Herschel: He's 47 and 1-0

Herschel Walker isn't close to being the fighter as he was the football player, but nevertheless he won his initial MMA event by defeating Greg Nagy in a TKO in the third round. Nagy came into the fight with an MMA record of 1-1. Walker has much to learn as a fighter, but his victory Saturday night put his trainers at the American Kickboxing Academy in the position of having to decide if he is worthy of another bout. He cannot defeat many other fighters on shear athleticism as he did Nagy, so he will have to make significant improvement in his fighting skills to advance much further. Opinion On Sports is betting that Walker will fight again, and more than once. He won't ever be an MMA champion, but he will prove himself to be good for the sport. But he learned Saturday that the MMA fans are an impatient lot. If he doesn't progress, the boos will rain down hard, making it tough for the Old Man to "Fight On".

Roger Federer: And the Beat Goes On...

Roger Federer has extended his own record of Grand Slam titles to 16. He defeated Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11) to claim the Australian Open title at Rod Laver Arena for the fourth time. Federer has now played in 22 Grand Slam finals, including 18 in the last 19 events. Let that soak in a minute if you will. That's making the finals, not just appearing in the tournament itself. It is remarkable for a player to show that kind of exemplary consistency over such a long period in showcase events. Murray was to end the 74 year old drought for British men in Grand Slam tournaments, but against Federer it was not to be. Even after Federer's nemesis, Rafael Nadal, proclaimed that this would be the year for Murray to win the Australian, he couldn't pull it off. However, even Federer admitted about himself that he had played some of the best tennis of his life the past two weeks. And that comes from the game's greatest player who has had plenty of great 'two-week spans' in an already illustrious career. It could be a long year for all the other competitors in Grand Slam events this year. After all, it's "16" and counting.

Geno & Jeff: Their Stock is Rising

Former Bulldogs Geno Atkins(56) and Jeff Owens(95) both had successful weeks at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The two defensive tackles seem to have vaulted their way into the second round projections of the upcoming NFL draft. The pair surprised NFL scouts with their ability to combine quickness, explosiveness and strength. Neither player had what you would call dominant seasons last year to end their college careers in Athens, so the week in Mobile took on added importance to the two. They certainly did not let themselves down in practices, nor in the game itself. With a continuation of strong workouts in the spring leading up to the NFL combines, the defensive linemen could be sneaking into the first round of the draft. Not a bad "catch" for a pair of Georgia fishermen.

Tim Tebow: A Gator Out of His Element

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Tim Tebow looked out of place on a football field. Critics have labeled his performance in the Senior bowl as "shaky", and that descriptive is being kind to the former Florida Gator. He was 8 for 12 for 50 yards passing, his longest completion being a whopping eleven yards. He looked awkward and appeared to be uncomfortable throwing the football while running an offense dependant on a quarterback's arm. He also threw in two fumbles for good measure. Tebow is a winner in every sense of the word, and the NFL team that drafts him will be doing so with that in mind. His talent was a great fit for the college game, but it will have to be refined for the professional arena. The team that needs a young quarterback will have several legitimate candidates to consider before giving Tebow the slightest thought. He will be drafted at some point by an NFL franchise, if for no other reason than his name and college accomplishments. However, he has a long way to go to become a legitimate player at the next level. He'll sign a contract and make some substantial dollars, but they might be in payment for wearing a cap and holding a clipboard.

Eastern Washington: A Red Turf For Real?

If Boise State can gain notoriety by playing home games on a blue field, then Eastern Washington feels a red turf should do the same for them. The Division 1-AA school announced this week their plans to have a "bright red field" installed. I guess where Clemson has their "Death Valley", Florida plays in "The Swamp", and Georgia has the infamous "Between the Hedges", now Eastern Washington can have their "Dread Bed of Red"!

No Clydesdales for the N.F.L.

For the first time since 2001, the Super Bowl advertisements will not feature the Budweiser Clydesdales. The company will run ads for Bud and Bud Light, but they will not feature the majestic horses. One commercial was filmed with the horses, but it did not test well enough to 'make the show'. Too bad for all of the viewers. I always thought they were the highlight of the ever popular championship game ads.

Andre Dawson: It's Montreal in the "Hall"

Newly elected Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson will go into the Hall as a Montreal Expo, not as a Chicago Cub as he would have preferred. This decision was made by the Hall of Fame induction committee, who felt that Dawson made his greatest impact on the game while playing for the Expos. He played his first eleven seasons with Montreal, then six seasons in Chicago, followed by two each in Boston and Florida. The "Hawk", who retired from the game in 1996, was under the impression that he would have input into the selection of his induction team. This was not the case, but all the teams a player was a member of are listed on his Hall of Fame plaque. So in the end it's all good because Andre Dawson is finally going into baseball's Hall of Fame. Regardless of what insignia is on his cap.

Terrence Cody: All 370 Pounds of Him

Terrence Cody weighed in at a whopping 370 pounds at the Senior Bowl as practices got underway in Mobile, Alabama. He looks like a heart attack waiting to happen. He also looks like he could win a lot of wet T-shirt contests. Maybe he should visit the closest Victoria Secret store and get sized up with one of those 'cross-your-heart' models. He might be one heck of a nose guard, but he sure is no 'looker". He could go topless at Halloween and scare the crap out of little kids. Hey, is this what they mean by "Roll Tide"?

Dawgs for Haiti

If you haven't made a donation yet to the relief effort in Haiti, this link is a great place to do so:

https://estore.uga.edu/C21653_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=1079

The funds are divided evenly between the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. By the way, pick up a T-shirt with the logo above on it while you're at it.

Georgia Nails Tennessee: One, Two, Three!

The Georgia Bulldogs men's basketball team defeated 8th ranked Tennessee 78-63 Saturday afternoon in a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum. And that is a big deal. The packed venue, the conference victory, the all-out effort by the guys; all of this is new to Georgia men's hoopsters.
Consider this:

• Saturday was this season's first SEC win for the Dawgs
• Saturday was Georgia's first victory over a Top 10 team since 2004
• Saturday was the first sold out game in Stegeman in three years

And just for good measure, The Lady Dawgs defeated Pat Summitt's Lady Vols on Thursday night, while the Georgia swimmers defeated Tennessee Saturday morning. Not many 'Rocky Top' tunes this week Boys!

Herschel Walker: People Get Ready...

Herschel Walker will be 48 years old in a little more than five weeks. But he has a lot to do before he can celebrate another birthday. On January 30th, Walker will make his MMA debut against Greg Nagi. This is no hoax, no publicity stunt. This is for real. He has trained diligently at one of the sports most renowned gyms, the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. As Walker himself has said, he's "in it to win it", and don't let those 47 years of age fool you. His trainers say age is a non-issue because he's more like 47 going on 22 than he is 47 going on 48. He eats only one meal a day (no meats , no fish) and does an untold amount of sit-ups and push-ups, but still lifts no weights. He never sleeps more than four hours per night, and weighs in at a rock-solid 217 pounds. There are no guarantees in MMA fighting, and anything can happen in any given match. However, even with Herschel's lack of training in this sport, I wouldn't count him out because of his tremendous physical condition and enormous willpower. Nagi will be in for a heck of a fight. People get ready, "there's a train a comin'"!

NASCAR: It's About Time...

NASCAR finally opened its eyes, or it finally got its head out of its butt, whichever you prefer. I've been stating for years that the sport of stock car auto racing had become boring, at best. There was no individualism to the sport anymore. One driver couldn't out-drive another with the best man winning. NASCAR had placed too many restrictions on both the cars and the drivers. They had micro-controlled the sport to the point where it wasn't really racing anymore. It was the outdoors version of WWE, and the governing body would have loved to had victory lane set-up before the green flag dropped. It had become a complete joke. Evidently, the venting of both drivers and fans has made an impression on the "Powers That Be" in NASCAR. This season, they have declared that drivers can go back to 'racin' and feudin' the way NASCAR was in its heyday. The way it is supposed to be. Just like the old saying goes: "If you ain't rubbing, you ain't racing"!