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Ayanga Okpokowuruk
This is a football recruit considering GT - link here. Wow - what a name!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
You think I-Perfection is a name?
Interesting Analysis of Recruiting Rankings
If you look at the guru recruiting rankings, they like to rate the top 100 or 150 players. Rivals for example ranks the top 150. They update their rankings after the summer camps, so there is a May ranking and an update in August. From a Marquette discussion board, check out this analysis of the changes in rankings for many recruits. Note that Lewis Clinch was not even ranked in the top 150 and moved to #36 - wow!! Well, let me tell you, Clinch for some reason didn't get invited to the shoe camps. He was a "sleeper" as they like to call them. Now he's on the radar and he's also committed to GT. Just goes to show that Coach Hewitt and staff are the REAL evaluators of talent.
Personally, here is how I would probably break it down for the GT program and the level of recruits we are in on - top 50, 50-100, 100-150.
Rivals 2005 Top 150 (mid May vs early August)
38 of the 150 (25.3%) who were on the list in May have been replaced by new guys (Jeremy Barr and Marcus Landry are two of these 38 no longer in the Top 150, Jerel McNeal is one of the 38 new players).
43 of the 150 (28.7%) who are on the list now had a change in ranking of between 40 to 135 places on the list (Harvey Hale (93), Travis Walton (at least 55), Ryan Wright (49), Terrance Williams (45) and Andre McGee (58) are five of the 43).
58 of the 150 (38.7%) who are on the list now had a change in ranking of 30 or more players (Jerel McNeal and Phillip Perry are two of these 58).
85 of the 150 (56.7%) who are on the list now had a change in ranking of 20 or more players (Chris Douglas-Roberts, Harvey Perry, Luke Zeller, Leo Criswell and Korey Spates are five of these 84).
57 of the 150 (38.0%) who are on the list now (besides 8 who weren't ranked, so it's unclear where they exactly fit) changed less than 20 players. Dominic James (10 spots), Wesley Matthews (14) are two of those.
What's it all mean? Take all of it for being worth what you paid for it.
Ranking Player Name, verbal, previous ranking
No Change (3 players)
=====================
6. Martell Webster, none
26. Calvin (CJ) Miles, none
149. Jeremy Pargo, none
Change 1-9 spots (32 players)
=============================
1. Gerald Green, Oklahoma State, was #9
2. Louis Williams, Georgia, was #3
7. Andray Blatche, none, was #12
8. Tyler Handbrough, none, was #5
9. Monta Ellis, Mississippi State, was #7
12. Mario Chalmers, Kansas, was #8
14. Micah Downs, Kansas, was #22
15. Jamont Gordon, none, was #18
16. Eric Devendorf, Syracuse, was #17
17. Joe Krabbenhoft, Wisconsin, was #15
19. Jovan Adams, none, was #14
21. Mike Mercer, Georgia, was #30
27. Fendi Onobun, Arizona, was #32
35. Kevin Rogers, none, was #36
39. Theo Davis, Texas, was #31
41. Marcus Ginyard, North Carolina, was #34
49. Austin Jackson, none, was #35
52. Marcus Johnson, none, was #57
60. Jerry-Davon Jefferson, none, was #65
72. Marcus Williams, none, was #67
73. Richard Delk, none, was #68 ***
106. Eric Whitehurst, none, was #112
125. Jay Brown, none, was #120
132. Jerret Smith, Michigan, was #138
136. Bryan Mullins, none, was #127
137. Keaton Grant, none, was #129
139. Rashad Chase, none, was #136
143. Brandon Smith, none, was not ranked
144. Alfred Aboya, none, was not ranked
146. Darren Collison, UCLA, was not ranked
147. Jaron Griffin, Rutgers, was not ranked
150. Yamene Coleman, none, was #145
Change 10-19 spots (30 players)
===============================
4. Brandon Rush, none, was #21
10. Julian Wright, none, was #23
11. Tasmin Mitchell, none, was #1
13. Keith Brumbaugh, none, was #2
22. Bobby Frasor, North Carolina, was #10
25. Greg Paulus, Duke, was #11
29. Brandon Costner, none, was #42
30. Courtney Fells, NC State, was #20
31. Jon Brockman, none, was #45
37. Bryan Harvey, none, was #47
40. Rashad Woods, none, was #25
56. Terrel Harris, Oklahoma State, was #43
58. Tiki Mayben, Syracuse, was #40
62. Casaan Breeden, none, was #49
65. Shane Clark, Villanova, was #53
77. Ryan Reid, none, was #94
78. Jamal Boykin, Duke, was #66
79. Ryan Ayers, Notre Dame, was #95
81. Reginald Delk, none, was #62 ***
82. Brian Asbury, Miami-FL, was #93
84. Dominic James, Marquette, was #74
86. Wes Matthews, Marquette, was #72
91. Ben McCauley, none, was #75
92. KC Rivers, Clemson, was #78
103. David Weaver, Wake Forest, was #117
105. Anthony Mason Jr., none, was #115
133. Ahmad Nivins, none, was not ranked
134. Taylor Griffin, none, was not ranked
138. Maurice Joseph, none, was not ranked
140. Jimmie Sutton, none, was not ranked
Change 20-29 spots (26 players)
===============================
3. Josh McRoberts, Duke, was #27
18. Amir Johnson, Louisville, was #39
20. Bryon Eaton, none, was #46
32. Magnum Rolle, none, was #58
33. Eric Boateng, none, was #13
45. Austin Johnson, none, was #73
51. Chris Douglas-Roberts, none, was #24
59. Harvey Perry, Washington, was #79
61. Luke Zeller, Notre Dame, was #33
67. Gary Flowers, none, was #38
68. Derwin Kitchen, Florida, was #89
69. Clarence Holloway, Louisville, was #92
71. Tyrell Biggs, none, was #48
76. Lawrence Hill, Stanford, was #98
83. Henry Dugat, none, was #61
90. Denis Clemente, none, was #70
101. Leo Criswell, none, was #77
117. Kashif Watson, none, was #143
122. John Garcia, none, was not ranked
123. Korey Spates, Purdue, was not ranked
124. Wilson Chandler, none, was not ranked
126. Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame, was not ranked
127. Danny Williams, none, was not ranked
129. Quinton Thornton, none, was not ranked
131. Anthony Farmer, Rutgers, was not ranked
145. Justin Wilkerson, Texas Tech, was #118
Change 30-39 spots (15 players)
===============================
34. Korvotney Barber, none, was #71
50. Ricky Sanchez, none, was #16
53. Chad Millard, none, was #19
88. Dior Lowhorn, none, was #125
94. Curtis Jerrells, Baylor, was #60
102. Phillip Perry, Wisconsin, was #139
112. Joey Shaw, none, was #142
113. Rashaad Singleton, Georgia, was not ranked
114. Abdul Hererra, none, was #81
116. A.J. Abrams, Texas, was #148
118. Jabari Currie, none, was not ranked
119. Adrian Thomas, none, was not ranked
121. Jerel McNeal, Marquette, was not ranked
135. Alade Aminu, Georgia Tech, was #102
141. Lamar Falley, none, was #108
Change 40-59 spots (21 players)
===============================
23. JP Prince, none, was #69
24. Vernon Goodrich, none, was #150
54. Ryan Wright, none, was #103
55. Jessie Sapp, none, was #105
75. Kevin Swinton, Wake Forest, was #28
80. Jordan Wilkes none, was #37
87. Andre McGee, Louisville, was #29
89. Danny Green, none, was #132
93. Levance Fields, none, was not ranked
95. Derrick Brown, none, was not ranked
96. Travis Walton, Michigan State, was not ranked
97. Jeremy Mayfield, none, was not ranked
98. Cyrus McGowan, none, was not ranked
99. Terrence Williams, Louisville, was #54
100. Uche Echefu, none, was not ranked
107. Joey Cameron, Tennessee, was #63
108. Ricky Torres, none, was not ranked
109. Anthony Goods, Stanford, was #59
110. Kendric Price, none, was #64
128. Sean McCurdy, none, was #82
130. Josh Thornton, Georgetown, was #87
Change 60-99 spots (15 players)
===============================
42. Devan Downey, none, was #137
46. Artem Wallace, Washington, was #122
57. Nyan Boateng, none, was not ranked
63. Tyler Smith, none, was not ranked
64. Antonio Anderson, none, was not ranked
66. Kenneth Cooper, none, was not ranked
70. Justin Dentmon, none, was not ranked
74. Lawrence Kinnard, none, was not ranked
85. Gerald Inman, Rutgers, was #146
104. David Huertas, Florida, was #44
111. Michael Washington, none, was #51
115. Rousean Cromwell, none, was #52
120. Octavious Spann, none, was #50
142. C.J. Henry, none, was #80
148. Harvey Hale, none, was #55
Change 100 or more spots (7 players)
====================================
28. Lee Bynum, none, was not ranked
36. Lewis Clinch, none, was not ranked
38. Alonzo Gee, none, was #144
43. Terry Martin Jr., Texas Tech, was not ranked
44. Roderick Flemings, Oklahoma State, was not ranked
47. Jeff Adrien, none, was not ranked
48. Shawn Taggart, none, was not ranked
One of our own passes away
Not sports news, but I saw this obituary for Eldon Bracton "Jack" Thoma II and thought I would give some recognition to a former YellowJacket who served his country with honor. God rest his soul. Story here.
Where are they now - Tony Hollings
Looks like Hollings will be the #1 back-up for ROY Domanik Davis of the Houston Texans. He should see a good number of snaps, even though Davis is the clear #1 guy. Story here. I tell you, I see this quote and I just think to myself what could have been:
Hollings had just four starts as a tailback at Georgia Tech after beginning as a defensive back. In those starts, though, he was leading the nation in 2002 with 633 yards and 11 touchdowns before blowing out his knee.
GT / Samford
Story here........ This on GT not overlooking anyone - link here......... Did you know that GT has outscored Samford all time by a combined score of 170-0, even though the last game was in 1945......
Golf Team #2 in pre-season ranking
Alright - another sport at GT keeps moving up. Link here. Unfortunately our nemisis happens to be #1. Yes none-other than the buttsniffers. So yet another sport to fuel the rivalry.
Where are they now - George O'Leary
Here's a story on O'Leary and redemption - link here. A nice story if you ask me. Also here is what Barry Alvarez had to say about the resume issue:
“I really didn’t think it was very important to George or anybody else whether he played football and lettered someplace. It really didn’t have anything to do with who he was, what job he had, what new job he had accepted. I thought it was totally irrelevant. I mean, who even looks at those? So I thought it was an overreaction, personally, and really had nothing to do with him getting the job. So that’s just what I thought. It’s a shame. He’s very well thought of in our profession. He’s done a tremendous job every place he’s been. To get a dream job and to lose it the way he did and for the reason he did is a shame.”
TeamUSA Hoops and the Jr.Squad
This article tries to parallel the bronze in the Olympics with the bronze at the Global Games, where all 4 incoming GT recruits (Dickey, Fredrick, Morrow, Smith) were on the team.
What American basketball critics refuse to accept is that international play has improved by leaps and bounds as players receive more of a concentrated dose of instruction and training in basketball fundamentals starting at an early age.
This was clearly seen this past June when a U.S. junior national team which include prep all-stars like Calhoun County guard Zambolist "Buck" Fredrick and fellow Georgia Tech signee forward Ra'Sean Dickey competed in the fifth annual Coca-Cola Global Games in Dallas, Texas. After edging China (89-88) and routing China (121-91), the U.S. dropped two straight games to Croatia (96-91) and Lithuania (94-76). In both losses, the U.S. averaged 41.2 percent from the field, 27 percent from three-point range, 72.2 percent from the foul line and were outrebounded by a total of 101-85.
Like Team USA, the junior nationals earned a bronze after surviving a last-second three-point attempt by Puerto Rico to win in overtime 108-107. Nevertheless, what does this foretell about how future Team USA squads will fare against an ever-improving international field?
Bulletin Board Material for Jackets
We opened up 2003 with a loss to BYU. Check out this quote from BYU defensive end Brady Poppinga:
"I wanted that to change this year. This is a team, after all. That's the real nature of competition. Trying to improve your athletic performance and the performance of the people around you. Play as hard as you can. But I want the other guy to be good, too. [Against Georgia Tech], the opponent I was going against on some plays wasn't going hard. I said to him, 'Come on, let's go.' That's the way I want it. It's a positive thing for everybody...."
Holy crap. The kid is saying one of our O-lineman wasn't trying hard. NOTE TO ALL SENIORS: Make sure that EVERYONE understands the concept of playing hard EVERY snap. An opposing playing coaxing on a better performance from an opponent in the name of "betterment of all". Give me a break!!
COACHING PREVIEW AT DUKE
Looking at the Duke coaching staff, including Roof of course, as well as former Jacket coach Glenn Spencer:
Glenn Spencer was a fellow coach with Roof under George O’Leary at Georgia Tech. He comes with a reputation as good teacher and a great recruiter. Many Jacket fans speak highly of Spencer.
GT DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN ACC ALUMNI CHALLENGE
What a strange mention of GT. Story here. A contest to see how many young ACC alumni they can get to donate back to the ACC schools. GT was the only school that chose not to participate and had this to say:
While the ACC-challenge was originally open to all ACC schools, only 10 out of 11 have chosen to participate. Georgia Tech will not be “challenging” its young alumni. Nottingham said one reason for GT’s lack of enthusiasm about the challenge was they didn’t feel their alumni would be inspired by competition. On the other hand, many of the ACC schools are driven by rivalry.
Huhh. "not inspired by competition"????? Sounds fishy to me. There's obviously more to the GT story here than that.
MISC TEAM NOTES
Some random GT team notes from Michael Lough at the Macon Telegraph. Mention of Reggie Ball, Joe Hamilton and the the 2 suspensions for the Samford game.
PLAYERS WHO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL EARLY...
...and head to college early are on the rise. There were 35 players who did it this season, including GT's Taylor Bennett. This story highlights where each stand in their football quest.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW - RODNEY WILLIAMS
Williams was waived by the Chiefs. Quote:
P Rodney Williams (6-0, 178) played in 15 games for the N.Y. Giants in 2001, punting 91 times for 3,905 yards (42.9 gross, 35.4 net) with 25 inside the 20-yard line and eight touchbacks. Williams owns the longest punt in Giants history, hitting a 90-yard punt at Denver (9/10/01). He also gained experience with the Rhein Fire of the NFL Europe league in 2001-02. He originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round selection with St. Louis in ’99 before attending training camp with Washington in 2000. The Brooklyn, New York native joined the Giants in 2001 and was released after camp in 2002. He went to camp with Seattle in 2003, but was waived prior to the start of the season.
The Georgia Tech product ended his collegiate career with a school-record 41.4-yard average. Williams ranks fourth on the Yellow Jackets charts with 178 punts for 7,373 yards. He played punter, kicker, defensive back and wide receiver on the football team at Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia
Another Story on Lewis Clinch
From www.hoopmasters.com - link here. Nice quote here:
Hoopmasters.com's co-editor, Bob Gibbons, said "Lewis Clinch is, perhaps, the best shooting guard in the nation." Gibbons added, " Lewis was outstanding at the talent-filled 2004 NBPA Top 100 Camp in Richmond, VA, this past June." Clinch is rated No. 37 nationally by Hoopmasters.com.
Clinch is a hard worker in the classroom, achieving good grades, and is fully qualified academically.
In addition, note at the bottom about upcoming recruiting visits:
Georgia Tech has a campus visit scheduled for 6-5 1/2G Chris Douglas-Roberts, Detroit, MI, Northwestern HS, on September 25. Tech is also trying to get a visit set in early October with highly-rated 6-6 1/2G C.J. Miles, Dallas, TX, Skyline HS.
I will update the Recruiting Board to make the list is accurate. (link on the left).
Other players on the Georgia Tech recruiting list include:
6-2 PG Austin Jackson, Denton, TX, Ryan HS; 6-8 WF Casaan Breeden, Bennettsville, SC, Marlboro County HS; 6-8 PF Kevin Rogers, Dallas, TX, South Oak Cliff HS; 6-9 C Cyrus McGowan, Meridian, MS, High School; and 6-7 P/WF Adrian Thomas, Pembroke Pines, FL, Flanagan HS.
UNC fans kick it with Wu Tang Clan
Ok, I just found this thread slightly mind-boggling - link here. Evidently they are quite the Wu fans.
More on Lewis Clinch
A story from the Macon Telegraph on our latest hoops recruit - link here. Notice the recruiting strategy by the staff:
"(The Yellow Jackets) only sold their product. They didn't try to compare their product to anybody else. They sold it strong," said Clinch, who averaged 26 points per game last year.
In case you were wondering, we have a total of 6 scholarships available for this recruiting class. Aminu and Clinch form quite the starting duo. A nice start, to put it mildly...... here's the AJC version.
Monday, August 30, 2004
New feature to the Blog
We have added a nice new feature to the Blog. If you would like to email a link to one of these particular entries to a friend, we have made it easy. Notice the little letter icon at the bottom of each entry. Just click on it and off you go. Hope you like it.
Lewis Clinch Commits to Jackets !!!
Reports from Insiders (Jeff Goodman) that Clinch's high school coach is indicating that Clinch committed to the Jackets today (per RamblinRed at the Hive). Link here to story.
If that is true, this is an outstanding pickup, a SG who can "fill it up" as some have said. He lit up the summer circuit, scoring points in bunches. In high school he averaged 25 pts, 8 boards, 5 assists and 4 steals a game as a junior.
There are a few really good things that come out of this:
1. We get a guy who Paul Hewitt has invested a lot of time and energy for.
2. More importantly, we get a guy who really WANTS to be here. If you read any of the articles, he just had a great time during his visit. You'll have to join them to get more than that from me.
3. He is in our backyard. The state of GA is producing more and more national caliber talent. Just the past two seasons have been fairly prolific. Guys like Dwight Howard (#1 NBA Draft pick), Josh Smith, Randolph Morris, Louis Williams, Mike Mercer, Barber, Clinch, etc. I really could go on and on. So Clinch is considered probably one of the top 5 SG's in his class and the hometown school won. Hewitt and Felton are "closing the borders" fairly well. His story is similar to BJ Elder's, and in fact that's the guy he'll probably be replacing.
4. Chemistry. It appears that Clinch has really fit in with the current players and also with Alade Aminu. We all know how important chemistry can be - just think about C-Moore for a second and how "swapping" E.Nelson and C.Moore really changed the complexion of the team.
5. Duke didn't get him. Coach K tried to put on the full-court press at the last minute, but Clinch didn't bite and didn't get star-struck. It just makes the world right again.
I have updated the 2005 recruiting board - link here. Don't forget that there is a permanent link to the board in the list on the left (under "recruiting")
How will the rest of the class shape up? Here's the most likely scenario. Coach probably wants one more perimeter guy, and if you look at current 'ships offered, it could be Chris Douglas-Robers or Austin Jackson. You could throw Miles in that category although he could probably play anything from the 1-3 spot. Miles is a favorite to land at Kansas though, and Austin Jackon is a 2-sport star, which makes his future uncertain even at the school of his chosing. CD Roberts has GT in the slight lead.......... Next Coach Hewitt probably wants to add a small forward which would probably be either Casaan Breeden or Adrian Thomas (again, you could throw Miles into this category as well). These are the guys with the current offers and visits scheduled........... Lastly, along with Aminu, they probably want to add one more big guy, which is down to Kevin Rogers or Cyrus McGowan. Rogers is another strong lean to Kansas and McGowan will probably chose between Miss.St and GT. So it could come to to this:
Point Guard.......none
Scoring Guard.....Lewis Clinch(GT) and one of Roberts/Jackson/Miles
Small Foward......Thomas or Breeden
Power Forward/C...Aminu(GT) and one of McGowan/Rogers.
Those are all the guys with official visits setup. There are certainly others in consideration but these are the current options.
Then 2006 becomes the "hunt for the bigtime point guard".
Beesball and Scott Boros
Funny, this guy probably has the WORST reputation as an agent for these young baseball players. He continues to build on that rep with things like this - link here.
Also mentions Mark Teixeira:
What the Diamondbacks aren’t willing to do is give Drew a similar contract to Mark Teixeira. The Texas Rangers third baseman was the fifth-overall pick in the 2001 draft out of Georgia Tech. After struggling to get him signed, Texas agreed on a four-year major-league contract that was worth $9.5 million and included a $4.5 million dollar signing bonus the day before Teixeira was scheduled to report for classes at Georgia Tech.
By the way, guess who represented Micah Owings? You guessed it. Guess who dropped bigtime in the draft after scaring teams away "demanding" a $1,000,000 signing bonus. Guess who's going back to school - at Tulane??
Where are they now - Andy Hall
Story on Hall trying to make the cut in the NFL with the Eagles. Link here.
Football Recruiting
Mention of a few guys we are interested in - link here.
A battle between Clemson and Tennessee is brewing for Atlanta running back James Davis (6-1, 205). They are his favorites. He also has offers from USC, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU and others. Davis added that Clemson is the school recruiting him the hardest. Davis opened his season by rushing for 227 yards and two touchdowns and returning a kickoff 85 yards for a score.
Actually, JC Neal has come out with a top 4 of the 3 ACC teams mentioned with GT as the 4th. So there's not doubt he wants to be in the ACC. I put it as a really outside shot that we land him. He is a multi-talented guy and probably projects as a WR or DB at the college level. Not clear where GT is recruiting him.
Lakewood’s J.C. Neal (6-1, 183) has a top three of Virginia Tech, N.C. State and Maryland. He is considering USC but expects to sign with an out-of-state program. He also has offers from USC, Clemson, Florida, Auburn, S.C. State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Vanderbilt and Iowa State.
The Fridge
Mention of R.Friedgen and his GT success - link here.
Because of his success at Georgia Tech with players like George Godsey and Joe Hamilton, it was assumed that Friedgen's offensive success came through the air. What three years at Maryland has shown is that the key to the offense run by he and coordinator Charlie Taaffe is based on one premise -- balance.
Tusla as the "YellowJackets" ????
Check out this link about how Tulsa got their nickname - link here. Then read this part:
Curiously enough the team started working out in the fall of '22 with a new nickname, the "Yellow Jackets."
GT / Miami Sold Out
Well, I would hope so. I certainly plan on being there. Link here. Of course that all depends on when a certain little "bundle of joy" decides to arrive.
Football Fix
CALVIN JOHNSON LANDS STARTING JOB
Congrats to CJ on landing the starting job. It was expected and he has done everything necessary to make it happen. Also note that Pat Clark has some high visibility at the punt and kick-off returner and DE Daryl Richard will probably see big PT. No doubt the freshman will play a role in the 2-deep depth chart, particularly on the O-Line, and LB.
ERIC HENDERSON OUT WITH THUMB INJURY
Well, now it looks like both our starting DE's will be out - T.Parker suspended and E.Henderson has a thumb injury. Not good for sure - especially against a pass-happy Samford offense......... Here's another version from the Macon Telegraph.
TOE MEETS LEATHER
A brief look at Samford and broadcast details for Sat's game. Also a bunch of other team and game notes.
Recruiting - Hoops
I have updated the 2005 hoops recruiting board. Austin Jackson has setup a visit, Lewis Clinch and Alade Aminu evidently had a good visit to GT over the weekend. It is probably fair to say we are a leader for Clinch, although that is not directly from his mouth. It is also important to note that Duke has setup a campus visit for Clinch 9/25 (link here), after his in-home visit with Coach K 9/15.......... Also, CJ Miles evidently had a great visit to Kansas and they should be considered a leader for now. However, it does not appear that he committed, so that only can help our chances.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Recruiting - Football
DB from Florida Ray Herring:
DB Ray Herring (5-11/190) of Melbourne Holy Trinity has five favorites, including childhood favorite Florida. The others: Tennessee, Maryland, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech, all of which have offered.
Samford wins their opener
Here's the recap. Link here. They do have a few players, but we'll be ready.
Gailey less tolerable of roller-coaster season
Sort of the same story we've already seen, but a slightly different spin - link here.
Around the ACC
2004 Football Outlook - link here............. College Football Preview....... Long blah blah story on Charlie Whitehurst......... ACC here to stay....... More on the ACC......
Where are they now - Joe Hamilton
"Playing for a Spot".
Hamilton Leads Scoring Drives Against Buffalo
INDIANAPOLIS – Reserve quarterback Joe Hamilton got just two opportunities during the Colts’ third preseason game.
Say this for Hamilton:
He certainly didn’t waste them.
Hamilton, a veteran quarterback who signed with the Colts this past off-season after a productive season in the Arena League last spring, played in two series during the Colts’ preseason victory over the Buffalo Bills. He led scoring drives on each series, extending the Colts’ lead from 20-10 to 30-10 early in the fourth quarter.
“I think I did well,” said Hamilton, who completed 1 of 2 passes for nine yards and rushed once for six yards before leaving the game with bruised ribs. “It was a short stay. I would have loved to have been in there for longer and been able to close it out.”
Hamilton, who led the Colts’ game-winning touchdown drive in the preseason opener, said he doesn’t know if he’s shown enough to make the Colts’ roster. He is currently listed as the team’s third quarterback behind Peyton Manning and Cory Sauter, but was the first quarterback off the bench behind Manning Saturday.
“For the most part, any time you can get up and get game action, it helps a lot,” Hamilton said. “I’m taking in as much as I can take in. You never know what will happen. Would I have liked to have played more? Yes. We have five quarterbacks here, and I’m not in a position to complain. With the reps I’ve been given, I’ve tried to make the best of them.
“For the most part, I let the chips fall where they may.”
Team Notes
Mentions starters for next week's game - only two positions are not determined - punter and starting cornerback. Link here.
Position Switching on the Rise
No doubt GT has seen its share of switching, but one thing's for sure - the GT coaches have shown a knack for helping guys blossom in their new positions. The latest experiment - D-Biblo. Of course these things go on everywhere. Story here.
2005 Football Recruiting Board
This is a list of committed recruits (verbals) for the 2005 class.
TIGHT END
5. Michael Johnson, 6'7", 215lb, 4.6-40, AL
Committed 8/9. Tall TE prospect out of Plantersville AL. Attended one of the GT camps and performed extremely well. Recruitied by P.Nix. He also happens to be a talented hoops player and is interest in walking on to the GT hoops team. He had football offers from Clemson and S.Miss and hoops offers from Troy St and Bowling Green. A smart kid too with good grades and interested in engineering.
QUARTERBACK
7. Todd Walker, 6'2", 185lb, 4.3-40, TX
Committed 8/22. Rivals #30 "athlete" in the nation. In the Texas top 50. Insiders has him as the #15 ranked recruit in Texas and the 10th best QB in the nation, as well as the #16 in the "Hot100 southwest". As a junior threw for 775 yards, 10 TD's, 6 int's. Also rushed for 842 yards and 7 TD's. And yes, that 40 time is right. This kid is one of the fastest in the nation - period. His video clips are eye-opening, as his speed and elusiveness are evident. As a running QB he is outstanding. I am not clear how solid his passing ability is, so I cannot comment. He clearly chose GT because he wants to develop as a QB, not play defense or WR. GT recruited him as a QB 100% and he was the only QB on the board. The selfish side of me wants to see him on the field using that speed sooner than waiting for his shot at QB, but that's what he wants and that's why he came here. Most other schools were recruiting him for the secondary. An outstanding pickup for the Jackets and we continue to show recruiting strength in Texas. His brother is a red-shirt frosh at Purdue and his dad player at Texas Tech. His finalists were GT, TT, Ark, K-St, Ok, Texas, Texas A&M. Oh yeah, he's got great grades too.
WIDE RECEIVER
9. Carlos Thomas, 5'11", 170lb, 4.4-40, GA
Well, another football commit from another stud wide receiver. Another battle won against UGAg. For the 2nd year in a row, GT gets the top wide receiver prospect in the state of Georgia (College Park). He is also probably the best cornerback prospect in the state also. This kid is currently listed by Rivals as the 8th best wide receiver in the nation, the #4 prospect overall in Georgia, the 75th best overall prospect in the nation. He is a 4-star prospect from insiders.com and they have him listed as the 10th best WR prospect in the nation. He also happens to be the younger brother of current starting GT WR Levon Thomas. So a nice family connection being created here.........His college choices really came down to GT and UGAg, but he also considered Clemson, Florida, LSU as well. Carlos is fast as he runs a legit 4.4-40, has a 32" vertical and is 5'11" 170lb. As a junior in high school he caught 20 passes for 411 yards and 5 TD's. In the Nike camp in ATL he had the 6th fastest 40-time at 4.41..........He also happens to be a standout on the baseball diamond, batting .627 as a sophomore and playing 2nd base / centerfield...... He and Calvin Johnson are from the same hometown.
DEFENSIVE LINE
3. Brad Sellers, 6'2", 255lb, 4.7-40, TX
Committed 7/13. Once again, Texas is in the house. He had interest in Miami, Nebraska, Ok.St, Toledo and Duke. Duke and Toledo were the other offers when he verballed. Recruited by Curtis Modkins. Had 40 tackles and 4 sacks as a junior. He would actually be interested in redshirting to develop if there is depth at the line.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
1. Tony Clark, 6'1", 180lb, 4.52-40, GA
Committed 5/24. Chose GT over Clemson, E.Carolina, M.Tenn.St. Also was interested in UGA and Auburn. Recruited by Giff Smith. Interested in engineering and likes ATL. Went to the same school as Leon Robinson. Also happens to be a track star, the region 3 champ in both the 100m and long jump. Oh yeah, he played hoops too. One of the "all around athletes". On his high school team, he played DB, WR, did kick returns, punt returns and special teams. Was quite the prolific kick returner.
2. Jahi'Word-Daniels, 5'11", 160lb, 4.5-40, AL
Committed 7/13. Jahi'Word-Daniels, from Hoover AL, who had offers from Duke, Louisville and Vandy, and was also being recruited by Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Miss.St. Recruited by Joe D'Alessandris. Another smart young man with a 3.6GPA and no problem on test scores...... Had 25 tackles and 4 int's as a junior. Helped lead his team to a championship in AL's highest classification - 6A. By the way his teammates have nicknamed him "primetime", after Deion Sanders, who is his role-model at the corner position....
LINEBACKERS
8. Marvin Sapp, 6'1", 215lb, 4.5-40, FL
Committed 9/6. Chose GT over many schools including Clemson, Florida, Louisville, Maryland, UNC, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tulane, Memphis, NCST, Duke. Ole Miss. Was getting courted by FSU and Miami but no offer had been extended as of yet. Sapp is the cousin of NLF Star Warren Sapp and a close relative to NFL player Patrick Sapp. So the "blood" is good. Sapp has a great college frame and will probably contribute very early in his GT career. He has good physical tools and is a hard worker. He also happens to be an outstanding student, taking all AP courses, so the academic strength of GT played a role.
4. Antonio James, 6'2", 200lb, 4.59-40, TX
Committed 8/9. Choses GT over Baylor, Vandy and Tulsa, and was also interested in Iowa, SMU and TCU. In 12 games as a junior had 65 unassisted tackles, 40 assisted, 15 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 3 INT's and 2 fumble returns. He was recruited by Curtis Modkins, who handles TX. Likes GT's academics even though he was interested in criminal justice. Again, speed seems to be the common thread with our recruits.
6. Taalib Tucker, 6'0", 233lb, 4.87-40, GA
Committed 8/22. Taalib Tucker is a strong kid who plays linebacker. He chose GT over Florida, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma. He was also getting calls from LSU, Miss.St, Mich and FSU. As a junior he had 96 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 ints. You may think that sounds average, but consider that those stats were compiled in 6 games, as he missed the first half of the season with a knee injury. Rivals lists him as the 57th best player in the state of Georgia. He is also fast, running a 4.87 in the 40 at one camp, which is respectable. He has been clocked in the 4.5 range before. Another recruit interested in architecture, which fits well at GT. He also happens to dabble in track, throwing the shot-put and discuss. Good speed, good instincts. A member of the Super Metro 11. One of Taalib's cousins in Oklahoma football player Scoonie Penn. He also has a cousin who played hoops at Florida - Rasheed Al-Kaleem.
Recruiting - Hoops - CJ Miles
See video of him attending the Kansas scrimmage this weekend - link here.......... In other recruiting news, Derrick Caracter, 6'9" 300lb(from the class of 2006) lists GT in his top 5 along with KY, UConn, Stanford and S.Florida. By the way, Caracter happens to be listed as the #2 player in the nation by Insiders, behind Greg Oden, who is a sure draft pick. Here's an quote from him regarding his draft status:
Derrick Caracter, one of the top prospects in the 2006 class, lists UK as one of his five favorites, along with Stanford, Georgia Tech, Connecticut and South Florida.
The 6-9 300-pounder from Elizabeth, N.J., is considered likely to try the NBA draft after high school, but he told Rivals.com last week that nothing is certain.
"I need to be at least a top-three pick in the draft," he said. "Otherwise, more than likely I will go to college."
Caracter averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds last season and is ranked No.6 in the junior class by Rivals.
Owings to enroll at Tulane
Micah Owings has decided to attend Tulane, where the head coach happens to be Rick Jones, who was an assistant at GT from 1990-93. One of the assistants is none other than Matthew Boggs, a 4-year starter at GT. Story here.
Also note that his brother John-Mark, who was drafted by the Braves a couple of months ago, ruptured his spleen crashing into an outfield wall. Hope he's doing well.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Calvin Johnson Fitting in Just Fine
Just more fuel fomr the CJ fire. Story here. The best part about this kid is that everything you read talks about how humble and respectful he is - but also confident. You have to love that.
Football Fix
The AJC comes out with their annual college football preview issue, this time with Eric Henderson on the cover. Here are some of the articles:
OPPORTUNITY FOR MCMANUS
Well, you may have heard good things about Nate from Coach Gailey. Looks like he could see big-time PT this season.
THE MORE THE MERRIER
The Jackets are ready and willing to play in this new ACC. We're ready to watch. And folks, if you don't think we can recruit with the best in the nation, look at this:
Darryl Richard's original list of college options included LSU and Notre Dame, but when Richard stepped to the signing table at Destrehan High School in Louisiana last Feb. 4, the two caps he chose from bore the logos of Miami and Georgia Tech.
There were a bunch of other top schools we beat out to get recruits including UGAg, FSU, LSU, Ohio St and I could go on.
Miami offered him the beach, the sunshine and the opportunity to join a team that has played in two of the past three Bowl Championship Series national championship games.
Georgia Tech offered him a top-flight education, a seven-season bowl streak and the opportunity to play against Miami.
Richard put on the Georgia Tech cap.
With that move — and his signature on Tech's national letter-of-intent form — Richard became one of the Yellow Jackets' first victories in the newly expanded ACC. There are sure to be a lot more.
EVERY WEEK I'M READY TO PLAY
Ok Reggie, time to prove it on the field.
OFFENSE, WHO'S THE BEST?
When 3 seniors and 2 juniors are asked who is the best overall athlete on the offense and 2 of them say Calvin Johnson, it is eye-opening. Nice to see Nate Curry get mention also. Makes me feel pretty good about the WR core.
GETTING TO KNOW THE JACKETS
Brief bio's on some players, like D-Williams likes cars, M.Rhodes sings, CJ sketches, etc.
YOUNG LINEMEN FORCED TO CONTRIBUTE FASTER
Q&A with Andy Tidwell-Neal. This is NOT a good thing to have young guys play big minutes. GT seems to find a way to build successful O-Lines every year and this year we will need it. But this comment was comforting:
"We've got a lot of talent. We've got a lot of experience. I think we had 70 starts across the line. That's pretty good. I don't know how many we've had in previous years. Leon [Robinson] has got 19, I've got 13, Brad [Honeycutt] has got 13, Kyle's got 25. Whoever plays the other position, it will take a new person, but that's the way it is in college football. I think we can be great."
THE BETTER THE FRONT, THE BETTER THE SECONDARY
Q&A with James Butler.
DEFENSE, WHO'S THE BEST?
Well they did the offense - now the D. Butler, Henderson, Houston and Reis all get love.
GETTING TO KNOW THE DEFENSE
Anoai comes from a wresting famile - WWF stuff, not Greco-Roman, Houston likes Poker, Butler plays piano, Reis fishes and I-Perfection.... well has a unique name. Here's the story of it:
He was recognized as the best in the nation by Sports Illustrated — the player with the best name, that is. As the story goes, a friend of Harris' father had a child named Perfection, who was killed in a car accident. In honor of him, Harris' father named his son after that child, and added the letter I to make it unique. A name like that would seem to bring added pressure. "I play every game the same as I would if my name were John or George," said Harris, called IP by his teammates. Harris has three siblings — a brother, Supreme, and sisters Earthly and Nattia.
Q&A WITH GERRIS WILKINSON
Gerris does his best to make us feel good about the LB core. I think we will be fine here myself.
ACC FORECAST: SCOUTING THE CONFERENCE
Even the AJC cannot bear to predict us better than 7th.
7. GEORGIA TECH
• Last season: 7-6, 4-4 ACC; beat Tulsa 52-10 in Humanitarian Bowl
• Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 7, kicker 1
• Coach: Chan Gailey, 38-23 overall, 14-12 in his third year at Georgia Tech
• First game: Sept. 4 vs. Samford
• AJC RATING: 76
• Running offense rating: 15 out of possible 20. P.J. Daniels became only the third Georgia Tech player to lead the ACC in rushing, averaging 111.3 yards per game last season. He gained 307 yards in the Humanitarian Bowl. But there is no question the Yellow Jackets will miss center Hugh Reilly and tackle Nat Dorsey, who paved the way for him. There is talent on the line, but a lot of guys will be playing a lot of different positions.
• Passing offense rating: 15. Reggie Ball had a very good season for a freshman quarterback, with 1,996 yards passing and 10 touchdowns. But Ball's production dropped off in the second half of the year as opponents learned more about him. Ball will miss two great targets in Jonathan Smith and tight end John Paul Foschi. But with Nate Curry (37 catches) returning and the potential of freshman Calvin Johnson, the passing game will be good again.
• Running defense rating: 15. The ends will be great with the return of Eric Henderson (11 sacks) and Travis Parker, who moves there after two years at tackle. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will find some tackles, but will he find some linebackers to replace Keyaron Fox and Darryl Smith? They combined last year for 284 tackles and five sacks. Sophomore Nick Moore (6-1, 225) looks like a future star.
• Passing defense rating: 17. This will be the strength of the defense if Tenuta can keep everybody healthy. James Butler should be an All-American at free safety after posting 119 tackles and five interceptions last season. Strong safety Dawan Landry (6-2, 215) also returns.
• Special teams rating: 14. There is work to be done here. The Yellow Jackets do not have a proven kicker, and no one claimed the job in spring practice. Incoming freshman Kyle Belcher could be the guy. The punting game was awful last season: the Yellow Jackets' net was only 32 yards per kick — No. 105 in the nation. Tech will miss the punt return skill of Darryl Smith, who averaged 12.7 yards. Kenny Scott averaged 22.3 yards per kickoff.
• Final analysis: Georgia Tech has been to seven consecutive bowl games, but some questions must be answered if the Yellow Jackets hope for an eighth. The offensive line must jell and Tech must find a consistent running game that doesn't rely so much on QB Reggie Ball. Some linebackers must be found. The schedule is tough early, but Tech doesn't play Florida State, and five of the last six games are at home.
KEY ACC GAMES........... A SEASON OF QUESTIONS FOR THE ACC............. What it takes to be a QB.......... Matt Leinart at QB.......... National storylines........ 10 Games that will determine the NC......... Scouting the conferences......... Scouting the top 25.......
Bilbo suspended for Samford game
Here's the story - link here. Here's Bilbo's quote:
"It's a long story," Bilbo said Friday. "I'd rather not talk about it. Something happened before the season [practice] started. It has nothing to do with this upcoming season."
The famous lightening game...
...gets mention here.
Remember the last time Tech was scheduled to play the BCA game? A nasty electrical storm blew through Blacksburg right at kickoff of the Hokies-Georgia Tech game in 2000, sending everyone for cover and cancelling the game.
A seeing-eye bolt of lightning fried ESPN analyst Lee Corso's rental car in the parking lot, raising questions about the Worldwide Leader in Sports' relationship with Mother Nature.
Props for Reggie Ball
This from ESPN - link here. Ball made their list of players ready to "emerge from the shadows". Said he is undersized and somewhat erratic and not what Gailey envisioned in his pro-style offense, HOWEVER that he is the best scrambling QB in the ACC, and one of the best athletes in the country at the QB position. Said if he continued to improve his accuracy and ability to read defenses he could become one of the nation's most dangerous dual-threat QB's in 2004.
Where are they now - Eric Patterson
It's sad that I have to move news of EP to the "Where are they now" segment. Story here.
A family affair
The Cubs have agreed to terms with Georgia Tech second baseman Eric Patterson, whom they selected in the eighth round of this year's draft.
The signing is notable primarily because Patterson is the younger brother of Cubs center fielder Corey Patterson.
Eric Patterson, who bats left-handed and throws right-handed, hit .326 with nine home runs, 49 RBI and 48 stolen bases last season in earning All-America honors for the second time at Georgia Tech.
He totaled 14 homers and 124 RBI in three seasons.
Eric Patterson, 21, also played for the U.S. national team in the summers of 2002 and 2003.
"It's nothing to do with him being Corey's brother, but obviously he came from a great family," Hendry said. "He has a chance to be a prototypical leadoff hitter. He runs very well."
In the 2004 season, Eric Patterson stole 48 bases for Georgia Tech and led the team with five triples. Is he faster than his brother?
"I can get him," Eric said. "Definitely, I could get him."
.....Here's another article.
Travis Bell wins kicking duties
Congrats to Travis Bell - he has officially won the FG and PAT duties - not a surprise. Link here....... The punting job is still in the air since nobody has stepped up......Kick-off duties are in the air also with Kyle Belcher having a slight lead.
Also note that frosh Pat Clark and Levon Thomas will be the deep men on kick-off returns. Looks like Reuben Houston and Clark will both return punts.
The Butler Did It
Nice story on Butler. Interesting that Butler is another "leader by example" but not a vocal leader. We heard last week that Andy Tidwell-Neal was the vocal leader of the team.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Recruiting - Hoops
Mention of Lewis Clinch from July - link here.
Kansas recently offered Lewis Clinch after seeing his performance at the Showcase in Orlando, FL, but it maybe too late for Bill Self.
6-2 Lewis Clinch, Cordele, GA
Senior Lewis Clinch, unknown stock for sometime is now getting exposure. Youth Prep Stars Recruiting Magazine knew it would be a matter of time for his exposure. This spring and summer, Mr. Clinch has let his presence known at the TOC, Hoopfest and Showtime. Clinch has been one of the top players. Initially, he only had a few schools recruiting him such as Furman, Mercer, Georgia and Auburn, but that has changed. Georgia Tech Paul Hewitt, Florida Billy Donovan, Arkansas Stan Health and many others have taken a front row seat when Clinch's team played at Showtime in Suwannee. Clinch stated that he has been playing a lot of ball for the last two years and is a little tired and sore; but he has to make a big statement. I have known Lewis Clinch since the age of twelve and he's a fine young man with great parents. He's a very humble young man and the sky is the limit for him. Lewis stated that his top teams are Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida, Arkansas, Georgia and NC State. Lewis is also considering Auburn. He stated that he wouldn't mind playing with Georgia native Toney Douglas at Auburn. He also stated that he has patterned his game like Toney Douglas's and the two of them would play well together; and Auburn could have the best back in the SEC, probably in America, stated Lewis. Douglas was a Parade All American and one of the Top Prep Players in the country last year. Lewis will visit Auburn in September and would like to sign early.
Bobby Bowden - a pretty funny guy
Have to admit - the guy is funny. Check out this story and this quote:
``I'm so glad we got those two schools in there and Boston College next year,'' FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. ``We've going to get great coverage up and down the East Coast. That's where everybody lives, you know. I don't care what the SEC says, there just aren't many people in Mississippi.''
Football: GT vs UConn...
...in NCAA 2005. Evidently UConn beats GT at home - link here.
Following another bye, UConn beat Georgia Tech on the road, but lost to Buffalo at home and Rutgers away.
One thing we cannot take for granted is that their QB is actually one of the best in the nation. Watch for him.
Where are they now - Matt Weibring
Another story on him - link here. At the Buick Invitational he is currently tied for 6th through 11 holes today (he was in 2nd after day 1). Leaderboard.
Beyond the White and Gold
Nice editorial from the Technique on the GT/UGAg rivalry - link here. Time to whip these mutts - I'm tired of losing to them also!
SI.com BCS Predictions
Interesting predictions over at SI.com - link here.
NCST a surprise team? Lorenzo Booker, RB, Florida State the next household name? Clemson the flop of the year? John Bunting the #1 coach on the hot seat? All that and more.
Eric Patterson Signs with the Cubs
Well, it's all settled - EP is gone. No ACC stolen base record, no GT team record. He signs with the Cubs - link here.
Go to the UGA website - NOW
Click here. Ok, it may be gone by now, but this really was on the official UGA front page. I thought I would preserve it in infamy. Thanks to the folks at the Hive for the tipoff.
Football Notes
ESPN HOT 100
Eric Henderson shows up - at #57 and PJ Daniels shows up at #62. Where is James Butler? As someone at the Hive said, what matters is where they are on this list at the END of the season.
On Eric Henderson: 57. Eric Henderson, Georgia Tech, DE: The star of what should be a very good D-line. Led the ACC with 11 sacks and was second with 24 tackles for loss, a Tech single-season record.
On PJ Daniels: 62. P.J. Daniels, Georgia Tech, RB: Has great balance and vision. The former walk-on battled his way to 1,447 rushing yards, including an NCAA bowl-game record 307 yards versus Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl.
Rating Chris Rix - link here.
More mention of the 1990 NC and the Colorado 5-down fiasco - link here.
The new formula is simpler for sure, and probably better. But that doesn’t mean the BCS will escape dissension.
To realize the kind of travesty that’s possible when giving more weight to the human factor, one need only be reminded of what happened in 1990. The AP crowned Colorado, despite an 11-1-1 record that included the infamous “fifth-down” victory over Missouri. Georgia Tech went 11-0-1 and had to share the title, after earning the top spot in the UPI poll.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW - KEN WHISENHUNT
Quote: 19.1 Yards per catch recorded by Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt during his senior season as a tight end at Georgia Tech in 1984.
Great PJ Daniels Interview
RAMBLIN WITH PJ DANIELS
The Technique
Our own school paper does a nice interview. However, I might have paraphrased this quote, when Daniels talked about playing the NCAA 2005 video game using the GT team:
Nique: What's it like being able to play yourself in video games?
I think you get the point..... Also interesting that he sees a special rivalry with Maryland, which is understandable with the Fridge and all...... Majors in Business with a minor in chemistry - interesting combo....... He lists Andy Tidwell-Neal as the vocal leader on the team.......Also mentioned that his best friend just died - we wish him the best there........
P.J.: It's like a dream come true. I purchased NCAA 2005 not too long ago, and I play with myself. I think that they robbed me a little bit on some of my attributes. I kind of enhance them a bit, but other than that I enjoy it. It's a dream come true. It's a blessing.
Probably the most telling quote of all was this:
Nique: What is your favorite football memory?
Are you kidding me - his favorite memory was when another guy caught a pass? Come on PJ - we know you're a good guy, we know you're ultra-humble. Isn't that taking it a little far? I'm kidding of course - it just shows the character he has. Just amazing in this day of "it's all about me".
P.J.: My favorite football memory was in the Auburn game, when Darius Williams caught the 20-something yard catch, because when I first came here, he and I, we had our struggles with the coaches. Both of our skills weren't good enough for our positions. When he caught the ball, I was so excited. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if I should hug him or hit him or do whatever. I wanted to tackle him, but I think that was my most inspiring moment in football. When he caught the ball against Auburn that was just touching.
Recruiting: Brilliant Marketing by Bill Self
Ok, no wonder Bill Self is attracting recruits. And guess what - he might snag CJ Miles by the end of the weekend. But check out this article. Basically Kansas is going hold an intra-squad scrimmage for fans - at no charge. CJ Miles will be there to watch.
Now here's the catch. No doubt this is a marketing tool to attract Miles and other possible recruits. But Allen Fieldhouse seats 16,300 fans. While they can attract a good crowd, they won't field up that place. Now how would that look to recruits, to have a scrimmage that is 1/3 full? You could argue that it would be an excellent turnout, but the place would still look empty.
So what does he do - he is going to hold the scrimmage at KU's volleyball arena / hoops practice gym, which only holds 1300.
Next you get the media involved - "come to our scrimmage, but you better come early, because the doors will only be open for about 30 minutes - it will fill up quick"..... Oh they put in plenty of excuses why - the humidity is too high at Allen's, blah blah.
Bottomline is Self is managing expectations and creating an image that he wants Miles to see. Smart and shrewd.
In other recruiting news, Ryan Wright has eliminated GT from consideration....... Kevin Rogers has named a top 3 of Kansas, AZ and GT (KU in the lead).......Octavious Spann has GT in his top 4 with Georgetown, UGA and Auburn.
Golf - Matt Weibring
Link here.
Weibring’s name should be familiar to Connecticut golf fans: D.A. Weibring won the 1996 GHO despite suffering from Bell’s palsy. His son Matt followed him for all 72 holes that week.
Now Matt, 24, a Georgia Tech graduate, plays on both the Nationwide and Canadian tours.
He has played the John Deere Classic twice before this week’s Buick, which he received a sponsor’s exemption for on Monday.
"I’ve been on the edge of shooting some really good, low scores, so it kind of happened at a good place," Weibring said.
Father and son should be pretty happy with Matt’s round Thursday. Weibring posted seven birdies (2, 3, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 15) along with two bogeys (4 and 10). On holes 11 through 13, all three birdie putts were from 2 feet or less.
But Weibring never looked at a leaderboard on the course, so he had no idea where he stood, even after he came into the interview room.
"I didn’t watch at all," Weibring said. "That’s one thing I learned last year on the Nationwide Tour. Those leaderboards do not help you play better golf. It puts things in your mind. ... Obviously, it must be all right if I’m in here (the interview room)."
Ranking the Nation's QB depth
Interesting look at ranking QB's, taking into consideration the starter and backup. Link here. This on GT:
38. Georgia Tech + Reggie Ball / Patrick Carter + Ball was OK as true freshman last season but must be better passer.
Here's how the other ACC teams stack up:
7....Clemson
14...FSU
18...North Carolina
26...Miami
31...VaTech
38...Georgia Tech
51...Wake Forest
55...Virginia
65...NC ST
74...Maryland
98...Duke
Bowl Predictions
So what would you think if we played Nebraska in the "Houston Bowl" on December 30, in Houston (dugh)? That's where SportsIllustrated has predicted GT to be. Link here.
Adam Oliver Hoping to Impact the D
With Travis Parker suspended for a game, Oliver may get his shot. Story here.
Also, the Jackets Are Abuzz over the new practice schemes in preparation for Samford....... Speaking of Samford, here's a short blurb on them.
Brezina transitioning to offensive guard
Nice story on a comeback and attempt to make it on the O-Line.
Where are they now - Chris Bosh
Nice mention of Bosh at CBSSportsline.com - link here.
Here are our top 12 players to watch this season:
Chris Bosh, F, Toronto: Bosh had a solid rookie season in Toronto, averaging 11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 75 games. He was successful in the post despite his lean frame (6-foot-10, 210 lbs.), and will no doubt benefit from the experience of 63 pro starts. The former Georgia Tech star will be an even more prominent member of the frontcourt in his sophomore season, and has the skills to emerge as a productive No. 3 in most Fantasy leagues. Consider Bosh in the middle to late rounds.
Travis Parker Suspended
I feel dirty all-of-the-sudden. Things were buzzing along so well. Well, at least Coach Gailey sets expectations and enacts discipline. Travis Parker has been suspended for one game - against Samford for "an in-house thing". If I find out more that I can share I will. Story here.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Around the ACC
BILBO PROFILED ON SOUTHERN SPORTS REPORT
Make sure to tune into the Southern Sports Report Monday Aug 30th, at 10:00pm on FSN. Link here.
MONDAY, 8/30 - Once the quarterback of the future at Georgia Tech, Damarius Bilbo is using summer practice to develop as the Yellow Jackets' "go-to" receiver; once a MLB Milwaukee Brewers draft pick, can Bilbo adapt to being on the other end of the Yellow Jackets' passing attack?
CLEMSON / GT GAME ALMOST SOLD OUT
Well, evidently Clemson has less than 1000 tickets remaining for the GT game on Sept 11. Link here. I saw a report on the Hive that the GT allotment of tickets has not sold out and we may have to return a certain number back to Clemson. Come on out and support the team. Clemson SC is a fun place to watch a game, the fans are spirited but good-natured. A short drive from ATL.
BRUNSWICK GA PROGNOSTICATORS
From this link - Georgia Tech opens its season in nine days and while the Yellow Jackets' home opener against Samford won't be much of a test, Tech's next two games will be a good barometer for the Jackets' hopes at extending their streak of bowl appearances to eight.
A trip to Clemson Sept. 11., followed by a visit to North Carolina Sept. 18, could have the Jackets sitting at either 1-2 or 3-0. I think Tech has a shot at a decent season, and 3-0 with a week off to prepare for Miami wouldn't be too bad a place for Chan Gailey and his troops to be.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW - DARYL SMITH
Well how about that - Daryl Smith will move into the starting lineup in the Jag's next pre-season game. WOW!!! Of course you have to take it with a grain of salt. Some of it is about #1, seeing how Smith fares against Green Bay's starters and #2, protecting the Jag's starters as well.
PLAY SPORTS GET COLLEGE CREDITS
Wow, it sounds like Jim Harrick has gotten an underground consulting job with FSU, K-State and even North Carolina. Story here. Look at this on FSU:
The physical education class descriptions are buried in course catalogs and bulletins, which are often hundreds of pages long and contain hundreds of course listings. Florida State's Department of Sports Management, Recreation Management and Physical Education offers PEL 1644, or "Varsity Football," during fall semester. The class description says students get "face-to-face classroom instruction" from Bobby Bowden, college football's winningest coach with 342 victories in 38 seasons.
I'm sorry, but you read that story and you realize the gigantic level of HYPROCRISY alive and well in college athletics. Don't hide behind declarations of purity of student-athletics. It's about the getting the talent, keeping the talent eligible and winning with the talent so the talent brings in big money for the school. It's about the money - surprise surprise.
Olympic Update
First, Chaunte Howard finishes tied for 28th in the women's high jump in Athens. She got as high as 1.85meters (6'0.75"). Congrats to her. Way to go! Link here.
In hoops, Stephon Marbury actually led TeamUSA in a victory over Spain which the pundits were saying was the first sign of life as a group of guys learning to play together as a team. Marbury scored 31 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, along with 6-9 from 3pt range. The 31 points is actually an US Olympic record and so are the 6 3pters. Marbury came to the gym and practiced on his day off, as he was evidently focused on making a difference. Spain had not lost to that point. Story here......... Sounds like there was quite a bit of tension as well between head coaches........
Where are they now - Matt Weibring
Well, how about this - Matt Weibring is in 2nd place at the Buick Invitational at 5 under. Ok, it's only the first round, but good for him. Leaderboard.
Coach Gailey Call-in show
Well, I missed the first 45 minutes of the show, so my update is woefully lacking. But I'll give you what I have. Here are some more re-caps from the boards
Stingtalk
The Hive
WES: Talk about your defensive coaches.
CG: (reviewed coaches then he said this) One thing though, in those defensive coaching meetings, they are mostly one-way conversations.
WES: (laughing), with Jon Tenuta you mean
CG: yes
QUESTION: Of the 4 offensive lineman you signed last season, who is stepping up in the group?
CG: The two guys who are standing out are Andrew Gardner and Nate McManus. Andrew is a tall guy, 6'7" but he's not that thick. When he came to GT he was around 243lb now he about 260lb. He is a very good athlete with a lot of potential. Nate is about 290lb, very thick, about 6'3". He is playing either center or guard for us and has picked up things very well. He has a little mean streak in him, which is good..... The other two guys, Kieran Delaney and Jacob Lonowski are doing well so far. They are not quite ready to play, but have big potential...... You know lot really depends on the quality of the high school programs they come from to determine how ready they are to play early. The two guys stepping up came from strong high school programs, Sandy Creek GA and Mountain Brook AL, respectively.
WES: You seem to be much more comfortable recruiting on a national stage.
CG: We are. I tell you, the success of the basketball program has helped. They really helped put the Georgia Tech name on the national radar for a lot of kids. They see the "GT" and know what it means. The new ACC and the TV contract have helped also. We are getting more attention and interest from more top athletes than ever before..... What we try to do is recruit strong in the big 3 - Georgia, Florida and Texas. Those are our big 3. Then we work the rest of the country depending on specific kids we find.
WES: You worked out in the Georgia Dome due to rain. That must have been nice
CG: We have been fortunate to be able to work that out when we needed to.
WES: When do you begin preparations for Samford?
CG: Today. We will begin to introduce them to their opponent. At this point, our players are just tired of hitting each other. They are ready to play. They are tired of the scrimmages, where the offense knows what the defense is going to do, and the defense knows what the offense it going to do..... I have just tried to stress that every play is important. We have to come to play every down.
WES: Last year at this time you had a pretty good feel for what you had going into the first game, considering all the troubles before last season. Do you have the same feel for what you have in this team this year?
CG: Well, we can't really get a handle on things because of injuries. But I do have a handle on the character of this team, and I like what I see.
KaMichael Hall picking up LB spot
Nice to see Hall picking up well for his new starting LB assignment. Link here. Interestingly, the story also mentions that 80-90% of the work this coming week would be focused on Samford. One of the discussion boards was debating the merits of possibly spending some time on Clemson as well. Personally I don't think that's a good idea - anyone remember Duke? To spend the first week of the season "looking ahead" doesn't sit well. Of course, 80-90% is a lot, and it didn't say what the other 10-20% would be spent doing.
Also note that freshman Nate McManus practiced with the 1st team - something new. I wish him the best, but I heard once an old adage about starting freshman in college football. For every one you start, add 1 loss to your total. Obviously he is not going to start unless their is a major injury problem, but you get my point. Depth is a real concern, probably the #1 issue on this team.
No Non-sense Defense
Nice article on Jon Tenuta and the defense. As usual he is a man of few words. In fact here is his only quote in the whole piece.
Tenuta, who also coaches the Tech secondary, downplays his part, saying "I'm a firm believer you win with people, players and the coaches working with you."
GT a "top athletic center"
Hey recruits, facilities matter. GT has great ones. Some schools even come to GT to figure out how to make theirs better - link here.
Associated Students of the University of Utah leaders have been traveling across the nation to explore some of the country's top athletic centers including Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Washington State and the University of Idaho at Moscow.
Heck, they're mainly focused on the regular student portion, which is only a fraction of what's there.
"All the Really Good Stuff Comes from the South"
Link here.
The very best athletes and sports teams come from the South. Why, right here in Georgia we enjoy both the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the University of Georgia Bulldogs, both nationally known and respected, with colorful and storied sports histories.
More Prognostications
Link here. On GT:
8. Georgia Tech: Quarterback Reggie Ball set the Yellow Jackets' freshman records for passing yards, pass completions and total offense, and running back P.J. Daniels led the league in rushing. Yet somehow Tech ranked next-to-last in scoring.
Al Ciraldo
A nice article on Al Ciraldo, that was written in 1979. Someone over at the Hive found the link. Story here.
Recruiting - Hoops
Mention of Andrew "Lee" Bynum - link here. Per RamblinRed, Duke is now out of the running with a commit from E.Boateng:
Andrew Bynum, a 6-10, 260 power forward from St. Joseph's in Metuchen, N.J., is scheduled to visit Saturday. St. Joe's produced Duke's Jason Williams.
Bynum impressed the UConn coaching staff at the Nike Camp in Indianapolis over the summer and has become a priority for the program.
North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Georgia and Rutgers are in the mix for Bynum. While Duke has shown interest recently, the Huskies are believed to have the inside track.
Speaking of Boateng, here's an article on the Duke commit. GT did offer him....... Here's another article on Boateng........... And here's one more.
GT Hires a Marketing Firm
Did you know that out of 4.3 million people in metro ATL, only 34,670 are GT grads? UGA In fact there are only 43,065 alumni know to be living in the entire state. So how do you fill a 55,000 seat stadium? Obvioulsy, you try and build some more attraction to the other 4.3 million.
We can bitch and make excuses as to why GT doesn't attract larger crowds, but the facts are that UGA and the Falcons have sold out all available tickets with seating of 92,000 and 71,000 respectively. At GT there are tickets available for ALL home games, even Miami, and BDS holds 55,000.
Now, some of the ways they are looking to help the situation sound interesting
- creative a more festive game-day experience
- pre-game radio show from Bobby Dodd Way
- fan festival area "Wreckfest" on top of Peters Parking Deck
- interactive games, kids activities, concessions
- have GT famous sports figures to meet fans
- create a marketing campaign around the "hometown team" concept
- more visibility of coaches / players around the community
- increase radio coverage of night games (weak signal now)
Sounds like a good start to me. Story here on increasing attendance.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
The "Herbie Awards"
Kirk Herbstreet has recognized James Butler and Jon Tenuta in his 4th annual "Herbie Awards" - link here. (thanks Tom for the link)..... Tenuta gets the nod as the 9th best defensive mastermind in the nation...... Butler gets the nod as the 3rd best "centerfielder" (free safety) in the game.
Football: Dixon an unsung contributor
Nice story on FB Jimmy Dixon. No doubt that he was a big reason why PJ Daniels had such a great season last year, leading the way with his blocking........Mike Knober over at AJC picked up the same story - link here.... How about this - we follow all these recruiting gurus. Max Emfinger ranked him the #2 tailback in the nation out of high school. Wow!!
On the recruiting front, here is a brif mention of Marcus Ball - yes, Reggie's younger brother. He is a stud LB - I mean a real stud, and certainly GT is in the mix to land him. Of course he is class of 2006, so it's a bit early.
Stephenson's Marcus Ball, younger brother of Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball, had 15 tackles in the 14-13 overtime loss to McEachern. . . .
Here's another mention of recent commit Taalib Tucker, another stud LB, but in the class of 2005. Link here.
Westlake linebacker Taalib Tucker became the first area player to commit to a Division I-A school this school year.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound linebacker said he will sign with Georgia Tech on National Signing Day in February. Tucker chose the Yellow Jackets over Florida, Oklahoma and Ohio State.
He was a member of the South Metro Super 11 team coming into the season after registering 96 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown despite missing several games with a knee injury.
"I feel that I can get some early playing time at Tech," Tucker said Monday. "I think I have a chance to play, if not start, my first year. Besides, it is one of the best academic schools in the country."
Tucker said with the decision behind him, he can fully concentrate on his final season for the Lions. "Now I don't have to worry if there is a scholarship for me," he said. "I can just go out and play."
The Tag-Board is Back
Well, we had some problems a few months ago, and I have decided to give the Tag Board another try. The spyware issue should be all worked out. It is possible that a few popup ads are pushed you way as a result, but it's the tagboard service, not my site. Hopefully you have a pop-up blocker which everyone should have any how.
So start the lively conversations again.
Predicting the ACC
Man do these guys get it all wrong:
9) Georgia Tech: Hard times hit Atlanta last November when the Yellow Jackets when 1-3 in the month, including losses to Duke, Virginia and Georgia.
Seven starters return on offense, including sophomore QB Reggie Ball. Coach Chan Gailey's ball-control offense will have to execute to protect his slumping defense, which gets back DE Eric Henderson and six fellow returning starters.
On another note, looks like "lists" are really back in style. The 10 best this, and the 20 best that. Looks like they will be naming the 10 Greatest College Football Coaches of all-time - link here. The writer mentions Bobby Dodd, although it is not clear that the 200-name list he was supposed to vote for had Dodd on it:
S'cuse me, Gen. Bob Neyland (Tennessee), Fielding Yost (Michigan), Joe Paterno (whose career goes on) and Bobby Dodd (Georgia Tech).
This article from the Washington Post is a good one about the expansion in the ACC. This quote from Ralph Friedgen:
"You see all this media here?" Friedgen said. "We're going to be the most powerful media league in the country. Boston, you're probably going to end up pulling part of New York and Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami. That's pretty powerful.
"And we're truly an Atlantic Coast Conference now. You go from Miami to Boston. You want exposure? As time goes on, I think TV contracts are going to get better. I think the bowl games are going to get better. The media coverage is going to get better. Eventually every kid this side of the Mississippi is going to want to play in the ACC."
Updated 2005 Recruiting Board
I have updated the recruiting board. It is still a work-in-progress with a lot of guys missing. I have added Ryan Wright, Austin Jackson and others, updated a number of guys, added a list of known official visits, and taken Eric Boateng off the board, as he has now committed to Duke. I have also started to add some of the guys to the "off the board" section so you get an idea of who we were after and didn't get.
Link to the 2005 Recruiting Board.
Remember that the permanent link to the board can be found under "recruiting" on the link list.
Where are they now - Matt Weibring
Nice blurb on Matt:
Father Knows Best
Matt Weibring knows what it takes to win at the TPC at River Highlands. He watched his father do it eight years ago.
In 1996, D.A. Weibring was struggling with Bell's palsy. Matt, then 16, spent the week in Cromwell watching his father's GHO victory.
"The only time I've ever been here was for my dad's win," said Matt Weibring, who has a sponsor's exemption for the Buick Championship - his first PGA Tour event this year. "It was pretty cool. He was just happy to be out there playing and maybe make a cut. But all of the sudden he played great and won."
Matt talked his father through that final round, and D.A. gave his son credit for his victory.
"When I do motivational speaking engagements, I talk about that GHO week and role reversals, how your son or daughter can help a parent, just like a parent can help their children," D.A. Weibring told The Courant three years ago. "It was an unbelievable experience."
After an All-American career at Georgia Tech, Matt played on the Nationwide Tour last year and received sponsors' exemptions to the 2002 and '03 John Deere Classic. That event is played at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., a course designed by his father.
Matt said he has received some tips from his father on the TPC at River Highlands.
"I have a lot of good memories of this course, so hopefully it will carry over to this week," he said. "Hopefully I'll have some good luck like Dad did."
Recruiting - Hoops
First, Lewis Clinch is visiting GT this weekend - let's hope it's a great visit and he'll end his recruiting. However, he does have visits schedule with WF and UGA. And now Duke is involved and the evil one has an in-home visit with him soon.
Adrian Thomas, who plays the 3/4-spot, seems to be favoring GT and will be visiting campus soon.
Here is an article on Russell Robinson, a NY guard who was recruited by GT and ended up in Kansas. Here's who he was rooting for in the Kansas/GT game in last year's tourney:
No doubt Self wishes he had the luxury of a stopper-type defender like Robinson last March in St. Louis when point guard Aaron Miles logged a lung-searing 43 minutes in the Jayhawks' 79-71 overtime loss to Georgia Tech in the NCAA Elite Eight.
Robinson, who had considered signing with Georgia Tech as well as Kentucky a few months earlier, watched that game on television at a friend's house back home.
"I was rooting for Kansas," Robinson recalled. "You always wish you could be out there playing, but my time will come."
Surely, if Self had been able to give Miles more bench time, Miles would have been more effective against Tech point guard Jarrett Jack, who led the Yellow Jackets in points (29), rebounds (9) and assists (6) in the game that prevented the Jayhawks from making a third straight Final Four appearance.
The 1990 Football Title Controversy Referenced
Our 1990 Football National Championship "split" with Colorado gets some play in the media this week due to the whole Paul Hamm Olympic deal. Check this out.
Besides, sports provide us so many great examples of nobility.
The Soviet Union gave its 1972 Olympic gold medals in men's basketball to the United States. The Kansas City Royals sent their 1985 World Series championship rings to St. Louis. The University of Colorado football team forfeited its fifth-down touchdown victory over Missouri and shipped an undisputed 1990 college championship trophy to Georgia Tech.
Wait. You say they didn't? Well, slap me with a silly stick. You mean we're supposed to accept human error? Display grace even in defeat? Get over the bad hands life sometimes deals us and move on? Even in sports? Even in the Olympics? Run ahead, you say? Mercy!
Even the Rudy movie gets a mention - link here
Screenwriters would hammer out rough drafts of Hamm's story before the plane returning him home was off the runway. (Hey, if a movie can be made of a Notre Dame walk-on football player who got onto the field for a few seconds against Georgia Tech, surely a movie could be made of the gymnast who went for the gold, and then gave it up.)
More On Owings Transferring
From his hometown paper, Micah isn't saying anything negative about GT or the staff - link here.
"This has been a great time in my life," Owings, a 19th round selection (576th pick) of the Chicago Cubs, said. "However, I feel that I need to make a change. Change is not something anyone loves, and especially me, for those who know me and the routines to which I am accustomed. I have fond memories that I will carry with me throughout my life of the times and experiences with the athletic department, faculty and staff, and, of course, my teammates."
"I appreciate the opportunities, in every respect, that I've had these two years at Tech," he said. "It's a terrific program. My family has been Tech fans all our lives and always will be. I never have or will have any negative comments to make about Georgia Tech."
This from AccessNorth.
More on Logan at QB
Story here........ Here are some team notes, including an O-Line that is STILL limited in action due to injuries. Also note the comments on one of our latest recruits, Todd Walker. Like I said, he wants to be a QB....period.
Here's a rundown of the new look ACC.........And of course it has had a positive impact on recruiting - link here.
Mercifully, a new poll is up
Ok, I got lazy on the poll. A new one is up. The results of the last one to the question:
How many more years will Paul Hewitt coach GT hoops?
34%.....7-12 years
23%.....3-6 years
21%.....13-20 years
14%.....21+ years
7%......1-2 years
Bottom-line - YOU DON'T KNOW. But I think you got the answer right. 7-12 years would get his oldest daughter off to college. He might start really thinking about the NBA lifestyle at that point. We'll see.
Pre-Season Sagarin Rankings
Well, the Sagarin rankings are out for the 2004 pre-season and GT comes in......drum roll....... #33. Of course anyone who follows these rankings closely knows they become more significant as the season progresses and more games are played. Just not much data to work with right now. Link here.
Here is how ACC / SEC teams stacked up:
1...Miami
3...FSU
5...UGAg
6...LSU
11..Florida
13..Tennessee
14..Maryland
16..Auburn
19..Virginia Tech
20..NC ST
21..Arkansas
23..Mississippi
26..Clemson
28..Alabama
31..Virginia
33..Georgia Tech
34..Boston College (to be)
47..South Carolina
54..Wake Forest
66..Kentucky
68..North Carolina
77..Miss St.
90..Vanderbilt
98..Duke
The ACC overall is ranked #1, with the SEC at #2. However, the conference rankings are very close, so it looks like we will have to play the games after-all.
Football Fix
LOGAN TO FOCUS AT QB
RamblinWreck.com
Well, isn't this interesting. I don't know if it says more about the strength of the WR core or the depth of the QB position. Looks like Taylor Bennett will redshirt for sure. Don't tell me some guys aren't team players. They're not all about the PT. Check out this quote from Mark Logan:
Now that is leadership. Heck hearing things like that just makes me root for the guy to get into the games.
"If Coach needs to me to go in at quarterback, I can be a quarterback," said the Greenwood, S.C. native. "If he needs me to go in at receiver, I can be a receiver. If he needs me on special teams . . . wherever he needs me, I can go in and do it.
"I just look at this as a chance to help the team."
LOGAN WORKING AT BACKUP QB
Mike Knobler - AJC
Well, here's the same story from AJC.
LANDRY GLAD TO BE BACK IN ACTION
Rana Cash - AJC
Glad to see Dawan Landry hungry to get back on the field. By the way, did you read what I said below in the Todd Walker post about the value of recruiting high school QB's? Check this quote out:
Just how much that helps him add to last season's production is unknown. Landry delivered bone-jarring hits and finished the season as Tech's fourth-leading tackler with 85, including six tackles for loss. He also contributed two interceptions, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. Against Florida State, Landry was a menace: He recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and broke up a pass. To punctuate his performance, he caught a 12-yard pass for a first down on a fake punt.
That's the kind of play the former quarterback is capable of, but even he needs practice to avoid taking a step backward.
TERPS ANNOUNCE SELLOUTS
Well, the GT/MD game in College Park is sold out. No doubt they are going to want revenge.
ALL TEXAS SPORTS, 24 HOURS A DAY
Well, Texas has created a 24-hour network devoted to Texas sports. For $3.95/month you can subscribe. If GT offered the same would you pay? I would (if only to feed this monster). Notice this comment about content:
The university reached deep into its archive for some of the programming, Plonsky said. The channel will broadcast coaches' game films, some of it transferred from the old 8-mm film, to show classic UT contest dating back to the Longhorns' 14-7 win over Georgia Tech in the Cotton Bowl in 1943.
Just thank ESPN Classic for this.
TENNESSEE TO START FRESHMAN QB
Notice Stewart Mandel's reference to true freshman QB's, including Reggie Ball.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Olympic Update
Angelo Taylor falls short in his bid to repeat gold in the 400m hurdles. He didn't even make the finals, coming in 4th in a semi-final. I saw the race on NBC and I have to tell you, I wasn't impressed. Of course I know nothing about the sport, but when you see guys doing hurdles, you are used to a certain form with the front leg shooting out and the other tucked tightly under your body, just hugging the hurdle as you go over. I also am aware that in the 400m the form is not as clean. But man, see Taylor jump over those hurdles did not look graceful. He just looked like a big dude trying to jump and run fast, with not much form and a loping runner.
Again, I don't know squat, and he was a gold medalist, but I didn't get it.
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