrated. Paul Maholm has been another trade disappointment. Mike Minor can find no consistency. Kris Medlen is everything and more Atlanta could have hoped for. After all, he understands it's a pennant race.

Gurley & Marshall & Glory Glory to Old Georgia!

They're only freshman. They will get better, but they will experience some bad days as well. They are extremely talented when running with a football. They will be fun to watch for at least three years (come on guys, stay all four!). Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, two of North Carolina's finest. Good friends, roommates, UGA tailbacks. They each rushed for 100+ yards against Florida Atlantic Saturday night. Gurly had 10 carries for 111 yards, while Marshall totaled 104 yards on the same number of carries. They each added on a touchdown for good measure. These two true freshmen could end up being the best two-back tandem since Worley and Henderson of years ago.There are too many great Bulldog running backs to start name-dropping comparisons at this point, but father time will take care of that. If they ever get to run behind an experienced offensive line with depth, the sky could be the limit for these two. So 'Bulldog Nation', sit back and enjoy misters Gurley and Marshall. They are indeed special, and they are the "Real Deal".  Here's to many more co-one hundred yard outings, along with many more Georgia victories!

Georgia -vs- Fla. Atlantic: Show Me The Money!

Florida Atlantic will hold a new Sanford Stadium record when they depart Athens late Saturday night. The Owls will escape out of town with the largest paycheck of any Georgia opponent in history. They will take the $1 million payout this week, along with another million from Alabama next week, and hopefully balance their budget by the season's end. Georgia claims they will still pocket around $1.7 million form Saturday's contest when all is said and done. They look at the situation as win-win because it gives the Bulldogs a seventh home game this season, which is always income gravy for an athletic department. (Note: Georgia paid Buffalo $975,000 to play in Athens for the home opener this year). The UGA athletic board reports they currently have $68 million in cash reserves. It doesn't sound like any recession has hit Georgia Athletics anytime recently. Just sayin...

Hairy Dawg: Stadium Defender!

You just gotta love that Hairy Dawg! Cheering on the Dawgs, posing with the fans, or looking after Sanford Stadium, there is no one who could do it better. Go you Hairy Dawg! It's Gameday!

Louisiana-Monroe: Two in a Row?

Not so fast my friends. Auburn is a 15 1/2 point favorite today over Louisiana-Monroe, but I'm sure Arkansas was at least that big last week. The element of surprise is gone and there will be no ambush on The Plains today. I won't go so far as to say Auburn quarterback Kiehl Frazier will have an  easy day. He will not, and there is a very good chance he will be out-played by his counterpart, Kolton Browning (above). But there will be no giant slaying today. The Tigers will prevail over the Warhawks, and their coach Gene Chizik will avoid the 'Hot Seat' for now. But it's coming,, and it's coming soon, Coach Chizik. Beware of those "Auburn Faithful". Just sayin...

Florida -vs- Tennessee: A Second-Tier East Battle

Florida and Tennessee no longer rule the SEC East. They have been replaced by Georgia and South Carolina. They each have two head coaches who have yet to prove themselves at this level. They both would like to elevate their teams back to the top and join the two schools mentioned above. Neither of them would like to slip to the point of joining Kentucky and Vanderbilt as basement dwellers. They are both closer to the bottom than to the top, and that is very difficult for both programs to accept. A win Saturday night does not instantly vault one of them back into the  land of the haves, but the loser is almost assured of being mentioned in the same breath as the 'Cats and the 'Dores. On top of that, the losing coach inherits the first 2012 SEC "Hot Seat" moniker.It couldn't happen to a better bunch, no matter which bunch that turns out to be late Saturday night.

Kolton Houston: Ineligible Injustice

Kolton Houston is the victim of a long running saga that involves his testing positive for a banned substance back in April 2010. The substance, norandrolone, was prescribed to him by a less than honorable physician while he was still in high school in Buford, Georgia. Houston was trying to heal from a high school shoulder injury. Now, two and a half years later, traces of the substance can still be found in his system, even though Georgia can scientifically prove Houston has not used the substance since high school. The NCAA steadfastly maintains that until his tests reach an acceptable level, he will continue to be ineligible to play college football. I understand the 'letter of the law'. I further understand that college athletics must continue their fight against illegal substances and performance enhancing drugs. The integrity of sports must not be compromised. However, when there is a young athlete who is caught up in an inexplicable situation (why won't his system flush out the drug?) where it can be absolutely proven he has not reused norandrolene in more than two years, the 'spirit of the law' has to come into consideration. The NCAA does not need to give Kolton Houston a break, they just need to admit it has been proven by scientific testing that he has not reused the substance (his level has never increased), and therefore should be allowed to compete in his sport. He has paid far too heavy a price for the incompetence of a second rate physician, and not for any conscious wrongdoing of his own volition. The Georgia sophomore needs to be reinstated with four full years of eligibility. Period.

Arnold Palmer Awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Eight years ago golfer Arnold Palmer won The Presidential Medal of Freedom. Yesterday, Mr. Palmer was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, just one day after turning 83 years old. The awards are especially significant in that they speak more of the man as a humanitarian than as a golfer. He remarked yesterday in the capital rotunda, in a way only he could, that he was "particularly proud of anything the House and Senate could agree on", as they were both represented for his presentation. Palmer is only the sixth athlete in more than 200 recipients to ever receive this award. It is a very big deal. His  receiving the Presidential Medal was a big deal. They are the highest individual honors a citizen of this country can receive. His turning 83 is a big deal. Live on Arnie, continue to 'live large', and "Arnie's Army" will always live on with you. Thank you for your contributions to your sport and your country.

Notre Dame: They "Cherry-Picked" the Weak ACC

Let me see if I have this correct: Notre Dame is officially joining the ACC as a participant in all sports except for football and hockey. However, the conference has said the Irish must play five ACC teams in football each year. Five? Why not require them to be a full-fledged member and play a full football schedule, or require them to play no games at all? What's with this arrangement? I think the reason is what I have maintained all along about the ACC, and that is the fact that they are NOT a football conference. They want to be, and perhaps claim to be, but in reality they are not. I just cannot imagine the SEC ever adding a member who was not going to participate in football. Heck, we could have had that with Vanderbilt years ago if we had dangled it in front of them. They were barely playing football, as we know it,  most of the time anyway. But I digress...I don't know who has come out on top in this arrangement, which by the way probably won't even happen until 2015. I suppose Notre Dame did, since it seems they got what they wanted  for the most part. Go figure...

Ole Miss' Trae Elston: Sittin' After the Hittin'

Ole Miss freshman defensive back Trae Elston has been levied a one-game suspension for the vicious hit he laid on UTEP receiver Jordan Leslie. The blow came late in the fourth quarter of the Rebels 28-10 victory last Saturday. There was no flag on the play (why not?) , but an SEC review found the hit to be a "flagrant and dangerous act". The hit was definitely a 'helmet-to-helmet' shot. Check out the video below and see if you believe the suspension is warranted. Elston will be forced to sit out the Ole Miss-Texas game.

Stay Thirsty Mizzou!