Tiger Spits; Disgusting

Tiger Woods failed to win at the Dubai Desert Classic this weekend. But he did not fail to rasp the hearts of golf purists everywhere. By a flagrant act of spitting on the 12th green, he once again showed his disregard for timeless golf etiquette. There's no spitting in golf, just like there's no crying in baseball. Golf is different from any other sport. Its key framework is built on a foundation of honesty, sportsmanship and etiquette. To disregard any of the aspects is to degrade the great game. Tiger Woods just disgraced golf. It has nothing to do with talent, but everything to do with class. Or lack thereof...

Georgia: On the Outside Looking In?

There's something missing with this year's edition of Georgia Men's Basketball. It was thought that when Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie opted to remain in school and play in the SEC instead of the NBA that the Dawgs would be championship contenders. This has not proven to be the case. Georgia just isn't playing very well at this point. They definitely are not a team that has improved over the course of the season. They seem to be to be a team seeking an identity. Thompkins is a very good college basketball player, but he is not the dominating player in the paint he should be for his team at this point. He certainly could lay off that tendency to launch three pointers as well. That just doesn't seem to be working for him. For that matter, the entire Georgia team was a paltry 3 for 13 beyond the arc last night in a crucial 65-57 loss to Xavier in Athens. Leslie seems to be a player trying to fit in. He can jump straight out of the gym, and he's a highlight reel waiting to explode. But he seems to get lost during games, especially offensively. It is believed that Georgia is on the "bubble" as far as making the NCAA Tournament field is concerned. They are positioned as having a 50-50 shot at getting in. However, I think they are on the outside looking in, and I don't see that changing.

NFL: Lockout or Look-Out?

I remember that after Major League Baseball shut everything down several years ago, they realized they had a helluva lot of work to do to win back baseball fans. Attendance at the parks, as well as general fan interest in the game, was at an all-time low. I believe that was the beginning of players throwing baseballs in to the stands to build up a new rapport with the fan base. They continue to do that each season with regular frivolity. It must have worked, because now most fans have bought back into the game. Also, time is a great healer itself. Now it's pro football's turn to weather the storm of intense labor negotiations. Whose greed will eventually win out, the players or the owners? Who will be willing to sacrifice more for the sake of the fans? For the sake of the game itself? If they choose to lock-out, they better look out. After all, Rawlings baseballs are a lot cheaper than Wilson Duke footballs. May the best team win.

Bill Stewart: Are You Kidding Me...?

Let me get this straight. West Virginia's head football coach Bill Stewart will be a "lame-duck" coach during the 2011 season. He has been "fired", and his successor has already been named and will serve as the Mountaineer's offensive coordinator next year. Say what? That's like getting a divorce but staying in the house with your former wife and her new husband. Just can't happen. What's up, Bill? Talk about the ultimate company man...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Opinion on Sports would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! Be safe and never forget the true reason we celebrate this season. Take care!

A.J. Green: Going Away Too Quietly...

Reports indicate that Georgia's A.J. Green will enter next year's NFL draft. Not an earth shattering revelation here. You had to know he couldn't turn down the major dollars that would become his as one of the elite top picks. As we say, "Stevie Wonder could see this coming". In the business world there is an expression "money left on the table", meaning the difference between the high bid and the next closest bid. For some reason that term keeps popping up in my mind when I think of the college career of A.J. Green. It seems to me a lot was left on the table. A lot went unused. A lot was wasted. Was he one of the greatest receivers in college football? How would we know, we only got glimpses of his great talent. I think we got cheated out of seeing the total package of Green the complete receiver. And yes, I think he cheated us out of four games this year by making an utterly stupid decision to sell a piece of cloth for $1,000. Stevie could have seen that one coming as well, A.J. Have we been cheated out of an illustrious college career also? All I can say is A.J., we hardly knew ya. And I'll shed no tears for ya.

Cam Newton: NCAA Says Play Away

Before I get into this post, let me say up front that I am glad that Cam Newton has been ruled eligible to play by the NCAA in the SEC Championship Game Saturday night. He's evidently been eligible to play all season, so why stop now? Party on, Garth! However, there is something about the start of the season that I don't understand as far as the NCAA is concerned. It has been said/written that Mississippi State reported to the NCAA in July that they had 'concerns' regarding the recruitment of Newton. If indeed that prompted the governing body of intercollegiate athletics to begin "looking into" these reported concerns, why was the Auburn quarterback eligible to play at the beginning of the season if the investigation was ongoing? It had to be "ongoing" then because it's supposedly still "ongoing" now. The University of North Carolina had several players who sat out games pending the results of investigations into their attending a Miami party hosted by agents. Some of these Tarheels were eventually reinstated to play, and some were not. Georgia's A.J. Green missed two games while the investigation of him selling his jersey online was "ongoing', then two additional games when he was determined guilty. The two additional games were reportedly because he sold his jersey to an agent, even though Green maintained he never knew the guy was an agent. Cam Newton, as well, maintains he knew nothing of his father's solicitation of money for his athletic services. See, the NCAA isn't showing consistency in their actions and/or explanations of sanctions/non-sanctions. One other point; if it is indeed true that Newton wanted to attend Mississippi State all along but his father said you're going to Auburn, why would his father be so adamant about the college choice if it wasn't an issue of money? The NCAA might want to clear up this "loophole" that the good Rev. Newton has just exploited. If not, there could be other dads down the road who seek money for their sons. Because the way this ruling has gone, it's o.k. as long as the son knows nothing about the deal. It's a good thing for Rev. Newton's congregation that the teachings of his chosen profession have no loopholes to exploit.

Georgia: A Very Weak 6-6

Thank goodness the regular season is over. As a die-hard Dawg fan, I can't recall a time when I was so glad to see a schedule completed. It just hasn't been a lot of fun watching Georgia play this year. One tires quickly of mediocre football, and that's the type of football team the Bulldogs are. Mediocre at best. When I mentioned a completed schedule, I also look at it as a schedule totally wasted. Think about it; our rotating teams from the West side of the conference were as weak as we will see. I'm aware of Arkansas' record, but we caught them at a good time and blew a great chance to win that game late. Mississippi State isn't quite a feared program yet. That should have never been a conference loss, even on the road. In the East, we'll never see the Gators this weak again. We missed a fantastic opportunity to turn that series around in Jacksonville. Even though South Carolina won the SEC East, playing them early when we did was actually a good time to catch the 'Cocks. Another blown opportunity on a weak schedule. Georgia Tech is as bad as Paul Johnson has fielded in a long time, even at Navy. What turned out to be a scary night for the Dawgs down to Tech's last possession, should have been at least a seventeen point victory for Georgia. It's just another game of watching Mark Richt's team play poorly. That's why I'm glad the season is over, Liberty Bowl notwithstanding. There's always next year, right? Or will it hold just more of the same? It will unless significant changes are made. We'll see...

Georgia -vs- Georgia Tech

I have two words for you: Wreck Tech!

Happy Thanksgiving, 2010 Version!

Just as we did last year, An Opinion On Sports wishes each of you a Happy Thanksgiving. We'll also take our second crack at an old tradition of columnist Furman Bisher and jot down a few things we're especially thankful for:

• I'm thankful for the American Veteran, who cared enough to risk all.


• I'm thankful for lemon pepper wings cooked on my own grill.


• I'm thanful for a wife who still considers me her "Boyfriend".


• I'm thankful that there's a new book out about my all-time favorite Mickey Mantle!


• I'm thankful for Pat Conroy, who can paint a masterpiece with words.


• I'm thankful that Vanderbilt is always on Georgia's gridiron schedule.


• I'm thankful when Bobby Goodson and the 'Swamp Loggers' have a good day!


• I'm thankful for 'Talking Tom'; that cat, with help from my son, is one funny dude!


• I'm thankful that even in a season like this, it's still great to be a Georgia Bulldog!

Thanks again for reading An Opinion On Sports. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Cam Newton: Son of a Preacher Man...

Just like everyone predicted, the Cam Newton story just won't go away quietly. There might not be any wrong-doing discovered when everything is all said and done, but a lot of entertainment will sure have been derived from it. Flim Flam By Damn, Cam!

Alabama 63 - Georgia State 7: Why?

It is true that the Georgia State football team never quit Thursday night in their humbling loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. But, actually, they never should have started. Not this game anyway. I realize GSU needed the payout from a Division I school, but why begin with the defending National Champions? Georgia State has been in the football business only a few months; Alabama's been in it a 100 years. The Panthers were intimidated from the beginning, not to mention being out-manned, over-matched and overwhelmed. Use all the 'outs' and 'overs' you want to imply. I can't see that either team got anything out of this game, other than revenue. I don't fault Bill Curry for daring to dream big, but I do fault him for not being more selective. For instance, it would have been a much closer game to just stay in Atlanta and take on Georgia Tech. Closer travel and closer score. Just saying...